Top Ten Ways to Find Time For Yourself

Every person's life is filled with things we have to do. Do you have the time to do the things in life you want to do? It all comes down to time management. Here are some great tips.

Get Your Highlighter Out - While you are at it get out your date book. Mark time for yourself before you even think about writing down all of your other obligations. Now you may be thinking there is just no time for yourself. Go to number 2.

Set Your Alarm - Get up one hour earlier, preferably before everyone else in the house. Don't make the mistake of thinking one hour is not enough time to get something done. I started crocheting a blanket in high school. I spent over twenty years working on it and then putting it away. I even considered getting rid of it, because I thought I would never finish. Then one day, I decided to complete two rows a day. It took between one-half and one hour a day. I did miss a few days; however, this seemingly insurmountable project was completed in a little over a month. Incredible. More important, now I know I can finish what I start.

Make A List - I love a list. It is gratifying to highlight your completed jobs. Before you go to bed at night write down the six most important things to do tomorrow.

More Important, Prioritize Your List - This is a new one for me. Prioritizing your list helps define the importance of your tasks, thus giving you a place to start. Use A1, A2, B1 etc.
A - Things you must do
B - Things you should do
C - Things it would be nice to do
D - Things you can delegate
E - Things you can eliminate

Plan A Weekly Menu - Pick a day, plan your menu for the week, post it on your refrigerator, make your shopping list and go to the market. When it is time to cook look at your list. You will know what you are making without wasting time thinking about it. You will also have everything you need.

Set Up A Daily Chore List - Don't spend your whole weekend doing chores. Each workday have one or two tasks to complete. You will save time and enjoy a tidy house.

Eliminate - Ask yourself if this task is really important to you. Can it be eliminated? Ask yourself, "Will I regret not completing this task?" If the answer is no, eliminate it.

Delegate - Can someone else preform this task? There are two things greatly wrong with doing everything yourself. First, you will be overwhelmed and exhausted. Second, you won't teach responsibility and self sufficiency to those whom you do everything for. Ask yourself, "Is this something I want to do forever?"

Just Say No - Learn to say no! Don't overextend yourself or take on more tasks than you can handle. You will do a better job at what you have to do and you will be less stressed.

Take Action - Ask yourself each day "What can I do today for me?" This will work for anything in your life, but really, what good are you at everything else if you don't take time for yourself first?