Time Management: Tips for Getting It All Done

Have you ever had 500 things floating around in your head at once?

Welcome to my life. If it wasn't for time management I would be screwed.

"I don't have enough time"

I swear it is ALWAYS something between working 10-12 hours at my day job 5 days a week, making sure my team has what they need to succeed, making sure that I am succeeding and helping my customers, family, etc. The one area that always seems to suffer in all of this is tending to my house. Until lately, I just let it go by the wayside; however, then I stopped to consider - why not incorporate good time management into this activity as well?

Simply put - It typically looks like a bomb exploded.

Let me start by saying that I am NOT a messy person by nature - it is actually the complete opposite. I like everything to be very clean, and things to have their own place -- but sometimes, "time" just doesn't allow.

Or does it?

I have often times found myself saying "I have no time" when I have plenty of time - I'm just spending that time watching Big Bang Theory,  or Real Housewives. The fact of the matter is, many of us have additional time in the day that we do not realize, so I want to give you a little challenge to do for a week that will not only increase your time management skills, but also help to keep your life a bit more organized.

For one week - just one. I want you to get everything done.

Add more time for more wine

Sound impossible? Just try some of these ideas - if they work it is to your benefit, and if they don't all work then you are STILL getting more done than you would have otherwise. Its about maximizing the time you actually DO have, and working WITH the time that you don't.

1) Take your usual "weekend to do list" -- you know, the one you fill up because you sit and watch Real Housewives all week: Clean the kitchen, do the laundry, put away the clothes, etc. etc. etc.

2) Divide the number of items on the list by the number of days in a week

3) Add that number of items to a to do list for each day of the week, with one exceptional pain-in-the-ass item on each day's list

4) Cross them off as you do them each day, THEN grab some wine and watch Real Housewives.

Come Saturday you can actually have a weekend and not be stuck inside your house cleaning all day! Imagine! A weekend! It's been so long....and if you really want, DVR your shows and allow yourself a total Veg-Fest on Saturday catching up on what you missed during the week because you were crushing life as we know it. It might be an adjustment period, sure, but by taking just a little bit of time each day to get certain tasks done, we can maximize our time later to enjoy the more fun things in life.

Cheers!

How to Rock the New Year

One of the largest trending searches right now have to do with New Year Resolutions - specifically how to keep them and not fall off track. There is a very simple method for this: Don't make a resolution.

Did you know that resolutions are rarely kept - and the ones that ARE kept weren't a "resolution", they were a goal. "Resolution" as a word has negative connotation behind it. When you hear of "The Resolutioners" in the gym - what do you think of? For me I think of those that come in January/February and then I never see them again come March. If 100 new people come into my gym (which is a corporate gym for my workplace) in January - 5 will remain come the following December. Five.  "Resolutioners". 

When you hear the term "New Years Resolution" do you think "Goals I have achieved" or "It would have been nice if I could have actually stuck with that."?  Or maybe you think the third option "Total bullshit". For most of us, it is options 2 or 3.  Notice there is that word again associated with success: goals.

This year instead of creating a "resolution" create goals for yourself. Start out with a list of 10 goals for 2015, and pick 2 that you will focus on first. The first 2 should be your easiest goals on the list. Your achievement of these goals will give you feel-good mood boosters that will inspire you to create new goals and propel you forward towards achieving them. As you are continuously achieving one or two goals at a time, you will find yourself growing more confident in your capabilities, fearlessly moving in new directions, and that goal list for 2015 will start to be checked off one-by-one.

Imagine the feeling you could have next year when you pull out this list and find everything (or at least almost everything) crossed off. Imagine the sense of pride as you sit around with friends and family discussion their "resolutions" that they had for 2015 and how they were attempted - but not achieved; however, then you chime in with your accomplishments. Imagine the forward momentum this could give you for bigger and better things in your future.

This is the year you set goals and not resolutions. This is the year you actually become who you want to be. It's time to take the first REAL step towards a new you.

All the best to you in 2015!