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Make your days longer

Do you feel that your days are running to short, that you can’t seem to get enough done everyday like you used to be able to do?  You can make your days longer, get more done every day and feel like you have really accomplished something if you put a bit more organization and strategy into your day.

Ask for help
You don’t have to do it all.  From the office, to home, to running the children, and everything in between you should be asking for help when you find that you are so limited on time that you aren’t enjoying life any longer.  If you don’t think you have anyone to help you take a look around.

Anyone you work with should be able to lighten your load when you are over loaded at work. Tell your boss that you are over loaded and need some work put on others.

Do you run the kids too much?  Start a car pool and lighten your own traveling mode when mothers and fathers take turns running kids back and forth to activities.

Ask for help from your neighbors and trade off in what you do for each other.  Even if you don’t really know your neighbors, you can get to know some great people when you trade tasks.  For example, one week you mow your grass and your neighbors and the next weeks they mow both lawns – works out great for every one!

Getting up earlier
If you find that you are running behind in chores, paying bills, washing clothes, spending time with the cat / dog/ or things like watering your plants, or exercising, organizing, cleaning, just about anything in the house that needs done - try getting up just half an hour earlier every day or even just twice a week.  You will find that you will be able to get more done in the half an hour when every one is sleeping than after dinner when the house is in the ‘busy state’. Getting up just a bit earlier will free time for yourself in the evening for relaxation!

Staying up later
This is a little harder than getting up earlier in the morning because when you stay up later, sometimes your spouse, the children or other guests or thing need attention but if you are great at focusing, you can achieve lots in the evenings after the children go to bed and before you need to turn in for the night.  Making lunches, writing out bills, feeding the pets, throwing a load of laundry in, or spot cleaning the house is easy at this time of night when no one is in your way in any of the rooms!  Staying up later helps you get the most out of your day.

Do it as you think of it
One of the biggest problems that many of us have is that we are always thinking of ‘stuff’ we need to do instead of just doing it. Procrastination is one of the biggest time wasters that there is and man of us suffer from it.  If you really want to put more into your day, feel like you accomplished more in your day and get caught up in all of your tasks or chores then just do it now!

This includes all of those little things like: taking out the garbage, putting the clothes away, running the dishwasher, emptying the dishwasher, sweeping the floors, going to the grocery store, washing the windows, paying the bills, making a phone call, running over to see your parents, calling a friend on the phone, and so much more.  Just taking that one-minute to do that chore or task – you will find that your day will go much smoother as you accomplish everything that you want and nothing will be left behind. This helps you keep organized because tasks and chores will be done and not sitting on a list.

Children can help out
No matter how old your children are right now, there are a few things that they can help you out with.  Even if they are not doing the task or chore totally right they are going to be learning responsibility which will help you out in the longer run.  Very young children can pick up their toys, feed the pet, or make their beds with very little supervision.

Children between nine and thirteen should be able to sweep the floors, take out the garbage, clean their rooms, clean off the table, wash down the counters, and even simple tasks like putting their own clothes away or dusting the end tables off.  Lighten your load while teaching children how to help out in their own family by taking responsibility.  Giving a small allowance or special activities after chores are done means your children will help you more often.  Free up your time while teaching your children how to help out in the house.

Hire someone else
When you feel that you are doing too much and can’t enjoy life you should consider hiring someone to do the stuff in your life that you don’t like too much. Hiring someone to clean the house, clean the car, to cut your grass, to watch the children for an hour, or what ever the task may be will certainly give you a break. Hiring someone to do personal chores for you does take a bit of ‘getting used to’ but in the long run you are going to be able to have things done at the time when you are busy doing something else – creating free time for yourself!