Mental Efficiency

A rule of thumb when it comes to efficiency is planning. You want to clear the physical and mental clutter. Today I wanted to share a few things that I like to do to help clear the mental clutter. I try to do this on a regular basis. There are four main things that come to mind in this situation:

-          Planners/Organizers

-          To-Do Lists

-          A Few of my Favorite Things

-          Prioritizing

Planners/Organizers:

I like to have a planner with a monthly and daily organizer.

I use the month view to enter things that are important or out of the usual, such as doctor appointments or dinner with a friend. This gives you something easy to look at on a regular basis so that you are prepared when the event is getting closer. It can also keep you from missing the plan all together or double scheduling.

The daily organizer is used for what you actually do every minute of the day. You want to include the big things on this list as well. This will help you maximize your time. At first you can go about your normal day and just track the things that you do. After figuring out where your time is spent, you can go from there.

An example would be:

7am-7:30pm Work

7:30pm-8:30pm Dinner and clean up

8:30pm10:00 pm Watch tv

10pm-10:30pm Shower

10:30 pm – 11pm Get ready for bed

11pm – 6 am Sleep

By keeping track of everything you do, you can tell how long it takes you to get certain things done. It will help you to plan the necessary amount of time for these things in the future. Another reason this is helpful is for revision. You want to take a look at where you are spending your time and decide if that is worth while or if something else would be more productive in that place. Do you really need to watch that three hour Friends marathon? Could you trade that in for three episodes, a workout, and some blog time?

There are 24 hours in each day. If you know what you need/want to get done and how long it takes, you can create a schedule to fit in the most important things and schedule leftover things for another day. If you don't plan accordingly you may be disappointed when you don't get things done. 

This brings me to the to-do list…

To-Do List:

I typically have a long term to-do and a daily to-do list.

The long term list is where you write down all of the extra things that you need to get done but don’t typically have a scheduled time. Things that would be included on this list would be:

- Take the mail to the post office

- Take clothes to the Salvation Army

- Schedule dentist appointment

This is something that you can incorporate into your schedule or you can just do them in your free time. It is also much more rewarding to have a physical list. With a physical list you can cross things off as you finish them and as you get closer to the bottom you will feel more accomplished.

The daily list is something I like to do as I am planning out my day or evening when I get home from work. I usually sit down and write out all of the things I need to get done that night. I review my to-do list and upcoming plans. I include everything and it is usually pretty close to what I will end up writing in my planner.

            I write them in no particular order to start:

Start Time – 5:30 pm Bed Time – 10:30pm Total = 5 hours

- Laundry ( 1 – put in load 1)( 3 Put in load 2 )(6 Fold first load )(9 fold second load)

- Homework (actually write out the exact assignments, separate them so that you can break up homework time if you decide to.) 7

- Shower 5

- Dinner 2

- Clean room 4

- Get ready for bed 10pm 10

- Watch My Show 9pm -10 8

After I write my list I usually write how much time I have to complete the list. I also include the start and end time. End time being bedtime.

After you write your list you should number them in the sequence that they will be done.

 It may be helpful to write the time next to things that need to be done at a specific time, (i.e. watch my show).

After you figure that out you can put them in numbered order and schedule them out. This is where your prior tracking will come in handy to decide how much time you need to plan for each. You may be surprised at how long or how short of a time it can take to complete some tasks.

I tend to write a start and end time for each thing that I need to do and end up revising my list throughout the night. Especially just starting out, it may be better to just put a “done by” time. This may also be a little less stressful and less discouraging if you start to fall behind.

It is easier to start with the time constricted items and work your way backward from there, based on the amount of time you have and time it takes to get things done.

Your revised list would look something like this:

                                   

Laundry                      5:45-6pm

Dinner                         6-6:45pm

Laundry                      6:45-7pm

Clean room                  7-7:15pm

Shower                        7:15-7:45pm

Fold laundry               7:45-8pm

Homework                  8-9pm

Watch show                9-10pm

Fold laundry               10-10:15pm

Get ready for bed       10:15 - 10:30pm

Don’t get discouraged if you fall behind on your list. If you start to get off track you can sit down and rewrite your list for the remainder of the night. In your revised list you can get rid of things that don’t need to be done, move them to another day, or add it to the to-do list. Depending on how closely you follow your schedule, you may want to add blocks of free time or catch up time. Even scheduling some lazy time can be a good thing sometimes.

This brings me to my next subject…

A few of my favorite things:

When you fall into a rut or have a bad day or even just get stressed out, it is always better to get your mind in a clear and peaceful place. If you don’t have a clear head, it is going to make it even harder to get things done. By taking a small amount of time to clear your mind and cheer yourself up, you are going to be much more productive and you will feel better about doing it in a good mood.

It is easy to fall into a downward spiral in a hectic situation. Once you are headed down that path it may be hard to get motivated to do anything at all. The first thing you need to do is become aware of your emotions. You need to find yourself. As soon as you know that you are starting to become overwhelmed, you need to implement your plan immediately.

My best bud Steph and I came up with this idea a few years back. You think of ten things to do to cheer yourself up. The more you have planned out the easier it will be to follow through. You want to make it as easy as possible. Try to make it fool proof... or self-proof.

To be well prepared, make a list of at least 20 things that you enjoy doing or things that make you feel better about yourself. This is where finding yourself comes into play. You need to discover what you like, what makes you feel good about yourself, and what can cheer/lift you up when you are down.

Some examples of items on your list could be:

-Paint your nails – It will take your mind off things and you will feel better about your appearance. You look at your hands multiple times a day. Doing a cute design or smiley face can be a nice reminder all day long.

-Take a bubble bath- Try to find relaxing scents such as lavender and maybe some candles, this will really help clear your mind and get a fresh start.

-Read – lose yourself in another world, Hunger Games anyone?

-write music

-play a game

It is easy to get in over your head quickly with all of your daily tasks, this brings me to my final point…

Prioritize:

Only allot yourself a certain amount of time if you have a task to complete. You don’t want to get yourself in deeper by overwhelming yourself. Becoming efficient can be extremely overwhelming, that is why there are many misadventures.

Try to keep your priorities in order. You are most important, don’t stretch yourself thin. Take a deep breath and figure out which things are most important and which things can wait until you have more time.

You are in charge of your own life, which is something I am starting to learn. It is your life, so take control.

Failing just means that you are trying. 

Whenever you have free time, try to clear your to-do list. It is easy for things to pile up. You also want to plan time for, and review, your to-do list as much as possible. Don’t procrastinate. If you just get all of your responsibilities done and out of the way, you won’t have anything to worry about and you can spend the rest of your time doing things you enjoy.

If you find yourself starting to procrastinate make a list. I like to make a list with at least five options for what I could be doing at that time (I like lists, in case you didn’t figure that out already). This helps give a starting point and helps me become more productive.

Proper planning, scheduling, and preparing can really maximize your time.

An example would be:
- Put in a load of laundry
- Do a workout
- Read
- blog
- Do homework
- Play guitar

These are all things that I have tried to implement in my life. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with all of it. I just try to stay as organized as I can and keep learning and making habits of useful tactics. I hope this is helpful or at least a good motivator to live to your full potential.