Reasons for Good Time Management

Ready Set Christmas – Synchronise Calendars

Here we are at the start of December, with a month of parties, end of year concerts and “we must catch up before Christmases” ahead.  Add to that the usual weddings, birthdays, work and social commitments.  Now add in all the shopping, cooking, decorating, gift-wrapping.  Is it any wonder people feel stressed during December?

Ok, so now’s the time the calendar or diary really comes into its own.  Be sure to diarise all your commitments.  Yes, that includes the shopping trips and the gift-wrapping session, if you want to get them done and not be in a mad panic at the last minute.

And when you’ve done that, sit down with the significant others in your life and synchronise.  Compare notes about your commitments, adjust where necessary.  Even delete where necessary.

December is actually not meant to be any more stressful than any other month, but it can be.  So get ahead of the game and synchronise calendars.  Or not.

(As always, these are mere suggestions.  Take the ones that suit you.  The last thing we want to do is add to your load. 🙂 )

A Word with Kate Eldred

Kate Eldred from Off the Page eMarketing helps businesses get their message out in a most productive way. She knows how to get them the most bang for their buck, so I’m thrilled she took time out to have a word with us.

Kate, tell us, how did you get into the work you do?  I wanted to do something I could wake up and look forward to every day….that and not spend over two hours on a bus to get to and from each day!

And how do you stay on top of your to do list?  I update my trusty Spirex notebook at the start of every week with what needs to be done…. Then I use pretty highlighters to cross things of my list as they get done! The more I get through, the prettier my to do list looks!

Love that!  Now, I know you have a lot of work coming in. Which tasks do you delegate?  Complex programming issues and troubleshooting. I love solving these types of problems, but when it takes a hours out of my day, it’s often cheaper (financially and emotionally!) to outsource to a super geek.

Good move.  Do you have a favourite iPhone app?  Dropbox – helps me to feel completely in control when I’m not in the office.

Is your diary paper or electronic?  Electronic – updating my outlook calendar quickly at my desk, and syncing it to my phone to have on the go with me.

What’s the hardest thing about getting/staying organised?  Emails….you can be completely organized for the day, but a few emails (or phone calls) can completely derail best laid plans!

I think many people can relate to that.  And finally, how do you spend your down time?  Walking the dog or going for a jog.

Thanks Kate.  You’re an inspiration!

 

Sunday Reflections

For maximum efficiency and productivity,

people should not multitask.

But furniture should.

~ Angela Esnouf

😉

Like quotes? There are 214 more in our

Quotes to Organise By – an organised collection of inspiring quotes

Sunday Reflections

Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do.

It comes from not finishing what they started.

~ David Allen

Like quotes? There are 214 more in our

Quotes to Organise By – an organised collection of inspiring quotes

Sunday Reflections

Time and space – time to be alone, space to move about – these may well become the great scarcities of tomorrow.

~ Edwin Way Teale

Like quotes? There are 214 more like it in our

Quotes to Organise By – an organised collection of inspiring quotes

One grey elephant balancing …

I have a children’s song stuck in my head.

One grey elephant balancing, Step by step on a piece of string, He thought is was such a wonderful stunt, That he called for another, Elephant!

And so the song goes on – 2, 3, 4 grey elephants all implausibly balancing on one piece of string, until…

5 grey elephants balancing, Step by step on a piece of string, All of a sudden the piece of string broke, And down came all the elephant folk!

What a perfect analogy for Life Balance. Let’s say the piece of string is you, and the grey elephants are the load, or responsibilities, you carry. How many “grey elephants” can you balance before you “break”?

In preparation for this article, I put out a call for help. I asked…

Work-Life Balance –

How do you define it?

Is it attainable?

Do you have it?

How do you make sure you get it?

Here’s what I learned. Some people had never heard the expression. Some felt it was elusive and indefinable. Some enjoyed their work so much they found it hard to separate work from the rest of their life. Dee Le Blang joked that “it is the fine line between insanity and being able to smile each day“. Interestingly, no-one defined being “out of balance” as having too much “life” and not enough “work”, always the reverse. It seems to me “work-life balance” is a subjective term with as many interpretations as there are situations.

I was encouraged to hear the great majority felt work-life balance is attainable. Far fewer, though, believed they currently achieved a satisfactory work-life balance. On further examination, a pattern emerged.

Those who were dissatisfied

• often felt overwhelmed
• felt they had no control
• felt they took on too many responsibilities
• rarely took time off

Those who were satisfied

• worked at achieving that satisfaction
• planned their time off
• spent time winding down
• pursued hobbies and interests outside work

Now it’s over to you. Let’s hear your ideas on Work-Life Balance and how it can be achieved. In other words, how many elephants can you balance? And how do you keep that string strong?

And I’ll keep singing…

One grey elephant balancing…

 

This article was originally published at The Calm Space.

The Organised Alphabet 20

Time is Ticking on for the Organised Alphabet.

T is for Time Management

Your time is one resource with a major impact on your life.  Using this precious resource effectively will make a huge difference to all aspects of your life. It cannot be underestimated.

The Organised Alphabet 14

Now it’s on with the second half of the Organised Alphabet.

N is for No!

A very useful little word, especially for time management. Before you say yes to any request for your time and energy, consider this handy little two-letter word. Only commit to those things which truly support your goals.

The Organised Alphabet 6

It’s time for the F word 😉

F is for Focus

Focus brings you a long way to being organised in so many ways.

Focusing on the task at hand gets things done. It’s great for time management.

But there are other organised F-words.  See some of them on our Facebook page.  Add your own.