Get Organized

Break it Down
One way to organize your life is to break down the whole into its individual parts. Take a piece of paper or use a computer and break down your life into categories, such as:

Family
Health
Hobbies
Money
Relationships
Social Life
Work

Your list may be long or short, but one thing that should be on it is your health.

Get Your Priorities Straight
Your life needs to be organized and ranked based on what is important to you. If work is the only means of supporting yourself but you hate your job, then maybe it shouldn’t be your top priority. Changing a job may be difficult, but it’s usually easier than changing your friends or family.

If You Don’t Have Your Health...
Where did you rank health? When people go through this exercise, very rarely does health come out on top. But if you are not healthy, it’s very difficult to have anything else on the list. This is true for CF patients, particularly adolescents, who are having difficulty fitting their treatment regimen into their lives. You and your family should make CF management a high priority, if not the highest priority.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a life outside of managing your CF. You should strive for the fullest life you can, but having the time and energy for that means you need to be healthy.

Putting it Back Together
Now that you have your priority list, see what fits and what can go. Take a snapshot of your life in a day or a week. Look at what you take time for, how you feel, what you think about, what your responsibilities are. List your priorities in a table (see below).  

Ideally, the columns on the left of your table are filled with more activities than the columns on the right. Is there anything left on your list that didn’t fit? If so, examine your table and consider what can be eliminated to maximize your time doing the things that are most important to you.

Not Enough Time in the Day
Your life may look organized on paper, but you won’t know that until you apply your list to real life. You have 24 hours to fit in everything. Eight hours of that may account for sleep. Then there’s the time needed for CF treatments.

Routines and Schedules
Creating a routine or schedule is an effective way to manage your time. Routines focus on the task we wish to accomplish; the schedule tells us the amount of time we have to get it done. Your routine should correlate to your priority table, but be simple and flexible enough to avoid any unnecessary stress. If you find yourself trying to squeeze things in, it’s time to eliminate some things from your life. 

Sticking to It
Here are some tips on how to stick to your routine:

• Write it down. Use a planner, whether it’s an old fashioned print planner or one stored in a palm pilot or your computer. Place a calendar where the whole family can see it for tracking appointments and events. Create a chart for children so that they can check on each part of their routine. This helps a child or teen take on more responsibility for his or her treatment regimen.

• Communicate your schedule to the people in your life. Talk to children and teenagers about their routines, especially their treatment regimens, which will reinforce their importance. It will also remind, rather than nag, the child or teen about his or her treatment responsibilities.

• Re-evaluate your priorities. Sometimes our routines become so routine they become mundane. Don’t be a prisoner to your routine---as your life changes so will your routines. If you find yourself in a rut, step back and re-evaluate your priorities and change your routines accordingly.    

If you are having a hard time fitting your or your child’s treatment regimen into your routine, talk to your CF team. They will evaluate your regimen, and help you make it as efficient as possible and easier to adhere to.  

For more information on time management for children, please visit: 
PBS Kids, Time Management: You vs. the Clock.