It's update time
Here are a few little updates to past blogs posts.
Filed under: Organizing Sharing || Tagged with: butler bag, container store, don't break the chain, habits, playing for change
Joe's Goals
I’ve written here many times about Don’t Break the Chain, a website that has been effective in helping me establish some routines (like cleaning off my desk every night, blogging regularly and, now, making sure the top of my bureau stays clean).
But there’s another game in town I’d like to shine a light on. It’s Joe’s Goals, a free website that allows you to track your daily goals. I use it regularly as well, though for a few months I’d let it fall by the wayside.
Filed under: Organizing Ranting-and-Raving || Tagged with: don't break the chain, joe's goals, routines
New year, new routines
On January 5, 2008 I resolved to clear my desk off every day at the end of the workday. I envisioned sitting down at my desk every morning with a clear desk and hoped that it would help me start the day on the right foot.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: clean bureau, clean desk, don't break the chain, habits, routines
The R word
Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I write here (or in my newsletter) about the importance of routines. It’s just that I’m reminded very frequently about how much of an impact they can have on order, productivity and overall peace of mind.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: don't break the chain, joe's goals, jott, productivity, routines, travel
Commitments
Deadlines used to rule my life. When I was making my living as a writer, deadlines were absolutely everything. I didn’t start a story earlier than necessary to make my deadline. I don’t think in 12 years (and well over a hundred articles, along with eight books) I turned anything in early.
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: accountability, commitments, deadlines, don't break the chain, knitting olympics, writing
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
How are those New Year's resolutions coming?
Back at the beginning of 2008, I blogged about my constant craving for order as reflected in my January 1 journal entries year after year
Filed under: Organizing Living || Tagged with: clean desk, don't break the chain, goals, habits, new year, productivity
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
The tyranny of the blog
I love having a blog. The freedom to write whatever I want is wonderful. (Way, way back in the day I had a column in PetLife magazine in which I could write whatever I wanted. It was exhilarating.)
But that freedom is a two-edged sword. With little structure surrounding what to write, and no deadlines, it can be very difficult to (1) take the time to post to my blog and (2) come up with something remotely meaningful to write.
Filed under: Living Organizing || Tagged with: blogs, don't break the chain, michael neill, routines, steven pressfield, time management, writing
A couple of time (and money) savers
This year I’m a quest to save time and be more productive. It’s going well. Thanks to the techniques found in Mark Forster book, Do It Tomorrow (link in the Links section at right) and Don’t Break the Chain I’m more productive than I’ve been in a long time.
Filed under: Sharing Resources || Tagged with: don't break the chain, jott, mark forster, 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
"Don't Break the Chain"
As part of my new emphasis on time management this year, I started off the new year by checking out some productivity blogs. I came across this great post on the wonderful blog Lifehacker that introduced to me a concept that in just a few short days has really had an impact on me.
Filed under: Ranting-and-Raving Organizing || Tagged with: clean desk, don't break the chain, goals, habits, motivation, time management
