Except that…maybe I also have to live my life during that time? Additionally, I am the one transporting my daughter to the aforementioned playgroup and back. More often than not, we are not there at nine on the dot. (Often, I am happy if I am back home by 9:30.) I am, however, always at playgroup for pickup at three or earlier. So that cuts significantly into the six hours.
When you consider the time it takes to eat, wash dishes, cook supper, do laundry, tidy up, shop and nap – there really aren’t too many hours leftover.
But the truth is, I really have to get a handle on my management of time. (Of course, who doesn’t?)
While I succeeded in finishing the armoire and also the night-stand, among trivial other achievements, the fact remains that it all goes at such a significantly slow pace. Why?
1- If I am going to clean out drawers, I want to do it right. That means getting rid of unnecessary junk in the process. This sorting requires more thought and brain cells than simply checking forchometz.
2- It’s difficult to devote more than an hour or two at a time to organizing. There is a war going on with every item in question – the sentimental side versus the practical, logical side. For example: Do I need this? I’m not sure. Let’s see, I haven’t used it in ages but can’t see myself getting rid of it just yet. No, if I’m honest with myself, I don’t need it, BUT! That is a big ‘but’. There can be many reasons for this. Take your pick: A) I have a history with the item. B) I spent a lot of money on it. C) Someone special gave it to me. D) Even though I don’t use it, I still like it. The things that are a no-brainer to throw out are so much easier!
3- I am also running to change over laundry loads or answering the phone or turning off the oven buzzer in the middle of my work. Distractions, anyone?
I looked up Time Management Tips online. The first important tip I came across is:
FIND OUT WHERE YOU ARE WASTING TIME.
Yes, I do waste a lot of time online. I waste a lot of time sleeping and eating too, but time online is easier to cut out. (Supposedly.)
Once that step is done, the next tip is: CREATE GOALS.
I guess this would mean, for example: Today is a beautiful day to clean out the linen closet. Or clean out the bathroom cabinets.
The next tip mentioned is to: IMPLEMENT A TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN
I suppose this can be carried out by not going online on the given morning until the linen closet is cleaned out. First do the priority and then the extra.
Yes, a later tip is to PRIORITIZE. At this point, Pesach cleaning is competing with cooking and laundry etc… I guess it will be a higher level on the priority list the closer we get to April.
Next tip: LEARN TO DELEGATE AND/OR OUTSOURCE.
Ah, this… This is what I have the hardest time with. We’re talking about someone who has never had a cleaning lady. I also spend half an hour washing a sink-load of dishes because I have no dishwasher, either. Get the idea? Sure, it would be easy to say, “Get a cleaning woman!” or “Install a dishwasher!” but not everything in life is as simple as that. There are reasons behind everything.
I continued reading the time management article and reached this brilliant tidbit:
ESTABLISH ROUTINES AND STICK TO THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
This makes a lot of sense. When you know what comes next, things seem to fall into place like clockwork. A trap many SAHMs fall into is thinking you have all the time in the world to get something done (because face it, you do) and of course things don’t just get done like that.
GET IN THE HABIT OF SETTING TIME LIMITS FOR TASKS
In this case, the article was referring to the example of checking email which is something they claim can take all day if you let it. Oh, I hope not!
The final TIP is to NOT WASTE TIME WAITING. So when they put you on hold on the phone, now is a good time to carry on sorting the aforementioned laundry or to peel some potatoes for supper.
I could go on, but I overstayed my time writing this composition.
Tips source http://sbinfocanada.about.com/cs/timemanagement/a/timemgttips.htm
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