1) Wake up early. Set your alarm clock for 15 minutes
earlier than you normally do to get an early start on your
day. Get up when the alarm sounds.
2) Time your showers. Most people take way more time in the
shower than is needed. Set your timer for 7 minutes. When
the timer sounds, your shower is done.
3) Plan your outfits the night before. Put whatever you're
going to wear to one side of your closet, or folded neatly
on a chair. When you are done with your shower each day,
your outfit will be waiting for you.
4) Never run just one errand. Try to always combine at
least two to three errands in one trip. Start with the
errand furthest away, and then work your way back.
5) Make and use lists. Don't try to remember everything
you have to do. Always jot down tasks, errands, things to
pick up, etc. Don't use sticky notes. Use a tool, such as
the Get Organized Now! Easy Organizer:
http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezorganizer.html
6) Cook enough for two meals. No matter what you're cooking,
breakfast, lunch or dinner, always cook enough for two
meals. When everything is prepared and done, divide it in
half. Immediately refrigerate or freeze the one half, and
enjoy the other half now.
7) Clean and organize as you go. Rather than giving yourself
huge cleaning jobs each day, as you make a mess, quickly
clean it up. Dirty dishes can be rinsed immediately and
placed in the dishwasher. Wipe off the bathroom countertop
and spray the shower with shower spray as soon as you're
done with them. Make your bed as soon as you get up. Vacuum
any crumbs under the dining table the second everyone is
done eating. File papers away as needed, rather than
allowing them to pile up in a To Be Filed tray.
8) Enlist help. Whoever is living in your house, whether
that person be a spouse, a child, a friend or a relative--
that person should be able to help you get things done in
one way or another. A spouse can help out with the kids bath
times every other night. A child can help fold clothes, help
dust and/or help put toys away. Someone who is not able to
help physically, may still be able to sit at a desk and help
you sort the mail or shred some documents. It should
definitely be a team effort and not a one-man or one-woman
show.
9) Consolidate your phone calls. Rather than making and
taking calls throughout the day, allow your answering
machine to field your calls. Then, make or return calls
during one consistently scheduled phone hour each day, such
as between 1:00P and 2:00P. Before your phone hour, toss in
a load of laundry. After your phone hour, toss those clothes
in the dryer. Multi-tasking is one of the keys to being
super-productive.
10) Reward yourself. There is nothing more draining than
going through an entire day without doing anything fun.
Sandwich small rewards between each task. For instance, when
you're done with the ironing, read your favorite novel for
15 minutes. When you're done cleaning the bathroom, go in
your backyard and have a glass of iced tea while you relax
and look at your garden for 15 minutes.
