Making Your Time Count!

We live in a busy world! There are days in my week where every hour is accounted for, and trying to get anything extra done, is almost impossible!  We all wish we had more than 24 hours in the day.  I wish I could function on less than 8 hours of sleep, I would get more done, but I can’t!  And I can’t make the day have more hours, I am stuck with 24!

Often times when I am working with clients, they say the reason they have not gotten organized in the past, is because they just do not have the time.  I can understand this statement, however I go on to tell them, once they put the time in to get organized and set up the right systems, in the long run, they will actually save time! Let’s be honest, no matter what it is, if it’s a priority to you, you will make the time to get it done.

So how we can make better use of our time?

If getting organized is a priority and you are ready to make some progress, then follow these steps to making your time count!

• Schedule and plan your organizing sessions. Take this a step further than just writing the appointment, actually put on a piece of paper everything you need to accomplish during the session.  Don’t make your list so elaborate you get disappointed. Be realistic, pick your top 3 realistic tasks and write it down.  Check off as you go!

• Work when you feel your very best.  If you are a morning person, then be sure to schedule your appointments in the morning.  You will get more done, when you feel good and most alert.

• What has distracted you in the past? If it’s the phone, turn off the ringer, if it’s the computer, shut it off, if it’s your kids, hire a babysitter for the afternoon.  Be aware of your distractions and then take care of them.

• Make the easy decisions first. If you have a limited amount of time, don’t waste it on deciding what to do, leave the hard decisions for later.

• Delegate – Find out what decisions you have to make and delegate the others.  If you live with other people, delegate and work together.  You shouldn’t have to carry all of the load on your shoulders.

• Set a timer - If you have decided to work for one hour, set the timer.  As you see the time ticking, speed up the process.  Make a game out of it, see how much you can get done in the last 5 minutes.  You may actually surprise yourself!

• Write down the results – Don’t waste time in your next organizing session trying to remember what you accomplished before, write down what you accomplished and what your next goals and priorities are for the next session.

Happy Organizing!