Practical tips for balancing your time budget
07 November, 2022
If you often feel you don't know where all your time goes, that you're constantly on the run, or that your partner always seems to have more free time than you do, it's time to rebalance your time budget! To do that, follow these few tips, which will certainly help you manage your schedule more efficiently and finally put what really matters to you first.
Establish your current time budget
Download this printable and take a moment to write down the time you currently spend on each area of your life. If you're in a couple, make sure your partner fills it out too, so you can easily see whether the sharing of chores and the mental load is fair in your household.
Fill out your values scale
To know which activities should get priority and a bigger share of your schedule, you first need to know what is truly important to you. So take a moment to fill out this values scale, on your own or as a family, to get a clear picture of what you should prioritize.
Rework your schedule
After completing the two previous exercises, do you realize you spend far too much time commuting, or that you don't devote enough hours to physical activity even though health is a core value for you? First, try to see what you could delegate, whether to your partner, your kids or someone you hire for the job. Then look at what you can simply let go of: a floor washed less often or simpler meals won't hurt anyone! Finally, consider reworking your schedule: finding a job closer to home to cut down on commuting time, signing up for an organized sport, and so on.
Last, because time is a precious commodity, here are a few quick tips to make sure you don't waste any:
- Turn off the notifications from the various apps on your cell phone so you aren't constantly interrupted for nothing
- Be organized: things that are put away properly and a well-planned schedule can save you several precious minutes!
- Encourage your kids' independence: independent kids will spare you from always having to manage their activities and will give you a much-appreciated hand with the various daily tasks.
To get even more organized, discover all our tools:
Complete Family Organization Set
Also discover our tools to encourage kids' independence:
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Put these tips into practice
Get the whole family organized with Octave
Meals, chores, the calendar and routines for the whole family in one place: on everyone's phone and on the Station on your wall.
The app is free on iOS and Android.