Penelope Loves Lists: In Time Management from the Inside Out, you talk a lot about different calendaring system options. What is YOUR method? What tools do you use for calendaring yourself?
Julie Morgenstern: For my calendaring method, I use a Time Map, which is a tool that I have been teaching my clients for years. A Time Map eliminates your need to multi-task, and puts you back in control of your days. It helps you to become proactive amid the swirl of demands that come your way. Simply put, a Time Map is a budget of your day, week, or month that carves out distinct times for each of the key departments of your life. Instead of feeling that you have to act on every request the minute it crosses your path, your Time Map guides you, helping you determine whether you have time to handle an unexpected task, how much time you will devote to it and when you will do it. When you don’t have a Time Map, you have no idea what to do when. Every day is a total free-for-all. You just say yes to whatever screams loudest, with no perspective on how to prioritize incoming requests, and when you should be doing things. Of course, this is what leads to multi-tasking…just doing things as they come at you.
A Time Map provides structure to your day — carving out regular time for what is most essential to you. Rest assured that a Time Map can be adapted to your personal style, whether you thrive on routine or variety, whether you have complete or only partial control over your day. Built around your own custom set of priorities and personal style, your Time Map reflects who you are and what is important to you.
PLL: What are your “hot spots”? What are the physical places or work issues you struggle to keep organized? How do you handle them?
JM: I would say that like everyone, my systems become challenged when my company grows. With each new service offering we develop, or for each division we add, my roles and responsibilities change, the information I need to track changes, and for a period of time, while in transition, my files, desk and even my schedule can become messy. Until you know exactly what your new role is, and the information you need to manage a new aspect of your business, it’s hard to create a system. So, with growth come periods where things are less buttoned down than I prefer to be. But, those periods pass, and then a new system is born.
Julie doing some organizing
PLL: In what form (online, notebook, etc.) do you keep your daily To Do list?
JM: I view my to-do list as an extension of myself, so it is very important that I have chosen the right system. I prefer a paper planner. These work best for “visual/tactile” people (i.e. those who find physically writing things out pen to paper helps them think and remember more clearly). Entering information into a paper planner is more instant than booting up an electronic device. Portability is essential for women on the go. Sometimes our work requires us to keep our schedules on the computer. If this is the case, combine these systems by printing out a planner sized version of your calendar each day, recording changes on the printout while out of the office. Update your computer schedule first thing each morning.
Having a single, reliable to-do system puts me in command of my days by providing a complete picture of everything I need to do. Prioritization is easier when I have full context. And I am more confident staying focused on the moment, when everything is present and accounted for.
PLL: What’s your favorite organization tool?
JM: I use a tool that I designed called the “Julie Morgenstern Balanced Life Planner” to keep me on track and balance my time between writing, speaking, running a business, being a mom, spending time with friends, and still dedicating some time just for me. This system gives helps me plan my days realistically so I feel excited, rather than overwhelmed, when I wake up. With this planner, I stay on track, create days that are meaningful, and connect my daily activities to my big picture goals.
Throughout my 20 years as a time management coach, I’ve found that there are certain key skills that make the difference between a day that feels in balance vs. out of balance. And those are the skills I teach my clients in one on one sessions to create meaningful and fulfilling days. In partnership with Franklin Covey, I wanted to design a planner that brought the coaching I do with my clients directly to you. The “Julie Morgenstern Balanced Life Planner” teaches you the 5 Gateway skills to staying in balance:
- Skill # 1-Time Estimating
- Skill # 2- The 4 D’s to streamline your to-do list
- Skill # 3-Group Similar Tasks
- Skill # 4- Creating a Time Map
- Skill # 5- Controlling the Nibblers
PLL: What does a typical Tuesday (or any weekday) schedule look like for you?
JM: On my Time Map, a typical day of the week is divided by distinct blocks of time. These blocks represent the key departments of work and my life. My schedule will generally look like this:
8:00 am – 9:00 am: Wake up, exercise, meditate, eat breakfast, feed my cats
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Writing and creative time
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Touch base with staff and do media interviews
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Client Meetings
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Wrap-up and handle day’s requests
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Dinners out (business and leisure)
PLL: Are you working on something new? Can you give us a hint?
JM: I am working on some great new products that will help you stay organized. Stay tuned!
While we wait for Julie’s new products, let’s spend our time reading her latest book, SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life: A Four-Step Guide to Getting Unstuck. I loved this book. It walks you through practical ways to break through whatever is keeping you from meeting your goals, whether it’s organization challenges or mental barriers.
I’m excited that Julie’s given me a copy of SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life to GIVEAWAY to one of you. To qualify to be the randomly selected winner, tell me in the comments what it was that you liked about or learned from meeting Julie over the past week.
Deadline to enter is Friday, 9/10/10 at 9am PST.
- An Interview with Organizing Guru Julie Morgenstern: Part 1 – Up Close and Personal If you asked me the one person I’d most like...
- The Winner of the Julie Morgenstern Giveaway and a few more book recommendations And the randomly chosen winner of the copy of SHED...
- How This Penelope Stays Organized: an interview with Holly Bohn of See Jane Work It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the office...
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There’s a lot to like about Julie Morgenstern! I especially liked hearing that she’s still a paper planning girl — because I am, too! As a designer, I’m very much tactile and visually oriented. I’ve been unemployed now for 20 months (layoff). With so much time to on my hands for job hunting, creative endeavors, and myriad other things, it’s become even more important to plan my time. Otherwise, days go by and I’ve done nothing noteworthy.
I’ve enjoyed your interview with Julie Morgenstern. I would love to hear her ideas on “shedding”. I would love to learn how to simplify and unclutter. I enjoyed that she is still a paper and pen girl…I’ve tried online calendars but always go back to my own paper calendar and to-do lists. I love the process of writing stuff down and then CHECKING IT OFF.
I love that she still uses paper…. I have an office job, run my own business, own a house, trying to train for a marathon, and have a wonderful man who needs more of my attention that I tend to give.. it’s refreshing to read about someone who focuses on balancing a variety of areas.
It is SO necessary to be excited to face each day, not overwhelmed with what you have to face. Also, I love that she is a paper girl… Nothing like a tactile list.
I, too, am a “paper and pencil” type! I also appreciate the BALANCE Julie has built in to the daily routine. I look forward to her newest endeavor!
I loved hearing that Julie was not born organized… I like to think of myself as a born-again Penelope, and it’s comforting to think that organization is a skill that can be improved upon each day. There’s hope for us all!
Knowing that organizing isn’t a “do it once” kind of thing and that systems change when new work or projects get added. Excellent writer and teacher!
A couple of days back I picked up Julie’s book Making Work Work for a steal at Barnes & Noble. I’m several chapters in and can already relate. For anyone who finds themselves stretched thin and struggling with life/work balance issues, I recommend that you read this book.
Julie is the Organizing Goddess! I love her Time Map idea/plan; it makes so much sense!
And I adore my “hard copy” planner and just cannot fathom using an electronic one!
Love your site Penelope!
In the tone of simplicity, I loved the Skill #5 Controlling the nibblers. With that in mind I will move straight to my tasks for the day. Thank you for the tremendously helpful information!
I make lists all the time, can’t live without them, really! Glad to see others out there like myself with paper and pencil at the ready! lol
Really enjoyed the Q&As with Julie! And I love that she still uses a paper planner – I’ve tried electronic planners but am just so much more comfortable with paper!
I also love that Julie uses the paper planner, I like to look at the whole month at a time when scheduling clients. I’m an organizer and know my style is tactile and I highly visual. I use http://www.goodtodo.com by Bit Literacy author Mark Hurst for many of my tasks because I can forward emails directly to my to do list. It’s very cool. I empty my inbox each day, it helps me focus on what I really need to do when I’m not working from incoming email.
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