Making a positive change to one area of life can set in motion a snowball effect of quality changes. In addition to balancing your checkbook, try reading some of the articles on LifeOrganizers.com to bring order to other parts of your daily routine.
Created in 2003, LifeOrganizers was founded by Paul Holstein to “help others reap the benefits of organization.” Â Covering a wide range of topics including organizing your home, creating a fitness plan, and planning a wedding, as well as some excellent advice for getting your finances in order. LifeOrganizers is a great resource for anyone looking to lower stress (and save money). Here are a few of the articles I found helpful.
How to Get Rid of Unwanted Clutter
In the midwest, where I am from, March kicks off the urge to do some serious spring cleaning. In “How to get rid of unwanted clutter!” the author suggests finding a time when there are minimal interruptions to clean out a closet. To accomplish this all you need is  4 boxes labeled Keep, Donate, Put Away, Recycle and a trash bag. Next, settle in and follow these three steps:
1. Empty the entire space
2. Sort items based on usage frequency
3.Get rid of anything that you decided you would donate or trash immediately.
Sorting items based on how often you use them makes it easier to let some things go. Sometimes, we find that we don’t actually use items as often as we imagined we would. For example, I have multiple T-shirts from races I’ve run. The good memories associated with these shirts makes it tough for me to part with them, but when I really think about how often the shirts get worn…well, donating shirts doesn’t erase the last 100 meters of a road race nor the way the sun came out for the last mile of a marathon.
Daily Check List
In this short, concise piece about creating your own Daily Check List, Katy Gates, Professional Life Coach, points out that, “Whatever you do-or don’t do- on a regular basis defines you, and defines your life.” Gates advocates the breaking up of tasks that you can do daily, because keeping on top of chores gives us confidence and a feeling of control over our lives. Plus, tackling chores by making them a part of a normal routine takes the thinking out of it. Thus, your mind is free to ponder topics more interesting than when you will get to the laundry.
Using the example checklist provided might be a good way to get started, but each of us has a unique set of factors that influences our lives. Â The author suggests adjusting the checklist by, “writing down 7 items that you can/should do each day to make your life run more smoothly.”
Double the Productivity in Half the Time
In this blog entry recounting Jeff Zbar’s efforts to get the most out his time, we see how few moments of planning helped the author completed a task without wasting his day.
Zbar explains his view that, “Productivity isn’t just about doing more with less. It’s about maximizing your available time, opportunities, supplies, whatever, to capitalize on what might otherwise not be obvious opportunities to come to the same end with less effort.”
This simple snapshot of a typical day gives one a feeling not that what he chose that day was monumental, rather that by developing the habit of using his time wisely the author’s small choices add up to a more productive life.
Final Thoughts
LifeOrganizer.com is filled with encouraging articles, insightful tips, checklists, and blog entires to help you stay on top of your busy life. Definitely check out this website whenever you are feeling pumped to get organized.
My only complaint about this website is the way ads are worked into the articles. In this sentence, for example: “It’s frustrating enough to have to learn how to deal..” here the word “deal” is highlighted in blue, as though it were a link to another article, when actually it is an ad for Comcast. One or two of these wouldn’t bother me, because I understand that they have to finance their efforts. But there are quite a few more than just one or two. The blog section of the site doesn’t have these ads and is a bit easier on the eyes. Though the articles not found in the blog section are also enjoyable and quite helpful once one gets past the barrage of advertisements.
