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The Organized Life archives
Techniques for Managing Your Time, Part 1
Dear Subscriber,
In previous newsletters, we've talked a lot about organizing the physical stuff in your life: things in your closets, possessions that take up precious physical and psychic space in your home, and (of course) paper. But there's another side to living an organized life, and that's how you manage your time.
Just as you can be in command of your stuff, you can also be in charge of your time. Itís important, because good time management gives you the space to think about the big things, at the same time that youíre getting the "little things" done.
Here are some techniques I've found to be tremendously helpful over the past few years as I've aimed at and achieved several important personal and professional goals. I hope they'll help you, too.
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There are five "musts" for effective time management.
1. A good calendar permits you to structure your time, and is the backbone of the system;
2. A working to-do list gives you the freedom to accomplish your non-time-sensitive tasks;
3. Routines support your efforts;
4. Written goals and dreams help you plan effectively by having something to aim for; and
5. Strategies for minimizing interruptions give you a way to feel like you're in control during a hectic day.
Your calendar and To-Do lists do their magic by allowing you to get as much as you can out of your head and onto paper. I think of this process as clearing the decks; it's the key first step to take as you move towards your goals.
Your Calendar
I recommend using a paper calendar that you can actually write in. Why don't I use my PDA or other digital means, like Outlook? Because after much trial and error, I've discovered (or re-discovered, really) the ease of seeing an entire week's commitments and appointments at once, in my own handwriting.
I love being able to write, erase, make notes, etc. to my heart's content without worrying about whether I'm hitting the right button on the keyboard, or writing the correct letter in "graffiti". I still carry my PDA and use it extensively: it's great for alarms, for example.
So, to begin:
- Get a calendar that you can -- and will -- carry with you, which shows you a week at a glance. It should be plenty big: make sure there's lots of room on each page for notes.
o I use a Planner Pad because it provides so much writing space; also check out Week-At-A-Glance.
o Rather than using a pen, use a good-quality pencil to keep your calendar neat; things get really messy, really fast, when you can't erase or move things around. I carry a mechanical pencil because I never need to sharpen it, and it can be refilled forever.
- As soon as you learn of a commitment for a certain date, write it -- in pencil! -- into your calendar. Calendarize every solid commitment you have. Put in birthdays and anniversaries, doctorís appointments, important -- and date-specific -- calls that need to be made. Write in anything you need to be reminded of that occurs on a particular day.
o For example, a client asked me what to do with notices for department store sales that occur on just one day. The answer? Write it in her calendar -- and then throw the notice away! If she's in that neighborhood, she'll be glad to have the reminder right in front of her, rather than having to refer to a reminder notice that's sitting at home on her bulletin board.
- Use the same calendar to record events in both your personal and your business lives. Multiple personal calendars = trouble.
- Use the extra space in your calendar to record other important -- but brief -- notes. For example,
o For a job interview, write in the name, address and phone number of the person and company you are interviewing with.
o For other commitments, record anything you promised to bring with you, or that you think you'll need that day.
o For dates where you have to do something in advance, like mailing a birthday or Mother's Day card, write yourself a reminder note three or four days ahead of time.
- Update your calendar regularly. Come to depend on it as your personal guide to the structure of your life. But don't write your To-Do list on your calendar: its function is to show you the structure of your day, around which you can wrap your non-time-sensitive activities.
If you maintain a parallel calendar for your children or other people at home, keep that one posted in your kitchen or hallway, but carry your private calendar with you. Use different color pens, stickers, or symbols like circles or squares, to differentiate various family members and make their schedules easy to see at a glance.
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Next month we'll move on to the other key techniques that will give you control over your time.
Until then, Happy Organizing!
Sincerely,
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
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ORGANIZING DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH: Using What You Have
Several months ago I came across some clear plastic dessert dishes, hiding on a shelf high in a kitchen cupboard. Although they were perfectly attractive, I knew I'd never serve dessert in them.
I began to wonder, rather than throwing these out, or giving them away, is there some other use I might make of them?
It didn't take long to realize that they'd be perfect for holding thumbtacks, rubber bands, and other miscellany in my office. So now I have three containers -- that are small, attractive, and look great together -- for otherwise unsightly stuff, sitting on my office bookshelf.
What finds do you have in your home? Take a look around... what do you need? What do you already have? Could their functions possibly match?
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Contacting me I'd love to hear from you. Please drop me a line with comments, questions, or suggestions for future newsletters.
Ann Bingley Gallops
The Organized Life
ann@theorganizedlife.net
www.theorganizedlife.net
646-382-3878
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