Time management

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inkjunkie

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Has not become a strong point for me. When I was still at the USPS I have damn near 0 time for myself. What little I did have was spent scrambling, trying to stay on top of things around the dd's and house. But ever since going out on Disability it has become more than obvious I am clueless when it comes to managing my time. The past week or so I spend the coolest part of the day doing next to nothing. I wait until the sun is at highest to get outside and get moving with the mowing and other things I need to get done. I spend a few hours in the afternoon doing what I need to....have dinner and then spend 70 minutes or so on the treadmill. I then go back outside to to spend some more time fixing the fence,mowing, rock farming etc until it gets dark. Have not been in the house before 9:30 in over 2 weeks. Play with the pup, feed the other 2 dogs & take a shower then off to bed. Extremely frustrated with how little I get done. I really do need to come up with some sort of set schedule for myself...Any suggestions??
 
I have the same issues when left to my own devices, what I've found is; take some time right around when you get up to jot down a list of things you need to do today, estimate how much time they need or you want to spend on them right next to the task. Then, number them to the time of day you think they fit best in and require you to 'work smarter not harder'. Carry this list with you. You'll find what organization works best for you.

For example, mowing the grass or watering plants in the morning, or after the heat of the day is gone.

If it's something that requires you to be focused, get it in when your at peak energy level and you feel like being cerebral, possibly after breakfast and coffee has settled a little, and you get that spark of mental motivation.

If it's something that stretches your physicality, do something light and gets you blood and momentum moving and limber first, go hit it, then take a break and collect your thoughts, maybe right before lunch or beer break so you have a reward. :coffee2:


A few examples that might spark your thoughts to come up with your own practical solutions to what you have in front of you, it always helps to turn it into a game, not a chore. Pretty soon you'll be feeling quite accomplished! :thumleft:
 
Why worry about it? You don't have a boss and you don't have deadlines so screw it.
 
Ink,

I feel your pain, i used to have the ultimate schedule. I worked 10 hours a day 4 days a week. This gave me friday, saturday, and sunday off.

Then i put in for an interview to run the department i helped to form, got the job a lot more responsibility, a little more money but now i work 8 hours a day 5 days a week. Only the Hours end up being 10+ per day, and i cant get away from my phone over the weekends dealing w work. Mine is a working / teaching shop environment. I am also required to teach aircraft sheetmetal structures repair, so i am working on a course syllabus, and a weekly progress form that i will have to turn in to the different supervisors of the trainees every week marking their progress aptitude.

My wife works nights on the weekends as a drug rehab nurse. So i am watching the kids ages 8,6, and 21months old. I have very little time for anything, and after the stress of dealing with the kids over the weekends, i just take a bath or shower n go to bed.

My wife is obsessive about the house which is great, but the kids constantly make mess after mess, when she is at work i try to keep it picked up, and have to constantly tell em to clean up. After dealing with that **** all weekend, i dont even want to go in my shop and even mess with my projects. Could be a bit of depression.

I am thinking of stepping down as shop crewchief but want to give it at least until fall. I enjoyed having one day off during the week to do my running around for stuff i need, and spending mornings w my little boy going out for breakfast. The money isnt that much of a step up, its just good to have on a resume'.

As a matter of fact i have to now take vacation time to get **** done around the house if i want to get it done. It shouldent be that way. I know in a couple years my boy will be in school, and things will ease up a bit. But right now its rough.

I wish i had some advice to offer you. I am pretty organized at work, but i also have a good group of people who work for me. On the weekends it seems like a different story, like a losing battle. :(
 
I have the same issues when left to my own devices, what I've found is; take some time right around when you get up to jot down a list of things you need to do today, estimate how much time they need or you want to spend on them right next to the task. Then, number them to the time of day you think they fit best in and require you to 'work smarter not harder'. Carry this list with you. You'll find what organization works best for you.

For example, mowing the grass or watering plants in the morning, or after the heat of the day is gone.

If it's something that requires you to be focused, get it in when your at peak energy level and you feel like being cerebral, possibly after breakfast and coffee has settled a little, and you get that spark of mental motivation.

If it's something that stretches your physicality, do something light and gets you blood and momentum moving and limber first, go hit it, then take a break and collect your thoughts, maybe right before lunch or beer break so you have a reward. :coffee2:


A few examples that might spark your thoughts to come up with your own practical solutions to what you have in front of you, it always helps to turn it into a game, not a chore. Pretty soon you'll be feeling quite accomplished! :thumleft:

That is pretty much the way I do it with the exception of the list, I make it the night before.
 
"Things To Do" list works for me. Word to the wise, don't let "anyone else" know about it, so it remains YOUR list.
 
I have the same issues when left to my own devices, what I've found is; take some time right around when you get up to jot down a list of things you need to do today, estimate how much time they need or you want to spend on them right next to the task. Then, number them to the time of day you think they fit best in and require you to 'work smarter not harder'. Carry this list with you. You'll find what organization works best for you.

For example, mowing the grass or watering plants in the morning, or after the heat of the day is gone.

If it's something that requires you to be focused, get it in when your at peak energy level and you feel like being cerebral, possibly after breakfast and coffee has settled a little, and you get that spark of mental motivation.

If it's something that stretches your physicality, do something light and gets you blood and momentum moving and limber first, go hit it, then take a break and collect your thoughts, maybe right before lunch or beer break so you have a reward. :coffee2:


A few examples that might spark your thoughts to come up with your own practical solutions to what you have in front of you, it always helps to turn it into a game, not a chore. Pretty soon you'll be feeling quite accomplished! :thumleft:

Focused....there is something that is a major problem for me. Part of the mental health troubles for me is I have damn near zero attention span, so there is never a good time to do something that requires my utmost attention. Take today....started working on the fence, 40 minutes or so got bored with it. Went and fired up the field mower, half hour or so it was turned off and I was back on the fence because I seen a spot I over looked....aint like that was the last spot to fix so it could have waited. Got done with the one spot and instead of firing up the mower I went & got the tractor so I could do some rock farming.....in a spot I did not need to move the rocks.....

Why worry about it? You don't have a boss and you don't have deadlines so screw it.

Because I am tired of pretty much spinning my wheels and not getting a damn thing done every day.....
Ink,

I feel your pain, i used to have the ultimate schedule. I worked 10 hours a day 4 days a week. This gave me friday, saturday, and sunday off.

Then i put in for an interview to run the department i helped to form, got the job a lot more responsibility, a little more money but now i work 8 hours a day 5 days a week. Only the Hours end up being 10+ per day, and i cant get away from my phone over the weekends dealing w work. Mine is a working / teaching shop environment. I am also required to teach aircraft sheetmetal structures repair, so i am working on a course syllabus, and a weekly progress form that i will have to turn in to the different supervisors of the trainees every week marking their progress aptitude.

My wife works nights on the weekends as a drug rehab nurse. So i am watching the kids ages 8,6, and 21months old. I have very little time for anything, and after the stress of dealing with the kids over the weekends, i just take a bath or shower n go to bed.

My wife is obsessive about the house which is great, but the kids constantly make mess after mess, when she is at work i try to keep it picked up, and have to constantly tell em to clean up. After dealing with that **** all weekend, i dont even want to go in my shop and even mess with my projects. Could be a bit of depression.

I am thinking of stepping down as shop crewchief but want to give it at least until fall. I enjoyed having one day off during the week to do my running around for stuff i need, and spending mornings w my little boy going out for breakfast. The money isnt that much of a step up, its just good to have on a resume'.

As a matter of fact i have to now take vacation time to get **** done around the house if i want to get it done. It shouldent be that way. I know in a couple years my boy will be in school, and things will ease up a bit. But right now its rough.

I wish i had some advice to offer you. I am pretty organized at work, but i also have a good group of people who work for me. On the weekends it seems like a different story, like a losing battle. :(

Organized....there is another thing I am not. I normally have a pile of of all my stuff on the corner of the table. I normally let it get to the point of getting so high that it falls over in the middle of the night. Normally I then normally just pick it up and throw it all away. I beat it to the punch last time....I just picked it up and tossed it all in the trash....
Just got a call from a neighbor, his truck broke down on his ride to work. Had to round up the chains....all 4 were in a different spot in the garage....same does for the binders.....have 2 sets of keys for the locks on the trailer.....took 15 minutes to find a set...

"Things To Do" list works for me. Word to the wise, don't let "anyone else" know about it, so it remains YOUR list.

Last "to do list" I had was in the above mentioned pile....not a single thing got checked off of it....
 
Time is a value able resourse (like money) so I don't like to waste it!

You need to have a list of things you want to get done. On big items a little bit everyday will move those along. And if there is something you really dread doing do it first and get it over with. Also do one or two quick or simple jobs first thing in the morning and it'll help address the other items.

On the weekends the hardest part for my wife is just getting started, Saturday gets wasted along with most of Sunday... but Sunday evening she's really busy - I want her to join the procrastinators club but she hasn't gotten around to it.
 
That is pretty much the way I do it with the exception of the list, I make it the night before.

The nice part about that is it's already done when you get up, so you don't have to think about it in the morning. And don't start out reading the newspaper. It's like going to a job where you're the boss.
 
I spin my wheels on a regular basis so don't feel like the only one. I have to have a list or I will not get anything done. I make a list and prioritize it. Small jobs get completed before anything else is started. Big projects take discipline. You need to turn a big project into 15 little ones to get it done. The satisfaction you get by crossing items off your list is your reward. (along with a beer when you're done) tmm
 
I usually make a list and even tho my wife works 7,pm to 7am sat. and Sun nights. She lets me do a lot of my running around on sat mornings till about 2pm. I do get some things done, but it sucks being on a trunkated timetable. Also out here in West Texas the heat is unbearable in the summer. We have been getting rain the past few days, and some cooler weather but its not the norm. Last summer we had over 100 days straight over 100° weather, no rain. It gets kinda depressing, everything whithers and dies with that kind of heat except for the weeds.

On my list, if i have to run around town i place the items in order to make a loop around town with my final stop being on my way home. This way i dont feel like i am in a pinball machine going back n forth. ThisThis makes efficient use of on the road time getting supplies to do jobs.

Also like another said here, break the bigger jobs into smaller components to complete first. This gives some satisfaction that stuff is getting done. Just like rebuilding your project car, work small jobs to completion.
 
I usually make a list and even tho my wife works 7,pm to 7am sat. and Sun nights. She lets me do a lot of my running around on sat mornings till about 2pm. I do get some things done, but it sucks being on a trunkated timetable. Also out here in West Texas the heat is unbearable in the summer. We have been getting rain the past few days, and some cooler weather but its not the norm. Last summer we had over 100 days straight over 100* weather, no rain. It gets kinda depressing, everything whithers and dies with that kind of heat except for the weeds.

On my list, if i have to run around town i place the items in order to make a loop around town with my final stop being on my way home. This way i dont feel like i am in a pinball machine going back n forth. ThisThis makes efficient use of on the road time getting supplies to do jobs.

Also like another said here, break the bigger jobs into smaller components to complete first. This gives some satisfaction that stuff is getting done. Just like rebuilding your project car, work small jobs to completion.

can relate to that, moved to az in may of 93, that summer we had 100 days of 100* or hotter. was there for another record, 141 days with no rain. talk about depressing.

really do need to come up with a solution to this...will be giving the "to do" list another shot..
 
really do need to come up with a solution to this...will be giving the "to do" list another shot..
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To avoid the stack-of-random-papers syndrome you describe, how about getting a pocket-sized notebook in a noticeable color, so you can find it easily and keep it on your person. That way you will not misplace your to-do list.

Also, be positive! Just because you've been unsuccessful with time-management in the past does not mean you can't do it...where there's a will, there's a way! My Pop used to tell me, "It's a matter of motivation. If someone told you they'd give you a million dollars to do something, you'd find a way to do it.":D
 
Two ways to assess this,J.M.O..... I usually pick the quickest simplicity task first.,and from there. As a parts guy,I got burned ,without quick responses. I don't know your situations personally. If you are deemed to them,make it to your strength's.....
 
Time management is one of the differences between successful people, and those who experience limited success, or repeately try and fail, and some, never even try.

You are the only person who can sort through your "to do list" and prioritize it to meet your needs.

What I have done, my entire life (I'm 64 years old, now) was to ramp up on tasks. Start with a few smaller ones that you can knock off fairly quickly. Once I've tackled a couple of these things, and I'm "in gear", I can continue onto the larger and more time consuming tasks.

That simple process has worked for me most of my life. I'm not suggesting that my method is THE method for everyone, but it worked for me.

I simply sort through things by importance, and then by size or scope. Even some of the smaller tasks could have built in delays (for example, waiting for someone else to supply info, or material), so that "simple task" becomes a more complex one because you now have another person involved. As a result, I could end up with more than one list. A list of things I can do immediately, and a list of things that are pending input of time or material from others.
As those things become available the tasks move from the "pending" list to the "doable" list.

That works for me, because the list of tasks that can be done immediately becomes shorter, and psychologically "easier" and far less daunting. When I look at my "things to do" list, it has only achievable goals on it. The "Pending" list isn't corrupting my desire to screw off.


You'll have to try a few things to see which one works best for you. keep in mind that tenacity (in this case) is an excellent trait. If you're the time to become discouraged easily, you will have to deal with that, because giving up before you've given something a chance to work is a sure performance killer, and easy too to do, and use as an excuse.
 
I disagree with that. I find my computer to he an immense help with my to do lists, and the tasks at hand.

It keeps all my info orderly, and easy to access, it keeps things up to date for me, it gives me audible reminders of when things need to get do, or when things are ready, or even when the time arrives for something I've scheduled to do.

Almost each and every time I an on the computer, it's because I'm actually working on something else, on the computer. I take shot breaks, check in here, or somewhere else, make a few comments, and then go back to work.

I almost never get on the computer for the sake of just chatting or messing around here.
 
Doug,
I too feel yer pain. I too am not living by a clock these days and haven't since my surgery, BUT.....I know what you mean, in the very beginning, I literally could not do much, besides feed the animals and thats pretty much it....

NOW its different, I can do things and I seem to be suffering side effects of my heart medications as 3 out of 5 of them have a side effect, that well, truth be told, I've always sort of suffered from. Insomnia....I sleep GREAT, but its the "times" I sleep.... I sleep from about 4 AM to around 9 AM or at times till noon time. This is something I've always struggled with and the meds don't help me any! Sadly, I talked with my doctor on it and he told me I'm sorry, but any one of the "other" meds we could put you on, is going to have this side effect. So, I looked and told him, what I just said here, I've always been a "Night Owl" I really don't need any help! and I just laughed as he told me that it really could be worse! I was like yeah, I suppose it could be but I too didn't feel as tho I am getting as much done as I once used too. Now granted, I do not move nearly as fast as I once did either the surgery slowed me right down! What used to take 3 hours now takes 3 days! (or so it seems, anyway)

I think the "not living by a clock" anymore does this to people....AND to say it out loud, as Rob did, your not "answering" to a boss, so. as long as you get "something done" be good with it, pushing yourself in one way is OK but not to the point that its detrimental to your health which may be why those of us fighting health issues are in the shape or way we are to begin with!
 
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