Managing Your Time

Managing your time is as much a matter of "how" as it is of "should." There are as many personal planners on the market as there are people. Find whatever format works for you, whether a fancy, expensive full system or a simple homemade notebook or an electronic device. I've used them all at one time or another and each has good things to offer. (One warning: make sure your electronic system has a back-up so it won't crash and you lose everything.) My favorite, simple planner has become the time.mine group of large and small planners. (Found at Borders Books)

In addition to having a good calendar that you like, any planner you use must incorporate a To-Do List. We all have them, and they--not scheduled appointments--are what takes most of our time. Manage your To-Do's with a system: A-B-C's or 1-2-3's or a combination -- A1, A2, etc. Add due dates for To-Do's with deadlines.

One effective way to manage all you have to do is to assign everything a time as if it was a set appointment. So, while you may be able to go to the gym any time in the morning, schedule yourself to go between 6:45 and 7:45. Schedule showering and dressing 7:45 to 8:15 and so on. Water the plants at 10:00 each Monday morning. Check email each day at 8:30 a.m. and Facebook and blogs only between 9:00 and 9:15 (yes, a timed system also sets limits on what you can do, so it keeps you from wasting valuable time doing less valuable things).

Give time a try. Most people find that with a firm schedule, they get lots more done and have time for more things than they imagined, and are better able to handle the unplanned and unexpected. Perhaps you really can get more hours in a day!