Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.
 
Strategize Organize LLC 
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 7

  How Much Time Does it Take?   

How much time does it take to do a task or get ready to go somewhere?  Do we really know? Are we accurate with what we think?  The next time we aren’t able to accomplish what is on our to do list or when we are late for an event we may want to start using a timer or clock to gather some information.  

To Do's 

Making our way through our to do list can be an adventure full of ups and downs. There can be feelings of accomplishment when we cross something off our list and there can be feeling of defeat when we cross off less than what we had hoped.

One way to use our lists more effectively is to know the time that it takes to accomplish the different tasks.  It can be valuable to time how long it takes to do something.  We may think that it only takes 20 minutes when in reality it takes two hours.  The opposite is also true.   Perhaps we are not doing something because it is unpleasant and it feels like it takes forever when in reality it takes five minutes.

How long does it take to

-clean the bathroom

-put the seasonal decorations away

-do a load of laundry

-pick up the kids

-wash the stove top

-take the recycling to the center

*As we start keeping track of time we may begin to notice that there are many steps involved in one of our to do's.  For example, in the task “doing the laundry” there is sorting, washing, folding, and putting away. In the task “take the recycling to the center” there might be sorting, loading car, driving, unloading, driving, and unloading containers. If we only think about one or two parts of the task (putting laundry in washer and dryer) instead of all of the little steps that it takes to actually complete the task, we may not be thinking about time accurately.  The great thing is, it isn’t hard to start timing ourselves.

DEPARTURE

We can also time ourselves as we get ready to leave our home or work.  Maybe we are always late for work, appointments, events, or family gatherings. Maybe we aren’t late but we arrive stressed because we had to rush and we thought we would be late.  Looking at how long it actually takes to get out the door can be informative and useful.

How long does it take to

-leave the house to go to an appointment

-leave the house with kids to go to school

-leave the house for a night on the town

-leave the house with family to go to an event

-leave work for a meetings

-leave work at the end of the day

*Again we may begin to notice all the steps that are involved in leaving a space.   For example, if we are “going to an appointment”  we may need to collect the appropriate papers, find our purse and keys, find the address, drive, and find parking.  If we only allow for driving, our time estimate is off.   If we think through all the steps we can not only arrive happily but the whole process can feel more peaceful.

Do you know how long it took to read this newsletter? :)

Good Luck, 
Susan

 
My company name is Strategize Organize LLC.  
You can find my website at http://www.strategizeorganize.com
Follow me on Twitter  
Like me on Facebook 


Forward this Newsletter to a Friend

Unsubscribe

www.susanhunsberger.com

Copyright (C) 2008 Susan Hunsberger, Certified Organizer Coach All rights reserved.
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp