I recently heard on a podcast that minimalism is a mind game - that it's not about getting rid of stuff as much as it is about getting rid of distractions. I've never heard it phrased that way before, but it clicked. I've dabbled with simplicity for years. In fact, my long-time readers will remember when this blog was called…
-
-
Crisis can happen in the blink of an eye. One minute life is normal, and then everything is different. It could be anything that rocks your stability: death, divorce, accident, layoff, shutdown. But crisis comes to us all, and it's important to know what to do. My own personal experience with crisis was major - eleven years ago my husband…
-
Have you ever been going over your task list and come to a screeching halt? Did you stumble over the task because your brain didn't know what to do with it? Properly naming tasks is one way to keep that from happening. I am not very good at naming tasks. Even after years of doing Getting Things Done and absorbing…
-
To get more done, you need to do more things. That's self-evident. But what if I told you the secret to getting more done was limiting your tasks? I am one of those people, who, when faced with a huge list of things to do, will shut down and do none of it. It's not uncommon. Most people, faced with…
-
There are productivity lessons everywhere, if you just look. Here are four lessons I learned from a video game my daughter got me into, "We Bare Bears Match 3 Repairs." I like matching games, and when my daughter started playing this one (based on one of her favorite cartoons), I peeked over her shoulder. What makes this game different from…
-
Few people would say that work and life are the same. Yet we try to apply work task management techniques to the rest of our lives, and are frustrated when it doesn't work. I have very little problem staying on task at work. I have multiple priorities and multiple projects, and yet I consistently meet my deadlines. I began to…
-
As part of my quest for productivity, I read a lot of articles and books on the various aspects. I get frustrated from time to time, because I think a lot of the authors miss the points. For example, I have been reading a lot about building a better task list. And I’ve discovered that most task advice is worthless.
-
I tackle my email overload by moving everything into a "backlog" folder, setting up filters, and creating processing folders like "Respond" and "Task." Using timers to sort emails helps me stay organized and focused.
-
You have a beautiful blank calendar before you. What should you put on it to ensure you get the most use out of it? This article addresses the basics. In spite of my dedication to electronic calendars (because of their portability and shareability), I still maintain a paper calendar in my kitchen. This is simply for the visibility without extra…
-
January 1 is when all the calendars recognize the start of the New Year. And as we have just passed that date, I thought I would talk about some things you can do to make your New Year get off to a great start. I have discovered that when I take time to acknowledge the new year and its potential,…
