Stick to a schedule

I recently read an article where a person said she would get started on her daily routine. Then she would get a little bored with that and switch to something else she enjoyed more and never get back to what she needed to do. She wanted to know how to avoid wasting all her time with the distractions.

While it is easy to get distracted, especially by more enjoyable tasks, they can keep us from doing what we need to do. To avoid letting those distractions use up all our time, it is good to organize our schedule to allow for the more enjoyable tasks. Here's how.

1. Make a schedule to allow enough time to get done what you need to get done. It doesn't have to be written in stone. A mental schedule can do the job.

2. Include in your schedule when you will do the more enjoyable tasks. This is important - to know when you will have fun.

3. Stick to the schedule.

So for example, today you have a blog you need to get done, plus some programming on a web site, and you want to spend some time on a project for a client. You also like to check in on some forums where you enjoy responding to questions and suggestions. It is easy to get bogged down working on the blog or project and switch over to the forums where you spend so much time you don't get back to your other projects in time to meet your own deadlines. To avoid that, you set 3:00 p.m. as a time to check in on the forums, and stick to that. Your mind will know you will get to the fun stuff then and you can relax at your necessary work. If you are tempted to go to the forums earlier, resist the temptation. It is a matter of discipline. Then when you get to the forums, you won't have to feel guilty about it. It is part of your schedule. Just set a time limit so you don't lose track of time and end up having to work later to get your necessary work done.

Distractions don't have to hurt us. Manage them with your schedule and you will be fine.

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It sounds simple and organized enough for me. You might want to give it a try.

Organize by sticking to your routine

I've read that some people think having a routine is like being stuck in the mud. Sometimes is it referred to as being stuck in a rut. That implies that you are not getting anywhere, that a routine is bad and you shouldn't have a routine. Don't fall for it.

A routine is good for you. Your routine keeps you on track. If you have a certain set of tasks you do each day, your routine makes sure you get those tasks done and don't forget any. That's good! If you follow a routine for exercise or other activities you want to accomplish on a daily, every-other-day, or weekly basis, it will keep you on track. That doesn't mean your life is dull or boring. Those who sit there not doing anything because they have no routine are the ones who are bored. They don't know what to do next and forget to do some things they needed or wanted to do. So not only are they bored, but they are also discouraged because of their lack of routine. A routine helps keep your life exciting.

A routine is a way to be grounded. Your routine gives a perspective and balance in your life. You can appreciate where you are because you have put a lot of work into getting there. Look at your routine. Tweak it if you must. Use your routine to build an exciting, well-balanced life. Then sit back and enjoy the balance your life has while others wander around aimlessly. You can laugh at them because they have no routine to keep them grounded while they accuse you of being stuck in the mud. You are the one who is going places.

Organize by throwing things away

I must admit, I am somewhat of a pack rat. I think I learned it from my Dad. Growing up on the farm, we had places to store lots of old stuff Dad wanted to keep. He had a scrap metal storage area out behind our shop. He had a separate building for storing all his lumber. The shop had an attic where Dad had stored things from years ago. Now and then he would show me some of the stuff he had kept, like things from when his younger brother had been killed decades before that. I think I learned to be a pack rat from my Dad.

However, living in the city, with very limited storage, being a pack rat isn't working. Sure, we could rent a storage area, or one of those pods. But my take on that is if I have to drive a long ways to get to the storage, what's the point of having the storage? When I need something, I need it right now! I want to be able to look through all my junk whenever I want to, not after driving across town first.

So, here is my tip for the day - don't be a pack rat.

The other day my wife decided it was time to clean out our storage shed. (All right, I will admit it. My wife is half the reason I am organized. Well, maybe 75%, but that's all I'm admitting to.) I didn't want to do it that day. It was the hottest day of the year. But while I was mowing the lawn, she started the project. She got everything out of the shed. Then I had to help because she is not a pack rat like I am, at least not with my stuff. The only way I could save anything is to be there before she threw it all away.

In the process, we threw things away that I had saved for over 20 years. I finally had to admit that if I hadn't used them by now, I probably wasn't going to use them. So I gritted my teeth and threw them away. If I am honest, the end result is fantastic. There is so much more room in the storage shed. I can actually get things out again. I can get my bicycle out without taking the lawn mower out. I will be able to get at my snowblower without taking half the equipment out. The grandkids can get at their outdoor toys much better. The end result is great, although I'm still shedding a tear or two over all the things I had to throw away. I'm sure I'm going to need some of that someday.

Unless things are valuable or collectible or will be used soon, what is the point of keeping them? If you are into putting on garage sales, or something like that, it might be helpful. If not, throw the junk away. That way you'll have room for your new junk!

Organize your plastic bags

Most of us save our plastic shopping bags for some future use. They may be stuck in a closet somewhere, stuffed in a bag, all tangled up together. Here is a nifty little plastic bag saver you can make yourself to organize your plastic bags.

Parts Needed:

• A 2 quart plastic bottle of some sort. A juice bottle will work.
• A box cutter or scissors
• Tape

Procedural Steps:

• Cut a hole in the top and bottom as you see in the pictures here. You can use the box cutter to start the hole, then switch to a scissors to complete the cutting.

• Put tape around the edges of the holes to protect yourself from sharp edges.
• You can punch a hole in the cap and put a string through it if you would like to hang it up.

Finished product:

Now when you have extra plastic bags, just shove them in the top hole. When you need one, just pull one out of the bottom hole.

Disclaimer: I did not invent this handy little holder. I saw it at Curbly.com. You can find their full instructions here.