Archive | September, 2010

Tasks vs. Goals – What’s on your “To Do” List?

Posted on September 30, 2010 by in Office Organizing, Productivity, Time Management

How many of you have a “To Do” list a mile long? When writing it you become very ambitious, thinking, maybe, just maybe you will actually get it all done… But you don’t!

I am guilty!  I do this and I find I do this often!

I’ll get a free day to get some things done around the house, and all the sudden I have a list of 10 things to do, but by lunch time I am tired and only half, if that is done!

Does this sound familiar to anyone?  I really hope it’s not just me!

Time goes by fast, no doubt, and things usually take longer than you expect.  I get interrupted a lot!  I have 2 kids and remember our new puppy?  He takes up a lot of time too!  Potty breaks are a constant around the clock event right now!

In the last week, I signed up for the free trial of OmniFocus.  OmniFocus is a great product, there will probably be a blog post about in the future.  My point for this post is to talk about a revelation I learned as I was watching one of the tutorials.

Is your “To Do” list filled with tasks or goals? If it’s filled with goals, it’s actually going to be almost impossible to get your to do, done!  It becomes unreachable! Uh… I never really thought about it before.

Goals are what we want to achieve, the end result, but they do not clarify the how to do it part… That’s where the tasks come in.  To reach your goal, break it down into tasks. It will certainly make your “To Do” list more organized and hopefully more productive!  We can all tackle something big in small chunks, but to tackle it all at once can be extremely overwhelming!

I am a work in progress, but with this new awareness, I hope to be more effective!

I hope it helps you too!

Happy Organizing!

Mind Mapping!

Posted on September 28, 2010 by in Getting Started, Office Organizing, Productivity

Do you have a lot on your mind? I do!

Between work, clients, family, and home, there is a lot to be done!  It’s not always easy to capture everything in your head.  Yes, “to do” lists certainly help and can effectively organize the tasks for the day, but what about for the whole project you are working on? Are you able to capture your thoughts and ideas effectively with a list?

Have you ever considered Mind Mapping?

What is Mind Mapping?

Mind Mapping is a creative way in putting your ideas, thoughts, and concepts onto paper.  It is a visual thinking tool which helps you organize your thoughts and processes. Mind Mapping is a great alternative to the traditional “to do” list. It’s a closer representation of how your brain actually works.  It’s creative and it’s fun! If you are finding your traditional “to do” is not working well, I highly suggest you try this method in capturing and organizing your thoughts!

You can use mind maps for many reasons. It’s not just limited to project planning.  Say you are having a difficult decision to make, use a mind map to capture your ideas and thoughts, the pros and the cons.  You are planning a trip, this is a great way to capture what needs to be done, what you want to do, and the basic planning of the trip.

There are so many uses and reasons why you may use a mind map.  The options are unlimited and the complexity of each map is up to you!

How does Mind Mapping work?

It’s actually very simple.  You start in the middle of a blank page and write the project or central idea you are developing.  From the edges of the circle you draw lines for your subtopics.  Your subtopics may have branches leading off them too.  Again, it can be as complex or simple as you need it be.

To get started in Mind Mapping, you can just use a simple piece of paper.

I just recently started to explore the different Mind Maps available for your computer, iPhone and iPad. I have been using some of the trials to get a feel of what I like best. Google, “Mind Maps“, and you will be surprised of all the different options!  You can dress up the mind maps to be very colorful or if you prefer, very simple.

I suggest you try a couple and get the one that feels right to you… I just recently bought the iThoughts version for the iPad and iPhone, and I have been really happy with it!

If you are already using mind maps, let us know what you like and recommend! We are always wanting to hear feedback from others!

Happy Organizing!

Make the Time… You Can’t Wait For It!

Posted on September 24, 2010 by in Home Organizing, Office Organizing, Productivity, Time Management

Do you have a project at home where you keep thinking to yourself, “I’ll get it done, when I get to it”.   Then 6 months later the project is still not completed? You are not the only one!  We tend to have so many things “to do” but we don’t have the time “to do” them. There are a lot of ways to prioritize your tasks, one is by doing the easiest ones first or the ones that take the less time. Maybe you choose to go the other route and tackle the most time consuming, hardest tasks first.

It really doesn’t matter how you decide what your priorities are, what’s important is that you do them!

Solution: If you need to get something done around the house or a project at work, you have to schedule the time to do it!  Make the commitment!

You have to make the time, you can’t wait for it to come to you… Because we all know… It will never come!  It sounds so easy, I realize it is not.  The reality is if you want to see a project completed, you have to do the work.

So if you have something you have been wanting to do and just haven’t had time to do it… Decide to make it priority, make a commitment, schedule into your calendar and get it done!

Happy Organizing!

Keep Going!

Posted on September 22, 2010 by in Staying Organized

So you decided awhile ago to make a change… You are going to get organized!  But suddenly you have lost your motivation.  For whatever reason, maybe because you are not seeing the results fast enough, you are running out of time, whatever it may be… Keep Going!

It’s normal to feel tired and maybe even a little disappointed when you are trying to change something as significant as changing your organization style! Habits are hard to form and change is not easy!

You made the choice at the beginning of your journey to make a change, to make a difference in your life! Focus on the success you have made so far!  Make a list of everything you completed and write about how you felt when it was done. Then make a list of everything you still wish to accomplish. By making this a priority and seeing it on paper, may just be what you need to get your mojo back!

Be patient with yourself, if you need to take break, that is OK, take a break, but don’t let it stop you from reaching your goals… Anything is possible, Keep Going!

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”
 – Anatole France

Happy Organizing!

Update Your To Do List!

Posted on September 17, 2010 by in Home Organizing, Office Organizing, Productivity, Time Management

In our podcast, Taking Control of Small Time, Pete and I talked about gaining control of those little time wasters and what can we do to be more productive.  You know the time wasters, like Facebook, waiting for your kids, or maybe you are on hold waiting to talk with someone.

There are lots of little things you can while your are waiting for someone or something, you can empty your dishwasher, you could fold laundry, or pick up around the house.  Being aware of the tasks that can easily be done and being aware of the time wasters, can actually really help you get more done!

How can we organize our tasks better?

Pete gave us a great suggestion on using the TCO Daily Checklist… After each task he puts down the minutes he thinks it will take him to do the task.  So when looking at his list he can see how many 10 minutes tasks he has vs. how many 60 minutes tasks he has.

I love this idea and I will be implementing it right away!  I think this is a great tool to use to update how effective your To Do list really is!  By seeing how much time each tasks take, you can really plan for your day in a much more productive way.  Rather than just looking at all of what you have to do, you break it down into chunks of time!

What a great way, to take back your time!  Thank you Pete for the great suggestion!

Happy Organizing!