I Need Time Management How about You???

When did life get so crazy. Now that the summer is here and the kids are off I really need to manage my time better. Between product and book reviews, social networking, blogging, mothering, my kids summer activities, my own activities and life I really need to be organized.

I had a chance to talk to Bonnie Joy Dewkett a professional organizer, author, motivational speaker and owner of The Joyful Organizer about some tips for organizing my life. Maybe these tips will help you.

Here is what she suggested:

Take Back Your Time with These Simple Tips

• Clean off your desk completely and start from scratch. Throw away:
  • Unsorted mail (keep the bills)
  • Catalogs you will never order from
  • Duplicate items
  • Copies of something that you have an original of elsewhere
  • Old or unread reading material
  • Internet printouts

o Start your day accomplishing the things that are urgent or left from the night before. If it doesn’t need to get done right away, don’t do it.

o Use your best time, when you are most alert to tackle large tasks. These tasks are usually the tasks we all avoid such as starting a new project, writing a letter, preparing a report etc. However, it is these tasks that make the biggest impact in your day, career and life.

o Use the afternoon hours when you are tired and sleepy to tackle small tasks like returning quick emails and filing paperwork.

o Get your kids involved in time management as early as possible. Ask them how long they believe tasks will take. If they are incorrect, discuss with them how to better estimate the time needed for tasks.

o Set a timer. Use a time for just about every task you do. Sitting down at the computer "to pay bills" can be a three hour process by the time you have checked your email, bought a new scarf, and checked tomorrow's weather. Setting a time will simply keep you on task and give you a clear understanding of how much time you are spending on any give task.

o Start planning summer reading now! IF your kids have summer reading ask them how they want to divide the reading up over time. Develop a plan today. If they are reading chapters, have them create and insert bookmarks at points in the book they can easily read to in a day. This will give them a stopping point without having to look at the clock.

o Don't lose your school routine during the summer months. Although tempting, allowing kids to sleep in every day just makes it harder to get back into the routine of school in the fall.

o If you are overwhelmed by the amount of things you have to do, try this trick. Purchase a basket or container that is about the size of a breadbox. At the beginning of your established work time fill the basket with items that need your attention. (Bills, books, permission slips, broken items, etc). Work until you have emptied the basket. Chances are you will work faster and more efficiently when the end of your work is clearly established. Don't leave items in the basket from day to day and don't add to the basket while you are working.