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 →

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 →

Finding “flow” through focus

August 13, 2016 organizationalhabits Changing habits, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health Changing habits, forming a new habit, getting organized, How to stay focused, organizational tips, State of "flow"

When was the last time you really enjoyed yourself? Were you deeply immersed in a great book? Or learning a new skill – like painting, or skiing, or playing a musical instrument? Or were you having a great conversation, sharing in a passionate discussion with someone? Or were you creating something?

Mihaly Scikszentmihalyi describes a complete focus on the task at hand as “a state of flow.” When you are in flow, time drops away. And as you work, you get ideas from everywhere. They descend on you in the middle of the night, while you’re taking a shower, and while you’re driving. You think of this work and feel your energy lift. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of this work – you are one with what you are doing. Continue reading →