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Time Management Toolkit v 2

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
6 views

Time Management Toolkit v 2

Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 19

Contents

Instructions
Brain Dump Template
Impact Matrix Template
Monthly Planner
Weekly Planner
Daily Planner

BONUS!
Task Tracking Checklist
2024 Holidays
Vision Board Template
Additional Notes Page
Page 3
Welcome!
Thank you for downloading our Time Management Toolkit!
Motherhood can be overwhelming, and it often feels like
there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.
Some moms seem to effortlessly balance it all, but the truth
is, we all have the same 24 hours each day. The key to
managing these hours effectively lies in having a plan that
works for you.

Many people fall short of maximizing their days because life


is constantly changing. New challenges and unexpected
events can throw off even the most carefully crafted
schedules. It's easy to get discouraged when things don't go
as planned, but remember that flexibility is crucial. This
toolkit is designed to help you anticipate and adapt to
changes, allowing you to rearrange or eliminate tasks as
needed to accommodate your busy schedule.

With our Time Management Toolkit, you’ll find practical tips


and tools to help you create a routine that fits your unique
lifestyle. Start maximizing your days and take control of your
schedule today. For more tips and tools, check out the
resources below!

Free Resources My Favorites


Instructions
Step 1: Brain Dump

Do a "brain dump" of all the recurring tasks you'd ideally like to accomplish in a week. This
process will help you get a clear picture of everything you want to make time for in your
daily routine. Use the provided sections on page 9 to list out your tasks, making sure to
include how often each task needs to be done (e.g., daily, 2x/week, monthly).

Take your time to think about each category and list all the tasks you can think of. This will
be your foundation for creating a manageable and effective routine.
Instructions
Sections:
Administrative
Description: Tasks related to organizing and managing household or personal paperwork and
schedules.
Examples: Scheduling appointments, filing papers, reading and sorting mail.

Finance
Description: Tasks related to managing money, budgeting, and financial planning.
Examples: Managing budget and savings goals, investing, paying bills.

Health and Wellness


Description: Activities focused on maintaining and improving physical and mental health.
Examples: Exercise routines, meditation, attending doctor’s appointments.

Meal Planning
Description: Tasks related to planning, shopping for, and preparing meals.
Examples: Planning weekly meals, grocery shopping, meal prepping.

Errands
Description: Out-of-home tasks that need to be completed to maintain household operations.
Examples: Running to the post office, picking up prescriptions, getting a haircut.

Kids’ Activities
Description: Tasks related to the extracurricular and recreational activities of your children.
Examples: Sports practices, music lessons, playdates.

Household Management
Description: Routine tasks that keep your household running smoothly.
Examples: Doing dishes, laundry, sweeping, mopping.

Personal
Description: Activities focused on personal development, self-care, and hobbies.
Examples: Reading, practicing a hobby, routine beauty practices

Projects
Description: Larger tasks that are infrequent or seasonal.
Examples: Washing curtains, decluttering, cleaning gutters.
Instructions
Step 2: Priortize

Prioritize your tasks by scoring them based on their impact and effort levels. This exercise
will help you identify which tasks are most important to you and which can be adjusted or
eliminated when necessary.

Instructions:

Use the Provided Matrix


Refer to the matrix on page 6 of this toolkit. The matrix has four quadrants, with the
horizontal axis labeled "Effort" (low to high) and the vertical axis labeled "Impact" (low to
high).

Score and Prioritize Each Task


Place each task from your brain dump into the appropriate quadrant on the matrix based
on its relative effort and impact. Trust your instincts when scoring; you don't need to be
too scientific about it.

Consider the following:


Low Effort, High Impact: Tasks that require minimal effort but have a significant positive
impact. These should be your non-negotiables.
High Effort, High Impact: Tasks that are important but require more time and energy. Plan
to make time for these.
Low Effort, Low Impact: Tasks that are easy but not very impactful. These can be done if
you have extra time.
High Effort, Low Impact: Tasks that require a lot of effort but don't provide much benefit.
These should be the first to eliminate if your schedule is too busy.

Re-evaluate as Needed
If you find that many tasks are ending up in one quadrant, revisit the exercise later or
involve your spouse or family for additional perspective. This can help ensure a balanced
approach.

This step will help you create a clear, prioritized list of tasks, enabling you to focus on what
truly matters and manage your time more effectively. Some weeks may be slower,
allowing you to tackle everything on your list. For busy weeks, refer to this matrix to
immediately know what can be dropped. The idea is to reduce decision-making moving
forward.
Instructions
Examples:

My non-negotiables with low effort and high impact include:

10 minute meditation 1x/day


One load of laundry 1x/day
Dishes 1x/day
Wipe counters in kitchen and bathroom 1x/day
Make the bed 1x/day

These tasks take minutes to do and make a big difference in how my day goes and how I
feel in my home.

Tasks that are relatively more effort but still high impact include:

Clean the floors 1x/week


Clean the bathroom 1x/week
30 minutes exercise 3x/week

These are tasks that I have to carve out time over other things but are truly worth it to me.

The tasks are low effort and relatively low impact include:

Baking homemade bread


DIY facials, manicures, pedicures

These are things that I only do once in a while if I am caught up on everything else.

The tasks that I find high effort and low impact include:

Ironing clothes
Sorting laundry by color, texture, person, etc

99% of the time, I skip these tasks altogether because I just don’t think they’re worth the
time.
Instructions
Step 3: Create Your Plan

Now that you've prioritized your tasks, it's time to create a plan using the provided
monthly, weekly, and daily schedule printables. This step will help you organize your tasks
into a manageable routine.

Monthly Schedule
1. Start with the current month and use the provided monthly schedule printable.
2. Add any big events or tasks that you know are coming up, such as appointments,
holidays, or deadlines.
3. Repeat this process at the beginning of each month to get an overview of your
schedule.

Weekly Schedule
4. Use the provided weekly schedule printable.
5. Begin by filling in your non-negotiable tasks that you placed in the "Low Effort, High
Impact" quadrant of the impact matrix. These will form the core of your weekly
schedule.
6. Next, add tasks from the "High Effort, High Impact" quadrant that you need to make
time for. These tasks require more planning and should be scheduled around your
non-negotiables.
7. Look at your specific weekly schedule to identify any additional tasks or events that
need to be included.

Daily Schedule
1. Use the provided daily schedule printable to plan each day in detail.
2. Refer to your weekly planner and fill in your daily tasks, starting with the non-
negotiables and high-impact tasks.
3. If you have remaining time slots, fill them with tasks from the "Low Effort, Low Impact"
quadrant. These tasks are optional and can be done if you have extra time.
4. If there are still openings, consider adding tasks from the "High Effort, Low Impact"
quadrant, or simply leave the time slots open for downtime and flexibility.
5. Time blocking can help keep you on track by assigning specific blocks of time to
different tasks or categories. This method allows you to focus on one type of activity at
a time, reducing distractions and increasing productivity.
Instructions
Additional Tips:

Reuse the weekly schedule template as long as it works for you. Revisit and adjust your
plan whenever there is a change in your schedule, such as the start of a new school
term or sports season.
Each day and week may have minor differences, so use this plan as a flexible
framework and tweak it as necessary.
Remember that downtime is valuable and helps prevent burnout. Don’t feel obligated
to fill every time slot.
By following these steps, you can create a structured routine that aligns with your
priorities and helps you manage your time effectively.
If you are sharing this plan with others, consider color coding tasks for clear
ownership.
Task Breakdown
Administrative Finance Home

Street Photographer

Errands Kids Activities Meal Planning

Projects Health Personal


Impact Matrix
High
Impact Do Plan

Consider Drop

Effort
Low High
Month:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Events and Activiites Notes


Weekly Planner
Priorities Schedule

Monday
Tuesday
Appointments

Wednesday
Thursday

Events & Activities


Friday
Saturday

Reminders
Sunday
Daily Schedule
Date: Non-Negotiables

5.00 AM

6.00 AM

7.00 AM

8.00 AM

9.00 AM
Additional To-Do
10.00 AM

11.00 AM

12.00 PM

1.00 PM

2.00 PM

3.00 PM Menu

4.00 PM

5.00 PM

6.00 PM

7.00 PM

8.00 PM
Notes
9.00 PM

10.00 PM

11.00 PM

12.00 AM
Task Tracker
Task 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Daily

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Monthly
Holidays 2024
Date Holidays
Jan 1 New Year's Day
Jan 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb 14 Valentine's Day
Feb 19 Presidents' Day
Mar 17 St. Patrick's Day
Mar 31 Easter Sunday
Apr 1 Easter Monday
Apr 15 Tax Day
May 5 Cinco de Mayo
May 12 Mother's Day
May 27 Memorial Day
Jun 14 Flag Day
Jun 16 Father's Day
Jun 19 Juneteenth
July 4 Independence Day
Sep 2 Labor Day
Oct 14 Columbus Day
Oct 31 Halloween
Nov 5 Election Day
Nov 11 Veterans Day
Nov 28 Thanksgiving Day
Nov 29 Black Friday
Dec 25 Christmas Day
Vision Board
Additional Notes
Thank You!
Thank you for giving our Time Management Toolkit a try! By completing
this exercise, you've taken an important step toward creating a more
organized and efficient routine. The principles behind this toolkit are
based on widely used process engineering methods, designed to help
optimize processes across various industries. These same principles can
help you streamline your daily tasks and make the most of your time.

We hope you found this toolkit helpful. Your feedback is invaluable to


us, so please let us know what you thought and how we can improve.
Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments at Taking Time
Contact.
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the works at Taking Time, and we can't wait to share them with you!

Thank you for being a part of our community, and we look forward to
hearing from you!

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