Procristinate Later!

Time management is one of the MOST important aspects to master when unemployed, as many people (myself included) are used to a specific schedule and are unable to regulate themselves when additional flexibility is provided. After taking a class titled "Its About Time For You:Time Management Methods" at the Fresh Start Women's Foundation here is what I learned about time management...

1). Scheduling ahead of time is MANDATORY. Create daily tasks just as you would if you were working in a corporate setting. The better prepared you are, the less likely you will be tempted by distractions present at home.

2). Customize a schedule around what works for you. If you are used to going to bed late, and waking up late, don't get frustrated when you cant wake up early.

3). Schedule to-do's by the time of day or order of importance. If the task takes less than 2 minutes, get it done right away.

4). Utilize 3 separate calenders - A daily calender (usually ordered by time), a weekly calender (all of the to-do's that don't have a specific time frame to be completed), and a 6 month-year calender that encompasses all of items that need to be completed somewhere down the road.

5). If you are anything like me and have a hard to estimating "time frames", increase the time allotted by 50%, giving yourself wiggle room in the event that your task takes longer than anticipated.