Marsha's Musings: Time Management Tips

I am on a quest to learn how to accomplish more and be more organized. As part of this quest, I took part in a web/phone conference put on by Marcia Francois of Take Charge Solutions. Here are some of her main points:

1. Make a choice about how you want to spend your time. You are in control of your time. When you say yes to one thing you are saying no to another. What's your time worth? If you do not work outside the home, then figure out what you time is worth on an hourly wage and then think about how you are spending it. Are you just wasting it?
2. Prioritize. 80% of your accomplishments are done from 20% of your effort. You will want to prioritize and choose your tasks wisely. Two tasks will be big important tasks and the rest will be busy work.
3. Learn to say no! We have physical boundaries. We also need emotional boundaries. If you don't have strong emotional boundaries you will begin to take on other people's stuff. You know your emotional boundaries are weak when you start to get knots in your stomach, feel anger, resentment etc. It means your boundaries have been over-stepped. We must know when to say no! Ask yourself why you are feeling the way you are. Either you need to change your attitude or you need to say no. What are you saying yes to that you should be saying no to?
4. Write it down. Always keep a note book with you. If you write it down you don't have to remember it. Just look at your notes. Make a to do list.
5. Group Tasks/Preparation Times. Find ways to group similar tasks. If you have phone calls to make, sit down and make them all at once. If you have emails to answer, save them up and do them all at one time. If you have bills to pay, pick a certain day and do them all at once. If you have vegetables to chop for different meals, chop them all at once instead of for each meal when it comes around. This saves you time...you only have to get your supplies out once or get yourself in the frame of mind once, rather than several times during the week. Focus...don't multi-task! Muli-tasking actually takes more time because you are not focusing. Therefore you tend to not do a really good job on anything you are doing and have to either correct mistakes or you have to go slower. Only Multi-task on chores that you can do by rote, that don't take any thinking to do.

Other Tips:

• Use a kitchen timer to motivate you. Set it for 15 minutes and work at a task for just that long. You'll be surprised at how much you get done and may be motivated to set it for another 15 minutes to get more done.
• Don't say I can't...instead say, "How can I...? This gives you the frame of mind to figure out a solution.
• Prioritize time for yourself like you would a dental appointment. Set up tea with a friend. Go antiquiing. Scrapbook...whatever you enjoy, but make an appointment for yourself to do it and guard it like you would a dentist appointment.