Control Your Life - Chapter 3 - Time Management

3 - TIME MANAGEMENT AND BASIC ORGANIZATION

This is a huge order, the largest on the list of 52 weeks, and certainly can't be done in one week, but this is the week to start the process. This week is evaluating, researching, pondering, and committing to change.

So, let's get started!

What are you using now to organize your life? A day planner? A PDA? Your computer? How is it working for you? Take all week and make an honest assessment of what is working and what is not. Evaluate what area of your life is weak - time management? Filing? Friendships? Hobbies? Whatever you are lacking at the moment, be aware of it.

Monday - Ponder

Think about how you are organized, and where you are weak. Are you aware of your weaknesses? Make a list and write an essay about what the payoff would be for greater efficiency - more money, ore clients peace of mind, keeping your job, etc.

Tuesday - Take Action

Do something about it - make some decisions (don't process them yet, and be open to changing your mind as you get further into it.). In other words, commit to change, and start thinking about a system. Reread your "white papers" from yesterday for inspiration - update it if something else has occurred to you.

Wednesday - Look at/Review what's bugging you most:

Is your filing behind? Do you have piles everywhere? Is your correspondence piling up? Can you find what you want when you want it? Are your plants dying? Can you see correctly? Do your clothes fit? Look at all areas and, again, just BE AWARE. Add to your list - be merciless.

Thursday

Take your list of what you've discovered/learned/became aware of in the last few days. It's going to be all negative - don't let that bother you. This is where we come clean! Now, make a plan - buy shelves, clean out storeroom, hire someone for a week, purge files, whatever.

Friday

Make a firm commitment to work on your System (whatever that turns out to be) weekly. Build it into your calendar every Friday to just clean up. You will do something every week to get and stay organized. Period. It's not your Mother's System, not your spouse's, not your teacher's, and not your friends' systems. It is yours, and it will be customized to fit you and your life EXACTLY.

Unfortunately, I can't give you much here by was of specifics because this is your plan, your system, but I'm guessing if it's truly mind-boggling at this point, you'll need some help - call a coach to help you think about ways you can attack this yourself or call a professional organizer if you can afford it. Personally, I think it's more valuable if you do it yourself, but sometimes we just have to jump start the process. Again, whatever works to get this started is what you need to do.

I'm attaching a Time Management Module that I've used in workshops that seems to be very effective in getting control over your time. Please use it (especially the brain dump) at least once and see if it helps you get control over all the "stuff" in your brain that you need to take care of - even the "somedays" - and on to paper.

You are now starting to get control.

WORKSHEET

What's bugging me most?

What decisions can I make?

Who do I know that can help me with this?

What do I need to do, and when am I committing to do it?