Time Management

Though I'm here writing this blog about time management, let me be frank and say that I haven't always been punctual. 

To help with my poor time management habits, I've begun reading up on ways to minimise wasted moments here and there. By shaving off small chunks of time from our mundane, everyday tasks, we can quickly accumulate more hours to do the things that truly matter. 

Makes sense, right? Well, here are a few of the strategies I've come across so far.

1.) When driving or walking only make left hand turns.

2.) If a microwave meal says 4 to 4 1/2 minutes, always go for the lower time.

3.) Record all of your favourite shows so you can fast forward through all the adverts (this one actually makes sense on some level).

4.) When working, avoid distractions like tv, music, and other people. 

5.) Only have one tab open at a time on your computer.

6.) Make a flask full of tea in the morning to slowly sip throughout the day rather than getting up to make tea multiple times. 

7.) Double up on tasks- take your laptop with you next time you go to the hairdressers or do squats when brushing your teeth (I often do both of these!). 

8.) Have a timetable clearly outlining when friends and family can make contact with you and go nuts if they contact you (in anyway) without your permission outside of the allotted time. I actually went to university with a guy who did exactly this!!! ????

While some ideas are better than others (and others are just downright silly), they will all save you time but after doing more research and looking into how busy, ‘successful’ people manage their time, I have to wonder, are we thinking about this in the right way?

Last year, while I attended a business seminar in London, an unforgettable story was shared with me. A researcher conducted a study involving time diaries of highly occupied women - mothers managing children and careers; running their own businesses; participating in community activities etc... Over several weeks, she asked the participants to log their hours spent working, sleeping and generally living so that she could analyse the data. 

One of these women who ran her own business returned home one day to discover her boiler had broken and water was flooding the lower level of her house. As you would imagine, she quickly handled the aftermath and subsequently arranged for professional cleaners and plumbers to take care of any damage. According to her time log, it took a total of 6 hours over the course of several days to resolve the issue. Had you asked her if she could make time for a 10k run or spend 6 hours clearing out the garage, chances are she would have given the same answer as most of us; "I'm too busy". However, when it was necessary to find 6 hours to see to her flooded home - miraculously those hours materialised – well they had to. This highlights the elasticity of time. We can’t create more hours in a day, however our priorities can stretch to fit into it. The secret to managing our days is to treat essential tasks as an emergency - just like fixing that broken boiler! Let me to explain further.

​You are in complete control of your life; you have the power to choose how best to use each hour, each minute, and each second. Every decision is yours! Instead of telling yourself or others that "you don't have time" for something, try phrasing your message with "it's not a priority right now." You may think this is too harsh to verbalise (and in certain scenarios it is), but it’s the truth. Saying you ‘don’t have time’, implies that the task isn't important enough to make it into your schedule.  

I could tell you right now that I don't have time to clean out the messy cupboard under the stairs but if you offered me £20,000 to do it by this afternoon, I would get to it rather quickly. The moral of the story is that it's not a matter of lacking time, it's more the fact that I don't want to do it - it's not a priority to me- it doesn’t bring me joy and I have other important things to do (like writing this blog). Although there may be repercussions for the choices we make, we are intelligent people who have the capability to surround ourselves with things that bring us joy and satisfaction. This is an opportunity for us to gain true contentment and uplift our lives in a meaningful way.

​If you're looking for a helpful way to identify your priorities, consider the ‘Three Category Priority’ list. The three categories are;

1. Career
2. Relationship
3. Self 

Write these out and use them as a visual reminder. I encourage you to include something from each of these areas in your daily life. It can be difficult to carve out time for ourselves in the hustle of our professional and interpersonal lives (trust me I know), yet making an effort to prioritise self-care is vital for both personal development and mental wellbeing. You can customise this approach however you like, whether it be daily, weekly or monthly etc. 

Start with a few items and decide for yourself how to best use your time and prioritise the things that are important in life. I know this can be difficult for some people but keep in mind, there are a total of 168 hours in every week — make sure to use them wisely! 

I don't want to discount anyone's struggle or experience; rather, I'm hoping that by taking advantage of these plentiful hours each week, we can all create meaningful progress. 

We live in a culture that is obsessed with being entertained. We often spend our time scrolling through social media feeds, streaming movies, and playing video games without focusing on what really matters. As a result, we find ourselves putting off tasks for hours or even days, only to get frustrated when important projects remain unfinished. The truth is that we often procrastinate because it's easier to do something enjoyable and distracting than face the difficult work ahead of us. It's a vicious cycle, but one that can be broken by learning how to focus on tasks (prioritising time) with mindfulness and developing habits that promote productivity.  Be honest with youself, do you spend your time this way?

After carefully studying numerous sources, I've discovered that there truly is time for the things we prioritise in our lives. No matter how busy life can get, if you focus your energy on what matters most to you and make it a priority, then you will be able to build the future of your dreams with whatever amount of time exists. 

If you are wondering… 'how will I ever find the time to complete a yoga teacher training course?', I'm here to tell you that- if it's important to you, you will find the time. 

Finally, I want to remind you to enjoy the journey! Trivial things like a walk in the park or a phone call with a friend can provide us with valuable perspective and help us appreciate the world and those around us. When we spend our time wisely, it's not just about doing more — it's also about being present for the moments that make life worth living too.