What are the 4 P’s of Time Management?

May 31, 2023May 31, 2023 Lori @ Touch of OrganizedLeave a comment

Time management is a way to know where you spend your time and what you can do to improve it. If you find that you can’t get everything done or you are exhausted and aren’t sure why, it probably comes to how you manage your time. The 4 P’s of time management can help focus your attention on the key characteristics to make you more productive.

Here are some of the best time management tips that can make a positive difference in your life.

Prioritization leads to better time management

The first one of the 4 P’s of time management kick-starts the whole process. You can’t really have good time management without prioritization. How can you manage your time if you don’t know what’s important and what isn’t?

Do your tasks have external or internal deadlines? Can you group tasks together?

I am a big fan of grouping tasks. If I have several doctor’s appointments to make, it’s so much more efficient to knock them all out at once. If there are several emails that you have to send, take 30 minutes and get them all taken care of.

I want to mention errands specifically. With the increasing cost of gas (not to mention traffic in my area), I try to group errands together. And I’ve even been known to mentally map them out to reduce the amount of back-and-forth I have to drive. And while you might save a few dollars in grocery bills by visiting multiple stores, balance that savings against your gas cost and your time cost.

Before you put together your to-do list, make sure to check out these strategies to create a more productive to-do list.

Planning for more efficient time management

Once you have your prioritization taken care of, next comes planning. How do you plan to get it all done in the time you have available?

Looking at your calendar, review the blocks of time that are immoveable (appointments, meetings, jobs, etc) and then work around those.

If you feel like you don’t have enough time for everything, then it comes down to one of two things: you are either trying to do too much, or you aren’t spending your time wisely. Take a few days to write down what you work on each day (including non-work tasks), and how long each thing took you. You might find you spend too much time reading email, on social media, or just procrastinating.

Whether you use a time blocking system or set a Pomodoro timer for tasks, it helps to designate a certain amount of time to each task. Some tasks will take more or less time, but without a timer, it is hard to know when it is time to move on to the next thing.

Make sure to maximize your most productive time of day no matter when that may be.

Everyone has their prime time to work each day, often referred to as your golden hours. This is the period of time when you tend to have the most energy and focus. When it comes to time management, you need to know when you are able to focus the most on certain tasks, and when you should spend your time on lower priority items on your list.

Multi-tasking feels efficient but when our focus is divided, all of the tasks can suffer. Let me just say this…

Enough with the multi-tasking!

We are now discovering how detrimental this can be for your focus and productivity. Choose one task to work on and focus at a time before you move on to the next on. It might seem like it would keep you from being productive, but this actually helps you to get more done in the long run.

And don’t forget to “schedule” yourself some downtime too. It can be hard to squeeze it in, but the more complicated our schedules become the more we need that downtime built in.

When you do have down time, make better use of it. Read a book, learn something new, or enjoy a relaxing break. Otherwise, down time just turns into mindless tasks that don’t help you in any sort of way.

Productivity is time management

Brushing up on your prioritization and planning skills definitely leads to increased productivity. Isn’t that the ultimate goal? To get more done in less time? And by the way, let’s be clear on the differences between busy and productive.

There are two rules that I have to share, just so that you actually hear them:

Delegation: It’s okay to delegate tasks. You can’t do it all by yourself in most cases, so if you find that there just isn’t enough of you to go around, it’s time to delegate.
Deletion: It’s okay to not do something. You might also have some tasks that are just unnecessary, and more like busy work that you don’t need to spend as much time on.

Positivity about what your time management looks like

Out of all of the 4 P’s of time management, this is the one that can slip past me. We all have bad days — competing priorities, jobs, school, obligations, responsibilities, bills, chores, errands, family, friends, and the list goes on.

But positivity can really go a long way. It doesn’t reduce everything we have to do, it just makes “getting it all done” a little more bearable.

Lots of errands on Saturday? Maybe treat yourself to lunch. Waiting at the doctor’s office again? Bring a book you’ve been looking forward to reading. I don’t even mind the 3-hour drive to my mom’s house. It’s 3 hours to myself, to listen to the radio or drive in silence and let my mind work through everything.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 4 D’s of time management?

They are Delete, Delegate, Defer, and Do. Personally, I love the visual guide that the Eisenhower Matrix offers for these guidelines. This works wonderfully with the first of the 4 P’s of time management – Prioritization!

to-do list strategies - Eisenhower Matrix

How does time management increase productivity?

Look at it this way. At the grocery store, we typically walk from Aisle 1 to Aisle 2 to Aisle 3. If we shopped from Aisle 10 to Aisle 3 and back to Aisle 8, what does that do to our energy and our time?

By being in control of our time, we can move from one task to another more efficiently and more effectively. These proactive time management tips such as using reminders, developing a planner system, establishing a routine, and time blocking are in our toolbox now!

What are the benefits of time blocking? How does it work with the 4 P’s of time management?

Time blocking is a method of choosing what tasks you will do during different times of the day. The blocks of time are dependent on your schedule and the tasks(s) at hand. You dedicate each block of time to one specific type of task. This definitely goes hand-in-hand with the 4 p’s of time management, as part of the Planning step. Take a look at all the benefits:

You Can See How You Spend Your Time

The first benefit to using a time blocking schedule is seeing how you spend your time. Assess your daily tasks, and how long they usually take.

You Focus on One Thing at a Time

Each block should be dedicated to just one task or one type of project. It is okay to use batch work, since your focus will still remain on the same type of task.

You Have Better Time Management Skills

If you struggle with managing your time and often spend too long on one project, then not enough time on the next, time blocking will be perfect for you.

You Don’t Get as Bored

With time blocking, you also tend to not get bored or procrastinate, since you move fairly quickly from one task to the next. A trap that many people fall into is that when they finish one task, they take too long to move to the next one. With time blocking, this rarely happens since you are improving the use of your time throughout the day.

You Have More Free Time

Lastly, you might even find FREE blocks of time, thanks to these skills. If you think you don’t have any spare time, use time blocking and find those little blocks of time when you can enjoy yourself.

How can journaling help with time blocking?

Journaling has been used by numerous successful people to actively engage in their future and control various obstacles that will inevitably spring up on the journey forward.

You Can’t Stop Me!

Let’s face it, multitasking, for the most part, is one of the biggest killers of your success in the modern age. Many of us pride ourselves on our ability to perform various tasks simultaneously, new data reveals that multitasking is not what it’s cracked up to be. In fact, multitasking renders us either unable to finish a project or leaves multiple tasks performed below our normal standards.

Once a section of productive time has been completed, follow that with a short-duration break that can range anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes.

Get Control of Your Work Output

Many of us that have full-time jobs have undoubtedly heard grunts and groans from our fellow coworkers over the years about how many hours they’re forced to work. Take a look at the average person’s workday — shockingly, on an average 8-hour workday we only have 2 hours and 53 minutes of productivity.

With time blocking through our journal, we can greatly increase our output and bring insight into how we spend our day and what activities are preventing us from getting ahead.

As a helpful tactic for the upcoming week, write down in your journal areas of your day that you’ve found yourself wasting time, goofing off, falling asleep, or quite frankly, avoiding a certain task that you need to be doing. When we actively seek out tasks that sabotage our future, we are more inclined to correct them.

Stress Relief

Time blocking through a journal approach is, quite literally, like breathing a huge sigh of relief on a daily basis. Many areas of our lives, particularly our career and finances, are riddled with doubt and anxiety from lack of action and clarity.

Journaling gives us a playbook that we can follow throughout each moment of our day and give us a map that can steer us in the right direction. Much like how a football coach would never play a game without his playbook, we should never tackle obstacles without a series of rules and pre-planned actions.

Having structure in your day will, unequivocally, put you in the top 1% of successful people and high-end producers on the planet. In a short period of time you can not only achieve the goals you’ve laid out for yourself, but help others build structure in their lives to succeed in their personal journey.

5 Steps to Finish What You Start

September 24, 2022May 16, 2023 Lori @ Touch of Organized1 Comment

Do you often struggle to finish the projects you start, even when you have every intention of finishing them? Are you currently struggling with a specific project (or ten) in your life that you can’t seem to finish? Let me guess, do you have more than a few household tasks on your to-do list?

Don’t worry – you aren’t alone. Many people struggle to follow through on their tasks. Believe it or not, this is a common problem that most people face. As we look into the very near future, we probably want to start setting goals for next year. Luckily, you can follow a few steps to ensure that you can become the type of person who finishes a project once you start it.

1. To finish what you start, Make A Plan

First and foremost, the number one way to finish everything you start is by making a plan before you start. It needs to be a plan which you write down. A mental note isn’t worth the piece of paper it is written on. You may want to jump in and start something in your excitement, but you might not realize all the work and challenges you will face.

When you take the time to make a plan, this will better prepare you for the task at hand, and you’ll be able to spot problems much more easily. A well-thought-out plan ensures you will be aware of the work your project requires and have an idea of how you will proceed. It is also a good time to break the project into smaller chunks to make it easier to conquer. Don’t forget to take some time to brainstorm potential problems you may encounter along the way.

2. To stay on track, Take A Break

If you find yourself getting overly frustrated or beginning to loathe the project because you’ve been working on it for so long, it’s okay to take a short break. This break will help reset your mind and focus. Get hydrated, move around, find some time to take in the present world around you. You might even be able to solve some of the problems you are facing while you take this little breather. Just make sure that when you set an endpoint to your break, this way you can hold yourself to it and not just abandon the project.

3. To make it more achievable, Make Small Goals and Track Your Progress

As you plan how you will conquer your task or project, break your goal into smaller mini-goals. Then, cross them off and reward yourself as you complete them. It will help keep you on task, and you’ll be able to feel as if you are making progress, even if it’s small. This progress will do wonders to keep your spirits high while working on the project. The little rewards you are giving yourself will probably help too.

Many projects remain unfinished because they are long, and you lose sight of the end goal somewhere in the middle. To maintain motivation, you need to track your progress on the goal as you go. You may even want to consider rewarding yourself for a job well done at certain points to maintain your motivation.

4. To stay focused, Identify Your Distractions

Maybe you’re finding every reason under the sun not to work on your project. It’s time to identify these distractions and how they may be affecting you. If the distraction is easily removed, remove it. If it’s more of a mental distraction, it may be time to look into something like meditation to help you clear your mind. Whatever your distractions are, it’s time to identify and eliminate them so you can focus on your goal.

5. To stay motivated, Visualize The End

Even if you are tracking your project, you may find that you’ve lost sight of your end goal. This is why you should frequently spend time visualizing your end goal in your mind. It will help you remember why you are working on your goal in the first place.

Finishing what you start is never easy. So next time you get excited about a new project or goal in your life, slow down a bit and make a plan, complete with smaller goals and rewards for yourself. Then, as you pursue the project, don’t be afraid to take small breaks if you need to recuperate. Chances are, thanks to these steps, you will be much more likely to finish your new goal than leave it abandoned.

BONUS –> The Top 3 Reasons You Don’t Finish What You Start

Do you feel as if you are constantly leaving a trail of half-finished projects in your wake? Are you the type of person who has one project in particular that you’ve always wanted to finish but just haven’t gotten around to it? If that sounds familiar, keep reading to find the top three reasons you tend not to finish what you’ve started.

1. You’ve Lost Motivation

When you started the project, your enthusiasm for starting something new first motivated you. However, if you haven’t seen any results in some time, this may have caused your motivation to lower. The best way to combat this loss of motivation is by breaking your project down into more manageable pieces and rewarding yourself along the way for steps well done. Conquering these more manageable pieces will help keep you motivated even when the project is long.

2. Negative Thoughts About The Project

Another reason you may find it difficult to complete a task is because of the way you think about the project. When it comes to mind, do you think you will never finish it? Or is your mind filled with thoughts of how hard the project is? Both are negative paths of thinking, and they will keep you from finishing the project. Instead, it’s time to transform your thinking to be positive regarding the project you are trying to complete. A more positive outlook will give you new energy and motivation to complete the task.

3. Lack Of Discipline

Another reason people can’t finish the projects they start is a lack of self-discipline. A person with self-discipline doesn’t give up when the going gets tough. They also tend to avoid procrastinating or slacking off. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s probably time that you work to cultivate self-discipline in your life. Boosting your self-discipline will ensure you can start finishing all the projects you start.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it important to finish what you start?

It is the sense of accomplishment when it’s done! Your cross stitch project is ready for the holidays in time; you finished the book club novel just in time; your closet has so much empty space in it.

What happens if you need to change the plan?

That is OKAY! Projects are fluid and evolving, especially large ones. I don’t know how often I’ve redesigned my fall vegetable garden and I’m okay with that. I will still end up with delicious lettuce and piles of cucumbers even if the cucumbers are in a pot instead of my raised bed.

What if you decide not to finish what you start?

Realistically, there are numerous reasons that this is actually valid. Maybe the project is no longer relevant; maybe it ended up requiring more resources that you realized; or maybe it didn’t turn out to be the project you had in mind. If the scope has changed drastically, then maybe change your perspective on the project — look at it like adapting with the project instead of giving up on the project.

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To-do List Strategies – the top 7 tips

September 3, 2022May 16, 2023 Lori @ Touch of Organized3 Comments

Did you know that there are to-do list strategies than can actually make your list easier to tackle? There are! Read below for the top seven tips for making the most of your own to-do list.

“Plan your work for today and every day, and work that plan.”
Margaret Thatcher

Most of us know what a ‘to do list’ is and yet, the majority of people don’t use one and prefer to work from memory. They have a jumbled list of tasks in their mind and get these done in a haphazard and almost always, inefficient manner.

Have a to-do list
The first and most obvious strategy is to have a to-do list to actually follow. The best way to go about creating one will be to do a brain dump on paper of ALL the tasks and commitments you need to get done. This is an almost cathartic process that will bring you relief while it frees up mental energy.
Prioritize
The next step will be to use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize your tasks. Check out the image below in the FAQ section for more information on this prioritization grid.
Focus
Once you have your to do list prioritized, the next step will be to focus on ONE task at a time. Avoid multitasking at all cost. It ruins one’s ability to concentrate and also leads to shoddy work. Take each task to completion before moving on to the next. This is such a simple rule, but people overcomplicate things by not adhering to it.
Limit your to-do list
Ideally, you shouldn’t have more than 7 items on your to do list. Break the list up into 2 parts. At the top, have all the most important tasks which will yield the highest rate of return in your life. At the bottom will usually be the mundane, routine chores that need to get done just to keep life normal… but don’t really yield much reward. Trying to do too much in any one day can be overwhelming. So, it’s better to have a shorter to-do list, and if you complete all the tasks for that day fast, you can add a few more from your ‘brain dump’ list and work on them.
Plan the night before
Create your to-do list the night before. This will ensure that you hit the ground running the next day instead of spending your most alert hours in the morning planning what to do.
Break down bigger tasks
Some tasks are too big to complete in one day. So, while they may be on your to-do list, you’re not going to be able to finish it all on that day.
In instances like these, it’s best to write down that task on a separate sheet of paper and break it down into smaller tasks and create a checklist for the work process. Each day, you’ll work on one or a few steps in that checklist.
These are the steps that will go on your to-do list daily… and NOT the huge, monumental task. Always remember to break it down into bite-sized pieces.
Carry over tasks
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, there will be some tasks that you just can’t complete in time. No worries. This happens.
Just move them to the next day… BUT do NOT add them on to a list that’s already full. Instead, make them part of the list of 7 or so tasks that you need to complete.
In this way, you’ll not have a growing list of things that need to get done that keeps getting longer by the day. Always aim to have only 3-7 items on your to -do list.

So how do you make the most of these to-do list strategies?

Always remember to delegate and automate where you can. The hard truth is that you’ll NEVER have time to do it all. Tasks and commitments will keep popping up daily. The best way to maintain control of things will be to delegate or outsource the less important tasks to others.

Sometimes you’ll save more money by hiring someone. For example, instead of spending 45 minutes to mow your lawn, you’d be better off paying a lawn mowing service to do it for you. You’ll not only save time and free it up for important tasks that matter… but the lawn mowing company will probably complete the chore in a faster time and do a better job than you – because that’s what they do.

In the same vein, automate your routine tasks whenever you can or hire out the repetitive tasks that are essential to your business, but don’t require your direct involvement.

Use the to-do list strategies in this article to create to do lists that will organize your life and also help you get the most done in the time that you have. For a few more to-do list hacks, check out this list too!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 1-3-5 rule?

The basic 135 rule is this — to accept that you can’t finish an unlimited number of things in any given day. But you can reasonably expect to finish 1 BIG thing, 3 MEDIUM things, and 5 SMALL things.

What is the Eisenhower Matrix?

You may have seen the Eisenhower Matrix before but not realized what it was actually called. It’s a tool used to prioritize your to-do list. (Yes, President Eisenhower himself did develop the concept that later became the Eisenhower Matrix.)

What are some other good strategies for making a to-do list?

I did want to point out that you don’t have to choose either paper planning or electronic planning. In fact, I usually use a combination of both. Sometimes it’s just easier to use a combination depending on what list I’m working on.

I also recommend keeping at least a scratch pad nearby so you can write things down as soon as you think of them. The whole point of a to-do list is so that you don’t have to keep everything in your poor overworked brain!

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The best 5 proactive time management tips

July 20, 2022May 15, 2023 Lori @ Touch of Organized3 Comments

“Proactive time management? That’s crazy talk Lori, I can barely keep up let alone be proactive about things!” But wait, let me help with the 5 helpful tips below!

There’s no denying the fact that we live in a ‘pressure cooker’ world with a never-ending barrage of commitments, deadlines, catastrophes and other events that demand our attention and time.

Now more than ever before, people are feeling the stress of not having enough time to do anything. They always feel like they’re behind the 8-ball and playing catch-up.

The truth of the matter is that no one can manage time. It will pass you by anyway. What you need to do is manage is your life and where your attention goes… and this is how you do it…

1. Shut out the noise

In order to find some semblance of peace and order, you’ll need to eliminate the pointless distractions in your life. That may mean getting off social media for a few months. It may mean turning off the news on TV (which never fails to rile you up). By eliminating these energy-draining ‘parasites’, you’ll have more time for what matters.

2. Prioritize

Always do what matters when it matters. For example, focusing on the tasks which have the highest return in your life. If you’re a writer, that will mean focusing on your writing first thing in the day.

Too often, we keep what’s crucial for later – because the work is ‘unappetizing’ and the procrastination helps to delay the unpleasantness of the task. However, this just delays the inevitable and makes the process worse than it has to be.

Instead, by getting the hardest tasks out of the way FIRST, you’ll not only feel more accomplished, but will have more time to breeze through the easier tasks because now you feel ‘lighter’ from having done what you were avoiding.

3. Follow a daily routine

While many people will frown at the idea of routine and structure in their life because ‘being controlled’ is anathema to them – the truth is that with structure comes freedom.

After all, you’ll be deciding on your own daily routine. This is not a military regimen where you need to follow orders from a barking sergeant. No no… this is your routine.

You can tailor it to suit your life. The key point to note is to do the needful in an efficient manner so that your commitments and work are met in an orderly manner. Some of the most important aspects of proactive time management.

Routine will eliminate a lot of decision fatigue in your life. You’ll know exactly what to do every single day and can coast through it in ‘flow state’ while you accomplish more with less effort. Doesn’t that sound fantastic?

Of course, it does!

4. Be more organized

This simple tip will save you hours of frustration and stress in the long run, not to mention the time savings too. Declutter your home so that it’s neater and requires less cleaning. Check out these five ways that decluttering can actually maximize your personal resources.

The same applies to your desk/workspace. The more orderly and neat things are, the less time you’ll need to spend searching for the items you need – and you won’t end up wasting time and energy.

5. Set deadlines

Remember the drill sergeant from earlier? Well, deadlines are like invisible bosses that keep prodding you to stay focused and complete the tasks on time. Always have deadlines for any job you do, and give yourself slightly less time than you think you’ll need.

Parkinson’s law states that the amount of work expands to fill the time available for its completion. So, the less time you give yourself, the faster you’ll get the work done. Of course, be reasonable with your deadlines.

They should motivate you to work faster, but not be so unreasonable that they annihilate you. Just remember the differences between busy and productive.

Apply these 5 time management tips in your life and you’ll be amazed at how much more productive you become, and you’ll not only free up your time, but your stress levels will drop considerably. Start implementing them in your life today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is proactive time management?

Being proactive with your time management means being “in front” of it” instead of constantly feeling reactive to situations. You intentionally make plans and follow through with those plans. And yes, sometimes things crop up or the unexpected happens. But when you have a plan in place, you can take care of the “surprises” and then easily get back to your plan.

How can you be proactive in managing your time?

In addition to the five specific tips above, the general rule is to make some sort of plan and stick with it. Even if you don’t block specific times for specific tasks (i.e., I will vacuum at 10:00 AM), knowing that you will empty the dishwasher and vacuum all the bedrooms sometime before the kids get home from school then you have a plan with a deadline.

How does time management improve productivity?

When you manage your time effectively, you don’t spend your time wondering what to do next. When you spend precious time trying to figure out your next task, you end up losing out on your productivity.

Is productivity the same as time management?

They are not the same thing however they are close partners and usually walk hand-in-hand. And typically if you improve your skill at one, your skill at the other will follow suit!

What are the tools to get organized?

May 1, 2022May 16, 2023 Lori @ Touch of OrganizedLeave a comment

What tools you need to get organized? What tools do you need to stay organized? It does vary individually, but there are some basics including the whys and hows.

Have you ever thought about putting together an organizing toolkit for yourself? I don’t mean a toolkit to get organized, I mean a toolkit that will help keep you organized! Who wouldn’t want one of those???

1. Why do you need to gather your tools to get organized?

It saves your valuable resources! These resources are our most valuable commodities and we have to treat them as such. We have to make sure that we use them to the best of our advantage and not waste them!

It will save you time. Next time you set off to “do the thing”, everything you need will be in one place; just grab that container and off you go.
It will save you money. For example, I keep my gardening seeds all in one place (admittedly, it’s not a fancy container, it’s a reused Folger’s can), but I always check the can before I buy more so that I know what I already have. If the packets were scattered all over the garage, I might end up buying more basil seeds when I still have some.
It will save you energy. Many days I feel like energy is my most lacking resource and if I had to search the whole house just to find the things I need to clean the bathroom, it probably wouldn’t get done. But having the bucket with everything makes it so easy to grab and go.

2. What kinds of tools do you need?

There are so many options that can streamline your life. What would benefit you the most and give you back the resources I talked about above (time, money, and energy)?

What about a carrying device for your home cleaning supplies? For example, a bucket or a caddy is especially handy for a multi-story house!
Do you send a lot of physical mail? Put together your stationery, cards, and stamps (and for me, stickers) into one folder or binder so that everything is ready at your fingertips. No more searching the junk drawer for those roaming stamps.
Do you run a side business out of your home? I have an active shop on Poshmark and couldn’t never make it work if I didn’t keep all my wrapping and shipping supplies in one place.
Do you travel frequently? Then you need a travel toolkit! Whatever items you take on every trip, make sure you have duplicates and keep them packed (I’m looking at you, extra phone charger).

3. How do you put together your tools?

It truly does depend on the type of toolkit you’re trying to assemble. Here are a few ideas that might help spark an idea!
- Home cleaning, such as sponges, cleaners, rags, and grocery sacks
- Stationery, such as greeting cards, return address labels, pretty pens, and fun stickers
- Side business, such as inventory counts, finance tracking, supplies, and notebooks
- Travel, such as extra chargers, mini toiletries, zip bags, and packing cubes
- Planner supplies, such as dividers, stickers, pens, highlighters, and inserts
- Gardening, such as seeds, trowels, gloves, and watering can
- Sports kit for your little ones, such as baseball, soccer, football, ballet, or gymnastics
- Party supplies, such as plates, napkins, plasticware, decorations, and tablecloths
And of course, the storage devices or containers are dependent on the type of kit. As I said, my gardening seeds are in a Folger’s can but my stationery is in pretty folders and binders!
Have you considered that even electronic toolkits can be helpful? Keeping your inbox organized and your documents in folders are all part of creating your own electronic toolkit.

Ultimately, your tools for getting organized are personalized based on what you need to accomplish. Make it your own and make it work for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What tools help you get organized?

If you’re new to getting yourself organized, there are three basics to get started:

Your daily space – where do you spend the most of your time? In the home office? Maybe camped out in your living room? Start with the space that you see the most.
A notebook and a pen – No need for fancy notebooks yet, unless you just can’t resist this beautiful Erin Condren Color Block Polka Dots Coiled Notebook 7″ x 9″. Just a notepad and a pen to start making notes about your process.
Patience – This isn’t an overnight process. When you start, you’ll need to start sorting your piles, then comes organizing the items you are keeping. Take your time and stay focused but don’t stress.

What tools help you stay organized?

I love my planners and notebooks. I’ve tried various electronic, digital, and online organizing tools but they just aren’t the same. I like being able to write my to-do lists, and cross off the tasks as I complete them. It is so much more satisfying!

What 3 things can you do to get organized?

Look at the big picture – Whether you are putting together a kit to clean your house in less time or you are organizing your pantry so you don’t keep buying the food you forgot you already have, remember what resource you are trying to save and what you can accomplish when that resource is given back.
Look at the small picture – What can you accomplish today? Tomorrow? You have 20 minutes before you have to leave for your book club meeting, can you gather up the dog’s chew toys on your way out the door?
When you’re about to tackle a larger organization project, make sure to gather all your supplies well in advance. It doubles the time and frustration if you have to stop every few minutes to track down the magic marker or the toilet bowl brush.

What are your top 3 tricks for staying organized?

Consistency! Even just five minutes of organizing every day will help develop the habit and keep you on track to stay organized.
Decluttering! It’s virtually impossible to stay organized if you continue to add clutter to the space. Think about it like cleaning up after a toddler — if the little one throws a toy on the floor every time you pick one up, the space will never be clean! The same applies to any space, if you’ve cleaned it up don’t add more clutter to it.
Systems! It is so much easier to stay organized when you have systems in place. Keep your goals in mind without losing sight of the small steps you will need to get there. But without systems, you could end up running circles without any progress. You will need a recipe to bake your cake!