Finding Time

All working parents are constantly battling the clock. It seems that there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done, and I am always exhausted at the end of the day. But yesterday I did have a little free time, and I started thinking about my schedule and why it is difficult. While I certainly do have challenges trying to get my work done, take care of the house and spend time with the kids, I do have some control of my time and could always do a little bit better managing it.

For example, how much time do I waste each week watching TV? Checking my e-mail unnecessarily? Searching for lost items around my house? I think we all could take some steps to use our time more wisely. Here are some things I am going to work on:

- Less TV. I tend to flip the TV on after the kids are in bed and find myself getting drawn into it quickly. I have a good 2-3 hours after bedtime that I often waste watching TV.

- Turn off the computer. Even when I have completed my work for the day, I tend to stop by my computer to check my e-mail again and again. I've found if I just turn it off- the temptation goes away.

- Clean out my closets. This weekend I cleaned out my pantry and already I've saved some time looking for things. If I took the time to clean out all of the closets/drawers/storage spaces in my house, I could save lots of time each day looking for things.

- Be more selective on meetings. I tend to feel the need to obediently attend every meeting for every organization/group I am involved in. Often though I end up getting there and realizing that I don't really need to be there. While there are often benefits for my involvement, I must remind myself that it is OK to miss every now and then.

- Keep a shopping list. During a typical week, I head off to a store at least a couple of times. However, it is often to pick up something that I forgot to get the last time I was at the store. If I could do a better job keeping a shopping list, I could probably eliminate a few errands each week.

These are all minor steps.....but I think they could help me find more time in my week that I could spend relaxing and enjoying my kids.