Forget Time Management...Just Make a to Do List!

Time Management. What does that really mean? Usually we relate this term to a business or company trying to get their work done within the confines of a budget. However, look it up in the dictionary and here's what you get:

Time - a limited period during which an action, process, or condition exists or takes place.

Management - the organizing and controlling of the affairs of a business or a particular sector of a business

Put them together and you have simply "assigning your time to accommodate all that you have to do" or in mother terms, "getting 6 full time jobs done in 24 hours using a To Do List"

This day and age, we all have tons of things to do and still, only that same 24 hours to do it in. And everything has deadlines, expiration dates/times and of course, we still have to feed the kids! That is not to say that if you do not have children, you have plenty of time. It is only stipulating that the more you have to do the more you have to get done!

Quite frankly, the easier you keep things, the faster you will be able to get them done and you will finally be able to have some of that luxury they call "FREE TIME". So forget the complicated life of "time management"...just pull out your trusty To Do List and get your work done!

How To Make a "To Do List" Work For You

1. First of all, stop stressing about those scary words. "Time management", It is really just nothing more than figuring out how to do what you need to do and get it done. Period. So stop even thinking about time management and learn how to make it work for you! Ergo, the wonderful and amazing To Do List!

2. I am a firm believer that To Do Lists are a woman's best friend. A man's too, although they might not admit it! Don't make your mind work so hard by trying to remember everything - especially things that you don't HAVE to remember... just jot them down and forget them until you need them. I also suggest 2 To Do Lists - one for actual errands to be done away from the home and one for things to be done around the house, phone calls to make, etc. I have found it best to make "away" errands and appointments the first part of the week if possible, as life happens and sometimes it can change things. Better to put off "clean the pantry" till Friday than to miss that a doctor's appointment

3. You need a starting point. I have found it best to start on a Saturday collecting all the things I know I need to do the following week Also during the weekend, you'll think of things you need to do that following week and you just jot them down on your To Do Lists. I have my grocery list on the refrigerator door and my To Do Lists at my desk. Keep your lists wherever they will be the most convenient. Whether it be the coffee table in the living room, the kitchen counter or the back of the sofa. Keep it handy so you don't waste time searching for it when you need to jot something down. And of course, keep a pen clipped to the tablet. And you don't have to have fancy, pre printed "To Do List", just a plain tablet from the Dollar Store will do.

4. Choose a day to start organizing your week. I recommend Sunday night. That way, Monday morning starts my week and it is already organized for me and I know exactly what I have to do - no stress in figuring it all out! You'll be starting your week stress free!

5. Whether it is a calendar, a PDA, a Daytimer or any other new millennium way of appointment keeping, choose your venue! I choose a regular, old fashioned calendar with squares for each day. It works best for me to actually have the thing in my hands and see the whole month instead of a day at a time. It is easier to schedule things proficiently if you see the full month over just a week at a time. I also suggest using highlighter markers to color code same things. For instance, pink is for the days/times I have to get my grand daughters. Green is for doctors appointments and blue is for other specific appointments like car repair or other time related appointments. Yellow is for anything else. For some odd reason, color coding is a great trick to play on your mind - just seems to make things stand out more and so that you can better accommodate them and not forget them.

Start by inserting your schedule as far as specific regular things in your life, like taking the kids to school, going to work yourself and things like that. Write them down on each day of your chosen venue. I don't work outside the home, but I do provide day care for my grandchildren on certain days and I am extremely conscious of saving money

6. Once you have your regulars posted, now start delegating! Take your To Do Lists and organize everything according to importance. It is a good idea to schedule your out-of- home appointments the first part of the week. Life happens and sometimes can make things have to change, so if you don't get to "clean the pantry" this week, push it to next week, but you must keep that doctors appointment this week.

7. Schedule a time to make all your phone calls. Again, a good thing to schedule on a Monday. That way if you have to do any follow-up, you will have the rest of the week to take care of it. Have your calendar handy to write the appointment down and highlight it. Next, start scheduling out-of-house things. I usually just write down the name of the store I need to go to or the errand I need to run and then I combine them based on where I will be on that day. I always like to stop at Walgreen's every week to check out their sales. A Walgreen's is not near my house, but it is right near the school I take my grand daughter to, so I schedule my trip to Walgreen's on the day I take her to school. Saves gas and time. If I have to go to this other store, I go back through other days and schedule these on days I am in the same area. If you continually are going back and forth to your home, you are not only wasting time but you are wasting gas - or more to the point - spending money you could be saving!

8. Now that you have the week scheduled, check the month out. If you have made any appointments for days later in the month - keep those in mind when scheduling other things that can wait a week or two and schedule to do those things later in the month based on where you will be. For instance, I do allergy shots twice a week. Doesn't matter what day, just not 2 days in a row and no appointment necessary - just walk in. Well, when my schedule of "must do's" is done, I will go back and schedule the trip to this doctor on days I am already in that area for other things. And just because you thought of the chore to do this week, doesn't mean you absolutely have to do it this week. A lot of times, things around the house can be done any time during the month. Use them as day-fillers throughout the month.

9. So now your weekly/monthly schedule is complete! All your "have to do's" are there, color coordinated and ready to go! What's next? Just one more step. Every night, take another tablet and jot down the things you have scheduled to do the following day. This list will then be put in your purse, pocket or wherever you need to put it to be able to look at it as needed to get all those things done. Don't rely on your memory! Go to the first errand on the list. Once back in the car, look at your list - and go to the next place and so on. Even cross them off as you complete them. Trust me...the actual act and viewing of crossing off a completed chore or task just goes to show that you are one step closer to being done and makes you feel like you are getting things done and you are one step closer to free time at the end of the day or week! At the end of your first week , you'll have the "system" down and by the end of the month (providing you are diligent and committed to your process) you will have it down to a science and you'll find you not only get things done, but have extra time and never even said "Hello" to Mr. Stress!

10. Finally...don't throw awayyour monthly schedule page. Always save them, file them, whatever.... Just keep them. This is a great way to "cover yourself" in the future should you need to go back and verify a day or time that you did something. Again, don't bother making your mind work overtime if you don't have to. Just remember that it is written down, then just go flip through the months till you find what you are looking for. No memory required!

I have figured out this system for myself and it works so nicely and I get so much done! No stress, no worries, just follow my To Do List! Never a nicer yellow brick road! I have even left Friday mornings free - I don't schedule anything for that morning as it is a "catch-all" of things that I might need to finish or re-cop from the week. If not, then it is my "extra time" and I can do whatever I want - what a way to end the week and start the weekend! Granted, I am not as busy as some, but all it takes is an effective To Do List to help you get everything done!

Add These Things to your Calendar Schedule...

Another good way to have your calendar "remember" for you, is to also jot down things you did so you know when they should appear. For instance, when you order something online, record it on the day of your calendar, including the confirmation numbers or other tracking items. That way, when you want to check status, you can look and see when you did it, get the tracking number and have all you need to find out when the transaction will

be complete.

While making appointments, jot the phone number to the establishment right under the doctors name and appointment time in the square. That way if you have to cancel, you got the info right there to deal with it.

Even schedule computer/internet time in your days. I know how easy it can be to sit at the computer for hours! It is fun! But, odds are, if you really monitor what you are doing, you will find that there is a lot of wasted time in there - fiddling around so to speak and you don't even know it! So schedule your online time, stick to it and when you do get that free time, it is your choice to spend it on the computer if you want to!

I always cross off the completed day on the calendar at night when I am creating tomorrow's list. Again, just another way of confirming to yourself that the jobs are done. It just helps your mentality to put closure to things so that you are free...mentally... to move on to the next course of action!

So grab that calendar, 3 tablets (a great find at any Dollar Store!) and a pen and get your life organized, manage your time, get things done...and experience that wonderful luxury called EXTRA TIME!