Office organizing expert Kacy Paide plans to plan for productivity in the new year.
I have a friend who has every minute of her day scheduled on a spreadsheet, starting with her alarm going off at 6am, followed by 20 minutes of washing up, followed by 25 minutes of watching Jon Stewart over oatmeal and coffee, ending with lights out at 10pm sharp. She checks email only 3 times each day, at the same time every day. She once gave me a much deserved “email smack-down” as I reached for my phone during dinner. The result – I didn’t check email on my phone for one year. My compulsion stopped cold turkey at that Thai restaurant dinner table. I’m honored she still calls me a friend. She holds the people in her life to high standards. The best friends are the ones who encourage, strong-arm, or even shame us into being a greater version of ourselves.
I’m going to use this friend as my muse for scheduling productivity into my day, instead of stumbling upon it the night before a trip or a blog post is due. To do this, I am resolving in 2014 to incorporate my professional life into my existing morning ritual. In 2013 I started meditating twice a day. I do it religiously within minutes of waking up. It works because no exceptions are ever made. That is followed by a short journaling session in my 5 Minute Journal.
I’d like to spend 15 minutes of off-line time on my business before checking email or opening the web. I imagine I’ll plan my day, set goals, write, or just sit in front of a blank sheet of paper and see what comes out. For this to happen, I’ll have to wake up 15 minutes earlier, just as I began waking up 20 minutes earlier to meditate. As an organizer I’ve witnessed proof of people’s ability to change. Change happens when someone is motivated from within and given specific, small steps to begin a new habit. I’m approaching the New Year with both elements are in place. However, it certainly won’t start at 6am.
Kacy Paide is an Office Organizing Expert with The Inspired Office. She loves to do what most people hate: organize offices and paper. Kacy has been a Professional Organizer since 2001 and has worked with more than 500 clients.
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