| |
| |
|
Organizing Information |
|
|
|
The Problem With To-Do Lists
Do you use to-do lists? Do you find it satisfying to check off the items on that list? Too satisfying perhaps? More than once I've found myself adding something I've already done to my daily list. I get to check it off then, you see. I get "credit" for all the things I've done. Whatever satisfaction this may give, it's also an indication I'm confusing effectiveness with just being busy. Do To-Do Lists Help? Of course it helps to write down meetings and events and necessary tasks. The problem is we sometimes start to work for the list, and then the list may not work well for us. It's easy to feel like you're getting a lot done when you have a list to "prove" it. The question is whether you are getting the important things done. It seems so reasonable to sort my files again right now. I would feel good to cross that off the list. I have many such things that show up on my to-do lists, giving me plenty of opportunities to avoid more dificult things, like writing this article. This is what I need to be doing, however. A Better To-Do List Prioritise your list. You can put the more important things at the top, or put a mark next to them. Then start doing the important things first every day. If, like myself, you need the satisfaction of crossing off the small things on the list, do those only as a reward - after you do one of the important tasks. Make sure the most important things get on your lists. That big trip to Nepal you're going to take "someday," may never happen until you break it into steps you can put on your list. In fact, it may be worthwhile to stop list-making altogether, until you clarify what IS important to you. To break my list-dependency, I put things on my list just so I can ignore them to do more important things. You don't want to just "get busy," do you? If you want to move towards real values, you need to make your to-do lists work for you. Put that on your list for today. Steve Gillman writes on many self help topics including boosting brainpower, losing weight, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, learning gratitude, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. You'll find more at http://www.selfimprovementnow.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Organizing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Managing Mealtime Madness It is 5:00 pm and Cindy has no idea what to make for dinner. In the process of searching through the freezer, she causes an avalanche of frozen foods to fall to the floor. How Can I Deal With It All? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Have a to-do list a mile long? An in-tray that's about to collapse? Closets that are jam-packed with junk and a stack of family photos?Now school is starting and things are just going to get worse! How can you deal with it all?Often when we look at all there is to do, it can seem and is overwhelming. But if we chunk it down into smaller tasks the world starts to look a lot brighter. 3-Step Clean Sweep Program to Organize 3-Step Clean Sweep Program 1 - Purge2 - Simplify3 - Organize Getting Started Springtime is when many folks give their homes and offices a good cleaning. For every thing there is a season, and this is the season to get rid of the winter cobwebs. 10 Tips to Get Organized and Clutter-Free- Now! 1. THE LOVE IT OR LOSE IT PRINCIPLE: Every item around you represents a choice you made. Without a Plan, You're Doomed to Failure "My job is an endless series of deadlines, I am constantly putting out fires" You've probably heard talk like that a time or two. You may sound like that yourself on occasion. Clutter Campaign - Commit Your Time Decide When And Where To StartDecide when and where to start. You have the same amount of time each day as did Thomas Jefferson, Einstein, and Mae West. Five Simple Tips to Get Organized Today! Take time to declutter this summer.. Organizing Lessons from a Bookstore The store reminded me of a well-worn slipper - tattered and dusty, but obviously used and loved. I toured the aisles and backrooms with storeowner and publisher Britton Trice. What Clutter Clearing Can Do For You You can get a pretty good idea of the benefits of clutter clearing simply by imagining your life free of all the negative effects of clutter: lack of focus and clarity; feelings of being professionally, creatively, spiritually, and/or romantically stuck; insufficient time and attention for self and family; increased stress, irritability and depression. Wouldn't it be great to be free of all these?No matter what other factors may be dragging you down, I guarantee you that clearing your clutter will dramatically improve your mood and energy. The True Definition of an Organization The true definition of an organization is one that is organized. Organized in all areas of fundamental business best practices. 10 Tips on Color Coding Your Paper: From Chaos to Coherence Color-There Is No SubstituteIn anatomical illustrations you see the brain's visual system, where the optic nerve is actually 25 times faster than our audio nerves (hearing). No matter which processing style you depend on, 90 percent of the sensory perceptions received by your brain are visual. Escaping The Clutter Trap? - 5 Steps For Increasing Productivity And Decreasing Stress ? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the "stuff" in your life? Magazines and journals you've never finished reading, clothes you never wear, e-mail you haven't responded to, or photographs you intended to share with friends or colleagues? ? Are you embarrassed to invite people to your home or office because they will see the way you live or work? Do you rush around when someone's coming to hide the evidence?? Is clutter putting a strain on a relationship that's important to you? Do you argue with your spouse about what to keep, or spend time reassuring your colleagues that you know what everything is?? Do you waste time looking for things you really need - documents you already created, or the keys or receipt you had in your hand five minutes ago?? Is your home or office just too crowded? Does clutter take valuable space and leave you feeling overwhelmed? If you answered "Yes" to any two or more of these questions, you are caught in The Clutter Trap - a state of cumulative disorder which diminishes your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, or financial health. There are more than a few people reading this article right now who are feeling distressed by the clutter in their lives. 1-2-3 Sort Article excerpted from the new book, "How to Do Space Age Work with a Stone Age Brain" by Eve Abbott1 - 2 - 3-SORT!Every time you start to clean up your office so you can work better instead of harder-that big backlog of information is just too overwhelming. Sorting can actually put you into a better working space in very short time!The good news is you don't have to do it all at once. 5 Reasons to Organize Your Home Today Home organization isn't just for neat-nicks or those drawn toward organized living. Even if you don't fall into those two stereotypes, you should consider learning and implementing some home organizing techniques. Organize Your Desk - Live Longer! It may seem far-fetched, but by organizing your desk, your bedroom, your kitchen, and all of the spaces where you spend time, you could be adding years to your life. In essence, stress can shorten your life. Ten Signs That Your Life Is Cluttered How do you know if you need to clean out? Here's a sure-fire ten-step way to spot (and deal with!) clutter in your life.YOU HAVE TO MOVE A PILE OFF A CHAIR SO SOMEONE CAN SIT DOWNHaving a junk closet where you hide it all away is one thing (not good, but certainly a bit more tolerable). A Simple Effective Tool To Get And Stay Organized Often we are in overwhelm because we are holding too many things in our brain. We are trying to make everything a priority and get it done now. Simple Ideas to Conquer Paper Clutter Are stacks of papers, mail, newspapers, and growing "to do" lists cluttering your home? Has it been months since you've seen your countertops or have you completely forgotten what your countertops look like? Paper clutter includes bills, warranties, cards, mail, memos, sticky notes, lists, letters, advertising flyers, school papers, etc. If any or all of these items are cluttering your home and countertops, follow the simple ideas below to organize your papers and gain control over the clutter. The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Organizing Your Kids Rooms 1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing a parent should do before decorating a kid's room?Get rid of the clutter! Because we are such a materialistic, marketing, socializing-driven society, kids are bombarded and often overwhelmed with "stuff" - much of which they don't even like and will never use. Organizing Tips to Help You Conquer the Laundry Monster Laundry. You sort, you wash, you fold, you blink - and the pile of dirty clothes has grown all over again.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
Comment by Christopher Whalen