Time management is everyone’s constant struggle. But there are tips and tricks we can employ to make time work for us, instead of the other way around. Blogger Maia Stone shares how the 80-20 Rule helped her take better control of her time.

Time management is everyone’s constant struggle. But there are tips and tricks we can employ to make time work for us, instead of the other way around. Blogger Maia Stone shares how the 80-20 Rule helped her take better control of her time.

Despite our busy lifestyle, it’s not impossible to find free time during the day. Most of our days are spent waiting—whether for our latte at the coffee shop, the train, the meals in the cafeteria. These are small pockets of time to be conscious about and make better use of, instead of complaining of not having enough time for ourselves during the day.

The thing is, many of us tend to overdo the planning when it comes to spending our free time. We plan our weekend getaways in excruciating detail. We make our hobbies part of our habit. We try so hard to incorporate them into our everyday lives to the point where we don’t feel free during our free time anymore.

At the start of the year, I listed the hobbies that I wanted to pursue this year. Some of them include going to the boxing gym at least twice a day, studying French every day, reading every morning and evening, meditating, painting at least once a month, and writing for my website every day. I was crazy, alright.

In case you were wondering, no, I didn’t stick to that plan.

I wanted to be productive all throughout the year, and I wanted to improve my mental health as well. Instead of having a more peaceful state of mind, my plan backfired, and I added even more stress to my life. I then decided to be realistic and applied the 80-20 rule to my hobbies.

The 80-20 rule states that 80 percent of your outcomes come from 20 percent of your inputs. To do this, I first decided on my goals before committing myself to a new hobby.

My goals for this year are: to be a better writer, to learn new things every day, to have a wardrobe that I’m proud of, and to be healthier in mind and body. Here are the hobbies that I kept after deciding on my goals.

Reading Anytime, Anywhere
I wanted to improve on my writing and learn new things every day, so reading the book isn’t negotiable. I read every day. I always carry a book with me, so I can read in case there is an unexpected waiting time during the day. Sometimes I do it while drinking a cup of coffee and it works just as well as meditation for me.

Meditation In Many Forms
I love the saying that there isn’t a single way to meditate. So, I incorporated it into my other hobbies instead. Painting, knitting, and sewing became my forms of meditation. I hate it when my clothes don’t fit me perfectly and getting it altered in shops costs too much, so I decided to self-study and bought a sewing machine. By doing this, I got to achieve my goals without adding more hobbies to my list. I now have an amazing wardrobe, beautiful decorations in my room, and cozy socks. Plus, I got to meditate while doing the work.

Workout When I Can
I also minimized the time I spent in the gym. Having a healthy body is important for me but getting frustrated with myself for not going to the gym twice a week wasn’t worth it. I decided to change my habit a little and just do exercises that fit into my schedule, be it an afternoon walk, a jog around the park, a few yoga poses, or even a 5-min exercise.

Since some of my hobbies have helped me achieve similar goals, I guess it became easier for me to not be too obsessed with the habit itself, and instead, focus on what I’m trying to gain.

The original article was first published on the Art Of Being A Person blog.

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