Tai Goodwin
A Working Moms Guide to Getting Organized
Is one of your goals for this year to create more balance in your life?
When your life is out of balance, there’s a good chance that you’ll find your self struggling with organization and time management. A balanced life means you have adequate time for work, goals, recreation, family, friends, spirituality and relaxation. It’s what I like to call being “Brilliantly Balanced”.
Do these indicators sound familiar:
• Your work is too difficult or unsuitable making it hard for you to focus on being organized.
• You have a hard time making full use of your hours during your day or evening.
• You’re simply too tired to organize at home allowing for very little rest or peace at the end of the day.
• Or maybe you don’t have enough time to do anything in the evenings, making your daily routine out of balance and in need of adjustments.
At the core of each of these indicators is poor organization. Becoming more organized can make you more efficient and productive which both open the door to better time management. Being well organized takes lots of time and effort and there is a lot to remember but the results are worth it: the more organized you are the more time you will have to take care yourself and your responsibilities without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out.
Here are ten tips to help you become better organized:
1. Write things down. With so many details to remember on any given day it can be overwhelming to try to keep it all in a memory bank. When you remember that something needs to be done write it down as soon as you can in a to-do list.
2. Use free web-based tools. Two great on-line tools are Toodle-do and Remember the Milk. They are online and can be accessed and synced on certain mobile devices.
3. Set-up email reminders. There are many good and free e-mail reminder services available. You can type in what you want to remember, such as a welcome party, anniversary or special event, and you will receive an e-mail reminder when the date is approaching. This is a terrific way to keep tasks fresh in your memory.
4. Use sticky notes. Sticky notes like Post-its from 3M are amazing as memory helpers. Write your tasks down and post it highly visible spots at home or at work. The bright, neon colors will be great to catch your eye as you are leaving. You will not likely miss it! Need to make an urgent call first thing in the morning? Leave a Post-It Note on your telephone.
5. Keep it all in one place. Whatever method you choose, make sure you are consistent in where you keep your list. Having things listed in one place keeps you from spending valuable time searching for your notes.
6. Deal with items only once: Handle each letter and email as soon as they come in. Whatever it is read it and file it, redirect it to somewhere else, schedule it in your day planner or toss it. This will keep you from creating a never-ending pile on your desk in hopes that...
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