Time does not magically open up. Every choice we make about how we are spending our time requires us to make the time to get it done. So think about scheduling everything that you have to do, or want to do. My clients are busy folks juggling the responsibility of home, family, career, their health, finances, volunteer work, and more. The best way to get things done is to commit to scheduling time to do them. Sounds easy, right? In fact, it’s very difficult and requires making choices and reprioritizing. We all do it throughout the course of a day but sometimes, it’s random rather than planned. Try the following:

• Schedule grocery shopping including travel to and from the store(s).
• Schedule time to check your email 1-2x a day…no more.
• Schedule dedicated time to call family or friends (not while cooking, watching tv, working on the computer, etc.).

These are examples of just 3 necessary activities in most of our daily lives. Plan ahead, save time. I promise that you will be more productive and feel less stressed!

Establish a routine for accomplishing regular tasks. These might include: responding to email, paying bills, making phone calls, running errands. Set a day & time slot to do these tasks. For example, commit to some type of exercise every morning from 7-8 a.m. Check email 2x/day from 10-10:20 a.m. and 3-3:20 p.m. The benefit of a routine is to create blocks of time to work on more meaningful projects.