Time Management Part 2 - Evenings

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I intended to do a second part of the time management blog, focusing on evenings.  I had some motivation and timing issues which kept me from doing it right away.  Now I finally have a weekend where I feel good, have some extra time to work on it, and do not have any blogs that need to be written first, like the keeping up with the first Wednesday of the month Front Room blog or the once in a life time I’m An Auntie blog.

This blog has to be different from Part 1 – Mornings.  In that blog, I was able to show a concrete effort that had produced some results to get a better grasp on my morning routine.  With the evenings, I find myself much more unfocused and varied in the tasks that need to be done.  I have made some changes to my routine lately, trying to make the evening better and also trying to compensate for things I moved from the morning.  Overall, I often feel like I do not accomplish much in my evenings, but I have little idea of how to make them any better.  Most recently, I have been trying to compartmentalize my evenings and schedule them out by day of the week.  Years ago, this is how I used to organize my life and it provided some measure of routine and calm for me.  Now, it is much harder to be rigid because of family and work distractions but I am hoping at least some routine will provide some relief.

Monday:  I need to leave work at 5:00 because I have an appointment with a therapist at 6:00.  My appointment runs from 6:00 to 7:00.  When I get home, I make and eat dinner.  Then, I take my evening shower.  Around 8:30, I sign on to AIM where I talk to one, or sometimes two, of my non-local friends while browsing the internet.  I try to end the conversations by 10:00.

Tuesday:  I attempt to leave work by 5:30.  I go to the gym, spending approximately an hour.  When I get home, I spend the evening with my husband.  He cooks dinner.  We usually watch an episode of Supernatural while eating.  I encourage us to both go upstairs by 8:30.  We have sex, hopefully quickly (I think I am the only girl in the world who hopes for a five minutes quickie every time).  I take a shower, get ready for bed, have a few minutes of reading time, and turn the lights out by 10:00.

Wednesday:  I attempt to leave work by 5:30.  When I get home, I make and eat dinner.  I edit and post my blog.  I have some quiet time for myself, where I play on the internet, do something around the house, or read a book.  I finish the night by taking a shower, getting ready for bed, and turning the lights out by 10:00.

Thursday:  I attempt to leave work by 5:30.  I go to the gym, spending approximately an hour.  No one else is home on Thursdays most of the time, so it usually is my night to relax and do what I want.  I do not have anything in particular scheduled, but I tend to reserve some time for answering emails or making phone calls when necessary.  I also try to go upstairs earlier than normal so I have time enough to do a face mask before bed.  I still attempt to get my light turned off by 10:00.

Friday:  I leave work by 5:30.  I come home, where my husband makes dinner.  If it is a weekend we have my stepson, I have time to myself or I play games with him.  If it is a weekend we do not have my stepson, it tends to be another husband night where we watch Supernatural.  There is always the potential for social activity on a Friday night, though I try to wriggle out of as many things as I can.  Regardless of what I am doing, I still try to go upstairs early enough to take my shower, get ready for bed, and turn the lights out by 10:00.

Here are some of my struggles with my evening routines.  The number one thing that gets in my way is leaving work late.  I just plain have too many things to do.  Plus the most productive times are before everyone gets there and after everyone leaves.  My second biggest struggle is people talking to me once I get home, often about things I just do not care to discuss with them.  The third biggest struggle is not ending tasks when I should.  I tend to read too long, talk on AIM too late, etc.  The fourth biggest struggle is dealing with unexpected things in the evening.  For instance, my mom calls me unexpectedly or my husband does not go out on Thursday night for some reason.  My last big struggle comes with lights out because my husband is not at all concerned with going to sleep by 10:00.  Most nights, he rolls toward me as soon as I turn the light out looking for talking, cuddling, or more.

Work and outside activities often mean I am not getting home until 7:00 or later.  Between people talking to me, making/eating dinner, and doing necessary chores, all of the time between when I get home and when I try to head upstairs for my bedtime routines (8:30) disappears without me having much fun or accomplishing anything worth noting.  As a result, I almost never head upstairs on time.  I need a half hour or so to take my shower, brush my teeth, and go through my skincare routine.  I also want very much to have some reading time before sleeping, so I try to be in bed between 9:00 and 9:30.  Then, my goal is to turn off the lights and go to sleep by 10:00 at the latest.  If I go up late, everything gets pushed back further.  The later it is when I go to sleep, the less rest I get, and the harder it is to get up on time with the alarm.

How about you guys?  Do you feel like your evenings are worth the time you have in them?  I will continue to figure out ways to make things better or to make peace with what will never be changed.

Do you want a Time Management Part 3 – Weekends blog?  Although honestly, a weekend blog would probably be less about time management and more about conflicting desires for how to spend them.

See you next week!