Skip to main content
Category

Time Management

Feb 10
Love0

Why You Have Unfinished Projects + The Cost of No Clutter Control – Part 2

By Blog, Home Office Organization, Time Management No Comments

The Meaning of Clutter Control

 

When a space is filled with too much stuff and has no form of clutter control in place, it can make you distracted and unfocused.

 

Drilling down to the real reason the piles are there is crucial to uncovering why you do what you do. Because once you get familiar with the real reason of WHY you keep feeding these habits, you’ll find there is room for growth, change, and implementing new methods of clutter control.

 

Then this is where the magic happens!

 

Organizing and “clutter control” can sound like pretty big commitments, but once you break down what it really means to control your clutter, you will see they really aren’t that scary after all!

FREE DOWNLOAD

Learn How To Avoid Making These 3 Mistakes,
+ How To Solve Making Them – FOREVER!

 

Get Your Cheatsheet Now!

Steps in the right direction can be as simple as spending a little extra time creating a folder for a new project, jotting down a date and setting a reminder for it in your digital calendar, or just using a velcro dot on a pen so it sticks in a place where you need it every time. It’s really that simple!

 

Use these few key questions to get to the root of where your piles are coming from. Read below and take some time to answer honestly!

 

Clutter Control Q’s:

  • What do distractions cost you on a daily basis:
    – In time?
    – In lost revenue?
    – In relationships?
    – For your health?
  • What is the physicality of keeping extra stuff costing you financially?
  • What don’t you have time for that you wish you could again?
  • Do you wish you could control and minimize your clutter easily?
  • What is in the way of you living out your true passion?

 

Take a few moments right now to add up the costs of your extra stuff. Remember to factor in all insurance costs, storage costs, cleaning costs, space allocation costs, and costs of containing your stuff.

 

Then there’s the time you spend maintaining your stuff.

 

Take a moment to access all of what your extra stuff and lack of clutter control is costing you and write that down on a piece of paper or in your computer.

 

“My stuff is costing me [$ this much] in wasted time, storage costs, maintenance…”

 

 

 

Lack of Clutter Control + Health of Your Immune System

 

Having too much stuff can also affect the health of your immune system, and anyone else who lives in your household or spends time in your cluttered workspace.

 

This is because when your piles of clutter or paper sit stagnant for too long, they become magnets for collecting dust, grime, and air pollutants.

 

And if they aren’t put away or cleaned regularly the whole room can quickly become a breeding ground for dust and bacteria… say hello to chronic sickness!

 

And what’s worse? These harmful types of inside environments can heavily aggravate existing allergy symptoms.

 

Don’t have any allergies? 👇🏼

 

Well, by spending a large portion of your time in a cluttered environment you are increasing your risk of developing asthma by a whopping 40%.

 

Is that a risk you’re willing to take?

So with all this in mind, what’s the next action step you’ll take towards making your office or room more inspiring?

 

Are you going to paint the walls? Recycle all your piles of paper and magazines that you rarely refer to? Buy a shredder? Hang up some inspiring artwork?

 

Whatever it may be, you already know you’ll need to make some changes in order to get rid of the dust piles and have an inspiring workspace again.

 

Go ahead and write down the first action step you’ll take.

 

Clear the Clutter from Your Calendar

 

If you didn’t know already, clutter control isn’t just about your physical stuff!

 

Think about all the commitments you’ve made by saying yes when you really wanted to say no. Do you have a tendency to try and please everyone by saying yes a lot?

You’ll need to learn how to set boundaries around your time if this sounds like you. The first thing you’ll need to do is get very clear on your own personal values and what’s of the most importance to you.

 

Make sure you schedule that important stuff first; relationships, time for yourself, exercising, getting enough sleep, and so on.

 

Then fill in the rest of your life!

 

 

What Should I Declutter Next?

 

These questions haven’t been easy so far, but they are important to consider nonetheless!

 

Now we’re at the perfect time to reflect where you are in this moment and assess what’s working, what’s not working, and what you’d like to be different moving forward.

 

The next action step that you take now could be the step that leads you to a whole new level of productivity and peace of mind. How exciting!

 

Having great clutter control and finally being organized in your office, home, and life is a beautiful thing!

 

If your stuff has side-tracked you, all there is to do is get back on track.

 

So, take your time in answering these important questions and then schedule your action steps and make it happen!

 

When we leave this place (and we all eventually will), you won’t be taking your stuff with you. All your precious things will remain exactly where you left them.

 

So do yourself and those you love a favor and get rid of all the unimportant stuff!

 

And remember to always enjoy the process – there is hope, life, and light at the end of the organizing tunnel!

 

 

What has been the most significant part of your clutter control journey? Comment below!

 

 

 

 

Like this article?

You’ll love this one👇🏼

What is the Average Amount of Time We REALLY Spend at Home?

Oct 01
Love0

Raising Your Personal Productivity Bar

By Blog, Resources, Time Management No Comments

For some, fall is a time to review personal and professional goals.

 

The kids are back in school, summer holidays are over, your company begins its third quarter; whatever it is, this is a time to renew or revisit your goals. And getting back to work not only means getting back into a comfortable work routine, it also means accessing what’s worked in the past and what didn’t work.

 

Did you know a workspace cluttered with paper is the sign of an environment full of deferred decisions?

 

It can also signal a disorganized mind that lacks focus or an individual who isn’t as productive as they could be.

 

Piles of paper and a bulging Inbox can weigh heavy on a person. It can also result in missed deadlines, lost information, late payment fees, and other financial costs you or your company may not even be aware of until its too late.

 

But hold on!

 

Before you look around your office and feel overwhelmed by the amount of organizing that needs to be done, remember we’re going to take it one step at a time.

 

Listen to the pros:

Psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews has advice for those who put “stop procrastinating” on their list of resolutions. You’ll find that September is the perfect time to heed this advice and re-evaluate where you want to be.

 

Dr. Matthew’s suggestion for increasing personal productivity is simple: Share your goals with a friend.

Research recently conducted by Dr. Matthews shows that “people who wrote down their goals, shared this information with a friend, and sent weekly updates to that friend were on average 33% more successful in accomplishing their stated goals than those who merely formulated goals.”

If you find you are not satisfied with the way your business success and productivity is headed, here are some suggestions to create more desired results.

The Results Journal – Sunrise Edition

Take our Self-Directed Productivity Quiz:

On a scale of 1-10 how satisfied are you in these areas of productivity and effectiveness (1 being not satisfied and 10 very satisfied):

Ok – What Next?

The next step is to only work on one to three areas at a time. Write down the three biggest obstacles you are currently facing based on your answer above.

 

Do you desire to have an empty Inbox?

Do you long to stay on top of your follow-up list?

Do you wish you had more time to exercise?

Could you be better at juggling your roles and responsibilities?

Would you like to spend less time looking for files and information?

 

During this process, your goal is to raise the bar up by just one or two levels.

What possibilities do you now see? These may be new opportunities or a clearer vision of existing ones. Once you get rid of the mental clutter through organization, more possibilities will be revealed.

 

Your Plan of Action:

Now that you have identified what obstacles are in the way of your productivity, get ready to eliminate each and every one with a plan of action.

Write down your plan of action for dealing with each item.

Full Focus Planner

Next, ask yourself “What is one action I am committed to doing consistently in the next week to raise my level of satisfaction to an eight or higher?” Write down your answer and schedule time on your calendar to do that action.

Just like you would schedule a haircut or doctor appointment, schedule time to work on your action.

For example, if you ranked yourself a 6 in managing your email files, then what would be one action you could take to raise your level of satisfaction to an 8? You might research the internet for articles or tips on managing your email, register for a webinar on organizing your email, read a book, or talk to a team member in your office who you’ve noticed is very effective with managing their emails.

 

Remember, the key to your personal productivity, is taking action and sticking with it on a consistent basis.

This is where sharing your answers and committing to a time frame with a friend is invaluable. Have your friend help you stay accountable by either having them ask you for a weekly status report, or have them text or nudge you to keep at it.

 

Thirty to sixty days from now, re-assess your level of productivity by taking the quiz again and you should see a noticeable difference in your level of satisfaction. Another interesting side benefit of implementing one to three actions in certain areas is you’ll notice your level of satisfaction went up in other areas that you weren’t even focusing on.

Now that’s being productive!