Budget Your Time

working on computer calendar

We may be very careful about budgeting our money but how well do we budget our time?

When budgeting our money, we may not always know how much to expect for our income.

With our time we all have the same 24 hours in a day to spend.

The first step is to know how we are spending that time now.

For a week or two track how your time is spent.

When do you start your day? Is it the same for every day?

How much time do you currently spend on:

·        your morning routine

·        work

·        household chores

·        meals or breaks

·        exercise

·        social media

·        fun activities

·        recreational TV or books

·        meditation

·        sleep

As you track your time you will probably note that not all days are equal. Weekend schedules will probably vary from weekdays. There will be the occasional doctor appointment. The point is to get an overview of how your time is spent.

Now, look at your values and your goals.

How do you need to adjust your time usage to align with your vision?

What areas need more time allotted?

Just like when you work on your financial budget, if you increase time in one area, you need to decrease time in another.

What would your perfect week look like?

I budget in half-hour slots of time on my electronic calendar.

At the beginning of the week, I look at my paper calendar which has all of my appointments and unique tasks listed. I also note what household tasks I do each week at a specific time like shopping or doing laundry.

I schedule times on my electronic calendar for all of the scheduled tasks and allow transition time around them. Next, I plug in tasks on my “to do” list, trying to schedule most of the urgent and important tasks first. Then I need to review what is on my weekly calendar and see if I need to make changes to match my values and goals.

As the week progresses, there are always life events that make it necessary to adjust my plans. That means that I either have to just drop a reoccurring task for that week or reschedule it.

By having a time budget in place, I do not stress over not having enough time for basic and vital tasks. When big life events happen, I am aware of how that is affecting my time budget and rework my plan accordingly.

If you need some help setting up a time management plan, jumpstarting a project or some guidance with organizing paperwork, reach out and we can schedule a consultation.

Phone: 404-299-5111 – call and leave a message or text

jonda@timespaceorg.com 

Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, award-winning author, as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.