Assessing Your Daily Routine

Community Manager — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:09:00 GMT

Be honest. How often do you hit the snooze button? We've all had days where the only time for quiet contemplation are the moments between the alarm's brrrring and when our feet hit the floor.

Stop moving on autopilot. This fall carve out time to assess your daily routine. Do a soup-to-nuts overview of where you are in your life and how it functions.

Take Time to Make Time

This assessment is going to look different for different people. Some of you want to squeeze fifteen more minutes of productivity into your day, others hope to create that much efficiency in an otherwise disorganized day. Regular readers of our posts may have time-management and organizing firmly in hand, but might be looking to add another dimension to their days, be it extra energy, sense of purpose or even greater happiness. Yes, happiness.

Writer Maria Robinson has observed "Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." So take a look at your day and work towards your new ending.

Create Extra Time

Are you a juggling, multitasker who has most bases covered but needs an extra 15 minutes? Tips for squeezing more productivity out of an otherwise organized day include:

Steal time from tasks. Emails take 20 minutes a day? Allot yourself 15.
Delegate. Older kids can take over certain tasks. Ditto spouses or hired professionals.
Take advantage of technology. Coffee timers can brew your pot while you shower. Grocery shop and pay bills online.
Remember good enough works, perfection is not necessary. This is crucial for the hyper organized amongst us to remember.
Say no

For more tips, read 15 Ways to Find Extra Time and 5 Time-Management Tricks.

Organize Your Time

Do you move through your day haphazardly? Hoping to make it through your to-do list, running late and constantly in search of a missing item? Taking the time to organize your time and belongings will make your days more productive and less stressful.

Make a to-do list and prioritize it
Set a schedule for tackling tasks
Schedule your day/week to include time for organizing and downtime

Find a personal organizing solution that works for you and stick with it. At a loss for where to begin? Consider hiring a professional organizer or try a popular system such as David Allen's Getting Things Done.

For more tips, read our past post Tackle Your To-Do List with Time-Blocking and Time Management Training: How to Manage Time and Maximize Effectiveness.

Add Meaning to Your Time

Effective time management adds productivity to your days and decreases stress but it can also do more. Spend time to add value to your days: organize your calendar to find time for exercise, meditation or that wholly American pursuit, happiness.

These innovative resources suggest ways to add what you value to your days:

What does your daily routine look like? Do you have any tips for assessing your routine and making the most of your days? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Beyond Folders : routine, organizing tips

Assessing Your Daily Routine