This is a difficult thing for most women. We are inherent people pleasers and genuinely want to help people. But, if you want to identify the big tiime wasters in your life- the activities that steal your time and your peace of mind, you need only look at the things we agreed to do out of obligation, guilt, expectations, etc. As long as we are motivated by pleasing others and not creating "conflict" then we will be spinning around in circles wondering where all the time went!
Have you ever been in the situation where someone, such as the president of the PTA, comes up to you and says something like this "Oh, Melissa I am soooo glad to run into you. I was just going to call you. You are so good at making those special chocolate bars that sell so well at our bake sale I just knew I could count on you to make them again this year, and did you hear about Susie? She is laid up with a broken arm, I know the timing is just not good, but you are always there for us and so I knew you wouldn't mind making the two dozen apple dumplings she usually contributes. Oooh you are such a good friend! I knew we could count on you! " And then she flips her perfectly styled hair with her french manicured fingernails and leaves you in a vacuum of Avon perfume and dumbfoundedness.
Be careful of these seemingly harmless "friends". They come to steal and destroy your schedule and routine. They do not leave time for arguments, conjecture or even a breath between their request for assistance and their swift departure. Here is a little secret I have learned over the soccer mom years- saying no begins with simply not saying yes.
We have all done it- responded to the request of Barbie Supermom without even thinking. We don't even take time to engage our brain before our head is nodding and the dreadful "ok" slips out of our chapped lips. Sure, what is one more thing on our to do list?
What we don't know is what the upcoming week has in store for us. Because it is never the weeks that we have nothing extra to do that the car gets a flat tire, the kids get strep throar, hubby has to go out of town for a business trip and the cat needs put to sleep. No, these things only seem to happen when the world is already moving at a chaotic pace AND you have chocolate bars and apple dumplings to bake for the PTA sale.
All kidding aside, boundaries are an important concept when trying to eliminate time wasters from our lives.
We know what our priorities need to be (visit our network site if you need a refresher) and all decisions about our time need to be conducive to those priorities. Decisions need to be made thoughtfully, not reactively. Pray about it before taking on another obligation or task. God will never lead you wrong.
So, the next time that someone asks you for your assistance (=time) smile and reply- "I will need to get back to you on that. I need to pray about it and check my calendar. Can I call you Tuesday?". I have yet to meet someone that could argue with the fact that I needed to pray before making a decision.
Time is precious and the things that God wants us to devote our time to- our spouses, children, family, etc.-have to be protected or the busyness of life will waste (=steal) our time. Time that you will not get back.
Friday, August 22, 2008
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Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Where are my ?
How much time do you waste looking for things? Do you rush out the door in the morning only to realize you've forgotten where you put your purse? Or run around like a crazy woman looking for the permission slip for the field trip that has to be returned TODAY or you will feel like a horrible mother because your kid will miss out?
Busyness is the enemy of the modern family! The only way to combat it is with a plan! A place for everything and everything in it's place. If your purse turns up missing on a regular basis than it needs a new home, whether it be a basket by the door or a hook or on top of your dresser. The same is true for your keys, permission slips, lunchboxes, laptops and all the other things we waste so much time looking for.
~Create a checklist for getting out the door in the morning and hang it on the back of the door. This will remind you to check and make sure everybody has what they need. Nothing is more irritating than already running late and realizing you can't find your keys. It just creates unnecessary stress and gets your day off to a poor start.
~Designate a place for everything. Your kids should know (and be expected to follow through) where their backpack goes, where their shoes should be when not on their feet, where to put papers that need your attention, where their sports uniforms need to be, etc. Once your family gets in the habit of putting everything where it belongs it will significantly cut down on time wasted looking for things.
~Have extras- If finding your keys is really an ongoing problem for you and nothing seems to work than keep a spare in a kitchen drawer or somewhere else that you know you will remember. I have an extra set of just the necessary keys (home, car) for those times that my kids have done something with my main set of keys and I am out of time to keep looking!
~Another important concept for avoiding having to look for things is to develop solid and dependable routines. We will discuss that in the next post.
Happy Organizing!
Busyness is the enemy of the modern family! The only way to combat it is with a plan! A place for everything and everything in it's place. If your purse turns up missing on a regular basis than it needs a new home, whether it be a basket by the door or a hook or on top of your dresser. The same is true for your keys, permission slips, lunchboxes, laptops and all the other things we waste so much time looking for.
~Create a checklist for getting out the door in the morning and hang it on the back of the door. This will remind you to check and make sure everybody has what they need. Nothing is more irritating than already running late and realizing you can't find your keys. It just creates unnecessary stress and gets your day off to a poor start.
~Designate a place for everything. Your kids should know (and be expected to follow through) where their backpack goes, where their shoes should be when not on their feet, where to put papers that need your attention, where their sports uniforms need to be, etc. Once your family gets in the habit of putting everything where it belongs it will significantly cut down on time wasted looking for things.
~Have extras- If finding your keys is really an ongoing problem for you and nothing seems to work than keep a spare in a kitchen drawer or somewhere else that you know you will remember. I have an extra set of just the necessary keys (home, car) for those times that my kids have done something with my main set of keys and I am out of time to keep looking!
~Another important concept for avoiding having to look for things is to develop solid and dependable routines. We will discuss that in the next post.
Happy Organizing!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Organizing for Safety
Facts:
Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Falls can have serious implications including serious physical injuries. Falls can also decrease your confidence in your abilities and make you scared to ambulate and engage in physical activity. This can also lead to a decline in functioning.
Falls at home can often be prevented by minimizing hazards that are often overlooked. Today, we will look at some of these hazards and how they can be addressed to decrease your chances of falling and increase the time you will be able to maintain independence in your home.
Floors:
Do you have throw rugs? The best thing to do is to remove throw rugs, especially if you already need a mobility device (walker, cane, etc) to ambulate. If you do not want to get rid of your throw rugs, then at least have someone attach them to the floor with non slip backing so they do not slip when walked on.
Is there clutter on the floor? Many people fall after stepping on something slippery such as a magazine or tripping over something left on the floor like a shoe. Go through your home and remove clutter from the floor including papers, books, towels and magazines. Anything on the floor is a potential fall waiting to happen.
How is your furniture laid out? Do you have to walk around too much furniture? Are there pieces of furniture in your way that you could sell, donate or give to family?
Do you have to step over any wires? Are their telephone, lamp or any other types of cords or wires in your way. It is easy to forget they are there and trip on a cord. Especially in a poorly lit room. Make sure that you remove any cords from frequently walked in areas.
Stairs and Steps:
Avoid going up and down the steps when you are fatigued, dizzy or weak.
Remove clutter from steps. NEVER leave anything on the steps- too easy to step on something and not be able to catch yourself.
Make sure that no steps are broken or loose. Contact someone to help you repair steps as soon as you notice a problem.
Make sure that steps and stairwells are well lit.
Have handrails on both sides of steps and make sure they are in good repair.
Rest of the home:
· In the bathroom and kitchen- make sure things you use frequently are kept in lower cabinets and shelves- waist level is most desirable. Standing on your tip toes to reach something can easily throw you off balance.
· Don’t use just anything (i.e a chair) as a step stool. Only use a sturdy, wide based step stool.
· Have non stick strips or mats on all shower/tub floors.
· Use a shower chair to sit down if you have fallen in the shower/tub before.
· Have a handrail installed in your shower/tub to hold onto when trying to maintain balance during bathing.
· Make sure your path to the bathroom is well lit at night. Install tap lights or nightlights along the way that come on by themselves when it becomes dark.
· Consider using an elevated toilet seat and have grab bars installed near the toilet to assist you when getting up.
· Wear non skid footwear when at home alone, especially if you have hardwood or linoleum floors.
Other tips for organizing your home for your safety:
Keep emergency numbers in large print near phone and on the refrigerator.
Carry a portable phone with you when walking around in the house or going to get the mail, etc. That way you will have a phone handy to call for help if needed.
If you live alone consider wearing a Lifeline or similar device that will bring help in case you fall and can’t get up on your own.
Keep family/friends informed of falls. Frequent falling can be a sign of medication problems, decline in health and neurological issues. Your physician also needs to be made aware if you have fallen since your last visit, even if you think it was no big deal.
(facts courtesy of www.cdc.gov)
Each year, thousands of older Americans fall at home. Falls can have serious implications including serious physical injuries. Falls can also decrease your confidence in your abilities and make you scared to ambulate and engage in physical activity. This can also lead to a decline in functioning.
Falls at home can often be prevented by minimizing hazards that are often overlooked. Today, we will look at some of these hazards and how they can be addressed to decrease your chances of falling and increase the time you will be able to maintain independence in your home.
Floors:
Do you have throw rugs? The best thing to do is to remove throw rugs, especially if you already need a mobility device (walker, cane, etc) to ambulate. If you do not want to get rid of your throw rugs, then at least have someone attach them to the floor with non slip backing so they do not slip when walked on.
Is there clutter on the floor? Many people fall after stepping on something slippery such as a magazine or tripping over something left on the floor like a shoe. Go through your home and remove clutter from the floor including papers, books, towels and magazines. Anything on the floor is a potential fall waiting to happen.
How is your furniture laid out? Do you have to walk around too much furniture? Are there pieces of furniture in your way that you could sell, donate or give to family?
Do you have to step over any wires? Are their telephone, lamp or any other types of cords or wires in your way. It is easy to forget they are there and trip on a cord. Especially in a poorly lit room. Make sure that you remove any cords from frequently walked in areas.
Stairs and Steps:
Avoid going up and down the steps when you are fatigued, dizzy or weak.
Remove clutter from steps. NEVER leave anything on the steps- too easy to step on something and not be able to catch yourself.
Make sure that no steps are broken or loose. Contact someone to help you repair steps as soon as you notice a problem.
Make sure that steps and stairwells are well lit.
Have handrails on both sides of steps and make sure they are in good repair.
Rest of the home:
· In the bathroom and kitchen- make sure things you use frequently are kept in lower cabinets and shelves- waist level is most desirable. Standing on your tip toes to reach something can easily throw you off balance.
· Don’t use just anything (i.e a chair) as a step stool. Only use a sturdy, wide based step stool.
· Have non stick strips or mats on all shower/tub floors.
· Use a shower chair to sit down if you have fallen in the shower/tub before.
· Have a handrail installed in your shower/tub to hold onto when trying to maintain balance during bathing.
· Make sure your path to the bathroom is well lit at night. Install tap lights or nightlights along the way that come on by themselves when it becomes dark.
· Consider using an elevated toilet seat and have grab bars installed near the toilet to assist you when getting up.
· Wear non skid footwear when at home alone, especially if you have hardwood or linoleum floors.
Other tips for organizing your home for your safety:
Keep emergency numbers in large print near phone and on the refrigerator.
Carry a portable phone with you when walking around in the house or going to get the mail, etc. That way you will have a phone handy to call for help if needed.
If you live alone consider wearing a Lifeline or similar device that will bring help in case you fall and can’t get up on your own.
Keep family/friends informed of falls. Frequent falling can be a sign of medication problems, decline in health and neurological issues. Your physician also needs to be made aware if you have fallen since your last visit, even if you think it was no big deal.
(facts courtesy of www.cdc.gov)
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