I'm going to be honest — I don't always love my two hour per day commute, but since that's how long it takes me to get to and from my job, I have learned to make the best of it.  Those hours in the car are where I really zoned in on my love of productivity, cultivated some important relationships, did a lot of deep thinking, came up with some great ideas (like starting this blog), was entertained, learned new things, and managed my busy schedule.

​How do I accomplish all of those things while driving?  Very safely, I assure you!  There are 5 key ways I have found make a commute more productive.  

1. Podcasts and Audio Books
When I first began my long commute, I realized that I'd essentially lost two hours of my day getting to and from work.  I wanted to find a way to change those two hours a day from a source of frustration to at least partially productive.  I started with an audio book that I only allowed myself to listen to on my commute.  What this did was actually make me look forward to the drive so I could find out what happened next!  I also used a Bible app and, instead of reading Bible passages daily, I listened to them.  

Then one day, it all changed when I searched "productivity" on the Podcast app on my iPhone.  I discovered The Productive Woman podcast, and I was hooked!  I devoured all the back episodes and learned about other productivity and organization podcasts that I could enjoy like Organize 365, The Productivityist, and Beyond the To Do List.  Soon I was branching out to other podcasts about parenthood (The Longest Shortest Time), happiness (Happier with Gretchen Rubin) and eventually even true crime (Serial, Crime Junkie) and fictional stories (Limetown).  There are so many more great podcasts out there on every topic.  You can be entertained, educated or inspired every day on your way to work!

3.  Voice Commands
Between my job and my personal life, there are always emails and text messages to return.  I rely on my iPhone and Siri to help me get some of those taken care of on the road.  "Hey Siri" helps me listen to emails or text messages and send replies.   I typically only send voice to text messages to people I know can overlook typos, though!  

I also use voice commands to create reminders on my Reminders app.  This is likely the most helpful of all these tips.  When I think of something I need to do at home that evening, I just say, "Hey Siri remind me at 8 p.m. to ..."  I can also create appointments on my calendar just as easily.  

 4. Talking
Hands free phone calls are a great use of time in the car.  I talk to my mom almost everyday on my way to work.    It's a routine that we've developed, and it makes the time on the road go quicker and be meaningful.  I also try to catch up with other friends and family on the way home in the evenings.

I use the app, Voxer, to leave voice messages for friends that aren't available at the same time I'm available to talk because of time zones or different schedules.  The ability to talk and listen when I have time has allowed me to be more connected and develop stronger relationships.  Even though we aren't talking in real time, we are talking.  I look forward to having messages to listen to, and it's great to be able to talk to someone when I need to talk — even if they aren't available.  I also use group Voxer messages when I want to tell two or more people the same thing at the same time, but they aren't both available. 

In addition to having meaningful conversations, I also use this time for making mundane phone calls like making appointments — especially ones where you may have to be on hold for a while.  After making an appointment, I just use voice to text to add it to my calendar, and viola! I've marked a task off my to do list!

More Tips
When you spend so many hours in the car, you start to develop habits or hacks to make it more tolerable.  Here are just a few more of my tips.

• ​Keep leftover fast food napkins in your glove box in a cheap zippered pencil pouch.  They are perfect for eating in the car or as a tissue in an emergency, and the pouch keeps them clean and easily accessible
• Keep a dishtowel in your vehicle to wipe up spills, cover your lap when you have to grab a meal in the car, need to wipe the inside of a foggy windshield, or even want to keep your steering wheel from getting too hot on a summer day.
• Keep a few extra straws, plastic forks and spoons in your glove box for times when your drive through meal doesn't come with what you need.
• Keep an extra hat and gloves (or a few pair) in your console for when you forget yours on the way out of the house on a busy morning.
• Keep a small pad of paper and a pen easily accessible
• Keep a few snacks in your console for traffic jams.  I try to think of my future self every once in a while and stash a few pieces of chocolate so when I find them later I'll be excited!
• Keep gum, tissues, dental floss, and chap stick in your vehicle for when you need them!
• Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle in case of a flat tire, or getting stuck in the snow.
• Always keep a phone charger in the vehicle!

​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.
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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.
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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:
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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

I read a lot of blogs, articles, and books about productivity, and one of the top suggestions for success is developing habits and routines - specifically in the morning. 

Morning is a time of day I love to BE up and productive, but my problem is the GETTING up!  Many of the books say you should get up at 5 a.m., exercise, meditate, and never look at your phone.  Well... my mornings have almost always been the total opposite of that.  I've traditionally set the alarm for as late as possible to allow me a few snoozes and then scurry around until I'm all sweaty and it's a little past time to get in the car for my commute.

I've gone through spurts where I got up early and walked on the treadmill or did yoga or maybe even read an enriching book, but it never lasted much than a workweek. I'd look to other research to support my theory that maybe I'm just not a morning person.  The book The Power of When by Michael Breus is very interesting and suggests that each of us have a chronotype that dictates when we tend to perform the best.  Though there's truth that I might not naturally pop out of bed at 5 a.m. happy and looking fresh, work and school still start early in the day, so I've got to figure out how to embrace the morning!  I distinctly remember the feeling I had one crisp, fall day in college when I'd gotten up early to finish a paper and walked across campus to turn it in.  I closed my under-20-year-old eyes, breathed in the cool air, and thought, "It feels good to already be done with something this early in the morning."  I often think of what it felt like to breathe in that feeling of early morning achievement.  How do I get that feeling back?  How do I become consistent in early accomplishment?

Here's what I've come up with:

1.  Have Something You're Excited to Get Up For
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THIS is where it's at! If you enjoy sleep more than you enjoy what you do in the mornings, obviously, it's going to be hard to get out of bed. Thinking back to that feeling I had of early morning accomplishment when I was in college - what I remember most was the beautiful, cool morning air.  I used to, very rarely, and only on a weekend, go out to my deck to read if I needed some alone time.  The weather had to be perfect, the angle of the sun had to be perfect, and the timing had to be perfect so there was no dew on my chair.  All three of those things aligned a few weeks ago, and I was enjoying my book and the sounds of the birds in my backyard.  I looked around me and saw the overgrown plants, the dusty table, and the leaf-covered boards of my deck.  I decided if I was feeling so calm and enjoying my book in the outside so much in the midst of that disaster, how great would I feel with pruned plants, a clean table and a swept deck?  I spent a few hours that day cleaning things up and vowed to sit outside every morning that week before work for at least a few minutes and do something I wanted to do - read, write in my journal, work on my blog, plan in my calendar, do a devotion, just sit and listen to the morning - whatever I wanted!  What a great week it was - I made progress on my e-book, I planned, I read, I smelled my flowers!  I'm not going to lie, there was a day that all I did was take two deep breaths of morning air and then headed back inside, but even on that day, I looked forward to getting outside, which made it much easier to get out of bed!

For me, getting outside coupled with having some dedicated time to do what I wanted to do was key! I did have to adapt to the dew on the chairs (a towel to sit on or a chair from inside brought out) and the humidity (not fixing my hair until after the outside time), but because I was excited about the time set aside accomplish my personal goals, I made it work! Now that I've made going outside in the mornings a habit, I'm going to try to get up a little earlier in the coming weeks to enjoy more of that time!  Winter in Indiana may prove a little difficult for outside time, but I plan to create a nook somewhere to stand in for my deck during the worst of the weather (though I'm not going to dwell on winter weather when I still have late summer and fall still to enjoy!)

2. Do what you want to -- and what you don't 

As excited as I am about my outside, alone time to do thing things I want to do, I'm still a mom, wife, homeowner, and employee, so everyday there are tasks that aren't necessarily making me jump up and down with joy.  But since I'm allowing myself that time to do what I want to do, it makes those other tasks not as bad.  Is there a really daunting task for work that  you could get a jump start on at home, do you need to start a load of laundry or maybe even scrub the toilet?  Pick at least one task that you don't care for (and it's ok if it's a tiny one) and just get it done!  You will feel so good that you've gotten it out of the way

​3. Plan ahead 

I wrote about this topic earlier this year, but I think it makes such a difference in a morning routine that I'll sum it up for you again.  Limit your morning decisions by picking out your outfit, and either pre-packing your lunchbox or at least having go-to snacks available to pack.  Use your phone to remind you of what you need to do on a specific morning or to alert you when it's time to get in the car!  I also like to time myself so I know exactly how long certain morning tasks take. 

​Multi-task!  Normally, I'd tell you single-tasking is a better bang for your buck, but in the morning, you can do a few things at once like let your hair dry while you put on your makeup.  Quit opening up the same cabinet over and over - plan your morning attack and be efficient!  Leave something in your home clean before you exit the house for the day - for me it's my bathroom counter, for others it's their made bed.  Give yourself a quick win to start the day feeling productive!  And finally, make a note of all the stuff floating in your head rather than trying to remember it.  A note on a piece of paper, a digital note on your phone, or even a voice memo, are all great ways to empty your head without worry of forgetting so you can focus on your morning routine.  (If you'd like to read to whole post about tips to avoid a mad rush morning, click here.)

4. Sleep
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It's really hard to get up early (and do it consistently) if you don't get enough sleep.  That's not a profound statement, just common sense.  In a previous post, I wrote about a really good day I had that began with a good night's sleep, so I wanted to figure out how to consistently get that kind of sleep to create more really good days!  I've found that stress has a huge impact on my sleep, so making my bedroom as calming as possible is a must!  Even if the rest of the house isn't clutter-free, I try to make sure my bedroom and bathroom are picked up.  A bedtime goal (mine is 10:30 - 11:00 p.m.) also helps, but I've found that one of the most important parts of getting a good night's rest is to go to bed before my husband.  Reading a physical book in bed to the light of my bedside lamp with the noise machine set on the rain sound makes me sleepy.   I use a specific scent of lotion every night (and only at night) right before I turn off the lamp to tell myself it's sleeping time!  I also prepare for whatever temperature I might want in the middle of the night.  If I start out with no socks, I have a pair on my bedside table.  I have headache medicine in my bedside drawer and some water within arm's reach just in case.  The quicker I take care of small nighttime nuisances, the more sleep I can get.  My sleep goal is 7-8 hours per night.  I track it with my fit bit, and normally am just shy of 7, so I've got some room for improvement!

5.  Don't compare 

Who cares if you haven't run three miles or read a chapter of a personal development book or made your family a hot breakfast? Morning routines are about YOU, not everyone else.  Like I admitted earlier, my personal, outside time on some days is literally just breathing!  What matters to me is that I'm up, I'm motivated, and I'm growing.  I don't share my ideas and experiences with you so that you feel bad about yourself for not doing exactly the same, I'm sharing them so you can feel inspired or motivated to find your own, personal morning routine that works for you!  As much as I wish I loved exercising and could check that off my to-do list before 8 a.m., it's probably never going to be part of my morning routine (because I will continue to be red-faced and sweaty even post-shower for hours after any level of physical exertion!)  So, you know what?  I'm ok with my own routine that may not fit the "ideal" because it fits me! 

I encourage you to find what works for you and stick with it for at least 3 weeks to determine if it's going to move the needle.  I could see positive change after just one workweek of going outside in the mornings, but one workweek does not a habit make - keep it up!  I would love to hear what you find as the key to your morning - share with us in the comments or on the Facebook page!

In less than an hour before you leave for your trip, you can save yourself five times as much time when you get back.  If your company uses Outlook and your email goes through a Microsoft Exchange server (as opposed to a mail provider like Gmail or Yahoo!), you can literally process your emails when you're far, far away and Outlook isn't even running!   It's easy - just open Outlook, and click on "File" in the menu bar in the upper left of the screen.  Choose "Automatic Replies," and after you've selected the dates and created templates for your replies, click on the "Rules " button - this is where it gets really cool!  Here you can create nearly endless rules to automatically delete, move or forward messages based on a variety of criteria like who sent it, who it was sent to, the subject, etc.  The rules run and take care of your messages automatically, so that even if your "no email on vacation willpower" fails you and you pull up email on your phone, those messages will already be taken care of.

If you use Outlook with a mail provider like Gmail or Yahoo!, you can create rules but they just won't run until you open Outlook, and you'll need to manually turn them on and off.  Just click on the "Rules" icon on the "Home" tab and then select "Manage Rules & Alerts."   If you use something other than Outlook, don't despair, you can create similar rules, too! ​

As you go through the next few steps I'm going to outline for you, this folder will be a holding tank for your later to do's.  To make it very easy to quickly move items to this folder, set yourself a Quick Step.  When a message is selected in the Inbox view, you can simply click on the Move to "Vacation Review" Quick Step to immediately move it out of your Inbox and into this folder.  

Here's how to create a Quick Step in Outlook:

1. On the "Home" tab in Outlook, click on the down arrow for more options in the Quick Steps menu
2. Click "New Quick Step," then select "Move To Folder..."
3. Name your Quick Step something like "Move to Vacation Review"
4. Choose Your "Vacation Review" folder from the drop down and if you'd like to automatically mark messages you process with the Quick Step as read, check the "Mark as Read" checkbox.
5. Click Finish
6. Now you will see your new option in the Quick Step box.  
7. To rearrange the order of your Quick Steps, click on the down arrow for more options and select "Manage Quick Steps"
8. Select the Quick Step you want to relocate, click on the up or down arrows until it is in the location you want, then click "OK"

Expand one group at a time, skipping the group of emails sent only to you - you'll handle these in the next step.  Quickly scan to decide if you can delete the whole group, and if so - go for it!  If you think that there may be something you need in that group,  get a closer look at an individual message without opening it by turning on a reading pane.  Click on the View tab and choose your favorite reading pane location.  

As you review individual emails, don't get distracted and try to do anything! You have three choices: 1. Delete (use your keyboard delete key or the delete icon), 2. Move to "Vacation Review" folder, or 3. Archive (move into your existing folder structure. To read my suggestions on a simple folder structure for email read Email Organization: Part 1.)  The only other thing I'm going to give you permission to do at this point is to unsubscribe before deleting if it's an email list you no longer want to be part of.

Now you should be left with emails that were sent only to you.  To make it easier to review, drag the "To" field back down to the Inbox grid, then follow the rules above to group, but this time right click on the "From" field.  You will instantly recognize if a sender is spam or one that you need to pay attention to.  Just like before, as you review individual emails using the reading pane, resist the urge to do anything.  Just choose from the same three choices as above: ​1. Delete 2. Move to "Vacation Review" folder, or 3. Archive.  Remember you're allowed to unsubscribe before you delete since that will help you have fewer emails next vacation.

Now your inbox should be completely empty - unless you've gotten some messages while working through this process.  It's ok to leave those few, unread messages in your Inbox for now.  The Inbox is for new, incoming messages, and your Vacation Review folder is for your backlog of things to get done.  Now you have a way to see clear progress as you get caught up.  

​Make sure your "Vacation Review" folder is set to conversation mode.  Just go to the "View" tab and check the "Show as Conversations" checkbox.  In the "Conversations Settings" drop down, make sure "Show Messages from Other Folders" is selected.

I'm a real life pinball machine.  I feel that little ball pinging around inside of me.  There are flashes of light competing for my attention, and I'm constantly pounding on the buttons that control the flippers to keep the ball from escaping the course.  There are times I can remain focused, keep my eye on the ball and keep it from being lost.  I feel proud of being in the groove and seeing my 'score' going up and up.  But just when it seems like I've figured out this game called life, somehow I level up, and now instead of one ball to keep track of, there are two.  And so it repeats until the pinballs have multiplied and become unmanageable and overwhelming.  As my stress level increases, I can feel them in my chest, and I have to remind myself to stop and breathe.  My head doesn't stop considering all of the demands and expectations.  They are ever present - even in my sleep.   I want to stop pounding the flippers and just let all of them slide, unopposed, down the chute. That would allow me to start a new game, a fresh one, where it's really possible to keep track of my responsibilities.

Rather than quit, we need to come up with strategies to make us better.  Here are four ideas to get you started:

1.  Recognize why you are overwhelmed
Are you always "on", always connected?  Are you saying yes too often?  Do you avoid delegating?  Do you over promise or set unrealistic deadlines?  If you answered yes to these, try disconnecting some of the time, saying no, sharing the load and giving yourself some margin!

2.  Remove distractions
When you try to do too much, it's easy to try to multi-task to get it all done.  When we try to do more than one thing at once, what we're really doing is building in distractions for ourselves.  Work on short bursts of real focus.  Try the Pomodoro Technique where you work without a break for a period of time, and then get up and away from your work for a short break time.   Turn off notifications or even (gasp) close your email and instant messaging programs for a while so you are not tempted to check for incoming messages.  If you work from home, designate an area that is your "office" and use that space only for working.

3.  Take a break
Take short breaks like described above during working hours, but also consider taking a longer break from some responsibilities.  It may be time to prune your schedule to allow for some free time in your week.  Scheduling time to do nothing does not mean you are a slacker!  Consider an actual vacation where you can really disconnect from your day to day responsibilities including the technology that ties you to them.

4. Practice 
Practice really does make perfect.  If there's something you want to accomplish, you have to get better over time.  Learn from your mistakes, and systematically improve.  Make lists, read books, seek advice from those who have been successful already.

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!  ​

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!

As 2018 comes to a close, there are many decisions to make, but one of the biggest is which 2019 planner is best for you?  I'm kidding (a little) but if not one of the most important decisions, it's definitely one of the most fun! 

Planning saves time and helps us feel in control.  There are many options for planning tools from a simple notebook to a pretty planner to slick digital apps.  There is no perfect method for planning your days, but there several questions that you can answer to help you choose the right planner for you!

1. Do you prefer digital, paper or both?
2. Do you want to keep personal and professional plans separate or do you prefer one overarching system?
3. What do you want to include in your planner?  Appointments, tasks, ideas, and/or notes?
4. Where will you need to access your planner?  Will you carry it with you or leave it in one location?

Once you've answered these basic questions, you can move on to the more detailed options based on your paper vs. digital preference.  ​

Paper

• How big?  do you want to be able to fit it in your pocket or your purse, or do you carry a work bag or backpack?
• Does color matter?
• Do you like pages to lay flat?  Do you prefer spiral bound planners?
• Do you want the pages of your planner to be pre-printed or would you rather draw/write everything more like a bullet journal?
• Do you want calendar pages to have the dates filled in for you, or do you want to add your own dates?
• Do you want to have space for monthly, weekly and/or daily planning?  Is it important to have your days broken into timed increments?
• Do you want a to-do list on a separate page from your calendar or all in one area?
• What weight do you want your paper to be?  
• Do you want a hard or soft cover?  So you want the cover to be wipeable?
• How much do you want to spend on your planner?

Digital

• Do you want a calendar only or do you need a task manager as well?
• Do you want to be able to share the contents of your planning system either for others to view or to delegate?
• Do you want a free tool or a subscription based tool?  How much are you willing to spend?
• Do you want to be able to use your digital tool on a computer, a tablet, and/or a smartphone?
• Is it important to you to link to other apps? For example, do you want to integrate a task manager with your calendar or note taking apps?
• Do you want the ability to import and export information?
• Does the tool have the ability to categorize and color code items?

​I like a hybrid approach and use a digital calendar, digital task manager with digital reminders, as well as a paper planner.  I prefer to keep personal and professional somewhat separate, but do combine them in one view.  For example, on my iPhone's calendar app, I have my personal Google Calendar, my "side hustle" Google Calendar, and my work Outlook calendar overlaid on one another so I can see everything at once.  For me, I want to capture time bound meetings and appointments, deadlines, and special dates like birthdays and anniversaries on a calendar and to-dos in a task list.  I need a place to jot down notes and ideas, and a place to store a piece of notepaper as well.  It may seem redundant to have tasks in both a digital and written format, but the physical act of writing things down helps me process and remember them better.  When I transfer items from my digital task list to my physical planner during a regular planning time, it helps to cement in my mind what is truly a priority.

I am so excited that this year, I have the 5x8 size of the Simplified Planner by Emily Ley.  I'd been eyeing this online for quite some time, and then a few weeks ago, a friend who knows me well surprised me with a super cool and pretty 2019 planner!  I will set aside some reflection and planning time between Christmas and New Years to begin filling out this colorful notebook!  Here are a few tips I've learned over the years for written planners:

Buy a special writing utensil to use with your planner.   A mechanical pencil may be your best option - it's erasable, the tip will always be sharp and it won't bleed through the pages.  But there's something fun about using a special pen that writes so smoothly...  Just make sure to test pens on a small section of paper to make sure it doesn't bleed or smudge.  Different types of paper react differently to different types of ink.  Consider a couple of colors of pens/highlighters to use and make a system of what each color means.  For example, if you decide to add both work and personal obligations, you may want to use one color for work and one color for personal.
 
Create a way to keep your place.  Find a reliable bookmark, fun binder clip, or reusuable sticky note tab to mark your place in your paper planner.  My planner comes with tabs for each month, but I will still want to mark which date I'm on to make it that much quicker to do my planning.  

Decide how far out you will plan.  Most people do well to put in the big events for the whole year on the calendar and then plan around those on a monthly or weekly basis.  A quick review of your calendar and digital tools before bed allow you to write down your appointments and must dos the night before in your paper planner.  This will allow you to rest easier knowing you haven't forgotten anything and that you have a solid plan for the next day.    

Set a regular planning meeting with yourself and your family.   My husband and I both work full time and have a significant commute, plus have some volunteer commitments, lots of parenting commitments and also appreciate some downtime.  We have to have at least a weekly check in to figure out who's going to pick up the kids, what we will have for dinner, etc.    This doesn't have to be a formal meeting - ours is usually after a meal and we both whip out our phones and check who has to go in early, who has to stay late, and what kid's activities are coming up that week.  This allows us to plan our grocery shopping list and arrange childcare for the week ahead.  ​We invite each other to events using our digital calendars so know what is expected of us. 

I hope you can find your ideal planner in the next couple of weeks so you can start off your 2019 feeling like a planning rockstar!  If you have another planner you love, please share with us in the comments.

Sources:
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

Anger (/ˈaNGɡər/)  - a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility.  I've never thought of myself as an angry person, but I've realized lately that 'strong feeling of annoyance' can begin to control me.  When I use so much of my energy either thinking about why I'm angry, talking about it, or trying to stuff it down so I'm not rude, I don't have much left for the things that really need to get done.  Anger also causes me to stop thinking clearly, so even if I had energy left, my quality of work would suffer.

I want to use my energy in a positive way to accomplish my goals efficiently.  So how do I stop the feelings of annoyance and anger that suck up so much of that energy and cloud my thinking?   ​

• Determine what is causing the feelings of frustration.

It's so easy to blame others, and though people or situations can be the reason we feel frustrated, no one can cause us to feel a certain way.  We all have the power to reframe our situations and change our outlook. Try as we might, there may still remain some frustration in certain environments, so if you can remove yourself from a situation or at least limit the amount of time you spend in it, this can help reduce future anger.   Can you delegate tasks, reschedule appointments, or even give up activities that are making you feel overwhelmed, annoyed, or angry?  Prepare yourself when you know you have to enter a difficult situation by making notes of what you want to say or do (or want to avoid saying or doing!) 

• ​Acknowledge the feelings, and control them instead of letting them control you

​​I like to be in control, and when I'm not, I feel upset.  When I let annoyance get the best of me, I get even more upset with myself for letting that happen.  It's ironic that a lack of control can cause anger, but yet anger begins to control me - what a vicious cycle!   What if you said in your head, "na-na na-na boo-boo you can't make me mad!"  and created a new identity for yourself as someone who is slow to anger?  When you do get angry (because you're not perfect), learn how to channel that energy in a positive way - a walk or a run, rocking out to some music, or doing something creative may help you push through the negativity while still accomplishing something.

• Go on the offensive against your anger.​  

My pastor recently suggested that gratitude may be the opposite of anger.  Gratitude is a belief that can be chosen despite how you feel.  Try practicing gratitude on a regular basis to counteract annoyance.​  A daily practice like discussing what we are grateful for around the dinner table or keeping a gratitude journal has been proven to ward off negativity and improve health and well-being.  Researcher, Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., has conducted multiple gratitude studies showing that gratitude increases happiness.  It's hard to stay angry while your happiness is increasing!

• ​Create a focus before you get frustrated!

Anger and frustration cloud our thinking, so if we don't already have a plan in place, it's going to be very difficult to formulate one with all those negative emotions swirling around.  That's why it's so important for us to plan ahead, keep an ongoing project and task list, and to create timelines and milestones for ourselves.   Brian Tracy, author of Eat That Frog!, says that "every minute spent in planning saves as many as ten minutes in execution."   I dare to speculate that if you were trying to execute while angry and hadn't planned beforehand, you would waste even more time!  If you have a system in place of where you capture your goals and related tasks, you may even be able to use some of your outstanding to-do's as a way to distract yourself from your emotions.  If you didn't already have tasks outlined or scheduled, it would be very difficult to make decisions on what needs to be done next in the midst of frustration.  Use digital tools like Nozbe, Trello, or Evernote to keep track of projects and tasks, or go the old school route and designate a special notebook for your to-do list.

Do you have other tips for keeping it together when you are dealing with a difficult situation or feeling angry?  Some readers may appreciate the tips heading into the holidays when stress levels and frustrations tend to run high!  Share with us in the comments.

Sources
Emmons, Robert A., and Michael E. Mccullough. “Counting Blessings versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life.” Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, vol. 84, no. 2, 2003, pp. 377–389., doi:10.1037//0022-3514.84.2.377.

​Tracy, Brian. “Plan Ahead and Increase Productivity.” Brian Tracy's Self Improvement & Professional Development Blog, Brian Tracy International, 22 Sept. 2017, www.briantracy.com/blog/time-management/plan-ahead-and-increase-productivity/.

Even though we got an extra hour of sleep this weekend, there’s still only 24 hours a day.  Sometimes it’s just so overwhelming to try to fit everything into our lives!   There are many resources out there for time management, but I wanted to share 5 simple tips that have helped me improve how I manage my time.

1.  Track your time
If you’re anything like me, you are so busy that you feel like writing down what you’re doing is just another task you don’t really have time for.  But, if you commit to just one week, 7 days, of writing down what you’re doing in 15 minute increments, you will be amazed to see how much you actually accomplish in a day’s time!  If you’re really honest when you track your time, you will see more wasted time than you like, but you’ll also see how much time of your life is spent doing things you can’t NOT do – eating, sleeping, grooming.  When you know what time you have left after those kinds of non-negotiables, you will automatically feel more in control and more motivated not to waste those remaining hours.  Take the time to track your time!  Download this free printable to track your time this week.  It’s broken up into 4, 6 hour sections, so you can visually see how much of your time is really spent during the overnight hours (hopefully sleeping), morning, afternoon and evening/night.  You’ll be amazed how many hours are already spoken for, so that’s what makes being productive in those remaining hours so important!

2.  Time yourself
Once you’ve finished a week’s worth of time tracking, you will see patterns in your days.  There are things you do every day.  Some of those repetitive tasks will occur at the same time each day, but others could be mixed throughout your day.  In your time tracking phase, you were only recording in 15 minute increments, so you didn’t find out how much time it actually took you to empty the dishwasher or take a shower or drop off the kids at school.  Identify the things you do at least 3 times/week and then get your timer out!  Time yourself doing each of those tasks.  Don’t rush to beat the clock – just do them as you normally would and then keep a log of the tasks and the times they take.  If you want to be really scientific, do the tasks multiple times and then take an average time.  There are lots of time tracking apps out there - one free one I've used is Toggl.  What you can gain by timing yourself is a realistic expectation of what you can accomplish in a certain time-frame and the ability to insert quick tasks into random time openings in your day.  Have 10 minutes before you need to get in the car – well, now I know it only takes 6 minutes to empty the dishwasher – why not? ​

3.  Prioritize
Now that you know what you do, and how long those things take, you can now really prioritize.  Once those things are you’ll need to do a big bad brain dump!  Get out pen a paper or try the sticky note mind mapping that I tried in “Confessions of a List Maker.”  After everything is out of your head, begin categorizing all of the to-dos.  Don’t get hung up on your system, your goal is to have a master list of all of the things you will want to plug into the open slots in your days.  Last week’s post talked about how to figure out what to do next – take a few minutes to read that post.  If you set a focus for the year and related goals, take a look back at those to make sure the items that are on your list help you get where you wanted to go.  Now, review your list again and get rid of some things!  There are many things we think we need to do, that can either be done by someone else or just not done at all.  Ask yourself what would happen if you didn’t do X?  If you can live with the answer, cross it off!  Now prioritize what remains within each category so you have a next action for every category of your life.  Remember this process can be done on paper or in your favorite digital tool.

4.  Plan
Finally it’s time to put it all together.  First take a blank time tracker and plug in all of those everyday must dos for tomorrow– include everything that you have to do from meal prep to kid drop off to brushing your teeth – you now know exactly how much time each of those take.  Now take a look at your prioritized lists and choose what you’re going to fill in the blanks with.  Remember the importance of margin.  You can’t really make back to back meetings work.  What if you need to walk or drive to the meeting or even just take a bathroom break?  That means you’d have to leave one meeting early or arrive at the next meeting late.  Instead of booking yourself solid, give yourself some leeway.  I like to see at least 10 minutes between appointments.  If you have a task that you haven’t or couldn’t time, give your best estimate BUT add 25% to that estimate.  The worst thing that will happen is you finish early and you plug in another task (maybe one that you previously timed so you know that you can absolutely run to the pharmacy and back in 20 minutes.)  Fill up every box in your day’s time tracker even if those boxes say “rest” or “watch TV” or “family time.”  If you give purpose to each slot of your day, you are less likely to squander your time.

5.  Take shortcuts
Always be looking for ways to be more efficient!  Are there things that you can do in the background while you are doing other tasks? – like watching your favorite TV show while you fold laundry.  Be wary of attempting to truly multi-task because that usually leads to poor quality or longer efforts.  Read about the benefits of single tasking in a previous post.  Are there things that you just don’t need to do or can replace with something easier or quicker?  For instance, I believe with my whole heart that a damp  dishrag thrown in the dryer with a wrinkly shirt while I shower is much more efficient than ironing!  Do you really need to re-pot the flowers or is the plastic one they came in just as worthy of the position on your front steps?  Sometimes shortcuts do mean lowering our expectations – I’ve become pretty good at that – but others are just a smarter way of doing things.  Remember to enlist your family and/or be willing to pay for services that help save you time.     

I'd love to hear from you if you try these 5 steps and learn how they worked for you!  Please comment below or email me at info@mylifeinorder.com  If you want to read more about time management, one of my favorite authors who writes on the topic is Laura Vanderkam.  I read (and thoroughly enjoyed), I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of Their Time and have her latest book, Off the Clock:  Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done, on my bookshelf ready to read!  
 

Sources:
Photo by Akshar Dave on Unsplash

​“I have so much to do, that sometimes I don’t even know where to start!”  How many times of you heard yourself say those words?  I know that’s how I’ve been feeling the past week.  When we have unexpected things happen, our responsibilities don’t just stop.  Things keep piling up and eventually there is this big bunch of things to do and you almost feel paralyzed because you feel like no one thing is going to make a big enough dent to actually be considered a priority.  In order to know where to start, you have to know ALL that there is to do.  That’s why it’s important to have everything that you need to do in one place, and then you can more easily decide what needs to be done first.  

​I like digital tools, but before technology can help, I have to know what I’m going to put in that tool and how I am going to structure it.  I was feeling really out of control last week, so I did what always calms me down – got out a pencil and paper and start dumping my brain onto the page.  If you try this, don’t worry about it being pretty or cohesive or anyone else understanding what in the world you’re writing.  It’s so freeing to get what’s in your head onto paper, and then you can actually SEE all the things you need to do.   Unless you are super-human, it’s nearly impossible to figure out what to do and when if everything you have to do is floating around in your head all at once.

​If you’ve read the book The One Thing by Gary Keller, you know that he says there is always one thing that’s more important than everything else at that very moment in time.  Sometimes it’s so hard to figure out what that one thing is and it’s so much easier to just do busywork and make yourself feel like you’re being productive when in fact you’re doing nothing!  A good example of this is spending the entire day working out of your email inbox just responding to messages and taking care of brief little tasks, and then putting other, bigger projects aside for “later”.  If you do that type of triage all the time, “later” never comes, and those big tasks begin to create an overwhelming pile.

​I’m trying to unbury myself and am doing this in my personal life using Trello.  It’s a free app that I use on my laptop and on my iPhone where you can create different teams (which I’m using as areas of my life) and within those teams, you can create as many project boards as you want.  These are kind of like digital bulletin boards where you can create lists and tasks.  Trello gives you a visual representation of all of your to-dos and lets you drag and drop them where they go.  I took my handwritten notes and figured out there were several areas of my life:  Me, Family/Friends, Household, Volunteer, Side Hustles, and Work.  I use a different task management system at work called Nozbe.  Some people like to use the same system at home and at work, but I prefer to keep them separate, so I decided for these purposes to nix the work category in my Trello app. 

I started getting so excited about my new system that I spent a lot of time designing it, thinking, “should I have a separate areas for my blog, piano lessons and Clever Container sales or should they all be in one area called Side Hustles?”    I realized I was going down a dangerous path spending more time designing a system than using it!  I’m giving myself permission to start where I’m at and improve as I go.  That’s one of the things I like about Trello – it’s really easy to drag and drop tasks to different lists, put things in different order, and move boards to different teams.
​
Once you get going and have all your responsibilities out of your head and in your chosen system, give yourself time to review all tasks and decide what is the “one thing” is that will move you forward, and what the next one is, and the next, etc.  Consider assigning due dates and reminders.  If you have projects that you repeat, create a template so you can copy and repeat what works best for you.  Don’t worry about your system being perfect – an imperfect system is better than no system at all!

Sources:
Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

Staying productive is hard.  If we only had to worry about our own priorities, it would be a little easier, but in real life, we have requests and expectations coming at us from all directions.  The biggest avenue for those outer expectations is our inboxes.  Most of us have at least two inboxes – a physical paper inbox and an email inbox.  I wrote about how to wrangle your paper in a previous post, and today, I want to start a series on how to manage your email inbox.

Even though email is dying a little because of other messaging apps, it is still prevalent especially in professional settings.  Most of us have at least two email addresses – a personal and a work address and receive many messages each day.  At my day job, I easily get over 100 emails every day, and at home, I may get 30 or so.  These add up very fast, and if you don’t know how to efficiently triage your messages, you can quickly get buried and miss the important messages because they nearly disappear amongst all the junk. ​

I use Microsoft Outlook at my day job and Gmail for personal and My Life In Order email.  These platforms are very different, but both common, so I will be using them as examples in this series.  Regardless of what email platform you use, the overarching principles of email organization are the same.  Email used to be a great, time-saving tool to replace handwritten or typed memos that had to be circulated through the office, but it’s turned into an invasive nuisance that the Washington Post reports takes the average white-collar worker a little over 4 hours each day to deal with.  This equates to 20.5 hours each week and more than 1,000 hours each year!  Even with the quantity of email we get, it doesn’t need to take up half of our work day, and by implementing some of these ideas, you should be able to dramatically improve your email efficiency!
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Process your email, don’t read and re-read it
You should do 1 of 4 things with new emails - delete, file, do, or move to a task management system (we will talk about the details of this in a later post.)  Don’t just read the your messages and leave them in your inbox to come back to later because you will end up either losing it, forgetting about it or you will re-read it over and over, which is just wasting your time!  If a message is obvious junk or something you are sure you will never need again, just delete it!  If it’s reference information that you may need later, file it.  If it’s actionable use the 2 minute rule that David Allen talks about in his book, Getting Things Done.  If the action can be completed in 2 minutes or less, just do it.  If it will take longer than 2 minutes or can’t be done until you have additional information, add the action to a task management system and then either file or delete the message.
 
Unsubscribe generously
Over time, we all sign up for various newsletters either on purpose or inadvertently.  Instead of continuing to delete them each time they are delivered, take an extra few seconds and unsubscribe from the ones you are no longer interested in.  Every email marketing platform (that’s legit) has a little button somewhere at the bottom of the message that you can click on to get off of their email list.  There are also some services that will help you get unenrolled from unwanted lists.  Of course those of us who have an email newsletter don’t want you to unsubscribe (it hurts our feelings) but I care more about your productivity than my email list, so do what you’ve got to do!  If you’re too scared to make that drastic of a decision to never receive a particular newsletter again, you can use the next tip instead.
 
Also be sure to report spam so it can be blocked for the future.  Most email platforms have a mechanism to report spam.  If you get rid of most of the junk, you'll spend less time sifting through all the things that don't matter for the few messages that do.

Rules, Rules, Rules
If you aren’t using rules in your email, pay attention!  You can set up a variety of rules in whichever email platform you use.  This allows you to never touch a message and direct it to go right to a particular folder, to be marked as read, or even go straight to the trash.  For those newsletters you were too scared to unsubscribe from, you could set up a rule to move them to a special folder.  Set a reminder on your calendar for a couple of months in the future to look at that folder.  If you haven't missed anything important, you may feel comfortable completely unsubscribing.

You can also create rules for message you send.  I have a rule so that if I put myself in the BCC line, it moves that message to a folder I have named “Waiting.”  This allows me to remember to follow up if I don’t receive an answer to my message.  You can also set up conditional formatting so messages from your boss are displayed in a different color.  In the next installment of this series, I’ll show you some examples!
 
Shortcuts
It’s ok to be a little lazy with your email!  There are many ways that you can cut corners.  In Outlook, my favorite is to set up quick steps to use just one click to complete an action like moving a message to a folder, creating an appointment with the contents of the message in the body, forward a message to a particular address, or create a new message to a particular address.  Learn how to drag and drop messages either to a folder or to your calendar.  Explore the menu that is displayed when you right click on a message.  Add commonly used folders to a favorites area to save a few seconds each time you want to access it.  Next time, I will provide some demos of how to set some of these shortcuts up.
 
Simplify your folders
I used to have an elaborate foldering system with folders for each project with sub folders and sub-sub folders, but what I realized a few years ago was I was spending so much time deciding where to folder things and nearly that same amount of time selecting the folder to look in when I wanted to find the message later that it just didn’t make sense.  Now, I have only one folder per year with a sub-folder for every month.  Anything I don’t delete goes in the folder for the month it was received.  All email platforms have search functions, and the two I use – Gmail and Outlook – have excellent search tools, so you can find any message without having to know what folder you put it in.  Some people like to keep EVERYTHING in their inbox and just search for what they need.  Now, that makes me a little anxious, so I prefer to folder when I’m done.  I look at my email inbox like my home mailbox.  It’s just for new stuff that comes in, and just like I take in my physical mail every day or so, I like to keep my email inbox emptied. 
 
 
 Next Time
In the second part of this series, I will have some demos to show you how to implement some of these tricks, but I need your help.  I could use several of you to email my demo email address with various subject lines. Email mylifeinorderdemo@gmail.com to help me create a good tutorial for you!

Sources
Photo by Krsto Jevtic on Unsplash
​
“Analysis | How Many Hours of Your Life Have You Wasted on Work Email? Try Our Depressing Calculator.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Oct. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/10/03/how-many-hours-of-your-life-have-you-wasted-on-work-email-try-our-depressing-calculator/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bd59896565f2.

Ansaldo, Michael. “3 Tools That Easily Unsubscribe You from Emails.” PCWorld, PCWorld, 22 Mar. 2017, www.pcworld.com/article/3181014/software/3-tools-for-easily-unsubscribing-to-emails.html.

​This week I found the sweet spot between being a jerk and being efficient.  Every day this summer during my one-hour commute home from work, I’ve dealt with construction on the dual lane, split highway I drive (aka the bypass.)  The construction moves a little bit every day so I never know exactly where it’s going to be.  The westbound lanes are restricted down to one lane for just a few hundred feet, BUT since you don’t know exactly where it’s at, cars who drive the same route every day, start getting into the right lane in expectation WAY before the actual lane closure.  I typically sit in a long line of traffic in the right-hand lane for 10 solid minutes before the left lane is actually closed off.  There are a high percentage of semis, so you can’t see very far ahead to know if the left lane is closed just ahead or a mile away.  Since the left lane isn’t actually closed, there are these few, what I used to call “jerk cars,” that speed by on the left (they were probably going like 27 mph which seemed like speeding to my 4 mph)  Daily, I’d grumble, “Oh you jerk cars are going to speed past all of us who are doing what we’re supposed to be doing -patiently waiting in the correct lane.”  

​Well, one day this week, I was kind of in a hurry and didn’t have that extra 10 minutes to spend in a line of traffic inching forward waiting for the construction to appear, so I thought, “I think I’m gonna try being a jerk car…”  I started rationalizing – they’re not really breaking the law - the road isn’t actually closed, and it’s probably wise to use BOTH lanes while they are available to make things more efficient, right?”  So, even though there was a long line of traffic stacked up in the right-hand lane, the left lane looked clear. I turned on my signal and went for it and became a “jerk car!”  I drove and drove and drove at a speedy 27 mph and was amazed how many cars I passed in the right lane waiting patiently (probably cursing me under their breath.)  As soon as I saw the orange sign that tells you to merge, there was this heaven-sent opening that I easily moved into.  Then almost immediately, the blinking sign and the construction barrels appeared that officially closed the left lane.  There I was in the correct lane, breezing through the short actual construction zone.  In no time, I was back to cruising toward home, and I was so proud of myself! This was efficient!!  So you tell me, was it a jerk move or a genius one?

​I started wondering why I’d been wasting so much of my time waiting in traffic this summer and wondering if there are other things in my life that I think of as “jerk moves” that would really just be more assertive and efficient?  I asked myself why I was in that right lane.  The answer was easy - because everyone else was there.  I seemed like what I was “supposed” to do –like I was following the rules and being a good citizen and a good driver.  Really, the people who I thought were being jerks, well, they were the ones that were doing what was actually much smarter and much more efficient.  Are there practices I’m following or things that I’m doing just because others are doing them?  Maybe what I should be doing is paying attention to the people who are doing something different– what is it and is it working for them?  What would happen if I did that and put myself first – would I become more efficient and successful?  What if I said, “I know that there’s going to be a roadblock up ahead, but I might as well make up some ground while I can.”  WOW is that a metaphor or what???  I realized that I apparently learn a lot from traffic metaphors since this is my second post about them - I learned a lot from left turns in a previous post! 

​Make forward progress while you can, don’t just sit there and waste time. I think that applies in so many ways – if you are unhappy in your life, you can sit in line behind all those other unhappy people, or you can do something about it, take a chance, and get in that left lane and move forward. There are always going to be roadblocks ahead as well as things you don’t even know are coming.  Do you want to get behind a line of people who are waiting for bad things with the mindset, “I know that construction is ahead, I’ve gotta prepare, move slow, and be cautious.”?  With that school of thought you are already in the right spot, and though you’re prepared, it’s going to take you FOREVER to get anything accomplished.  Instead, you could take a chance, get out in that left lane, speed past a bunch of people, get some stuff done.  Realize it may be a little tricky or take a little time to get back in the correct lane to get through the actual construction zone, but be forward thinking enough to realize that by getting out from behind that traffic allows you to see what’s coming and know when to shift back to seamlessly move through a challenging spot.  If you start preparing for disaster or roadblocks far in advance or are scared to take a chance, you’ll just be stuck in traffic.  

As I was thinking about this, I realized this is something I deal with often – similar to analysis paralysis!  I know there’s going to be a problem, and I start thinking about it and don’t know what to do, so I just get in line behind everyone else in the “safe” lane and sit and barely move forward.  I do this so often – even though I know the path and the potential outcomes, I’m scared to get in that other lane and make forward progress, because what if I make the wrong decision and I take the wrong path and then it takes me time later to get back into the right lane?  But you know what – that is rare.  When I, the safe, rule-following patient driver, get to the part of the road that narrows to one lane and see some of the “jerk cars” who passed me along the way waiting to get back into my lane I think “haha jerk cars, I’m already in the right lane and now you have to wait!”  But you know what, it took me 10 minutes to get there, and even if the “jerk car” had to wait for a couple minutes to merge, they STILL spent much less time on that same stretch of road because they took a chance and now they get to do more with that time they saved!  Why am I not taking more chances and getting in a position that I can see further ahead?  Fear is the answer, but I don't want it to be!  Once I'd been a "jerk car," I wasn't as scared to try again.  I want to continue practicing what's different, what's assertive, what's efficient, while still remaining kind and considerate - I don't really want to be a jerk!

This week, I had a unique experience at work - the opportunity to focus on one project for two days straight!  This is far from the norm for me as I'm usually switching from project to project and being interrupted by one "fire" after another all day long.  It's difficult to get any one project completed (let alone completed well) because there are so many projects and so many urgent little things that take my attention away from the important tasks.  I can almost see you all nodding your heads in agreement - this battle between the important and the urgent coupled with the sheer volume of expectations placed on each one of us in both our professional and personal lives is almost an epidemic in our society. 

When I was forced into focusing on an important project it felt odd, and a little wrong, to put everything else to the side and do just one thing, but it was AMAZING!  I felt more clarity and forward momentum than I'd felt in a very long time.  Interestingly, because I'd been thinking about one thing all day, my mind just kept on working efficiently even after I was "done" for the day.  I had ideas and worked out problems in my head overnight much more easily than I would have if my mind would have been all over the place during the day as it usually is.

Those of us writing resumes in the early 2000's probably all listed multi-tasking as one of our strengths.  Being able to do many things at once was looked at as desirable.  Since then, a lot of research has been published to debunk that myth of multi-tasking.  Dave Crenshaw says in his book, The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done, "Remember this rule: the more responsibility you have, the more hats you wear, the more likely you are to become inefficient."   You may be thinking, but if I don't do at least some things at the same time, I'll never get anything done!  I hear ya, but stop to consider what you could accomplish and how fast you could accomplish it if you did only one thing at a time.

Productivity coach, Marcey Rader, describes different types of tasking methods in one of her blog posts.  Multi-tasking is truly doing two things at once, and since only 2% of the population can actually do this - stop trying!  What the rest of us are doing is called switch-tasking. Rader describes switch-tasking as "juggling two tasks by refocusing attention back and forth and losing time and progress in the switch."  Switch-tasking makes us 30-40%  LESS productive because we are switching our focus about every 3 minutes.  There are some tasks that can be done as background tasks which do allow us to complete more than one thing at a time.  A great example is listening to music while running or folding laundry while watching TV.  Listening to music and watching TV are done in the background, while the other task is done in the foreground.

So, how do we realistically create an atmosphere where we can focus on one thing at a time?  I think this starts with remembering that you're in charge of you (one of my early blog posts talks about this in depth.)  I'm the one who thinks I need to do dishes, do laundry, help with homework, post to social media, and talk on the phone all at once - no one makes me do that.  I am guilty of being what my husband calls, "willy-nilly" all too often.  It's so easy to blame others for having to multi-task - "my job demands it" or " I have so much on my plate" - but if we are really honest with ourselves, we may realize that switching from one task to the other is something we do at home when no one is looking, too.  If that becomes our normal, we're going to do that in whatever situation we find ourselves in.  And it's going to become more pronounced when we are under stress.  For me, it's a way to avoid decision making - if I do just a little, just the part I know how to do, and then flip to something else and yet something else, I can avoid doing the hard parts.  The hard parts might not be as hard if I didn't have to reacquaint myself to the project every time I switch back to it after focusing elsewhere.

A to-do list or a schedule with only the most important tasks in a natural order of your energy level goes a long way in helping you stay on task.  A timer can also help you, especially if it's something you don't particularly love doing.  Setting clear expectations about your time with those who you feel accountable to may be the most important aspect in being productive.  If you tell your boss or your spouse or your kids that you will do multiple things for them in an unrealistic time frame, you are going to naturally try to switch back and forth to try to get things completed.  Pad the time you think you need, so you can over-deliver and gain momentum.   Finally, decide what NOT to focus on.  Cal Newport says in his book, Deep Work: Rules for Focuses Success in a Distracted World, “What we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life.” 

This coming week, I'm going to try to improve my productivity by trying single-tasking.  I know I can't spend two whole days on one project again, but I can spend blocks of time this week with head-down focus.   I'm excited to see the results!

Sources

​Crenshaw, Dave. The Myth of Multitasking: How Doing It All Gets Nothing Done. Jossey-Bass, 2008.​

Rader, Marcey. “Multitasking, Switchtasking, Background Tasking or Hypertasking.” Marcey Rader Coaching, LLC, 13 Dec. 2017, www.marceyrader.com/multitasking-switchtasking-background-tasking-hypertasking/.

Newport, Cal. Deep Work. Piatkus, 2016.

Photo by Steven Wright on Unsplash

Inspiration is everywhere
I remember being asked if I thought I’d run out of material to write about and if this outlet that I thought was going to be fun and therapeutic for me would turn out to be a burden.  So far, I haven’t had to struggle to find things to write about because my life is a work in progress, and I just write about what I experience. Sometimes I have things to share that may be helpful and other times I just write about the raw honest truth of my shortcomings.  Just like you see more pregnant women when you are pregnant, I have found more inspiration now that I’m looking for it. 

Because I’m always looking for an inspiring quote, an interesting article, a great organizing idea, or something worthy of a Friday Funny title for my social media posts, I have read more books and articles, learned more about organization and productivity techniques than ever before in this past year.  The stories I’ve heard from readers who have been inspired by something I have written have truly brought me joy. 
​

A few months ago, I wrote a post about my struggle with laundry (A Laundry Experiment: Part 1).  You can go back and read it, but the basics are this:  There was too much laundry and we never had the right things clean when we needed them or they were clean, but were buried in a giant pile of clean clothes on the couch, coined "laundry couch."  I tried to figure out how to overcome my laundry woes, and vowed to try the following:

• Get the whole family involved in bring laundry from all rooms in the house to the laundry room and sorting it nightly before bed.
• Wash loads of laundry as my laundry sorter got full rather than waiting to do it all on the weekends
• Create some sort of visual reminder so I would remember to start a load or switch clothes from washer to dryer.
• Fold and hang clothes IN the laundry room to avoid laundry couch!  This also means I wouldn't empty another load from the dryer until the previous one was put away.  

Though this experiment wasn't very scientific, I did have a hypothesis and have reached a conclusion (that are one in the same) - I HATE LAUNDRY!!!!  I've failed pretty miserably at most of the points above, but I did learn from my experience. Since I have accepted the fact that laundry will never end, I have some new ideas to try as a result of my failures.

Sorting
The daily sorting is the ONE part of my experiment that really worked.  We don't do it at night, but rather the kids do it every morning.  One kid empties and sorts the laundry from the first floor and the other kid takes care of the upstairs.  We have a two sided laundry sorter for lights and dark as well as a hard plastic hamper where we put the "hots" (things that should be washed in hot water.)  I really like this new habit.  It keeps hampers in the bedrooms and bathrooms from overflowing and makes it visibly obvious when we need to do a load!  We will definitely keep this one!

Washing on Demand
I have been doing laundry during the week much more than I did before, so I'll continue putting a load in the washer when I notice the sorter is full.  The problem has been that I sometimes forget to move it to the dryer and then it gets stinky and has to be rewashed.  The next point about the reminder is what I was really missing!

Reminders
I originally thought I'd make some cute sign that I'd hang near the laundry room to let me know when there was laundry in the washer, but instead I thought I'd go the technology route and set a recurring reminder on my iPhone.   Spoiler alert - - it didn't work.  I quickly became immune to the reminder and just swiped left to dismiss it every day, twice a day.  

Instead of this type of reminder, I'm going to try pairing, when you connect two activities or make one dependent on the completion of the other.  I first heard about the strategy of pairing from author and podcaster, Gretchen Rubin.  I'm thinking that I will pair TV with laundry.  Before I will allow myself to watch TV, I'll have to check the status of the laundry and do the next step - starting a load, switching a load to the dryer and/or folding a load. ​

Use the Laundry Room
I was naive to think that folding laundry in my un-air conditioned laundry room would work in the summer  - it was just too HOT!  In addition, my laundry room is the landing zone for things that have to go to the basement.  I keep clothes that are too small for my oldest son, but still too big for my youngest son in the basement, and with the way my 11-year-old has been growing, each week there have been new things to retire from his wardrobe.  I almost constantly have a bag or just a pile of clothes on top of the dryer poised to go to the basement, which doesn't allow me any room to fold even if the temperature were comfortable.

Since I'm planning to use TV watching to remind me to do the next step in my laundry,  I'm going to go back to folding while I watch.  I used to do this after it got really piled up, but if I fold this each time I watch TV (which is most days) I should be able to avoid laundry couch!  

I'm also going to use pairing to get items down to the basement.  I have one solid nighttime routine, and that is tucking my kids into bed (I've told them this will continue until they go to college!)  Since the only time I don't do this is when I'm not home or I am sick, I can count on this nearly every night.  As the kids start brushing their teeth in preparation for going to their bedrooms, I'm going to take one load to the basement.  If I do this nightly, the laundry room should stay manageable.

New Problems
I did notice a couple of new problems while being  more aware of my laundry process these past few months.  One was that my youngest son has TOO MANY CLOTHES!  This is not because we buy him stuff, but because he gets hand-me-downs from a few different sources.  It makes it difficult for him to put his clothes away because his drawers are stuffed!  Many times clean clothes end up on the floor and it's difficult to tell the difference between then and the dirty ones, so clean clothes are getting washed again!  It's time to purge again!  ​

I’m so ready for back-to-school!  Not because I’m tired of my kids being home for the summer, but because I’m ready to get back into a routine.  I always loved the beginning of the school year as a kid – new clothes and shoes, freshly sharpened pencils, blank notebooks, locker organizers – kind of my dream come true!  I was thinking today about why the beginning of school still excited me as an adult.  Yes, I get to buy supplies for my kids, but there’s more to it than that.  There’s something about a fresh start that appeals to me, and I think we can all learn some lessons from school to help us live our best life this school year.
 
Refresh your wardrobe and get a haircut
Kids usually get a few new outfits and shoes because they’ve grown out of the clothes from the previous school year.  We go through their entire wardrobe and get rid of things that are too small or they won’t wear to avoid any fashion arguments!  This time of year is also a great time to refresh your own wardrobe.  Go through your closet and donate items you haven’t worn in the past several months, items that don’t fit, or ones you just don’t like.  Make a list of what items you need to “fill in the blanks” of your wardrobe.  Watch for sales and treat yourself!  We get our kids a haircut prior to the first day so they look fresh and clean.  Make an appointment for yourself, too.  This could be the one time per year that you spend a little extra or try a new style.  

Keep a regular sleep schedule
Just today, our family discussed what fair bedtimes are for the kids when school starts and what time they need to get up to have plenty of time in the mornings before school.  This will be a big change from our summer routine where the kids’ bedtimes go out the window – and so does mine.  I find myself staying up way too late on a regular basis, but still having to get up at the same time to go to work.  By the end of the summer I’m exhausted and sleeping in late on the weekends to try to catch up.  When school starts, the kids will each have a set bedtime and wakeup time.  I plan to create my own, reasonable bedtime as well as a wakeup time that doesn’t involve the snooze button!

Eat healthy breakfasts and pack a lunch
When school is in session, I make more of an effort to feed my kids a healthy breakfast to give them a good start to their day.  It’s so easy for us as busy adults to skip breakfast or scarf down something on the go.  When school starts, it’s a great opportunity to plan your morning to include a healthy breakfast at the table with your family.  Many days my kids pack their lunches, and we have various options that are easy to pack and are fairly healthy.  Packing a lunch for myself alongside the kids will help me not only to save money on eating out, but help to control my portion size and the nutritional value of what I eat for lunch.

Embrace a fresh start and the opportunity to learn new things
Kids literally start the school year with a blank slate, and they have the opportunity to take new classes from new teachers.  It’s a great time of year for us to forgive ourselves for failed attempts in the past and make new resolutions and plans for new habits.  Is it time for us to take a class, read a book, attend a webinar about something new?

Be active and enjoy recess
My kids have gym class at least once a week, and recess every day.  They also participate in sports during the school year.  I need to follow suit and be more active.  I can use the time they spend at sports practices to be active myself, and why not enjoy a “recess” during the day and take a quick walk?

Create systems to manage time
With all the commitments kids have these days, they have to learn to manage their time, plan ahead and just plain remember what all they need to do!  We are in the process of finalizing what the daily routine will be and then will create a checklist to keep track of it all.  I will print out a grid with the items that need completed down the left-hand side with the days of the week across the top.  The paper will go in a page protector and be displayed on the fridge with a magnetic clip.  The kids will use a dry erase marker to mark off their daily accomplishments.  This makes it reusable, but also easy to change if we add or take away a responsibility.  It’s great to pair one of your own responsibilities to your kids’ – for example, when they practice piano, you wash dishes or when they do homework, you read.  Consider planning your day the night before with specific timebound tasks.  Always overestimate how long it will take you to do things so that you don’t get frustrated!

Cut back on screen time
During the school year, our kids don’t have any screen time from Monday to Thursday (unless homework requires it.) We started this a couple of years ago, and it’s amazing – attitudes are much improved and since there is no expectation of screen time, we don’t hear whining or complaining.  This means my husband and I don’t turn on the TV until after the kids are in bed, and sometimes we don’t even turn it on at all.  It’s my goal to use the time I normally would watch TV to do other things – read, play board games, talk to my husband, take bubble baths, take a walk, etc.

Catch up with friends
One of the best parts of the first day of school for me was always seeing my friends that I hadn’t seen much over the summer.  We would catch up and tell each other what we did over the vacation.  We looked forward to eating lunch together and playing at recess together.  As adults, why don’t we designate the start of the school year as a time to plan some lunch dates and fun activities with old friends?

The fact is, there are always going to be distractions.  We can have a plan for an ideal day, but unless we build in some flexibility and learn to go with the flow, we will end up frustrated and unproductive.  I've worked in many different environments over the years - in a cubicle in an open office, in several offices with doors with varying amounts of people nearby, at a desk in a wide open area, and even at home.  Each present their own challenges, but there are a few universal tips that help to keep me focused.

1. Set low expectations
This may sounds strange, but don't make a huge list of all the things you want to accomplish in a day only to be disappointed in yourself when you can't complete them all.  Instead, identify your Must Do's - usually this will be 2-3 things that HAVE to get done during the day.  The time these take will vary, so if your Must Do's for the day are very short tasks, you can have more or if they are labor intensive, maybe just pick one.  If you get through all of these, then you'll feel like a rock star and everything else you accomplish will be gravy!  ​

​2.  Meet with yourself
Create a MEeting (a meeting with yourself) to do your most important work.  Go so far as to schedule this on your calendar so that others don't think you're free all day when in fact you need several hours to complete your critical tasks.  Use some of this time to plan and identify your must do's for the following day.

5.  Plug your ears
Don't actually stick your fingers in your ears, but use ear buds or headphones!  You don't even have to listen to music, just put those earbuds in to instantly block out noise and trick people into not bothering you.  Most people will think twice about tapping you on the shoulder if you have ear buds in.  Again, you're not being a meany, you're protecting your own productivity.  If you can work with music in the background, find a playlist designed for focus and jam out!

6.  Plan to waste time
We all need a break and some socialization.  Plan for small periods of time to do this throughout the day.  Get to work a few minutes early on Monday to chat about the weekend with your coworkers, or plan a lunch date or a break at the same time as the people you most want to talk to.  Get up and move every hour - even a bathroom break counts.  Drink lots of water and the bathroom breaks will take care of themselves!  A quick walk outside does wonders for your concentration when you get back to your desk.

7.  Keep track of your time
Write down the time you start and stop each task.  For me, when I'm being timed, I'm more efficient.  I also learn how long it really takes me to do things so that I can be more realistic with myself.  I'm not going to get through my email inbox in 5 minutes, but there are other tasks that will fit into that short of a time frame.  I'm also less likely to waste time when it is written down on a piece of paper.  It also helps me look back and give myself grace when I don't get my Must Do's complete because I can see that I spent 5 hours in meetings, 2 hours dealing with urgent and unplanned tasks, leaving not a lot of time to get those things I wanted to do complete.  Consider using the Pomodoro technique (25 minutes of deep work, a 5 minute break, repeat)  I wrote in depth about this in a previous post.

If time is really dragging for you, write down the time you'll be at work down in 30 minute increments (ex. 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.; 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m., etc.) and mark them off as the time passes.  You know that little high you get when you check an item off of a to-do list?  You get that same feeling for marking the time off, but you also get the feeling that you better kick it into high gear because your available time is waning.

8.  Get creative with your schedule and workspace
If you work in an environment where you can control your schedule in any way, use this to your benefit!  Sometimes coming in 30 minutes before everyone else (or just that one person who talks so much) can allow you to get as much done as you would have in three times that long during your regularly scheduled time.   Take your lunch opposite of those in your vicinity to allow for some quiet time while the others take their lunch.  Try working in an alternate space, like a conference room or vacant office, if you have something to complete that takes high focus.  Consider a working lunch away from the office.  If you have the option to work from home, give it a try.  Many people find it much less distracting at home, while others need the structure of an office to keep them on task.

Give these 8 tips a try and let me know if they help you.  I'm not going to lie and say that I can always stay distraction-free or perfectly productive, but I have learned that these tricks do help!  Do you have other tips to share?  Please post in the comments.
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I like to be self-sufficient, and I enjoy learning new things or figuring out how to accomplish a new task.  There are some types of tasks that I won't even attempt, but for most things, I'll at least do a little Googling or YouTube video watching and give it a go.  Though this "I can do it" attitude may help me become more well-rounded, save a little money, and keep things interesting, it can also severely impact my productivity and can create frustration both for me and my family!  Over time, I've learned that there is real value in finding the right person for the job!

At work and at home, it's impossible for us to do it all, though I'm guilty of trying to do it anyway.  I used have a hard time with the group project concept.  I felt like it would just be easier to do it all myself.  At least that way, I knew it would get done.   Doing it myself meant that I knew the progress of the project and the barriers to getting it completed so I could figure out ways to overcome the barriers and meet the deadline.  This mentality causes stress, burnout, and ultimately leads to lower quality work and delayed results.  Why is it then, that it's so hard to relinquish a little control and trust others to help me? ​

​A great example of how finding the right person to do the job produced fantastic and quick results was when I wanted to create a logo for my blog.  I had an idea in my head, but I thought it would be too difficult for me to articulate that to someone else, so I tried to do it myself. I tried and tried to bring my vision to life, but without the proper tools or expertise in graphic design, I just couldn't produce something I was happy with.  I considered hiring someone, but I talked myself out of that by rationalizing that I was saving money by doing it myself and I could remain authentic to my own creative plans for my logo.  Well, what happened is that I didn't launch my blog because I didn't have what I felt was the perfect logo, and I became more and more frustrated and wasted a LOT of time. ​

​I now am much more inclined to hire work done or ask for help and suggestions.  The old saying, "time is money" is so true.  I could spend ten times as long doing something that would be a lower quality than if I hired the right person for the job.  I could use that time in a different way to produce real results.  I'm a big believer in frugality, so of course I don't hire someone to do everything for me!  I pick and choose what I can afford, what meets the biggest and most urgent need, and what I don't want to or don't have the capacity to learn how to do myself.  There are some things that are just fun to dabble in and the difference in the end result of me doing it versus a professional wouldn't be that noticeable, but then there are all the other things where an expert is definitely the right choice.  

This concept also applies to situations at home or work where we would should delegate a task to someone who is best equipped to do it.  Best equipped can mean they are an expert or they have the capacity to become an expert or simply that they have time to do the task.   When we delegate, though, we have to learn to accept the results may not be exactly as if we had done the task ourselves.  I have my kids do certain chores at home, and maybe the cleaning isn't quite as thorough as I would have done it, but it's done and I was able to complete other tasks instead. 

​I also try to remember that it's all about choice.  By choosing to do something myself (or learn how to do something on my own), I am also choosing not to spend that time on something else.  To get and keep my life in order, I have to learn to choose to spend my time wisely so that there is time for the things I'm good at, time for the things I enjoy doing, time for the things I am required to do, and most importantly, time for the people I love.

5. Don't let sentiment cause clutter
My dad is somewhat of a minimalist.  He doesn't care for a coffee table in the middle of the room or many knick knacks sitting around.  My dad had a decent sized record collection, some of which he'd had since he was a teenager.  They were stored in a wooden cabinet with sliding doors.  Several years ago, he wanted to use the record cabinet for another storage purpose (in the garage on that wall in front of the vehicles - thank you hanging tennis ball for keeping it safe!)  In order to use it for garage storage,  he got rid of the records. I remember feeling sentimental about him getting rid of them and they weren't even mine.  He didn't let sentiment cause any unnecessary clutter.  I'm grateful that my husband and brother got several of the records for their own collections!

6.  Research and analyze which is cheaper and better - fixing/refurbishing or buying new
This one may only apply if you have the ability to fix things yourself. If you know my dad, you know he can fix just about anything!  There are times that most people would have just gotten a new (insert whatever is broken in your house) but my dad did the research to fix it.  For instance, he put a brand new bottom in the bathtubs instead of replacing them.  It was cheaper and less work in the long run than tearing out the old one and installing a new one.  There are times though, were  you've fixed as much as you can fix, and it's just time to buy new.  

7.  Label generously
My dad has been making labels as long as I can remember!  His go to is masking tape and a sharpie.  Putting labels on things helps to identify them (the reason spices of similar colors are labelled in my mom's spice cabinet) and helps us remember where things go (this is why I label my clear bins in my refrigerator - I certainly don't want my raw meat to ever go in the bin where my yogurt is supposed to go!)  I have to admit, I did think my dad took it a little far when I saw that he had labelled the tape dispenser, "TAPE."