Time Management
Many people struggle with time management. They find it difficult to prioritize and maintain ongoing daily structure in their lives. For some, trying to create and maintain structure without guidelines to follow is too overwhelming.
As an Executive Functions Coach, I show people how to break down the demands of daily life. Together we create a system that prioritizes what is necessary and meaningful and eliminate what is not.
Time management is not a way to fit more into your life. Sometimes it’s about starting over and re-building your life. Life transitions that uproot us physically and emotionally can be difficult to navigate on our own. Time management is an opportunity to slow down, identify and prioritize what is important to you now.
Together with the client, I break Time Management into 3 sections and create a weekly schedule that reflects what is necessary and what can be added later. Through this process, they learn to prioritize.
By defining what is important, they are able to make informed choices about how they want to focus their time and energy. This internal motivation and awareness is what will enable clients to reach their goals.
Focusing on what is necessary daily and reviewing their planner weekly allows them to see what is working so we can adjust and problem solve what is not working.
Step 1 • Fixed: Building a Foundation
Identify and implement appointments and tasks that must happen on a specific day and time. For example:
- Morning & Bedtime routines
- Work
- School
- Taking medication
- Appointments: doctor, dentist, therapist etc.
- Self Care
- Family & friends commitments
Step 2 • Fixed / Fluid: Identify and implement in necessary weekly responsibilities/tasks that can be scheduled at different days and times if needed
Once fixed appointments are in place it is easier to identify the best time and day to incorporate fixed-fluid responsibilities.
Learning how to break down each task allows clients to schedule a realistic amount of time for completion. For example:
- Budgeting
- Clean Apartment
- Exercise
- Homework
- Grocery Shopping
- Meal Prep & Cooking
- Laundry
Understanding how to prioritize and map out a task is crucial in time management. Often people underestimate or overestimate how long it takes to start and finish a project.
Creating visual structure to follow and reviewing all steps necessary to complete the task allows time to create a plan of action that enables each person to understand what is expected from them. Clear communication is key to identifying barriers.
Step 3 • Fluid: Identify and implement in “unstructured time”
If you are younger you might not know how to do this because others provided this structure for you. Change can feel overwhelming. Learning how to slowly incorporate something new and unfamiliar is key to figuring out what works for you. Ask yourself:
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What areas interest you?
- What are you curious about?
- What would you like to work on to make life more fulfilling or fun?
- How do you relax?
- What are 3 things you want to try?
This final step is sometimes the most challenging. Defining and implementing unstructured or free time requires knowing how to incorporate new ideas and activities that promote growth, rather than falling back on old habits that keep you stuck.
