Time Management - Plan, Prioritize, And Organize Your Time More Efficiently

As many of us are painfully aware, time is a valuable but limited resource that we never seem to have enough of. In the increasingly hectic and fast-paced world in which we live, there is a pressing need to learn how to manage time as efficiently as possible. This article presents a brief overview of why you need to plan, prioritize, and organize your time more efficiently.

To develop good time management skills is to embark on a journey taken by many people in the past. This journey is simply following a path of proven principles that will help us gain control of our time. It is a journey that can begin only after a person realizes the need to use time more efficiently.

Your time can be capably managed by planning, prioritizing, organizing and knowing how to effectively deal with competing activities.

First, planning ahead is a key component to managing your time. Carefully look at every activity that you will need to do in the week ahead. Next, prioritize in ranking order the items that are most urgent or have a deadline for completion. Finally, Organize your activities by scheduling each one in your daily planner, calendar, or personal digital assistant (PDA).

By actually scheduling the things you need to do in your calendar, you have in effect reserved a block of time to do these things, and you will be more likely to get them done than if you had not scheduled them.

Time management is an art in itself that includes arranging, organizing, scheduling and budgeting time. This helps us become more productive and efficient at work, school, and all other activities.

When it comes to learning about how to manage time more effectively, you will find many self-help books, articles, and other written material on the topic of time management. In addition to written material, there are many time management classes, workshops and seminars specifically designed to equip people with time management tools. With a plethora of information available, there is really no good reason not to educate oneself in the fundamentals of time management.

In conclusion, we have seen that time management can be accomplished by planning, prioritizing, and organizing your activities. The list of people who can benefit from better time management is a long one, and includes students, teachers, factory workers, managers, business owners, artists, musicians, contractors, engineers, clergy, and countless others. The fact is, nearly everyone can benefit from learning the principles and techniques of how to be better stewards of time.

By: Jesse Whitehead

How to Organize Your Wardrobe

A large majority of men rarely think of organizing their wardrobe. We all sort of cling to the old die hard "dig and find" method. Despite the fact that it takes longer to find anything, organizing that old closet just doesn't sit very high on the priority list. In fact, it often times makes it to the "I'll get to it some day", or the "I'll get around to it" lists. There is hope for us closet neglectors though, and surprisingly it's not rocket science. If the initial set-up is done right, it is fairly easy to develop a system that will make your life much easier.

Organizing your wardrobe in reality comes to personal choice. Whether you prefer your pants to be stored on the right or the left doesn't matter as long as you are creating a well thought-out system that is easy to keep up. Stick to the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Stupid Simple) method. If you have no idea where to start, then this article is right for you. Below are a few general tips on how to organize your wardrobe. Use the tips that work for you. Use them to customize a system that works best for you.

First, start by completely emptying the wardrobe top to bottom. Clean the storage area as is required. Chances are that clumps of dust have piled up over the years in the corners. Empty your wardrobe completely and use a vacuum to get rid of all that dust. Next, sort all the things out that you no longer wear. If you are a pack-rat, this might be quite difficult. If this is the case then follow this general rule of thump: If you haven't worn something for at least a year, give it, or throw it away.

Now that you have limited the amount of clothes, organizing them will be much easier. When organizing your wardrobe make sure to put the clothes that you most frequently wear in the most accessible area. Start by thinking about different clothes for different seasons. If it is summer, store all your winter clothes in a separate storage bin. Once again you have narrowed down the clothes to organize. Next, look at all smaller items such as socks and underwear. Sort through all the single socks, and put the ones together that still have a matching pair. All small pieces that are part of your daily attire should be stored away in an easy accessible drawer.

The remaining clothes should be sorted by function. Work clothes such as suits, shirts, and neckties should be stored separately from your casual clothes. Make sure you don't hang your suit jackets too tightly, and keep your neckties away from any sharp edges. Your dress pants should be hung to prevent wrinkles. If you have multiple suits, keep matching pants with each jacket.

Your shoes are best stored in an adjustable shoe shelf that you can place in the bottom of your closet. Just as with your clothes, sort your shoes by their function. Dress shoes should be on one side, and casual shoes on the other. Store your shoes toe-in first to allow easy access of a pair with one hand.

Hendrik Pohl is the owner and founder of Ties-necktie.com, an online retailer offering a wide range of quality handmade silk ties, as well as useful dress code tips for men, men's fashion advice, necktie knot instructions, and more.

How to Organize a Home Filing Cabinet

If you are having a hard time organizing your home filing cabinet then this article would be a great help for you. Ideas on how to properly store your personal files and documents with the use of a filing cabinet will be given to efficiently manage your files.

1. Think of how many categories you will need. These categories are essentially the types of files that you want to be properly stored. Assign a color for each category. This allows you to recognize easily the type of file stored just by identifying the color. An example of categories would be bills, personal files, bank statements and et cetera. You can be more specific if you want to.

2. Once you have decided on the various categories and the colors assigned to each, paste the label on the folders and store the appropriate files and documents.

3. If you are not content with assigning colors, then you may opt for having each category alphabetically ordered. It all depends on suiting your taste and of course, ease of use.

4. If you do not want to keep too much files, then sort out the files that are important and those that are of no use. In order to maintain confidentiality, then these discarded files can be shredded for your protection.

5. Make it a habit to organize recent files at a certain day of the month. This allows you to function systematically and prevent cluttering your home space.

A good home filing cabinet attractively tucks away all your files to lessen up the clutter in your home space. With the organization comes the need to choose something that suits your style and budget without compromising durability and reliability.

How to Organize and Store Your Spices

Nearly every kitchen I've ever been in has this dilemma in common. What is the best way to store cooking herbs & spices? There is no simple answer of course. If there were, there would be no dilemma! The thing is every cook has a different approach. Some buy fresh herbs, some buy frequently used spices in large bulk bags. Some buy a wide variety of spices, some just a few. But in spite of all the different needs, here are a few tips that will help everyone organize and store their spices to save time.

1. Store spices as close as possible to where you use them. If you have a large kitchen where food prep and cooking areas are not near each other, separate and store spices according to where you use them, for example:
* If you usually add spices while cooking, store them near your stove, but not so close that heat will damage them.
* If you usually add spices during food preparation, store them handy to your prep area.
* If you use spices mostly as seasonings when food is served, store them handy to your serving area.
2. If you have a large quantity of spices, and not much space, consider sorting them by frequency of use. Keep the most frequently used spices handy in your kitchen, and store the rarely used spices in an out of the way storage cabinet.
3. Store spices alphabetically, just like they do in the grocery store. This makes it super easy to find what you need quickly. This way you give every spice a definite home, and it it will be easy to put away as well. Plus, you will always easily be able to see how much you have of a spice and whether or not you have duplicates. Avoiding duplicates will save you money as well as space.
4. Arrange spices so that you can easily find what you need. If you have them stacked several deep and can only see the tops of the jars, label the tops. If you have deep cabinets, use a stepped shelf so you can see what you have.
5. If you buy bulk spices in bags, store them by adding undershelf baskets to utilize vertical space in your cabinets and shelves. Or in stackable, airtight containers that you can label easily.
6. Think twice about buying spice racks that already have spices in them...how will you add new spices when you want to? What will you do with the spices that you don't like and never use? These are kinds of racks I often find people end up donating or giving away.

Would you like to simplify your life and get more organized? Ariane Benefit is a Life Coach, ADD Coach, organizing expert, author and coach who has been quoted in Psychology Today, the Wall Street Journal, and more. Visit her popular Neat & Simple Living Blog at http://blog.neatandsimple.com Ariane has over 25 years experience helping businesses and individuals get the results they want. Take a peek inside her book, Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Office at http://www.lotusbridge.com

How to Organize Your Money Trails - 5 Easy Ways

It's no fun when your financial records are in disarray. It's certainly stressful when you can't find much-needed records. So many people get stressed out when there's a need for their financial records because they don't know or they've forgotten where the said documents are.

To prevent such scenarios, here's a guide to scheduled tasks that will keep your money-related paper trail in order:

Once a day

Take note of how much cash you have on hand and record how much is left at the end of the day. Keep track of this so you can actually account for your expenses down to the last cent. This way, you'll be more aware of your spending habits. Most people don't realize how the little things add up to a significant amount until they actually commit to listing down all of their purchases and expenses.

Once a week

Organize your receipts, billing statements, invoice, and other money-related paperwork. Use ledger or a computer program where you can consolidate all this data. Have back-up copies of your records. Photocopy them and then place them in a safe place. You could also ask a trusted friend or family member to keep your stash of documents at his or her house.

Once a month

Pay your bills on time and follow up on debts you're owed. Create a checklist for this monthly reckoning. Consider keeping track of the pattern of your utility bills so you can more or less predict how much you'll spend each month. This way, you can easily curb your spending when you feel that you're in danger of going beyond your monthly budget.

Once a quarter

Consult your organized documents and filing systems so you can get an accurate picture of your progress towards meeting your personal financial goals. Make the necessary adjustments to spending, savings, or investments. You should also double check all the entries in the documents. Make sure that you haven't missed anything.

Once a year

Do some spring cleaning. Update your files and discard outdated items. Remember that you don't have to keep all your financial records forever. You can keep any tax-related records for seven years, bank statements for one year, and pay slips until you receive your end-of-the-year tax statements. Meanwhile, documents for big-ticket items should be kept permanently -- or until the said item has been "retired" or, perhaps, sold.

Make a commitment to devote the necessary time to these tasks so you won't ever get stressed out whenever somebody asks you for your financial records.

Paula Owen has been passionate about writing articles for the last 5 years.

Organize Your Home With a Shoe Bench

Shoe Benches are a great tool for smaller homes or apartments. A shoe bench is a bench that has cubbies of different sizes for shoes and boots to be stored. The top of the bench can have a seat cover or cushion that you can sit on while putting your shoes or boots on. Most of the time the shoe bench would be placed in an entry or mud room for easy access and use when entering or leaving the home.

The benches can be used in many ways to make your home more comfortable and less cluttered. Each pair of shoes has their own cubby so that they don't have to be in a mountain of shoes at the bottom of a closet or even in a box in the basement. This will create a very organized look to your home. The cushioned seat can also double as extra seating when you have company over. It also could work as a time-out spot for your children. It would even be a great place to send your family to wait for you before leaving the house, as a meeting area to check everyone's appearance.

There are many benefits to having a shoe bench in your home. In smaller homes or apartments the shoe bench is almost an essential tool to keep everything in its place as space can be very limited. Having all of the family's shoes in one place avoids the never ending, "Mom, I can't find my shoes!" The bench itself becomes a great tool for younger children as a time-out place, as well as a meeting place to be sure they are dressed properly before leaving the house.

The bench can also become an anchor point in any decorating scheme, especially with a cushioned seat cover. The fabric can coordinate with the decor that you already have in your home. Most benches are made of wood that can be stained to match the woodwork already in your home.

There are alternatives to having a shoe bench in your home. One option would be to have a shoe rack that can either hang on the back of a door or fit in the bottom of a coat closet and place a small chair or stool near the door. This would create the same benefits of a shoe bench, without actually having one.

Peter keeps his home organized with a shoe storage bench and would recommend a shoe bench to anyone having a hard time keeping their entryway clutter-free.

50 Ideas to Organize Your Home

"Organize" is a familiar word heard on many of today's popular decorating shows. Every family has its struggles with some type of clutter whether it is stacks of papers or a cluttered and cramped bathroom. In fact, the National Association of Professional Organizers reports that 80% of what we keep we never use, we wear 20% of the clothes we own while the other 80% hangs there just in case, and 25% of adults say they pay bills late because they lost them.

If you have stacks of papers, frazzled mornings, or lost car keys, use the following ideas to help you organize your family and home.

Evenings/Mornings:

1. If you have rushed mornings, make lunches, set out clothes, and put everything you need for the next day in a designated area the night before. Have kids pack homework and books in their backpack so they will be ready for the next day.

2. Place your purse, briefcase and keys in a designated area every day so you always know where they are.

3. Decide the night before what is on the menu for breakfast the next morning. If the family is to have cereal, set out the cereal boxes, bowls, and spoons.

4. Make a "to do" list for the next day and organize it according to what task needs to be completed first.

5. Fill the gas tank the day before so you won't have to worry about getting gas if you are running late the next morning.

Bathrooms:

6. To organize countertop clutter, purchase a plastic tub with a handle on top. Place all of your accessories such as hair spray and lotion, in the tub and place under the counter. Take the tub out when you are ready to use it and then put it back under the counter when you are finished with it.

7. To organize your shower, buy shower caddies to place your soaps and shampoos in. There are numerous styles available in many discount and fine department stores.

8. To help keep your shower doors clean, buy a water squeegee (like you use on your windows) and place it in the shower. When you are done taking a shower just wipe down the doors with the squeegee and you'll have a clean and dry shower door. Many of the squeegees come with a whole in the handle, which is convenient for hanging it up in the shower with a suction cup.

9. Install a straight magnet in your medicine cabinet for tweezers, nail clippers, and scissors.

10. Store reading material in a decorative magazine rack. As you add new magazines, throw away the older ones to keep the magazine rack from overflowing.

11. Throw away items in your bathroom that are old or you don't use anymore, such as make-up, lotions, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, old razors, sunscreen, and perfume.

12. If you are out of space in your bathroom cabinets for towels, roll them up and display them in a decorative basket next to the shower or bath tub.

13. Install hooks on the back of your bathroom door or wall space for towels and robes.

14. Use drawer organizers for makeup, jewelry, ponytail holders, and other loose items.

15. Place a shelving unit above the toilet for storing extra towels, washcloths, and other accessories.

16. Put a clock in each bathroom so everyone can be on time.

Closet:

17. Place baskets in your closet for laundry and dry cleaning.

18. Sort through your clothes and anything you don't wear anymore, bag and donate to a local charity. This includes clothes that are no longer in fashion, no longer fit, or clothes you haven't worn in a year. Also, get rid of those worn out and/or uncomfortable shoes you no longer wear.

19. Separate your clothes by season. If you have a tall closet with several rows of rods, place current seasons clothes on the lowest level and move out of season clothes on the tallest rods.

20. Categorize your clothes by purpose, such as work, casual, and formal.

21. Gather all unused wire hangers and take them to the dry cleaners to recycle.

22. Hang scarves on a hanger or scarf rack. Also, hang belts and ties on hangers or racks.

23. Use a shoe rack to keep shoes organized and throw out shoe boxes that clutter the floor.

24. Install hooks on the closet wall to hang up hats and purses.

25. Store clothes that you want to save in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. These bags pack down for storing under the bed or in a closet. Remember to save only the clothes that you think will be worn!

Kitchen:

26. Organize your cabinets into several categories such as plates, glasses, Tupperware, kid's plates and sippy cups. Place the plates on one shelf, the glasses on another shelf, and so on. This way when you empty the dishwasher, you or other family members will always know where everything goes.

27. Group your foods together in the pantry for easy access and to help you identify when inventory is getting low. For example, group together your canned goods, cereals, pasta, etc.

28. Place all packets (gravy, Jell-O, sauces) in a basket and place on shelf.

29. Purchase a spice rack that works best for your cabinet. Alphabetize your spices and place frequently used spices on the front of the rack and all others towards the back of the rack.

30. For all of those plastic containers and Tupperware items, dedicate one cabinet or drawer for those items and try to purchase stackable containers to maximize your space.

31. Save your countertop space for items you use daily. Only display cookbooks that you really use and if possible store your canister set in your pantry instead of on the counter.

32. If you have a collection of clipped recipes that are filling drawers and countertop space, purchase a three-ring binder in a color that matches your decor, a box of plastic sheet protectors (to protect your recipes), paper, and a set of dividers with tabs. Glue each recipe onto a piece of paper (use front and back of each piece of paper) and then place into a sheet protector. Categorize recipes (breakfast, desert, etc.), label the tabs, and place recipes in binder. Additional tip, if you purchase a binder that has pockets, store clipped recipes that you want to try in the pockets before adding them to your collection.

33. Do you have mounds of plastic bags from the grocery store? Place about 10 bags inside of 1 bag and throw the rest away. You can always get more the next time you go to the grocery store.

34. Get in a habit of cleaning out your refrigerator every time you bring home groceries. Dispose of any food that is no longer edible or your family is not going to eat.

Kid's Room:

35. In a boy's room, put a basketball hoop over a laundry basket for slam-dunking dirty clothes.

36. Place a two-compartment hamper in your kid's room so he or she can sort light clothes from dark clothes as they undress.

37. String a clothesline in your child's room and have your child clothespin his or her favorite artwork.

38. Hang a fish net from the ceiling to store stuffed animals, dolls, or action figures.

39. Add a bookshelf and help your child organize their books.

40. Buy the kids their own alarm clocks and teach them how to get up on time.

Misc.

41. Make sure everything in your house has a home. Teach all family members to mind their own messes. For example, if you take it out, put it back; if you open it, close it; if you throw it down, pick it up; if you make a mess, clean it up; and so on.

42. Put wastebaskets in every room and place several unused trash bags in the bottom of each one. This will eliminate countless trips to retrieve new trash bags and give all family members a place to throw away their trash.

43. Place a decorative basket on the coffee table to keep remote controls in.

44. Use a plastic caddy (instead of shelf space) to store cleaning supplies in and tote it from room to room.

45. Keep baskets or tubs for toys in every room for fast pickup and play time.

46. For kids' outdoor toys, purchase a weatherproof, bench-style storage box and store toys inside. Also, gather all outdoor balls and place into a large, mesh drawstring bag and store in garage.

47. Each night before bedtime, have all family members pick up clutter for 15 minutes. Make a game out of it and see who can pick up the most things in the shortest amount of time.

48. Create a family message center on the refrigerator or other prominent place and use it for shopping lists, reminders, calendars, and phone messages.

49. Make a master grocery list on your computer from a spreadsheet or Word document. Categorize the groceries into sections such as frozen, dairy, and so on. In each category, list the most frequent items that you buy. Organize the grocery list according to the way your favorite grocery store's isles are set up. Print copies and keep one copy handy for the current week. When you see you are low on a product or you're preparing your grocery list for the week, simply highlight whatever items you need. Keep the document current by adding new items and/or deleting items you no longer buy. Also, create a space on the document for Misc. items where your family members can write down what they need that is not on your list.

50. Create an in box on your desk for papers (bills, permission slips, etc.) that need your attention.

The goal of organizing isn't to make your home pristine but rather to make your life more calm and functional. Work with the above ideas and you will end up having less clutter, a simplified home, more quality time for yourself and your family, and improved productivity.

Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the founder of http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com - The Home Decor Exchange is a valuable website full of information and resources about home and garden decorating.

In addition to editing the Home Decor Exchange website, Lesley is a crochet pattern designer and needle fiber artist. You can view her crochet patterns and needle fiber designs at: http://www.ErinOliviaDesigns.Etsy.com

The Three Big Food Storage Mistakes Most People Make

If you are storing food long term for disaster, survival, or job loss, there are three very common mistakes that most people make. Look at your food storage habits and be sure you aren't doing one of these.

The first big mistake is storing food that you don't like. While it's not realistic to store months of food from your favorite recipes and dishes, you can't have food stored up that you really don't like eating at all. Put things into your storage supplies that you actually look forward to and enjoy eating. Be sure there are plenty of things like salt, sugar, and spices to make the food taste good.

Another mistake is not rotating your supplies. If you go to the store and buy a new jar of peanut butter, put that into your food storage containers. Take the old one out and use that one for day to day use. This keeps everything that is stored on a constant rotation making sure things stay fresher. This also helps with problem one where you are actually used to eating the food you are storing.

The third mistake is storing all your food in the same place. This is a huge mistake made by many. If there is a fire or tornado and takes out the part of your home where all that food is stored, you now have none. If you are doing long term storage consider putting it in different places around the home. As an additional step consider storing some food at a different location as well.

Do you have a plan for natural disasters or pandemics?

Shop Hard to Find the Best Home Organizing Stores So it Doesn't Cost You an Arm and a Leg

If you are thinking about decluttering your home, think about visiting a selection of home organizing stores to buy some new organizational systems. It doesn't have to cost you an arm or a leg if you do a comparison shop.


Comparison shopping is really important if you are on a budget and want to get the best value for your dollar. There are an abundance of home organizing stores both on the internet and physical shops. Here are some things you need to look out for when you are deciding which shop to buy home organization items from.

What are you buying

Decide what you are buying first. In fact, to be brutally frank, the easy bit about reorganizing our home is the shopping bit. We have to admit that shopping and buying stuff certainly has much greater appeal than staying home and exhausting ourselves with the actual task of tidying up and throwing stuff away. So before you even head out the door to do a spot of shopping, do yourself a favor and declutter your home first.

Set some goals

Set yourself some home organization goals. Make it a reward that if you clean up your living room, then this will entitle you to do one hour of shopping at a home organization store of your choice. If you do a really good job of clearing up your living room, the sad thing is that you may find that you no longer need to visit a home organization shop. What a disappointment. I am sure if we persist we will definitely find something good to buy at the shops. Think about any extra storage that you require, or any new storage solutions that would suit a particular room.

Get rid of surplus stuff

If you plan on buying stuff from your homeware shop, try to get rid of any excess junk in your house, before you embark on your shopping spree. These homeware shops are very tempting and offer all sorts of solutions to get your organized. Some interesting items that they sell include bag holders, utility carts, cap and hat racks, shelf organizers, and storage cubes. So don't get tempted to buy everything under the sun till you have done your own homework.

Look for Sales

Once you have decided what items you need to buy, look for the specialty shops that sell that particular item. We are now getting into the crux of smart comparison shopping. For each shop where you can source that item, create a simple spreadsheet and list the price of that product at each shop. So you will know which shop offers the best bargain without engaging in any guesswork.

Don't forgot to reduce clutter in your house first. Then treat yourself to a spot of shopping at a home organizing store. You deserve it now that you have done some decluttering.

DEBRA CARLTON is a home organization and declutter enthusiast. For a free mini course on how to declutter and create a well organized home, visit http://www.declutterdaytips.com.

Six Secrets of Organized Moms

A mom often wears many hats, taxi driver, cook, housekeeper, bread-winner, shoulder to cry on, and more. So, how does mom juggle it all? The following are six secrets of organized moms to help make things easier:

1. Routines. Organized moms serve dinner at the same time each night, have strict bed times, have after school routines with homework and socializing. If you want to be an organized mom, you have to have a routine you stick to. This might mean that you get your child up at the same time each day, and expect them to get dressed and make their bed before they come in to breakfast. You may have a few different routines, such as your morning routine, your after school and evening routine, and your weekend routine. A routine helps you, the mom, keep things on track, and helps your children to know what to expect, and what is expected of them.

2. Meal plans. Organized moms do not spend extra time in the grocery store, or standing in front of the refrigerator trying to determine what to prepare that night. Organized moms take a few minutes once a week to create a meal plan for the week. Monday: Soup, Tuesday: Chicken, Wednesday: Pizza, Thursday: Hamburgers, and the list goes on. The idea is that if you know what you are going to make you can be prepared throughout the day. For example, if you are going to roast a chicken for dinner, you will need to get it out of the freezer in the morning in order for it to be defrosted by dinner time.

3. Rules. Organized moms have rules or guidelines for their families. They may be simple like dinner is at 5:30. Or they may be more complex like, no friends, television, or snacking until your homework is completed. A mom can't keep the whole family organized without some participation, so rules, and guidelines are helpful. Make them clear, and enforce them.

4. Time off. An organized mom does not let herself get overly stressed, or overwhelmed because she knows when to say no, when to de-stress, and when to take a break. She knows that when she is starting to lose her cool, that letting dad take the kids to McDonald's rather than fixing a nice meal, is sometimes better, even if it is not the healthiest option. The organized mom knows when she needs a break, and figures out how to take one.

5. Organized home. The organized mom has an organized home. She creates a place for everything so that school mornings are not spent hastily trying to find shoes, backpacks, pens that work, etc. Instead, everything has a place, and the kids know where things go, and contribute by being sure to put their backpack on the hook, in the cubby, or whatever the case may be, the night before.

6. Back-up plans. Organized moms always plan ahead, and prepare for the worst. They carry a spare outfit, some cash, and phone numbers of friends and family, just in case. They take things in stride. So, for example, if your tire goes flat while driving, and it is your day to do carpool, the organized mom has the numbers of the other carpool moms on hand, and knows which ones can typically swap days. So, have a back up plan.

Beverly Frank is a stay-at-home mom and writer. For more parenting tips, visit http://www.surfnetparents.com.