Efficiency and Oatmeal

I had to smile the other day at one of my daughters being the ringmaster of her circus. As a teenager her eating habits frequently change, and she has recently started eating oatmeal for breakfast every morning. When opening the cabinet a couple of days ago I was surprised to find everything she needed to prepare her oatmeal placed together-sugar, measuring cup, cinnamon and oatmeal container. When I asked her why, her response was obvious"It saves me time in the morning because I don't have to run around the kitchen getting everything together." Bravo!

How do you attempt to manage your daily lineup? Do you find yourself jumping from one thing to another physically and mentally-and losing productive time in the process. Try these tips to save some steps and time:

• Set aside a chunk of time to check and respond to e mail.
• Pull all needed resources together for a complex task just before leaving work. When you arrive the next morning you are ready to dive into it while you are fresh. Also works to get things together before lunch for a task to undertake after lunch.
• When contacting a co worker about something, give yourself a moment to see if there is anything else you may need to discuss with them while on the phone or sending e mails. They will appreciate the decrease in interruptions as much as you like not having to contact them again.