Put Time on Your Side:
Time Management for Busy Women

Do you feel like there are not enough hours in the day?
Do you have trouble finding time to do the things you enjoy?
You're not alone.

Introduction

The average working woman is putting in about 300 more hours a year—both in the workplace and caring for a household—than she did in the 1960s. Though 79% of women surveyed say they like—or even love—their jobs, balancing the roles of work and home can be difficult.

One of the biggest problems? Finding time to do everything that needs to get done—and fitting in time for exercise, relaxation, and activities you enjoy. Fortunately, experts tell us that even though you can't add more hours to the day, you may be able to use those hours more wisely by adopting time management strategies.

Set Goals

One of the first steps in managing time is determining what you want to accomplish with it. For instance, some women may want to raise healthy children, be promoted to vice president, and run a marathon. Others may want to go back to school, travel the world, and write a novel.

Take time to consider your goals:

• Identify the aspects of life that are most important to you—for example, work, family and friends, creative or intellectual pursuits, health, and spirituality.
• What do you want to accomplish in the areas you've identified as important? Write long-term goals that summarize your desires.
• Set one-year goals that will help you reach your long-term goals. For instance, if you'd like to change careers, a one-year goal might be to take classes to make that change.
• Every quarter, set objectives that help you attain your one-year goals. For instance, if you want to get physically fit, then one objective might be to walk for 30 minutes every day at lunchtime. Revisit and revise goals, as needed.

When setting goals and objectives, be practical about what you can actually accomplish. If you're trying to do too much, you'll probably end up feeling frustrated, stressed, and guilty.

Assess How You Use Time

For one week, keep a record of every activity you engage in during the day—from eating breakfast to getting ready for bed. At the end of the week, look through your record and identify "time wasters"—or activities that were unimportant or unnecessary. Then, think of possible strategies for dealing with each time waster.

For instance, here are strategies for dealing with some classic time wasters:

• Telephone interruptions. Let the answering machine or voice mail get the phone if you're involved in something that deserves your attention—whether reading to your child, writing a report for work, or taking a bath. If it's important, the caller will leave a message.
• Cut down on phone tag by providing—and asking for—specific information via voice mail or e-mail.
• Waiting in line or stuck in traffic. Take this time to make plans, read, or listen to music or a book-on-tape.
• Inefficient meetings. Suggest a specific meeting agenda.
• Television. Set a limit on how much TV you'll allow yourself each week. Also, try taping your favorite shows so you can watch them at your convenience and without commercials.
• Assignments or commitments you don't have the time or energy for. Think before you commit. Before you agree to an extra work request or a social engagement, consider whether or not you can actually fit it in.

Plan and Prioritize

With adequate planning, you're more likely to fit in everything you need to get done—and recognize what you might need to give up.

• Use a daily planner, and write down important dates as they come up—from work meetings to children's soccer practices.
• Make "to-do" lists that cover all your commitments—at both home and work. Rank each task by its importance. For instance, write "A"s next to important and urgent items, "B"s next to important but not urgent items, and "C"s next to not particularly important or urgent items.
• Leave some of your schedule open. This allows time for the unexpected.
• Don't forget to schedule time for exercise, healthy eating, and relaxation. All of these activities help ensure that you'll have the energy to stay on top of time.
• Schedule demanding tasks during times of high energy. For instance, if you're a morning person, you might want to plan on developing that presentation first thing in the day.
• Drop unimportant tasks. Ask yourself, "What will happen if I don't do this?" Many tasks can be eliminated or postponed without repercussions.
• Delegate, when possible. If there's more on your plate than you can handle, consider whether others might help—for example, does a coworker have downtime to help? Is it time to give your 6-year-old some household chores? Can you afford to have a laundry service wash your clothes this week?
• If you've carefully planned, and you still don't have time to do all you need to, think about cutting back. This may mean talking with your boss about your responsibilities. Or you may need to talk with your family about changing the way things are run at home.

Employ Time-Saving Systems

A lot of time gets wasted due to duplicative efforts or disorganization. Here are a few examples of how you can save—not waste—precious time:

• Reduce clutter and unnecessary paperwork. For instance, can a software program help you keep track of your finances and/or pay your bills?
• Avoid duplicative work. Instead of writing out grocery lists, type up a "standard" list that includes those items you often need—as well as space to write down unlisted items. Then, before shopping, just circle or add the items you need to get.

Let Yourself Let Go of Time

Remember, the point of time management is to help you to find the time you need to achieve what you want—and to enjoy life. But these techniques become counterproductive if you become overzealous about planning and saving time. You'll only end up stressed and frustrated. If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed, stop. Take time to listen to music, go to a movie, or play ball with your kids.