Oh no, yes, I said this! This is pretty much the reverse of what we are used to hearing, reading, and saying! Because we are lacking time for so many things in this life, it only makes sense to reevaluate needs vs wants when it comes to the way we spend our time. Do you write a task list? Does it keep getting more filled up before things are crossed off? I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find unnecessary things on my task list. I actually have pages of them. I have different titles on them such as today, soon, next week, specific holiday or event, someday, gift ideas, etc.
The older I get the more I realize if I don’t write it down, there’s a good chance I will forget it. If I get it on my piece of paper (maybe for you it’s your phone notepad or something else). This way it allows some peace of mind so that it won’t be forgotten! Task lists can be anything and everything. They can get overwhelming too – so organizing them is critical. Yes – them! There are tasks like appointments to make, bills you don’t want to forget to pay, you have to order or pick up something, organize this/that, and so on. They are household related, shopping related, or maybe commitments you make.
Where I try to think twice now is maybe an errand is premature. If I am going to be going that way for something else in the near future, is it possible that this/that can wait a few extra hours, days, or weeks? Repeated and unnecessary trips are a waste of time, money, and energy. This doesn’t apply to everything in our lives. There are some things that we cannot neglect, nor should we. Our families, health, brushing our teeth, and things of that nature are a no brainer. Sometimes we invest time on things though that could be picked up/dropped off at a later time.
Could it be that we should evaluate our time management with wants and needs though? Do you need to shop at that store once a week? Is it necessary? Is it out of your way? Can you drop it down to every other week, or once a month even? I’ve found that I used to have a ‘to do’ list of certain stores in which I had to check in see what was new once a week. After finding out that I wasn’t missing out on anything it was much easier to adjust to every three weeks or even once every six (or more). What is this trip benefiting me? Can I really afford to buy this/that right now?
While I have learned the hard way that sometimes you see something and know you want it. You go back the next day/week/month and it isn’t there. When you’re searching on google to find that exact item and it’s nowhere to be found, yeah you probably should’ve picked it up then. I have found with the majority of things though that a wish list/save for later is a great way to keep it in mind, but reevaluate it. (Price comparisons, rethink if I really must have this, etc)
I trained my mind with my tasks for the longest time that ‘I have to’ do this, get that done, go there, buy that, donate that, etc. Yes, even donations being dropped off at a certain location. I used to do a cleanup in the house with the kids and we would take a few things one day, then more another. When I reevaluated that situation I realized that it was a complete waste of time and gas to make multiple trips if there was plenty of room.
We can even go as far as setting a priority 1, 2, or 3 on our tasks. Sometimes when we look at things on a list if it’s too full, we can get stressed out about it. If you add the number next to it, get your 1’s done as soon as possible, your 2’s as you can, and the 3’s are things you can wait for. Your 3’s may at some point become a 1 or 2, but you can keep a handle on it. The whole aspect of balance comes to mind.
One of the reasons I felt compelled to write this was because I have found this idea to be super helpful for me in my day to day life. I used to end up at the grocery store either every day or every other day after I left work. Now with a good solid list, I only have to go once or twice a week. The extra (unnecessary) tips ended up costing more money in the end too. You have to retrain your mind to say “Oh when I go there again I’ll have to grab…..” Too many times you can find yourself jumping off the couch, running to get this/that after dinner, or just things taking place at the least opportune times that can wait for another day. It’s okay to just head home after work and get those items closer to the time you’re going to need them. It’s okay to not rush out to grab this or do this or that because you don’t want to forget. A great little pocket notebook is a great and inexpensive investment. You might find it’s actually thought of as a golden treasure as you begin to use it and reevaluate your time and save yourself a lot of frustration you never needed to experience, to begin with!
You may end up with so much more time for things you wish you could be getting done and wonder why you didn’t think of this sooner!