Vlog: Time Management Tips

Sorry about the background noise in the video, first of all.  It came through more than I had hoped.  

Do you have a problem managing your time?

Do you try to juggle work, school, family obligations, exercising, chores, meal planning, healthy eating, medication schedules, doctor appointments, surgeries scheduling, therapy sessions, pet care....on and on and on?

Stop.

Try these tips for taking the mystery and the headaches out of time management:

• Make a list of the things you must do.
• Make a list of the things you'd like to do.
• Get a big calendar or use Google Calendar--any calendar will do, really.  I just like big calendars.  :-)
• Put these "must do's" on the calendar.
• Next, go to your list of things you would like to do and fit them in around the "must do's."

Okay, now that you've done that, you may be thinking, "I still don't know if I can do this."  Seek help.

-Seek out help from your family:

• delegate some tasks to your spouse, parent, child, or other family members living in the home
• ask for rides to doctor's appointments, job interviews, concert venues, and the like
• ask for help to figure out how you can actually make your plans happen

-Seek out help from your boss:

• see if your work schedule can be rearranged to better accommodate your health maintenance needs
• see if you could delegate some responsibilities if you feel overwhelmed
• ask for accountability if you are having a hard time getting motivated to tackle a project

-Seek out help from the medical community:

• get a medication schedule from your pharmacist
• ask your doctor what you can and can't do as far as exercise goes
• ask for ways to be more efficient.  Are you doing things you don't have to do?  
• ask for accountability for the things that you must do

-Seek out help from friends:

• ask if they would be willing to drive you to an interview or doctor's appointment
• ask if they would be willing to act as your sounding board
• ask if they would comfort you
• ask if they would be willing to help you make your dreams come true 
• ask if they would be willing to take on tasks 
• ask if they would be willing to take on some tasks that are bogging you down
• ask for accountability for the things you really want to do for fun or to lose weight

-Seek out help from teachers:

• see if you can possibly do an assignment differently that you're struggling with
• see if you can get extra help from a tutor
• see if you can possibly change your schedule, take different classes
• see if you can be held accountable for a specific assignment by the teacher

-Cut out things you don't need to do

• you may tend to overload yourself with unnecessary expectations

-Spend less time online

-Find APPS that keep you accountable

• Smarter Time
• MyEffectiveness
• aTimeLogger

-Join accountability groups online or locally

My big thing is lists.  I make lists for everything--work, travel, meals, activities, you name it.  Also, my husband, Jim, helps me a lot at home so I can concentrate on my health maintenance and coaching.

Medical appointments are a given.  I hardly ever miss one.  I make time for them, always.  

The areas I'm working on the most are fitting in exercise and also scheduling meals.  Scheduling meals is a tough one because both our schedules are pretty hectic, but it is extremely important to do so because my medication is tied to food.  Either I have to take meds with or without food.  

What are your biggest time management issues?  

Vlog: Remembering a Class Trip

Hello all!  Today's vlog topic is on doing things on your own.  It is particularly geared toward those with chronic health issues.  I talk about a class trip I went on in high school.  It was the first one I ever went on without my mother.  I was nervous, but I did it.  It taught me that I really could do things on my own.  The lesson here is to try to be as independent and self-sufficient as possible.  Learn all about your health maintenance so if you're caregiver isn't around, you will know what to do.  I hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful.  Have a great weekend.  Take care.

Are You Ready for Life on Your Own?

Parents and spouses are important parts of your support system.  But what happens when they're gone?  What if they pass on?  Are you ready?  Not only for the emotional impact but for living on your own without your primary source of support?

In 2003, I had a premonition of sorts.  I started thinking, "What if something happens to Jim? Would I be able to function on my own?  Would I know who to call?  Would I know how to handle the business side of our lives--bills, repairs, general maintenance?"  And so on.  I panicked.  I voiced my concerns to Jim, who usually took care of pretty much everything.  I started insisting that he give me a crash course in, well, everything he did for us.  He thought I was overreacting and didn't take it too seriously.  He explained a few things, but I was still pretty much in the dark.

Then in December of that year, he fell.  He fell when the old ladder he was standing on to remove snow from our porch roof broke in two.  He landed on the shoveled concrete walkway in front of our house, with three feet of fresh snow on each side of him. 

I was about to be put to the test.

 As soon as I saw Jim lying on the walkway, unresponsive, I kicked into emergency mode.  It was automatic.  It was instantaneous.  This is one thing I can tell those of you who think you are wimps and clueless about how to handle emergencies:  I said the same exact thing, and yet I did exactly what I needed to do at the time.  You will do what you need to do too.  Your instincts will kick in.  I just hope you never have to experience such razor-sharp instincts.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone.  

Besides keeping up with my medical care, the household stuff, bills, and Jim's condition, I had to manage a move. We had just sold our house and the closing was scheduled for December 31, less than two weeks away. I had to get help to remove the rest of our things from the house.  I had to get a power of attorney so I could sign for Jim at the closing.  We should have backed out of the sale, but we didn't.  Luckily, we had amazing friends and my family who helped get everything done on time, plus provided me with constant support, including transportation to and from the hospital.

Although the neurosurgeon in charge of Jim's care told me afterward he had had his doubts that he's be able to save him, save him he did.  Jim has partial hearing loss, short-term memory loss, and has had bouts with blood clots, but considering the shape he was in when he fell, he's doing quite well.  

Things to Consider 

These are things I wish we had considered well before Jim's fall.  Take a look:

• Sit down with your parent or spouse--or another primary person you currently live with--and discuss what to do in case of emergency or death of that person.
• Make a list of important phone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and other important contact information.
• Make a list of account numbers:  banks, credit cards, and so on.
• Do your own banking and handle your own money.
• Add your name to every account, loan--everything--if possible.  I couldn't get information about our car loan because it wasn't in my name at the time of Jim's fall.  
• Surround yourself with people you can count on to help with ANYthing you need.  These people will stay up all night with you while you talk about the same things over and over and cry your eyes out.  These people will drop everything to help you.  These people will have a place where you can stay, at least temporarily, should you be unable or unwilling to stay alone.  No excuses, no questions, no B.S., they are there--period.  Find those people and stick with them.
• Get used to asking others for help when you need it.
• Get used to getting around on your own, whether by car, bus, train, plane, your own two feet, via your chair--whatever--get really good at it.
• Get used to shopping, prepping your own meals, and cleaning your own living space.
• Get used to basic maintenance of your car, chair, house--anything that needs to be done.  Or make a list of reliable repair services you can count on to do it for you.
• Keep up with your health maintenance.  You need to be strong and healthy in times of emergency.  The healthier you are on an on-going basis, the better off you'll be during and after the emergency.

Have you ever experienced a similar situation when you had to take charge and you weren't quite sure you could handle it?  How did you do?  And, do you live on your own?  I'd love to hear from you.