Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. – Carl Sandburg
At any given hour of the day, most of us have “something” we can or need to be doing. Some examples include work, household chores, spending time with our children, running errands, attending appointments, exercising, etc. The list can go on and on. On the basis of time, we only have 24 hours to complete any necessary tasks that we’ve listed as important for the day (minus 5-8 hours for sleep).
Some tasks get completed and some get postponed.
Financial matters are most times put on the postponed list. Not that we don’t think it’s important, but financial stuff tends to be dreadfully boring, not always understood and we feel we don’t have the time be bothered with it. We get overwhelmed with setting goals, creating budgets, paying bills, and reconciling our bank statements. And as my children would say, “How long is this going to take?”
Many of us don’t have a routine for focusing on our finances, we just deal with issues as they arise. But in order for us to achieve our goals, we have to take charge of our time and motivate ourselves to action.
If you are a person that can’t seem to find the time to take a look at your finances and set goals, I’ve compiled some of the ways that may help. These tips have helped me carve out the necessary time to be sure that I’m reaching my financial goals.
- Limit Television. Do you remember the show “Dallas”? I was only 7 years old, but I distinctly recall how J. R. Ewing was shot in the season finale. I couldn’t wait to find out “Who Shot J.R.?” Now that I look back on it, I realize how little that information mattered. It falls into the “who cares” category.
- Avoid Lengthy Telephone Conversations. We’ve all spent numerous hours on the phone talking to several people during the course of the day. Yes, it is important that we stay in touch with our family and friends, but there is only so much you can talk about without having to start repeating what you’ve already said. Set a mental time clock to help you remember when to cut off the conversation.
- Manage Surfing Time. Over the past few months, I have gotten a little addicted to Facebook and searching the internet. Initially, I spent several days not accomplishing much and at the end of the day feeling a sense of disappointment. This may seem a little childish, but I had to set boundaries. Because I had daily goals, I would only allow myself to check Facebook or search the internet AFTER I’d completed my tasks.
- Saying “No” to Friends. Good comradery with friends can be a very healthy experience, but you’re probably moving further away from your goals two ways. First, with the extra time. Second, spending the extra money just to hang out.
- Use Your Lunch Hour. Who says that lunch has to be spent only eating? Multi-task a couple of days out of the month to manage your finances.
These tips don’t have to be used all at one time or excessively, but the point is to take some focused time to concentrate on finances mapping out a plan of success. If you don’t know where you are going, how can you expect to arrive at your destination.
Do you make the time to review your finances? If you do or don’t, let’s talk about it in the comments below.
| To Your Time, |
| Patrenia Donald-Spears |
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