Are You Taking On To Much?

There are only 24 hours in a day, and you will need to decide how to efficiently allocate your time for all the things that need to be done in one day.  All of us seem to have to much to do.  We drink our coffee in a hurry, we sleep less than we did a decade ago.  We work longer hours, more is expected of us, even as things are supposedly getting easier.  If you staying up till 3am in the morning to finish up a paper, this probably isn't helping your morale, or your health. 

The average American commutes about 25 minutes one way to get to work. Along with 16 hours gone for work and sleep, this leaves us with about 7 hours to do all the rest.  You will need to allocate time for eating, showing, household chores, exercise, family, and leisure.  If you are going back to school, life would be great if you could add 2 more hours to end of your day. 

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You will come to realize that the best option you have is to recruit your family members.  Maybe your spouse can pick up the kids, or maybe your kids can do the laundry, or maybe you can order out for dinner a few nights of the week.  Who am I kidding, you are probably going to become a sleep deprived cranky student.  If that describes you, then you need to slow down and take a deep breathe.  Something does need to get dropped from your daily schedule, and hopefully you haven't concluded that item will be school.  Chores will have to be parceled out better.  Efficiency is key.

• Plan your schedule ahead of time.  Pencil everything into a calendar.
• Try www.backpackit.com where families can get together and task manage together.  A to do list will be listed online, and when a task is complete someone will check it off. 
• Base your children's allowance on a chore system.  They get $5 for cleaning the bathroom every week.  Not only will teach them about money, your home will be cleaner.
• Exercising in the morning before going to work, or else when you get home you'll be too exhausted.
• Throw away the TV, not only will you be less tempted to be a couch potatoe, your children will love you for it.  OK, if this is too drastic just move the TV to a very uncomfortable part of your home so you won't be tempted to sit there too long.  I've always wondered why the TV is the centerpiece of the American living room. 
• Stop checking your email so much.  Pick times in which you will check your email, possibly three times, morning, afternoon and the evening for personal mail.
• Instead of driving to work, take the subway or bus.  This may take a little longer, but you can use that time to study, relax, chat on the phone, or sleep.  Plus the environment will thank you.
• Don't lose connection with your friends.  Its hard enough to stay connected to people with our busy lives.  Make time to speak with them even if you have to pencil it in your calendar.  Getting a degree is not a good excuse for a 3 year absence from someone's life.
• Sometimes spending more money will save you time, like getting food deliveries online, or sending out the laundry.  Consider any that will make your life easier as long as you don't have to break the bank. 

Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day, and there is no way of adding additional hours.  So very often you will just need to accept that you will just need to make the time. Your family and friends will hopefully understand and be patient with you. 

Always keep your sense of humor, it will be over soon.

"I have never let schooling interfere with my education" - Mark Twain