Make big leaps with a step a day

How to make BIG leaps with just a step a day

by Marcia Francois

Remember that HIGH importance, LOW urgency quadrant we spoke about before??

What if you took just ONE step closer to your goals every single day?

Just one.

It sounds harder than it is.

Honestly.

Let's say your goal is to write a book. Would it surprise you to know that the majority of people have this on their "things to do before I die" lists? That's why I know this resonates with a lot of you.

What is the absolute first step? Decide what to write about. This step looks simple but you need to see if people would read it, if publishing houses would buy it, if there’s a market so it will actually sell.

So maybe the first two weeks is spent checking all that out.

The rest of the month might be outlining the whole book - what do you need to cover, how many chapters? Etc, etc.

And then comes the writing. Now if I were coaching you, I'd make you write at least 5 minutes a day because writers WRITE.

To some, that seems like nothing much but 5 mins a day is 35 mins a week which is over 2 hours a month, at the very least.

And of course, some days just getting those 5 minutes done will be a miracle ;) but other days, you’d spend 30 minutes or more easily writing.

That's exactly what I mean when I say you can make big leaps with just a step a day.

People ask me how I get so many things done and it's because I do exactly this.

Now I will tell you I don't always feel like writing or working on marketing or _______ (fill in whatever it is you don't always feel like doing) but I do know that it will move me towards my goals.

I have a rule. EVERY WEEK, come hell or high water, I need to do AT LEAST one thing to move me towards my goals. This helps me focus on outcomes even when I'm really busy.

Think about one of your goals. Let's say you want to go on a holiday to Ireland ;)

Let's break it down.

1. Decide exactly where in Ireland you want to visit.

2. Investigate prices of airfare, hotels, B&B's, tourism, food, etc.

3. Check your savings account to see what you have available.

4. Based on the shortfall, decide on the amount of money you need to save every month.

5. Decide length of holiday and itinerary while there.

6. Book flights and check if you need a visa.

7. Book accommodation.

8. Book car rental/ decide on method of transport.

9. Pack your bags

10. Go!

Grab a piece of paper and write the steps for your own goal.

Your challenge this week is to take at least ONE step towards your goal this week.

Want to use this article in your ezine or on your blog? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb.

Marcia Francois Marcia Francois is a time management and organising coach who empowers small business owners and other busy professionals who want to make the most of their time. You’ll get simple, practical organising and time management secrets to help you work less and enjoy life more! Visit http://takechargesolutions.org for your free Organising Success Pack.

Tuesday 9 September

Ask the Organising Coach Q&A call

Marcia answers all your business, time management and organising questions on a live coaching call

F-r-e-e- to all VIP Inner Circle members. Not a member? Join now

12PM - 1PM Eastern Standard Time/ 6PM - 7PM South African Time

Tuesday 23 September

Everything you need to know about organising your computer

Coaching call with guest expert and computer whizz Janet Barclay

F-r-e-e- to all VIP Inner Circle members. Not a member? Join now

12PM - 1PM Eastern Standard Time/ 6PM - 7PM South African Time

[organise it] 5 steps to dealing with overwhelm

IN THIS ISSUE

1. A note from Marcia


2. Conquer your email


3. This week's article: 5 steps to dealing with overwhelm


4. Where in the world is Marcia?

Hi everybody

Happy April!

I'm usually very slow to wake up in the mornings because I'm a TOTAL night owl! But on Monday morning I woke up INSTANTLY when Dion announced, "a quarter of the year is gone; how are you doing on your goals?"

Well, that word GOALS got straight through the morning FOG that is my brain and I jumped straight out of bed - LOL ;)

Seriously though, I am hugely excited about the first 3 months of 2008!

I had an article published in a local magazine (check here for details), I've already launched new products, new coaching programmes and am now doing AUDIOS!

Here's what a client said about one of my latest audios, Increase your Self-Confidence in 10 easy steps:

"I've been listening to the self-confidence CD and am enjoying it very much. Better still, I'm excited that I can listen to it over and over again!"

Get your copy at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2 before the self-development products DISAPPEAR from my store forever.


CONQUER YOUR EMAIL

Are you spending an hour or more a day processing email?

WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER BE DOING?

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, 15 April. Only 9 spots left for this LIVE TELESEMINAR with the Organising Queen herself ;)

Read more and see if this teleseminar could benefit you:
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=33

Oh, and I'm giving you a $10 disc.ount for one week only!


HOW TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANISER

Are you passionate about organising?

Join in on the group coaching programme. You get instant access to the MP3 downloads so you can catch up. This is the ONLY time this programme will be offered at this low pri.ce!

You can check out the details and reserve your place here:
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=25

Remember the survey some of you took in January?

Well, I'm still busy answering all your GREAT questions so this week's article lists a number of different ways to DEAL WITH OVERWHELM.

Enjoy the article!

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THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE
5 STEPS TO DEALING WITH OVERWHELM
================================================

So many of you write in with this question: Marcia, how do I deal with overwhelm?

A few weeks ago, I was dealing with my own overwhelm.

I had many meetings day after day after day (which means you get behind on the office stuff), my normal business activities plus I had to re-write a LOT of the copy for the website. All on deadline!

Add to that the stuff of life like cooking and cleaning and gym and you can see why I felt overwhelmed.

Doesn't it feel good to know you're not alone?!

We all have our own stories but the FEELINGS are exactly the same - a sense of being out of control and a to-do list a mile long!

So what did I do to cope?

1. MAKE A LIST
I printed out 10 of my master to-do lists (in your welcome pack when you signed up to this list) because it felt like I had hundreds of things to do.

I used one page for each project - website, clients, etc...

The amazing thing was my imagination was much worse than reality because in the end, I only needed 4 of those 10 pages ;) Honestly, it does help to see how bad it really is, or isn't.

Here's that master to-do list - http://takechargesolutions.org/Master%20list.pdf

2. ASK YOURSELF A KEY QUESTION
When you feel overwhelmed, it's important to realise that "this too shall pass" and to CONTINUALLY ask yourself this question:

What is the MOST important use of my time right now?

Remember, it's not about being busy, but about being effective!

3. CUT OUT ALL NON-ESSENTIALS
Once you have the answer to that question, it's easier to cut out the non-essentials.

Let go of the minor website changes and the email responses to your blog comments. Rather answer only client emails.

When the busy period is over, re-look at those non-essentials and REALLY question whether you even need to add them back into your life.

4. FOCUS AND EAT YOUR FROG
Now that you know what is MOST important, switch off cell phones, email, etc. and get it done.

If you have to do a proposal for a company, do nothing else til it's done. That's so that even when your day is done and the to-do list is still half a mile long, at least you have a sense of ACCOMPLISHMENT in having completed that task.

Read more about Eat the Frog here
http://tinyurl.com/27tuz9

5. CATEGORISE AND BATCH
Once you've eaten your frog, and you still have energy, then categorise whatever's left and tackle those items in batches.

Take your to-do list and use letters in the margin, like P for phone, E for email, etc. Then pick up the phone and make all your phone calls in one go. You save energy because you prepare once instead of 5 different times in the day.

And THAT is how I dealt with my overwhelm.

Has this been useful for you? I'd love to hear what you think so I'm leaving the comments open on this blog post.

Have a wonderful week!

Love and (organising) success
Marcia Francois

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Conquer Your Email teleseminar at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=33

P.P.S. Don't forget to check out the store at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2

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MARCIA'S CLEA.RANCE S-A-L-E

===============================================

All the SELF-DEVELOPMENT products will be removed from the store soon.

So please go have a look at http://tinyurl.com/2bncn2 and get what you've been wanting now.

AND...if you buy any 3 products (downloadable and/ or audio), I'll give you the f-r-e-e ECOURSE of your choice.

What's available?

• Dream Life Kit
• Self-confidence MP3 and workbook
• Awesome relationships MP3 and workbook
• 8 secrets to success
• Who am I? A guide to discovering yourself
• And much, much more

==========================================

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS MARCIA?


THURS 20 MARCH - 24 APRIL
How to become a professional organiser - Group coaching programme
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=25


TUES 15 APRIL
Teleseminar - Conquer your email
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=33

SAT 19 APRIL
Business Organising Intensive - spend the morning with the Organising Queen herself ;)
Read more here
http://www.takechargesolutions.org/?page_id=34

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[Organise it] The 5 minutes that will change your life

Hi everybody


I love the start of a new month – it’s like a lovely, fresh, blank piece of paper just waiting to be written on.

I exceeded many of my goals for February which always makes me happy ;) and I’m eager to do the same (or better) in March. One of my main goals is to get all the planning out of the way for our upcoming trip to the UK in May. Suzanne and I keep emailing each other our progress - we are going to have such fun!

So many people write to me saying, “I wish you lived here in ______ because I’d love you to come talk to my women’s group/ church group/ business group" and so ………

I have good – no, GREAT – news for you!

SKYPECASTS!!!

No matter where in the world you are, you can attend one of my talks. In fact, I’m hosting a Skypecast next Thursday 13th and I’d love you to be there. All you need is an internet connection! If you want to talk and ask questions, you’ll need a microphone too.

And best of all, you can sit in your pyjamas and paint your nails while you listen in ;)

Go here to read more and to get your handout
http://tinyurl.com/yrmjd5


HELP! I NEED MORE TIME
(a step-by-step guide for busy people who want to FINALLY take control of their lives)

Check it out here: http://helpineedmoretime.blogspot.com/

If you get "Help! I need more time", I'll throw in ANOTHER book, "How to set and achieve your goals", for f-r-e-e. But only until this Friday, 7 March.

Many of you have already taken me up on my offer so well done for taking action towards your goals!

By the way, you won't see this offer mentioned on the link above because it's only available to YOU, and not to the general public! Don't miss out.


HOW TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANISER - group coaching programme

Are you passionate about organising?
Do you want to turn your uber-organising skills into a business?

The PO group coaching programme is just for you and starts on 20 March.

You can check it the details and reserve your place here:
http://tinyurl.com/2gzulg


Finally, enjoy this week's article on the 5 minutes that will change your life.



THIS WEEK'S ARTICLE
THE 5 MINUTES THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE – REALLY!


How would you like to start every day off on the right foot?

Wouldn’t you like to feel a sense of excitement as you start your day?

You CAN if you do something for just 5 minutes a day.

This is not some crazy statement – it really is true. I promise ;)

If you spend 5 minutes every evening (or at the end of every day) planning the next day, your life will dramatically change.


SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?


1. GRAB A NOTEBOOK OR MY EAT THE FROG FORM (http://takechargesolutions.org/downloads.html)

The point is to have something to capture your thoughts.


2. ASK YOURSELF ONE OF THESE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

* Which 3 – 5 things, when accomplished, will move me towards my goals?
* What is the best use of my time tomorrow?

I expand much more on this subject in Help! I need more time at http://helpineedmoretime.blogspot.com/


3. THINK EFFECTIVE, NOT BUSY

Busy means you’re doing lots of things. Effective means you’re doing the RIGHT things.

E.g. Yesterday, after I downloaded email, I had two choices – keep BUSY by reading newsletters and replying to all my blog comments & personal emails, or be EFFECTIVE by responding to a journalist who wants to interview me, and write this newsletter.

Guess which I chose to do? ;)


4. NOW WRITE DOWN NO MORE THAN 6 TASKS

Mary Kay, one of the world’s most successful businesswomen, said that the secret of her success was to only tackle 6 tasks a day. If it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for me ;)

I actually showed a client my own planner a few weeks ago. When I think I’m Superwoman and put down more than 6 tasks, I never get them all done. But when I put 5 or 6 tasks on my list, I get them all done.

Did you know you can spend a half day with me in my own office on an Organising Intensive? I show you exactly how I set up my own business systems and we go through all the computer and email tricks you could possibly imagine. *email me if you’re keen*


5. NUMBER THEM IN ORDER OF PRIORITY

Only now (in step 5) do you number them. Don’t try and number them before you get them down – you might get stuck in analysis paralysis ;)

You’ll hit the ground running the next day when you start on number 1 and move through your list until you complete number 6.

Now you can relax and enjoy your evening.

Have a productive week!


Love and (organising) success
Marcia Francois


P.S. Don't forget to check out "Help! I need more time" at http://helpineedmoretime.blogspot.com/

P.P.S. If you know someone who would enjoy this article, please invite them to subscribe so that they don't miss out on future articles ;) thanks so much :)

P.P.P.S Will I “see” you on the Skypecast?

energisers and energy drains

Energisers and energy drains
By Marcia Francois
First published in June 2003

I was on a course this week and all of us were asked to think about a situation that brought us immense joy and happiness. When analysing the accompanying feelings, I realised that when thinking about this situation, I also had a huge amount of energy and I felt free! It wasn’t a bind or a burden to do this. In fact, I felt like I wanted to clear my life so that I had more time to do this.

For me, this was speaking in front of big groups of people, motivating and inspiring them to take action in their lives.

If I had to ask you to put yourself in that situation, a couple of you would feel as I did. The majority of you would cringe, get tense and experience all sorts of negative characteristics. Why is that?

Probably because people get energised by different things. (Okay, I do know that the number 1 fear most people have is public speaking. More people fear public speaking than death!)

Think about a situation that does energise you.

Are you alone? Are you at home or at work? Who are you with? I want you to feel what it’s like to be energized so that you’re clearer about what drains you.

I’m sure you’ve noticed how sometimes just thinking about certain things can absolutely drain you of energy. Maybe these are unfinished tasks you have to do around the house or phone calls/ emails you’ve been delaying. You can also experience this same energy drain by being with certain people or by doing certain things you hate doing. Surely the idea of life is to have fun and to be energised?

Now think of an example from your own life that drains you of energy and answer the following questions.

1. Do I have to, or really want to do it? Yes or no?

If your answer is no, then why are you doing it? Is it because you feel pressure from family or friends to do it? Or even worse, in my opinion, is it because of self-imposed pressure? This is a biggie for me. Just asking yourself this one question immediately roots out things that you shouldn’t even be thinking of doing. Instead, tell yourself that you’re not going to do anything you don’t want to. It is okay to do this – don’t feel guilty J

If your answer is yes, then go on to the next question.

2. Why is this so draining for me?

Maybe you’ve allowed too little time to do something and the thought of having to rush is stressing you out! Do you fear confronting people? What’s the worse thing that could happen if you tell people that you don’t want to do something? Most people won’t have a problem and if they do, so what? Maybe they shouldn’t really be in your life if they don’t like you being honest with them…

3. What can you do to eliminate this drain from your life?

This is definitely the easiest part as it simply involves taking action. You can eliminate energy drains by thinking up some action plans to get it over and done with, or you can decide once and for all that you don’t want to do it anymore.

All this involves is communicating it to relevant people and that’s it! It is not a sin for your priorities to change. Maybe something that you thought was important to you three months ago is no longer important. For example, maybe you decided that you weren’t giving enough time to your friends and that you needed to spend four evenings a month with them. If it’s starting to be a drain, communicate! Remember that other people can’t read your mind. And decide on something that works for you.

When I was looking at my diary for the last month, it seems as if a lot didn’t get done. It started being a huge energy drain for me. When I started asking myself these questions however, I realised that a lot of my “to do items” were just habits but actually were no longer important to me.

This month I will let go! Repeat after me – I will let go, I will let go, I will let go.

Download the energy drains worksheet and get cracking :-)

Until next month…

Enjoy love and success

(C) Marcia Francois
Marcia Francois is a personal life coach and professional organiser who teaches busy people how to have more time, less stress and a more organised and fulfilled life. Visit http://takechargesolutions.org/ for your free Organise your Home e-book and other helpful tips.

Make your life easy with effective systems

make your life easy with effective systems
by Marcia Francois


Life is such a whirlwind, isn’t it? If you’re anything like me, it often seems like the weeks go by in a blur of activity…and then it’s weekend again. Or the weekends go by so quickly and when Monday comes around, you feel like you’ve just started to relax and the week is upon you once again.

The problem with this is that we never have a sense of peace, calm and control. A feeling that we are directing the course of our own lives.

I go through patches of hectic too so I thought I’d share some of the systems I’ve set up to make our lives easier:

Household calendar
We have one household calendar in our kitchen where we mark off any commitments like church, other ministry commitments, meetings, gym, socials, and so on. We use a sticker system with a different colour for each area of life. The nice thing about this system is that when there are too many stickers, we know we’re too busy. I also mark off the recycling pick-up days, when the meter reader is due and of course, things like birthdays.

I couple this with diary planning for the week ahead. I look at my diary on a Sunday and put in my appointments for the week. I also add any tasks that I need or want to work on, like writing articles, e-courses, newsletters and so on.

Meal planning
I love meal planning because it saves me time. When I say this to people, they think I’m crazy because “how can all that planning save you time?” It’s quite simple – a twenty-minute planning session on the weekend saves me time from Monday to Friday, when I need it most. No more standing in front of the open fridge wondering what to make for supper.

And you can still be spontaneous within the plan. I plan meals for the working week but if I don’t feel like a particular meal that day, I change it around and cook another day’s meal. Like if it’s very hot and I planned to have baked potatoes with a topping, I’ll postpone that to another day and make a pasta salad instead.

Regular decluttering and organising
I tackle an area in our home every weekend. Let’s face it – if we are constantly buying things and bringing them into our homes and lives, clutter is constantly building up unless we get rid of some of it.

It doesn’t have to be a huge exercise. While you’re busy cooking or baking, you can sort out a cupboard or two. I don’t trust my oven timer (it is erratic) so I stay in the kitchen whenever I bake to make sure my muffins don’t burn! I then use the time constructively to sort out the cupboards, plan my menus, write out my shopping list, etc. You can see the fruits of my labour on the organising blog at http://organisingtips.blogspot.com/

When you factor in just 15 minutes’ decluttering and organising every weekend, you can easily maintain your home if it is already organised. Of course, if your house is nowhere near where you’d like it, I would suggest 15 mintues every day. Sign up for Beth’s declutter calendar at http://encouragingcoach.com/ and start the process now.

Launch pad
Do you know the place in your house where you dump your bags as you enter? Flylady calls this a launch pad. I like that term because it reminds me of action. We have an interesting, little corner in our entrance hall that I use for my launch pad and my husband uses another section near the kitchen.

Mornings are one of the worst times in most families – you can’t find your keys, wallet, bag, etc. Frantic running around and screaming happens and that is just not fun.

The point is that we use our launch pads to ready ourselves for mornings. Every evening I pack my handbag, work bag and keys, and they are all left here. In the mornings all I do is grab and go. Literally once I leave the bedroom, I walk to the fridge to get my cooler bag with my lunch, set the alarm, grab my bags from my launch pad and I’m out of there. And that’s two minutes tops!

Now, over to you. Which systems can you implement to make your life easier?


© Marcia Francois 2007
Marcia Francois is a personal life coach and professional organiser who teaches people how to have more time, less stress and increased productivity. Visit http://www.takechargesolutions.org/ for your free Organise your Home e-book and other helpful tips.

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how I can help you
Virtual organising session
I can help you with an objective opinion and lots of good ideas via a virtual organising session.

Hands-on organising session
I will come to your house for a 2 or 3-hour hands-on session. We will do a needs analysis and then get stuck in - decluttering, organising and setting up systems to help you with your time and space.

I also offer wardrobe organising sessions. You will fit on everything (either when I'm there or beforehand) to decide what you love wearing and what must go. We will then declutter and organise your clothes, shoes, accessories and so forth.

Email me for available times.

Eat that frog!

this month's article

Eat your frog!
By Marcia Francois


Eat your frog? By now you’re wondering if I’ve gone stark raving mad! No, I’m not mad.

I first learned of this principle from Brian Tracy.

Your frog is the most important task of the day. It is the one thing which, if done quickly and effectively, will ensure your greatest success.

You see, when most people get to work, they already have some idea of what they have to do for the day. Let me give you a specific example.

Okay, imagine that these are the 5 tasks that await you on a particular day:

1. Read and respond to emails.
2. Phone somebody to resolve a query.
3. Set up a meeting.
4. Compile monthly report.
5. Draft a process email and send out.

Most people would probably do the tasks in this order – 1, 3, 2, 5 and 4.

Why?

Because that’s the easiest way to get through the list. After all, by 10:00 nearly all the items can already be ticked off the list.

But then a “typical day” happens – client phone calls, queries left, right and centre, you’re called into a couple of meetings and before you know it, 4:30 has rolled around and you still haven’t done that monthly report.

Sound familiar?

That’s because you haven’t eaten your frog. Your most important task is still undone.

So let’s change it all around.

What if you walked into the office and did nothing else until your report was done? You’ve eaten your frog. And it’s only 9:00.

You then catch up on emails, and draft the process email to send out. The “typical day” still happens but because the most important tasks are done, you can squeeze setting up the meeting and phoning the other person into the tiny five-minute slots you do find during the course of the day.

You see, it’s what I’ve been teaching my time management clients for years when I tell them to ask themselves, “what’s the most important use of my time right now?”

If you get used to eating the frog first, the rest of your day can only get better. Your most horrible task is over and done with and you can almost…but not quite…relax!

And if you have TWO frogs, then you eat the ugliest one first!

My challenge to you is this – just try it for a week and see how your productivity soars. You know I’m the go-to gal if you want to increase your productivity so I made a worksheet to help you get into the habit. Download it now. Page 1 has Mon - Sun and page 2 only has Mon - Friday.

I can’t wait to hear how it works out for you.

By the way, I thought I ought to practise what I preach. So this month, I did exactly that. I wrote this article a week earlier than I usually do so that it’s done. And I feel great!

© 2007 Marcia Francois

Marcia Francois is a personal life coach who teaches people how to have more time, less stress and increased productivity. Visit http://www.takechargesolutions.org/ for your FREE success pack, articles and helpful tips.

Saying no

Such a small word but so difficult to use sometimes.

We seem to use this word so easily with our spouse and children but have a hard time saying it to "other people".

So the trick is to figure out how and when to say no.

I'm not saying that you should be selfish and never help anybody out. However, most people are running around stressed because they're saying yes to everybody but themselves.

You should only be saying yes when you genuinely want to do something, you feel excitement at the thought of doing it or it ties in with your life goals or definition of success (you'll learn more about this on Discover Yourself).

You don't have to first have another appointment to say no
If you've planned to have an evening in (bubble bath, reading, TV, whatever…) and you get invited out, this does not automatically mean you have to accept. An appointment with yourself is just as important as one with other people. Value your time!

Realise that when you say yes to one thing, you ALWAYS say no to something else
When this happens, you usually say no to the more important parts of your life - God, family, yourself. For example, you're asked to help out on a committee at your child's school. You could end up so busy with committee work that you deprive your child of quality time. Another example is saying yes to everybody at work collecting money for birthdays, leaving presents, etc, and no to your own financial future.

Don't instinctively say yes. Buy time to think about it first.
Always check your diary first before committing to plans. Or just take a deep breath. Otherwise you end up saying yes to everything and at the end of a hectic period, you're virtually burnt out.

It becomes easier to say the more you practise
At first when you have to say no to something or someone, it feels terrible. But it is incredibly freeing when you realise that you made the correct decision in saying no. It is an acquired skill and the more you use your "no" muscle, the stronger it'll get.

When you say yes and you feel resentment, you should have said no
Learn to listen to your heart. The Bible says that we mustn't give grudgingly or under compulsion, and yet, so many of us do. We say yes, and harbour deep feelings of resentment and bitterness. Nothing good comes from a resentful attitude.

Saying no comes easier when you are confident in your own capabilities
When you say no firmly and without a grovelling apology, it affirms your self-worth and it's a way that you stand up for yourself. Men seem to do really well at this but women seem to want to explain everything and apologise while they're saying no.

You don't have to be rude or ugly about it - there are many ways to say no
No can be "I can't help you this time", "I can only do it next month", "that's not my strong suit" or simply "no, thanks".

Make a quality decision this month to look at your schedule and see where you're saying yes to things that don't support your goals. Then, work at saying no to it so that you can say yes to more important things.

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

August - Saving time for what matters most

It seems like everywhere you go, you hear the same message. I don't have enough time, I need more time, I'd love to exercise more, play more, __________ more (fill in the missing word) but I just don't have the time.

Here are a few of my favourite time-savers. If you have any more to share with me (and your fellow readers), please post them in the comments section below.

1. Do your grocery shopping when the stores are empty
I've started doing our weekly shop on Friday nights at 6.30. My favourite Pick & Pay closes at 7pm so the store is not very full and all of us shoppers are in "accomplish" mode so not a lot of browsing and so on. We're armed with our lists and get on with the job. I've saved at least an hour from doing the weekly shop on Saturdays like I used to do.

2. Whenever you cook, cook double
I cook at least double of everything for the nights when I have coaching appointments or consultations in the evenings. It then takes just a few minutes to defrost in the microwave and saves me about 30 minutes (you guys know I don't believe in spending a lot of time in the kitchen anyway, unless it's to organise something : ). You can freeze individual portions of just about anything - soup, rice, casseroles, etc.

3. When you return home from the shops, cut all your vegetables immediately.
Yes, it will take a bit of time, but it saves you time during the week when you're busy. Remember, you can spend some time every night getting out all your chopping boards, knives, etc. AND cleaning it afterwards, or you can do it once a week. I vote for once a week. Do the same for your meat and chicken if you separate it out for different meals.

4. Set up a menu plan for the week
I mentioned this point last month with regard to saving money, but the best part of it for me is that it saves me time. You don't have the indecision every night of opening that fridge or cupboard and wondering what to cook. It's already decided. Try it and see - you won't look back. You can download a free menu planner off my website.

5. Choose your clothes in the evening
This is another underestimated time saver. When you choose your clothes in the evening, you can see if your shoes need to be cleaned, if all the buttons on your shirt are still intact, and so on. Then in the morning, and if you're like me, you need all the help you can get just to get out of bed, you're set to go.

6. Pack your lunch in the evening
Not only does this save time, but it also helps you to remember everything. I have a little cooler bag that I use to pack my lunch while supper is cooking (or defrosting). I pack my sandwich, cereal, yoghurt, my cup-a-soup and my two fruits.

7. Use TV time for other mindless tasks
I understand that TV is relaxation time but this works for me. I exercise with weights, wrap gifts, pack my bag, update my diary, sew buttons, go through my old magazines, etc, etc. all while watching TV. The list goes on and on. At least at the end of a show, I feel like I've accomplished something instead of just being a couch potato.

8. Tape TV programmes and watch them on video later
I'm a HUGE Dr. Phil fan and I tape the programme every day. If I had to sit and watch the programme live (well, first of all, it's right in the middle of the day) it would take an hour, or to be more precise, 58 minutes. Because I tape it and fast forward through all the ads, it takes only 43 minutes. The reality TV shows like Survivor, Amazing Race and The Apprentice are usually only about 37 minutes long. Just goes to show how they plug all the shows with ad breaks.

9. Batch routine tasks
Keep all your filing together so that you file 5 things at once. Make all your telephone calls at the same time. Write out all greeting cards for the month at one time. And wrap all the gifts at one time too - yes, in front of the TV!

10. Automate as much as you can
This is what I'm trying to do with the business more and more, like automating this newsletter, so I can focus more time on my core genius. For example, I use the AutoText function in Microsoft Word extensively for all emails I write a lot, like questions on my coaching and workshops, my e-signature, etc.

I'm actually also busy compiling these into a FAQ page which I'll upload to the website soon. I read a great tip in an online newsletter recently. Whenever you comment on a blog, make it meaningful and use the same wording as a post on your own blog. I did this with my spending fast post on the blog.

By the way, I'm going to discuss lots more of these types of productivity-type tips at the Spring into Organising workshop.

Bonus tip - say no to things you don't want to do.
That's all I'm going to say because this is the topic for next month's newsletter!

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:

Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular "Take charge of your life" monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.organiseyourbusiness.com/

April - Focus!

Inspirational quotes
· Give your full attention to one thing at a time. - Deb Koffman
· The best way to botch up a job is to rush through it because you can't take your mind off the other tasks you still have on your plate. Talk about counter-productive! So, in the interests of quality control, and for the sake of your own frazzled nerves, limit yourself to one thing at a time. Stayed focused and you’ll do good work. – Source unknown
· The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary. - Thomas Edison


People often ask me how I manage to get everything done. I am married, work a full-time job, run a part-time coaching and organising business, run a church ministry, go to gym, write this newsletter and all the weekly challenges, run workshops, and so on.

I do believe that a large part of the reason is my ability to focus on my priorities, especially when I really need to get something done. Now I’m not Superwoman so I do have my really lazy times but thank God, those don’t happen often. Here are just two of the many ways I manage to stay focussed:

Use a timer
It is generally so easy to get sidetracked. You go to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. On your way, you see something on TV and stay to watch. It’s usually only when the ad break comes on that you realise you’ve wasted 20 minutes and you were on your way to do something else. When I do some chores in the kitchen like sorting out my pantry, packing dishes, etc., I use the oven timer to keep me on track. That ticking reminds me that I only have 10 minutes (or whatever) to do this so I make sure it gets done. While I’m cooking, I use the few minutes between adding ingredients to pack my lunch for the next day, or to weigh my cereals and other foods (I’m on Weigh Less, remember?)

Make a list
I love lists! I am always making lists of things to do. I have monthly lists, weekend lists, daily lists, things that can be done in 5 minutes, etc. Call me crazy but based on results, my system works for me! When you make a list, it focuses your attention like nothing else. And there’s no pressure – if you don’t finish, you just move it forward. The other weekend I had a list of 22 things I wanted to do on the Sunday – I did 20. I’m sure if I only had 5 things, 2 of them would have also been left undone! And before you all write to me telling me that I’m too busy or whatever, I do have fun things on my list like finish x book, or go look at y website, or paint toenails.

I hope that this helps you to get some ideas to focus this month. After all, you do want to achieve your goals!

Recommended reading: The power of focus – Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Les Hewitt

(c) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

Procrastination

This month’s theme is DEALING WITH PROCRASTINATION

Inspirational quotes
Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible - George Horace Lorimar
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today – Thomas Jefferson
Procrastination is the thief of time. – Edward Young


All of us procrastinate at some time or another, and for many different reasons. I’m certainly not immune. Sometimes I’m just lazy, or I think it’s going to be too difficult, or I just don’t feel like doing it, or I build it into this mammoth task. The solution is to find a couple of methods that work for you and use those to propel you to action. In other words, procrastinate in the best way. Hang on a second – I’ll explain…

I have many tricks up my sleeve to combat this monster. If something needs to be done and it doesn’t have a deadline yet, I’ll leave it for a day or two and then… one morning I’ll come in, quickly check emails (15 mins) and not do anything (no coffee or breakfast) until that thing is done. You can also give yourself a self-imposed deadline. Say, this has got to be done before lunch, and sure enough, you’ll work furiously getting it done. I had a day like that today – I’d been putting off writing a sales script yesterday and gave myself 2 hours. When I actually did it, it only took me an hour.

Or reward yourself the minute it’s done – depending on the size of the task, of course. Like a cup of coffee for making a difficult phone call.

For bigger tasks, it always helps if you tell yourself you’ll work on it for just 15 minutes. Anybody can do anything for 15 minutes. Usually by the time 15 minutes rolls around, you’ll have gotten into it and want to make some serious headway. I do this with gym – “I only have to stay for 30 minutes” and before you know it, the class is over and an hour’s gone.

This month, I want you to focus on areas of your life where you might be procrastinating and make a decision to just do something – anything – for 15 minutes!

You can do it!

(C) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.organiseyourbusiness.com/