Tag Archive for: how to be more organized

Pre-Order My Book Today!

ListfulThinkingI’m so excited to announce that my book “Listful Thinking: Using Lists to be More Productive, Highly Successful and Less Stressed” is now available for pre-order! You can reserve your copy now from either Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Indigo.

Do you have family members who are list makers? Or friends could use a few productivity tips? Then I have an extra special offer for you – if you pre-order 3 copies of my book you’ll get a free 30-minute phone or Skype call with me to assess your productivity!

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Find An Extra Hour in Your Day

(photo credit: wikipedia.com)

If you’re a busy person like me, you’ve probably found yourself day-dreaming about a 25 or even a 26-hour day. A fantasy world where you not only finish all your tasks for the day, you even find time to pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read. Unfortunately I can’t make the day longer, but I do know how you can save one hour at a time.

Don’t let waiting time be wasted time

On hold with the bank? Bored on your daily commute? Use this time to do smaller tasks like reading your emails, checking your Facebook page or paying bills with a mobile app.  This not only saves time, but stops these smaller errands from becoming pesky interruptions at work.

Time saved: 10 minutes  Read more

Feel Like You’re Stuck? Let Me Help!

Paula Making ListsI would like to thank everyone who participated in my recent survey, I received a lot of fascinating suggestions on what you would like to see on ListProducer.com. One of the most popular response by far was people looking for one-on-one productivity coaching sessions.  I love this idea and have been doing some sessions unofficially for years.  So I’m expanding my website and adding services to help you get your life back on track.

Who is My Coaching Designed For?

Do you pop out of bed in the middle of the night because you forgot to:

  • Send an email?
  • Pack lunch?
  • Enter a meeting into your calendar?
  • Jot down the items you need at the grocery store?
  • Or any other item on your to-do list?

Let me help you get organized and become more productive.

I know how you feel! I’ve been there myself… constantly worried about looming to-dos and unable to relax. But it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’ve tried to “get organized” or “get more done” before and haven’t been able to stick with it… I’m here for you. Sometimes the toughest part of finding a system that works is just getting started. I will help you identify the best tools for you and find the most effective methods to deal with frustrations that are keeping you stuck. Read more

Organize Anything With SpringPad

A friend of mine is moving for a new job and needed to get a lot organized in a short period of time. She tried a few apps that I’ve suggested on the site, but even my hero app Evernote couldn’t keep up with everything she needed to do. She needed an app that would allow her to make notebooks that could include tasks, people, events, lists, location information, and important links. While I can think of the best apps to handle each of those things individually, I couldn’t think of any that handled them all together. Until we found SpringPad.

SpringPad is a multi-faceted personal organization tool that is designed to help you plan or organize anything. Create custom notebooks for yourself, or share them with others to collaborate. Then, start filling those notebooks up with “springs.”

A spring could be anything, like:

Movies – When I spring a movie title Springpad creates a small icon with the poster of the movie. The app notifies me when the film comes out in theaters (and will help me find showtimes), when it comes out on DVD, and even when it is available on Netflix.

Links – For links, I usually use the “Spring It” feature, a button that lives in the bookmarks bar and allows me to “spring” any website to my SpringPad account. It’s a great way to save articles and videos to watch later. Read more

What Preschoolers Can Teach You About Productivity

English: Children in classroom during lunch break.

English: Children in classroom during lunch break. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I remember when my nephew was in preschool and learned “The Cleanup Song” – he hated it because it meant playtime was over. But, learning to clean up a mess is a valuable lesson, not only for preschoolers but even for all of us grown ups!

A UCLA study found that when women were near clutter their stress hormones skyrocketed! This proves that clutter makes you more anxious and less focused. The act of organizing can actually help us feel more in control, decreasing stress even in the most out-of-control situations.

That’s why I make it a point to tidy up my desk at the end of every workday and my apartment every night. It’s really worked for me because the next time I enter those spaces they feel inviting instead of stress-inducing.

Here are a few tips to make “cleanup time” more fun than it was for my nephew! Read more