One Snarky Chica with Issues

If you have been around here a while then you probably already know this. Especially after the past week or so.

I am terrible when it comes to time management.

I like to make lists. So, I have all these lists of things that need to be done each day. But then I waste time by re-writing the lists on a pretty much daily basis. I’m thinking it might be a little OC of me, but I can’t help it. The worst part is when the lists don’t really change and I am just re-writing it out of habit or something.

I think that part of the problem for me is that I do not have a set schedule.

When I was working a “real” job I had more of a set schedule. You know, I had to get up at a certain time because I had to leave by a certain time to be the traffic so that I could be at work by 8am. I took a break at 10am, I took a lunch hour at 1pm, I took another break around 3pm and then I left for the day at 4:30pm. Then it was drive home, make coffee, workout, drink coffee, shower, piddle online and catch up on blog posts, make and eat dinner, read or do whatever to wind down and then in bed by a certain time to make sure that I could get up by the time I needed to the next day.

Working from home means that I end up doing things like laundry, cleaning and going to the grocery store during my “work time.” Then at night I get distracted by my other half and end up accomplishing pretty much nothing.

So, what can people like me do to become a time management ninja? Here are the things I plan on doing, so feel free to implement these time management tips as you see fit:

1. Recognize time wasters and distractions during “work time” and try to minimize them.
2. Make lists online instead of on paper so that when I want to make new lists I can copy & paste instead of wasting time re-writing.
3. Prioritize three things I want to accomplish each day.
4. Work on creating a schedule that I can stick to.
5. Organize my workspace to minimize distractions and create a more efficient workspace.
6. Use a kitchen time to limit the amount of time I spend on tasks, as well as on things like checking my email or Google Reader.
7. Don’t put things off!
8. Remember to take breaks.