If we had a pound for every time someone said I don't have time to declutter we would be two rich professional organisers. Having said that, time is a very precious commodity and needs to be used wisely. Today we’re going to unpick where time fits into your decluttering journey.
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TIME, GLORIOUS TIME – THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE IT – A GUEST BLOG BY KAREN EYRE-WHITE
As an ex-chief exec, our guest blogger Karen Eyre-White, founder of Go Do, knows a trick or two about how to get things done. Here she shares her top 5 tips for success.
We’re all in the game of time management, whether we know it or not. Time is the one thing we can’t make more of. We can only spend it once, and we all have the same amount of it each day. So how can you up your game and spend your time in the most effective way?
Be intentional with your time
Whether it’s decluttering your bedroom or planning that family holiday, if we want to get things done we have to be intentional about how we spend our time. This means planning in specific time in our diary. Even if you can’t find space for it until three weeks’ time, put it in the diary and stick to it. If you struggle to keep commitments to yourself, enlist a friend to do it with you over a glass of wine.
Declutter Your Diary
We all sometimes have to do things we don’t want to do, but the key thing is to try to keep these things to a minimum. Learning to say “no” is a skill, but it’s one worth learning if we want to be able to say YES! to the things that bring happiness and joy in to our lives.
One thing at a time
Our attention is precious and needs to be guarded carefully. Focus on one thing at a time and you’ll find that your productivity sky-rockets. This can be easier said than done in the era of the smartphone. My recommendation? Turn off all your notifications. It may sound nuclear, but if you can train yourself to look at WhatsApp and Facebook when you want to, rather than every time your phone pings, you’ll find it easier to keep your attention on the task at hand.
Use the Power of Auto-Pilot
Routines and habits are powerful ways to get things done without putting too much mental energy in. If there are things which need to be done every day or every week, find a regular slot for them and do them in the same way each time. Your brain can go on to auto-pilot, leaving you with more energy and time left for your priorities.
Be Kind to Yourself
Finally, as with all things in life, be kind to yourself. We’re all trying to be the best version of ourselves and sometimes that can be a bumpy and difficult process. If you slip back in to bad habits, don’t beat yourself up. Chalk it down to experience and remember, tomorrow is a new day.
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Hello ladies! You two are just wonderful to listen to. And i think it’s wonderful that you are so practical. You let people know ‘this is hard work’ , ‘ you don’t have to become extreme or become a minimalist’ , and ‘it’s ok it doesn’t have to be perfect.’ I think people are afraid to ask for help because it’s not the right time or they feel they don’t have enough time. I love your opinion of just do a little and at some point you will feel so good about what you’re doing that you may do a little extra. Then a little more and it will become contagious! I love that. I have really started to become more apt to do my evening reset because of listening to your podcast. It really does make all the difference to wake up to a clean space. And go to be and rest easier knowing things are in some kind of order. Love that! Thank you ladies for another great podcast!!
delighted our podcast iOS having such a positive impact on you Bethanie!
Hi Ingrid and Lesley
I have just listened to your podcast episode 265 while I had a quiet time at work. I have put an hour in my calendar every week day for a year and also for two hours every Saturday and Sunday.
Hopefully, it will be a reminder every day to just do something small. I am still having problems with resetting. I am used to having a dishwasher, but have nowhere to put one. Washing the pots in the evening when I am shattered is proving difficult. I might add this to the calendar for half an hour and see how I go.
Thank you very much for your inspiration.
Fay
Hi Fay,
Adding resets into your daily schedule can take a bit longer than expected, especially at the beginning, but trust us when we say they will soon become second nature if you keep trying to do them every day (multiple times).
Good luck! Ingrid
Hi Ingrid
It is amazing how many things take a priority over decluttering.
I did finally get my garage sorted, well cleaned out and "zoned", with my son yesterday. We managed far more in the two hours I suggested than I thought we would.
I should listen to you more often and believe what you say.
Best wishes
Fay