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In the last two missions we took stock of your:

• Business tasks, in order to improve time management at work, and
• Home organization tasks, for better time management at home.

This week we’ll do the same for your personal tasks – like grooming and exercise – and find ways to be more effective with those precious moments of self time.

Get Organized Mission # 29:
Make the Most Of Your Personal Time

Step 1: List Your Self-Care Tasks

Jot down the (ideally) regular activities on your personal self-care list. Your list may include:

Step 2: Simplify or eliminate

Go through your list for anything you’d be happy to cut down, streamline or cross right off.

For example:

• Could you listen to audiobooks while walking or doing errands or chores?
• Could you cancel regular socializing - like drinks, events, dinners – that you don’t enjoy?
• Could you study via a distance program to save travel time?
• Could you stop reading magazines that give you little or no pleasure or return for your time?
• Could you switch to a form of exercise that’s more time effective, like weights or cardio instead of Pilates if your goal is fat loss?
• Could you cut out or cut down on internet time that’s unrewarding?
• Could you subscribe to podcasts or blogs to save you searching for updates?

Step 3: Combine

Next, look for items you can merge for better use of your personal time.

For example:

• Could you combine social time with another interest – like a reading group, hobby group, fitness class, or sport?
• Could you read while on your exercise bike or watch TV while on your treadmill?
• Could you manicure your own nails while watching DVDS, instead of scheduling, driving to, and attending appointments?
• Could you switch to a sport with fitness benefits to save exercise/gym time?
• Could you make work travel time into personal time by reading, listening to your iPod or writing in a journal?

Step 4: Batch

Finally, see which of your personal tasks can be batched for better time efficiency.

For example:

• Could you do all your clothes shopping at the beginning or end of the season?
• Could you schedule all your grooming appointments for the same day, at nearby places?
• Could you catch up on all personal emails, cards and letters at one time each week or month?

These steps will leave you with a lot less waste in your precious personal time.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t worry about capturing every little self-care task on your list.
• Do focus on the personal time that gives you the most enjoyment, rejuvenation or sense of self-care. Focus on these valuable activities in order to gain the most from this exercise.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission with your best friends. Together, brainstorm ways you can each get more self care into your busy lives – using Steps 2, 3 and 4 to guide you.
• Do this mission with a special loved one – perhaps a spouse, sibling or child with whom you’d like a better relationship. Go through the steps using activities that contribute to relationship
  -care rather than self-care.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

NOW AVAILABLE: 52 Organizing Missions Workbooks

Same great missions, now in lovely printable workbooks. Each mission includes a fully interactive:

-  Planning Worksheet
-  To-Do List
-  Success Journal.

Workbook 1: Missions 1-13 (116 pages) 
Workbook 2: Missions 14-26 (120 Pages)
Workbook Set (get both workbooks and save 25%)

Workbooks 3 & 4 available later this year.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cefeida/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. Time Management: How To Boost Productivity at Work [Mission #27]
2. Time Management: How To Simplify Your Home Organization Tasks [Mission #28]
3. Get Organized For Fitness [Mission #38]