Time Management - 7 Tips For Being Your Best Time Master

7 Tips For Being Your Best Time Master

It is not enough if you are busy. The question is, "What are you busy about?" - Henry David Thoreau

With our to-do lists ever-growing, assigning tasks to our calendars can be a simple way to manage time and reduce stress. The simple act of writing down the things we need to do releases us from having to remember it all "upstairs." Below are some tips to help you successfully manage your tasks and calendar.

? Be realistic about how long each task will take.

? Learn to say "no."

? Delegate: when you authorize others to take over some of your activities, you free yourself to focus on where you can make your best contribution.

? For those little things that take only a minute or two (such as putting your dirty dishes away or signing a permission slip), sometimes it's best to just do them right away.

? However, if the task will take 15 minutes or more, choose a specific time in which to do it. Schedule an appointment with yourself. You may need to communicate to your coworkers or family that you are unavailable due to scheduled work.

? Without a place to "assign" tasks, you'll always be in a reactive mode. Use your calendar diligently. Do things on your time, when you are ready. You are in command.

? Don't double-book yourself or plan your appointments too close together. Planning for delays will keep you calm and allow you to enjoy the current moment. Forget about multitasking for a while; simply enjoy the pleasures of each task you do.

Sara Pedersen, veteran professional organizer, is the author of the FREE e-newsletter "Organzing Dreams." Sign up today at http://www.time2organize.net to receive your FREE quarterly subscription. Then, make YOUR organizing dreams come true by visiting http://www.time2organize.net where you'll find dozens of organizing tips, before and after photos, an interactive quiz and much more.

Car Insurance Rates | Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

Being Busy Does Not Equal Being Productive
How many people do you know who are so busy being busy that they never seem to get anything worthwhile done? Does that describe you, maybe even just a little bit?Being busy all the time, through necessity, is a curse. Being busy all the time, for the sake of it, is madness.Continual busy-ness eventually leads to stress, particularly if results are minimal. You see, it will get to a point where something has to give way. It's like filling a balloon with air. Eventually no more air will fit inside the balloon and it will do the only thing it can. It will burst.It's OK to have busy periods through each day, each week, each month and each year. However, you also need time to relax. Time to re-charge the batteries.P...(related: Time Management)

How To Put Housework On Autopilot!
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Austin, Texas. It was beautiful and refreshing. We also left the kids at home.The reason I was able to leave the kids behind is because they have ROUTINES and a regular schedule.Therefore, my close family members could read the 5 page printout of instructions I had prepared because the routines were easy to follow and continue.You can incorporate routines into your schedule. When I say regularity, I do not mean rigid tight schedules.Here is an example that may or may not work for you.1. Go grocery shopping on the same day each week. I recommend going Tuesdays because the beginning and end of the week are usually busy.2. Designate 2 days a week for laundry. I do not worry about the piles of laundry on any other day except Sunday and Wednesd...(related: Time Management)

Prioritize With Two Questions
"Because there will always be something more to do, we need to consciously choose what we are doing."-- Helen KsypkaWhy is it such a challenge to prioritize?

We have enough to-dos to last for ...(related: Time Management)

Expand Your Time
In our time-crazed society, lots of time is what most of us don't have. Yet, all of us would like to have more time. So what can you do about that? Expand your time. It's simple.You see, linear time is actually something that responds to our thoughts and feelings because time is a function of the Universe. The Universe responds to the way we feel about time by adjusting the amount of time we have.If you feel like you're chronically short of time and that you're always PRESSED for time, that's what you get ? compressed time. It's always a...(related: Time Management)

The 3 Biggest Priority Busters
As a professional organizer, consultant and trainer, I have come to recognize that unless there is a focused...(related: Time Management)

First Things Last
Years ago clients would tell me they could not identify their priorities. Now I hear them saying 'I know what my priorities are?I just can't get to them'.But effectively organizing yourself an...(related: Time Management)

Simple Strategies For Home Based Business Owners To Reduce Stress And Be More Satisfied
Handle small emergencies fast: When a small emergency does pop up being prepared with a home medicine kit will come in handy. Make sure to have one in your ca...(related: Time Management)

Work Smarter Not Harder
To work smarter all you need is the consciousness of the present. This is possible only when you cast off your emotional bindings, this helps you relieve your prejudice. This is key to work smart. This combined with your "common-sense" completes the puzzle to work smart! I know it is hard to believe that these factors will help you work smart. Try for yourself, the next time you get ...(related: Time Management)

Taking Time Out To Play - Summertime And The Living Is Easy
As the song goes, this is the time to relax, rest, rejuvenate and reward yourself for all the hard work you've been doing. As they say, all work and no play makes Jack & Jill a very dull boy & girl. We all need time to relax and just "play."No matter how much you truly love and enjoy your work, it is necessary from time to time, to get away from it all. This may mean going on a trip, even if only for a day or two, or an extended vacation of several weeks. Perhaps, for some, it means staying right where you a...(related: Time Management)

A Time-saving Programming Tactic That Doesn?t Work
Let's say that you have a software project that's under severe time pressure. Let's say that this deadline is so tight that you already know it will involve many late nights of black coffee and frenetic programming. What can you do to make this process go faster?I honestly don't know, since the correct answer will depend on one's individual circumstances. However, I can tell you how many programmers do respond under such circumstances. They decide to save time by skipping over the software planning and design phase, and immediately start coding away.To an inexperienced or otherwise undisciplined programmer, this seems to make sense. After all, the finished product is what truly matters, right? The customer doesn't care about flowcharts, class diagrams or software archi...(related: Time Management)

Coping With The Time Crunch
"There is never enough time, unless you're serving it."-Malcolm Forbes (1919 - 1990)My son is 17 months old. (OK, all you seasoned parents out there, stop laughing!) I work full time, commute an hour to work each day, cook most meals, attempt other household chores and try to carve out a small amount of time for myself and my partner each day. Did I mention the 2 dogs and 5 cats? I understand lack of time. In today's fast-paced, technology driven world, most of us feel stressed at not having enough time in each day to do ...(related: Time Management)

Put A Couple Of Elephants On Your Plate
How do you eat two elephants? The same way you would eat one; one bite at a time. Monstrous tasks often appear to be complex and overwhelming. That's why it's so very important to isolate the parts from the whole. Break your elephant-sized project into several smaller tasks. Identify one area and cut it down to size. Lather, rinse, and eat. The key is to begin! It doesn't ma...(related: Time Management)