Procrastination is one of those perennial problems. It seems everyone suffers from it at least some of the time, and there’s no one solution that always works.

But there are a few solutions that are pretty reliable at breaking you out of the procrastination rut. In fact, I think these are about the best procrastination busters there are.

Procrastination Buster #1: Do Anything

Often we procrastinate because we want to avoid something difficult or overwhelming. A challenging phone call, a nerve-wracking presentation, a project that’s huge and confusing. If it’s a choice between facing the too-hard thing and checking Facebook, then it’s no surprise the blue F wins every time.

Instead, a good way to step way from the browser and get back to work is to do something other than the hard thing. Work on a simpler project, make an easier call, choose something from your to-do list that doesn’t make you want to run screaming from your desk.

‘But wait!’, you exclaim, ‘If I’m going to do anything, I really should do [insert hard thing]’.

Well, that’s precisely the kind of thinking that activates your procrastination response. It’s like saying, ‘Here, eat this entire cabbage or some chocolate’. I mean, seriously.

By making it easier to stay at your desk – by offering yourself something a bit healthy and a bit yummy – you put yourself in a much stronger position to work up to the hard thing.

• You start to break the procrastination habit. You’re at your desk working, instead of Facebooking or texting a friend. This affects your self-concept, even in the short term. You see yourself as productive.
• You gain confidence. As you tackle tasks, you feel surer of yourself. Those big challenges start to feel less onerous. You did this, you can do that.
• You gain momentum. It becomes easier to do the next thing, and the next. After a little while, continuing becomes easier than stopping.

So, next time you find yourself fighting your procrastination demons, try picking something less torturous from your task list. Don’t over-think it. Just pick something and start. Do anything.

It’s a super-effective way to build procrastination immunity.

Next time: Procrastination Buster#2.

[Image by Viktor Hertz.]

Related posts:

1. How to Use Procrastination to Get More Done
2. From Procrastination To Action
3. Bust Your Procrastination Demons [Mission #25]

It seems everybody wants more time.

We read books on getting things done. 

We stress ourselves out with multi-tasking.  

We complain to anyone who’ll listen that we’re so awfully busy. 

And we wish we had more energy.

We load up on caffeine and sugar to get through the day.

We don’t let ourselves stop for fear we won’t be able to start up again.

But there’s a simpler way to add minutes or hours to our days and energy to our lives. How?

Get rid of stuff.

Here’s why, and how to do it.

Things = Time And Energy

It’s obvious that things = space.

The more stuff you have, the less free space you have.

A cluttered environment is like a page without paragraphs or margins. It looks ugly and it’s stressful to navigate.

Less obvious is that things = time and energy.

Time and energy to buy; to store; to put away, or alternatively, to trip over; to look for; to shop for when lost amid the clutter; to move around when looking for other things; to feel irritated about; to evaluate when trying to find room for new things; to loathe when friends come over and see a mess; to dust; to feel guilty about not dusting; to create mental clutter; to deny us a place of calm at the end of the day; to undermine a sense of order in our lives.

In short, things cost much more than the dollars we spend to buy them.

If we use them and/or love them, then that cost is probably justified. Loved, beautiful, useful things earn their place in our lives and homes.

But everything else – every ill-fitting sweater in the closet, every rarely-used gadget in the kitchen, every dust-gathering ornament in the living area – costs you more than it gives you. It costs you space, time and energy.

How To Have Less Stuff, And More Time And Energy

Reminding yourself about the true cost of stuff is like applying a reality filter when you look at the things in your life. It will help you make smart, quick decisions about what to keep and what to lose.

1. When considering what you should purchase, remind yourself that Things = Time and Energy. If you don’t need it or love it, don’t buy it.
2. When considering what you should keep, remind yourself that Things = Time and Energy. Whenever you spot something in your home that you don’t need or love, donate or discard it.

As you free yourself of things, you’ll free up time and energy for your real priorities in life – like family, relationships, health, and goals.

One caveat, though. Whatever you do with your newfound time and energy, don’t spend it shopping.

Image by Aaron Geller

Related posts:

1. Declutter Your Life – Get More Energy
2. Get Organized Mission #4: Forgo The Freebies
3. ★Simplify Life Tips★ (Twitter Tweet Digest)

Are you always looking for time-management tricks as a way to get more done each day?

You can also increase your productivity by improving your focus, so that you get more done and more effectively, with whatever time you have available.

One way to become more focused as you work is to pull up the drawbridge – my metaphor for cutting off distractions, online and offline. And an important part of cutting off distractions for most people is stopping the endless inundation of email.

Improve Your Focus By Going Offline

If you want to stop receiving emails so you can focus better on your work, then try going offline during key work periods.

Users of Outlook 2010 can choose the [Send/Receive] tab and click [Work Offline], as shown in the image above.

Alternatively, you could:

• Close down your email program completely – but this could be a hassle if you need to refer to an email for the project you’re working on.
• Turn off auto-receive and stop ‘checking’ email altogether.

When you’re ready to release the drawbridge, click [Work Offline] again.

Other Email Programs

If you use a another email program, please let me know if there’s a similar option to the Work Offline button, and I’ll update this post for readers.

Related posts:

1. Improve Email Productivity With Bullet Points
2. Get Organized for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
3. 7 Productivity Tips For Your Home-Based Business

Having a place for everything and every thing in its place is a wonderful way to keep your space organized.

But you can also apply this same principle to regular tasks, as a way to keep your time well organized, too.

This has several benefits:

• You save time by not having to schedule regular tasks each time
• You avoid stress by not having to remember regular tasks
• You create good habits for yourself
• You find optimal times for regular activities.

Here are some examples.

Daily Tasks

• Check process email every day around 8am and 3pm
• Refill coffee machine every night before bed – even if it’s not quite empty
• Clear sent mail folder before closing Outlook at the end of each work day.

Weekly Tasks

• File nails every Saturday before showering
• Follow up email Pending folder every Friday after lunch
• Do grocery shopping every Tuesday evening when the store is well stocked and quiet.

Monthly Tasks

• Clean fridge last Saturday of every month
• Declutter inbox and delete unneeded emails first Monday of each month
• Do birthday gift/card shopping first Saturday of every month for the month ahead.

You don’t have to be cheerlessly anal about this. Use the idea only to the extent that it helps your productivity and time management – not as a rigid noose around your diary.

Do you think this can work for you? Do you have daily, weekly or monthly tasks that be given a set place? Please share in the comments!

[Image by ohdarling]

Related posts:

1. How To Simplify Email Management [Mission #33]
2. Time Management: How To Boost Productivity at Work [Mission #27]
3. Get Organized in 5 Minutes: Create an x-Delete Email Folder

Want to spend less time on emails but wary of sounding rude if you’re too brief?

Here’s the answer.

1. Write all your emails and replies in bullet points.
2. Add a note to your signature file to say you’re using bullet points to boost productivity.

Here’s how.

1. Using Bullet Points

Whether you’re organizing a meeting, answering a question, clarifying a point, or communicating any other information, distil each idea into a bullet point.

Bullet points mean:

• One idea per point
• Short, simple words
• Clear, direct communication.

You could also limit yourself to a set number of sentences. But bullet points have several advantages over sentences:

• They’re easier and quicker to write
• They’re easier and quicker to read
• The single idea per point means they’re simpler to understand fast.

Example 1: Organizing a Meeting

• Meeting: 1pm Tuesday 12 Nov Conference Room A
• Purpose: Assign responsibilities for Top Secret Project
• Reply: Yes to confirm.

Example 2: Answering a Sales Rep’s Question

• Product is available in hot pink
• Discount applies to blue and green colors.

Example 3: Clarifying a Point

• I did say I would be at the conference
• However I won’t be staying for the dinner
• Please deduct dinner charge from my invoice.

2. Adding an Explanatory Note

To avoid sounding abrupt, simply add a note along these lines to your email signature file:

————

I want to spend to less time on emails, so I’m using bullet points.
Join me: http://EmailBulletPoints.com

————

Will you try it? Let me know!

[Image: by rick]

Related posts:

1. [Productivity Strategy] Improve Your Focus By Going Offline
2. Get Organized for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
3. Organizing Technology: How to never, ever check your email again

In this new Simplify Your Life series, I’ll be suggesting ways you can make things simpler for yourself in various life areas.

Today let’s turn to your to-do list and time management.

Simplify Your To-Do List: What Not To Do

One of the smartest things you can do to simplify your life is to make decisions in advance. If you already know what you choose not to do, you can save yourself considerable time and mental energy every time a question comes up.

By having a What Not To Do list, you pre-make entire categories of decisions. Putting a line through choices that don’t work for you, or that feel like less than the best use of your time, can be wonderfully liberating.

Now of course, you need to be careful that you don’t let yourself get closed minded or boring. As with everything, it’s a matter of balance, of finding choices that make life simpler, not narrower.

My What Not To Do list contains a range of things I just don’t do anymore. They waste time or energy, or they create mental clutter, or they get in the way of more important things. In every case, the cost of losing them is smaller than the gain. My life is simpler and runs more smoothly in large part because of the things I don’t do.

See if anything on my list suggests ideas for your own What Not To Do list.

My ‘What Not To Do’ List

Here are some things I simply don’t do – so that I have time, energy and  mental clarity for things that genuinely matter to me:

• Ironing – I only buy clothes that dry ready-to-wear
• Shopping outside my local zone – if I can’t get it locally, I don’t bother with added travel time to go elsewhere
• Watching TV – I watch DVDs or recorded programs to limit myself to what I really enjoy, and to avoid ads
• Chatting on the phone – I chat in person and make arrangements by text/email
• Scheduling social engagements during my work day – it’s too hard to get back into work mode
• Answering the security buzzer during my work day – if it’s a friend they can call me; most likely it’s a salesperson who’ll break my concentration and waste time
• Going to the gym at peak times – it takes less time and energy to get to the gym when there are fewer people around
• Decanting anything – I used to decant cookies, cereal, etc into nice containers but found it a colossal waste of time
• Cooking – I have neither the skill nor interest, so that makes it easy
• Using tablecloths – too much washing, folding, etc
• Having plants – I’ve killed too many not to know better by now
• Have a guest bedroom – the space is much more effectively used as a second office
• Eating leftovers after 48 hours – a rule-of-thumb that makes it easy to decide when to discard
• Sending Christmas cards –  I have a Christmas e-card made each year, and send that instead
• Reading/watching the news – I see headlines when I cut the crossword out of the paper, and I catch major events on social media
• Going to the movies – too much crunching and talking; I happily wait for the DVD.

Your ‘What Not To Do’ List

Now over to you. What belongs on your personal ‘What Not To Do’ list?

Think about things that:

• You do out of habit
• You do because you think you should
• You hate doing
• Feel like a waste of time
• Contribute little or nothing to your goals
• Bore you
• Annoy you
• Get in the way of what you really want to be doing
• Consistently disappoint you
• Take a lot of time for little reward
• Could be done differently, or at a different time, or in a different way.

It might feel a little strange to create this list, but give it a try. You’ll feel the weight lift off your shoulders and the clouds clear as you pre-decide on no-go zones for your life.

That is – your new, simpler life.

Organize What You Do Want To Do –
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 health & fitness – Life & Goal Organizer provides a motivating way to organize your time, your goals and your life.

Learn about Life & Goal Organizer.

[Image by lucianvenutian]

Related posts:

1. Simplify Your Life: New Series Starts Today
2. Simplify Your Life – Time [Organizing Mission #42]
3. Simplify Your Life: What Not To Buy

Sometimes in the quest to get organized you can become distracted by the accoutrements. You can find yourself buying all manner of containers, books, systems and paraphernalia, none of which bring you any closer to living a simpler, more productive or more organized life.

These products can be a waste of money – but that’s not all.

Because they’re related to organizing, they can leave you feeling virtuous and stop you taking action that would genuinely improve your life.

So here’s a little reality check to test whether the stuff you’re buying is helping you simplify and organize your life – or whether it’s just stuff.

Storage Containers

• Do they store things you don’t need or love?
• Are they unattractive?
• Do they require work – needing to be dusted or wiped down regularly?
• Do they provide a home for clutter?

If Yes: Get rid of them!

Solution

1. If you must use them, only keep a few storage containers, that match your decor, and contain things you need.
2. Get rid of the stuff you don’t need.

Time-Management Systems

• Are you constantly looking for a new planner system that will finally ‘make’ you organized?
• Do you invest considerable time and money buying and learning time-management systems and applications?
• Do your time-management systems create clutter in your home or office?
• Are your time-management systems unnecessarily complicated?

If Yes: Get rid of them!

Solution

1. Take the effort you put into your time-management systems and instead put it into working out your priorities.
2. Read or listen to a classic time-management book that focuses on the basics – not a complicated system with lots of rules and nomenclature (I recommend Brain Tracy’s Eat That Frog).
3. Commit to buying no more time-management systems until you’ve mastered the art of working with a simple, prioritized to-do list.

Organizing Books and Magazines

• Do they contain discussions on organizing, but little in the way of step-by-step instructions on exactly what to do?
• Do they expect you to commit more time each day or week than a busy person can reasonably afford – eg they ask you to file daily, conduct a weekly review of stationery supplies, etc?
• Do they fail to translate into action that makes your life simpler, less cluttered and better organized?
• Do they pile up and create clutter?

If Yes: Get rid of them!

Solution

1. Cancel your subscription to organizing and simplifying magazines and newsletters that don’t translate into a simpler or more organized life.
2. Only invest in organizing books or programs that provide specific, step-by-step instructions that you can put into action.
3. Only invest in organizing books or programs that require a reasonable commitment of time.

Get Organized Wizard Resources

Need Help Getting Rid of Stuff? 

Try 52 Missions Home Organizer.
It guides you, step-by-step, to declutter and organize
your home, time and life in just 30 minutes a week.

Need Help Taking Action on Your Priorities?

Check out Life & Goal Organizer (for DIY self-starters) or
Design Your Life (for people who like a guided, structured program).
They both focus on identifying priorities and taking action.

[Image by Rev Dan Catt]

Related posts:

1. Organizing Technology: How to never, ever check your email again
2. Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items
3. Get Organized For 2011: 6 Dos And Don’ts For A Calm & Ordered Year

Even though this site is all about helping you move from procrastination to action, there are times when procrastination can be a smart move.

We all have a drive to procrastinate – a resistance to getting down to the important things, a pressure toward more trivial tasks. The strength of that compulsion is an asset we can use to boost productivity, improve time management and simply get more done.

Here’s how.

1. Identify Your Procrastinating Behaviors

How do you like to procrastinate? Typically, procrastinating behaviors are things you feel naturally inclined to do, things you gravitate toward, almost on autopilot.

For instance, common procrastinating behaviors include:

• Checking/updating Facebook
• Checking/updating Twitter
• Checking emails
• Making a cup of coffee/tea
• Going for a wander around the office
• Calling a friend
• Surfing the net
• Having a snack
• Doing a housework chore (if you work from home)
• Tidying your desk
• Searching online for tips to help you avoid procrastination
• Daydreaming.

Make a list of things you like to do, especially those that help you avoid your high-priority tasks.

Now here’s the good news: You no longer have to feel bad about these procrastination behaviors. We’re going to harness their power to radically improve your productivity.

2. Identify Your Top Priority Tasks

Next, list tasks you need to complete to move forward on your key goals and objectives. These are often things you feel an aversion to – because they seem overwhelming, or difficult, or you simply don’t want to start.

The tasks you put on your list should be achievable in about 30-45 minutes. Not whole projects, but steps in projects.

For instance, your top-priority to-do items might include:

• Create a rough outline for an upcoming presentation
• List main thoughts for a proposal
• Send thank-you emails to this week’s prospects
• Write 2 pages of your novel
• Brainstorm the table of contents for your non-fiction book
• Call 3-7 prospects to request meetings
• Draft a press release.

Notice they’re all important tasks, but not time-consuming tasks. This is the secret to making procrastination work for you.

3. Earn Your Procrastination

We naturally want to do, and feel driven to perform, procrastinating behaviors – so we can use this motivation juice to power our more challenging tasks.

Before you let yourself engage in any procrastinating behavior, make yourself earn it with one of your top-priority tasks.

• Desperate to log on to Facebook? Create that presentation outline first. Then take 5 or 10 minutes to ‘procrastinate’ on Facebook.
• Want to call a friend and chat? You can do that for 5 or 10 minutes as soon as you’ve drafted your press release.

Because our top-priority tasks are now in achievable 30-45-minute chunks, the motivation juice will be enough to power us past inertia to the other side, where procrastination rewards await.

You might need to tweak the ratios of priority work to procrastination to suit yourself – but as long as you’re getting the important jobs done in good time, you may not want to be too hard on yourself.

How Will You Use This?

So that’s great news for those of us who struggle with procrastination – and who doesn’t? You needn’t see procrastination as your enemy any more. Use these steps to make it your friend -  and turbo-charge your time management.

Now over to you – what will you use as procrastination rewards to power your top-priority tasks?

[Image: by royblumenthal]

Related posts:

1. Power Procrastination Busters (Part 1)
2. Bust Your Procrastination Demons [Mission #25]
3. Procrastination, Productivity, Moving and More: Links & Resources

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]

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

One of the common obstacles to an organized life is having too many priorities. If you can’t get organized because you’re overwhelmed by the demands of your life, then this mission is perfect 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.

Organizing Mission #35: Set ‘Yes’ Priorities

Step 1: Choose your ‘Yes’ priorities (15 minutes)

Choose 5-7 areas that are important to you at the moment. They don’t have to be lifelong priorities – just things that matter to you now. You’ll need to revisit them regularly.

For instance, your list of priorities could look something like this:

1. Spend quality time with my kids
2. Improve my health and fitness
3. Have a good relationship with my partner
4. Develop my career/business
5. Have a sense of fun
6. Spend time on my photography hobby
7. Make a contribution to help deal with poverty.

Step 2: Parse requests, tasks and opportunities through the ‘Yes’ filter (15 minutes)

Take a look at your schedule and to-do list. Be on the lookout for any items that don’t contribute to your priorities.

For instance:

• Cooking elaborate dinners that don’t relax you and aren’t meaningful to your family
• Attending business events that don’t help your career or business
• Going out with friends who aren’t fun
• Going shopping for nothing in particular
• Subscribing to magazines on topics you’re only half-interested in
• Working with charities you’re not passionate about
• Watching poor-quality TV programs.

Getting crystal clear about your priorities in this way will make it much easier to decide when to say yes to the opportunities in your life – and, perhaps more importantly, when to say no.

It will also help you slash things off your to-do list. For instance, you might decide to:

• Delete outstanding tasks
• Not renew current commitments
• Be more mindful when accepting new requests.

How organized does that feel!

Dos & Don’ts

• Time is precious – so do be ruthless about protecting your ‘yes’ priorities.
• Do be kind and sensitive when declining invitations. Good options could be ‘No, thank you’ or ‘I’m fully committed at the moment’.
• Don’t feel too bad about saying no. You might be setting a wonderful example for someone else to focus on their own ‘yes’ priorities.

Extended Organizing Mission Options

Want to go beyond this 30-minute organizing mission?

• Role play saying no with grace and sensitivity. Ask a friend to play the asker, and practice declining with kindness and confidence.
• Complete the mission as a family. Share your priorities, and help each other identify the yes and no items in your diaries and task lists.

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 Mission #4: Forgo The Freebies
2. Get Organized For Fitness [Mission #38]
3. Get Organized To Reduce Stress [Mission #30]

3 Steps To Getting More Done
By Saying No More Often

Graciously decline requests that don’t fit your priorities.

How?

1. Instead of ‘No I can’t’, try

• No thank you
• Sorry, I’m already over-committed
• My strengths are in [insert area of priorities].

2. Role play your response to build confidence.

3. Remember – you can serve others best by focusing on areas where you have most to give.

This was a popular Today’s Tip on my Facebook Professional Page.
Please come and be a fan!

Related posts:

1. Detox Your Fridge Before The Holidays
2. Don’t Let Self-Help Turn Into Shelf-Help
3. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 11: Time Management]

Last week the Wall Street Journal test-drove three time-management systems:

• Getting Things Done
• The Pomodoro Technique
• Franklin Covey’s Focus.

The article concluded, unsurprisingly, that each technique had benefits and drawbacks.

More interesting though, was author Sue Shellenbarger’s insights from focusing on time-management techniques.

She found:

1. An overlong to-do list was a set-up for failure
2. To get more important stuff done, she did less of everything else
3. Gaining control of her time through the day required a significant up-front investment of time and brainpower.

A Simple Approach to Time-Management

Sue’s insights are arguably more useful that any of the expensive time-management systems around. Just learning those systems alone can be time-costly and distracting.

Instead, you could try a simpler time-management approach based on Sue’s lessons:

1. Each day, spend time identifying your top priorities and scheduling them into your day
2. Each day, choose only your 3 to 5 most important items to put on your to-do list
3. Release the notion that you can do everything, but relish the goal of doing the things that matter.

My Time-Management Process

As I mentioned in a comment on that article, for me the best ‘system’ is a combination of:

• Making lists – I do this to download stuff from my brain, remove distracting thoughts, and feel organized
• Following my natural motivation – doing what I feel drawn to, and excited to work on, but…
• Resisting the urge to do the easy, unnecessary and trivial – like email checking, busywork, etc.

I also use a productivity ritual for serious work.

Your Say

When it comes to managing your time, what works or doesn’t work for you? Please share in the comments.

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

Related posts:

1. How to be Organized in 2009: Day 11 – Time Management
2. Organize Your Computer in 7 Simple Steps [Mission #18]
3. A Place For Every Regular Task [Time Management]

I’m making 12 fresh starts in 12 life areas over 12 days.

I don’t expect to succeed at everything, but I want to give a bunch of things a try. Come join me!

Day 1: Personal Development

My Day 1 Fresh Start was to raise my bicep and shoulder weights in Body Pump class.

Report: ✔ Still challenging, but now loving the tougher weights.

Day 2: Health & Fitness

My Day 2 Fresh Start was to give up Smith’s Cheese & Onion Chips – at least for September.

Report: ✔ Missing the chips but getting used to life without them.

Day 3: Career & Business

My Day 3 Fresh Start was to refresh my website’s home page.

Report: ✔ Trying out new home page. (Please leave a comment if you have any feedback.)

Day 4: Fun & Recreation

My Day 4 Fresh Start was to listen to more fun music, not just podcasts and audiobooks.

Report: ✔ Instituted ‘all-music/no-work iPod day’ on Fridays. Love it!

Day 5: Technology & Social Media

My Day 5 Fresh Start was to promote my new Facebook Professional Service Page.

Report: ✔ Been building up content and promoting the Page. (Please join if you like this stuff!)

Day 6: Home

My Day 6 Fresh Start was to remove one of two printers from my home office.

Report: ✔ Love having my space back.

Day 7: Personal Presentation

My Day 7 Fresh Start was to focus on posture – shoulders back, core muscles in, and chin up.

Report: ✔ Starting to become a habit.

Day 8: Happiness

My Day 8 Fresh Start was to give up watching ‘poignant’, ‘tragic’ or ‘heart-wrenching’ movies.

Report: ✔ Don’t give them a second look at the video store.

Day 9: Money & Finance

My Day 9 Fresh Start was to claim for gym membership from my health fund.

Report: ✔ Have done the groundwork and will get the paperwork at my next medical appointment.

Day 10: Relationships

My Day 10 Fresh Start was to stay and have coffee once a week with my gym friends.

Report: ✔ Stayed and chatted on Friday and will make this semi-regular.

Day 11: Time Management

Today my fresh start is from category 2 (see below): Give up something.

I’m going to give up multi-tasking on home and personal tasks. I often have to go back and re-do or check something (did I lock the door?) because I didn’t give it enough attention at the time. Instead, I’m going to focus my attention on one thing at a time.

I’ll let you know how I go tomorrow, when I make my twelfth and final fresh start – in the Family life area. See you then!

What About You?

Think of your own Time Management goals and plans.

In what area could you:

• Start something new – or try something you haven’t done, read, or experienced before
• Give up something – maybe a habit that undermines you or an obligation that weighs you down
• Do more of something – be specific about ‘more’, but don’t be overly-ambitious
• Do less of something – be specific about ‘less’, but don’t be overly-ambitious

If you want inspiration, you might find some here:

• From Procrastination To Action
• Back-to-School Planning & Organizing [Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Home & Family Edition Customers]
• Get Organized Mission #14: Organize Your Household Notebook
• Getting Organized Quick Tip: How To Schedule Personal Organization Reminders
• Organize Your Evening Ritual: 10 Things To Do At Night For A Good Morning
• Student Planners Galore! [Product Release Info]
• 7 Productivity Tips For Your Home-Based Business
• Get Organized for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual

I hope you’ll choose something and join me!

To leave a comment: Scroll to the bottom of this post – a comment box is waiting for you.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34053291@N05/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Related posts:

1. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 10: Relationships]
2. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 6: Home]
3. Fresh Start: 12 Days of New Beginnings [Day 7: Personal Presentation]

You may have noticed that the tag line of this site now reads ‘From Procrastination To Action’.
Here’s why…

From Procrastination To Action

Here at Get Organized Wizard we provide tools, inspiration and motivation to help you plan quickly – so you can spend most of your time taking action.

Many people fall into the trap of trying to increase their productivity, time management or personal organization by:

• Buying self-help books that become shelf help
• Attending seminars or watching self-improvement shows with time they could spend improving themselves
• Shopping for storage paraphernalia that quickly becomes part of the clutter.

It’s so easy to get distracted by these activities, and to never get around to actually taking action to create the home, career, business, relationships and life we want.

Of course we need some planning so we don’t use our time haphazardly; but this shouldn’t be at the expense of doing.

52 Organizing Missions

52 Organizing Missions is a great example of using little planning to achieve big action. Each mission is only 30 minutes, but a look at the comments on the 52 Organizing Missions posts shows how much people achieve when they (a) make a commitment and (b) put their energy into getting started.

A recent comment shows this beautifully. I’ve copied it pretty much verbatim, because I love the sense of momentum and the wonderful drive that gets this Mission-Mate ‘into the swing of things’:

Ok, so I started, I walked and filled.

Suddenly I noticed the bag was dragging and bursting at the seams. Huh, ok another bag.

Hey my 30 minutes is up, still I can’t stop now I’m just into the swing of things. So on and on and on.

4.5 hours later 6 bags….and I haven’t even been into my garage yet.

Hey this was a wonderful task, not only did I feel I uncluttered my home, I feel more room in my brain too.

What Do You Need to Take Action on?

Perhaps it’s time to make a start, and let the momentum carry you from procrastination to action.
What can I do to help you take action?

To leave a comment: Scroll to the bottom of this post – a comment box is waiting for you.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/st_michael/ / CC BY 2.0

Related posts:

1. This Month’s Prize: From Procrastination To Action Workbook
2. NEW! From Procrastination to Action Workbook
3. Power Procrastination Busters (Part 1)

This is a Tips For Customers post for Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Home & Family Edition Customers.

If you’re in the throes of getting kids back to school and setting up new routines for them – and yourself – then this is a great time to take advantage of the planners, schedules and worksheets in your Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Home & Family Edition.

I’ve listed below the ones you’ll find especially useful at this time of year, to make your life easier and your time more ordered.

By the way, if you’re looking for a planner or list for a particular purpose, this Two-Minute-Tip video shows you how to search quickly through your hundreds of lists. It’s a handy way to find what you’re looking for – fast.

Organize the Kids

• Back-To-School Planner (By Category)
  Plan your shopping and task list for your child’s return to school with this list. Includes categories to prompt you.
• School Information
  Use this data sheet to keep all of your child’s school contact information – plus subjects and teachers – in one place.
• Child Data Sheet
  A handy all-in-one list for medical info, allergies, favorite things, favorite food, sizes. Great for travel and babysitters.
• After School Activities
  A neat, at-a-glance planner highlighting after-school activities for the whole week for up to 3 children. Use weekly.
• After School Checklist
  Monitor and tick off chores and homework assignments for the week, for up to 3 children. Great for the fridge.
• School Reading List
  Help your child to complete reading assignments and tick them off with this list.
• Child Goals
  Teach your child to set simple goals with this easy-to-use list. With school, music, sports, family, personal categories.
• Exercise Log (By Child)
  Use this list if you want to track how much time each child spends exercising each day. 3 children per list.
• Kids’ Rooms
  Create rooms the kids will love – and you will too! Use this list to get rid of old toys and clothes and rearrange things.
• Kids’ Closets
  List items to donate– like outgrown clothes and shoes. Add colorful baskets to help kids look after clothes better.
• Library Books
  Use this list to see at a glance which books are borrowed from which library, plus due date and date returned.
• Computer Time Log (By Child)
  Use this list if you want to track how much time each child spends on the computer each day. 3 children per list.
• Computer/Video Game Time Log (By Child)
  Use this list to track the time each child spends playing computer/video games each day. 3 children per list.
• TV Viewing Time Log (By Child)
  Use this list if you want to track how much time each child spends watching TV each day. 3 children per list.

Organize the Family

• Schedule: Daily (3 Timelines)
  Hourly time periods across 3 timelines let you keep track of up to 3 family members’ activities each day.
• Reminders (By Family Member)
  Note daily reminders for up to 5 family members for the week at a glance. Handy for the fridge or corkboard.
• To-Do List (By Person)
  Need to assign different tasks to particular family members? Use one of these to-do lists for each person.
• To-Do List: Weekly (By Person)
  Need to split tasks across the week for various family members? Use one of these lists for each person’s week.
• Monthly Planners – September 09 – June 10
  Keep track of school events, upcoming appointments, birthdays, anniversaries and reminders for the whole month.
• Weekly Family Meals Planner (3 Meals)
  Plan the whole week’s breakfasts, lunches and dinners. You can also use this list as a roster for meal-related chores.
• Weekly Family Meals Planner (5 Meals)
  Plan the family’s daily breakfasts, lunches, dinners and morning and afternoon snacks for the whole week ahead.
• Healthy Food Checklist
  A motivating checklist to help your family eat more grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy/soy and/or protein each day.
• Household Systems
  Keep a list of all household systems on one handy page – including pantry staples, daily and weekly chores, filing.

Organize Yourself

• To-Do List: Daily (Do, Call, Email, Buy)
  Plan the day’s tasks and tick them off as you complete them. Batch calls, email, tasks and purchases to save time.
• Schedule: Daily
  Create a sense of order for each day with this schedule. Includes hourly time periods and optional notes section.
• Prepare-For-Tomorrow Checklist
  Chaotic mornings? Complete and tick off things you can do the night before – and enjoy a calm start to the day!
• Weekly Budget (Blank)
  Keep tabs on weekly spending. Budget weekly expenses (planned) and update amounts (actual) to compare.

Share Your Organizing Tips!

Have you found cool ways to use your Home & Family lists? Please share!
To leave a comment: Scroll to the bottom of this post – a comment box is waiting for you.

Want hundreds of lists, planners,
schedules & charts for organizing
your home, family and personal life?

Save with the Ultimate To-Do List Value Pack.

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it using the buttons below!

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/22779530@N02/ / CC BY 2.0

Related posts:

1. Your Child’s School Progress: How to Stop Worrying and Start Organizing
2. How To Declutter Your To-Do List [Organizing Mission #43]
3. Create a Chore Chart [Organizing Mission #24]

Can’t remember the last time you changed the toothbrush heads? Forgotten how often you’re supposed to decalcify the coffee machine? Got a niggling feeling you’re wa-hay overdue for a dental checkup?

An excellent personal organization strategy that helps to simplify your life is to get as much stuff out of your head as you can.

If you use Outlook, this Get Organized Quick Tip will help you stay on top of recurring tasks and appointments – without wasting one iota of precious headspace.

Getting Organized Quick Tip #5: How To Schedule Personal & Household Reminders

Here’s how:

1. Open a new task in Outlook

2. Enter the task name

Perhaps:

• Change toothbrush heads
• Decalcify coffee machine
• Schedule dental visit

3. Set the start date

This will be today if you’re doing the task today.

4. Set the recurrence

Click the recurrence button.  (See the helpful red arrow in the screenshot above.)

A task recurrence box will open. Select the recurrence pattern you want.

Because the experts say you should change your toothbrush every three months, I’ve set the task to recur every three months from 1 September.

5. Save and close

It’s that simple!

Now repeat the process for all those pesky household and personal tasks you can never remember to do. And let Outlook remember for you.

To leave a comment: Scroll to the bottom of this post – a comment box is waiting for you.

Want to Organize Your Life, Set Your Goals,
and Re-Discover Yourself?

Check out our Life & Goal Organizer
Or save with the Complete Suite (limited time).

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it using the buttons below.

Related posts:

1. Getting Organized Quick Tip #6: How To Never Forget a Birthday or Anniversary [Outlook Users]
2. 5 Home Organization Strategies for Busy People
3. Home Organization: My Very Best Life-Changing Tip For A Clutter-Free Home

Here are 10 simple things to do before bed that help to make the morning a good one.

Organize Your Evening Ritual: 10 Things To Do At Night For A Good Morning

1. Do a quick tidy up.

Put things away and straighten up a little. It will make all the difference to wake up and see a sense of order in your home.

2. Preempt things that cause morning panic.

Attack the trouble areas the night before. Coffee beans in the machine? Work outfit decided? Kids’ schoolbags packed?

3. Prepare the breakfast zone.

Set the table and create a pleasant vibe in the dining area. Flowers, a pot plant or bright placemats can help make a cheery start to your day.

4. Make a list of things to handle tomorrow.

Get niggles onto a list – it will make room in your head for sweet dreams.

5. Set the alarm (if you need it).

Allow enough time to get ready and be where you need to be without stressing yourself out.

6. Do something relaxing for 30 minutes before bed.

That means switching off from work, the news and serial killer novels. Watch something pleasant on TV, chat with the family or curl up with a relaxing book.

7. Brush and floss your teeth.

Ward off dental woes and go to sleep all nice and minty.

8. Wash your face.

If you wear make up you’ll avoid the dreaded morning raccoon-eye. Plus you’ll keep your pillow-case fresh – a bonus for your skin.

9. Say goodnight

Share a goodnight wish or kiss with family members, a housemate or even your fave social network. It will make you smile, and smiling makes you feel good.

10. Think of things you’re grateful for.

Do this while going off to sleep. Feeling grateful is linked with greater happiness. Plus it’s lovely note on which to end the day.

Do you have a nighttime ritual? Do share – but um, this is a G-rated blog, so keep it wholesome.

To leave a comment: Click the post title. A comment box will open at the bottom of the post.

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it using the buttons below.

Want some cool tools for organizing your personal life?
Check out our The Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Personal Edition.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshrothman/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Related posts:

1. Get Organized for Better Productivity: Design a Productivity Ritual
2. Create Your ‘Organized Life Morning Routine’ [Mission #21]
3. Get Organized Mission #14: Organize Your Household Notebook

Seriously, this one tip will rock your personal organization world.

Are you ready? Here it is…

My Very Best Life-Changing Tip For A Clutter-Free Home

Include cleaning up as part of every single task.

Think of it as expanding your task definition. Whatever you use, take out, or work on, you put away as part of that activity.

What this means is that ‘cleaning up’ ceases to be a separate action – you no longer think of it as distinct from the task and able to be done later.

Rather, each task expands to include whatever is needed to restore order to the space. As a result, you leave everything at least as tidy as you found it.

Here Are Some Examples:

• Having dinner? That includes stacking the dishwasher when you’re done.
• Working on a craft? Returning your craft supplies to their home is part of the project.
• Watching a DVD? Put all remotes, DVDs and cases back where they belong before you move on.
• Getting home from work? Include as ‘getting home’ the acts of hanging up your coat, placing keys on the hall table and putting your purse or briefcase in the study (or wherever they live).
• Wrapping a gift? Replace the sticky tape and gift wrap, and put the gift in a spot that will prompt you to take it to the party.
• Getting ready to go out? Return discarded outfits to the closet and put away make-up, hair products and the hairdryer.
• Waking up? Open blinds and windows, make the bed, and leave the bedroom looking tranquil.

You get the idea.

This Works For The Kids, Too:

• Playing with toys? Playing includes returning every toy to the toybox, bin or drawer where it belongs.
• Changing out of school clothes? That means putting new clothes on and placing old clothes in the hamper or wherever they need to go.
• Doing homework? Return books, pencil cases and school stuff to the backpack as part of the homework. (Bonus: This one might help avoid the dreaded homework-left-at-home drama, too.)

Home Organization Is Easier Than You Think

If your home is in a disorganized state right now, this lifestyle change will also help to reduce the clutter. How? As you pick up after yourself you’ll pick up bits that aren’t related to the present task as well as those that are. Over time, the clutter will lessen. It’s the opposite of entropy.

Of course, you could always start with a nice clutter-free home by

• Filling a Huge Trash Bag (Get Organized Mission #1) or
• Decluttering 50 Items (Get Organized Mission #8)

and then use My Very Best Life-Changing Tip to maintain the lovely order you create.

Try this organizing strategy for a week and your home will start to become transformed. Please let me know how you go.

To leave a comment: Click the post title. A comment box will open at the bottom of the post.

Did you like this post? Please social bookmark it using the buttons below.

Want some cool tools for organizing your home life?
Check out our Ultimate To-Do List Pack | Home & Family Edition.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/higashitori/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Related posts:

1. 30-Day Organize-athon | Day 30: Get Organized Mindset Shift #2: Make It A Habit To Avoid Clutter
2. 7 Ways To Clutter-Proof Your Life
3. 5 Home Organization Strategies for Busy People