So you know how the day can be. Wake up, make breakfast, run the kids to school, pick up dry cleaning, go to work, meet with vendor for lunch, call 7 people today to just say hello, send out emails to people for this reason or that reason, rush to show a house, call the listing appointment for tomorrow to confirm, pick up the kids from school, cook dinner, do a load of laundry, bath the kids, oh yea feed the dog, read to the kids before bed, make the kids brush their teeth, ok so it is midnight and you need to finish up your work you left un done....oh goodness I am tired....
So when does all this end and you get a minute to breath...let alone get some time to do something for yourself?
Well unfortunately, you can't add hours to the day. If I could, I would, but that won't work so you have to do a few things to free your space up.
Dream List: all the things you want to do. Can be a simple as read a book for fun for 10 minutes in the bath or much as travel around the world in a balloon, but put it down on paper! Rank the items in an order of importance. Pick a few and make them the main focus of freeing up your schedule to get them in.
What you really do: make a list of everything you really do in a day. If you need to keep a note pad by you, do it and write EVERYTHING down.
See what you can eliminate: What is it in your day that you really don't have to do. This will be hard at first because everything that you do seems like a life or death situation when you look at it. You will also want to look at what you can dish out to others. Not everything has to be done by you. You might want to look at what you can hire others to do for you also. That is why services like Quantum mail are so popular. (That isn't a plug for Quantum Mail, that is just the first one that popped into my mind). What can I do less of? Surfing the web, going to the coffee shop etc. See if there are any distractions that I can get rid of in my life? The urge to check your email 50 times per day...sure it only takes 2 minutes, but those minutes add up. When you get home after a certain time turn the Blackberry OFF!!!!! I know that is a realtor sin and you could go to realtor jail for doing that, but if you need a minute for yourself, that is one way to get it. TV. Pick one show that you LOVE and after that one show turn it off.
Rework your Schedule: So now you have a blank page in front of you. Pick the one or 2 things you want to add to your schedule for YOU and YOU alone. Pick a date and time and those don't change. Those are "non-negotiable" Once you do that don't cave in. They are non-negotiable for a reason....they aren't negotiable. Now here is the hard part. Don't feel bad for taking time for you, just do it!
•· Create daily to-do list and mark things off as you get things done (don't be afraid to cross items off this list that aren't a must to do today....you can add them to tomorrows list. Now don't use this as a procrastination tool, think of it as delegation with yourself)
•· Schedule brainless items first and get them over with quickly
•· Schedule your most time-consuming task second that way you can get it done while you are fresh and you are more likely to get it done.
•· Reality check once a week, you pick the day. It would be best done on the end of your work week. This is the time to look at your schedule each week to see what you can change and cut out to free up more time.
Now here are a couple of motivational quotes that I got from the article that inspired me to write this blog. "More Free Time" in Real Simple by Elizabeth Fenner
"Do a dash of whatever it is you are trying to avoid" another words do the thing you normally are put off until deadline and get it over with. Put it second on your schedule one day and just get it out the way.
"Post a procrastination-busting Post-it" I love the one they published in the article "Are you inventing things to do to avoid what's important?" Put is some where you see all day everyday!
"Break projects into pieces" spend 40-90 mins on one task after that take a break and refresh yourself and come back to it. There is the perfect place to check your email or read a book for pleasure for 2 minutes.
"Take rest seriously" GO TO BED!!! If you get 8 hours of sleep a night, you will be more productive. I didn't think I could do this one, but people in my office all the time ask me what I take to give me so much energy....ok so that is my secret. I get at least 8 hours of sleep a night....that is it!
"Don't worry, be happy" ok so it is corny, but it is true....stop worrying. You will get it done. If you can't change it, you just can't change it, so GET OVER IT and just smile on your and have a great day no matter what!
I hope this helps you find the time to get that massage you have been wanting to get once a month or gives you time to see one of your kid's soccer games.
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