It’s time once again for the dreaded New Year’s Resolutions. Most of us make them; few of us keep them for more than a few months. New Year’s resolutions range anywhere from loosing weight to being more organized to finishing your education and the list goes on. But, have you ever thought about resolving to get your life back? “What does this mean?” you ask.

Getting your life back means taking control of your life—Making deliberate choices about how you spend your time, so that you can have a balanced lifestyle. If you often feel stressed or hurried, this may be a good sign that you need some help with managing your lifestyle. A balanced lifestyle means having the time to choose doing the things you enjoy, rather than the things that you have to do! You may want your family and friends time to come before the errands and the cooking and the business project and the driving, but you just don’t know how to balance it all. If so, here are some tips that are easy to stick to and will help you get your life back.

1. Learn to say No! One of your problems may be the inability to say “No” to projects or things asked of you. Before you say “Yes” to any added task, say that you will need some time to think about it. This will allow you to make a list of pros and cons and see if you really have the time for the task. If the list of cons outweighs the pros, give your “nay” assertively. You will free up your invaluable time and the person asking will be grateful that you gave the task consideration.
   

2. Learn to delegate! Delegation of things to those living in your household is always an option. After all, they live there too! If things like errands or cleaning take up your valuable time, there are plenty of services out there that can help. For a small fee you can get the convenience of getting time back by delegating the grocery shopping and the post office runs. Hire a Personal Assistant! Twin Cities Errands is one of those errands services that can help you with the tasks that take your time away. They
   
   
   service the Minneapolis – St. Paul Area. Their website is www.twincitieserrands.com or they can be reached at 612-207-3135. Errands services can also refer you to handypersons and cleaners!
   

3. Cut out what is not important! Make a list of your schedule and put your tasks into two columns: essential tasks and non-essential tasks. Make the resolution to take away all non-essential tasks so that you can spend that time on other things.
   

4. Make time for you! You say, “I have no time for me”. Well, do whatever possible to change that. Spend one hour a week doing some sort of stress relief activity like reading, having a quite time of reflection or doing your hobby, even if it means waking up an hour early. It is worth it for your peace-of-mind and stress reduction is healthy. You will notice that adding this enjoyment to your life will change your mood and outlook.
   

5. Get organized and clean! So many of us spend so much time cleaning because we let it pile up before our eyes. Instead, do damage control. Take 30 minutes each day to clean as much as you can, or organize as much as you can. Set a timer to help you out. You will notice that being consistent in this will free up your time and make you feel better about your surroundings.
   

Take these tips and figure out how to take back your life. Fight for a balanced lifestyle! Take the time to enjoy and do what matters most to you! It’s a New Year’s Resolution that you CAN keep.

Melissa J.A. Carey is owner of Twin Cities Errands, a service that gives people back their time. She also has corporate training experience on stress reduction. She is married and dedicates her time to her husband, family and friends as well as helps others in lifestyle management. For more information on Melissa J.A. Carey or Twin Cities Errands, go to www.twincitieserrands.com or call 612-207-3135.

twincitieserrands@yahoo.com