Time management tips

For too long people have asked me ‘How do you do it all?’

I haven’t answered because I’ve been keen to keep my competitive edge. But I’m finally feeling secure enough to tell you some of my time management tips.

Flexible but rigid routine

Having a routine is very important. It cuts down on wasteful decision-making time. However, it’s also important to be flexible and direct resources to where they are most needed in response to real-time demands. My standard routine is: Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook, Email and then back to Mastodon. This isn’t set in stone. For example, if I’ve recently posted on one of these platforms, I will base myself there to keep a constant check on whether anyone new has interacted with my content.

Cleaning

If you don’t clean your house, you can use that extra time for activities like re-reading ‘Circle of Friends’ or making a mini fruit-shop.

Family

Cultivate independence in family members by not doing anything for or with them. The same principle applies to friends. This attitude will give you more time to drink wine and look for second-hand netball bibs on Facebook Marketplace.

Meal preparation

Nutritious, balanced meals are a nice idea in theory, but what people really need is another sarcastic blog post. Get that done first and then cook some pasta and serve it with at-least-it’s-something sauce.

Bedtime

If you go to bed 60 minutes later than usual, you will gain an extra hour in your day. I use this bonus night hour to scroll social media and start fights.

Remember: There’s no such thing as being time poor, only time wasteful. Squeeze the day hard enough and little drops of productivity will splatter out across the room. Don’t clean them up, you’re too busy and important.