Wow – we’ve reached Organizing Mission #52! Can you believe it?

If you’ve been following along with the missions week by week, you’ll have made enormous changes to your home, productivity and life. You’ll have simplified, decluttered and organized many, many areas. Awesome!

In this mission, we’re going to set some resolutions to help maintain the gains we’ve achieved, using my 3-Cubed Formula.

If you want to hold on to your simplified, decluttered and organized home, work and life, then read on!

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #52:
Simplify Your Life

Think about how much more time, energy and happiness you have now that your life is a little more organized. Good, huh?

To hold on to these good feelings, all you have to do is make a few changes to your habits. Nothing drastic; just simple, practical principles that will help you maintain a sense of order and keep clutter at bay.

So with that in mind, get yourself a pen and some paper or open a new document on your computer, and let’s get started.

Step 1: Make 3 Simplifying, Decluttering or Organizing Resolutions (20 mins)

Decide on 3 simplifying, decluttering or organizing principles you’re choosing to live by.

They don’t have to be huge.

Small changes are fine, and can be a good way to gradually increase your confidence so you want to take on more challenging goals.

I suggest starting with 3 resolutions. Any time you feel you’ve got something pretty much under your belt, replace it with another.

You don’t have to be perfect.

You can stuff up from time to time and just start again the next day. No problemo. It still works.

Here are some examples of resolutions you can choose from – or make up your own:

• I only shop when I need something, not to pass the time
• When I shop, I stick to a list
• I don’t buy things just because they’re on sale or a bargain
• Whenever I buy something new, I donate or discard something old
• I add at least one item to my donation basket every day
• I include cleaning up as part of the task
• I do not join catalogue mailing lists
• I respect my home’s boundaries and only buy/keep what I can neatly store
• I make quick decisions about where things go
• Every time I feel clutter accumulating I fill a trash bag, declutter 50 items or donate 50 items
• I repeat the 52 Organizing Missions program every year.

Choose your 3 resolutions and write or type them up neatly.

Step 2: Place Copies of Your Resolutions in 3 Places
(10 mins)

Make 3 copies of the resolutions and put them in 3 places around your home, car, office, or wherever they’re most relevant and useful.

For example, you could place them:

• In your wallet
• On your bathroom mirror
• In your diary
• By your bedside
• On your noticeboard
• On your fridge
• On the microwave
• In the car glove box
• On the car dashboard
• On the TV
• As your computer screensaver
• As a recurring appointment in your PDA or iPhone.

Choose your 3 places and put a copy of your resolutions in each one.

Step 3: Read Your Resolutions 3 Times a Day (ongoing)

Your mission is mostly done.

Now all you have to do is keep your focus on these simplifying, decluttering or organizing resolutions. A good way to do that is to read them to yourself 3 times, most days.

If you’ve chosen good spots, this will happen organically as you go about your day. If not, you may have to experiment with different places.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t seek perfection with your resolutions; aim for progress instead. You’re more likely to achieve it, and less likely to drive yourself and everyone else mad.
• Do replace a resolution that has become a habit with a new one. That way you’ll keep on expanding the benefits of a beautifully simplified, decluttered and organized life.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission as a family. Agree on resolutions you’re all committed to for a more harmonious and ordered home and family life, and encourage and support each other as you put them into practice.
• Do this mission with a group of friends. Choose your resolutions individually, but decide to meet or touch base once a week. You can then review your resolutions together, and support one another in turning your resolutions into habits.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

Congratulations!
It’s Time To Get Your Badge.

You deserve to show off your achievement!

Grab your I’m Organized! badge here and display it on your blog, website or Facebook profile.

Oh and then? Gloat.

Organize Your Home & Life –
in Just 30 Minutes a Week

With the 52 Organizing Missions Workbook Pack you’ll simplify, organize and declutter dozens of areas, including:

Every workbook includes fully interactive Planning Worksheets, To-Do-Lists, and Success Journals not available elsewhere. Plus there are live accountability and free-download links.

Learn more about the 52 Missions Home Organizer.

[Image: by annia316]

Related posts:

1. How To Change Habits: My 3-Cubed Formula
2. Organizing Mission #44: Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries
3. Create Your ‘Organized Life Bedtime Routine’ [Mission #20]

Congratulations to our 52 Organizing Missions winner for this month!

Marti: “Organized my presentation. I managed to clear out clothes that don’t fit, are too old, as well as shoes, jewelry. I pared things down to the point that what I have left fits well, looks good and I love to wear. This has been a most successful site for me. Thank you.”

Marti wins a $79 Get Organized Wizard Gift Certificate.

July Prize: $79 Get Organized Wizard Gift Certificate

The Gift Certificate can be used to purchase our very popular Life & Goal Organizer, or the brand new 52 Missions Home Organizer, or can be applied toward a value pack (Premium Pack, Complete Suite or Ultimate Pack).

52 Missions Home Organizer includes 4 PDF workbooks totaling more than 470 pages and including worksheets, to-do lists and success journals for every mission.

The 30-minute simplifying, organizing and decluttering missions cover home, office, car, closet, purse, time, family, chores, mindset, garage, storage, routines, career, to-do list and much more. People are amazed at what they accomplish in each 30-minute segment. No other organizing program makes such excellent use of your time!

Learn more about 52 Missions Home Organizer.

Get Organized, Leave Comment, Win Prize!

Want to be next month’s winner?

Simply leave a comment letting us know you’ve completed a 30-minute organizing mission at the bottom of the post.

Every month we’ll choose one commenter to receive a cool prize. (For added incentive, we may be biased toward people who complete more than one mission.)

Learn more about 52 Missions Home Organizer.

Related posts:

1. This Month’s Prize: From Procrastination To Action Workbook
2. Now Available: Gift Certificates For a More Organized Life
3. Good News: 12 Months’ of Free Upgrades for Get Organized Wizard Customers

If your week invariably feels chaotic and at odds with your natural energy, personal preferences, and practical considerations, then you’ll love this mission.

Over the next 30 minutes we’re going to create an ideal weekly schedule template – a baseline planner you can use for your weekly timetable.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #51:
Create a Weekly Schedule Template

Step 1: ‘Time of Day’ Preferences (10 mins)

First, think about your energy and motivation over the course of a typical day. Are you at your best in the early mornings? Do you feel most creative late at night? Do you find afternoons leave you mentally tired but up for exercise?

Also consider external practicalities. Would you save time and energy by avoiding peak times on the road, or at the gym? Could you expedite meetings by scheduling them late in the afternoon when everyone’s keen to wrap up? Is there a window for personal time before the kids wake up or after they’re in bed?

Be sure to include all of your key activities, such as:

• Sleeping
• Writing
• Admin
• Exercising
• Planning
• Meetings
• Paperwork
• Emails
• Reading
• Preparing proposals
• Preparing presentations
• Returning calls
• Family time
• Personal time.

Taking energy, motivation and practicalities into account, choose the best time of day for your main activities.

• Early mornings are best for…
• Mornings are best for…
• Lunchtimes are best for…
• Afternoons are best for…
• Evenings are best for…
• Late nights are best for…

Step 2: ‘Day of Week’ Preferences (10 mins)

Now let’s turn to energy, motivation and external practicalities over the course of the week.

Will you gain momentum if you allocate, say, Tuesday afternoons to proposals? If you have your own business, are you unmotivated on Mondays but keen to work on Saturdays? Can you batch admin and errands into a low-energy block of time, like Friday afternoons? If you have a lot of external meetings, can you save time by setting aside every Thursday just for meetings?

So now, taking energy, motivation and practicalities into account, choose the best day of the week for your main activities.

• Mondays are best for…
• Tuesdays are best for…
• Wednesdays are best for…
• Thursdays are best for…
• Fridays are best for…
• Weekends are best for…

Step 3: Create Your Ideal Weekly Schedule Template
(10 mins)

Great – you’ve identified good times of the day and practical days of the week for each of your main weekly activities. Now let’s put them all together into a weekly schedule template.

Look over your ideal time of the day activities (Step 1) and ideal day of the week activities (Step 2), and fill in the Weekly Schedule Template worksheet (see below).

Your weekly schedule template is your ideal timetable – the way you’d ideally like to allocate your time across your activities.

Not everything will fit into this template schedule every week – for instance, an important client might be determined to meet on a day you’ve allocated to working on presentations, or you might have to work at low-energy times to meet a deadline.

But by having this weekly schedule template as your baseline, you’ll be able to allocate your time according to energy, motivation and practicalities whenever you have discretion.

You’ll be able to offer appointment times that suit you, rather than going along with whatever’s suggested. You’ll be able to exercise when your body feels like it. You’ll be able to batch tasks that go together for better time management.

Now that you have your own weekly schedule template, remember to keep it handy – and refer to it every week as you plan, make appointments and schedule meetings.

Get The Worksheet

If you’re a member of the Get Organized Wizard community forums (they’re filled with hundreds of posts and resources), you can download a free Weekly Schedule Template worksheet. Or become a member now (it’s free).

The Weekly Schedule Template and many other time-management worksheets are part of Life & Goal Organizer, Premium Pack, Complete Suite and Ultimate Pack, and are available to Design Your Life members in your Time Management Life Area (added to your Member Dashboard in July 2010).

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t get hung up on allocating every little task to your weekly schedule template. Focus on your main activities and top priorities – that’s where you’ll get the biggest productivity and motivation gains.
• Do be prepared to suggest your preferred times when scheduling appointments and meetings. The more you do this, the easier it will become.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission with your team at work or in your business. Taking into account the preferences of the team when scheduling a typical week can boost motivation and job satisfaction.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Time, Home, Life – in Just 30 Minutes a Week

With the 52 Missions Home Organizer you’ll simplify, organize and declutter dozens of areas, including:

Every workbook includes fully interactive Planning Worksheets, To-Do-Lists, and Success Journals not available elsewhere. Plus there are live accountability and free-download links.

Learn more about the 52 Missions Home Organizer.

[Image: by chätzle]

Related posts:

1. Time Management: How To Boost Productivity at Work [Mission #27]
2. Getting Organized: How To Schedule Personal Organization Reminders
3. Get Organized For Fitness [Mission #38]

For many people, reducing debt is the first step toward a sound financial future.

And one of the best ways to reduce debt is to get organized and create a debt-repayment plan – which is exactly what we’ll do in the next 30 minutes.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Note: If you haven’t already, you may like to first complete Get Organized Mission #12: Organize Your Accounts & Credit Cards.

Disclaimer: This is not financial advice, it’s organizing advice. If you need financial advice, please get yourself off to a financial professional.

Get Organized Mission #50:
Create a Debt Repayment Plan

Step 1: Rank Your Debts By Interest Rate (5 mins)

First, for every loan, credit card, store card and other debt you have, gather together the latest statement or other communication that shows the interest rate you’re paying.

Order your debts by interest rate – for instance, credit cards tend to have higher interest rates than personal loans and mortgages.

Step 2: Calculate Your Minimum Repayment Amount
(5 mins)

Next, let’s work out how much you’re required to repay each month.

Find the minimum monthly repayment amount for each debt, and add all of these minimum payments together.

You now have the total minimum repayment you need to pay each month against your debts.

Step 3: Calculate Your Surplus Repayment Funds
(10 mins)

Next, let’s work out how much you can actually afford to repay each month.

If you have a lot of debt or want to pay off your debts faster, you may choose to make some sacrifices and cut out a few luxuries.

For instance, could you:

• Stop buying things you don’t need or love?
• Borrow books from the library rather than buying them?
• Buy regularly used items in bulk?
• Shop at cheaper stores?
• Walk instead of taking the car?
• Reduce the heating/cooling controls and rug up/dress down instead?
• Choose less expensive entertainment options?
• Cancel little-or-never-used memberships and subscriptions?

Add any savings you’ve decided to make to the amount you’re currently paying each month. This will give you the new amount you can afford to repay against your debts each month.

Now, deduct the total minimum repayment you calculated in Step 2.

That will leave you with the surplus repayment funds available for getting rid of your debts.

Step 4: Create a Debt-Reduction Plan
(10 mins)

Good – now that you know which debts are costing you the most (Step 1), and your surplus repayment funds (Step 3), over and above your minimum repayments (Steps 2), you can allocate your available funds accordingly.

For instance, you might like to allocate your entire surplus funds each month to your highest-interest debt until this is paid off, and then allocate your entire surplus funds to the next-highest-interest debt, and so on.

How you allocate your surplus funds will depend on your overall goals and circumstances.

The important thing is to be organized and strategic in knowing what you need to pay, what you can afford to pay, and how you can allocate your repayments in a smart way.

Get The Worksheet

If you’re a member of the Get Organized Wizard community forums (they’re filled with hundreds of posts and resources), you can download a free Debt Reduction Plan worksheet. Or become a member now (it’s free).

The Debt Reduction Plan and many other financial organizing worksheets are part of the Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Personal Edition, Premium Pack, Complete Suite and Ultimate Pack, and are available to Design Your Life members in your Library Of Resources.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t hesitate to seek financial advice if you need it. The worry and sleepless nights are far worse than the pain of making an appointment and creating a plan with a professional. Ask friends for recommendations for a good accountant or financial planner.
• Do be mindful of any penalties that may apply on certain loans for early or late repayments. Again, see a financial professional if in any doubt.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Investigate the possibility of consolidating your debts into a single, low-interest loan. Talk to your bank manager, accountant or financial professional.
• Complete this mission with older kids who are starting to use loans or credit cards. Show them how to make repayments wisely and avoid penalties, and you’ll set them up for a smart financial future.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Money, Home, Life – in Just 30 Minutes a Week

With the 52 Organizing Missions Workbook Pack you’ll simplify, organize and declutter dozens of areas, including:

Every workbook includes fully interactive Planning Worksheets, To-Do-Lists, and Success Journals not available elsewhere. Plus there are live accountability and free-download links.
Learn more

[Image: by azrainman]

Related posts:

1. Get Organized Mission #12: Organize Your Accounts & Credit Cards
2. Get Organized Mission #3: Organize Your Bill Payment
3. How to be Organized in 2009: Day 9 – Money & Finance

In this mission we’re going to do some power career planning or business planning – depending on your goals.

If you want to change career or start a business then this mission is a great place to begin. By the end of these 30 minutes, you’ll have gained useful insights into finding your passion, and have created a mini career plan or business plan for realizing your career or business goals.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

NOTE: This mission is adapted from Module 14 in the Business & Career Life Area of the Design Your Life program.

Organizing Mission #49:
Find Your Business or Career Passion

Get yourself a pen and some paper, or open a new document on your computer, and get comfortable.

Step 1: What Is Your Passion? (15 minutes)

First up, create 5 columns, and give them these headings:

• Enjoy
• Good at
• Gives meaning
• Always interested in
• Business or career opportunities.

Now for each of the following 5 questions, list your answers in the corresponding columns. Jot down single words or short phrases – no long-winded sentences or navel-gazing.

Answer quickly and don’t overanalyze.

1. What do you enjoy doing?

Consider:

• Things you do in your spare time
• Hobbies and pastimes
• What you like doing at work
• Tasks that give you pleasure.

2. What are you good at?

Consider:

• Things that people compliment you about
• Anything you’ve won awards or prizes for
• Jobs were you’ve excelled
• Skills that come naturally to you.

3. What gives you a sense of meaning in your life?

Consider:

• Ideas that matter to you
• Anything without which your life feels empty
• Anything that makes you feel like you’re on a mission
• Anything that drives you.

4. What have you always been interested in?

Consider:

• What’s common to the books you like to read
• What’s common to the movies you like to watch
• What you were interested in as a child
• What you love to talk about.

5. What business or career opportunities are you aware of?

Consider:

• The people you know
• The changes you observe in the economy, technology, etc
• Ideas you’ve wondered about
• Ideas other people have stimulated.

When you’ve got your lists, take a good look at all the answers you’ve come up with. Search for common threads. Notice anything that comes up more than once, even if you’ve used different words to describe it.

You might find an ‘obvious’ (in retrospect) theme that recurs through many of these areas – like a love of teaching that’s been there since you were a kid and shows through in your favorite movies and sense of meaning.

Or you may identify several possibilities.

Either way, pick one or two areas that resonate with you for the next step.

Step 2: Your Passion Plan: Gathering Info (15 minutes)

Now we’ll create a plan for exploring your passion.

First, for each area you’ve tagged for further investigation, make a list of exploratory tasks you can do to learn more.

For instance, could you:

• Read books or articles on career change or starting a business in general
  –> Visit Amazon, a good bookstore or your local library
• Read books or articles on your area of interest
  –> Are there any trade magazines or publications?
• Take a part-time course in your area of interest
  –> Contact your local college or see what’s available online
• Talk to people who work in your area of interest
  –> If you don’t know anyone, ask friends if they know someone they can put you in touch with
• Talk to people who know a lot about your area of interest
  –> Offer to take someone for coffee or lunch and have your questions prepared
• Talk to your family, friends or mentors about this potential career change or business idea
  –> Make it clear that you’re only in the exploratory stage and simply information-gathering
• Talk to a career coach about career change or to a business coach about this business idea
  –> A session or two with an experienced coach can help you gain clarity.

Next, make a list of questions you need to answer from the above sources. What do you need to know in order to decide whether/how to proceed?

For instance, you’ll probably want to find out:

• What skills and knowledge would you need that you don’t have?
  –> Would you have to re-train? Go back to school? Complete a part-time program?
• What are the opportunities, realistically?
  –> Do very few people succeed in this field? Does it take years before you earn an income?
• What financial resources would you need?
  –> Would you need money to support yourself while an intern? Would you need a full-time or part-time job while starting a business?

Your plan of information-gathering tasks and questions to be answered is a great starting point for investigating your business idea or career change.

As you learn more, your information-gathering plan will change and perhaps take you in new directions. That’s great! The important thing is that you now have a point of entry into what you love, what you’re good at, and where opportunities lie.

You’re on the way!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t let a critical voice in your head stop you from listing anything you like in Step 1. The information-gathering plan will help you determine whether ideas are viable – so leave judgment until then.
• Do be prepared to do your research into potential business or career ideas. Step 2 helps you get specific and focused about what you need to know. It could save you a great deal of stress, time, money, and family drama.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission with a bunch of friends. Support and encourage each other in identifying potential business or career ideas in Step 1, and brainstorming exploratory tasks and questions in Step 2.
• If you feel it would be helpful, do this mission with your older high-school kids. Take your time with each of the steps, encouraging your kids to think about their answers in Step 1, and helping them to come up with ideas in Step 2.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Achieve Your Business or Career Goals

The Business & Career life area of Design Your Life helps you take a strategic, organized approach to achieving your business or career goals.

There are e-classes on:

· Improving your current work situation
· Getting promoted/promoting your business
· Finding a new job/finding new business
· Finding your passion: changing career/starting a business.

When you sign up for Design Your Life you can start straight away on the Business & Career life area (you’ll have immediate access to the first 8 modules, including Health & Fitness, Happiness Strategies, Home Organization, Personal Development, and Personal Presentation).

SPECIAL OFFER: Join today for lifetime benefits at a one-off special rate. Learn more.

[Image: by decafinata]

Related posts:

1. Get Organized Mission #12: Organize Your Accounts & Credit Cards
2. Get Organized To Reduce Stress [Mission #30]
3. Get Organized Mission #16: Streamline Your Books, CDs, & DVDs

If your kids and their bedrooms need an organization intervention, then read on.

In this mission we’ll declutter, tidy, and teach the kids some fabulous new habits.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #48:
Organize Your Kids & Their Bedrooms

Before we start, decide whether you want to tackle just one room in this 30 minutes, or if you’d rather spread your time over more than one room.

Depending on how many kids and how many bedrooms you’re working with, you’ll need to adjust the amount of time you spend on each one.

Okay, let’s get started.

Step 1: Declutter Anything They’ve Outgrown (10 mins)

Quickly go through your child’s bedroom, pulling out anything they’ve outgrown – physically or psychologically.

Look for items such as:

• Clothes
• Shoes and boots
• Hats, gloves, etc
• School stuff
• Backpacks
• Books
• Toys
• Games
• DVDs
• Computer games
• Bed linen
• Pictures on walls or shelves
• Things in a color they no longer like
• Anything with bad memories attached
• Pet accessories for deceased pets.

Step 2: Show Them How To Do a Daily Tidy (10 mins)

Now that some of the clutter’s gone, it’s a perfect time to teach kids how to tidy their rooms each day.

Be realistic – you want to make it easy for kids to do it themselves, and do it every day. Keep the target low and you’ll raise the likelihood of success.

Focus your room-cleaning tutorial on simple, basic tasks such as:

• Putting dirty clothes in the laundry hamper (have one in each child’s room to make this easy)
• Putting clean clothes away –
  • Hanging clothes put on hangers
  • Folded clothes folded and put into drawers or on shelves
  • Coats or rain gear hung on hooks
• Putting toys away (have large toy bins to make this easy)
• Clearing things off the floor.

Step 3: Teach Them The ‘OCI-OGO’ Habit (10 mins)

Great – you’ve created some order. But how do you keep things this way?

The answer is to teach your kids the extremely useful habit of OCI-OGO:
One comes in, one goes out.

Every time your kids get a new item of clothing, toy, game, book, DVD, etc – they choose an old one to give away.

Teach your children that this is a wonderful way to keep their rooms neat and their lives organized, and to share with people who don’t have so many nice things.

The younger your kids are when you teach them this invaluable lesson, the easier they’ll find it to avoid the clutter and disorganization habits that burden so many grown ups.

Plus there’s an added benefit – you’ll have to set an example and adopt OCI-OGO too!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t get into a fight with the kids over what to get rid of. Focus on the big picture of decluttering (most) outgrown stuff, teaching tidying skills and introducing OCI-OGO.
• Do be prepared to give kids a few friendly reminders over the next week about their daily tidying tasks. It might take a few repetitions before they absorb the habit.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission individually with each child. You’ll be able to tailor your decluttering, tidying and OCI-OGO lesson more personally to each one.
• Have something fun planned to follow this mission, so you can reward the kids for their attention and co-operation. A DVD to watch, their fave place for dinner, or some other treat in their preferred currency will make this mission more pleasant for everyone.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Get More ‘Me’ Time – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing
system. Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your
goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

By leading you through a system of ready-made action plans –
from home organization and time management to money & finance and family – Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image by Andrew Stawarz]

Related posts:

1. Organize Your Laundry [Mission #32]
2. Get Organized Mission #15: Organize Your Kitchen
3. Time Management: How To Simplify Your Home Organization Tasks [Mission #28]

If you procrastinate constantly, sabotage yourself, get immobilized by perfectionism, or just feel miserable, then you might be the victim of your own ineffective thinking habits.

In this mission we look at 10 negative thinking habits and use them to spring-clean your thoughts.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Note: This mission is adapted from e-class 33 of the Happiness Strategies Life Area of our Design Your Life Program.

Get Organized Mission #47:
Declutter Your Thinking Habits

Just as we have habitual ways of driving or dressing, we have idiosyncratic thinking habits.

Sometimes they serve us well. Other times they undermine us in little and big ways  – often without our conscious awareness.

To get rid of these unhelpful thinking styles, we need to recognize the troublemakers and find replacements for them.

So let’s do that now.

Step 1: Identify Your Negative Thinking Habits (10 Mins)

Read carefully through the list of negative thinking habits below, and identify the ones you’re guilty of.

If you habitually think along the lines of an ‘Instead of’ example, then this could be a problem thinking habit for you.

Step 2: Declutter Your Thinking (20 Mins)

Divide a piece of paper into two columns.

For each of the negative thinking habits that you identified in yourself in Step 1:

• In the left-hand column, write down your usual negative thought. It may have a similar feel or theme to the ‘Instead of’ example.
• In the right-hand column, reframe the thought into a more constructive one. The aim is to move away from the thinking style in the description (eg black & white thinking, perfectionism) and toward a thought that’s more supportive of you. Use the ‘Try’ examples to guide and inspire you.

Keep this piece of paper handy and read it every day (say, before bed or on the train to work) until you start to absorb the new thoughts.

Okay, here’s the list.

1. Black & white thinking

Instead of:

· My job totally sucks.

Try:

· My job doesn’t use my skills, but it will pay the bills while I look for something better.

2. Perfectionism

Instead of:

· I have to keep to this diet perfectly – or I’ll never lose weight.

Try:

· Nobody is perfect. I can make the occasional slip with my healthy eating, and still lose weight.

3. Assuming the worst

Instead of:

· I’ll never be able to handle this job – why bother?

Try:

· I’ve done well on most of my previous jobs. I can do well on this one too.

4. Catastrophizing

Instead of:

· The party will be awful and I won’t be able to stand it.

Try:

· The party might push me out of my comfort zone a bit, but I can handle that.

5. Looking on the dark side

Instead of:

· If I speak up people might think I’m egotistical.

Try:

· If I speak up people might think I’ve got some good ideas.

6. Labeling yourself

Instead of:

· I can’t believe I said that – I’m such an idiot.

Try:

· Wow – I said a pretty dumb thing today.

7. Being over-dramatic

Instead of:

· The rain ruined my favorite shoes – this is a disaster!

Try:

· I’m really disappointed that my favorite shoes are ruined, but I’ll get over it in a few days.

8. Deflecting positives and compliments

Instead of:

· This old thing? I only wear it to distract people from my colossal ears.

Try:

· Thank you!

9. Taking things personally

Instead of:

· That salesperson was rude to me – now I feel awful.

Try:

· That salesperson doesn’t even know me. She may be having a bad day.

10. Taking feelings as facts

Instead of:

· I feel upset by what he said – he’s so mean!

Try:

· I’m sometimes over-sensitive, so it’s possible he wasn’t being mean.

Okay – now it’s your turn!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t get bogged down with the names or categories of negative thinking habits – these are just simplifying devices.
• Do focus instead on identifying habitual, unhelpful thoughts and replacing them with more constructive ones.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission with a bunch of friends. Support and encourage each other in identifying negative thinking habits in Step 1, and brainstorming replacement thoughts in Step 2.
• Do this mission with your kids. Help them to identify their unhelpful thinking habits, and teach them how to come up with better options.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Happiness!

The Happiness Strategies life area of Design Your Life helps you learn how to be happier. Most of the material comes from my happiness research and thesis, where I learned we can do a lot to boost our own happiness level. As someone who wasn’t ‘born happy’ but has learned to be, I use these strategies daily.

There are e-classes on: Having a Happiness Mindset; Creating a Happy Life; Developing Strategies for Happiness; and Releasing Barriers to Happiness. Plus there’s a bonus e-booklet, How To Be Wise & Happy.

When you sign up for Design Your Life you can start straight away on the Happiness Strategies life area (you’ll have immediate access to the first 8 modules, including Health & Fitness, Home Organization, Personal Development, Business & Career and Personal Presentation).

SPECIAL OFFER: Join today for lifetime benefits at a one-off special rate. Learn more.

[Image: by gutter]

Related posts:

1. How To Declutter Your To-Do List [Organizing Mission #43]
2. Organizing Mission #39: Declutter Your Surfaces
3. How To Change Habits: My 3-Cubed Formula

Sarah: “I loved how filling a huge trash bag with crap made me feel better about myself. The satisfaction I felt when I threw that bag into the trash was awesome.”

Miriam: “Mission #1 Completed!!!! So much fun I kept on for another hour. Procrastinated on this for so long and it was SO EASY!”

They each win a copy of From Procrastination To Action.

June Prize: From Procrastination To Action

From Procrastination To Action contains 52 motivating blog posts – all in one attractive, easy-to-read, interactive PDF.

Open at any page and you’ll find a fresh, motivating idea to help you get better organized and move from procrastination to action. Topics include productivity, home organization, time management, personal organizing strategies and lots more.

There’s an interactive action to-do list for every post – so you can turn that motivation into action right away. Plus there are live links to free downloads. Learn More.

Get Organized, Leave Comment, Win Prize!

Want to be next month’s winner?

Simply leave a comment letting us know you’ve completed a 30-minute organizing mission at the bottom of the post.

Every month we’ll choose one commenter to receive a cool prize. (For added incentive, we may be biased toward people who complete more than one mission.)

View all the 52 Organizing Missions so far (scroll down).

Sign up for 52 Organizing Missions. It’s free!

Related posts:

1. NEW! From Procrastination to Action Workbook
2. From Procrastination To Action
3. This Month’s Prize: A Get Organized Wizard Gift Certificate!

Have you been feeling less than your best lately? Wondering what happened to your old glow/spark/spring in your step?

A mini makeover is a great way to regain confidence and restore a little sparkle to your life. So that’s what we’re doing in this week’s organizing mission.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Organizing Mission #46:
Give Yourself a MakeOver

Step 1: Choose Your Makeover Projects (5 Minutes)

To make the most of our 30 minutes, we’re going to focus on one or two areas that will bring about the maximum transformation.

Okay, now go and take a look in the mirror. I know you don’t want to, but you’ll be glad you did. This won’t hurt, I promise.

I want you to imagine the voice of a kind friend or relative in your head. Got that voice? Now simply let the voice tell you gently and lovingly where you could do with a little freshening up. But no self-abuse!

With that revelation in mind, decide which of these mini-makeover projects you’d like to complete in this mission:

• Get rid of clothes that don’t work for you
  Go on a rampage through your closet and banish any clothes that don’t: fit, look good, feel good, suit you, etc. You’ll have to wear the good stuff more often!
• Launder, repair, dry-clean your clothes
  Pull out anything in your closet that you can’t wear because it needs cleaning, repair, alteration, etc. Take it straight to the car for later drop off – or drop it off now.
• Shop for missing pieces 
  Do you have clothes you can’t wear because you’re missing a belt, matching jacket, or a-line skirt? Make a list of these missing pieces for your next shopping trip. Or head to the stores now!
• Put together outfits for your lifestyle
  Never worked out what goes with what? Spend some time assembling your clothes into outfits. Then as a reminder, hang pieces together, make notes on post-its or take Polaroids.
• Work out what suits you 
  Think about what you get compliments on (skinny jeans? jewel colors?). Or ask friends. Or find a book on body shapes at the bookstore or library (eg The Body Shape Bible).
• Update your underwear
  Start with good basics – you’ll feel good and your clothes will look better on you too. Get a proper fitting and buy multiples of underwear that looks and feels fab.
• Augment your accessories
  Update your look and add a little pizzazz with belts, scarves, cufflinks, a signature watch – whatever suits your style but adds a little something more.
• Organize your closet
  Organize your clothes by color, use quality hangers, fold knitwear, put belts on hooks – take steps to take care of your clothes and make dressing a pleasure.
• Clear out your make-up 
  Get rid of old make-up (it has a shelf-life). Pare down to only the cosmetics that you enjoy using and that bring out your best features.
• Streamline your grooming routine
  If you take forever to get ready, look for ways to simplify. Opt for fewer gadgets, steps and products – and focus on playing up your assets rather than hiding what you don’t like.
• Get a new haircut/color
  A new hairstyle can do wonders for your confidence. Ask friends to recommend a hairdresser, cut out magazine pictures of styles you like, and book in your consultation.
• Visit your dentist for teeth-care
  If your smile lets you down, schedule an appointment to discuss options. Even a teeth-clean can make you feel refreshed and smile-worthy.
• Get a make-up lesson
  Cosmetics counters can be an excellent source of ideas and instruction for a new make-up look. Book an appointment and be prepared to watch and learn.

Is there something else that would help you feel good about yourself? Then do that instead.

Step 2: Give Yourself a MakeOver (25 Minutes)

Right, now that you’ve chosen your makeover projects, let’s get going!

Get into that closet, make those appointments, get to the shops – whatever you’ve allocated for yourself.

With a little willingness to step out of your comfort zone and determination to show more of your best, you can achieve a lot in these 25 minutes. Complete as many projects as you can.

You’ll still feel like you – only better.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t let people tell you this is superficial. You’re making the best of the resources you have. That’s something to feel proud about.
• Do address any critical voice jabbering away in your head. Thank it for trying to help, but tell it you’ll take it from here. Then find the kind voice and let that one guide and encourage you.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission with a bunch of friends. Support and encourage each other in choosing your mini-projects in Step 1, then go off and complete your tasks individually. Meet up for drinks or dinner to celebrate!
• Take a whole day and do a number of makeover mini-projects. You’ll feel awesome!

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Personal Presentation

The way you present yourself affects how you feel about yourself and how people perceive you.

The Personal Presentation module of Design Your Life helps give you the best starting point from which to face the world.

It guides you to organize your clothes, outfits, footwear, accessories, closet, grooming, poise, confidence, skincare, make-up, handbag, satchel, briefcase, PDA and lots more.

When you sign up for Design Your Life you can start straight away on the Personal Presentation module (you’ll have immediate access to the first 7 modules, including Health & Fitness, Home Organization, Personal Development, Business & Career and of course Personal Presentation).

SPECIAL OFFER: Join today for lifetime benefits at a one-off special rate. Learn more.

[Image: by Roland Ster]

Related posts:

1. Get Organized Mission #11: Create Your Wardrobe Wishlist
2. Get Organized Mission #10: Clear Out Your Closet
3. Get Organized Mission #7: Be Happy!

Your garden can be a source of beauty and joy. Don’t let disorganization spoil the pleasure – spend just 30 minutes today and make your garden into a happier place.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #45:
Organize Your Garden

Step 1: Choose Garden-Organizing Projects (5 Minutes)

To make the most of our 30 minutes, we’re going to focus on the one or two tasks that will bring the most transformation to your garden space.

Go out into your garden, yard or balcony, or survey your indoor plants.
Decide which of these mini garden projects you’d like to complete in this mission:

• Clear junk and rubbish
  If you have eyesore junk in your garden, this should be your priority. Looking at rubbish every day is no good for you – get rid of it today!
• Hire a horticulturist, gardener or mower to provide regular attention
  Ask a neighbor for a recommendation or rummage through those letterbox drops you’ve been collecting. Make a call today and book someone.
• Install a water-saving sprinkler system
  If watering the garden is your downfall, investigate options for something automatic and water-smart.
• Remove weeds
  Get your gloves on, cue some good music on your iPod, and out you go. Thinking about it is worse than just doing it.
• Remove plants you don’t like
  Do you feel icky every time you look at that plant? Now’s your chance to move it out of your garden once and for all.
• Trim trees or prune hedges or bushes
  This is another one of those tasks that you dread, but is not so bad once you get started. So get started!
• Fertilize
  If your garden needs it, then show your garden a little fertilizer love. You’ll enjoy the rewards in the weeks and months to come.
• Update garden furniture
  Rusty, ancient furniture brings no joy to you – or to your clothes. Refresh your garden setting, and perhaps have breakfast out there next weekend?
• Plan new plantings
  If your garden is crying out for some new additions, this is the time to pop over to the nursery and stock up on seedlings and such.
• Buy new flowers or plants
  Are your indoor or outdoor plants looking lugubrious? It might be time to update your collection.
• Add a bench, lights or other touches
  If your garden is in pretty good condition but needs something fresh, a slatted bench or some solar lights might do the trick.
• Mow the lawn
  Prosaic I know, but this might just be the touch that makes your garden glow.

If there’s something else that would make your garden a more joyful place, do that instead.

Step 2: Organize Your Garden (25 Minutes)

Next, pull on your gardening gloves and get out there! Or pop over to the nursery or store and complete your purchases, pronto. Or make that call.

Now that you have a plan and a vision, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll get done in just 25 minutes. Complete as many projects as you can.

You’ll be delighted at the pleasure your rejuvenated garden will bring.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t aim for a perfect garden. This mission is about pleasure and joy – focus on creating a garden space that makes you happy.
• Do be guided by your heart and your eye. Choose flowers or plants that have meaning and beauty for you.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission as a family. Let everyone choose their preferred mini-projects in Step 1, then power through your allocated tasks together in Step 2.
• If you like, set aside an afternoon or a day and do a bunch of these mini-projects. You’ll really transform your garden.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

52 Organizing Missions: Get The Workbooks!

Turbo-charge your organizing success with the accompanying 52 Organizing Missions Workbooks.

-   Every mission in attractive, printable format
-   Fully interactive planning worksheet, to-do
list and success journal for every mission
-   Provides a record of achievements as you go
-   Self-guided – progress at your own pace
-   Re-usable – repeat the program whenever you
need a refresher
-   Live links to relevant blog post for
accountability check-ins.

Available now:

• 52 Missions Home Organizer

[Image: by nosha]

Related posts:

1. Organize Your Living Area [Mission #31]
2. Organize Your Bathroom [Mission #22]
3. Organize Your Paperwork [Mission #36]

If you can’t get organized because you have more stuff than space, then this mission is tailor-made for you.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #44:
Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries

Step 1: Make Peace With Your Boundaries (10 minutes)

In this step I’m asking you to make a mental shift, so please just sit calmly for now and see what you think of this.

I’d like to suggest that you make a commitment to only keeping in your home those things that fit comfortably.

Radical I know, but potentially the key to a calmer existence for you and your family.

Here’s what it would mean. You’d only keep the quantity of:

• Clothes that fit neatly in your closet
• Books that fit neatly in your bookshelves
• Tupperware or cookware that fits neatly in your kitchen cupboards
• Stationery that fits neatly in your desk
• Furniture that fits neatly in your house
• Toys that fit neatly in your toy bins.

You get the idea.

Here’s the thing, though. The extent to which your stuff currently exceeds your space? That’s the amount of stuff you’d have to discard or donate. If you have a lot of things that don’t fit properly in your home, then that means – um, getting rid of a lot of stuff.

Now I’m not saying it’s right or fair or necessary that you should move out of your home everything that’s surplus to your space.

I’m simply saying that you’ll probably feel happier, less cluttered and more organized if you only have what your space comfortably accommodates.

So please take a few moments to look around your home and think about whether, or where, you might like to embrace this idea. When you’re done, come back for the next step.

Step 2: Flick What Doesn’t Fit (20 minutes)

Choose one area where you have more stuff than space, and where you’re willing to downsize.

Good areas to consider include:

• Drawers you can barely open/close because they’ve overfilled
• Clutter you can’t put away because there’s no room for it where it belongs
• Closets that are overstuffed with clothes or shoes
• Kitchen cabinets groaning with Tupperware, cookware or utensils
• Toys that overrun their storage bins.

Now, just start removing things you don’t love or don’t really use – and keep removing stuff until what’s left fits nicely.

You can donate or discard as appropriate later, but for now just concentrate on downsizing until your space matches your stuff.

If you have time remaining, tackle another area.

Living within your home’s boundaries is a wonderful habit and a great way to feel calm and clear. Please let me know how it feels for you.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t buy more storage bins to justify keeping more stuff! That’s cheating yourself.
• Do take pleasure in simplifying your space. Focus on the feelings of lightness and clarity and you’ll find it easier to part with things you don’t really use or love.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do this mission as a family. Discuss step 1 together, then choose zones for each person to tackle during step 2. 

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Whole Life – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing system. Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

By leading you through a system of ready-made action plans, Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomurl/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. How To Live a Simpler Life: The 3-Cubed Formula [Get Organized Mission #52:]
2. Organizing Mission #40: Conquer Your Storage Space Demons
3. Organizing Mission #39: Declutter Your Surfaces

An unrealistic to-do list undermines your effectiveness in two ways:

1. Having too many tasks distracts, overwhelms and confuses you – taking focus away from items that matter
2. Inability to complete items de-motivates you and reduces your self confidence.

Give your productivity and motivation an instant boost in this mission – by decluttering your to-do list.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #43:
Declutter Your To-Do List

Step 1: Take a To-Do List Reality Check (5 minutes)

Now I’m going to say something you might not wanna hear. Ready?

There’s never enough time to do everything on your to-do list.

Time and energy are limited – but the tasks, reading, errands, home improvements, shopping, family commitments, emails, and other demands are endless.

Now for the good news.

There is enough time to do the important things.

But – and this is the reality-check part – as long as you harbor the fantasy that everything is doable if only you locate the right diary system/assistant/task-management software, you won’t focus on the important things.

And important things – whether having milk for a harmonious breakfast or completing a client proposal – are the only ones we want on our to-do lists.

Step 2: Declutter Your To-Do List (20 minutes)

Now that we’ve made peace with reality, let’s find the to-do list miscreants that cause us to feel overwhelmed and under-motivated, and stop us focusing on the important stuff.

Keeping in mind the limits of time and infinity of tasks, scour your to-do list for items that aren’t an excellent use of your time. They might include the following.

Malingerers

Malingerers are tasks that have been transferred onto successive to-do lists since what seems like the dawn of time.

If you haven’t done them by now, simply let them go. One day you may suddenly get motivated to do them unbidden by your pesky task list – and you can feel great if and when that happens.

Meanwhile, save yourself the daily frustration of failing to complete them, and put a line through them.

Busywork

Busywork is anything that makes you feel virtuous without actually contributing to your priorities. For many people, this is where the bulk of to-do list clutter is found.

Examples of busywork include:

• Attending meetings where you gain/contribute little or nothing
• Reading and replying to emails where you gain/contribute little or nothing
• Preparing reports on information that could be accessed by the user on an as-needed basis
• Working on low-value projects
• Making something perfect that only needs to be good (believe me, I know how hard this one is!)
• Embellishing a task with extraneous formatting, information, research, etc
• Completing something purely out of habit – not worth
• Over-complication – long, detailed or intricate projects where simple, direct tasks would suffice.

None of these pieces of busywork are bad in themselves – they simply steal time and energy away from things that matter. So let’s put a line through them and make room for more important to-do items.

OPP (Other People’s Priorities)

It’s a rare person who doesn’t have a few OPPs on their to-do list.

OPPs can be so ingrained that you don’t see them unless you really look. Hiding places include:

• The way you should raise your children
• The kind of work you should do
• The way your home should look or function
• The kinds of meals you should cook
• The activities a man/woman should enjoy
• The sort of books you should read.

(Hmm, the word ‘should’ sure comes up a lot in OPPs – a good clue. )

Check your to-do list for items that don’t reflect your own priorities – and put a firm line through them.

Step 3: Review Your Decluttered To-Do List (5 minutes)

Now that you’ve removed your to-do list clutter, let’s review what remains.

Your to-do list should now be shorter, more focused on your priorities, and more motivating. (If it isn’t, you may need to repeat steps 1 and 2.)

Enjoy the greater clarity and confidence you’ll feel as you tackle your slimmed-down to-do list each day.

And don’t let malingerers, busywork or OPPs find their way back!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t get distracted by the apparent importance of tasks that don’t contribute to your priorities. Keep reminding yourself of the time you’ll gain for the important things in your life
• Do be ruthless! Every piece of to-do list clutter is costing you effectiveness, productivity and motivation. Get rid of it!

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Complete this mission as a family. It’s an excellent way to understand what matters to each family member and delete to-dos that hold no meaning for anyone. You might be surprised to learn what these are!
• Complete this mission with your boss. Getting clear on exactly what your boss expects from you will make it much easier to identify and eliminate the to-do list clutter.
• Complete this mission with your business partner or team. Removing low-value items from each of your lists can give your business or department a fresh burst of energy.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment below to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Create The Life You Want – With Design Your Life

Design Your Life is a comprehensive, step-by-step e-program for achieving your goals, organizing your life and being your best. It includes:

• Monthly workbooks covering 12 life areas
• Weekly e-classes with ‘bite-size’ projects and tasks
• Members-only forum
• E-booklets covering decluttering, happiness & email-management
• Bonus: Unlimited personal access to 550+ to-do lists, planners, schedules and organizers
• Now with even more benefits – yet still less than a coffee a day.

Design Your Life is a motivating way to design and create the life you want. Learn more.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ikoka/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. Organizing Mission #39: Declutter Your Surfaces
2. Declutter Your Thinking Habits [Mission #47]
3. Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items

If your life is overstretched and you feel out of control, then use this organizing mission to cull your commitments.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #42:
Simplify Your Life – Time

Step 1: Identify Your Time Ninjas (15 minutes)

To make the most of our 30 minutes, let’s concentrate on commitments that steal your time – activities you haven’t consciously chosen.

Review your schedule and look out for insidious, sneaky time killers. They might include the following.

‘I’m Popular’ Time Ninjas

If you make social dates or hang out at the local coffee shop/karaoke bar/rifle range just to feel like you’re part of a group, then ask yourself if this is time well spent.

If you enjoy it and feel refreshed by the activity, then keep it. If not, your life may be happier – and simpler – without it.

‘Please Like Me’ Time Ninjas

You know you’re a victim of the ‘Please Like Me’ ninjas if you say yes to commitments only because you can’t stand the thought that someone won’t like you if you say no.

If you want a simpler life, you absolutely cannot avoid the word no. Say it with grace, courtesy and kindness – but say it!

‘Overcompensating Parent’ Time Ninjas

Parents can fall into the trap of doing a task for kids – like cleaning their room or washing their clothes – long after the kids are old enough to do it themselves. Or signing up for school rosters – like daily canteen duty – just to look like a good parent.

If you focus on the activities and time that have real meaning for you and your kids, you can probably let yourself off the hook for spurious ‘family time’ and excessive school duties.

‘It Has To Be Perfect Or I’ll Die’ Time Ninjas

If you lose serious time each day cooking gourmet meals from scratch, keeping your Lladro collection polished to a high sheen, or hand-washing your doilies, then it’s no wonder you feel there’s too much to do each day.

You only have so much life and time – does perfectionism justify such a sizeable chunk?

Step 2: Assassinate Your Time Ninjas (15 minutes)

Now that you’ve identified your chief time killers, it’s time to turn the tables and wipe them out – and simplify your life in the process.

Take a another look at your schedule and each of your time ninjas. Following are some ideas for killing them.

If you’ve already made a commitment to others:

• Resolve to decline future invitations. Picture yourself saying no when you get the renewal call/letter/email. Rehearse if you need to.
• If you’re worried you’ll cave when the time comes, give your notice now. Send a brief note or make a friendly call saying that, owing to your other responsibilities, you won’t be continuing when your current commitment concludes. Don’t over-explain.

If you haven’t made a commitment, but others need to know:

• Call or email now and explain that, owing to your other responsibilities, you’ve decided to withdraw from this activity.
• Sit down with your partner/family/friend and talk about what matters to each of you. Explain that these are the things you want to focus on, so you’ll be letting other pseudo-activities go.
• Be prepared to suggest alternatives – like other karaoke lovers or simpler recipes – if you know of them.

If no-one else is involved:

• A ritual can help you release habits like perfectionism that don’t serve you anymore. For instance: say goodbye to the activity, thank it for being part of your life, and tell it that you don’t need it anymore.

As with simplifying your life of possessions, you may be surprised to find that you gain energy and motivation from this mission. Enjoy it!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t lose sight of the fact that time is life. Let how you spend your time reflect what you value.
• Do focus on the benefits – a simpler life and happier relationships – that will come from eliminating these time ninjas.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Complete this mission as a family. Share the experience of identifying and releasing your individual and family time ninjas.
• Complete this mission with a trusted friend. You can help each other to own up to your time ninjas, and support each other in letting them go.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment below to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Whole Life – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing system. Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

By leading you through a system of ready-made action plans, Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eryn_rickard/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. Simplify Your Life – Possessions [Organizing Mission #41]
2. Organizing Mission #44: Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries
3. Simplify Your Life: What Not To Do

If you feel overwhelmed by the quantity of stuff in your life, then this mission is sure to bring relief.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #41:
Simplify Your Life – Possessions

Step 1: What Are Your Ready To Release? (15 minutes)

Given our ticking clock, we’re going to focus in this organizing mission on whole categories.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, there’s a good chance you have entire classes of clutter that aren’t adding to your happiness. In fact, they may be crowding happiness out of your life, and making you feel suffocated, overwhelmed, or even stressed.

Look around your home for categories of clutter. They might include the following.

Collections

If you collect something – stamps, owls, Charlie’s Angels plates – and it gives you pleasure, then great.

But if your collection no longer feels good, or has become little more than a millstone or eccentric identity, then ask yourself if you’re ready to let it go. Freeing up the space and mental energy may even make room for something new and more interesting in your life.

Hobbies

Just because you’ve spent a fortune on all the scrapbooking, card making, or DIY carpentry accoutrements, it doesn’t mean you have to keep all that stuff long after your interest has waned.

Instead, donate it and let someone else get pleasure from it. The money is gone – don’t pay in space and happiness, too.

Entire wardrobes in several sizes

If your weight has varied significantly, then it’s understandable that you’re reluctant to get rid of clothes you may need again.

But keeping everything in your closet is bound to add stress and confusion to your daily dressing routine.

If you feel ready to let go of sizes you’re not likely to need again, then good for you. Otherwise, consider keeping only the best items from each size and donating the rest. Or box it all up and store it in your garage for 6 months as a safety net – then let it go.

The past

Do you have storage spaces full of things that belonged to your parents, or old toys from when the kids were young, or all your old schoolbooks?

Keeping a few mementos is a lovely way to honor your memories. But if you’ve kept so much from the past that it’s crowding out the present, then this might be time to say goodbye.

If you’d like some emotional support to take this step, then ask a friend to help.

Future

Keeping supplies for a project, trip or career change you’ve been planning since the mid-80s may not be the optimum use of your space.

If you’re holding on to things till ‘one day’ comes along, ask yourself if it’s time to live today instead. You can always get what you need when you really are ready. And the sheer act of making room might open you up in new ways.

Step 2: Take Action To Let It Go (15 minutes)

Now that you’ve identified blocks of stuff that you can release from your life, it’s time to take immediate action to remove them – while your resolution is strong!

Depending on the amount of stuff, and the time required, do one of these actions:

• Pack it up and put it in the trash (if discarding), garage (if storing for the short term) or car (if donating to charity)
• Make a call and offer it to someone  – a friend, a charity store who’ll come and collect, a buyer who’s interested in your former hobby, etc.

You won’t be surprised to find that this mission releases space and reduces stress. But you may find that an unexpected burst of energy comes with letting go of your clutter collections. Enjoy it!

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t focus on the cost when deciding if you want to keep something. Keep it because you love it or use it, not because of what you paid for it. By all means sell things that are valuable – but focus on reclaiming space, peace of mind, and happiness.
• Do acknowledge that these categories of things may be tied up with an outdated sense of identity. Have a friend there to support you if you need it.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Complete this mission as a family. Support one another in releasing categories of things that are no longer part of the life you live today.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment below to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Whole Life – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing system. Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

By leading you through a system of ready-made action plans, Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aussiegall/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. Simplify Your Life – Time [Organizing Mission #42]
2. Organizing Mission #44: Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries
3. Organizing Mission #40: Conquer Your Storage Space Demons

If the idea of clearing out your attic, basement, garage, cellar, spare room or storage unit terrifies you, then take a deep breath.

In this organizing mission we’ll face the fear, and make a good start on conquering your storage demons.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #40:
Conquer Your Storage Space Demons

Step 1: Assess Your Storage Space (5 minutes)

First up, let’s take inventory of the situation.

Go to the attic, basement, garage, cellar, spare room or storage unit and take a good, honest look around. Decide which of these descriptions is most applicable:

1. It’s serious: You think you could have a hoarding problem.
2. It’s manageable but overwhelming: You have no idea where or how to start.
3. It’s manageable but scary: You don’t want to face all that stuff on your own.
4. It’s time: You know what you have to do, and you’re ready to get organized.

Step 2: Create a Storage Organization Plan (10 minutes)

Once you’ve determined the scope of your challenge, you can formulate a plan of attack.

Depending on the description you chose, you’ll need to create a storage organization plan.

1. You think you could have a hoarding problem.

Many people have low-level hoarding habits, but if you suspect there’s something more serious going on for you, then you may benefit from professional psychological help.

In that case, your storage organization plan could be something like this:

1. Ask your doctor for a referral to a psychologist or mental health professional skilled in helping people with hoarding problems.
2. Call and make an appointment.
3. To help you learn more in the meantime, search at a bookstore, online or at the library for books that can help.

2. You have no idea where or how to start.

If the reason you can’t face clearing your storage space is a strong sense of overwhelm, then you may need the structure and encouragement of a professional organizer.

Your storage organization plan could be along these lines:

1. Find a local professional organizer. Ideally, choose someone who’s been recommended to you; otherwise try the National Association of Professional Organizers (US) or Australasian Association of Professional Organisers.
2. Call and enquire about the cost of having someone assist you in clearing out your storage space.
• If you’re currently paying for storage, your savings may offset the fee.
• If not, the benefits of getting the problem handled – reduced stress, increased space, greater clarity and lightness – are likely to be worth the investment.
3. Make an appointment.

3. You don’t want to face all that stuff on your own.

If you’re afraid of the decisions you’ll have to make, or simply dread being along with all that stuff, then you may find it easier and more motivating to ask a friend to help you.

Create a storage organization plan something like this:

1. Choose a friend who’s good at keeping their own clutter at bay.
2. Decide how you will ask for their help, including:
• What are you asking for?
  Encouragement to let go of things? Emotional support as you sort through family items? Company as you stick to the task till it’s done?
• How much time are you asking for?
  4 hours? A day at the weekend? An hour per week for the next month?
• When?
  Be ready with days and dates, so you can lock something in.
• Quid pro quo?
  Depending on the relationship, you may not need to offer something back. In general though, it’s a good idea to show you appreciate your friend’s time by offering babysitting, a dinner invitation, or some other thank-you.
3. Make a date.

4. You know what you have to do and you’re ready to get organized

If you’ve been procrastinating, but now feel ready to face up to your storage space, then seize the day!

Formulate a storage organization plan like this:

1. Schedule a storage attack appointment. Put it in your diary, let the family know, do whatever you have to to get this firmly on your calendar.
2. Assemble supplies. Gather rubber gloves, boxes, trash bags, storage bins, labels, sharpies – whatever you need to move quickly and get the area organized.  
3. Make it as enjoyable as possible. My motto for all things challenging is ‘If it must be done, then make it fun!’ Plan to have 80s music, margaritas as rewards, or anything else that will keep you motivated.

Get to work and create your plan for tackling that scary storage space.

Step 3: Implement Your Storage Organization Plan (15 minutes)

Now that you have a plan, it’s time to put it into effect.

Spend the rest of your 30 minutes working through the tasks in the personal storage organization plan you just created in Step 2.

When you’re done, you should have everything in place so that your storage-space attack is scheduled and you’re ready to go.

And I bet you’re even looking forward to it – just a little.

Dos & Don’ts

• Don’t feel that you have to actually attack your storage space in this mission. You’ll get more motivated and increase your chances of finishing the project by doing this planning first.
• Do take any opportunity to add fun. If silly music, a little company or a batch of cocktails is what gets your storage space dealt with – then why not!

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• If you chose option 3 or 4 to describe your storage situation in Step 1, then you could complete Steps 2 and 3 with a friend or group of friends. You could even create a schedule for attacking each of your storage spaces as a group.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Whole Life – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing system. Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

By leading you through a system of ready-made action plans, Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/migrainechick/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. Bust Your Procrastination Demons [Mission #25]
2. Organizing Mission #44: Live Within Your Home’s Boundaries
3. Simplify Your Life – Possessions [Organizing Mission #41]

Do you feel stressed just looking around your home or office?

If you’ve forgotten what your coffee table, countertop or desk looks like, then this organizing mission is for you.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #39:
Declutter Your Surfaces

Step 1: Clear The Surfaces (5 minutes)

Let’s start by choosing an area to target.

In 30 minutes you could tackle one or more of these surfaces:

• Desk
• Kitchen counters
• Bathroom counters
• Coffee table
• Dining table
• Spare room floor.

Once you’ve picked your zone, remove everything from the surfaces and place all the items on the floor.

Step 2: Lose What You Don’t Need (5 minutes)

You knew this step would appear somewhere, didn’t you!

Scan your pile of items and put aside anything you can discard or donate.

Be ruthless. Your rewards for ruthlessness are clutter-free surfaces, visual calm and mental clarity. That’s a pretty good trade off, don’t you think?

Step 3: Put Things Away (5 minutes)

Of the remaining items, gather those that have a home, but have somehow migrated onto your surfaces and taken up residence there.

It’s time to send them back where they belong, so quickly return everything to its proper place.

Step 4: House The Homeless (15 minutes)

This is the hardest step – finding a home for things you do need, but don’t have a place for.

Here are some tips:

• Do these things end up on your surfaces because you need them in a handy location?
  –> Then give them a home in a nearby drawer or cupboard.
• Do they need you to take some action – perhaps a repair?
  –> Then put the action on your to-do list.
• Do they relate to a reminder – like a book to return?
  –> Then create a special zone for such items, perhaps in a cupboard or on a table by the door.
• Do they not fit in the proper place – say clothes that won’t squish into an overflowing closet?
  –> Then schedule another 30 minutes to revisit the relevant organizing mission (office? bedroom? closet? kitchen? bathroom?). Get rid of stuff you don’t love and make room for stuff you do.

Once you’ve found a home for those remaining items, you’ll be able to savor your surfaces.

Dos & Don’ts

• Do notice how good it feels to look around and see surfaces. Let that feeling motivate you to get rid of what you don’t need and put away what you do.
• Do keep select items – like photos or plants – to decorate the room or make you feel happy.
• Don’t let clutter pile up. Make a habit of tidying away surface clutter at the end of each day.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Include the family. Assign a surface to each family member, so you can clear the house together.
• Do the mission as a group. Get together several friends with clutter concerns and spend an afternoon going from house to house as a team of clutter-killers.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Organize Your Whole Life – With Life & Goal Organizer

Life & Goal Organizer is a 360-degree goal and life organizing system.
Like a personal coach, it helps you take charge of your goals, plans and life, one step at a time.

It’s unique in using the power of checklists and integrating them into an organic system of more than 150 goals and projects across 12 life areas.

By leading you step-by-step through this system of ready-made action plans, it’s an ingenious solution for organizing your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/m500/ / CC BY 2.0]

Related posts:

1. How To Declutter Your To-Do List [Organizing Mission #43]
2. 30-Day Organize-athon | Day 25: Declutter Your Surfaces
3. Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items

Congratulations to Adriana_G – our lucky March winner!

Read Adriana’s comment.

We’ll be contacting Adriana by email in the next few days to award her prize – a complete 12-month Design Your Life Program.

March Prize: Design Your Life

Design Your Life is an easy, practical way to create the life you want – week by week, step by step, action by action.

• It spans 12 life areas – so everything that matters is covered.
• It’s structured – so you don’t have to work out where to start, or what to do next.
• It’s broken down into manageable chunks – so you make regular progress.
• It’s delivered in weekly e-classes – so you’re automatically prompted to take action.
• It includes accountability forums – so you have built-in, ongoing motivation.

Learn more

Get Organized, Leave Comment, Win Prize!

Want to win in April? Simply leave a comment letting us know you’ve completed a 30-minute organizing mission at the bottom of the post.

You can see a list of the 52 Organizing Missions so far (scroll down).

Every month we’ll choose one commenter to receive a cool prize. (For added incentive, we may be biased toward people who complete more than one mission.)

So start organizing!

Related posts:

1. This Month’s Winner is…
2. Get Organized With 52 Missions – Now With Even More Motivation!
3. Are You This Month’s Prize Winner?

Last week we organized your diet – this week we turn to exercise.

Do you wish you could be one of those people who exercises consistently? You can be!

A big part of the challenge of having a workable fitness plan is getting organized – which we’re just about to do. Once you’ve covered that, the battle is half-won.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #38:
Organize Your Exercise

Step 1: Choose Your Fitness Activities (10 minutes)

To start with, let’s decide on your fitness activities.

Here are two tips for choosing suitable activities.

1. Choose fitness activities that are pleasant

You may prefer to gnaw off your own arm than do group fitness classes at the gym. This is a subtle sign not to choose such activities.

On the other hand, the thought of early-morning walks may strike you as vaguely non-repellent. Give these a go.

2. Choose fitness activities that are convenient

Life doesn’t usually stop to accommodate your exercise program, so it’s smart to choose fitness goals that are convenient to achieve.

The further you have to drive or walk, the greater the expense, and the more equipment you need, the higher the barrier you have to scale every time you exercise. If you have any doubts about your motivation, you might prefer to opt for convenient exercise over more onerous choices.

Bearing in mind these points, choose from these or other fitness activities:

• Walking
• Jogging
• Running
• Weight training
• Stationary cycling
• Outdoor cycling
• Sports (tennis, squash, soccer, etc)
• Personal training
• Gym classes
• Dancing
• Boxing
• Exercise DVDs.

Step 2: List Your Fitness Supplies (10 minutes)

Good! Now let’s make a list of any accoutrements you need to buy.

For instance, you may need to get yourself:

• Exercise clothes
• Appropriate shoes
• A bag for your stuff
• A water bottle
• Towel(s)
• A jacket for cold/rainy weather
• Equipment (racquet, skipping rope, weights, etc)
• An iPod with motivating music
• An exercise diary
• Exercise DVDs
• An exercise mat.

Before your first scheduled exercise session (see next step), be sure to pick up these supplies.

Step 3: Schedule Your Fitness Activities (10 minutes)

This is a crucial step, so don’t neglect it!

First, decide:

• How often you’ll exercise – eg 3 times a week
• For how long you’ll exercise – eg 40 minutes per workout
• When you’ll exercise – eg Mondays and Fridays at lunchtime (12.30), Wednesdays after work (6pm).

Next, schedule these sessions into your diary, Google calendar, iPhone, Outlook, whatever you use. If a PA looks after your diary, get them to enter the sessions.

Guess what? These workout sessions are now appointments that need to be honored every week. Respect!

And you’ve done it. You’ve organized a simple and achievable exercise plan for yourself. These 3 steps have set you up well to get started, stay motivated, and achieve your fitness goals.

Dos & Don’ts

• Do see your doctor for clearance if you have any medical issues, haven’t exercised in a while, or want to start something different.
• Don’t feel guilty about taking time for exercise. If in doubt, ask loved ones if they’d rather live with a fit, happy you, or a cranky, unhealthy you.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Do the mission as a family. You don’t have to actually exercise together – unless you want to! – but you may find it encouraging to complete the steps together.
• If you have more time available, head out to the store and get those fitness supplies now. Getting set up with everything you need can really give your motivation a boost.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Track Your Progress: 52 Organizing Missions Workbooks

Same great missions, now in lovely printable workbooks. Each mission includes a fully interactive:

-  Planning Worksheet
-  To-Do List
-  Success Journal.

Learn More

Related posts:

1. Get Organized For Nutrition [Mission #37]
2. How to be Organized in 2009: Day 2 – Health & Fitness
3. Organize Your Fitness: How To Create A Super-Simple Interval Training Playlist

Whether our goal is weight loss, better health, or more energy, most of us would like to improve our diet and eating habits.

When upgrading your diet, a little time spent getting organized can turbo-charge your efforts and reduce your reliance on willpower. So let’s get organized now!

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.
If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Note: By ‘diet’ I mean the food you eat, not a restricted plan of culinary deprivation that makes you feel cranky and your friends’ heads look like giant balls of chocolate.

Get Organized Mission #37:
Organize Your Diet

Step 1: Choose Your Diet Goals (5 minutes)

First up, let’s organize 2 or 3 dietary goals as a starting point. Once you’ve got these working for you, you can add more. But don’t sabotage yourself by taking on too much too soon. Aim for progress, not perfection.

For instance, you might choose 1, 2 or 3 of these, or your own, diet goals:

• Eat less fatty food
• Eat less fried food
• Eat less dairy
• Switch to low-fat dairy
• Eat less fast food
• Eat less sodium
• Eat less sugar
• Eat less refined carbohydrate
• Eat more vegetables
• Eat more fish
• Eat more legumes
• Eat more fruit
• Eat more grains
• Eat more fiber
• Eat smaller portions
• Drink less alcohol
• Drink fewer sugary drinks
• Drink more water.

Step 2: Detox Your Space (10 minutes)

You knew this step was coming, right?

It’s time to clean up your food act and get rid of stuff that undermines the diet goals you just set. For instance, if your goal is to eat less fatty food, then you may decide to evict cookies, cakes, chips, etc, from:

• The pantry
• The fridge and freezer
• The car(s)
• Your office
• Your secret stash (did you think I didn’t know?).

If you really want something, you’re the boss of you, and you can always go get it.

But having it within arm’s reach is not a very organized way to approach your new diet goal.

Step 3: List Your Supplies (5 minutes)

Now let’s make a list of foods you need to buy.

Start with foods you’ll need in order to achieve your ‘eat more’ diet goals. For instance, if you want to eat more vegetables, add vegetables to your list.

HINT: Choose things you like – it’ll be easier to begin well and kick-start your motivation. Don’t buy spinach if you’d rather eat crushed glass. Choose asparagus, mushrooms, snap peas, whatever.

Next, add foods to replace any ‘eat less’ foods you just banished from your kitchen. See if you can choose something similar, so that you’re still scratching the same itch.

For instance, try:

• Frozen yoghurt to replace after-dinner ice cream
• Rice crackers/air-popped corn to replace chips while you watch TV
• Flavored mineral water in a martini glass to replace your mid-morning cocktail.

When you next go shopping, be sure to stock up on these supplies.

Step 4: Set Up Your Monitoring System (10 minutes)

Finally, let’s consider how you’ll monitor your diet-goal progress.

For instance, you could:

• Keep a food diary – on paper, online, using an iPhone app – whatever appeals
• Make a chart for the fridge door
• Do a nightly check-in with your diet buddy
• Leave a daily or weekly comment on this post to let me know how you’re doing.

Choose your system now – and commit to it!

By completing these 4 steps, you’ve organized yourself well to make real, sustainable changes to your diet – bringing you weight loss, health, energy or whatever other benefits you want.

Dos & Don’ts

• Do aim for changes you can stick with. Save yourself the stress of extreme change.
• Don’t deprive yourself of foods you really love. Look for foods you can live without. Start there.
• Don’t worry about slip ups. Every single human being makes them. Start every day afresh.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Include the family. Choose individual goals, then do steps 2, 3 and 4 together. Clean out the house as a family, create a shopping list for everyone’s goals, and decide on a family monitoring system.
• If you have more time available, head out to the store and get those supplies now. Being prepared will be a nice boost to your motivation.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Now available: 52 Missions Home Organizer – Organize your home and your life in just 30 minutes a week!

Related posts:

1. Get Organized For Fitness [Mission #38]
2. Set Yes Priorities – And Know When To Say No [Get Organized Mission #35]
3. Get Organized Mission #50: Get Rid Of Debt

If you wish you could vaporize your paperwork, then you’ll love this mission.

We’ll organize those towering piles of paper and help you get back on top of all your paperwork tasks.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.

If you’re new, you might like to start here -> 52 Organizing Missions.

Get Organized Mission #36:
Organize Your Paperwork

Step 1: Make Three Piles (15 minutes)

First, create three piles for your papers.

You don’t have to do anything with the piles in this step, just divide your papers into these three categories. Move quickly.

Pile 1: Flick

Include in this pile:

• Anything you don’t need to keep or action
• Anything out of date – invitations, notices, etc
• Reading material you’ll never realistically get to – which probably means all of it, since newer, more up-to-date stuff is constantly available
• Anything you can get later if needed – info that’s available online, archived, kept by someone else, etc
• Random unsorted scribbled papers and notes – you may suspect there’s gold in those notes, but the truth is you’re unlikely to have the time to find it. So issue a note amnesty and let it all go. More gold will come.

Pile 2: File

Include in this pile:

• Anything you don’t need to action but do need to keep – eg tax receipts, financial records, etc.

Pile 3: Action

Include in this pile:

• Anything you need to action – eg reports to write, tasks to complete, bills to pay (you won’t have any of these if you’ve completed Get Organized Mission #3: Organize Your Bill Payment and Get Organized Mission #12: Organize Your Accounts & Credit Cards).

Step 2: Flick Pile (5 minutes)

Now, let’s deal with the first pile.

This one’s super-simple: just get rid of everything.

Shred sensitive or identifying papers, recycle the rest.

Step 3: File Pile (5 minutes)

Next, let’s do the second pile.

Unless your filing pile is huge, you should be able to quickly file everything using the filing system we developed in Get Organized Mission #9: Filing System Nirvana.

If it is huge, check again for items that belong in the ‘flick’ pile.

Step 4: Action Pile (5 minutes)

Finally, let’s turn to the third pile.

We’ll need to schedule time to process this pile. There’s a trick to this.

1. Estimate how long it will take to action all the items. A small pile might require only 30 minutes, a large one several hours.
2. Choose a time when you’re likely to have the energy to power through your paperwork. An afternoon early in the week, a weekend morning when it’s quiet, or even a long lunch by yourself in a cafe could be good choices.
3. Schedule the time in your diary or organizer. Make an appointment with yourself – and keep it.

TIP: Batching paperwork rather than doing it in dribs and drabs, and choosing the right energy state in which to complete it, can significantly reduce the time it takes to get through your paperwork. You might even end up with bonus time.

Now that your paperwork is organized, keep it that way!

Dos & Don’ts

• Do weigh up the cost of feeling cluttered and stressed by piles of paper that may one day have some use, against the immediate gain of freeing your mind and space for greater productivity, creativity and progress.
• Don’t be a slave to reading piles and notebooks. If they aren’t serving you today, consider letting them go.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Include the family. If your partner wants to tackle his/her paperwork piles, and your kids want to handle their school papers, do the mission together.
• If you have more time available, start straight away on your action pile. Simply making a dent in your paperwork tasks will motivate you and feel great.

Ready, Set, Go!

Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.

Start The 30-Minute Timer

Before You Go: Check In!

Please add a comment to say you’ve completed this week’s Get Organized Mission and you’re keeping your commitment.

And see you back here next week!

Track Your Progress: 52 Organizing Missions Workbooks

Same great missions, now in lovely printable workbooks. Each mission includes a fully interactive:

-  Planning Worksheet
-  To-Do List
-  Success Journal.

Learn More.

Related posts:

1. 30-Day Organize-athon | Day 14: Organize Your Paperwork
2. Organize Your Office [Mission #19]
3. Organize Your Computer in 7 Simple Steps [Mission #18]