Twenty-four hours, 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds per day. Regardless of how you think of it, every day has the same amount of time. But, somehow, it feels like the time in a day decreases the more tasks and responsibilities we face in our lives.

February is National Time Management Month. However, as one source cited—the term “time management” is a misnomer—you cannot manage time. You can manage the events in your life in relation to time and how you use the time depends on self-analysis, planning, evaluation and self-control. Time is both valuable and limited, much like money, and should be protected, used wisely and budgeted.

While some people are good at sticking to a schedule or keeping track of things in their head, other people need something tangible to keep them on track. Maybe a planner or to-do list works but here is a different strategy to managing your tasks, events, bills, etc.:

- Create a Tickler (device used for jogging memory) file where you have 43 folders in a box/file drawer. Label 12 folders “January” through “December” and the rest “1” through “31”. Place the labelled 1-31 folders behind the month you are going to begin this new process. To begin, place bills, invoices, written out tasks, etc. that need to be done on specific days in the subset daily folders for the current month. If the due date is more the 31 days out, place it in the corresponding future monthly folder. Every day you should establish a time to pull the corresponding folder for that day and complete what is in the folder. If you have unfinished tasks, place them in the folder for the next day. Move the empty numbered folder to the next month and start all over again the next day, cycling through the days until the month ends and everything starts over again with folder 1 of the next month.

- If the number of tasks in your Tickler folder for the day are overwhelming or you know they are all not going to receive your attention, take 5-10 minutes to make a list of the top five you must get done and focus on those.

- As hard as it can be, try to stay on task until it is complete. It is inevitable you will get interruptions and will need to redirect your efforts. Place your interrupted task back in the folder and return to it when possible. Also, if you think of other tasks in the middle of completing another, jot the new task down on paper and place it in your folder and continue with the current task you were working on.

- Consider using a digital calendar or other electronic means to keep track of appointments and recurring tasks/events/appointments. Use your smart phone or other technology to your advantage—set timers as reminders to start or remind you of a task.

Most importantly, make or schedule time for you and your family to receive the care and attention needed for self-care by establishing regular sleep routines, eating nutritionally balanced meals and snacks, drinking plenty of water and leaving time for things you enjoy.

To learn more, contact Janell at the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3036, janellb@montana.edu or in the green building next to the Chouteau County Courthouse at 1308 Franklin St in Fort Benton.

Follow us on Facebook @ChouteauCountyExtension to keep up to date on what is happening in Chouteau County Extension and 4-H.

Montana State University, US Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.