When I’m feeling badly, and my body and mind are no where near working up to par, I tend to let responsibilities slide, either in procrastination or malaise of mind. So I’ve had to face the reality that I need to organize myself yet again. The days of kids are long gone now, but I still have so many things to remember that need to be done. I have had to face the fact that I will have to dust off my old homemade diary and put it back to work again.

 

    If you have never taken the time to work from a diary, no matter what age and circumstance you find yourself in, do scroll down and see how I put mine together. In the meantime, read the following suggestions made by Maria Garcia taken from www.getorganizednow.com  

7 Habits to Ensure You're Being Efficient

    Efficiency is the new buzz word with increased concern about the environment being energy efficient. But what about our own ability to be efficient both at home and at work? What does being efficient mean to you?

    A dictionary defines efficiency as 'the state or quality of being efficient; competency in performance or the accomplishment of or ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort.'

    Make sure you own time and not the other way around. This article and the ensuing tips are not about striving for perfection, but instead about allowing yourself the opportunity to make better use of your time throughout the day.

    Organizing and simplifying your life are important steps to be taken in order to be the most efficient you can be. A well organized office space or home will help you stay efficient.

    Above all, when thinking about increasing your efficiency rate, remember to take care of yourself. Good food, plenty of rest, lots of water, and exercise will allow you to function at your best.

    1. Schedule your day- Either at the beginning of each day or the night before, plan out each day. You are only one person and you probably won't be able to do everything. Use a schedule to organize your day into time blocks. Write out a daily to-do list (electronic or in a notebook) and prioritize items by importance.

    Remember, only schedule around 70 percent of your day. The other 30 percent will be filled with interruptions, travel time between appointments and errands, and sometimes emergencies.

    2. Prioritize-Prioritize-Prioritize. List to-do items by order of importance and label each item by importance and urgency. Make items that are extremely important stand out by marking them with red ink, a highlighter, or a star. Only focus on a limited number of actions per day.

    3. Multi-task small projects and details- Although, multi-tasking does not work for everyone or every project (note: I wouldn't suggest trying to multi-task while writing a term paper), cooking supper while talking on the phone, or ironing while watching TV or listening to the radio can be effective. Try reading a book on the subway or bus, or a book on tape while driving to and from work. It's more efficient and a good use of time to do simple tasks simultaneously.

    4. Say NO more often- Recognize what your priorities are. If someone requests something of you that you are unable to do comfortably or does not fit into your priorities, 'just say no.'

    5. Delegate as much as possible- You can't do everything alone. Allow others around you to help out. Allow friends, family, co-workers, your partner or your children to assist around the house and/or office. Many people find this difficult because they feel they are the only one who can do it right. Start off with small steps. Don't hand over an entire project, but instead a step that will save you time and energy. Make sure you remember to thank these people appropriately.

    6. Organize- The more things that are organized both within the home and work environment, the faster work will get finished and the higher quality your work will be. Make lists for yourself and others. Create inboxes and action files. But don’t get caught in an organizing hole – focus on doing, not organizing.

    7. Control your procrastination- Many of us are procrastinators at heart, although for different reasons. One common phrase used to help combat procrastination is 'do the worst thing first.' At the beginning of each day, do the one item that stands out the most on your to-do list, or your most dreaded item. Set daily goals for yourself and plan lots of rewards.

Joanne’s diary:

    Through the years I have kept a special notebook (file), B5 size. I carry it around with me whenever I go shopping, go on holiday, or go to church. I have separate categories in my notebook to help me stay on target and to increase my self-discipline. When I open my notebook, this is what I find:

• A working calendar with space to write notes to aid my poor memory. The more responsibilities, the more space I need for each day.
• Next, is my section where I keep my goals. The month’s goals are located on the first page of this section where I can easily refer to them – and check them off when completed!
• I have a Health section to record my family’s health histories, with a separate page for each member of the family. When I speak to the doctor, I am prepared.
• I keep a Promise section to list things I have agreed to do for others, including handwork projects I plan or are in the works. I date these promises to motivate me to keep my word in a timely fashion.
• I have a Happiness section of sayings, poems, etc. that I enjoy reading again and again. This includes cute sayings of my grandkids, a compliment from a friend, a picture, a joke – whatever brings joy in my life.
• There is a section to keep track of what Bible studies I am currently working on, and ideas for articles, including a list of what articles I am presently working on!
• Another section is labelled Prayer, for I have learned that writing prayers keeps my mind focussed and reduces “I” problems in talking to God. (If you are concerned about privacy, maintain an additional notebook for your prayers and meditation and keep it hidden away.)
• I have reserved another section for Favorite Scriptures that help me focus on particular areas of my life that I am trying to improve. At the top of the list is the attitude I am trying to improve, e.g. self-motivated anger, patience, love, joy, etc.
• My section on Housekeeping contains plans on how to improve the house, furniture, etc, including my “Honey-Do” list. If I come across a good idea for cleaning, sewing, or cooking I write it down.
• I have found my section titled Husband very helpful in recording his food likes and dislikes so that I don’t repeat the same mistakes again and again.
• Because I love Birds, my last section contains a record of what birds I see and where I was when I saw a new bird.

    This entire effort to organize our lives takes a lot of work, not only to think carefully of life and the goals we have for it, but we also need determination to keep our plan workable. Self discipline will always be necessary and we should improve year by year. May God bless you as you benefit and enjoy the results of your focussed efforts to serve God with your whole heart.