10 Easy Things You Can Do To Make Your Day More Productive

1) Wake up early. Set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier than you normally do to get an early start on your day. Get up when the alarm sounds.

2) Time your showers. Most people take way more time in the shower than is needed. Set your timer for 7 minutes. When the timer sounds, your shower is done.

3) Plan your outfits the night before. Put whatever you're going to wear to one side of your closet, or folded neatly on a chair. When you are done with your shower each day, your outfit will be waiting for you.

4) Never run just one errand. Try to always combine at least two to three errands in one trip. Start with the errand furthest away, and then work your way back.

5) Make and use lists. Don't try to remember everything you have to do. Always jot down tasks, errands, things to pick up, etc. Don't use sticky notes. Use a tool, such as the Get Organized Now! Easy Organizer:
http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezorganizer.html

6) Cook enough for two meals. No matter what you're cooking--breakfast, lunch or dinner--always cook enough for two meals. When everything is prepared and done, divide it in half. Immediately refrigerate or freeze the one half, and enjoy the other half now.

7) Clean and organize as you go. Rather than giving yourself huge cleaning jobs each day, as you make a mess, quickly clean it up. Dirty dishes can be rinsed immediately and placed in the dishwasher. Wipe off the bathroom countertop and spray the shower with shower spray as soon as you're done with them. Make your bed as soon as you get up. Vacuum any crumbs under the dining table the second everyone is done eating. File papers away as needed, rather than allowing them to pile up in a To Be Filed tray.

8) Enlist help. Whoever is living in your house, whether that person be a spouse, a child, a friend or a relative-- that person should be able to help you get things done in one way or another. A spouse can help out with the kids bath times every other night. A child can help fold clothes, help dust and/or help put toys away. Someone who is not able to help physically, may still be able to sit at a desk and help you sort the mail or shred some documents. It should definitely be a team effort and not a one-man or one-woman show.

9) Consolidate your phone calls. Rather than making and taking calls throughout the day, allow your answering machine to field your calls. Then, make or return calls during one consistently scheduled phone hour each day, such as between 1:00P and 2:00P. Before your phone hour, toss in a load of laundry. After your phone hour, toss those clothes in the dryer. Multi-tasking is one of the keys to being super-productive.

10) Reward yourself. There is nothing more draining than going through an entire day without doing anything fun. Sandwich small rewards between each task. For instance, when you're done with the ironing, read your favorite novel for 15 minutes. When you're done cleaning the bathroom, sit in front of the fireplace while you relax and sip a cup of tea for 15 minutes.

taken from:
Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!