Use Technology to Manage Your Time

Technology is constantly evolving, creating more devices to make life easier for us all the time. In our busy lives, the best technological advances are the ones that truly save us time. Some devices save us seconds, while others save us hours of work. There is a huge difference in the time saved by using a garage door opener and using a washing machine, but both are helpful electronics that make our lives easier. We are able to fit more into our lives by using things like snow blowers, powered lawn mowers, high speed internet, and just about anything that is digital.

I once had a mentor who said that the busier a person gets, the more time they can find in a day to fit everything in. What it comes down to is being able to schedule everything efficiently. And, it does seem that even with all of the time-saving technologies available to us, our lives continue to get busier. By having more time available to get things done, the more things there are to do.

Technology allows us time to work (sometimes more than one job), take night classes, and even allows us more entertainment options. It can be stressful trying to fit everything in, even with all of the technology that is supposed to be helping you in your busy life. The key is effective time management.

Assess Your Time

First, you need to really take a look at how you spend your time. Make an actual, honest list of every activity and task that take up most of your time. Do you see any patterns? I bet you can find ways to cut out certain things, or even combine some tasks. You have to be able to see how you spend your time before you can figure out how to manage your time better.

Create a To-Do List

To-do lists really help you prioritize, but they also show you what you have already accomplished. You should create a to-do list that is separate from your calendar or daily schedule. Email programs, palm pilot devices, and even cell phones offer options for creating digital lists that are easy to keep updated. Use technology to your advantage.

Multi-Tasking

You can catch up on the news by listening to it or watching it instead of sitting down with a newspaper. This means you can stay updated on current events (or even enjoy a radio program, television show, or movie) while completing other tasks. You can work on making your to-do list, fold laundry, sort the mail, and even check email while catching up on the news or enjoying some music. Cordless and hands-free phones allow us the options of making phone calls while cooking dinner, unloading the dishwasher, or sorting laundry. Technology allows you to run a quick bath for the kids. While watching the kids in the tub, you can pull out the iron or check email on your laptop. The opportunities for multi-tasking are endless.