Errands and Organized Movement
Handling errands can become a full time job if you let them mount up and get out of control or if you haven't scheduled an appropriate plan of attack. Statistically there are times you do and don't want to be at certain places. To make the most of your time running errands:
- Do grocery shopping during the dinner hours, or after 9 PM. There are far less people in the store, cashier lines will be minimal and the shelves will be stocked.
- Early morning (7:00 a.m.) grocery shopping will reward customers with 50% meat discounts in many grocery chain stores.
- Avoid going to the bank between 11:30 -1:30 and on a Monday or Friday - you will waste far more time in line than you can comfortably afford.
- Avoid any and all bank lines altogether by utilizing the ATM machine as much as possible.
- Doctors are notorious for running late. Make your appointment well in advance in order to acquire the first one in the morning. You may still be detained to some degree yet not nearly as much had you booked the appointment randomly during the day.
- Salon appointments are also more timely when you book the first one in the morning.
- Stylists tend to get further and further behind as the day progresses, primarily because their clients are running late. The more intense the frustration levels grow from client demands and detainment the higher the odds increase that it could become a "bad day" and you might end up with a "bad-hair-month".
- At the beginning of each year (or now -if you didn't do it yet) use various colored pens and start filling in your calendar.
Color #1: for weekly and monthly meetings or appointments
Color #2: for vacations, and special events you want to attend
Color #3: for conferences, conventions, or workshops
Color #4: for birthdays, anniversaries, reunions
- Make sure you have a clock in every room of the house to aid you in monitoring your time and avoid running late. This will also assist you in consciously maintaining awareness on exactly how long you are doing a particular task.
- Get everyone in the habit of getting ready the night before school or work.Have:
* clothes
* briefcases
* pocketbooks
* keys
* errands
* lunches
* important papers
* wallets ...all ready to go in the school bag or briefcase placed at the door,bedroom, office door or even in your car.
- Things will have less of a tendency to be forgotten if you take a few minutes to prepare in case you: oversleep, the car won't start, or there is a morning crisis
- This way you will not be running frantically attempting to remember what you need for the day.
- Take 15 minutes to pick-up your house on a daily basis.Get everyone to pitch in on some level. This will avoid frantic "running around" or "stuffing items" when you get an unexpected guest. Remember, whether or not you ask to employ their help is always a matter of choice.
Note: There is a BIG difference between being neat and being organized.
- Consolidate
all movements. Condition yourself to pick up items as you pass them - especially when you are on the way to the location where they need to go. - Returning something to the bedroom?
- pick up the slippers along the way in the hall...
- when you get there, make the bed...
- Heading back to the kitchen?
- did the bedroom waste basket need to be emptied...
- how about grabbing that coffee mug on your way out...
Think of the most efficient waiter/waitress you ever noticed. They are great examples of "consolidating movements." Observe the next time you are out. You will notice a proficient waitress drop off a menu at one table, take an order at the next, and clear another table on the way back to the kitchen all while dropping off an order.
- When organizing a To Do list avoid index cards as they end up scattered about as well as misplaced more times than not.
- Use a spiral note pad rather than a glued pad for maintaining To Do lists, this will help keep your list intact, rather than having the pages fall off before you are ready to tear them off.
- Remember only maintain one To Do list ...not multiples.
- Cross off the items as you complete them. Psychologically this can be very uplifting as you gain a feeling of what you have actually accomplished.
- If you run across things in your everyday travels that you don't: need, want or needs repair, set these items aside for distribution. Avoid attempting to stuff them in a corner, closet or garage. Deal with them immediately. You are on a mission tosave time.
- When you locate these items:
* put them in a box/bag immediately.
* leave them at the door in an obtrusive space to encourage you to move them more expeditiously to the car.
- If you find yourself in that vicinity while running errands drop it off, otherwise schedule it. You have only handled it once so far and have saved time from gathering it up again at a later date.
- Create a "family shopping list". If anyone needs/wants a particular item have them enter it onto the public shopping list prior to your grocery shopping day.
- If it's not on the list, they can either purchase the item on their own or wait until the following scheduled shopping day.
- Avoid wasting your valuable time tracking everyone down to see if they need something when you were ready to leave 10 minutes ago.
- Do all motor vehicle transactions punctually. In other words -- make use of any and all mail options for motor vehicles to expedite transactions without standing in yet another line..
- Schedule personal time first.
- If you don't schedule your personal time initially, believe me it won't be there later.
- Do not expect to be able to work miracles in maintaining: work, family and community obligations ...if you don't take the time to care for your own needs.
- You must plan to care for yourself, in body, mind and spirit -- everyday!
- Pick a day. Pick a set time. It will be easier to slot on a regular basis.
- Join an exercise class, meditate, get out and walk, read, pursue sports interests,work on hobbies.
- These are important aspects of your daily life that you must allow time for.
You need to continually allow time to re-charge yourself.
We can't emphasize this enough!
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