Time Management Tip: Create a time budget
This tip was a new one to me, and when I saw it on Crystal Paine’s blog I loved how it tied in with everything we’ve already been talking about. Just like we talked about earlier with being bossy with our time and scheduling time to do our work, this activity takes our entire day and maps it out (ideally leaving time for things like sleeping and eating). You can see the one that Crystal did on this blog post. Mine would look something like this:
30 minutes to workout
30 minutes to shower/get dressed
1 hour to get Madi ready & off to school
7 hours of freelance work & writing
4 hours cleaning/home management/family time
7 hours sleeping
2 hours meals
2 hours of extra/”margin” time
To be honest, I realized once I wrote this out that I don’t have time scheduled with God on here. That was eye-opening and made me realize that I’ve been putting that time in my “extra/margin time” zone and not actually make it a priority. As you put your time budget today, take some time to see what might be missing, what is taking up most of your time, and if what you’re doing throughout the day matches the goals you’ve set for yourself. Or maybe you’ll realize that in this particular season, what you WISH you could be doing just doesn’t fit with what you HAVE to do. If that’s the case, ask God to give you peace in the waiting and stay faithful to where He has you right now, until the season changes.
Inspiration: “Write it. Shoot it. Publish it. Crochet it, sauté it, whatever. MAKE.” —Joss Whedon
Resource: The Declare Conference Podcast
If you are a Christian communicator, you will be encouraged and inspired by this podcast (but even more by attending the conference – their Warrior theme for next year is PERFECTION). In those hours when you’re driving back from school drop-off or doing laundry or making dinner, pop in some headphones (not in the car y’all…that’s not safe) and listen to women share their stories about how they do the work God has called them to do in the same hours they have as you.