Organized For Life
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Tuesday Time Tips August
31, 2010: Listen to yourself. Do you really “not have time” to do that? (denotes
scarcity) Or, have you simply “chosen to spend your time” differently? (denotes abundance) The way you spend your
time is a reflection of your goals and priorities. Do you need to re-examine your goals and priorities? August 24, 2010: Recharge your batteries. Rest, relax, re-create. If you don't
do this on a regular (at least weekly) basis you won't have the energy you need to be your most effective and productive.
Plus, you might get some great ideas popping into your mind while it is relaxed! August
17, 2010: Give up perfectionism. It takes as much time (or more!) to put the final touches on something to make
it perfect as it took to do it in the first place. Good enough really is...most of the time...good enough. "Perfect"
is the enemy of "done". Plus, perfect is impossible. Move on to the next project and get that one done too! August 10, 2010: Establish a home Launch Pad/Landing Strip. This is where you
and your family can routinely put your purse, sunglasses, keys, backpacks and such when you enter the home. Also, where you
gather things like library books and purchases that need to be returned. When it's time to leave the home, everything
you need is right there; you don't need to waste time and energy looking for them. August
3, 2010: Use templates. If you find yourself writing the same email or letter over and over, create a template
for it and save it in your drafts folder. This is especially handy in business, but also for organizations. Examples: Replies
to inquiries about your services. Information for new clients. Book club reminders. July
27, 2010: Schedule regular time for activities that are important to you, but not urgent. It won’t hurt
anything if you don’t sit down to write today, or exercise, but if you don’t do them each on a regular basis,
you will never finish that novel (or quilt, or fill-in-the-blank), or get into shape. July 20, 2010: Set office hours for yourself. If you work out of your home office, it's
easy to work at odd hours. It's also stressful to think about the work that's in there yet to be done. Setting
office hours will help you fully focus on the tasks at hand when you are "at work", and when you are "at
home" you can truly relax. July
13, 2010: Create an "Action File". Sort your mail into a 6" deep, vertical, open, table-top
file as soon as you enter the house with it. Some suggested categories: To Pay, To Call, To File. Have a trash
and/or recycle bin and shredder handy. This way, you won't waste time and energy hunting for important papers lost in a "mystery
pile". June 29, 2010: Overcome "analysis
paralysis". This is just a form of procrastination. How? Set deadlines for completion and key decisions. Determine
what is essential now, and what could be done later. Get help if you need it, and buy-in from key people. Think, "What's
the worst that could happen?" if you proceed less than 100% confident. Too much planning
can be just as detrimental to a project as too little. June
22, 2010: Hide apps for a cleaner Facebook news feed. Don't care about your friends' farms, hearts, and
horoscopes? There's no need to wade through all that. Just "hide" them! I've hidden 34 apps so
far. It only takes a second. Clears the clutter, saves time, and makes it easier to see the status updates I'm
interested in. You can also "hide" people, of course, but why have "friends"
you have to hide? June 15, 2010: Create your
own checklists. They are great for activities that involve multiple tasks or parts. Why try to remember it all? We've
all seen checklists for grocery shopping and packing for a trip. Why not create one for getting your family out the door in
the morning? Or for that task you only do once a month and you always forget that one step of the process? Here are a few
to get you started: http://smead.com/Director.asp?NodeID=1738 June 8. 2010: Budget
your time. Time is like money. If you don't think about how you are spending it, you will run out of time/money. Step
1: Figure out where your time/money is going. Step 2: Determine (or re-visit) your priorities and goals in life. Step 3: Budget
your time/money accordingly. If someone asks you to do something that does not fit within your time/money budget, just say
no! May
25, 2010: Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals. If you fail to plan, you might as well plan to fail. Don't waste
your time on a project that is not clearly defined. S.M.A.R.T. Goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant,
and Time-Specific. Click here to download your copy of my article "How To Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals". May 18, 2010: Take care
of yourself. Seriously. If you don't schedule enough time to sleep, eat well, exercise, and relax, you are
NOT going to be productive and successful at reaching your other goals, much less live a happy, balanced life. You can't
take good care of your family, or your business, if you don't take good care of yourself too. May 11, 2010: Purge your
To-Do list. It's OK not to do everything on it! Review your tasks with these 3 "D's" in mind: DO IT (if
it's been on your list for awhile maybe it's because you haven't actually scheduled time for it); DELEGATE IT to someone who
can do it faster, easier, better (or well enough); or DUMP IT (things change; priorities shift). May 4, 2010: Just say No.
It might take some practice, but if it doesn't support your priorities and goals, just say No. You don't have to say
Why. If you do, they'll just try to help you resolve your conflict so you can say Yes. Make sure you've scheduled
time for yourself (fitness, relaxation, family, busines and personal growth...), then you can honestly say, "No, I have
another commitment." April
27, 2010: Do a little every day. This applies to just about anything in your life that is "important but
not urgent" -- exercising, developing your business, learning a new skill, nurturing a relationship, controlling clutter,
etc. Doing a little every day builds momentum, so that it becomes a habit and easier to do than to not do. April 20, 2010:
Control your computer time. Here are two great, free tools: 1) Online-stopwatch.com tells you when time's up.
Set it to count down 10 minutes of playing that game you like, or when you have 20 minutes left before you need to leave the
house or go to bed. Make sure your sound is turned up! 2) Rescuetime.com tracks
your usage by category and sends you a weekly report. Easy and eye-opening! April 13, 2010: Slow down! Remember this formula
for stress: Disorganization + Speed = Chaos. Even (especially?) if you're organized, slow down. Breathe deeply.
Avoid multi-tasking. Be fully present in the task or conversation at hand. Leave early and drive the speed limit.
Choose only five things from your master list to do
today. How else will you have time to stop and smell the roses? April 6, 2010: Get organized
for life! How much time do you waste everyday looking for things that are lost in a pile of clutter? Can't
find your keys? sunglasses? that overdue bill? How much longer does it take you to clean your house/office/studio/car
because you have to rearrange the piles? Do you have a routine for getting yourself
and/or your kids ready and out the door in the morning? March 30, 2010: Finish something. Do you have half-finished
projects lying around? How important are they still? Think of half-read books, half-written articles, half-knitted
hats... Pick one that is close to being finished (and is still important) and FINISH IT! Feel the satisfaction
of a job well done. Give yourself permission to ditch projects that are no longer relevant
to your life. March 23, 2010: Don't swallow the river. Huh? I don't usually think of Martha Beck
(Oprah's Life Coach) for time management tips, but I loved her concept of "kayaking" and wanted to share this article
with you, particularly the Intro and Paddling Skill #1: Don't Swallow the River. What do you think? http://bit.ly/dtwCuT March
16, 2010: Facebook Fan suggestion for coping with seasonal time changes: "The week BEFORE DST starts, beginning
on Monday, set your alarm for 10 mins earlier than usual. Then, set it 10 mins earlier each subsequent day of the week; by
Friday, you're getting up an hour earlier!" Thanks, Martha -- I'll try it next year! March 9, 2010: Turn off "you have mail" notifications.
Visible and audible signals are sometimes too tempting to ignore. Some interruptions are unavoidable, but every time you ALLOW
yourself to be interrupted you lose time re-focusing on the task at hand. Check email at specified times of day, not all day
long. March
2, 2010: Underpromise and overdeliver. Example: I used to tell new clients that I would send their
Action Plan to them the next day. And sometimes I would have to ask for extra time. Now I tell them I will need
3 or 4 days (depending on what else is going on). If I can get it done in 1 or 2 days, then so much the better! February 23, 2010: Schedule
time for yourself. Make actual appointments on your calendar to exercise, get a massage, enjoy a hobby, read
a book... if you don't take care of yourself, who will? It's like on the airplane when they tell you to put the oxygen
mask on yourself first, before anyone else. Otherwise you won't be ABLE to help anyone else. February 16, 2010: Hire
an expert to help you. How long does it take you to do the things you hate, or aren't very good at? How much
is your time worth? Sometimes it's worth every penny to have someone else clean your house, do your bookkeeping,
or help you organize. What services do you already pay for that you find invaluable? January 26, 2010:
Avoid multitasking. If you are doing two things at once, how well are you really doing either one? Worst
common example of multitasking? Texting while driving increases your chances of an accident 8X over non-distracted driving.
Even just talking on the phone with a hands-free device increases your chances of an accident
4X, same as drinking and driving! DON'T TEMPT F8, THAT TEXT CAN W8 January 19, 2010: Take advantage
of my New Year Jump-Start Special Offer by scheduling a Time Management Consultation & a month of Coaching
calls for 25% off! Click here for details: http://org4life.com/id5.html January
12, 2010: Do the hardest, or most important, thing first. Finish that report. Make that
call you've been avoiding. Pay that bill. Spend some time on that project that if you worked on it a bit
everyday it would give you great satisfaction to have completed. Everything else will seem easy all day after that. January 5, 2010: Try
Planner Pad. Click here to see why it's different: https://plannerpads.com/. Only $7 to try if you buy one that started last quarter on
closeout! I like the Executive Size Loose Leaf version and use an ordinary 3-ring binder. Personal Size
is easier to carry with you. Comes with a great 20 min. instructional CD. December 29, 2009: Pick one calendar/agenda/datebook and use
it! It doesn't matter whether it's electronic or paper. It's your choice. Just don't try to remember
everything -- write it down! And don't use different calendars for work and personal. It's too confusing! December 22, 2009: Schedule breaks between
activities. If you are busy every minute of every day, you won't get more done, you will just get stressed out!
Give yourself some breathing room, time to literally take a few deep breaths, have a cup of tea, celebrate what you have just
accomplished, or prepare yourself for what is coming next. Also, a cushion of time will
come in handy if something goes wrong. December 15, 2009: Leave early for appointments. If you allow 20 minutes (or less)
for a 20 minute commute, you will worry the whole time, and possibly drive unsafely, and probably arrive late. Who needs that
kind of stress? Why not leave 60 minutes early? Use the extra time to read a book, write a thank you card, make
a phone call, meditate, or plan your week. Arrive at your destination relaxed and ready to go! December 8, 2009: Get Back on Track. If your
routine is disrupted, be it exercise, eating healthy, clutter control, or getting stuff done, don't beat yourself up over
it. And whatever you do don't give up altogether! If it was working for you before, just start again as soon as
you can. And as many times as it takes. December
1, 2009: Apply the 90 Second Rule. If something needs to be done, and it will only take 90 seconds (+ or
-), DO IT NOW! Examples: Clear the dirty dishes after a meal, sort mail into your Action File as soon as you bring it into
the house, make that phone call now instead of putting it off, change the burned out light
bulb when you first notice it, stop for gas now instead of later. November 24, 2009: Make a Not-To-Do List. That's right, NOT to do. Examples: certain
time wasters; things others want you to do, but that don't support your own priorities, goals, or values; things you think
you "should" do; things that are not important or urgent; tasks you can delegate. November 17, 2009: Use an analog clock. If you tend to lose track of time,
and you are using a digital clock or watch, try switching to an old-fashioned analog clock. Place it prominently (on the wall
next to your computer?) and it will provide a strong visual reminder of the passage of time. November 10, 2009: Pick 5 things a day. Review your Master
To-Do list and pick 5 things you want to accomplish today, including appointments. If you finish them, great!
You can pick another one if you have time and energy to spare. But if you always have 20 things on your daily list
you will never feel caught up. November
3, 2009: Make a Checklist. Are there things you do on a regular basis, but you sometimes forget one
of them? Why try to remember everything? Examples: Morning Routine (great for kids), Weekly (e.g. refill birdfeeders),
Monthly (e.g. clean furnace filter), Annual (e.g. medical exams). Just makes things easier. Save originals and
make copies as needed. October 27, 2009: Break projects
down into smaller tasks. Instead of putting Write Great American Novel on your To-Do List, schedule time on your
calendar for an hour a day of actual writing time. Instead of Send Birthday Gift, recognize that you need
to Buy Gift, Wrap Gift, Find Address (It's here somewhere!), and Go to Post Office. The good news is, you don't have
to do it all in one day! October 20, 2009: Set
an alarm. Unstructured downtime can be very relaxing and therapeutic, unless you are chronically tired, or late,
or unproductive as a result. Decide how much time you want to spend on your favorite "time waster" before you need to do the next thing (go to sleep, prepare to leave the house, return to work). Your
timer must be handy, easy to use, and the alarm loud enough to get your attention. October 13, 2009: Write
it down! Keep a notepad handy for capturing stray thoughts while you are trying to focus on the activity at
hand. You may be working, or just trying to relax with your family. This will ensure you won't forget all those other tasks
and issues floating around in your head, and will free (de-clutter) your mind, allowing you to "be present with",
and fully enjoy, your current chosen activity October
6, 2009: Schedule your To-Do's. It's great to have a list of tasks,
but when are you going to do them? Tasks stand a better chance of getting done if you put them on your calendar. |
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