In the real estate business, things often come up at the last minute. Sometimes a showing takes longer than expected, or you’re on the phone trying to keep a deal together. Whatever the case may be, sometimes you end up running late. Certified professional organizer M. Colleen Klimczak from Chicago has four tips to help you alleviate lateness and keep your schedule on track.
1. Stop searching for stuff. Did you know that according to the American Demographics Society, Americans waste an average of 55 minutes a day searching for lost items? Klimczak suggests establishing a dedicated place at home and in the office for the important items that you can’t leave without, such as you cell phone, car keys, certain files, or business cards. That way you’ll always know exactly where they are when you have to go.
2. Prepare to leave again as soon as you arrive. “I reload my briefcase with supplies at the end of every day when I am more likely to remember what I need, instead of waiting until tomorrow,” Klimczak says. Setting out exactly what you’ll need early ensures you’ll be ready, especially if you have to leave quickly.
3. Know the difference between “load time” and “leave time.” Sometimes you make yourself late (like when you're searching for stuff), but sometimes you get waylaid by a phone call from a client, or an agent wants to chat about a deal. It’s hard to interrupt or say no. That’s why “load time”—getting ready to leave—can be drastically different that the actual “leave time.” Klimczak suggests always adding an extra 10 minutes between all your appointments for unexpected things that come up. “Professionally, we have to realize that if the meeting starts at 10, we really need to arrive by 9:50 to network and prepare, instead of arriving at 10 and interrupting everyone else,” she says.
4. Plan for tomorrow today. Don’t wait until the morning to react to the new day’s schedule. If you’re going to work out in the morning, pack your gym bag at night. Then pack up what you’ll need for your appointments after that. Plus, glancing at the weather forecast along with your schedule to choose your outfit the night before it a good rule of thumb for more than just schoolchildren. “We might even think about tomorrow to avoid last-minute emergencies,” Klimczak says.
Source: Peace of Mind Professional Organizing
