Time management skills are a huge part of making changes in your life…like losing weight.
Okay, you are probably wondering what time management has to do with losing weight.
You may be able to lose weight without having to change your daily schedule. If so, that is great!
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Time Management is really a misnomer – the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. — Stephen Covey
But often, people that have a weight problem are living with a lot of stress or feeling overwhelmed by the circumstances in their daily lives.
Leading a life that is out of balance with one thing taking most of your time, can lead to stress and in turn cause you to find comfort in food.
Time management is defined as the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially at work.
It is important to know where your time is going. Even if you lead a perfectly organized life, it is still a good idea to know where you are spending your time.
This exercise can be a real eye-opener.
We are all given the same 24 hours each day. That comes out to 168 hours a week, but where does your time go?
Sleep and work are the easiest activities to document in your 168 hour week. Now subtract family time, home management time (cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.). Document the time you spend doing other activities.
Now it is time to analyze where your time is going. Have you used up all 168 hours of your week? Do you have “spare” time anywhere?
Or do you have things on your task list that you did not have time to complete?
Are you working more hours than you should be? Are you getting enough sleep?
Prioritize Tasks
Put your 3 most important tasks at the top of your daily to-do list. Attach these things first when your mind is the freshest. I always do my most complicated tasks in the morning.
Many things on our to-do lists can be moved out. Don’t sweat the small things, if you don’t get to it, put it on your life for the next day. Learn to eliminate things that are not essential.
To-do lists can get overwhelming. You have to learn what to let go of and what to prioritize and what can wait.
Avoid Multitasking
Multitasking used to be a big thing on job descriptions, but there is a lot of research that shows that you can accomplish tasks more quickly if you do them one task at a time.
Deadlines and to-do lists are great tools for staying on task. Not leaving a task before it is finished may take practice.
When you realize you have gone on to task 2 without completing task 1, return to task 1 and finish and then complete task 2. You will get used to going through a to-do list one item at a time.
“To do two things at once is to do neither.” — Publius Syrus
Start Early
The first thing in the morning is when your focus is strongest. This is when you should be working on your most complicated tasks.
Early morning is when things tend to be quietest. I have always started working an hour earlier than everyone else and that hour is invaluable.
The quiet time you have in the morning is often the time when you get the most accomplished. Don’t let that time go.
Overcome Procrastination
Some tasks just suck. I get it, but they do not become any easier by putting them off. Sometimes, they just become worse when they are delayed.
When it comes to tasks that cause procrastination, put them off only makes it that much harder to do them.
If it something you don’t want to do, get it out of the way first and then it no longer ways heavy on your mind. Procrastinating does not make things easier or make them go away.
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” – Mother Teresa
Learn to Say “No”
Having an overwhelming schedule can cause stress. And stress can be the source of overeating as well as other negative behaviors.
Learning to say “no” can lighten the load and give you the time you need for things that benefit you.
If people know that you will take on anything, they are likely to keep asking you to take on extra tasks. Only take on what is important and what can be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time.
What’s Next
The object of this exercise is to make time for yourself and to ensure the time you are spending working and taking care of others is in balance.
You count too! And you have to treat yourself like you matter!
To lose weight, you don’t necessarily need more time. You just have to make the most of what you have so there is less chance of experiencing stress and more time for stress-free activities that benefit you.
One of the most difficult parts of managing your time is learning to say “no”. If you are known as a “yes” person, people get used to counting on you to take on extra tasks.
This is where you may have to start declining extra tasks in order to make yourself a priority. The people asking for your time may not be happy when you say “no”.
But this is the first step to improving your health and feeling better about yourself.
So, it is time to see where your time is going. With a single sheet of paper or digital document, it easy to see how your precious hours are being used.
All-day long, I hear the phrase “I don’t have time”. It has been my experience we “make” time for the things we really want to do. Why not make time to create your fit life?