Photo courtesy of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department
Time Out
How to manage your week to maximize the activities you appreciate
With so many things pulling us in so many directions, how do we decide where to invest our time?
Rather than letting the “shoulds” and “oughtas” dictate our schedules, discovering what we would enjoy doing helps us ascertain where we need to be spending our precious time. Best of all, you will not experience FOMO (fear of missing out) when you use your values to guide where you will be, what you will attend and with whom. The first step is to assess how we are actually spending our time.
This exercise will help you determine how you are using your time during a typical week. For example, what percentage of your time is spent on family? Errands and chores? Work? Self-care? Community involvement? Determine your own categories, but that should give you a good starting point.
Real Wheel (How are you spending 168 hours a week).
Next, list your values – the things you feel are important in your life. Use these to complete the second wheel.
Ideal Wheel (How you would like to spend 168 hours a week).
From this exercise you need to determine some action statements.
Change where you are spending your time if you see a discrepancy between your wheels.
Do not spend any more time on things that are not important to you (your values).
Determine what activities you can eliminate or add into your week.
Create an action plan with S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound) goals.
As an example, here is something I came up with when I first did this wheel exercise.
I decided to stop getting professional mani-pedis. I don’t really value perfect nails – they get ruined with three kids anyway – and it felt like pressure just to find the time to dedicate for these services. I also don’t enjoy cleaning, dusting, mopping and vacuuming, and I was spending hours of my week doing that. What I really valued was unstructured time with my kids to go for bike rides, explore the trails of our Metro Parks, go to the museum and attend music performances.
So the time and money I saved from not going to the salon, I used to pamper myself with a weekly housecleaner service, which, in turn, freed up that time to spend with my husband and children. This was a perfect solution for me.
Based on my seminars with professionals of Fortune 500 companies, the observations I have made were that many, if not most, individuals find they are spending too much time in front of screens (devices, phones, computers, game consoles). Additionally, many react that they work too much and would like to quit their jobs. That is certainly an option, but can you live with the outcomes of your choice, which is not having the finances that you are accustomed to now? Only you know what works best for your family, but be sure to allow your values to be your guide. In this way, you can use the strategies here to take charge of your time.
Keep in mind that everyone, including the president, has only 168 hours a week. Let’s make them count.
Ria Greiff is a Master Trainer for a nationwide firm based out of NYC and has been providing wellness seminars for professionals of Fortune 500 companies for the past 15 years. She is also the clinical director of her own benefits consulting firm and has completed her doctorate studies in human services, as well as degrees in counseling and psychology from University of Dayton and The Ohio State University, respectively. She loves to help people and is always listening.