Time Management
When Life Steals All Your Time



Do you remember when you were certain you could achieve your dreams? You burned with excitement to make your mark in the world. You knew you would achieve great things. 

And then... life happened. 

All kinds of obligations necessary to keep your daily life running began to chop off blocks of your time. And then, one day, you realised you had not had the chance to do what you really wanted in a long long time.

You were trapped in the routines and must-do-lists of your life. If your dream reminded you of its existence, you quickly pushed it back simply because it was too painful to think about. 

Maybe you decided to just give up and wait for the kids to move out;  the time you had paid your mortgage; the time when your ageing parents no longer demanded your time (and then you got horrified at finding yourself even thinking of such a situation). Perhaps there would be time after retirement... 

Did you notice a growing resentment towards all these things that stole your time - be it people, or work, or other circumstances? Did you become cynical, tired and angry?

Didn't you even want to hear about how someone had reached their dream and was glowing with happiness about it? If you read about them in a magazine, chances are you took a pen and drew a moustache on them.

But that nagging whisper telling that you should have a more fulfilling life just wouldn't shut up.

If you heard the words time management, you probably thought it to be something for the executives. It wasn't something for you. Because - well, you simply didn't have the luxury to decide where your time went.

I know how that feels. 

I was interested in languages, writing, painting and history ever since I was a child. I wrote stories late into the night, by hand (there were no home computers then and I couldn't use the typewriter as it was too loud). I could forget myself into painting a horse for hours on end (yes, I love horses). I read piles of history books.

I wanted to become an artist, but my father said: "No one can make a living by painting pictures." You know - the good old  "get a proper job" -lecture. So I had to forget applying for an art school.

With that dream crushed at the start, I managed to get into the university, to study English and Swedish translation and interpretation. 

And then life happened to me too. I moved out of my childhood home, and my parents had no means to support me financially. My husband and I needed to pay the rent and that meant I had to quit my studies and get a job.

For years (13 to be exact) I worked in sales and was pretty good at it. Even though I did not like selling one bit. A good salary was not enough for me, I wanted to like my job.

So I changed into insurance claims handling. I liked it. I liked helping people, and I enjoyed interacting with my clients.

Still, my dream had been to be a writer, a historian and an artist. I did not want to end up regretting a life where I had not followed my dreams.

So I Studied Time Management

I was a voracious reader and I noticed I enjoyed reading and studying methods of time management. Maybe there would lie the secret of achieving my goals - even though it felt there was no time left to manage.

And you know what? The secret of achieving my dreams was right there. If I count all the things I have achieved using time management methods while having a full-time day job and other life, these include:

- Studying Egyptology at the University of Manchester as a distant student. First for the Certificate, then for the Diploma and then finally my MA - it took me seven years, and I graduated in 2021.


- Having my paintings exhibited in Finland (where I live), UK, and USA (despite being self taught)

- In 2014-2019 I wrote and published one short story and 11 novels. 8 out of those 11 as a self-published author (I learned the ropes along the way). Three of my books were traditionally published children's books I also illustrated (which meant 240 pictures in all).

- I am working on five new novels right now 

- I find time to go the gym and exercise regularly.

- I even sing in a little choir - you could call this my voluntary work as we practice for a yearly Christmas celebration to lonely old people.

(Ok, here's my mugshot if you didn't draw the moustache on my graduation photo already)

Just saying:

a lot can be achieved when you look at your days and pay attention to where and how you use your time.

Leena's mugshot

I never thought about putting up a website on time management. I am no manager or executive. No one ever taught me about it. I just studied it on my own for... hmmm... I think about thirty years. (Woops - I think I just revealed my age LOL :D )

But as so many of my friends, coworkers and other students at the university started cracking jokes and asking how the heck do I manage to do everything, and answering their questions shortly just doesn't work... I figured I'd better start putting the stuff into writing so that anyone who is interested in the subject can find it.

I would love nothing more than to see the tips and systems I have used help others to achieve their dreams and goals. So read through these pages, take what fits your current situation and implement it. Stop and evaluate every once in a while what works and what doesn't. Ditch those methods that no longer serve you, and start using new ones. 

The keyword is planning. Careful planning. And I hope you succeed in your personal time management plans and achieve your goals using these tips. 

I wish you good luck on your path towards your dreams!

- Leena