Identifying effective time managment strategies for at home or in any invironment.
If you have stumbled onto this post, you, like myself, have realized there is not enough time in the day to accomplish everything that has to get done in your household.
You either lack the skills of planning or organizing. Or even need help multitasking. Worry not! I’ve got you covered.
Effective time management strategies are what you need to maintain a happy home.
Yes, homemaking is work too.
As public school teachers, we educators embody the essence of time management. We have to! To adequately manage the time required to reach every type of learner in our classroom. So, you’d think I’ve got this covered. Right?
Not only did I fail miserably, but I quickly realized homemaking and homeschool time management are two different strategy processes. Or are they?
Not at all! By applying four simple strategies to your lifestyle, you, too, can become effective time managers of your home and use these strategies any place in your lifestyle.
Before we begin!
Time for confessions of a homeschooling homemaker!
I, too, am guilty of inadequate time management at home. My time management skills did not transition home with me when I left the workforce.
I jumped right in running our household and homeschooling at the same time. I yearned to chat with someone about my struggles to plan and schedule not only household chores but homeschool work too.
HELLO! Is someone out here? Send tea and chocolate, please, and thank you.
Suppose you are a struggling homeschooling momma like I once was (and sometimes feel like) or have homeschool questions.
In that case, I welcome you to ASK ME ANYTHING and book your 30 Minute Session to ask me anything relevant to homeschooling. Send those woes goodbye, and take the weight of homeschool worries off your shoulders. Doesn’t checking one item off your box feel good!
I feel so much better! Let’s get started, shall we!
It’s time to talk time management!
You may be wondering what time management is? Or asking, “How do I manage my time wisely?”
Time Management Definition
“The analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks in order to maximize personal efficiency in the workplace (Dictionary).” In other words, time management is the system of organizing and or planning how to divide your time between set activities.“
What does great time management look like?
The trick is to work smarter, not harder. The goal is to accomplish more tasks in less time in all types of situations.
Think of the concept of time in terms of accomplishments.
Ask yourself, “What do I have to accomplish in said amount of time and by when?” Effective time management reduces the amount of time needed to accomplish a given amount of tasks leading to a less stressful environment.
The goal with time management is to improve every aspect of your life, so you work faster, better, and stress-free in all situations, including outside your home. Toss plan B out the window, because plan A works like a charm!
Let’s strategize! Creating a game plan?
So you know what time management is and how it looks. So, how are you going to implement time management into your lifestyle? Let’s talk strategies.
- Jot It Down
Grab a notepad and jot down goals or everything you need to accomplish by a said amount of time (laundry, work, homeschooling, etc.)
- Plan and Schedule
Look at your notes and plug each task into your planner or daily schedule. I recommend using a block schedule planner for larger jobs when necessary, to provide extra time if a particular task needs spare time. Whether you plan the night before or the morning of, planning out creates a visual reminder to help you understand each job. Remember, work smarter, not harder, and try not to overwhelm yourself.
Get your block schedule planner here!
Set yourself up for a win, by looking back over your schedule and seeing that you accomplished something.
It’s not about how many boxes you can check off; it’s about efficient productivity. You’re not a failure if you resort to plan B. Plan B is a drawer full of take-out menus next to my refrigerator. Life happens!
Get To Work
Now that steps one and two are taken care of and have prioritized which tasks are essential by order of accomplishments, let’s get to work. See what you can accomplish. Don’t be afraid to tweak as you go along or ditch a particular task for the day. Slide it to the left.
Oh, great. Now I have a line dance song in my head. See, working can be fun at home too!
Reinforcements
We are never too old to treat ourselves. Who says you can’t plan out five minutes to eat chocolates in the pantry with the lights off because to choose to not share with the kids. It happens!
Just a friendly reminder.
to take a break, relax, and have fun as you learn to become your household’s effective time manager.
In short.
How do you manage your time? Are you using any of these strategies in your household? Is there a strategy you use that I did not mention to help others in their time management endeavors?
I enjoy hearing your thoughts.
Comments are always welcome.
You got this!
Jaclyn