I've divided my tips into two sections - 5 ways to manage your time and 5 ways to take back your time. Both offer daily or regular practices to try out in your life right now.
The first section focuses more on easing the time pressures in your life, to deal with all of the things you've gotten yourself into ;)
The second section focuses on making overall changes to your life. When you take back your time you also take back your CHOICE. When we're feeling time pressured and stressed out it's easy to forget that we have any say in the matter. And we do!
5 WAYS TO MANAGE YOUR TIME
1. Choose specific times to look at email during the day - seeing emails as they come in can really distract you from what you're trying to accomplish and you'll end up losing time as you go back and forth between activities.
2. The 15-minute strategy. This not only helps motivate you by breaking down large jobs into smaller pieces, it also makes good use of your time. The strategy is to spend 15-minutes on a task and then move on the next. You can come back to the first one as many times as you need to until it's done.
3. Find a system that works for you for making and meeting deadlines and appointments - a calendar or day-timer. I use a Palm Pilot and have been really happy with it.
4. Plan and cook meals ahead of time. A huge time-saver and also makes it much easier to eat healthier. It could be as simple as cooking an extra portion of dinner and having it for lunch the next day, or you could plan out seven days at a time (which is what I do).
5. Keep up with things - whether it's tidying up your papers, doing the dishes or working on a report, doing things a bit at a time (see tip #2) instead of letting them pile up to the point of taking you all day, is much more manageable.
5 WAYS TO TAKE BACK YOUR TIME
1. Set and keep your boundaries - if you work for someone else, be clear about over-time and taking work home with you. If you work for yourself, establish the times of day that are no-work zones; good places to start are breaks for meals and deciding when you will start and stop work for the day.
2. Make one day a week "timeless" ? rise and shine when you feel like it, eat when you're hungry and let your inner child (or your actual child!) plan your day's activities. Warning: This may conflict with the tip below ;)
3. Cut your t.v. time - try limiting it to one hour per day. Or try cutting it out completely for one week.
4. Buddy up and find someone to take back time with. Whether it's your spouse, best friend, family member or work colleague, if you're both committed you won't let each other bow out.
5. Take your holidays! Whether you're self-employed or work for someone else it's important to take time off to rejuvenate. You will be more productive for it in the long run.
Where do you need to take back time in your life? Where do you need to manage your time better?
(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.
Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, is the author of "The Everyday Self-Care Workbook". To receive one of her free monthly newsletters, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/newsletter.html
move in cleaning service Glencoe ..Many of the clients I work with in success coaching... Read More
Everyday, in life, we are bombarded with 101 tasks that... Read More
At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More
How many people do you know who are so busy... Read More
We live in a world where more is expected of... Read More
"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More
Do you manage your time or does your time manage... Read More
Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More
Everyday life can present us with opportunities to make us... Read More
Last week I had the privilege of spending some quality... Read More
A year and a half ago I was introduced to... Read More
As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More
A simple kitchen gadget is transforming my life. I don't... Read More
Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More
Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase... Read More
It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More
I'm sure we've all had the experience of having a... Read More
Q. I have several projects going at once -- but... Read More
Letters, magazines, bills, flyers, what to do with them all.... Read More
As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come... Read More
Many of us spend long hours at our desk. To... Read More
To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of... Read More
People always seem to be in such a hurry, everywhere... Read More
"Slaves to the clock" was the cover story in the... Read More
Reflect on the rewards of kicking the procrastination habit. They... Read More
disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..One of the biggest problems most people have when it... Read More
Do you manage your time or does your time manage... Read More
"Can you find four extra hours in your day?" a... Read More
1. Do tasks less frequentlyClean house every 10 days rather... Read More
I give presentations on organizational skill building as it relates... Read More
I have a habit of sending a thank you letter... Read More
A common remedy for improving your time management is to... Read More
I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More
Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of... Read More
Let's look at your time management skills. Most of us... Read More
There are times, when I am driving in my car... Read More
This may not sound like a big deal. But it's... Read More
Most of us have a to-do list ? some of... Read More
It's easy to waste time on things that seem urgent... Read More
"The bad news is time flies. The good news is... Read More
There is an old way of goal setting and a... Read More
Handle small emergencies fast: When a small emergency does pop... Read More
"Time management" is a myth. Time ticks by, whether you... Read More
Sometime ago, my lovely wife woke me up in the... Read More
Many of you have expressed the challenge of not having... Read More
How many people do you know who are so busy... Read More
It's amazing how many sayings there are in our culture... Read More
As I sit here in front of the computer... Read More
One of the most challenging situations people face when planning... Read More
As mothers we play so many different roles and most... Read More
Time Management |