| DEBBIE HOMMEL'S AD TIPS Dedicated to helping Activity Professionals with the daily operation of their department. |
| by Debbie Hommel, BA, CRA, ACC, Executive Director of DH Special Services. |
Five Favorite Organizational Tips
The beginning of a new year often fosters feelings of hope and a fresh start. Past mistakes, oversights
and bad habits are forgiven and opportunities to start anew are present. As an activity professional, I am
always looking for ways to be “more organized” and “use my time more effectively”. I am one of those
spontaneous, creative people who likes to save everything because it might be useful someday, is
excited and distracted by new ideas and starts new projects on a regular basis. My personality does not
lend itself completely to the organized, time efficient person I strive to be. In spite of my limitations, I have
managed to find a time management and organizational style that allows me to function effectively within
my world.
Throughout the years, I have continued to read time management articles and buy the latest books,
looking for more ways to be more effective. In the end, I come back to my favorite five ways to be more
organized. They are not the most innovative ideas and they don’t involve spending a lot of money buying
organizational plastic bins at Wal-Mart (although there is some satisfaction in that approach). But
practiced regularly, they have become my time management routine which works for me. Each activity
professional needs to find their own organizational style. Acquire habits steadily, one by one. Practice
them daily and eventually you will have a time management style that works for you.
1. Throw things away that are not necessary. I have a difficult time letting go and determining what
things are unnecessary, but some things are. I had kept every newsletter and publication from every
organization I had belonged to since 1984. It was either throw things away or put an addition onto my
office. I am much better now and once yearly, I go through my files and discard information that I have not
used in the past year or I could easily find on the Internet.
2. Make lists. I know every time management book says to make lists and prioritize, but it does work.
My suggestion is to find your own way to prioritize. I used to do the “A” and “B” priorities but now I create
my own sections. I have sections for “urgent”, “to do when I am procrastinating other tasks”, “things to do
this year” and “things to do before I die”. Lists provide me with visual cues to remain focused and a
sense of satisfaction when I can cross something off.
3. Use a notebook for all phone messages. I read this idea in a Marge Knoth book and it is one my
favorite organizational tasks. I used to write phone messages on scrap paper or post it pads and we all
know what happens then. I would lose papers on a regular basis (and waste a lot of time looking for
them). Once I started writing all messages into a spiral notebook, my life changed. The initial phone call,
when the call was returned and what was done for that person is all written in the notebook. It becomes
a diary of phone work. I can look back and know when someone called and what I did in response.
Unfortunately, now I have to learn how to throw away the notebooks when they are filled because I have
saved them back to the year 2000.
4. Find your prime time of the day. Everybody has a time when they are most productive. I am a
morning person and can achieve more in the first two hours of my day than the remaining six hours.
Knowing that, I structure my day to tackle big projects and things I don’t like to do during that time. In the
later hours, when I am less productive, I do the things that are more repetitious, require less mind power
or are more energizing. Everyone has a prime time. The challenge is to find it and use it well.
5. Have goals. If you don’t have your own goals (serious goals), it is very easy to be pulled into
helping other people achieve their goals. Even unachievable goals can be come achievable if you create
a plan. To set a goal of “get certified” or “get a better job” are not clearly achievable. All goals need
achievable steps such as “take the MEPAP course”, and “attend two workshops this year”. I have daily,
quarterly, yearly and lifetime goals. I keep these goals on my “lists of things to do” page as a daily
reminder. The tasks on my “list to do” often support meeting my goals.
Getting organized and using time more effectively is a choice. It takes effort and perseverance to adopt
new techniques and make them habits. As you can see, my habits are not anything monumental but they
work for me. If you feel out of control and frazzled on a daily basis, make the commitment to adopt one
new organizational habit per month.
Helpful Organizational/Time Management Sites:
Mind Tools
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm
Strategies for Success
http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/ACCDitg/SSTM.htm
Lots of interesting articles
http://www.alice.org/Randy/timetalk.htm#At%20this%20talk%20you%20will%20learn%20to:
13 Tips for Time Management
http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/homemgt/nf172.htm
Marge Knoth books can be found at
http://www.valleypressbooks.com/index.html Sailing to your Success and Thrive not Survive have lots
of practical information on organization and management.
The beginning of a new year often fosters feelings of hope and a fresh start. Past mistakes, oversights
and bad habits are forgiven and opportunities to start anew are present. As an activity professional, I am
always looking for ways to be “more organized” and “use my time more effectively”. I am one of those
spontaneous, creative people who likes to save everything because it might be useful someday, is
excited and distracted by new ideas and starts new projects on a regular basis. My personality does not
lend itself completely to the organized, time efficient person I strive to be. In spite of my limitations, I have
managed to find a time management and organizational style that allows me to function effectively within
my world.
Throughout the years, I have continued to read time management articles and buy the latest books,
looking for more ways to be more effective. In the end, I come back to my favorite five ways to be more
organized. They are not the most innovative ideas and they don’t involve spending a lot of money buying
organizational plastic bins at Wal-Mart (although there is some satisfaction in that approach). But
practiced regularly, they have become my time management routine which works for me. Each activity
professional needs to find their own organizational style. Acquire habits steadily, one by one. Practice
them daily and eventually you will have a time management style that works for you.
1. Throw things away that are not necessary. I have a difficult time letting go and determining what
things are unnecessary, but some things are. I had kept every newsletter and publication from every
organization I had belonged to since 1984. It was either throw things away or put an addition onto my
office. I am much better now and once yearly, I go through my files and discard information that I have not
used in the past year or I could easily find on the Internet.
2. Make lists. I know every time management book says to make lists and prioritize, but it does work.
My suggestion is to find your own way to prioritize. I used to do the “A” and “B” priorities but now I create
my own sections. I have sections for “urgent”, “to do when I am procrastinating other tasks”, “things to do
this year” and “things to do before I die”. Lists provide me with visual cues to remain focused and a
sense of satisfaction when I can cross something off.
3. Use a notebook for all phone messages. I read this idea in a Marge Knoth book and it is one my
favorite organizational tasks. I used to write phone messages on scrap paper or post it pads and we all
know what happens then. I would lose papers on a regular basis (and waste a lot of time looking for
them). Once I started writing all messages into a spiral notebook, my life changed. The initial phone call,
when the call was returned and what was done for that person is all written in the notebook. It becomes
a diary of phone work. I can look back and know when someone called and what I did in response.
Unfortunately, now I have to learn how to throw away the notebooks when they are filled because I have
saved them back to the year 2000.
4. Find your prime time of the day. Everybody has a time when they are most productive. I am a
morning person and can achieve more in the first two hours of my day than the remaining six hours.
Knowing that, I structure my day to tackle big projects and things I don’t like to do during that time. In the
later hours, when I am less productive, I do the things that are more repetitious, require less mind power
or are more energizing. Everyone has a prime time. The challenge is to find it and use it well.
5. Have goals. If you don’t have your own goals (serious goals), it is very easy to be pulled into
helping other people achieve their goals. Even unachievable goals can be come achievable if you create
a plan. To set a goal of “get certified” or “get a better job” are not clearly achievable. All goals need
achievable steps such as “take the MEPAP course”, and “attend two workshops this year”. I have daily,
quarterly, yearly and lifetime goals. I keep these goals on my “lists of things to do” page as a daily
reminder. The tasks on my “list to do” often support meeting my goals.
Getting organized and using time more effectively is a choice. It takes effort and perseverance to adopt
new techniques and make them habits. As you can see, my habits are not anything monumental but they
work for me. If you feel out of control and frazzled on a daily basis, make the commitment to adopt one
new organizational habit per month.
Helpful Organizational/Time Management Sites:
Mind Tools
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_HTE.htm
Strategies for Success
http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/ACCDitg/SSTM.htm
Lots of interesting articles
http://www.alice.org/Randy/timetalk.htm#At%20this%20talk%20you%20will%20learn%20to:
13 Tips for Time Management
http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/homemgt/nf172.htm
Marge Knoth books can be found at
http://www.valleypressbooks.com/index.html Sailing to your Success and Thrive not Survive have lots
of practical information on organization and management.
| Let Debbie answer your Activity Questions Visit DEAR DEBBIE: |
| About Debbie Debbie Hommel, BA, CRA, ACC, is the Executive Director of DH Special Services. She is a Certified Activity Consultant on State and National level, with over twenty-seven years of experience in providing direct care and consultation to long term care, medical day care, assisted living, and ICF/MR facilities throughout New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. She is an experienced trainer and workshop presenter, conducting a variety of seminars throughout the Tri-State area for the Activity Professional, Administrator, and allied healthcare professional. Debbie Hommel is an active member of Activity Professional Associations on State and National levels. She is ACC certified through the NCCAP. She is a founding member of the New Jersey Activity Professionals' Association, serving terms as Vice President and President. She received the Weidner Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994 and the Monmouth & Ocean County Activity Professionals Life Achievement Award in 1999. |
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