Month: April 2016

A Place for Everything

A Place for Everything

We all have way too much stuff and managing all of this stuff takes up way too much of our time. More often than not, looking for things negatively impacts our time and productivity. How often do you find yourself wandering around looking for your keys, your phone or your wallet?

There’s a simple solution. Take a full inventory of all your stuff and establish a set place for everything you own. As Benjamin Franklin wisely suggested, “A place for everything and everything in its place.”

Is there a drawer, desk or corner somewhere in your house or office that attracts a pile of random things? Most likely it’s because these things don’t have a home. Go through and categorize them and then allocate a location, box, folder for each category. For example, select a location for your keys and your phone, find a place to store your bills until they get paid and another for after they’ve been paid, and pick a specific place for your work bag or purse.

If this feels overwhelming, it’s probably because you have too much stuff. If you haven’t used it, worn it or thought about it in six months, then it’s time to get rid of it. I know it’s hard to part ways with your things but if you aren’t using it, wouldn’t it feel great if someone else could?

Most of us don’t have trash lying all over the place in our rooms and offices. If you think about it carefully, it’s because most rooms include a trash can and by habit most of us automatically put trash in the trash can for easy removal. Likewise, create bins, bags or spaces for things you need to return, things you want to try to sell or things you want to donate.

Once everything is in its place, you need a process to maintain it. Some of you may be able to get in the habit of automatically putting everything back in its place. Others may need to set aside time each day or week to put things away. Some will wait until someone is coming to the house, maybe even the cleaners.

No matter which process you prefer, just start by finding a home for your stuff and I promise you’ll find yourself wasting less time looking for things.

5 BIG Benefits of Entrepreneurship

5 BIG Benefits of Entrepreneurship

Three months ago I quit my corporate job to start my own business. During this time, I have come to recognize some of the enormous benefits of entrepreneurship that I was unaware of while in the corporate world.

READING

Instead of reading hundreds of email messages each day, I now have the time to read books and have been able to finish at least one book each week. I have dived deeply into reading productivity books but also some fiction as well. In addition to learning a lot, reading is also insightful, stimulating and relaxing.

WRITING

Writing emails, status reports or PowerPoint decks is mind-numbing and pretty much worthless in the long run. But through my blog posts and content marketing efforts, I have been able to capture and summarize ideas and concepts that are substantive and hopefully thought-provoking.

CREATING

With the help of my good friends at TenRocket, I was able to define, develop and launch my new task management app, priorigami: the art of productivity in the iTunes App Store in about a month. It’s simply amazing to see how quickly you can create and innovate when you aren’t designing or deciding by committee.

THINKING

While most of my days were spent sitting in various meetings, I now prioritize taking a walk in nature. This time has cleared my mind and provided some of the most powerful opportunities to think clearly. I never realized how much I missed having the time, the quiet and the ability to just think.

DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE

In this short amount of time, I have a long list of things I have been able to do that I didn’t think I could do by myself. I obtained all of the necessary business licenses and numbers, launched my own Web site and blog, and I even figured out how to redirect my domain by updating the DNS entries — I used to have Ops people who did that kind of stuff for me. I have always said that there’s nothing more gratifying than accomplishing something you thought was impossible.

I am finally experiencing the pleasure of doing deep, meaningful work. So, what’s blocking your path?

The Magic of Having One To-Do List

The Magic of Having One To-Do List

Much has been written and debated about whether or not you need to have a to-do list. According to my informal research, some people are able to remember everything in their heads, others have many, many lists and notes all over the place, and only 12% of respondents say they maintain one centralized list of all of their tasks.

As a life-long maker and maintainer of a to-do list, I can attest to the value of establishing and maintaining one central list of all of your tasks. It can be paper, digital or you can use my new app, priorigami: the art of productivity. Here are the magical benefits of having a single to-do list.

FREE YOUR MIND

Any given day there are a million random thoughts running through your head. By writing all of your tasks down, you can relieve your mind from having to remember everything and free it to do the important work. While our brains are really good at solving problems or being creative, they are not good storage solutions.

CREATE A HOME FOR YOUR TASKS

If you have one list, you have a single home for all your tasks. You don’t need to keep a variety of lists, reminders or Post-it notes but instead you will have created a place to house everything you need to do. You no longer need to keep reminding yourself to remember to get something done. The list will do it for you.

PICK YOUR PRIORITIES

If everything you need to do is in one place, it makes it a lot easier to prioritize and select tasks to focus on. When you have a free moment, review your list and you’ll be instantly reminded of what needs attention and which tasks should to rise to the top. You won’t need to remember to look in several different places just to find out what’s most important.

FEEL GREAT

The real magic of having a to-do list is the pleasure that comes with checking things off the list when they are complete. I have been known to add items to my list that are already done just to be able to check them off. It’s a proven fact, that checking items of a list results in a dopamine rush which makes us feel good and in turn, motivates us to do more.

So, what’s holding you back? Create your list today by downloading priorigami and start reaping the magical benefits of your to-do list.