There’s no doubt this life can be draining sometimes. Between meetings at work, commitments with friends, and getting the kids from place to place, it’s often hard to find time for yourself. Hell, when you do, it’s often hard to be motivated to do anything. I think we’ve all felt this challenge and the real question is, “How do I free up some time for me?” As a business owner/ entrepreneur, I know how hard it is.
Here are 3 things I do to free up a little more time on my plate, reducing stress, and increasing my energy levels. Maybe they’ll work for you too!
- Delegate 1 thing: Find 1 task that drains time from your day and delegate it to someone else. Even if you’re not the boss at work, there’s certainly something you can delegate to someone else. As your kids get older, maybe this just means teaching them to make their own breakfast each morning, or doing chores around the house.
- Do Your Tasks on Work Days: On my days off, I try not to have anything scheduled. This means that I take the time to do any chores on my work days. I do this even if it requires me to stay up a little later or wake up earlier. This is a huge help and makes it so I can spend more time doing what I want to do with my days off!
- Make a Schedule for your Week…and Stick To It: Barring major medical emergencies, the schedule I set for myself on Sunday evening is the schedule I stick to. It’s important to remember that it’s your life, other than family, you shouldn’t really let people interrupt it without permission. It’s ok to say “no” to things you don’t want to do or that will interfere with your time.
- BONUS: PUT DOWN THE PHONE!!!! I find that the biggest time sucks of my day come from my phone. Even when I’m doing work from home, it’s on my phone. Put it down. Just schedule a “last call” time for your phone. After that time, you aren’t allowed to use it. This tip, alone, can buy you hours per week!
Now the question is, “What do I do with the extra time?”
Answer… Whatever you want!! Find a new hobby, workout, do some stress relief.
By the way, Jiu-Jitsu is a great way to do all of those things! Maybe give it a try.
Whatever you do, remember that this is your life. It’s up to you where you put your priorities. Make decisions that will help you more.
See you on the mats,
Bill Jones
Bill Jones is the owner and head instructor of Top Level Martial Arts in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He has been teaching and training since 1985 and runs the most successful Jiu-Jitsu Classes in Akron, Ohio
