Do you ever feel like there is never enough time in the day? Are you always rushing? Have you ever lain awake at night worrying over whether you did everything you needed to do for the day or about what you need to do the next day? Do you feel stressed at the end of the day?

Time management and productivity skills are not just important to corporate executives. We moms have a lot of things to do and stuff to juggle. With so much to do it is easy to get overwhelmed or over-stressed.

God wants us to make the most of our time (Colossians 3:23). Moses prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. ” (Psalm 90:12) In Ephesians 5:15 Paul said, Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

The single most productive tool you need to organize your time and home is a prayed over to-do list.

Your list can be written on a simple notepad, in a fancy planner, or kept on your computer but you need a to-do list and you need to pray before you create it. You may not think something so simple could help so much, but it really can.

Once you write a to-do list you feel relief. You get what you need to do organized on paper and out of your head. Then you have a reminder for later. Get it in writing, and you’ve taken the first step to getting it done.

Most people will only write an occasional to-do list once they are completely overwhelmed but then return to their regular fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants no list mode until they lay awake at night overwhelmed again. Be proactive! Make and keep a daily to-do list.

Make it a Habit

Your prayed over list should become a daily routine to get a clear overview of what needs to be done. The most important step is prayer. God promises to direct our paths when we acknowledge Him.

Make it a habit to pray over and review your list at the same time every morning. Add any new task or projects as you cross off completed tasks.

There are dozens of to-do lists available online. See a good overview at the Solution Watch blog 25 To Do Lists to Stay Productive. For free printable to-do forms see The Organized Home.

I make a lot of different type lists and notes to stay organized. Some projects have several task and sub lists. I manage homeschool and business projects with Back Pack, and Sandy (an online assistant). I use a program called Writers Blocks to organize my writing.

For the day-to-day to-do list for home management I use a free, simple quick program online called Ta-Da.

Ta-Da claims to be “the easiest Web-based to-do list maker.” And it is simple and easy. You can get started in 10 seconds. Here are some of my lists:

• Urgent
• To Do (to call, pick up, mail, etc)
• Honey Do
• Appointments
• Groceries
• Blog topic ideas
• Read Later (books, articles, etc.)

Ta-Da allows you to create, edit, manage unlimited lists and tick a box to cross things off your list (but they’re saved in small text at the bottom if you ever want to reference your completed items again. You can also email, share, or subscribe to the RSS feed of any of your lists.

Paper or computer — what ever program works best for you — get into a list making habit. You’ll save time and energy. Who doesn’t need more time and energy?

PS. There is an entire blog titled To Do Lists that became a book. The blog owner feels nothing is more revealing than someone’s to-do list.

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• When Trials Come, Rejoice!

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Do you have a continual list of free-floating “to do” items clogging your brain? Do you juggle multiple calendars and “to do” lists? Do you have sticky notes and scrap paper all over the house? Do you keep random thoughts and ideas on your computer in Notepad?

How would you like someone to help you keep track of appointments, remind you of things to pick up at the store, help plan menus, update your addresses, phone numbers and emails, even help you remember the day to take out the trash? Could you use someone to remember birthdays for you and remind you when they’re coming up?

Homeschool Moms Need Help to Stay Organized!

Sandy has been my personal assistant for a week and I really depend on her. She reminds me of blogging tasks (contests, memes, etc.), sites I want to check out or book reviews I want to read, when to back up data, calls to make, birthdays, and much more.

Sandy is a free online assistant that will send you reminders, contacts, and track appointments for you. Working with Sandy is as simple as sending myself email.

Whenever I want to remind myself to do something, all I need to do is email Sandy. It can be a one-time thing or something weekly, monthly, or annually. Sandy remembers everything. She will automatically create, update and revise my “to do” list in response to emails I send.

There’s nothing to download, install, or configure. Sandy lives in your address book. You write to Sandy at a special email address, get her attention with a few simple keywords, and she will send you reminders, “to do” lists, calendars, and more–so you can focus on what’s important. All without leaving your email inbox.

Sandy understands simple shorthand that feels natural to read and write. If you want Sandy to remember something for you, start a sentence with “remember” or “remind” like this:

• Remember that I lent our Pride and Prejudice DVD to Susie
• Remind me to write a post about Sandy tomorrow morning.

Mention a date or time and Sandy will put it on the calendar and email you a reminder (and/or send a text message to your cellphone) when the time comes. Sandy understands a number of date and time notations, for example:

• Remind me about Bible study class on Friday at 8am @weekly
• Remember to pick up dry cleaning in 3 days
• Remind me to check abc blog on Thursday
• Remind me to write a post for the meme on Tuesday
• Remember to mail Mom’s birthday card September 6 @annually.
• Remember the library books are due back on March 1.
• Remind me to take out trash Weds @weekly (you’ll get a weekly message)

Sandy will remind you 15 minutes ahead of time (or at 7am if you haven’t specified a time). “Remind me to take out trash Weds @weekly” results in weekly messages every Wednesday in your daily digest.

Sandy can remind you of anything–even the small stuff: remind you to feed the meter, take your vitamins, put your wet laundry in the dryer or check a roast in the oven.

You can check your email for reminders or pop over to IWantSandy.com to review your “to do” list. You can even have your stuff delivered to a desktop reader via RSS.

Lists Are Critical

I love lists. They make me feel as if I’m making progress. They are the first step in any kind of project. When I put my idea or “to do” item on a list it no longer takes up space in my head.

David Allen, author of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, says our conscious mental storage space – “psychic RAM” –is jam-packed full of thoughts about unfinished projects, problems, goals and other unresolved “open loops.” As a result, we find ourselves continually in a reactive mode, and rarely find time to engage in creative thinking or strategic planning time. His book is a great crash course in basic time management and personal organization.

Now I email my list thingys to Sandy which frees up my pretty little head for creative thinking and strategic planning.

Light Bulb Moment: “Honey Do” Lists!

As I was writing this it came to me I can sign up my hubby so Sandy can remind him of the things on my “Honey Do” list

Let Sandy break it to him that the weekend of rest he is looking forward to should be spent tackling fourteen things from fixing the leaky toilet, vacuuming the car…. to the trip to the dump, etc.

Sandy can text message things I need from the store on his way home and remind him of our anniversary, birthdays and even give him gift ideas (with the toll-free number to the stores). Neat idea!

Now, any ideas on how I can get Sandy to actually do the laundry?

Speaking of lists, the Typical Homeschool Day list has been updated. Leave a note in the comments if you want your sample day added to this list.

Have you visited my Heart at Home homemaking blog? You will find tons of organizational tips and ideas to make your home run more smoothly.

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Heart of Wisdom Sites and Blogs

This list was created specifically to help you navigate HOW. Now you can click around to any HOW site from one page. Click here to add the proper link to your bookmarks or make it your browser home page. (more…)

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How to set up your library so that your reading flourishes

These are some of the ideas that Steve describes in his book Little Guide To Your Well-Read Life, and that he uses in his personal library.

1. Create a two-part library. Devote one portion to books you plan to read—what Steve calls your Library of Candidates. Reserve the other for the books you have read—your Living Library. (more…)

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Homeschooling is a full-time job. Make housework easier by enlisting your children in your home organization.

I don’t believe many people are born organized. I wasn’t. I had to learn it. Our job is to teach it to our children. Think of yourself as your child’s organizational consultant.

My children like to organize things when I work with them. They learn where things go and are more inclined to put them there when they see the method to the organization. They have learned to like order.

Once something is taught and reinforced it becomes habit. It takes time and patience and energy and thought to form habits; but proper habits can cut future workloads in half.

Organizing Tips by Room

Family and Dining Area

• I prefer most toys in the family room instead of bedrooms. It saves me from running upstairs to supervise clean-up time. If you prefer the bedroom, these tips work for the bedroom area.
• Use a large basket as a catch all for larger toys.
• Sort small toys in baskets and store baskets on shelves. (beg, borrow or build shelves–makes it much easier to organize if you have the tools.) Work together (this is key) to sort all toys in the appropriate baskets. GI Joes, blocks, legos, superhero action figures, farm animals, pretend food, etc. OK, many things end up in the large basket that should be in smaller baskets; at least they’re in a basket and off the floor.
• Sort toys weekly to get rid of trash. Salvage crayons and other things that get mixed in with toys.
• Read-aloud books go into baskets.
• Library books have a special basket. (They aren’t free when they are late).
• School books, Bibles, and Bible study aids are stored by topic on a book shelf next to our dining table. (Again beg, borrow or build shelves).

Kitchen

• If a child is tall enough to see in the silverware drawer he is old enough to sort and put away silverware.
• Messy plastic cabinet? Give the sorting job to a preschooler. Lids in one area, the rest sorted by size and shape.
• Older children can load a dishwasher neatly if taught right the first time.

Bedrooms

• Children’s rooms are usually small and/or shared. Decluttering is mandatory. Less is best.
• Get rid of worn, outgrown clothing.
• Store out-of-season clothing or clothing suitable for handing down.
• Teach children to deliver dirty clothing to the hamper daily. If dirty clothes aren’t placed in a hamper they are left around at random or shoved back into a drawer. Walk your child over to an item on the floor, hold his hand, pick up the item, put it into the hamper. Repeat as needed until learned.
• School age children are old enough to put away their clothes in the proper drawers and old enough to make sure clean clothes stay in the proper drawers, not rifled through or thrown on the floor.
• If toys and books are kept in the bedroom see family room tips.

Bathroom

• Divide bathroom storage into areas.

• Things used daily (toothbrushes, soap, curling iron, etc.) go on the counter or get primary drawer space.
• Weekly or monthly area for things like scrubbers, cleaners, hair bands, lotions, etc. These things go in the under-sink spaces, etc.
• Hardly-ever used things go in the back of cabinets or drawers. (Travel-size bottles for trips, for example.)

• Every one over the age of five should know where the extra tp is and how to put it on the dispenser. If not, teach them.
• Once a month straighten bathroom drawers and cabinets with the children.

Laundry

• Children can be responsible to bring hamper(s) to laundry area.
• My sons really like sorting darks, colors and towels.
• Our eight-year-old can start the wash and switch clothes to the dryer.
• Folding - not so much. I handle the folding. But they certainly can put away clothes in the proper drawers.

Share your organizational tips in the comments.

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