How we choose to spend or save time today has an effect on the quality of life in the future. By treating leisure as an asset to be used either now or later, you can prepare for unexpected obstacles and learn to work in such a way as to have free time later.
In order to stay on top of your commitments and reduce stress levels, you need to be ahead with your work. If you get the flu tomorrow, you will be able to take time to rest and recover without worrying about missing an appointment.
Here are five tips to help you create a "savings account for your free time":
- Set mini-goals - divide large tasks into smaller goals that are easier to plan. Keep dividing them right up to the deadline.
- Plan ahead - Find out when everything needs to be done and prepare a realistic plan for how to do it on time. This also means planning a vacation break.
- Set your personal dates earlier - If your work is scheduled to arrive on a Friday, set your personal dates on Wednesday. This will give you an edge and prevent a possible last-minute collapse.
- Work ahead - Use unexpected free time, for example due to a cancelled meeting, to complete another task early.
- Don't forget time to rest - Sometimes we need some rest now so as to be more productive tomorrow. Don't try to do all the work at all costs precisely when you're not productive.
Check your time budget
Check out your calendar for next week. Do you have a specific plan on how to finish everything? If not, make one today. By doing this every week you will not only keep up with your commitments but also learn to do work in advance, thus providing yourself with a protective time-saving buffer for when life switches you to an unexpected track.
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