Managing Your Time and Peak Hours

Time management. For years, those two little words were a source of my frustration. I do better with it now. But it takes constant work.

Most of us can't wait for that elusive prime time to write. We lead busy lives, have responsibilities, hold other jobs, raise families, and work more hours than we like. We juggle too many balls. And if you’ve ever tried to juggle – it’s about coordination and timing.

I’m both a morning person and a night owl. Afternoons - forget about it, I'm toast. Does that mean I can slack off for hours each day? Not a chance. Not if I want to accomplish my daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Those goals – personally and professionally – mean I must coordinate each hour in my day. I must stay productive and motivated. There isn’t time to procrastinate.

I write down my tasks and goals each day, and check them off afterward. I celebrate each item I’ve accomplished. Why? We’re often so pressed for time that we forget to take a moment to celebrate the little steps and events in our lives. Anything positive is worth doing, and when you do it enough it becomes a healthy habit. Healthy habits are good! And by checking in each time I’ve finished a task, it allows me to review my goals so I stay on track. Otherwise my time isn’t well-spent.

Afternoons aren’t the best time for me to tackle edits, critique someone’s story, or engage in a complex discussion about calculus. By coordinating my afternoons with more mundane activities, it leaves my peak hours open to accomplish the big goals, and frees up my most creative and energetic times – boosting my productivity.

Time is valuable.

Recognizing your time is a valuable asset.

Are you successful with managing your time?

~Ann Cory