I am playing with the idea of making my days a little more efficient.

The playing around part is mostly about switching times to see when I work better, when I am warmer in my body for efficient workouts, and how to minimize distractions.

The last bit, distractions, are a never ending challenge…aren’t they for all of us?

So last week I switched my gym time to the afternoon one day, and I think it worked out great- I was definitely warmer and was able to push harder in a shorter amount of time. Yes, I was extremely sweaty at the end of the workout. And I loved that!

Because of the afternoon gym time, my morning was tighter with work too. Limited time to accomplish everything means there is no time left to waste…right?

So, I will have to play around with the switcheroo again- maybe tomorrow. But I know I can’t do it every day of the week I make it to the gym. 

On days when I have groceries to pick up, and meet my son for an after-school date, mornings are better to get the errands of the way. Also, when I have hair to wash and dry, morning gym time works better. But I really liked the afternoon workout, so maybe I will get to do that 2 times out of 4 each week. Let’s see how that plays out.

My new way of planning and tracking and journaling is working out better. I feel I am more engaged with stuff I need to do, and having a mini shutdown ritual at the end of the workday makes me feel more in control. So I will continue playing with that. The ritual is about going over my list of things I had assigned myself that day, making notes about what I got done and my thoughts around it, and noting how many hours I spent that day working. I also revise the list of things I have assigned for the next day. And done. Just that little look back at my day makes me realize that I got a good chunk done, and gives me an idea of the things I would like to do the next day. 

Another efficiency hack I am playing with is getting in some Non Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) aka Yoga Nidra right after lunch. It is my bliss time when I just clock out for 20 minutes or so, and come out of it super refreshed for the rest of the afternoon. I use the Insight Timer app that has many many track choices for all kinds of meditations including Yoga Nidra. I can’t believe this technique is not more popular because a lot of us need it!

With my gym time, overall I am just trying to be more efficient. I do not want to spend hours there. I may have gotten efficient with my workouts because I get them done anywhere from 55 to 75 minutes. I used to take much longer…it almost seemed like a saga everyday. But now, it’s tighter and to the point, and I like it that way.

All of this trying to be efficient is great, but I know I have a long way to go. I have phone troubles like everyone else, and it’s a constant work in progress. I am trying to get myself to check emails no more than 3 times a day. Or to look at Instagram once to post, and once later in the day to respond to any comments. I do not want to look at all the funny and silly videos, and I wish people wouldn’t send them to me expecting me to comment. Because really, that is not how I want to spend my time. 

I can see I have come a long way in managing my time better, and that there is a long way to go still. But the trying will never stop. Because I have big dreams, and they take focused time to accomplish…