| Learning to successfully plan your time and | | | | |
| follow the plan is the most important key to | | | | A - For items that must be done out of prior |
| structuring our lfie. But many people resist | | | | commitment or because they are part of your |
| the idea of tracking their time. Maybe it | | | | goals, priorities or value system. |
| seems like just "another thing to do" in an | | | | |
| already harried schedule. I urge people who | | | | B - For items that you hope to get done if |
| feel this way to try this system for one | | | | you can complete all of the A-Priority tasks. |
| month. I tell them that if it doesn't work, | | | | |
| pitch it. Most people I have worked with are | | | | C- For items that need to be done at some |
| willing to make the one-month commitment, and | | | | point. |
| over 90 percent continue to use the system. | | | | |
| | | | Many people find that when starting to |
| Let's get started with your own system to | | | | prioritize, they have mostly A's and few B or |
| take control of your life and your time. As | | | | C items. Since many of us don't practice |
| you glance through this section, you might be | | | | regular planning, this is quite common. After |
| tempted to skip a step or two. I caution you | | | | a few weeks of planning and maximizing your |
| that this is like a recipe. Skipping one step | | | | time, you should begin to see a better |
| is the equivalent of leaving out an | | | | balance of A, B, and C items. |
| ingredient. For maximum success use all the | | | | |
| ingredients. | | | | Once each item is prioritized, compare your |
| | | | list to your balance wheel. Are you heading |
| Step One: Take stock of how you currently use | | | | in the direction you want your life to take? |
| your time. Perhaps the most tedious of all | | | | Many people find that just recording these |
| the steps is to figure out exactly where your | | | | items on paper leads toward a more balanced |
| time is currently going. The balance wheel | | | | wheel. If it doesn't for you, look over the |
| provided an overview of where you are. If | | | | list again. Is there anything else you could |
| possible, try to get even more specific. Many | | | | change or do to take you one step closer to |
| time management experts suggest carrying a | | | | your balanced goal? |
| planner and writing down everything you do | | | | |
| for a week in fifteen-minute increments. I | | | | Step Five: Create a monthly plan. A monthly |
| personally wouldn't recommend it because I | | | | plan is similar to a balance wheel in that it |
| could never find the time to do it, and each | | | | serves as an overview for where you are. |
| time I tried, I lasted about an hour. What | | | | Sketch in responsibilities and appointments |
| worked for me was to divide a piece of paper | | | | on a monthly calendar. |
| into the following increments: Before Work, | | | | |
| Morning at Work, Lunch Hour, Afternoon at | | | | As you write each item on your calendar, ask |
| Work, Evening with Samantha, After Samantha | | | | yourself-Does this coincide with the plan I |
| goes to Bed. In each square I wrote a few | | | | have for my life? If not, why am I doing it? |
| brief notes as to how I spent this time. I | | | | Sometimes these are items that we must do, |
| was able to maintain this method for the full | | | | but other times they might be things we do |
| week to get an accurate inventory of how I | | | | out of habit. For example, one woman, Cindy, |
| spent my time. Whatever method works for you | | | | reported that she cleaned her house |
| is great just try to gather some sort of | | | | thoroughly every Sunday and wished she could |
| weekly summary. | | | | hire a maid. With her high devotion to |
| | | | cleaning, I asked her if this was a priority |
| Step Two: Evaluate your week, simplify | | | | in her life. She replied that it wasn't. |
| expectations and identify common time | | | | |
| wasters. Recording a week's worth of activity | | | | After a few moments she said that her mother |
| can be an eye opener for many. In the hustle | | | | had always kept a very tidy house, and she |
| and bustle of life we often overlook how much | | | | felt that was part of her "expectations." |
| time slips away that could be better | | | | Cindy switched from a thorough cleaning once |
| utilized. As you look at your week, ask | | | | a week to a monthly thorough cleaning and |
| yourself the following: | | | | touch-ups on weekends. This created close to |
| | | | fourteen extra hours for her each month. |
| How much time is spent spinning your wheels? | | | | |
| Could positive planning help free up this | | | | Step Six: Create a weekly plan. The weekly |
| time? | | | | plan sheet will serve as your primary tool |
| | | | for life management. I find that filling out |
| How many times do you make the same trip | | | | a weekly plan sheet each Sunday afternoon or |
| twice? (i.e. running errands in the same area | | | | evening makes my weeks much more effective |
| of town, going to the store more than once.) | | | | and helps to maximize each day. Here's how it |
| How much time could positive planning free up | | | | works: Each Sunday look at your |
| if these trips were consolidated? | | | | responsibility list and your monthly |
| | | | calendar. Jot down any appointments or |
| How much time is spent doing | | | | commitments on your weekly planner. Next, |
| extra-commitments? (Helping church, school, | | | | look at the time you have left and get out |
| friends or organizations.) If you budgeted a | | | | your balance wheel. Look at the ideal wheel |
| comfortable amount of time each week to | | | | you made earlier. Glance at your goals. Fill |
| others, but made a promise not to exceed it, | | | | in the remaining spaces with those items. |
| would that help balance your life? | | | | Your schedule might be so hectic that you |
| | | | only see a few 30-minute increments over the |
| Do you really have to do everything? What on | | | | course of the week. Don't let them slip away! |
| your list could be delegated or become a | | | | |
| shared responsibility? Are there any items | | | | Step Seven: Create a daily plan each night. |
| kids could help with? Could you pay a baby | | | | Each night before retiring, jot down a plan |
| sitter a little extra to help clean or | | | | for the following day. I find that using the |
| grocery shop? Could you start a car pool | | | | same increment schedule I mentioned for |
| with other single parents to eliminate the | | | | tracking time works best for me. I simply |
| constant demand of driving? | | | | divide a piece of paper into morning |
| | | | responsibilities, afternoon responsibilities |
| Do you have to do everything so often? If | | | | and evening responsibilities. Others report |
| you are cleaning your home once a week, top | | | | great success with a system documented by |
| to bottom, could that be done once a month | | | | hours. Find a method that works for you and |
| and spot cleaning be done weekly? If your | | | | you'll see how the daily plan accomplishes |
| time is being devoured by items that are low | | | | several vital functions: |
| or nonexistent on your balance wheel, | | | | |
| consider deleting or simplifying those tasks. | | | | 1. You don't have to "store" everything in |
| Could you go to the grocery store monthly for | | | | your mind. You can jot it down, plan it and |
| the bulk of your food and just drop in weekly | | | | then let it go. This helps to alleviate |
| for perishables? If financial considerations | | | | stress. |
| prevent monthly trips to the grocery store, | | | | |
| consider making this a goal to work toward. | | | | 2. You can eliminate spinning your wheels and |
| | | | wondering what to do next since you simply |
| What areas are simply getting too much time? | | | | follow the plan. |
| Are the mornings devoted to too much dawdling | | | | |
| and not enough doing? Are phone calls taking | | | | 3. It offers a sense of accomplishment as you |
| away from work time or family time? | | | | mark off each item you have accomplished. |
| | | | |
| What about you? Often the first thing to be | | | | Note: On your daily list you may want to name |
| eliminated from a schedule is time for one's | | | | your top three priorities for the day. These |
| self. How much time did you devote to | | | | tasks should contain three things that no |
| yourself last week - without children? Did | | | | matter what would allow you to feel good |
| you take a walk alone? Relax for a while in | | | | about your day if you accomplished them. |
| peace and quiet? If you know that you aren't | | | | |
| making time for adequate rejuvenation, sleep, | | | | Step Eight: Utilize to-do lists. To-do lists |
| exercise, diet or other self-maintenance, | | | | offer a great release. I keep a spiral |
| make this a starred priority. You need energy | | | | notebook in my purse at all times. I use this |
| and self-care in order to nurture your | | | | to jot down anything I think of that I need |
| children. Try and block out at least two | | | | to do. At one point, I tried to have just a |
| hours a week for time that is completely | | | | master list at home, but soon noticed that I |
| devoted to you. The energy that you collect | | | | never thought of anything that needed to be |
| from two hours of focused time will easily | | | | done until I was stuck in traffic, playing at |
| recover those hours and more. | | | | the park or at some other location equally |
| | | | far from my pen and paper. |
| Step Three: Make an inventory of | | | | |
| responsibilities and goals. As you went | | | | By jotting down these items as they occur to |
| through Step Two, you most likely pinpointed | | | | you, a person doesn't have to continually |
| where your time is escaping and remedies for | | | | focus on them, be preoccupied or try to |
| correcting it. You also probably figured out | | | | remember them. |
| what tasks need to be done and what is done | | | | |
| more out of habit than need. Step Three | | | | Step Nine: Organize a time-management center. |
| involves listing out all your | | | | You will need to have a time-management |
| responsibilities and goals. Once we have them | | | | center to keep track of your progress and |
| all on the table, we can begin to insert them | | | | schedules. If you don't have a spare drawer, |
| into your life management system. | | | | pick up an accordion file at your local |
| | | | office supply store. Stock your file with the |
| On a fresh sheet of notepaper list all the | | | | following:o Scratch paper or to-do list |
| responsibilities you can think of. You may | | | | papero A monthly calendaro Pencils/penso |
| want to divide these into three columns - | | | | Weekly and daily calendars (Check into the |
| personal, family and work. The weekly | | | | many planners available today. There are |
| inventory from Step One offers a good | | | | several that can be customized to fit your |
| starting point of responsibilities. Keep this | | | | needs. Or, if you have a computer, make your |
| list handy, since more responsibilities may | | | | own forms, hole-punch them, and insert these |
| occur to you throughout the upcoming days. | | | | papers into a three-ring binder. This allows |
| | | | you to customize your entire organizer.)o A |
| Here are some responsibilities that may be on | | | | section to hold bills (folders that are |
| your list: | | | | three-hole-punched are excellent if you are |
| | | | using a three-ring binder)o A section to hold |
| Carpool Vacuuming | | | | important paperso A section for receipts and |
| | | | other important itemso Stamps and different |
| Education Yard Work | | | | sized envelopeso Note cardso Frequently |
| | | | dialed numbers, doctor, etc.o A list of |
| Volunteer Work Finances | | | | immunizations for children or other important |
| | | | medical records |
| Cooking Exercise | | | | |
| | | | Step Ten: Evaluate your progress weekly or |
| Pet Care Work | | | | monthly. Sit down with your balance wheel, |
| | | | goals and schedules on a regular basis. Make |
| Grocery Shopping Helping at School | | | | a new balance wheel based on what you have |
| | | | done over the last month or week. Are you |
| Sweeping & Mopping Laundry | | | | getting closer to your goals? If so, |
| | | | continue on the same track. If not, double |
| Church/Temple (or Synagogue) | | | | back and look for steps you may have skipped |
| | | | in the process. |
| Step Four: Prioritize with the A, B, C | | | | |
| method. People have a tendency to create | | | | The Change Your Life Challenge |
| to-do lists and give each task equal billing. | | | | |
| Most of the time, not everything needs to be | | | | Take control of your home, finances, |
| done immediately. Listing everything together | | | | relationships, clutter, time-managmenet and |
| can create a false sense of urgency and | | | | more with this 70 Day Program. Sign up for |
| unneeded stress. Try identifying each item | | | | the free Challenge Weekly Newsletter and the |
| with a priority tag as shown here. | | | | motivational daily Good Morning. |