Organize your morning with a soundtrack
Take note: Music can help keep you on time
Let’s face it, posts about organization, productivity and so forth aren’t always a lot of fun to read. Sometimes even the most well-meaning tips can come across as preachy or pedantic, and they leave you feeling … well, a little inadequate.
That’s why this post from Alan Henry is such a breath of fresh air. For anyone who has trouble getting out the door on time in the morning, Henry suggests creating a musical playlist “that’s specifically built to let you know how much time you have left based on which song is playing and how close the playlist is to the end.” Isn’t that great advice? Instead of watching the clock or setting a timer or some other high-stress tactic, just synchronize your morning routine to a soundtrack of your own choosing. (Lifehacker)
Planning and organizing aren’t usually considered “fun” activities — but then again, maybe it all depends on what you’re planning. If you want to save money and save your sanity during these dreary winter days, Erin Doland says January is the perfect time to start organizing your summer vacation. By planning early, you can do more comparison shopping, take advantage of special prices, and get your budget on-track to ensure your vacation is memorable and worry-free. (Unclutterer)
Of course, there’s at least one major hurdle standing between you and that perfect vacation: April 15. Tax Day is coming up fast, and Andrea Dekker offers “a really simple system that allows me to have all my tax documents ready to go within minutes … seriously!” If you follow her filing advice throughout the year, Dekker says it won’t take more than 5 minutes to get everything organized when you’re ready to do your taxes. (Simple Organized Living)
Finally, if you’re anything like me, looking at your endless to-do list can get not only depressing, but also distracting. For instance, you’re sitting in the office, focused on work, but when you glance at your to-do list, you can’t help thinking about all the things you need to do at home, or all the errands you need to run.
The simple answer is to keep separate lists for each area of your life, such as work, home and errands. “By splitting my list into contexts, I only have to look at the items I can do at that time,” says one busy mom. “It makes my day feel so much more manageable.” If you keep your list on a smartphone or computer, no problem — many apps have a tagging feature that let you see just one category at a time. (Parent Hacks)
Photo credit: MarsBars via iStockphoto
