Lots and Lots of Time Management Tips

Don't underestimate a humble to-do list. A to-do list is an easy way to keep track of what you are doing today. It allows the satisfaction of being able to cross off things. KISS - 'keep it simple stupid'. Don't try to have a super elaborate system to mange your time. It will be confusing; you will spend more time managing your life than living it. Write things down. So simple, but it makes a huge difference. When you write things down you remind yourself what it is that needs doing, and keeps you from feeling frazzled because you forgot when the bills were due, and now you have an overdue notice. Prioritize. What tasks are more important? Once you learn to prioritize your tasks - Wow! Your life will never be the same again, and what a huge weight will be lifted from your shoulders! Plan a week. If you have a weekly plan, then you know that everything that needs doing will get done. You can revise your weekly plan at a set time each week. Be flexible & have a plan "b". Sometimes through no fault of your own, plans have to change. Being flexible will allow you to roll with the punches. I use this method for exercise, I commit to 30 minutes (minimum) exercise a day... I go for a walk, swim, do an ab routine, or do playground exercises.

Two birds with one stone. As a general rule, multi-tasking should be avoided. There are some exceptions however. For example: take your kids to the park and have a workout while you are there (great for mothers!) Carry and use a notebook. Keep your to-do list, small calendar with note of when bills are due, important dates and include any important phone numbers. Learn the value of saying no. By never saying no you are letting people impose on your time. Stop letting people do this! This doesn't mean that you never do anyone a favor, but rather learning when saying "no" may be the more appropriate answer. Evaluate your to-do list regularly. Take a few minutes each day or week to decide if all the tasks on your to-do list should be there. Can they be completely axed? Or is it time to outsource your to-do's? Count the cost of time management. If your time management system takes you as much time as the time you are "saving" it is not efficient and you need a new one... Identify bad habits. Do you have a procrastination problem? Or are you easily distracted? What prevents you from efficiently managing your time? Identify these bad habits and take steps to avoid them. Identify what distracts you. And then reduce or eliminate them. Do you work from home and the TV is distracting? Turn it off. Browse too much online...shut down everything except what you specifically need to do your current task. Stop over committing. Over committing can cause a lot of stress. As you can't do everything, over committing leads to you letting people down; which in turn makes you feel bad. This can even cause a loss in self confidence. Stop being a perfectionist. Due to wanting the end result of a task to be perfect you can either procrastinate like mad, or spend much more time than necessary to get the task done. Neither extreme is very good. Acknowledge you are imperfect and move on! Filler tasks. Things you do that do not support your primary day goal. For example, if your primary day goal was to clean out the fridge, dusting the bookcase would be a task, but would not contribute towards the fridge being cleaned. Every "task" you do should take you closer to your primary day goal, not be a distraction.

Stop checking email. Get your email under control. Use folders, delete emails as soon as you no longer need them. Regularly clean out your email (I do this every day). Cancel subscriptions to ezines and newsletters you just don't read. Encourage friends and family not to send you chain emails (jokes, silly stories etc) unless they are very relevant to you... these just waste time and clog up your email. Use a timer. If you have been checking out this site you will notice that a timer is my favorite time management tool. The humble timer can be used in so many ways, time your breaks, work or exercise time. Outsource. One of my all time favorite ways to manage time. Outsourcing is not just for big businesses, it is now an affordable option for many. Outsourcing may seem a bit radical at first to those not used to the idea. You can outsource your lawn mowing, house cleaning, emails, holiday arrangements... Don't forget to schedule "down time". This is a very, VERY important time management tip. Please do not underestimate it's importance. Schedule "down time" for you to slow down and "smell the roses". This can be anything from having a long soak in the bath, to reading a good book, going to the beach. Just make sure it is something you really enjoy!!