Organizing Information


Tired of Endless Chores and To-Dos? Stop Running Around in Circles and Enjoy Life Again


Do you feel like you are running around in circles, completing one task after the next only to find there are 20 chores you have not done yet? I am not even talking about the constants such as grocery shopping, returns, doctor appointments, clients, and carpool!

If you are tired of fighting this endless battle, stop fighting and start winning. I have come to the realization that I will ALWAYS be able to think of something else that needs to be done-even after completing my long to-do list!

Tired of my endless pursuit of checking off my to-do list and interested in silencing my mental clutter, I made a conscious decision to give up the frustrating goal of "getting it ALL done" and instead have regular achievable goals that fit into my larger life path.

Here is what worked for me:

1. Visualize and vocalize what you want your life to look like. Take a moment and see yourself as way you want to look. Do you want to seem calmer, more physically fit? How about your home? What do you want your home to look like? Your schedule. Take time to answer these questions.

2. Analyze what you need to do to achieve your visualizations and dreams. Do you need to hire an interior decorator? Do you need to get rid of clutter? Would you like to shed 10 pounds?

3. Strategize with lists. "Oh, no- not more lists!," you may be thinking. Keep several different lists that implement the conclusions you made in #2-Analyze. In Let Go of Clutter, Harriet Schechter recommends keeping a master list, step-by-step lists (breaking down the larger projects on your master list), maintenance checklists for things needing to be done on a continual basis, a next life list- giving yourself permission for things you will not get around to, information lists with phone numbers, addresses, and etc., pro and con lists, grievance lists to free yourself from the injuries and injustices you've had to suffer, and emergency lists- for when you feel SO stressed and overwhelmed and need to get it down on paper.

4. Realize though that you cannot do everything. Nor do you want to! Now that you have a clear mental picture of how you want your life to look like, a LOT of the to-dos on your list may not do anything to further your goals in which case you want to delay, delete, delegate or diminish those tasks.

5. Internalize what you have learned today. Keep that clear picture of how you see yourself living optimally and go at it.

When you feel life's demands all over again, stop, breathe, and start from the beginning.

Rebekah Slatkin is a professional organizer dedicated to getting people organized through hands-on decluttering sessions, teleconferencing, coaching, and her website Best Organizing Products Superstore. Visit http://www.best-organizing-products-superstore.com to subscribe to Organewz, her ezine dedicated to organized living and get organizing tips and much more, free.


MORE RESOURCES:

Organizing committee of Dutch ice skating marathon gathers for first time in ...
Washington Post
AMSTERDAM — The Netherlands' state broadcaster NOS says the organizing committee of the country's traditional Eleven Cities Tour natural ice skating marathon is gathering for the first time in 15 years to consider whether the race can be skated next ...

and more »


Get organized at work
San Antonio Express
By Melanie Warner If the piles on your desk are so out of control your co-workers are convinced it's the hiding place of Charlie Sheen's dignity, it might be time to get organized. "One client, once we organized her financial papers, found $40000 that ...



Organizing tips from an expert
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
“People will say, 'I want to organize my entire bedroom,' but that's overwhelming, and it can derail you from the entire process,” says Strisik. Instead, write down the steps of your project first. “Looking at chunks is more manageable, ...



How to organize paper documents efficiently
MyrtleBeachOnline.com
Having an efficient system to file and otherwise organize these documents can save frustration and time. Here are some tips: • Prioritize. Think about the pieces of paper you most often need and build your filing system around those items, ...

and more »


OUTTAKE VOICES (blog)

Gay Community United Against HRC
OUTTAKE VOICES (blog)
What really stood out is that the broader community is finally coalescing around a message of full equality NOW, organizing together & making it very clear that corporations like HRC do not speak for them. "But what HRC doesn't realize is that this was ...

and more »


Organize This! column by Vali G. Heist: Find time to stay organized by ...
Reading Eagle
But getting organized physically means first getting organized mentally. Mental clutter can hold us back from organizing our physical spaces and from staying organized. When you clear the clutter from your mind, you set goals and boundaries for what ...



Etheridge quickly organizing governor's campaign
BlueRidgeNow.com
By GARY D. ROBERTSON AP Former US Rep. Bob Etheridge said Friday he doesn't believe his age or political history will negatively influence voters when it comes to him becoming North Carolina governor. Etheridge got in the race late Thursday - one week ...

and more »


Go jump in a lake | Laurel Highlands Polar Plunge at Que to raise funds for ...
The Tribune-Democrat
But that's what organizers of the first official Laurel Highlands Polar Plunge are counting on. On Saturday, if people donate to Special Olympics of Pennsylvania, they can go jump in a lake. Last year, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of ...

and more »


Timeline: The politics of F1 Austin
Austin News
July 22, 2011: Request for Initiation of Major Trust Fund Event for Formula 1 Automobile Race via a letter to Combs from Wayne Hollingsworth of the Circuit Events Local Organizing Committee. Aug. 22, 2011: Letter from Hollingsworth with the Circuit ...

and more »


Don't pack it in, organize that closet
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
“I told Chris that all I wanted for Christmas this year was to organize our closet,” said Tina, who coveted a co-worker's tidy and functional new closet, which was decked out with drawers, shoe cubbies and adjustable clothes rods.


Google News

home | site map
© 2007