Right now I have approximately 47 different baby bottles scattered around my kitchen. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but for one tiny baby there are still a lot.
Finding the right bottle turned out to be more difficult than we thought. We even tried one that had five separate pieces. But we rejected it because it had five separate pieces that had to be taken apart, washed, sanitized and put back together every time we fed our son!
Like cleaning baby bottles, time often gets lost in the many tiny tasks we do each day.
It’s easy to think of our lives in generalities like cleaning house or running errands and wonder where all our time went. When in reality, there are small changes we can make to reduce, outsource or automate these tasks and free up more time for what matters most.
Here are three smart ways to carve out more time in your day:
1. Start Saying No
You will never feel like you have time for yourself, your family or your priorities if you’re always saying yes to everyone and everything else.
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Instead, be more selective about how you spend your time and you will instantly feel like you have more of it. You can create room to breathe in your schedule by saying no to life’s less important opportunities, invitations and events.
There will always be something more deserving of your time (and money) if you don’t put your goals at the top of your priority list.
2. Do More of What Only You Can Do
Since time is the most finite resource you have, the best use of it is to do something only you can do. What are your strengths, passions and talents? What makes you come alive? What gives you energy and joy?
Find ways to do more of what you love and less of the stuff you don’t. For example, cleaning your house, filing your taxes, and mowing your lawn are all chores you can ask for help with or hire someone else to do for you. If cost is a concern, figure out how you can fill that time doing something that will pay for it.
Instead of mowing your lawn, maybe you pay a teenager in your neighborhood and spend those hours on a hobby such as painting. Then you can sell the paintings on the side to pay for the lawn service. That way, you spend more time doing something you enjoy and you provide work for your neighbor’s lawn business.
3. Use Tools to Help You
Technology is advancing every day with new apps and tools to help make life easier. So take advantage of what’s out there!
Subscribe to a recipe service to plan out your weekly dinners and grocery lists. Download digital coupons instead of going through the Sunday circulars. And create a standing delivery of diapers through Amazon Prime or Costco.com to avoid extra trips to the store.
When it comes to keeping your money organized, check out Dave Ramsey’s free online budget tool, EveryDollar. Instead of fiddling with a pen and paper, the app allows you and your spouse to sync up accounts on the go. Even if you’re headed in 10 different directions, your money will stay connected.
Whether it’s saying no to another invitation, asking (or paying!) for help around the house, or using a tool to help with your budget, there are plenty of smart ways to simplify your life—like buying drop-in bottle liners!
Making small changes will help you create more time for what matters most.
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About the author
Christy Wright