Time Management

Finding an extra ten, twenty, or even thirty-minutes of scrapping time in your day may seem impossible.

Here are a few ideas to help you use little tidbits of time throughout your day ---

• Keep a small notebook and a pen in your purse or pocket to make notes and capture ideas before they get away.

• Browse an idea book while waiting to pick up the children from school, defrosting dinner in the microwave, or waiting at the doctor’s office. Make notes in your notebook as ideas come.

• Flip through magazines in the grocery checkout line to study basic design concepts and colors that you can work into your layouts. Quickly sketch out layout ideas that you like and think you might use for future scrapbook pages.

• Practice your lettering on a scratch piece of paper as you help your children with homework or as you talk on the phone.

• Practice your lettering as you write a thank-you notes.

• As you listen to radio or watch TV listen for interesting phrases, poems or sayings that could be used as layout titles. Take note of catchy phrases from your favorite television programs, or in social settings (grocery store, office, gym...).

• Match your photos to your patterned paper, trim your mats, or complete your journaling while you watch TV or a movie.

• Take scrapbook magazines or information books and Post-it Notes™ with you to appointments or on a trip. Tag pages or articles that have ideas you’d like to use for references in future scrapping. If you don’t like to save old magazines, remove those pages and store them in a binder.

• While waiting for a download or for something to print out on your computer, finish your journaling, write a poem, or order the scrapbook supplies you need online.

• Make a list of scrapbooking tasks you want to complete. Note the approximate time needed to finish them. When extra minutes come your way, look at your list, pick one you can complete or make substantial progress on and get to work.

Summarizing...
Managing time is a challenge for each of us. When we prioritize, organize, and maximize our time, we can include scrapbooking in our lives in ways that are rewarding, productive and enjoyable.

Just a tiny little minute,

only sixty seconds in it.

Forced upon me, can’t refuse it.

Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it.

But it’s up to me to use it.

I must suffer if I lose it.

Give account if I abuse it.

Just a tiny little minute,

but eternity is in it.

Anonymous