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Weekly Meal Planning
Planning your meals ahead saves time and money and is often healthier.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Weekly Meal Planning
Planning your meals ahead saves time and money and is often healthier.
Getting Started
Decide where you want to "write" your meal plan. You can use a piece of scrap paper, but digital platforms have a lot of advantages. You may want to consider a platform such as Evernote, where you can easily create a separate shopping list for each recipe, which intern can be pasted into a weekly shopping list. This will save you time as you repeat recipes in future weeks. Other apps that are easily shared with multiple users are Apple Notes, Google Keep and Trello.
Create your template, List the days of the week (Monday - Sunday) and meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks).
Look at your family’s schedule for the upcoming week.
Choose where scheduling take-out or a prepared food option will add the most value.
Pro Tip: It can be helpful to designate days of the week, such as "Meatless Mondays" and "Taco Tuesdays". This can help give direction to the meals you are choosing.
Create a shopping list. Use the meal plan you wrote and the recipes to list each ingredient.
You may want to spend a few moments grouping ingredients by category. This is much easier on a digital platform. For example, combining produce, dairy, and meat, will make your shopping trip faster.
Plan a date and time to grocery shop.
Schedule when you are going to prep and cook for the week. Do you prefer to cook on Sunday for the week, or make one meal each night?
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
I would recommend printing out each recipe you plan on cooking during the week. If you would rather go digital, I would save the recipes to a platform that is searchable, such as Evernote.
Meal plan for 4 - 8 weeks at a time. This way, you won't have to find new recipes, unless you want to.
Remember: There is nothing wrong with repeating meals.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Automate Your Schedule
What if automating your scheduling helps you find more time?
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Automate your Schedule
Think about how many emails it can take to schedule a 30-minute call.
What if there was a way to eliminate the back and forth emails?
Good news; there is!
What if automating your time helps you find more time?
Getting Started
The first step is to review your calendar
What time slots do you want to make available?
How long do you want each appointment to be?
What type of cushion do you need?
How much of a break do you want in-between?
Example: You decide to have appointments that are either 30-minutes or 50-minutes. You want at least a 15-minute break in between appointments. You may decide to have appointment start-times that are 1 hour and 15-minutes apart.
It may be helpful to decide on appointment start times by day.
This can help standardize your schedule, making you feel more in control.
Example:
Mondays & Tuesdays - 8am, 10:30am, 11:45am, 1:00pm, 3:30pm, 4:45pm, 6:00pm
Wednesday - 8am, 10:30am, 11:45am, 1:00pm, 3:30pm
No open appointments on Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays.
Sunday - 9:00am, 7:00pm
Who do you want to have access to schedule each time slot?
You can create multiple appointment types in order to support your needs.
For each appointment type:
You can decide which time slots you want to make available. You may want clients and prospective clients to have access to the schedule at 8:00 AM, but no one else.
You can create a specific name, that provides a customized feel.
You can decide how long you want each appointment to be.
You can include additional features to make your life simpler, such as a required questionnaire or payment.
Example: New Client Consultation Appointments - You may want to create multiple appointment types, that allow you to send a different questionnaire for each appointment type, based on the service these prospective clients are interested in.
Example: Let's Catch Up Appointment - You may want to have multiple options for the length of the appointment, depending on who you are meeting with. You could have a 30-minute appointment and a 50-minutes appointment option.
Example: Family & Friends Catch-Up - You may want to have a specific appointment type for your friends and family to catch up in the evenings or on the weekends.
The next step is to choose your scheduling app.
After reviewing your calendar, you should have a better idea of how many appointment types you would benefit from. This should help guide you in choosing the best scheduling app for your needs.
There are many benefits to using a scheduling app. Below are just a few:
The scheduling app will list all of your availability, allowing you to be more flexible and accommodating.
The scheduling app makes it simple to reschedule a meeting if a conflict arises.
The scheduling app sends an automatic calendar invite.
The scheduling app can send an automatic video conferencing link, such as a Zoom link.
The two most common scheduling apps are Calendly and Acuity Scheduling or Squarespace Scheduling.
Why choose Calendly:
Calendly is simple to set up and maintain.
If you only need one appointment type, Calendly is currently free.
Calendly is a great tool for automating your personal schedule.
Why choose Acuity Scheduling / Squarespace Scheduling:
Acuity is a little more complex to set up, but is easy to maintain and update.
Acuity has many built-in features that allow it to act more as a personal assistant, verse simply a scheduling app.
Acuity supports multiple appointment types, can include a questionnaire as part of the scheduling process, and can require payment prior to scheduling an appointment.
Acuity is a great tool for automating your business' administrative tasks.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Create a cheat sheet for your scheduling app:
Create a document that lists:
The verbiage you want to use when emailing your scheduling link.
The name of each appointment type.
The link for each appointment type.
Example:
"Here is a link to my schedule. After selecting "set time zone", my calendar will appear. A Zoom link will be included in the confirmation email."
Zoom Coffee Hour
"Link"
Academic Coaching Complimentary Consultation Zoom
"Link"
Keep this document somewhere that is easily accessible for you. This could be as simple as saving it to your desktop. As an Evernote user, I have this list as a "Pinned Note" on my Home screen.
Manage your calendar from your scheduling app: The key is making sure that you immediately create a calendar invite for any commitments that you make that are time-specific.
Examples:
In your scheduling app, you listed 8:00 AM as an option for clients to schedule a time with you on Mondays and Tuesdays. However, you are currently seeing your trainer on Tuesdays at 7:30 AM and won't be home and ready for work until 9:00 AM. You can simply create a calendar invite for your appointment with your trainer that repeats on Tuesdays. If at a later date, you switch your scheduled time with your trainer to Wednesday mornings, as soon as you move the calendar invite to Wednesdays, Tuesdays at 8:00 AM will become available again to clients.
In your scheduling app, you listed Wednesdays at 8:00 PM as available for "Friend's and Family Catch up". However, you just bought tickets for a Broadway show on a Wednesday evening next month. As soon as you add the Broadway show to your calendar, that time slot will be closed out for anyone else to schedule.
Don’t forget the "Weekly Review": This helps to make sure your calendar is always up-to-date, not overwhelming, and there is time held to work on projects or focus on personal things.
Take Note: If you use "all-day" calendar appointments, they default to "Free" on your calendar. They will not close out any time on your scheduling app.
When you create a "time-specific" calendar appointment, they default to "Busy". They will automatically close out times on your scheduling app.
Be aware that if you switch a calendar appointment between "all-day" and "time-specific", you will need to manually update the status to fit your needs.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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How to Free Up Some Brain Space
Our brains are amazing! They control our thoughts, memory, emotion, motor skills, breath, and every process that regulates our body.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
How to Free Up Some Brain Space
Our brains are amazing! They control our thoughts, memory, emotions, motor skills, breath, and every process that regulates our body.
As an efficiency expert, I am always looking for methods to improve how I live my life. Taking care of and making the most of my brain is key to living a full and meaningful life.
"Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.®" - David Allen
David Allen is a productivity expert who created a method called Getting Things Done®. This personal productivity method has the possibility to redefine how you approach your life and work. However, it can be overwhelming to implement.
As with most methods and systems, even if you find there are parts that may not work for you or feel like the system as a whole is too complicated, you can always choose to implement only the parts that feel right.
This is true for the Getting Things Done® method.
One of my favorite parts to this method is the concept of having one place to store all the to-do items, ideas, and dreams that are floating around in your head.
Getting Started
The first step is to decide where you are going to store all these thoughts.
I would recommend choosing a system that is available on all devices that you use, so that the information can be referenced, added, and updated anywhere, anytime.
While it is usually most efficient to make updates on your computer, if an idea pops into your head at the beach or while on a walk, you should be able to add it to your system at the time the thought occurs, as opposed to continuing to store the thought in your head.
Below are a few common list-making apps:
Trello - This is what I use!
Evernote
Microsoft To Do
Google Tasks
Todoist
Things
OmniFocus
TickTick
Habitica
After you have decided where you are going to store all of the to-do items, ideas, and dreams that are floating around in your head, it's time to capture them all.
I would recommend creating a physical inbox to place all of your thoughts. This can be as simple as a basket or box (no lid) that you have lying around.
When implementing this, it is best to first gather all your "thoughts" and then capture them in your system.
Gathering your to-do items, ideas, and dreams:
Add a stack of printer paper to a clipboard and get a pen.
Go through each room in your house and write down all the to-do items you see.
Each item should be on a separate piece of paper.
If you find a list of to-do's that you already created, you can just add that to your "inbox".
When you get to your "office" space, it's important to go through all your files.
You want to separate out reference files from files that have items that need or may need action.
Make sure your reference files are clearly labeled and that all info in the files is truly a reference item.
Pull out all files that have items that need action or may need action and put them in your inbox.
Recycle or shred any papers you no longer need.
Next, you need to go through your electronic spaces.
Review your emails and print out all emails that need action or may need action.
Review your text messages and write down all texts that need or may need action. Each item should be on a separate piece of paper.
Review any other electronic spaces where you may be holding items that need action or may need action. A few examples may be Facebook Messenger, Instagram Messages, Twitter Messages, or What's App.
Are there any other spaces that you need to review? A few possible examples may be your car, a second home, or a parent's home if you are their caretaker.
Looking at your “inbox” may feel overwhelming, but remember, these are all the items you have been storing in your head.
Is it becoming more clear now, why you feel overwhelmed or anxious at times?
Once you have gathered all the items floating around in your head, it's time to add them to the app you chose.
There are many ways to categorize the information. At the start, I would not worry about how you categorize everything. It's easy to update later, as it becomes more clear.
Below are some common categories you may want to start with:
Next Actions
Projects
On the Phone
Waiting For
Errands
Some Day
Maybe
Just in Case
Agendas
Trips
Grocery List
Target List
Amazon List
Presents to Buy
Home Ideas
Additional Resource
I highly recommend the book, "Getting Things Done" by David Allen.
The book contains a lot of information. I would recommend reading or listening to the whole book first and then deciding how you want to use his strategies to improve your life.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Implementing this takes time: However, the benefit of not having to store everything in your head, is profound.
You know how you work best: You may want to set aside a whole day or a whole weekend and make this happen. Or, you may want to set aside 20-minute blocks and just keep at it until you reach the finish line.
Don’t forget to schedule a Weekly Review: This is the key for your brain to trust your lists and let go.
During your “Weekly Review”, you should add to your lists all new items that have been added to your “inbox” over the past week and then review all items on your lists.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Daily Wins: Write 3 items you want to accomplish today on a sticky note.
At times it feels like email has taken over our lives. What's clear is that email is the leading method of communication and most certainly will continue to grow and evolve. Our goal is to incorporate email into our life management systems so that it becomes a tool to improve our lives, not weigh us down.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Daily Wins: Write 3 items you want to accomplish today on a sticky note.
While this idea may be simple, it can have a profound impact on both your productivity and your sense of accomplishment.
The task of writing down what we want to accomplish, allows us focus our attention and forces us to prioritize.
When deciding on what to choose for your "Daily Wins", your best choices are often tasks that are already on your calendar. The goal of this task is not to add items to your current list, but rather to help you see what you need to do to consider your day a success.
There are two options for when to do this task. Many find it helpful to write this out the night before when they are winding down their day. Others prefer to do it in the morning.
Getting Started
Start by writing down 1 "Win" that is important and 2 "Wins" that are simple to accomplish, but also necessary.
A few examples:
Pay monthly bills
Order light bulbs on Amazon
Book plane tickets for Florida trip.
Create a presentation for Smith client
Write birthday cards for next month
Return voicemail from Grandma
Email proposal to Smith client
Do laundry (sheets & towels)
Put laundry away
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Set an alarm: Use your phone alarm and have it repeat daily, as you are forming this new habit. Make sure to label the alarm; for example, "Write Down Daily Wins."
You may want to keep the alarm, even after the new habit feels formed. Otherwise, it's easy to get out of the habit, following a vacation, travel, or as your morning & evening routine shifts.
Use your calendar: When writing down your "Daily Wins", take a look at your calendar to see when you have time to complete each "Win". If you think the "Win" will take 10 minutes or less, you probably don't need to schedule it on your calendar. If you expect the "Win" to take more than 10 minutes, I would recommend adding it to your calendar at the time you want to complete it. For the "Win" that is important, it is likely that this will always need a scheduled time. For the "Wins" that you expect to take 10 minutes or less, I would recommend adding them to the "All Day" portion of your calendar.
Follow-through: it may be that three wins are a little too much to start. One option is to start with one daily win. It's always better to plan small and follow through.
It could also be that your day is already over-scheduled. If you check your calendar and realize there is no extra time in your day, then it would be better to either not add any "Daily Wins" or add one or two quick "Daily Wins".
For example, if you plan your week around scheduling all your client meetings on Mondays and Tuesdays, it would make sense not to schedule any additional important tasks on those days.
However, if you find that many of your days are over-scheduled and this is preventing you from accomplishing tasks that are important, but not urgent, I would recommend reviewing your schedule, seeing what can be eliminated, and proactively holding times on your calendar for what's important to you.
Remember, important tasks and activities may be work-related, but they could also be your daughter's soccer game, opening a retirement account, or spending a long weekend with friends.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Understanding What Adds Meaning to Your Life
Understanding your "Why", will help you prioritize what really matters, guide your day-to-day activities and assist you in saying no.
Every Thursday, I share one action, habit or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness and sense of well being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Understanding What Adds Meaning To Your Life
Understanding your "Why", will help you prioritize what really matters, guide your day-to-day activities and assist you in saying no.
Getting Started
Pick a location and time that will be supportive of deep thought.
Decide what platform is best to support your brainstorming process. Many individuals think more deeply and creatively while writing out their ideas on paper.
Determine how long you want to brainstorm on your "Why". Choose a short enough time to not be intimidating, but long enough to get deep into your thoughts. Often, 20-minutes is a great place to start. While this may not be enough time to finish, you can always go past the 20-minutes if you like, or schedule a second brainstorming session.
Make the process fun. Sit down with a warm cup of tea, light a candle, or wear your favorite sweatshirt.
Set a timer and get started.
For many, it's helpful to think about your "Why" by category. For example, why is my health important to me? Below are common categories that support this process.
Health
Relationships
Financial Security
Sense of Control
Spiritual Well-being
Joy
Growth
Giving Back
Write down everything that pops in your head. The goal is to have as many ideas and thoughts as possible, to see what resonates most.
Below are questions you can ask yourself, to help you get started.
For the categories that are important to me, write out why it's important.
What do I want more of in my life?
What do I want less of in my life?
What am I all about?
From my current list of activities, which activities add the most value to my life? Why?
What talents do I have that set me apart?
If I had unlimited time and resources, what would I do?
What qualities or characteristics do I admire in others?
What legacy do I want to leave?
Following your brainstorming session(s), schedule a time to type up your “Why's”, print it out, and post it somewhere you will see it daily.
It may be helpful to set a daily alarm for the first few weeks, to remind you to read your “Why's”. For many, it's helpful to take it one step further and to write out your why's once a day, for at least the first 30 days, to make it a part of your daily thoughts.
Remember, this is a living document. I would recommend spending some time annually updating your "Why's".
I believe the key to true happiness is understanding what adds meaning to one's life and making that the priority.
Additional Resource
I highly recommend the book, "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Take 10 Minutes to Clear Off Your Desk
This simple action, on a daily basis, can have a profound impact on both your productivity and your mental clarity and focus.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Take 10 minutes to clear off your desk. That’s it.
This simple action, on a daily basis, can have a profound impact on both your productivity and your mental clarity and focus.
Let’s be honest.
Simple doesn’t always mean easy.
There are two parts to creating better systems. The first step is to create the system. The second step is to maintain the system. When creating a system, the goal is not to create a perfect system, but just a system that works for now. We expect systems to change and grow with us and we will not know what is working and what is not working until we put the system into action.
The first step is two-parts:
Part 1: You need to have an organized workspace, where everything has a home.
This includes offices, home offices, and "office areas" that may be located in a shared space in the house, such as the kitchen or living room.
Common categories that need homes:
Supplies: pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, scissors, tape, stapler, box cutter, file folders, post-it notes, printing paper, chargers, printer, scanner, shredder, etc.
Incoming Mail
Incoming Paperwork
Incoming School Documents, Forms & Permission Slips
Paperwork that needs Action
File System for both Active Files and Reference Files
Getting organized can be a daunting task. Below are some options if you feel overwhelmed doing it yourself.
Ask if any friends are also trying to get organized. If you find a friend who is, ask if they want to do it together. Schedule a call where you will both organize for a set amount of time, such as 45 minutes. If you have not finished when the time is up, schedule your next call.
There is a great accountability website called FocusMate. Schedule a session on FocusMate to organize your office. If you are not finished in one session, make sure to schedule your next session before signing off. If it's on the calendar, it's much more likely to happen.
Invite a friend over who is naturally organized to support you.
Hire a Professional Organizer. While I know this is an investment, it will speed the process along and may lead to a more functional system. Once the system is in place, you will have a much easier time maintaining it.
Part 2: You need to have systems set up to manage all the information in your life.
Common System Categories
Email
Calendar - Date and Time Specific Tasks
Lists - Lists should be broken down into categories that help you know where and when to take action. Sample lists include:
Projects
Next Actions - May be broken down by location such as At Computer, On Phone, or Uninterrupted Time.
Agendas - Titled with the name of a person or organization
Shopping - This should include all items that need to be purchased, including online and in-person.
Big Picture - This may include Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Goals, as well as what you want to prioritize by category.
Notes - Where you capture information that you want to be able to reference at a later date.
I recognize that setting up these systems can be overwhelming. If you are doing this on your own, I recommend working on one system at a time. You can also hire a Productivity Coach to help you create and implement your systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Okay, you are a systems pro. Now what?
Let's get started on creating the new habit of clearing off your desk at the end of your workday.
Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder.
Label the alarm with a call to action, such as "Clear Off Desk."
You can set up this alarm so that it will go off on all workdays.
On an iPhone, if you hit the snooze button, there will be 9 minutes until the alarm goes off again. Since this is at the end of your workday, set the alarm for about 10 minutes before you want to get started. This will allow you to snooze it once and finish up anything you are in the middle of.
Give yourself a little slack. If you have a hard stop to your workday at 5:00 pm, plan to clear off your desk at 4:40 pm. It's inevitable that something will pop up.
Handle each item on your desk one at a time. Don't worry about what you handle first - just pick something.
Common items that need to be cleared:
Hand-Written Notes
These need to be added to the appropriate system, based on what the note says.
Papers that need action
This needs to go into the physical "home" you created for it.
This may also need to be added to one of your systems, such as your calendar and/or a list.
Papers that need to be filed
File it!
Items that belong in other spaces
If the item belongs in another space within your home or office, put it away now.
If the item needs to be dropped off somewhere, put it by the front to bring to the car with you. Then add to your calendar when and where you are going to drop it off. You may also want to set a phone alarm to remember.
If you need someone else to pick it up, text or email them now to see when they are available. Then add this to a list, such as "Waiting For". It may make sense to have a designated space (basket, bin, bag, shelf) close to the front door, that is for "transition items". This would create a home for items that are leaving but have not left yet.
Books / Magazines
If you are done reading them, put them away.
If you are in the process of reading them or referencing them, you need to create a home for this specific purpose.
Make sure to close the loop. The goal is to clear your space and start fresh in the morning. Not just make neat piles.
As you are clearing each item, if the task related to the item takes 2 minutes or less, do it now.
If you fall behind, it may make sense to spend a bit longer and get caught up. Then you can start fresh.
PRO TIP: If you struggle with the Sunday Blues, this is one action that you can take that will help. Knowing that you are starting fresh on Monday, will help you feel in control and on top of things.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
To manage incoming mail: Open all mail as soon as it comes in. Recycle or shred all envelopes, junk mail, and catalogs. Put mail that needs to be reviewed into a physical inbox. Have a regular time each week on your calendar to review the mail and take action.
Additional Resource
I highly recommend that you check out FocusMate (focusmate.com). It's a simple and inexpensive way to add accountability to your life.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Snoozing, Scheduling, and Color-Coding - Oh, my!
This week I’m going to take a slightly deeper dive into managing your inbox.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Woah! I’ve had a lot of feedback about Your Inbox: From Overwhelmed to Zero.
Apparently, there are a lot of feelings about managing an inbox! We can all acknowledge that email can be overwhelming. As it’s evolved over the years, I think it’s fair to say it has not all been positive.
It's important to remember that email is a tool to support your success and not a core job responsibility to fulfill.
Looking at email as a to-do list that prioritizes everyone else's needs can be a helpful way to place boundaries around your inbox. The requests listed in your email need to be prioritized in line with all your other responsibilities.
Last week, I wrote an in-depth look at taking your inbox from overwhelming to manageable. Below are my favorite tools that can make a big difference in how you manage your email, and more importantly, how you feel.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks to Managing Email
Snoozing Emails
Snoozing an email allows you to archive an email from your inbox and have it pop back into your email inbox at a set date and time.
You can always check the "Snoozed Email" folder if you need to reference it prior to that date.
There are many situations where this feature may be helpful. Below are a few examples:
Let's say you schedule a flight or hotel a few months ahead of time. While you do not want that email sitting in your inbox for a few months, you may feel better knowing that it will pop back in the day before.
You may have a set day of the week and time of day that you work on a client's account. It may be helpful to have any communication that is still "in progress" pop back in an hour before it's time to work on it.
You may receive an email with a bill to pay, but it's not actually due for six weeks. It may be easier to snooze the email and have it pop back in on the day you want to pay it.
Scheduling Emails
Scheduling emails allows you to answer emails anytime that is convenient for you, while setting the date and time that your recipient will receive them.
This has two benefits:
First, this allows you to have some control over when you are getting a response. While it may be convenient for you to send an email at 5:30 AM, before the kids wake up, you may not want to get a reply until you have dropped them off at daycare and are at your desk around 8:00 AM. Writing the email at 5:30 AM, but scheduling for it to be sent at 8:00 AM, solves that problem.
Second, this allows you to clear out your emails and work on projects when it is most convenient for you, while also being respectful of everyone else's time and priorities. For example, it may be beneficial for you to work for an hour on Saturday mornings; however, emailing your employees or colleagues a bunch of additional to-do's on a Saturday morning, will no doubt add stress to their weekend, even if the expectation is that they don't have to work on any of it until Monday.
Color-Coding Emails
Color is an amazing tool. It allows you to recognize and categorize items before you even know what they are. I would recommend color-coding any emails that you plan to snooze and have pop back into your inbox.
Below are a few ideas of categories you may want to designate:
Reference items - Such as reservations, meeting logistics info, etc.
Waiting on an important response
Items to purchase / Bills to pay
In-progress client communication
Video to watch / Podcast to listen to
To-Do items
Color-Coding is a great tool; however, it needs to be used in addition to, not in place of, incorporating any email-derived tasks into the system that you use to hold and manage your tasks and projects. Using email as a to-do list is not an effective use of your time and leads to procrastinating what's important, by doing what's in front of you.
Pro Tip: Both Outlook and G-Suite have the above features built-in.
Additional Resource
Boomerang is a tool with many additional features that may further support you in managing your email. One of my favorite features is that if your recipient has not replied to an email you sent them by a time that you set, your sent email will pop back into your inbox. Boomerang Basic is free to use and explore!
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
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Your Inbox: From Overwhelmed to Zero
At times it feels like email has taken over our lives. What's clear is that email is the leading method of communication and most certainly will continue to grow and evolve. Our goal is to incorporate email into our life management systems so that it becomes a tool to improve our lives, not weigh us down.
Do you ever feel like it’s all too much? Every Thursday, I share one action, habit, or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness, and sense of well-being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Take your inbox from overwhelm to zero.
At times it feels like email has taken over our lives. What's clear is that email is the leading method of communication and most certainly will continue to grow and evolve. Our goal is to incorporate email into our life management systems so that it becomes a tool to improve our lives, not weigh us down.
As Ashton Kutcher says,
email is “everyone else’s to-do list for you.”
As with any organization project, the key is to be realistic with where you’re starting. For your inbox, create a system that allows you to sort through and delegate each email based on its priority and length of time to complete. Below are some suggestions on how to do this both efficiently and effectively.
If you have 500 or fewer emails, I would recommend creating your system by sorting through those emails. If this is you, please skip to step 3.
If you have more than 500 emails in your inbox, which is very common, I would recommend picking a date you want to start fresh.
For example, today is June 2, 2022, so you may decide you want to start your system from March 1, 2022.
Your first step would be to create a folder and label it "Emails Prior to 03.01.22".
You would then "group select" all emails received prior to 03.01.22 and move them out of your inbox and into your "Emails Prior to 03.01.22" folder.
This will allow you to still have access to those emails through the search function, but they will not be sitting in your inbox.
Now, it’s time to sort through the remaining emails and create your system. It's up to you how simple or complex this system should be. You should expect the system to evolve and change as your life and needs change.
Pick a place to start and just work through your emails one by one. No jumping around. This process will take time, but should save you time in the long run.
Decide how long you want to work on this, as opposed to how many emails you want to get through in a session. For example, you may decide you want to work on this for 25 minutes per day, on weekdays, until it's complete.
Decision fatigue is a real thing. While you are setting up your system, I would recommend doing this earlier in your day. Once your system is set up, clearing out your inbox is a great task for the middle and end of your day.
But, How Do I Create A System?
Okay, you’ve set the time aside. You’re ready to clear out that inbox, but where should you start? Below are the most common options to choose from when deciding what to do with each email.
Unsubscribe! If the email is "Junk" or simply not adding value to your life, take a moment and unsubscribe. You can do this by:
Clicking the unsubscribe link.
Send the email to spam, so that all emails from this sender will end up there. I would recommend the spam function if you do not recognize the email sender. It's possible the email may contain a virus.
Change your subscription settings. You may be able to choose to reduce the number of emails from multiple times a week to once a month. This is not my favorite option, but is a good compromise if you are fearful of completely unsubscribing.
Be ruthless in deciding what is adding value. Don't remain subscribed to emails that are not currently worth your precious time to read. You can always re-subscribe in the future. Time is our most valuable resource. You can support people and companies in many ways, that does not include remaining on their email list.
PRO TIP: After you have unsubscribed, search for all emails from that sender, and do a mass delete.
The next category is emails that you need to take a few minutes to read and see if there is any action. Take the time to do this now.
If there is no action needed, decide if you will ever need to reference it again.
If you feel you will not need to reference it again, delete it.
If you feel you may need to reference it again, create a corresponding folder and move it there.
One time-saver is to simply have the rule to move all emails to a corresponding folder, if you are at all worried you might need to reference it in the future. This will give you the peace of mind that it's available if you need it, but it’s no longer taking up space in your inbox. As time goes on, you can reevaluate and always decide to delete going forward.
If there is an action needed and it can be completed in 2 minutes or less, I recommend doing it now.
If there is an action needed and it will take more than 2 minutes, I recommend printing out the email, writing on it the action that is needed, and then adding the printed email to a physical Action Folder. Come back to this email during a dedicated time scheduled on your calendar to complete each action.
The last category is emails that you want to keep as reminders, but that you don't need today.
A few examples are:
Your plane reservation information for a trip in two months. (I would recommend also having this info in a calendar appointment.)
Log-in info for a call. (I would recommend also having this info in a calendar appointment.)
Information from a new connection or a contact that you want to reference during a scheduled call. (I would recommend also adding this to where you take notes, such as an app like Evernote.)
An email that you responded to and are waiting on an important follow-up.
For any email that you decide to keep as a reminder, you should add a "star' to label what type of reference it is.
For example, a "blue star" might mean it's information for an upcoming reservation, meeting, or call.
A "purple question mark" may mean it’s an email that you responded to and are waiting for a reply.
The key is to pick symbols so that your brain knows the purpose of the email, before reading it.
Once you have added the corresponding "star" to label your email you should snooze it until the appropriate day.
For example, if you want your flight info to pop up the day before your trip, you would snooze it to the morning before your trip at 8:00 AM. Therefore, the email would disappear from your inbox now and pop back into your inbox on the day before your trip at the time you chose.
Congratulations! You now have zero emails in your inbox, a basic email system, and a physical folder of emails that require action.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Setting Up an Email Folder System: Choose folder names that will be easy for you to remember and recognize that it’s very common to have sub-folders too.
It often seems to work best to create the folders one at a time, as you read each email. After you have created a number of folders, you can go into settings and start to set up your sub-folder folder system. For example. If you have folders for multiple members of your family, you may create a folder for "Family" and move all your family members' folders under the "Family" folder.
Snoozing Emails: Many email systems now have a snooze feature built-in. If yours does not, look into a program called Boomerang, that you can integrate into your email system.
Incorporating Emails Into Your Notes: There are a number of benefits to using an electronic note taking system like Evernote or OneNote. You can forward emails from your inbox to these programs to make items easier to reference. You can also “Copy and Paste” parts of the email you want to discuss into your next meeting agenda.
Clean-up: On an ongoing basis, you should set aside 30 minutes twice a day to clear out your inbox. Ideally, you’ll do this mid-day and at the end of your workday, just prior to your 10-minute desk clean-up. On Fridays, it’s especially important to clear out your inbox. This is what will allow you to make the most of your time off, with the people who matter the most.
PRO TIP: How to manage email on weekends and vacations. Some people feel better not looking at email at all on days off, while others feel better setting aside 30 minutes in the morning or evening to clear out their inbox. What I do not recommend is checking your email multiple times a day, especially on days off, but not clearing anything out. This increases stress, while also being ineffective.
If you feel the need to check email on days off, set aside either 30 minutes in the morning or evening, or 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes to clear out your inbox. This will help you mentally relax and engage. There will be many times that you may feel better sending an email on a day off, even though it is not urgent because you don't want things to pile up. I highly recommend scheduling emails to send upon your return to work, so that you can feel good that your part of the task is complete, but you won't initiate a new task for yourself until you are back at work.
Additional Resource
I highly recommend the book, "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. While it does not directly address email, it does address how to manage the many projects and to-do's in your life. When you have a complete system to manage all the projects in your life, email becomes a lot easier to manage.
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.
Follow Me
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Try Choosing an Identity, as Opposed to Setting a Goal.
This is one of the most powerful thoughts I have come across when researching habit change.
Every Thursday, I share one action, habit or project you may want to undertake in order to improve your health, happiness and sense of well being.
PROJECT OF THE WEEK
Try Choosing an Identity, as Opposed to Setting a Goal.
This is one of the most powerful thoughts I have come across when researching habit change.
"To change your behavior for good, you need to start believing new things about yourself." –James Clear
What is the difference between choosing an identity and setting a goal?
Example 1: You want to wake up earlier
Goal - I want to wake up on weekdays at 5:45AM.
Identity - I want to become a mom who values quality time with my kids. In order to do this, I need to be ready for work before I wake them at 6:30AM.
Example 2: You want to wake up earlier
Goal - I want to wake up on weekdays at 5:45AM.
Identity - I want to become a writer. In order to do this, I need to write for at least one hour every weekday. The most consistent time I can choose to do this is before work.
Activity Time! Grab a pen and paper and let's take 12 minutes to brainstorm.
Below are a few questions to guide you:
Make a list of all the goals and intentions you have set for yourself. There is nothing too big or too small. We want to get it all out of our heads and on paper.
Circle the 5 goals that mean the most to you right now.
For the 5 goals you circled, write out why each one is important to you.
Take a moment to think about if there is a theme. These 5 goals may be completely separate or they may be connected.
Keeping in mind why each one of these goals is important to you, re-write each goal as an identity.
Below are a few examples of identities that clients have implemented.
I want to become the type of person who responds to all texts and emails within one business day.
I want to become the type of person who sets aside time to plan every week.
I want to become the type of person who studies every day.
I want to become the type of person who moves every day.
I want to become the type of person who sends handwritten notes.
Take a minute to choose which of the 5 identities means the most to you right now.
Make that identity a part of your daily life.
Write it on an index card and leave it on your pillow.
Write it on a sticky note and put it on the bathroom mirror.
Set an alarm on your phone that will go off a few times a day, to a song you love, and label the alarm with your new identity.
While I do believe that choosing an identity is key to lasting habit change, there is still a lot of hard work that is needed in order to make your new identity a part of your daily routine.
Choose your hard!
Below are some tips to support you in implementing identity-based habits.
Start small, real small.
Link your new habit to something you are already doing.
Habits form based on how often you perform the new habit, not how long you have been performing the new habit.
A habit is only a habit as long as you keep doing it. Don't underestimate the impact a schedule change can have on undoing a habit. Common examples of schedule changes are vacations, travel, moving, new jobs, new partners, and new babies.
Seek outside accountability
Additional Resource
I highly recommend the book, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
A Note from Happy Spaces
The goal is to add value to your life. If you think this project will add value:
Estimate how long you think it will take. I would recommend doubling the time you estimate.
Look at your calendar over the next week and pick a date and time to get started.
Make an appointment on your calendar for the estimated time.
If you estimate that completing this project will take longer than one hour, I recommend doing it over multiple days. This will support you in getting started!
Prior to starting this project, take a few minutes to make a step-by-step list of EVERY action you need to take to complete this project.
It's not all or nothing. You can choose to implement only the parts of this project that add value to your life.
An Accountability Partner can be a great support in following through on your goals and commitments.
We understand how challenging it can be to implement new habits and systems. For additional support please go to HappySpacesBySarah.com.
Creating a life you don't need a vacation from! ®
Sincerely,
Sarah Weingarten
Meet Sarah
Growing up as the oldest of nine siblings in Upstate New York, I learned to use organization to create sanity among the chaos. Today, I work together with individuals, families, and small businesses to create habits, systems, and spaces that support their needs, goals, and dreams. Clients often refer to our work together as "life-changing" and "better than decades of therapy". What I love most about my work is the lasting impact it has on real people's lives. Nothing makes me happier than hearing the many success stories of clients I have worked with.