Twelve Tips for Time Management

You have so much on your plate! It’s easy to feel so stressed by it, that it is counterproductive. Instead of pushing us forward, we are so overwhelmed we give up before we ever get started. In her book, A Woman After God’s Own Heart, Elizabeth George shares Twelve tips to help manage our time better. These are simple to implement, and are so effective I think you’ll be blown away at the results!

1. Plan in detail. Get a planning book and write down everything that you need to do the more you write down, the better you will be able to manage everything. If you plan the night before and then again first thing in the morning, you are sure to remember everything that is to be done that day.

2. Deal with today. Matthew 6:34 says that we are not to worry about tomorrow for the morrow will take thoughts of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. In other words, there’s enough trouble for today and we don’t have grace for tomorrow. When tomorrow gets here, we will have the grace for it, so just deal with today. St Augustine’s paraphrase Psalm 90:12 – Number every day as your last.

 3. Value each minute. Think through how long each task will take you. Is it a two-minute chore, or a twenty minute one? Once you know that, you will know whether or not this is a good time to tackle that particular task. If you know you have five minutes before you head out the door, don’t start something that’s going to take you thirty minutes. Straighten a drawer, prepare your outfit for the next day, get the meat out of the freezer for tomorrow’s dinner.

 4. Keep moving. Remember the law of inertia…a thing in motion stays in motion. Just keep telling yourself, “Just one more thing,” “just five more minutes.” Keep moving so that you can cross off one more thing on your list.

 5. Develop a routine. If you do the same thing every day, it will conserve and generate energy. You perform menial tasks by rote. Try putting as many tasks as possible into a routine.
An example of this is that every morning when I get up, the first thing I do is take care of my kitty, empty the trash cans after I’ve emptied the letter. I also throw in a load of laundry. It’s an everyday routine.

 6. Exercise and diet. Exercise increases your metabolism, creates energy and helps you sleep better. It also produces hormones that contribute to positive attitudes, like joy and a general zest for life. The word “diet” simply means a way of life. We should develop a dietary way of life that helps us have energy so we can accomplish the tasks we are called to do.

 7. Ask the “half the time question.” Ask yourself, “If  my life depended on me doing this task in half the time that I have allotted, what shortcuts could I take?” Then take them!

 8. Use a timer for everything! Since we always have our phone with us, use your phone as a timer Challenge yourself by trying to get the task done before the timer goes off. Tackle a big closet just using twenty minutes at a time. It won’t seem so overwhelming then.

9. Get the worst job over with first. When it’s completed, it won’t be hanging over your head all day. Remember to use your timer to get started. Your attitude is going to be improved and you’ll have energy to do the other things that are still on your list.

 10. Read daily on time management. Even five minutes of reading will help motivate you. I love Emily Barnes’ books about time management, or you could just read over these 12 principles every single day.

 11. Say no. Look at your schedule that you’ve made and let it be plan A. Follow that plan by saying no to yourself and to other people. Move to plan B only if God directs you to do so.

 12. Begin the night before. There are so many things you can do before you go to bed that will help you in the morning. Consider…

1.  Writing out your schedule
2.  Getting breakfast things set out
3.  Lay out your clothes and get them ready for tomorrow
4.  Make sure the kitchen is spotless before you go to bed
5.  Run the dishwasher or better yet, empty the dishwasher and the dish drainer
6.  Set the table for breakfast
7.  Make a salad for supper
8.  Make sure that the house is straightened up
9.  Get everyone’s lunch is ready
10.  Make sure the meat is thawing in the fridge
11.  Sort the wash and have it ready by the washing machine
12. Gather all your things that are going to need to go out with you and have them by the door.

I hope these suggestions have motivated you like they have me. What kind of attitude do you have toward managing your home? Is it one that would honor God? Acknowledge to the Lord that you need help, then after you pray, begin by writing out your schedule and planning how you will implement it first thing in the morning! 

You might want to consider printing this list out so you can refer to it often!