How to Create Good To-Do Lists

Here are a few examples of good to-do lists:

1. A prioritized list: This kind of list organizes tasks by order of importance, with the most important tasks at the top. This helps you focus on the tasks that are most critical to your goals.

2. A list organized by project: If you have multiple projects that you are working on, it can be helpful to organize your to-do list by project. This way, you can see all of the tasks related to a particular project in one place.

3. A daily to-do list: This kind of list includes the tasks that you need to complete on a particular day. This helps you stay focused and avoid feeling overwhelmed by a long list of tasks.

4. A list with deadlines: If you have tasks that are due on specific dates, it can be helpful to include those deadlines on your to-do list. This helps you stay on track and ensure that you complete your tasks on time.

5. A list with sub-tasks: For larger tasks, it can be helpful to break them down into smaller sub-tasks. This makes the task feel more manageable and helps you make progress even if you don't have a lot of time to work on it.

Helpful Time Management Tips

Are you an individual who just feels as if you can never catch up?  Do you feel like you can’t get everything that you need to do done?  If so, it is important that you take steps to correct the problem.  Poor time management is often associated with the workplace, but did you know that your personal life can be negatively impacted as well?  It can be.  As for how poor time management can have a negative impact on your personal life, you may be surprised just what it can do.  

For example, if you have a poor sense of time you may find that your relationship with your spouse, family, or friends may suffer.  Those who have a poor sense of time are often stressed, frustrated, and unorganized.  This is likely to put a significant strain on otherwise healthy relationships.

Despite the fact that time management can have a negative impact on your personal life, there is good news.  That good news is that there are ways that you can prevent your poor use of time from becoming too much of a problem.  The biggest way to prevent this from happening involves learning how to make better use of your time.  To help you get started, a number of personal time management tips are outlined below.

An easy way to learn how to make better use of your time involves creating and relying on to do lists.  If you have everyday tasks that have become a part of your routine, like getting your kids ready for school or going to work, you do not necessarily have to include these items on your list.  With that said, other non-daily tasks should be added.  These tasks may include running an errand before work, attending a child’s sporting event, helping your child with an important school project, going for a medical appointment, and so forth.

Learning how to prioritize is another important component of being able to properly manage your time.  It is important to remember that the day and its time is limited.  If you have a family and a fulltime job, you may find it difficult or downright impossible to get everything done.  If that is the case, be sure to prioritize.  You can leave the lesser important tasks, such as dusting your house as opposed to doing laundry for later or the following day.

The use of time management tools is another easy way that you can go about making better use of your time.  There are a number of tools that you can use to your advantage.  A to do list was sited as an example above.  Other tools that you may be able to benefit from the use of include alarm clocks and daily or weekly planners. There are also wonderful time managements apps. Since most time management tools are affordable, already in your home, or free to create, you should use them to your advantage.

One of the many reasons why people end up wasting time is because they are easily distracted.  If you feel this the main source of your time management problem, you will want to determine what your biggest distractions are.  For example, do you spend too much time socializing with coworkers after work or with the neighbors?  If so, you don’t have to completely eliminate this contact, but try to limit it.  The same can be said with television and internet use.

Goals and Habits for Keeping an Organized House

Is your main goal to have a clean house? It may be. With hectic lives, busy work schedules, and kids, many Americans find themselves living somewhat in a mess. Although most homes are “clean,” others may be cluttered. Is yours one of them? If so, don’t only make the resolution to clean your house, but turn it into a reality. For tips on how to do so, please continue reading on.

So, have you made your resolution to keep a clean house? If so, one of the first things you want to do is write it down. Verbal resolutions are often pushed to the back of the mind and forgotten about. Don’t let this happen. Write down your goals and place them in a prominent location, such on your desk. That written note can serve as your motivation. Each time you see it, you will be reminded of your goal.

After writing down your goals/plans to have a clean house, you need to share it with others. This is important as you may not want be solely responsible for a clean house. Do you have a spouse, a live-in partner, or children? They can possibly help too, if appropriate. Talk to your children about keeping their toys picked up, your husband about putting dirty clothes in the hamper, or your spouse about keeping the dishwasher or laundry loads. When all home occupants are onboard, it will be easier for you to achieve your goal of having a clean house.

After deciding on this resolution and sharing it with your family, you may be ready to get started with cleaning. But, wait! You should first do a few things. For starters, it is important to know that a clean house is nice, but it will not last. Old habits are hard to break. That is why it is important to discuss your plans with your family. Do your children leave their toys lying around? Encourage them to put them away afterwards, and so forth. You too, need to make important changes. What are your weakness? Do you let dishes pile up in the sink? Do you toss dirty clothes on the floor? Make the change.

As previously stated, many Americas actually have clean houses. For some, an unclean house is more than dirt and grime. Too much clutter can translate into an unclean and possibly unsafe home. To reduce clutter and make it easier to keep a clean and organized home, examine tools available for sale. For example, there are a number of closet organizers for sale. There are storage shelves designed for sheds and garages, and so forth. Whether you need to organize under your kitchen sink, a playroom, or the bathroom, you should be able to find a tool to help you get started.

So, why should you buy organizational tools? Because they make it easier to break old habits. If you or someone in your family is known for kicking off shoes wherever, buy a shoe organizer. There are small shelves available for sale, as well as hanging shoe organizers with pouches. If you are concerned with costs, look for items that are on sale or wait and save money. Most individuals mistakenly believe they need to meet their resolution as soon as possible. Can’t afford to buy a closet organizer until next month? So what? At least you are taking steps to have a clean and organized home.

Although most disorganized homes are due to clutter, and a good cleaning routine is always helpful. In fact, you should do both, declutter and clean. When organizing a hallway closet, take all items out. Dust the closet and then quickly vacuum the floor. Before putting items back inside of the closet, look at their usage. Donate, sell, or appropriately anything your family no longer needs. When you combine cleanliness with organization, you are not only going to make your long-term goals a reality, but a lifelong habit.

Getting Organized: How To Tackle The Big Tasks

How many times have we put off doing those large tasks because we know how much effort and energy they will require? Just thinking about doing them wears you down. Soon you might find that this large job that you once had weeks to accomplish must be done in days. In this article we will look at ways to take on big tasks so they are more manageable. We will look at the best times of the day to tackle certain things to get them finished and checked off of your to-do list.

Most big tasks can be broken up into smaller manageable tasks. To get then done with as little stress as possible, this is what could be done. If you’re looking to spring clean your home, for example, divide the house up room by room. Then list everything that needs to be done in each room. Once you have your lists you need to prioritize what needs to be done first, second and so on. 

Once this is complete you can get going. Making lists of smaller tasks and checking them off as you get them done gives you a feeling of accomplishment. Instead of one huge task you can reward yourself for doing the series of smaller tasks. You’ll see things start to take shape and feel better as the task suddenly becomes smaller.

Big tasks in some ways are a mixed blessing. There are things that you like to do and things that you may dread. When you have your list of what you want to get done for that day, if at all possible do the least desired task first. You energy levels are usually highest in the early part of the day so giving it to those tasks you really don’t want to do will get them checked off of your list much faster. Waiting until later, when you are tired and slow, will virtually increase the risk that the task will get put off. 

Big tasks seem quite daunting, however; nearly all of them can be broken down into small tasks. By doing this you’re making the large task much more manageable and even enjoyable at times. The next large task you know you have coming, plan in advance and break it up. You’ll find it isn’t so bad.

Time Management Tips For Success

Are you a person who finds it difficult to stay focused and to stay on task?  Are you regularly late for important events or do you turn in projects or homework after the deadline?  If you do, you may need to improve your time management.  The good news is that there are a number of tips that can help you do so.  A few of these tips are outlined below for your convenience.

One of the first things that you will want to do is create time management goals for yourself.  These goals can be for different things.  For example, you can set a main goal of improving your time management in a specific period of time, like two weeks or a month.  You can also set individual goals for yourself, like arriving to parties, social events, work, or important business meetings on time.  No matter what goals you choose to set for yourself, they are important, as goals work to provide motivation.

Another way to improve your time management is to determine where you have the most problems.  What exactly is it that causes you to waste time?  Chances are you already know.  If not, do a little test.  Walk though a normal day and record what times you get distracted the most and what you are doing at those times.  Do you find yourself wasting time when socializing with friends, using the internet, or watching television?  If so, reduce or completely eliminate those distractions.

It is also important to note that there a number of time management tools available for your use as well.  These tools should not be relied on daily, but they can be used to help you establish a routine.  As for what time management tools you can use, you may be surprised with all of your options.  To do lists, daily planners, and alarm clocks are all great ideas.  Many modern computers and cell phones also come with time management tools, including alarm clocks, calendars, calendar alerts, and so forth.

As previously stated, a to do list is a time management tool that you can benefit from using.  As helpful as a to do list can be, it is important to also prioritize.  You will want to list your items in order of importance.  For example, if your list focuses on tasks to do at home is it more important for you to do laundry, vacuum the house, or wash dishes?  The order of your lists should all depend on importance and urgency.

One of the best ways to properly manage your time is to stay organized.  In fact, poor organization is the leading cause of wasted time.  If you are employed, be sure to keep your office desk clean and clutter free.  When doing so, you are able to stay focused and on task better.  You should be able to get more work done, as you should spend less time searching for misplaced or lost documents.  Organization is not only important in the workplace, but other areas that you frequent, such as your home or your car.

The above mentioned time management tips should be able to help you better manage your time on your own.  With that said, it is important to remember that sometimes help is needed.  The last thing that you want to do is be overloaded, whether it be at work or at home.  If you need to outsource some of your work to a coworker or if you need to hire the services of a professional housecleaner, go ahead and do so.  Once you are caught back up, you can begin to properly manage your time.  As much as we all want to complete our responsibilities on our own, it is important to remember that sometimes help is needed.

By taking the above mentioned points into consideration, you may be able to better improve the use of your time.  There are a number of benefits to having effective time management both at home and at the workplace.

How Being Organized Can Save You Time And Possibly Money

 

We all want to be able to organize our schedules and have the commitment to maintain them on a day-to-day basis, but how? Creating a workable schedule is typically time-consuming and often results in a frustrating battle with your calendar.

Organization is beneficial for everyone and can be easily adapted to suit individual needs. And believe it or not, being organized in your everyday life actually saves you time and possibly money. Here are a few of the reasons why.

Efficient and Stress-Free

If you keep your belongings organized, you don’t need to spend time looking for them when needed. This is especially handy in the case of important yet rarely used items, such as insurance or tax information.

The key to keeping things organized is to come up with a place to keep something and stick to it. If you want to keep important mail in a desk drawer, make sure you keep all of your important mail in that drawer. Don’t be afraid of sorting your things too much. The more categories of things you come up with, the easier it will be to find exactly what you need when you need it.

Saves You from Buying New

Organization keeps you from buying items you already have, but you’ve forgotten about or lost in your household or workplace. You’re more likely to forget about a pack of rubber-bands you bought several months ago and never opened, than your car keys or your wallet. Combined, these types of purchases can end up costing you a significant amount of money for items that you already have.

Fortunately, this is a very fixable problem. By cleaning and organizing the designated “junk” drawers in your home or office and making a list of all the items, you will easily find the item you’re looking for the next time you go searching. This avoids unnecessary purchases and impulsive buys at the store in the future. It's a very flexible habit that can be applied to many aspects of your daily routine.

Helps You Remember Important Details

It can be hard to keep track of every detail when you have a lot going on in your life. Sometimes, bills can get lost in the shuffle and go unpaid, or household maintenance gets overlooked. By keeping all of your activities organized, you can get them done in a more efficient manner and you make sure that every detail is taken care of.

May Save Money on Shopping

If you plan out a menu for each month, you can buy many of your groceries in bulk, saving you time and frequent trips to the store. If you prepare a list ahead of time, you can also look for coupons that offer savings on the things you plan to buy.

The same applies to non-food items, which can be bought in bulk and stored for later use. Staying organized and keeping essentials stocked up saves you the stress of running out to make a special trip for more. You can also plan out birthday or holiday gifts well ahead of time, so that you can keep an eye out for a good deal.

While it may take a bit of effort, organizing your life allows you to use your time more efficiently and to take better advantage of your finances. Not only that, but the more thought-out your budget or schedule is, the less you will worry about them. There are many tools designed to help keep you organized, including all kinds of helpful apps for mobile devices.

Listing Your Way To Efficiency

 

Checklists are the greatest way to get organized for any occasion. Most of us make a grocery list before going to the store, why not make a list for everything else in life? The benefits greatly outweigh the time that it may take to make one. The more checklists that you make, the quicker you will get at it. Following are some general ideas for checklists:

Checklist for everyday: Start your mornings by making a list of all the things that you need to accomplish each day. Carry it with you and mark each item off when completed. This will give a great feeling of accomplishment and closure.

Household maintenance: Develop a household maintenance list divided into months. Check the list a few months in advance to see if you need to schedule specific maintenance people to do a job for you. 

Weekly cleaning list: A weekly cleaning list should be developed and hung on the wall for everyone to see. Beside each job include the person's name that is accountable for the job that week. Make sure they mark off the job when completed. 

Car Maintenance checklist: Schedule times when you need to make appointments for an oil change and general car maintenance. 

Developing checklists for your life will go a long way in reducing stress. Having a list will also make it easier to assign tasks to other people in your household. The great thing about these checklists is they can all be stored on your computer and printed out as needed. Or if you prefer, create a special binder for all of your checklists. Once you start making checklists, you will wonder how you ever lived without them.