Get creative with your time management for a more balanced 2022

If you’re approaching the end of 2021 and wondering why the year felt like a whole lot of work and not much else, it might be time to consider taking a different tack in 2022, says Feniu founder Mele Feniu Olivetti.

Four ways to free up time and create a better work-life balance in 2022

Get better at prioritising your time

It’s so interesting that many of us often say that something is our priority and yet we don’t spend enough time doing it. For me, as a mother of three, my children are my priority. Yet I also have to prioritise running my own skincare business Feniu, and I often find myself with what feels like competing priorities.

It might sound simple, but list-making is a great way to get better at prioritising.

Spend a few minutes each morning working out what your priorities are for the day, and number each item according to importance. If you need to, put items like “spend time with children” on the list. Sure, you don’t want to make these things feel like a job, but you also want to make sure you can look back at that list at the end of the day and know you’ve used your time the way you want to.

If you’ve got items that seem to continually be pushed onto the next day, decide whether you’re procrastinating or if those items aren’t as important as you think they are.

Set clear boundaries

Setting clear boundaries can allow you to focus on how you should be spending your time, as well as letting others know what to expect of you. A great way to start is by setting boundaries around your work hours. Decide on your start and finish time for your regular days and wherever possible, stick to them. Try not to check emails outside of these hours or do tasks that aren’t urgent when you should be enjoying some relaxation time. Also, keep these boundaries in mind when others are asking you to complete tasks and push back on unnecessary expectations when it is possible to do so.

Boundaries also refer to your workspace and your home space, that is, the specific environments you’re doing these things from. If you’re currently working from home and find yourself working from bed, the dining room table or basically anywhere you can pull out your laptop, this needs to change.

While it’s not possible for everyone, setting a clear area in your house for your office or desk is vital for an effective work-life balance. This can allow you to sign off at a specific time of the day and shut the door (both metaphorically and physically) on a day’s work. While you’re at it, try to keep your work area organised and clutter-free. This has been proven to increase productivity and reduce stress.

Schedule daily me-time

Running a business with three children in tow can be challenging to say the least. As my business grows, my time is spread thinner and thinner and therefore scheduling in daily ‘me’ is necessary.

While it might seem counterintuitive, prioritising time for me really means that I’m going to be a better version of myself for everyone else. If I’m running on empty, I’m not going to give my best version of myself to my children or to my business. The same goes for you!

Try to get into the habit of marking down ‘me’ time in your calendar each day. This could simply be a half-hour where you meditate, read a book or have a bath, but just make sure it’s on your list and you actually do it. Think of it as a positive mental health step or a practice in self-care. ‘Me’ time should be implemented without distractions, so consider putting your phone on silent or aeroplane mode and give yourself your undivided attention.

Know when to delegate

Who else feels as though passing off tasks to someone else feels a little like you’re failing? The truth is, you’re not failing. You are not a robot and therefore can’t be expected to do everything. And chances are, the only person that is expecting that is yourself. Know your strengths and know when to delegate tasks. Running a business can sometimes feel like you need to know how to do everything but if you’re not necessarily good at all those tasks, don’t spend your entire day doing it. For me, my strengths lie in product formulations, understanding ingredients and working towards the overall vision of my brand.

I started Feniu with a clear vision of infusing Tongan culture into a skincare brand and so it’s important to me to focus on that, on a daily basis. It doesn’t make sense for me to spend hours and hours doing admin tasks or accounting.

Instead, I’m meeting with Tongan representatives and dermal therapists to understand how these Tongan ingredients affect the skin and how we can offer the most efficacious brand for our customers. For any business owner, it is incredibly important to delegate the tasks where you know your time is better spent doing the things that you’re made to do.

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