Did you know that you can Journal for time management? But first I wanted to share some of my best time management and to-do list tips and tricks.
The Best 5 Proactive Time Management Tips
There’s no denying that we live under a never-ending barrage of demands. The truth of the matter is that no one can manage time. What you need to do is manage where your attention goes…
To-Do List Strategies – the top 7 tips
Did you know that there are strategies than can actually make your to-do list easier to tackle? Most of us know what a ‘to do list’ is and yet, most people don’t use one…
What are the 4 P’s of Time Management?
Time management is a way to know where you spend your time and how you can improve it. The 4 P’s can help focus attention on the key characteristics to make you more productive…
Survey Results
If you haven’t had a chance to fill out the survey yet, check it out!
I wanted to share what you answered for the multiple-choice question, about what products you were most interested in.
- 41% eBooks about productivity and organization
- 29% email courses about productivity and organization
- 22% printable planner monthly membership
- 8% kids’ printable activity membership
And here’s a few of the suggestions from the open-ended question:
- spreadsheets
- customizable Canva templates
- productivity printables
- prompted journals
- cheat sheets and eBook guides
- home management
Journal for Time Management
Journaling can take many different forms. After all, journaling isn’t for anyone but ourselves. But Productivity Journaling is a unique way to use the efforts you put into your journaling practice. It is a way to track how you spend your time; it’s the other side of planning. The schedule and the to-do list are the front side of planning (and are certainly essential to time management and productivity). But journaling afterwards is how you measure of how the plan went.
You can map out your patterns: your most productive times of the day, most productive days of the week, what tasks can be batched together. All kinds of stuff!
How many times did you have to “reschedule” the conference call or the vet appointment? How close did you stick to your plan? What processes and systems can you revisit in order to better stick to your plan?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some journal writing ideas for any age?
The habit of writing in a journal every day or a few times each week is enjoyable and
helps you manage emotions and stress too. This is as true for young children just
learning how to express themselves in the written word as for teens, college students,
working adults, and even senior citizens. Grab yourself a notebook and a pen and join
in. These journal writing ideas for all ages can help.
Journaling for Young Children
Journal writing in the lower grades may pertain mostly to things they learned or already
know. Favorite animals, holiday memories, “What did you learn today?”, and an emphasis on drawing with accompanying words make sense. Older children can begin exploring their emotions more.
- What will life be like in five years?
- What animal would I like to be for one day?
- Why is my best friend the best? How can I be a great best friend too?
Journaling for Teens
Besides secret diary confessions and thoughts about their personal experiences, teens
can begin thinking about the bigger picture and the world around them. How would
they rewrite an experience they had to make it better? Prompts that focus on positive views of their individual nature are great.
- What is your prized possession? Would you ever give it away and why?
- Could you have handled your last argument better?
- Write about you from your best friend’s perspective.
Journaling for Young Adults
People starting out in the world have a lot of stress. Journaling at the end of the day can help find different views about things that went on. Write about things you learned in relationships with others and yourself. Consider compliments you pay yourself, define success, or write down questions you want to ask.
- List 5 things others (or you!) consider to be wastes of time could actually benefit you.
- What is your biggest stressor and how can you minimize it?
Journaling for Middle Ages
Avoid making a journal into a play-by-play account of what your children did. As important as they are to your life, a journal is a place for you to re-discover yourself. They offer space to make your bucket list, reminisce on past adventures or events, and fully explore emotions tied to certain things in your life.
- What is the biggest contribution you have made to the world? Your family?
- What new technology do you love? Hate?
- If you could get advice from one person on Earth, who, and what would you ask
about?
Journaling for Seniors
Looking back can be bittersweet and journaling about the people you have met, places you have seen, and things you have done can be an adventure all its own. Make an effort to look forward when writing in your journal as well. Do you have a plan or is it
time to fly free? What did you always want to tell someone?
- Write a letter to yourself at major life stages or events.
- Describe the place you have been where you felt most at home.
- What secrets are you keeping about yourself that would surprise people?
- Make a plan for next week, month, and year.
How can I use my journal for time management and household management?
How to Use a Journal for Better Household Management
When you think about journaling, you may think about pouring out your deepest emotions about dramatic events in your life. While a journal is a great place to let it all out when you are going through a difficult situation in your personal life, it also is a great way to learn more about yourself in a more general way. With a closer look at the benefits of journaling, you may realize that this is an excellent resource to use to manage your busy household more efficiently.
Clear Your Mind
When you are stressed out about how much work you have to do around the house or how you will manage getting all of your kids to their different activities after school, you may feel overwhelmed and anxious. This mindset creates a mental challenge, and it makes it difficult for you to concentrate and to enjoy the small joys in your daily life. It can even lead to burnout. Journaling gives you an excellent way to clear your mind and to unwind.
While some people journal for up to an hour or more each day, you can simply sit down for five or ten minutes to create a small journal entry. Taking a few minutes at the beginning and end of each day really helps with journaling for time management. Plan your day and then re-assess how the plan went. This is an excellent way to improve your mental health. After your mind is clear, you may be able to think about ways to better manage your to-do-items. It may also help you to focus on the items that you are currently doing, and this can boost efficiency.
Gain Clarity About Your Daily Activities
This one is a huge component if you want to journal for time management. Because your busy schedule may be at the front of your mind, you may find that some of your free-flowing journal entries explore the activities and chores from time to time. When you spend time focusing on how and why you are doing these activities, you may find a better way to address them. With some items, you may find that they are not needed or are not convenient. For example, if your child s piano lesson is booked at the same time your other child s soccer practice is scheduled, you may realize that a simple solution is to schedule the piano lesson for a different time that is more convenient.
Determine When Chores Are Not Equally Divided
Journaling may also help you to determine if you are pulling more than your fair share of weight. Remember that chores may not be evenly split if one parent has a much more demanding work schedule than the other. However, this does not mean that you need to do all of the work. The other parent should pull some weight, and you may get the kids to pitch in and help in different ways. Journaling may give you clarity about how to allocate weekly chores so that everyone does their fair share.
Understand When You Need Extra Help
Journaling can help you in each of these ways, but there are instances when you and your family members are simply too busy to handle all aspects associated with running a busy house. If you have determined that your to-do list is too demanding and that you cannot reasonably expect to get help from your family members, you may need to look outside the home. For example, you could set up a carpool with other busy parents to get your kids to their various activities. You may determine that you need to hire an assistant at work so that you have more time to spend at home. Perhaps you can work remotely to better manage your busy home life. You may even hire maid service to clean your house periodically.
Journaling is an excellent way to reduce your stress level regardless of the source of the stress. It can help you to find balance and harmony in your life when you are going through tough times and even when your stress is caused by your daily activities or schedule. Many people who journal regularly find that they can think through their problems more clearly, and this includes both smaller or larger problems. If you do not currently have a journal, now may be a great time to begin journaling. Whether you want to journal for your own emotional growth or productive journaling for time management, the entire procedure helps center and focus you. Remember that your entries may be rather short if you have a busy schedule, but even short entries can provide you with excellent benefits.