A Guide to Using Time Well

In an ideal world the sun would not set until our to do lists had been completed. In the real world, time flies all too quickly. As a college student juggling attending school full-time, having a part-time job, having a social life, and writing numerous papers I can tell you that managing my time has become increasingly difficult, especially as I become more and more sleep deprived. In this article you'll find some time management tips to hopefully squeeze in some much needed extra minutes into your busy day.

Avoid Time Wasters
The computer and the television can drain away hours of your day. Limit television for the end of your day when you're winding down. Tivo is a wonderful thing. Use it. Use the computer for expressly work-related or urgent use. Bill pay and other immediate banking needs would fall into the "urgent" category. Leave casual e-mail checking for the end of the day.

If you're like me and need some background noise while you're working, studying, cooking, or cleaning… don't use the television. Use the radio or find some of your favorite book on tape.

Find Help
While many people like to believe they can do it all, for most of us it is simply not a possibility. While you may hate the idea of paying someone to mow the yard instead of doing it yourself, not having to mow the lawn would free up a good chunk of your day.

Another idea. If you have young children, get them to help with household chores such as folding laundry. While their piles of clothes may not be folded quite the way you do it, it's one less thing you have to do. Don't be afraid to delegate or even hire help.

Multi-Task
Women are especially good at this one! Combine errands instead of making a run for each individual one. Make phone calls while you do dishes or laundry. It is possible to combine just about any two tasks and make them into one saving time on each task. Multi-tasking has also been shown to improve brain function over time.

Analyze Your Time Use
For one week record how much time you spend doing each activity of your day. This means everything from reading the newspaper, to walking the dog, and taking a shower. After you've done this for a while take a moment to evaluate how you use your time and "trim the fat" so to speak. Most people find when they truly look at how they spend their time, they waste a lot of it when they could be checking items off their to-do list.