Time Management Tips from a Busy Bee

I am a writer and a runner with a full-time job. I work 40 hours a week, run 4-5 days a week, write for two websites plus my own blog, and I serve on several volunteer committees throughout the year. In the last few months I've had to learn to be extra efficient since I have so many tasks weighing on me on a daily basis.

1. Make a to-do list, but on a macro scale.
I learned the hard way in architecture school that if I made an elaborate to-do list with specific deadlines, I stressed myself out more. I usually missed the deadlines, throwing off the elaborate schedule; therefore, I wasted time writing and worrying about the darn thing. It's easier to write a weekly list to write down tasks that need to be tackled at some point in the week instead of taking on every possible detail at one time.

2. Plan. Plan. Plan.
Similar to the macro to-do list, plan what you'd like to accomplish monthly, and break it down. For example, I'm not currently signed up to run any races, but I'd still like to maintain around 75 miles a month. That's around 19 miles a week. Thanks to that planning, I have a grasp on what I should do on a weekly basis to accomplish that. For another example, I am terrible about eating out every day of the week. When I take time to plan out a week's worth of food, I'm prepared and I save time worrying about that food and I save money! I say this as I eat a cookie for dinner. ;) We can't always manage time perfectly.

3. Weekends are everything.
Long run. Yoga. Meal plan/prep. Nap. Catch up on TV. Do laundry. Clean. Write all the words.
Take one of these weekend days and do something excessively that you cannot do on a weekday.

4. Keep your creativity in check. (And all will fall into place)
To be a better writer, I need to be a better reader. This fall I finally went to get a library card (after living in Columbus for six years) and I've been taking full advantage of it. I listen to audiobooks while I cook and run, and I read on my lunch breaks and sometimes before bed. I will say that since I've put an effort into consuming more literature, my creativity has been more consistent. This goes for all creative types. Make room for observing the art of others, and art will come to you; thus making your (artistic) job easier.

5. Take advantage of lunch breaks.
I mentioned before that I've been reading on my lunch breaks, and that's a great creative escape from the daily grind. I mean, it's a treat. A dose of lit right in the middle of the workday?! Yes, please. But I also use lunch breaks to grocery shop, schedule appointments, go to said appointments, and sometimes work on one of my assignments for a site. I'm lucky because my place of employment is in an area of town where I am able to achieve all these tasks during the work day, which always saves a little time.

6. Try to maintain a clean living space.
This is what you come home to after working hard, and for some of us, we have to continue to work hard in our home space. When my house is a wreck, it's easy for my mind to become a wreck too, making it hard for me to focus and accomplish anything. My house is by no means a spotless temple for creativity, but I cannot handle a pigsty. (Like pigs are cute and all, but since when do pigs write books and stuff?)

6. GTF away from your phone! (At least once a day!)
This one is hard for me because I feel a certain dependency on my phone for my job(s). I am constantly checking and replying to email, keeping notes, managing the schedules and plans I mentioned, and of course, running Instagram for a few organizations! But when I am able to escape my phone for an hour or so, usually while I'm running, I feel so freakin' refreshed afterward! And much less overwhelmed.

7. Don't be hard on yourself, and take necessary breaks.
I am my own worst critic. The worst. I have learned to let go when I don't quite accomplish every little task on my list. I often stay up into the night writing or working, but sometimes I crash at 10:30 (this is extremely early in my world lol). Sometimes, even when a deadline is pressing, I have to take a whole evening off because I can't stand to be in my house. And that's okay.

8. Be critical
On the other hand, if you're really pressed for time, be critical of what is beneficial to your time management. For example, there are no photos in this post! Ya'll can do without a couple pictures. ;) Happy reading and best of lucky, busy bees!