Give Yourself The Gift Of Time For 2012

What we all really need for Christmas is more time, and not to work , pay bills , or do chores around the house . But to focus on family , friends , fun , and self. This year let’s all focus on “Saving Time In A Bottle ” , as the Jim Croce song went. Here are a few hints to gain a few more precious minutes.

1. Organize your closets , medicine cabinet , jewelry ,  etc. Organization is the key to getting out the door faster . Set up a system by color or by item. Hire a Professional to help you update your wardrobe storage and make it simpler to work with. Clutter slows us down and depresses us.

2. Use services like Quickbooks and Turbo Tax to handle your accounting. If your finances are more complicated , the worse thing you can do to yourself is to try to wade through it all alone ,  find a good CPA.

3. Manage your mail and email . Sort through incoming mail as it arrives , use a portable file system  with sections labeled bills to pay , letters to answer, etc. Input names and addresses into your computer that can be printed out as labels. Tweak the list every year.

4. Let someone else fix it. Do you or your spouse have those half finished projects all over the place? Then bring in someone else to guide it to completion. Doing what we really aren’t expert at sucks away lots of time , and time is the rarest commodity there is. Rarer than handing someone 100.00 to repair something. Add to this having someone else clean your house once a month if you can afford it. All those tasks that you hate to do around the house , when you could be golfing or going to lunch.

5. Stay healthy. Being sick takes time away from what you want and need to do. Carry a hand sanitizer, Go to your doctor on a regular basis or attend health fairs. Get all your medical screenings for early detection. A long term illness will put your life , and every-one’s around you on hold. Exercise  daily

6.When replacing light  bulbs go LED. Of all the crazy things you have wasted money on , what is 15-20 dollars for a bulb when it buys you 7-15 years of not changing one. Retro fit your recessed incandescent lights with LED kits.

7. Cook every 2 days. Especially if there are 2 of you. Plan meals that can be recreated into something else the next day without too much work. Take turns cooking to give your other half a break , and more time.

We only have so many hours on this planet , and the clock is always ticking. Do something meaningful , do something wonderful , make memories . Give Yourself some Time.

It is Monday , let’s all take time to finish the last of our shopping list, plan out the Holiday meal or make a reservation. Give one present to ourselves of meditation , deep breathing , and relaxation . Just 15 minutes on you.

Peggy Oberlin RID 4986