| Maria Gracia, founder of Get Organized Now!, specializes in helping people get
better organized to live the kind of stress-free life they've always dreamed of.
Visit her website at
GetOrganizedNow.com |
Are
you the type of person that always says YES to every demand on your
time? Can you watch my kids? Will you drive me to soccer practice?
You're so good at sewing; can you help me make a party costume for
my daughter? Would you mind calling that person for me? Since you're
already working on the computer, would you mind typing me a letter?
Would you say YES to almost every one
of these requests?
There is certainly no shortage of
people looking for volunteers. But the truth is that you can only do
so much, before getting stressed and exhausted.
One important thing to remember is
that the only way that others are going to respect your time, is if
YOU respect your time.
1. DO ONE OR TWO THINGS, AND DO
THEM WELL. Rather than volunteering at every school, church,
organization or work activity, pick one or two things and focus your
efforts on those. If someone else requests your time, let them know
you're committed to these one or two activities, and simply cannot
take on another.
2. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ALL OR
NOTHING. While you may consider helping someone out with
something, that certainly doesn't mean you have to do it all. For
example, rather than serving on a committee, you may volunteer to
make reminder phone calls, or to type up the newsletter.
3. BARTER. If someone asks you
to volunteer your time, ask this person to volunteer their time
right back. For instance, if your friend asks you to baby sit
tonight, ask her if she can drive your son to school tomorrow.
4. NO GUTS-NO GLORY. If you
have no intention of saying YES, don't avoid the issue by saying,
MAYBE, or IF I HAVE TIME. While this may temporarily alleviate your
guilt, it's unfair to the other person, and you'll be wasting time
fretting over what excuse you're going to give to this person. Just
say No. And don't feel guilty about saying No, because you want to
spend some quality time with your family, or you need some personal
time alone.
5. TAME YOUR TO DO LIST. Your
To Do List should not be ten pages long. Good time management is
picking and choosing those items that are truly important and saying
NO to those that are not important at all. Force yourself to limit
the amount of items on your To Do List.
6. DO IT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO.
While there are some situations that are to be considered
emergencies--such as helping an ill relative or friend-- there are
many other requests for your time that you simply don't have to do.
The best rule of thumb is to choose those activities that you TRULY
WANT TO DO--those things that will make you happy. If someone asks
you for your time, and you find yourself thinking, 'Oh, no', then
don't do it.
| Want
to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak,
filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home,
your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now! Web site http://www.getorganizednow.com |
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