I often explain that decision making is the key to clutter control. But the fact is that decisions are essential to making progress on any important task or project. However, it is not always easy to make those decisions. There can be some serious, sometimes unpleasant, outcomes when we make a decision. Yet, NOT making […]
The simple way to start each day with less stress
One technique to keep from feeling frazzled each morning is to start your daily routine the night before. Sometime in the late afternoon or early evening schedule 30 minutes to an hour and look at your calendar to figure out what tomorrow’s requirements are. The simple way to start each day with less stress begins […]
Time management: See where your time is going
Many people object to using a planner because they believe that it prohibits spontaneity and creativity. In reality, the very opposite is true. Not using a planner to see where our time goes may be keeping us from accomplishing the things we would really like to be doing. However, first we must see what is […]
Are you SURE you are getting your most important things done?
My friend and colleague Jason Womack, who wrote the best-selling Your Best Just Got Better, often talks about “MITs” – Most Important Things. Jason works primarily with corporations, so those of us who work from home, either as solopreneurs or full-time parents, tend to dismiss his expertise. The simple fact is that anybody who wants […]
Exploding the myth of working ‘better’ under pressure
The most common justification people give for procrastinating is that they work ‘better under pressure.’ And that probably feels true. Not being an organized person by nature, I’ve experienced that myself. The process goes like this: Three weeks before project deadline: Spun up and excited about the project. “This time, I’m not going to […]
Will getting organized leave you out of control?
It seems ironic to think that getting organized would give someone less control; after all, the whole point of organizing is to be able to know where things are and to be more efficient and effective. However, there can be a ‘downside’ to having a workable system: You would no longer be in total control. […]
Are you having a devil of a time with time management?
In keeping with National Book Month, I’ve been considering different authors whose works have given me insight into decluttering and organizing. Yesterday, I mentioned how Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” has helped jump-start some of my clients’ decluttering projects. Today, I remembered a CS Lewis passage in The Screwtape Letters that, when applied to time […]