How to spend your free time with benefit. How to deal with laziness and fatigue? How to organize your time correctly

Hearing the phrase "rest time", many automatically think that it is time to sit back and do nothing. Yes, resting at your leisure is perfectly normal, but only sometimes. Free time also provides an excellent opportunity to finish unfinished business or improve yourself personally or professionally. Spend your leisure time productively - engage in self-development, communicate on social networks and improve your health.

Steps

Engage in self-development

Review your goals and set new ones. Use your free time as a reflection period. Think back to the goals you have set, decide if you are making progress in achieving them, and determine if you need to amend them or better define new goals.

• For example, if last month you set yourself a goal of “saving $ 10,000,” check your savings to see how well you did the task. If all goes well, move on to the next goal. However, if you are behind in terms of time, it may be worth lowering the bar (say, to “$ 5,000”), or come up with a strategy that will help you stay on schedule (for example, find a part-time job).

1. Determine what you would like to study. Time free from work, school, or household chores can be spent productively as a chance to learn something new. New skills can help you advance your career or simply challenge you creatively.

   • List a few new skills that you would like to master. It could include activities such as learning a new language, deepening computer knowledge, or learning to ride horses.
   • To maintain balance in life, choose a few skills related to personal or professional development, as well as a couple of activities that you want to do purely out of curiosity.

2. Optimize your to-do list. Perhaps your to-do list is full of overwhelming tasks that you struggle to complete day after day. Such tasks are frustrating and rarely completed, and if they are, it is only at the very last minute. Get things in order, arrange them, and do them.

   • Write down the most important tasks for the next week on paper. Then determine if you can complete the task all at once or in stages. Instead of “finish your history essay,” break the task down into several steps, such as “find history sources,” “plan,” and “draft a draft.”
   • It is against the one-step items that you are more likely to check the box at the end of the day.

3. Earn extra money. If you need additional funds, you can spend your free time from work or school, earning money or choosing a creative way to make money. Find a second job that you can do in the evenings or on weekends. Monetize your passion for jewelry making by creating a store on Etsy (or similar). Sell ​​old books or clothes stored in your attic or closet.

   Build social connections

   1. Expand your professional contact base. In addition to the 9am-5pm schedule, there are a number of networking events you can attend. Saturday breakfast or evening cocktail parties can be a great backdrop to promote a new idea or exchange business cards.

      • Look for similar events in your area, or probe the waters at work or the union to find out about events after work.

   2. Invite friends or family over to visit. Having a strong support group will make you more stress-resilient and even boost your self-esteem. If you usually pay little attention to loved ones because of school or work, use your free time to go out with friends and "nourish" friendships.

      • Plan a movie night, game night, or ice cream parlor. Call in a few friends or family members that you can't meet and invite them to join in the fun. Chatting with loved ones is a great way to spend your free time.

   3. Start a community service on a volunteer basis. Helping in your local community will give you the opportunity to connect with others, do something meaningful, and even improve your resume. Think about how you can help your city and find out how you can do it.

      • You can help plan a community event, work at a homeless shelter, or collect trash after the annual festival.

   4. Perform random acts of kindness. If you're looking for fun ways to fill your spare time, do something nice for someone else. Occasional acts of kindness will show those around you that you care and also give you a reason to be proud of yourself.

It is obvious that every person in the modern world has to learn how to plan their time. And what is the best way to do this and what is it for? After all, it is always pleasant to communicate with self-organized people, they are not late for meetings, they do not fail at the most crucial moment. And this applies not only to business people working in the office, but also to ordinary people with whom we communicate in everyday life. Agree it is unpleasant when, having agreed with a person about a meeting or about some important matter, he disappoints you with the news that he does not have time or accidentally forgot about the agreement. Thus, it lets you down, not only wasting time, but possibly financially as well.

Time is our most precious, limited and irreplaceable resource. Surprisingly, people often do not know how to properly dispose of them. And they spend it completely ignorantly. At the same time, they complain that they do not have time to do anything. So how can you competently organize your time in order to be in time and work and relax?

We prioritize

It is very important for every person in life to learn how to do it correctly, to set priorities. That is, to determine and select the most important from the unnecessary. This is an essential factor in planning your schedule. For example, for a student, the main priority is good school performance and timely completion of homework, and for a young mother, taking care of the baby's proper nutrition, strengthening the immune system and its development. Always consider the more important tasks first, and then the secondary ones.

Thus, in order to learn how to prioritize, you need to determine your main goals and dreams, and based on this, plan your daily schedule. Divide your plans and goals into short-term and long-term. Distribute them according to your schedule, the short-term ones should be completed within a few days or months. Long-term, it is necessary to disperse in parts throughout the year or six months.

Plan

Use scheduling to effectively plan your time, as it often happens that it is very difficult to keep all the upcoming tasks and important meetings in your head. Then drawing up a plan for the next day, month or even a year comes to the rescue. Competent planning helps to unload your memory from unnecessary unnecessary information and makes it possible to keep up with everything.

Write down all the necessary information, try not to keep anything superfluous in your head. Write in your schedule addresses, phone numbers, necessary notes and comments.

Assistants for competent planning of your time

In the modern pace of big cities, people are increasingly using electronic assistants to create your work schedule for the near future. The most popular applications that are recognized as very user-friendly are Todoist, GoogleCalendar, SolCalendar. This is a very suitable option for active young people. Because there is an opportunity at any time, being anywhere in the city, to look into your schedule or change something in it, so that others can see these changes. But, this method is not convenient for everyone. Because it is easier for someone to write down all their meetings or upcoming events the old fashioned way, in a notebook.

Several life hacks how to keep up with everything:

Skills in planning your personal time and adhering to a schedule of work and rest will allow you to become more disciplined and punctual. And these are very useful qualities for a modern person.

Time management is an important skill to develop. It will help you make the most of each day and bring success at work and school. To manage your time, use it productively by working in the right environment and prioritizing it correctly. Minimize any distractions by turning off your phone and social media as needed. Adhere to your daily routine to make the most of each day.

Steps

Use your time productively

1. Create the right environment for work. The atmosphere you work in can generally increase your productivity. There are no clear requirements for a work environment, so choose what works for you. Surround yourself with inspirational accessories that fill you with enthusiasm and passion for the job. These feelings will help you focus on the task and stay productive.

   • For example, perhaps an artist inspires you. Buy some replicas of his work and hang them on the walls.
   • If you have the opportunity to choose a workplace, choose the one where you will be less distracted by something. Working in front of the TV is a bad idea, but you can put your desk in the corner of your bedroom and do your business there.

2. List all assignments in order of importance. Before getting started, prioritize. To-do lists are a great tool, but it's better to structure them rather than just writing down everything that needs to be done in a day. Group all cases by importance.

   • Before making your list, write down the categories of importance. For example, tasks marked "urgent" need to be completed today. Cases identified as "important but not urgent" need to be completed, but they can wait. Jobs that fall under the "low priority" category can be postponed if necessary.
   • Divide all cases into categories. For example, if you need to complete a report on a job, this is an urgent task. If you need to start a new project with a deadline of only two weeks, then this is an "important but not urgent" business. If you would like to go for a run after work, but it is not vital, then this is a "low priority" task.

3. Do the important assignments first. The first thing in the morning to do the really big things is to give you a sense of accomplishment. The day will start off well, and most of the stress will simply disappear. Start each new day by reviewing the most important tasks on the list.

   • For example, if you have five emails waiting for your response and a report that needs to be edited, do just that as soon as you cross the threshold of the office.

4. Some part of the work should always be at hand. If there will always be a part of the business next to you, then even the forced downtime will become an advantage. If you have a couple of free minutes on the bus, take advantage of this to read something related to work or study. While waiting in line at the grocery store, answer a few work emails from your phone. Having work close at hand can help you make the most of your time.

   • If you are a student, consider buying audiobooks or recording lectures. You can listen to course materials while standing in line or on your way to class.

5. Don't do several things at the same time. Many people see multitasking as a good way to get more done in a day and manage their time wisely. Regardless, focusing on multiple tasks at the same time actually makes you less productive. Everything takes longer because you are not paying enough attention to anything. Instead, focus on one task at a time. This way, you get all the work done faster, and you can use your time more efficiently.

   • For example, answer all emails. Then log out of your email account and proceed to the next task. Don't worry about mail at the moment. If you still need to answer a couple of emails later in the day, you can get on with that by finishing the assignment you are currently doing.

6. Block social media. Sometimes it's hard to avoid the temptation to go to Facebook or Twitter. If you have problems with social media, there are many apps and websites that allow you to temporarily block distracting sites.

   • SelfControl is an application for Mac users that blocks access to selected sites for a specified period of time. It can be downloaded for free.
   • If you need to be completely offline, the Freedom app allows you to block access to the Internet for up to eight hours in a row.
   • The built-in Firefox Leechblock application allows you to limit the use of certain sites for a certain time during the day.

7. Avoid work interruptions as much as possible. This will slow down your workflow. If you are distracted by something else while robots, it can be quite difficult to get back to working mode. When working on a task, try to finish it before starting any other tasks. Everything else can wait while you work hard to complete some business.

   • For example, if you suddenly realize that you need to reply to an email while you are doing some work, do not interrupt to write a response. Make a note somewhere that you need to send a letter and come back to this after you finish the current task.
   • Remember, sometimes hitches are unavoidable. If, for example, during work you suddenly get a call on an urgent matter, of course, you should answer the call. Try to avoid interruptions to your work, but don't punish yourself for intermittent distractions.

Stick to a daily schedule

1. Use a digital calendar. Technology is a wonderful way to manage time, keep track of deadlines and appointments, and more. Use calendars on your phone and on your computer. Write down tasks for the day, such as appointments and work or study schedules. Set up reminders. For example, set a reminder on your phone a week before the job submission deadline. Set aside time in your schedule for study or work on a project.

   • In addition to a digital calendar, a regular calendar can also help. You can put it on your desk or carry it with you in your diary. Sometimes the process of writing down information on paper helps you remember it better.

2. Determine when you are most productive. People experience a surge of energy at different times during the day. When you know when you are using your time most effectively, you can schedule work during those hours. For example, if you are most energetic in the morning, try to do most of the work during this time. Then in the evening you can relax and do what you like.

   • It takes time to identify your energy peaks. Try recording your energy and concentration levels throughout the day throughout the week. This will help you understand when you are most productive.

How to organize yourself and your time

If you went to read an article with the title: how to organize yourself, then apparently you feel absent-minded, do not have time to do the necessary things on time, and you also feel that you want to change your life. As often happens, you start a new business, for example, go to the gym every day and after 2 weeks you give up everything. If you start to devote 1 minute to swinging the press every day, then it will be easier for you to organize yourself, because 1 minute is not so much. Start small, check out the list of steps you need to take to organize yourself and choose the most appropriate steps for yourself.

STEP # 1 Everything is in its place

1. Organize your space. Wherever you are at home or at work, your bedroom, kitchen, closet and desk should be tidy and organized. You have to open the drawer and see what lies there, and get rid of things that you have not used for a long time. Each folder must be signed and contain the required documents.

- Organized does not mean that it is only neat. The goal of organizing all things and objects is to quickly find the desired item. However, organizing things and things can also help keep them clean and tidy, providing a quick, logical system for finding things, adding and removing things from the "system."

Example: Documents can be neatly stacked, but this does not mean that you will quickly find the required contract. But if you put into folders: contracts, accounting documents, etc., then it will be much more convenient to find a contract. And if in the folder, the contracts are arranged alphabetically or by date, then it will take you a few minutes. It will not be difficult to add a new agreement either. If you organize your workspace, then you will save a ton of time that can be put back on track.

2. Always put things and documents in their place. If you decide to organize yourself, then you will have to organize the space around you. One is not possible without the other. Every thing should have its place. They took a thing - used it - put it in its place. Put it right away, not later, later, etc.

Example: If you keep the keys in the same pocket of your purse all the time, then you will spend a couple of seconds looking for them, but if your bag is very large, has many pockets, filled with various little things, then finding the keys can take several minutes. Saving time and your nerves on the face.

STEP # 2 Use a calendar, diary or your phone

STEP 3 Make lists

1. Write down everything you need. Anything you need to remember you must write down. Recording is always better than memory, because the recording will catch your eye, you will always remind yourself, in this way, of the required task. Even if you have a great memory, no one is perfect. It's not that hard to write it down on paper. Record phone numbers, appointments, shopping lists, birthdays, etc. Keep your records where you can find them and refer to them daily. Do not clog your brain with unnecessary information, let it better spend energy in another direction.

2. The daily to-do list must be realistic to complete. If you set yourself impossible tasks every day, then after a couple of days you will give up making a to-do list for self-organization. Experience will come with time. Perhaps at first you will not have enough time to complete all the planned tasks, or vice versa, there will be even too much time. Just force yourself to do a daily list of tasks for a week, and after this period you will feel that you have time to do things an order of magnitude higher. And your attention will be focused on doing things, and not on sloppiness.

Make to-do lists for a week, a month, or even a year. To-do lists can be done both in notebooks and using stickers that can be stuck in a variety of prominent places.

STEP 4 Stick to the schedule

1. Go to the end. There is no point in creating to-do lists if you cannot discipline yourself to complete all the tasks you set out to do. There are several ways to self-discipline to complete your to-do list. Stop wasting time on nonsense like social media. Remove or try to ignore distractions - If something keeps you at the top of the list, then reconsider this task. Is it that important? Is its implementation urgent? Postpone this task. Do not dwell on one thing for too long.
2. Set a time frame. Setting a time frame for completing a task is one of the methods of self-organization. Knowing that the time allotted for completing the task is running out, you will begin to rush yourself, thereby trying to eliminate distractions and focus on completing the task. However, do not rush to finish work on the task if the time is up, bring the task to the end and do your job efficiently. In a hurry, you can always "screw up".
3. Combine the same and similar tasks. For example, make phone calls or make all purchases in one trip.

Example: The phone bill comes on the 1st, and the utility bills on the 5th. Both receipts must be paid by the 10th. It would be wiser to wait for utility bills and pay receipts at the same time, rather than waste time traveling, standing in line, etc. 2 times.

STEP 5 Multitasking

1. Try to learn how to do several things at the same time. This is a very effective way to organize yourself. If, for example, one task does not require mental expenditure, but requires physical activity, then you can think over other tasks while performing it. For example, in the evening while watching a video or report, you can exercise, such as running on a treadmill or exercising on a stationary bike. Just keep in mind that for some people, multitasking reduces the ability to focus on one thing at a time. If you are in a bad mood, then a selection of cool photos will help you to lift it.

STEP 6 Delegate

1. Delegate your responsibilities to other people. Make sure the person you assigned the task to handle the task. Remember that sometimes it is better to teach a subordinate to do some work correctly once and then delegate this part to him. It can be difficult to organize yourself and your time if you tend to do all the work yourself.

P.S. Organize yourself and do not forget to subscribe to new articles, as well as join the Katya's Blog group in contact: http: //vk.com/blogkaty

A joke for humor lovers :)

- I wrote my wife in karate.
- Well?
- I learned how to vacuum, cook, and just trudge from washing!

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Don't waste precious time

According to one of the great people, the most serious crime is not stealing property, but stealing time. Sadly, we commit this crime every day.

How many useful and necessary people could have done while we are stuck in front of television screens or doing empty petty matters.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to return wasted hours, days, years. But you can learn how to use the time that we have left.

Time organization incredibly important for a modern person. How to properly organize your life without wasting time will be discussed in this article.

Time management is a habit you can acquire!

What is time consuming?

To learn how to use time effectively, consider what a modern man is doing 24 hours a day.

So, a working day takes from 8 to 12 hours. Of these, 4-6 hours are allotted to really useful activities. The rest of the time we spend on smoke breaks, talking, coffee, trying to understand the boss's task and tune in to a working mood.

Residents of large cities spend from 30 minutes to 2 hours to get to work and return home.

The lunch break takes one hour. Although the meal itself lasts no more than 20 minutes: the rest of the time is spent on the road, the queue at the cafe, smoke breaks, etc.

Household chores take from the fair sex from 4 to 5 hours. Women with children spend even more time.

4-7 hours remain for sleep.

As you can see, the schedule is quite tight. However, even in this situation, many manage to waste a lot of time. “How?” You ask. Below is a kind of rating of the most empty cases that you can easily refuse:

>> Change what goes into your brain, and then you can change what is born in it.

Zig Ziglar<<

• - trips to shops and boutiques (and many go there for the sake of sports interest, having no money at all with them);
• - reclining in front of television screens;
• - communication on the Internet (via Skype, ICQ, etc.);
• - visiting social networks (by going to “Odnoklassniki” or “Vkontakte” for a minute, you can lose several hours of time);
• - removal of spam from mailboxes (office employees - both men and women - are forced to do this).

However, this list can be continued indefinitely. Each of us can name dozens of other activities, due to which we lose a huge number of invaluable minutes of life.

Having analyzed the current state of affairs, hardly anyone wants to devote part of their life to things that are useless, without which they can easily do without.

So what's the deal? Let's learn how to rationally use every precious moment of life, organize time so as to use it as efficiently as possible!

How to learn to use time efficiently?

Effective time management

Time management - the science of the correct allocation of time has long been adopted by businessmen who want to achieve tangible results in their activities. It will also come in handy for all those who want to more rationally organize their time, not to waste a single minute in vain.

This also applies to housewives, mothers on maternity leave, and especially those who like to be lazy for an hour or two and do not have time to do what was planned.

So, practical advice on the rational organization of your time.

1. There is such a method of neurolinguistic programming as anchoring. It is based on that. That useful activity is tied to a certain "anchor" - words, music, movements, etc. For example, some are inspired by classical music, some are inspired by their favorite movie. That is, in order to tune oneself to work, sometimes it is enough to use the necessary "anchor".
2. Get a planner. Write down the work plan for the day, periodically checking and marking the completed items.
3. Our life consists of little things, pay attention to them. Instead of a cigarette and a cup of coffee, do something useful - for example, write or check entries in your diary.
4. Don't give up on rest if you're tired. A timely respite will not prevent you from saving time, but it will give you strength.
5. Celebrate the things that matter most. Group similar tasks. For example, put all calls that need to be made in a separate column, meetings as well. Try to perform the points in the same way, the whole group at once - and you will see how convenient and effective it is.
6. An interesting way to save time was suggested by the French. Our brains are known to work most actively before noon. Do the most unpleasant and difficult things in the morning. First, you can get the most out of it. Secondly, spend the remaining time with a clear conscience on more pleasant and easy points of the plan.

You may not yet be ready to admit that you are wasting a lot of time. Sit down in the evening, write down everything that you did during the day in order, in minutes.

Seeing how much time has been wasted on trivia, you will be amazed. And multiplying this time by a week, a month, a year, you will understand why you have not yet achieved your goal in life - and you will immediately want to fix everything. And this is within your power.

Remember: respect for time will be the key to a rich, successful life.

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