T.O.P.'s Tuesday: Organization & Planning

My apologies for not getting the blogs up last week. I won't bore you with excuses, the fact is I didn't plan and prepare well last weekend. This lack of attention spilled into the week. In addition to my four cooking classes, two workouts at the gym, working 5 days, and the everyday items...I failed to get everything done.

This past weekend I had a choice, get my act together or spend another week chasing my lists and struggling with time management. Since you are readinig this blog, you know the road I chose. I opted to dedicate time on Sunday afternoon to write and schedule my blogs. I recorded and scheduled my podcasts for the week. I organized my list and agendas for each day of the week, and geared up for the last full week of school before Thanksgiving break. It was a productive, and relaxing, weekend.

Next month, or early January, my first devotional releases! I'm so excited! In order to maintain healthy sleep and exercise habits, a successful Independent consultant with Epicure, lead an Advent Bible study, work on my next couple books, and work full-time...I MUST GET ORGANIZED, and stay this way.

Here are some of the things I do to maintain organization on a daily basis, and especially when life is crazy busy. Feel free to use any or all of them, or skip over and share your own in a comment. During this time of unknowns, it's a great time to share, encourage, and help others.

• Daily Lists (prioritized and color coded)
• Reminders on my phone for the important/MUST DO items
• Scheduled time to relax (read, sew, crochet)
• Work Time blocks  (Epicure business, writing, editing)
• Exercise 3-4 times a week
• 7 -8 hours a sleep a night
• Learning to say no when asked to do something that doesn't fit in schedule
• Ask for help/delegate when possible

I didn't get to specific so you can make it your own. One thing with getting, and staying, organized is to have a plan that works for you. What works for me may not work for you but sometimes we need to try different things to truly figure it out. I have a book that might help you figure out how to set your goals and reach them, click her to learn more. Good luck! The first step is to put a plan into action. It might not work but until you try, you won't know how to revamp and modify to fit your needs. You can do this!

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What do you do to stay organized?