Ever wonder how you can stretch the day so that you have ‘more’ time?
Ever crave for just a few more hours to get things done?
Ever want time for yourself?
Yes, I’ve answered “Yes” to these questions more than once in my life and that is what motivated me to create my first no-do list.
However, I’ve been adding to that and now I have a list of 15 things that I say ‘No’ to and surprise, surprise, have ended up enjoying ‘more’ time:
1. Tidying up every hour or worse, every 30 minutes. Trust me, not worth the effort and the hassle. Now I tidy up twice in the day and that’s it. Our house is reasonably neat, looks a little more lived-in than others, but I’m okay with that. It gives me time to do things I really value and enjoy.
2. Keeping hundreds of ‘windows’ open while you write or work. You will get distracted. Bookmark them for referring to later, close them and just focus on what you have to get done.
3. Signing up to every single newsletter online. You’ll only end up with a clogged inbox. Trust me.
4. Spending more than an hour on Pinterest. Unless you do have the time and that is what you really want to spend it on, more than an hour of pinning means less time to make what you pin.
5. Doing the same tasks over and over again, instead of batching them. For instance, I need to put washed and dried dishes away once in the day and not three times.
6. Doing too many things at the same time. Yes, multi-tasking is not my friend. However, I do fold laundry when watching T.V.
7. Watching live television. The advertisements are a huge waste of time. I just record things and can finish off a favorite in less than half the time.
8. Watching everything that’s on television. “Nuff said.
9. Reading everything that’s printed. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a voracious reader but I’m selective. I read only when I feel the book or the material is going to really be helpful, enriching or highly entertaining. If something doesn’t fit the criteria or at least doesn’t look like it will, I pass.
10. Planning too much. Executing too little. I used to love drawing up plans and then, shoving them to the back of my mind. Now, I plan and take action and sometimes, I just take action. Saves a lot of time!
11. Being busy all the time. You don’t have to be doing something all the time. Take some time to reflect, introspect, be still. It will give you your much needed ‘me-time’
12. Starting my week without a plan. An unplanned week = chaos.
13. Starting my day without a plan or structure. Ditto.
14. Trying to schedule everything I can. Yes, it may sound contradictory but a plan, at least in our home, is relatively flexible. We list out things we’d like to get done and then, rank them in order of priority. But we don’t schedule everything according to time and hour. Just doesn’t work when you have kids, inclement weather, and other things beyond your control determining what gets done. We just have routines for our day and week and then, take it from there.
15. Not asking for help. Yes, please say “No” to not asking for help and you’ll find yourself with a whole lot of time. Sometimes, we just expect friends and family to be mind readers and end up doing everything and feeling quite the martyr. Just asking your partner to help you with clearing the dishes after dinner is a start. Hiring help to manage the house is another.
What can YOU say ‘no’ to and free up your time?
Photo Credit: Free Digital Photos
A well timed post for me!!! My life has been a random mess lately, with me being busy all the time, but with nothing productive done by the end of the day. Having a No Do List is a great idea!!
Fab recently posted..Black and White!!
Hi Fab! Thanks so much. Am glad you found this helpful.. Let me know when you create one and how it helps you:-)