Ever wish we had a 3 day weekend or more hours in the day? Of course you have. We all have. Probably almost every day or week. Just a little extra time to sleep. Just a little extra time to spend time with family. Or writing that novel. Exercise to get that pre-baby body back. Time to just sit and breathe.

It may be no magic pill, but there are ways to make extra time. Extra ways to find a little more each day and week to do more with your productivity, relaxation, and of course health and happiness. Here are a few that have worked for me over the past year and a couple I’m hoping to try a little harder on:

1. Wake up an hour earlier every weekday – Whether it’s to get in that workout or work on that novel or spend time with your child in the morning. The extra hour may be tough at first, but after a while it becomes habit. Start with a half hour and work your way up. And if you’re really trying to be a rockstar, try 2 hours. You’ll be up and at it before the city, and have so much done before you even get to work or start the workday.
2. Use your lunch break – run your errands during this time instead of waiting until after work.
3. Hire a cleaning lady or food delivery service – If you have the luxury to pay for it, save the time and have someone else do it for you. It provides more time to do the things you want to do vs. have to do.
4. Don’t sleep in too long on Saturday/Sunday – yes it’s easy to want to indulge in the extra time, but if you still get the same amount of hours of sleep you won’t be as tired on Monday. You’ll also get more done on the weekend. More time with family and more time to get to the beach and enjoy the day.
5. Plan ahead –Plan ahead on the chores and errands, so you’re not wasting time on a Sunday…all day. For example if you know you can grab a few groceries on the way home on Thursday after dinner, do it then. You’ll have had fun and polished off a chore.

In the end, your time is yours and you should have the ability to choose how you use it. Time management isn’t always simple, but it can be done (and when you slack a little, it’s ok there’s always next week).

#radiatedaily

Image source: health care above all