by Claire
With the new school year starting here yesterday, I am inspired to write about time management. Like communication, I think this is another great life skill.
We all know the person who is chronically late. As I age I deal with this person better but I am raising the kids to be five minutes. From a young age I was puzzled by people who could not get anywhere remotely close to “on time.” I’m not talking about 15-30 minutes late (although even that on a chronic basis is frustrating) but the people who are a minimum of one hour late every single time they need to be somewhere! At that point it is just plain rude–assuming others are waiting on them. I have a sister that I actually invite to events at a different time. She knows I do this now so it has little value but in the beginning, it totally worked! I also have friends that tell me a later time so that I will not be on their doorstep exactly on time! Funny stuff.
People often marvel at what I get done in the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else has given my family size and career. I do remember just thinking about time when I was little and then I went to an all-girls’ Catholic high school that used the “modular system.” I’m not sure how common the “mod” system is around the country. A mod system operates on a two week cycle with “M” week being the first week in the cycle and “A” week being the second week in the cycle. Each day is broken down into 17 different time periods called “mods.” Most mods are 19 minutes long, with the lunch mods (mods 8 through 12) being 26 minutes to allow more time to eat. Do you like that it isn’t 20 minutes or 25 miutes…but 19 and 26? There is also a 3-minute pass between each mod to allow students time to move from one class to the next. There are no bells ringing to tell you when it is time to move to the next class. You are aware of the time and you move at the designated time. The class meetings are made up MWF classes and TTh classes (just like college). The MWF classes last 2 mods and the TTh classes are 3 mods long. There are several “open labs” or “open mods” during the day that the student can seeks help from teachers with “open lab” hours. There are no tests taken in the classroom but instead in a “testing center.” The test is in the testing center for only a certain number of days and the “Learning Activity Packet” on the subject that will be tested on must first be completed before a “testing pass” is given. Once the window of time expires, you are out of luck. Talk about learning at a young age to manage your time well! Yep–as I reread what I wrote here, I think it is pretty safe to say the modular system made me an insane a master time manager! I still think in 20 minute increments!
I have an innate sense of the passage of time. My sis and I joke that I think “OMG! We only have 15 minutes to get there!” and she thinks “I have fifteen wwwwhhhhoooolllleeee minutes to get there…let me do one more thing.” And no, my sis did not go to the same high school although I am not convinced they could have reformed her! Of course each style has its pros and cons and there are many days that I wish I could be like my sis and vice versa. Upon further thinking, maybe I should contact my high school and tell them to offer a mandatory money management course!
I also wish I could cook like my sis. That’s another post for another day! I hope you all had a great one today!
Born and raised in Texas. I’ve at least driven through every state in the US courtesy of a roadtrip loving Dad.
I’m single with two children and a good parenting relationship with their father.
I am a “life is just half full of funny” kinda gal. Humor is my saving grace and I am thankful for it every single day. I have a strong Catholic faith and am thankful for that foundation.
I read a lot for a living but still enjoy a good book. I love biographies but in recent years have found the need for fun fictional books–sadly, for a long time I just didn’t enjoy fiction!
I love live theatre of any kind–from local productions to Broadway.
I love to scrapbook and pride myself in my kids’ albums.
I love being a mom but also love my career. I’m blessed to have found a balance allowing me to be at everything my kids need and want me to be at–while also having a career.
Favorite Quotes: Well behaved women rarely make history.
Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out. -James Bryant Conant
This may be my single biggest pet peeve. I can’t stand people who consistently arrive late. The worst offender I know is my soon-to-be-ex-mother-in-law. Literally, in the 8 years I’ve known her, she was NEVER early for a single event. Maybe she was on-time once in a while, but otherwise, chronically late. And not 5 mins, 10 mins….no, no…we’re talking 45 mins late. She would call my soon-to-be-ex-wife and I and ask us to join her at a restaurant for dinner at a certain time….and she’d still be late! For plans she made!
Teach your children to be prompt and on-time. It will do them wonders. 🙂
DebtKiller, I so know how that feels. My ex-sil did the same thing; I was so pissed at her and my brother every year when they would arrive two hours late for Thanksgiving dinner, and my mom would have us wait. Meanwhile, my young children were STARVING. When they divorced, I found out it was her, not him. 😀
Ha! My response to Clarie in CA’s comment applies here too! From this perspective though I can tell you that post-divorce there is REAL freedom from that madness!
Whoa! Just had a flashback after posting that reply. My ex-husband’s motto that he thought was soooo funny was: “The world is round…I’ll get there.” ACK! Still makes me cringe!
Can you please update the financial blogging buddies list? A few of the blogs have not been updated for a long time and there are also some defunct blogs.
Thanks.
lb, I don’t have control over those but will pass the word on to the blog owners. Thanks.
I agree! I try to be 15 minutes EARLY to all appointments. With Southern California traffic, I sometimes barely make it on time, but that 15 minute cushion helps, a lot!
I have raised my kids to be respectful of other people’s time, as well, because that’s really what it is…respect (or lack thereof). My son has one speed, and it isn’t fast, so he’s more of a challenge than my anal retentive *ahem* I mean, efficient daughter! 😀
All six of us are super wound up about timeliness! Steve and I were raised by very timely parents but our first marriages were to two much more laid back personalities. I’m here to tell you there IS such a thing as TOO laid back. As a result, our 4 children see the stark difference between getting places to time to spare versus racing at the last possible second to be somewhere and often arriving late with their “other parent.” There are a whole host of issues related to the divorces that our kids will undoubtedly struggle with, but at least we know they’ll be on time for any and all therapy appointments!
I know I shouldn’t laugh, but that comment made me! 😀
What does this have to do with debt reduction? I liked it when this blog was devoted to debt reduction since I found it inspiring reading about someone struggling with debt and then turning the corner and paying it off or saving money. For some reason, I don’t sense that you are sharing your struggles; it’s either that or it’s easy for you now that you’ve decided to pay off your debt. Just an observation.
Hi Anonymous. Like some of the comments shared, time management has A LOT to do with debt reduction. In my opinion, if all I shared were my debt struggles I’d have a hard time reading my own blog let alone writing posts! No, it isn’t easy as I am still making lifestyle adjustments and no, I’m not holding back my struggles. They are all out there for you to see and they change from day to day sometimes. All of that said, if you are just interested in debt reduction, I categorize the debt reduction posts as just that. Feel free to click on that category just to read the very specific debt reduction posts. Thanks!
As I learned from the Gunny in my NROTC days… if you’re on time, you’re late!
That’s my Dad talking there Sheila! I lost count of how many times my sister got left at home because she wasn’t ready when he said to be ready!
I love that you share different aspects of what helps you be successful! Time management, meal preparation, etc. is all VERY much a part of reducing debt. When we are busy and not planning well, we spend money we don’t have. That is how many people lose control of their finances in the first place.
I love it! Keep it up!
Thanks Phaedra. “When we are busy and not planning well, we spend money we don’t have” is a great quote to live by! So many people don’t realize how true that is (me included for a very long time!) I am reaching out to a group of girlfriends to try to organize a real food club of sorts. My idea is just coming together but I feel like there is success in numbers and if we plan together maybe we can have better results. I do pretty well with planning and cooking but could use ideas and motivation and support. So many of my friends are bleeding money just feeding their families!
I have a good friend who was (until very recently) CHRONICALLY late, by hours. PLURAL. It was the most aggravating thing ever, especially since she didn’t work outside the house and she didn’t have kids. It was simply HER. She finally got a wake up call about a year ago and is now on time to everything, and it’s sooo much easier to be friends with her.
If you could learn time management at an early age than more power to you. It’s a definite must have life skill.
Kudos to you for sticking by your friend Shannon! That’s a tough friendship to stay invested in for sure.
Time management is generally just a matter of being organized. The best of intentions go quickly off the rails if you realize as you are running out the door that you’ve forgotten items, have to go back to turn things off, etc. The same lack of planning can be a contributing factor to a lot of financial trouble. Your bills have due dates. Paying late normally incurrs a penalty. It’s really as simple as that. Learning to map out in advance where the money will come from and when, and then where/when you will redirect it to bills and savings means you are in control of the situation and not always scrambling to avoid a crisis. Planning in advance for savings means it happens, rather than having no plan and hoping there is something left for savings at the end.
My 11yr old is completely on top of everything, but my 17yr old has only recently converted my reminders into his own habbit of prepping in advance to get to his PT job without last minute panick(no more where’s my phone/wallet/keys?). For some being orgainized seems to come more naturally, for others it’s a skill that needs to be worked on for a lifetime.
Argh! So many reminders of my ex-husband with this post and he didn’t even enter my mind as I typed it out! Holy Toledo could that man forget crap at home! Still does! Still isn’t terribly bothered by it! I’m so glad we are good friends and not trying to be married! I even bought one of those door hanger pocket things so he could put stuff in that to hang on the door knob as he left the house. I think back to the amount of money we spent on gas for our Suburban when he would drive 25 miles one way to work only to get to the security gate and realize he did not have his badge. It is a strict no admittance policy at USAA and so back he’d come across town…not bothered in the least! Interestingly he is timely in his bill payments.
I’m learning how to map out money like I map out my time. It isn’t as easy as I feel it should be for me, but it can be learned!
I set my watch five minutes fast as I like to be early or at worst on time, it works pretty well