Reader question –Making Better Use of Time

 

I regularly hear people say that they “don’t have time” to organize or they “don’t have time” to exercise or they “don’t have time” to read or do something else they enjoy.

 

The truth is that they do have time, but they have to make a choice between doing one thing or another.

 

It’s National Time Management Month, and I thought about choices this past weekend. If you’ve read my blog, you know that I don’t like to clean. Over the weekend, however, I had a rush of energy and the desire to clean. I took advantage of it and scrubbed the kitchen, far more than my normal surface cleaning.

 

Did I have time to clean? I suppose so, since I did it.

 

More importantly, I made the choice to take on that task instead of doing something else that was more enjoyable. To my surprise, it felt good to get it done. (Not so good, though, that I’m going to start scouring my house weekly from now on!)

 

Unless you have the ability to pay people to do everything you don’t want to do, you need to figure out a way to fit those chores into your schedule so you can do the all things you like, too.

 

Don’t use time as your excuse for not tackling projects. Make choices that allow you to accomplish goals that are important to you.

 

Do you use a technique to motivate yourself to start something you’ve been putting off? Do you reward yourself when you’re finished?

 

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Reader question –Making Better Use of Time

 

I regularly hear people say that they “don’t have time” to organize or they “don’t have time” to exercise or they “don’t have time” to read or do something else they enjoy.

 

The truth is that they do have time, but they have to make a choice between doing one thing or another.

 

It’s National Time Management Month, and I thought about choices this past weekend. If you’ve read my blog, you know that I don’t like to clean. Over the weekend, however, I had a rush of energy and the desire to clean. I took advantage of it and scrubbed the kitchen, far more than my normal surface cleaning.

 

Did I have time to clean? I suppose so, since I did it.

 

More importantly, I made the choice to take on that task instead of doing something else that was more enjoyable. To my surprise, it felt good to get it done. (Not so good, though, that I’m going to start scouring my house weekly from now on!)

 

Unless you have the ability to pay people to do everything you don’t want to do, you need to figure out a way to fit those chores into your schedule so you can do the all things you like, too.

 

Don’t use time as your excuse for not tackling projects. Make choices that allow you to accomplish goals that are important to you.

 

Do you use a technique to motivate yourself to start something you’ve been putting off? Do you reward yourself when you’re finished?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Quote: Organizing Isn’t Cleaning

People always ask if my house is extraordinarily clean. The answer is no. I don’t enjoy cleaning, so I don’t choose to spend a lot of time on it. You can’t eat off the floors and the windows don’t sparkle; my house is acceptably clean.

On the other hand, my house is extraordinarily well organized. If you ask where something is, I can locate it immediately. Getting to that point requires identifying a home for everything and the discipline to put them away.

Organizing is hard work - it entails a change of mind, heart, and action. 

– Marilyn Paul, Ph.D.

Having an organized home (or workspace) takes time and effort. It’s not a once-and-done task; however, after you set up your systems, it doesn’t take a lot of energy to maintain.

Which would you prefer to spend time on, cleaning or organizing?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Quote: Organizing Isn’t Cleaning

People always ask if my house is extraordinarily clean. The answer is no. I don’t enjoy cleaning, so I don’t choose to spend a lot of time on it. You can’t eat off the floors and the windows don’t sparkle; my house is acceptably clean.

On the other hand, my house is extraordinarily well organized. If you ask where something is, I can locate it immediately. Getting to that point requires identifying a home for everything and the discipline to put them away.

Organizing is hard work - it entails a change of mind, heart, and action. 

– Marilyn Paul, Ph.D.

Having an organized home (or workspace) takes time and effort. It’s not a once-and-done task; however, after you set up your systems, it doesn’t take a lot of energy to maintain.

Which would you prefer to spend time on, cleaning or organizing?

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Do You Have Time?

Of course you do. You just think you don’t.

Everyone struggles with fitting into their days all they have to do. The key is to make sure that you actually are doing the things you need to do and leaving some time for the things you want to do.

Realize that every choice you make affects your use of time. Productivity is not about getting more done, it’s about getting the right things done.

Do you need to watch television? Only you can decide that. But while you’re watching TV, can you fold laundry? Or, while you listen to a podcast, can you clean the kitchen? While you’re on hold with the doctor’s office, can you file loose paper?

Maybe the most difficult part is being realistic. You only get 24 hours each day and some of it you already commit to sleeping, eating, bathing and commuting. Be honest when you set your expectations for how much you can achieve in any given day.

Without cramming in more activities, figure out how you can best use the time you have. Need help? I’m a Skype session away!

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Do You Have Time?

Of course you do. You just think you don’t.

Everyone struggles with fitting into their days all they have to do. The key is to make sure that you actually are doing the things you need to do and leaving some time for the things you want to do.

Realize that every choice you make affects your use of time. Productivity is not about getting more done, it’s about getting the right things done.

Do you need to watch television? Only you can decide that. But while you’re watching TV, can you fold laundry? Or, while you listen to a podcast, can you clean the kitchen? While you’re on hold with the doctor’s office, can you file loose paper?

Maybe the most difficult part is being realistic. You only get 24 hours each day and some of it you already commit to sleeping, eating, bathing and commuting. Be honest when you set your expectations for how much you can achieve in any given day.

Without cramming in more activities, figure out how you can best use the time you have. Need help? I’m a Skype session away!

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Gone Fishing

Not really. But I am going to take a break from writing for a few weeks. See you back in September.

Organized by MarcieTM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value 
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Gone Fishing

Not really. But I am going to take a break from writing for a few weeks. See you back in September.

Organized by MarcieTM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value 
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Managing Multitasking: How and When to Do It

Photo by Gabriel Rojas Hruska

Yesterday I went on a cleaning rampage. In addition to laundry, bathrooms, kitchen and floors, I also worked on painting a desk and the bathroom. Why the frenzy? I don’t know. Sometimes I get a burst of energy and I don’t question it.

I accomplished it all by doing more than one thing at a time. If you’ve read my posts, you know I’m not a fan of multitasking. Research shows that when people think they’re multitasking, they actually are shifting from one task to another, resulting in a loss of productivity.

When I promote multitasking, I refer to getting two chores done at the same time, neither of which requires your concentrated attention. Yesterday I vacuumed floors while washing a load of laundry. I cleaned the kitchen while I waited for the paint to dry in the bathroom. I cleaned the bathroom while I waited for the paint to dry on the desk drawers.

Instead of doing one thing, I was splitting my time between tasks. That’s the way to multitask.

You can do the same thing at work, too. Take advantage of moments when you don’t need to concentrate - check email while you print a document; file loose papers while you’re on hold on the phone.

Leave the juggling to someone who wears a clown nose. Which low-level tasks can you accomplish together?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Managing Multitasking: How and When to Do It

Photo by Gabriel Rojas Hruska

Yesterday I went on a cleaning rampage. In addition to laundry, bathrooms, kitchen and floors, I also worked on painting a desk and the bathroom. Why the frenzy? I don’t know. Sometimes I get a burst of energy and I don’t question it.

I accomplished it all by doing more than one thing at a time. If you’ve read my posts, you know I’m not a fan of multitasking. Research shows that when people think they’re multitasking, they actually are shifting from one task to another, resulting in a loss of productivity.

When I promote multitasking, I refer to getting two chores done at the same time, neither of which requires your concentrated attention. Yesterday I vacuumed floors while washing a load of laundry. I cleaned the kitchen while I waited for the paint to dry in the bathroom. I cleaned the bathroom while I waited for the paint to dry on the desk drawers.

Instead of doing one thing, I was splitting my time between tasks. That’s the way to multitask.

You can do the same thing at work, too. Take advantage of moments when you don’t need to concentrate - check email while you print a document; file loose papers while you’re on hold on the phone.

Leave the juggling to someone who wears a clown nose. Which low-level tasks can you accomplish together?

 

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Quote: Just Do Something

Don’t wait until you are able to set aside a huge block of time to complete a project. Any forward movement you make will create a feeling of achievement.

Progress equals happiness. – Tony Robbins

If you work at your goal a little at a time, you’ll complete it eventually. If you don’t work at it all, you’ll never finish it.

Move forward! Make progress!

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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Quote: Just Do Something

Don’t wait until you are able to set aside a huge block of time to complete a project. Any forward movement you make will create a feeling of achievement.

Progress equals happiness. – Tony Robbins

If you work at your goal a little at a time, you’ll complete it eventually. If you don’t work at it all, you’ll never finish it.

Move forward! Make progress!

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Reader question – How to Make Time for Yourself

It seems that everyone is trying to fit more into each day. If you’re doing multiple tasks at the same time, skipping meals, sleeping less, depending on caffeine or nicotine to get you through the day, you’re neglecting yourself.

Yes, sometimes you have to work a little harder or do a little more to meet a deadline; however, when you become accustomed to operating in URGENT mode all the time, you are put unnecessary strain on your mind and body. This is serious – heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety and many other conditions are aggravated by stress.

A reader asked how to find time to relax, given that May is National Mental Health Month.

The truth is that you won’t “find” time for yourself, you have to schedule it or you’ll always find something that seems more important. You need to decide whether that phone call, email or text really is urgent, or if you can stop for a few minutes each day and find some stillness.

When you’re overwhelmed by stress, you benefit from having a selection of coping tools to fall back on. Your toolbox, if you will, contains activities you can rely on to calm you. It might include music, meditation, rituals, nature, exercise, deep breathing or prayer.

 

When I work with clients who experience distractibility,  I ask “Is this the best use of your time right now?” Ask yourself the same question when you’re feeling overwhelmed and need a break.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Reader question – How to Make Time for Yourself

It seems that everyone is trying to fit more into each day. If you’re doing multiple tasks at the same time, skipping meals, sleeping less, depending on caffeine or nicotine to get you through the day, you’re neglecting yourself.

Yes, sometimes you have to work a little harder or do a little more to meet a deadline; however, when you become accustomed to operating in URGENT mode all the time, you are put unnecessary strain on your mind and body. This is serious – heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety and many other conditions are aggravated by stress.

A reader asked how to find time to relax, given that May is National Mental Health Month.

The truth is that you won’t “find” time for yourself, you have to schedule it or you’ll always find something that seems more important. You need to decide whether that phone call, email or text really is urgent, or if you can stop for a few minutes each day and find some stillness.

When you’re overwhelmed by stress, you benefit from having a selection of coping tools to fall back on. Your toolbox, if you will, contains activities you can rely on to calm you. It might include music, meditation, rituals, nature, exercise, deep breathing or prayer.

 

When I work with clients who experience distractibility,  I ask “Is this the best use of your time right now?” Ask yourself the same question when you’re feeling overwhelmed and need a break.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Clutter Affects Your Mental Health

May is National Mental Health Month.

Are you aware that clutter contributes to stress, which negatively impacts mental health? Living in clutter also intensifies feelings of depression and anxiety for many people.

Trying to fit too much work into too little time can affect your mental health, as well.

Here are some things you can do to reduce stress and improve your outlook:

 

• Write things down so you don't have to keep everything in your head. Use one notebook and one calendar so you know where all the information is. 

• Spend five minutes putting things away at the end of the day so you can start with a clear head the following day. This works at home and at work. 

• Commit to letting of something every day. Newspapers, junk mail and clothes that don't fit are a great place to start.

Your overall health depends on the strength of your mental health. Do what you can to keep it resilient.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
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And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

 

Clutter Affects Your Mental Health

May is National Mental Health Month.

Are you aware that clutter contributes to stress, which negatively impacts mental health? Living in clutter also intensifies feelings of depression and anxiety for many people.

Trying to fit too much work into too little time can affect your mental health, as well.

Here are some things you can do to reduce stress and improve your outlook:

 

• Write things down so you don't have to keep everything in your head. Use one notebook and one calendar so you know where all the information is. 

• Spend five minutes putting things away at the end of the day so you can start with a clear head the following day. This works at home and at work. 

• Commit to letting of something every day. Newspapers, junk mail and clothes that don't fit are a great place to start.

Your overall health depends on the strength of your mental health. Do what you can to keep it resilient.

Organized by Marcie^TM: Save time and money by letting go of what you don't need and finding room for what you value
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!