Blog: Making the most of your Time
Time Savers

First and foremost are the day to day time savers:

• A place to hang keys and set bags or briefcases down when you walk into your home. You can lose so much time looking for these things on a daily basis

• A place to put incoming mail. This should be put in the same spot each day. If you sort your mail in your car one day then at the kitchen counter the next, you'll have a mail trail to pick up after. 

• Keep a pad of paper and pen in the kitchen, office and bedroom. If you remember that you need more shampoo, it's easier to jot it down on a pad of paper that is near by. The same principle holds true for grocery items and office supplies.

• Take 5 – 10 minutes at the end of each day to finish the unfinished business around your home. Tidy up the kitchen, put away the kids' toys, set the coffee maker, clean up the project you were working on. It takes less time in the evening to do these things than it does in the morning.

• Jot down tasks to be accomplished for the next day. You will be more focused and make better use of your time if you have specific goals/tasks to work on.

• When you download digital photos, date and title them immediately on your computer – you won't remember the details 4 months from now. Also, you'll be less likely to stay on top of this if you have a year back logged.  

• Put laundry away as it gets done. Nobody wants to put away the Mount Saint Helen's of laundry after 9 loads have been washed and folded.

• Set aside time each day or a couple times a week to shred mail, outdated documents with your personal information on them. If the pile gets too big, you won't want to sit in front of the shredder for 30 minutes.

• Keep a large bin in the closet of your children's room. Drop clothes that don't fit in the bin as they grow out of them. When the bin fills up, go through it and give away, donate or box up the clothes as needed.

posted on: 11/14/2007 9:30:00 AM by Brita Bolane
category: Time Management

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Making the most of your Time

by Brita Bolane

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About Brita:

Brita Bolane is the President of pare it down, inc. a professional organizing service in the San Diego area. Brita helps people streamline their lives through residential organization and time management consultation. Brita's first introduction to time management was when she attended college on a full atheltic scholarship (volleyball). She went on to play professionally on the beach and in Italy. Today, Brita is a business owner, wife and mother and understands the challenges of keeping a busy schedule and an organized life.

Brita's Website:

www.pareitdown.com

Time Savers

• evite
  If you don't have time to get traditional invitations out in the mail, this is a great resource for quick internet invitations. They also have information and suggestions on entertaining.
• shutterfly
  Digital, it's the way to go. Sites like shutterfly help you organize and arrange photos without having to print them first. They offer free, unlimited photo storage and if you do want to print pictures, you can print them to your local Target store. In addition, you can create wonderful gifts for family and friends in a reasonable amount of time.
• Sunday
  Sunday is a virtual assistant service. Depending on how busy your life is, this could be a useful service and a real time saver. I love the concept but have not tried it yet.

Resources for Life

• Martha Stewart
  I am a long time fan of Martha Stewart. Her website, magazines and TV program offer so many different and fun ideas. It's inspirational on many levels.

Tasty Treats

• TasteSpotting
  Interesting site that people can post food ideas and blogs, recipes or places to buy the best tasting treats. The pictures are mouth watering!

Technology to love

• oovoo
  I'm a big fan of face to face or internet to internet phone calls. Our family does this and it's amazing how much more you get out of the call when you see the person you're talking to. oovoo is a free service you can download to your computer that let's you have video converstations.
• skype
  skype is an internet based phone service that let's you call computer to computer for free! Who doesn't love to talk for free?!

Books I Love

• The Success Principles
  Jack Canfield is the cocreator of the Chicken Soup for Soul series. This is his book on how to achieve your goals in an effective and measurable way. I really like this book
• Getting Things Done The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
  Author David Allen provides a great approach to managing all your to do lists and how to focus on the most important tasks each day.
• The 4-Hour Workweek
  Timothy Ferris writes a revolutionary book and makes you rethink how you use your time.

Clutter, Chaos & The Cure

The Calendar Planner

The Power Of Simplicity

ILY Quartz Analog Alarm Clock

WHY NOT NOW? A Key To Manifesting Abundance

The 12 Basic Principles Of Being Organized

Simplify Your Time

Managing Time