A Note From Beverly's Desk — Motivated for Time Management
Happy New Year!
The beginning of a new year tends to bring an abundance of motivation, and I'm personally motivated to become more organized and use my time more efficiently. I wanted to share a few things that have been on my mind lately that relate to these goals...
Cleaning My Closet — Over the holiday break, the time off (or at least away from the studio) allowed me to get work done without interruption. Being able to focus on one thing from start to finish is an excellent way to get projects done. And the best thing I accomplished was cleaning my closet! While it may seem insignificant, it felt so good, and it has inspired me to organize other areas of my life too. What has been making you feel good lately, and what are you inspired to focus on in the new year?
Organizing in Advance — That brings me to my next thought which is all about the benefits of being organized in advance. So much in life takes up time, and we all have the same 24 hours in a day. Being well organized can free up your time and your mind to focus on what matters most and to get more done in each day. Instead of wasting time searching for something or trying to remember everything that's going on, it's better to simply know where to look and find what you need. (Annie always reminds me that I need to quit trying to remember everything because you can't do it.) Sure it will take time to get organized in the beginning, but imagine how much time and frustration you'll save later on. What would you like to be prepared for in advance, and what are your tricks for staying organized?
Staff Communication — Another way I'm better organizing my time (and saving money) is by reformatting how I communicate with my staff. I used to have staff meetings frequently, which added up to a lot of time and money, and now they rarely can happen due to scheduling challenges. So, I'm switching to written communication. Putting notes in a teacher's file or paycheck, or perhaps via email or an online program, and having them be accountable for reading and responding to everything as necessary will be a lot more efficient. Plus, I love the idea of personalizing the messages. I think my staff will appreciate this; however, I would still like to keep some face time for team building and keeping a positive work culture. I will continue to try to catch teachers before or after their classes to check in with them, but I may consider setting a bit of time aside each week to be official "office hours" where they could schedule appointments to meet when they felt the need and have my attention one-on-one . How do you communicate with your staff? Have you tried ideas like this; if so, how'd they go over?
Regularly Exercising — Finally I want to manage my time well enough to incorporate consistent exercising for myself into my routine. I've started putting a mark on my calendar each day I exercise. I love seeing all those marks on my calendar. And if I don't see them, I say to myself, "Woah, I haven't exercised, I need to!" Maybe getting more organized will help lead to even more marks on my calendar this year. How do you exercise for yourself? How do you stay committed to it?
I look forward to reading your comments and thoughts on the new year, organization, and time management. We'll also be talking more on these subjects this month, so if you come up with other ideas or see articles that are related, be sure to come back and share with the rest of us.
Cheers to an organized 2015 where your time is spent in all the best ways!
