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Power Planner: Why Planning "Fun" Time is Crucial to Effective Time Management

The ins and outs of time management are really quite simple: we all have 24 hours per day, seven days per week, and about 365 days per year. Into this time we all must cram our projects, schedules, activities, and other important events. Yet don't you wonder why some folks seem to be able to do so much and still have time left over to enjoy some free time and "smell the roses?" How do they do it? Easy! They plan for the fun time and actually make it a part of their effective time management.

Planning fun tine is crucial, since it does not "just" happen. We plan for the commute in the morning, we schedule the meeting at noon, and we schedule our lunch break, yet we do not schedule any time for snuggling on the sofa with our little princess, or reading a book to junior. Why is that? The short answer clearly is that "fun" time is supposed to happen spontaneously, and sometimes this may be the case. Yet, unless some time is allotted for it to happen, it is unlikely that it will become a constant part of our daily lives.

What exactly constitutes "fun" time? Some would refer to it as a time of relaxation, leisure, or recreation. Others see it as a time to step away from the responsibilities of life and instead allow for some personal time that only benefits themselves. Still others count hobbies or athletics as "fun" time. Who is correct? All are! "Fun" time is a time of stress reduction, and everyone experiences this differently. Some find it in the artist's studio with a block of clay on a wheel, while others find it on a racquet ball court. Some will see it in a good book, and still others will find it in the midst of a volunteer activity. No matter what your source of "fun" time is, unless you schedule it, it will not happen.

Effective time management relies on the proper use of allotted time for many an activity, but it does not discriminate against what you choose to use the time allotments for. Hence, it is up to you to determine what will fill your day, and if you neglect the "fun" aspect, you will soon find yourself in an overwhelmed, "burned out" and most likely unproductive state that will not allow you to even finish the scheduled tasks on time. Just how important is "fun" time to effective time management?

First, most of us have some activity or hobby we enjoy. By incorporating this into your schedules, you are forced to think about and plan on spending your time wisely. Organizing your day with "fun" time in mind will also allow the other things from your daily "to do" list to find their spots on the calendar.

Secondly, by incorporating "fun" into a daily schedule, we are forced to set goals and prioritize our activities to accommodate our "fun" time. A goal should be realistic and measurable. For example, adding "make a million dollars and become famous racecar driver" if you barely clear $50,000 a year and still drive an old Hugo might not be realistic, and will lead to frustration. "Learn karate and increase earnings to $55,000" is much more realistic and will allow you to really work toward an achievable goal that will stretch you just enough to allow you to reach higher. Obviously, adding the "fun" time to the schedule adds a touch of reality to the whole endeavor.

Third, be kind to yourself and reward yourself. By allowing you to reap the fruits of your hard labor and seeing the rewards the many nights of working late have brought you, you will be refreshed and ready to go for the next challenge. You may even wish to go so far as to promise yourself a reward if you get the next raise, are sent to the next seminar, make the quota, or simply get the next contract. This system of achievement and reward will add a system of checks and balances that will help you to live happier, healthier, and stay productive much longer than others.