Get Organized Now! Weblog

Scheduling in Time for the Unexpected

Yesterday, I had lots of tasks and projects on my To Do list that I was working on diligently, until 11:30 a.m. or so. That's when I got a call from my daughter's school telling me Amanda had a bad tummy ache. So, of course I dropped everything, drove to her school and ended up bringing her home with me, where I comforted her with a heating pad, a little club soda, and some plain crackers until she felt better. It turned out to be nothing serious, thankfully, and she's back in school today.

So today's list is basically double in size--all of today's work, plus yesterday's work that never was completed. But that's just how it goes sometimes, and flexibility is critical. For this very reason, I always keep my schedule on Fridays very light, with plenty of room for catch-up work.

When adding tasks and events to your schedule for the week, always pad with plenty of time for unexpected things that may come up. This way, you won't feel like you're drowning in work if you or another family member is feeling under the weather, or a situation arises, or if your computer decides to act up without warning.

A big part of being organized is preparing for times like these. If nothing occurs and you have lots of extra time, great! You can use that time to get a head start on next week's work, or to do something fun and relaxing. If something does come up, you'll be able to still get those things done without the pain.

Getting Thank You Notes Out in a Timely Manner

Most people will agree that a Thank You note is a must after someone has given you a gift. It's a rule of etiquette that has been around forever, and it's a lovely and gracious way of expressing how grateful you are that someone thought of you.

But, with all the To Do's on your list, how do make the time to get those thank you notes out in a timely manner? Here are 5 things that I do...

1) Always have Thank You cards (or nice stationery) on hand. This is a must! If you actually have to go to the store or make a card, chances are the card is going to be sent out very late, if at all. Buy generic thank you cards and always have a batch on hand. Even if you enjoy making your own cards, unless you always have 10 or more on hand, having some generic standbys will ensure your Thank You's go out immediately. By the way, same goes for having postage on hand.

2) Send it out the same day you get the gift. While the gift and the occasion for which you were given the gift is fresh in your mind, this is the perfect time to jot a few words of appreciation and get the card done, stamped and mailed right then and there.

3) In some cases, like for wedding gifts or funeral thank you's, you won't be able to get your cards out that day. In those cases, you do have some extra time. When you're ready, determine how many need to go out, and how many you can-- realistically--get out each day. For example, 20 cards divided by 5 days equals 4 cards per day. Once you're at this point, just write them out a few at a time--each day-- until you're done. To give yourself some assistance with large batches of thank you cards, print out mailing labels so you don't have to hand address each envelope.

4) Get a book that gives you ideas on how to say thank you gracefully. This way, you won't be staring at a blank thank you card forever, at a loss for words.

5) When opening gifts from lots of different people, like at a birthday party, be sure to ask someone to log the gifts and who gave them as they're being opened. You'll then be about to easily personalize your thank you's and be specific to your giver, rather than the more general and less appreciative, 'thanks for the gift' (whatever it was) card. This also reduces the chances of your thank you card going out late because you're still trying to remember what that person gave you.

Bringing BIG Projects Down to Manageable Levels

A sure-fire way to ensure that a BIG project appears less colossal is to divide it up into smaller, more manageable parts.

For instance, writing a book seems like a daunting task to most people. However, starting with a simple outline of what you want included in the book--like chapter titles-- gives you a good start. A second part may be designating a file folder for each chapter, and--when you're done--collecting tips and ideas for each of those parts.

Learning how to make a quilt may seem overwhelming for someone who has never even toughed a sewing machine before. However, learning how to thread the machine may be one of the first steps. Once that's accomplished, doing some practice sewing may be the next logical step, and so on.

So often, people have BIG projects they must accomplish and they immediately hit a road block that they feel they can't surpass.

If you always take your BIG projects and break them down into smaller pieces, the projects--a little bit at a time-- will get done.