Tag Archive for: how to be more productive

Making an Ignore List

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L is for Lists

L is for Lists (Photo credit: Swiv)

Sometimes even more important than a to-do list is an ignore list. I just made one this weekend actually. I wrote down all the to-dos that I wanted to accomplish. Then I reevaluated this list.

Sure I wanted to finish the slides for a presentation I’m doing in December…but it didn’t need to get done right now. Doing that task would push other more important tasks to the bottom of the pile. So I added it to my ignore list. This doesn’t mean I’ll never get to it – it just means that I don’t need to get to it right now. So I’m ignoring it this weekend.

Doing this will help you to prioritize and really look at each to-do individually. If you don’t have the drive, resources or time to complete that task right now — don’t. Put it on your ignore list. Eventually you can move it to your to-do list and get it done.

Morning is the Most Productive Time

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Good mornig,guys! Why don't you drink with me?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I haven’t always been a morning person but with a “regular” 9-5 schedule – I didn’t have a choice. So I’ve embraced it. Every morning before work I:

1. Read two newspapers

2. Practice yoga

3. Sip green tea

4. Eat a healthy breakfast

5. Read through and respond to several emails

6. Listen to news radio for 15 minutes

7. Check my Twitter and Facebook feeds

8. Take a shower and get ready

9. Walk for 15 minutes

Most people barely have enough time to jump in the shower, take the dog out for a walk and scarf down some breakfast before they get to work. I don’t do all of the things on that list because I HAVE to – I do them because I WANT to.

My husband thinks I’m crazy but I wake up at 6:05am every morning so I can do all of those things before work. It’s hours before I have to get to work but I love that time to be productive and do the things I want to do for myself.

I recently read an e-book called, “What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast” by Laura Vanderkam and it turns out a lot of successful people do exactly the same thing as me. They meditate, exercise, read, practice hobbies and do anything that they like way before they get to work.

As it says in the book — if you do things before work in the morning there’s a higher chance you’ll actually get those things done and out of the way to feel much more accomplished and productive before you sit down at your desk. You’ve all been there… you procrastinate, make excuses and get tired by the end of the day so you may never get to the gym. For me — I don’t like to be rushed. I like to give myself enough time to get ready and wake up.

Gretchen Rubin, author of “The Happiness Project” gets up an hour before her family to check email and headlines and start her day.  I like to do the same thing so that when I actually get to work – I can start working right away and only have a few emails to distract me.

So what do you do in the morning?

A Summer To-Do List

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Get ready for vacations, home improvements and lots and lots of parties. These are all part of summer for most of us. A new season – a new to-do list. Summer is sacred – make the most of it with a well planned out list. A friend of mine is already way ahead on her list!

Setting an intention, whether big or small, aids in reaching your goal. As my girl Oprah always says – “You Become What You Believe.” This goes for summer to-do lists too. Here’s a look at mine so far:

1. Go to Paris (we are visiting friends there in July! Can’t wait! Planning list post coming…)

2. Have a picnic

3. Clean out my closet and garage

4. Clean out my home office drawers and bookshelf

5. Read Wild, No Reservations, On the Island, The House at Riverton

6. Plan beach vacation for November

7. Go wine tasting

I’ll keep adding as the months pass but so far I’m off to a good start. What’s on your summer to-do list?

 

6 Productivity To-Don’ts

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Some of my favorite productivity tips include:

  • Making a to-do list
  • Taking breaks
  • Bribing yourself with manicures and ice cream

But sometimes the secret to being more efficient is knowing what NOT to do. I’ve compiled a few productivity to-don’ts that will help you get more done. Read more

How to Make Lists Work For You

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One of the things on my to-do list is to write back to readers who e-mail me list-making questions.  It’s actually one of my favorite things to do.  I recently got an email from Josh and I thought his questions were ones that other people might have as well.  Here goes:

I do enjoy making lists and find them helpful. However, one thing that I get stuck with is how to set up my list and how many to make/where to keep them. Do you just use one notebook for all lists? Do you color code? I often find that I get stumped with this step. I want my lists to look presentable and not just write stuff any and everywhere. How do you set yours up? Read more