We have all done it. On New Year’s Eve we make a resolution that we will lose weight. We have determined that we will do better this year than previous years. We feel committed and really good about the prospects of sticking to this year’s resolution. We stay up until midnight, watch the ball drop, kiss the person next to us, and then go to bed with high hopes of losing weight in the New year.
And then the New Year starts. We stayed up too late last night, so we do not feel like exercising today. We decide that we will get off to fresh start on January 2nd when we have had a good night’s rest. When the next day rolls around, we get busy with dealing with everyday things trying to play catchup to the time we lost while celebrating, so we decide we will truly start on January 3rd. And then that day rolls around and we get busy, so we put off exercising until later in the day. The evening comes and we feel too tired to do anything extra, so we don’t. We go to bed that night thinking, “What’s the use? I can’t do this!” And then we resign ourselves to another year of gaining weight. Can it ever change?
Yes! With effective time management. We want to share with you five benefits of taking control of the time in your day. We want to help you say, “I feel really good about what I accomplished today!” Instead of, “I can’t believe the whole day has just slipped away.”
- With effective time management you will create a conducive environment for what you want to do.
Tammy and I have three things that we have chosen to focus on at this time in our lives: walking, teaching Imagine Not as Much classes, and writing. Each one of these has their own environment challenges, but I will just focus on walking.
We enjoy walking. We used to walk 45 minutes a day but felt like we wanted to do more. Now we walk around an hour and a half. How do we do that? We have found two walking venues that we really enjoy. When the weather cooperates, we walk a 2.5 mile path one way, turn around, and then head back to the start. Our time for that walk will vary depending upon how we feel, the amount of humidity in the air, or how many layers of clothes we wear. We love the scenery and enjoy interacting with the other walkers and runners. When we wake up to bad weather, we use a local church’s walking path. Even though we cannot enjoy a good view, because we begin at 5:00 am we have it to ourselves. We can each walk in a circle at our own pace and still talk to each other the entire time.
If you truly want to effectively manage your time, create an environment that you enjoy so you can do the things that you know need accomplishing. Either find it or devise it so you look forward to spending time there.
2. With effective time management you will get to focus on the priorities that you value the most.
Many things can take our time throughout the day, so set the priorities that carry the most value for you. I have chosen the three previously mentioned things as my priorities to occupy most of my free time, in addition to spending alone time with God, time with my family, and time just relaxing.
I want to exercise because I desire to maintain a healthy body for as long as I can to serve my Lord as effectively as I can. I like to teach Imagine Not as Much classes because I have seen the positive changes and transformations in others, and I would love to see that time and time again. I yearn to write, because I have a desire to share what God has placed on my heart to help others make it through life. I crave time alone with God because He renews my strength each and every day. I fancy spending time with my family because I enjoy myself immensely in their presence. I seek times of relaxation in order to refresh my mind and spirit.
Because I have set these as my priorities, it helps me to effectively manage my time throughout the day. I know what I need to do to accomplish my priorities, and I do it. Once you set your priorities, that will help you set your schedule for the day. Focus on what you consider of utmost importance.
3. With effective time management you will eliminate all non-priority activities.
This may sound harsh at first, but non-priority activities can eat away at valuable time. They may not seem bad things to do at the moment, but they will take away what you need to do to make what you value come true in your life.
4. With effective time management you will form good habits.
We have all formed bad habits throughout life, and we can find it very hard to break them. It takes around thirty days of doing something consistently to form a habit. When you practice effective time management you get to control what habits you form that will enhance your life and add quality to your existence. Tammy and I have formed the habit of getting up early each day to make time for exercise first thing in the morning. Why? Because if we do not do it then, there remains a good chance we will not do it at all later in the day. To coincide with this we have formed the habit of going to bed earlier, so we do not feel sluggish in the mornings or lethargic throughout the day.
5. With effective time management you will begin to reach the goals you have set.
Once you take control of your day, you will make decisions that will help you reach your goals of losing weight and living healthier. I used to think I did not have time to exercise or to eat right. My problem did not consist in having enough time. My problem was not making time for the things that mattered to me, and wasting time on trivial matters like watching TV, scrolling through my phone, or sitting at my computer for hours.
I reached my weight loss goal on November 4, 2013, and have never gained the weight back. I know what will happen if I do not make time to exercise, I will gain weight. I know what will happen if I do not take the time to plan my meals and snacks for the day, I will gain weight. I know what will happen if I do not plan ahead when I go shopping for groceries, I will gain weight. Effective time management has helped me to maintain my weight all these years, and it can help you too.