VIA LIFE ORGANIZERS:
Today’s your day. What are you going to do with it? Maximize your day with these seven tips. Then, apply them again tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be nice to get the very most out of the 24 hours we’re blessed with each day? Good news! Getting the most out of your day, can be as easy as these 7 simple ideas.
1. Write a To Do list
Using your Master List as a guide (you do have a Master List, right?), create a To Do List every day. Include from 4-6 tasks on your To Do List, and work on those items. Don’t allow yourself to put anything else on your list, until those initial items are completed. In addition, be sure you have a mix of A (High), B (Medium) and C (Low) Priority items on your list. Try to have your list reflect 60% ‘A’ Priority items, 30% ‘B’ Priority items and 10% ‘C’ Priority items.
2. Write a NOT To Do List
Write a list of what you’re doing each week that you want to stop doing. Are you involved in activities that you don’t enjoy? Are you always helping someone out, and never getting any time-saving favors in return? Are you tired of dinner being interrupted so that you, or family members, must answer the telephone? Remember, you have the power to say ‘No.’ The choice is yours.
3. Give yourself an hour
With everything going on in a given day, it’s no wonder that people schedule time for a million things, but never schedule time for themselves. Give yourself a minimum of an hour a day. Use this time to read, meditate, enjoy your garden, take a walk in the park–whatever it is that you love to do. And whatever you do, don’t break that appointment with yourself.
4. Get enough sleep
Most people need between six to eight hours of sleep (some a little bit more), to feel refreshed and ready-to-go each day. Determine how many hours of sleep you need, and get that needed sleep each night. If possible, try to go to bed at the same time each night, and wake up at the same time each day. This will help your body get into a routine. Use an alarm clock to wake up. Don’t sleep more that your needed time, or less that your needed time–either of which can make you feel groggy and cranky.
5.Take short energy breaks
In order to get the most out of your day, it’s important to feel energetic. If you’re hungry or you are feeling light-head, take a short break and have a snack–something nutritious. Feeling a little bit stressed? Take a 10 minute nap, or an invigorating 10-minute walk.
6. Eliminate interruptions
It’s difficult to get things done when you are being interrupted. Are co-workers constantly stopping by your office to chat? Do your kids interrupt your every time you start writing that letter you’ve been meaning to get to? Is your phone always ringing off the hook, and interrupt the projects you are working on? If you really need to get something done, it’s important to focus. And the only way to focus is to eliminate interruptions. Close your office door. Give your kids a project to work on, while you write your letter. Have your voicemail, answering machine, or assistant take your calls for you.
7. Define your hours
If you need to work on something important every day, define the hours you plan to work on that project and block those hours of time out on your calendar. For instance, if you are in business, you might consider Monday 9am-10am your ‘Marketing Hour,’ 10am-11am may be your ‘Errand Hour’ and 5pm-6pm might be your ‘Dinner Preparation’ Hour.
