My Essay Blog

If you find yourself going to work with the best intentions of making the most of every minute, but end up at the close of the day wondering where it all went, the chances are that you’ve been hijacked by the Time Stealers.

Time Stealers are people who, without anything to do with their own time, steal yours from you as well. They fill up their hours by wasting yours. Often these are close colleagues, customers, even your own boss, so it can be difficult to know how to deal with them. But, unless you want to join this gang of thieves, you must learn to say No to Time Stealers.

1. Manage Your Interruptions. One of the reasons why we allow others to take over our time at work is our need to know what is going on. Henry Mintzberg, professor of management at McGill University in Montreal, discovered that the majority of a manager’s time is spent receiving and responding to hearsay, rumour, and news. Managers feel a great need to know what’s going on and they do this by letting themselves be interrupted by others. If this is you, you need to be aware of how much of your time is usefully spent in this way, and how much is wasted. In short, you need to know how to manage your interruptions.

2. Avoid These Three Groups. One of the keys to managing your interruptions is to distinguish between people who bring you useful information and those who don’t. This latter group comprises three types in particular that you should avoid like the plague:

• moaners, whingers and complainers

• the coffee-set who congregate during work

• the watering-hole set who congregate after work.

Socialising with your team is fine if you can control it. Excessive socializing is like begin sucked into a time-consuming swamp.

3. Stay Clear Of the Gossipers. in 1650, Jeremy Taylor, chaplain to King Charles I, wrote a book called “Holy Living” in which he warned against the dangers of wasting time on gossip. He said, “Avoid the company of busybodies and all such as are apt to talk much to little purpose. For no man can be provident of his time that is not prudent in the choice of his company. And if one of the speakers be vain, tedious and trifling, he that hears and he that answers in the discourse are equal losers of their time.”

4. Learn To Be Brief. In business, your time is your money. Wasting time with unnecessarily long meetings with others is a way to let money trickle down the drain. Channing H Cox once visited President Calvin Coolidge whom he had succeeded as Governor of Massachusetts. Cox, who was often detained at his desk until well into the evening, was astonished to learn that Coolidge was able to see so many people and still leave the office at 5.00pm.

“What’s the difference?” Cox asked.

“You talk back,” replied the President.

5. Get The Briskness Habit. When you learn how to be brisk with others, without being rude, you’ll find a great ally in your quest to control your time. Clement Attlee, prime minister of post-war Britain, was known for his briskness at cabinet meetings. His knack was to stifle unnecessary talk. One of Attlee’s exchanges ran as follows:

“A good paper, minister. Do you need to add anything?” (ie there’s no need to say anything if it’s just a repeat of what’s in the paper).

“Has anyone any objections?” (ie don’t say anything if it’s already been covered).

“Right, then. Next item.”

6. Be Graciously Ruthless With Unwanted Callers. So, what if you do get people who want to trap you in your office and steal your time? How do you get rid of them without being rude? The answer is to be polite but determined. Here are some techniques to use:

• ask directly what they want and how long they might be

• suggest a time when you know you’ll be free

• have a regular “green period” slot when you are free each day to see people

• don’t succomb to the temptation of a break from what you’re doing

• agree to meet them at their workplace

• point out that what you are doing is important and ask if their interruption is more important

• use appropriate body language to indicate they are not welcome to stay, for example, stand up, perch on the edge of the desk, move towards the door, avoid eye contact.

Use these techniques and you’ll be letting people know that while you’re willing to be gracious with people, you’re going to be ruthless with your time.

The way you manage your time is one of the most public ways you manage your life. Treat your time as something that is cheap or worthless and you’ll fall prey to the Time Stealers. Treat your time as precious and valuable, and you’ll defeat the time stealers and stay time-rich.

My business experience has taught me one true thing: That maximizing your productivity, happiness, peace, or impact can best be accomplished if you clearly understand the 12 Rules of Time.

1. Have goals

Being more efficient with your time is irrelevant if you don’t know how you want to spend it. In managing time, the compass is more important than the clock. Know where you want to go and spend your time on the things that get you there.

Many people spend energy trying to be more efficient without first doing what’s important: setting goals. It’s like being lost on your way to a new city. Driving faster doesn’t help if you are going in the wrong direction. Figure out what direction to go in and head that way.

Once you’ve prepared it, your list of goals will reveal what is important to you.

2. Analyze how you spend your time

It is always good to know how you’re spending your time right now. You can track this by setting a timer to go off every 15 minutes; whenever it sounds, write down exactly what you are doing. Alternatively, divide your day into 15-minute blocks and record each activity you do.

Once you have your time logs, examine them. How do they compare to your goals? Are you spending time where your priorities are?

3. Keep a to-do list

This sounds too simple, but it really is the basis of all time-management systems. Your to-do list can be electronic, on fancy paper, bound in a notebook or loose-leaf. The key is to have everything you want to accomplish on one list. My to-do list might have a one-line item on it, such as “write annual report,” which refers me to a much larger file or even a file box on that item.

4. Prioritize your list

Once you have the list, determine which are the important items. Mark these with a highlighter, a red pen, or in any other way that makes them stand out.

I sometimes find my to-do list is too big. Every item on the list calls out “pay attention to me!”, even though most of them weren’t highlighted as important. In these cases, I take a blank sheet of paper and cover my to-do list and write down only the three or four most important items. Those are the ones to focus on.

5. Control procrastination

I use a number of tricks to break any lingering tendencies to procrastinate. For instance, I happen to like having a hard copy of my digital to-do list. I reprint it every few days as new items are added and completed ones dropped. It is at these times that I look for the items that I’ve marked as high priority, but which are just not getting done.

People often say I have great self-control. In truth, though, much of it is environment control. I control my environment to eliminate things that I might use to procrastinate. Take games off your computer, for example, sell your TV, and get rid of the busywork jobs that you use to avoid the important tasks.

I have developed one effective habit that has helped break me of procrastination: “Do the worst thing first.” At the beginning of every day, I do the one task that is causing me the most stress, and that I haven’t been getting done. Sometimes I just give it a quarter of an hour &ndash based on the theory that I can stand just about anything for 15 minutes. Frequently it is this short thrust that breaks me through.

If I still find myself procrastinating, I review my reasons for setting a goal. To create extra motivation to complete a task, I strengthen the reasons why it should be done. Similarly, many people reward themselves for completing a job.

6. Organize

Organization and time management are linked. I find that I get important things done when I have all the tools I need to perform the job.

The opposite of organization &ndash chaos, clutter, disorganization &ndash generally leads to busy work. If your desk is piled high, every piece of paper says “look at me.” You can end up doing a lot of work without ever getting to the important stuff.

7. Delegate

One way to expand your time is to get others to help you with it. The key to delegation is to hand off any tasks that someone else can do significantly faster or more easily than you can.

If you’re protesting that you don’t have anyone working directly for you to whom you can delegate tasks, no problem. Consider delegating to a peer, a superior, a supplier, or even a customer. Treat delegation like networking: who in your network would be best for the job?

In some cases you will need to invest up-front to train someone so he or she can take over a task from you. The long-term savings are usually worth the up-front time and costs.

After delegation, remember to thank appropriately. You might think people would resent being delegated to, but exactly the opposite is true. People like to be asked, especially if it is to do something that they’re good at.

8. Master efficiency tricks

The best trick I have found is “The Power of While.” What can you do while you drive? While you walk? While you clean? While you watch TV? I am a huge audio tape advocate and frequently listen to tapes while I am doing something else.

Being a techno person, I love all the organization software out there that allows me to keep my contacts, to-do lists and appointments. I also use gadgets such as cellphones, wireless e-mail, and personal digital assistants. Good use of technology can save you valuable time.

9. It’s OK to say no

Saying “No” can be the most powerful time tool you can master. When someone asks you to do something, ask yourself how important this is. Does it help you achieve your goals? Is this a task you would be better at than most people? Don’t always look for reasons to get out of things, but be strategic about what you take on.

This doesn’t mean that I always say no when asked to help out. But if I do say no, I am always polite and tactful, and try to suggest someone else who would do the job well.

10. Focus

Committing 100% focus and concentration on one task at a time can be very powerful. Eliminate distractions. Focus on the task. When you’re properly organized and prepared, when your energy and power are high, you can often complete a task in 20% of the time it would take when you’re distracted or open to interruption.

11. Build your efficiency bank

High efficiency is not possible if you don’t look after yourself. Eat right, exercise, sleep well and drink moderately. Mom knew best: all the things she said were good for you just happen to be best for your efficiency, too.

I also believe meditation can be a great way of building your efficiency. It could be transcendental meditation, Zen, or just finding a way to get into a relaxed state that lets you focus on the task you have to do. No matter how you do it, recharging your batteries gives you the power to do more during the times you need to be at your best.

12. Take care of yourself

It isn’t possible to be “on” all the time. Take the time you need to look after yourself &ndash body and soul &ndash so that you can reach peak efficiency when you need to. Have a list of things you like to do. Find out what activities energize you, and spend more time doing them. This will give you the power and energy to be more productive when you return to work.

Finally, a word of advice. If after reading this far you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, I suggest you go back to Rule 1 and add peace (contentment) to your list of goals. Time management is not about adding stress; it is about giving you the time to be the person you really want to be.

On any given day I generally have more than enough to do. Sometimes I have so much to do that I hardly know where to begin. Yet the fact is that most weeks I work less than 40 hours.

People are always asking me how I get everything done. How do I find the time to read so much? How can I travel and attend trainings while keeping up with my practice? How do I manage to write my blog and Authentic Promotion newsletter? How do I maintain work life balance that has become the Holy Grail of our times? What’s my secret?

There are many answers, but one in particular arose in the midst of one of my morning meditation. As usual, my mind was prancing around like a young puppy, willing to heel for only a moment or two before racing off to explore some enticing scent in the bushes. Also as usual, one of these enticing scents was my “To Do” list.

As I gave a gentle tug on my mental leash, I experienced a sudden shift in perception. It was as if I had slipped through the looking glass to discover that I was living in a world of abundant possibility as opposed to one of temporal scarcity.

I no longer had the problem of not enough time and balancing my life with my work; I had the gift of more than enough to do.

Why is this a gift? Consider this. When you are invited to a smorgasbord laden with more delicacies than you can possibly sample, you choose from among the offerings the ones that you want most. What you choose will depend on your needs, desires, and values. Do you want to try something new? Do you want to experiment with a new combination of familiar pleasures? Do you have allergies to consider? Is there a favorite food you want to make sure to taste again?

Sure, you could approach the buffet with resentment, frustrated that the thoughtless hosts had plotted to overwhelm you. But why on earth would you adopt that point of view? What would you gain?

As I sat with this notion of having more than enough to do, I knew intuitively that I did not have to do everything on my list any more than I would have to eat everything at a buffet. I also knew that accepting that I could not do it all was part of the pleasure of acknowledging the wealth of opportunity before me.

I’ve spent several days now musing about what actions and choices arise from “behind the looking glass.” Here are some of the practical ways this shift shows up:

– When I notice that I have more than enough, it is natural to look for how I can share it, giving a whole new twist to the notion of delegating work. Who would enjoy doing this work? Who would enjoy learning how to do this? With whom would I like to try this?

– When I notice that I have more than enough, it is natural to wonder what I want most and why. This invigorates the process of setting priorities. What would be the most fun? What would be the most nourishing? What can keep for another day of my life? What can I enjoy from a distance?

– When I notice that I have more than enough, it is natural to act from gratitude and to express gratitude through good stewardship. For the sake of what shall I make this choice? What makes the most sense or is most necessary in light of current life conditions? What selections support healthy ambition? How can I preserve or conserve opportunities for another person or another day? If I cannot use an opportunity, how can I be complete with it?

– When I notice that I have more than enough, I can trust the ebb and flow of natural abundance. I regard unused possibilities of balancing my life with my work as compost for the future. I appreciate that times of apparent emptiness are the seedbed for times of opportunity. I know that when seedlings grow too thickly, it is time to thin the garden, not to complain about the pressure of competing priorities.

I encourage you to notice your own relationship to time and the things you have to do. Check your work life balance and emotional weather report as it relates to planning either for the day or for a specific project over a period of days. Then notice the physical sensations that correspond to this weather report. How does this change when you play with the notion that rather than too little time you more than enough to do, an abundance of opportunity?

Once you have felt your way into this different frame of mind, see what new possibilities show up. What actions are possible (and how are they qualitatively different) from this place?

College years cannot be forgotten easily. Why? Because it is one of the hardest and the toughest stage in a person’s life. It entails lots of preparations and adjustments.

College life is full of challenges. College students are faced of mountainous confrontations and obstacles that must be faced. These students must work hard to prove not only to themselves but to other people that they are worthy of getting into college and finishing successfully.

To do and accomplish all the challenges and dares that are facing the college students, proper time management is necessary. College student should know how to manage time properly and how to consume time for worthy things.

The ability to manage and schedule time wisely makes college life easier. Missing important deadlines and appointments may cause difficulty and complications to both the academic and social life of the student. These things can also result to guilt, anxiety, stress, frustrations and other negative feelings.

The following are some of the tips for college students on how to manage time their time successfully.

• Learn how to prioritize. Prioritization is one of the most important aspects of time management. Proper prioritization of engagements and responsibilities is very necessary. There are too many college students that are ignorant and do not know how to set prioritization. This can often lead to procrastinations.

• Make use of ‘to do list’. This does not necessarily mean making a schedule. This is only listing the things that are important to be done. List things according to their importance.

• Stop being a perfectionist. Nothing is perfect. God created no perfect things and individuals. When you try to be perfect, you are only setting your self up for defeat. Many difficult and hard tasks lead to avoidance and procrastinations.

• Set goals. Setting goal is good in managing the time of college students. You should set goals that are not only attainable but should also be challenging.

• Try to combine several activities. Trying to combine many several activities in one sitting. Example of these are the following:

when watching a sit-com, try to compute your bills in between commercials; when taking a shower, list in your mind the things that are needed to be done; while you are commuting on the way to school, listen to taped notes. These things can save you some of your time that could have been set aside for other things.

• Survey your personal time. Making personal time survey help in estimating how much time is consumed and spent in many typical activities. This is very important if you are wanting to manage your time properly. Do these by tracking the time you spent for a day or a week. This gives you an idea on how much time you are consuming in different activities and things. This will also allow you to realize and identify the time wasters.

• Make a daily schedule to be followed. There are many different styles of time schedules that you can use. Try to make use of the time schedule that can fit into your personality. The common styles of time scheduling are through engagement books, cards, a piece of poster board tacked to a wall and many other styles. Once you are know what style to use, construct it soon. Put in the time schedule all the things that are necessary, including your personal needs.

• Take some notes and review them before the end of the day. This will help identify the things that you have done properly and the things that you have failed to do. This can help you develop proper time management skills.

• You should learn how to say no. There is nothing wrong in saying no in some instances and cases. For example, somebody invited you to watch a movie at a time when you have got something to do. Leave out the movie and prioritize your task. You can do that later on.

Learning proper time management for college students is very important. Learning these things early on will prepare them for the life that lay ahead of them. These will be their tool in achieving the life they are dreaming of.

As a Life Coach, and after coaching many different clients, I have come to realize that to effectively manage time, we need to first realize that time itself cannot be managed! We all get seven days a week and 168 hours within those seven days. This cannot be increased or changed in any way. However, what we can change, improve and manage is ourselves. In essence then, true time management now becomes management of ourselves &ndash “self management!”

So being aware of this, we now know that it’s not the amount of time we have that’s important; it’s how effectively we use that time that makes the difference. Successful people have exactly the same amount of time in the day as each of us. The only difference is they use their time differently &ndash more effectively.

You might say “I don’t have the time to commit to learning some time management skills”. I hear this a lot during life coaching sessions, but the fact is if this were true, do you really think you have the time not to?

Time management principles and techniques are usually quite simple to learn. They do not require deep thinking, a high I.Q or lots of preparation. In fact if you were to put the search term “Time Management Resources” into a search engine you will get dozens of websites offering help, advice, tips and suggestions on how to manage and prioritize your time.

To sum time management up I would say you need to ask yourself two questions:

1. Do I physically have enough time to do the tasks that are required of me? We only have so much time. Sometimes it’s not always physically possible to fit everything in. If this is the case then you need to prioritize and drop some of the low priority task/activities to claim some time back.

2. Do I fully optimize and use my time effectively? If the answer is NO then you might want to learn and implement some time management principles and techniques.

Below is a list of some time management (self management) techniques and tips that I use during life coaching. You may find a couple of them helpful yourself. They are in no particular order.

• Figure out when (what time of the day?) you work most efficiently.

• Establish your priorities for what you want to get done. Identify the tasks and activities that are the highest priority and eliminate those of low priority.

• Allow more time than you think you will need. This makes your schedule flexible and allows for the unexpected.

• Get into the habit of using your odd five minutes here and there more productively. Don’t just dismiss it as only five minutes &ndash they add up throughout the week!

• Accomplish one or two important tasks rather than lots unimportant ones.

• Keep a calendar/diary. Mark all your important dates/tasks.

• Keep a list of “Things to Do” and mark them off as completed.

• Every day make a list of what you have to do tomorrow.

• When possible do the unpleasant tasks first.

• Tidiness makes your life easier and reduces stress.

• Allow time to relax, recharge and do nothing.

• Leave time in your schedule for un-planned activities.

• Know your strengths, skills and weakness.

• Ask yourself, “What am I doing that someone else could do for me?” Delegate!

• Don’t be scared to ask for help

• Bin things straight away to reduce the clutter (junk mail, newspapers and spam email etc).

• Divide large overwhelming tasks into smaller chunks, and attack them one at a time.

• Complete at least one task each day that you don’t like to do, but know you should.

• Realize that all your email checking, surfing the internet and other procrastinations add up to hours of lost time each week (sometime even each day!)

• Watch less T.V. If you watch T.V for three hours a day from the age of five years old, by the time you are fifty five the amount of T.V you will have watched will be the equivalent to watching non-stop 24 hours a day for six years and three months. If you cut this down by just one hour a day, so then only watch two hours of T.V, you will have gained back over two years worth of time.

“Living is the constant process of deciding what we are going to do” (Jose Ortega y Gasset)

We all get overwhelmed from time to time, and sometimes it seems as if 24 hours a day is just not enough to get everything accomplished that we would like. Let’s consider this a brainstorming session. Start creating a list of everyday tasks that, if you didn’t have to do them, would allow you to have more time in your day. For example, most of us have to do laundry on a regular basis. That takes time. What about making dinner? Commuting? The list goes on. These types of tasks are usually necessary and unavoidable. It would be fantastic if we could hire a housekeeper, a personal chef or a chauffeur to handle these things for us. More often than not however, we end up doing ourselves the things that need to be taken care of each day.

Now try thinking of other things that take up your time. Maybe you are a small business owner who just doesn’t have time to handle the bookkeeping portion of your business, or to deal with the email traffic coming into your Inbox. What about organizing your files (both hard copy and electronic) so that it becomes easier to find what you are looking for? In most cases, organizing your time better is all it takes to resolve these types of time management issues. Try reading your email only two or three times a day at specific times, instead of each time a new message arrives (although the curiosity factor might be quite strong!). Schedule your housekeeping items all at once on the same day, if possible. For example, do all of your laundry on Saturday mornings. Try planning your meals ahead of time, so you know exactly how long it will take you to prepare and cook each meal.

For the office tasks, spending some time with a professional organizer or partnering with a virtual assistant can save you hours of time. Plus, it would allow you to hand over tasks you do not enjoy doing to someone who makes a living doing those very things. Food for thought!

The main point I’m trying to make is that with a little thought and planning, you can create extra time in your life to do the things you love to do. Good luck, and happy planning!

I bet you’re frustrated over never having enough time to get everything done in the day. There are only a fixed number of hours in the day, and no matter how hard we wish for it that will never change.

Unfortunately, most people find they have too little time to get everything done because they have several time killers in their life - things that take up much more time than they should. Here are 5 common time killers, as well as tips on how you can avoid them.

Poor Equipment

Have you ever had to wait for your computer to start up, or a file you need to open, or even a photocopier to make the copies you need? Perhaps your computer is even crashing constantly, forcing you to restart several times a day.

Often these problems come about from buying the cheapest option, or not maintaining the equipment properly. It’s a false economy to do either - the few dollars you save is vastly outweighed by the cost of the time you lose. Fix or replace any such equipment as soon as possible.

Telephone Calls

The telephone is a two-edged sword. When used correctly, it can be a great time saver. But at times it can be another time killer.

Always know exactly what you are going to say before you call someone. Quickly identify yourself, and once you are talking to the right person cover what you need to and hang up. No casual chatting!

If you are receiving calls, and/or have a mobile, decide on fixed times when you will and won’t answer the phone. For a normal phone you can screen your calls. For a mobile, simply turn it off and let the calls go through to voicemail. Then pick a later time to go through all the messages, and only answer the ones that are important.

People who won’t stop talking

We’ve all met them - they love the sound of their own voice, and just won’t stop talking. Unfortunately, saying you have to go rarely works. Your best bet is to avoid them where you can. If you receive calls from them, screen your calls (perhaps using caller ID) so you don’t have to talk directly to them.

Traffic jams

Everyone living in the city has run into traffic jams at some time or another. While there isn’t any way to get through a traffic jam any faster, you do have a few options.

Consider leaving earlier (or later), to avoid the traffic. If that’s not possible, investigate public transport options like the subway. Finally, see if there is something else you can do in the car at the same time - perhaps listen to a training CD, or get a lift with someone else and do your work while they deal with the traffic!

Meetings

Meetings can be huge time killers, especially if there is no clear agenda for the meeting. If possible, avoid going to meetings that you don’t have to attend. If you can’t escape a meeting, encourage the use of a fixed agenda so everyone knows what should be covered. This allows people to (hopefully) gather their thoughts ahead of time, and will limit off-topic conversation.

We all suffer from time killers in our life. The people who are successful know how to identify those time killers, and how to avoid them.

Because each of us is unique and different, we have to find out what works best for us in our own ways. This path to this starts with the basics in our own time management. Basic time management is setting up goals and plans that are reachable.

When setting goals for ourselves we should ask…”Is this goal reachable? Can I achieve this goal? What do I do to make this goal successful? Asking yourself the right questions is one basic element of developing a time management routine that works for you. Another basic element in time management is asking for help. That is a plan that helps to lead you to success.

We can’t know everything, or do everything, so sometimes you have to ask for help. When you are asking questions, you are letting others know that you are seeking a solution to a problem, or attempting to reach a goal that you have set. By asking yourself and other questions, you are relying on your own fortitude, and trusting others.

In time management, the best way to get something done is by keeping it simple. Simple means to put a plan in motion that will work smoothly and effectively that will allow you to reach the goal you have set.

When setting goals, you should scrutinize carefully which strategies might work most effectively to reach that goal. You will want a plan that is logical and uncomplicated, but that takes into account that there might be setbacks along the way. Since no plan is perfect, keep in mind when you are creating a plan for time management that things could go wrong, so that you are not thrown off when there is a crisis.

Life is too short to waste time on not getting the job done, and time is money. Learning how to manage your time effectively will help you to reach all of your goals. Everything is at the mercy of time. There is no getting around it. Learning how to manage what we can control is the best way to achieve goals with less stress.

At a certain point our lives don’t change much. We’re moving around on automatic pilot and don’t notice the sameness that has taken over&ndashsometimes for many years. We’ve gotten used to very little occurring in our lives beyond our daily routine, and many people become comfortable with that, or just accept it. Somewhere along the way our lives got stale. We’re stuck in a rut. But don’t despair; being in control of your own life is being in control of your wellness!

More and more people are regaining control of their lives and changing their futures. They’re setting goals and reaching them, they’re feeling better, being happier, getting healthier and spending more time and energy on what matters to them. Their outlook on life has improved dramatically.

As you know, the concept of wellness covers a broad range&ndashwith different definitions depending on where you look. But for starters, let’s use the following&ndashwellness is the belief that improvement is possible throughout our lives. We’re continuously seeking information on how we can improve. We’re choosing options and making decisions that support our best interests. Everything we think, feel and believe impacts our whole being. You are in command of all aspects of your life&ndashphysical, career, relationships, finances, spiritual, environment, and emotional well-being, and so on. You can break free and take charge of your life. Try these simple ways to discover how you can start moving towards taking control of your life and wellness.

1. Turn lack of time into more time.

“I don’t have the time,” that’s what John, a corporate attorney, constantly told himself and others. He knew he wasn’t alone. Lack of time was a concern for nearly every person he knew. John really wanted to be happier and healthier, but he just didn’t have free time to date, visit family, exercise, or any of the other things that made him happy. When John decided he had to take control of his wellness, the first thing he did was regain ownership of his time. He examined how he spent his time on an average day. By jotting down his daily activities and realigning his priorities, John found opportunities to include the things he really cared about in his daily life.

2. Reclaim your energy.

Megan, a wife, mom and marketing executive, was always tired. She had no energy to meet the demands of her job, do housework, run errands, cook, take care of her children, or the other priorities that made up her day. Megan desperately needed to reclaim her energy&ndashbut instead, she let people drain it, steal it and suck it away. To begin, Megan examined the areas of her life that needed more attention and focus. She also drew new boundaries to protect herself, by declaring what she would and wouldn’t allow. Instead of working 12 hours, Megan cut her workday to no more than nine hours. She stuck to her plan, reclaimed her energy, and is there for her family and job with a new, revitalized energy.

3. Make lasting changes.

“Our resistance to making lasting changes is innate,” says Jeff, a mortgage loan officer. “It’s such a big challenge for everybody.” He constantly told himself that his inner resistance to making changes would stay with him forever. Jeff’s first step was to recognize that resistance is always the initial barrier to making changes. For example, losing the 70 pounds his doctor recommended would offset having to take daily medication for his Type II diabetes. Jeff started by being open to seeing the positive side of change&ndashi.e., first making a decision to change, and then enlisting help in doing so. He joined the YMCA, and now participates in Tai Chi and walks five days a week. He’s also met with a nutritionist who has helped him gain a better understanding of what to eat in order to maintain his overall health and well-being. Jeff has lost 30 pounds and continues to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

4. Set boundaries around your life.

What’s one of the shortest words&ndashyet so difficult for many people to utter? If you guessed “No,” you’re right on the money. Sidney, a customer service supervisor was so afraid of saying no that when someone asked her to do something, she felt queasy inside because she wanted to say no, but felt uncomfortable actually doing it. The first thing she needed to do was learn her limits. She realized that learning to say no to the things that she didn’t want to do would help her reduce the stress of excessive demands on her time and energy. Sidney could say no in a way that was comfortable to her, yet respectful to the other person. Many people believe when someone makes a request of you, you must say yes, but saying no isn’t that horrible! When Sidney began saying no, it changed her whole life; she found her “to do” list shrinking. She recognized that it was her choice to either overload her schedule or only accept requests to do something when she wanted to.

5. Take excellent care of yourself.

Eden, an emergency room specialist, wanted to improve her quality of life. She was bored with her daily routine, and her social life was nonexistent. Eden began making changes for the better by putting her needs first. She focused on what she wanted, instead of others’ desires. She began scheduling two social activities on her calendar each month, in order to create a social life. Eden never really enjoyed living in the suburbs, but she was close to her job. She put together an action plan for re-inventing her life. The first thing she did was sell her house in the suburbs and move to a more urban environment in which she always dreamed. She could walk to quaint caf

1. Tell yourself that no matter what, some level of clutter with a child is going to happen.

2. Begin with messes and clutter that you see every day. Get organize your kitchen, garage, and family room before your hallway closet.

3. Use drawer dividers for socks, underwear, lingerie, and tiny items, to keep them separated and organized.

4. Use this same principle to organize your silverware, with clearly defined places for every fork and knife, or drawers for ties and socks or, underwear. Think in this same way for every aspect of your home. This will save many hours of searching for things. It will dramatically cut down on the clutter of items left out “for now” or “until I find a place for it.” Develop a new mantra: everything has its place and a place for everything!

5. Allocate everything in your house a place. This way your family will know exactly where to find it and where to put it away, when they searches for something they need.

6. Keep items that are used frequently in places where you can reach them without stooping or bending, and store them close to the place they will be needed.

7. Establish one defined place in your house for storing library books, and end a house-wide hunt when it is time to read or return them.

8. Hang hooks for your keys and purse at the entry to your home, so each time you walk in, you can hang them up.

9. Get rid of all junk drawers, or allow yourself just one that you clear out once a week or more. When you establish certain items are being used repeatedly, designate a drawer for those.

10. Enlist a new rule: throw out one old thing for every new purchase that enters your home.

11. Make a mental note to observe what things pile up in your house and where they cluster, and then come up with a place nearby that becomes the official home where those things will reside. For this purpose baskets, shelves, and folders will work well. Set aside one basket for you and your partner for incoming mail, bills, and receipts and letters.

12. Never go up or down empty-handed when using stairs. Always grab some items that belong to upstairs rooms and quickly put it away while you are there.

13. Create a number of brightly marked folders for discount coupons, invitations and directions, and other time-sensitive papers that just clutter your counters.

14. Things you don’t need any longer:

• Expired medications.

• Clothes you no longer wear.

• Extra paper or plastic grocery bags.

• Makeup and samples you have never worn.

• Sunscreen that’s expired or more than one year old.

• Organize your coupons and throw out all that have expired.

• Cookbooks you rarely use. Cut out your favorite recipes only.

• Magazines you meant to read but have never taken the time for.

• Stuff your crumpled plastic bags from your grocer inside a cardboard roll like a hand towel roll. Keep under your sink.

You will free your mind to remember your daily chores by getting rid of your clutter and organizing your home top to bottom. Be vigilant about cleaning about once a month and you will find it much easier to keep up, week-by-week.