Personal Time Management Reality Check

I recently had to stop and reflect on some of the things that I don’t do and make a decision to do them. Certain things can be really small like, I won a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card a few months ago and up until a few days ago, I had yet to redeem it. I made it a point to schedule some time to go online shopping. I also have a few other gift cards for a facial, massage and waxing boutique that I have yet to redeem. Well, my Birthday is coming up this month and I have made the decision to plan a day of pampering for myself. I’ll even throw in a manicure & pedicure to have a full spa day. I’ve been holding on to these Gift Cards for months and one is even over a year old. Sad to say I almost did the same thing last year. I had a few gift cards from different department stores and I went on a Birthday shopping spree. It’s always good to go shopping with gift cards! I didn’t really come out of pocket for anything. I shouldn’t have to be pushed to do those things. I’m glad I can use the gift cards towards my Birthday but, why didn’t I use them sooner? As If, I don’t deserve to be pampered. Sometimes, it’s exactly what I need! I’m looking forward to my day of Birthday pampering. The massage in particular, I may fall asleep on the massage table. Lol!

I’m a Shoedazzle VIP Member and I get charged monthly unless I decide to skip the month, well I was charged last month and this month crept up on me and I still had last months credit to spend. I made it a point to sit down and go shoe shopping on the Shoedazzle website. I have a cute pair of heels coming my way that I paired with the cutest color block dress. I see a fashion post in the near future. I’m always so busy, but I have to remember to take time out to do things that I really enjoy. I need to take time to just relax. I won’t deny that time management has always been a huge issue for me. Now I really need to stop and take initiative to do things for myself. I’m usually doing things for others. I honestly don’t mind doing for others. I have a giving spirit, I just can’t always lose myself in the process. I’m a wife and mother first. When all is said and done I need to set aside some Jen time and do things that I enjoy. Sometimes, I enjoy doing absolutely nothing! Mostly when my shedule is hectic and I can’t catch a break. I’ll sleep in on Saturday morning and have a lazy weekend. It’s the perfect time to binge watch my favorite shows on Netflix. I just want to remember to take time out for me.

I’m really looking forward to JENtober because it’s the one time of year that I make it all about me. I also share a portion of it with my son, his birthday is exactly a week after mine. He falls under Scorpio though… he’s not a Libra like his momma! I celebrate my Birthday all month long. I’ll also be doing some traveling. Type A Parent Conference is in Buckhead, GA next month and I won a pass! I’m so excited! I haven’t bee to Type A since 2012 when it was in Charlotte, NC. As always I’m looking forward to connecting with new blogging buddies and my existing Blogger Boos! I’m excited to be able to take time off. I didn’t really take any vacation last year and my days rolled over. I only used a couple of days to attend the Niche Parent Conference in Orlando, FL. We’re notorious for taking weekend staycations at the beach or heading to neighboring states for the weekend. Myrtle Beach is one of our favorite getaway spots! I also get two weeks off during the holiday season so I don’t need to request it off. I can use some of my days and I’ll still have days left over because after October, I don’t really plan on taking any days off and I get the Thanksgiving holiday and then Christmas. Personal & Vacation days come in handy when you want to travel to blog conferences. Lol! All in all I just remember to take the necessary time out for you. Happy (JENtober) October!

Handy Logs Money Application

Handy Logs Money is a mobile app that can track your mileage, expenses and time. It’s great to use personally and for small business owners. I had to search for an application that could do all of those tasks because writing everything down on post it notes, making mental notes and writing in notebooks just wasn’t cutting it anymore! I needed something at my fingertips that wasn’t going to be hard to keep up with and that I wouldn’t be hard to remember. I have my phone with me at all times and I use it constantly. This will definitely cut down my time when filing my claims for expenses and mileage reimbursement at work. I also can use it when working on graphic and web projects to keep track of my time. I like that you can sync to the website in order to view, print or share information from any PC. You have the option of upgrading to extended premium service to create reports, archive and export records. Below are some highlights for each feature.

Expenses: Easy to organize and customize lists and categories for your expenses. You are able to select a payment method from a customized list and this supports all currencies.

Timesheets: You are able to set up an entry for each individual client. You don’t need to enter repeat information. Enter the task and hours worked and you have entered a record. EASY!!!

Odometer: Be sure to choose whether the entry is business or personal etc. from a list. Your last odometer reading will always show up. You can enter new odometer reading or distance and your mileage will be calculated. Make sure that you keep your records accurate for tax purposes, you can print out reports and hand it to your tax preparation specialist.

Other Features: All of your entries are time stamped and you can add custom notes if you need to. When you are entering a new entry your last one will be recalled automatically to save you extra time and you’ll be using it to its full capability.

Try the Handy Logs Money application out if you find yourself jotting down notes to keep track of time, mileage and expenses. I’m sure it will save you a lot more time! This application is available for Install from any internet connected device. Use the free mobile apps on your Blackberry, iPhone, iPod, iPad, Android, Symbian, Windows, Palm or just about any phone! For more information check out Handy Logs Money Website.

Organizing My Life

Day 6: Ultimate Blog Challenge – Time Management #101

I am taking steps to organize my hectic life. My days and evenings are full of chaos. I rely heavily on Post Its, My Google Calendar, Planner and memory to make things happen. I have a BlackBerry Smart Phone but, I’m not always into the habit of using my calendar on my phone. That’s about to change!

Let me give you a snapshot of a typical day for me, I work full time Mon. – Fri. from 9-5 p.m. I’m the Marketing Coordinator for an Alternative Weekly Newspaper. I sometimes have to attend events after hours or on weekends. I am the mother of four children and a wife to an awesome husband. I started Jael Custom Designs – Graphic & Web Design Company in June of 09′ , that’s also when I started blogging. I usually design at night after everyone has gone to sleep with the exception of my three year old who I’m convinced has vampire DNA running through his veins. He’s a night owl!

I’m NOT disciplined at all when it comes to time management, I like to complete things so I’ll stay up working on a designing project or blog post until 3:00 a.m. and beyond knowing I need to be up at 7:35 a.m. in the morning with the kids to get everyone out the door on time and get to my job. With all this being said, I want to change it. I need at least seven to eight hours of sleep at night and I need to set limits on my time when working on a design project. I don’t want to feel exhausted all the time.

I just discovered the phone application called HandyLogsMoney – It’s an Expense, Time and Mileage Tracker. You don’t know how bad I need this on so many levels! Well maybe you do, I just gave you a summary of my daily life. I can use this app for my daytime job and my small business. It allows you to log any expenses, time sheets, and odometer readings. You can modify your entries and even sync it to the website. I’m going to play around with this app and give you a full review on it soon. I’m also going to sync my Google Calendar to my phone and start utilizing my BlackBerry Calendar. I’ll give you an update in a few weeks when you get the app review to see if I’ve made drastic changes .

Where Does The Time Go…

I always ask myself if there were more hours in the day would I get everything done that’s on my (To Do) list. I have a planner and a Palm Treo and I still have an issue devoting time to certain things and sticking to my schedule. I’m a wife and mother first, so as long as my husband and children are settled I can devote time to my work. (Laughing) They are never settled one hundred percent! Being a wife, mother, working full time and starting a business is hard work!

My typical day starts at six thirty in the morning. I have to get the kids off to school, get the baby to the sitter and be to work by nine in the morning. I work a regular nine to five job, Monday through Friday. After work I help the kids with homework, start cooking dinner, get the bath process started, play with the baby to get him nice and tired so he’ll drift off to sleep without a problem. (That rarely happens) I try to spend time with my husband before I dive into work mode. I use the late evening into the night hours to devote time to designing projects I am working on. I am trying to come up with a better scheduling system that works for me.

The downside to working late during the week is that I don’t get enough sleep and I still have to be alert and focused on my full time job because I have to pay attention to detail and I am working with numbers. I also get migraines if I don’t get enough sleep. So, with that being said and if there is anyone else who has a schedule like mine. I found the following article useful.

Please take a look!

http://www.mybusinessadventures.com/2009/06/03/e-note-beat-stress-with-scheduling/

error: Ask And You Shall Receive!!