Category: Time Management

It’s Time To Make A “Some Day Soon” List

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Friends, this, too, shall pass! Notes for Some Day Soon.

I’ve suggested before to create a Future To Do List. 

Most Decembers, for example, I suggest that folks make a “January List” for the things that we can put off until after the holidays.  We want to keep the ideas as they occur to us, but we might not need to act on them until the New Year, in that case.

Personally, I have a rolling Master To Do List for most facets of my life. 

What that means is that I have, in an online platform called Evernote, a Master To Do List that contains my tasks for family life, home maintenance and improvements, Ministries and Public Service, plus all facets of my business and my own self-improvement.   This makes it easy to move tasks around the Evernote document as I complete a task or need to move it to next week, etc.  

As I write all that, I realize it may sound nutty to keep all that info in one document, but this practice really helps me to track tasks and projects each day, week, month, etc..  And I’ve tried keeping separate lists for each area of interest, but then I forget to regularly check them.  This just works best for me.  

But here is the snag, friends.  While I typically complete a one-time task and then remove it, or move ahead a recurring task to a specific week or day in the future, I am facing a new and (admittedly) uncomfortable new category.  The “Some Day Soon When We Can Return to Normal” task category.

You know what I am talking about.  

  • The events that we have had to postpone due to social distancing. 
  • The appointments we need to set up once offices and service providers are open again.
  • For me, the in-person client appointments that I’ve had to cancel, and presentations that have been put on hold.
  • The actions that we have promised ourselves in these rougher times that we are ABSOLUTELY going to do when we can again!

But we don’t know yet when that will be. So I want to keep the ideas until me and the world are ready to take action on them again.

My challenge to you this week is to start and then add to  your Some Day Soon List.

  • Work or medical or personal appointments to reschedule.
  • People to meet up with (not just connect virtually).
  • Non-essential errands to run.   
  • Service people needed, like the tree I need planted in my front year, or having the plumber or electrician out.
  • Birthdays to celebrate in person!

Maybe it’s a wish list!  

  • That Some Day soon, I will drive to Michigan and hug my parents and siblings and families.
  • That Some Day soon, I will spontaneously hug friends at the grocery when I see them.
  • That Some Day soon, I will go to restaurants and sit and soak in the ambiance and linger over dessert.
  • That Some Day soon, I will go to a movie theater, or enjoy our Broadway in Chicago membership again.
  • That Some Day soon, I will go to church.  I will bask in the peace, I will thrive on the energy, I will sing and pray with others. 
  • That Some Day Soon, I will do something as simple as go to my favorite local bakery to virtually work from their booth while enjoying the people and the steady supply of hot coffee.

I think of this list as Hopeful and Happy, and I hope you feel the same.  This strange and awkward time will pass.  For my own sanity and outlook, I have to believe it will.  And when it does, we will emerge better and stronger and more grateful for what we have.  And we will be ready to take action on all these ideas and wishes we make now!


Hiking Wisdom, For Organizing and For Life

Earlier this month, I went on an adventure. It was amazing. I learned a lot about new and interesting topics, and also about myself.

If given the choice, I’ll choose hiking above other activities, and there was great hiking on this trip. Hiking provides time to think, and I realized that many lessons learned from hiking can be applied to life and to organizing, as well. Here are a few things I learned:

Many small steps often work better than fewer larger steps (especially for short people like me). My hiking guide was much taller than me (most folks are!) but still took the trail in small steps sometimes. Smaller steps help control your exertion, keep your muscles from over-stretching and allow for more certain foot placement. My habit is to take long strides. That works on flat Illinois and Michigan paths but not so well on rocky and uneven steep climbs. Expect to change up your stride, and you will go far.

The Right Pace makes all the difference. Recognize that in hiking and in life.

Don’t jump down onto loose gravel. I might even state, don’t Jump Down ever, since you don’t know if the trail is loose or not. Strategic foot placement keeps you from slipping (much!).

Even cloudy days hold their own beauty. (see right!)


Save enough energy for the hike back. Some of us start out moving really fast but then burn out our energy early. Better to keep moving, even slowly, than to have to stop or turn back. Slow and steady really does win the race.

Conversely, we are only hiking out for half the trip. The other half is hiking home. This was a very good reminder when UP the hills was getting tough. For every tough UP climb, there is a corresponding gentler DOWN climb.

Our own breathing sounds very loud to us. But our fellow hikers are only hearing their own breathing, as well. I felt very self conscious about how hard I was breathing, then I realized my fellow hikers couldn’t hear me over their own breathing. The point is for us to focus on improving ourselves, and let others focus on working on themselves.

Wear layers. Pack Enough but Pack Light.
My biggest hiking adventure was a half-day canyon hike. We started out at 9 am at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The sun warmed the canyon, we climbed above 4,000 feet and then a cold front rolled through. There were many layers shed and then put back on. Hiking wisdom says “Plan for Cold” if you want to Pack Enough, because you can always take off layers as you heat up. But no matter what you bring, you are stuck carrying it, either on your body or in your backpack, so pack light.

Pack Enough but Pack Light can be good advice for life, too. Carry and have what you need but not too much more.

Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. And always bring a snack.

The really great views require effort.
My hiking guide Kevin reminded me of this as we gazed out over the valley. If you want the really good views (aka, the tough and amazing outcomes), you have to be ready to work hard.

Recovery time is essential. Very often, in hiking and in life, I forget to factor in recovery time. Hard work, either physical or mental, is good work but it also uses our body’s resources, and those resources need replenished. I hiked A LOT on my trip, and by the third day, my legs reminded me they needed to slow down a little and take a break if I wanted them to continue to operate in good form. So day 4 was a slower day, a recovery day. And then I got back to it on day 5. The point? If you want you and your body to operate well, factor down-time and rest into your busy schedule.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my adventure and photos with you. I hope you learned a few things from my hikes, too!

Make Healthier Habits Stick

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to meet a great group of women and talk to them about how to make their healthier habits really stick in this New Year! Regardless of what your goals are, progress has to start with small, convenient and simple steps in the right direction, instead of big and sometimes not sustainable changes!

SIMPLE CHANGES! 

What will simple change look like? (And please take these ideas as merely suggestions!  There are lots of ways to make your Goals work for you!)

  • “Get to”, not “have to” – changing our mindset.  Talking to a friend who runs marathons (I know, right?!), he plans when he “Gets to” go for a run every day.  He may have to creative or cut the run short, but he was always looking for the opportunity to run. I often think of exercise as “Have to”, but “Get To” motivates me more!
  • Find Your Tribe, and Spread the Word.  What are your goals?  Make your success a group effort by finding like-minded folks with similar goals or people who are already doing what you are doing, or by sharing your goals with friends who will support your efforts! 
  • Plan your Day.  Set timers, if those help you.  Set timers to take vitamins or supplements and to drink water.  We have our phones with us all the time anyway, use them!  You can customize your timer, too, so your wellness timers sound unique and help you remember!
  • Make Room in Your Home For Your Better Habits.  In my recent presentation, I challenged the participants to pare down easy clutter – coffee mugs or extra water bottles, holiday decor or storage containers – and find some space for whatever is needed for those healthier habits!
  • If wellness is your goal, Meal Planning ensures healthier eating and saves $$ and time!
    • Make your meal plan for the week, or just start with a few days.
      • Plan your meals and snacks;
      • Check your grocery inventory on hand, and plan to use first what you have on hand;
      • Hit the grocery (or place an order on-line to limit impulse buying) to fill in the gaps between your plan and your inventory.
    • Daily, take your supplements, eat your healthy breakfast and plan for or pack your healthy snacks and lunch. (Remember, make healthy choices more convenient and you will be more likely to make them!)  
    • For example, snacks can be healthy AND something I look forward to!  If I prep my snacks in advance, in the morning or perhaps all my snacks for the week on one day, I am more likely to stay on track!   always think “protein and produce” when it comes to snacks, so servings of nuts in small re-usable bowls or snack bags plus cleaned and prepped fruits, veggies and hummus in reusable bowls, hard boiled eggs, etc..

So, we have set up our days, routines, habits and spaces to nourish ourselves and our new habits.   Yeah Us! Let’s Do This!

A Place To Put My Hiking Gear

These last few weeks, I’ve written or shared articles about Being Prepared for National Preparedness Month.

Being Prepared isn’t just about preparing for crises and emergencies, though.
Being Prepared can be about being ready for anything that life throws your way, the Good in addition to the emergencies!

I’m going to re-cap this article before you read the rest, with these tips for Preparing For The Good Stuff:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

For example:  I recently purchased a hiking back pack.

Did you know?  I love to hike.  Nature nurtures and delights me. From big vacations to stolen moments as I travel through my day-to-day, I find reasons to stop and be out in nature.

I like to be prepared, so I have a small pile of hiking stuff I take with me when I hike, and I keep it at the ready in a small pouch.  What is my “hiking stuff”?  Bug spray, signal whistle and compass, small portable first aid kit, hat, bandanas (for keeping mosquitoes out of my ears, I hate that!), etc.  And I would toss that small pouch, a water bottle and a protein bar in my big backpack when I was going for a hike.

Or, I would do that if I wasn’t already using the big pack pack for something else, like when we were already traveling and the big back pack was my luggage. Or, sometimes the big back pack was just, well, too big for a day hike, and if you hike, you know you want to travel light. And where do I keep my pouch of hiking stuff between hikes?

I recently decided that to truly honor my love of hiking, I needed to dedicate some resources to making my hiking hobby work better for me.   Life is never about the stuff, but I can still be really happy with a new purchase that will make my life better.  (Shown here is the Kavu Paxton Pack I purchased, after a little bit of research.)

The new hiking pack solved the challenges I had with my hiking stuff before now.  Most importantly, I find the already packed hiking backpack motivating and it makes me happy, so Win-Win.  When there is absolutely no obstacle to an early morning hike other than filling my reusable water bottle and heading out the door, I am much more likely to actually head out that door!

I haven’t always considered myself an athlete, but knowing I’m prepared to hit the trails makes me feel like an athlete in this game called life, and I find that motivating, as well.

So, to Be Prepared for the Good in life:

  1. Recognize what is important to you.
  2. Proactively clear obstacles that stand in the way of being able to do what is important to you.
  3. Dedicate resources to what is important to you.
  4. Maintain your Prepared for the Good Stuff status with regular attention.

Happy Hiking! (Or whatever you choose!)

Help Yourself Help Yourself! (Did you follow that?)

These last few weeks, a couple of readers have commented “Wow, you’re so organized!” Thanks for that, but I write these articles for inspiration, motivation and education (and never to show off!)  To shake things up and remind me why I write, lets start out with this week’s conclusions and suggestions:

“This week, look around and notice what tasks at home or work waste your time or make you tense, anxious or frustrated. Then ask yourself, ‘Is there something I can do about this task? Reschedule, outsource, do it less often, delegate it to someone else, automate it?’  If it is a challenge you are willing to talk about, ask others in your tribe (your people) how they have handled a similar challenge.  Then commit to change!”

We have a new schedule this Fall.  The sophomore has a 6:45 am zero hour class.  He likes it, I like it, it works.  Of course, we’ve only been at this for 2 weeks and I may change my mind when it’s -10 degrees and black as night at 6:45 am.

This earlier start makes me re-think some of my usual habits.

I have found the earlier start a challenge as I am not creative at 7 am even when that is the only  time I have to write my blog article for the week… ummmm… well… I got a lot of other things done, but not that…

I can’t text or call to check in with my clients at 6:45 as that’s just plain rude.  I could run errands with that extra early time, however:  I despise running errands any time and few things are open at 6:45 am.

I realized, however, as I’ve pondered how to run my errands at 7 am, that I have eliminated a number of weekly recurring tasks for home and business in the last few months.  For example:

  • Target Restock is magical.  OK, not magical, but really useful.  In the past, I would take a couple of days to create my Target list and then I still had to go and shop and put away.  Now, I add items to my list (my “Box”), hit send every couple of weeks, and our paper goods, toiletries and pantry items just show up on the door step.
  • Target Restock or Amazon.com is also helpful for stocking my work supplies – garbage bags, packing tape, etc. – so every other week, I check my supplies, place my order and poof! – stuff shows up a day later.
  • I eliminated the need to stop at Office Max / Office Depot once a week for myself and for clients – OfficeDepot.com.  I set up my customer and account information on-line and now enjoy their rewards program and free next day arrival.
  • I long ago automated our cleaning supplies with a once a month shipment from Melaleuca, and the same for my nutritional supplements from Isagenix.  (If you want more info about either, let me know.)
  • Around the house, laundry is more efficient by enlisting Alexa’s aid to tell me when to switch loads.  The Roomba runs every weekday morning, and while he doesn’t do a perfect job (yes my Roomba is a “He” and his name is Sonny, per the IRobot movie), he have been helpful in stretching time between cleanings.
  • I sampled a grocery delivery service this summer with mixed results.  I need to work on that!

“This week, look around and notice what tasks at home or work waste your time or make you tense, anxious or frustrated. Then ask yourself, ‘Is there something I can do about this task? Reschedule, outsource, do it less often, delegate it to someone else, automate it?’  If it is a challenge you are willing to talk about, ask others in your tribe how they have handled a similar challenge.  Then commit to change!”

Stick With Routines, Especially When You Don’t Want To!

Chatting with my accountability partner this morning, she stated (again) that Routines and Adventures don’t always play well together.

Let’s face it: sometimes, when life is getting just a little crazy, our routines may start to slip.  In the midst of the chaos, you might be tempted to…

  • skip your morning work out, or
  • grab a snack on the run instead of eating a healthy breakfast, or
  • skimp on sleep so you can fit more in to your day, or
  • exist on convenience foods instead of full meals, or
  • merely pile up papers instead of actually working on them, or
  • leave the dirty or clean (or both) laundry in a heap in (or near) the basket, instead of putting it away for Future You to use.

And there are certain times or life events that contribute to the crazy or chaotic life.  When are we most likely to abandon or forget our routines?  When we are :

  • tired;
  • sad;
  • sick (or someone around us is);
  • traveling;
  • super busy;
  • in a life transition, like new house or new job or new baby; or
  • nearing a deadline for work or personal projects.

Routines (at least the ones I talk about all the time) consist of tasks that need to be done daily or weekly to keep your life humming along, for example:

  • nutrition;
  • sleep hygiene;
  • personal hygiene;
  • staying hydrated;
  • maintaining the basics at home; or
  • paying bills.

Sticking with our routines helps us through those crazy times.  Our routines keep us healthy and strong and on track during the busy times, and then they help us get back to normal more quickly.    When you find yourself wanting to ditch those routines, or that you already have?  That’s when you probably need them the most!

Let me be the little voice in your head this week, urging you to make the good and healthy choices even when life gets hectic or when you’re on the road or adventuring.  That is when we need the consistency and self care the most.  Stick with those Routines, especially when you don’t want to!

Prioritize and Make Better Decisions With The Eisenhower Box

“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

I have been remiss.  I know about a really great tool for prioritizing tasks and I have never written about it.  Sorry about that.  I learned it from Steven Covey’s books on productivity years ago, but it’s actually credited to Dwight D. Eisenhower and appropriately named The Eisenhower Box.

 (Not this kind of box…)

Seriously, I’ve never written about this?  Unbelievable.

Upon googling the term just moment’s ago, I learned the tool is also called the Eisenhower Decision Matrix or the Urgent / Important Matrix and these names begin to explain how and why this tool works.

Eisenhower drew this box, with the two axes of Important and Urgent.  His theory was that any and every task is either Important or Not Important, and either Urgent or Not Urgent.   Of course, there is some in-between, but those are the basics.  Here is the blank box.

(from theorderexpert.com)

Important tasks fuel your mission and vision, improve your bottom line, help you reach your goals.  (And Non-Important tasks do not.)

Urgent tasks have a time component that demands your attention, with a deadline attached. (And Non-Urgent tasks do not.)

What Eisenhower’s quote, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important”  also tells us is that we risk getting so distracted by urgent tasks all the time that we fail to take care of our important tasks.

These two axes together give us the option of 4 different distinctions for any given task or duty we have.

  • (Quadrant 1) Important and Urgent
  • (Q2) Non-Important and Urgent
  • (Q3) Important and Non-Urgent
  • (Q4) Non-Important and Non-Urgent

So, if we can agree that almost any task can either be Important or Non-Important, and Urgent or Non-Urgent, then we can use this tool to sort and prioritize our tasks.  If we can determine what is both important and urgent for our goals and productivity, we will get our important work done with more ease and focus and less stress and confusion.

If we take this tool one step further, we can designate a quadrant for all of our tasks, and take the next step – DO, DECIDE, DELEGATE or DELETE, required on those as well.

from luxafor.com

What would each type of task look like:

  • Important and Urgent:  Today’s work.  For me, go and work with client, give presentation, write article.   Working on these tasks is the best and most productive use of my time.  Their completion moves me towards my goals.
  • Non-Important but Urgent (time related):  Order routine office supplies, respond to today’s texts and emails, drop off donations from a client to a charitable organization, post to Facebook business page, publish newsletter.  Many of these tasks are important to do, but it isn’t important WHO completes the task.  I can ask myself, am I the only person who can do these tasks, or could I delegate them to others?
  • Important and Non-Urgent: design a new presentation, start a fitness plan, visit a financial advisor, re-imagine my website.  Make a Plan and a Date (though not today) for getting these tasks done. 
  • Non-Important and Non-Urgent: scrolling social media, binge watching ANYTHING, eating cookies, over-organizing the minutiae in your desk drawer.
    You could let any all of these tasks go. 

Let’s use the Eisenhower Box to prioritize your organizing projects.

At my classes, I give 4 possible projects and then walk folks through the decision process to pick the first project.  The four projects are organizing your

  1. Kitchen,
  2. Linen Closet,
  3. Garage or
  4. Attic.

Let’s imagine these are your 4 projects and you want to decide which has the highest priority, and is therefore your starting point.

All are important, so let’s consider urgent.

Attics are rarely urgent projects.  The stuff in the attic has been there for years, and it will still be there once the other projects are complete.

Garages are sometimes urgent, depending on the time of year.  Let’s say the goal is to organize your garage so you can park your car indoors this winter, but it’s June.  Important yes, but not too urgent.

Kitchen or linen closet?

Did your doctor give you a new diagnosis that requires a special diet?  Are you having a party soon, or you just really need to go to the grocery?  Then, your kitchen organizing project is both important and time sensitive (urgent).

What if there is a drive at a local animal shelter this weekend, though, collecting used towels and bedding for the animals?  That creates a deadline and therefore urgency for your linen closet project.

So, in order, we would tackle either the kitchen or linen closet first, then the other second, then the garage and finally the attic.

Make sense?

Look at your day and week this week and imagine where else you can use this great decision making tool!

Organized People… Use 20 Minutes to Make a Big Difference!

The most important step in the organizing process is the every-day-for-the-rest-of-your-life step.  I’m talking about maintenance.

There are tough steps, for many folks, along the path of getting organized: getting started, staying on task or making decisions, for example.  And that’s is completely understandable.  But conquering and assimilating maintenance of your organization into your daily life will be the step that reaps the most rewards.

Twenty minutes can make a huge difference in life.

Recently, I discussed this with a client who was frustrated because, while she has made great progress on her organizing projects, some times the clutter still piles up.

I hear you, sister. I’m guessing we have all felt this same frustration!

I shared how I made a commitment to 20 minutes every morning for my New Year’s Resolution, and that this focused routine really keeps me on track.  I create calm in my home, clear clutter, fortify myself plus start some laundry, all in 20-ish minutes.

What simple tasks would help you and your home immeasurably if you could tackle them in little pieces every day?  It may not be in the morning, and let’s face it – some days may eat up those 20 minutes.  But the Habit and Focus and Routine still matter!

Here’s what mine looks like, what could yours look like?

Somewhere between 7:45 and 8:15 most mornings, I do the same tasks:

  • I check bedrooms: turn off lights, straighten beds and grab the laundry hamper if my son hasn’t already taken it to the basement like he’s supposed to! (Elapsed time 1 minute)
  • Next, my bedroom: I make the bed if I haven’t already, hang my walking clothes and pajamas on their hooks, toss dirty laundry in the hamper I still have with me from my son’s room. (Elapsed time 3 minutes)
  • I check the bathroom and hang up or wipe down whatever is out of place. (Elapsed time 2 minutes)
  • Dining room / living room: I straighten or collect any random shoes at the front door (or any other clutter), turn off the porch light and open up the curtains to let in the sunshine. (Elapsed time 2 minutes)
  • Kitchen, office / family room / back door area (all one big long space in my house): Obviously, this takes more time. I start my second cup of coffee, take my vitamins and make my smoothie. I fill my water bottles for the day, put my water and lunch in my cooler bag, then set it all by the back door in my office. If I’m really paying attention, I’ll check the weekly menu to start thinking about dinner prep, take out the trash or load or unload the dishwasher. Once I’m done making a mess, I grab counter spray and a microfiber cloth and wipe down the counters and table. (elapsed time 10 minutes)
  • Finally, I check the family room / office area for any more stray clutter, shoes, laundry, etc., toss the microfiber cloth from the counters, dish towels and cloth, etc., and take the laundry to the laundry room to start a load before I head out for the day. (elapsed time 5 minutes)

These 20-ish minutes are the BEST INVESTMENT in my day EVER. I can leave my house with a calm mind, food and snacks to sustain me during my busy day, and a clear conscience! And I come home to a relatively calm and organized space, which does wonders for my Peace of Mind and my productivity.

If you have doubts, remember that if you do this almost every day, clutter won’t have accumulated for days or weeks. Piles won’t be large, surfaces will be clearer. Regular little bits of maintenance help us out EVERY day.  EVERY DAY.  And it doesn’t have to take long.

What maintenance tasks could you add to your daily routine?  Go for it!

An Organized Person… Doesn’t Procrastinate (much…)

This week is National Procrastination Week.  Or not. I could be wrong.

You see, it moves around from year to year just because.  It’s usually in March, but has been slowly moving later and later in the month.    Oh, those funny procrastinators…

Per Merriam Webster, of course, to Procrastinate is:

: to put off intentionally and habitually     (or) 
: to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.
It means to delay the doing of something that needs done for no particular reason, or at least not a particularly good reason.  Here are some of the reasons WHY we procrastinate, and what to do about them!
Sometimes we procrastinate because we’re not sure just how long a project will take.
  • Put your project on your own terms.  Instead of believing we need to start and finish a project in one sitting, start believing that progress towards a goal is often enough.   We may never be able to finish our big projects in one session, but that shouldn’t keep us from starting!
  • Set a timer and make some progress, even if you can’t finish.
  • Progress towards a goal is plenty for today!

Sometimes, we procrastinate because it is what we’re used to doing.   Perhaps, we just have to overcome our inertia.
Today,
Start with the easiest task… or
Start with the hardest task… or
Start with the quickest task… or
Start with the longest task.  Just
Start.
Sometime we procrastinate because a project feels SOOOOO BIG AND OVERWHELMING!!!
  • Once, a client had “buy paper towels”, “call the plumber” and “learn how to play the guitar” all on the same daily to-do list.  Obviously, the scope of the guitar task was far beyond the other two simple tasks.  And not surprisingly, “learn to play the guitar” was too broad and too vague to really allow any progress towards the goal!
  • Break down big projects into smaller, more manageable pieces.  My client’s first step might be to locate the family guitar in the attic, or contact her friend who’s taking guitar lessons for the instructor’s contact information.  Little pieces!
Sometimes we procrastinate because we don’t actually know how to do what needs done. 
  • If the task was assigned by someone else, request clarification.  And if it is our own task, think it through and make a plan!
  • Fortunately, information is at our fingertips all the time, so we can learn how to do something we don’t know how to do.
  • We can also ask our experts, or outsource the task.   Two examples that come to mind are:
    • For months, I researched and internally debated if I should become an LLC or a corporation.  Finally, I asked my attorney who answered my question in 5 minutes and then set everything up for me without breaking a sweat.
    • Same goes for my web design expert!  What would have taken me weeks of fumbling took my expert a week, and I still LOVE my website redesign.
      I should have started with my experts!

So, next time you find yourself procrastinating and you don’t know why, take a look at this list for insight and solutions to the problem!

An Organized Person… Keeps the “Office” in “Home Office”

Today, the second Tuesday in March, is National Organize Your Home Office Day!

When working with clients, I have never heard the complaint that folks are TOO productive in their home offices, or that their home office is TOO much like an office.

Nope.

I am more likely to hear that a home office isn’t set up to actually get work done, that perhaps it has too much “home” and not enough “office”.

So, this week, let’s work on finding the balance between Home and Office in your home office.

 

Let’ get started!

(15 minutes) Set up those monthly Completed Papers files for your receipts, statements, paid bills and other completed paperwork for 2019, if you haven’t already.

(30 minutes) Clean out your in box.  Toss anything that is expired, redundant or just not important anymore.

(30-45 minutes) Using your monthly Completed Papers files, put away those papers that have been floating around your home office work space.  You know the ones.

(30 minutes) Decide once and for all what to do with all that miscellaneous tech floating around your home office.  The bowl on the desk of dead and dying IPods (oh, is that just us?), smart Phones and tablets.  You know, the ones that are too old to even have updates available, or that no longer hold a charge?  Sell, recycle, pass them along.  Just let them go if they have outlived their usefulness.  Same goes for those miscellaneous and unassigned cords cluttering up your drawers.

(As you go along) Set aside all the actual items that require further action, add the actions to your To Do list and make time this week to take those actions.  Items to be returned, books to go back to a friend or the library, forms to be returned to school, cookies to be mailed – ok, those are the items in my action pile for tomorrow!

 

What belongs in your Home Office?

Keep only your current work in your office and on your work space.  The work you need to do today, tomorrow and this week.  If you have files or papers that you need but NOT RIGHT NOW?  Those need to go away so that you can focus on the work that does need your attention right now.  Keep visible only that which serves you.

 

What does not belong in your Home Office?

Remove any unnecessary clutter.  Anything that is too much Home and not enough Office needs to go.  Deliver the non work items to the other places where they belong in your home.

Embrace National Organize Your Home Office Day, and spend a little time this week making your space more productive!