Time Management: How To Make the Most Of Your Personal Time [Mission #29]

Personal Organization - Time Management

Welcome to Mission #29 of our 52 Get Organized Missions.

In the last two missions we took stock of your:

  • Business tasks, in order to improve time management at work, and
  • Home organization tasks, for better time management at home.

This week we’ll do the same for your personal tasks – like grooming and exercise – and find ways to be more effective with those precious moments of self time.

Get Organized Mission # 29:
Make the Most Of Your Personal Time

Step 1: List Your Self-Care Tasks

Jot down the (ideally) regular activities on your personal self-care list. Your list may include:

  • Clothes shopping
  • Exercise
  • Yoga/Pilates
  • Internet/online
  • Socializing
  • Personal projects
  • Haircuts/color
  • Manicure/pedicure
  • Other personal grooming
  • Journal writing
  • Playing a sport
  • Reading magazines
  • Prayer/Meditation
  • Study
  • Correspondence
  • Reading
  • Relaxation
  • Hobbies

Step 2: Simplify or eliminate

Go through your list for anything you’d be happy to cut down, streamline or cross right off.

For example:

  • Could you listen to audiobooks while walking or doing errands or chores?
  • Could you cancel regular socializing – like drinks, events, dinners – that you don’t enjoy?
  • Could you study via a distance program to save travel time?
  • Could you stop reading magazines that give you little or no pleasure or return for your time?
  • Could you switch to a form of exercise that’s more time effective, like weights or cardio instead of Pilates if your goal is fat loss?
  • Could you cut out or cut down on internet time that’s unrewarding?
  • Could you subscribe to podcasts or blogs to save you searching for updates?

Step 3: Combine

Next, look for items you can merge for better use of your personal time.

For example:

  • Could you combine social time with another interest – like a reading group, hobby group, fitness class, or sport?
  • Could you read while on your exercise bike or watch TV while on your treadmill?
  • Could you manicure your own nails while watching DVDS, instead of scheduling, driving to, and attending appointments?
  • Could you switch to a sport with fitness benefits to save exercise/gym time?
  • Could you make work travel time into personal time by reading, listening to your iPod or writing in a journal?

Step 4: Batch

Finally, see which of your personal tasks can be batched for better time efficiency.

For example:

  • Could you do all your clothes shopping at the beginning or end of the season?
  • Could you schedule all your grooming appointments for the same day, at nearby places?
  • Could you catch up on all personal emails, cards and letters at one time each week or month?

These steps will leave you with a lot less waste in your precious personal time.

Dos & Don’ts

  • Don’t worry about capturing every little self-care task on your list.
  • Do focus on the personal time that gives you the most enjoyment, rejuvenation or sense of self-care. Focus on these valuable activities in order to gain the most from this exercise.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

  • Do this mission with your best friends. Together, brainstorm ways you can each get more self care into your busy lives – using Steps 2, 3 and 4 to guide you.
  • Do this mission with a special loved one – perhaps a spouse, sibling or child with whom you’d like a better relationship. Go through the steps using activities that contribute to relationship
    -care     rather than self-care.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Did You Know

You can get your weekly organizing mission delivered to your inbox.
Click here to sign up for 52 Organizing Missions.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cefeida/ / CC BY 2.0]

Michele | Get Organized Gal

Michele is into writing, books, simplicity, love, TV, productivity, and staying thin in a world of chocolate.

15 thoughts on “Time Management: How To Make the Most Of Your Personal Time [Mission #29]”

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