% - Brain-based classes: Time Management, Organization & Planning

Do You Have Challenges Managing Time, Organizing, or Planning?

Don’t worry, we all do! But when you learn how to manage your time, you have greater control over your life. You can meet deadlines, be on time, coordinate a busy schedule and reduce the stress in your life.

What we do, when we do it and how we get it done are controlled by the executive functions of the brain. Do you have difficulty keeping your life (and stuff) organized? Is it hard to plan and prioritize your day? Are you frustrated with a lack of motivation or letting others down? You can learn how to do all these things and keep both time and task in order.

Our approach to time management, organization and planning is entirely brain-based. In our courses, you understand how your brain is wired and how to work with your strengths – and weaknesses. Together, we train your brain to use the visual tools/strategies that will help you reach your goals.

We are a small municipality with a large work load that leaves us feeling overwhelmed, so it’s important to use our time spent on projects as efficiently as possible. We appreciated Mary’s approach to helping us understand how our brains process time and then giving us the tools to help keep our brains disciplined and focused. The time cubes were one of the tools that she gave us that we use daily to help us not get lost in our “digital canyons” and to be more efficient with our time. Great training!
~ Shawn Burgé, City of Tillamook Assistant Public Works Director

Would You Like To Improve Your Time Management and/or Planning?

We currently have a three-hour Time Management class and a two-hour Planning class.
Businesses/Organizations: We can bring our existing curriculum to you – whether you are in the Portland Metro area, the Pacific NW, California – or beyond. We work with directors, executive assistants, managers, case workers, medical personnel, real estate agents, lawyers, receptionists, and coders as well as people who are never behind a desk. Students report that our classes are interesting, high-level, and refreshingly UNlike any other trainings. If you prefer a customized training, classes can be tailored to meet your objective, timeframe and budget. Find out more here.
Individuals: Classes are taught in person in the Portland Metro area and Northern California.
View our ongoing Oregon Time Management and Planning classes.

Raise your productivity (without the stress) and learn how to:

• Show up on time with ease
• Plan your day effectively and efficiently
• Plan for future events

• Stop losing/wasting time
• Get started on tasks you keep putting off
• Manage daily details

.

Adults & College-bound Students: Do You Need More Extensive Executive Functioning Support?

The Seeing My Time® course is an innovative, brain-based approach to the life skills of time management, organization and planning. Developed by executive function expert Marydee Sklar, you will learn about the brain and how to support it with visual tools and strategies including how to keep time/task in order, how to start, focus and complete projects, how to organize piles (and thoughts), and more…
Students: This is where you really learn how to support your brain so that you can deliver what you need to – on time and with less stress. Read more about the private one-on-one student course.
Adults: If you are struggling with your time management, organization, and/or planning at work, this course will fill your toolbox with practical, useful tools so you can build your career with confidence. Read more about the private one-on-one course for adults.

– I loved the instructor, the class, material, the way the information was communicated. I left the class feeling energized, motivated, and positive with several takeaways.
– I really appreciate that your training focused on the basics: do not multitask, do one thing at a time, reverse engineer projects from the desired outcome, do your best be present.
– I LOVED this workshop – applications for both personal and professional life. I’ve used several tactics already.
– I loved the class, wish I could of participated in the full version. The workbook was helpful and made implementing some of what I learned right away [easier]. The science behind how our brains work in relationship to the topic was fascinating. It also justified my need for physical and visual tools outside of current mobile technology. I also loved sharing what I learned with others.
– I thought the workshop was very well organized and very helpful! Mary Ellen is great at personalizing the ideas and strategies in the moment so people understand.
– I have been applying the techniques suggested in the class and it has a made a huge difference in my accomplishments throughout the work day.
– I found the information very useful and helpful. I have new tools to use for managing my time and projects.
– I really enjoyed and benefited from this class. I went straight home and used the time cube and the time circles with my son and he has been using them every day with homework.
– I liked the course.
– I got a lot out of the training. Thank you!
– I got a lot out of the class, both for work and home. Mary Ellen clearly explained the class structure so we knew what to expect of the 3 hours class. She explained the complicated topic of brain science in an understandable way, utilized the many styles of learning, visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Included many relatable examples, and offered many different practical and useful tools to try out to help manage your time. I think everyone came away with something they could try!

Mary Ellen is wonderful! She created trainings for us that were relevant, engaging, and applicable, and she is an absolute pleasure to work with. She’s responsive, organized (of course!), flexible, and really committed to doing excellent work. She worked hard to make sure she understood the different roles and needs of various staff groups, meeting with supervisors and gathering information, so that she could design trainings that were tailored to the specific needs of each group. Her training style is approachable and interactive, and it’s clear she has deep knowledge and expertise of her subject. She uses lots of stories and examples to help trainees understand the content, and staff especially appreciated how interactive the sessions were.

In the training environment, it was great to be able to think about and plan for how the new skills could be applied on the job. We will absolutely work with Mary Ellen again and can’t recommend her highly enough.
~ Rebecca Koon, Training and Equity Coordinator

Your class is life-changing. Ever since I took your class I practice being present in the moment and using checklists.

When I don’t use checklists I wake up and am distracted in conversations by my to-do list. Changing that behavior allows me to sleep! I also understand so much more about how I relate to my spouse. Thank you!!! I appreciate you!
~ Heather Egan, First American Title

In one three hour class, Mary Ellen introduced me to a number of tools and techniques that have simplified my life, enabling me to create order and serenity where there was disorder and anxiety, and to make progress in areas where I’d been stuck.

I’m no longer drowning in a mountain of minutiae and piles of papers, and the things that I want and need to get done are getting done–all of which makes life much more relaxing and satisfying. And perhaps best of all, Mary Ellen has made it fun!
~ Laurie Hoff Schaad

I’ve struggled my whole life with distraction and procrastination, especially in work situations with challenging, unclear projects and tasks. I spent a couple of afternoons with Mary Ellen figuring out what was getting in my way . . . and what I could do about it. I’ve since implemented several of the tools that I learned from her and things are much improved! And she was fun to work with. Highly recommended for anyone with similar challenges.
~ Bill Hefferman