Fresh Start

I'm a big believer in organization and time management.  I learned a lot of principles regarding hard work and time management just watching how hard my dad worked as I grew up.  But I was told around the age of 19 that "I could learn to manage myself, or someone else would always get paid to manage me."  Being the ambitious and motivated individual that I am, I decided I would much rather learn to manage myself and keep any management pay for myself!  That explains why I run my own business.

With that in mind, I am adding Blogging to my daily to do list.  Every morning (during the week, maybe I should add this to my weekend) I take the first 15-20 minutes of my day to create a To Do List on my computer.  I don't physically prioritize them on paper anymore but I am able to rate their level of importance in my head and what time frame they need to be completed in.  This helps me complete all of my important tasks on time and to make sure my day is very effective.  It has done wonders for my productivity and I am normally able to accomplish more in one 2 hour period than some complete all day.

My neglect comes with those tasks that are important to me personally but not urgent.  I tend to keep them on a mental list but not a physical list.  These items include reading books (fiction and non-fiction), blogging, and keeping up with friendships.  I go through periods of time where I read a lot, and then periods where I neglect to read much at all.  Right now I am in a rut.  I'm lazy.  I'd rather turn the tv on than pick up a book, because I am so exhausted at the end of the day that I don't want to think.  So guess what I am going to do?

I'm adding my reading to a Daily To Do List.  I'm going to carve out a minimum of 15 mintes each morning in order to read.  I'm also adding blogging to that list, but I don't anticipate that as a daily item, hopefully 3-4 times per week.

I like starting my days early and I can accomplish many things prior to our team members arriving at the office.  I also feel like putting this down on a blog is a more solid committment than if I just tell myself.

How do you manage your time well?