diet and cuisine
When it comes to nutrition, you should start with time management: This is where the first compromises are often made when there is no time for a fresh meal due to sheer stress or when breakfast is missed.
Breakfast: If you skip breakfast, you will have less energy and will probably be less productive as a result. If preparing breakfast in the morning is too time-consuming, you can prepare as much as possible for the first meal of the next day in the evening. This can mean putting dishes and muesli on the table, preparing the coffee machine or anticipating another time-consuming work step. With breakfast you can start the day in a better mood the next morning.
Cooking is time consuming – if you live in a multi-person household, taking turns cooking can be the first step. So everyone has time from time to time to get something done or to relax a bit instead of standing in the kitchen. You can also pre-cook on days off or freeze leftovers. If you don’t have time to cook later, all you have to do is defrost a delicious dish and not settle for frozen pizza. Also, to help you plan how much time you’ll need to cook, know what you’re going to cook ahead of time. A simple solution is to create a meal plan once a week and also write down all the ingredients for the next week on a shopping list. Alternatively, you can keep a permanent shopping list: anyone who thinks of something for the list writes it down and then only buys what is on the list – this way you also spend less time in the supermarket because you don’t have to think about which ingredients you need.
It can be tempting not to clean up the kitchen in the evening or leave dishes in the sink. Over time, however, a large pile of dirty dishes and work accumulates: because the longer dirty dishes are left standing around or the work surface is not wiped, the more the dirt sticks. Therefore, for the sake of free time, you should tidy up the kitchen every evening or always immediately after eating – although you do the dishes every day, it takes less time overall.
Multitasking and to-do lists
Multitasking and classic to-do lists aren’t particularly productive, even if they appear at first glance. You will work faster both at work and in the household if you do one step after the other – it is best to write down the tasks that are due. However, it is particularly helpful to prioritize these directly. There are different methods for this:
The ABC method is simple: you write an ordinary to-do list with all your tasks and prioritize them. Class A tasks are to be completed first, those of class B second, and those of class C can be neglected for the time being.
The Ivy Lee method works a bit differently, because here you limit yourself to just six tasks a day, which you work through in a disciplined manner and in sequence. Other tasks are, at best, less important and can be postponed to the next day.
Visualize your tasks with the help of the Eisenhower method: Categorize your tasks on two scales: “urgent” and “important” – those tasks that are both very urgent and very important are done first, then the tasks come to the Series that are only urgent but not important, then those that are important but not urgent. You can remove tasks that are neither urgent nor important from the list.
A fourth approach is just as simple as the ABC method: Integrate your to-do list directly into the appointment calendar. In this way, you know directly when which tasks should be completed and do not have to worry about the order in which you work through the to-dos. In your diary, you can also keep a note list with small pieces of information that you would otherwise have to remember. Such a list can be relaxing because you don’t have to think of everything yourself, but can read it when the time is right.
By the way: At work, you can also easily delegate tasks to employees you trust. In addition, Cordula Nussbaum, time management coach, explains to the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung: Nobody has to stick to prescribed methodologies – if you have your own effective strategies, that’s just as well.
Closing time and “Do you have a minute?”
Effective time management also includes breaks. Take breaks, time for yourself, time with friends, colleagues or family and maybe get used to a relaxing routine – call it a day! Because if you can’t recharge your batteries, you can’t keep going indefinitely. At the same time, you should of course stay focused and effective: You should also be able to say “no” politely or postpone your free time until after work. So if a friend calls again or a colleague asks for a short moment, you can simply communicate a more suitable appointment that suits you just as well as the other person.
And to optimize your time management, in a Forbes article, Coach Erin Urban advises keeping a small notebook to jot down which strategies work well and which don’t—so over time you can find the time management that works best for you.
Editorial office finanzen.net
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