Do you remember the days of your childhood when time took forever? Even summer vacation would drag on to the point of wanting to return to school in the fall. As a child, I never thought I would grow up.

Now that I’m a Mom with two young boys at my heals my days seem to fly. Whether running back and forth to school or finding activities to entertain, throughout the day there is always something going on. 8:00 AM turns into 3:30 in the blink of an eye. Fitting everything I need to accomplish into one day can sometimes be overwhelming and feel down right impossible. Most days I will glance around my apartment and not know where to begin.

Here are some time management tips I’ve learned that help me get the most out of my day:

1) Lists: I loathe them. I rarely make one. I’m even intimidated by a grocery list. But, if I can motivate myself enough to write things down it helps my schedule run more smoothly. First, I jot down everything that I would like to get done. Second, I order them in their importance. Third, I place a star next to the tasks that must get done that day. This last step encourages me to start at the top of my list, rather than at the middle or end where the less dreaded activities usually reside.

2) Set a Timer: A friend gave me this cleaning tip once, which I think she heard on Martha Stewart, so it must be good. She encouraged me to set a timer for 20 minutes, pick one room and see how much I could get accomplished before the timer went off. Martha called it a “Cleaning Burst”. The most important thing to remember when doing this is to stick to one spot. Some days I will find myself wandering from room to room picking up odds and ends until I realize that nothing looks completed because I didn’t remain focused.

3) Make Time for Myself: I’ve found life takes on a new perspective if I’m not feeling burnt out. Even if I take the time to shower and get myself ready for my day before I dive right into my list of chores I feel refreshed and more prepared. Time for myself, whether it be reading or an exercise class, is important for me to balance out the rest of my to-do’s.

Getting a handle on time is one of my biggest challenges. To remain present, in the moment and focus on my task at hand discourages my mind from racing from one thing to the next. This isn’t always easy for me to do, but these tips have helped me get a better grip. What are some time management tricks you use to fit it all in?

This article is from myrentalpad.com