Archive for Organize Your Time

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

By Hazel Thornton on November 18, 2019 11 Comments

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.

Holiday stress comes from having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others.

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Categories : Organize Your Holidays, Organize Your Home, Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Time
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The 21 Day Habit Myth (Don’t Break the Chain!)

By Hazel Thornton on November 4, 2019 17 Comments
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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.

21 days may not be enough to create the habit you desire. But don’t give up!

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

By Hazel Thornton on September 9, 2019 12 Comments

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?

Just because you put it on the list doesn’t mean you have to do it!

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Categories : Organize Your Home, Organize Your Time
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WHY I Love Chores

By Hazel Thornton on May 7, 2018 19 Comments

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.

Instead of resenting chores, it helps me to remember that I’m CHOOSING to make my life nicer.

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Categories : Hazel's Organizing Stories, Inspiration & Motivation, Organize Your Home, Organize Your Time

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

By Hazel Thornton on November 27, 2017 6 Comments

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…

What is your system for getting stuff done? Does it need tweaking?

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Categories : Inspiration & Motivation, Organize Your Time
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Are you too busy to live your life?

By Hazel Thornton on October 17, 2017 12 Comments

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.

If you are too busy to do what’s important to you, then you are too busy.

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Every YES is a NO to Something Else

By Hazel Thornton on March 20, 2017 9 Comments

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.

Every YES is a NO to something else.

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Categories : Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Time

Do you have an Ideal Schedule?

By Hazel Thornton on February 6, 2017 6 Comments

Ideal Schedule

Before you answer that question, let’s establish what an Ideal Schedule is. I’m not asking how things are going for you, generally speaking. I am asking: Do you have a sample weekly agenda that you wrote down, keep handy, and refer to regularly? When all goes smoothly does it make you feel happy, productive, and relaxed?

Many of my clients resist the idea of committing themselves to a schedule. But they often find, as I have, that a little structure allows them to work more effectively, and frees their minds to play with abandon!

A little structure allows you to work more effectively, and frees your mind to play with abandon!

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Categories : Organize Your Time

Wanna know my #1 time management tip?

By Hazel Thornton on December 28, 2016 6 Comments

Time Management TipI love helping my clients spend more of their time doing what they want to, and less of it doing what they have to!

I give them lots of time tips (well, I actually coach them through a whole customized program), such as:

 

The #1 best way to ensure it will get done is to schedule it on your calendar!

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Make Your Own Checklists!

By Hazel Thornton on November 30, 2016 10 Comments

I love checklists! You can Google for free, or purchase, all sorts of ready-made and downloadable checklists, such as those for packing for a trip, or for accomplishing seasonal household chores. HOWEVER…I’ve never met a checklist that I didn’t have to customize for myself. So I make my own. It’s easy, and fun, and you can do it too!

I’ve never met a checklist that I didn’t have to customize for myself. So I make my own.

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