Nix9to5

More on Time Management

// July 27th, 2010 // Balance, Organization, Time Management, Work at Home

When my All You magazine came this month, I was pleased to see that, in addition to a bunch of coupons, it had reader tips called “Organize Your Life for Free (or Close to It!).”  Here are some of the tips that I liked:

• Maintain a family schedule online: “We use cozi.com, a free site, to keep our schedule in order.  It also has a shopping list tool, which is great because I can jot down products as I think of them.  It links directly to my husband’s work calendar, so we can be sure our appointments don’t conflict.” — Kristin Strobe, 35, Avon Lake, OH (I haven’t checked out this site yet, but since I spend so much time on the computer, it seems like it might be a good way to keep up.)
• Post your calendar in plain sight:  “I am a blogger and mom of three kids.  If I couldn’t stay organized, I’d lose my mind!  I highlight appointments in different colors for each family member on a calendar I post on the fridge.  All our information is in one location, so I never miss deadlines or engagements.” — Tracie Forbes, 37, Raymore, MO (I’m not posted on a fridge, but I keep my planner on the desk by the laptop.)
• Establish a routine:  “With two 2-year-olds, I used to struggle to find balance between kid time and chores.  Assigning tasks to certain days has helped.  Mondays I do the kitchen, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays are bed and bath days.  Thursdays I do the floors and dusting, and Friday is laundry day.” — Jennifer Box, 38, Virginia Beach, VA  (This is one I have been meaning to do.  It would replace my current method of chronic procrastination.)

Two other tips from the article come from Odette Pollar, president of Smart Ways to Work and author of the books such as Take Back Your Life:  Smart Ways to Simplify Daily Living:

• Map out your jobs:  Break up your to-do list into two-hour time slots, such as 9-11, 12-2, and 3-5.  This helps you accomplish little goals to keep you motivated and also allows free time for unexpected things.  (I don’t generally have this many two-hour slots, but maybe I could break up my time a little differently to make this work for me.)
• If you have a flexible schedule or if you are a work at home mom or stay at home mom, try to run errands early in the morning on weekdays.  You’ll spend less time waiting in line, and you’ll probably get better customer service, since employees are less likely to be tired, cranky, and frazzled at the beginning of their shift.

Keep your tips coming!  In the meantime, here are some words of wisdom sent to me this morning by loyal Nix9to5 reader Mom (yes, my mom):  “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

Enjoy your flight.