Today I am excited to bring you the first Professional Organizers Blog Carnival with a specific theme. Since February is National Time Management Month, the topic for this month is Time Management, and this month’s participants have lots of great tips to share with you and your clients.

The first step to any time management system is Setting Priorities. As Lisa Montanaro says in Time: The Great Equalizer:

The problem with time management is that it is an oxymoron. We can’t manage time itself – only what we choose to do with it. Until we stop blaming time and take responsibility for our role in “time management,” we won’t be able to fully change our relationship with it.

If it seems that other people are taking you away from your priorities, you need to read Ramona Creel’s post, Teaching People How To Use Your Time. Ramona says:

I can’t tell you how often I hear my friends, colleagues, and clients complain about how other people just don’t respect their time. You’ve probably experienced it too — either at home or at work. But it doesn’t have to happen that way!

Sometimes it’s not other people, but our own habits that keep us from completing our most important tasks. Does this sound familiar?

“I can’t help it!  I was born to procrastinate.” That was the statement I heard when talking with a new client about a week ago.

So I asked her, “Are you happy with your procrastination?  Does it serve you well?”

“No!” she exclaimed.  “That is why I called you.  I’m missing important deadlines and my co-workers and family are fed up with me.”

Do these statements resonate with you?  If so, then keep reading. You can overcome procrastination if you learn a few simple secrets.

Stephanie LH Calahan covers this common problem in Learn 5 Secrets to Put Procrastination Off Until Tomorrow.

Once you’ve identified your challenges and determined your priorities, you’re ready to begin Scheduling.

Of course, it’s much easier to create and maintain a schedule when you have a time management system that suits your learning style, and Hellen Buttigieg provides some great tips in her post, How To Choose the Best Calendar for You.

Several bloggers contributed their favorite Time Saving Tips, including Michelle, who offers a Quick Tip : Keep Reading Material Handy.

Angela Esnouf reminds us that time is The Precious Gift and asks:

Do we treat each of our precious hours as a gift?  Do we value our time enough?

Ellen Delap recommends Delegating at Work, informing us that:

Delegating can be one of the most important tools for productivity!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this month’s Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! I’m sorry I couldn’t accept all the posts that were submitted. Although all organizing strategies will ultimately save the individual time, I wanted to focus on the specific topic of time management, so I hope no one was offended.

To help people get ready for tax time, the theme for March will be financial organization, and you are welcome to submit your post at any time.

For those of you who like to plan ahead, the topic for April will be green organizing.

If you’d like to suggest a topic for a future Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, please feel free to leave a comment or to contact me directly.