Two of My Favorite Benefits of Good Time Management
At the beginning of every new year, we're bombarded with products, services, tips, and advice to help us better manage our time, increase our productivity, and GET MORE DONE.
That's all fine and good… until you become a workaholic, constantly trying to be more productive, simply so you can do more… and more… and more!
I talk a lot about time management and productivity here on my blog, and that's because it IS important to me - but NOT just so I can do more.
In fact, as the years go by, I've realized that simply "doing more" is rarely the reason I strive to better manage my time.
Of course, it's always nice to accomplish more in less time… but my 2 favorite benefits of good time management are quite different.
Benefit #1. My days are SO much less stressful and chaotic.
My ability to manage my home, my family, my business, my Virtual Assistant work, and the eight-thousand other little details I tackle on a daily basis would most likely be impossible without decent time management.
However, managing everything I do without feeling stressed out or like my life is totally chaotic requires really good time management.
Yes, there are days when things seem to go haywire and I'm ready for a nap by 10:30am, but those types of days are not normal. I rarely ever feel over-loaded or stressed out, nor do I worry how I will accomplish everything I need to accomplish in a day.
I make manageable to-do lists, I plan ahead, I say no when I can't (or don't want to) do something, and I diligently work to be a good steward of my time (no social media, TV, or other mindless activities for me when other things need to happen).
As a result, my family and I enjoy a less stressful, less chaotic life.
We don't need to rush to get out the door on time, we don't argue about what to wear or what's for breakfast because it's planned out the night before, I rarely forget or misplace things, I don't resort to fast food for dinner night after night because our meals are almost always planned out and ready ahead of time, and we all get to bed on time.
Benefit #2. I have more time for the things I actually WANT to do.
When I properly manage my time each day, I finish the tasks I NEED to do faster and with less energy… leaving me more time and energy to do the things I WANT to do.
I have time to take the kids for a walk or to the local thrift store, I have time to work on my digital photo books, I have time to watch a movie on Netflix, I have time to chat with a friend or neighbor, I have time to read books, blog posts, or articles that interest me, I have time to do lots of extra cooking and baking. I even have time to go to bed extra early on occasion!
Of course, I could simply do all the things I WANT to do first while putting off the things I NEED to do, but that won't help me long-term… and it definitely won't reduce the amount of stress or chaos in my home and life (see Reason #1 above).
There are many other benefits of good time management, but for me, at this point in my life, less stress and more time for things I want to do are 2 VERY motivating reasons for me to diligently manage my time as well as I can!
If you struggle with good time management and constantly get "sucked in" to mindlessly watching TV, scrolling through social media, browsing your favorite online shops, etc. I'd encourage you to think of various benefits that might motivate you to work harder to better manage your time.
You might be surprised how much of a difference good time management will make in SO many different areas of your life!
What benefits have you noticed when you work to better manage your time?
The post Two of My Favorite Benefits of Good Time Management appeared first on Andrea Dekker.
Comments
Post a Comment