- Focus on Your Strengths – an eagle should spend time flying. If you focus on something you are good at the enjoyment will only strengthen you. You can outsource some of the things that you are not good at.
- Just Do It – Nike has the best slogan. It’s about being productive. If you get down to it instead of procrastinating you will produce a lot more in a much shorter period of time.
- Learn To Single Task – while multi-tasking might seem like all the rage, it is actually much more productive to focus on one thing and follow it through to completion before you move onto the next. This approach can shorten a large assignment dramatically.
- Remove Distractions – if you are busy playing you will not be productive. Treat yourself to a reward after your task is complete.
- Learn to say No – Many people have a hard time with this one, thinking people will take it personally, but with a little practice you will become gracious. Learning to say no will free up time to focus on the things you value.
- Make Things Fun – This is hard for some people. We are stoic and feel guilty about enjoying ourselves. If you make an activity fun, you will become more productive. Why deny yourself. Make cleaning up a silly game, you’d be amazed at how much easier it becomes.
- Have A Flexible Routine – If you make certain tasks routine, you will notice an increase in productivity. It will become a habit. For example learning something in a regular 15 minute period every day, but doing it consistently is better than doing 2 hours once a week – a language for example.
- Break Things Into Little Chunks – How Do You Eat An Elephant? The answer, one bite at a time. If you do it in pieces, eventually you will complete it. If you try to tackle it all at once it will likely seem insurmountable.
- Only Touch It Once – email is a good example. Schedule it for the middle of your day (so when you full of energy first thing you can focus on a harder task). BUT…when you look at the email, don’t set it aside, respond to it or decide what action is needed and get it done. This will eliminate countless reminders and time spent mulling it over, thus freeing up extra time.
- Clear the Clutter In Your Life – A cluttered life is a cluttered mind. You’ve probably heard this before. If you slowly eliminate the clutter in your life, both in activities and material things it will be easier to focus on step one, your goals and values. Those are the things that should be left.
You may remember the mention of four steps in organizing your life. Learning to relax is often forgotten. It’s your bonus rule. Relaxing can free your mind of any distractions and help to keep you organized.
Try one thing from the list above and keep trying it every day until it is a habit. When you have completed that one thing, return and do another from the list.
The above simple rules will help organize your life.
Remember – coping with life is all about choices, your choices.