Yet another new task-management system from Mark Forster
Mark Forster is my time management guru. As I’ve blogged about before, I loved his book, Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management I used his DIT system for a year or so and then he introduced Autofocus just over a year ago. I was a little reluctant to switch at first, because DIT was working for me, but I decided to try it. I was over the moon. (I’ve “blogged about Autofocus”: many times.)
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: autofocus, balance, control, desk, empowerment, focus, goals, mark forster, priorities, productivity, time management, to-do list
I hate breaking the chain!
My point: I didn’t clear off my desk yesterday before ending the work day. The reason is that end of the work day didn’t involve my desk. But still, it was a shock to arrive at my desk this morning and see some clutter on it. The worse part is that it was very little clutter—it would have literally taken about 60 seconds or less to put everything away.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: accountability, clean desk, desk, don't break the chain, ikea, motivation, sally brown
A habit is born
As I’ve endlessly documented in this blog, I vowed this year to form the habit of clearing my desk at the end of each work day. The idea was that I would start work each morning with a clear desk, a clear mind, and major productivity. It’s something that I’ve strived for for decades and never been able to achieve.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: accountability, clean desk, desk, don't break the chain, motivation, productivity
Do It Tomorrow really works
As I’ve written here before, I decided on January 1 that 2008 would be the year that I take control of my time-management issues. That day, I selected probably a half dozen time management books from my shelf, each one espousing a different philosophy. I thought I’d make a commitment to a single system and really try to adhere to it for a month or so.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: balance, control, desk, empowerment, focus, goals, mark forster, priorities, productivity, time management
The amazing power of a clean desktop
The habit I’ve been trying to instill with the Don’t Break the Chain method that I wrote about in a recent post is clearing my desktop at the end of the workday.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: accountability, clean desk, decluttering, desk, don't break the chain, goals, habits, motivation, productivity, time management, workspace
Workspace order
I was interviewed recently for an article at AuditNet, a website for auditors, about clearing your workspace and keeping it in order. Check out my tips at the Q&A here: Taming Office Clutter
Filed under: Organizing Sharing || Tagged with: decluttering, desk, press, workspace
Clean desktop challenge results
Ten days and two posts ago (on a Monday), I wrote this: I hope and trust that on Friday I’ll post that I had a clean desk-top every day for five days running. You’ll just have to take my word for it.
Filed under: || Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, desk
Clutter and stress
I just discovered something about myself. I’ve always known that, for me, clutter causes stress. And stress tends to cause clutter. Typically, my stress starts because I’m too busy. When I’m busy I have no time to put anything away. The clutter grows and grows and looking at it stresses me out. It’s a vicious cycle.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: clutter, decluttering, desk, stress













