If you have even the tiniest productive bone in your body, you're probably interested in how to keep better track of all of your to do's.  I've tried many tools over the years from digital apps to cute to do lists to a digital/analog combo, and what I've realized is that, for me, simple is best!  That's why I use a bullet journal which combines my love of office supplies, my desire to be a little artistic, and my need to feel in control!  

You may have read about bullet journaling or watched videos of some really elaborate ways to use a bullet journal and gotten scared because it looked too hard.  I'm here to tell you that you don't have to be an artist or a productivity genius to make a bullet journal work for you.

What is a Bullet Journal?
The Bullet Journal method was designed by Ryder Carroll, a former web, app, and game designer with ADD who needed a way to stay organized.  He knew that study after study had shown that writing things down by hand cemented them in our memories and provided a sense of order, so he developed a way to quickly log notes, to do's, ideas, and appointments quickly and easily in a bulleted list.  In addition to capturing your thoughts and tasks, you can create all sorts of collections of related information from a food log to vacation planning.  The heart of the bullet journal is reviewing your information regularly and migrating incomplete but still relevant tasks so that they stay top of mind.

What Supplies are Needed?
One of the great things about bullet journaling is that you only really have to have two things to get started: a journal of some sort and a writing utensil.  Other optional supplies are additional writing utensils in multiple colors, a ruler, stencils or stickers.  

With the amount of options available for journals,  it can get a little confusing, so let me break it down for you.   The features to consider are size, cover and binding type, paper weight, paper design, book marks, closures, and pockets. Your first decision is how big do you want your journal? There are codes that indicate the size.  Common sizes are labelled A5, A6, B5, and B6 that correspond to measurements.

Covers are really a preference - do you like a hard cover or a soft cover and what material?  Some come with designs or quotes on the front while others are just a plain color.  There are four main types of bindings: spiral bound, saddle stitch binding, perfect binding, and case binding.  Spiral bindings can have plastic or metal coils threaded through holes in the pages.  Saddle stitch binding is the technique when all pages are printed and then folded in half and secured with staples. Perfect binding uses a soft cover and pages are glued to the cover.  Case binding is also called hardcover binding.  Pages are stitched together in sections, and the sections are glued to the cover.  This type of binding allows the book to lay flat on every page. 

Paper weight is another important feature to consider so the ink you use doesn't bleed through.  Paper weights are measured in pounds (how much a ream of 500 sheets of paper weighs) or GSM (grams per square meter.)  The higher the number, the thicker the paper.  The conversion between pounds and GSM is 1 pound = 1.48 gsm.  For example regular printer paper is around 20 lbs  or around 30 gsm, and cardstock is around 65 lb or 96 gsm.  In addition to weight, paper can be lined, have grid dots, or be blank.

Some journals have other great features like built in bookmarks (sometimes up to 3), pockets for storing loose paper, elastic or magnetic closures, pen holders, and even included rulers or stencils.  

I've tried several journals over the years of different styles and now have a list of must have features in a journal.  I want my journal to lay flat when it's open, have prenumbered pages, have an elastic closure, a pen holder, and multiple built in ribbon book marks.  This year's journal had two new features that I think will make my list - grid dots instead of lines on the pages and a pocket for a small ruler with stencils!  ​​

Writing utensils can be pens, markers, pencils, colored pencils or a combination.  I prefer pens or markers and enjoy using multiple colors to create visual separation and include some artistic flair!  It's important to have paper thick enough to prevent bleeding.  My current journal has paper that is 160 gsm.  There are many utensils that are bleed-proof.  My favorite are Sharpie felt tip fine point pens that come in assorted colors.  Or if you prefer a gel pen, one of my favorites is the Sharpie S-Gel fine point.

What's the BuJo Lingo?
Whenever you try something new, the lingo can be intimidating.  Here are what the basic words related to bullet journaling mean:

• BuJo - Short for Bullet (Bu) Journaling (Jo) by putting the first two letters of each word together.

• Rapid Logging - using a bulleted list to quickly log to do's, notes, and events.
• Resource Page - a page where you list the symbols you will use, dimensions of your pages, etc. 
• Index - a page or pages at the front of your bullet journal where page numbers of sections are recorded to help you quickly locate content.
• Spread - a set of facing pages that contain similar information
• Future Log - a  module where you can record dated events outside of the current month. 
• Monthly Log - a module to help you plan the current month. Usually a spread with a calendar on the left page and a task list on the right page.
• Daily Log - pages where rapid logging is used from day to day.  
• Collection - a module that organizes related information
• Migration - the process of moving incomplete tasks to a new monthly log or the future log
• Bullets and signifiers - symbols used to indicate if an item is a task, an event,or a note and additional symbols to indicate the status or importance.  Below are the ones I use, but the beauty is, you can make up whatever you want!  TIP: Write the initials of the person you delegated a task to next to the delegated symbol for future clarity.

How to Get Started
Once you have selected your journal and writing utensils, you can quickly get started!  Make sure your pages are numbered, or add in page numbers yourself before you begin.
​

• Create a Resource Page

If you're not a BuJo expert, it may be helpful to have a resource page to remind you of the symbols you want to use in your rapid logging, or the measurements of spreads you want to be able to easily recreate.  I also like to show a sample of each of my pen colors.  TIP: If you use paper with grid dots, it's helpful to write down how many dots there are vertically and horizontally.  

• Create an Index

Simply write the title of any collection you create and the page number on which it begins.  One reason I love bullet journaling is because you don't have to have everything planned out in advance, you just log it as you go.  For instance, my January 2021 entry in my index shows pages 6-11,16-19 because I created additional collections in the middle of January.  

• Create a Future Log 

I like to start a new journal each January, so my future log is for the upcoming year.  I use two spreads and split the pages into three sections each so that one quarter fits on each page.  This is where you can record important dates or tasks that should be done in a specific future month.  Make sure to note the page number of your future log in the index. Here's an example of a blank future log.

​

•  Create a Monthly Log for the current month 

There are infinite ways to design a monthly log, and some of them get really complicated if you want to get lost on YouTube.  I prefer easy and straightforward!  I like the left page to be a simple calendar.  It can be done with a traditional calendar grid or just simple numbers down the side of the page.  The right side page of the spread should contain tasks.  I prefer to split the page in half to be able to fit more tasks.  You should migrate any tasks from the previous month that still need completed, and add in any new tasks for the month.  As you complete them, delegate them, cancel them, migrate them, or move them to the future log, mark them with the appropriate symbol.  Don't forget to note the page number of your monthly log in your index.  Below is an example Monthly Log spread.  I include both work and personal items in my bullet journal.

• Start a Daily Log

​This is the best part of bullet journaling!  On the page directly after your monthly log, write the date of the first day of the month.  I like to write it in a different color and underline it so it stands out.  Then just start logging.  I often make a list of my top few things to accomplish for the day as soon as I begin the day's log.  Throughout your day, log what happens, and use your symbols to indicate if it's a note, a task or an event.    When the next day begins, just skip a little space, and write the new date, and repeat.  You don't have to start and end perfectly at the end of a page, just keep going until you have logged everything you need to.  When you finish a month of logging, you will just go back to your index and indicate the page numbers that information from the month is included on.  Example: July 2021 106-118.

• Add Collections of your choice 

Here is where you can get creative and customize your bullet journal to whatever you want it to be!  I use mine for both work and personal content.  I have a collection of books I've read this year where I log the book, the author and the date I finished it.  I've also got a food diary, and a collection called, "Small Changes, Big Results" where I keep track of habits.  I have a couple of pages where I played tic-tac-toe and another page where I recorded all the license plates we saw on vacation.  It's completely customizable!  Add the collection name and page number to your index, so you can find them again when you want to.

How to Maintain Your Bullet Journal
The bullet journal is only as good as what you put in it, and just like any productivity system, it requires regular maintenance.  There are only three main things to remember:

1. Use it!
At first, it may be hard to remember to have your journal with you at all times.  I work in an office setting, so I keep my journal on my desk for easy access.  I take it with me to meetings, and though sometimes I may take notes digitally I always transfer any to do's to my bullet journal so I have a master list of to do's with me at all times.  

2. Update
 I often take my journal to my bedroom in the evening to review the day and mark off things I've completed or delegated, and get a jump start on tomorrow.   Even if you don't do this daily, it's critical to do at least weekly.  Some people do a weekly spread to force themselves to do this review.  I did a weekly spread for the first few months, but found that reviewing daily worked better for me.

3. Migrate
Migration is the thread that holds the bullet journal system together.  You could do this weekly if you choose to do a weekly spread or monthly if that's enough for you.  Use the symbol that you decided on (most common is  >) to indicate the task is not complete but it has been moved forward to a new section so that it won't be forgotten.  I also look back at any delegated tasks to determine if they are completed or not. If they are not I will move them forward with the migrated symbol and the initial of the person I delegated it to.  When the migrated task is complete, I will mark it as such.

The Benefits of the BuJo
I like the bullet journal system because it allows me to slow down and write things down legibly so I will be able to read them later!  This sounds silly, but sometimes I feel like I have so much to do that writing something down takes too much time.  Rushing is what leads to forgetting what I need to do and in turn getting overwhelmed.  Writing things down helps my brain process and remember things.

I enjoy the opportunity to be a little artistic in a non-judgement zone!  It's fun to use stencils and sometimes even stickers to decorate my pages.  I enjoy hand lettering, and it's an opportunity to use and improve those skills.  I also love that if I mess up, no one will see it, and I can just start a new page.

The biggest benefit of BuJo, is the sense of control it gives me knowing that all my tasks are captured and won't get forgotten.  I have the ability to look back at the history of my notes and tasks.  With the custom collections, I have the ability to track progress in many different areas of my life all at once.  

So, do you think you're ready to give it a shot?  Please reach out if you have any questions or need some more guidance to get started.  If you want a deeper dive into the philosophy and process of bullet journaling, I recommend Ryder Carroll's book, The Bullet Journal Method

Sources
Carroll, Ryder. “Bullet Journal.” Bullet Journal, 2021, bulletjournal.com/. 

Carrol, Ryder. The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future. FOURTH ESTATE LTD, 2020. 

“Commercial Printing Company in Florida: Solo Printing.” Commercial Printing Company in Florida | Solo Printing, 8 June 2021, soloprinting.com/. 

“A Comprehensive Guide to Notebook Sizes.” Galen Leather, 2021, www.galenleather.com/blogs/news/notebook-sizes. 

“What Does Gsm Mean When Buying Paper and Card?” Papermill Direct, 20 July 2021, www.papermilldirect.co.uk/inspire/what-does-gsm-mean-when-buying-paper-and-card. 
Philipson, Samantha. “What's in a Bind? 4 Types of Book Binding – Pros and Cons.” Ironmark Blog, 2021, blog.ironmarkusa.com/4-types-book-binding. 

​I’ve been in a productivity slump for the past few months. I could blame it on some sad things that have happened in my family, stress at work, or on the busyness of being a working mom, and I could feel bad about the things I didn’t do during that time - like not write any new blog posts...But I’m not here to make excuses, I’m here to get my productivity groove back and help you do the same!

Motivation, like a good habit, is very easy to lose and much harder to get back! Take a shortcut and learn from others. There are so many tools and suggestions available about productivity and organization (many available in previous posts on my blog!) Don’t try to do it alone - find a blog post, grab a book, listen to a podcast, or watch a YouTube video to learn something new or reinforce what you already know. I finally started reading the book I’ve been eyeing for months, Atomic Habits by James Clear. I am about halfway done, and I LOVE it! (Book review coming soon!) There are so many tidbits of great information that have provided me much needed motivation!

​Don’t try to do it all at once, or you’ll get overwhelmed and potentially do yourself more harm than good. Pick something that is fun and attainable or something that you have to do anyway. My motivation started returning when I had something to look forward to that required planning and organization - family vacation. Once I got started planning, I could start anticipating vacation, which I think is almost as fun as going! My planning paid off, and I felt really proud of all the effort I put into it.

After a successful vacation, I knew I could tackle more. I’m embarrassed to say I’d been doing the bare minimum for taking care of routine family finances and paperwork - for months. I’d do what was absolutely necessary and stash the rest for later. Later just never arrived until this past weekend. I spent a few hours and am now all caught up with processing and filing. (Click for tips on how to get caught up with your paperwork.) My appetite for productivity and organization is snowballing now! ​

​Once one project is done, you immediately feel a weight lifted and create space in your brain that used to be taken up by worrying about that thing that was undone.  Once one task is complete, you will crave the feeling of checking another project off of your list.  For me, after paperwork was caught up, I decided to cancel a couple of unnecessary subscriptions and saved myself money in the process. Now I’m hooked and am shopping for a better price on insurance.  Who knows, I may be cleaning out my craft area before I know it!  

What I’m relearning is that getting any little thing organized propels you to the next, bigger step.  After completing that step, you gain motivation to tackle even more daunting tasks.   You stop feeling sorry for yourself or bad about yourself for not accomplishing tasks.  I have a suspicion, I’m not the only one who has let their “productive self” go over the past year and a half, and I want to provide you encouragement that it’s not as hard as it seems to get your life in order!

Start your snowball of productivity in the next 15 minutes:

1. Make a quick list of anything you know is undone and is bugging you
2. Rank them in order of effort to accomplish with easiest on top
3. DO the easiest one!
4. Revel in how good it feels to cross it off your list!
5. SCHEDULE when you will do the next task.

I predict that as you repeat steps 3-5, you will gain motivation and confidence.  When that list is complete, you will have room in your head to really create productive systems to help you avoid having to write another list like that!

Thanks for reading my first post in several months - it’s good to be back! I hope you’ll stick with me as I strive to get and keep My Life In Order!  If you'd like to get new posts and newsletters in your inbox, please join the email list!

Sources
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin Random House LLC, 2018. ​

Do you have a million ideas swirling around your head at any given time?  Do you tell yourself you'll remember that thing you need to do, but then forget before the day is even over?  Do you see that same little imperfection or incomplete project every time you walk into the room but never seem to find the time to get it taken care of?  If you answered yes to even one of these questions, I'm here with a simple idea to help!

​Track your home projects room by room.  It's so simple it's hard to believe it would work, but just give it a try. 

• Decide on Paper or Digital

The first step is to determine how you prefer to track your home projects.  If you are a paper person, you can have fun selecting a binder or notebook, dividers, and a nice pen or pencil.  But if you prefer digital, you can use a tool like Evernote to easily get organized with a new digital notebook and notes.  The benefit of a digital version is that it can be accessed on your phone and is more portable.

• Define your areas

Make a quick list of all the rooms or areas in your home.  Make sure to include garage, barn, deck, yard, basement, etc. Now, create a section in your notebook for each area.  You may want to group some together if it makes sense.  For example, I combined deck and yard into one section.  

If you go the Evernote route like I did, create a notebook titled Home Projects and then create a note for each room/area.  Insert a checklist so that when you are done, you can simply click to check the item off!

• Do a walk through, and write it all down

With your new notebook, take a walk through your home, and take a good look around each space.  Make a checklist of all the things you want to do in each room's notebook section.   Include little items like "replace the light bulb above the kitchen sink" or "get a new air freshener" to bigger projects like "clean out the refrigerator" or "wash the baseboards."  You can include ideas or daydreams, too, like "get new carpet in the living room" or "rearrange the bedroom furniture."    You should indicate if something is a  "now" project or a "future" project.  If you're using paper, you could highlight or star the future projects.  If you're using digital, you could change the font color or put an * in front of them.

Once you have all of the to do's out of your head and into your notebook, you will waste less of your time trying to remember what you wanted to do and can spend more time getting things done!  (Getting things out of your head is great for more than just home projects - read a Brain Dump How -To for more info!)

• Start a shopping list/wish list

This is where you are going to record what you need (or want) to purchase.  If it's as easy as a light bulb, you likely aren't going to have to do much research or shopping around, but if it's a new light fixture or paint color, you may want to keep track of some websites, photos, or paint swatches.  This is why I like digital - because it's easy to insert a link or a photo.  I prefer to keep my shopping list in the section for each room, but if you'd rather, you could make one master shopping list.

• Add to your lists

Now when you are in your bedroom and notice a scuff on the wall that you think would probably come off pretty easily with magic eraser, just add it to your bedroom list!  In the past you would have noticed it and thought to yourself that you should probably write that down somewhere, but when you left the room, you likely forgot and then never got around to it!

​Sometimes you need a quick win to get you in the organizing groove.  Organizing your bedside table gives you a lot of bang for your buck!  A clean and organized bedside table can do wonders for your mood because it's one of the last things you see before you go to sleep and one of the first things you see when you wake up.  This is also the reason, they have a tendency to get messy since we are usually tired when we are near them. ​

• Completely clear top and drawers and clean

Start by clearing everything off the top and all shelves and drawers.  I recommend putting everything on your bed because then you won't be able to go to sleep until the project is finished!  When the table is cleared, give it a good dusting and wipe down the inside of the drawers. 
​

• Refill drawers with purpose

Purchase or repurpose some sort of organizer in the drawer.  This can be anything from a silverware organizer, to any type of small open-top boxes.  Look through what you took out of the drawer and only put back in what is essential and trash or relocate the rest.  Thing I like to keep in my drawers are chapstick, pain reliever, lotion, headphones, a flashlight/book lamp, journal and pen, book, etc.  If you are low on dresser space, and have an extra drawer in a bedside table, you could consider it overflow and use it for something like your socks!  

• Keep the top simple

Now for the top.  The rule of thumb here is minimalism!  Place only what you need and use daily on the top of the table.  Mine has a lamp, my Google mini speaker, a coaster, a small bowl for jewelry that I may take off while I'm in bed, and tissues.  This gives clear space to put a book I'm reading and my glasses. 

• Maintain!

Now protect that bedside table and it's pristine condition!  Take a look at your end product and remember how it makes you feel to have things clean and organized and commit to a quick edit of this space weekly.  Take empty cups to the kitchen, throw away any trash that's accumulated, put away jewelry you may have removed before bed, and rearrange the drawer to put items back in their proper spot.  This process will take you less than 5 minutes but give you a big sense of order!   

It's easy to go down a rabbit hole of gloom, doom, and woe is me because of all that has happened in 2020. Never has there been a better time to learn to see the glass half full, find the silver lining, and look for the good in everything (no matter how small that may be!)

​In the midst of everything going on in our 2020 world, we need somewhere to escape.  Make your home that sanctuary!  The definition of sanctuary is "a place of refuge or safety."  Our homes can literally keep us safe from the pandemic, but more than that, they can provide us a sense of calm and control that it's hard to find out in the world. ​

​Rearrange and Repurpose
​We all had to adapt our homes to fit our new needs like working from home and housing virtual students while still keeping them comfortable for regular living. For a while, my husband used TV trays to hold his laptop in the living room, but soon we realized that was a frustration for everyone.  We set up a small table in our bedroom and moved a comfortable chair there.  This allowed him to have a workstation that he didn't have to tear down each evening and kept our living room for family time.  

Virtual school was another challenge many of us had to overcome.  I wrote about some ideas to get organized for e-learning without completely overtaking the house in a previous post.  There were times this year that we had the entire family working/learning at home, so that meant I had to get really creative about my workspace which used to be in the living room.  I was able to repurpose my craft area into an office.  I found a cable to connect the TV I watch while I do crafts to my laptop for a second monitor, I reused an old cart to store all my sewing supplies to make room for my computer on the counter, and I got a new power strip to I could leave my power cord plugged in so setting up each day was quick.  I now have a dedicated space to work that I can leave at the end of my work day.  This is one of the key parts of work from home productivity!

Removing frustrations and reducing the amount of time spent in set up and tear down mode were the things our family was able to accomplish by rearranging and repurposing items in our home.  Working from home is now seamless and, though our kids are back at school for now, if they need to learn from home again, it won't be a burden or impact our common living space.  What can you rearrange today to help make your home fit your current situation?  Do you have a space or an item you can repurpose to help remove a frustration?

Over the past week, we have transformed my son's bedroom.  It has been a whirlwind process, but because we planned well, it's gone smoothly.  Read my previous post about 5 steps to a bedroom refresh .

The new room has much less storage than the previous layout.  We removed a large bookshelf, got a smaller dresser, relocated a cedar chest, and got rid of a 3 drawer plastic storage unit in the closet.  Less storage may sound counter intuitive, but it forced my son to have less stuff in his room.  Less stuff means less time cleaning his room, less arguments with me about clutter, less time spent looking for lost items, and more room to enjoy his private space.

When you have less storage, you must have less stuff.  This makes you consider each item that makes it way into your space carefully.  If you have a hard time getting rid of items or feel like everything is essential, try this trick.  Pack up your room as if you were moving, and when it's time to "move in,"  start by unpacking only the absolute essentials  like clothes, bedding, and maybe an alarm clock.  Then over a few days' time as you find a need for an item, go get it from your boxes and carefully place it in the location that you noticed you needed it.  In his book, Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life, Joshua Fields Millburn says,  “Minimalism looks different for everyone because it’s about finding what is essential to you.”  ​

1. Review what you wear
I suggest you empty one drawer at a time and go through every item separating into piles of things you will wear and things you won't wear.  If it doesn't fit or you don't like it, don't let it take up space in your dresser or closet!  Put items that you will wear back in the space and relocate the items you won't wear (in our case, they will go in the basement in a tote for my younger son, but you could put them in a box for Goodwill.)  Repeat with each drawer and section of your closet.  Don't forget shoes, scarves, belts, bags, etc.

2. Curate your surfaces
Empty each shelf, dresser top, or drawer.  Similar to what you did with your clothes, review each item and decide to keep in place, keep but relocate, or get rid of.  Put the keep in place items back, the keep but relocation items in their new home, and box up other items for donation.

3. Clear the floor
Look closely at anything that touches the floor that isn't furniture.  If it's trash, throw it away.  If it's not trash, why is it on the floor?  Find a new home for it either within your room or elsewhere in your home, or donate it.

4. Measure and plan
Measure everything!   Write down the dimensions of your room and all of your furniture that you plan to keep.  Create a scale model of your room and all the furniture to help decide on a floor plan.  You can go old school and use grid paper to map out your room and then cut out pieces of furniture to scale or you could use a digital option like planyourroom.com.  Arranging and rearranging on paper or virtually will save you time, effort, and money!  It will help you clearly see how much space you have so when you buy new items, they are the correct size.  You can also determine where you want to position everything ahead of time to cut down on the muscle needed to move furniture!  

5. Move only once
Once you've decided what to keep and what you need to purchase, only move your furniture once.  For our project, we will be ordering the new items and they will stay in the garage until after the room has been painted.  On painting day, we will empty the old furniture and remove it from the room.  Remaining furniture will be moved to the middle of the room until the paint is dry. The existing furniture will be moved into the location we decided on in step 4, and the new furniture will be brought to the room and assembled in it's new home.

I'm excited for my son's bedroom refresh (and a little sad to cover the paint that has complemented several little boy themes over the years) and I'm hopeful this process will help him learn how to keep his space organized and make it his own.  Are you inspired to do a little refresh of your own??

We woke up early on the first day of the 2020-2021 school year only to learn that our home internet was out!  Since we were all planning to spend the day learning and working online, we had a few moments of panic.  Luckily the internet  came back on before long and held steady the rest of the day! 

I had planned every detail of virtual learning at our house, but there was still something out of my control.  It's good to be reminded that no matter how well we plan, the unexpected still happens.   I think this school year may teach us all that lesson many times over!  Because there is so much in life that we cannot control, it is helpful to be organized because that gives us the capacity to handle the unexpected when it comes our way.   

Whether your kids are doing virtual learning at home full-time or their school has a hybrid approach where just part of the week is e-learning, being a parent of a school-aged child this school year is going to be a challenge!  I am trying to use organization to help make the experience as smooth as possible, and I thought I'd share some of my ideas with you.

Challenge # 1:  Not enough workspace
We are excited to have my older son's best friend and his younger sister joining us for virtual learning.  It gives our kids some socialization and makes their school day much more fun! But we had to get creative to fit everybody in our home and still keep distance between them.

We live in an 1800 square foot, nearly 150 year old house with no spare bedroom or office. ​  On days when I work from home to help supervise the school day, there are six people to fit into the space!  We decided that we wanted everyone on the same floor, so we are not using bedrooms as classrooms.   Because of that, not every kid has enough room to have all of their books and supplies next to them at all times.  We solved that problem with a set of plastic drawers labelled with each kid's name.  The drawers are on wheels so if I want to get rid of the school look, I can roll them into the laundry room!

We decided that since most of the school day will be spent on Google Meets with headphones on, it didn't really matter if kids were in the same room because they rarely have to talk out loud during live class. We set the two older kids up in the kitchen and the younger two in the living room in a configuration so no one gets in anyone else's videos!  

My husband works in our bedroom on a slim table that we set in front of a window, and when I'm working from home, I work in my craft area.   Even though it's a little crowded, I made everyone their own nameplate for their space to define it as theirs.  I got acrylic frames for photo booth pictures for less than a dollar, then used scrapbook paper and some markers to make every "desk" a little special.  At the end of the day, the kitchen kids have to put everything in their drawer so my family can eat dinner at the same table, but it works!

Challenge #2:  Confusing schedule
We have two different schedules with different break times for the elementary and the middle school, and then there are alternating days for certain classes - it gets confusing fast!  I got two white boards and two inexpensive easels (check the photo frame section for these) to display the schedule.  I used different colors to help the kids easily find their next class.  For the schedules that alternate, there is a magnet that indicates what day it is.  We have one white board in each room to keep kids on track.  

I also created a printable daily schedule that lists each class time, class, and code for the live video session as well as check boxes for other daily requirements.  These were great for the first week while everyone was getting used to their schedules.  After the second week, we probably won't need these anymore and can just maintain a list of codes for the videos.
​
One thing I love about virtual learning is how much extra physical activity the kids are getting because they can go outside and play, go on a bike ride, or just get some sunshine during breaks.  But it's important for them to stay on schedule, so setting timers is a great way to help kids manage their time and get back to their seats in time for the next session.

​
Challenge #3: Tech Issues 
I work in IT for my day job, so I am used to tech issues!  The biggest lesson here is to teach your child how to fix issues rather than fixing them all yourself.  It's amazing how even young children can learn to troubleshoot an issue when you take the time to show them how.  Before school starts, go through their device with them and explain the basics.  Don't assume they know how to open a new tab on a web browser or even turn down the volume.  Chances are you may have to show them a few times, but if you take the time at the beginning to teach them how to help themselves, you won't be needed as much later on.

We've already run into broken links, unknown passwords, and pictures and videos that wouldn't display.  Teachers have been very honest that this is all new to everyone, so don't feel bad about asking them for help or letting them know when something isn't going quite right - but be nice!!  Taking a photo of exactly what you are seeing on your kid's device may be more helpful than trying to explain it in words.  

Slow or overloaded internet will surely be a problem at some point.  If that happens, try limiting video to only when it's needed.  Most teachers have a recording if something goes wrong and you can't participate live.  You may have to roll with it!
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Challenge #4: I have to work!
Many of us are working parents, and work doesn't just stop when school starts.  We are in unprecedented times, and employers are trying to make accommodations but still stay in business.  There are some who can't work from home because of the nature of their job.  This is where we have to stick together and help each other out!  I'm fortunate because my husband works from home, but I am trying to be very aware that he has a full time job and as willing as he is to be a teacher as well,  I need to pitch in where I can.  I occasionally work from home to give him a break, and I also review schedules for the next day and make lists, monitor homework assignments, etc. the night before so the days are smoother.

No matter what kind of job you have or how high up you are in an organization, all employees are just people and many of them are parents dealing with virtual school.  Even those who don't have kids themselves, have a child or teacher in their lives and can understand the challenges of juggling work and school responsibilities.  Several times a week on conference calls, I hear someone's child in the background or someone on the call has to excuse themselves to help with a school issue.  It doesn't bother me a bit - I get it!  We are all trying to do our best, and no one can deny that our kids' education is important.  

To help stay focused at work when you are at home with school-aged kids, set them up with everything they need before you start your workday.  Designate your own workspace and clearly communicate when kids are allowed to enter that space and at what times they need to be quiet.  You may consider a sign or visual reminder of these things for younger children.  Schedule your breaks around the kids' breaks so you can check homework, answer questions, and enjoy seeing their faces in the middle of they day.  You may need to talk to your boss about working an alternate schedule.  If there are hours that you need to dedicate to school, is it possible you could work some in the early morning or late evening to make up for that time?  

None of us know how long we will be dealing with virtual school, so I encourage you to identify your top challenges and come up with strategies to address them. Organize yourself in other areas of your life to give you more room in your day to deal with the challenges at hand.

Have a great school year!

I am not a morning person!  I like to BE up early, but I don't particularly like to GET up early!  Because of that, my mornings go much more smoothly when everything is ready the night before.  Getting into a habit of preparing for the next day the night before was one of the single biggest boosts to my productivity! 

When I was primarily working from home this spring, evening prep was pretty simple - a list of my most important tasks for the next day and sometimes I laid out a letter that needed to go to the mailbox.  Since it didn't really matter what I wore and I didn't need to pack a lunch, there really wasn't that much to it.  Don't get me wrong, doing that little bit of prep for the next day still went a long way, but it wasn't as critical as I knew it would be when I was back to working in my office most of the time.  To set myself up for a successful transition, I really embraced evening prep - almost too much because soon it felt like my evenings were focused around tomorrow.  

That first week back to the office exhausted me.  Between working the same full day, commuting,  wearing office appropriate attire, showering EVERY DAY, fixing my hair and makeup,  packing up my breakfast, snacks and lunch,  preparing my work supplies, not to mention trying to spend quality time with my family - it was exhausting!  I was trying extra hard to make everything run smoothly, so I was spending 30-60 minutes preparing every detail of my morning the night before. I felt robbed of my evenings and the time with my family, so I decided something had to change!

There were two key areas I identified as time suckers, and I made a plan to fix them!

Food
I am on a mission to get healthier and slimmer by the time I turn 40, so I take my breakfast, snacks and lunch with me everyday.  For breakfast I make a protein shake, snacks are usually fruit, nuts, cheese, and lunch may be leftovers or a salad.  Previously, I was spending a good 30 minutes an evening preparing food.  I analyzed my evening food prep routing, and found the areas that were taking the longest and came up with ideas to streamline the process:

• Cleaning and cutting fruits and veggies

Now I clean and cut up enough fruits and veggies for the entire week on Sunday.  Batching the task saves time overall! 

• Putting food into smaller containers

On Sundays, I put snacks in smaller containers all at the same time.  This could include a baggie of veggie chips, small containers of ranch dip or peanut butter, or a serving of fresh cherries in a plastic container.  I store all the pre-divided portions together in the refrigerator in a clear plastic bin so it's easy to grab and go.

• Avoiding using and cleaning the blender

This was by far my biggest win!  I make a breakfast protein shake every morning (get the recipe and directions at the end of this post!)  I used to put all the ingredients in and then use the immersion blender to mix it up.  I would then have to wash it right away to avoid it getting really gross and sticky.  I realized this blending and cleaning was what was taking the longest, so I did an experiment to see if I could puree all the fruit ahead of time and simply use a shaker bottle to mix up the ingredients.  I was skeptical because that protein powder tends to clump up, but to my delight and surprise - it worked!  I found that 1 cup of clean, sliced fresh fruit equals about 2/3 cup of fruit puree.  Now each morning I just add that to my almond milk, protein powder and chia seeds, put in the shaker ball and shake!  That's it - no muss no fuss, and SO much faster!

• ​Not wasting time washing dishes

​I also used to waste time washing the containers I wanted to take food in the next day.  I only had one shaker cup, so I had to wash it every day.  I only had one container of the right size for my salad that fit in my lunchbox, so I also washed it every evening.  I solved these things very simply: I bought a second shaker cup so one can be washing in the dishwasher while the other is in use.  I started washing out my salad container at work after lunch.   Since I also prepack all my smaller snacks, there is no time wasted on dishes in my daily routine!

I now pack my lunchbox immediately after I empty it.  I make my shake the night before as well and just shake it up before I drink it the next day.  I've gone from 30 minute lunch prep to less than 10

Try It!
Your pain points may not be the same as mine, but take some time to think through your routine and identify what is taking you the longest or what frustrates you about your morning or evening routine.  Think about the problem and how you would tell someone else to solve it.  Track your time savings and celebrate the extra time in your evening - and spend it well!

To be truly productive, it is almost imperative to have a master to-do list where you record everything you need to do and use it to prioritize your actions as you work toward completing tasks that will ultimately help you accomplish your goals.  Though I believe this is true, today I want to introduce a different concept that I think is almost as important to your personal productivity - a done list!  

A done list is just what it sounds like, a list of things you’ve completed.  There are a couple of options on how to create a done list, but before I tell you HOW, let me tell you WHY.  ​

1.  Develops Positive Emotions
Sometimes in the midst of all the items left undone on our to do list, it’s easy to forget all that was accomplished in a day.  At the end of the work day, the emotions we feel are directly related to the progress we made (or didn’t make.)

Dr. Teresa Amabile, a Harvard Business School professor and co-author of The Progress Principle found that when people recognized their small accomplishments, they experienced more positive emotions which in turn, encouraged future accomplishment.  In a Harvard Business Review article, she explained a study which analyzed 12,000 employees on a daily basis. ”On days when they made progress, our participants reported more positive emotions. They not only were in a more upbeat mood in general but also expressed more joy, warmth, and pride.” 

2. Creates Momentum
We tend to focus more on our failures than our successes, so keeping track of what we’ve accomplished can remind us of what we are capable of.  Organizational psychologist, Karl Weick says “Once a small win has been accomplished, forces are set in motion that favor another small win. When a solution is put in place, the next solvable problem often becomes more visible.”

Completing a task feels so much better than starting 10 tasks and not quite finishing any of them!  Every time you record something you’ve finished, you get a little hit of dopamine, a type of neurotransmitter in your body’s nervous system that plays a role in feeling pleasure.  It actually helps us focus and improves motivation.  So completing one item literally can increase our chances of completing the next one.

1.  As you go
This is the method I most prefer.  I have a master task list for EVERYTHING I need to do, but on a daily basis, I choose the one thing I’m going to work on first, and I write the item down on a handwritten list.  When I’m done, I put a line through it and choose the next thing to begin.  I also use this list to record to-do’s that come to mind as I’m working on a task.  This helps me stay focused on what I’m doing and not spend mental energy remembering something for later.  As those items are completed, I mark a line through them.  At the end of the day, if there’s anything left that I didn’t get completed, I add it to my master to-to list. Then I review all the items that were marked off and revel in the sense of accomplishment!

2. After you’re done
When you complete a task, write it down (and put a big check mark by it if that makes you feel good!)  If you prefer paper, I would suggest a small notebook where you can keep these lists so you can look back and see all that you’ve accomplished.  If you use digital solutions, a simple spreadsheet or document can be an easy way to capture your completed tasks.

3. Within Your To Do List
If you don’t want the extra work of creating a separate done list, you could mark completed tasks with the date on your paper to-do list  If you use a digital task management system like Nozbe, completed tasks stay visible for the day they are completed so you can view your progress.  With either method, you have the benefit of being able to review the tasks you’ve completed on a certain day to give you satisfaction and a boost of momentum!

Sources 
Higgs, Micaela Marini. “How to Accept a Compliment - Even If It's From Yourself.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/smarter-living/how-to-accept-a-compliment.html.

Amabile and Steven J. Kramer, Teresa, and Steven J. Kramer. “The Power of Small Wins.” Harvard Business Review, 6 May 2020, hbr.org/2011/05/the-power-of-small-wins.

"Do vs. Done Lists: Jot Down Your Small Wins." Evernote, 12 April 2017, https://evernote.com/blog/do-vs-done-lists-jot-down-your-small-wins
​
"What is Dopamine?" WebMD 19 June 2019, .https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-dopamine#1

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Many of you may have begun working from home in the past couple of weeks and may be doing so for the foreseeable future.  If you've never worked at home before, it can be a big change and a big challenge!  I've heard from some of you that you are struggling in various ways — from staying focused on your work to not letting your working hours bleed into your personal time.  I have worked from home on and off for years, so I wanted to share with you some tips that may help you be more productive at work, more comfortable when you are working, and give you the ability to separate work and home life.

You may think working from home means you get to roll out of bed and go straight to your laptop in pajamas and bedhead, but I suggest you actually get ready for work similar to how you would if you were going into the office.  Depending if you are required to video chat or not may determine how much time you spend on your appearance, but at least do the following:

• Shower - Sometimes I prefer to do this at night to allow me to sleep in a little bit more.
• Get dressed - Though you probably won't be meeting dress code and should wear something comfortable, at least change into something clean and presentable in case you do need to get on a video chat!  
• Fix your hair - You don't have to look like you just left the salon, but at least run a brush through it!
• Put on some makeup - If you don't normally wear makeup, you get to skip this step.  For me, if I don't put on some eyebrow color and eyeliner, I look like I'm sleepy or sick, so a tiny bit of makeup actually helps me feel more alert.
• Brush your teeth - I feel like this should go without saying, but I know my kids feel like this is optional when they don't leave the house!
• Eat breakfast - You don't need to cook a gourmet meal, but at least eat the same thing you would before or on your way to work.  This will prevent you from taking extra snack breaks later that could impact your productivity

Get up early enough to get these things done before you're supposed to be logged on and ready to work.  Over the past couple of weeks, circumstances were extraordinary and there were days that I got woken up with issues at my day job that continued all day so that I never had the time to do these basic things.  I felt out of sorts and out of control all day long!  I'm a true believer that how you look impacts how you feel (so much that I wrote an entire post about it!)  Set yourself up for success by being awake and ready to face the workday — even if you're just walking to another room in your house!

You are likely sharing your house with at least one other work-from-home employee and maybe a couple of e-learners, so having your own work space is very important. In the past when I've worked from home, I've been alone all day while my husband was at his job and my kids were at school which allowed me to camp out wherever I wanted.  No matter which room I was in, I was alone and able to avoid distractions, but now there are people everywhere in my house!

Depending on the size and layout of your house, it may be tricky to find your own space, but get creative.  You can work at a desk, a kitchen or dining table, a counter, a card table, or even a few TV trays.   If you are using a portable table, you can set it up anywhere — in the back of the living room, a bedroom, a walk-in closet, basement rec room, mud room, etc.  Try to find somewhere quiet, preferably where you can shut a door, or at least create some separation between you and the other members of your family when needed.  Try to avoid working from your couch or in your bed — you may be laughing, but it can be tempting! 

If at all possible set up your work space and leave it set up until your work-from-home days are over.  The less time you have to spend hooking up equipment, finding your work files, and clearing off a space the better.  I have my work space set up in our mudroom/craft room.  I've got my extra monitor and my laptop all hooked up and plugged in, my headset nearby, a clear surface for a notepad, and a cup of writing utensils within arm's reach.   When I'm done for the day, I just shut down my laptop and close the lid.  When it's time to work again, it only takes a few seconds to get up and running again.
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Some find it difficult to stay on task at home because there are so many other things you could be (or want to be) doing like laundry, dishes....or watching TV!  Make sure you have all the tools you need to be productive in your work space so you can more easily keep work and home separate and avoid getting distracted.  For example, keep a notebook specifically for work near your computer so that aren't making work notes on your grocery list.  

Be diligent about daily task lists, but keep work and home lists separate.  I've suggested various task management and to-do list options in past posts, so pick your favorite and stick to it! (Trello, Nozbe, Evernote are all options you may want to look into) Try keeping a running list of "home" tasks that come to mind while you are "at work."  Give yourself permission to jot the idea or task that comes to mind down when you think of it on a special notepad or add it to an electronic list so you don't waste any of your energy on trying to remember it later.  When you know you won't forget, you're less likely to actually get up and do the household task right then.

Make sure you have a comfortable chair, a keyboard and mouse that work well, and have your monitor(s) set up in a way that doesn't cause you to strain your neck or eyes.  The more comfortable you are, the more productive you will be.  Invest in a headset — even an inexpensive pair of ear buds with a microphone will make talking on the phone while working remotely much easier!   Finally, don't forget to drink plenty of water!  I'm great about having water with me at work, but I've found at home, it's something I tend to forget.  Staying hydrated can prevent headaches and help you stay focused.
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When you go into the office, you have certain times that you typically work.  Do your best to stick to those same hours at home.  At work you likely take a few breaks and a lunch break every day, so do the same at home, and try to take those breaks away from your work space.  Some of the great benefits of working at home is that you can take breaks with your family, get some housework done, or even take a nap in your own bed!  Remember that just because your fridge and pantry are a room away doesn't mean that you should snack more than you do on a typical workday.

Many who have never worked at home fear that the lack of boundaries between work and home will cause them to feel like they never stop working. In my day job, I'm always on call, so I have learned the hard way some strategies to try to keep work and personal time separate.   A few things that help me draw that line when I work from home are:

• Let your work team know when you are on a break or unavailable.  Set an expectation when you will be on and offline.
• In the same way, let your home "team" know when you are working and need privacy, and when they can expect you to be done for the day.
• If your home work space allows, close the door when you are working to signal to your family that you should not be bothered.  
• Give your family a heads up on what times of the day you need extra quiet for phone or video conferences.
• Most corporate phone systems allow you to change your status for phone calls and instant messages so people receive a message when you have marked yourself out of office or busy.  Be diligent to use this feature so your status can be trusted.
• If you are using a laptop, physically close the lid when you are on a break.
• Clear your desk of notes, papers and clutter and shut your computer down at the end of your work day.  This is a signal to yourself that work is done, and makes it inconvenient to start working again until the next day.

​I wish you well as you are navigating these unprecedented times of remote work.  I suspect there will be an increase in productivity for some when they get the opportunity to try working from home.  I think it will be very interesting what happens to remote work once the current situation has passed and some employers realize how well workers fared working off site.   I'd love to hear tips you've come up with to remain productive while you've been working from home.  

Many around the world are hunkered down at home to help slow the spread of COIVD-19.  I think this is the perfect time to get some projects done at home!  During times of uncertainty, it's easy to become anxious and overwhelmed about the things we can't control.  Small, achievable projects can give us a way to keep our minds off of the sometimes scary reality and also regain some control in our lives.  Many of you may be off work or working from home for the next 14 days, so read on for 14 organizing projects you can get done in one day or less!

At least the timing is about right for putting away winter clothes and getting out your Spring/Summer wardrobe.    Make sure to donate winter items you didn't wear this year and try on the Spring/Summer items to make sure they fit.  Don't waste space with things that no longer fit or you no longer love!  For more ideas read, The Seasonal Switch post!

This is a great time to think about what medicines in your cabinet may be out of date and determine which ones you are out of.  Make sure to clean the shelves and any organizing containers thoroughly.   You may be able to use items from around the house to combine like items.  Find some low-cost organizing ideas in the post, 5 Dollar Store Ideas for Your Medicine Cabinet.

Everybody has one and without occasional attention, the junk drawer can get out of control!  You may store some essentials in this drawer like batteries, flashlights, and hand sanitizer, so make sure you add any items you need to replenish to your shopping list.  Read more in 7 Steps to the Junk Drawer of Your Dreams.

You probably have a pile of papers to go through "when I have time."  Well, you've got some time now!  Separate into things you will do; things you will defer; things you can shred, recycle or trash; and things to file.  From there it's pretty simple, do the do pile, file the file pile, trash the trash pile, and find a home for what you deferred (though think about just doing everything you possibly can instead of keeping a pile for later!)  If you already have a good system in place, read 6 Steps to Get Caught Up on Paperwork  but if you need some help knowing where to start, check out The First Big Win: Wrangling the Paper or TheBinder System.

We all have a hobby of some sort, and those of us with kids likely have supplies for all sorts of crafts and hobbies!  The first step is to PURGE!  Get input from everyone who has used the supplies in the past about what they'd like to see done with them.  Choices are keep it all, keep some, donate, or trash.  Set up a few boxes - one for keep, one for donate, and one for trash.  Go through everything first and then begin determining where items will go and how you will store them.  I'll be doing a whole post soon on craft/hobby room organization!  In the meantime, you can read Can Creativity Be Orderly.

Having a clear surface next to my bed gives me a sense of calm!  It's very easy to let your bedside table get cluttered because you are usually tired when you are near it.  Go through everything in and on the table and relocate anything you don't need within arms' reach at night.  Don't forget to add items that would be handy to have close by like hand lotion, chap stick, pain reliever, headphones, a book, a flashlight, etc.  In my E-book, Get Organized Head First, I share a how to get your entire bedroom cleaned and organized.  Having an orderly bedroom creates a sense of calm and control that translates to other areas in your life.  Get a copy of Get Organized Head First for only $2 when you use code: ORGANIZE at checkout!

Pick a closet, any closet! This could be a coat closet, a linen closet, or your clothes closet.   Use the steps of purge, sort and store.  Purge what you no longer need or want, sort so like items are kept together, and then store in logical and accessible ways.  Read for more ideas in these posts The Seasonal Switch and Personalized Organizing

Spring soccer is just beginning.  Though practice schedules are up in the air for the time being, we will eventually get back to the days of cleats, shin guards, and soccer socks all over the place!  Consider setting up a zone in your home or garage where all the sports equipment and supplies go.  Items that we only use for a couple of months at a time don't tend to have a "home" like items we use all of the time.  This makes it more likely that they get left in a pile or create clutter.  Read How to Create an Organized Sports Zone for more ideas.

What a great opportunity to catch up on laundry (see how I'm trying to look on the bright side!)  It feels like laundry never ends, but I'm hopeful with less outings will come less laundry!  Take a day to assess what the problem areas are in your laundry room — it may be the lack of folding space, a cluttered shelf for cleaning supplies, or a hamper that is too small.  Read A Laundry Experiment Part 1 and A Laundry Experiment Part 2 for more ideas!

My family loves games!  We play family games at least a couple of times a week and are planning on a lot more while the kids are off school for the next few weeks.  Some of our favorites are Llama Drama, Exploding Kittens,  One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Unstable Unicorns,Yahtzee, Boggle, Bananagrams, Catch Phrase, and  Hearts.  This is a great time  pull out some games you haven't played in a while to determine if they are keepers or not.  Go through each box and assure you have all the pieces.  Keep all extra or random pieces in a small container so that they are easy to find later.

If you have kids who are going to be home from school for a few weeks, you are likely already dreading hearing them whine, "I'm bored!"  Going through their toys is a great way for them to rediscover fun things they may have forgotten about.  Use the same system as you did with the closet — purge, sort, store.  One of my favorite toy organizing projects was in this blog post, Lego Storage Under the Stairs

The Coronavirus outbreak has caused many of us to think about what and who is really important to us.   Think of this as an opportunity you've been given to reconsider your priorities and set new boundaries and goals for your life.   I encourage you to physically write down your goals and find someone to share them with so you have the accountability you need to achieve them.  Read about S.M.A.R.T. goals here and get a free, printable goal setting worksheet.  Learn about how to set and achieve a goal in as little as 6 weeks in this free, 10 minute webinar.  And if you are interested in some structured accountability, consider the upcoming Achieve! session - learn more here!

Being stuck at home will force many of us to get creative about what we cook.  It's a great time to look in the depths of your refrigerator and freezer for food you didn't even know you had!  You may start to realize that maybe if your fridge was a little more organized you would have known what was in there!  Get some quick ideas by reading Organize Your Fridge for Healthy Eating  and if this inspires you to do the WHOLE kitchen - check out the free 7 day video series, 7 Days to an Orderly Kitchen.

Being stuck at home will likely mean lots of electronics being used over the next couple of weeks. You probably have cords and chargers all over the place.  Gather them all together, and use the same method we've talked about before - purge, sort and store.   There are likely cords and chargers from items you no longer own as well as multiples of the same type.   Don't keep more than you need. Even if you throw or give away several cords and chargers, you will save money in the long run because you won't be buying new ones every time you can't find one — now you'll know right where they are!

​Sources
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Photo by jordi pujadas on Unsplash

It's that time of year when most of us are trying to stick to our New Year's resolutions.  Chances are that if you're a woman and you made a resolution, it had something to do with eating healthy or losing weight.  According to an article on inc.com 71% of people who made a New Year's resolution focused on diet or eating healthy. 

Only about 8% of people who vow to make a change in their habits for the New Year are actually successful, so how can you be one of those who meet your goal?  There are many factors in meeting a goal including setting a S.M.A.R.T. goal, creating milestones, monitoring progress, developing new habits, finding someone or a group to encourage you and keep you accountable, and avoiding obstacles.

Today I'm going to focus on two of these factors - developing new habits and avoiding obstacles - and how organizing your refrigerator can help you accomplish your resolution to eat healthier!  ​

Avoiding Obstacles
One way to avoid obstacles is to remove temptation.  When you give into temptation, you might say you have no willpower.  Give yourself a little more credit - it's not that you have NO willpower, it's that willpower is a limited resource.  An American Psychological Association article suggests that willpower is similar to a muscle that can get fatigued from overuse.  We use willpower all day every day whether it's forcing ourselves not to daydream when we should be paying attention in a meeting, not blurting out what we are really thinking when it would be inappropriate, or choosing an apple over a chocolate chip cookie.  All of these instances take energy, and the more we can remove temptation, the less work it is to make good choices throughout our days.

In your refrigerator, you can easily remove temptation by cleaning out the items that are unhealthy or not on your eating plan.  Well....this is easy if you live alone and no one else has to eat out of your fridge!  But even if you have a family not on the healthy eating train, you can still make this work (especially if you are the one who buys the groceries!)  First, eliminate the items that no one needs.  Examples could be sugary drinks, desserts, condiments high in sugar, etc.  Then designate a few areas of the fridge that you are "allowed" to eat from.  Guard these areas and only allow foods that you should eat to go in them.  In my fridge, I eat mostly out of the crisper drawers and the bottom shelf.  This concept applies to your pantry as well.

The second way to avoid obstacles is to make it more convenient to make good choices.  Rearrange your fridge so good foods are easy to access.  Consider a small lazy susan to help you get to items in the back of the shelves more easily.  Remove packaging and prewash and cut fruits and veggies.  Having clean, cut strawberries makes it much easier to choose them over a packaged treat when you don't have to spend extra time cleaning and cutting them when you are hungry!

Group foods that you use to together.  For example if you make smoothies for breakfast like I do, put all of your refrigerated ingredients together.  Use bins to make it even easier on yourself so you can simply pull out one bin, put it on the counter, and have everything you need for your breakfast.  I prefer clear bins so you can stack items, but still see what is in the bottom.   If you make a lot of salads, you could use one crisper drawer for all of your cleaned, cut up veggies and proteins.

Developing New Habits
Another critical component to achieving a goal is developing new habits.  Don't think of a habit as something big like "eating healthy," but rather the tiny things you do that lead to milestones along your journey toward your goal.  When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, little habits related to your refrigerator can be very helpful.
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Some of these habits do double duty and also help you avoid obstacles - win, win!  

• Go through leftovers and produce at least weekly and throw out the old BEFORE you go to the grocery store so you know what you need and have room for.
• Meal plan BEFORE going to the grocery store by planning around what you already have in your refrigerator or freezer.
• Clean fruits and veggies (and cut up if necessary) before putting them away.  Add a paper towel to the container you store them in to absorb the moisture from washing.  You can change the paper towel every few days to help your food stay fresher longer.  I even do this in bags of pre-washed salads.  Don't be afraid to store fruits in the plastic, clam-shell containers they come in.  Just wash them well, put a paper towel on the bottom, and add clean fruit.  I like to write CLEAN in sharpie on the top to remind myself these are good to go!
• Cut produce to make it fit in your space.  For example, I often cut the tops off of celery if it is too long to fit in my crisper drawer.  It's annoying to fight with the drawer, and if it's not easy to access, you may avoid eating the good food it contains!
• Remove packaging from foods before putting them in fridge.  If items are more convenient when they stay in a box, tear off the flaps for easy access.  Recycle any cardboard packaging.
• FIFO - first in first out.  When you are down to your last yogurt and buy a new package, make sure to put the oldest one at the front so you don't let it spoil.  Using all that you buy keeps your grocery bill down and removes the obstacle of "healthy eating is too expensive."  I also use this concept for eggs if I have more than one carton, newest ones go under the oldest ones.  You can stack several egg cartons and use vertical space on your shelf!

• Keep like items in bins (preferably clear ones) so it's easy to put away and find items.  When you use bins, you can better use all the space in the back of your fridge because you can just pull out the front bin to access what's in back instead of having to juggle items while you try to access the back.
• Add items to a grocery list when you notice them getting low.  If you wait until you're completely out of something, it's very easy to revert to unhealthy eating when you don't have a good option in front of you.  I use a Google Home speaker so it's really easy to just say aloud what needs added, and then I can access the list on my phone at the store.
• Keep clips near the fridge so it's easy to securely fasten partially used items.  This helps food stay fresher longer.  I use freebie chip clips and even cheap wooden clothes pins to secure bags of pre-washed salads.
• Use stackable containers for leftovers.  I love my stackable Rubbermaid containers with lids that fit multiple sizes of containers and stack securely.  They are also clear so I can see what's in them.  Stacking items uses the vertical space on your shelves and allows you to fit more healthy food in your fridge.
• Label foods that are in solid colored containers or ones you want to make sure you know how old they are.  I like a label maker, but a piece of masking tape and a sharpie work just as well!

 
If you can get into these refrigerator related habits, you will have a better chance of being successful with your healthy eating plan!

If you would like to increase your chances of meeting your goals by joining other women for encouragement and accountability, consider joining the Achieve! program.  Registrations for the February/March 2020 session are still open! 

Sources
Economy, Peter. “10 Top New Year's Resolutions for Success and Happiness in 2019.” Inc.com, Inc., 1 Jan. 2019, www.inc.com/peter-economy/10-top-new-years-resolutions-for-success-happiness-in-2019.html
Weir, Kirsten. “What You Need to Know about Willpower: The Psychological Science of Self-Control.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, 2012, www.apa.org/helpcenter/willpower.

As my boys grow out of the little kid stage, I have become more and more aware of how fleeting childhood is.  I have to admit it makes me kind of sad to think about my little boys growing into young men.  The things that use to seem annoying  — silly cartoons, endless games of pretend, so many Legos®, little socks without mates, countless drawings covering the refrigerator, or lots of toys lining the side of the bathtub — now, I long for more!  

​I'm realizing now that what matters most to me is time together, shared experiences, and memories made.  The memories are in my head and heart, but having tangible things to see and touch, help me remember more vividly.  It is very easy to get into a state of mind (like I am as I write this) that you want to hold onto your children or your life as it is now and never forget it — and to do that, we feel like we should save everything!   It's funny how something very small or seemingly insignificant can jog your memory and bring back emotions you felt at the time you first had the experience.  A little note in scribbled handwriting, a self portrait drawn in Kindergarten, a story written by an imaginative elementary student, a photo, a ticket stub, a program from a school concert, or a spelling test with a big red A+ all will transport you back in time, if only for a moment, to re-experience the event you were commemorating by saving the item.  Hanging onto all of our kids' stuff can quickly become a dangerous practice unless you can afford to add on a wing to your house for mementos!

I've found that time is the best way to determine if something is really worth saving.  Once you throw something away, it's gone, so I have made the decision that if I have a slight feeling of attachment to an item, I will save it — at least for a while. Way back when I started My Life In Order, I wrote about paper organization and shared a workflow that helped me stay on top of all the paper that comes into our home.  A big part of that process is about how I handle items that I consider mementos.  Today, I'm going to share with you my current system for memento organization, and in a later post I will explain how my system is evolving as my children get older.

​Step 1:  Keep or Trash?
Commit to making quick decisions about everything that comes into your home.  There are really only two options with mementos — keep or trash.  Just because you choose to keep an item in this first step, doesn't mean you have to keep it forever, so don't spend much time worrying about the quantity of items you save in this step.  

I used to save too little in this step, and my little guy would often rescue his beloved artwork or a worksheet he was particularly proud of from the recycling bin.  I've finally found a happy medium between saving everything and trashing the majority, and the key has been asking my kids about what they would like to save.  Sometimes I'm surprised what they want to save but also at what they DON'T want to save.  

I have an inbox in my kitchen specific for mementos.  This is the perfect spot for me, because all paper flows through my kitchen! But before I put items in that inbox, I review them for things I obviously don't need to keep.

​Step 3: Review and Prune
Every once in a while, you will need to review and prune your mementos so you don't run out of space.  The added benefit of this review is that you can experience the memories that go along with these items again.  In reality, the only mementos I do this with regularly are the kids'.  The natural time to review is between school years.  It's kind of fun to spread everything from that drawer where we put items throughout the year all over the floor and go through them together.  If there's an item that neither of us can remember what it is or why we saved it, that's a sure sign that it should be trashed!  At the end of a school year, I also have more clarity about if I saved WAY too many spelling tests or drawings, and then with the help of each child, I can choose the best of the best to save long term.  

Each year I purchase a small container, and only allow myself to save the amount of paper that will fit in that bin.  This finite amount of space helps to keep the mementos to a respectable amount.  I realize that with two kids and one container per school year, this will add up fairly quickly.  Currently I have the back of one closet dedicated to these items, but I know that as more time passes, I'll be able to repeat the review and prune process a few more times to get the kids' mementos down to an even more manageable amount.  The more time that passes, the easier it is to determine what is worth saving.  Don't forget to go through this process with the over-sized items from Step 1 that you may have stored elsewhere.

Much of Step 3 depends on the amount of space you have.  Don't overwhelm today with all the stuff of yesterday. You will need to determine how much space you are willing to dedicate to mementos and be sure that they don't interfere with living your daily life to the fullest.  

What's Next?
I'm planning to pare down my kids'mementos even more as time goes on.  The truly important mementos will automatically show themselves — you'll remember what they mean while you may forget why in the world you saved some of the other things! My oldest is turning 13 in just a few weeks, so I'm using this milestone to motivate me to create a system for him that will allow us to continue to save important mementos in a way that will be easily accessible when it's time to make a high school graduation party display and small enough for him to take to his own home someday.  I'll be working on this over Christmas break, so stay tuned for Memento Organization: Part 2!

​Last week I wrote about how Evernote makes it easy to take, store, and access notes at work, but Evernote is also great for keeping things in your personal life organized!  Here’s a quick refresher about how Evernote works:

• Each note is like a blank document where you can type text, insert photos, record audio, attach files, insert links, create tables, add screenshots or webpages using the web clipper, and even add sketches.  It's easy to create bulleted or numbered lists and insert check boxes. 
• ​If you would like to group notes together, you can create notebooks, and for even more categorization, you can create stacks (which I like to think of as binders) where you can group notebooks together. 
• To easily find notes, you can apply tags that are searchable.  A note can have as many tags as you want.  In addition to searching by tags, you can search all text in a note as well as text in any images. 
• If you want to collaborate with other Evernote users, you can share notes and participate in discussion about them.

The uses for Evernote are endless, but I want to share some of my favorites with you:

​Gift Ideas
This was one of my BEST parenting ideas ever!  Whenever we are shopping and the kids see something they like, I whip out my phone, open up my Evernote app, and search for their note in my "Gifts" notebook.  I just type in the name of the store we are at and then insert a photo of the item they like (I try to include the price in the photo if possible.)  This takes less than a minute, but saves me SO much time — time spent listening to kid-whining and time spent trying to make up a Christmas or Birthday list for grandparents!

I keep a note for each person in my family and for close friends as well as a general one for other friends.  If I’m online and see a cool gift idea, I sometimes paste the URL in my note.  I also keep a note like this for myself — just in case my husband ever needs a good gift idea for me! ​

Shopping
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time remembering specifics about products I like especially if they are items I don’t buy very often.  I used to have to guess what color of makeup I wore, what fabric softener scent I liked, and what type of cat litter worked best whenever it was time to restock.

I created a note for each shopping category with a picture of the product including any details like color, scent, size, type, etc.  For example, I added a "Makeup" note with a photo of the type of pressed powder I like.  I have a photo of the front and back so I can see the product name and the color information.  In this note I have a picture or pictures of every type of makeup I like — eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, blush, concealer, foundation, powder, lip color — I also may include the name of the best store to find each item and even record what a good price is.
​
Another note is titled "Cleaning/Household Products" where I include things that my family has a certain brand preference about like laundry detergent.  I also have a note called "Clothes" where I record current sizes for each family member (my kids’ feet grow so fast, I can never remember the sizes.)   

When you are shopping for home improvement projects, Evernote is very handy to store options so you can easily compare items that are at different stores all in one spot.  Another great tip is to snap a photo of the measurements you wrote down so that when you’re at the store, you can make sure the item you want to purchase will fit in your space.  When we were remodeling our kitchen, I must have counted how many of each type of cabinet handle we needed 20 times and then couldn’t remember when I was at the store.  I finally got smart and took a picture of it, and put it in Evernote so it was easy to locate and accessible to me when I was ready for it.   Keeping photos like these in Evernote is better than just in your phone’s photo app because Evernote is searchable.

Family Activities
Keeping track of all the details of every family members’ activities is no small feat, so I use Evernote as a cheat sheet!  Many of you probably take photos of sports schedules or school field trip info, but how easy is it to find when you need it?  Insert those photos into an Evernote note and you can easily find what you need when you need it!  If the school emails you a PDF document, you can even insert that into a note.  The things I access most in this category are the school calendar and sports schedules.
​
I also have a note that lists the times that my kids have lunch at school, so if I ever happen to be home and free during that time and want to go have lunch with them, I don’t have to call the school to find out what time they eat.  I save the monthly school lunch menu in a note instead of printing it out or having to look it up on the website or in my email every time the kids want to know what’s for lunch.

I prefer to keep my work and personal Evernote accounts separate, but if you would like to have them in the same account, you could easily create a "Work" and a "Personal" stack and have several notebooks in each to keep them separate.

What I’ve shared likely just scratches the surface of what you could use Evernote for.  It’s such a flexible tool, and the basic features are FREE!  The possibilities are endless, and when you use a combination of the desktop, online and mobile app version, you can access your notes anywhere!

Did you think you'd be done with note taking when you were done with school? Depending on what type of job you have and what your responsibilities are at home, you may be taking more notes now than you did in high school history class!  

How often have you jotted something down on a scrap of paper and by the time you needed to refer to what you had written, you'd lost it?  Maybe you keep a small notebook with you at all times in case you need to make a note.  How do you possibly find the just the right note when you need it?   It may be time to consider a new way to store your notes so you don't lose them and can quickly find what you need when you need it!  ​

In today's digital age, notes can be taken in many forms - handwritten, typed, or even as a voice recording.  The best solution I have found to store and organize my notes is Evernote.  This is a free app with upgrade options for a fee that allows you to take notes in different formats on different devices, store them in the cloud, and categorize them for easy access.  

If you've never heard of Evernote or even if you have used the app for years, read on to learn some tips and tricks that will boost your productivity at work.  In a later post, I'll share some ways Evernote can help you at home!

 Evernote at Work

Planning
Evernote is one of the first apps I open in the morning because I use it for planning my day,  I created a note that includes a checklist for the day's "Must Do's"  and another checklist of my "Would Be Nice To Do's."  Below that I include a day's calendar broken down in 30 minute increments that I use to plan out my day.

First I fill in any appointments, and then I fill in the blanks with "Must Do's" and if there's any time left, I sprinkle in a few "Would Be Nice To Do's"   I then keep a "Done List" of the things I actually accomplished for the day.  I reference this note often throughout the day and add to my "Would Be Nice To Do's" as I think of them and record what I actually did on my "Done" list.  This helps me visually see what I've accomplished for the day while also helping me to better understand how long tasks actually take so I can better plan in the future.

Since I use the free version of Evernote, I can't save an actual template, but I keep a blank note and just duplicate it every day.  ​If you are interested in creating your own templates, you may want to consider the Premium plan.

Meeting Notes
I use Evernote to take notes during meetings if it's appropriate to type.  Even if I take handwritten notes, I can snap a photo of them and insert as a note.  Since Evernote can search text in images, even my handwritten notes are searchable!

Tags are a great way to easily filter notes so you can see all notes about a specific topic at once.  I suggest creating a few categories of tags like dates, people, meeting types, subjects.  To make it easy on yourself, consider a prefix for each category so you don't get confused.  Here's a few examples:

• Start all "date" tags with an ! As soon as you type an ! in the tag area, all the date tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created in September 2019 would be tagged    !09-2019.
• Start all "people" tags with a :  As soon as you type a : in the tag area, all the people tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created about a meeting with Susie Q would be tagged    :SusieQ
• Start all "meeting type" tags with an @  As soon as you type in an @ in the tag area, all the meeting type tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created about a one on one meeting would be tagged    @1on1
• Start all "subject" tags with a /  As soon as you type in a / in the tag area, all the subject tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created about a fundraiser would be tagged   /Fundraiser

Using check boxes for to do's that come up during a meeting are a great way to make sure you don't forget to do the tasks assigned to you.  In Evernote you can create saved searches, and the most powerful of these searches is the one I set up for "unchecked to do's."  I can quickly click on this and see every note that has an unchecked check box.  Then I can either do the task if it takes less than 2 minutes and check it off, or, if it will take longer, I can add it to my master task list.  

I also like to indicate when others have a to do.  You could do this by inserting a certain character, emoji or colored text to indicate whose task it is.  This is especially helpful when you share your notes with those who were assigned tasks during the meeting.

I created a meeting template for myself that I duplicate for use for meeting notes.  If you'd rather use a template that's already created, check out all the free template options.

Other Ways to Use Evernote at Work

• Consider creating a notebook about goals and using notes to record your progress toward them.  
• Save ideas and tag so you can easily find the right idea when you need it.
• Record steps in a procedure.
• Keep track of multiple projects.
• Insert notes from other apps like Google Drive, Outlook, Nozbe, and more.

I can't wait to share how I use Evernote at home.  Stay tuned for  those useful tips next time!

Sources:
​
Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

www.evernote.com

Today is My Life In Order's two year anniversary!  It's hard to believe that I've been writing for so long.  A year ago I published "One Year of My Life In Order" which was pretty exciting, but this year I've got something even bigger to celebrate! 

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on my 6 week sprint, and it's culminated in a product I'm very proud of — my e-book, Get Organized Head First!

The book is on sale now, and anyone who takes the time to read this full post will get to use this coupon code to get the book for just $4!  Use code: BLOG at checkout.

My boys share the responsibility of emptying the dishwasher each morning.  The oldest puts away the dishes, and the youngest puts away the silverware.  Sometimes they had a hard time telling if the dishes were clean or dirty, so I bought one of those magnets for your dishwasher that you flip over to indicate if you ran the dishwasher or not!

This is a great system - - if you use it.  I would often either forget to turn the magnet around, so when the boys got up in the morning and saw "dirty," they'd be thrilled with one less chore for the day.  Or, even worse, I would forget to run the dishwasher and leave the magnet saying "clean" causing dirty dishes to get put into our cabinets.  The magnet became so unreliable, my 8 year old son looked at my earnestly one morning, pointed at the dishwasher magnet and asked me, "Mom, does the magnet speak the truth?"  I cracked up, but it made me realize that if I didn't use the system faithfully, it became less efficient than not having a system at all.

Any productivity system has to be followed regularly and fully in order to be effective.  This can range from something as simple as a dishwasher magnet, to your shared calendar with your spouse, to your task management strategy.

​The key to staying regular with your systems is to develop them one at a time.  Read my previous post about how to track a new habit and get a free printable to help!  If you try to wake up one day and suddenly reinvent yourself with several new routines, habits and systems, you're not going to be successful.  Master one before adding in another.  For a system to work, you must set up in a way that is easy to maintain because if you don't consistently use the system, you won't trust it.  One  system that you have absolute trust in is your calendar!

Develop a Trusting Relationship with Your Calendar
Regardless of your preference between paper or digital, if you don't use your calendar for everything, you will lose confidence in it, and it becomes nearly useless!  I recommend a hybrid approach to a calendar with the primary tool being digital with a secondary physical calendar of some sort posted in your home.  Digital calendars allow you to capture appointments as soon as you are aware of them - enter in your kids' next dental cleaning before you leave the dentist's office and add the sports practice schedule to your calendar as soon as you receive the text from the coach.  Digital calendars make it easy to set recurring entries or record future appointments.  There are many tools available, but Google Calendar is one of the most popular (and my favorite!) 

Here are 5 ways to make your digital calendar your trusted helper:

1. View everything in one screen! - Set your phone up so that you can view any calendar that impacts your life all in one screen.  This could include your work, personal, and any shared calendars.  Each source can be set up to display entries in a different color to help you quickly differentiate between types of appointments .
2. Share! -  You are busy and likely share responsibilities with others - either at work or at home.  Set up shared calendars or use the invitation method to put items on your calendar that you need to be aware of.  For example, in our family, if my husband has an late meeting requiring me to pick up the kids, he sends me an invitation that says "Josh working late" or simply forwards me the meeting invitation from his calendar so I know where he'll be. 
3. Record EVERYTHING! - Put everything on your calendar that is time bound that impacts your day.  This includes recurring appointments, all day events, and  items that are for information only (like kids' picture day.)  Be vigilant so that you know what to expect from your day and don't waste your time trying to remember your schedule in your head.
4. Review often - My husband and I compare calendars every weekend for the upcoming week to make sure we remembered to invite each other to anything pertinent on our own schedules.   We use what is on our calendars to determine what types of food we should add to our grocery list.  Do we need crockpot meals or will we have time for meals that take more prep time?  We  verify we have all the kid-hauling covered and are able to attend any important family events.
5. Use alerts! - When you use the alerting feature on your calendar to really put your life to be on autopilot.  Set reminders far enough in advance to give you time to either prepare for your appointment or leave on time if you have to travel.  When you set recurring all day appointments with reminders for a few days ahead of time, you will never forget a birthday, anniversary or important event again!  

My motto is "If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't happen!"  This frees my mind and memory for more important tasks than just remembering where I'm supposed to be when!  ​

I like the addition of a physical calendar at home to visually display to my family what's going on for the month.  Use a ​ different color for each family member so they can quickly scan to see what appointments impact them.  Just as with your digital calendar, you have to be diligent with keeping it updated.  I look forward to filling in my cute chalkboard calendar  that I got on Etsy at the end of each month for the following month.  I use my digital calendar as my master and fill in the next 30 days for all to see.  Each evening, around dinner time, I take care of any changes on the calendar.  The first time that your calendar "doesn't speak the truth" will be the last time your family trusts it!  ​

Sources:
​Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash

Everyone has a junk drawer (or maybe more than one!)  and most are filled with, well, junk!  Maybe we should rename it a 'miscellaneous drawer' to remind us that this drawer doesn't have to be a cluttered mess.  I'm in the midst of a kitchen remodel (read more about that here) so I had a great opportunity to rethink my junk drawer.  In my previous cabinets, I actually had about 4 junk drawers, and though they looked fairly organized, there was just too much stuff!  I consolidated everything into one large drawer and curated the contents to be only the items that didn't already have a home elsewhere.  

2. Get rid of what you haven't used in the past 3 months
​Maybe last time you went through your junk drawer, you were really into gum, but since you've settled on hard candy.  It's ok to throw away your gum if you're never going to chew it!  I keep small packages of tissues in this drawer, but whenever I pull out a package, I never choose one that isn't full, so I ended up with about 6 partial packages taking up precious drawer space.  Instead of throwing these away, I took them all and put them in my car's console so they will get used up.

3. Relocate items that have a home elsewhere
I had two containers of toothpicks in my junk drawer, but I moved them to my kitchen cabinets where I stored the other box of toothpicks I'd recently bought because I'd forgotten there were some in my junk drawer!  I also moved tea lights and votive candles to the drawer near my wax warmer where I keep all my scented waxes.    I moved some small tools to my tool box and masking tape to my laundry room cabinet where I keep packing tape.  

4. Group like items together
I used to have one container for rubber bands, paperclips, and twistie ties.  I could never find a paperclip when I wanted one because they were hidden among all of the other items.  I've now separated these things into two separate containers so now it's much easier to find what I want when I want it!

5. Get creative with drawer organizers
You can use pretty much anything for drawer organizers - products specifically for organizing drawers can be found at most stores, but you could also use dollar store plastic containers, small tins, small cardboard boxes, etc.  Remember that size is key, you want enough room in each compartment for what you want to store there, but not too much space causing you to waste precious junk drawer real estate! I found some inexpensive drawer organizers at TJ Maxx, but they didn't have any very small compartments, so I nested some smaller organizers right inside, and viola, I had just what I needed.  

I'm excited to share a very special post from my first guest blogger, Csaba Vadadi-Fulop from www.productivity95.com.   I met Csaba when we were both part of the 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity book launch team.  He has great content on his blog, and in this post he shares tips on remaining productive while parenting.

Productivity and Parenting 
By Csaba Vadadi-Fulop

When your baby is born, a lifelong odyssey begins. You quickly realize that you must harness your down time more than ever before. Maybe you experience a paradigm shift in your life in terms of how you perceive your world: you might be more selective in what's important and what isn't. Both happened to me.
 
You, however, can't prepare for having a newborn―no matter what people say. But you can make significant adjustments to your life both before and after the birth of your baby and that's the topic I want to discuss in this post.
 
By the end of this post, hopefully, you'll get valuable insight about how you can channel your life back into order.
 
 
Adjusting Your Lifestyle
 
It goes without saying that you'll likely develop sleep debt, exercise debt, and the like. What's less obvious, though, is that it's much more than time. It's about your space-time continuum. The arrival of a baby and the events downstream will consume your space and time in a non-linear fashion.
 
It's beyond the scope of this post to discuss nursing, psychology, time management, and the like. Nor am I capable of giving such advice. I just want to share with you how becoming a parent literally changed my life in terms of how I operate on a daily level.
 
First, it forced me to switch from the PC to a MacBook. I've flirted with the idea for years, but it was the birth of my baby when I realized that the PC simply consumes too much space, cables are in mesh, and I have less flexibility to work. The MacBook was a game-changer. I was able to work practically everywhere at any time with the comfort of a king.
 
Second, when I purchased my wireless headphones I quickly discovered that I won't miss my loudspeakers anymore. I can listen to inspiring podcasts or my favorite band and take care of my duties, simultaneously. Washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, lifting my dumbbells? No problem, I just put on my magic headphones―with my iPhone laying on the kitchen table (!)―and my favorite podcast is with me all the time, regardless of whether I'm in the bathroom, bedroom, or yard. And my baby would still be sleeping or wondering what the heck dad wears on his shiny head.
 
Luckily I switched to consuming eBooks a couple of years ago, and I can say it was a good deal. EBooks don't take up any place; they're sitting in the cloud (Kindle cloud, by the way). So I can reserve some shelves for the storybooks dedicated to my little baby.
 
I've been extraordinarily resistant to changes for years including those related to the above-mentioned (portable device, headphones, eBooks). I always had an excuse―be it finance, reluctance, or fear―preventing me from diving into new things. Having a child is a perfect time to say no to your reluctant self!
 
Let's discuss the tech side of all those changes a little bit...
 
 
Adjusting Your Techniques
 
I use Nozbe as my task manager that's highly flexible to keep my life in order. I created a Baby project in Nozbe to home tasks that are related to parenting. When my wife was in the hospital with our newborn, I made a grocery-like checklist in Nozbe to ensure that I buy and deliver to the hospital everything my new family needed.
 
It was a highly demanding period: the born of your baby is psychologically demanding itself; on top of that you're supposed to take care of a lot of things, including the certificates of your baby, among others. Nozbe was a great partner in this period, too.
 
Later on, I kept important deadlines in Nozbe about vaccination and the like.
 
I still have my Baby project with a traveling checklist, recurring tasks such as weight recording, and more. This project will never end. Maybe I’ll rename it to, say, "Parenting" for the next twenty years.
 
It's one thing that you keep your tasks in a trusted system, another thing is finding a system to organize your notes.
 
Evernote is the note-taking app that I use on a daily basis to record and keep my notes, clip articles, save my journal entries, and the list is almost endless. I keep a lot of parenting related stuff in Evernote: baby first aid guides, nursing guides, weight journal, notes from the pediatrician, consultation hours, screenshots of diapers and medications, and much more.
 
Keeping a record of the baby's weight is a must. I created automation on my iPhone with the Workflow app: each week when my wife and I are recording the baby's weight, I just push a button on my home screen, enter the weight, and it will automatically appear in my Evernote weight journal with the appropriate date and time.
 
Sounds good? I still have much to improve...
 
 
Future Commitments
 
There's always a place to improve and adjust your productivity system.
 
Selecting the clothes that I like the most is still ahead. The rest is best to go for a charity that will open up a lot of space in my wardrobe. But, again, it goes beyond space: it will free up mental space for me.
 
Integrating regular exercise into my weekly routine is another challenge: I want to fight off this challenge with immersing into different new sports and picking the one I like the most. Without feeling anticipation, it's hard to build a long-lasting habit.
 
It's my sincere hope that you got some ideas and motivation to adjust to dad life (or mom life). Parenting is a lifetime commitment; productivity is a never-ending journey: why not combine the two for multiple outcomes?

2.  Set an alarm you can't ignore (or two)  
I used to be a serial snoozer.  I could hit a traditional alarm clock's snooze button every 9 minutes for a good hour before finally rolling out of bed.  I tried using my Fit Bit as an alternative and set multiple alarms that would vibrate until I turned them off.  That worked better, but I soon learned, I can turn them off in my sleep!  I think I may have found the best solution for me - I have been setting an alarm on my Google Mini and when it goes off it the morning, I have to actually speak to turn it off, "Hey Google, cancel alarm."  Even if I don't get out of bed immediately, having to talk out loud seems to wake me up enough so I don't fall back asleep. ​  I like setting backup alarms to make sure I'm out of bed in time.  Additional alarms throughout the morning can also keep you on track - try an "it's time for breakfast" alarm, an "it's time to dry my hair alarm", or an "it's time to load the car" alarm.  Remember all those little things you do in the morning that could be wasting time - like checking email or social media on your phone or watching the news.  If you want to build those into your morning, give yourself a set time so you don't get carried away!

5.  Limit the number of times you open doors and drawers
I try to only open a drawer or a door twice a morning - once to get out what I need and a second time to put those things away.  I open my top bathroom vanity drawer to get out my contacts, my hairbrush, and my makeup bag.  Then I close the drawer and don't open it again until I'm done with all of those items.  I open the door under my vanity to get out my curling iron and/or hair dryer and hair products, and then I close it.  I don't open it again until I'm ready to put those away and while I have it open I spritz myself with body spray before closing the door for the final time.  

6.  Put things away as you go
I like to wake up to a clear bathroom counter and leave for work with a clear bathroom counter.  It allows me to start the day with a little control.  When you do your makeup, try taking out all the items you will use out and set on the counter.  As you use them, put them back in a makeup bag, so when you're done, everything is back in your bag and it's easy to just put it back in its place.  Try a heat proof bag or container for curling irons or straighteners, so you can put them away as soon as you're done instead of leaving cords all over the place!  Keep a wastebasket next to where you get ready so you can throw away cotton swabs, tissues, cotton balls, etc. as you go.

7. Empty your head
Whenever you think of something you need to do, either write it down in a place you will see before you walk out the door or set a reminder on your phone that will create a notification so you can feel confident you won't forget.  If I need to take food for a carry in or return a library book or drop my car off at the repair shop, I set a reminder for early that morning so that when I look at my phone before I walk out the door, I'll see the notification.  This helps me sleep better not trying to remember what I have to do in the morning.  I also set reminders at times all throughout the day for things I need to buy, errands I need to run, phone calls I need to make, etc.  It's nice to get them out of my head and into a system I trust.  

I've said it many times before, I'm not great with time, which is why I try to come up with systems and habits to help me.  I'm not going to lie and say I'm never late or I always have a calm morning, but these few tips have helped me greatly reduce the amount of mad rush mornings!  ​

It's easy to let your medicine cabinet get out of control - as long as you can shut the doors, you can ignore whatever is going on in there, right?! You can become blind to your own clutter, or so overwhelmed by it that you don't even use your medicine cabinet anymore. I was tired of the fear that all of the expired medicine would fall on me and annoyed that I felt like I was running out of space in my bathroom. This weekend, I did a major medicine cabinet purge in both of my bathrooms and then made a trip to one of my favorite stores, Dollar General, to stock up on a few items that would fit in the narrow cabinets and provide the organization I was looking for. Here are 5 items that you might not think of using in your medicine cabinet that can help you get organized and only cost a few bucks!

1.  Plastic Cups
​I needed some vertical storage, so I looked for some tall plastic cups.  I found 4 for $1!  Make sure to measure your shelves first and measure the diameter of the bottom AND top of the cup to make sure you can close the door all the way.  I used cups to store an entire bag of cough drops, tubes of toothpaste, small bottles of lotion, and my husband's electric trimmer.  To make it easy (dare I say foolproof) for my family, I labelled the cups!  I like the idea of cups because if they get gross, they can be popped in the dishwasher!​

2. Drawer Organizers
I bought a set of modular drawer organizers and was able to use the small and medium sizes in my cabinets (I used the large ones in my vanity drawers so they didn't go to waste!) I put things like nail clippers, first aid ointments, and bottles of medicines in these organizers and added a label as well!

3. Small, plastic food storage containers
I found a 3 pack of food storage containers for a great deal. I didn't need the lids, but the oblong size was perfect. I like clear storage so you can see what you're getting. This is especially helpful for top shelves. Consider taking items out of their original packaging to store in a more accessible way. I emptied all the adhesive bandages out of their cardboard boxes and separated into large and small sizes (and of course, labelled the containers!) I also emptied out flossers into one of these containers. Since there is a wide mouth opening, it is more likely that my kids will grab one and actually floss their teeth than if they had to get them from the original package.
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4. Command hooks
I got a set of Command hooks for the inside of one of the doors and used them to hang a razor. My door has an inset area that was perfect to tuck the razor in! You could even hang toothbrushes or tubes of toothpaste with a binder clip attached to the end of the tube. Take note of where your shelves are situated to make sure there is room for the items you want to hang from inside the door. I also like to tape a little inspiration on the inside of my doors - a sweet note from my kids and a picture of me at my ideal weight!

5. Small decorative candle holder
I found adorable little lantern shaped glass tea light candle holders that were just shallow enough to fit in my cabinets for a dollar each! I used them for our thermometers. Because the container is glass, it won't tip over. I used the second one for a few of my random items I use on a daily basis.

My medicine cabinets look a little bare right now because I purged so many expired items.  I have a short list of the things I want to replace, but now I have plenty of space and a plan for where each item will go.  Just as with every area that you organize, it is important to purge first, determine the best location for what you have left, and then purchase or repurpose storage solutions specific to your own needs!  

On a whim, back before I'd even had the courage to publish my first blog post, I applied to be part of a book launch team for a new productivity book from the founder of the task management software I use, Nozbe. I was thrilled when I was selected as one of approximately 100 people worldwide who would have the opportunity to review and offer suggestions for this book. At that time, I had no idea that I'd actually be quoted in the book! It's been over a year, but the book has been written, edited, and published! 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity by Michael Sliwinski is now available for purchase!! I'll give you a summary of some of the great content from this book below. Make sure to read to the end for info on how to get entered for your chance to win a copy!

The first thing you need to know about this book is that its author definitely has the authority to be writing it!  I had the honor tointerview Michael Sliwinski last year and learned about why he's a true productivity expert.  Click here to read the post for more background on the man who created a productivity platform that nearly half a million people use daily!

Each chapter of the book is one of the 10 steps to ultimate productivity.  For each step, you will be taught why it is important, learn from some real life examples, receive tips about how to put the step into practice in your own life.  There are also bonus materials that you can access online to help with your own personal productivity system. 

The ten steps are:​

1. Clear Your Mind
2. ​From Tasks to Projects
3. Focus on What's Most Important
4. ​Be Productive Anytime and Anywhere
5. Delegate Tasks to Achieve More - Work in a Team
6. Group Your Tasks and Shift Gears
7. Take Control Over Your Documents
8. ​Check Your System Regularly
9. Master Your Emails
10. What Else Can You Improve?

I'm so excited for you to read this book that I'm going to give you the chance to get one for FREE!  There are two ways to enter (and you can do either or both for an additional entry!)  ​A winner will be drawn on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

• Visit My Life In Order on Facebook, like the page if you haven't already,  and follow the instructions on the pinned post! 
• Follow My Life In Order on Pinterest, and repin the pin about 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity from the Productivity and Time Management Board!

I have two weeks off for the first time since before I entered the workforce (of course I'm not counting maternity leave because that is NOT vacation!)  To say I'm excited is a severe understatement.  Many people have asked me what I'm doing and where I'm going.  My answer is nothing and nowhere - and that's by choice and why I'm thrilled!  I love the holidays - the decorating, the Christmas sweaters and socks, the cooking and baking, the gift giving and the family gatherings are all fun!  But just as much as I love the holidays, I love the fresh start of the new year that follows.  

I have a busy life just like most of you.  A wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, volunteer, employee, boss, entrepreneur, piano teacher - there are so many roles I play.  I enjoy having all these varied experiences, but there is one area that I tend to neglect - ME!  

This week between Christmas and New Years is one of the best times to recharge your battery.  During my time off, I plan to reflect on the past year, plan for the new one, rest, relax, enjoy things I want to do, make memories with my family, declutter and purge, and reorganize.  Try this quick list of tasks to help you transition from the holidays to the new year!

1. Un-decorate - I prefer to leave my Christmas decorations for a few days after December 25, but no later than the weekend after New Years Day.  Once your decorations are down, you can see the new start that the new year brings.

​2. Purge - after receiving Chirstmas gifts, you are more likely to be willing to part with old items around the house.  I start with my kids' rooms where most of the new "stuff" from the holidays tends to end up.  We do a system of 20 minutes at a time of hard core work, going through every item and nook and cranny.  I have two kids so while one kid is decluttering with me in their room, the other gets some screen time.  We alternate until we are done.   I can't wait to complete the purging process in my own space as well - look out small appliances, your days may be numbered!