Work Smarter, Not Harder.

A picture quote by Michael Altshuler illustrating how you can work smarter that reads ‘[The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.]’

The term “Time Management” is an oxymoron, if you really think about it. The truth is, time cannot be managed. Time marches on its own schedule and the clock continues to tick.  Time is out of our control, but we are in control of what to do with our time. If you need to cross things off your to-do list, it’s important to prioritize tasks and divide your time between different activities. The key to greater productivity and performance is to work smarter and not harder. But the question is, how do we work smarter and not harder?

Prioritize. If you find you’ve bitten off more than you can chew with your to-do list, it’s important to prioritize your tasks based off urgency and importance. Focus on the urgent tasks first and set aside the non urgent tasks to do later. Delegate and divide your tasks!

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Living in Uncertainty When the Body Craves Routine

By Alene Brennan

Our bodies – more specifically our brains – are designed to crave routine. The more habits we create in our lives the less we have to think about and the easier it is for us to move throughout our day.

Yet living with a chronic illness can lead to anything but a routine, habit-filled day.

Depending upon how this “snowflake disease” presents itself in your body, each day can bring Continue reading

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Chaos Cannot Win

By Scott Cremeans

Staying organized in life is very important. It is beneficial to keep all of your doodads and doohickeys diligently divided so that you can reach them in an instant. The smart choice is to keep your selection of widgets neatly stacked for your convenience. It is essential to keep your entire calendar of events prominently posted for your perfunctory perusal.

As a person with multiple sclerosis, Continue reading

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Become a Creature of Habit

By Doug Ankerman

April’s theme of “Staying Organized” draws a collective “yeah right, when pigs fly” from most.

Adding your multiple sclerosis to the mix makes it even more overwhelming.

So, I say let’s break it down into something smaller. Something attainable. And simply become a “creature of habit.”

By that I mean make it a habit of putting your stuff in the same place every day.

Form a new habit - always put your wallet in the same placeHere on the counter is where Continue reading

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Is it April 15th Already?!?

Happy Tax Day! I know, I know that level of enthusiasm is not one most people would associate with April 15th… but still. Consider this your Public Service Announcement…Cross your T’s, dot your I’s. Be sure to double check your paperwork as the new tax laws and changes could directly impact you. That being said, this post… it actually has nothing to do with taxes (well almost nothing). Just consider these last few lines your friendly reminder that if you have not already finished… today’s the day.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Spring has officially made itself known in most of the country. Keeping in mind that Continue reading

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To be organized or not to be?

By Lauren Kovacs

This is the question.

I used to be super organized. Years ago an older MSer told me that I will learn to conserve energy in my own way. She was right. Being organized can cause energy conservation.

With three sons and a husband, organizing consists of piles. They usually have no idea where something is. When they ask me I say Continue reading

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Staying Organized with Medicine

By Alene Brennan

Medicine, vitamins and supplements are crucial components to Continue reading

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Getting Organized

Spring is in the air! And do you know what that means? Spring cleaning, UGH! For many of us it’s hard to get into organization mode and try to clean up the clutter that’s accumulated over the year thus far or that’s trickling over from last. But it’s an important task to take on because it really does benefit you in the end. Staying organized helps to maintain order and can result in decreased stress and anxiety.

Life can be so busy and chaotic at times that Continue reading

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Enjoying the Holiday Season When Health is an Issue

By Stacie Prada

There are reasons to stress all year long, but the added social events and holiday tasks in November and December consistently encourage us to overdo it. People expect things from us, and we put expectations on ourselves.

Sometimes – or a lot of times – “just” getting to work, paying bills, keeping house, caring for others, and maintaining some modicum of basic health is an overwhelming goal.  Add the holiday season expectations, and those of us with MS can be vulnerable to increased symptoms.

I firmly believe that these suggestions are good for anyone, those in perfect health and those with chronic illnesses.  It’s just that what may be optional for them is critical for us.

Establish the minimum: Decide what the absolute minimum is that you need to do to maintain your health and be happy this season.  Not being able to do everything we want to do is a daily harsh reality with MS, but being strategic about how we spend our time and energy can help alleviate the discouragement.

For holiday tasks, be very clear on what is needed and what is preferred.  Anything beyond what is necessary is a choice, not an obligation.  Sometimes just a shift in thinking can change how I feel from resentment to joy.  If I’m doing something expected and I’m coming from a place of resentment, I will suffer. When I’m gifting, I’ve decided this is something I’ve chosen to do and I’ll feel good doing it.  When it’s appreciated, it’s only an added bonus.

Reduce the demands: Ask yourself the following:

  • How can I do this so that it lessens my burden?
  • Can someone help?
  • Does it need to be done at all?
  • Can it be done at a different level of effort?
  • Can I purchase it without compromising my finances?

When someone asks me to do something, I’ll ask them the questions above. I’ll ask myself: Would I enjoy it, and can I do it without overloading myself? If I’ll resent it, I better adjust my attitude or not do it.

Organize and plan ahead: Don’t expect to remember everything without any extra effort.  I keep a list of holiday season tasks that I want to make sure I do each year. It includes things I’ve done in the past, mailing due dates for cards and packages, gifts given, gifts received, thank you notes sent, and events attended.

If possible, I’ll proactively schedule time off from work to do holiday tasks.  Trying to accomplish them all during evenings and weekends often doesn’t allow enough rest for maintaining health.

Make room for joy: Connect with loved ones in person, or by phone, text or letter. For many years I’ve alternated between Christmas cards sent in December and New Year’s cards sent in January depending on how much I had to do that season. Some years I didn’t send cards at all.

Include time to recharge in ways you love that feed your soul.  I love getting outside and moving my body. It’s important to not just set sights on getting through the holiday season.  Experiencing joy along the way is crucial for my sanity, and I will not do without just because I have a chronic illness.

Adjust to changing plans: I’d forecasted the things I would do this holiday season to match a level that I thought could accommodate my MS fatigue.  Then my career placed demands on me I hadn’t anticipated.  Sure, I whined about the surprise demands before verbalizing that it’s my choice to participate.  The truth is I want to do these events; it’s only the scheduling that frustrated me given it challenges me with fatigue.  To adjust, I found time on the work schedule where I could come in late or take some time off to offset the longer days.  I also talked to a couple people who scheduled the events and asked them to consider spacing them out if done again in the future.

Receive judgement with compassion: People will judge the choices you make.  Understanding that we can no longer do everything we’ve always done is hard to take for those that know and love us.  Sometimes it’s not about the task, it’s about them wishing our health will be okay.  It’s hard for us, but it’s also hard for them to accept that we have a serious illness that affects every aspect of our lives. Other times due to the invisible symptoms we experience and successfully accommodate, they forget we have limitations.  It’s up to us to share our limitations when they affect others.  No one who cares about us really wants our health compromised because of them.  Usually they don’t understand that the little things could be a tipping point for us that requires a long time to recover.

It takes a lot of effort to live well with a chronic illness among people that have much more natural energy. They haven’t been forced to face these issues, and they may not understand how little things for them can be big things for us.  It’s our job to take care of ourselves while nurturing relationships and living a life we love.

*Stacie Prada was diagnosed with RRMS in 2008 at the age of 38.  Her blog, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” is a compilation of inspiration, exploration, and practical tips for living with Multiple Sclerosis while living a full, productive, and healthy life with a positive perspective. It includes musings on things that help her adapt, cope and rejoice in this adventure on earth. Please visit her at http://stacieprada.blogspot.com/

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Spring Clean Up

SPRINGTIMESpring is the time of year when we think of new beginnings. Before moving forward, the first thing a lot of us think about is getting our current situation in order. In a lot of cases, that can be a daunting task. But it is an important one. Clutter can lead to health-related issues and affect one’s wellness. There is a link between disorganization and thoughts of low self-esteem and worth.

Clutter can weigh you down and cause you to make poor decisions that can impact your health. On the other hand, getting organized can lead to healthier choices, improve your relationships, improve sleep and it can actually help you feel happier and more relaxed.

  • When you do decide to start, take it slow at first. You don’t want to get too overwhelmed. Start small. Pick a small area or task that can be completed in 15 minutes the first few days.
  • Completing the task is important so you get a sense of accomplishment. Don’t make piles and walk away so you need to come back and finish later.
  • Be sure to separate piles of papers that you need to keep versus papers that can be recycled. When you’re finished, make sure the trash makes it to the trash can and important papers get filed neatly and logically so you can find them later.
  • Create some rules to use to help you get through things quicker. For example, if you haven’t used an item or worn a piece of clothing in a year, it is time to donate it. Remember, your items can be donated to a good cause to help others in need (plus if you keep good records of what you donate, you may get an added deduction on your taxes).
  • Lastly, don’t buy anything new until you finish your organizing to see what you already have. You don’t want to buy something you already own, but forgot you had!

Happy Spring cleaning!

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