4 Ways to Get More Hours in a Day

Have you ever noticed how really busy, well organized people navigate through their day? Do they seem frazzled rushing from one task to another? Probably not. People who have a lot on their plate know how to manage their time.

Otherwise, they'd be running from one thing to another putting out 'fires' and by mid-afternoon, drained of energy and sharp decision-making skills.

Most of us would like to squeeze more time out of each day, although knowing how, is another matter. The good news is you can do it. First, back up and look at where you can make changes -- chances can replace current habits with new positive ways to sail through your day.

The key is to plan to free up more down time each day.

1) Embrace the Planner in You

Many people feel like they are always a "day late and a dollar short." If you are missing out on life beyond office or house work because you have too many tasks and meetings stacked up every day, you are not alone.

So many people operate in that manner that a term has been coined to describe this behavior. This all too common problem is known as "the planning fallacy." That means people forget to factor in basic things when they are planning out time to do tasks.

Researchers at Carleton University have found that people tend to overestimate how long it will take to finish a simple task like cleaning the kitchen, but they underestimate how much time it will take to complete a bigger project like painting the bathroom.

Why do people under or overestimate time? Researchers found many times people don't factor in how much time it takes to do the basics each day. If you estimate it's going to take eight hours to paint the bath, are you also factoring in time to have lunch, make or return phone calls or take care of other things like prepare the room's surfaces and then clean up afterward?

If time is not on your side, follow these tips to have more get-up-and-go, and find more time and energy to do what you really want to do each day.

2) Prioritize and Delegate

Have you ever noticed that if you are in the house all day you always find something that needs to be put away, washed, dried, dusted, repaired, or spot cleaned? Sure, you may sit down and read the paper or watch TV for a short period of time, but then you notice the stack of newspapers and magazines that should be sorted through and tossed. And so the process of endless housekeeping starts anew.

Prioritize what you need to do then focus on those tasks until they get done. Instead of letting yourself be interrupted throughout the day, concentrate on the work at hand.

Here's a tip that busy people know: Focus on getting the difficult, most important tasks done early in the day. That way you'll have fresh energy and mental dexterity you need in case you feel sluggish later.

If you have too much work for the amount of time you have to do them, delegate. Sometimes you can rid yourself of many to-dos on your daily list by finding others to do them.

3) Do Tasks in Batches

Changing habits is not easy, but when you make a change you'll start seeing the positive results of your work.

Take emailing, for example -- are you constantly writing and responding to emails throughout the day? Take a tip from busy professionals such as physicians. They aren't emailing patients or other contacts throughout the day because they simply don't have the time. But they typically 'batch' these tasks. Emailing patients, for example, is done at once or twice a day, not sporadically throughout the day.

You can do the same thing with things that interrupt the flow of your day. Instead of going to the post office in the morning and running to the grocery store and library later, try 'batching these tasks" and do them all together. You'll save time instead of going in and out of the house to run errands more than once.

4) Weekends are for Week-End Pleasures

One of the hardest things for people to change is how they use their weekends. Many, especially those who work outside the home during the week, see the weekend as the time to catch up on household chores.

If that's you, of course you have more time to do home maintenance during an off-time, but are you really getting the most out of life with that schedule?

Consider the fact that there always will be housework. Always! The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that women who work full-time spend 15.1 hours a week (for men who work full-time, it's 9.6 hours) doing household chores. Of course that's far less than in 1965 when women spend 30 hours a week on housework.

So where are housework hours getting used today? You guessed it -- mostly on weekends.

Consider doing some of the weekend chores during the week and delegate a short time on weekend for doing them. Whatever doesn't get done on weekends try to roll the tasks into the new week.

If you can train yourself to do that, you'll free yourself up for more down time with family and friends on weekends. Those precious few days at week's end will give you more time to enjoy just being you.

http://ezinearticles.com/?4-Ways-to-Get-More-Hours-in-a-Day&id=8300183

Clutter Quickly Grows With Procrastination - And Even Kills!

You have decided that it is time to get rid of the clutter but now you don't know where to begin or how to start. Usually this means it gets put off for a lot of reasons. There is a lot going on in our lives. There is not enough time. It is easier to put off because it will take to long right now. Other things are more important and after all this can be done anytime, it's not a priority. But if you ever actually do get started you will find that getting organized doesn't have to take a lot of time every day. If you don't start, even in a small way there are some potentially bad side effects that could even kill you, as hard to believe as that might be. Clutter and disorganization affects your health in some very negative ways: It adds to your stress level. It saps your energy and makes you tired. It causes depression in many people. On the other hand you can gain some great benefits from getting organized and cleaning up the clutter: More sleep. You'll be in a better mood. You're relationships are improved. Your home will be managed much easier. You'll pay your bills on time. You'll make more space. You'll have more time for having fun. These are very real benefits from getting organized and it is time for you to get to them now. So what is stopping you? Does it still seem easier to put it off? Is it still easier to toss things into drawers and in closets and to pile things up around the house? To easy to ignore the simple "touch it once" rule? But still, clutter can be deadly and it is not a slow death from stress, it can and has been a very real death. Recently a woman in Washington was killed when stacks of dishes, boxes, and clutter fell on her. She was found under nearly six feet of junk, six feet of clutter. Take this poor woman's life back about thirty years. How many days went by when she procrastinated and said she would "get to it tomorrow." This is the tragic end that out of control clutter can bring you to. Unless you get your home and your clutter under control it could lead you to the same end. But you probably have a real desire to simplify and this too is causing you stress. Beginning is not that difficult and you can get past the lethargy and begin because stress is not good. Perhaps you are not anywhere as out of control as the woman who died and you just need to clear the clutter and bring order to your life. Perhaps you need to manage your bills and paper because you forget to pay bills sometimes and don't have a system to manage them. You've never been to concerned about it, after all what's a $35 late fee among friends? But, it does add up. Isn't now the time to begin ending the clutter and getting organized?

http://ezinearticles.com/?Clutter-Quickly-Grows-With-Procrastination---And-Even-Kills!&id=7015575

Personal Productivity Begins at Home

For the majority of people, home and family form the center of their lives. When things are going well at home, they tend to go better in all aspects of life - especially the levels of personal productivity. Factors that contribute to a harmonious home life are: loving, healthy relationships, finances, and an organized, clean, smooth-running household. Each of those could be discussed at length, but in this article let's look at the organized, clean, smooth-running household and why it is important. Home should be a haven, the place where we feel safe, can be ourselves, completely relax, laugh, play, work, and enjoy intimate relationships with family members. Of course, that is a description of the ideal home, and most homes are a variation of that description. However, the more organized, clean and comfortable it is, the better the description will fit. A messy home environment that lacks organization can be extremely stressful. It takes it toll on everyone and everything - especially on productivity for all member of the family. My mother used to say, "An organized home is the mark of an organized mind," and organization is a critical component of productivity. It is difficult to be productive when hours each day are wasted looking for things that you can't find, when you are stressed because the clutter surrounding you is disturbing and seems to reproduce itself on a daily basis, or when you feel like your life is out of control because there are not enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. There are those who do not have a natural ability, nor were they taught as children how to create and maintain an organized home, but it can be learned - and is well worth the effort. Once it is done, it will make your life (and the lives of your family) much easier and more productive. If you are among those for whom the learning curve is going to be steep, be patient with yourself! Learning something new takes time and determination. Your fabulously organized home is not going to magically appear because you want it to - wishing will not make it so. You have to be committed to making it happen. So, how do you start? Create a Plan Use some type of organizer - a large desk calendar or a white board are both good choices. Create an overall plan, enlist the support of your family, if at all possible, and begin to move forward. First step is to identify each of the areas that need to be organized. Then, break down each area into smaller steps, and then even smaller. Also create a realistic timeline for each area. There is no doubt that your family is very busy and depending on the state of organization (or disorganization) in your household, the project could take a while. That is OK and to be expected. DO NOT try to tackle every thing at once. Once you have your overall plan in place with a realistic timeline, which could be over a period of weeks or months, begin working on the project in small chunks (a day at a time). Each evening, spend a few minutes planning what you are going to do the next day to organize your home and the way your family lives - then do it! Be realistic in your goals and make sure they are fulfilled each day. Small steps are easy, give you a sense of accomplishment, and as each is completed, momentum begins to build. AS you are planning each day, be sure to include meals, meal prep, appointments, children's activities, work schedules, and personal/family time. I recommend that you use Cozi Family Calendar to keep track of appointments, events, activities, and individual responsibilities. It also includes TO DO lists (you can have one per family member), and a journal, which could be used to document your journey through this new adventure. It can be accessed online and used by the entire family with only one user name and password. And... the best part - you can set up reminders that will send text messages to individual SmartPhones. I use it all the time. It has been an incredible tool for me and my family. Schedule House Cleaning Activities When I was growing up, certain things were done on certain days. Monday was wash day. Tuesday was ironing day. Wednesday was working in the yard, etc.... and Saturday was cleaning house day - top to bottom. I am completely serious - and it worked well. In fact, I recommend it. In the beginning, you will have to do some serious de-cluttering. Clean out your cupboards, your closets, and your garage - and your cars. Get rid of everything that you do not use - old electronic gadgets, garden tools, and all those things that you have kept because you "may use it someday." You will be amazed at how good this feels and the relief it brings. The best part is that there will be more room in the house to enjoy each other, to move, to play, and to work (business, personal and school assignments) - and believe it or not, there will be more room in your mind for clear thinking. Now for the fun part of the planning... Organize Family Activities Have regular mealtimes for the entire family - and make those sacred. These should be the time to relax, laugh, and talk about your day - as a family unit. Schedule a family day - or at least a family evening once a week - again, the time should be sacred time reserved for enjoying each other. Have a once-a-month family outing or project. For example, a picnic in the mountains, a day at the beach, serving at a local homeless shelter, taking a day trip to a local tourist spot, etc. Be creative. Have a different member of the family plan the day each month. The possibilities are endless. If you want all family members, including you, to increase their personal productivity levels - organizing the home and family is the place to start! 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Personal-Productivity-Begins-at-Home&id=7033687

The Roadmap to a Less Cluttered Space

Organising isn't the spice of life but it surely is the meat and potatoes to have the life that can be chock full of spices. Many people find organizing boring or time consuming. Most of the time those same people lack vision of what they'd like their space to represent or they don't know where to get started. How can one spice up organizing their home or spaces in their homes who view the task as worrisome and uninteresting? At a recent NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) conference I learned about the wonderful and grand tool of a mind map. It's great for the non-linear thinker or even the linear thinker who may have lost their way in their beloved list making. What is a mind map? Well imagine a word or phrase or topic you are attempting to explore. For our sakes, let's say you want your guest bedroom to serve a dual purpose of a boudoir-away-from-home for your lovely guests and reading room while you're not entertaining overnight lodgers. Without much thought, you could put "My guest bedroom" in the middle of a piece of paper (the bigger the paper the better). Then make off-shoot verbs, nouns, adjectives, or whatever comes to mind when you think guest bedroom. For instance you might simply think "sleep" from that might follow "comfort", then "pillow", "rest", "reading", "well-lit", "soft"... well, you get the picture. Go crazy! Get into it, write words surrounding this topic until your mind feels like it's smoking through your ears. Well, not THAT hard but how about until your paper is surrounded by wonderful and beautiful ideas you never really thought you'd come up with initially if someone just plainly asked you, "So what do you have in mind for this space?" Now here comes the hard part. Look around the room you want to transform and ask yourself: Are any of the words on my mind map translated into this room/space? Probably not right? Hence, the reason you are looking to transform the room in the first place. But now you may be better able to see things in the room that don't fit into the image you've portrayed on your map. You may have said "sleek" and if Fluffy's cat condo is in this room/space you might get an "ah-ha" moment in relocating Fluffy. Sorry Fluffy, you might have to take one for the team. One major thing that you might find it a little hard to believe that I've never seen someone put on their ideas of what they'd like to see in a room is the word clutter. So if you've got a lot of clutter going on it's definitely time to get rid of it. "Well how do I do that?" You ask. You've tried before you say? Well now that you've gotten a vision for your room de-cluttering may go a little smoother than in the past. By using a mind map, you might just find out why and how to put the spice into organizing and in your room which may just happen to be your bedroom. Live in the Washington DC Metro Area? I invite you to schedule a FREE organizing consult with me! Go to: http://goo.gl/nf8V9 and fill out the online form.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Roadmap-to-a-Less-Cluttered-Space&id=7543544