If you know me at all, you would know, along with bunnies and animal shaped pool floaties, I have an obsession for making lists and keeping my life organized. I most definitely have a minor case of OCD, and with a million things going on all the time my mind goes into overdrive quite often. So, in attempt to keep my life under control there are a few things that I do to keep my life in check (since I’m an organizational freak, I have put my steps in a nicely organized manner starting with tools that are helpful to a little advice).
1. Keep a planner- I cannot live without a planner. It is the one place that I can keep everything collectivly together including schedules, personal life activities, work duties, goals, and completed tasks. For me, I like to have one little book that has everything I need (my phone just doesn’t do the trick anymore). Finding the perfect planner, might I add, is not as easy as it seems, so I’ll share my best secret with you guys: the Happiness Planner. It hits all the marks that I need, it’s super cute (a must), and it not only keeps me organized and in check, but it is motivational and helps you organize all aspects. Scroll down to see what I’m talking about.
2. Set your phone calendar- Okay, I know I said using my phone doesn’t do the trick anymore, but it’s a nice backup tool. When life gets crazy, having reminders is nice. No one likes missing an important meeting or lunch date. So, in attempt to not be a forgetful noob, I put all of my meetings and events in my phone calendar with alarms to insure I do not forget about them.
3. To-do lists- Along with a planner, daily to-do lists are the way I get through life. Some planners have room for them (mine does), but some don’t. Even sometimes I’ll make a separate sticky note with my tasks on them so I don’t clutter up my planner (I told you I’m OCD). I gotta say, there’s just so much satisfaction in crossing something off a list.
4. Email folders- With so many emails always coming in, I always get overwhelmed and often forget to reply. Folders help me to categorize each email I receive and send out. *Tip: did you know you can “unsend” an email?! Learn about it here.
5. Color coding- I’m a visual person, so using different colors for different things it super helpful. I even have implemented this into my closet.
6. Learn to say no- This is the hardest step of all. I learned this important lesson from someone who is very close to me this past year and it has stuck with me. I always want to say yes, especially if it’s work related (aka my blog), but what I have learned is that saying yes all the time to help someone else isn’t always what is the best for you. That may sound selfish, but there comes a time when you have to really think about what is best for you, your company, your family, etc., because the affects of it may not be what you stand for, are trying to portray, or even can be damaging.
7. Make time for myself- Along with the step 6 this is one of the toughest. I find myself over committing to projects or completely filling up my schedule without leaving anytime for relaxation or a time to “declutter” my mind. This is a necessary for me to stay sane and not burn out.
8. If you hate it, don’t do it- This step really ties in with step 6, but if you hate what you are doing don’t do it. I have found myself doing a few things that I realized I just didn’t enjoy, and it ended up affecting everything else I was doing. I don’t know about you, but I can’t be having things (that I voluntarily choose; I can’t control others) that make me want to jump off of a really tall bridge with man-eating sharks below in my life, because, I mean, that would be the end of me.
In the spirit of staying organized (really just my OCD) I must end my steps on an even number. This is how I cope, and I know some people do this thing called just “wing it and see how things turn out” (you are crazy if that is you), but for me I simply can’t. So, I hope you have enjoyed my two cents on organization and life skills, and if you think I’m crazy, you’re welcome for the laugh.
x
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