Don't
feel you have enough control over your life? Here are 10 great tips to help you
declutter your life and gain control once again.
Gain control of your
life, tip 1: Establish daily priorities
Each
day, establish a list of the things you have to do and then decide which are
most important to you. Then do the most important things first. Also, ask
yourself if everything on your list really needs doing and if it’s going to
concern you too much if it doesn’t get done. Eliminate the unimportant things
by being ruthless about it — which will be easier to do if you recognise that
there are many activities which will only waste time and won’t add much value
to your life!
Gain control of your
life, tip 2: Streamline your life
Take
a look at how you spend your time over a typical week. You may find that you
spend too much of your life in the office, or spend too many hours doing the
housework, or even do a combination of both. If this is the case, determine
what areas can be streamlined. For example, do you really need to put in an
extra hour every day at work? (Remember that once you start doing extra at
work, it almost becomes expected of you!). Consider what you really want to do
with your time, and be a bit more selfish about it.
Gain control of your
life, tip 3: Minimise and make use of your commuting time
Too
much time can be spent fighting your way to work — especially if you always end
up sitting in traffic in your car or squeezing onto packed public transport
services. Try minimising the time it takes to get to work by leaving earlier in
the morning and doing the same in the evening so that you avoid the rush hour.
Also, make use of your journey time by listening to some motivational
music or that instructional CD you’ve always wanted to get into. If you are
using public transport, your journey could even be a good opportunity to catch
up a few matters or compile a ‘to do’ list for that day.
Gain control of your
life, tip 4: Share the load at home
If
you’re constantly being pulled in different directions by family members, then
it might be time to establish some firmer rules for how you spend your time.
For example, if you’re always the person who does the driving around for
everyone — such as dropping off one of your children and their friends at an
after-school activity, and then taking another of your children to a completely
different place — then why not let someone else take the strain for a change?
You could consider sharing the duties with your partner, a relative, a friend
or a neighbour, so that it’s not always you on call.
Gain control of your
life, tip 5: Consider different work options
Depending
on your job, you may be able to reduce a lot of wasted travel time by working
from home. It may be that you spend a lot of time at home anyway doing
work-related tasks — and this could be a good reason to use when persuading
your boss to let you operate in such a way. You may even be able to lighten
your load by delegating work more frequently instead of trying to be some kind
of superman or superwoman! If possible, you could even think about switching to
part-time work to give you more time for other things.
Gain control of your
life, tip 6: Declutter
Declutter
your surroundings to help you operate in the home and workplace in a more
organised manner. Getting rid of the clutter in your home and your office will
save time — and when your surroundings are decluttered, your mind will have
more chance to relax and focus. It’s certainly a great idea to get rid of the
majority of things that you never use or don’t need — and everything that you
do need should be given a permanent location so you know where to find it.
Gain control of your
life, tip 7: Cook more food and save it
One
thing we are guaranteed to have to do each day is sort out some food for
ourselves. Obviously the simple solution would be to get a takeaway every
night, but a more affordable and healthier option would be to use your time in
the kitchen more wisely. For example, if you cook something one night, consider
making more than you need so that you can freeze some of it and use the extra
amount on another occasion. It doesn’t generally take you much more time to
make the extra, but it will save you plenty of time in the long run.
Gain control of your
life, tip 8: Know your limitations
All
too frequently we expect too much of ourselves and try to take too much on
board. Remember that no one can do everything, and be realistic in your
expectations of yourself. Also, avoid comparing your abilities with those of
others, as some people will be just naturally better at doing certain things
than you. Once you accept that it’s not possible to do everything that you are
trying to do, then you’ll realise the only way round it is to get your family
and friends to help with or take on tasks in the home, or your work colleagues
to help with or take on tasks in the workplace.
Gain control of your
life, tip 9: Consider running your own business
If
you feel the demands on you at work are far too much and you’re not getting the
job satisfaction you’re seeking, it might be a good idea to consider working
for yourself. It takes a brave person to set up their own business, and while
initially it might involve you having to put in long hours, it may ultimately
pay off and help you to get more control over your life. How much you put in
and how much you get out of your business will largely be your choice — which
means that working for yourself is a great way of taking control of your life.
Gain control of your
life, tip 10: Be more decisive
When
there is an option, it pays to be decisive. For example, at work there may be a
task that needs to be allocated — and if it is something that you want to or
don’t want to take on, then say so! All too often people end up saddled with
something they don’t want to do — or alternatively not doing something they did
want to do — because they didn’t speak up at the time. And you can be decisive
in your personal life too. If you don’t make decisions then someone else will
make them for you — and so you end up having to go along with something that
you don’t want to do.
-source: realbuzz.com
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