Does it ever feel like you don’t have enough time for your family? What about your friends? It’s not uncommon and you are definitely not alone. Daily life is jam packed with commitments and interruptions that tend to take up any free moments we might have. We all want to make more time for our family and friends…but how?
Well, if you’re willing to take a close look at your life and make a few small changes, there might be a way. There are likely to be a sacrifice or two that you’ll have to make, however the those important people in your life are well worth it!
Here is how you can take control of your the hours in your day:
- Keep a “time” journal. For one week, make a detailed account of each and every day. Sounds daunting, I know, but it’s actually easier than you might think. You can make a simple table, with two columns: one for the hour and one for activities. Begin with the time you wake in the morning, and every hour after, take note of what you did in that hour’s span. At the end of the week, you will easily be able to estimate how many minutes (or hours) your spend on certain items, such as:
- Meals and cleaning up
- Driving
- Sleeping
- Watching TV (Movies/Netflix/Hulu…you get the point.)
- Computer (Work related or personal.)
- Phone (Apps, everything except actually speaking to someone)
- Household upkeep
- Socializing (in person or on the phone)
- Personal care
Feel free to add to this list..it’s just to get you started!
- Study your results. Is there anything that surprises you about how your time is spent each day? Is there a large amount of time you’re spending in a way that seems unproductive?
- Are any activities redundant or harmful to the structure of your day? If so, why?
- Which of those are necessary items, and can they be streamlined? If so, how?
- Reflect on some possibilities. Are there specific items you can source out to someone else? This doesn’t have to mean that you pay for something to get done…assign things to your roommate, spouse or a child. Likely, there are events in your day that can be eliminated or decreased. Make a short-list and choose one thing at a time until it makes sense to add (or delete, I should say) another one. Here are some ideas to help you get started on your reflection process:
- Have someone else mow the lawn…family member or a friend? Even a yard maintenance service, if it’s in your budget.
- Create a chore wheel to share the cleaning responsibilities in your home. Make a cleaning schedule for yourself and do just one small task each day of the week.
- Plan your meals for the week and chose more that take less time to prepare.
- Too much time spent watching TV? Save it for a reward for getting everything else completed in your day…including quality time with a family member or friend.
- Brainstorm ways you can combine daily activities with spending time with someone important in your life. For example, invite your best friend or your sister over to make supper with you.
4. Use a calendar. Don’t try to squeeze in time with your family and friends. Do the opposite…schedule that quality, relationship-building time and squeeze in the rest.
- All it takes is a change in priorities and perspective. In the end, it will make a difference.
- It’s no different than having a certain amount of money taken out of your paycheck each month and put into savings. Instead of saving the money that is left over after a month, you proactively set it aside first.
5. Try saying “no” more often. Other people will unknowingly snag all of your time from you if you allow it. Your best shield is to decline requests every so often. If you normally say yes to someone EVERY time…try lessening it to every other time or every third time.
- There is no need to be at every single special occasion. If it’s not something you genuinely want to do, then don’t. If it’s something you don’t’ really want to do, but you can combine it with spending quality time with someone, go for it!
- Honor the schedule you make for time with your family and friends.
- Be more efficient. Can you complete a task quicker than what was observed during your week long tracking? How can you, ultimately, make more time for yourself?
- Being more focused will allow you to complete a similar amount of work in less time.
- Putting more effort into some tasks will help you get done with time to spare.
- Multitasking is always an option: you can workout while you watch a program or listen to/read a book.
Are you ready to have more time in your life?
In the end, there is always a way to gain control over the time in your day, rather than letting it control you. Think of all of the loved ones with whom you will have time to build meaningful relationships. You may think some people seem to have plenty of free time in their day…but we are all experiencing the same 24-hours. The only difference is how those other people choose to spend their time. You have to be willing to examine your daily life and how you spend your time. You will need to be flexible, but you have the ability to make time for your family and friends who are important to you.
