Get-Real Timesaving Tips
By Perri Kersh
There are no great secrets to time management. We’re all given just 24 hours a day, and it’s up to us to make the most of them. The most important thing is to have a trusted system for managing your time and to know what truly works for you and your family. That system could be a calendar or planner, a daily or weekly task list, or a simple white board that allows you to communicate about upcoming events. Just find your system and stick to it!
If you find that you’re procrastinating, find a way to brighten the task to make it more do-able. Find a song that inspires you, or ask a friend to participate in the task to make it more fun, or put on an outfit that makes you feel like a rock star and see if that motivates you to tackle that dreaded task.
Rather than always focusing on a long list of to-dos, I think it’s helpful to occasionally create a "to-did" list of all the tasks you have accomplished. A "to-did" list will help you see how much you can realistically do on a given day, and will also keep you motivated when you’re working toward a goal.
Whenever possible use technology to save yourself time. For example, find out if your grocery store offers an online ordering service that lets you place your order on the Internet, manage your weekly shopping list and pick up your groceries at your convenience. You don’t even have to get the kids out of the car!
Plan your activities each and every day by asking yourself 'What is the most important thing I can do today to move myself closer to my goals?' Then tackle the most important thing first so you’ll start your day right.
Make the most of your time: establish a Do-Not-Disturb hour every day. Let your family and co-workers know that this is your hour for productivity and ask them to honor that hour. Then remember to honor it yourself by turning off your phone and your e-mail alarm so you can stay focused and accomplish the task at hand.
If you’re living in a mess but the thought of getting organized completely overwhelms you, set a timer for just 10 minutes and dive in. Knowing that you won’t be spending all day working on an organizational project makes the project much more approachable. At the end of 10 minutes, walk away and come back tomorrow for another 10 minutes. At the end of the week you’ll be amazed at your progress.
On average, we waste 20 to 50 minutes each day looking for stuff (you know, keys, glasses, cell phones, PDAs, that little scrap of paper with an important phone number on it). Save yourself time by creating a place for everything -- and then don’t forget to use it. I dare you to do the math and see how much time you could save over the course of a year!
Learn more about Perri Kersh at www.neat-freak.com.
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