Getting it Done in Less Time

Rachel Ray's 30 minute meal show on the Food Network is focused on multitasking so that you can make a home cooked meal in 30 minutes or left.  One of her favorite tips is going to get ingredients in a large bowl and getting them all at the same time so you aren't going back and forth to the pantry and refrigerator.  And when she needs onions for more than one dish she cuts them all at the same time so they are ready for the next round.  Certainly not brain surgery, but cute little tips to help you get your food prep done faster.  Essentially she is all about streamlining the work of cooking.  When I had my first daughter, I joked about how I suddenly knew how to get things done in 15 minute blocks because I never knew when they were going to come or how long they would last, so I learned how to streamline everything from household tasks to work.

Without what I have learned I could never have achieved the work-life balance that I have.  Despite running a start-up and chairing a fundraiser, I don't work 50 hour work weeks because I do want to have time with my kids.  Otherwise what's it all for?  So, now I streamline everything from email to snacks.  I respond to emails at consistent times, know that certain types of work are to be done in the morning when I am most focused, and make sure that I always have my to do list in place so that when a 15 minute period of work opens up unexpectedly, I can crank out as much as possible.  You have to streamline to achieve the work-life balance.  And by the way, you have to stay away from time syncs like blogging, facebook, and twitter.  I love them all, but those are my bonuses, not my work!