How to change a habit

August 24, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar Changing habits, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how do I exercise more?, How do I use a planner?, how to get more sleep, how to get organized, how to lose and sustain weight loss, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Using a planner

Want to change a habit?

A couple of months ago, FastCompany published a great article on ways to change the habit of exercise.

A control group was asked to exercise once in the next week. 29% of them exercised.
Experiment group 1 was given the same task along with detailed information about why exercise is important to your health (i.e., “You’ll die if you don’t”.) 39% of them exercised.
Experiment group 2 was asked to commit to exercising at a specific place, on a specific day at a specific time of their choosing. 91% of them exercised.

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Energy Audit

August 16, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Changing habits, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health Changing habits, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, organizational tips, State of "flow", working on big projects

If you’re trying to get organized, it can feel overwhelming and it’s hard to know where to start. My recommendation is before you jump in, do an energy audit. If your energy is low your focus will be weak, and taking on organization may be too much to ask of yourself! So what’s draining your energy?

Energy Audit Exercise
1. Sit somewhere you are comfortable and have room to write. If you are at your desk and it’s messy, move everything except paper and pen to the floor. You don’t have to clean the desk, and please don’t clean the room! Just move your stuff off the desk for now so you aren’t distracted.

2. Take a deep breath and sent an intent: “I need to know what’s draining my energy”

3. Spend time visualizing each item on this list and decide: Does this part of my life raise my energy? Feel neutral? Or lower my energy? Next to each point, put a +, 0, or – sign. Continue reading →

It’s never wrong to be kind

August 2, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Organizational Exercises getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind, working on big projects

“Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave, and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way.” – Alice Childress, playwright

How does this apply to organizational habits? It’s big.

If you are organized and efficient and are loving it, please know that most people are not organized and efficient – and accept that. Organizational Zen is about getting organized so you waste less time. Then it’s about using that saved time to think clearer and to work on big, meaningful projects in your life.

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Taking care of TMIs – The Most Important Stuff

July 27, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Business tips, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Tips on using a planner figuring out my life work, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, Using a planner

One of my favorite bloggers, Leo Babauta at ZenHabits, often writes about TMIs: The Most Important Stuff. This is the stuff that you know you need to do and whether you write it down or not, you are probably going to get it done.

So why write TMIs in your planner?

Because you want to stop thinking about them. Once you are organized, you learn to trust that if you write something in your planner, it will either get done today or you’ll move it to another day. But it will get done. Trust that. Because you are organized 🙂

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Tips on using a calendar and planner

July 9, 2016January 1, 2020 organizationalhabits Business tips, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Setting up a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar getting organized, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, Using a planner, Which planner should I use?

I know. It’s a calendar and planner – how hard can that be? There’s nothing tricky but I’ve seen calendars with so many notes and cross-offs you can’t read them. And I’ve seen planners with nothing in them – so here’s my advice for working with both tools in an efficient manner.

And let me say again that the best part of being organized, besides getting a lot done, is having peace of mind knowing that the most important work will be done. Keeping a calendar, planner pages, and Continue reading →