Declutter Your Life: Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity, and Enjoy Your Clutter-Free Life Read Online Free Page A
Author: Michelle Stewart
Tags: Self-Help Guide
planner, but purchasing a reasonably priced pocked calendar or planner is a good idea. I find that buying a small planner in August is the best method. School planners make perfect life planners, and you can generally find a quality item during back to school season for between $3 and $10.
Planners are a personal choice, so you will need to experiment with what works best for you. I like a small book that includes at least five lines for each day of the week. I also prefer that the planner is already filled in with months and dates, because I have consistent problems in filling them in myself. A friend of mine who pastors a small church prefers to use the electronic planner in his smartphone. He must make on-the-spot commitments and found he would not always have his planner with him. After double or triple booking his time on several occasions, he started recording everything in his phone. The added benefit is that the phone provides an alarm chime for each appointment.
Find a method of calendaring that works for you. My mother uses a simple wall calendar on the fridge to record appointments and important dates. I use a more detailed planner to keep track of appointments, social events, due dates on jobs and more. The key is consistency.
Learn to Say No
Once you look at your schedule in a planner or calendar, you will see how busy you really are. If there is little room to write anything else in a given week, you may need to back off of some of your social engagements. There is a tendency in many people to never say no to things. They do not want to miss out on good times, social climbing, networking or important jobs. A good friend of mind is fond of saying, “People always say they do not have enough time. Well, everyone has the same amount. Everyone has 24 hours every day.”
The key to reducing social clutter is not gaining more time. It is prioritizing your time appropriately, and that means learning to say no. If the family has been on the go all week, say no to the Friday dinner invitation so everyone can get some needed downtime. Make it a point to spend a certain number of evenings in every week at home and schedule the other evenings carefully. You should always be gracious when declining invitations and try to avoid turning the same friends down every week. However, if a friend cannot understand that you are tired or need some nonsocial time to relax and rejuvenate, then he or she may not be a friend you want to keep close.
Quality Over Quantity
Another detriment to a fast-paced world is the common habit of trying to fit more in a day than 24 hours can reasonably accommodate. Busy people want to do it all. They want to perform well at work, shine in social settings, be good parents, spouses or friends and have a little me-time left at the end of the day. While all of these are noble goals, getting everything in every day may not be possible. Even if you do manage to schedule it all, the time spent on each activity may be forced, rushed or confusing. Instead, choose to do a smaller number of things but do them well. Instead of striving to spend two hours of family time every night, spend four awesome hours on Saturday. Instead of saying yes every time a friend brings up an activity, pick only those things that you will actually enjoy together and do not impinge on other obligations.
Keep a Group Calendar
As my son grows older, my family is more likely to make plans that do not coordinate. As soon as he hit middle school, I created a white board system in the hall off our kitchen. There are sections for him to write down projects and test dates, social events and items that he needs from us. There is also a section for us to write down things we need from him. A small calendar hangs next to that board and everyone writes their appointments and social events on it. This little area in our hall ensures that no one schedules an event that is at odds with someone else and that we are all aware of what we need to
Planners are a personal choice, so you will need to experiment with what works best for you. I like a small book that includes at least five lines for each day of the week. I also prefer that the planner is already filled in with months and dates, because I have consistent problems in filling them in myself. A friend of mine who pastors a small church prefers to use the electronic planner in his smartphone. He must make on-the-spot commitments and found he would not always have his planner with him. After double or triple booking his time on several occasions, he started recording everything in his phone. The added benefit is that the phone provides an alarm chime for each appointment.
Find a method of calendaring that works for you. My mother uses a simple wall calendar on the fridge to record appointments and important dates. I use a more detailed planner to keep track of appointments, social events, due dates on jobs and more. The key is consistency.
Learn to Say No
Once you look at your schedule in a planner or calendar, you will see how busy you really are. If there is little room to write anything else in a given week, you may need to back off of some of your social engagements. There is a tendency in many people to never say no to things. They do not want to miss out on good times, social climbing, networking or important jobs. A good friend of mind is fond of saying, “People always say they do not have enough time. Well, everyone has the same amount. Everyone has 24 hours every day.”
The key to reducing social clutter is not gaining more time. It is prioritizing your time appropriately, and that means learning to say no. If the family has been on the go all week, say no to the Friday dinner invitation so everyone can get some needed downtime. Make it a point to spend a certain number of evenings in every week at home and schedule the other evenings carefully. You should always be gracious when declining invitations and try to avoid turning the same friends down every week. However, if a friend cannot understand that you are tired or need some nonsocial time to relax and rejuvenate, then he or she may not be a friend you want to keep close.
Quality Over Quantity
Another detriment to a fast-paced world is the common habit of trying to fit more in a day than 24 hours can reasonably accommodate. Busy people want to do it all. They want to perform well at work, shine in social settings, be good parents, spouses or friends and have a little me-time left at the end of the day. While all of these are noble goals, getting everything in every day may not be possible. Even if you do manage to schedule it all, the time spent on each activity may be forced, rushed or confusing. Instead, choose to do a smaller number of things but do them well. Instead of striving to spend two hours of family time every night, spend four awesome hours on Saturday. Instead of saying yes every time a friend brings up an activity, pick only those things that you will actually enjoy together and do not impinge on other obligations.
Keep a Group Calendar
As my son grows older, my family is more likely to make plans that do not coordinate. As soon as he hit middle school, I created a white board system in the hall off our kitchen. There are sections for him to write down projects and test dates, social events and items that he needs from us. There is also a section for us to write down things we need from him. A small calendar hangs next to that board and everyone writes their appointments and social events on it. This little area in our hall ensures that no one schedules an event that is at odds with someone else and that we are all aware of what we need to
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