Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

I’m a person who loves to organize. Recently, I got through Netflix a video called Time Management from the Inside Out with Julie Morgenstern.

How have I not realized that time management is also organization? She compared organizing time to organizing closets. Hey! I know how to organize closets!

And all of a sudden, figuring out my schedule got so much easier.

I have a lot of irons in the fire right now. With my own business, I no longer have the set schedule that a 9-to-5 job affords. I get things done, but I often feel flustered doing them.

I haven’t always known what I should be working on at any given moment. My to-do list is always in front of me, but it can be daunting at times. For this past week, I’ve applied her system.

My mind is already calmer. It didn’t feel like I worked as hard as I usually do, and I definitely got more things done. If you are an otherwise systematic and organized person who can’t seem to get a handle on time, I think this video will help you too.

She presents seven easy-to-understand steps. Some of them you already know and do. Her time mapping concept, however, was new to me. And it has really helped.

As she suggested, I block out my week by categories, not by specific items. Then when something comes up, I don’t have any qualms about postponing doing it until the right time in my schedule.

For example, household organization (paying bills, filing papers, etc.) takes place Sunday evening. For the rest of the week, I put everything in a pile and don’t have to think about making time for them.

If I’m lost about what I should be doing next, a glance at my time map tells me which category within which I should be working. When it’s a work block, I ignore everything else on my list. When it’s a personal block, I can read or watch TV without guilt or worry.

Of course I’ll have to keep fine tuning my time allotments as I go along, but so far, this is really helping me out. She’s given me a tangible way to think about time.

Tags: Life, Starting a Business by Ms. SP
3 Comments »

Thanks go to Lee’s My body clock is trying to kill me post for inspiring this one.

I’ve had the good fortune of being able to work at home from Christmas until yesterday. Today, I had to get up at normal-people hours to get onsite at an office. I dreaded it.

Since this post is being written on Saturday and scheduled to post on Monday morning, I wonder how I’m doing right now?

College was the first time I realized that my body’s natural settings made me a night person. I love the times past midnight. Everyone else is asleep, and I’m putzing around thinking, writing, and doing my schoolwork.

I would walk the campus all by myself and feel totally at ease. I’ve joked that I may be a vampire many times.

So for the past eleven or so days, I’ve been able to settle into the asleep at 2:00-3:00 am / get up at 10:00-11:00 am rotation. If you’ll notice, that’s still about 8 hours of sleep.

When I try to fit into a societally decreed workday, I am sluggish a lot of the time. Without caffeine in the morning, my mind stays foggy all day. I find myself feeling that things are just off some of the time.

It seems that I am just not cut out to exist in normal society. :)

Luckily, the decision I made to start my own business is helping my situation a bit. I do have more flexibility now. But, that also makes it harder to adapt when every day calls for a different set of hours.

I wonder what evolutionary purpose my clock’s setting is designed for. Am I the night lookout? Do I make sure the fire stays lit? Or perhaps I make sure the night crawlies stay out of the cave?

I’m sure not made to commute-sit-commute.

But I do it anyway. At least sometimes.

Tags: Life, Starting a Business by Ms. SP
3 Comments »

As you may be able to guess from my more sporadic posting schedule, life has gotten a bit more hectic for me. I took a part-time job while I work on growing my own business. So far, I’m really enjoying that part-time job. I’ve realized that without other people’s challenges, I would not learn as much or develop as many skills. If I don’t know how to do something for my own company, I would just figure out a work-around.

When I have a boss, I actually have to problem-solve it. So in addition to a set income, I’m also continuing to expand my abilities. I love knowing more stuff. :)

With the position being part-time, I don’t have as many responsibilities and pressures. But I’m making the same salary rate as I used to at my more-than-full-time job. Less and easier work for the same pay? Win.

I can also use the withholding from this paycheck to offset the incomes from my other pursuits. I hope that will simplify my financials.

Another benefit from this part-time job is that it keeps me connected with people. A home office has many benefits, but it is isolating. Even the commute reinforces my relationship with society at large.

And finally, let’s not forget about having access to the lovely office equipment, such as copiers and scanners.

Tags: Starting a Business by Ms. SP
4 Comments »