Eat that frog and other ways to get organized

Sorry for taking so long to post anything. Guess I really need to put into practice some of the tips our last speaker (Ember Neville) suggested to us! Thank goodness this post is not about me and my less than stellar organized self.

Time Management - who doesn't wish that we had more time in the day to get stuff done? Even with Leap Year this year, I bet many of us are still wishing for more time. Time to do the laundry, time to clean the house, time to cook dinner, time to tuck our kids into bed at night - the list goes on and on and on.

Ember gave us lots of tips, resources and ideas on how to carve out more time for ourselves and our family. Here is a brief overview of what she discussed:

1. Know who you are - that sounds simple enough but when you really start thinking about it, it's hard to define yourself. Priorities are what makes each of us different - we all need to define our priorities for our lives and move towards them EVERY DAY.

2. Make a list with your top 3-5 priorities and put it where you can see it everyday. On that list, also list your top 10 goals for that week.

3. Create a "no" list - I need this one! I can't seem to say to no whenever anyone asks me to volunteer; therefore this is one of my goals each week. This list should contain things that you won't do unless they fit in with one of your priorities. Things like random kids birthday parties, baby showers, volunteer meetings, etc.

4. Communicate your priorities to everyone - that way you will have support in every aspect of your life. Also, find a mentor or two or three - someone whose life you admire and that you feel you can learn from.

Here are some other ideas to get you moving towards the "you" you always wanted to be!

• Visualize what you want to be different in your life ten years from now and start working towards that ideal.
• Your goals may shift and change seasonally, monthly and weekly. Go with it and try not to get discouraged.
• Plan out your year in advance - if possible. Grab a calendar (I use the one on Gmail) and start adding events, birthdays, etc. as you get them. It's an easy way to stay on track especially in a busy family.
• Make sure that you carve out blocks of time for yourself everyday - it can be in 30, 60 or 90 minute blocks or really whatever works for you. This is you time - time to relax and do what you want to do, not what your kids, husband, job wants you to do.
• Lastly - try and read for 15 minutes a day - it really does relax you. And if reading is not your thing, do yoga, exercise or whatever calms you down.

Ember also gave us a great list of resources that she either uses now or used at one time. They are:

• "A New Earth - Awakening Your Life's Purpose by Eckhardt Tolle
• imom.com
• "How to Behave So Your Children Will To" by Sal Severe
• "Eat That Frog" by Brian Tracy
• "Never Be Late Again - 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged" by Diana DeLonzer

Hope this helps everyone become super organized - I know I am going to start practicing some of these tips. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the next meeting on March 14.

Thanks for reading,
Brandon