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3-Tips for Taking Back Your TimeSamantha Pointer-Foxx, Technology Coach & Professional Organizer

TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE

Time is on of the most valuable commodities we have. Its also the thing that is equal for everyone. Everyone gets 24 hours a day, even the super rich. Thats why its critical to limit the amount of time we waste on trivial tasks and take back our time to make room for whats important.

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Things That Hinder Our TimePhone callsText messagesEmailsSocial MediaNot having a plan or schedule

But even when we commit to limiting time wasters and taking back our time, things seem to pop up that can throw us off track. 3

The Consequence of Giving In To Time WastersLoss of momentumLost timeProcrastination

When you stop what you are doing to check a email or text or to take a phone call, you get off track and its hard to get back into the swing of things. You lose your train of thought especially if you were flowing with a project or tasks. Now you have to regroup and get back into the mindset that you were in before you were interrupted. Misplacing items, forgetting where you were in a document or step are all consequences. 4

THE SOLUTION

1. Remember It Can WaitMost people can get away with checking their personal email once a day. Texting is the same way. These types of distractions are seldom critical; if someone's message does happen to be critical, they'll find a way to get through to you.

2. Schedule It!Set aside a specific time to check on all of those little distractions. Perhaps you might choose to only deal with email at the end of the workday or only check texts for 10 minutes during your breaks when you leave the office.

* Whatever distraction pops up on a regular basis, set aside some time each day to address it. To maximize your efficiency, all you have to do is stick to the schedule.7

3. Inform PeopleIf everyone knows that you only look at email between 4:45pm and 5:00pm, they'll call you if they need to communicate something really important. If it's not really important, they might not send the email at all.

This might even mean less work for you.

* Additionally, you'll find that people won't bother you with text messages during the day if they know you're not going to answer them anytime soon. With less stuff to distract you, you'll be able to better focus on your work.8

Recap We all have little things that wastes our time. Some of those can be challenging to ignore. Acknowledge the amount of time it costs you each year - time that you can never get back - time that could be more effectively utilized.

Most things can wait. Consider how often you really need to check these distractions and make a schedule for them. By informing the appropriate people of your plan, you can be sure they'll adapt and nothing critical will be missed.

Take back control of your time!

Remember you have to teach people how to treat you. 9

Thank You!

Find me online at www.organizingguru.comFacebook: Facebook.com/organizingguruTwitter: Twitter.com/organizingguruPeriscope: @Organizingguru

Samantha Pointer-Foxx