Time: never seems to be enough does there?

Let’s take an honest look at your life and where you are
spending your time.

Create a pie chart by drawing a circle, draw a big circle.
Now plot out the different areas of your life and draw a “slice”
in your pie chart for each, such as self, family, friends, children,
vocation, hobbies, fitness, spiritual growth, computer, reading,
TV, phone, visiting, shopping, etc. Each “slice” should honestly
represent the time you spend on each. For instance half your pie
might be for your vocation or children, a quarter slice might be
for your friends, etc. You can make one for a day, week or
month.

Now take a good look at your pie chart. Are your “slices”
balanced? Probably not.

What does your pie chart say to you as far as where all your
time is being consumed and with whom or on what?

What areas do you need to work on – need to change – to gain
better balance of your time? Do you see areas that you might be
devoting too much time to and other areas you might be
neglecting? What’s standing in your way from changing?

Time Robbers
How much time are you wasting watching TV?
How much time are you wasting on the computer?
How much time are you wasting talking on the phone?
How much time are you wasting visiting the neighbors?

If you reduce just one of the above by one hour per day, in one
week you gain 7 hours. In one month you gain 30 hours. In one
year you gain two weeks. And if you reduce all four of the above
by one hour per day you gain back 4 hours a day, 28 hours (one
day and four hours) a week, and 112 hours (4 and a half days) a
month.

Whom or what are your time robbers?

What would you rather be doing with those hours? Hopefully
spending some quality time with yourself, family, children or
friends.

What areas of your life are spinning out of control or out of
control perhaps because you don’t have routines or schedules in
place? Yes I know, sounds like the military, having to have,
create and abide by routines and schedules. Yet honestly folks, if
you can create some routines and schedules you will find your
life running more smoothly and you might even have more
energy, especially if you add ‘me’ time.

Are you spending time with yourself? Taking care of yourself? I
know, I’ve heard it all, “I need to do this and that.” “I should be
doing this or that.” “I have to do this or that.” “There are not
enough hours in the day for ‘me’ time.”

Let me ask you this: If you’re not taking time for yourself and
taking care of your needs and wants, who will?

If you’re not spending time on yourself you will eventually
burnout or worse, lose your own individuality. Maybe this has
already happened to you. I hope not.

We all need ‘me’ time, alone time. Even if it’s a few minutes to an
hour a day or week. A soak in the tub, a walk around the block,
sitting outside, daydreaming by the window, taking a class, what
ever it is you are missing or yearning for, stop and look at your
schedule and make a date with yourself this month for some ‘me’
time.

Finding a balance of spending time for yourself, family, friends
and children isn’t difficult if you plan, set boundaries and follow
through.

Planning
When is the best day and time for you to have some ‘me’ time? I
discovered Sunday early evenings was the best day and time to
soak in a bubble bath, my favorite ‘me’ time.

Setting Boundaries
It’s okay to set boundaries. Are you? Or do you say yes to
everyone and everything except yourself?

Saturday and Sunday is generally my family time. The days I
spend with my husband, children and grandchildren. I generally
do not turn on my computer on Sundays, unless nothing is
planned or the weather is bad and then I might ‘plug in’. And I
generally won’t answer my business phone on Sundays. I’ve set
my boundaries, yet sometimes flexible, and it does take practice
because you are developing new habits, same with planning.

Follow Through
This can sometimes be difficult, especially if it’s ‘me’ time and if
others want or need your attention. Put your times on your
calendar, as you would any other important appointment and
keep your appointments.

Keep your pie chart in a notebook and do a new one every
month to help assist you in tracking where you’re spending your
time, what you need to adjust and watch your pie chart and life
become more balanced throughout the coming months. You’ll
know you’ve achieved the balance you’re looking for once your
“slices” are more evenly distributed.
============
Janet Hall is a Certified Professional Organizer,
Certified Pyramid Feng Shui Practitioner, Speaker, and Author
and can help you regain control of your life, your time, your
stuff, and your environment. Organizing By Phone and in person
at http://www.overhall.com

Copyright (c) 2005 OverHall Consulting
P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676
All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy,
or distribute so long as this copyright notice and full information
about contacting the author is attached.

As you awake in the morning, your mind races ahead of your
body with all kinds of stuff pouring in and out. All your
thoughts, ideas, chores, appointments and worries that you might
have. No wonder you’re tired before your feet even hit the
ground.

Before you realize it, you’re up and running here, running
there, going through your morning, unaware of how you
even apply the toothpaste on your brush or what body parts
you wash first. All the while, stuff is pouring into your head
from everywhere: ideas, chores, appointments,
commitments, relationships, conversations, past events, the
future. This self-talk, we all have it. Random thoughts:
worries, fears, negativity, frustration, happiness, joy,
freedom, inspiration, and light bulb ideas.

Many times your appointments, whether with yourself or
someone else, get in the way of your daily routine, especially if
it’s an unexpected appointment and you had other plans.

Medical Appointments:
Let’s start out with some common appointments we all have,
such as yearly check ups with the doctor, dentist, vision, hearing
and vet if you have a pet.

Get out your calendar for this year or next and call the above
and see if you can schedule yours, others in your family, loved
ones and the pets appointments. If you have a family see if you
can get family appointments, in which each member goes on the
same day with times back to back. If you have more then one
pet see if you can get appointments for all your pets on the same
day with times back to back.

School Appointments:
If you have children going to school, ask the school or teacher
for the years calendar of events, teacher/parent meetings and
PTA meetings. Put on your calendar the events and meetings you
are interested in attending.

Personal Appointments:
Personal growth appointments or meetings could entail going to
the gym, seeing a nutritionist, attending workshops of interest at
your local shops, or attending conferences. If you are working
with someone, such as a trainer, see if you can set up your
appointments on the same day and time each week or month.
Contact your local shops and/or conference places or industry
you are in and see if they have a yearly or quarterly events
schedule available so you can plan for those events that interest
you.

Consultants Appointments:
If you’re a consultant, such as myself, you must be flexible as
you never know when someone will need your services and on
what days and times. What my business tasks are and works for
me is the following, knowing I might have a client call and being
flexible for them:

Monday is web site development day. In the AM I work on my
sites and in the PM others sites if needed.
Tuesday is my writing day in which I write articles, work on
books, new workshops and my newsletters.
Wednesday is my phone consultation time in the AM and in the
PM consultation time with boards I sit on.
Thursday is working on product creation.
Friday is my research, study and administration day.
Some evenings and Saturdays I deliver workshops in person or
on the phone.

This schedule has worked well for me in the past year and when
a client calls, I go, no matter what the day.

Taking Appointments:
For those of you in business in which patients or clients call in to
make appointments you might want to check out some Internet
based appointment schedulers. This frees up some time for your
receptionist or you and also is helpful and convenient to many of
your clients. I found two services on the Internet for you to
check out at http://www.web-appointments.com/ and
http://www.2setappointments.com/works.html

Bottom line, do your best to get standing appointments, same
day and time, with those you do business with on a regular basis
and don’t forget to put them in your calendar.

Appointment Reminders:
For those of you that tend to forget appointments or might have
lost your calendar you can also put your appointments into some
software programs you might have on your computer. Many
programs have appointment reminders, such as Outlook, ACT
and other software. I recommend NOT keeping your calendar
JUST on your computer in case of a crash or you don’t turn it on
that day.

Keeping Track:
If you’re using a tickle file, you can drop a note of whom you
have an appointment with, plus directions or other paper work if
needed, in the current months date or month in which you have
an appointment. Don’t forget to place the date on the note for the
appointment if it’s several months in advance.

Oh and let’s not forget to add to your calendars birthday parties,
anniversary parties, special family events and special business
events.

To help you succeed in keeping your appointments and keeping
track of your to-do’s I have two products that might interest you:
Tickle File at http://www.overhall.com/tickler_file.htm and my 3
W’s To-Do Pad at http://www.overhall.com/todopads.htm

Now don’t forget to make appointments with your self for your
“me time” as we discussed in the last issue of OverHall IT! at
http://www.overhall.com/overhall_it_v6i7.htm
============
Janet Hall is a Certified Professional Organizer,
Certified Pyramid Feng Shui Practitioner, Speaker, and Author
and can help you regain control of your life, your time, your
stuff, and your environment. Organizing By Phone and in person
at http://www.overhall.com

Copyright (c) 2005 OverHall Consulting
P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676
All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy,
or distribute so long as this copyright notice and full information
about contacting the author is attached.