Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get so many things done, while many others struggle just to keep things together? There are certainly a lot of factors involved, but one thing everybody can do to improve is being deliberate and effective with their use of free time. Many people aspire to do more than just enjoy leisure activities in their spare hours; these tips will help you realize such goals.
Prioritize tasks the smart way
Many employees don’t consciously develop time management as a skill. In the workplace, task prioritization is often associated with leadership; thus, managers are often responsible for delegating tasks and setting deadlines. This streamlines matters at work, but the side effect is that a lot of people struggle to get things done outside of the office environment. To-do lists never get cleared, and household chores pile up.
Creating a system for personal task prioritization is essential to getting the most out of your free time. Identify what’s important and urgent, as well as the scope of work required. Delegate, or outsource if possible – if you live in a large home in LA, house cleaning services will save you a considerable amount of time and effort. This way, you can accomplish what needs to be done, avoid neglecting necessary maintenance or personal responsibilities, and still have enough time for yourself.
Focus on habit formation
Whether you want to use your free time to accomplish a personal project, learn new skills, or seek out new experiences in the city and beyond, it’s essential to dedicate some effort towards proper habit formation. A lot of people will find that they waste time on frivolous activities that have become bad habits; procrastination on social media is a typical example. Hours spent playing video games, or binge-watching TV shows can easily cut into the overall time available for meaningful pursuits.
Bad habits can be broken, just as good ones can be built. The key is to have patience with the process, take small but consistent steps, and make better habit formation a part of your identity. By eliminating bad habits, you can free up more time for things that matter; and by forming good ones, you build momentum, positivity, and self-confidence, which translates into more effective use of that free time.
Set a schedule
It might seem counter-intuitive to schedule your free time; after all, having to adhere to a daily routine is one thing many employees commonly complain about. However, planning your free time gives you greater awareness of how many hours you have, and what can be realistically accomplished within that time.
For instance, if you want to set up a personal website but don’t have all the necessary skills, a schedule will help you structure your learning hours. Later on, you’ll know how much time you can allot towards writing and posting content to your blog. Being able to tackle a personal project in bite-sized chunks and leaving it unfinished so you can pick up where you left off next weekend is how you make little but concrete progress towards such goals. As long as you don’t go overboard, a good schedule lets you maximize your time without undue stress.
Productivity isn’t something that we leave behind at the office. If you’re interested in pursuing further learning or fulfilling interests outside of work, then using these strategies will help put your time to good use.
