National Time Management Month

NAPO Helps Put Time on Your Side During National Time Management Month

MT. LAUREL, N.J. — If the hustle and bustle of work, family, friends — and life in general — is bogging you down, let the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) help to better manage your time. During the month of February, National Time Management Month, NAPO is emphasizing the importance of improving time management as a way to achieve a more balanced life.

Organizational systems to manage your activities are key to effective time management, whether at home or in the office. According to a survey conducted on behalf of NAPO recently, 96 percent of the 400 adults polled said they could save time every day if theywere more organized at home. In addition, time management is one of the top 10 organizing specialties for NAPO’s nearly 4,300 members.

“Research indicates that people waste an hour or more each day searching for lost items or working in ways that are not productive,” said NAPO President Standolyn Robertson.

“This could translate into the loss of money and valuable time that could be used for other important projects. If individuals examined where their time was going on a daily basis, they could determine better ways to use it and reduce wasted time.”

Here are some tips to better manage your time at work, or at home:

General time management tips

• Use a planner to track appointments and tasks. It can be a paper-based notebook, a computer software program, or an electronic hand-held device.
• Make a habit of prioritizing your weekly tasks. Rank them in order of importance.
• Review how you are spending your time and make adjustments according to your
  goals and priorities.
• Create at least one hour of uninterrupted time per day to tackle projects and action items.
• Allocate more time for a task than you think it will take to allow for interruptions.
  • Break large projects down into small, sequential steps. Schedule these steps into
  your day with your planner.
• Group errands together so that you save time (and money) on travel, and the
  hassle of having to run out again because you didn’t plan your trip initially.
• Work while you wait. Have “busy work” on hand to do while you wait at the
  doctor’s office, are on hold with the cable company, or are stuck waiting for a late
  lunch date.
• Create time management goals. For example, set a goal that you will not take
  personal phone calls while you’re working.
• Track your activities to determine whether or not you’re accomplishing your time
  management goals.
• Establish routines and stick to them as much as possible.
• Be sure your systems are organized. If you waste a lot of time looking for files on
  your computer, take the time to organize a file management system.

Other organizing tips are available at www.napo.net.

Don’t Do It Alone: Consider Hiring a Professional Organizer

If getting organized is something you are serious about, you might want to consider hiring an expert. A professional organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizing skills. Professional organizers help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper and their systems for life.

About NAPO
The premier national association dedicated to the field of organizing, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is The Organizing Authority®. Formed in 1985 as a nonprofit professional, educational association, NAPO is dedicated to serving its members through education, networking, industry resources, and promoting the profession to the public. NAPO’s mission is to develop, lead, and promote professional organizers and the organizing industry. For more information, visit
www.napo.net