There is no such thing as time management. You cannot control time, throw it out, sell it, or give it away. You cannot stop time; it goes on forever and ever. So, what can you do?
You can manage yourself in relation to time. What does that mean? Understand your personal relationship to time. You can do this in two ways.
1. Know what organizing methods work for you- how do you best meet deadlines and manage to get things done?
2. Strive for balance
The first way you can manage yourself in relation to time is by understanding yourself and what organizing methods work for you. Believe it or not, there is a behavioral pattern called Chronic Disorganization. To find out if you are chronically disorganized, ask yourself these questions (Kohlberg):
? Has getting organized been a challenge for you most of your adult life?
? Does being disorganized negatively affect your quality of life in some way every day?
? Have you been unable to sustain organization?
Many of the organizing tips and tools you see in print and in office supply stores do not work for people. That is because they are written by traditional organizers for traditional people. If you are chronically disorganized, (ask yourself the 3 questions above or check out the National Study Group for Chronically Disorganized, nsgcd.org), accept and value your differences and move on to understanding what works best for you. There are professional organizers out there who are very familiar with chronic disorganization.
Time is one thing that is especially hard for the Chronically disorganized due to its abstract nature. One thing you can do is to "touch" time. For example, using post-it notes instead of linear to-do lists is helpful for some because you can give yourself a task and move it around on your calendar or from place to place. It is a way of making time more physical. Another way to "touch" time is to use landmarks around the room you want to organize.
Say you want to organize your office. You can put a bronze lion paperweight on top of a stack of memos from your boss reminding you that these memos are from "the king of the jungle". Or you can use real travel landmarks, such as a Yield sign, on top of projects you need to delegate. Or at home, write tasks you need to complete on post-it notes. Place them around the house onto the actual areas needing work. On the drawers, put a note, "empty out and wipe down." Alternatively, if you are an auditory learner, use a tape recorder to record tasks you need to complete.
Again, these atypical methods are suggested for anyone and especially for those who nothing has worked for before.
The second way for you to manage yourself in relation to time is to strive for balance.
Picture a table with several legs. If any of those legs are shorter than the other, the whole table is thrown off balance. So too, in your life, we all have several "legs" or vital categories we want and need to spend time on, namely: self, family, spirituality, education, financial, social, health. In applying the table analogy to time and life balancing, you do not need to spend an equal amount of time on each category, rather enough time on each one. Otherwise, everything gets thrown out of balance.
For example, a person pulls all-nighters for a work deadline. He/She becomes tired and crabby, upsetting the family, and comes down with a cold because of the jeopardized immune system. See how the whole "table" is thrown off?
It is important to make sure your daily, weekly, and monthly schedule reflect your vital categories in life. If you are spending lots of time on things that are not one of your table "legs", your tasks are not reflecting your life goals and priorities. No wonder you feel stressed and out of balance!
So, take a deep breath and assess your life as it is now. Are you spending your time on the areas you value most? If not, delete, delay, delegate and diminish these tasks. Always consider the 4 Ds.
By learning more about yourself; understanding what organizing methods work best for you and what your goals and priorities truly are- it is my hope that you will experience the meaning and balance in your life that you seek.
Rebekah Slatkin is a professional organizer dedicated to getting people organized through hands-on decluttering sessions, teleconferencing, coaching, and her website http://www.best-organizing-products-supers tore.com Visit http://www.best-organizing-products-supers tore.com and subscribe to Organewz, her ezine dedicated to organized living and get organizing tips and downloads- free.
limousine chicago serviceWhat does it mean to practice self care? It's creating... Read More
How often have you tried to manage your time in... Read More
Show me, O Lord, my life's end and the number... Read More
This past Friday I was asked to speak with a... Read More
Years ago when I started in this business, it seemed... Read More
"If you control your time, you control your life" -... Read More
Yesterday, I'd just gotten comfortable at my favorite table in... Read More
Time is money in your online business, just as in... Read More
"Because there will always be something more to do, we... Read More
Do you wish you could work less and play more?... Read More
If you operate any kind of home business, you must... Read More
Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More
There are so many books on Time Management published every... Read More
Do you have plenty to do, but don't have enough... Read More
Do your dishes really need to be dried, or could... Read More
PROCRASTINATION: You've known about it since high school or college,... Read More
"How do you DO it?!" If I had a dime... Read More
If you have ever missed an appointment, forgotten to pick... Read More
Are you a worrier? Do you frequently spend time and... Read More
The ability to be able to set priorities and deal... Read More
TIME MANAGEMENTWith the creation of the universe, God gave humankind... Read More
Most people want to start a home-based business to make... Read More
There are two types of time killers in everyone's life.... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
"Time is what we need the most and what we... Read More
street lights video holiday walkway lights Pete's produce ..When do you want to make time for a networking... Read More
Does choosing which time we do an activity really make... Read More
The ability to be able to set priorities and deal... Read More
The most powerful resource that we have is time. Everything... Read More
Time is inelastic. Despite what some of us persist in... Read More
In working with and coaching people across the country, one... Read More
Having a home based business can be overwhelming. When you... Read More
Time is wealth;Time is health; Time is power; Time is... Read More
As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come... Read More
At Home? Keep related items together, for example the coffee... Read More
Your productivity depends on good tools and effective environments, and... Read More
People always seem to be in such a hurry, everywhere... Read More
"It's just been one of those days?I can't seem to... Read More
When I sit down with a client to work on... Read More
Do you manage your time or does your time manage... Read More
"If you control your time, you control your life" -... Read More
"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow... Read More
I keep a fossil on my desk at all times.... Read More
Tring ? Tring the alarm rings?but did you fail to... Read More
Last week I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and... Read More
How do you eat two elephants? The same way you... Read More
Your time and energy are the two most precious gifts... Read More
Sounds too good to be true?It really isn't!In fact, studies... Read More
Time - it is the one thing that we are... Read More
I used to think video game addictions were a joke... Read More
Time Management Time Management |