Overwhelmed? 7 Tips for Better Time-Management

Whew! February flew by! I don’t know about you, but I feel like I have way too much going on in my life these days. Between coaching clients, developing and presenting seminars, writing articles, teaching kids how to snowboard, and trying to settle into a new life here in Park City, I can barely keep up! I feel like I keep adding more and more to my daily to-do list, but checking items off seems to take longer and longer. Where does all of the time go?

Well, if you feel the way I do - like there's never enough time in the day - take a look at the following tips for managing your time more effectively. By integrating even one or two of these suggestions into your routine, you'll find that you have more time in your life to accomplish those things that are most important (and maybe even leave you a little down-time at the end of the day!!):

1. Get a calendar – and use it!

2. Over-estimate how long it will take you to get somewhere, to finish a project, or run an errand. Automatically schedule an additional 20 to 30 minutes for every event in your calendar.

3. Ask for help. Make a list of people who could take over certain tasks on your daily to do list (i.e., have a neighbor carpool your kids to school, give a local student $20 to mow your lawn or walk your dog every day, etc.). Call them to delegate those projects you just don’t have time for!

4. Learn to say no to obligations that aren’t important to you. Set boundaries and protect your time!

5. Get organized. De-clutter your living area and work space. It’s amazing how much time you can waste looking for lost keys, your cell phone charger or the kids' homework.

6. No more TV! If you absolutely can’t miss a certain show (or three), record the shows you really want to watch. Then have a guilt-free boob-tube session over the weekend (and fast-forward through all of the commercials!).

7. Don’t automatically say yes when asked to do something. Make your first reaction to any request: “let me check my schedule. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.” This will give you time to decide whether you're agreeing to do something you really want to do, or if you’re just reacting in the heat of the moment.

Sometimes life can get overwhelming, And with the fast pace of our lives these days, I suppose that’s to be expected. But the more you can do to manage your time in a mindful way, the happier (and more efficient!) you’ll be.