Tag: planning

Ounce of Prevention

Published on by Kim

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. — Benjamin Franklin

This is a familiar phrase, but what does it mean to you today?

There is truth in that statement, and we could come up with lots of examples from past experience. But often the realization comes after the fact…

Let’s take a few minutes for practical ways to save time and prevent headaches.

Cleaning
A daily routine of base tasks takes a few minutes but saves later when it’s time to deep clean. You won’t be as intimidated by the layers of grime that accumulate, and it won’t take as long to mop because you’ve swept the floor every day that week already. For instance, wiping down the kitchen counter after every meal only takes 1-2 minutes, but it prevents spills from hardening and staining, which saves elbow grease when you formally clean the kitchen.

Putting trash in a trash bag in the car as it appears only takes a few seconds, but the accumulation of trash in a vehicle after a week or two will be a full-blown task to clean-up.

Driving
You have 5 errands to run. Did you take a minute to think through your route before you left? It’s so easy to get 2 down and then realize that the 3rd was closer back a ways or closes in 5 minutes (when you’re 10 minutes away at a red light). Or the moment you realize that you just bought fresh meat and still have 2 stops you must make today… A couple minutes of planning as you pull out of the driveway can save time and gas and frustration.

Don’t be afraid to take a deep breath and make a plan for your next task. The minute or two invested will pay off very soon down the road.

Addition by subtraction

Published on by Kim

We so often have a hard time saying “No” to anything. That would be admitting that you couldn’t do something, that you’re not Superwoman. Who wants to do that?

Managing your time and responsibilities well will involve saying “No” to some things. They will be good things, but they do not fit. When you are able to look at your options and take out the ones that are not best for today, you are sharpening your focus.

Just like clearing the dinner table before you pull out the homework, clearing your schedule will enable you to better deal with your priorities.

  • You will have the available energy because you are not spending it all before you get to what is truly important.
  • You will have more time to devote to what you need to do because your agenda is not crammed full — too full to do anything well.

Shona Murray addresses this concept, pruning “with the sharp knife of no” on big and small things, in the book Refresh:

With my life purposes in one hand and my limited capacity in the other, I can prune needs and expectations so that I am doing the most important things well and with joy, and I can have a sense of accomplishment as I enjoy some downtime.

Remember, you are the gatekeeper for your schedule. You decide what you need to do. You run your schedule; your schedule should rule you. Flex your muscles, and practice saying “No” today! It is part of using your time wisely, and you will manage your time all the better for it.