Picture this: You are on the treadmill at gym, running faster than your normal pace. You are aware that other gym goers might be watching so you feel the compulsion to keep up this unrealistic pace. Eventually, your body starts protesting, you struggle to breathe, your legs are aching. You can?t keep going anymore... and splat!

For some of us, this is what our daily schedules are like: You are taking on too much, dropping balls while you madly juggle and tap dance your way through each day with no clarity and limited control.

No matter how you might try, you just can?t stop time, there is simply no pause button. You are given 86 400 seconds each day. Let?s look at how to make each second count with Get Organised?s Top 10 Time Tips:

1. You?ve got to give time to get time: If you can?t afford to dedicate a day to reassessing your busy schedule, set aside whatever time you can, set an alarm and get going.

 

2. If you always do what you?ve always done, you?ll always get what you?ve always got: A cliche perhaps but if your current method does not work for you, commit to changing it. Prioritise your most critical time challenge and work on that first so you don?t feel overwhelmed by changing everything in one day.

3. Make a list of everything you need to do: One life equals one list. Stick to the list without worrying about the order of importance for now.

4. Next, go through your list and highlight all the things that are both important and urgent, and focus on those first.

5. Now check everything else on your list to see if there is anything you can delegate, delete, defer or diminish.

6. Decide on a time and a day to get started. Instead of checking email first thing in the morning and getting absorbed by this, focus on your important and urgent tasks for one whole hour. That way, if you get distracted with small, quick, time-consuming tasks for the rest of your day, at least you?ve taken time to focus on the important things first.

7. Become aware of the time. Surveys have shown that the average email gobbles up seven minutes of your time to read and respond to, while the average telephone call can take up to 11 minutes. Batch your telephone and email time into three to four time slots within your day and place a clock on your desk to help you stay focused. If you can shave off even one minute from each email and telephone call a day, you can free up as much as 40 minutes of your time.

8. Choose one day a week to review your week ahead. Sunday evenings work well or first thing on Monday morning. This will give you an overview of your week ahead and enables you to minimise surprises.

9. Put a time frame to each task you need to commit to. Use your diary to schedule any task that will take you longer than two minutes to complete.

10. Instead of crossing items off your list to mark it as complete, choose to highlight off the tasks you?ve accomplished. When your list is 60 percent highlighted, re-write the outstanding tasks onto a new list so you can stay focused without feeling overwhelmed. End each day with a reflection of how much you?ve accomplished instead of focusing on what you didn?t get to.

Congratulate yourself for your new-found awareness and enjoy the additional time now at your disposal.

About Tracey Foulkes

Tracey is the founder of professional organising in South Africa, Golden Circle Member of the National Association of Professional Organisers based in America and founder member of the Professional Organiser Association Africa. She has a background in Interior Design and graduated with distinction in the Program for Retail Management through Unisa. Foulkes is a wife to Doug and mom to Ryland and Deena. She runs her business from her home office in Wellington. Contact Tracey on 084 507 6891 or go to www.getorganised.co.za