I would like to travel light on this journey of life,
to get rid of the encumbrances I acquire each day –
Madeleine L’Engle
It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty and rest and living close to nature.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
| 1. | Enjoy these benefits of effective time management: |
| 2. | Fifteen minutes each morning + fifteen minutes each afternoon or evening over the course of a year = twenty-two eight-hour days. What will you do with those “extra days”? |
| 3. | One new time-effective idea per week = fifty-two new techniques in one year. |
| 4. | Recognize your reasons for procrastinating: |
| 5. | Use these tips to move from Procrastination to Accomplishment: |
| 6. | Learn the difference between these two adjectives: |
| 7. | Adopt the Fire Prevention instead of the Fire Fighting philosophy. It’s better to prevent a crisis with proper planning than fight the crisis when full-blown. |
| 8. | Understand the relationship between a goal and an objective. You may have a goal of becoming a gourmet French cook. Each objective moves you closer to the goal. Specific objectives might include taking a French cooking class, collecting recipes on French cuisine, and visiting French restaurants. |
| 9. | Ask yourself, “What do I want to be doing one, three, five years from today?” Take one step toward that goal today. Take another step tomorrow. Continue until you reach the goal. |
| 10. | Before you say YES, consider saying NO. And don’t feel guilty. |
| 11. | “One of these days” means nothing in terms of setting a goal. A goal is a dream with a date attached to it. |
| 12. | Consider this: If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, chances are you won’t have time to fix it later. |
| 13. | Ask yourself, “Can someone else do this? Am I doing it out of habit or out of necessity?” Stop and evaluate a task. Is this the best way to do it? Can you minimize it? Can you divide it into parts? Can you delegate it? |
| 14. | Make a list periodically of all your commitments. Evaluate each one. Is your involvement still necessary and meaningful? Eliminate or modify where you can. |
| 15. | Ask yourself, “What is the best use of my time right now?” |
| 16. | Adopt a Let’s Simplify lifestyle. If something isn’t used, doesn’t beautify, or cannot help someone, you may not need to hang on to it. |
| 17. | If the item has sentimental value, define “sentimental.” Perhaps it was a gift and although you no longer want it, you hesitate to toss it for fear of hurting the giver’s feelings. |
| 18. | Memorize Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” |
| 19. | Be “bird-wise.” Take advantage of your prime times. Larks function better in the morning. Owls are most effective during evening hours. Which are you? |
| 20. | Keep a Master List. Write down anything, small or large, that warrants your attention. Write the date beside each task or project as you enter it on the Master List. If too much time elapses without completing a project, you may wish to evaluate its importance. If you own any variety of planner and are not using it, this may be the perfect time to get started. |
| 21. | One part of your Master List could be repairs and replacements that need to be made at home. Start at the front door and work clockwise through your home. Then move out to include the car, garage, yard, and other property. |
| 22. | Work from a daily To Do list that includes tasks, appointments, projects, and items from your Master List. Writing down a specific task to be done at a certain time gives you freedom because you stay in control. Build in some extra time in case you are interrupted. |
| 23. | Mark the tasks on your To Do list as A, B, or C, giving the As the highest priority. Plan one day now and then to catch up on all the Cs. |
| 24. | Keep Reference Lists for things like favorite restaurant phone numbers, web sites you would like to explore, and books you would like to read. |
| 25. | Give yourself credit for what is working rather than lament what is not. |
| 26. | Designate a place to put something you use often during the day, such as your reading glasses and keys, then make sure you return the item to that place. |
| 27. | Set appointments with yourself on the calendar. |
| 28. | Maintain that calendar with large squares for writing appointments, tasks, and special events. Keep it in a central location for all to see. Various persons using the calendar might enter their own activities in separate colors. |
| 29. | Get the family to join in on projects. Make it a game with both responsibilities and rewards. Time the projects with an alarm clock or kitchen timer. Enjoy a pizza party when finished. |
| 30. | Use the Swiss Cheese Approach when tackling a major project, making little holes in it until the project is completed. |
| 31. | Use the Breakdown Approach and accomplish a major project in sections, breaking it into smaller tasks that lead to a series of successes and end in completion. |
| 32. | Eat lightly before or during a time of heavy mental activity. The digestion process drains energy from the mental process. When you are sedentary, your digestion is slower, extending the energy throughout your activity. |
| 33. | Use labor- and time-saving appliances and services if they help you achieve balance in your days. |
| 34. | Cluster similar tasks, such as phone calls and errands. |
| 35. | Barter when you can. Are you a computer guru who dislikes house cleaning? Would you prefer to bake someone’s birthday cake than do your own mending? Exchange services with friends and neighbors who have different preferences. The possibilities are endless. |
| 36. | Carry a street map of your city and county in the car. It can come in handy if you are having trouble finding what you are looking for. |
| 37. | Keep the top half of your gas tank full. A family member could suddenly become ill and need medical attention, or you might be called to the side of a loved one. |
| 38. | Create a driving directions folder for places you go infrequently so you don’t have to ask once again how to get there. |
| 39. | Telephone ahead to your destination to be sure you know how to get there and if the facility or store will be open and have what you need when you arrive. |
| 40. | Schedule appointments with doctors and dentists the first thing in the morning or the first appointment after their lunch. You are more likely to be seen on time and not kept waiting. |
| 41. | Anticipate needed resources. Pick up that DMV booklet a month before the day you plan to take your driving test or renew your license, not the day before. |
| 42. | Request confirmations in writing for all hotel reservations, as well as those for conventions, banquets, and theater performances. You will have a better chance of being helped or compensated if you have their written word for it. Anytime you make on-line reservations, print out your confirmation and take it with you on that occasion. |
| 43. | Keep address/phone list on your mobile device or 3x5 index cards. If on cards, color code for friends, business associates, services, children’s friends, and file in a small box near the telephone. Take the appropriate card with you when you need it, and toss the cards as information becomes obsolete. |
| 44. | Keep all warranties and guarantees in one file or drawer, as well as the purchase receipts for those items. Staple the receipt to the warranty with a note about what was bought. |
| 45. | Retain all vital documents in one fireproof and waterproof file. Consider a safety deposit box. If you use a safety deposit box, keep a copy of each document in a file at home with the box key taped inside the file. |
| 46. | Capture otherwise lost moments. Make a “quick fix” list of what you can do in five or ten minutes, such as make an appointment, write a thank you note, straighten one drawer, polish your shoes, water the plants, or practice a tune on the piano or guitar. When you find extra moments, you can use your list to help you make of most of them. |
| 47. | Carry a few note cards and a small book with you for those times when you must wait in the car or medical office. |
| 48. | Start your packing list two weeks prior to a trip. Keep the final list in your suitcase to be sure you bring everything back you intended to. Keep a Master Travel List for simplifying your planning. |
| 49. | Gently roll two or three garments in a loose roll instead of folding them in your suitcase. Rolled clothing won’t wrinkle as much as folded in traveling. |
| 50. | Replace a negative thought about yourself or the impending project with a positive one, such as, “I am able to do this. I have accomplished bigger things in the past.” |
| 51. | Get involved to some degree in a project you’ve been putting off. Make one phone call, write out one list, move one item, purchase one tool. Seeing a tangible part of the project will stimulate you to one more step. |
| 52. | Check your immediate environment at home or in your workplace to see if it contributes or detracts from your motivation and/or productivity. If personal enhancements are allowed at your workplace, place a colorful plant on your desk. Bring a golf or tennis trophy or a certificate from home and set it within your view. Rearrange some furniture to give you more space. At home, create a comfortable spot to write your personal letters. Make room for your priorities, literally and figuratively. |
| 53. | Promise yourself a treat when you finish a task. Keep your promise. |
| 54. | Eliminate the word “try” from your vocabulary. Instead of “trying,” begin to make a new habit. |
| 55. | Rediscover the lost art of the hand-written thank you note. Write thank you notes for gifts and hospitality received. Your acknowledgement brings the thoughtfulness full circle when the giver knows of your pleasure |
| 56. | Keep for one month the receipts of purchases you or your gift recipient may need to return or exchange. |
| 57. | When you register a complaint or make a claim, be sure to do the following: |