Does Your Time Manage You?

Does it seem as if there aren't enough hours in the day? Do the days fly by while you still have so much more left to do? You are not alone! Many CAs complain that they do not have enough time to complete all of their office responsibilities, let alone their personal obligations. Although chiropractic techniques and methods of managing an office have certainly evolved over the years, one thing remains necessary: the need to adopt more effective time management skills.

Here are five tips you can incorporate into your daily routine to help your life become a lot easier. Use them to make a huge difference in how you manage your time - both inside and outside the office.

1. Wake up 15 minutes earlier each morning. This will enable you to focus and prepare for the upcoming day. Use the extra time to say an affirmation, meditate, or exercise. Eat a good breakfast, listen to motivational chiropractic CDs, or do anything else that will help give your day a boost!
2. Arrive at your destination 15 minutes early. Whether you're going to work, to a meeting, or to an appointment, there is nothing worse than being late. And as the saying goes, if you're not early, you're late. Tardiness is disrespectful to others and leaves us feeling uptight and irritable. Being early to work allows you to organize the daily activities, have a morning huddle, or complete any unfinished tasks from the day previous.
3. Schedule and prioritize. One way of doing this is to begin a time log. Write out the activities of each day of the week, each hour of the day, and record how you spend your time doing those activities. Start simple, noting travel time to and from work, personal chores, and phone and e-mail time. Then, add your daily work tasks. This will, without a doubt, increase your productivity!
4. Turn off the television. Think of all of the things you could be doing instead. You could be spending time with your family, exercising, reading or listening to music. Or, do something for you: Take a yoga class or piano lessons, join a book club, or volunteer at the local children's hospital. Make personal time a priority. If you give up one hour of TV a day, imagine what you could do with 365 extra hours!
5. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier. Use the time to reflect on your day and set your goals for tomorrow. Consider keeping a journal, if you don't already, to hold your thoughts, wishes, anxieties, and everything else that makes you the unique individual that you are.

We've all heard the saying that it takes 21 days to create a new habit, so it's best to get started making these changes right away. Time is precious, so take what you have and manage it wisely!

Michelle Geller-Vino
Boca Raton, Florida
www.mgvmarketing.com