We are on a mission! A Mission to reclaim our time and feel less busy! It started back in Ep 79 with Ready, Set, Routine. Today, it is onto the next step! We are diving into Time Mapping, and we can’t wait for you to join us!
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Circling back to Routines
When you’ve had a hard week, do your daily routines go out the window or are your routines the anchor that keep you relatively sane?
Bethany had one of those weeks. Those weeks that leave you mental drained and wondering if you are doing anything right. No fun.
What may seem like a surprise to some, routines can actually be a comfort as you mindlessly complete tasks and let any less important tasks go.
During her rough week, Bethany was able to be lax on most parts of her routine, like reading for 30 minutes and going through the mail immediately. She did find the consistency in a few keys areas, like grocery shopping and packing her lunch, helped to relieve some of the stress in the midst of an already stressful week.
Do you have daily routines? If you haven’t yet, check out Ep 79 Ready, Set, Routine and grab your free routines worksheet to get started on your own routines. Routines can help you more than you realize in busy weeks or even busy seasons!
Finding Time
“I’ve been so busy!” is a such a common phrase to hear. I’m guilty of repeating it often too!
But what if I told you, you can find more time by using time mapping. If you are like me, you are ready to get started!
But wait, let’s back up. It all started with Janssen Bradshaw and her site, Everyday Reading, where she recommended the book, 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, by Laura Vanderkam, for her January Book Club.
There are lots of books out there about time management but one of my favorite authors on the subject is Laura Vanderkam. I have read many of her books and a few years ago, I had recommend her book to Bethany.
Needless to say, I am thrilled that Bradshaw recommended Vanderkam’s book because Bethany jumped right on board with the rest of her book club!
As Bethany read, 168 Hours, I decided to read another book by Laura Vanderkam, Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done. (Actually, most of the time, I listen to books. Who has time to sit down and read!)
All this to say, we would love if you read along with us! Laura Vanderkam is such a great author on the topic of time management! Now on to time mapping!
Time Mapping
Since we are focused on time management, the first step is to see how we are spending our time currently. This is where time mapping comes in!
Most productivity experts, including Vanderkam, suggest you start with tracking your time, in other words, mapping out how you spend your time or time mapping.
Think of it like keeping a food diary or recording your expenses when getting on a budget. It helps to see where you are before you can know where to go!
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking, this sounds in depth. But I promise you it’s not! Set a timer to go off each hour and jot down what you did for the last hour.
You don’t need to get to fancy in how you record your time either, Bethany tracked her time on the back of an envelope. To keep it easy download the template Laura Vanderkam already made on her site.
If you are thinking of plenty excuses for why you can’t track your time, we encourage you to just try it! Even if you only track for is a day or two, it can be an insightful exercise!
In our next episode, we are going to check back in on our time maps so be sure to have yours handy for Ep 83 Time Mapping for the Win Part 2!
Quick Tip- Donate to a Little Free Library
Let’s be honest moms, we all have books in our home libraries that we don’t enjoy reading to our kids.
It could be that we are sick of reading it or the book is a little boring. But no matter what the reason, it is okay to donate that unloved book, (even if it is only unloved by you)!
To be clear, I am not talking about donating your child’s absolute favorite books. I promise, I am not that cut throat. I’m referring to more of an unloved book that could easily be forgotten if went missing.
Little Free Libraries are the perfect place for a quick donation stop for those unloved books. We have little libraries sprinkled throughout our neighborhood. You can see if there is one near you on the site, Littlefreelibrary.org.
Donating to a public library’s used book store, of course, is also a great option but sometimes you need a quick stop without feeling like you have to get a whole box of books together before you make a donation run to the public library.
Our Favorites
We have made it a point, on A to B Podcast and also in my business, Space for Living Organizing, not to focus too heavily on organizing supplies. Even though buying containers and clever products is the fun part about getting organized, many times the shiny, new products can take away from the hard work necessary to clear clutter and get organized.
I am hear to say you don’t need fancy bins and containers to get organized! You can use old shoe boxes if necessary.
However, I am fully aware that there are times when finding the perfect organizing product is the icing on the cake to a job well done!
So we have created a page to commend you for all the hard work you have put in to getting organized. Now it is time to put the icing on the cake, it is time to celebrate your new space!
Check out our new favorite products page! It with include some tried and true products that I continue to use with multiple clients. We are also including products and resources we’ve mention on the podcast.
Now we will have a central location to link to products mentioned so you don’t have to remember exactly what episode we talked about Bethany’s shift dress. It was Ep 75 Redefining your Clutter’s Value in case you are curious!
Now if you are still struggling through the hard work of decluttering and getting organized, not quite ready to put the icing on the cake, we get it and we are here cheering you on!
If you are feeling stuck and wondering why it is just not working, I offer a FREE 20 minute phone/ skype consultation to see if virtual organizing can help you.
Links Mentioned:
- Everyday Reading – Janssen Bradshaw
- 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think, by Laura Vanderkam
- Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done
- Time Mapping Template
- Littlefreelibrary.org
- Our favorite products page
- Alie Ward and her podcast, Ologies about procrastination
Let’s Be Friends!
What are the top 3 things you do in your home to keep clutter away? You can find us hanging out on Instagram @AtoB podcast |Facebook.
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