5 Things to Add (and 4 Things to Remove)

There always seems to be more things on your To Do List than there is time in your day. But it's key to add what will support you and remove what is distracting or unimportant.

5 Things to Add to Your Schedule & To Do List

1. Schedule time for your writing or creative endeavors. Don't wait until you "feel like it" to sit down to create. For some that might look like the same time every day. For others it will be a chunk of time here and there. But get it in your calendar!
   

2. Time with your family & friends. Maybe you already are spending time connecting to the people in your life. However, if work or the state of your home is getting in the way of you enjoying their company, take time now to re-connect to friends and family.

   
   

3. Self-care and prevention. Schedule your annual check-up with your doctor, make time for your routine teeth cleaning, get your flu shot, and remember to schedule that massage, acupuncture, or whatever body work makes you go "ahhhhh".
   

4. Movement, smiles and laughter. Whether it's walking, enjoying a hobby, working up a sweat in Zumba, reading a book, doing yoga, taking a vacation or going for a swim — move more, smile more, and laugh more.
   

5. Time for maintenance. All your hard work in getting more organized needs to be rewarded by setting aside time to maintain your systems and your spaces. It is easier to maintain than to continually dig out. Maintenance is it's own challenge, I know, but schedule in 15 minutes today or this week to maintain your last organizing project.

4 Things to Remove from Your Schedule & To Do List

1. Doing everything yourself. If there are other people in the household, share the work load. Ask them to help out. Let them know exactly how they can help. Or pay someone else to do the work.

   
   

2. Doing things you've always done. Check-in and re-evaluate what you're doing today.
   

   1. Do you still need to do it?

   2. Do you still need to do it that way?

   3. Do you still want to do it?

   4. Is it still a priority?

   
   

   If not, then let it go. Just because you've always done it, doesn't mean you can't change it up.
   

3. The automatic response of "yes". Instead of chiming in with a "sure, I'll do that", sprinkle your day with "no" or "not at this time". See if you can say "no" three times in the next week.
   

4. Step away from the screen. Limit your time checking email or scrolling through social media. Set a clear goal for the time you do spend. It's easy to get distracted. It's easy to look through posts when you're faced with overwhelm. It's easy to get sucked into the black hole that is the Internet. Here are some tips & tricks to managing electronic clutter and email productivity.

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When you're ready... 3 ways to move forward on your book journey:

1. Subscribe to The Organized Pen. Get the tips, tools and strategies you need for your writing journey. ✍ Sign up for The Organized Pen.
   

2. Join us for the Write Time! If you're looking for the perfect writing partner, look no further than our Write Time group. I am hosting three-hour co-writing sessions every Saturday. Join us for the full 3 hours, just 2 hours, or come for 30 minutes.  📝 Learn more.
   

3. Let's talk about your book. I offer a 50-minute complimentary consultation to discuss your book, determine if I can be a great team member on your book journey, and identify your next steps, whether I'm part of the journey or not. 📅 Schedule a time to talk about your book.

#add #family #health #remove #schedule #timemanagement