Monday, September 30, 2013

Watch Those Minutes




I don't know about you, but when I get on the computer, hours can fly by without me noticing. With my work status changing from part-time to full-time, that dynamic has to change. I've already made some revisions in my schedule:

1. I'm going to bed earlier. On the weekends, I was staying up until after midnight. Most of this time was spent surfing the Net. While it was fun and I picked up some useful stuff, it wasn't worth the time expenditure.

2.  I'm getting up earlier. Mornings are my most productive time of the day. The whole idea is to allow the brain to function at maximum capacity.

3.  Tech savvy I'm not. One of my goals is to learn more shortcuts with Social Media. My Facebook posts automatically show up on Twitter, while my blog posts are tied to my Goodreads Author Page.

4.  Minutes add up. When I have 5 minutes before going to work, I don't sit and watch them go by. I take the garbage out, water a plant, add items to my grocery list, clip coupons, etc.

5.  The laundromat is close to my home, so while my clothes are in the washer, I go home and do some Social Media tasks and have breakfast at the same time. The dryer takes 40 minutes, so I can clean the bathroom, do some writing, pay bills, run the dishwasher or take care of something else that requires more than a few minutes.

It won't be easy, but with careful planning and God's grace, I'll be able to keep up with the important tasks in my life.

Writers & Readers:  Will you help me out? What are some ways you save time?

Photo Credit:  skingolf
 

4 comments:

Jeanette Levellie said...

Oh, these are lovely ideas, Susan! And since I'm writing a booklet on Time Management for Part-time writers, may I share from my chapter entitled Minutes Count, Five hings to do in five minutes:
 Pray for guidance, protection, our nation’s leaders, your family, and your writing
 Grab a dictionary and learn a new word
 File a paper or two that are cluttering your desk
 Eat a high-energy snack: nuts, cheese, or raw fruit
 Read a page or two of a writing craft book.

God's blessings on your new resolve to not waste those precious mintues!

JD said...

Hi, Susan:

I save time in a few ways:
1. I always take a list with me when going to any store. That focuses my time on buying what's on the list and not dilly-dallying in the aisles. Also, I arrange the items on the list based on order of appearance in the store, if I know the layout of the store. For example, fruit is first on my grocery list because fruit is in aisle 1, bread is next on the list because bread is in aisle 2, etc. Works great for time-management!
2. I got rid of Facebook. I just don't think it's an effective marketing or career tool, and it's a time-suck on a personal level. I've grown closer to writers by joining writer's groups, and over blogs and email than I ever did over FB.
3. I DVR any must-watch show. That allows me to zip through commercials, which can amount to several minutes of air time.
4. I never just sit while watching a favorite show--I multitask. I simultaneously fold laundry or work out with hand weights. This is a great time-saver in particular.

Hope some of that applies to your life. Be well, my friend.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan - so pleased you've got some extra work .. but then you lose that time - however you seem to have worked your way round most things.

Wasting any time - is the 'silly' thing to do .. but we still need time for us ...

So keep the balance as much as you are able .. cheers Hilary

Patti J. Smith said...

Hi Susan,

I shop for clothes, etc., on-line, going to a mall and "window-shopping" is really time-consuming (do the same for Christmas shopping). I always make a list for grocery shopping and try to have all my other errand places (dry cleaners, pet groomer, bank, etc.) in the same general vicinity so I'm not driving around all over the place...saves gas and time!

Good luck and see you tonight at the "Party"!