Be an Active Participant in Your Future Reality
Simple tips, powerful hacks and great tips to organize your life for success
Table of Contents
Work Smarter, Not Harder
So before I properly begin, I wanted to give a little disclaimer that I am a goal-driven person and an organizational freak. And being completely honest with you, I am proud of that for many different reasons.
First of all, effective planning helps me to avoid wasted time and stress and secondly, it enables me to embrace the chaos in my head. Because friends, I have so many thoughts and different ideas in my mind that if I don’t write everything down immediately I will go nuts. Not to mention the obvious fact that I will probably forget what I was thinking of. And if it happens creative chaos will turn into a destructive one. That’s why, in order to avoid this, I needed to develop a good strategy to manage my obsessive planning and turn it into an Effective Scheduling – Planning that enables me to manage my time effectively work smarter, not harder and live a balanced life.
Organized, Focused & Productive
As I said before, I am a goal-driven person and organizational freak which means that at the beginning of every month I’ve already had it all planned out. My schedule is prepared, my bucket list is created, my work and free-time activities are planned, my budget is set and even birthday presents for those of my friends who celebrate their birthdays in a given month are already bought or DIYed. Does this make me an obsessive planner? Well, it depends on your perspective. For me having it all planned out means being less stressed, more productive and mentally prepared for the new month. Having a clear vision for the next future gives me comfort, peace of mind and a sense that I am doing the right thing. But don’t get me wrong. Having it all figured out does not mean that I don’t leave some space to let new things into my life. Of course, I do it. I like to keep my mind open to unexpected opportunities, new challenges, and fun stuff I’ve never tried before otherwise, my life would be suffering from boredom.
But the truth is, if you want to achieve your goals and make your dreams come true you need to have a plan first. Because setting your goals and objectives without establishing action plans to achieve them is just a waste of time and energy. A goal without a plan is just a wish. And good intentions are nothing without action. Since there is no miraculous way your goals will just magically appear you need to organize your life for success. You need to an active participant in your future reality. And this is how you can easily do it here and now!
How to Get into The Habit of Being Seriously Organized Before 2020
Download Your FREE Printable Self-Reflection Worksheets
1. Self-Reflection Questions
Practising self-reflection helps you to become aware of the current version of yourself, determine the level of success that you achieve and take the right actions to make good progress in your immediate future to feed your life purpose.
Self-Reflection Questions to Ask Yourself Right Now:
💠 What is my strategic vision for my life?
💠 Are my goals aligned with my life vision?
💠 Am I keeping my priorities in check?
💠 Is the mental picture of my future capturing and inspiring?
💠How do I want to improve myself within this month?
💠 What can I do to nurture my mind, body, and soul more?
💠 What are the five things I would do more?
💠 What doubts I currently have? How can I ease them?
💠 What are my 3 major distractions in my daily life and how can I overcome them?
💠 Am I my BFF? How can I improve my relationship with myself?
feed your passion
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2. Fill Up Your Calendar Before Others Do
What’s your favorite Calendar App to stay on track? Or maybe you don’t have any. Some people rely on their memory, others write a to-do list on a piece of paper and place it on a fridge or desk. Others prefer to use digital technology solutions to keep on track.
While old-school methods for time management used by our grandparents are still good they may not be sufficient to keep track of meetings, appointments, birthdays, and other events especially if you are a busy and sociable person. That’s why if you want to be seriously organized and stop worrying about forgetting about your best friend’s birthday you should start using one of the calendar apps that will help you improve time management and make the most of every day.
To schedule my day for maximum productivity I use Google Calendar which is the official calendar for Android devices. If you haven’t already tested it out you should give it a try! It’s definitely my favorite Calendar App for multiple reasons.
First of all, Google calendar helps you to schedule like you have a personal assistant working for you 24/7 with the difference that it’s completely free (just remember to pay your Internet bill). Second, Google Calendar is an extension of your memory and self-helping you to avoid procrastinating. Third, Google calendar offers many customized features to create your unique calendar and become a master scheduler! (No, I’m not sponsored by them I just genuinely love Google Calendar!)
Anyways, I highly recommend you choose a Calendar App that will work for you and start filling it up with all the things you need and want to do.
Fill Up Your Calendar Before Others Do With:
- Important Meeting
- Social Events
- Medical appointments
- Bill Payments
- Workouts
- Grocery Shopping
- Days Off
- Relaxing Activities
- Solo dates
- Fun activities
- Your family member’s and friends’ birthdays
3. Find Your Optimal Schedule
Schedule means getting things done. That is why you should not underestimate its importance, especially if you consider the monetary value of your time. And let me tell you, even if you are not at the working place in a particular moment, your time has still monetary value because you either saving money or investing them in your future.
So take some time at the end of every week and schedule an upcoming week for maximum productivity (learn how to become more productive HERE). Write down everything you need to accomplish in a new document (Google calendar, Outlook) on your phone or on your computer. Prioritize your tasks and set deadlines for any of them. Plan for maximum productivity BUT don’t overschedule. Be rational and always negotiate with yourself. Do not be your own tyrant. Design your ideal week and set yourself up for success. Start creating a successful future right now!
Schedule Your Day For Maximum Productivity (according to 3 x 8 rule and the Pareto Principle!)
- Plan Your Days According to 3 x 8h rule (8h of work, 8h of productive “me time”, 8h of quality rest. A 3 x 8h rule it a great way to achieve work-life balance. (Learn more about 3 x 8h rule HERE)
- Set 3 Daily Priorities (You can use the 20/80 Pareto Principle to set your priorities, eliminate your distractions and focus on personal and professional growth. 24 hours a day can be enough to get the most important things done if you eliminate distractions and time-wasters (in every area of your life).
- Set realistic but challenging daily/weekly/monthly goals
- Break down your goals into more realistically achievable steps and set deadlines for any of them
- Use the Pareto Principle to track your success and optimize what really matters in your life (According to the Pareto Principle, 20% of your work produces 80% of the result. This means that if you manage to identify that 20% correctly you will spend more time doing the right things that will produce the greatest outcome.)
- Create space in your schedule for unexpected opportunities that will emerge at some point especially in the course of developing a new capability
- Schedule Time To Relax - recharging batteries is crucial to our wellbeing and it’s the only way to be able to feel energetic again. If you deprive yourself of rest, sleep, food or other essential things in life you act against your body and as we all know it’s just a road to nowhere.
- Plan for an ultra-effective and productive day the night before aka make a powerful to-do list
- Create your Weekly and Monthly Bucket List
- ALWAYS Track your progress
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4. Effective Finance Management
Adopt a Mindful Money Management Approach to Your Finances
- Reflect on your financial situation
- Redefine your relationship with money
- Create a successful budget
- Create better spending habits
- Make smart and purposeful financial decisions
- Adopt habits that will help you to achieve financial freedom
Set up a realistic budget
- Determine your monthly income
- Calculate your monthly expenses
- Divide your expenses into different categories
- Put a price tag on your expanses (each of them)
- Identify how much extra money you can put on your saving account every single month
Set financial goals
- Create an Emergency Fund
- Starting a Retirement Fund
- Pay off Credit Cards
- Set debt payoff goals
- Set savings goals
- Become a Practical Minimalist aka Live on Less than you earn (that’s how you save your money)
Become a Mindful Customer
- Make rational consumer decisions based on your real needs, not artificial ones invented by marketers to sell more and more products
- Plan your shopping (always make a grocery list, use the internet to search for discounts, coupons, and special offers)
- Improve your customer behavior
- Identify the factors influence your purchasing habits
- Stop mindlessly spending your money constantly buying new stuff that you don’t even need or use
- Become a mindful buyer who knows exactly what their real needs are
Use Financial Apps to Manage Your Finances Mindfully
- Mint (link) - saving and budgeting app
- Acorns (link) - saving and budgeting app
- PocketGuard (link) - extra money spending app
- You Need a Budget (link) - create a budget within your actual income
- Prism Bills&Money (link) - organizing and paying bills app
- Albert (link) - saving, budgeting and paying a debt app
- Travel Wallet (link) - travel budget and expense app
- Wally (link) - professional expense report app
- Tycoon (link) - Freelancers app
- SnipSnap (link) - digital coupon app
- ShopKick (link) - rewards for shopping online and in-store app
- GroceryIQ (link) - intuitive shopping list app
- Bill Watch (link) - managing, organizing and reminding bills payment app
- Venmo (link) - splitting bills and sharing transactions app
- Personal Capital (link)- investment optimization app
5. Take Care Of Your Health
Phisical Health
Have you ever noticed how good even a little physical activity makes you feel? It’s because during exercise our body releases endorphins and increases dopamine and serotonin levels. This magic trio made up of your natural happy chemicals is all you need to activate your happiness mode. Furthermore, regular workouts boost your energy levels, reduces stress, increases self-esteem and keep you in good shape. Need I say more? So instead of looking for an excuse to skip your workout think how great you will feel afterward and hit the gym, go for a walk or do a full-body workout at home. Working out does not mean that you need a gym membership and lift heavy weights and build muscles. Being active means taking care of your mental and physical health. So stop looking for excuses and build your own workout routine. Create workout plans that fit your schedule and goals and start your journey to a healthier you.
Mental Health
Plan and schedule mental health self-care. Take some time to clean out the mind clutter and self-reflect on your mental wellbeing.
Sometimes we don’t even realize how much intrusive thoughts, difficult emotions, and stressful situations that happen during the week affect our life. We just keep through our endless to-do list trying to be productive and self-motivated completely ignoring our mental health. But the truth is that you cannot be healthy, productive, motivated and focus on your goals if you feel emotionally drained and worn-out. That’s why it is so important to take care of your mental health starting from a regular Mental house-keeping. What better moment to declutter your mind and free up your mental space that a Sunday morning? Here are some great ways to do that:
- Keep Out Unwelcome Guests - let go of negative people
- Challenge your negative thinking and negative self-talk through journaling
- Meditate
- Use simple breathing techniques to relax and de-stress
- Keep a journal as a therapeutic form of emotional release
- Use positive affirmations to boost your self-esteem and confidence
- Incorporate a digital detox into your daily routine - switch off and live in the moment!
Start Eating Mindfully
7. Plan & Schedule Time Alone On Purpose
How much time do you spend alone on an average day? Is it too much or not enough? Or maybe you’ve never thought about that. Time alone is one thing that most of us wish we had more of but the truth is we don’t even realize how much time between work, school, and other obligations we waste doing nothing. Just think about all of these hours you spend traveling, commuting to work, waiting in line to get something done, doing the grocery shopping, eating a lunch, scrolling through social media, getting ready in the morning, watching tv in the evening or doing any other thing that does not require your full concentration. Because let’s face it if you commute by train or waiting in the queue you can use this time to do something meaningful, purposeful and just useful. The time we spend on doing something completely insignificant is the time we waste and we can’t get it back again. It is, therefore, better to spend your time alone on purpose. You can use your time alone doing something purposeful that fuels your personal growth. That would be a great opportunity to create a win-win situation all the time. And you know what? It’s easier than you think. But if you need some inspiration, here are my ways to enhance my alone time:
- Cultivate Self-Reflection
- Conduct the Self-Evaluation
- Engage in Self-Education
- Gain Inspiration
- Practice Positive-Thinking
- Cultivate Self-Care
- De-stress and Unwind
- Ground Yourself using Mindfulness techniques
More about Spending Time Alone On Purpose HERE
Best Posts About Achieving Goals:
- 8 Simple Steps to Set Yourself Up for a Successful 2020 HERE
- One Simple Habit to Make Motivation Flow Effortlessly Every Single Morning HERE
- Powerful and Smart Ways to Manage Your Time Efficiently and Effectively HERE
- 5 Steps to Success in Achieving Your Goals HERE
- How to Stop Procrastinating HERE
- 12 Daily Habits For More Interesting, Exciting and Fullfiling Life HERE
- 10 Life-Changing Morning Rituals HERE
- 6 Simple Ways To Live A Healthier Lifestyle HERE
- How To Start Eating Mindfully HERE
- Put Yourself In A Positive Headspace HERE
- The science of motivation HERE
- 10 simple ways to bring mindfulness into your daily life HERE
- 10 Powerful Habits to Boost Your Confidence HERE
- Ho to Get Unstuck Immediately! HERE
8. Celebrate Your Success
(Big Achievements & Small Victories)
Most of my friends when asked about celebrating their accomplishments admit that they rarely, if ever do it. They set a goal, put all their effort to achieve it and once they achieve it they immediately move forward to another goal completely forgetting about celebrating their success. That’s insane! People should always celebrate their achievements, even small victories count and should be acknowledged. It’s the best part of the whole process of the self-development process and a great opportunity to appreciate oneself. Without it what’s the point of working so hard for success? Besides, the efforts of tracking even small achievements every single day enhance your motivation, boost your self-esteem and drastically increase your life satisfaction. In other words, celebrating your accomplishments is crucial for your long-term success and happiness.
So next time when you accomplish a goal, stop for a moment, acknowledge your success and celebrate it! Be proud of your big achievements and small victories. Be proud of yourself and appreciate yourself more. And if you need some inspiration, here are my favorite ways to celebrate achievements:
- Start a Success Journal
- Share the news with family and friends
- Write a list of everything you learned from this experience
- Reflect on the path you took
- Treat yourself with your favorite dessert
- Watch a favorite movie or a TV show
- Buy yourself a little gift
- Go on a solo date
- Invite your friends for dinner
- Practice Mindfulness
- Practice positive self-talk standing in the front of a mirror
- Indulge in relaxation
DOWNLOAD your 2 FREE workbooks here, just CLICK on the photos!
P.S.
Stay Positive
Be Mindful
and Get into the Habit of Being Seriously Organized!
xo Kate
14 thoughts on “Get into the Habit of Being Seriously Organized Before 2020! - powerful tips, healthy hacks and lots of freebies!”
Thank you for the pointers. My life always seems like a huge cluttered mess. Part of that is just because I’m a teacher, but in the last year, I’ve had a lot of repairs to take care of at home, and things keep piling up faster than I can take care of them. I definitely need to take a step back and do some of this. Monday is a holiday, so that’ll give me an extra day to start decluttering…
Teaching is a meaningful and challenging career. I have a LOT of respect for teachers (except my high school math teacher😒) I’m sure you’re under a lot of stress and I hope you’re taking the time to check in with your mind and body. Have a relaxing weekend! 🙂
Thank you… I’m trying, but I haven’t been taking that time as much as I should lately, and like I said I’m so worn out that I can’t deal with everything. (What was the problem with your high school math teacher?)
Oh my gosh, my high school math teacher was a bully. She felt it was necessary to embarrass students in front of others because she believed it will force them to study harder. She really thought that shaming was the best method of teaching… 😒 She was eventually fired and I really hope she changed her career path because she wasn’t cut out to be a teacher.
I get very easily overwhelmed and frustrated, and the last couple years it seems to have gotten worse, because of things going on outside of school. I worry sometimes how many students I might have traumatized when I’ve had a bad day, when my gut reaction might have been to act the way your teacher did. I wrote about that a long time ago in my other blog… let me find it…. here it is. https://highwaypi.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/exit-37-how-many-kids-have-i-hurt-because-i-was-having-a-bad-day/
My high school math teacher was a bully. She got real pleasure out of hurting, ridiculing and humiliating kids. She did it all the time, every single day for years. That’s not normal and has nothing to do with having a bad day or having a hard time. She was insulting kids in front of the class or giving a bad grade without even looking at their work… She wasn’t a bad teacher but a bad person. Alone the fact that you’re worried that you might have traumatized some students shows your ability to self-reflect, empathize and relate to others. (and that you’re a GOOD person!) Everyone can have a bad day and do something a little bit inappropriate. You wrote that you get very easily overwhelmed and frustrated which means that you’re ready to work on that! And that’s great! I’ve had difficulty dealing with my emotive regulations because of my C-PTSD for most of my life so I understand how even the smallest of things can send you into this downward spiral… But the great news is, you can heal your emotional triggers. It takes work but it’s worth it. Have a great week and take care! 🙂
Good point. I’m doing my best. I have a lot going on outside of work right now too, and that makes it harder to stay focused and easier to get overwhelmed and panicky.
That’s why I love planning, scheduling, making a powerful to-do list, setting smart goals, setting intentions, meal prep, etc! It’s the only way I can stay focused and relatively calm during the day! Take care, stay mindful and have a great day!! 🙂
I try. I’ve especially been trying with the to-do lists. But it still doesn’t seem to work. I do best when I can focus on one thing at a time, but the nature of my life doesn’t allow for that. I can’t always stay at work late to grade papers because I might need to make it back home in time for an appointment, or I might have something that needs to get done at home during daylight, and this time of year I’m usually only home when it’s dark unless I make an effort to leave the school as early as I legally can. I’ve read where you say to spend 8 hours being productive each day, but I have too much to get done in that time frame (although in the long term, it balances out because I have more days off than I would in most other careers). Also, it doesn’t help that I live two towns over from where I work, and it takes half an hour to get from home to work. But I can always start with things I can change, like if I have to bring work home, I should be focusing on that and not trying to, say, grade papers and read blogs at the same time.
Okay, first of all, your capacity for self-reflection is pretty amazing!! I am sure you know exactly what you should or could do to improve your life. But you need to give yourself more credit! You should be proud of yourself!! Second, I think you struggle with perfectionism that causes you daily distress and anxiety. (I’m also struggling with it so I know how paralyzing it can be) If I’m right you could work on that. Third, you mentioned that it takes you half an hour to get from home to work. Maybe you could use this time to spend some quality “me time”? Maybe you could listen to some inspirational podcasts or some audiobooks? Or maybe you could watch motivational Ted talks or write a journal (only if you’re not driving :)) You could dedicate this half an hour on something that will put you in a positive mood. And the last thing, let’s talk about your days off. Are you planning and scheduling your days off? Are you dedicating your free time to take care of your mental and physical health? You need to fit relaxation into your schedule! Don’t be so hard on yourself! Give yourself more credit!! Have a wonderful weekend!! Take care and stay mindful! 🙂
My commute is driving, so I can’t exactly write while I’m driving. I’ve tried. 😛 I usually listen to music while I’m driving.
Music is very important to me. However, I think you make a good point that I might be able to use that time more wisely. I could look for inspirational things to listen to. Or I could listen to worship music and spend time in prayer, because that’s something I feel like I need to do more of. And if I don’t want to give up my time to listen to music, I can compromise, like listen to different things on different days, or listen to something more meaningful in the morning and to my usual music in the afternoon.
What exactly were you thinking when you said planning my days off? Am I dedicating my free time to take care of myself, kind of, but I never seem to get enough free time to both take care of myself and do what needs to be done.
Listening to some epic music while driving at work is a great idea! Music can help you focus, minimize distractions and give you that extra boost of motivation before starting your workday. Most of my friends listen to audiobooks or podcasts while driving but I honestly couldn’t do it. It would distract me. But with my Spotify playlist, I feel like a Girl Boss! Having said that, I really think that you use your time wisely! Time is the most valuable commodity and we should never forget about that. However, it doesn’t mean that we should overcrowd our schedule at work and in our personal life and push ourselves to the breaking point. I mean it’s just absolutely a formula for failure. I honestly believe that it’s all about creating a balance in life. Why? Well, because balance provides emotional stability. And emotional stability is what makes us wiser, happier, more conscious and LESS anxious. That’s why I focus so much on creating a balanced life. If you’re interested, I recently created a new workbook titled “Creating Life Balance” and you can easily download it here https://holisticlifebykate.com/create-life-balance-workbook/. P.S. Dedicating your days off to take care of yourself is the best use of your free time! You’re doing great! You really should give yourself more credit!!!!! Actually you CAN and you SHOULD make a list of all the things you SHOULD give yourself more credit for! Please do it when you have some free time. Take care and have a wonderful week!! 😉
Thank you… I’ll look into that 🙂
Yes!! Make a list of all the things you should give yourself more credit for and read it out loud!! 😉