What I Do to Make Time – TPW297

With all the "hats" we wear in our daily lives and our never-ending to-do lists, it's important that we are efficient with our time so we can focus on the things that truly matter.

How I make time for what matters to me

I’m often asked how I manage a legal practice, a podcast, and a large family. I thought I’d share a few things I do to make time for what matters.

First, a fair disclosure:

* I don’t always do it all well.

* I’m blessed with a husband who has always been supportive and who does his fair share of tasks around the house, sometimes more!

Just for some context, for those of you who may be new to The Productive Woman, I work from home. My husband and I have 5 grown children who are out on their own (with the exception of our youngest son who is home waiting for his college campus to reopen), so for all intents and purposes we are empty nesters. What works for me now is different from when we had 5 kids at home. In this episode, I mention a few things I did to make time when the kids were at home, as well as what I do currently.

Priorities and primary roles

I try to have a clear vision of my priorities and primary roles and keep those top of mind at all times.

When it comes to my top priorities, it is the people in my life: family, friends, colleagues, clients, etc.

As for my primary roles, I am Mike’s wife, my kids’ mom, my grandchildren’s grandmother, a lawyer, an income contributor, a podcaster, and part of the TPW community.

I try to keep my focus on my priorities and roles to the best of my abilities. I find that when I do this, I can accomplish things rather than spin my wheels.

Time to restore

With all I do, you might be surprised to know that I need a certain amount of downtime and don’t do well if my calendar is jam-packed. I love people, but I’m an introvert and need quiet time to think. When I build it into my schedule, I'm energized and far more effective at getting things done.

What this means for me is I know it will likely take longer to accomplish big projects because I can’t go-go-go all the time for very long; I’ve learned to be okay with that and do what I can with the time I have.

Efficiency and routines

I think about efficiency and try to find ways to do necessary tasks faster. This requires me to have the right tools on hand. For example, sharp knives, good software (e.g., TextExpander, and other apps that I use regularly).

I also need an organized environment, so I'm continuously working on de-cluttering projects around my home. The less stuff I have, the easier it is to clean and the less time I have to spend doing it.

Another way I have found to increase my efficiency is by combining tasks--e.g., having the stair basket; cleaning up dishes while the pasta boils; tidying my desk while on hold for a call; wiping out the shower while I’m in there.

The more I practice these habits of efficiency and routine, the more habitual they become. I don’t have to think about it after a while and I continue to get better and more efficient the more I do things the same way

What are some of my routines?

* I have a morning routine to get ready for work. When I worked in an office, I usually would go in very early so I’d have an hour or two to get work done without interruption. Now that I work from home, I have to create boundaries between my work and home life.

* Laundry routines involve doing all (or most) laundry on one day, so it’s all done and I don’t have to think about it or go into the laundry room for the rest of the week.

* Weekly routines for house cleaning and groceries.

* My end-of-workday routine involves me identifying the two to three "Most Important Tas...