ForumGarden

When I was a full time employed person, I would complain that I needed extra hours in my day.

Now that I am unemployed and have slid into retirement, I feel that not only do I need extra hours in my day, but I need extra days in my week..........

How can I get a better grasp on my time!?!?!?

Hey there Sojo...What are you having trouble fitting in? Social stuff? Family stuff? What takes up your time?

Far Rider wrote: Ok but be warned you asked!



Take a sheet of graph paper, break the boxes into 15 minute increments for 24 hours, 7 days on a week.



write what you do in that time frame (15 minutes) for the next 7 days...



eliminate the sleep hours if you want, but I recoreded them since I dont sleep much anyway.



then, make a list of everything you NEED to get done in a weekly basis....



then prioritize on a scale from one to ten whats most important to accomplish...



when your all done, analyze it all, create blocks of time to accomlish tasks, then plug in the prioritized tasks.



I do this constantly... I have copied my time management system into pads of paper and I keep them running all the time... and adjust things as needed.



The down side is... after a while I saw that the sleep hours were valuable to do work in too... thats negative... so be careful, you may create a monster.



A business associate takes it a step further... he sets an hourly wage to his time and breaks it down by the 1/4 hour... so he always knows if hes profitable or not.



Good luck.Failing that, get a BIG clock...

BabyRider wrote: Hey there Sojo...What are you having trouble fitting in? Social stuff? Family stuff? What takes up your time?


Trouble fitting in:

It's the boring cleaning and ironing that is an albatross around my neck. . . . . and preparing dinner to eat at 6:00. The book I need to read for this months book discussion which is this coming Monday. The shawl I'm making for the Shawl Ministry I am a part of.

What takes up my time is playing with my grandson, talking with my daughter, phone calls to my sister, mom and friends. Watching the whole 1st year of "Lost" every day for a week straight, the Garden, my knitting, my Christian & War class, dinner out with the family, my at home part time job and probably sleeping late...............

Listing it, I think perhaps it is balance I need in my life. I do tend to focus on one thing to exclusion of all else and that leaves me in a mess with all the things I've ignored.

You're good!

Thanks for your help.

Far Rider wrote: Ok but be warned you asked!

Take a sheet of graph paper, break the boxes into 15 minute increments for 24 hours, 7 days on a week.

write what you do in that time frame (15 minutes) for the next 7 days...

eliminate the sleep hours if you want, but I recoreded them since I dont sleep much anyway.

then, make a list of everything you NEED to get done in a weekly basis....

then prioritize on a scale from one to ten whats most important to accomplish...

when your all done, analyze it all, create blocks of time to accomlish tasks, then plug in the prioritized tasks.

I do this constantly... I have copied my time management system into pads of paper and I keep them running all the time... and adjust things as needed.

The down side is... after a while I saw that the sleep hours were valuable to do work in too... thats negative... so be careful, you may create a monster.

A business associate takes it a step further... he sets an hourly wage to his time and breaks it down by the 1/4 hour... so he always knows if hes profitable or not.

Good luck.


This seems like a fine plan. Thank you.

My only hesitation in writing down what I need to do is that it will show up too plainly what I do not do and, in all probability, all the time I waste.

I think I AM THE PROBLEM.

I shall give this a go, but I am not sharing this with anyone else in this house..... Not until I am successful at it.

Far Rider wrote: well...ok...but just a side note if your trying to get pregnant... and um if you do "schedule in" the time for the activity DO NOT... tell your spouse "come on hunny, im on a schedule"....:wah: you could get smacked for it!:D


LOL

No hurry

No worry

Far Rider wrote: well...ok...but just a side note if your trying to get pregnant... and um if you do "schedule in" the time for the activity DO NOT... tell your spouse "come on hunny, im on a schedule"....:wah: you could get smacked for it!:D


:yh_rotfl :yh_rotfl :

Great advise Far!

Dont listen to far he makes retirement sound like work. Relax take a deep breath in the morning then go back to sleep for awhile. Pick one two or three important things for the day then do them, the rest ? Wing it. Be kind to yourself and enjoy !

SOJOURNER wrote:

What takes up my time is playing with my grandson, talking with my daughter, phone calls to my sister, mom and friends. Watching the whole 1st year of "Lost" every day for a week straight, the Garden, my knitting, my Christian & War class, dinner out with the family, my at home part time job and probably sleeping late...............




Can I have your life??:o

Nomad wrote: Dont listen to far he makes retirement sound like work. Relax take a deep breath in the morning then go back to sleep for awhile. Pick one two or three important things for the day then do them, the rest ? Wing it. Be kind to yourself and enjoy !


There's an old wise saying:

NEVER PUT OFF TILL TOMORROW, WHAT YOU CAN DO THE DAY AFTER THAT!:D

nvalleyvee wrote: Can I have your life??:o


Thank you. Thank you.

You've make me feel good!

cars wrote: There's an old wise saying:

NEVER PUT OFF TILL TOMORROW, WHAT YOU CAN DO THE DAY AFTER THAT!:D


I think this has been my unspoken motto.

Far Rider wrote: Ok but be warned you asked!

Take a sheet of graph paper, break the boxes into 15 minute increments for 24 hours, 7 days on a week.

write what you do in that time frame (15 minutes) for the next 7 days...

eliminate the sleep hours if you want, but I recoreded them since I dont sleep much anyway.

then, make a list of everything you NEED to get done in a weekly basis....

then prioritize on a scale from one to ten whats most important to accomplish...

when your all done, analyze it all, create blocks of time to accomlish tasks, then plug in the prioritized tasks.

I do this constantly... I have copied my time management system into pads of paper and I keep them running all the time... and adjust things as needed.

The down side is... after a while I saw that the sleep hours were valuable to do work in too... thats negative... so be careful, you may create a monster.

A business associate takes it a step further... he sets an hourly wage to his time and breaks it down by the 1/4 hour... so he always knows if hes profitable or not.

Good luck.




I've got my graph paper and have started inputing. I'm finding already a better use of my time just cause I have to write it down. Seeing it on paper, I sure to make time for ME. Big difference from before. Now I just need to find a balance and everyone will be happy............