It’s TCB time! (Taking care of business)

I hear from a lot of people that they don’t have time. They’re always running out with friends, going over to family homes for dinner, or doing work things.

They’re totally excited to do everything, but underlying all of that, I always hear the inevitable:

  • “It is so stressful to juggle all of this…”
  • “Wow, I had SUCH A WEEK!”
  • “I need a break.”

To me, all of those activities above, are fun.

In moderation.

And that’s the key. MODERATION.

And here’s how to quickly take back your life with three simple steps:

1. Schedule your time

If you put in your schedule that you are going to see Tracey on Friday night, and then over promise for a big breakfast gathering with old school friends… you have to make a choice. 

Either you reschedule Tracey, or you head out for the breakfast gathering. Doing both, is not such a hot idea because any of the following things could happen:

– You blow off the big breakfast because you stayed out too late with Tracey last night 

– You blow off Tracey and end the dinner early because you know you have to get up early and get to the big breakfast

– You do both, and end up feeling tired, cranky and less than your fabulous self at the big breakfast

This is where a schedule comes in. You get to see at a glance what you have coming up as commitments. You can prioritize what you need to get done, what is more important that weekend, and make sure that you don’t overbook yourself.

If you see that your February is PACKED with an event every weekend, and you can’t possibly squeeze in another without compromising on your previous commitments, then you have to:

  • Reschedule
  • Cancel
  • or…… #2 on my tip list:

2. Sometimes you have to just say NO.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I get that way a lot when I go back to Ontario and I have a whole packed list of friends and family to meet, and I feel rushed, stressed at times, and feeling like I wanted more time with certain people and less with others.

So sometimes, I have to say NO.

No to going out late until midnight with friends to a fancy restaurant when I have to leave early tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. to get to another city to make the rounds.

No to packing two lunches back to back and the second friend feeling like I left her on the backburner because now I’m picking at my food and not enjoying being in a restaurant.

You have to stop over planning your weekends and evenings, and when domestic tasks or other things at home start to pile up, then you have got to take time for yourself to set aside half a Saturday to either just get things done like catch up on laundry, wash the dishes.. etc.

3. Set deadlines for your priorities.

Going back to the schedule idea, if you have to DEFINITELY get something done in two weeks – a major project for example, then it HAS to be your priority. 

You have to set aside real time for it, and start planning out what you have to get done for the projects and GET ‘ER DONE.

About the Author

Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver. I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year. Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about my story here, or visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist.