Everyone has said this more than once in their lives! It could be that we become so engrossed in what we are doing that we loose time because we have a schedule to meet, that we are so far behind that we never seem to catch up or that we actually enjoy what we are doing. Did you ever wonder where all of the time went? We have heard the saying “Time Flys" and it always seems to at the least opportune times of our lives.
There are so many articles on time management, giving us ways to correct it, ways to save it, ways to manage it and even ways to use it wisely. It is not so hard to understand how we run into this problem. There is work, household chores, the kids to raise, the yard work, bowling, going to kids practices and doctor appointments, grocery shopping, and many more things that we have to schedule for. It is no wonder that we loose track of time, there just doesn’t seem to be enough to go around.
Through the years of raising kids, owning a business or two and joining the P.T.A.. among umpteen other organizations, I have managed to come up with my own system that works for me. It is hard to follow someone else’s system when they don’t live the same type of life that you do, but maybe some of the things that work for me may help you out too.
Þ Write a 30 day calendar of menu’s. No, it’s not aa hard as you may think! You will have left over’s in between to use on those nights when you have meetings or places to go to that will help cut down on expensive eating out and cooking. Then follow this closely and you can make your shopping list from this.
Þ I try to cook most of my meals on my day off. It doesn’t take much to throw a Beef Roast in the oven and maybe a Chicken or Barbecued Ribs too, make a skillet full of Sloppy Joe and put together a Tuna and Noodle Casserole that you can throw in the Microwave anytime. That should take care of a weeks worth of cooking. Monday-Roast, Tuesday -Sloppy Joe, Wednesday-Barbecued Ribs and Baked potatoes, Thursday- left over roast, hot beef sandwiches, Friday-Tuna and Noodle Casserole, Saturday-left over clean out the fridge day or Pizza and Sunday-eat out.
Þ I throw a load of wash in as soon as I get up, that way by the time the kids are dressed and eating breakfast, I can throw it in the dryer. Presto, one load of clothes done.
Þ Keep a box of Glass Wipes in the bathroom closet. When I am finished combing my hair (after everyone else is gone) I use a wipe to wipe the counter, faucet, mirror, sink, back of the toilet, under the toilet seat and flush. Nice and clean and it took 5 minutes. I use this method in the kitchen on the cupboards, stove, refrigerator and sink too!
Þ When you go to pick up the kids from school, wait for them after practice, before you get in your car after work or as soon as you pull into the garage at home; throw all of the trash in the car into a plastic bag, use a tissue from a leather cleaner to wipe off the dash and the seats and shake out the floor mats. It smells and looks great and took 5 minutes.
Þ Keep a calendar in my purse and one in the kitchen that has all of our appointments, meetings and practices on it. This way I never forget, always have a reference no matter where I am and know when I have free time.
There are more hours in a day than you might think if you just work Smarter-Not Harder. Good Luck and Remember “Time Stops For No Man" but we sure can slow it down a little and give us the chance to enjoy life.
Jan Hayner is a Professional Organizer and creator of www.organizingandcleaning.com, she offers tips, hints and shortcuts to everyday problems with organizing your home, work, family and life. She also offers shortcuts on cleaning your house, recipes for cleaners and tips to make the jobs faster and easier.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
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