Time Management: Summer Edition
Today is the first day of August… Wow.
If you, like many others, measure the unofficial end of summer by the start of a new school year and/or by Labor Day Weekend festivities, then that means we have about one month left.
For those keeping score at home, this leaves us with just 21 full weeks until 2023… Wow.
Where did the time go?
Did you get to make good on most of your summer bucket list activities and travels?
Is there still a lot of meat on the bone with regards to all that you wanted to do and see?
Do you have enough time left this summer to make it your best one yet?
Time is a funny thing.
While it is universally acknowledged as the most limited and finite of resources (some would argue money… 1 Timothy 6:10) yet we seem to not take it that seriously… always assuming that we can do that thing tomorrow – when we know good and well that tomorrow isn’t promised.
For me, the best way to get the most out of my day, week, month, and year is to plan.
But, while that sounds simple enough, simple does not equate to being easy.
I am by no means an expert on time management but I think my successes and struggles over time have made me a “student of the game” if you will.
I have been completely on top of my game at times working multiple jobs, attending grad school, running a business, and staying on top of my diet/training routine all at the same time. I also know what it feels like to be out of sorts and without a definitive plan of action or course going forward and one day blending into the next... being busy but not productive.
Having a plan guards against wasting time and direction.
“Proper planning prevents poor performance.”
Plugging any of the following five (5) “hacks” into your daily routine, will net you positive returns. Implementing all of them = infinite returns.
- Plan your week on Sunday nights. Plan your day the night before.
- Limit blue light exposure from your phone, tv, and computer/tablet prior to bed.
- Get to bed early and wake up early - targeting at least 7.5 hours of sleep.
- Block off time for tasks in your phone or in your calendar. Don’t let one task bleed into the next allotted time block.
- Make time to pray/meditate/breathe deeply.
Take action, live in the moment, and have fun. There is no point in being so regimented that you become a robot.
I want to reiterate again that I am by no means an expert at time management or at getting proper sleep every night or limiting screen time and stressors that have a negatively effect on mental/physical health.
However, the blueprint is there for all of us in terms of making the most of our day and our opportunities. Lack of knowledge is not an excuse – lack of execution is.
As the great Jocko Willink often says, “Discipline equals freedom.”
Do the hard things swiftly and on time and it will free up your calendar and not weigh you down.
I hope some of these tips help you make the most of your summer and allow you to start August off on the right foot and in the right frame of mind.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. - Hebrews 12:11
Yours in Faith and Fitness,
-DE