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

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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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