Latest Blog Posts

7 Habits of very organized people

By Julie Stobbe / September 26, 2023 /

So you want to get organized?

Achieving order in your life doesn’t mean being perfect. That’s not realistic. Getting organized is not an event; it’s a process that happens over time. Like changing your eating or exercise habits, it sometimes involves behavioural changes and routines.

Perfectionism

Is being unrealistic by spending so much time on a task that it deprives other important tasks of sufficient time.

Excellence

Is doing the best job you can with the time and resources at your disposal.

What is organization? 

Being organized has less to do with the way an environment looks than how effectively it functions. If a person can find what they need when they need it, feels unencumbered in achieving his or her goals, and is happy in his or her space, then that person is well organized.

Myth #1 Organization is a born talent.

  • Organization is a skill. If the right resources or support are available it is easy to learn.

Myth #2: It’s impossible to stay organized.

  • Organizing is sustainable, if systems are built around the way the person thinks and designed to grow and adapt to new information.

The 7 Habits of Very Organized People

1. They have a place for everything

  • 25% of business documents are misplaced and will never be located so those documents must be recreated.

2. They put things back

  • Executives waste six weeks per year searching for items.

3. They write things down

  • Make a master list of things to do to determine the priorities for the next day.  This may include planning the most effective routine to use to accomplish the tasksthe route driven to see a client or considering high and low energy cycles in the day and planning tasks accordingly.

4. They don’t allow papers/e-mails to pile up.

  • The average worker sends and receives over 190 messages each day.  Approximately 60 e-mails can be processed each hour.  Learn how to use e-mail effectively in order to limit the number of e-mails received and sent each day.

5. They don’t procrastinate

  • Procrastinating causes people to spend more time and energy on avoiding the task than completing it.  Once it is accomplished it is out of sight and out of mind.

6. They set goals and assign deadlines

  • Schedule a time for each task in the project to be completed, so deadlines can be met easily.

7. They only keep what they use and enjoy.

  • Clutter is usually the “extra” that is kept on hand just in case it is needed.  About 20% of items are used 80% of the time,  so 80% of items are hardly used at all.  Find the important 20% and let go of the unimportant 80%.

 

  1. They have a place for everything                                                   
  2. They put things back
  3. They write things down
  4. They don’t allow papers/e-mails to pile up.
  5. They don’t procrastinate
  6. They set goals and assign deadlines
  7. They only keep what they use and enjoy.

If you need help getting organized contact me for a virtual consultation 

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices,  virtually. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

 TwitterFacebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space 

 

 

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Organizing your mindset for a fresh fall restart.

By Julie Stobbe / September 5, 2023 /

Reading time –  10 minutes

Transitioning from a relaxed summer mindset to a productive routine can be challenging. There are several strategies you can use to regain motivation and boost your productivity. Here are some tips to help you get back on track.

1. Set Clear Goals

Define specific, measurable goals for what you want to achieve after the summer. Having a clear sense of purpose will give you a reason to stay motivated and work towards your objectives. Making a realistic list of tasks to complete helps to structure your workday.

2. Start Small

Begin with small tasks or projects to ease yourself into a productive work routine after the summer. Accomplishing these smaller tasks can provide a sense of accomplishment and build momentum for larger tasks.

3. Create a Routine

Establish a daily routine that includes dedicated work hours, breaks, exercise, and relaxation. Having a structured routine can help you transition smoothly from the more relaxed summer schedule.

4. Prioritize Tasks

Make a to-do list and prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadlines. Tackling high-priority tasks first can help you make steady progress and feel a sense of accomplishment.

5. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps

Large projects can feel overwhelming, leading to procrastination. Break them into smaller, manageable steps to make them feel more achievable.

6. Eliminate Distractions

Identify and minimize distractions in your workspace. This could mean turning off notifications, creating a clutter-free environment, or using website blockers during work hours.

A woman in a red dress sitting at a desk in front of her computer.  3 pairs of arms are coming out form behind her body showing all the tasks she needs to do.

7. Use Time Management Techniques

Employ techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for a focused period (e.g., 25 minutes) and then take a short break. This can enhance your concentration and productivity.

8. Reward Yourself

Set up rewards for completing tasks or reaching milestones. Treat yourself to something enjoyable after accomplishing your work, which can reinforce positive behaviour.

9. Visualize Success

Imagine the satisfaction and benefits of achieving your goals. Visualizing success can help you maintain focus and motivation.

10. Stay Accountable

Share your goals with a friend, family member, or colleague who can hold you accountable. Knowing that someone else is aware of your goals can help you stay motivated.

11. Seek Inspiration

Surround yourself with motivational content, books, podcasts, or videos that inspire you to stay productive and motivated. Post inspirational sayings in your work area.

12. Stay Healthy

Prioritize your physical and mental well-being. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep can significantly impact your energy levels and motivation.

Box with finger foods

Send a variety of foods in small quantities for quick snacks throughout the day.

13. Reflect on Your Summer

Take some time to reflect on what you enjoyed during the summer and how you can integrate those positive aspects into your daily routine. This can make the transition smoother.

14. Adapt and Adjust

Be flexible with your approach. If you find that certain strategies are not working, be open to trying different methods until you find what works best for you.

Remember that motivation can fluctuate, so it’s essential to be patient with yourself. The key is to take consistent steps toward your goals and establish habits that support your productivity over the long term.

Do you feel burnt out after the summer?  What do you do to re-energize? 

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer.

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Organize Your Work Schedule with an Interruption-Free Hour

By Julie Stobbe / July 4, 2023 /

With many people working from home, it is important to have time when you’re not interrupted.  Make sure to have a sign or signal that indicates you are unavailable.

Many people realize that multitasking is not the best way to get work completed.  However, they experience many small interruptions in their day, e-mail, texting and phone calls that take away from concentrating on a project.

These small tasks, added together, use up your work day.

“Drive by” conversations, when colleagues stop by your desk, stop you in the hall or a family member bursts into your office and gives you information also take time away from completing important tasks. As well the information may be forgotten or lost.

Being interrupted by colleagues stopping to chat can cost you a lot of valuable time.

Some offices have designated a specific time of the day for working on projects. It is an interruption-free time to concentrate on work during which employees can’t send or answer emails, texts, phone calls, attend meetings, etc.  Each office is different so the designated time may be office-wide or scheduled into each person’s work day, week, or month individually.  It is important that this time and format are respected by your colleagues, family and supported by management.  You may be surprised how much you can get done in one hour without interruptions and your full concentration on one task at a time.

How do you plan on scheduling interruption free time?  Let me know in the comments.

Julie Stobbe, professional organizerulie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

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Is it Possible- Family and Running A Business?

By Julie Stobbe / April 25, 2023 /
Time to schedule, words on blank board hold by a young girl in the outdoor.

Scheduling helps you to use your time in blocks and avoid scattering single tasks throughout the day leaving small segments of unproductive time.

My tip for parents running their businesses from home is about time management.

Running a business and organizing a household is a complex task.  Time management is the key to success and sanity.  Scheduling everything will help:

  • tasks to get completed,
  • commitments to be honoured
  • and make arriving on time possible

However, scheduling everything can be overwhelming initially.  Start by using only one calendar, paper or electronic, for all the activities in your schedule. Try a “clearing your mind” task.  This involves writing down everything you have to do.  Record one task per line on your paper or one task per entry until you have everything recorded.  Including, exercise, work appointments, social commitments, bill payments, household tasks, children’s commitments, social media, doctor appointments, marketing, networking, a trip to the park, birthday parties etc.  After you have them recorded, go back to the top of your list and write the date and time (schedule) when you will complete the task.  Put all of these dates on your calendar remember to include travel time when you schedule tasks.  As you look at your calendar you will be able to determine how much time you have each day, month and year available for the activities that are important to your life, family and business.  It will help to put time into perspective and help determine why you might be feeling:

  • overwhelmed
  • overworked
  • bored
  • tired
  • successful
  • energized
  • excited
  • frustrated

Once you start to schedule everything, it will become easier because many of the entries will be recurring each day, week, month or year.  They will be in your calendar and only new items will need to be added to your schedule.  This will provide a structure that you can rely on to help you with the complex task of running a business and organizing a household.

If you need help with time management book a series of mini organizing sessions with me. 

Julie Stobbe, professional organizerJulie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

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5 Organizing myths

By Julie Stobbe / January 31, 2023 /

People have preconceived ideas about what it means to be organized. Being organized means you can find what you are looking for in a reasonable amount of time.  The myths about being organized are what stop people from moving forward and organizing their lives.  Here is the fallacy in 5 myths.

Myth 1 Organizing is a born talent 

Organization is a skill. You can learn techniques to apply to your situation to get you organized.  If you have the right resources and support it is easy.  Hire a Professional Organizer, read books, watch Youtube and you can learn the steps.  Some tasks at home can be simplified so they are not so overwhelming and time-consuming.  Here is one small example about meal planning.

  1. Pick your menu for the week
  2. From the menu make your shopping list
  3. Now you don’t need to decide what to make each morning or evening and you can take out of the freezer the items you need for later in the day.
  4. After you have done this for a number of weeks or months you can start recycling your plan.  This makes it even easier as you just pull up an already completed menu plan.blue clipboard with a piece of paper titled Meal Plan

Myth 2 – Organized space is neat, tidy, minimal and boring.

Everything needs to have a space, a home, so you know where to put it back.  Some people are visual and will have things displayed other people like things stored behind doors.  Organized spaces should reflect your personality and lifestyle. If you can’t enjoy the space then you won’t take care of it.

Myth 3 – Getting organized is an overwhelming, hopeless chore 

No matter what you’re organizing, no matter how daunting the task or how huge the backlog, getting organized boils down to developing a predictable process that you can reproduce. You follow your process and organize the current things you are using and then each time you’re organizing, work for a little time on the backlog.  Divide the job into smaller tasks, organize one cupboard, one drawer, one table or one closet.  Eventually, the entire room will be organized one small step at a time.

A man sitting at a desk with paperwork spread all around.

Develop processes that work for you, so you can stay organized.

Myth 4 – It’s impossible to stay organized

Organizing is sustainable if your system is built around the way you think and designed to grow and adapt with you.  Here are some tips:

  1. If it only takes 30 seconds, do it right away if not add it to your to-do list
  2. Most unorganized people don’t notice things are in the “wrong place.” Look and do a mental check to see if everything has been returned to its assigned space.
  3. Use spare minutes wisely.  Have a list of small tasks that can be completed quickly when you are waiting for meetings, appointments, trains, planes, children, elderly parents.
  4. Use your lists to record: things to do, to call, to e-mail and errands.  Check the list don’t just write it down.

Myth 5 Organizing is a non-productive use of your time

You can’t afford to not be organized. A national survey conducted by Professional Organizers in Canada indicates 91% of disorganized Canadians feel that disorganization negatively impacts their lives – with a large focus on feelings of stress, frustration and even failure. According to a study by a Boston marketing firm, the average American loses 55 minutes a day, roughly 12 weeks a year, looking for things they know they own but can’t find.

Did I miss any organizing myths? Share your favourite myth in the comments. 

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer?

 

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5 Clearing and organizing tips for your home office

By Julie Stobbe / January 24, 2023 /

Reading time – 3 minutes

Organizing your home office can lead you in many directions.  Perhaps:

  • your inbox is inundated,
  • your files are filled or
  • your time management is missing.

You need to start somewhere so let’s start with the S.P.A.C.E. that houses your office.

Look around your office and start:

1. Sorting the items that are visible into groups of papers, books, office supplies, client files, products, advertising materials etc.

Start with the visible clutter first.

2. Pair down each pile with the items that are current and recycle or shred the rest.

3. Assign a convenient place to store your resources.  If you use them often keep them near your desk, if they are used infrequently store them further away but still in your office.  If they are never referred to but are needed for tax or legal purposes they can be stored in another room.

4. Take each of those piles and select the best Container for keeping the items organized, binders, magazine holders, bins, boxes etc.

 

Organize with binders

 

Organize with bins

 

Organizing for the person who likes to see everything, the visual person

5. Evaluate your new S.P.A.C.E. to make sure it will help you be more efficient, productive and profitable this year.

Share one of your office organizing tips in the comment box.

Julie Stobbe, professional organizerJulie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices,  virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation.  She guides and supports you to manage your time, and projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

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Is multitasking productive?

By Julie Stobbe / November 2, 2021 /

Reading time 10 minutes

Multitasking is a myth. The brain can’t complete 2 high-level tasks at the same time states Chris Adams, in  “Can People Really Multitask?”  So what are we really doing when we work on 2 things at the same time?

Task layering 

People believe they can multi-task because the body can do a physical activity and a cognitive activity at the same time.  So people are able to walk and talk, run and listen to a book etc.   The new term I have heard for this is task layering.  We certainly can do task layering, don’t get it confused with multitasking. Task “layering” is defined as strategically deciding to do tasks that require different “channels” of mental functioning such as visual, auditory, manual or language.  Read more about task laying that actually works in this article

Multitasking 

The brain does not do two cognitive tasks at the same time.  The brain switches between tasks, very quickly.  Every time the brain switches tasks it must determine how much of the task has been completed and what the next step would be and then continue with the task.  This time contributes to the slowing down of completing the two tasks.  If the brain works on one task at a time it completes it without delay.  Try it, put an article in front of you and something to write.  Do them both at the same time and record how long it takes you to get the two tasks done. You will notice that you will keep going over the material to see where you left off as your concentration shifts between the tasks.   Next, do each task separately and time how long it takes to complete both tasks.

Bar graph showing error made during multitasking activities

More errors are made when people multitask

How to stop multitasking

In order to stop multitasking, plan your work schedule and remove the distraction of other work, e-mails, tweeting, phone calls, televisions, music etc.  Your work schedule may have lots of shifts in tasks.  Some people like to schedule a 60 -90 minute work session and then change tasks.  Other people may schedule 30-minute sessions and change tasks.  What works for you? Some people need to have music or white noise on to help them concentrate and block out distractions.  Other people find music distracting.  What helps you to keep your focus on one task at a time?

What do you think? Is multitasking productive? 

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

 

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Organizing Your Mind (6 Steps)

By Julie Stobbe / October 19, 2021 /

 Reading time – 3 minutes

In Harold Taylor’s newsletter www.taylorintime.com , May 2014,  he talked about Organizing your Mind to create the life you want.  His advice is still true today.  Getting your mind in the right place so you can concentrate on the things that bring you joy, fulfillment and contentment will help you create that life that brings out the best part of you.

By Harold Taylor

Organize your mind than your desk or house

It’s more important to organize your mind than your desk or house. You can always walk away from your desk or house, but you can never walk away from your mind. We must first accept the fact that time is not life, as many of us in the past may have suggested; it is merely the medium through which life passes. And life, as you experience it, is not something that happens to you, but something that happens because of you. You create the life you will experience – good, bad or indifferent – by what you believe, how you think, and what you do.

Mind-clearing session

To create the life that you want, you must first organize your mind. And you do this by clearing it of all the worldly clutter that keeps it preoccupied and constantly distracted. One way of doing this is to engage in a 15 or 20-minute mind-clearing session each morning after you get up and are fully dressed. Don’t do it while you are still in bed and half asleep. This is too important. It will determine how the rest of the day goes. And life takes place in a series of days.

Complete your morning ritual of breakfast, getting the kids off to school, putting out the garbage or whatever your morning routine entails. Then sit comfortably in your favourite chair, and without trying to rid your mind of the random thoughts that will invariably invade it, do the following six things in succession.

6 Steps 

  1.  Relax, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and just be aware of the miracle that is you.
  2. Give thanks for all that you have and have had in the past. Don’t rack your brain trying to think of everything – just those that come to mind quickly.
  3. Forgive anyone who has hurt or offended you.
  4. Offer up ten-second prayers, blessings or good wishes for at least three other people each day.
  5. Think positive thoughts about all your future plans, opportunities and endeavours,
  6. Decide and confirm how you will spend the next hour of your life. This may already be scheduled in your planner or you may choose something different.

The reason for doing these six things will be explained in the next article in this series on holistic time management. But the reason will probably become clear to you as you progress through each day.

Whether you call this session meditation, mindfulness, or “being in the now” is immaterial. What is important is that you continue to do it each day, modifying it as you go along, until it becomes your unique morning routine. And how you spend the next hour of each day will eventually create the life that you will lead.

Organize your mind than your office or home. Harold Taylor Click To Tweet

I think there are some great suggestions to help you focus on the life you want to create.  Is anything missing?   Let me know in the comments. 

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

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Manage Technology Before it Manages You

By Julie Stobbe / July 27, 2021 /

Reading Time – 5 minute 

In 2020 technology become a communication lifeline.  It was used for education, business, family communications, school and social events.  It became the most important method of communication and entertainment.  Zoom took over life.  Will this be a difficult habit to change? Do you want to reduce your reliance on technology?  Did technology get you the results you wanted for your life? The ideas and thoughts in this 2014 article by Harold Taylor still hold true for 2021.  How are you going to manage your technology going forward?

 

Who manges what

By Harold Taylor

Harold Taylor is a time management expert.  He has published over 17 books and presented over 2000 seminars.

An online poll of over 1000 Canadian adults released last Saturday by Angus Reid/Vision Critical (Toronto Star, January 26, 2013) revealed that 90% of the respondents believed their smartphones made their lives more convenient. So convenient, evidently, that 30% of them went online before getting out of bed, 31% at the dinner table, 29% in the washroom and 42% before falling asleep at night,

Smartphones may be smart, but they lack intelligence. Why are we so willing to be at the beck and call of an idiot? The Internet leads anywhere, which for the undisciplined means nowhere. Why browse away the hours? Email, computer games and social media are endless, but our time is not. Why do we behave as though we will live forever?

Smartphones maybe smart, but lack intelligence. Harold Taylor Click To Tweet

Research shows that the Internet and digital technology can have a negative impact on our ability to learn, focus, pay attention, memorize and relate to others on a personal basis. It also gobbles up our time, encourages busyness and multitasking and stifles creativity.

The futures of our business, personal lives, and our nations do not depend on the development of technology, but on our ability to manage the technology we develop.

Technology is important, it can’t be avoided, you’re reading this blog, lol.

Comment on how will you change your use of technology? 

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.

 TwitterFacebook Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

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11 Tips for organizing your lists

By Julie Stobbe / April 27, 2021 /

paper or electronic To Do lists?

Do you spend valuable time making a to-do list and it doesn’t seem to help you get anything done? Does that list keep getting longer and longer? There are many ways to keep track of tasks you need to complete.  Bullet Journaling, apps, notebooks, lists or recording a list on your phone.  No matter how you record your list here are some tips to help you become more productive.

11 To-Do List Tips 

These suggestions are from “Don’t Agonize, Organize Your Office” by Diane A. Hatcher.

  1. Make an Action list, Today’s Goals list or give it a title that motivates you.
  2. Make a tomorrow’s list before you finish your day and throw out the old list and start fresh daily.
  3. Lists help you to focus and this increases productivity.
  4. For lists or calendars to help you be more productive you need to use them consistently.
  5. Write down anything on your list you don’t want to forget and cross off items as they are completed to help you achieve a sense of satisfaction.
  6. If a list is longer than 10 items focus on priorities and meeting due dates.
  7. Record individual tasks on your list, not projects.
  8. Look at the list often and keep it visible in the same location every day.
  9. Double the amount of time you think each task will take to prevent over scheduling.
  10. Use one calendar to record all your appointments, due dates and deadlines. Refer to the calendar when you prepare the action list for the next day.
  11. Prioritize by time blocks. Choose tasks off your list that can be accomplished in the time you have at hand. Also, consider your energy level when you are selecting the task to complete.

Kanban System

digite.com

What happens if your list has more than 10 items and you’re afraid you will forget something if it is not on the list? There is a Japanese system called Kanban.  This is a good system for visual people and for projects.

  • Place your list of items you don’t want to forget about in the To-Do column
  • You pick 3 tasks you will be working on at any one time and move them to the doing column.
  • You can only add a task from the To-Do column to the Doing column when you complete one.
  • Using Post-its on a whiteboard, arrange in columns:  “To-Do”,  “Doing”,   “Done”.  There should never be more than three notes in “Doing”.
  • You can add a “Waiting” column if you are waiting on other people to send you information.

Let me give you an example.  During the pandemic when my area has a stay at home order, and lockdown, I work on my new online course, Create an Organized Home.  At the beginning of the project, all of these items were in the To-Do column,  I picked items to work on and move them to the Doing column and as they are completed they are moved to the Done column.  The nice thing about the Done column is I can check and see if I missed something and put it in my To-Do Column.

To-Do                               Doing                             Done

Update my website         Proofread the material      Learn to write a course

Market my course           Check settings               Write the course

Add SEO to each page                                              Find the best software

Determine price                                                        Put course on software

Release course                                                         Make videos

Your To-Do column is a holding area for all those things you need to get done not just related to one project as in my example. The Doing column is the high priority items to work on that day.  The Done column lets you know you are meeting your deadlines and gives you a sense of accomplishment.  Using this system you don’t need to keep rewriting your list.  Move the Post-it note from one column to the next.

However you structure your list you can only do a small number of tasks at once. Whether it is a list on paper, a digital list, journal or post-it notes,  set your priorities for the day, work on them first so you don’t get distracted by less important tasks and refer to your list frequently.

Let me know in the comments how you structure your To-Do lists. 

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.

Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca

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