We can get caught up in our work, in our relationships, and in our day-to-day lives, it’s easy to let time get away from us. If you’re feeling like you’re trapped in a never-ending cycle of obligations and responsibilities, with these 12 best ways to take back your time.
It seems like there’s never enough time in the day, you’re constantly juggling work, family, and social obligations, and it’s all starting to feel a bit overwhelming.
You know you need to find a way to take back control of your time, but you’re not sure where to start. The good news is, this list has 12 best ways to take back your time and start living a more balanced life.
12 Best Ways To Take Back Your Time
Here are 12 best ways to taker back your time:
1. Time is a precious commodity — don’t waste it.
This is especially true in today’s fast-paced, 24/7 world! We are constantly bombarded with distractions and demands on our time, leaving us feeling frazzled and stressed.
Make sure that you are using your time wisely and not wasting it on things that don’t matter. If you feel like you’re always busy but never accomplishing anything, take a step back and reassess how you’re spending your time; a great way to do so is by keeping a time log.
2. Keep a time log to identify time wasters.
The best way to find out where your time is going is to keep a time log. For one week, write down everything you do and how long it takes you. At the end of the week, write down everything you do and how long it takes you
At the end of the week, analyze your time log to see where you’re spending most of your time and identify any time-wasting activities. For instance, are you spending too much time on social media? Do you need to give yourself more time to get ready in the morning?
Once you’ve identified your time wasters, it’s time to set some limits. If you find that you’re spending too much time on social media, for example, impose a limit of 30 minutes per day.
By identifying your time wasters, you can make changes to how you spend your day and take back some of your time to use it more efficiently.
With that being said, here are 11 tips to help you make it even easier to stop wasting time.
3. Set goals.
If you don’t have any goals, it’s easy to let time get away from you because you have no direction and you end up wasting time on things that don’t matter.
Ask yourself what you want to achieve in the next week, month, or year and then sit down and make a list of your goals, both short-term and long-term.
Once you have your goals laid out, you can start working on a plan to achieve them, so you use your time more efficiently and prevent you from wasting time on things that don’t help you reach your goals.
Setting goals helps you stay much more focused and productive with your time.
4. Set priorities and stick to them.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but it’s important to take a step back and focus on the things that are most important to you. If you’re always working on things that are low-priority, you’re never going to get the important stuff done.
Start by making a list of your tasks, then prioritize them from most important to least important and make sure that you’re spending your time accordingly. Work on the most important tasks first and save the lower priority tasks for later.
Whether it’s spending time with loved ones, pursuing a hobby, or just taking some time for yourself, make sure that you’re setting aside time for the things that matter most to you.
If work is your priority, make sure that you’re not spending too much time on leisure activities or personal errands. Similarly, if your family is your priority, don’t let work demands encroach on that time and spend quality time with them every day.
5. Simplify your life by decluttering and streamlining.
The more complicated and cluttered your life is, the more time you have to spend on managing it all.
By decluttering your home and streamlining your schedule, you can free up a lot of time that you can then use for more important things.
Spend some time going through your belongings and getting rid of anything that you don’t use or need which includes clothes, shoes, books, and other items that are taking up space in your home.
Then, declutter your digital space, delete old files and photos, unsubscribe from unwanted emails, and clear out your social media feeds. Not only will this declutter your home, but it will also declutter your mind.
In terms of streamlining your schedule, try to batch similar tasks together so you can get them done more efficiently. For instance, if you’re making a bunch of doctor’s appointments, try to schedule them all on the same day so you’re not making multiple trips.
Also, streamline your life by creating systems and routines, create a daily routine that includes the things you need to do every day. This way, you’ll know exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it.
6. Get organized.
If you’re constantly forgetting appointments or double-booking yourself, it’s time to get organized and better at time management.
If you’re not sure where to start, try using a planner to keep track of your goals, deadlines, and appointments, so you never miss anything important.
Or, download a scheduling app like Google Calendar, Todoist, or Trello to help you stay on top of things.
When everything is in one place, it’s easier to see where your time is going and make sure that you’re using it efficiently.
It can be tough to keep track of everything you have to do, but there are plenty of tools and resources out there to help. The key is to find what works for you and stick with it.
7. Delegate and outsource tasks.
If you’re trying to do everything yourself, you’re setting yourself up for failure because there are only so many hours in the day to be able to do it all yourself.
Instead of trying to do everything, learning to delegate and outsource tasks can free up a lot of your time. You don’t have to do everything yourself — there are plenty of people who can help you with the things you need to get done.
If you’re not good at or don’t enjoy a certain task, ask someone else to do it. Or, if you don’t have time to do something, hire someone to do it for you.
For example, if you’re always doing grocery shopping, ask your partner or roommate to pitch in. Or, if you’re tired of cleaning the house, hire a maid service to help with cleaning. Or, if you’re struggling to keep up with your workload, ask your boss if you can delegate some of your tasks to someone else on your team.
There are plenty of ways to delegate and outsource tasks, the key is to find what works for you and your lifestyle.
8. Automate and schedule.
Use technology to your advantage by setting up automations and reminders to help you stay on schedule, make your life easier and free up some of your time.
For example, if you’re always forgetting to pay your bills, set up automatic payments so you don’t have to worry about it. Or, if you’re always forgetting to schedule your doctor’s appointments, use an online scheduling tool like Zocdoc.
You can also automate and schedule your social media posts using tools like Hootsuite or Buffer. This way, you can spend less time on social media and more time doing other things.
There are endless possibilities for automating and scheduling your life, so find what works for you and make it happen.
9. Set boundaries by learning to say “no”.
It can be difficult to say “no” when you’re constantly being bombarded with requests, but learning to do so can be extremely empowering.
Saying “no” allows us to set boundaries and priorities and it gives you the space you need to focus on the things that matter most to us to start taking back control of our time to create the life you want.
If you don’t have time for something and feeling overwhelmed by obligations, don’t be afraid to say so, it’s okay to say no. People will understand if you can’t do everything, and it’s better to focus on the things that you can do well rather than spreading yourself too thin.
There are different types of boundaries that you can set, including physical, emotional, and mental boundaries. To set effective boundaries, you need to be clear about our needs and wants, and be assertive in communicating them to others.
If you find it difficult to say “no”, start by saying “no” to one thing each day. Then, gradually increase the number of things you’re saying “no” to until it becomes second nature.
10. Learn to let go.
We live in a society that’s constantly telling us that we need to do more, be more, and have more, but this isn’t necessarily true.
You need to learn to let go of the things that are taking up our time and energy but aren’t necessarily serving you, which includes things like grudges, negative thinking, and unrealistic expectations.
It’s also important to let go of the need for perfectionism, perfectionism is a huge time-waster because it’s based on the false belief that we’re or it’s not good enough the way we are or the way it is. If you can learn to accept that you’re imperfect and that’s okay, you can save ourselves a lot of time and energy.
When you learn to let go, you create space in our lives for the things that really matter to us. You also become more present and mindful, which allows us to enjoy the moment instead of worrying about the past or the future.
If you’re not sure where to start, try letting go of one thing each day. It can be something small, like a negative thought or a grudge, or it can be something bigger, like your perfectionism. As you let go of the things that are weighing you down, you’ll start to feel lighter and more free.
11. Take breaks.
In today’s go-go-go culture, it’s easy to forget to take breaks because we’re so focused on getting things done. But, if we don’t take breaks, we’re more likely to get burned out, which can lead to problems like anxiety, depression, and even physical illness.
Taking breaks doesn’t mean that you’re lazy or unproductive, it just means that you’re taking care of ourselves; it’s important to listen to our bodies and take breaks when you need them.
There are different types of breaks that you can take, including physical, mental, and emotional breaks. A physical break might be going for a walk or taking a few minutes to stretch. A mental break might be reading a book or taking a few minutes to meditate. And, an emotional break might be spending time with friends or family or doing something that makes you happy.
When you take breaks, you’re giving yourself time to rest and recover to your tasks with fresh energy and a clear mind. As a result, you’ll be more productive and more efficient with your time; the key is to find what works for you and make sure to schedule breaks into your day.
12. Unplug.
In today’s technology-driven world, it’s easy to get sucked into our devices and the constant stream of information that’s available to us 24/7. But, when we’re constantly connected to our computers, our smartphones, and our social media accounts, we’re not giving ourselves the opportunity to unplug and recharge.
Unplugging just means that you’re taking a break from the constant stimulation and giving ourselves time to relax and recharge.
There are different ways to unplug, and it’s important to find what works for you. For some people, it might mean spending an hour without their phone, while for others it might mean spending a day without any screens.
If you’re not sure where to start, try unplugging for 30 minutes each day. Turn off your phone, put away your laptop, and step away from the TV. Take some time to read, talk to friends or family, or just sit in silence. As you unplug more often, you’ll start to feel more relaxed and less stressed.
Taking back your time is an important step in creating a life that you love because when you have control over our time, you have control over our lives and can start living the life you want to live.
