Lists help to make you more efficient, save money and time, boost your memory and aid in decision making. But how do you make your lists? I’ve found that doing a combination of things has helped me to be more organized. Maybe it will work for you too.
1. Handwritten: For me, I feel like it’s not really a to-do list unless it’s written out. I also write out my packing lists and my pros v. cons lists. Read more
integrity (Photo credit: glsims99)
How many times have you said any of the following:
…and then never actually did it? Yep – me too. It happens – it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person it just means that you should be more honest with yourself and more careful with your words.
I’ve found a new type of list thanks to my Lists & Libations group – it’s called an integrity list. One of the members, Al, told me all about how he uses them. Basically it’s a list of all the things that you say you are going to do so you hold yourself accountable for those actions. Things like calling a friend or meeting up with a co-worker – you say you will do them — but will you ever actually do them? If you keep an integrity list you will be more mindful of the promises you make.
Amazing concept right? I thought so too.
I think people throw around these terms and phrases because they are space fillers during awkward moments. But often times they are just baseless. Al says one of the worst things you can do is go against your word. What if the person you promised was really counting on going to dinner or getting that contact and you flaked out on them? That’s not how you want to be perceived. I’m going to start my own integrity list right now and make sure that I choose my words wisely from now on. You should too!
How do you remember everyone’s birthday? It’s really difficult but if you have a system in place you can be the star of the family or your circle of friends!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I use a list to track everyone’s birthdays throughout the year. I document all the birthdays and I have reminders emailed to me, so I know weeks in advance if a birthday is coming up so I can plan accordingly.
Now that I’m totally addicted to my iPhone — I need an app for everything! So I went in search of one and I found Birthday Calendar. This is essential if you want to be organized and have everyone’s birthday in one spot. Read more
With this post I’m going to share two of my new favorite things. An organizing app called Lemon and a fabulous website I’ve just found called Digitwirl.com. I’ve mentioned Lemon before in my posts about must-have apps. It’s a great way to keep track of all your paper receipts and go digital! No more clutter and you will always know just where to find every receipt.
Digitwirl.com is a really great site that dishes on new technology to make your life easier — just like Lemon. Carley Knobloch features apps, websites and products in a fun and useful way. Check out Carley’s take on Lemon!
I’ve been posting about “back to school” a lot lately. I really loved school — my husband thinks I’m a total nerd. But I must confess — high school and college were my favorite. I really love learning, reading and discussing. I think that’s why I love journalism so much — you get to research and become and expert on a number of topics daily. And in a week — they don’t matter anymore and you’re on to something else. It’s great for a short attention span.
But I think being organized really helped me to succeed in college. To help out the less organized I made a checklist for back to campus and got a list from my mother-in-law for parents. And now my friend Scott Gamm, who has blogged here before giving great financial advice, has mentioned me in his slideshow on Mainstreet.com. The slideshow is all about how to be more organized when you hit the books. Check it out and let me know what you think. I’m slide #3 if you have a short attention span.