Today we’ll look at what to do when you just can’t find the time to do everything you HAVE to do as well as the things you really WANT to do.

First, it may be worth it to consider outsourcing some tasks.  If you can afford it, you may want to hire someone to do some of the more consuming tasks you face on a regular basis.  For example, I hire someone to mow my lawn and rake my leaves and clean my gutters. I could do it myself, but that’s not how I want to spend my time.  You might hire someone to come in periodically to do the big cleaning.  On a simpler level, rather than laundering shirts, most dry cleaners will wash and iron them for a reasonable charge. Or you can use the prepared foods section of the grocery store to help you out once a week or so.

A second, more drastic, way of dealing with a time crunch is to experiment with waking up 15 minutes earlier or staying up 15 minutes later, dedicating that found time to a specific task.  I don’t recommend  reducing sleep on a regular basis.  All-nighters are rarely the best way of handling the burdens of life.  On the other hand, 15 minutes extra a day can be very helpful.  In 15 minutes, you can pay bills, do dishes, sort or fold laundry, clean the bathroom, mop the kitchen floor, take out the trash, dust the living room, change the linens.  It can also be time to knit a few rows, read a chapter, plan the week’s meals, choose clothes for the week, or buy a birthday gift online.

Most of the annoying tasks in life really don’t take that long to finish.  It’s the dreading them that saps time and energy!