Holiday organizational tips

November 27, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar Decision making, getting organized, getting things done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, organizing big projects, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Using a planner

Getting through a holiday-laced December can be fun – and it can be exhausting. Having a plan in place will help you feel more in control and help tilt things more toward fun and less toward stress. Planning also helps you stick to your priorities rather than making last-minute decisions on the fly.

Good planning starts with a schedule. Take a look at December and block out time now for:

Special events and family events

Is there anything that needs to be done or prepared before the event? Games? Food? Decorations? Invitations?
Plan in time to clean for any events that are at your house – but know that this is probably not the best time of year to start a big decluttering project!
If you have a special family event, try to keep a solid block around that time so you can focus on family and be present! Continue reading →

Living your dream time

November 16, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused Big project ideas, Decision making, figuring out my life work, getting things done, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, organizing big projects, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Using a planner, working on big projects

When you have a million things to do, everything feels important, and whatever’s next on the list gets done. You may have an edgy feeling that you’re missing out, that there’s something you should be doing, but who has time to think about it, right? You’re getting stuff done, so go go go.

Then you wake up in the middle of the night. You glance at the clock. It’s 4:00 AM. It’s quiet and dark. You can’t go back to sleep and start to think about things that never intrude on your busy days.

What would it be like to take a year off to travel to all the national parks in the United States?
If you wrote a novel, what would it be about? Time travel? History? Mystery? You have ideas that are just at the corner of your thinking.
Continue reading →

Breaking the habit loop

November 12, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Tips on using a planner Changing habits, Decision making, forming a new habit, getting organized, how do I exercise more?, How do I use a planner?, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Using a planner

Have you ever noticed when you’re doing something out of habit, like taking a shower or driving to work, that you think of all sorts of things that have nothing to do with taking a shower or driving to work? That’s your brain on autopilot. You are in a habit loop.

Think about the last time you learned something new, drove a new route, or started a new job. When something’s new, your brain slows down to make a myriad of decisions. Once you’ve done something for a while, your brain shifts to autopilot.

Because your brain saves energy being on autopilot, old habits can be hard to break. And new habits can be slow to form because new habits take full brain power.

So how does a habit loop work? Continue reading →

How to be more productive

October 5, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar Big project ideas, Changing habits, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Using a planner, working on big projects

If you find yourself saying, “I wish I could get more done,” stop for a minute and think about exactly what it is you want to get done.

Do you want to finish projects you’ve already started?
Do you wish you were doing more interesting stuff?
Do you have big ideas and aren’t sure how to take the first step?
Or are you just feeling like you’re wasting time?

Continue reading →

How “creative avoidance” messes with your obit

August 31, 2016September 5, 2016 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Changing habits, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Setting organizational priorities, Tips on using a planner Changing habits, figuring out my life work, getting organized, getting things done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, Using a planner, working on big projects

Creative avoidance is the fun stuff you do to skirt getting to the big stuff. When you’re pondering a big, juicy project, it’s hard to get started for many reasons… And if you don’t have time, you have the perfect excuse!

“I’d love to get this done but I don’t have time.” Continue reading →

How heavy is this rock?

August 29, 2016October 11, 2016 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Business tips, Changing habits, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Setting up a planner, Tips on using a planner Changing habits, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, Using a planner

This rock fits in the palm of your hand. Could you stretch out your arm and hold it for five minutes? Sure, no problem. Could you hold it for an hour? Now how heavy is it? It’s heavy. How about if you had to hold it for a day? For a week? For a month?

Oh, and I should have mentioned – there isn’t just one rock I need you to hold. Here are the rest of them. Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

The gatekeepers are off duty

August 19, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises Big project ideas, Changing habits, figuring out my life work, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, organizing big projects, working on big projects

As a business professional, I am known for organizational efficiency. But as a kid, my parents used to refer to me as “the messy one”. Why couldn’t I keep my room clean? Why did I never pick up?

Because:

1) It was my room.
2) I liked seeing my stuff. Continue reading →

Thoughts and tips on using a paper planner

August 10, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Business tips, Getting started, Setting up a planner, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar getting organized, getting things done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, how to save time, organizational tips, using a paper planner, Using a planner

I’m a big proponent of using a paper planner over a digital planner. Here’s why.

The Internet
When you log into an e-planner, you face all the time sucking temptations of the web: checking email, surfing YouTube, reading Facebook or Instagram posts, and, and, and… If you are trying to get organized for the day – or keep organized during the day, the last thing you need is a temptation to lose focus.

Working in a quiet place of your choice
You may keep a paper planner at your desk – or you may work in a quiet place away from your desk. Wherever it works best for you to plan and focus, a paper planner goes with you. No electricity or log-in required! Continue reading →