Lessons from “Creative Week”

December 29, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Tips on using a planner, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Decision making, getting things done, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Using a planner, Working with your guides

The week between Christmas and New Year’s tends to be quiet for business, so I decided to christen this “Creative Week”. I have a number of projects I love to do that I don’t make a top priority – so they don’t get done. I thought this week could be rich for creative production – layered in with just two hours of work-work each day.

Normally, I set an intent for what I want to carry out, plan in time, and track what gets done – but that didn’t feel right for Creative Week. However, working on a complete whim was too big a challenge for a planner/tracker, so I brainstormed a list of creative stuff I wanted to get done. This included everything from running and meditation, to practicing the guitar, to making beaded bags, to reading, to writing for long periods of time. Continue reading →

The disorganization habit

December 4, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused, Tips for organizing your house, Tips on decluttering, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar Changing habits, decluttering your life, 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, Tips on decluttering, tips to be more productive, Using a planner

Have you ever uttered these words?

I’m not messy – I’m creative
I’ve always been disorganized
Someone will remind me if I forget
I run late – people are used to it
Don’t mind the mess at my house – it’s my mess and I love it

Then you may be in the disorganization habit. And maybe it’s working for you. But if you’re reading this post, then maybe you’re looking for a change. Continue reading →

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 →

Life is a game

October 26, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Meditation, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Tips on using a planner Changing habits, forming a new habit, how to get organized, how to lose and sustain weight loss, losing weight, Meditation tips, Organizational Exercises, Using a planner

Roll the dice. Draw a card. Move a colored peg around the board.

Life is a game with an unpredictable outcome, and the fun is in the playing. When you wake up in the morning, are you grateful to be alive? Do you feel energy in your gut anticipating the day?

What will you learn today? Who will you meet? What conversations will you have?

Back to the game. Draw a “Habit” card and see where it takes you…

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 →

25 tips to help improve your productivity at work

September 5, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Business tips, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Setting up a planner Changing habits, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Using a planner

Being organized at work isn’t all that different from being organized at home. You just have more people to deal with. The number one productivity tip I can offer for each is the same: Write it down. Writing things down saves your brain from trying to remember everything you have going on. And seeing things on paper helps you sort out and prioritize.

Use one calendar to write down meetings, appointments, and important deadlines. And use a planner to write down your daily tasks and things you’re keeping track of.

“Do I have to write everything down?”
“No, just the things you want to get done.”

Here are 25 additional tips to boost your productivity at work 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 →