What can I do to lighten my day,

eliminate stress AND get all of this done?

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The phrase “It’s all in the prep” addresses time management at its best. 

When you find yourself juggling too many things at once, it’s helpful to

categorize and sort through the details to prioritize and effectively keep

all of your important “to-do’s” manageable. 

 

Divide and Conquer the tasks at hand by illustrating what things can be

done quickly, others that are projected to take an estimated amount of

time as well as projects that need to be scheduled over a period of time. 

When you list various tasks out within 3 divided columns, it helps you to

realize  and remember what needs to be done, what things are priority

and how they all fit into your calendar. 

 

How much time do you really have to offer?

 

• Quickies are tasks that may take about 15 minutes and can be worked into your schedule as the day unfolds.  If you have an errand to run within a specific part of town, think of what other task you can group with that errand to maximize your time?  Try keeping a stubby sticky note with no more than five tasks listed to remind you of what needs to be done today.  Consider keeping a small clear bin to serve as an “Errand Catcher” on the floor of the front passenger side of your car to hold things that need to be returned to a store or brought back to a friend.  While you’re out, you can take care of that as well, knocking two things off of your list at once.  Planning extra time to absorb unexpected things that typically occur such as heavy traffic, waiting in line longer at the grocery store or getting stuck at an intersection waiting for a train to cross are things that can make you late if you don’t pad your time.

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• Do-able tasks can be scheduled in 1 – 2 hour blocks of time that may reoccur throughout the week or month.  Maybe every Wednesday evening works for you to sit down and review your bills and finances.  You may have a meeting that happens every 3rd Tuesday of each month.  During the fall, you’ll need to take the kids to soccer practice every Friday at 3 pm

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• Projects Over Time need to be scheduled over an extended period of time, usually with a deadline in mind.  These are tasks such as painting a room in your home, completing an assignment for work or getting the back yard cleaned up for a social event.  It helps to consider the details of each project by writing out the steps involved in order to estimate a realistic amount of time necessary to complete the task.  Obstacles that could result in the project taking longer will be reflected by what is already shown on the calendar.  Based on the priorities that already exist in your schedule, you’ll be able to determine when a good time would be for you to begin a long-term project.

 

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Put it on the calendar, whether it be online or handwritten.  Once the amount of time and priority of each task has been identified, you’ll have a better picture of what is realistic to plan for.  Have you overcommitted to too many things?  With everything going on, can you accomplish your goals within a typical 8 - 12 hour day and still have time to breathe and rejuvenate?  If not, you may need to put some things off and even reconsider saying “yes” to all of the things you’d like to do.  Also, can you identify tasks that can be delegated to someone other than yourself?

 

Taking care of you is a big part of proper time management.  Know your own limits, being aware of the different times of the day that you work best.  Are you more likely to get things done in the morning and prefer to quit around 3 pm, or, are you a night owl and excel in the afternoon?  Being true to yourself will help you to set realistic expectations within your schedule.  Blocking off time for you to relax, exercise, read a book and just breathe is important to balance your day and keep you healthy.  Experts agree that a good 8 hours of sleep is recommended to be able to present your best you.  Being good to yourself should be your first priority.

 

As a member of NAPO and NAPO-SFBA, I agree to follow a professional code of ethics.  An investment in hiring a professional organizer will help you to realize your goals and map out the details of how you can accomplish them.  When you plan for enough time to complete a given task at hand, you’ll be able to get it done comfortably and feel good about the outcome.

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