Last week was Labor Day which meant a day off of work for many of us.  Long weekends are exciting, but short weeks tend to overwhelm me.  There is just as much to do, with one less day to get it done.  When time is short, choosing the right thing to work on first is even more important.  

"There's so much to do that I don't even know where to start!"  How many times have you said that?  I'm here to help!  Not because I'm the expert, but because I've faltered and failed enough times to find a better way.  

Gary Keller suggests in his book The One Thing that we ask ourselves this question over and over, "What is the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will be easier or unnecessary?”  In the past, I thought that checking several things off of my to do list was better than completing one task - even if that one task was more important or urgent. 

In fact, doing less, can help us accomplish more in the long run.  Keller says, “Until my ONE Thing is done — everything else is a distraction.”  Distractions are everywhere - email anyone??  Read the last post about the No Email Hour to help avoid that trap!  Once you figure out what that ONE thing is, focus on it, and accomplish it, you repeat the process over and over!  The hard part is determining what that ONE thing is.  

Experts often point to the Eisenhower Matrix of urgent and important tasks.  This matrix is named after the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was experienced at prioritizing while he was a general in the US Army and the Allied Forces Supreme Commander in World War II.   He suggested identifying the urgency and importance of a task to determine what to do first.  An urgent task is one that is compelling or requires immediate action or attention.  An important task is one that is of great significance or value.  If a task is both important and urgent, that puts it in the "do first" quadrant.  A task that is important, but not urgent should be scheduled for a later time while a task that is urgent but less important can be delegated to someone else.  Finally, if a task is not urgent and not important, this is something that likely not even do at all! 

The Eisenhower matrix is a great framework to help sort out your tasks, but I would suggest a little twist to increase productivity even more using this simple order.
​

1. Delegate - it's super easy to check something off your list when you don't even have to do it!
2. Automate -  do one or more steps of the process, and the rest happens automatically.
3. Remove Stress - a big, scary task looming over you will hinder your productivity the rest of the day - just do it!
4. Consider Dependencies - be aware of cause and effect and think downstream.

​A busy day at home is the perfect opportunity to apply these steps.  Let's say you have a sink full of dirty dishes, 2 loads of laundry to do, a doctor appointment to schedule, and uncomfortable email to send, cookies to bake for an event,  kids to take to and from sports practice, and a few things to pick up at the store.  Here's how the 4 steps above can help you be productive.

First you should look for an opportunity to delegate.  If you can completely delegate a task, that's an easy win, but even if you can delegate only a step in the process, that can free you up to work on something else at the same time.  If you have kids, there are plenty of ways they can help like unloading the clean dishes from the dishwasher, sorting laundry or even starting a load.   

​You have several automations already created for you in your day.  In our busy day example, your dishwasher and clothes washer and dryer automate some of your tasks.  Automations do require prep work.  You have to empty the dishwasher of clean dishes and load it with dirty dishes before you can start it.  You have to gather and sort your laundry, put a load in the washer with detergent before you can start the washer.   Once you get your machines working for you, you can complete other tasks while your dishes and clothes are getting clean - in this example, scheduling that doctor appointment.  

It is important to get automated tasks going before you do other tasks.  If you waited until late in the day to start the laundry, the automation doesn't buy you as much time as if you start it early in the day.  You may need to revisit your automated processes from time to time (like switching the clothes from the washer to the dryer in order to start a new load)

Now that you've got others working for you (delegation) and your machines working for you (automation), it's time to remove the stress.  There may be one task on your list that has been causing you anxiety or stress.  If you put it off, you may be focusing on it instead of other tasks throughout the day.  By getting it out of the way, you will better be able to focus later.  In our example, that uncomfortable email may be a source of stress.  While your machines are working for you, take the time to just do it!

Finally consider dependencies in tasks.  You still need to take kids to and from sports practices, make cookies, and go to the store.  The kids' practice is dependent on a specific time.  It's scheduled, so you can't do it before the time it occurs.  Since you'll be away from home during the drive to and from practice, and you probably shouldn't leave the house with your oven on, you either have to get the cookies finished before you leave, have enough time to bake the batches while practice is in session, or not start until you return home from pickup.  You don't have any chocolate chips, so you can't make chocolate chip cookies until you've been to the store.  Now that you've thought through all of your to-do's, you can determine the best order to complete your tasks in.  

By using these 4 steps along with the principles of the Eisenhower matrix, you will be able to choose to put first things first and become the most productive version of yourself!

​Sources

Keller, Gary. The One Thing: the Surprisingly Simple Truth behind Extraordinary Results. John Murray Press, 2019.

“The Eisenhower Matrix: Introduction & 3-Minute Video Tutorial.” Eisenhower, 2017, www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/. ​

When you are overwhelmed, it is all too easy to focus on busywork like reading and answering emails instead of the tasks that really matter.  You probably have your email program open all day long, and you may even have pop-ups or audible notifications set up to alert you when a new message comes in.  Email can contain important information, but it is likely the single biggest distraction of your workday! 

You may think you can check or compose emails while you are doing other things throughout the day, but Gary Keller says in his popular book, The One Thing, "Multi-tasking is a lie."  What he means is that we cannot truly do more than one thing at a time.  Productivity psychologist,  Dr. Melissa Gratias explains it well, "Our brain does not perform tasks simultaneously. It performs them in sequence, one after another.  So, when we are multitasking we are switching back and forth between the things we are doing."  The price we pay for attempting to multi-task is called switching cost.

"Switching cost is the disruption in performance that we experience when we switch our attention from one task to another," explains James Clear, author of the New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits.   Just think of how many times a day you check your email!  A study published in the International Journal of Information Management in 2003 reports that a typical employee checks email nearly every 5 minutes and it takes over a minute to get back to what they were doing before the email interruption.  Do the math - that's a waste of 10 minutes every hour which equates to an hour and 20 minutes out of an eight hour workday just getting our brains reset back to what we were concentrating on before we stopped to check email.

To combat this distraction, start by choosing one hour of your workday to NOT check email.  Trust me, I know this is hard!  I picked a hour in the morning because that allows me to get important tasks done without distraction early in the day.   Select an hour in the portion of your day where you feel the sharpest and most awake so that you can leverage that energy and get meaningful work done when you are at your best.   It would would be a shame to waste the best part of your day on your inbox!

To really make this hour productive, make sure you have a task list in order of priority handy so that you can jump right in doing the thing that matters the most.  Next week's post will be about how to do first things first (I'm pretty excited about this one!)

If you get really good at a "no email hour" in your workday, you may want to try increasing that time.  Depending on the type of work you do, it may be detrimental to be 'off the grid' for too long.  Some experts suggest only checking email a couple of times a day, but in my day job, that would just not be acceptable.  If I do need to be away from email longer than an hour or so, I sometimes set a temporary automated out of office message to set the expectation that my response will be delayed.  The message can be very simple like, "I'm working on a high priority project and will not be checking email until 2 p.m.  If you have an urgent need, please text me at ###-###-####."

One caveat that makes the "no email hour" tricky is that many tasks may require sending emails, so be careful not to get sucked in to your inbox when composing a new message.  To avoid the temptation, try these shortcuts to open just a blank message instead of your entire inbox. 

Outlook - When you want to send a message, simply right click on the Outlook icon on your taskbar, and choose new message.  You could also create a desktop shortcut to compose a new message (instructions here.)

Gmail - There is a handy dandy Chrome Extension called Quick Compose for Gmail that allows you to open up a blank message withOUT going to your inbox.  Once you've installed the extension, there's even a keyboard shortcut!

iPhone Mail App - Use 3D or haptic touch (which basically means that you tap and hold) on the mail icon until a menu appears, and then select new message.  This brings up a blank message without taking you into your inbox.  NOTE: if you have multiple email accounts set up on your phone, the message will be automatically from your default account, but you can easily change that by tapping on the from address and choosing the proper account.

These are the three mail apps I use most often, but if you use others, I'm sure a quick Google search of "how to compose a message without opening my (insert mail app) inbox" will bring up tips to help you.

Try the "no email hour" for a week and let me know how amazing it feels to get an entire hour's worth of work down without email interruptions!  

​Sources
Clear, James. ATOMIC HABITS: an Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. RANDOM House BUSINESS, 2019.

Clear, James. “The Myth of Multitasking: Why Fewer Priorities Leads to Better Work.” James Clear, 4 Feb. 2020, jamesclear.com/multitasking-myth.

Hoyt, Alia. “How Multitasking Works.” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 27 Jan. 2020, science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/multitasking.html.

Jackson, T., Dawson, R. and Wilson, D., 2003. Reducing the effect of email interuption on employees. International Journal of Information Management, 23(1), pp.55-65

Keller, Gary. The One Thing: the Surprisingly Simple Truth behind Extraordinary Results. John Murray Press, 2019.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

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

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

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

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

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

• Cleaning and cutting fruits and veggies

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

• Putting food into smaller containers

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

• Avoiding using and cleaning the blender

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

• ​Not wasting time washing dishes

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

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

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

I don't want you to feel discouraged though, because I have a few suggestions for you!  
​

• Lower your own expectations

I've written about this one before, so I'm just going to link you to that post.  Give yourself the grace you'd give anyone else!

• Don't keep to do's in your head

You're a busy person so don't waste any of the energy you have to spend on remembering things.  Keep a master to do list.  Use paper or digital, it doesn't matter.  Just develop your own system of capturing all the things in your head so you can use your brain for doing the stuff and not just remembering it!

• Recognize seasons of your life and move your focus to where it needs to be during that time.

As I said above, my kids are still young, and it's going too fast.  I want to freeze time sometimes.  This is the season of my life that going to kids' activities is more important to me than going to a work event and rubbing shoulders with important people, and I'm done feeling guilty about that!

• Prune out some of the unnecessary from your life.

​We all do a lot, and there's bound to be a few things that you can either stop doing all together or delegate to someone else.  I encourage you to check out this roles and responsibilities worksheet to help identify all the roles and responsibilities you have in your life and how you can cut back to give yourself some breathing room.

• Add something to your life that is just for you.

This one seems counter-intuitive, but I highly recommend it.  When I was the busiest and most overwhelmed in my life is when I started this blog.  I needed an outlet that wasn't about my family or my work.  It was something that I could put on the back burner if I needed to without a lot of impact, but it was also something I could escape to if I wanted.  Find a hobby or develop a new skill.  It doesn't have to take lots of your time, but it can life changing!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

We are living in a historic time, and many of us are battling conflicting emotions that change multiple times a day.  We are in a situation we’ve never been in before nor has anyone ever been!  It’s a struggle to sort out the truth from the rhetoric, and a true balancing act between staying informed and becoming obsessed.  Our physical and our mental health seem like they are somethings being pitted against each other, and it's been difficult to lead a "regular" life over the past several months.
 
For me, part of my "regular" life for the past 3 years has been this blog, but I soon realized that it had been months since my last blog post.  When stay-at-home orders first hit, I was just busy with my day job in IT, so I skipped a couple of weeks.  Then I became envious of those I saw posting on social media about how they were embracing the “pause” in daily life.   My work life had not paused, and in fact I was working more hours with more stress than ever, and I still had to be a good boss, a supportive wife, an attentive parent, and even a teacher!  The only thing I felt that I could allow myself to “pause” was my blog - so I stopped writing.

About a month after my last blog post, I realized that not ONE person had noticed I hadn’t written or posted on social media, so I became discouraged wondering why I should even start up again.  I began to use any pockets of time that I could find to do other things I enjoyed like reading, working in the yard, learning to sew, going on walks with my husband, and spending bonus time with my kids.  ​

What's Next?
I’m launching the next session of Achieve!, the group goal setting and accountability group for women, in mid-September with a 6 week session.  If you have a goal you need help achieving or even need help determining what your goal is, this small group, virtual program may be just what you need.  Learn more about the program here.  ​​ If you decide to sign up, use coupon code: EARLYBIRD  by 8/15/20 for your first week free!

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

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

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

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

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

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

If at all possible set up your work space and leave it set up until your work-from-home days are over.  The less time you have to spend hooking up equipment, finding your work files, and clearing off a space the better.  I have my work space set up in our mudroom/craft room.  I've got my extra monitor and my laptop all hooked up and plugged in, my headset nearby, a clear surface for a notepad, and a cup of writing utensils within arm's reach.   When I'm done for the day, I just shut down my laptop and close the lid.  When it's time to work again, it only takes a few seconds to get up and running again.
​

Some find it difficult to stay on task at home because there are so many other things you could be (or want to be) doing like laundry, dishes....or watching TV!  Make sure you have all the tools you need to be productive in your work space so you can more easily keep work and home separate and avoid getting distracted.  For example, keep a notebook specifically for work near your computer so that aren't making work notes on your grocery list.  

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

Make sure you have a comfortable chair, a keyboard and mouse that work well, and have your monitor(s) set up in a way that doesn't cause you to strain your neck or eyes.  The more comfortable you are, the more productive you will be.  Invest in a headset — even an inexpensive pair of ear buds with a microphone will make talking on the phone while working remotely much easier!   Finally, don't forget to drink plenty of water!  I'm great about having water with me at work, but I've found at home, it's something I tend to forget.  Staying hydrated can prevent headaches and help you stay focused.
​

When you go into the office, you have certain times that you typically work.  Do your best to stick to those same hours at home.  At work you likely take a few breaks and a lunch break every day, so do the same at home, and try to take those breaks away from your work space.  Some of the great benefits of working at home is that you can take breaks with your family, get some housework done, or even take a nap in your own bed!  Remember that just because your fridge and pantry are a room away doesn't mean that you should snack more than you do on a typical workday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Photo by jordi pujadas on Unsplash

Are you overwhelmed?  It seems like almost everyone I know feels like there is too much on their plate or there just isn't enough time to get everything done — at least not done well.  I used to think that if I could just be more productive, I could handle it all,  but what I've learned is that is just not true.  We all have a limit —there is a finite amount of time in the day and I only have a finite amount of energy.  If there is truly too much, something has to give.

You may feel like nothing on your to-do list can be delayed, delegated or deleted, but I think that most of us don't even know what all is on our list.  The general feeling of overwhelm follows us around because of the sheer amount of things we need to do but also because of the things we fear we have forgotten or are spending energy trying to remember.    If you could free your mind of trying to keep track of your to-dos, you would have more bandwidth to "do the stuff."  This is where a brain dump comes into play.  You can get it all out of your head and then organize it into a trusted system.  Here's an easy brain dump how-to that you can use for personal or professional purposes or feel free to do both at once.

The supplies you need for this step are blank, lined notepad and a writing utensil.  Set a timer for no more than 15 minutes and then begin writing anything you can think of that you need to do, want to do, or even ideas that have been floating around in your head.   Write one thing on each line.  Some of what you write down will be projects or categories and others will be actual tasks, don't worry about differentiating, just write everything you can think of. The timer is just to give you a sense of urgency and create focus, it's not to limit you on getting everything out of your head and onto paper.  So if the timer goes off and you have more to write, keep at it!

If you're like me, you take notes in meetings, while on the phone, and when you randomly think of something.  These notes could be in a journal or notebook, on a scrap of paper or sticky note, or even in a note taking app on your phone or computer.    It's likely that you have notes in multiple places which makes it hard to know what all you really need to do!  

In this step you are going to gather all your notes and transfer any tasks onto your master "dump" list.   Try to quickly scan each note rather than re-reading everything.  If after you've transferred the to-do, you don't feel like you need to keep that note, draw a big X on the page so when you are all done, you know that it's ok to throw away.  

If you've never done this process before you could have a lot of notes to go through!  I suggest making a judgement call here that anything older than a certain time frame is either no longer relevant or probably has cropped up again in more recent notes.  This means you simply choose not to look through those older notes, but since you actively chose to do that, you can release that from the things in the back of your mind to worry about.  If you feel it's necessary you could archive those old notes "just in case."

As you are working through this, a note may job your memory for another project or task you hadn't written down.  That's a good thing, you are truly emptying your head!  Just add anything else that comes to mind to your master list.

​Depending on the amount of notes you have, you may want to use the Pomodoro technique in this step so you don't get burnt out.  Work for a set amount of time and then take a small break where you get up and move around, and then go back to work.  

By now, you should be feeling much lighter because everything is out of your head and onto one giant list.  Don't feel overwhelmed by the size of your list because now you're going to make it manageable.

Review each item on your "dump" list, and if it's a project or category mark it with a star.  A project is something that requires multiple tasks to complete and a category is a way to group like tasks together.  An example of a project is "Plan Spring Break trip" and an example of a category is "Phonecalls."  

After you've gotten through the whole list, you can continue in one of two ways — 1) Continue using a notepad or 2) Use blank sticky notes.  I'm going to explain how to do this using both methods, so read through both options before you decide what works best for you.

1) Continue using a notepad.
​Write each item you starred on the top of a separate piece of paper.  Spread the papers out on a clear surface.  Then go through your list and add each task to the appropriate project or category.  If you get to a task that doesn't have a project or category, either create a new sheet with a new heading or if it's a standalone task, add it to a sheet titled "miscellaneous."  As you add tasks to project sheets, mark them off the original list.  If you run across a duplicate, just mark it off as well.  Continue until every task has been transferred.

OR

2) Use blank sticky notes
Write each item you starred on a separate sticky note and stick to a large empty table or counter, or better yet, a blank wall.  Then go through your list and write each task on it's own sticky note and stick under the appropriate category.  If you get to a task that doesn't have a project or category, either create a new sticky note for that project, or if it's a standalone task, add it to a  "miscellaneous" category.  As you add tasks to project sheets, mark them off the original list.  If you run across a duplicate, just mark it off as well.  Continue until every task has been transferred.  The beauty of using sticky notes is that it's easy to move a task from one project to another if you change your mind about how you'd like to categorize.

Now that you can physically see all the projects, and tasks that you have on your plate, it's time to get rid of, or delete, some of them!  Scan each project/category for items that are no longer needed or relevant, and mark them out (notepad method) or wad up and throw away (sticky note method.)

​Review remaining tasks for things that someone else can do. You may have taken on a task because you felt obligated or thought you were being helpful, but if you continue to add to your responsibilities you won't be able to complete even your required tasks.  If YOU don't have to be the one to complete a task, consider who could help you, or even do it better than you.  Once you have successfully delegated a task to someone else, mark it off your list!

Finally, look through what's left and select the projects and tasks that can be pushed to the back burner.  I have a "someday/maybe" category that I store these deferred tasks in.  I review these periodically to determine if any should become active again.

Now that you have a somewhat more manageable list to work with, you should enter what you've chosen to keep on your list into a trusted system.  If you already have a task management system, make sure to review what's already included, and mark off the ones that are completed or no longer relevant before you begin adding new projects and tasks.  If you haven't chosen your preferred task management system, you have a lot of options!  You can use a simple notebook, a color coded binder,  or you can go with an electronic option.  In past posts I've talked about a few of my favorite digital options including Nozbe and Trello. 

Regardless what you choose, make sure you can easily prioritize and assign due dates to tasks if needed.  Once you've gotten to this step, maintaining your system is critical.  Make sure to add ALL tasks to your system so you don't have to go through this entire process again!  You should review your system daily so that you are always in tune with what your next action should be on each project.

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
​
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
​
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