Live
your life in such a way that when your feet
hit the floor in the morning,
Satan
shudders & says... 'Oh no.... She's awake!!'
* * * * *
* *
Organization - Efficiency
Are these hateful ‘Dream-on’ words to you?
By Joanne Beckley
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.
I wish younger women understood that I was once beautiful, strong and healthy.
Someday their youth will be gone and they will be wishing someone else understood that we are all important, regardless of
our looks, strength or health. We all Need to give to others and we all need to receive graciously from others.
Please be patient with my slowness. I realize I'm holding you up. I, too, wish
I could move faster. I miss those days and it makes me feel bad if I know I'm irritating you.
I'm lonely and would love for you to come visit me.
Please
play a game with me. I have no one to have fun with since you have (are) grown up. I enjoy the board games, card
games, Bible games, and checkers and dominoes. My mind needs stimulation, just as yours did when you were growing up.
I made sure you had some fun along with your learning. Learning was there to help you grow into maturity. I need
fun and learning to help keep into this mature age. Please.
I wish younger women knew there is always a chance (due to illness or other catastrophic events) your youth can pass
you by! "Remember thy Creator in the days of your youth...". Make the most of each & every day to glorify God
and enjoy His wonderful blessings!
WHAT I WISH OLDER WOMEN KNEW ABOUT YOUNGER WOMEN
I wish older women understood that
I am aging too, that my children are busy with their own lives, that my husband looks elsewhere for his pleasure, that I am
very lonely and would love to have the friendship/companionship of other women of any age.
At 37 I'm very forgetful, due to my chronic illness. When I'm around an older woman and mention how
forgetful I am, I almost always hear, "You are too young to have memory problems. Wait 'til you're old like me,
you'll find out what memory problems are!" I really do have memory problems and it would be nice if older women would
believe me and give me empathy and understanding. (see next remark for response)
For the lady that is very forgetful due to chronic illness. During my 78 years I have experience so many comments
like that. Unless you have been through what ever illness a person has, the remark "I know what your going through"
is really a very thoughtless remark. Isn't it best to say I'm so sorry, is there anything I can do for you. Or
something similiar.