With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it's not uncommon to get overwhelmed and find yourself struggling to get ahead. Inefficiency can breed poor time management, which leads to disorganization. Disorganization costs you both time and money because you tend to forget important matters. Start making positive changes today. Two ways to make your life more efficient are establishing a work plan and creating a budget to guide your activities. You can create both plans on a computer spreadsheet program.
Work Plan
Step 1
List your upcoming projects and assignments from work in your spreadsheet. For example, if you're a professor you may have to grade papers, meet with students and create a new final exam.
Step 2
Prioritize each project by urgency first. Place the most urgent work projects at the top.
Step 3
List any specific goals associated with each project. For example, if you are a professor who meets regularly with students, you might list the points you want to communicate with each student and what you want to accomplish as a result of the meeting.
Step 4
Add a timeline or deadline next to each work assignment on your list to keep you on track. If you have a meeting or appointment, list the exact time and place on your work plan. Delete or highlight each assignment when completed.
Budget Plan
Step 1
List the all of your expenses on a separate spreadsheet, from your rent to your groceries.
Step 2
Enter the amounts you pay each month next to each bill and total them so that you can see the amount that goes out each month.
Step 3
Enter the total take-home income each month for you and your partner. Deduct the total of your bills from the income to view your leftover funds. Create a list of specific short and long term goals in the same worksheet, such as purchasing a car.
Step 4
Assign more money to savings, paying down debt or reaching your listed goals if you have a budget surplus. Go through your list of expenses and cut costs or consider new ways of making more money if you have a budget deficit. Update your budget regularly.
References
Writer Bio
Louise Balle has been writing Web articles since 2004, covering everything from business promotion to topics on beauty. Her work can be found on various websites. She has a small-business background and experience as a layout and graphics designer for Web and book projects.