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8 Easy Steps to Organizing and Managing Your Time Effectively
Who among us doesn’t
wish they had MORE TIME to do the things they enjoy?
Yet every day there seems to be a mountain of things
to do. Whether it’s a tower of bills to pay or
a closet bulging with clothes, here are 8 easy ways
to create more space and free up more free time!
1. Buying a file box and a pack of multicolored
folders is a great start to setting up a regular organized
schedule. Create folders for monthly bills, bank statements,
medical bills, miscellaneous items and so forth.
2. If you don’t have time to file
something at a particular moment, create a “To
Be Filed” folder and place it in the front of your
file box. Then, when you have a spare moment (even just
15 minutes a day, or while talking on the phone!) sort
through the front folder and put each document in the
folder where it belongs.
3. For items that you may need again,
such as warranties or instruction manuals, consider
purchasing a three-ring binder with a set of clear plastic
covers. These covers let you easily slide papers down
into them, and you can quickly flip through the binder
to find the one you need when you need it!
4. If you have children, setting up
a weekly “Chore Chart” system can be an easy
way to keep them organized and help them learn the value
of hard-earned money (or good behavior) at the same
time. Divide up the chores, color coding different areas
for different chores and assigning the value to them
(such as $X for mowing the lawn). This method helps
keep kids on track and teaches them responsibility at
the same time. Plus, if an allowance or reward is involved,
they can see exactly how much work is necessary to reach
that goal. Great for building motivation!
5. If you always find yourself running
behind when paying bills, assign yourself a certain
day of the week to take care of them. On the outside
of the envelope, write a date at least a week before
the bill’s actually due date to remind you to send
it in on time (and you’ll actually be ahead of
schedule this way!)
6. For seasonal clothes, holiday items
or sports gear, see-through plastic crates can be a
godsend. They’re easy to stow in an inconspicuous
place (under the bed or in the top of your closet) and
are easy to get to when the time comes. Printing out
a sheet of paper with the name of each boxes contents
makes finding them even easier!
7. Purchase a couple of dry erase boards
and markers. Keep one on one side of your refrigerator
as a grocery list (since 9 times out of 10, you’ll
be in the kitchen anyway when you realize you’re
out of something), place the other dry erase board on
the other side of the refrigerator for important announcements.
Even better if you can purchase one that serves as a
tack board on one side. This makes it easy to pin up
important notes and keep track of appointments.
8. If you’re just wondering where
all the time goes, or how to schedule your time more
effectively, buy (and USE) an appointment book with
hour-long or half-hour long slots for each day of the
week. Schedule “to-do’s” within these
time periods and stick to them. Don’t fill up the
whole day, though. As much as you might think that this
would make you more productive, it will actually tire
you out quicker, and, if something comes up, leave you
feeling like you have unfinished business to take care
of!
And what do you do with all the time
you’ve saved? How about taking a break and doing
something you enjoy? Yes, you really can schedule “nothing”
on your calendar. If you’ve followed these organizational
tips, chances are, you’ve earned it.
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