7 Time Saving Tips for the New Year!

With the New Year quickly approaching, there's no better time to take stock of what's working and what's not when it comes to organizing your life. A New Year is the ideal time to put in place the necessary changes to get the most out of your time and ultimately increase productivity.

Make "To Do" Lists
Good time managers make "to do" lists regularly. Keeping a list on paper works best because it is easy and portable. Some people also use time/management software on their computers or handheld data organizers or they save messages for themselves on any pocket sized recorders.

Get Organized
Locating lost or misplaced pieces of information to finish a project can take up precious time. To use time more wisely, organize your life and keep it that way. A number of resources on organizational skills are readily available. Keep in mind that using just one tip can save dozens of hours or more a year.

Group Leaders: Save time this year by organizing your group online with SignUpGenius. Learn More.

Be Assertive
If you have too much to do, say so. If you could use someone else's help, ask for it. If you are asked to do something you don't have time for, speak up. Assertiveness is about honesty, and good time managers are honest with themselves and others.

Prioritize

Good time managers develop a way to determine which things on their plate have priority. Try using a rating system next to each item on your "to do" lists, with five stars for the most important projects and one star for the least important. And as you enter items on your list, assign each of them a deadline.

Handle each piece of paper only once
This tip appears again and again because so much time is wasted shuffling papers from one pile to the next. There are four things you can do with each piece of paper your receive. 1) Act on it, 2) File it 3) Give it to someone else 4) Throw it away. Decide which is best for each piece of paper you receive, keeping in mind that 95% of papers filed for more than one year are never used again.

SignUpGenius can help you get organized this year. Check out this EXAMPLE!

Don't Panic
At times when you have too much to do and too little time, don't panic. This only wastes precious time. Instead, take a deep breath and use any of these time management tips to help you focus your attention on what needs to happen.

Eliminate Distractions
Good time managers create the environment they need to get the job done. If you need your calls held or if you need to work in an area free from interruption, do it. A few hours of uninterrupted work each day can go gar in solving your time management problems.