Let’s face it, money is pretty vital in the world we live in, but even more vital than money, is the resource of time. Time is an overlooked and under appreciated gift. You are blessed with 24 hours each and every day, yet how many of these hours are spent doing the things that truly matter to you – that fill your heart with joy and happiness?
If if you were to whizz forward and look back at your life, twenty years down the road, would you be happy with the choices you made? Would you make the same choices you’re making today?
See, many parents nowadays, are having to work such long hours they end up missing out on the joy of parenting – either they’re too emotionally exhausted from having to balance a career with being a mother, or they are so time-starved they barely get the chance to spend such precious time with their children.
In this article we’re going to look at a few ways to have more free time freedom to engage in the important things in life. We’re often guilty of taking care of everyone else first, particularly if you have children, but it’s worth remembering that life is for you, as well as your family, and it’s important to set time aside for yourself. Similar to sitting on a plane, you must put your own life jacket on before helping your child.
Depending on your beliefs, it’s possible that you only have one life – and you don’t know how long you have left. Time is a very valuable resource, so let’s look at some time saving tips that are applicable to most people.
ORDER GROCERIES ONLINE
Think of how much time you could save if you were to simply order your groceries online and have them delivered to your door. The drive to the store, the time in the store, packing bags, driving back, unpackaging bags, not to mention the potential for traffic. Setting essential items to repeat on a weekly or monthly basis is a great way to keep on top of things without having to exert much mental energy.
GET A CLEANER
It’s true that not everyone can afford a cleaner, but this can be such a time (and sanity) saver, particularly for busy moms. In the alternative, you can always turn cleaning into a fun game where the kids get involved with cleaning as playtime activity… akin to the game Mary Poppins uses.
REARRANGE YOUR HOURS
If possible, see if you can work remotely, from home, in a way that enables you to work flexible hours; this way, your time is your own. Similarly, if you study, nowadays you can study most courses online without needing to attend a physical class – as an example, you can even study a masters of engineering management online nowadays. This not only saves time, but also money, as you don’t need to travel to the course or get additional accommodation.
The convenience of online working and online studying means you have much more time to enjoy your life. Similarly, the amount of time you can save with work and study by having a good planning system in place is phenomenal… a lot of “time management” comes down to first planning your tasks so that you can keep on top of things with ease.
COOK AHEAD
Consider investing in a foodsaver so that you can cook multiple portions of a meal at the same time, then freeze or refrigerate it for quick reheating. If you want to save even more time, then consider digging out your slow cooker, and letting it do the work for you.