Wardrobe Planning: Organized Style Saves You Time and Money

Wardrobe Planning: Organized Style Saves You Time and Money
By Stephanie Dray

Do you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? Do you shop without really knowing what your wardrobe needs? Do you buy gorgeous separates and never wear them because you don't know how to work them into a stylish outfit?

Impulse clothing shopping can cost you hundreds of dollars a year in wasted spending. And that doesn't even count the time wasted trying to find something to wear to business meetings or other events. But how can you put an end to it without buying an expensive closet organizer or hiring a personal stylist? Here are some steps to get you started.

1. Plan Your Outfits In Advance. Use plain old paper and pencil, or a free clothing planner, and start jotting down outfits for events you're likely to attend this year. Your list isn't going to be complete overnight. It'll take some time, but this is a starting point. It will help you determine what you need to buy and what you already own too many of. Once you're done, it will help you dress on auto-pilot and save you time every time you need to get dressed.

2. Try Everything On. Approach this mission in baby-steps. Dedicate just fifteen minutes a night. Trying things on is the only way to give them an honest appraisal. Each item in your closet has its own quirks. Maybe it doesn't look as good as it did a few years ago. Maybe the shoulder pads are no longer in style. Perhaps it needs to be tailored. A good tailor can shorten sleeves, lengthen hems, or otherwise add flattering darts to give your garments a better shape. The point here is to give each item in your closet a chance to justify itself. And don't get discouraged. It's the clothes auditioning here, not you.

3. Declutter Your Closet. It's hard to find outfits to wear when you can't see what you own. When clothing is so tightly packed that you can't take it off the hanger without knocking three other garments on the floor, it costs you time and money. Time, because it takes you longer to assemble an outfit. Money because you probably keep buying the same pair of pants over and over again, not realizing you have three new ones already tucked away in the back of your closet. It's time to purge. If a garment needs to go to the tailor, put it in a bag and deliver it to your car right now. Don't let it sit in your closet for another year. If a garment needs to be mended, put it in a basket by your sewing machine. If you're not going to mend it, throw it in the rag bag and be done with it. Also, keep your junk clothes to a minimum. Everybody needs an outfit to paint, to garden, or to clean the house. But if you were to stack up all the stained and threadbare clothing you've been hanging onto, it's probably a larger collection than the rest of your clothing combined. Pick out your favorite comfy, just-for-home, outfits and send the rest to the rag bag. These items are robbing you of space and self-image. Out they go.

4. Take Inventory. Using your list or clothing planner, you can now identify gaps in your wardrobe. Business women typically lack sufficient casual wear for weekend outings. Stay-at-home moms tend not to have formal or business attire. Young women often forget to buy clothes for weddings or formal events. Planning allows you to see what holes need to be filled when you go shopping, and take advantage of the sales. It will also let you see if you have items that can be sold or donated. Many women do a thriving business on Ebay selling clothes that are lightly used, or have never been worn at all. You too can turn your fashion mistakes into cash.

We've all seen those women who dress as if style comes to them effortlessly. Well, maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. But following these steps, you can look like they do, natural or not. Remember, planning ahead will save you money and give you time to devote to the other passions in your life. Because fashion is important, but it's not everything!

Stephanie Dray is the author of Curvalicious and Living Large, a resource for plus sized women.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=StephanieDray
http://EzineArticles.com/?Wardrobe-Planning:-Organized-Style-Saves-You-Time-and-Money&id=248018

'B Is For Blinders' Time Management AZ Guide

'B Is For Blinders' - Time Management A-Z Guide
By Jason Anderson

I've got a confession to make - when it comes to time management, for a long time I wasn't able to see the forest for the trees. I slowly came to realize that I was wearing blinders. What on earth am I talking about, and what do 'blinders' have to do with time management?

As you probably know, blinders are the goggles that horses wear that stop them from seeing to the side. It forces them to only see straight ahead, and ignore anything that may attract or startle them. Unfortunately, many people have blinders of their own (although they may not realize it). Often called he way we've always done things, these personal blinders can make us overlook or ignore the bigger picture, and miss opportunities for success or efficiency.

How does this relate to time management? One of the most basic things in time management is to make a list of tasks you need to do, and to prioritize them in some way. It's probably the most common part of time management that people know, and it is extremely powerful. But often we get so caught up in figuring out what we have to do (especially if we are pressed for time) that we don't step back and look at the big picture. We forget to ask ourselves two key questions about each task we write down:

• Do I really need to do this?
• Is there a better way I can do this?

Take a simple example of running some errands in the city - perhaps taking something in to a dry cleaner, meeting a friend for lunch, and buying a gift for someone. If you have a preferred shop for each of these tasks, you may find they are spread out all over the city. You will have to waste a lot of time travelling (whether driving, taking a cab or using public transport) just to get things done,

A better solution would be to try and group things together. This may mean that you have to use one or more new stores, but you will save yourself a huge amount of time and hassle (and you may just find a new favorite store to frequent!)

When doing tasks for work, you should be on the lookout for ways you can make the tasks more efficient. Perhaps a task that requires six different steps can be streamlined to only three steps if it is done a different way. Often things are done a certain way simply because that was how they were done the first time. If the business has grown or changed since, there may now be a more efficient way to get the task done.

Not only will you save yourself time if you find a more efficient way to do a task, but most bosses look favorably on an employee who improves how they work!

If you have a lot of tasks on your list of things to do, rather than diving straight in and working like mad, pause for just a few moments and ask yourself two questions for every item on the list; Do I need to do this? Is there a better way I can do this? Those few minutes of thought may save you hours or even days of work!

You will get more done today than you ever thought possible by discovering simple time management skills you can use in a few minutes. It's easier than it sounds!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JasonAnderson
http://EzineArticles.com/?B-Is-For-Blinders---Time-Management-A-Z-Guide&id=171756

Managing Time: Say No to Demands

Managing Time: Say No to Demands
By Yara Nielsenshultz

Persistent Demands

Everyone faces demands on their time. Some of those are legitimate. We all have responsibilities to fulfill. The problem starts when we begin to value other people's responsibilities more than our own time.

How does this happen? First, many people, particularly women, let their desire to be helpful outweigh their own priorities and needs. Second, people often fear they won't be liked or they'll be viewed as selfish or lazy if they say No. Third, some people fear that saying No will lead to confrontation, and they don't want to disappoint their colleagues/friends/family.

The Guilt Complex

When people do say 'No to demands on their time, the Guilt Complex can rear up, leaving them feeling unsure, selfish, and depressed. Unfortunately, many people play on this guilt complex to passively influence you to say Yes to demands on your time. As a result, you can become conditioned to say Yes until you find that you have no time left for yourself.

Value Your Time

No one is going to value your time until YOU do. Agreeing to other people's requests for your time devalues your time and emphasizes theirs. When faced with a request, ask yourself:

• Will fulfilling this request energize me or deplete me?
• Is the time I give to this request more important than the time I can give to myself?
• Is fear (or guilt or another negative emotion) influencing my decision to accept this request?
• How many other requests for my time have I accepted this week or month?
• How much time do I have for myself this week or month? Will accepting this request take that time from me (or other, more important, people)?

3 Steps to Get Started Today

Stop saying Yes automatically. Pay attention to what you're feeling when faced with a request for your time and honor those feelings.

Take time to consider whether each request forces you to sacrifice time better spent elsewhere. YOU control your time -- make your choices wisely.

Stop feeling guilty. You have every right to control your time -- it's YOUR time and it's valuable.

If you practice these steps consistently, you'll start to escape feeling overwhelmed and stressed. And as you begin to honor your feelings and value your time, you'll begin to feel a renewed energy.

Yara Nielsenshultz of Living Forward Coaching helps working moms find guilt-free time for themselves by helping them create, nurture, and implement an inspiring vision for who they want to be. Yara brings a unique perspective to coaching, encouraging clients to foster a Deliberate Imbalance(TM). Learn more at http://www.livingforwardcoaching.com/deliberate.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=YaraNielsenshultz
http://EzineArticles.com/?Managing-Time:-Say-No-to-Demands&id=220007

Where Has All the ENCHANTMENT Gone? Long Time Passing

Where Has All the ENCHANTMENT Gone? Long Time Passing
By Barbara Becker Holstein

I thought you might enjoy reading a professional article I prepared several years ago. It is just as current today and really speaks to a tragedy in our health care system that we must all try to combat. I am trying to explain some of the problems of managed care which penetrate much more deeply than out pocketbooks. These problems penetrate our minds, bodies and spirits! I am eager to hear from you, as always.

Those of us who became clinicians 15, 20, 25 and 30 years ago did so because we had a mission. Each in his or her own fashion had a reason for becoming a clinician that tapped into a need to be of service to humanity, dedicated to utilizing skills that stressed talking and listening as an art/science. We served internships, wrote dissertations and gladly entered what we saw as a 'healing' profession.

In fact, we achieved what I refer to as THE ENCHANTED SELF (i.e. Achieving Positive states of being that are a reflection of each person's uniqueness). Each was able to utilize the uniqueness of one's personal history, and talents, serving the public in a meaningful and skilled manner.

As private as the treatment room had been, most can look back on those early years, as years of collegial support and understanding. Whether one became an ego-psychologist, a behaviorist, or a family therapist, each of us knew the mentoring, and the success that went with each discipline. We were able to achieve some form of enchantment within the treatment room, offering our clients the best of ourselves, psychologically supported by our colleagues and society at large. We were confident to encourage our clients to stay for the appropriate length of treatment, comfortable making clinical judgments and enthused about learning new techniques and clinical skills. We offset our sleepless nights and anxieties around difficult clients, with elation and moments of pure joy, as we saw clients grow and heal.

Those days seem long gone. Now we are in an era of disenchantment. By that I mean we suffer the emotional and financial devastation of Managed Care. Whether a clinician chooses to practice within Managed Care or not, he or she is not protected from disenchantment. Disenchantment is all around.

The public does not respect or understand the art/science of psychotherapy as they used to. Nor are the younger clinicians trained and mentored professionally to the standards that we took for granted.

Clients come into psychotherapy, often with lowered expectations as to what therapy is, motivated primarily by their pocketbook or their Managed Care's pocketbook. They expect cures within 4, 6 or 8 sessions. After all, that is what their plan offers. They are led to believe that a few sessions are an adequate number of contact hours with a therapist. They expect miracles while no longer having a cursory understanding of what talking therapy is all about. They, like most of America , want a quick fix, and they want it now! Of course, this can not be! Nothing good happens overnight.

Giving ourselves a genuine dose of positive regard, beginning to acknowledge our talents, strengths, coping skills and lost potential; learning how to negotiate, react and act; and finally finding pleasure and replenishment in all the right places are universal necessities to living a life of meaning and purpose.

As we find ourselves as mental health providers in a state of disenchantment, how can we utilize what we know about human potential to offset our own emotional and spiritual malaise? We know from the study of human potential that optimism and hope are extremely important factors in staying well both physically and emotionally. How can we hold on to these capacities within ourselves? How can we at the same time fight Managed Care? In my book, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy, I discuss how important our own histories are. Each of us has accumulated many memories. Our memory banks are unique to ourselves and hold within them, the potential for hope and optimism. Let me explain.

Only you can review your life's history. Rather than looking for dysfunctional aspects of your past, search out and discover moments when you displayed talents, strengths and/or wonderful coping skills. Only you can review your life, discovering and recognizing the moments when you were filled with the potential for growth and success even if you were stymied. Now is a golden opportunity to look through your past and recognize these wondrous moments.

Perhaps as a child you excelled at playing chess or tennis. Perhaps you were the child that brought home and nurtured abandoned birds and animals. Perhaps you longed to study the piano but there was no money and you could not take lessons. Yet even now you may remember the longing you had to play, or, perhaps to fend off feelings of anxiety in a quarreling fancily, you developed marvelous organizational skills. Were you the adolescent that displayed leadership skills, becoming president of the junior high school student council? Or were you the child that loved to dance or write poetry or just sit and daydream? You, who have guided so many others in finding their paths, can take the time to review your own history to find what is most positive about yourself.

Once you have begun to review and itemize your talents, strengths, coping skills and potential you are well on your way to bringing enchantment back into your life. Even during these dark days of Managed Care you can utilize your own enchantment in several fashions. You may discover in reviewing your past that you have much more potential to help in the fight for Managed Care then you thought was possible. Directing yourself to be a clearer and stronger warrior in the battle will in and of itself decrease anxiety and lessen the likelihood of depression. We all know that from what we advise our clients.

If a review of your past makes clear that you are not cleared to be a warrior in this battle, you can still access long forgotten talents and pleasures which can make your life more fulfilling. Perhaps it is time to take up tennis again. After all, you may have a few more open hours. Perhaps it is time to join a writer's group or offer volunteer services on the local first aid squad. Perhaps it is time to finally make those plans for a walking or biking tour next summer and use extra hours to strengthen those old leg muscles. In reviewing your talents you may discover new avenues to provide mental health services to your local community.

Remember, whatever way you go, you will find yourself most successful if you are utilizing your own specific talents, and coping skills. You will soon find that you are able to expand your horizons and have a more positive sense of yourself. You will be back on the road to enchantment.

About The Author

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein , originator of THE ENCHANTED SELF, a method of bringing delight and meaning into everyday living, invites you to view her new line of ENCHANTED WOMAN products, downloadable e-books, and free gifts at http://www.enchantedself.com. Chat with others in Dr. Holstein's e-group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/encself/join, and sign up for her fre e e-group at www.enchantedself.com. Order her book, THE ENCHANTED SELF: A Positive Therapy, or the CD-rom or tape version and her book RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT: The Secret Ingredient is YOU!, or the ED-rom version, at http://www.enchantedself.com/ordering/ordering.htm.

encself@aol.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=BarbaraBeckerHolstein
http://EzineArticles.com/?Where-Has-All-the-ENCHANTMENT-Gone?--Long-Time-Passing&id=23771

ToDo List For Success Time Management: Theory And Practice

To-Do List For Success -- Time Management: Theory And Practice
By Yola Eve

Time Management is getting more and more popular day by day. People want to be more successful, proactive and wealthy. It is not new to everyone that there are common time wasters in our lives. Watching TV all evening long, spending too much time on the Internet, having a very long conversation over the phone, and, my favorite one, doing trifles instead of going bed and loosing your precious sleep these are common time wasters that you already know of. If you eliminate all these things, you will start to practice Time Management. But for me, it is rather time managing. I would like to put more sense into the words Time Management. For me Time Management equals LIFE Management. Why try to save minutes if we are loosing years? Am I born to save minutes to schedule more deeds into my already full 24-hour day? And yet loose a whole year on doing something that is not going to help me achieve success in my life.

IT IS ALL ABOUT INSPIRATION.
Find out more about your inner talents, discover your resources, apply yourself in work you love and believe in what you do that is how you become successful. In our days, we are encouraged to make our best choices to create opportunities for ourselves: get the education and work on the experience we need to move forward.

After you have set up your Major LIFE Goals, envisioned precisely what you need for yourself (car, apartment, house, business, motorbike and water scooter), now, it is time to create conditions and opportunities for yourself to reach all of that.

I am not an expert on your life. YOU ARE! And I dont know how you should be managing and achieving your personal, most desired goals. BUT YOU DO! I only would like to share with you what has helped me on my way to success.

First of all, define what is success for you? Everybody has a personal definition and vision of success. The only amendment I would make here is that Your Life Success is embraced in your Body, Mind, Soul, Spirit (also add your captivating Sub-consciousness).

When you plan your Live Success, you ought to include:

Taking a good care of your Body. A good appearance is a reflection of your internal success, and the first step for you to attract other people.

Feed your Mind with new information and positive mood. Let your thoughts grow and develop. That is how you will be able to find ways to create more opportunities of your talent implementation, open new prospects to your personal success. Let your Mind be like Water. Dont overload it, otherwise, the Water might boil. Work decent hours a day.

Embrace your Soul. Listen to your inner desires, dont ignore your inner voice. Communicate with the most intelligent person You. Speak to other people, share your ideas and tools that you use to achieve your personal success. That is how you will be able to create your team and organize everybody around you as well as yourself.

Listen to your Spirit. Develop a close relationship with your inner intuition. Increase Confidence in yourself. Overcome any procrastination and let yourself move forward in search of new ideas and revelation of your inner resources. Say STOP to any unbelieving in your potentials. Support and comfort yourself in your every effort to change things in your life. Embrace everything worthy and beautiful that life has to offer. Love yourself.

MOVE FORWARD.
Organize yourself; implement new habits into your daily routine. (Take a close look how millionaires do it.) Develop million dollar habits in yourself.

Start planning your every single day. Use the most powerful and easy technique a To-Do List.

Set up your long-term goals, and then think how they can be divided into short-term goals. Remember, all major things in this life can be divided into small ones and fulfilled one after another. For example, music consists of 7 separate notes; all the greatest masterpieces consist of 6 basic colors; even a car consists of separate parts. Consider your goals, break them into smaller ones, and then create a To-Do List of what you can do on everyday basis, step by step, in order to achieve your major goal.

Implement relaxation into your daily schedule. I am sure you are already working hard to achieve what you want. The Road itself will show you the Best Route. If you are fixed on your goal and focused only on it, you miss the journey of getting there. That is why the best solution is to move to your goals while you are still having relaxation and rest. Pay a close attention to where you are, at what stage, be calm and gain interest in the process of life. That is how you will be able to see new chances on your road to successful achieving of your goals in less time with minimum efforts.

Set up a scheduled To-Do List of what you can do to relax every day. Add variety to it, it will give you more inspiration in what you do. It can be a short pleasure, and it will give you a lot of new energy to do more and move forward.

Find the best ways for yourself to make your To-Do List mostly productive for you. Use all possible electronic tools and devices to maintain, monitor and constantly support your Goal progress. Set up your clock, watch, organizer, iPod, Palm, cell phone, computer, laptop everything to work on achieving your Goals. These are your silent devoted partners that will do most of organizing and keeping track job for you.

Explore the market, and deposit your money and time in creation of your Success.
Dont be shy of your truly desired dreams.
Fulfill and implement them into your life.
Make yourself happy, inspired, and complete. That is when you will be able to make others happy too.

Yola Eve
Business Trainer
VIP Quality Software LTD

P.S. This article is inspired with Time and Goal Management implementation and practice with the help of my electronic friend VIP Organizer.

If you have questions, let me know. I will be happy to assist you on your way to Success.

A successful Business Trainer, experienced Business Coach, qualified Psychotherapist. Member of European Psychotherapy Association.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=YolaEve
http://EzineArticles.com/?To-Do-List-For-Success----Time-Management:-Theory-And-Practice&id=205411

Managing Time Getting Priorities Right

Managing Time - Getting Priorities Right
By Martin Haworth

In Steven Covey's excellent book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People he tells a well-worn story about the use of time.

In the story, some professor guy (I think) stands at the front of a class, with a big jar. In the jar, first of all he puts some big rocks, and asks the class, Is it full now.

Mostly they say, Yes.

Then he gets some smaller rocks and these fit in quite nicely too, just between the big rocks. Again, he asks the same question, Is it full now?

The group, a little more suspicious say, Yes, because it seems to be.

He then gets out a bag of sand and surprise, surprise, those tiny grains of sand squeeze down beside the smaller rocks, filling up the tinier spaces. Full?, he asks.

Sure, say the increasingly dubious bunch of students in the audience.

Finally, trump card is the water, smaller than sand, of course and finally, as we aren't getting too sub-molecular about it, the jar is full.

Impressive huh?

The professor then asks,

What's the moral of the story?

Of course the class, thinking they've spotted the trick here, say,

You can always squeeze a bit more in

A standard and pretty smart reply. The professor, however, is a step a head (all that professorism does it, of course!).

The moral of the story is that you need to get your big rocks in first, or all that other 'stuff' gets in, way too soon and takes up all the space.

Cool story?

The point of course, relates to managing your time.

What are your 'big rock' things?

Well, for sure it isn't all the little jobs you do. All the fire-fighting (or it may be in the short-term, but that is another day).

The trick is to create spaces, ring-fenced, as they say, to do the good stuff.

In business, this is a list something like this:-

1. Planning for the future

2. Time with your people - good, focused one-on-one time preferably

3. Coaching your people in their work

4. Developing others around you

5. Delegating constructively

6. Creating Succession Plans

7. Building relationships

8. Developing new business opportunities

9. Fixing problems once and for all

10. Making time for a life outside the business

There are more!

Covey and his big rocks eh?

He calls them Quadrant Two activities. If you don't spend time putting these first into your schedule, truth is, you will never fit them in and things will never evolve and grow.

2005-6 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MartinHaworth
http://EzineArticles.com/?Managing-Time---Getting-Priorities-Right&id=140662

10 Tips On Making More Time

10 Tips On Making More Time
By Mary Lennox

1. Make sure everyone else does their share.

2. Have chores shared out fairly.

3. When others do chores, allow them to do so in their own way. Dont be tempted to do things again in your way.

4. Prioritise

5. Plan ahead. This can be useful in terms of shopping, batch cooking and freezing.

6. Weigh up the personal benefits of putting some tasks out to tender, i.e. ironing, cleaning. It may be worth the money.

7. Can you use the time when you are exercising to do some mental planning.

8. Commuting time may be right for you to catch up on your reading, or doing some work related task you would otherwise do at home.

9. Only watch television programmes that really interest you. It can be useful to code in what you want to watch and otherwise keep the box switched off. This will give you time to go for a walk, do gardening or even COMMUNICATE.

10. De clutter and housework will be minimal. It will also take less time to find things you need. This can be applied to your wardrobe too so that you do not waste time on trying to decide what to wear. What is in your wardrobe should be ready to wear, be items you feel and look good in and not so abundant that you are spoiled for choice.

This article was submitted by Mary Lennox an experienced counsellor and intuitive life coach. The combination of her education, career background and life experiences enable her to have an empathic understanding across abroad spectrum of circumstances.

Visit her website http://www.lifecoachinggym.com for more free articles or to subscribe to her free bi monthly newsletter WORKOUT.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MaryLennox
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Tips-On-Making-More-Time&id=267541

10 Tips for Creating More Time

10 Tips for Creating More Time
By Michele Dortch

Need a quick fix that will get you more time? Here are ten tips for creating more time in your life:

1. Minimize personal errands

Most working moms also wear the role of home manager. You balance the checkbook, pay the bills, do the grocery shopping, pick up the dry cleaning, etc. The time it takes to run these personal errands adds up! Ive minimized the time I spend on personal errands by leveraging technology and delivery services. Here are just a few of the services Ive used:

* Rent DVDs online and have them delivered by mail.

* Get groceries delivered to your doorstep.

* Have the local dry cleaner deliver and pick up your laundry

* Ship packages and letters using the online service of the US Post Office (theyll even pick up at no additional charge!)

2. Follow your natural energy cycles

Your body is built in with a biorhythmic monitor that for high and low energy levels. You may be a morning person, or a night owl. Schedule difficult or complicated tasks based on your unique biorhythmic cycle. Youre much more productive when working at your optimum energy level.

3. Treat yourself

You work hard. Reward your successes frequently. Give yourself time off and set up special rewards for accomplishing your tasks on time. Knowing that youre hard work will pay off into something you really want is motivating and keeps you moving throughout the day.

4. Pre-prepare dinners for the week on the weekends

Im a new fan of Food Networks Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller show! Robin has developed weekly meal planning strategies and quick recipes for busy families. With day-by-day plans and easy but delicious recipes, your weeknight dinners can be stress-free. Her recipe ideas have made my weeknight cooking so much easier!

5. Record your thoughts

You have a lot of things going on in your life. In the midst of busy day you may be struck with a bit of inspiration or a forgotten to-do. Dont let these valuable nuggets of information escape you! Carry a small notepad in your purse, or diaper bag, to track quick notes. You can also get a digital voice recorder and talk out your thoughts. (Check your cell phone since most models have a voice recorder feature built in.)

6. Block your time

They say that kids thrive on routine. I think adults do as well. Try structuring your daily tasks into specific time blocks. I have specific blocks of time for when I check email, when I run personal errands and when I perform certain business-related tasks. This allows me to put these high-priority tasks into my schedule before it gets filled with meetings or last-minute requests for my time.

7. Tackle the tough stuff first

If youre a procrastinator, then its best to tackle the unsavory tasks first whenever possible. One of the things I usually defer is making out-bound marketing calls. So Ive set up a schedule where I have 5-by-10 in my calendar which means that I commit to making five calls by 10 am every day.

8. Get rid of junk

Between unsolicited junk in your mailbox, telemarketing calls during dinner, and tons of offensive email, your life is probably chock full of junk. Take charge of your time! Eliminate the junk in your life and as a bonus, you could be protecting you and your family from the pain of identity theft. Download this PDF from The Federal Trade Commission to learn how to just say no to the junk here: http://www.integratedmother.com/pdfs/optout.pdf.

9. Find a place for everything.

Everything you own should have a home mail, socks, books, pens, receipts, etc. When you live and work in an environment thats organized and clutter-free you naturally save time because youre spending less time searching for things. Create a home for everything and then put it away immediately.

10. Let the past go.

Dont waste time feeling guilty about what you didnt get done, or how the person sitting in the car in front of you caused you to be late for work. Focus on whats ahead and move on.

Michele Dortch is the Founder of The Integrated Mother, a nationwide coaching and personal development company providing work+life solutions for working mothers, and their employers. Visit http://www.integratedmother.com to sign up for FREE work+life tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=MicheleDortch
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Tips-for-Creating-More-Time&id=128024

10 Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals

10 Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals
By Stephanie Chandler

If you feel like your life moves faster than a Nascar race, youre not alone. We are living in a time where dual income families and single parent homes are the norm, a sharp contrast to the happy sitcom families we grew up watching on TV.

So how do you get everything accomplished when there are only 24 hours in a day? The first step is to reprioritize. Does it really matter if youre house is immaculate? Does your family really need a 7-course meal on the table every night? Instead of spending time preparing an elaborate meal, wouldnt you rather use that time with your family or to catch up on some R&R for yourself?

Regardless of how your priorities are defined, we could all use some extra time in the day. The following are some time management ideas that can help increase your productivity and improve the quality of your life. Try incorporating just a few of these ideas and see how it affects your life. You will be glad you did!

1. Turn your email off. It may be hard to break away from your constant communication with the world, but if you check email twice per day instead, you will be amazed by how much time you save. Specify specific time frames during the day that you will devote to email and stick to your schedule.

One Silicon Valley company recently implemented a No Email rule on Fridays. If you need a question answered, you have to pick up the phone or walk over to the person with the answer. While this may not always be the most productive solution, it drives home the point that we rely too heavily on email for our communication. When you stop letting it rule your life, your productivity will ultimately increase.

2. Create email filters to send junk mail directly to the trash bin. With the latest version of Microsoft Outlook, you can right click on a junk message and add the sender to your Blocked Senders list, preventing any future messages from that sender from landing in your Inbox.

3. Hire a Virtual Assistant to handle administrative tasks. VAs are remote office administrators who can handle tasks including large mailings, contact management and other office duties. They can be hired for a simple project or on an ongoing basis. To find a VA, visit the International Virtual Assistants Association.

4. Get in the habit of using a To Do list every day. At the end of each day, make a list of items to complete the following day. This helps you put closure on the day so you dont leave worried about forgetting the tasks that await you tomorrow.

5. Manage your meetings. Set expectations when beginning a meeting by announcing a cut-off time. You could say something like, I know youre busy too and I have another meeting at 3:00 so lets plan to wrap this up by 2:45. This not only keeps your schedule on track, but busy attendees will appreciate it as well. Keep an eye on the clock and stick to the time you have allotted.

6. Get your filing system in order. Do you waste time looking for invoices or receipts? Create a file folder for receipts each month and simply drop your papers into each corresponding folder. This can also be useful later on when you have a question about a credit card expense from January. Simply pull out your January folder and voila- you have your information at your fingertips!

7. Use pre-printed lists for supplies, groceries, etc. Make a list of the office supplies that you use regularly and post one on a bulletin board near your desk. Simply check off the supplies you need when you run low so you remember what you need to reorder. This system works well for groceries and household supplies too. Get your family in the habit of checking off items that are running low so you never again forget to pick something up at the grocery store.

8. Use templates for repeat projects. Do you have a daily, weekly or monthly report to write? Do you spend time calculating figures manually that could be done easily in a spreadsheet? Create templates to reuse over and over again and minimize your prep time.

9. Freeze leftovers. If you have a serving or two left of tonights dinner and you know nobody will want it tomorrow, put it in a freezer safe container and save it for lunch or a quick dinner option in the upcoming weeks.

10. Designate a daily chore to everyone in your family. In previous generations, most kids worked for a living! Break your kids away from the video games for twenty minutes to help with garbage duty, dishes, vacuuming or taking care of the pets. Delegating one chore to everyone daily will lighten your load and keep your home organized and clean. You can even make a list or spreadsheet and rotate the chores or make it fun by offering a reward after everyone finishes.

Dont forget the most important time management tip- make time for yourself. Youre no good to anyone if youre sleep deprived and miserable. We all deserve a little downtime, even if that means you have to schedule some time for yourself into your calendar each day. Your business, family and relationships will all benefit when your priorities are in order and you have balance in your life.

***This is an excerpt from 100+ Time Management Tips for Busy Professionals by Stephanie Chandler. For more information, visit: http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com/timemanagement.htm

Stephanie Chandler is the author of The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams! and the founder of http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of free resources for entrepreneurs. Sign up for the BusinessInfoGuide newsletter to receive hot resources and tips every month.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=StephanieChandler
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Time-Management-Tips-for-Busy-Professionals&id=11339

Time: How a Person Can Organize a Year in a Day

Time: How a Person Can Organize a Year in a Day
By Jack Wilson

The way to organize a year in a day: One thing at a time; a man or a woman in this fast-paced world wants to live life fully yet have enough time to savor every part of it. A child has an eye for everything it sees; every place is new and fresh; there is little organization. A man or a woman focuses on the moment, the day, the week, work, whatever the case in front of him or her might be. The government or the company, the group, the problem, the fact or a number of facts becomes the only matter. Time becomes jam-packed.

One of the most primal needs of a person is sleep. Science has probed this subject endlessly and still we don't quite know why we sleep. About as close as we have been able to come to answering the question is to say that it is a time when the body and brain recover from the demands made on them during the day. However, some people live hectic lives and sleep little, yet function well. Others have few challenges and sleep a lot and don't thrive.

The first consideration in planning your year is to determine the optimum sleep period for you every night and arrange your life to accommodate that need. If you don't do that, everything else will tumble down around you.

Next consider nutrition. Arrange your days so that you can eat well in a relaxed environment at more or less regular times.

In order to effectively achieve your short-term tasks and long-term goals, you need to build in lots of empty space. Take breaks often; plan on open zones in which you have no responsibilities and can do anything you want.

Ultimately you will be more successful in your endeavors and more whole as a person.

Arrange your day so that the more demanding jobs are scheduled when you are most alert and energetic. For some this is early in the day, for others late. You will have to determine which is best for you.

Be sure to do at least one thing each day which is deeply satisfying to you, regardless of how it seems to others. Go to bed at night knowing that you did something during that day that was rewarding to you.

Apply these principles which make up your day to your week, month, year, or longer span and your life will be smoother: proper sleep, proper nutrition, satisfying work and lots of free space.

Let's see, what have I left out? Oh, yes, love. If you don't make room for love, the rest doesn't matter all that much.

-----------------------------------

Jack Wilson is a writer and artist in Tempe, AZ

http://www.geocities.com/galimatio/jackwilson.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=JackWilson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Time:-How-a-Person-Can-Organize-a-Year-in-a-Day&id=266109

Time Management Tools And Training

Work Life Balance wants you to throw away your to do list and take advantage of more effective time management tools.