Time Management

Clutter Messes with Your Time Management

Does Clutter Make me Late? You would be surprised at home you manage your time can be influenced by clutter around your house.

 

Clutter can make you late!

“What, do you mean by that?” you may say. But clutter and time management can go hand in hand as a problem.
“Where are my keys? I know I just laid them here, maybe they are under this stack of mail.” “I just need to grab that report for the meeting, but where is it?” “Mom, where did my red jacket go? I’m going to be late for school!”
Do any of these sound like your house?
When you have extra clutter sitting around choking up the “clean, clear, calm” space, then you also have clutter sitting in your head…choking up the “clean, clear and calm” space in your brain. When you do not have a clear brain to think with, you are going to have too many thoughts…too many things jumbled in your head and lose track not only of what needs to be done, but in what time frame it needs to be done in. Simply put, Too much stuff in your house + Too much stuff in your head = Being Late.
Being late out the door, being late to pick up the kids, being late with reports due, being late paying bills, being late to the meeting – sound familiar?

So what do you do? Clearing out the clutter from your home will result in clearing out the clutter from your head which will in turn help you to focus and plan your day more productively which will then lead to being on time.
Sounds simple doesn’t it….NOT!

How Do I Clear out the Clutter?

Use your 5 signs to designate your piles to sort.

 

Supplies

Get white trash bags for your donate and black for trash (so you don’t mix them out when you take them out of your house.
I prefer clear plastic storage bins for long term storage.
Make sure you have some form of labels to label your bins.
Give yourself 2 hours of time if you are able. Do not think you will get an entire room done, just start out with a smaller goal.

Pick up each item, look at it fast and think:
1) Do I use this?
2) Do I need this?
3) Do I like this?
4) What is the worse thing that can happen if I don’t have this?
Don’t spend more than about 5-10 sec. on each item, otherwise memories start popping in and you “personalize” that item. You want to keep it “depersonalized”, otherwise it can be too hard to get rid of.

Time Management

Break down your day into 15 minute increments.
For instance: If you have to be at the school by 3:00 to pick up the kids, but you need to go to the bank and grocery store first then plan it this way:
3:00 – Be at School
2:45 – Leave for school. (It takes 10 min. to get there from school – but use 15)
1:45 – Be at grocery to do the shopping.
1:30 – Leave from bank to go to grocery. (It only takes 8 min. to get there, use 15)
1:15 – Leave for bank. (It only takes 10 min. but use 15)
So to get to the school by 3:00, you need to leave the house by 1:15. You will have an extra 17 minutes to play with if there is traffic, or if the grocery store is crowded. If you end up being early, just keep a book you are reading or a steno pad in your car to make a “to do” list.
Now make sure that 15 minutes before you get ready to leave the house you get your keys, grocery list, banking items ready and have stopped by the bathroom.
So if you need to, set your timer on your stove for 1:00. Once you get in the habit of using 15 minute increments to plan things out, it will become easy and natural and you won’t have to worry about being late.
Because your clutter is now cleaned up off that kitchen counter, you can find those keys and bank book and grocery list and you can get out the door on time!
Time management is much easily accomplished when you do not have clutter blocking your path!

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Time Management

Time Management is so important!

Do you have problems with time management? So many people do, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.

Do you always find yourself running late? Missing appointments?

Some people take it for granted, but it can cost you business deals, jobs and friends.  Don’t just assume that “everyone knows I run late”.   We always have times that are exceptions to the rules, I’m there with you.  Getting lost (I’m good at that), cars breaking down, an event running late – I hear ya.  But all it takes is a phone call.  Be considerate of the person you are meeting or is counting on you.

Here are some of my tips for staying on time.

Set alarms

Have one on your phone?  Use it! If not, download an app.  I set mine all the time, even when I am home working. I often get very involved in what I am working on and time can get away from me.

Give Yourself Extra Time

Always give yourself more time than you think it will take.  If it is something close by, it may only need to be an extra 15 minutes you add onto your schedule. If it is something across town, a further distance or during a rush hour, you may need to add on an extra 30 – 60 minutes.   It is much easier to sit and work on a project or answer emails when you are at your destination a little early, than being late and costing your reputation.

Be Considerate of Others

As much as we may feel that we are the only ones who are important, it isn’t the truth.  Being late all the time portrays that  feeling to others.  By keeping others waiting for you consistently, it is rude in my book.  Again, I’m not talking about the occasional event that happens to all of us. I’m talking about those who are consistently and expectedly late.

Teach Your Children To Watch Time Also

Start your children early. If someone is picking them up for school – make sure they are ready and waiting either outside or watching out the window. Don’t make them wait while your child puts on the shoes, hunts for their book bag and grabs their lunch. Why should those people who are doing you a favor by picking up your child – be late (when they were on time to pick up your child) because you/your child aren’t paying attention to the clock.

Likewise – if your child is ready and waiting to go somewhere, how frustrating is it for them to be late because the person picking them up is running late?

 

 

 

 

Prioritizing

I don’t know about you, but my life has been extremely busy since I took on this full time job. Part of prioritizing so that we don’t go totally crazy is to not take on too much. If you do, then you have to give up something.
For me, one of the things that is on kind of a hold right now is my blog. Ugh… I hate to say that, but there is no reason not to be honest with you all.
If you follow me, then you will realize I’m not posting as frequently as I used to. I’m hoping to get back into the swing of posting more often, but for now, I’m hanging on by a thin string.

I have been turning down most reviews that I have coming through. I’m not planning on having a gift guide this year. So things are changing.

Often people have a hard time prioritizing, so that they take on way too much, don’t want to give up anything (because they either volunteered for it or just love it) and then they fall apart because they can’t do anything the way they should.

How to prioritize:
1) Make a list of all the things you have to do daily.
2) Make a time line of when you plan to do those things on your list
3) Work your list and see if it is realistic.
4) If you can’t get it all completed as you planned, decide what you want to give up.
5) Rework your schedule again. If it still doesn’t work, take off another item.

We have to realize that we aren’t failures if we give something up! It is ok.
I’m not giving my blog up… I’m just not posting as much as I was.

My organizing posts take a lot of time to do. The writing is easy, but I have to actually go in and organize the area (time consuming) then process and edit all the photos and then put together the post. I would guess that one of my organizing posts takes a minimum of 10 hours from start to finish.

Give yourself a break…don’t go crazy – it is ok to give up one of the zillion things you are doing each day, as long as your family, your home are taken care of properly.

Prioritizing and Organizing Your Schedule

I have to heed my own advice here. I am needing to do some prioritizing and organizing in my own schedule!

I have to admit that I am feeling overwhelmed this morning.  I just got back from Type A Mom Conference yesterday evening, and looking at all I need to do this week and realizing I don’t have enough hours in the day to do all of it.

October is a very busy traveling month for me. I actually have an event each week and I’m planning on going to Indiana, Las Vegas, Detroit and then finishing by taking my Dad to see my Sister in Virginia at the end of the month.   Oh…and I have my  huband’s 50th birthday this month! I took on a photoshop class this quarter too.  My first project is due on Sunday and because I was sent the wrong software, I didn’t get the correct one until last night. So…I’m already behind in that class on week 2! lol

Why am I telling you this?  Because I want you to know that I struggle with organizing my own schedule at times. I have a lot on my plate right now and I need to do some prioritizing.  I am working on my schedule this morning and trying to decide if I need to give up one of the trips, or give up cleaning my house and taking care of my family or give up writing as many posts on my 3 blogs!!  (kidding on the family part, although by looking at my house this morning you might think I was serious)

I have been thinking of making a series of video tapes for this blog on some of the basics…. If I don’t edit and make them the way I like to make videos now, then I will have no problems and I think that would be helpful…. but I dont’ think I can do that.

SO….what I think I might be doing is to be running some of my old blog posts.  But I will make note if I am rerunning something. Thanks for understanding.

Be Supportive To A Special Needs Family

Schedules are Important

Time Management is everything for a Special Needs Child

If you had medications every 1-2 hours, G-tube feeds every 4 hours, dressing changes everyday, physical therapy 3 times a week, occupational therapy 2 times a week, a tutor coming everyday, oh…wait don’t forget you have an appointment with the neurologist and physical medicine this week…and you have to be sure to order supplies this week. I almost forgot the respiratory company is coming to check on the O2 concentrator on Wednesday.

That is just one piece of the puzzle that some families have to deal with – who have special needs children.  Just put that on top of your schedule and if you have other children who have ball games and play dates.  Can you imagine?  Until you are in the shoes of someone who has a medical fragile child ….you just have no idea how much they go through and how much they have to deal with.

Schedules?  Essential for survival in this situation.  Their children’s lives revolve around schedules with medication, treatments and appointments. That is why a command center like I mentioned in my last post would be needed – or a centralized computer calendar or home calendar.

If you know of someone with a special needs child – if you are able, reach out to them…see if they need some help or just a supportive ear. They are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Time Timer Review

Winner!!

Random.org #59 was Rachel Higgs.  Congrats!!

A visual timer!

I walked past this booth when I was at the National Association of Professional Organizers several times and each time wanted to stop and see what it was all about.  I finally had time near the end of the conference and stopped…and was glad I did.

The Time Timer is a simple product that can be used in SO many different ways.  It is simply a timer. That is it.  But what makes it different is that it shows the time left in red.  Some reasons that might be good:

*Someone who is visually impaired might be able to see this when they can’t see a smaller timer.

*A very young child who can’t tell time yet…can get a visual idea of how much time is left

*A classroom of children

*A car full of kids wanting to know..”Are we there yet?”

*When you are exercising, reading or doing chores that you need a timer on for. So many great uses.

This is the 8″ size Time Timer.

The timer is silent. When we first put the AA battery in and moved the timer hand…there was no ticking…no humming…nothing.  I didn’t know it was working for sure until I saw that the hand had moved!

There is a switch on the back that you can turn on a tone when the alarm goes off ….or you can have that off. (We have to have it off because it reminds my one dog of the tone from our old electric fence. We can’t have digital watches in the house either! LOL)

The triplets have been using it for their 20 minutes of reading each morning. Of course they think it is cool so they are trying to find all kinds of things they can time!

It is a great tool and can be used in many many situations.

To ENTER to win your own Time Timer 8″ size

Go to Time Timer.com and click on How it works.  Watch the short video on their products.  Tell me 2 other timer products (sizes or kinds) they carry. **Be sure to come back here and leave me your answer in your comment. Your e-mail has to either in your comment or on your profile.

FOR EXTRA CHANCES TO WIN:

**Each of these HAS to have a separate comment to win. The winner is picked using Random.org. It just goes the number of comments….not by what you say.

1) Subscribe to my Organize with Sandy blog This is for 5 chances to win! (use 5 separate comments)

2) Subscribe to my Chat with Sandy blog This is for 5 chances to win! (use 5 separate comments)

3) Follow me on Twitter. Leave me your twitter id in your comment

4) Follow me on Linked In

5) Tweet this out up to 3 times a day. (one comment for each tweet) Pls leave your link

6) Add any of my 3 blog buttons to your sidebar for 1 comment on each one you add.

See lots of way to enter!!

This contest will run until 11:59pm est on Monday July 5th, 2010  *THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED*

Any comment that comes in after the above time will be deleted. This is open to US mailing addresses only. One person per mailing  address only.  Winner will be chosen by Random.org

You will have 48 hours to reply to my e-mail if you are picked as the winner, or else I will go on to the next winning number.

You can see my other giveaways going on here:

Hanes Review & Giveaway - Win any one product from Hanes.com free  (ends 6/28)

Disclosure: I received the 8″ Time Timer at no cost to review.  The thoughts are completely my own.

Time Management

Are you always running to catch up?

 

Does that sound like you?  Do you have a reputation for being late?  Do people tell you an earlier time just to try and get you there “on time”?  Time management and being disorganized or having clutter in your head…can go hand in hand.

Break down your day into 15 minute increments.

For instance: If you have to be at the school by 3:00 to pick up the kids, but you need to go to the bank and grocery store first then plan it this way:
3:00 – Be at School
2:45 – Leave for school. (It takes 10 min. to get there from school – but use 15)
1:45 – Be at grocery to do the shopping.
1:30 – Leave from bank to go to grocery. (It only takes 8 min. to get there, use 15)
1:15 – Leave for bank. (It only takes 10 min. but use 15)
So to get to the school by 3:00, you need to leave the house by 1:15. You will have an extra 17 minutes to play with if there is traffic, or if the grocery store is crowded. If you end up being early, just keep a book you are reading or a steno pad in your car to make a “to do” list.
Now make sure that 15 minutes before you get ready to leave the house you get your keys, grocery list, banking items ready and have stopped by the bathroom.
So if you need to, set your timer on your stove for 1:00. Once you get in the habit of using 15 minute increments to plan things out, it will become easy and natural and you won’t have to worry about being late.
Because your clutter is now cleaned up off that kitchen counter, you can find those keys and bank book and grocery list and you can get out the door on time!
Time management is much easily accomplished when you do not have clutter blocking your path!

Organizing Your Morning Routine

My mornings with the kids are normally very calm and relaxed. They know their routine and I don’t have to yell and drag kids out of bed, force them to get their things done….stressing out myself and everyone else in the house. Why? Because we teach them to do things on their own. We don’t have to bribe them or pay them all kinds of money (they get $1.00 a month allowance, just to start teaching them about saving money – and guess what they are thrilled with that. They love take a few dollars and putting it in the bank).

The older 2 (16 & 17 years) get themselves up, get all their things done and are out the door usually before the 9 year old triplets are up. The older 2 have to be at school by 7:30 and usually walk the  one mile to school. Sometimes my older one drives them. The triplets have to be at school by 8:45am.

They wake up (usually on their own). Before they come downstairs they have already made their beds, done their 20 minutes of reading, brushed their teeth and gotten dressed for school.  They come down and now are able to get their own breakfast, pack their lunches (usually they do it the night before), get all their things together and put in their backpacks and are ready for school.  Then they have free time if there is still time before we leave for school.  No yelling, no running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I’m very proud of them.

They have been having fun playing Build-a-Bearville online and want to get all their things done so they can get on the computer.

I love independence in kids and I work on teaching it young.  I think it is only going to help them in life.  I have 3 grown sons and I know it has helped them that they are able to do things on their own.

I hear woman (and men) say all the time that they love their children so much they want to do everything for them. But in my opinion that isn’t a love that is beneficial to them, I see it as only stunting them in the future.  I have seen many a teenager, young adult and grown adult that had everything done for them…and guess what? They continue to expect that in other areas of their life. Their wives for instance or co-workers.

So how do you do it? Start young!  When they want to try something on their own, let them.

*Teach them to pick up their toys and make their beds. They don’t have to be perfect, but they will learn that they need to do it each morning.

*Have the cereal, bowls and cups at a level they can reach. Teach them to use the toaster safely so they can make their own toast.

*Have them lay out their clothes the night before so there are no “clothes meltdowns” and no big decisions when they might be groggy.

*Let them start helping with making their lunches when they are young and work them up to making it on their own.

*Make sure they either have an alarm set or you wake them up so they have plenty of time to get it all accomplished with some free time put in there for when they accomplish all their goals.

If you sleep until the last minute and everyone is racing around in the morning then everyone is stressed and it isn’t a good way to start the day.

WATCH FOR MY POST TOMORROW THAT A COUPLE OF YOU HAVE REQUESTED. HOW DO YOU GET YOUR CHILD TO HELP.

Preparing for Christmas

Christmas “Check Off” List – How does yours look?

So how are you doing?  Are you going crazy about now thinking you will never get it all finished in 1 week?

Does your List of To Do’s look more like this?

1) Christmas Cards to send out

2) Buy Christmas Gifts

3) Wrap Christmas Gifts

4) Plan Christmas eve Dinner

5) Plan Christmas Day meals

6) Make Christmas Cookies

7) Think about planning my events

Or does it look more like this?
1) Christmas Cards to send out

2) Buy Christmas Gifts

3) Wrap Christmas Gifts

4) Plan Christmas eve Dinner

5) Plan Christmas Day Meals

6) Make Christmas cookies

If your list is the first one…then you more than likely are “freaking out” right now, aren’t you?  How will I get it done? I should never go to sleep this week because I am going to be out shopping all week, etc.

You need to get your calendar and SCHEDULE when you are going to do each thing. Seriously.  Write it in!  It will help to calm you down so that you will realize there IS time to get it all done.  OR it will help you to realize with what you are hoping to get accomplished won’t happen because it is unrealistic for your situation.  But either way it will help put things into perspective for you.

Would you like to see my list?

1) Christmas cards sent out (But just yesterday)

2) Christmas shopping done (But I have stocking stuffers, my husband likes to help w/ those..that is tonight)

3) Wrap Christmas gifts  - Sunday and Monday

4) Plan Christmas Eve Dinner

5) Plan Christmas Day Meals

6) Make Christmas Cookies – Scheduled for tomorrow.

See? I don’t have everything done.  But I do know how and when I am going to complete each thing…so I can relax and enjoy the festivities.

How are you doing?

Calendars

Calendars – Do They Control Our Lives OR Help Us Stay In Control of our Lives?

 

I have to admit that I have felt a bit lost since my computer crashed and I lost my Palm Pilot calendar. I did however, (thank goodness) print out my calendar and update my palm pilot before I took my computer into the computer hospital. They supposedly saved all my info, but my palm info seems to be gone.  The connector cord from my palm to my computer has bit the dust too. So I have my print out calendars and I do still have the info on my palm..but I can’t sync it with my computer any longer.

I have been trying to figure out another system that I can have my calendar and contacts on my computer but sync to my new blackberry.  I am trying google but haven’t synced yet…and don’t really like the calendar.  I don’t want to spend money for one…or very little money if its something great.  My husband keeps telling me Outlook, but I look at it and it cost several hundred dollars.

I think my calendar does control my life! It has everything on it.  Because I tend to live by schedules and routines….when those are thrown into chaos I feel like my life is in a bit of chaos. Is that right? Probably not. Should I be flexible and free? Maybe…but then I will miss appointments, not have phone numbers when I need them and with my personality I would only be crabby, not free.

Does your calendar control you? Do you live by it?  What system do you use and do you have any good suggestions for me on a calendar with contacts that can sync from my computer to my blackberry?

Time Management

Sitting in line waiting for your kids at school, sitting in the Doctors office, Dentist office can be such a waste of our productive time can’t it? I know those things have to be done, but feeling like other things are being neglected can be irritating.
Try to think ahead and make that time productive. I have been doing the couponing, but I am having a hard time keeping up with getting them cut out and then organized in the binder. To really make your shopping productive, you need to know what you have and be able to find it. So I have started keeping my binder in the car! I only pick up the triplets (my stepkids) every other week, so on that week as I sit in the line for 20-30 minutes to pick them up….I work on putting my coupons in the right places.

I have taken checkbooks to balance, tax information to go through. Make sure you bring a calculator if you need it.
I am going to be going to sit while my car is being worked on today. I am going to call ahead and see if they have free Wifi there. If so, I will take my mini computer and get some work done. If not, I will take my coupons that need help (since I don’t have the kids this week, I am not getting that “sitting in the school line” work done.
Try to think of something productive other than reading the magazines there.
If there is a self help book that you want to read but never find the time, keep it in your car and you will have it to take in with you.
Be creative, you will be surprised at how short your wait ends up being when you really want to get something done.

Time Management made Simple

Time Management
Break down your day into 15 minute increments.
For instance: If you have to be at the school by 3:00 to pick up the kids, but you need to go to the bank and grocery store first then plan it this way:
3:00 – Be at School
2:45 – Leave for school. (It takes 10 min. to get there from school – but use 15)
1:45 – Be at grocery to do the shopping.
1:30 – Leave from bank to go to grocery. (It only takes 8 min. to get there, use 15)
1:15 – Leave for bank. (It only takes 10 min. but use 15)
So to get to the school by 3:00, you need to leave the house by 1:15. You will have an extra 17 minutes to play with if there is traffic, or if the grocery store is crowded. If you end up being early, just keep a book you are reading or a steno pad in your car to make a “to do” list.
Now make sure that 15 minutes before you get ready to leave the house you get your keys, grocery list, banking items ready and have stopped by the bathroom.
So if you need to, set your timer on your stove for 1:00. Once you get in the habit of using 15 minute increments to plan things out, it will become easy and natural and you won’t have to worry about being late.
Because your clutter is now cleaned up off that kitchen counter, you can find those keys and bank book and grocery list and you can get out the door on time!
Time management is much easily accomplished when you do not have clutter blocking your path!

Planning your Day

Do you take the time in the morning to plan your day? Do you give yourself at least 10 minutes to look at your daily calendar and make sure you aren’t going to miss any appointments?
I know many of you are going to say that your baby is up before you and you don’t have the time, or mornings are just “too crazy” to ever think of such a thing.
But if you want to get a good start on the day and not miss things then it is something that should be done.
There is no reason to say that you can’t do it the night before..or even on Sunday sometime, plan out your week. Then each day you can add in the little things that pop up and that may save you some time.
1) Have a designated area that you always plan your day.
2) Use a planner or have a pad of paper that you keep in that spot (so you can find it later)
3) List out errands that may need to be run or chores to do.
4) The grocery list can be started here.
5) List what you need to get ready for your dinner.
6) Plan out times if you have to work, when you get home and then what needs to be done, or errands that you have to run on your lunch hour.

Planning ahead will save you time and help you to stop missing the little things (like sending out the electric bill or forgetting to send in snacks for your “Snack Day” at your child’s school.)
If this is something that you have never done, then start slow and with a general list. Work from there and add in the little things.
What is rewarding is when you can cross off all the things that you do get accomplished. If there are things you didn’t get done (and there almost always is!) then you add those onto the days that you have a little more time.

This is a picture of the list I use. I made it up to fit my needs. It is in my planning notebook at the front. I have done some adjustments to it (and need to adjust the form itself-but have copies made up and want to use them all up first)but it helps me plan my day.
On the right hand column I have “Home”. That is where I write if I work that day, if I have laundry, go to post office etc. Below that is my grocery list. I have it done so that I can cut that piece out and take with me to the grocery. (Watch soon on my review site I will be reviewing the Smart Shopper…it is awesome and I won’t need this grocery column anymore with that!!)
The left hand column concerns my business. I separate it out to help keep it straight. My organizing business I have separate from my blogging “To do” list ..then I have my pouchees and buttons (I have some exciting plans for my buttons in the next year…you will be seeing them used for organizing!)
Find what works for you. It may be a preset planner, it may just be a blank steno pad that you keep near by. But I think that you will find by using it daily, your days will flow smoother.