The biggest problem I have with the normal 9-5 job that everyone told me to strive for is that after the 9-5 is over you don’t really have much time left for anything else other than getting ready for the next 9-5. I’m tired and need to figure something else out.
I wake up at 5am everyday and try to do some self care before I have to get in the car and drive at 6:15am. From there it is the work day until I get off at 3pm. I hate my job and it is a horrible experience all around. 3pm turns into 4pm and I am finally home. I start making dinner and run get the little ones from School. 5:30pm we are all home and it’s time to eat. 6:30pm and now we get a little play time, 30 minutes, before it is bath time for the little ones. After bath and the nighttime routine it is now 8:30pm.
The wife requires daily interaction so that is another 30 minutes at least. Finally some time to myself and it is 9pm. I have a choice…I can give up on some sleep and come work on my side projects or I can get the full nights rest I am supposed to and go ahead and hit the hay.
It is a rough situation and it is hard for me to just say I need to work on my time management or work harder and faster. That doesn’t seem like an option in the current situation. My only hope here is that times will change like they have in the past and this won’t last forever.
Things never last forever.
Things Todo that will Help With Time Management
I do have a couple ideas on how I can make more use of the little time I have:
- Workout – having more energy will help me burn the midnight oil a little brighter.
- Focus – don’t waste a lot of time messing around or doing things that drain your time (like doom scrolling)
- Worry Less – things will workout and I need to worry less and make more things I like
- Daily Planning – using a planner and making todo lists always helps me focus and get things done. I need to make this a daily habit and focus on completing those small daily tasks that add up over time.
Some Online Resources
Doing some research I found these online resources that I would like to revisit at some point. I think all these sites offer all kinds of great information for anyone looking to make more use of their time and manage their busy lives a little better.
- Principles of Effective Time Management for Balance, Well-being, and Success – just a simple list of tips for time management from Princeton.
- 10 tips for mastering time management at work – Slack offers some great advise for making the most of your time on the job.
- 30+ Crucial Time Management Skills + How to Improve Them – Interesting article that relates time management skills to your resume.
- The Philosophy of Time Management – Brad Aeon talks time management in this Tedx video that is surprisingly meaningful and eye-opening.
That’s That
So nothing left to do now but get to work and keep on pushing and keep on getting better. We have a lot of projects and fun things we want to do and not a lot of time to do them so we can’t waste any more time farting around. The time for action is now and if you are waiting for a sign from a greater power this is it. This is your sign. Make the thing you want to make. Go now and do it. Tomorrow isn’t promised so today is the only chance you have!