New Habits to Manage Time

With any improvements in life it is often our own habits that have to change to be able to move forward. Once I have written on a subject I like to reflect on some new habits or attitudes that we should be developing so that we can move forward. Therefore based on this I would like to propose the following:



Ask yourself “What will make the biggest difference?”
Are you making the best possible use of your time? Do you find yourself being reactive rather than proactive? Are you managing to do what you want to achieve? Therefore each day when planning ask yourself – “What is it I want to achieve today?” and “What will make the biggest difference in my life right now?”


Don’t be late
Lateness is rude and often seen as a lack of respect towards the other person.


1440 Only
We all have the same 1,440 minutes per day – how we utilise that time determines our ability to have a productive day. Remember Pareto’s Principle – the 80 / 20 rule, therefore do the 20% of really important things in your day, the other smaller stuff; the 80% will take care of itself.


Building Solutions
When you’re next thinking of a solution to a problem, make a list. Draw a line down the middle of a page; in the left hand column list things you can control and in the right hand column, list things you can not control.


Be pro-active about what you can control – that’s where you get the most power, don’t waste time on what you can not control.


About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Respect Time

Someone once said “Time is a great equalizer. We all get the same amount of hours each day. Some people are able to organise their lives with consistently high results and successes in many dimensions of their lives whilst others never seem to be able to accomplish what they want.”

Which category do you fit into?

Do you need to develop new habits to plan your day as you are one of the few people who understand that you can not get it all done but you can get the most important things done?

What are the most important things in your day today?

If you have scribbled a “to-do” list on a bit of paper take a moment to look at it and rate it in order of importance then tackle task number 1 first as that is the most important task that you have identified for today, once you have completed that move onto the next task. By doing this small exercise each day you are on your way to making better choices in your day to how you spend your time.

There are further processes to ensure you have a life of balance and fulfilment which I will address in future blogs but this first step is a great way to start prioritising so you can be productive each and every day.

Remember the fantastic statement “I can not get it all done but I can get the most important things done.” Author Unknown

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Starting the Year Successfully

Happy New Year, we wish you a year filled with abundance, happiness and success.

Ideally you have reflected on the past year and are making plans for the year ahead which is a really positive start to the year however it is important to write your goals down.

We set goals all the time:
§ I have 1 hour to do the grocery shopping
§ Today I will get the washing done
§ Today I will do the ironing
But we want to set “life goals”.

Why do we need to set “life goals?”
Your brain is programmed to look for what is important for you so by setting life goals in the important areas of your own life your subconscious will be on the look out for opportunities and this is where it finds things you may never have noticed if you only had a vague idea of what you were looking for.

The clearer your goals are the more likely you are to achieve them.

A goal properly set is halfway reached.
Abraham Lincoln

Study at Harvard University
A study was done at Harvard University. Students were asked who writes down their goals, and 3% said they did. The researchers went back to the students 20 years later. The 3% who wrote down their goals had a net worth that exceeded the 97% who did not.

Goal setting is not all about the dollar benefits it is about achieving. So take time to write down your goals. Enjoy the process and experience the success.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to

www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Time for Reflection [Part 2]

How is your reflection?
Last post we discussed that at this time of the year many of us are reflecting on what we have achieved this year and what we would like to achieve in the New Year. The answer for many is that they would like more time or balance and therefore I felt the saying below to be very appropriate.

Many of us struggle towards the balance goal
without ever stopping
to think what we are doing and
what we really want
in our lives.

Reflect to identity the direction you want to go.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Time for Reflection

For the majority of people this time of year is consumed with decorations, celebrations, gifts and shopping lists however as we approach the end of the year it is also a time of reflection. Reflection on what we have achieved this year and what we would like to achieve in the New Year.

New Years Resolutions

Whilst New Years Resolutions are a great idea I recommend thinking about goals that you would like to achieve in the future.

It is worthwhile investing time now in really considering what is important to you. What do you value as an individual and will your values tie in with your goals?

Goals
Goals provide us with a direction on where we are heading and we can identify the steps to achieve our goals.

Give yourself time to sort your goals and a way to start is to consider the following areas of your life:
1. Family
2. Career / Business
3. Health
4. Money
5. Relationships
6. Personal Growth
7. Fun Time
8. Physical Environment

You do not have to set goals in each area but at least reflect on the areas to see where you can make changes to gain better balance.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

It's the season to be jolly

I know many of us are in denial but we are now in mid November, which means that Christmas is coming. It is a great time but a really busy time with finalising orders / completing projects / reports for work, shopping for gifts, and attending loads of work, family and friends celebrations. Don’t leave it to the last minute – start now!

Want to enjoy catching up with friends – then do it now, don’t try to squeeze it all into December.

Start your Christmas card list and then begin writing your Christmas cards now, once again don’t leave it until mid December. Do it now.

Write out the list of presents you have to buy, place it in your purse and as you shop cross off each name so you don’t double up. It will give you a real buzz to see the slow progression to completing your shopping without the last minute pressure.

Make a promise to yourself to buy what you can before December starts, if you are having celebrations at home buy your decorations, napkins, plates, and non perishable food items. Purchase bulk drinks and then you only have the minimum to purchase closer to events and start your menu, that way you can write out your shopping list and know what non perishable items you need.

It really is the season to be jolly therefore prepare now so you can enjoy yourself.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Tackle Clutter in Small Steps

Sometimes the thought of tackling the clutter is overwhelming however it does not have to be that way. The following are some small steps which will help you work up to the bigger more overwhelming projects.

Small steps:
§ Pick a cupboard – just one and start there and only there
§ Start in one room – an easy room
§ Throw out 5 things a day, this adds up over time:
o 25 items a week
o 155 items a month
o 1,825 items a year
§ Pick up things off the floor
§ Clear a surface
§ Toss old magazines
§ Dump junk mail immediately as it comes into the house, flick and throw
§ Put things away – a place for everything and everything in its place
§ One book shelf
§ One draw
§ The pantry – toss anything expired
§ Pile of paperwork use “the 4 D’s” – Do it now, dump it, delegate it or date it

I hope if you have been struggling with where to start clearing the clutter, these tips will assist you get started on your clutter. A little bit every day helps.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.