The Fredericton Daily Gleaner
Friday, October 15, 2004
Are you always late? Do you forget to pay bills and miss appointments? You aren't alone.
Many people aren't good time managers, says professional organizer Elaine Shannon.
Getting organized begins with a family calendar, she says.
"It needs to have a central spot. It could be in a kitchen, on the back door. The calendar needs to be in plain view for everyone to see."
All appointments for the entire family should be written on this calendar.
Shannon colour-codes her family's calendar. Anything related to her work is in red. Her husband's work obligations are marked in blue. The green spaces are family activities. Special occasions are colour-coded black.
"You can only put one thing in a time slot."
As soon as she schedules something, she writes it on the calendar. The same information immediately goes in her daytime appointment book, which she carries with her at all times.
She reviews her next day's appointments at the end of each day. This helps her to prepare for the next day so she'll know where everybody in the family will be and what they'll be doing.
"This way you are in control of your day and appointments aren't missed. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail," says Shannon.
Preparing for your day should happen the night before, she says.
Older children should be responsible for getting their own clothing and lunches ready.
"If they don't have something they need, you look for it at this time - not in the morning."
If you really want to be organized, you can get your entire week's wardrobe ready on Sunday, she says.
Everything in your house should have a home.
"Where do the book bags go? Where do the jackets go? Always take the time, when you return home, to put things away where they belong."
Shannon's kids have a homework shelf where all of their schoolbooks and supplies are kept.
Every family member should have roles and responsibilities.
"The mother's job is not to do everything," says Shannon.
When you get up in the morning all you should have to do is get washed, dressed and eat before you leave the house, she says.
Running a home is like running an office, she says. Shannon keeps a filing system, which is numbered one through 31, January to December.
All of the paperwork coming into this house is kept here.
"Deal with all papers once. Assign them to the month or the day on which they need attention."
She recommends pulling the next day's file out the night before and going through it to see what needs to be done next.
She writes reminders on the family calendar and in her daytime appointment book to make sure things get done on time.
Shannon recommends writing bill due dates in your appointment book a week in advance so they will get paid on time.
Her husband is on the road every other week for a week at a time.
Even though he's gone half the year, she says, her house runs smoothly. This is because everything is in its place and everyone knows what's happening at any given time.
"My children are eight, seven and four-years-old. They have afterschool chores and they do them."
This is possible for every household, she says.
"Families with older children may have a little more difficulty because they've formed bad habits. If you can make this stick for a month it will stick forever. That's where a professional organizer can come in and help you establish a system."
When it comes to meals, she says, families should plan weekly menus and plan shopping lists accordingly.
This will only work if the entire family gets involved, she says.
When everyone buys into this new plan, she says, it will work.
"Within weeks they will discover they are on time and have more time for each other. Getting organized is the most proactive thing you can do if you want to be successful in your business and life," she says.
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