Time Management: Seeking excellent resources

August 28, 2010 By

I could really use sme time management guidance from the experts.

I want to do way more than I can ever make the time to do.

So I am asking you, dear readers, for help.

Do you know of any excellent time management resources?

If so, would you please tell me about them in the comments?

I would really appreciate it!

Thank you so much for your help!

*** Missy’s comment below reminded me that perhaps I need to give this request a bit of context…

I am already very much a planner/ organizer girl. I have carried a datebook of some kind since middle school. Yes, really.

Now I am trying to juggle more than is possible and am trying to figure out how to fit it in or what to cut out.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions!!

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Amy

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Filed Under: Uncategorized 14 Comments
  • Lara

    Hi Amy. I would wholeheartedly recommend First Things First by Covey. He has you first step back and identify your key priorities. Then you set goals for your various priorities / roles each week, and you also now have a base from which you can make principle-centered choices in the moment when things don’t go according to your plans. At the end of the week you evaluate how you did and then plan for the coming week.

    This really helps me to focus on how things fit together and figure out what things are really important and what things are not.

    Lara

    • Amy

      Thank you so much for the tip on this resource.
      I just began reading it this morning and I think it is going to be just what I need to help re-prioritize and re-structure.
      It looks amazing so far.
      Thank you.

  • Dan Lee

    Don’t be a slave to E-mail. Only check it twice a day. Too many people (like me) check their e-mail every 2 minutes, and get diverted from the Important to attend to the Urgent. If someone needs something RIGHT NOW then they’ll have to call you.

    Just my .26 Mexican pesos’ worth

  • Deb

    I think that the Maxwells do a wonderful job of scheduling and accomplishing all the tasks of running home and a business under the same roof, but the to the minute scheduling never worked for us. I could not stop in the middle of a math lesson or if we had leftover time, that messed us up as well. We do chores, then school (“worstest firstest” as far as subjects g0), then we do lunch and free time. I make a list of every thing that I have to do in the day and that seems to work. My kids are 17, 15 and 13. The 17 y.o. is in college, so he does his own scheduling of work and school, the other two just get their school done, it is not a problem. I admire the Maxwell’s dedication and ability to get the important things like personal and family devotions done EVERY day. They are truly an exemplary family who sets goals and achieves them and displays Christ in all they do. Scheduling has obviously enabled them to accomplish all that they do and that is admirable.

  • http://paperbridges.net monica @ paper bridges

    I have the Managers of Their Homes book and never used it. Too structured for me; I like spontaneous living with my family. I much prefer routines. Maybe that is what you need, Amy. Just something to think about.

  • Anna B

    Hmm… this may not be what your looking for, but I would encourage you to seek God about your activities. If I find myself doing more than is possible, than I usually have several things in there that God is not leading, or that God is asking me to step back from for a season.

    I love the saying that we ALWAYS have enough time to do what God wants done – just not always enough to do what WE want done! :-)

  • http://www.homewithpurpose.blogspot.com Kara @ Home With Purpose

    I liked Managers of Their Homes too. I also loved “Shopping for Time” by Carolyn Mahaney. It’s a little book (I read it in about an hour, I think), but I really enjoyed it. http://amzn.to/c9OtRH

  • http://welcometoblessingsstreet.blogspot.com/ Terri-Ann

    Managers of their Home. I have it and I use it to fit my life. They are really good. Titus 2 ministries.

  • http://www.courtneysix.blogspot.com Leah

    I second Managers of Their Homes! I am not as rigid as that, but reading the book was VERY helpful for me to see how much time I have, how much time I waste, and how to schedule my time and my children’s time better.

  • Tabatha

    I don’t think there are any perfect time management resources out there. I think it all comes down to what works for you. I’m a VERY organized person by nature and time management came over time when I was learning to be a nurse. I’m a stay at home mom now and the skills I learned for time management and how to deal with an emergency and still stay on track have been invaluable to me. I will say that some of the best resources came from my own doing and tweaking. I have a weekly schedule of to-do’s in my home binder and I don’t typically stray from that too much. I’ve also found resources like ListPlanIt.com are very helpful. Above all time management comes down to what you NEED to do and what you’d LIKE to do. My like to do’s are always on the bottom of my list so that I don’t feel like I’m too overwhelmed. That day if I can get to my “like to do’s” than great! If not, they get moved to the next day. Eventually they will get done, and if that like to do turns into a need to do than it automatically gets moved up on the list. Just remember there are only 24 hours in a day- ideally you should be sleeping for at least 8 of those hours so technically you only have 16 good hours and you will NOT get everything done. Give yourself a break! :-)

  • http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com missy @ it’s almost naptime

    Um. Amy = about the most organized person I know. You make me look like an episode of Hoarders. I have literally had a sitdown with YOU where YOU gave me time management tips.

    Just sayin. Ya freak. ;)

  • http://afrugalstretch.blogspot.com/ LizBeth

    Amy, years ago I heard about someone who made a rule for himself. “No Bible, no breakfast.” He never missed reading his Bible daily after that — unless he missed breakfast. I’ve found the same principle works for other things, too. I guess you could call it an embedded agenda. Order the day so that one thing leads to another. Example: I keep my memory verse cards in a box. I keep one card in the box for daily Bible reading. When I come to that card I do my reading before I start the card review again. Nothing to check off. Use things that do the remembering or the reminding for you, even simple things like a weekly pill holder. I keep my vitamins in a box by my coffee cup; the box does the remembering for me. Same thing works for just about anything if you give it some thought. Sometimes it’s the smallest things that can help you get the big things done. ~Good luck! Liz

  • http://miscellaneousmusings-x.blogspot.com Celee

    Steve and Teri Maxwell of Titus 2 Ministries are scheduling freaks! In fact, they’re a little overboard for me, but I’ve been challenged by them to account for every hour. I was just going over their book Managers of Their Homes last night which includes scheduling and chores worksheets in the back.

    I’m always looking for ways to tweak time management. I think it goes with this busy time of life.

    Celee

  • http://www.whoislaura.com Laura Aridgides

    Hi Amy!
    I happen to coach people on time management and organization. I have a company called OrganizeNOW. There are many free resources on my web site: http://www.OrganizeNOW.info and you can look at several time management posts on my blog at: http://www.WhoIsLaura.com/category/time-management/

    I am happy to help as well personally, and I do offer a free consultation! Email me at laura@OrganizeNOW.info if you are interested.

    Wishing you the best,
    Laura