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Can Multi-Tasking Add Value?
Do you ever find it strange how a single action can be simultaneously described as a super-power and a very inefficient use of your time?
Photo by Fivos Avgerinos on Unsplash
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
Can Multi-Tasking Add Value?
Do you ever find it strange how a single action can be simultaneously described as a super-power and a very inefficient use of your time?
I often feel like this about the term multi-tasking.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines multi-tasking as "the performance of multiple tasks at one time".
When looking closely at the definition, I think some of the confusion comes more into focus.
The brain cannot perform multiple tasks, that involve thought, at the same time.
If you look a little closer at the individuals who actually appear to be great at multitasking, what you will find is that they are skilled at switching between tasks. Some of this may be natural and some of it may be systems they setup so that they can switch between tasks effectively.
An example of this would be someone working at the Front Desk of a hotel. They may have a list of items that they need to take care of, while also caring for the hotel guests that need service. While it may appear that they are multi-tasking, by checking a guest in, taking care of an item on their list, and then helping another guest with a housekeeping request, what is actually happening is that they are slowly working through their list, pausing when a guest needs assistance, and then going back to their list when they have finished caring for the guest.
Getting Started
Depending on the career you chose, it may be important to be able to switch between tasks quickly. In fact, you may love the fast pace environment this type of work provides. However, I would note, that while this can be a valuable and necessary skill, there is always time lost in switching between tasks.
The good news is, I think there is value to be gained from multi-tasking. The pitfalls of multi-tasking revolve around actions that involve thought. However, there are many thoughtless actions we take everyday. Multi-tasking is one way to spice it up.
What boring and thoughtless activities are on your to do list?
A few ideas:
Dishes
Laundry
Cooking
Opening the Mail
Errands
Commuting
Phone Calls
Required Work Trainings
What passive activities bring you joy?
A few ideas:
Listening to music, an audiobook, or podcast
Watching your favorite TV shows
Taking a walk
Is there a passive activity you could combine with your boring tasks to make it more fun?
Below are a few ideas:
If you have required reading that you have been putting off, try listening to the book while taking a walk in nature. This is also great when listening to recorded webinars!
Do you hate doing the dishes? Listen to a fun audiobook at the same time.
Have you stopped using your Peloton? Watch your favorite TV series only while on your bike.
Not a fan of folding laundry? Make a playlist of songs you love and only listen to it when folding clothes.
There are so many combinations. Think about what can add joy to your life and help you accomplish the mundane tasks.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Keep in Mind:
For multi-tasking to work effectively, both activities need to not involve much thinking. For example, cooking may require no concentration for many of you, but this is not true for me. Listening to an audiobook, while making dinner, doesn't work for me. I am too focused on not messing up the meal, that I miss the story.
Just because an activity is boring, does not mean it's thoughtless. Email is a great example of this.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
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.
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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Do You Have a System to Manage Your Mail?
Incoming mail is one of the most common sources of overwhelm in the homes of clients I work with.
Photo by Mourad Saadi on Unsplash
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
Do You Have a System to Manage Your Mail?
Incoming mail is one of the most common sources of overwhelm in the homes of clients I work with.
Mail feels as if it never stops, easily piles up (it does!), and most people just don’t want to look at it or deal with it.
Getting Started
Below is the system I setup with clients:
Decide what day(s)you are going to check your mail.
If you live in a house, this may have to be daily.
However, if you live in an apartment building with a mailroom, I would recommend picking one or two days a week to get the mail.
Open all the mail before you "bring it into your home".
This step is critical. Do not get the mail if you do not have enough time to do this step. For many clients, this only takes 5 minutes; however, if you get a lot of mail, it may take 15 minutes.
If you live in an apartment building, with a mailroom, I recommend opening your mail in the mailroom. There should be a recycling bin in the mailroom.
If you live in a home, I recommend having a set place you go to immediately to open the mail.
Places to open the mail:
Mailroom
Front Entrance Table
Kitchen Island
Kitchen Table
Home Office
Dinning Room Table
The place you choose to open your mail, should be conveniently located near your paper recycling bin, your shredder and your "Inbox", where you keep mail that needs "To Be Reviewed".
When opening your mail, you should create three piles.
Recycle
Shred
To Be Reviewed
It is important to have a set of rules for what mail you are going to review and what you are comfortable immediately recycling or shredding. This step is the key to reducing the feeling of overwhelm, when picking up the mail.
For Example:
Shred without opening: All pieces of mail that are clearly junk mail.
Recycle: Specific catalogs, promotional mail from your alma mater, donation requests and all envelopes.
If you have any hesitation about deciding if something should be recycled or shredded, just shred it.
It's fine to shred items, without opening them, if you are 100% confident you don't need to look at them. If you have any hesitation, go ahead and open it first.
All items in your "To Be Reviewed Pile" should be opened and ready to be reviewed.
Recycle all items in your "Recycle" pile.
Shred all items in your "Shred" pile.
I do recommend you buy a shredder. They are not expensive and you can find small ones that don't take up much space.
Place all items from your "To Be Reviewed" pile in your "Inbox".
You may need to buy a box or basket, to create a home for your "Inbox". The box or basket should be at least 9 inches by 12 inches and should be open on the top. Many clients have preferred a box that was a bit larger, such as 10 inches by 14 inches.
Your "Inbox" should live in the space where you will process the tasks that the "To Be Reviewed" pile includes.
Schedule a time on your calendar to process your "Inbox" once a week.
I would start with 20 minutes a week, so that it feels less overwhelming.
After a few months, you may want to adjust this to a time that is more realistic, based on how many items are in your "Inbox".
It's important to review your "Inbox" on a weekly basis. However, It may work best for you to process different items at different times. For example, you may decide to only process your bills on the third week of the month.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the blog by Dawn George Organizing, “How to Opt-Out of Mail, E-Mail & Phone Calls.”
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
It's common that many of the items that end up in your "Inbox" would not have been added to the your To-Do List, if they hadn't come in the mail. I give you permission to let these go.
For example: Catalogs, Donation Solicitations, Alumni Magazines
Letting these items go physically, doesn't mean they never happen. It does mean it's more intentional.
For example: Catalogs - Create a list of you favorite places to shop. When you need something, reference that list to see where to go online.
For example: Donation Solicitations - Create a list of charities you want to support. Decide how much you want to give each month and make donations a part of your process for managing your monthly bills. Many charities have a recurring giving option on their website and will charge a credit card each month in a specified amount.
For example: Alumni Magazine - I recommend having some rules around how long you are allowed to keep this, without reading it. If a new Alumni Magazine arrives before you have read the last Alumni Magazine, which is living in your "Inbox", you must recycle the old Alumni Magazine, before adding the new one to your "Inbox". If you find that 6 months have gone by and you haven't read the Alumni Magazine, you might want to set a rule to recycle it right away.
I recommend taking some time to reduce your incoming mail.
Are you still receiving statements for bills that are on AutoPay?
In most cases, it would be beneficial to switch these statements to email delivery.
If you need the statement for your taxes, you may want to continue getting it in the mail.
If you rarely look at your email, it may also be beneficial to continue getting the statement in the mail. Once you have reviewed it, you can shred it.
For Reducing Junk Mail -
I recommend PaperKarma. It is a paid service that will eliminate the majority of junk mail you receive. It may take between 90 days and 6 months to go into full effect, depending on how far in advance the materials were printed and addressed.
You can also call each individual company and request to be removed from their mailing list and to not have your info sold. This is very effective, but also very time consuming.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
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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The Secret to Staying Organized
How many times have you spent all day Sunday cleaning your room, to find the floor covered with stuff a week later?
Photo by mohammad alizade on Unsplash
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
The Secret to Staying Organized
As a Certified Professional Organizer, I am often asked what is the secret to staying organized.
The key word being "staying".
How many times have you spent all day Sunday cleaning your room, to find the floor covered with stuff a week later?
The secret is two part: letting go of all the extra stuff and making sure every items has a clearly designated home.
Getting Started
Part One: Why letting go matters?
The more things you own, the more things you need to "organize".
When working with clients, I am often asked, "How long do you spend putting things away?"
The reality is not very long.
In fact, I spend much less time "picking-up" than my clients do.
Pop culture loves to promote minimalism as owning as little as possible. But, they are missing the point. Minimalism is all about being intentional about what you choose to bring into your life.
Letting go of all the stuff that is not adding value to your life will save you time. Kids toys are an easy example to use. Your kids have a play kitchen with play food. They love to dump it all out, play with it (usually for just few minutes) and then forget about it.
It's up to you how much play food is available for them dump out and then subsequently needs to be picked up.
Do your kids play with the food longer if there are 75 food items verse 25 food items?
In my experience, they don't. But it will take longer to pick-up 75 food items!
Letting go, reduces the amount of stuff you need to "pick-up" and "put away". This makes staying organized a lot easier.
Ironically, letting go usually saves people money too!
How many times have you bought something, only to find out you had 3 more of them at home?
Part Two: Every item needs a home.
You need to know exactly where every item you own lives. It's important that the homes you create are easily accessible and clear.
As I mentioned earlier, my clients are often shocked when I let them know that I don't designate any time, on a weekly basis, to "pick-up" the house.
Instead, I take 5 - 10 minutes when I come home to put away everything I brought in. This includes everything from the jacket I am wearing, to my new Target purchases, to the items in my work bag.
I also spend 5-10 minutes every morning putting away the dishes in the kitchen.
I know what you’re thinking: "This idea sounds great, but it can't possibly only take 10 minutes when you get home to put everything away?"
The good news is, If you create clear accessible homes for all your stuff, it can! Simply designate exactly where the item will live. Depending on how often you use that item, will determine how accessible it needs to be.
If the home is in a drawer, I would highly recommend investing in drawer dividers so that it's clear where the keys go, verse the box cutter, verse the head phones.
I hate the term junk drawer. It's fine to have a utility drawer the holds items that you use regularly, but these items need designated homes so that they are easy to find, access, and put away.
If the home is on a shelf, I would recommend investing in boxes or open bins. Labeling can help remind you of what belongs in each box and what doesn't.
What if I don't know where I should designate an item to live?
The good news is, there is no right or wrong answer. It's what works for you. If you pick a home, and it's not working, change it!
It's also common for "homes" to change as you use items differently.
If you have young kids that have toys and need batteries all the time, you might want to store them in your utility drawer. However, once the kids get older, having a box of batteries on a shelf in the closet, may work better.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Clear is king!
I would recommend choosing clear bins and boxes whenever possible. The easier it is to see what you have, the easier it is to maintain your organizational systems.
Add Shelving!
When reviewing client's spaces, who have been struggling with staying organized, one of the most common challenges is that there is not enough accessible storage space. Adding shelving to a closet can make all the difference.
Label!
Taking a few minutes to label the bins and boxes, will go a long way toward maintaining the homes you created.
Invest in products that will create functional simple homes.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am not a product person. However, there is no denying the value that having the right product can add.
When designating homes, think about what you need to make the home function best.
If your goal is to hang up your clothes in your closet right away, but you have a million different types of hangers and it's really tight every time you hang a clothing item, purchasing thin non-slip hangers may make all the difference.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
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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Organizing Closets, Shelves, and Drawers!
How you feel about your surrounding space impacts how effective you will be performing in that space. This is true for both workspaces and family spaces.
Photo by Patrick Ryan on Unsplash
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
Organizing Tips for your Closets, Shelving & Drawers
How you feel about your surrounding space impacts how effective you will be performing in that space. This is true for both workspaces and family spaces. By focusing on your closets, shelving and drawers, you will be creating homes for all your things.
Take a moment to think about it!
Do you feel motivated to try out a new recipe in a kitchen where it's hard to access the items you need?
Do you feel relaxed when you sit down to watch your favorite TV Show after dinner when the room is full of unfinished projects?
Do your kids find it hard to wind down before bed, surrounded by a room full of distractions?
The key to designing spaces that feel calm and motivating is creating homes where things are easily accessible, aesthetically pleasing, and often able to be hidden from your line of sight.
Below are some simple suggestions that you may want to implement so that your spaces support you, your needs, and your personality.
Getting Started
When organizing and finding a home for everything, keep in mind that there are three main steps:
Sort & Declutter
Organize and Create New Homes
Purchase Products & Label
These steps are not only listed in the order they should take place, but are also listed in the order of importance. Letting go of the items that are no longer adding value to your life, is key to creating an organized and functional space. While being organized and having the right products does add value to your life, it can NOT make up for having more stuff than can comfortably fit.
I understand that purchasing organizing products can get expensive. I have helped many clients create organized functional spaces, without purchasing a single item. However, I do think there is an added value when incorporating the right products. While the Container Store is an amazing resource, you can find many products that both look and function similarly, from Amazon, Target, or Walmart.
Getting organized is a journey, not a destination. It's not all or nothing. Choose to do what you think will add the most value now and then add the rest to your list for future projects.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Closet & Shelving Tips
Choose matching thin hangers. I personally like thin felt hangers. They add hanging space to your closet, your clothes shouldn't slip off, and they are budget-friendly.
For your coat closet, I would recommend stronger hangers, such as wood or metal hangers.
When deciding what you want to hang and what you want to fold, keep in mind that hanging clothes is faster than folding clothes.
When clothes are hung, as opposed to folded, it's also easier to see all your options.
Don't underestimate the value of adding shelving to your closets. If possible, choose shelving where the shelf heights can be adjusted.
An inexpensive shelving solution is to add metro shelving to your closets. Metro Shelving is strong, you can set the shelf height to fit your needs, and it's easy to both install and remove. If you are renting, this is a great option! It's also perfect for garages and basements.
Remember, everything needs a home. Use bins and boxes to designate those homes.
Happy Spaces' Resources' page has links to my favorite clear boxes. I love that the tops are also clear.
Make sure to label all your bins and boxes.
Sometimes bins' can be hard to label. Here is one option for labeling bins.
Make sure your boxes and bins only contain one or two categories. Below are some common categories:
Tools
Hardware
Batteries
Electronics
Arts & Crafts
Backup Office Supplies
Backup Toiletries
Travel
Travel Toiletries
Shoe Storage can be a challenge. Below are a few ideas:
Pro Tip: Don't be afraid to store items other than shoes, in the above storage solutions. Using clear, over-the-door shoe bags, can be a great solution for kids' stuff.
Storing purses on shelves is a great solution. These dividers can help them stand up.
If you have deep shelving, use deep pantry bins, so that you don't lose access to the items in the back.
Make sure you don't have too much crammed into your space. It should be easy for you to both remove and put back all items.
You should be able to reach all items that you access regularly, without a step stool.
If you are storing items on a high shelf, that you do need to access from time to time, store a stepstool in the closet. If those items are not easily accessible, you won't use them.
Drawer Tips
Drawers don't work for everyone. There is nothing wrong with using bins or boxes, that are open on top, as opposed to drawers.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
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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Create a Laundry Schedule
Laundry is easy to push off, until you don't have the pants you need for your work meeting or your kid's soccer shirt is dirty and the game is in a few hours.
Photo by Florian van Schreven on Unsplash
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
Create a Laundry Schedule
The kids are back to school, fall sports are in full swing, and your work day is filled with calls and emails that start with, “Now that summer’s over, we should start thinking about xyz and get moving on the abc project.” A frustration that I hear often is that there is just not enough time. As a result, the first thing many of us cancel is our "fun" time or "down" time. (But, Making Time for Fun is important in the long-run!)
However, we need time to recharge and if we don't take it, it will catch-up with us. How many times have you finished a big project, only to come down with a cold the next day? Our bodies have a way of telling us, enough is enough, even when we don't want to hear it.
One way to carve out "free" time is by scheduling all the mundane tasks - like laundry! - that have to get done.
Laundry is easy to push off, until you don't have the pants you need for your work meeting or your kid's soccer shirt is dirty and the game is in a few hours.
All of a sudden, laundry moves from "not urgent and not important" to "urgent and important".
There is a simple solution; make laundry part of your weekly schedule.
Getting Started
The key to starting this process is finding the schedule that works best for you and your family.
With that said, I do recommend doing laundry on a weekly basis. Now this does not mean you have to wash every category on a weekly basis. It just supports making laundry part of your weekly routine.
The other benefit to doing laundry on a weekly basis is that it does not become overwhelming. This makes the task of folding laundry and putting it away a lot more manageable.
Below are some simple laundry schedule ideas if you live alone:
Washer & dryer located in your home:
Mondays - Wash clothes.
Tuesdays - Wash sheets & towels.
Multiple washers & dryers located in your building:
Mondays - Wash clothes, sheets & towels.
Below are some simple laundry schedule ideas for a family :
Washer & dryer located in your home:
Mondays - Wash "Parent 1" clothes.
Tuesdays - Wash "Parent 2" clothes.
Wednesdays - Wash "Child 1" clothes & sheets.
Thursdays - Wash "Child 2" clothes & sheets.
Fridays - Wash all towels and Parent sheets.
Multiple washer's & dryer's located in your building:
Mondays - Wash all clothes by person. Note: Pro Tip below on why by person is the way to go!
Tuesdays - Wash all towels and sheets.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
As discussed in last week’s Can Money Buy Happiness post, laundry may be one of those mundane tasks that you want to delegate out.
Even with a schedule, if laundry is one of those household tasks that forever feels overwhelming and worth it to you to have someone else do - then do that! There’s no shame in getting the support that you and your family need.
Below are some general laundry tips that you may find helpful:
Pro Tip: Washing clothing by person, eliminates the step of sorting the laundry, when folding it and putting it away. This is especially true of those pesky baby socks that get stuck inside everything and go “missing”. Most clothing can be washed together, as long as it's washed in cold water.
Most items, even if they recommend dry-cleaning, can be washed in a "laundry bag" on delicate in cold water and hung on a hanger to dry.
Laundry is a life skill that kids need to learn. Starting in elementary school, kids are capable of folding their laundry and putting it away. Starting in middle school, kids are capable of being responsible for their own laundry. Teaching your kids these life skills is a gift.
If possible, I recommend scheduling laundry - literally, put this in your calendar! - as part of your "work" week and not on your day off. This will help support you living a balanced life.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
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
Share this post
Can Money Buy Happiness
There are many ways we can support ourselves and the people we care about in order to lead happier lives.
Photo by Taylor Simpson on Unsplash
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
Can Money Buy Happiness?
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "Happiness" as a state of well-being and contentment.
Personally, I have found it helpful to differentiate how I define happiness from joy.
Joy is an emotion that comes and goes,
while happiness is a state of mind.
There are many ways we can support ourselves and the people we care about in order to lead happier lives.
With this definition in mind, I do think investing in ourselves and our loved ones can make a difference.
Getting Started
How do decide what investments of time, money, or things will have the greatest impact on your daily life.
Two questions to ask yourself are:
How can I create more time for myself and to connect with those I care about?
What tasks on my to-do list do I really dislike?
I would focus your brainstorming on two categories:
Tools that can save you time
Tasks that take up valuable time or that you dislike
A Few Tools to Consider:
A laser wireless printer that works well - I promise, they do exist!
While we don't print a lot these days, there are times we need to. Is it really worth going to Staples each time you have to print. or worse, spending 30 minutes figuring out why the printer is not working or that the ink is dried out.
A quality scanner.
There are phone apps that do a great job scanning. I personally love Scannable. However, depending on how often you scan items and how many systems you use, having a quality scanner may save you a lot of time. A quality scanner can easily scan multiple pages at a time, such as your tax forms, as well as scan directly into multiple systems, such as Dropbox and Evernote.
A shredder
I would recommend most households have a shredder. You can purchase a small one that is relatively inexpensive. It's common for clients to think that they don't need a shredder because there are so few items that they feel need to be shredded. I can't even count the number of times I have helped clients create a shredding box, with the plan of dropping off the papers that need shredding, once the box is full. In the end, it takes longer to drop off the box of shredding than it would to shred the papers at home, it ends up costing more than purchasing a small shredder, and the box of shredding takes up as much space as a small shredder would.
A few to-do items you may want to invest in by delegating:
Hire someone to clean your house.
This is a task that many feel overwhelmed by. It's important to remember that it's not all or nothing. Hiring someone to clean your house monthly may be enough to greatly impact your happiness. You can also identify which parts you dislike the most. If you hate changing the sheets, you can have someone wash and change the sheets, while you continue to do the rest of your laundry. I had one client who liked doing laundry, but hated folding it. For just a little more money each week, his cleaning person was happy to fold his clothes and put them away.
Hire a professional organizer
If you feel like you are always looking for things and the job of "picking-up" never ends, this might be a valuable investment. A professional organizer can help you let go of extra items, which will reduce how much you have to "pick-up", as well as create homes for each item, so that it's easy to know where to put each item away and then find it the next time you need it.
Purchase meal kits
You may love to cook, but hate meal planning. Meal kits are an amazing way to keep doing what you love, without the part you don't.
Grocery delivery service
I have worked with a number of clients that enjoy grocery shopping, but the only time they are able to do it, is time that would be better spent on themselves or with the family. If you are grocery shopping on a Monday evening, while your partner watches the kids, and this is the only time you have to yourself all week, how much happiness would be gained if you met up with a friend instead?
Hire someone to run errands
If you feel like you are constantly running errands, this may add a lot of time back in your life. You could hire a high-schooler or college students for a few hours once a week and have them run most of your errands.
Schedule 20 minutes to brainstorm on the questions above.
Write down all the tools you think may add value to your life and all the tasks that you think you might consider delegating. Then choose one tool or task you want to try first.
Block off time on your calendar to implement the tool you chose or to plan out how to delegate the task you chose.
I would recommend also blocking off time on your calendar, about one to three months in the future, to evaluate if the new tool is adding the value that you expected. If it is, amazing! If it's not, take a few minutes to think about why it's not.
Did you hire someone that is not right for the job?
Did you not take the time to learn how to use the new tool?
Or, is it just not saving you enough time to be worth the cost?
Adding new tools and delegating to-do items is only going to contribute to your happiness, if you are intentional about what you use the extra time for.
If you implement this strategy, but just spend the extra time siting alone watching Netflix, it's likely you will not be much happier.
Additional Resources
You may want to checkout the book, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. By reading about Gretchen's journey to find increased happiness, I am sure you will think of ideas that would add value to your life. Happiness does not just happen, you have to create it.
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
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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Make Meditation a Habit
If you are new to meditation, the first step may be understanding what meditation is and what it is not.
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
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
Make Meditation a Habit
As summer winds down to a close, take a moment to explore why this time of year is loved by so many. Lighter schedules, more freedom and downtime, and relaxation with family and friends (or alone!) all come to mind.
This summer, we have explored how to Make Time for Fun, Make Reading a Habit, and Understanding What Adds Meaning to your Life. I would like to leave you with one more self-care habit before we transition to fall and how organization can support you in creating a life you don’t need a vacation from!
Without further adieu, why should you consider becoming a Meditator?
Getting Started
There are a number of benefits to exploring meditation.
Increasing self-awareness.
Building skills to manage stress.
Reduces anxiety.
Supports better sleep.
Improves your relationships.
Improved focus on the present.
Become less reactive.
Increase in imagination and creativity.
Helps control pain.
May lower blood pressure.
The key, as with starting all new things, is to form a habit first and then grow your practice.
I recommend starting with 1 minute a day.
Pick what time you are going to meditate.
You can pick whatever time you want, but many people have found it easier to do it first thing in the morning, before the day gets busy.
If you pick a time that is not first thing in the morning, you are going to want to tie it to something else that is pretty consistent. It could be after lunch, after you brush your teeth in the evening, or in your car after you drive home from work, but before you go into the house.
Decide exactly where you are going to do it.
You can meditate in bed, in your favorite chair, or buy a fancy meditation cushion and create a meditation corner.
Decide if you are going to use a guided mediation or just set a timer and sit.
Decide if you are going to do it every day or only on weekdays/workdays.
It may be beneficial to only do weekdays/workdays, if your weekend mornings are inconsistent. Whatever you choose, make sure you can 100% commit to it.
Set an alarm to remind you to mediate at the time you chose.
Pro Tip: Make sure to label the alarm and have it repeat for each day of week you are committing to.
How to decide when to increase the length of your mediation.
I think 30 days is a great place to start.
If after 30 days, you are still feeling some resistance to meditate, I would stick with 1 minute, until that resistance recedes.
What if after a few days, I want to do a longer mediation? I would caution against this. Remember, we are forming a habit and want to take motivation out of the equation. How many times have you committed to doing a 45-minute workout 4 days-a-week and by week two, never done it again?
How to sustainably increase the length of your mediation
I would recommend increasing the length of your mediation slowly.
Some common times you may want to consider:
1 minute
5 minutes
12 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
I don't think the goals needs to be 20 minutes or longer. There is research showing that shorter mediations provide a lot of the benefits.
I would also recommend increasing and decreasing the times, based on how crazy life gets.
The best thing you can do, is to go back to 1 minute, when life get's a bit away from you. That guarantees the habit remains in place,
An alternative to picking a length of time, is to commit to a mediation series on a mediation app. I know I have found this helpful! (See below for more information on mediation apps).
Lastly, you could join a mediation group or hire a meditation teacher. This would provide additional accountability and knowledge.
Additional Resources
If you are new to mediation, the first step may be understanding what meditation is and what it is not.
I highly recommend the book, Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, by Dan Harris. If you enjoy this, you may also want to check-out, 10% Happier, by Dan Harris.
There are many places to find guided meditations, many of which are free.
Below are few meditation apps you may want to consider:
10% Happier - I personally use this!
Headspace
Calm
If you are looking for guidance from a mediation teacher, you may want to look into:
MNDFL
Insight Mediation Society
Transcendental Mediation
Feeling Overwhelmed?
We understand how challenging and scary it can be to start something new. If you feel excited about implementing this strategy, but worry that it’s just too much to start on your own, the It’s All in the Planning Started Pak was designed for you!
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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The Secret to Estimating Time
You are not alone if you find yourself consistently underestimating how long tasks will take.
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
The Secret to Estimating Time
You are not alone if you find yourself consistently underestimating how long tasks will take.
In 1979, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tverseky proposed the phenomenon called the Planning Fallacy. The Planning Fallacy describes our tendency to underestimate the amount of time it will take to complete a task.
Getting Started
The first step in overcoming our tendency to underestimate how long a task will take is to understand that our natural inclination is to underestimate the length of time it will take us to complete the task. Read that again.
A quick rule of thumb I use with clients is to plan for double the amount of time you think it will take and leave yourself a cushion, in case it does go longer.
However, the best solution, especially for projects and routines that you partake in on a regular basis, is to time it out.
Do you know how long it takes you to:
Complete your full morning routine
Cook dinner
Put the kids to bed
Grocery shop
Pay your monthly bills
Clear out emails daily
Pack for a business trip
How to time out the length of your project or routine:
Write out a step-by-step list of actions you need to take to fully complete the project or routine.
Example - Grocery Shopping
Review what food you currently have in the house.
Decide what meals you want to cook over the next week.
Write out a grocery list.
Ask other household members if there are any grocery items they want to add to the list.
Commute to the grocery store.
Buy all the groceries on your list.
Commute home from the grocery store.
Put the groceries away.
It's important to be thorough in listing out all your actions. If you skip an item or two, that may lead to double work later on.
For example, if you skip the step of asking other household members what they would like to add to the list, and are therefore unaware that your middle-schooler agreed to bake cookies for her sleepover that weekend, you will have to make a second trip.
This will both add time to the task and lead you to continue to underestimate how long your weekly grocery shopping takes.
Using your step-by-step Action List as a checklist, time out how long your full project or routine takes.
Write down the length of time it took on the Action List.
I would recommend timing it out 2 or 3 times, to get an accurate idea of the length of time.
It important to time the project or routine on days that will give you an accurate estimate of time.
For example, if you are timing out your morning routine, don't skip Mondays because those are your toughest mornings. You want to know how long it will take, regardless of how you are feeling when you wake up.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Having an accurate idea of how long a project will take can greatly reduce anxiety and procrastination.
Feeling confident that you have enough time to finish the project promotes a sense of calm and concentration.
Understanding the true length of time, gives you the option to break the actions out into multiple work sessions. This leads to less overwhelm, which translates into reduced procrastination.
While I know timing out routines and projects can feel overwhelming, the sense of peace it provides to your daily life is measurable and impactful.
I would recommend picking one routine or project to start and see how it impacts your life.
There is no better motivator than positive outcomes and improved mental health.
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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Are You Making Time for What Matters Most?
The secret to time management is being able to see your time, see how much time you have available each day and see what you are spending your time on.
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
Are You Making Time for What Matters Most?
The secret to time management is being able to see your time, see how much time you have available each day, and see what you are spending your time on.
Getting Started
How much time do you have available to you each day?
There may be 24 hours in a day, but some activities - like sleep! - are not optional!
Take a few minutes to think about your daily activities. Write down the things you have to do and the things you want to accomplish. Start with sleep; this activity isn’t optional and without sleep, you will not function at your best.
Below are a few questions to help you get started:
How much sleep do you need?
How long do you need to be in bed in order to get that amount of sleep?
How much time do you need to wind down, in order to go to sleep?
How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
How long does it take you to get the kids ready in the morning?
How long is your commute?
How long does each meal take (prep, eating, cleaning up)?
What other tasks do I need to do each day and how long do they take?
This exercise can be eye opening.
Do you have more or less time than you thought you had?
For most of us, we are terrible at estimating how long things take. After you have a list of tasks that you do every day, it may be helpful to time how long they really take, over a few days.
Next, I would take a few minutes and write down a list of categories that are important to you and prioritize this list.
Below are a few ideas:
Self
Family
Friendships
Romance
Work
Finances
Home
Health
Personal Growth
Spirituality
Community
Giving Back
This list is focused on categories that are important to your life as a whole. It may be helpful to also make a list of categories that are important in your work life. However, I would recommend doing this as two separate activities, at separate times. Otherwise, it can get overwhelming.
Now it's time to see where we are spending our time.
For one week, write down what you are doing each day, from the time you wake-up until you turn the lights off to fall asleep.
You can print out at copy of a Time Map HERE. Or you can use Excel to create a digital Time Map.
Pro Tip: If you are going digital, please make sure to leave the document open all day, so it's easy to update in real time.
You may also want to set alarms on you phone to remind you to update your Time Map hourly. It's easy to forget and the more you update it in real time, the more accurate it will be.
At the end of the week, designate a color for each category. If you did this exercise on paper, you may need to buy some highlighters. Another option is to type the Time Map you wrote out, into Excel.
Go through all your tasks and activities for each day and highlight them based on which category they fall under. For example, if you designated health to be green, you would highlight "taking a walk" in green.
After all your tasks and activities are highlighted, take a few moments to analyze where your time is going.
Are the priorities you say are your highest, getting the time they deserve?
Are you spending the majority of your time on other people's priorities and not your own?
What are the consequences for not prioritizing what really matters?
Reprioritize your day to reflect your priorities.
I recognize this sounds far simpler than it is, but armed with this information, reschedule your day to “find” time to prioritize what matters most to you. Maybe meal prepping on Sundays frees up time throughout the week to take a walk with your partner and kids. Or, scheduling as many doctor’s appointments as possible in one day - and treating yourself to lunch out and a pedicure afterward - allows you to feel more in control of your health and your body’s preventative maintenance.
Additional Resource
I highly recommend the book, Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern.
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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Make Reading a Habit
Reading is an excellent way to add fun and relaxation to your day or week.
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
Make Reading a Habit
If you read last week’s post, Making Time for Fun, you know there are benefits to adding downtime to your schedule. Reading is an excellent way to add fun and relaxation to your day or week.
Below are some of the benefits to becoming a person who values making time to read.
Benefits of Reading
Exercise for the brain
Improves concentration & focus
Supports better sleep
Improves your level of knowledge
Provides motivation
Reduces stress
Increases your imagination and creativity.
Getting Started
How to make reading a habit:
I recommend starting small.
The goals is to form the habit first and then grow your practice.
You may want to start with a length of time or a number of pages. For example, you could choose 5 minutes a day or 5 pages a day.
Pick what time you are going to read.
I would recommend stacking your reading habit with another habit that you already have in place.
Below are a few ideas:
Read while having your morning coffee.
Read while having lunch.
Read during your morning or evening commute.
Read after you brush your teeth in the evening.
You probably want to account for what type of reading you are planning on, when deciding what time is best.
If you are reading for fun, reading before bed might be great. However, if you are reading a book to support your personal growth, you may be too tired by that point in the day.
If you are listening to an audiobook, but want to be able to take notes on a few valuable take-away's, this would not be the best book to listen to while driving. However, it might be perfect for your morning walk.
If there is a "boring" but "important" book that you have been meaning to read, your best decision might be to simply listen to the book all the way through and then set aside 45 minutes to flip through a physical copy of the book and type up some notes.
Decide exactly where you are going to do it.
It's important to make these decisions ahead of time, so that they too become part of the habit.
If you are going to read, while having your morning coffee, is the kitchen table best or a comfy chair next to the window?
If you are planning on listening to a book during your morning walk, pick a route for your morning walk and stick to that.
Decide if you are ok with reading multiple books at once or if you would benefit from reading one book at a time.
Habits are effective because they take the decision making out of the equation.
You may find it harder to form the habit, if you are deciding on a daily basis which book to read.
If you enjoy having options, but are struggling with becoming a reader, you may want to try having one "fun' book and one "growth" book happening at the same time. You could designate different times of day, such as reading your "growth" book on your morning walk and your "fun" book before bed. Or you could designate different days of the week, such as reading your "growth" book Monday through Thursday and your “fun" book Friday through Sunday.
Set a reminder to support your new habit.
Depending on the habit you are pairing this with, there are a few options for how to remind yourself to read.
If you are pairing this with a habit that happens at the same time every day, you can simply set an alarm. Remember to label the alarm, so you know what to do when it goes off.
If you are pairing it with a habit that is not at the exact same time each day, you can put in place a physical reminder.
If you want to listen to an audiobook, while on a walk, put an index card, with a reminder listed on it, in your walking shoes.
If you want to read while having your morning coffee, place a sticky note, with the reminder listed, on top of your coffee canister.
Create some outside accountability.
Check-in with your network and see if anyone else is working to implement the habit of becoming a reader.
Choose an accountability partner and commit to texting each other daily with your successes or setbacks.
How to decide when to increase the length of time you are reading daily.
I think it's best to not increase time for the first month.
If after 30 days, you are still feeling some resistance to reading, I would consider if the time of day you chose is working for you.
Remember, when forming a habit, we want to take motivation out of the equation. After 30 days, it may be beneficial to simply continue to commit to "5 minutes a day" or "5 pages a day". There will be days you want to read longer and that is great. However, on those busy days, you know you succeeded with being a reader, as long as you achieved your minimal commitment.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
Which reading method is best for you?
You should take a few moments to consider which reading method works best for you, based on your goals. It's likely you may want to incorporate both into your daily life.
Audiobooks are an amazing option. They allow you to "read', while on the move. They can improve your daily commute, make you look forward to doing the dishes, and can be a great companion on your morning walk.
Reading a physical book or on an electronic device can provide some benefits that audiobooks cannot. However, they do require your undivided attention, which can be challenging to make time for.
Where do I source reading material?
Audible is a great option for listening to audiobooks. In my experience, they have the largest audiobook library.
I would also recommend checking out the options from your local library. Most libraries provide access for you to "check-out" books through an app, so that you can read or listen on your phone or e-reader.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend the book, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. This is my favorite resource on implementing lasting habit change.
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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Why Making Time for Fun Matters
Balance is key and fun is core part of the equation.
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
Why Making Time for Fun Matters
I understand that this is a hard one. I struggle with this too.
We all live busy lives and there are so many important things on our to-do list that we should prioritize over having run, right?
Wrong! It turns out that a key element to living a full, happy, productive life is making time for fun.
The good news is that I do think quality matters more than quantity.
So why is fun so important?
I am a huge Brene Brown fan. Her work has had a profound impact on my life and the lives of many people that I highly respect.
Brene - can I call her Brene? - talks about the 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living.
Brene’s 10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living are:
Cultivating Authenticity: Letting Go of What People Think
Cultivating Self-Compassion: Letting Go of Perfectionism
Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness
Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: Letting Go of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark
Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith: Letting Go of the Need for Certainty
Cultivating Creativity: Letting Go of Comparison
Cultivating Play and Rest: Letting Go of Exhaustion as a Status Symbol and Productivity as Self-Worth
Cultivating Calm and Stillness: Letting Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle
Cultivating Meaningful Work: Letting Go of Self-Doubt and "Supposed To"
Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance: Letting Go of Being Cool and "Always in Control"
Both the Cultivating Play and Rest and Cultivating Laughter, Song and Dance speak about the importance of "fun" in your life.
Balance is key and fun is a core part of the equation.
The Benefits of Making Time for Fun
Lessens Stress
Improves Sleep
Reduces Pain
Increases Energy
Provide Social Connection
Increase your ability to learn
Getting Started
The best advice I have heard is to think about what you enjoyed doing when you were ten years old and start there.
If you are naturally creative, you can probably list out a number of activities that you have fun doing. You probably already have the supplies needed to do many of them.
However, if you are someone who does not view yourself as creative or athletic, this can be challenging.
Below are some ideas:
Painting
Making pottery
Designing clothes
Doing improv
Trying a new group fitness class or running group
Acting
Singing
Joining a sports team or a book club
Working with animals, whether your own or at a local shelter
Fixing up a car
Building a new piece of furniture or restoring an older piece
Exploring new museums (or re-visiting an old favorite!)
Reviewing local restaurants
Camping
If you haven't done this activity in decades, I would suggest starting by taking a class. It will help minimize the anxiety that always accompanies starting something new.
Calendar your fun time.
I would recommend planning ahead. In part, as we all know, if it's not on the calendar, it often doesn't happen. But more importantly, by planning ahead, you will get both the benefit of the fun activity and the benefit of looking forward to the fun activity.
Start! And keep trying.
This is often the hardest step for most people. Just pick an activity and try. If you enjoy it, keep doing it. If you find that it’s not for you, pick something else and try again. Maybe you’re not a team sports person, but you really enjoy a book club. There’s nothing wrong with that. The point is to find something you enjoy.
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
I do lot's of fun things with my kids. Does that count?
It depends. If the activity that you do with your kids bring you joy, then absolutely. However, there are lots of 'fun' activities that we do with our kids that don't bring us joy.
For example, I don't particularly like playing games. So while I love having family game night because of the quality family time we spend together, that would not count as "fun" for me. On the other hand, I do love water parks; therefore, spending a day with the family at Water Safari definitely counts as fun for me.
How much and how often do I need to have fun to feel the benefits?
I don't think there is a magic number. This is something you are going to have to experiment with.
I would try to focus on:
Making fun a regular part of your week.
Have at least one fun activity scheduled per week.
Make sure you have some outside accountability, such as signing up for a class, joining a team or group, or doing the fun activity with a friend.
It's not all or nothing.
Varying the length of time you set aside for fun is a great idea.
Maybe you sign up for a painting class once a week that is an hour long, but you decide you are also going to paint for 10 minutes on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, after you put the kids to bed.
Think big picture
If both you and your friend love trying new restaurants, this is a great way to incorporate both fun and connection in your life.
If you and your son both love museums, you can set aside time each week to visit a new museum or exhibit.
If you and your daughter both love basketball, you can set aside 20 minutes each morning or evening to play together.
Additional Resources
I highly recommend all of Brene Brown's books. My favorite piece of her work, which is available on Audible, is "The Power of Vulnerability". I have listened to this numerous times, and every time I do, I have a new take away that positively impacts my 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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Make Time for Movement in Your Day
Movement is as simple as standing up and moving around.
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
Make Time For Movement in Your Day
To be clear, I want to separate out movement from exercise. There are innumerable benefits to exercise and even more varieties to choose from. While I have my personal opinion on what works best for me, this is not my area of expertise. I support you in doing your own research and seeing what is best for your long-term overall health.
Don’t be busy, be productive.
So what does movement mean?
Movement is as simple as standing up and moving around. It can be taking a walk around the room you are working in for one minute or doing 10 jumping jacks. It can be doing 3 flights of stairs after each Zoom Meeting or taking a 15 - 20 minute walk outside after eating lunch.
Why add movement into your day?
Movement will help you focus. We often make the mistake of thinking that taking a break will cause us to go off task and get distracted. It's almost always the opposite. Having scheduled breaks will help you to remain focused longer and improve your overall productivity.
Common Thinking Error
I have worked with a number of clients who genuinely believed they were being more productive by not taking a break, and just working until the task was complete. It was true that they had found a way to finish a task that they often procrastinated, but it was at the expense of accomplishing anything else meaningful that day. By not taking any breaks, especially a break with some movement, they were completely spent once that task was complete.
Working together, we developed a plan that broke down their challenging tasks into single-action steps. As part of the plan, we included breaks with movement in between certain steps. This allowed them to complete the task and continue on with other tasks during the day.
Before getting started, we should define what counts as a “break”.
Breaks are critical to productivity. However, it's important to define what counts as a break. Or maybe more importantly, what does not count as a break. Checking your email, or returning a voicemail, does not count as a break. An effective break is setting aside a predetermined amount of time to give your brain a chance to rest and reset. While there are many options for you to choose from, as far as what type of breaks work for you, the simplest and most effective option that I have found is to move.
Getting Started
Below are some strategies to help implement this habit into your daily routine:
Step 1: Decide when you want to take your breaks.
Below are a few examples:
At the end of all your Zoom calls.
Breaks during Focused Work:
If you plan to work on a long-term project, you may want to work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break and do this for 2 hours OR you may want to work for 50 minutes and then take a 10-minute break and do this for 2 hours. Keep in mind both how long your attention span is and how challenging the project is that you are working on. It's always easier to get started, if you are planning on working for a shorter time span.
Mid-Day Break
Many clients have found it helpful to plan a 20 minute walk outside, following having lunch. This will greatly reduce the afternoon slump.
Step 2: Decide how long you want your break to be.
I have found that it's beneficial to start small. It may be too hard to plan for a 5-minute movement break after each Zoom, when you are first implementing this new habit.
Remember, one minute counts! The grocery chain, Wegmans, offers a one-minute stretch break at the top of each hour, for employees and shoppers!
As you implement this strategy, and begin to see the benefits, you will likely want to extend your breaks. One strategy is to change your scheduled meetings from one-hour meetings, to 50-minute meetings. This will allow you to take a 5-minute break and then have 5 minutes to prepare for the next meeting.
Step 3: Decide what you are going to do for your break.
Depending on how long you plan on taking a break for, will determine what your options are.
Below are a few options:
10 Jumping Jacks
10 Pushups
10 Pullups
Dancing to your favorite song
Riding an Indoor Bike
Walking the Stairs
Walking Outside
Taking a Bike Ride
Whenever possible, take your break in a separate room than you are working in. This will help the brain switch to break mode faster.
Step 4: Set an alarm to remind you to take your predetermined break. Label the alarm with both what you are going to do for your break and the amount of time you set aside.
The benefit to setting an alarm is that it provides the infrastructure for the new habit, without adding any burden to your brain.
Below are a few examples of how to label the alarm:
Do 10 Jumping Jacks
Do the stairs for 5 minutes
Take 20 Minute Walk Outside
Happy Spaces’ Tips & Tricks
I highly recommend setting a timer for the length of your break.
This will allow your brain to relax, knowing the alarm will go off when it's time to refocus on the next task.
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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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.
Follow Me
Share this post
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.