Fitting It All In

Why do I think that today is Friday? Guess it’s been a long week because I have convinced myself that it is over, when really, there is one more day left. Oh well, at least it’s nearly there.

Tomorrow, we are going to see our travel agent and hopefully getting everything in order for our European cruise next spring. I am elated that I can barely contain myself. I just want to get it booked and make it official.

I really hope you guys are enjoying my Organizational Tips. I love reading your comments on your own tips. So far, we’ve covered menu planning, cleaning and next up is Time Management.

Organization Tip # 3: Fitting it All In

Oh my, this is a tough one. Especially since most of us are filling our days with every possible task and commitment, that finding a spare moment for the vital things can be easier said than done. I remember going through one of the most chaotic times in my life a few years ago. I was taking 17 credits, working 35 hours a week, planning my wedding, buying a house, moving and looking for a career. I remember making myself ill from the stress, but somehow, I managed to accomplish this all.

Thankfully, things have calmed down quite a bit since then, but I still struggle with the common feeling of not having enough hours in the day. When you have a full time job, a family, and other various commitments, the thought of exercising, relaxing, playing or even sleeping seem impossible. As difficult as it may be, time management is obtainable, so long as you go into your tasks with a positive and constructive attitude.
Here are my tips for managing your time wisely:

1.Prioritize! Yes, prioritizing is key. Sometimes this requires a self assessment of your current obligations and desires. Determine the things in your life that are essential and make these nonnegotiable. The things that have more room for adjustment should not be forgotten, just not as emphasized. For me, the top things on my plate are of course, my marriage, my job, and my family. They always come first in my schedule no matter what.

2. Get a calendar! Toly and I live by our google calendar. I fully believe that without this beautiful little thing, we would be in jeopardy of a divorce. Okay, maybe not that extreme, but really, I feel as though I would not be able to function without my calendars. I diligently schedule on our google for all of our personal events, birthdays, anniversaries, meal planning, store lists…etc. I also have an outlook calendar that I use for work. If I didn’t write out my life, I would be a complete mess!

3. Plan Ahead! I am a planner. It’s very difficult for me to live by the moment as I usually find comfort in having a schedule and having a plan well in advance. I live my day-to-day with a pretty structured schedule and this seems to work quite well for me. I have the required tasks, such as going to work, but the things I want to do for me, I must make time for, like running. Running is something that I love to do everyday, but I don’t want to spend hours away from my husband when our time is already limited, so I wake up early to get in my run before he is even awake. That way, I can still enjoy some “me” time and then have the rest of our free time to spend together doing the things we both love.

Making time definitely takes time, but so long as you have the desire and will, you will be able to
fit it all in.

I’ll have my last tip tomorrow and it’s a big one so make sure you check back to see my final piece of advice.

Okay, I’ll just recap our meal of the evening since this is already getting a bit wordy.

We pushed Wednesday night BFD to tonight since Toly had plans last evening.

On the menu: Omelets, Home fries and Muffins

My omelet was a Mediterranean- Spinach, Mushroom, Sundried Tomatoes, and feta
Toly’s omelet was bacon and cheddar with tomato

My home fries were butternut squash and red onion (well done)

Toly’s were regular ol’ spuds (also quite well done)

Accompanied with a sweet touch of Thomas’s whole wheat English muffin with strawberry jam and a few orange slices. Delightful!

Mine didn't exactly make it through the flipage, but it was still very tasty.

Toly's held up a little better.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weeks. TGIF tomorrow!