The Time Finder with Paula Eder

The way you use your time is the way you live your life.

Find Time When You Have Time – 3 Tips for Making Conscious Time Choices

Posted on June 2, 2009, under Time Boundaries, Time Management Skills.

lots-of-timeFinding time when time is short can obviously be a big challenge. However, it can also be a challenge to use time efficiently when you have plenty of it. Indeed, have you ever noticed that when you move into a period of vacation time you are sometimes at loose ends?

Today I’d like to explore three quick tips to help you use your time wisely and efficiently when you find yourself in the enviable position of having ample time!

  • First, I suggest that you give yourself an overview of the time you have available. I’d use pen and paper to do this — it helps to have it in front of you visually. How many hours of unstructured time are you looking at?
  • Second, think about how you would like to feel when you come to the end of your span of time. Are you feeling energized and hoping to accomplish a lot? Do you need to chill? The answer that you come up with for this second question will help guide you as you further structure your time.
  • Third, depending on the amount of time that you have available and how you want to feel at the end, write down anywhere from 1 to 10 things that you want to be sure to get done during that span of time. These may be tasks that you need to accomplish, or self-care activities that you want to be sure to treat yourself to. Whatever they are, they will be your top priorities.

If you are really craving some unstructured time, that is fine, but it is far preferable to make that a conscious decision than to “fall into it” and then quite possibly regret your choices later.

If, on the other hand, you want and need to get a lot done, then you can set some time boundaries and structure your time accordingly, so that you feel satisfied with the way you used your time. If you are looking to create structure for yourself, it can also be very helpful to use a timer to help keep you on track.

How do you manage unstructured spans of time?  Are there tips you’d like to share?  I’d love to hear!

What if you could find another hour every day? You can! You are invited to sign up and download The New Finding Time Boundary Template. It’s FREE, and when you sign up you will also receive (if you don’t already) my FREE, weekly Finding Time Tips and my FREE, monthly Award-Winning Finding Time E-zine!

Let’s explore time together …

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