Today we’re checking in our our Photo Organizing challenge, sharing highlights of our book-filled Skype session, and exploring root causes that may be preventing you from being your most productive self.
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Summer Photo Organizing
Remember how I said we were revved up and ready to tackle our photo organizing (as mentioned in Episode 41 Organizing your Photos). Yeah, well, we still don’t have any updates to report. But, we accepted that.
We did tackle the first big hurdles:
1) Break the project into manageable chunks and
2) Set a specific time to tackle the project
We are still not making this challenge a priority. At first we were both feeling a little embarrassed about our lack of progress, but then we realized we were actually super productive during our “photo organizing” time. Instead of photos, we had a Skype session and dove into BOOKS!
In case you didn’t know, I do virtual organizing sessions! Of course I love to be hands-on when organizing, but sometimes that’s not possible.
Skype organizing sessions can be super productive and more affordable than in-person sessions since I don’t need to add in my transportation time.
Having the podcast has meant that I can reach clients that are out of my home base of San Diego! If you want more imfo about virtual organizing be sure to check out my services page.
Back to the Books!
During our initial conversation about books, Bethany shared that she is super motivated (making room for her fiance’s books), but she just was feeling overwhelmed by the idea of diving in.
Her shelves were jam-packed, even double stacked on some shelves. I asked her what her specific goal was and she shared that she wanted to clear three full shelves of books so that there could be plenty of room for the books her fiance was bringing in.
I broke down specific steps in the last episodes show notes, click here for more details. The key was to start small.
We identified why she wanted to clear books, and the only thing left was to get started. On our skype call, Bethany set up her computer so that I could see the shelves clearly.
She pulled books down and focused on only one shelf at a time. That was key, if she looked at three huge, stuffed shelves, she would understandably feel daunted by the task that lay ahead, but one shelf at a time? Now that we can do!
As she pulled books down I asked her to make a decision about each book, before moving on to the next book. Once we got started, she started moving quicker than she’d expected.
She kept books that she could see herself reading in the next year. She also kept that pile to a max of 40 books. Then she kept a reasonable amount of books from the categories she created: reference (teaching), children’s books, self-help, ethnic studies, poetry, classics, and books about organizing (my favorite).
At one point Bethany’s life involved teaching theatre and dance and so she had loads of books about both. Since her life looks a lot different now, we talked about how it was okay to let a lot of those books go.
She kept one or two of her favorites and said goodbye to the rest. When your life changes, your home can change too! If what you have surrounding you no longer reflects your current lifestyle, you can and should make a change.
As she sorted and I cheered her on, I also reminded her of setting and keeping to clear limits. One thing about bookshelves is the size of the shelves gives really clear limits.
Bethany knew she didn’t want to double stack books and have overflowing shelves so as she put books back, she had to continue to make choices about what she would keep and what needed to go. I laughed as I saw her squuueeezzzee one more teaching book onto the shelf, but she made it happen!
Look at the haul she’s saying goodbye too!! I am so proud of her!
What’s really important is that she met her goal of clearing three whole shelves for her fiance, she no longer had over-stuffed shelves, AND her books were sorted into categories (“just like a real library” she said)!
Focusing on the Fundamentals
I found this great article that I was so excited to share with Bethany and with our listeners.
Although I am a fan of making a better to-do list, I loved Ramit Sethi’s perspective on focusing your attention on the fundamentals that will support you and ultimately make you a healthier and more productive person.
We’ve been talking about the top tier of his productivity pyramid; the details like apps, to-do lists, etc. We haven’t been emphasising the base of the pyramid enough, the fundamentals.
It was interesting to read about productivity from another perspective. Even if you have the perfect to-do list app, and the ultimate to do list, Sethi reminds us that you will get out of your way and get more done if you focus on the four fundamentals:
- Sleep
- A clean environment
- A system for meal planning
- Having a schedule/ rhythm of the day
Sleep
Remember that time you got 4 hours of sleep and then had the most productive day ever? No? We don’t either. Sure there were those few all-nighters in college but those days have come and gone, and no sleep equals foggy brains.
Sleep is an easy thing to skimp on, but making time for solid sleep each night is worth it. Our favorite tip from the article, set an alarm for your bedtime. You set an alarm for waking up, so why not set one for bedtime. Even a gentle reminder to start your bedtime routine can be enough to snap you out of Netflix-binge fog.
Be sure to start your bedtime routine before you get too sleepy. If you have kiddos, consider doing your own routine: pj’s, floss, brush, etc… while they are getting ready for bed too.
Know yourself, if you can’t watch your favorite show without finishing a whole season, consider saving those marathons for the weekend or vacation. We know, The Office, is just so good, but don’t worry, Michael Scott will be there when you’re well rested too.
A clean environment
Since my business is called Space for Living, it should come as no surprise that I definitely agree with this fundamental. When our space is clean and clear we have room to think, plan, make, and do; the things that matter most.
A system for meal planning
We’ve talked about meal planning before, most recently in episode 44. Ramit Sethi shares that he has a meal service and though it’s a big splurge, he considers it a cornerstone of his productivity. A chef or a meal service is not in our budget, but that doesn’t mean that meal planning has to be complicated.
Start with what you know and keep it simple. Check out our show notes from episode 43 and 44 for more ideas on how to get started.
Having a schedule or rhythm for your day
Whether you know it or not, you already have a rhythm of the day. Do you rush into the coffee shop and cram down breakfast while you’re on the road? Do you check your phone as soon as you wake up, only to realize you’re all caught up on Instagram, but now you’re also late for work?
You’ll fall into a rhythm whether it’s a string of bad habits, or a curated schedule that helps you work at your best. It’s worth spending time to automate tasks that keep getting pushed by the wayside, like bill paying and returning phone calls. The article had great tips on how to create a schedule that will support your productivity.
As great as these tips are, I think one fundamental was missing. Exercise is key to me staying focused and productive during my day!
I vividly remember calling my Dad and complaining about how stressed I was. His advice? Hit the road and get some fresh air and a run. It really does work.
I have repeated the advice to Bethany when she’s feeling overwhelmed, “go take the dog for a walk and call me back when you’re done.” I also know that when my girls are really at each other’s throats, it’s time to motivate them to do some movement.
What do you think? And which would you focus on? Which one would make the greatest impact on your level of productivity? Are there any you think have been left off the list?
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