Tag Archive for: organizing goals
All or Nothing
Have you ever convinced yourself that you can’t start an organizing project, or any type of project because you wouldn’t be able to finish it. Do you tell yourself that it’s not worth starting if you can’t finish. This is an all or nothing attitude. The idea that we have to do the whole project gets in the way of us starting the project. Here are 5 easy steps to help jump-start any project.
- Write down what the very first step of the project is.
- Pick a day and time to start and put it on your calendar.
- Gather all the materials you’ll need.
- On project day, set a timer for 30 minutes and work on completing step one of your project.
- Repeat the process. You may need more time for step one, or you may be ready to move on to step 2,3,4… either way, you’ll be making progress.
What lists can do for you
I like lists and use them for a variety of reasons.
Lists help me remember things. We all need a memory jogger now and then, and the older I get the more helpful lists are to me. It’s much easier to refer to a list than it is to stress about remembering all the things that need to be addressed. I create shopping lists for the super market, checklists for household chores, and honey do lists for home improvement projects. Creating a list helps me recall the information exactly when I need it.
Lists help me de-stress and clear my mind. I write things down in a list format to get the information out of my head and onto paper so I spend less time churning those thoughts and ideas around in my mind. Some people call this a mind dump. I create lists of books to read, websites to check out, future projects to accomplish, and goals to pursue. My stress reduces when I write my thoughts down and have something concrete to refer back to when I want it.
Lists help me organize, prioritize, and plan action steps. After all, a list is just words on paper, or a device, unless we use them to prompt us to take action. What really helps me take action is attaching the item on the list to a specific date and time on my calendar. I’m a bit old school and like a paper planner. The one I use has a space to document daily to-be-done items. The system I’ve created for myself looks like this. At the end of each week I organize the action steps to take place during the following week. I assign a day for each action, and then prioritize every action at the beginning of each day. It’s important to be realistic and limit myself to 1-3 top priority items per day. I admit it took me a few months to perfect my system. Now it’s habitual.
There are a wide array of lists, from grocery store lists, to vacation wish lists, to lists of business goals. I encourage you to make lists and use them to help you remember, de-stress, organize, prioritize, and plan action steps.
©January 2021 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All Rights Reserved
Monthly de-cluttering challenge
As we start the new year, (Happy 2021!) I’d like to invite you to participate in my monthly de-cluttering challenge. For the month of January, remove 10 things that you have in your home as a result of an impulsive purchase. Some examples of impulse buys are gifts that we never gave, cute items that have no purpose, and sale items we don’t use.
Please share your items with me, and I’ll add you to the Monthly de-cluttering challenge email list. You’ll get an email on the fist of every month prompting you to get rid of something from your home. At the end of 2021 your home will be more organized and less cluttered.
Happy Organizing in 2020!
Wishing you a very happy new year!
How are you? Is your new year off to a good start? I hope so. Although I’ve had a bit of a head cold, I’m gearing up for a great year. This January marks my 12th year in business and I thank you for your support and patronage throughout the years.
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