Simple Time Management

Each day you're given a full 24 hours, which is a lot of time-if you use it wisely. How much of your day is spent on time wasters? How many hours are thrown away due to being disorganized? And how many countless minutes can be spent daily on things you actually enjoy?

Make A List

The key is making conscious choices about how to spend your time and sticking to it. Just as you would follow a financial budget and not spend your money without thought, why wouldn't you want to create a time budget?

At the beginning of each day make a list of the things you need to get done and put them in order of importance. As you accomplish each task cross it off. You may not get everything done, but seeing that you've finished what's important will give you a sense of satisfaction and amp up your motivation.

Prioritize and Dump Time Wasters

A good rule of thumb is to divide the day into three equal portions. 8 hours of sleep-yes, eight full hours! Your body will thank you and so will your mind. 8 hours gets devoted to work. Even if you're self-employed are you really any more productive by running yourself ragged and working 10 or 12 hours a day? Stick to 8 hours, or less if possible.

Now, that leaves you with an additional 8 hours. There's no way that chores, errands, cooking and cleaning will fill up those other 8 hours! No, it's all of that unimportant busyness we talked about earlier. Mindlessly surfing the net, doing things we don't want to do yet we feel bad saying "no," and overextending ourselves in other ways.

Say you set aside 4 hours for chores and whatnot. If you do your math you see that you're left with a 4-hour chunk of time each and every day! Imagine what you could do with it. Take up a relaxing hobby, read the novel you've put off, plant a garden, refinish that antique table, take a nap, exercise, zone out, or simply "be."

Reward Yourself

Your days shouldn't be spent trying to cram every single moment with an activity or chore. It's quite OKAY to just relax, to read, to watch a mindless TV show, or simply stare off into space and daydream. After getting those "must-dos" out of the way, be sure to reward yourself with something you find relaxing and enjoyable.

This is all about spending your time wisely. Don't let life pass you by without enjoy yourself in the mean time. Who wants to be on their deathbed and look back on life wishing they'd worked more?