Easy Ways to Clear Mental Clutter

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It must happen to you too — you wake up and already a million ideas and things you need to do are whizzing through your head. Then you get on with your day and all these pesky tasks just won’t go away. Having mental clutter can make you frustrated, tired and annoyed. So I say clear it out!

Here are a few ways that work for me:

Lists (10)

Write a To-Do List

This may seem a bit obvious, but it works! If you’re mind is crowded with all the things you have to get down, write them down in a To-Do List. This way, you can easily see what needs to get done and you can prioritize better. Read more

My List for Beating the Heat

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Times Square, NYC

Times Square, NYC (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Walking through NYC is basically like walking through pea soup these days. We’ve had several days of over 90 degree weather and I’ve had quiet enough.

Every TV station, including my own, is cover the heat. They have reporters in Central Park, at cooling centers, pools and local stores getting the pulse of the city.

One of the very first stories I covered as a summer intern at WLNY-TV was a heat wave. I was sent out with a videographer and had to ask people how they were “beating the heat.” So I hold a special place in my heart for heat stories. So what are you doing to stay cool?

  • Take advantage of the heat wave — Keep an eye out for special promotions. A lot of cities offer free public transportation during heat waves. Companies can have a few special offerings, too. NYSC is opening its doors to all visitors in the extreme heat. And JetBlue is offering some promo codes for up to 90% off when the temperature goes above 90 degrees. Read more

To-Do List App Astrid Shutting Down

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Astrid-loves-moms-v2When the to-do list app Astrid first launched — I was instantly in love. I raved about it’s adorable octopus mascot, Astrid, and I really enjoyed the little nudges she gave to help you get things done. I even interviewed the CEO of the company, Jon Paris, on my YouTube channel. A few months back word got out that Yahoo had bought the productivity app. Fabulous, I thought! Finally one of the good ones made the big time! However…now I’ve heard that on August 5th Astrid will be no more! I don’t know why but they are shutting down the service.

Don’t Panic!

If any of you, as I do, happen to keep a lot of important data in your productivity app of choice, no need to panic! In response to closing their service, Astrid has created a way for its users to keep all of their information after closing up shop. All you need to do is go to this link: astrid.com/home/export and you will be able to download all of your data.

Also, if you want to keep using your lists and other information, Astrid recommends that you upload your data to one of these apps.

They are set up to allow you to pick up where you left off:

1. Wrike

2. Wunderlist

3. Sandglaz

4. TickTick

5. 24me

6. Any.do

I recommend these to-do list apps as alternatives to Astrid:

1. Carrot

2. Don’t Forget

3. Clear

4. Paperless

I’m sad to see Astrid go and I hope you find another productivity app that you love just as much!  If you do — please let me know about it!

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Join Diane Lane and Start Your Own Bucket List

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Diane Lane attending the premiere of True Grit...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Summer is the perfect season to tackle a few items on your life to-do list. Nature is in full bloom — and there’s no reason you shouldn’t be too!

In an interview with the Ladies’ Home Journal, Diane Lane revealed that she recently created a bucket list. (And it’s a total of four pages long!) Her list has a nice variety of entries, including “Building a really cool tree house” and “Do a handstand away from the wall and hold it for more than a second.”

If you want to learn another language or travel around the country – it’s never too late to begin writing your own bucket list!

Here’s a few reasons why now is the perfect time to cross some life goals off your list right now:
  • Big or small, every item has a place in your bucket list for a reason, and chances are that reason hasn’t changed. Give yourself the opportunity to have one of your dreams come true, no matter how small!
  • This is the perfect way to break yourself out of your normal routine. It’s easy to get lulled into a pattern where every week is almost the same as the last. Doing something new will give you new energy and resilience.
  • Carpe diem! The whole reason to make a bucket list is make sure you don’t miss out on anything in life. It’s time to take the sentiment to heart!

Crafty Book Uses Lists to Learn about You

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Declaration of You

I’m not a particularly crafty person, but enjoyed the creative, artistic aspects of The Declaration of You, written by creativity experts and fellow bloggers Jessica Swift and Michelle Ward.

As the title claims, this book is all about embracing every aspect of your personality and openly acknowledging all your positive attributes. The best part is, this book uses lists to help get you there!

The Declaration of You is divided into 8 different sections, each devoted to a differently-themed declaration. As the authors explain the importance of each declaration, they prompt their readers to develop lists about themselves, such as “Things I Might Want to Try.”

True to their creative ways, Jessica and Michelle include a craft project in each of the sections, but don’t get scared off! These projects are simple and fun. The first project is even a vision board — much like the one I make every New Year.

Through crafts and lists alike, The Declaration of You encourages its readers to begin some self-reflection and discover new aspects of themselves. If you want to hear more, check out their website and begin your declaration. Who knows what you might find?