Time Mgmt

So many women struggle with their homemaking responsibilities and the need to use their time more wisely. There are four concepts which will change your life. Implement them consistently and you will see a major difference in use of your time. Begin today to Plan, Prepare, Do, and Review!

Plan - Each and every day for the rest of your life, plan out your day. Walk through it mentally, writing down those items which need your attention. Make note of time commitments around which you will need to work your daily chores, errands, and cooking. Decide now what you will serve for dinner. Make written note of items which need your attention (the odds and ends) which you will attempt to get to today if you have time. Write, write, write.

Prepare - Now, once your have planned out your day, work through what you can do to prepare for the day. Do you need to get hot dogs out of the freezer for dinner? Do you need to put the suits in the car to take to the dry cleaners (never put anything near the door - it seems we walk right past the pile and get half way to the dry cleaners before we realize we don't have the suits)? Do you need to call for directions to the birthday party this afternoon? Work through how you can prepare for this day to go smoothly and you will be glad you did. It always works better when you have prepared.

Do - As you go through your day, always be asking, "What is the best use of my time right now?" Try to work hard, fast, and focused on today's homemaking chores. Keep interruptions from outside sources (phone, TV, radio, and visitors) to a minimum until your housecleaning is done. Focus on your children when they need attention and work with them (as much as you can) to get their own chores done properly. Finally, try to keep a balance between getting everything done and dealing with the surprises which today brought to you. Sometimes you will meet a good friend unexpectedly and by taking the time to visit for a minute you will through off your schedule. Still, a renewed friendship is worth the adjustment of your plans.

Review - At the end of the day, walk back through it mentally and learn. What did you forget, neglect, or otherwise goof up? How can you avoid that happening ever again? It does no good to live unless tomorrow can be a better day. I remember one evening as I reviewed my day it occurred to me that if I would get into my sweat clothes first thing when I got up, comb my hair, and put on some lipstick, I wouldn't continue to be embarrassed when someone came to the door at an early hour (which always seemed to happen when I still had my pajamas on). I have maintained that small change in habit for many years and saved many an embarrassing moment. You will see changes and improvements to make in your own life, too, if you will take the time to review your day and learn.

Good luck. Try hard, plan, prepare, do and review and you will see improvements almost every day, every single day!