Archive for Organize Your Time

The 80/20 Rule is Your Friend

80/20 RuleOne of my favorite concepts in life is The 80/20 Rule.

What is it?

The 80/20 Rule, a.k.a. the Pareto principle, stems from observations made by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in 1906, including the fact that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Or, generalizing to other situations, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes.

But why do I like it so much, and why it is your friend?

Because it can help you make decisions…and not worry so much…and get stuff done!

 

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Are you wasting your “free time”?

Which type of person are you?

Are you spending your quarantine time at home, reading books, watching Netflix, doing jigsaw puzzles, and enjoying the heck out of it? Or maybe you’re industriously cooking and gardening, retooling your business to provide virtual services, cleaning and organizing your entire house, catching up on home repairs, learning a foreign language, and writing the next Great American Novel…? If so, this post is not for you. Carry on! You’re doing great!

If, on the other hand, you feel you are “wasting time”, and you’re feeling guilty about it…. or if you’re thinking, “Free time? What free time?!?!”, then this post is for you!

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Organizing to De-Stress Your Holidays (all of them)

De-Stress Your HolidaysWhat are “holidays” and why are they so stressful? A holiday is any special occasion, all year round, which involves extra preparations; extra time, money and energy; and extra people, families in particular. Examples include birthdays, weddings, religious holidays, and secular holidays.

Holiday stress comes from having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. Sometimes it’s the family getting together that contributes to the stress, and sometimes it’s the fact that you’re not getting together, or can’t, whatever the reason may be.

If you can relate to this definition, keep reading for some tips that will help you reduce holiday stress in four major areas of your life.

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The 21 Day Habit Myth (Don’t Break the Chain!)

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Calendar bird photo by Ann Strober.

I hate to be a party pooper, but I just don’t believe it takes 21 days to create a habit. Or 30 days. Or however long people are saying. It’s true that you can’t simply do something for only 3 days, or 10, and expect it to “stick”. And the effort required to create a new habit is well worth it! But I think there are too many factors to pin it down to a specific number of days for all habits and all people.

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The Procrastitivity Zone

Click to view larger image.

Sometimes I think procrastination gets a bad rap. Most articles I’ve read (and written) focus on the negative consequences of delaying a task or project. They also talk about how we trick ourselves into feeling productive by accomplishing one thing while we’re delaying doing another. I call that procrastitivity. And I don’t think it’s always a bad thing.

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Why you need a Project Box & a Master To-Do List

Do you have unfinished household projects lying around? I can tell what my clients’ projects are at a glance – there are light bulbs that need changing; clothing that needs repairing; pictures that need to be framed and hung; and gifts that need to be wrapped. They are sitting out on the counters, tables, and floors, all waiting to be done. But they aren’t getting done. Why not?

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WHY I Love Chores

House work concept vector illustration.WHY do I love chores? OK, I don’t. Not really. But hear me out….

I LOVE having someone else clean my house. But, for the most part, I prefer to clean it myself for various financial and Zen reasons. I’ve often thought of housework and exercise as the cheapest forms of therapy.

Whenever I feel resentful about chores I remind myself WHY I do them. And then I feel better. It helps me to remember that it’s a CHOICE I’m making; that I’m living my life by design, not by default.

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Six Organizing Systems Everyone Needs — System #6: Getting Stuff Done

to-do list

How well are your organizing systems working for you?

In the introduction to this series I shared the following:

What is a system?
What 6 organizing systems do I think everyone needs?
What 5 questions can you ask yourself to see if your systems are still working for you, or if they need tweaking?

Now let’s take a closer look at each system…

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Are you too busy to live your life?

http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-chicken-image15981374Once upon a time I was taught the Transcendental Meditation technique. It’s a mantra-based meditation that is done for 20 minutes twice a day, but that is not my point. The thing about the training that keeps coming back to me is this frequent admonishment:

If you are too busy to meditate, then you are too busy.

As a time management consultant I now believe this concept can be applied to ANY activity in life that is important to you:

If you are too busy to _________, then you are too busy.

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Every YES is a NO to Something Else

saying yes, saying noDo you have trouble saying no? How about trouble saying yes? I just read The Year of Yes, by Shonda Rhimes, creator of Gray’s Anatomy and Scandal, among other popular TV shows. I found it to be both entertaining and inspiring. The basic story is that Shonda realized she was saying NO to most invitations and opportunities that came her way, and missing out on a lot that life has to offer. So, she started saying YES, which, as with many worthwhile endeavors, is easier said than done.

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