By Heather Cocozza, PMP, CPO | Productivity and Organizing Consultant, Cocozza Organizing & Design, LLC | National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) - Washington, DC Chapter, President

You have more time than you think! Really! Read Laura Vanderkam’s book 168 Hours and you will be inspired to tackle the priority activity that you want to do but don’t seem to have time to do. We all have 168 hours in a week, and how we spend it is important. This book provides technical ideas of to get it done and the inspiration to motivate you. You can increase your personal productivity!

168 Hours appeals strongly to my demographic: entrepreneurial moms. While running our businesses, we strive to find time in the day to spend with the kids, volunteer and still exercise! The book also resonates because it is based on many of the core principles of time management guru, Julie Morgenstern. In her book Time Management from the Inside Out, Morgenstern pioneered the use of a Time Map as a tool to make time tangible, to make it visible and to design the life of your dreams.

In recognition of Get Organized (GO) Month to increase our personal productivity, here are five take-aways from 168 Hours that we can do in February and throughout 2018:

1. Create a block schedule of 168 hours and block out dedicated time on a weekly basis for working, spending time with you kids and/or spouse, exercising and anything else important to you, which should occur weekly.
   
   
2. Focus on what you do best and what brings you the most satisfaction, and you will find space in your 168 hours a week.
   
   
3. A key to productivity is addressing non-core competency work and activities. Vanderkam suggests to either Ignore It, Minimize It or Outsource It.
   
   
4. Consciously organize your space, like Vanderkam, to save time in cleaning and finding items. Dedicate time in your 168 weekly hours for organizing. The time saved by being organized is greater than the time spent organizing.
   
   
5. Be careful of your TV time or using your computer like a TV. Vanderkam states, “While TV is pleasant, it does not make us feel particularly happy or rejuvenated the way true recreation should.” Fill your leisure time with more meaningful activities.
   

As an entrepreneur, my favorite section of the book is Part 2: @ Work, where Vanderkam explains finding your flow in work. She goes on to educate and encourage you to slightly change any job you have today to find your flow of working on difficult but doable tasks.

Need help in developing a weekly time map or organizing your space to save time? Find a productivity or organizing professional in your area at DCorganizers.org.