This is a problem I’ve often encountered recently, holding down a full-time job and a long commute, whilst trying to find the time to start up Picker’s Kits.
My predicament is that there are always necessary things that take up my time including the hour drive to and from work, trying to go for a daily run, food shopping, cooking etc. By doing these necessary things, it often means that I’m not in the right headspace to do anything productive! I’m not quite there yet but these are the mechanisms I’ve started to put in place to make sure I’m productive when I want to be.
1. Stop watching TV
I stopped this about 18 months ago when I moved in with my boyfriend, he’d never been a fan of TV so I decided to give it a try and haven’t really missed it! We’re not completely deprived of audio-visual stimulation, with a subscription to Netflix we can watch films and I’ve been known to watch Outlander and Breaking Bad but this is when I choose to make time for it, there’s no aimlessly watching whatever’s on. By not using the default of switching the TV on after a hard day at work, it’s given me more time to focus on other things.
2. Power half hour
If you’re tight for time, set a period (of any length) and tell yourself what you need to achieve within that time. It keeps you completely focused because you have a time limit, you’re not easily distracted and you can try and get as much done as you can within that short amount of time.
3. Take shortcuts
If you can’t cook a full meal one evening, so what? Stick a pizza in the oven or cook double the night before so you can heat it up again the next evening.
4. Write lists
I’ve spent my whole life writing lists – if I lost the lists I keep at work, I’d have trouble being able to do my job! You can even take the list concet further by making a kanban board. It sounds fancy but it’s just a wall full of Post It notes, so you have a visual concept about what you have to do. Most importantly, you stick the Post It in the ‘Done’ column when it’s done, that way you can see the results of your productivity!
5. Put your happiness first
You can have as many methods as you like to save your time but if you’re stressed, just remember to breathe! Spend time with family and friends over doing stuff. Let’s face it, there’s a lot which isn’t urgent, just nice to do. Stop in your tracks and think ‘What’s important now?’ and take a shortcut if you need to. Make time for doing things that you enjoy!
If you’d like to be creative but are tight for time, check out the range of craft kits on Picker’s Kits – you can be crafty without having to find all of the materials, look for inspiration or take up your whole day!
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