The Blog

Do’s and Don’ts for a Successful To Do list

11/30/2016 By Nancy Borg With 6 comments

to do listTo do, or not to do, is a complex question. We are all burdened with too much to do in too little time. Often, important tasks slip through the cracks.

The best life hack solution of all time is an underrated one; list-making. It doesn’t matter whether it’s on paper, dry eraser board, or smart phone, WRITE it down. If your To Do list lives exclusively in your head, it is doomed to fail.  Noone can possibly remember all things that need to get done in one day, and/or sort them from the other gazillion random thoughts swirling around in your head.  You know I’m right.

Try keeping a pad handy (in more than one place) in your home, and in your car to “catch” the thought, an idea, or the something you remembered you forgot.  I’m all about writing things down because it gets tasks out of you head and onto a piece of a paper. This is a productive way to reduce brain clutter, release resonating ideas and make more room for new ones.  Yes my friends, the brain can get cluttered too, just like any other space in your home.

No shocker here that as a Professional Organizer, I’m a huge advocate of list-making.  As you would imagine, my lists have sub-lists, and I have checklists for my checklists. And there is no greater pleasure than checking off or crossing out a task once it has been completed.

You might be wondering what it really means to have a “successful” to do list.  It’s simply one that is productive,  because it works. So before crafting your To Do list, consider these steps first.

 Make a list 

  • Distinguish a to do list from a wish list. They are not the same thing. Short and long term goals should be on a way different To Do list. Separate daily tasks from weekly ones.

Prioritize 

  • Put the tasks in order of importance. Ask yourself, “does this HAVE to get done today?

Evaluate 

  • As part of the prioritizing process, think about the time-management component. Which of the tasks are time-sensitive? Create a timeline. Are they realistic? Have you left yourself enough time to accomplish them?
  • Strategize your route. It’s better to do the furthest destination first and work your way back home. This ensures that you get it done before procrastination flirts. It’s always easier to do the easy errand even when you’re tired.

  Edit  

  • Review the list both before you tackle it, and after the day’s end. Situations change all the time and so it’s important to edit the list often. Re-write the list to possibly change the order, add or delete. Keep it current.

The benefits of list-making are invaluable.  Think about it as “organizing” your brain.  It enable you to structure your day and follow a plan with a cognitive focus.

You can also create more than one To Do List.  Sorting your tasks by “like” actions is a super efficient strategy.  Perhaps separating your grocery list from your other errands would help manage this. Hey, you don’t want to come home without the veggies you needed for dinner, lol.

By organizing your To Do list, you will not only reduce the overwhelm, you will make it doable.  Breaking down the grandiose task list by category, importance, and time-frame will help you to manage it and yield success.

What’s on your To Do list? Have you planned for success?

 

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Are You Wearing Too Many Hats? Trendy or Foolish?

05/09/2013 By Nancy Borg With no comments yet

hats_optAt our core, we are all somebody’s son or daughter.  If we are lucky, we are also a sister or brother, a niece or nephew, a mother or father, a wife or a husband. We wear those “hats” proudly.

These relationships alone need our nurturing and sometimes, even managing 24/7. But the fact is that we all lead busy lives that extend beyond the scope of these familial connections.

If you have a job, you can switch “hats” as soon as you leave the house, and immerse yourself in that role and alternate responsibilities. Two hats, no biggie.

If you are solepreneur with a home-based business, you’ll have a little more of a daily challenge of juggling your work life with home-life.  It’s very hard to separate these two hats, but if you set boundaries, it can be done.  Finding the balance is the secret.

This all seems simple enough. Go to work, return home, relax, sleep, repeat. Think again. I think we aspire to be busy, it’s part of our trendy culture.  We fill the voids of our free schedule with a myriad of other responsibilities and yet complain about not having enough time to do other things we enjoy.

Some of us volunteer for  multiple committees, sit on a variety of executive boards, coach children’s sports and/or carpool their over-scheduled activities, or accept additional work-related commitments and opportunities that are not mandatory. Add on the extracurricular activities like the gym, exercise, or any sport we try to squeeze in, and we are maxx-ed out at our limit.  We’ve hit the wall, alas.

So this begs the question, are you in over your head?  How many hats are too many?

At a recent NAPO conference in New Orleans, clinical psychologist, Dr. David Tolin suggests that our time should match up with our values and goals. We must learn to prioritize.  Take an honest look at your life. If you don’t have enough “free” time, evaluate the reasons.  One of the biggest time wasters is the inability to say “no.” Dr. Tolin infers that we feel too guilty to decline a request because too often we worry what others will think, or fear they will think we are lazy. We are reluctant to disappoint and equate compliance with increased respect and like-ability (and that goes for our children’s suffocating schedules, as well).  So we agree to wearing yet another “hat.”  Tolin makes an excellent point,  we have a tendency to value other people’s time more than our own. We must learn to say “no” and not feel guilty about these choices.

While wearing many hats can be outwardly impressive, we should really look at the bigger picture.  If we value time, we must question if another new role compromises it.  If we spread ourselves too thin, something’s got to give.  It can only result in burn-out.  The need to set limits and boundaries is paramount.

Is there something you want to do that you’re not able to do because of an obligation you were reluctant to decline?

So the next time someone recruits you for yet another commitment, before you say “yes,” ask yourself if you’re in over your head.

Remember you have only one head, so how many hats can you wear effectively?  Too many hats of too many colors may not be the fashion trend that you can wear well.

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New Year Resolutions That Stick

12/26/2012 By Nancy Borg With 3 comments

The holiday’s may be over, but its afterglow is all abounding.  Our bellies are full and our hearts are grateful.  But we still have one more party to hurdle…  ushering in the New Year.  Time to reflect, evaluate, and perhaps change.

But do your New Year’s Resolutions seem redundant year after year? Something like; eat healthier? Lose weight? Join a gym? Save more money? Give up all your bad habits?

As if our lives aren’t stressful enough, why must we conclude the year with an endless list of personal promises and lofty goals that are unlikely to be all fulfilled?

Granted, it serves us good to at least write a list of what we hope to accomplish, but who really needs the added pressure of such a dubious pledge?  I’m all for reflection and resolution, but doable trumps all.

We all have good intentions of course, but if we’re finding ourselves reaching for repetitive goals every year, perhaps we should tailor them to be more practical.  And maybe, just maybe, we’re throwing too many ideas into the pot.  Beginning a brand new calendar year can be motivating and yet tempting to re-invent ourselves. 

It is improbable that we can fix everything that is lacking in ourselves in one year.

Too often, this is why New Year resolutions fail. Don’t set yourself up for defeat.  Avoid making such a long list of impossible dreams.  Look to manage stress this year, not create more.  It’s a great time to focus on all facets of your life; personal, family, business, etc. and evaluate it thoughtfully.

Prioritize your goals and go after the important ones.  Realize what did not work so well this past year and make the necessary improvements.  Better to do one thing well, than a lot of mediocre.

Or…

STOP making specific resolutions altogether.  Simply start living a better life by just doing more.

Here’s some easy ways to start;

  • Keep learning more
  • Be kind-er than you were last year
  • Be more grateful for what you have
  • Live a healthi-er life than you did last year
  • Smile more
  • Laugh often
  • Love more
  • Be more positive

 

If this sounds a bit cliche, don’t overlook the significance of these simple and pleasurable objectives.  They are attainable. You can of course opt out of any of these, and find your own creative ways to make life better than it was last year.

An overall positive outlook is a great instigator for productive change, and that attitude alone, will inspire you to get closer to your aspirations.  If nothing else, striving to be more organized  (sorry, couldn’t resist) will provide you with the focus you need to affect this change.

Happy New Year to all! Rejuvenate. Time to turn the page.  How are you going to make this next year better?

 

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Do You Struggle with the Juggle of Time?

10/08/2012 By Nancy Borg With no comments yet

Frankly, sometimes I think I am the Master Juggler.  I am usually able to maneuver my schedule skillfully to satisfy both my personal and professional life.  In fact, most of the time, my life feels like one giant balancing act.

But in the event when one tiny piece of my day runs late or goes askew (sometimes my bad, other times beyond my control), it throws my whole day off.  Every segment of time spills into the next.  There’s a glitch in my perfect plan.

I have two choices; I can attempt to chase time, which is always fruitless, or I can modify my day and regulate my time-management. This forces me to look at my day more astutely, evaluate the priorities, and make the necessary adjustments.  So I work around the non-negotiable tasks, drop one or two errands, and switch the less time-sensitive commitments to another day.

Juggling is definitely a skill that only few can master, and yet we all probably attempt this every single day.  We struggle with the juggle because of two absolutes; life happens, and time does not stand still.

If only we could press pause, like on our DVR, we could catch up.  Dream on.  We cannot simply press a button.  We are not magicians. Our only coping tool is to take an actual pause;  evaluate and prioritizeour daily to-do’s.  It’s an unremitting job.

For sure, this is a daily challenge for me.  I wonder if I am in good company. How good of a time-juggler are you?

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Finding the Happy in Hard Times

01/18/2012 By Nancy Borg With 9 comments

One of the all time over-stated and under-utilized motto is,  “When you get lemons, make lemonade.” But how often do we take active measures to redirect our path in the face of adversity?

Life can be hard and often unfair. We must work hard at cultivating our own happiness.  Whether it’s caused by financial struggles or amidst any other trying circumstance, self pity or idleness is not a productive way to confront despair. Don’t be  a victim, be proactive.

The adage, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” is truly an inspirational one and has always resonated with me.  It’s all about perseverance.  There is always a silver lining to every bad situation, and so we must gather our survival tools to diffuse and minimize them.  One simple coping tool is to prioritize.  In the midst of the difficulty, step away and take stock.  What things are you grateful for? What is important to you?  Find the happy in them.  Focus on the positive, not the negative. Gain control and reverse the momentum.  Adjust your attitude.

As this is my 100th blog post, this feels like a milestone post.  It gives me pause for some significant personal reflection.  I want to thank you the reader, for visiting, commenting, and your continued follow.  Know that my content comes from an authentic place, and I draw from my own personal and professional experiences.  I share with you my organizing expertise,  along with my heart.

For me,  health, family and friends are paramount in my life.  So for now, no matter how hard and challenged the days are ahead, I find the happy through my family and friends.  It is my life-balance.  These are my vital anchors.  What are yours?  How do you cope with your hardships?

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Why New Year’s Resolutions Often Fail

12/28/2011 By Nancy Borg With no comments yet

Do your New Year’s resolutions seem redundant year after year? Something like…eat healthier, lose weight, join a gym, recycle, save more money?

As if our lives aren’t stressful enough, why must we conclude the year with an endless list of personal promises and lofty goals that are unlikely to be all fulfilled?  Granted, it serves us good to at least write a list of what we hope to accomplish, but who really needs the added pressure of such a dubious pledge?  I’m all for reflection and resolution, but doable trumps all.  We all have good intentions of course, but if we’re finding ourselves reaching for repetitive goals every year, perhaps we should tailor them to be more practical.  And maybe, just maybe, we’re throwing too many ideas into the pot.  Beginning a brand new calendar year can be motivating and  yet tempting to re-invent ourselves.  But it is improbable that we can fix everything that is lacking in ourselves in one year.

Don’t set yourself up for failure.  Avoid making such a long list of impossible dreams.  Look to manage stress this year, not create more.  This would be the time to organize all facets of your life; personal, family, business, etc.

Prioritize your goals and go after the important ones with gusto. Focus on what did not work so well this past year and make the necessary improvements.  Better to do one thing well, than a lot of mediocre.

Or…

STOP making specific resolutions altogether and simply start living a better life, in general.  Pay attention to yourself, be true to who you really are, and like Oprah will tell ya, “live your best life!”

Here’s some easy ways to start;

  • Keep learning
  • Be kind-er than you were last year
  • Be grateful for what you have
  • Live a healthi-er life than you did last year
  • Smile more
  • Laugh often
  • Love more

An above all…

  • Eat the ice cream! (indulge now and then, with no regrets)

If this sounds a bit cliche, do not overlook the significance of these simple attainable pleasurable objectives.  But you can of course opt out of any of these, and find your own creative ways to make life better than it was last year.   An overall positive outlook is a great instigator for productive change, and that attitude alone, will inspire you to get closer to your aspirations.  If nothing else, striving to be more organized will provide you with the focus you need to affect this change.

Happy New Year! Rejuvenate. Turn the page.  How are you going to make this next year better?

 

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How Some Skillful Time-management Can Obliterate Overwhelm: The 4 Step Plan

12/20/2011 By Nancy Borg With 1 comment


Being overwhelmed about anything can be paralyzing.  If a project looms too large, it’s far easier to ignore it and avoid it, than tackle it.  The best tool we have to manage this state of procrastination is the power and control we get from organization. It is our only defense against all odds because it cajoles us into taking that first step. Any plan is an incentive to be productive.

While the big picture of any situation is often clarifying, it can be equally daunting.  Goal setting is a powerful technique but without the proper tools of how to get there, one can easily get discouraged, overwhelmed, and lost in despair.

How you utilize and your organize your time is critical.  These are some effective tools you can use to guide you through any personal project; large or small, at home or in the office.

    • Organize:  Create a list of similar goals so that once immersed, you won’t have to task switch and you can remain in a productive zone.  Group tasks in the same room and avoid zigzagging all over the place.
    • Prioritize:  Once you’ve organized your to do’s, you will be able to prioritize what is most important.  Setting goals will help you to accomplish them.  Identify the highest priority and attack.
    • Focus:  Select a time period for stop and start, and stick to these strict parameters.  Do not deviate from the task.  Work on one project or task at a time, for an uninterrupted block of time (even if it’s only 30 minutes). Avoid thinking about the big picture for now and focus on what’s immediately in front of you.  Do not be overly ambitious with your expectations. Keep your goals realistic for the time period you’ve set aside.  Feeling a sense of accomplishment after each block of time will probably fuel your drive to complete the project. The closer you get to your goal, the more encouraged you will be to continue.  Be kind to yourself, don’t take on too much. Just remember, if you break down chores into manageable steps, you will eventually fulfill them.
    • Systemize:  Establish a routine so you can consistently schedule your tasks and create a good work flow. This could be daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on the task at hand.  Carving out time in your day on a consistent basis will maintain your productivity level.  When you schedule, you are prepared to commit to the process and its completion.

     

No matter the scope of the project, it is a necessity to organize it first, in order to accomplish it.  It doesn’t matter if you’re cleaning out a closet or creating a new filing system. Manage your time wisely and you can achieve anything.

Create a strategy.  Think it through.  Take a breath.  Make a plan.  Are you ready?  On your mark, get set, GO!

 

 

 

 

 

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