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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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
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

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

What's in Your File Cabinet?

 

People often tell me that they accumulate piles of paper because their file cabinets are full. In honor of National Archive Your Files Month, take a look at what you’re keeping where.

• Active files are those that you use regularly, for work in progress
• Reference files are those you use less often, to refer back to when you need information
• Archives are for things you probably never look at but need to keep, like old tax files or documents related to the purchase of your house

If your file cabinet can’t take another piece of paper, chances are good that you’re holding on to stuff you don’t need or keeping it in the wrong place.

While you’re sorting tax paperwork, weed through your papers and let go of the ones that have lost their meaning.

Talk to your tax preparer about the documents you need to keep to back up your taxes, as well as how long to keep them. Tax files don’t need to be kept with your daily files. You can box up tax files and put them in a less accessible place like a closet or under a bed.

I recommend a fire- and water-resistant safe for archive files like birth certificates, passports, car titles and home deeds. Rather than having those documents in a safe deposit box at the bank, you can access them more quickly when they’re in your home.

Do you keep your archive files in a separate place from your working files?

 

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!

 

 

 

 

What's in Your File Cabinet?

 

People often tell me that they accumulate piles of paper because their file cabinets are full. In honor of National Archive Your Files Month, take a look at what you’re keeping where.

• Active files are those that you use regularly, for work in progress
• Reference files are those you use less often, to refer back to when you need information
• Archives are for things you probably never look at but need to keep, like old tax files or documents related to the purchase of your house

If your file cabinet can’t take another piece of paper, chances are good that you’re holding on to stuff you don’t need or keeping it in the wrong place.

While you’re sorting tax paperwork, weed through your papers and let go of the ones that have lost their meaning.

Talk to your tax preparer about the documents you need to keep to back up your taxes, as well as how long to keep them. Tax files don’t need to be kept with your daily files. You can box up tax files and put them in a less accessible place like a closet or under a bed.

I recommend a fire- and water-resistant safe for archive files like birth certificates, passports, car titles and home deeds. Rather than having those documents in a safe deposit box at the bank, you can access them more quickly when they’re in your home.

Do you keep your archive files in a separate place from your working files?

 

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: 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
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

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
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest
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
Follow me on twitter, facebook and pinterest

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