Cristin Brisbee Priest, writer of the beautifully designed and always inspirational blog Simplified Bee, is a mother as well as a professional organizer and designer, which explains why she is one of the most organized, creative and time efficient bloggers that I've met. That's why I want to give a really big THANK YOU to Cristin for taking the time to share some of her organizational secrets with us in our series "What we've learned"!
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Time. We never seem to find enough of it. As a professional organizer, designer and blogger, my activities vary from day to day. Writing, administrative work, on-site consulting, as well as exercising, volunteering and taking care of a busy family are just some of the things I fit into a busy week. Juggling too many activities without boundaries can lead to missed appointments, angry customers and frustrated family members. Incorporating time management is something I have learned and now pass along to many clients. The number one lesson in time management is to “time block.”
What is time blocking? Blocking time is essentially setting specific time slots for each activity. It sounds simple, but so many don’t block time for every activity and thus get overwhelmed, distracted and wind up not completing tasks.
{image courtesy of Sarah Pinto}To get started, first you need to pick a unified calendar either online {MS Outlook, Yahoo, Google, etc.} or a traditional {here are my top ten daily planners for 2011}. You can use different colors or buckets for work or life, but one calendar ensures that your obligations don’t get overlooked. If you want your weekends to be time off from work, you should block it into your schedule. Otherwise there is the risk that your work will creep into your personal time. You should be as specific as you can with your time block schedule.
A benefit from time blocking is it eliminates toggling between tasks. The less we switch tasks, the more focused and efficient our brains can work. Our productivity also improves. It’s important that when you block out time for tasks you remain focused without interruptions {i.e. avoid taking phone calls, etc.}. Another benefit to time blocking is it stops you from procrastinating. Many of my clients have projects and clutter that is so overwhelming they can’t bring themselves to even start. Instead of tackling the project all at once, it’s best to break the project into smaller, more manageable tasks. Then assign time slots for each task. Remember to assign times during the day that are best for the task and least likely get distracted {i.e. in the morning when the kids are at school, on the weekend when a friend can help, etc.} It’s important that when you block out time for tasks you remain focused without interruptions such as phone calls. Is it time for you to try time blocking? Many thanks to Brooke for inviting me here today!
If you would like help creating the home of your dreams, email me about our design services. You can also purchase many items found here on Velvet and Linen as well as "to the trade" furnishings through Giannetti Home. Email Kelly about the details.
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