It’s 1:20 PM and I am finally sitting down to work. Woohoo!

This is not the first day I have asked myself, “where did the time go?” Although I can recount the useful and necessary things that I already did today, I was still an hour off from my goal of starting work at 12:30.

I have studied and taught time management strategies (or time transformation, as I prefer to call it!), and I know what went awry with my time. The big question is, how to fix it? How to effectively manage time?

Time Organization

Think of activities as tangible objects that can be organized just like you can organize clothes or books. The first universal law of organizing is “stuff will expand to fill the space you have.” Activities will expand to fill any and all time you give them!

Today my husband and I agreed to “stop by Costco for a few things.” Ha! Sure enough, the activity expanded to fill more time than we expected, which left us with less time for other activities we planned for the day. (Note to self: in the future I will not even attempt a Costco run unless I have 1-1.5 hours to spare.)

Just like when you make room in your kitchen for a new blender or waffle-maker, you can make room in your schedule to accommodate activities. Time organization might require #decluttering activities that are less important, or moving them to a different day. #timemanagement #timeawareness #timeorganization Share on X If you don’t do this kind of time organizing in advance, you may find yourself feeling anxious and behind as your activities expand (just like my Costco trip!). Proactive planning and mindfulness will help you get the important things done while feeling relaxed and productive.

How to Manage Time Wisely

The first key to time transformation is to become more mindful of how long things actually take. Most people (myself included) have a tendency to underestimate how long activities take. The good news is that you can improve your time awareness and be more intentional about fitting activities into your schedule.

Second, it’s important to allow for transition time between activities. Once we got home from Costco, we needed time to put away our purchases. Then we were hungry and needed time to eat. Add time for transitions to any estimates you make. If you think an activity will take 30 minutes, allow for 45 minutes or even an hour to reduce stress and eliminate disappointment in yourself.

How to Set Mindful Boundaries for Time Efficiency

It starts by being mindful of where your time goes, whether during Costco runs, home improvement projects (like decluttering and organizing!) or work tasks. The next step is to create boundaries and systems that cultivate mindful time habits.

It’s especially powerful to mind your time when you’re using a computer or your cell phone. Although hunching over a screen feels like a “passive” activity (you’re not running a marathon!) our bodies are happiest and most resilient when we move regularly. It’s important to give your eyes, body and mind a break from screen time.

Besides, we all know that time flies when you’re writing emails or scrolling through Facebook! That’s why we recommend creating systems to ensure that you are mindful of your time:

1) Use a Timer to Increase Your Time Productivity

A popular technique for being productive with your time without burning out is the Pomodoro technique.  There are many Youtube videos that can be used to assist you with keeping track.  One the I like is this one with a rainfall sound. Start by creating a boundary of taking a 10 minute break for every 50 minutes you spend at your computer (or doing any other task). We recommend the application Menubar Countdown for Mac, but there are plenty of apps for Windows systems which do the same thing. (Check out Free Timer at the Microsoft Store.)

But you don’t need an app! You can use your kitchen or cell phone timer instead. If you have a hard stop to respect, we recommend using the kitchen timer so that you have to get up to turn it off (or your cell phone, just make sure your it’s in a different room with the volume turned up!). Once you are up it’s easier to transition to your next activity.

The goal is to set your timer for 50 minutes, get up out of your chair for 10 minutes and do something else, then come back and start the timer again. But can you expect yourself to get up when the alarm goes off EVERY time? Of course not. You are human! You might be on the verge of finishing an email or reading an article (like this blog post!). If that happens, try resetting the timer for 5 more mindful minutes (like a snooze alarm) to wrap up. Then give yourself the gift of the full ten-minute break, as your mind needs it in order to be most productive!

2) Use Time Tracking to Improve Time Awareness

Tracking your time is a simple with a time log, such as our free Time Awareness Log. You can easily create your own time tracking tool by writing down the date, activity, and when you begin and end. Free tools like Toggl or a simple spreadsheet can help!

It takes practice to build the habit of tracking your time, so don’t be hard on yourself if you change activities and forget to make note in your time log. It’s all a journey! The point is that you are building awareness and improving your time management skills. No one gets it right the first time.

After you collect a week’s worth of data on your time log, be sure to review it. Did you spend more time on a task than you feel good about? Less time? Did you get to everything you wanted to in a week? Can you see more clearly when activities expanded to fill your time, without you realizing it?

3) Notice How You Feel About Your Activities

Time management best practices include noticing your level of resistance to starting or finishing an activity. Be mindful of how you feel about the time you invested in each task by making a note in your time log. Too much? Too little? Just right? Tuning in to how you feel before and after completing a task will improve your time management skills and your relationship with time.

Often we expend more energy putting off a task than it actually takes to complete it. How long we think a task takes might is often different than the reality! Notice when you procrastinated or resisted a task which only took only 8-10 minutes to complete. If you suspect that this a pattern, time tracking or using a timer will give you just the reality check you need.

Where is Your Time Going?

“Methinks I see the wanton hours flee, and as they pass, turn round and laugh at me.” – George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham

Many people feel like victims of time, but it doesn’t have to be that way! By practicing mindful habits you can create a life in which time laughs with you, not at you. There are many ways to increase your time management and awareness. What have you tried and what have you found to be useful?

Discover more ways to mindfully organize your home or office here! >>