Welcome to Day 26 of 31 Days of Mom Mojo – Tackling Time Management.
Regret for wasted time is more wasted time. Mason CooleyAs you move forward and begin to use your time more efficiently you’ll want to be sure you cut out those time wasters that creep in to steal precious minutes. Regardless how productive you try to be, there are time wasters that need to be identified and managed to really get the most from every hour of the day.
Evaluate your day and eliminate non-productive activities. We took at look at our daily schedules and logged how we used our time back in Day 3.
But now let’s really dig in to see about eliminating those pesky time wasters that sneak their way in. Some time wasters will be obvious, others will not and some you may feel that you didn’t have any control over changing. But wait – I’ve got a few suggestions!
TV
Cutting out TV all together is probably not realistic, but try turning it on only for the morning and evening news, or programs you really want to watch. Don’t have it on constantly, you will get catch up watching something that really wasn’t a priority for you.
Grocery Shopping
If you make multiple trips to the grocery store during the week – you are wasting time. Even though it takes some time to plan out meals and create a complete grocery list, it will save you a ton of time in the end.
Newspapers or Magazines
How many newspapers or magazines do you subscribe to? I have friends who subscribe to several magazines each month. I used to subscribe, but when I found myself feeling overwhelmed with reading them before the next one came, I quit. If this is something you truly enjoy, then make sure it is a self-care time item and not a time waster taking you away from other tasks. {if you are a magazine and catalog lover, don’t fret – I’ll share a way to get that time in without wasting time!}
Email & Social Media
The time spent on the computer going through email and checking in on facebook and/or twitter and pinterest can get away from you quickly. Be cautious and intentional with the time you set aside for these tasks. If need be, set a timer to remind you to move on to another task so you don’t let an hour slip away.
Phone Calls
When you make a call, have a purpose in mind before dialing. Try to keep on point and let the person you are calling know, “I’ve only got a minute.” Another great phrase to start to wrap up a call with a talkative friend is, “Is there anything else before we let each other go?” That also lets the caller know your time is limited. Sometimes I will set a timer before I get on the phone, if I am at home and then I can use the timer ringing as a reason to have to say goodbye {oh no, my secret is out!}
The best investment I’ve made is a headset that can attach to my home phone. I am able to multi-task while visiting with a friend or while waiting on hold. I love mine and it was only $12. Totally worth every penny!
Sorting Mail
There is no way around it, you have to sort through the mail you get on a daily basis or you will end up with late bills or missed invitations. But you do not have to waste your time filtering through the junk mail that clutters up your mailbox. I will sort my mail on the way back from the mailbox and already have my junk mail in my hands to pop into the recycle bin. This eliminates touching it more than once.
Here are some tips on how you can help stop (or significantly decrease) the flood of junk mail coming into your home. Getting your name off of mailing lists is an important step in stopping junk mail. There are several approaches to this.
Register to have your name removed from mailing lists. There are two main resources to help you accomplish this. One is a free service called the National Do Not Mail List, offered by DirectMail.com, which makes the list available to mailing list owners and users for one reason only: so they can remove (or add) your name to their lists based on your stated preferences. When you complete the online National Do Not Mail List form, you can indicate if there are any mailings you would like to receive (a list is provided). You can choose as many or as few—or none—as you want.
The second service is offered by the Direct Marketing Association, which historically was free but which now charges $1. You can register online. Your request is good for five years, and you can let them know what mail you want to get as well as what you don’t want. I just registered my name and address.
Tired of getting flyers and coupon booklets addressed to “occupant” or “resident”? You can contact some of the mailers directly and ask to be removed from their lists; for example, Valassis/Red Plum and Valpak.
With some deliberate and specific effort, you can greatly reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, giving you more time and less trash!
Misplacing Items
How many times are you running through the house trying to find keys, shoes or your purse? Maybe it is another member of the family. If you are wasting time locating items that do not have a standard resting place, it is time to create one. Pick a place to keep keys, your shoes and your purse. The same goes for backpacks and other items that kids may have trouble locating. This will save needless searching and definitely lower the stress.
Appointments
If at all possible try to schedule one of the first appointments of the day or one right after lunch. It’s less likely that you’ll end up having to wait – which is always a big time waster. If you can, try calling before you head out to the appointment to check if the service provider is running on time.
What other time wasters can you identify?
