Spring Cleaning our Schedules

Have you ever realized that just the way we accumulate “clutter” in our homes and classrooms, we tend to accumulate “clutter” in our lives and schedules? There are things that sap our time that may not be important, enjoyable or even required. But we still do them everyday and waste precious moments. I often wonder if I added up all of these things, I would get a few hours extra every week that I could use for something more enjoyable.

So where is it that we might waste time? Sometimes it may be that we drag the process of making dinner on for a couple hours to watch a particular TV show while doing it. Or, in the classroom, maybe it’s spending several unnecessary minutes every morning to distribute the same materials to students (perhaps, they can get it themselves). Sometimes I simply waste time looking for keys, shoes, umbrellas, keys (oh! I mentioned that one already didn’t I?). Actually, by allocating a specific location for keys, such as NOT in my coat pocket, I do better use my time.

One way to examine your use of time is to record how you’re spending the minutes each day. Do this over the course of a couple days and you’ll likely be able to identify patterns of productive working, as well as gaps where you just waste time. Think about ways in which you can get rid of this clutter and have fun thinking of ways in which you can enjoy this new found time.

What are some time sappers in your schedule?