Lucille Ball said, “If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.”

This is so true.

As a busy mother of a 9 month old, I’ve found that I HAVE to make better use of my time during the short windows throughout the day to complete tasks. The other day I was amazed at how much I can actually accomplish during a 90 minute nap session (napping for baby, NOT for me!) I realized that because I know my time is limited I find myself, really focusing by prioritizing and planning what to do during the time I have.

It’s kind of like a game with an egg timer. Set the timer for 60-90 minutes and decide how to use that time most efficiently before the bell rings (or the baby cries)?  Usually it’s a combination of what’s most important and what I KNOW I can complete within the time frame. Read the rest of this entry »

Many of my clients would like to create more time in their lives. However, it’s not about CREATING more time, it’s about MAKING time for the important things in our life. One thing to consider are the choices that we make throughout our day. Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself to help make decision making easier and to make time for the things that you want.
Read the rest of this entry »

Technology used to benefit our self care can make a huge difference in how we organize and plan.

1 1/2 years ago when I changed from carrying a separate cell phone and palm pilot to ONE Palm Treo that served both for me, it was the best thing I could have done! I had always utilized various systems to help me organize - Franklin Covey, Day Planners, the Palm Pilot – but the Palm Treo helped me take it one step further and really helped me be more efficient throughout my week.

The fact that I have all my contacts in one place makes it easier to update/revise and/or access my contact information. It was cumbersome to maintain when I had three separate places for my contacts: my pda, my cell phone AND my contact software on my laptop. Now it’s all in once spot, saving me time, energy and sweat! With the extra time, I do a little more yoga or walk my dog.

TAKE ACTION! CHALLENGE:
Life does not have to be hard work. Instead of working hard to maintain technology, let technology work hard for you.
How can you improve your daily “system” to incorporate technology for you to enhance your life, to “upgrade” life?

Another example would be my coffee maker. I purposely bought a coffee maker with the brew timer. It’s easier for me to set up the coffee the night before and have fresh brewed coffee ready for me in the morning when I wake up! Now I just have to get someone to bring it to me in bed. . .

Make Happiness Yours,
Susan

(one Tuesday at 10am Hawaii / 12noon Pacific)

“Get Ready For Life” is my brand of time management or “priority” management.

Managing time is one of the keys to achieving harmony and happiness in our lives. However, getting a handle on the fast moving and intangible notion of time can be “slippery.”

Oftentimes “having more time” also makes “balanced” sense - being able to spend more time with family, having an abundance of time to accomplish business goals, or just having the luxury of taking time out for your Self.

“Get Ready For Life” focuses on what is most important to you - what you value - and prioritizing activities based on these important elements of your life.

It’s not about creating more time, it’s about creating space in your life for what matters.

To be on the call, visit Compass Life Designs and join their free community.
In addition to this call, you will gain access to a “lifestyle community for women.”

Technorati Tags: Compass Life Designs, lifestyle, women, community, time management, prioritizing, life coaching,   balance, work/life

“Get Ready For Life” is my brand of time management.

Managing time is one of the keys to achieving harmony and happiness in our lives. However, getting a handle on the fast moving and intangible notion of time can be “slippery.”

Oftentimes “having more time” also makes “balanced” sense - being able to spend more time with family, having an abundance of time to accomplish business goals, or just having the luxury of taking time out for your Self.

As part of the Compass Life Designs “Remodel Your Reality 30 Day Challenge” in May, I challenge you to “Get Ready for Life.” Improve your time management so you can be ready for whatever life brings!

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” Robert Frost.

Don’t let life pass you by -
Get Organized, Get Focused and Get Ready For Life!

Go to Compass Life Designs’ Self Care Expert Section to read my blog and learn how to better manage your time so that you have the freedom to live the way you want to!

Make Happiness Yours!
Susan

Technorati Tags: time, balance, coaching, life, compass life designs, self care, happiness, organization, focus

The workbook “25 Ways to Make More Time,” takes you step by step through the process of changing your current time habits to better, more efficient ones that work for you. Before taking on new tools and implementing more strategies in your life for better time management, it is important to first determine what has NOT been working and WHY. Time is not something that is managed, per se, we manage ourselves within the time that we have - 24 hours in every day.

The first step is to log your time and see what you are currently doing with your time. You canʼt fix what you donʼt know is broken!

For at least three days (up to a week), log your time throughout the whole day, do not wait til the end of the day. Be specific. In three columns, write:

(1) The time;
(2) The activity;
(3) How long it takes to do the activity.

Log everything, from a 1-minute phone call to a 2 hour lunch.

After three days, you will get a sense of how your time is being utilized throughout the day and where changes may need to take place. Ask yourself:

What are you doing in your day that is NOT working? What IS working?
Next to each activity, write out how you could have done things better.

Contact Susan at info@susankimcoaching.com to find out more about “25 Ways to Make More Time”

Technorati Tags: Time Management, Organization Priorities, Goals, Strategy, Focus, Personal Development, Business Development, Resources, Action

Ready or not, here comes life!

Time seems to be elusive because we never know for certain what will happen in our day. Life happens. One of the reasons to be ready when “life happens” is so you can live the life you truly want by focusing on what is important. One of the keys to being ready for life is good organization.

Being organized may start with a clean desk or properly scheduling your day (see March Issue, Business Hot Tips), but it really means being able to handle ANYTHING that comes your way with little or no stress. Organization is most beneficial when things go awry. When something unexpected happens or life takes a “detour,” it is very easy to spot DIS-organization. It looks like stress, chaos and is just messy. Space is cluttered, feelings are overwhelmed and the mind races in circles trying to get its bearings.

Being organized enables you to look at the unexpected situation, take a side step (or even a step back), decide on what needs to be done, do it and keep moving forward. Organization helps you focus on what is important.

Get Organized - Get Focused - Get Ready for Life

Technorati Tags: Time Management, Organization, Priorities, Goals, Strategy, Focus, Decision Making

There is a direct relationship with your commitment (what you put in) and benefit (what you get out). The more you commit to something, the more you will reap the benefits of your energy and efforts. This principle is true for almost everything: relationships, sports, work, community service, business, personal development, etc.

In order to create time for yourself, you have to commit, invest the time and apply the strategies that work for you (see Business Hot Tips). Oftentimes the difference between struggling and succeeding in time management is simply investing the time to implement the tools you already know.

“The challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.”
Stephen Covey

“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Yoda

BUSINESS HOT TIP: 5 Easy Ways To Create More Time1. Get the big picture. Spend 1 hour at the beginning of each week to organize your schedule. Prioritize the activities.

2. Daily Check. Give yourself time each day, for at least 5 minutes to review and revise your schedule. Keeps the most important things in the forefront.

3. Clean Desk. Always leave your office with a clean desk. Compare how you feel in the morning coming to a clean desk versus piles of “to-doʼs”

4. Keep Focus. Have only one project on your desk at any given time - the highest priority task. It is a simple step to maintain focus.

5. Work by the Hour. Use blocks of 60-90 minutes. It takes time to settle down and start working productively. Work with no (or limited) distractions.

Technorati Tags: Time Management, Organization, Priorities, Goals, Strategy, Focus, Decision Making

Where does all the time go? Does it hide in the cracks on the floor? Does it seep out the window when no one is looking?

The idea of time “hiding” or “running away” may seem silly. However, as intangible as time may be, it is often defined through very tangible and measureable ways - through our goals. Throughout the day if we accomplish a lot, it is described as “good use of time.” On the other hand, if our wheels have been spinning all day and nothing was completed, we call it “a waste of time.”

Time is given value by what is accomplished, so letʼs think of time in relation to our goals or our vision. Distractions throughout the day are a big time drain. These diversions are simply a detachment away from our goals. If you want to lessen distractions and make “better use of your time,” reduce or take out actions that do not move you toward your goal.

Discovery Tip: Always move toward your goals

1. First, write down your goals and that you would like to accomplish.

2. Prioritize them so that you can readily identify the most important goals for yourself.

3. Write down WHY that goal is important to you right now.

4. Describe HOW you are going to achieve that goal.

5. When distracted, ask yourself, does this move you toward or away from your goals?

6. Also ask yourself, by taking this action what is the impact on my goals or vision?

Utilize these five steps and you will slowly plug up the time drain and find that you are pulling more time out of the cracks!

Technorati Tags: Time Management, Organization, Priorities, Goals, Strategy, Decision Making