Time Management Tips

Each New Year millions of Americans make resolutions to change things about their lives.  They may want to lose weight, use their time more wisely, conquer clutter in their homes, or take time to learn a new skill.

I’m going to share a little secret: In order to accomplish your New Year’s resolution(s), you need to make time to get it done. Yep, that’s it – you need to manage your time.

But time management is never an easy task, especially if you’ve never been the type to make the most of your time. However, there are a lot of ways for you to start up and slowly integrate your whole system into practicing effective Time management methods.

I’m going to be blunt. When trying to manage your time all you need is common sense and discipline.

Before you go and start making a list of things you need to do, you have to realize that the list will never work if you won’t back it up with discipline. When talking about discipline here, it means you have to know your own priorities as well to guide you in abiding with the rules that you have set for yourself.

Now, having said that…

Tips To Successfully Utilize Your Time

1. List a set of things to do for the day – This is the traditional way to proper time management. Make a list of things you have to do for the day to keep you informed on what to do for the day. The list will help you to avoid distractions if any should arise during the day.

It is recommended to create a flexible “to do list”; having a flexible list allows you to fit unexpected events and occasions (only important ones) without destroying the whole list.

2. Set some things to do for the day as top priority. – The idea of setting hierarchies among your list of priorities is that those on top of the list are what you need to attend to first. It also helps you to finish on time when you use it in conjunction with your “to-do” list and daily timetable.

3. Learn how to say “NO” – When offered to do something, most people have trouble refusing. Hence, they are confronted with more tasks than they can manage. This is more important when it comes to tasks that are less important, such as watching a movie or going to a football game. You have to remember that once you have completed your pending tasks, you will have time to enjoy yourself.

4. Concentrate on one thing at a time. – Some people try to do all things at the same time. This happens because people need to do a lot of things but they do not have the luxury of time. Proper time management allows you to concentrate on one task at a time. When you feel that this task is more urgent than the other, then you must first focus on that task before moving on to the next most important task.

When you concentrate only on one task, the time needed to finish the job will significantly lessen giving you more spare time.

5. Continually look at ways of freeing up your time – It is important to try to free your schedule up. Looking for ways to free up your schedule improves the time spent on finishing up your activities. Remember that if you save a few minutes from each activity, and then you sum them all up, you’d realize that you have saved a lot of time.

In addition, examine your old habits and look for ways to change them. – When you learn that your habits are not conducive to proper time management, then it’s about time that you start changing them. Bad habits are usually hard to change but when you’re able to overcome it, the results are rewarding – Free Time!

I have lots more tips for managing your time, but here’s a start.

PS: If you’re struggling with your time management, I have an easy to read and easy to implement how-to-guide on time management just for busy moms. Check it out – it can help you!

My New Calendar

I bought my new calendar this week. Yes, it’s based on the academic year running from July 2009 through December 2010. I purchased it at Staples, using a coupon from the weekly sales circular ($5 off purchase of $20 or more) so it was only $6.99. I get the same calendar each year.

Here’s My Calendar and How I Use It

First of all, let me just say that I’m giddy that it’s pink! It matches my phone – LOL, I’m such a girl!

But seriously, it’s just the right size to fit in my purse (6″ x 9″) so I always have it with me. It fits any necessary papers that I need to carry with me, folded in half.

It has a monthly view for each month. This is where I record all family appointments and activities. I use the notes section on the side for reminders like ‘purchase gift for Bobby’ or ’schedule Dr Taylor’.

The weekly view pages are directly behind that month’s monthly view. I use the weekly view for my business needs. I schedule appointments, maintain my editorial calendar, and note important to-d0s.

A few tricks I have for using this calendar:

• There are pages at the back of the calendar to store important numbers I need at any given time, such as the pediatrician, AAA and the vet. Even though these numbers are stored in my cell phone, you never know when it’s out of juice. I like to be prepared.
• I keep a small 4″ x 6″ notepad right behind the front cover – you never know when you need to take note of a website, directions or even an idea for a blog post.
• I use a small binder clip to hold the front pages together so that I can turn to the current month easily.
• I ‘dog eared’ the time zone reference page so I can turn to that quickly (I’m geographically challenged and can never remember what states are in which time zones)
• The only information I fill-in on the ‘Personal Information’ page is my name, email address and cell phone number. Nothing else – because if I do happen to leave it somewhere I don’t want ALL my personal information revealed.

You may be wondering why I don’t use ‘planner’. I just don’t need one and they are a little too complicated. I have a household binder (I call my Standard Operating Procedures or SOP) and a business binder (also called SOP) that contains all information I need. But that information is not necessary to carry with me everywhere on a daily basis. If I do need to take something with me, I bring just that. There is no reason to carry my cleaning schedule with me to the pediatrician.

When I was a working girl, meaning I worked outside of my home, I did carry a planner with me. I had lots of information that I needed on a regular basis that was included in the planner. But instead of purchasing refills each year, I used one of these calendars. I used it the same way too: family appointments/activities on the monthly view; business on the weekly view. It’s small enough to fit in the planner, plus I saved money by not having to purchase the refills. I did occasionally purchase note-page refills, but they were the Staples brand.

Another question you may be asking is where is your daily action plan (aka: to do list)? That’s easy! I write my daily action plan on a 4″x6″ lined sticky note. I make my plan each night and stick it on the weekly page I’m currently on. This keeps my list handy and in place. Plus, because it’s only so-many lines, I keep my list manageable and never overwhelm myself.

So there you have it – my calendar. How I use it and why I love it. If you have any questions about my calendar or about time management in general, please leave a comment. Or you could send me an email (link is in my side bar) or call me at 888-345-7181. You never know – your comment or question could be a future topic on my blog or podcast!

Also, just a little linkie love – I did an interview with Marie from the Mommy Community Podcast. Take a listen!

Clean House Using The Focus Formula

It’s a common occurrence – life happens and we get behind in our housekeeping. Or you have company coming this weekend and the house is a mess. How do you make your home presentable? There is no magic trick – you just gotta clean it up with good old fashioned elbow grease.

So how can you clean up the house without exhausting yourself? By using a timer and the focus formula. It’s simple – 45/15. You work for 45 minutes, then take a break for 15 minutes.

The idea is to totally focus your energy and attention to a project 45 minutes. Then when the timer goes off, stop for a break for 15 minutes.

It’s been taught by several internet marketing gurus, including Jimmy D Brown, for focusing on business. The idea is to ignore the phone, close your email, twitter and anything else that might be a distraction, and totally focus on the task at hand. Then when the 45 minutes is up, you can check your email, return a phone call or (my favorite) log-on to Twitter.

This formula can be applied to your home cleaning. Just set your timer and tackle a room. It’s especially helpful when you are short on time or have a deadline to meet (like the in-laws coming over for dinner tomorrow). It’s amazing how much you can accomplish when you have complete, total focus on what you are doing. And you’ll be surprised how quickly the time goes.

And while you may not look forward to cleaning, you can look forward to the breaks using the formula!

Time Management Tips (Friday Faves)

I’m always on the look-out for new ways to work on my time management. Honestly, I’m terrible at it – always have been. I am so easily distracted and quickly loose track of time.

But I know that I don’t manage my time well – and knowing is half the battle!

I consciously work on it on a daily basis. I plan my day each morning so I can effectively use the time that I have. And I use a timer – A LOT. From keeping track of the washing machine, to how much time I spend checking emails, I always have my timer attached to my hip. Literally – I have a digital timer that has a clip on the back so I walk around all day long with it clipped to my pants.

Here are some links I found this week in my Google reader that I’d like to share to maybe spark an idea on how you can better manage your time.

Stacks & Stacks has a great post about the ultimate time management tool for adults with ADD

Melissa shared her thoughts on battling time wasters

TwiTip shares how to avoid making Twitter a time waster

And finally, Aurelia gives us some fantastic information on how to find more mom time!

Do you have a favorite time management tip? Please share in the comments – include a link to your own blog if you’ve posted about this before!

Organize Your Day – Plan the Night Before

It’s a pretty good chance that at one point or another you’ve forgotten an appointment, arrived at the wrong time, or even on the wrong day.  You may have thought, right then and there, that you needed to organize your day by planning the night before.

Why do you want to organize your day by planning it the night before?

There are several reasons for doing so:  you’ll have a better idea of what to expect during the day, you can be proactive rather than reactive when something comes up, and knowing what to expect ahead of time will actually allow you to sleep better.

One way to know what’s ahead is to have a large, central calendar that everyone in the family can put their appointments on.  I have a calendar hanging in my kitchen command center, and both hubby and I depend on it! You can color-code the calendar by assigning each member a color and writing their appointments in that so they can easily see what they have coming up. When anyone in the family has something to add to the calendar, write it on there immediately.  This will also allow you to see what everyone in the family is scheduled for and lets you know if something has to be passed on because of a conflict.

Besides having a large, central calendar, you may also like to keep a smaller copy with you so you know when your family busy and when they are free.  This will help you plan future appointments when you’re at the doctor’s office or just out and about.  The key is to keep your small calendar up to date with any additions that are made.

After your day is over, take a few minutes to look at your calendar and any notes you took while at work.  If you can, do like activities at the same time in scheduled blocks.  This will keep you focused and help you to not forget to do something important.  Returning telephone calls, answering emails, and running errands can all be done in blocks of time so you’re not jumping from one activity to another.

Don’t schedule every moment of your day.

Leave room in your schedule for last minute interruptions, changes, or emergencies.  If you have an appointment during the day, don’t forget to include the time it takes for you to travel to and from your appointment when scheduling your day.  And ALWAYS leave room for toddler-tantrums, lost shoes and potty breaks! You also want to leave some time to spend on yourself each day or at least once a week.

Finally, don’t kick yourself if you don’t accomplish everything you want to each day.  Having your day planned makes it more likely you’ll be productive than if you hadn’t planned your day at all.  You can organize your day by planning the night before in just a little bit of time, and the benefits will definitely be worth it.

Make Your Morning Run Smoothly

If you have children you’re probably used to hearing someone ask “Mom, where’s my homework?”, “Mom, have you seen my new shoes?” and so on. No matter how often you tell your family to put their things back when they’re done with them, it seems they still end up missing.

Make your morning run smoothly by having a morning routine for yourself and for your family.

Actually, you can start your morning routine the night before. Set out your clothes before going to bed and you’ll be that much closer to being ready in the morning. Find any accessories you need and make sure your clothes are ready to wear including knowing where both shoes are. In the morning, you can get up without having to try to figure out what to wear. You can take your time showering because you have part of your morning tasks done. Go ahead and have a leisurely breakfast; your routine helps make your morning run smoothly.

Having a meal plan will help make your day run smoother by knowing ahead of time what you’ll be eating. After you have dressed and eaten breakfast, start making your children’s lunches. Check your meal plan for dinner and see if there’s anything you need to take out of the freezer for dinner. Perhaps you can put part of your meal into the crock pot so you’ll have dinner at least started for the evening.

Start a load of laundry if you have time. When you get home in the evening, put the laundry in the dryer and you’ll have less to do on the weekend.

Do you have a family calendar? Are there appointments you need to be aware for the day? Does your child have band or sports practice? Will you need to pick them up? Looking over your calendar before leaving each morning will help you be prepared for what each day holds.

Each day when you return home, put your keys in your purse and your purse in the same place. This one act can you save a lot of time because you won’t be searching for lost keys. The same thing goes for the kid’s back-packs, sneakers and paperwork. Take some time to create a command center so you will always know where to find things.

The old saying says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach yourself and maybe your family some. If you create your own morning routine, your day will run smoother. Perhaps watching how easy your morning is will make the rest of your family decide to create their own morning routines, too.

Is The Computer Distracting You

I received this funny poem today in my email.

My Cleaning Poem

I asked the Lord to tell me
Why my house is such a mess.
He asked if I’d been ‘computering’,
And I had to answer ‘yes.’

He told me to get off my fanny
And tidy up the house.
And so I started cleaning up…
The smudges off my mouse.

I wiped and shined the topside.
That really did the trick….
I was just admiring my work…
I didn’t mean to ‘click.’

But click, I did, and oops I found
A real absorbing site.
That I got SO way into.
I was into it all night.

Nothing’s changed except my mouse
It’s very, very shiny.
I guess my house will stay a mess…
While I sit here on my hiney!!

Clever poem. It got me thinking…

Does your computer distract you? Do you waste time surfing and computing?

I used to get sucked into the cyber-time-warp myself. I’d waste hours surfing and clicking. And I’d ignore the chores that needed to be done. And worse – I’d deprive myself of sleep.

But then I started using a timer to manage the time I spend on the computer. Each time I get on to surf, I decide how much time I can spend computering and set the timer. When the bell goes off, I’m done sufing, and it’s back to my to-do list.

Give a timer a try the next time you sit at your computer to surf. Decide how much time you have to surf before hand. And stick to it – when the bell goes off it’s time to log-off!

Ask The Household Helper

I received lots of great questions when I did the Wal-Mart gift card giveaway. Now, I’m answering!

The first question is from Renee, and may other moms have asked this! “How do you balance working from home, life and the tasks of the home management senerio?” There are a few things that I do in order to balance everything.

First and foremost I plan ahead. Each week I know what I’m doing each day, where we’re going and what we’re eating. And I literally post this on the fridge so everyone knows what is going on. I even pre-plan what my business tasks will be each day.

I have routines. I follow the same pattern each day. And each day I have time for home chores, time for working, and time for family and I do these around the same time every day. My routine has evolved and changed along with my son as he has grown, so I’ve been able to fit time for work and housekeeping around his schedule.

One thing that has helped me balance tremendously is to keep my family involved with home chores. My son cleans with me, cooks with me, does laundry with me. He is learning skills that will help him for the rest of his life. Plus, he loves being a ‘big boy’ helping mommy!

Another way I’ve been able to balance everything is by asking for help! Literally one day I sat dear hubby down and said to him “if I’m going to be able to work from home and raise our son at the same time, I need your help”. And guess what – it worked! Hubby has taken on responsibility of certain home chores.

So to summarize: plan ahead, follow a routine and ask for help.

There were a few more questions just like Renee’s, so I’m going to stick to this topic for a few days and will provide some specific ideas, resources and samples for you!

New Free Service To Help Stay Organized and Save Money

Alerts.com is a free online service that helps users create and manage customized alerts all in one place.

Whether it’s news, the weather, traffic, birthday or event reminders, price notifications or the latest scores of from a favorite team, users can select from a wide-range of relevant information and receive it on their terms.

“Consumers are inundated with vast amounts of information and often have a difficult time sorting through what is relevant, important or urgent to their everyday needs,” said Alerts.com co-founder and chief executive officer, Pascal Stolz. “Alerts.com is a user-friendly service that helps users aggregate what they want from one secure source.”

For example, an Alerts.com subscriber can elect to receive a “gas price” alert at the time and day they want it delivered, and how they want to receive it (e-mail, voice or SMS/text message). Then they can be directed to a location nearest them with the lowest gas prices.

INRIX and Jobster join PR Newswire as the first partners to provide relevant and personalized alerts through Alerts.com.  INRIX supplies Alerts.com users with daily gas price and up-to-the-minute traffic updates and Jobster notifies Alerts.com users when new jobs matching customizable criteria are posted on the Web.

”Today’s consumers are increasingly interested in getting relevant and personalized information at their fingertips.  INRIX’s real-time traffic information and fuel prices save them time and money by finding the nearest and most cost-effective service station, while avoiding frustrating and stressful traffic,” said INRIX CEO, Bryan Mistele.  “We’re excited to partner with Alerts.com in bringing these services to consumers all over the country.”

Please visit Alerts.com for additional information on Alerts.com.

Practice What I Preach: Routines

While coaching, I’ve told people time and time again to make routines flexible to accommodate the family’s schedules and needs. What is the point trying to do your full house cleaning on the day the kids have 3 activities they need to be at – and you are their taxi driver?

Well I’ve finally evaluated my routines, for work and for home. Even when hubby got his promotion that required a shift change, I didn’t make any changes. His work schedule is now Tuesday through Saturday, so our weekends are now Sunday and Monday.

But I was still trying to work on Sundays. I was still frantically trying to get things done like pre-posting blog posts and publishing my talk show. It’s just not working! No matter how much work there is to do, family must come first.

So I’ve evaluated and re-configured my routines to work for us. I will not work on Sundays – it is our day for family time. I may jump on the computer occasionally to check email and catch-up with my friends on Twitter, but that’s it. And I will only do ’some’ work on Monday nights after my boys go to bed.

Having said all of that, the major change that you will see is the day I post the newest episode of the Talk Show. I will now be working on this Monday nights, to post for your listening pleasure Tuesday mornings. Otherwise you will not notice a difference. That is the point of having a routine specifically for my work tasks: customer expectations and service will remain the same – if not better!

To find out more information on balancing your home and your home-business, check out Organized WAHM. Lots of information and inspiration for the work-at-home-mom!

Learn To Say “No” And Ask For Help

Many women take on too much.  This is usually because they are afraid to say “no” when someone asks them to do something.  They may feel afraid of hurting someone else’s feelings or think the person will be mad at them.

When women do tell people “no,” they often feel guilty. Here are some ways to start saying “no” without feeling guilty about it:

* If your child’s teacher asks you to organize the school bake sale, tell them you would love to, but your schedule is full.  You don’t need to give any further explanation.

* If Mondays are the day you and your family have game night, and your boss asks you to work late that night, simply say “I have another commitment.” Your boss doesn’t need to know that you’re playing Candyland with your three year old.

* If you’re working on something and your child wants you to run them across town and drop them off at the movies, it is okay to say “no.” Your child probably has plenty of video games and DVDs to keep them occupied.

* It is okay to turn off the computer, turn off your cell phone and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

* You are not the only one in your household who is responsible for getting things done. If you are a two-parent household, let your spouse or significant other help out with some things. Your children can also take on some age-appropriate chores.
* Don’t feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness. Everyone needs help from time to time.  When your family or friends let you know that they need help with something, you are probably the first to volunteer.  Let someone help you for a change.  They will more than likely be very happy to lend a hand.

How To Avoid Time Traps

We face many different time traps each day.  It can be easy, and sometimes a lot of fun, to fall into these traps and waste time.  However, that isn’t the most proactive way to spend your day.  Here are some tips on avoiding these time traps:

* Getting your kids ready for school in the morning can be hectic.  To help speed things up, try to get the majority of work done at night. Lay out the kids clothes, make sure their homework is done, and hang their backpacks by the door.  You can also make lunches the night before to control the morning mayhem!

* When it comes to surfing the net or checking email, limit yourself to fifteen minutes.  You will be able to find the information you are looking for or respond to your important emails.  During the day, I literally set a timer for 15 minutes – when it rings, I move on to the next item on my to do list. I save projects that require uninterrupted periods of time for after the little man is in bed.

* Thanks to technology such as DVRs and Tivo, we no longer have to set our schedules around our favorite shows.  Simply record the shows you would like to watch throughout the week and watch them when you have time.  The bonus is that you get to fast forward through all the commercials. Also, instead of driving to the video store to rent movies, sign up for an online rental service such as Netflix.

* If you have a doctor’s appointment, call about a half hour before leaving to make sure the doctor is running on time.  The nurse may tell you upfront that the appointments are running a half hour late.  You can use this half hour to do something more productive than sitting in your doctor’s waiting room. And really, this can go for any appointment you have set – make a quick call before leaving the house.

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