Grace-Full Intentions: Work Smarter, Not Harder

I think the saying on the shirt above is not only hilarious, it's also very true. If you are an organized person {or know someone who is}, you know how much we don't like to waste time or energy by repeating tasks unnecessarily. Not only that, we like to make the necessary tasks as easy as possible. Basically, the whole "organized people are lazy" idea is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that we're not going to exert any more effort than truly necessary to complete any one task.

However, organized individuals are not truly lazy. At least not in the way we normally think of laziness. After all, it takes work to plan ahead and then carry out the plan. But it is true that organized people can appear to "have it all together", even if they're a nervous wreck on the inside.

With that being said, are you someone who fits into the "disorganized" half of society? It's okay, you can say "yes". I won't tell anyone. What I will do is let you in on a secret that we organized bunch use to stay sane: Work Smarter, Not Harder!

How do we "work smarter, not harder"? Well, we start by asking ourselves the following questions:

Question #1

Is there anything I can do now to prevent more work later?

If procrastination were a sport, would you be MVP? If so, chances are you are spending more time and exerting more energy than you need to. What do I mean? Think about those mornings you spend looking for keys that have "sprouted legs and walked away". You used up at least 15 minutes on your search when that time could have been better used on something else. Plus, it probably created or added to the stress you were already experiencing, thus raising your blood pressure and impacting your mood (potentially for the rest of the day). All because you don't have a designated "home" for your keys, such as a bowl or hook.

Think about some other situations in which acting on a task now can decrease your work load later:

{Via}

When your evening routine includes laying clothes out, preparing lunches, and setting the table for breakfast, you are doing your part to make sure your morning runs smoothly.

When you meal plan {create a menu plan, clip coupons, and write out a grocery list in advance}, you are ensuring a pleasant trip to the store with as little impact on your wallet as possible.

When you designate a well lit place in your home for your kids to study {also providing them with a "Homework Kit" filled with paper, pencils, markers, scissors, and anything else they need to get the job done}, you are decreasing the chance of an I-don't-wanna-do-my-homework meltdown later on.

Just think about it this way: "If I go ahead and do something now, then I'll get to be a little more 'lazy' later on."

Question #2

How can I be more productive with my time?

{Via}

At the beginning of this post I told you all that organized folks don't like to waste time. I imagine most people, organized or not, would prefer not to waste time. I mean, who really LOVES to waste time, right? But we do it ALL the time; sometimes without even realizing it.

Here's an example: lets say you are in the market for a new television. Which course of action more closely resembles the one you'd take?

Option #1 - Load up the hubby and kids. Drive around to 5 different stores, looking for the best deal. Realize the best choice was at store #1. Drive back. All the while enduring the I'm-tired-can-we-go-now whines and the I'm-hungry-when's-dinner cries {and sometimes joining in because, face it, you're tired and hungry too}.

Option #2 - While the kids are napping, you log on to your computer and search for the best deals. You may even make a few phone calls to have some questions answered, all while hanging out in the comfort of your own home {maybe even in your pjs}. Once you decide on the best choice for your family and your wallet, you load up the kids, drive to the store, and make your purchase. Then you drive home in plenty of time to whip up a homemade pizza and enjoy your favorite show or movie {okay, maybe not homemade pizza...point is, ou'd have time to spare}.

Maybe your shopping adventures already resemble the second one. Who knows, maybe you go one step further and just have the purchase delivered to your front door so that you never have to leave at all! But is there another area of your life where your time could better managed?

Driving all over town paying bills, stopping by the post office or shopping for gifts? You can easily do these things from your computer rather than wasting gas. Arrived at your favorite restaurant on date night, only to wait for a hour before being seated? Call ahead for reservations beforehand. Dinner taking longer than expected because you spent most of the time doing prep work? After you've done the shopping and put the groceries away, do as much of the prep work for future meals as you can {cut up veggies, brown meat, etc}, making it that much easier to get dinner on the table during the week.

A good way to improve your time management skills is to keep a log of how you spend your time each day for one week. At the end of the week, look it over, noting where you may have wasted time. Then, form a game plan to fix those issues in the future.

Question #3

Does every item in my home HAVE a home?

{Via}

If you find that you spend a lot of time looking for things, chances are you don't have a proper home for them. Every single item in your home needs a designated spot to live. Once you find a place for the item, label accordingly. By labeling canisters, boxes, and baskets, you're kind of "claiming" that spot for the item it will contain. And, if you don't have room for something, it's time to evaluate whether it belongs in your home at all.

When choosing a place for each of your possessions, think about what kind of spaces you need for each activity that takes place in your home. If you have young children, a dedicated play area {even if it's just a corner} will help keep the toys to one centralized location. Maybe you pay bills using your laptop wherever it's most convenient for you? Putting together a "bill paying kit" will allow you to perform this task anywhere!

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What kind of things do you do to work smarter, not harder?

Blessings,