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Tools for Time Management
When our kiddos were in middle school, the house we lived in only had 2 bathrooms. Grooming had become a VERY important part of the morning routine for our daughter and son, then in middle school. Many a morning dispute arose over who had been in the bathroom too long. I quickly found a simple solution!
A few weeks later, my sister was visiting. I was in the kitchen when I heard her laughing and calling to me from the hallway. "
Sis, please tell me what an egg timer is doing in your bathroom!
" I explained that when that timer "dinged," each child knew their time was up: no arguing with one another; no arguing with me; the timer helped by giving an AUDIBLE BOUNDARY. More than ever today, people get lost in the amount of time they spend on projects. Clients and colleagues as well, admit they intended only to check their email, ended up logging onto FaceBook, which then led to someone's (then) interesting blog, and suddenly, they find they wasted almost their entire morning. At National Conference this spring in Ohio, one of my product favs was the Time Timer. Their tag line is "Make Every Moment Count."
The abstract concept of elapsed time is easy to see and understand with their graphic depiction
. This tool allows users to manage time more effectively in meetings, classrooms, therapy sessions, testing venues, at home and any other activities which require limits be set. There are different types of tools to fit any type of user: Some the size of a small alarm clock, large visuals for education, wrist watches, software apps for your computer and iphone -- endless possibilities.
Whether you choose a simple egg or kitchen timer or one of the many options that Time Timer has to offer, I challenge you to use a timer for just 1 week.
SEE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY SOAR!
Tax Time Shouldn't be Taxing!
Keeping orderly records for tax-filing purposes is perhaps just as important as making sure you claim the appropriate tax credit, deduction, or filing status. Without the right paperwork, tax filers could miss out on important money-saving benefits. For example, the credit for first-time homebuyers has been extended, and even increased a bit from 2008. It can now be up to a maximum of $8,000 for the 2009 tax season. But be careful, good documentation is required to take full advantage of this deduction.There are many tax incentives for businesses, as well. But if you don’t have your paperwork and records in order, likely you will be missing out. You work hard for your money. Make certain you make time to put in place a really good system for filing, maintaining, and staying on top of all your paper tasks. If you don’t have one, help is a phone call or email away – your Professional Organizer can help!