Organize + Energize: Create a Time Management Template

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Monday, July 27, 2015

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalPDX Organizing Expert

Do you feel exhausted at the end of the day? Do you find that you are really busy throughout the day, but not productive? Are you finding it difficult to squeeze in the day to day activities of taking care of a household? If you answered yes to these questions, it’s time to tweak your time management skills.

As you may know, great time management skills are imperative in a work environment, but they also play a very important role in the home.  Some don’t even know where to begin when developing their time management skills. It can be a short process to determine how you are functioning and how you can become more efficient with your time.

Not sure where to begin?  You can use these tips to help you get started and on your way to becoming more productive.

Find a half hour in your day. You have to make the time to sit and think about how you are functioning now.  Find a half hour in your day where you can be alone and quiet with your thoughts. Grab a pen, paper or use your computer. This exercise is all about “dumping” everything out of your mind, so choose which format that will work best for you.

Create your template.  This doesn’t have to be elaborate. You basically want to have the days of the week at the top and times of the day listed on the side. Don’t forget to add Saturday and Sunday into the mix. You can create a table in excel or word, print it, and then handwrite all of your tasks in the table. You now have a working template.

Start “dumping.”    This is the process where you are going to unload everything in your mind and get it onto paper. The first thing you want to do is to add anything in your template that is a set task throughout the week. If you work certain hours during the week, add those in. If you drop off your kids at the same time every day, add that into the template.  If you have a class you take during the week, add that into the template. You get the picture.

Add in household tasks.  Now that you have written in all of the set tasks that you handle on a daily basis, you are going to find you have holes in your days.  This is the moment you want to think about tasks you perform around the home.  Do you have set times that you tackle laundry, errands, cleaning, food shopping or beauty routines?  Take a look at your template and think about how you want to schedule these tasks. You may decide you want to dedicate certain days for food shopping or laundry. It’s your template, choose what’s going to work for you.

Save spaces for miscellaneous tasks. Save a few spaces for miscellaneous tasks and appointments that you handle on maybe a bi-weekly or monthly basis. Save time for lunch dates and other social occurrences.

Last minute tasks.  Last minute tasks and emergencies will occur during the week, but having this set schedule will keep you on track and help you to become more efficient and productive. A hiccup will occur and you will handle it and go right back to your schedule. You won’t feel flustered because you know you will get right back on track.

Once you step back and look at your filled template, you may find that you will have extra time in your day. What have you been doing with all of this time? Do you think you’ve been really busy, but not productive?  If you feel like you are always running in 10 directions with no direction, it’s time to create a time management template and re-evaluate how you are functioning.  Let me know how much time extra time you find in your day!

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on talkstreamradio.com.

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