If you want to manage your time better so you get more done and also have more time for planning holidays, weekend trips or picnics, here are some of the things you should keep in mind.

Don't do 'busy work'. What is busy work? Busy work is that work that people do so they can convince themselves that they are doing something. So, if instead of making sure you exercise, you busy yourself doing grocery shopping, dusting or buying a dustbin for the house, and then convince yourself not to feel guilty because you just had no time for your workout. Yes, dusting may be equally important, but set a time aside for it, and do it at that time - not when you should be doing something else.

Similarly, you may be sitting at home, not feeling like you are doing anything, so you decide to step out and get some groceries. We have already mentioned that you should be shopping for groceries no more than once a week, so if this is not the day, then don't go to the supermarket. Instead, figure out another way to spend your time and do something that you have been putting off for a while. Have you been dreaming of writing a book, but haven't ever gotten down to it because you don't have the time? Now's the time to start. Or, get a new hobby. Find out about the class you have been wanting to join, and go and speak to the teacher.

Some of us use cooking as 'busy work'. We have some free time, so we bake a cake for the children, and pretend that we are making good use of our time. Yes, it is very fulfilling to cook for your children, but if you don't cook on a daily basis, instead of cooking randomly decide that you will cook for them once a week or once a month, or even once a day, depending on your situation. Don't cook to kill time, because this will prevent you from using your time more productively. You could perhaps decide to learn something about the share market. Or, join yoga or Art of Living Classes. Or, if you don't know how to use the computer, consider joining a computer class or familiarizing yourself with it through practice.

Naturally, you can keep plans with friends flexible, and postpone less important chores so you can spend time with friends, but make sure you have some semblance of a routine. For example, if you have a part time job which takes up 4 hours a day, and you can put in the four hours any time, consider keeping two hours at least fixed, and let the other 2 hours be flexible. Alternatively, keep your exercise time fixed, or join a yoga class, so you are bound by the hours of the class. It is important to have some routine in your life, and the more things for which you can establish a routine, the more organized you will be, and the more things you will accomplish.

Thus, even if you have a hobby, keep time aside for it. So if you have a part time job, and you like to paint, don't just pick up the brush whenever it suits you, because you are just creating problems with decision-making. Should I paint now or finish off my assignment first? Should I paint or shop for groceries? And vacillation only wastes more time.

   

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