Maximize Your Time with Minimalism

Having moved from the laid back/plenty of space suburban life to the tight knit rush hour madness of Broad Street, I've learned to live minimally. Not just in the sense of clearing out my closet or maximizing space but also in terms of my time management. Working 80 hours a week is tough and in order to stay balanced, I have to live simply.

My biggest weakness is that I can't say no. When a friend wants to go out for dinner, I say yes. When a colleague asks for a favor, I say yes. I want to help as many people as I can. I want to be that social butterfly but also listen to every podcast recommended to me and read all the books and articles that come my way. Oftentimes, I overbook myself and am spread so thin, I feel diaphanous (figuratively speaking).

So, to manage my time, the first thing I do is to create an annual calendar, sort of like a spreadsheet. It maps out the entire year for me in 3 simple pages. I learned to do this in college so I could keep track of my exams and deadlines and now my call schedules, conferences, and vacations. As a visual learner, this has become my lifesaver and helps me plan out every day.

Lucky for you, I attached a FREE template here: CALENDAR 2017-2018

Personalize it as much as you want, whether it's with icons, stickers, color-coding, or post-its. I fill it with birthdays and anniversaries as well as vacations and upcoming weddings (feel free to use the icons included at the top). It helps me keep track of not just my life but also my friends and family's lives! I print it out, tape it together, and hang it on the tack board above my desk. Then I'm all set to fill it in with work and other commitments as they arise. I know what to expect for the upcoming week, month, and year (the only thing missing is the weather).

In addition to this calendar, I also keep a daily planner where I can write everything down. Creating lists with items that I can physically cross off helps me feel in control even when the day might be slipping away. The planner I have also starts off with jotting down three goals I have for the week. This week's goals: read for fun, treadmill time, and finish my Epic EMR training. So far, I've completed two of the three thanks to my live simply mantra.

More tips to come next week!