Timely Tips : Thought and Planning Will Provide Extra Hours for Yourself

“If only I had the time” is an all-too-common refrain uttered by many Americans as they struggle valiantly to accomplish everything that needs to get done. Fulfilling daily obligations can mean that you find yourself jumping out of bed in the morning, only to propel yourself through the day at a frantic pace. And, although you always mean to spend some special time doing what you want to do, somehow other things come up, and before you know it, another week is gone and, as usual, you weren’t able to set aside that most precious time of all--time for yourself.

You can make 1989 a turning point in your life by adding some much-needed balance through regular time out for yourself. To help you squeeze that time onto your schedule, try these 10 tips:

Budget and schedule your time--Treat your time as if it were a budget, and make sure that your budget includes time for yourself, every week. Schedule that time on your calendar (whether it is 30 minutes or three hours) by making an appointment with yourself in writing. Treat that time as you would any confirmed appointment and resist the temptation to change it. For instance, never schedule other obligations that might interfere with the appointment you have made with yourself.

Prioritize--Prioritize on a daily, as well as on a long-term, basis. Not everything and everyone is equally important to your well-being, so keep this in mind as you schedule personal time for yourself. Remember, you are as important as anyone else, and time for yourself every week is going to give your life some much-needed balance.

Be selective--Spend less time on unimportant social obligations and concentrate on people who really matter to you. You’ll probably find yourself with some spare time left over that you can then spend with a very important person--yourself.

Learn to Say No--You may be one of those people who too often say “yes” to requests for time from family and friends and end up with no time for themselves. Say “yes” only if you have the time or if it is imperative that you become personally involved in the activity. And unless it is an emergency, don’t change that appointment with yourself.

Quiet time--Ask others (such as family members) to respect your quiet time and thank them often for that respect and acknowledgment. For example, insist on 20 minutes of personal quiet time when you get home from work and before you tackle domestic chores. It can make all the difference in how you feel and how you react to those around you.

Delegate--Stop doing everything yourself and you’ll have more time for yourself. Send out the laundry, hire a gardener or a house cleaner, or have someone help you with your paper work and filing. It doesn’t cost as much as you think, and you’ll be buying yourself the best gift of all--the gift of time.

Reduce your standards--It takes an inordinate amount of time to do things perfectly, and while you are busy being perfect, you are robbing yourself of time to do what you want to do. Compromise with yourself and relax your standards on how you do things--from work around the house to special projects--and you’ll find yourself with a bonus of extra time for yourself. After all, 90 minutes saved each week means an extra six hours’ time for you each month.

Watch less TV--If you reduce your TV time by only five hours per week, you will gain a total of almost eleven days extra time per year. (And if you don’t include sleep time, you’ll gain almost 16 days you can spend on yourself every year.) Think about that the next time you automatically reach for the “on” button.

Consolidate--Consolidate tasks, and you’ll save a bundle of time. Keep a list of errands and try to do them all at once in the same area, so you aren’t driving all over town or making several trips. If you plan to cook a meat loaf, cook another one at the same time and freeze it; you’ll save yourself the time it takes to put together that dish on another evening. In fact, if you freeze several meals in advance, you can save yourself time well into the upcoming weeks. All the time that consolidation saves you can be yours, to enjoy as you see fit.

Understand the value of your time--Know that each minute, once spent, is gone forever. Live your life with that in mind, and then learn to make each moment count.