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"Nature Abhors A Vacuum"
“Nature abhors a vacuum”
This postulate attributed to Aristotle “expresses the idea that unfilled spaces go against the laws of nature and physics and that every space needs to be filled with something.” This basically, means that if there’s an empty space in the Universe it will be soon filled with something.
I don’t know about you but I can’t help but feel that there can be found a lot of evidence of this postulate in the trivial details of everyday life. Just think about all these important decisions you refused to make and life did it for you. Almost the exact thing happens with an empty schedule. If you don’t fill up your calendar, sooner or later someone else (most likely your boss) will do it for you. And you will not be happy about it. Because it’s always better to make decisions on our own and plan your life before someone else or something else will do it for us.
Being inactive makes you a passive observer of your own life. Not to mention that if you wait for things to happen to you you basically surrender yourself to fate. I believe that being proactive and organizing your life for success is a much better option.
Considering the fact that 2021 is almost here, I’ve already started to organize my life to kick start my new year. If you’re thinking to do the same, here are my 7 steps to organize your life for 2021!
The best is yet to come!
PS. Don’t forget to grab your free printables!
organize your life for 2021
" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/organize-your-life-for-2021.jpg?fit=225%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/holisticlifebykate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/organize-your-life-for-2021.jpg?fit=600%2C800&ssl=1" data-lazy-sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" srcset="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7">Schedule & Calendar
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.
Trust me, I know exactly what I am talking about. Because whether you’re setting financial goals like paying off debt or relationship goals like spending more quality time with your significant other you need to create an action plan and put your actions into a schedule to maximize your chances of success. So come on, let’s not waste any more time! It’s time to schedule for success!
What Should Be Included In Your Schedule & Calendar
- Work Appointments
- 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
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Plan Different Areas Of Your Life
When planning your new year do not focus only on one area of your life, instead, think holistically. Look at the big picture, and ask yourself what do you want and need to accomplish in every sphere of your life in the upcoming year. Do not focus only on planning, scheduling and organizing your career in 2021. Because it will cause unbalance, stress and overwork. Besides, you don’t live to work, you work to live.
So don’t plan a workaholic year. Instead, focus on planning every area of your life. This way you will create a balance between professional and personal life, so much needed for your wellbeing.
- Health (physical and mental)
- Relationships
- Career (or School)
- Personal Finance
- Creativity
- Personal Growth
- Enjoyment
- Home
- Spirituality
Decide What Is Essential In Your Life
The next thing you should consider when organizing your life for 2021 is to identify what are the most essential things in your life that you want to invest more time into. This simple strategy based on essentialism will help you to use your time more effectively and focus on what’s truly important instead of wasting your time on meaningless stuff.
The concept of Essentialism also called the power of less or the art of prioritizing basically means doing more of what is important to you and cutting out of what isn’t. It’s the ultimate solution to the problem of running out of time. When you look at it objectively, there is no such thing as too little time. It’s all about how you use your time.
Our resources are limited. Time, energy, money, mental capacity, attention, physical space, willpower, or even talents are all limited. This means that if say “YES” to one thing you automatically say “NO” to another thing. That’s why it is so important to choose wisely how you’re going to use all the resources you have so that you achieve your goals faster. So when organizing your life for 2021 identify what are the things that bring value into your life and make sure you’re going to invest enough time into doing them.
Batch Similar Tasks Together To Build Momentum
My next tip for organizing your life for 2021 is to batch similar tasks together. This simple act of grouping of similar tasks together such as responding to emails, making important phone calls or doing errands will not only save you a lot of time but also it will increase your efficiency immediately.
I am sure you’ve already noticed that if you switch from one task to a completely different task you lose continuity, effectiveness and flow state. It happens because after having completed one task we need to be mentally prepared, to begin with a completely different one.
According to a University of California Irvine study, “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to the task.” That’s an awfully long time. So if you want to drastically increase your efficiency, boost your productivity levels and get more things done in less time you need to start batching similar tasks together. In other words, you need to enter the flow state and build momentum.
Momentum is an incredible thing. It is this magic moment when you obtain absolute focus, increase your sense of clarity and maximize your productivity for better results. Momentum enables you to reach your full potential, take intentional action and achieve your life goals faster.
Prioritize & Simplify Everything
Next extremely important thing to do when organizing your life for 2021 is to simplify and prioritize tasks, projects and activities that you need to get done during the upcoming year. Otherwise, you may end up with a jam-packed schedule that instead of increase your productivity and effectiveness will create confusion and stress. Not to mention that having too much on your plate can lead to hesitation that in itself is a real dream killer.
To avoid hesitation trap caused by too much complexity you need to prioritize and simplify pretty much everything that needs to be done. Simplicity is the key too success. Although it may be tempting to overthink and over analyze everything before you take action, in most cases, it will only make everything much more complex than it ever needs to be.
To take action on your goals you don’t need to have everything figure out. You just need to have some plan and take action. Besides, pretty much everything in life is manageable. You can always figure out the things as you go but only if you have a flexible mindset. The worst you can do is to sit back and wait for things to happen. Not only it will make you a passive observer of your own life but above all, it will destroy your chances for a victory. That’s why when organizing your life for 2021 focus on simplifying and prioritizing your tasks. To do that you can use the Eisenhower Box.
Ok, so how exactly the Eisenhower Box works? Well, first of all, the Eisenhower Box, also called the Eisenhower Matrix is a visual method designed by President Eisenhower that consists of 4 quadrants:
- DO - urgent and important tasks that need to be done immediately (ex. crisis management, pressing deadlines, urgent problems)
- DECIDE - important but not urgent tasks that aren’t your top priorities (crises, emergencies, hard deadlines) but you should schedule them to ensure that progress is being made (ex. strategic planning, organizing, investing in yourself, prevention, personal development, strengthening your personal relationships, new opportunities)
- DELEGATE - urgent but not important tasks that need to be done but they can be done by someone else (ex. responding to some emails, meal prep)
- DELETE - not urgent and not important tasks that don’t add value to your life (time-wasters, distractions, unnecessary decisions, non-critical choices)
Create Your Master To-Do List
The secret to living an organized life is to plan everything in advance. This simple strategy will give you comfort, peace of mind and a sense that you’re focusing on the right things instead of falling into the trap of urgency. Not to mention that having it all planned out means is a synonym of being less stressed, more productive and mentally prepared for what is about to come, or more precisely, what you’re about to accomplish.
Most of us wish that there were more than 24 hours a day. But if there were 30 or even more hours a day we would plan, schedule and organize even more activities. The truth is, a longer day wouldn’t make you any more productive and any less anxious. Your daily success depends on a solid routine and your commitment to your goals. So instead of wallowing in sadness about not having enough time to accomplish everything you want, create a prioritized, powerful and exciting to-do list.
Success is determined by your daily agenda. So plan methodically, organize properly and schedule effectively your days in advance so that you know what you need to accomplish and in what order. Focus on creating your master to-do list, prioritize your tasks and schedule them to get them all done before deadlines.
Plan Your Enjoyment
“I don’t live to work; I work to live.” Neither do I. That is why at the beginning of every month I create my enjoyment plan. Literally, I make a list of fun, creative and pleasurable things I want to do in my free time. In this way, I can be sure that I will not forget to take care of my own well-being. Besides the work-part of myself is much more productive and effective when it’s happy, satisfied, and in high spirits. Not to mention that planning and organizing my days off gives me the confidence that I will fill my spare time with meaningful and exciting things. In other words, making a good enjoyment plan is my strategy to cultivate happiness.
So if you usually wait for another weekend to come to plan something amazing there’s a good chance you will be overly tired with work to unlock your full potential. A much better solution is to plan for your enjoyment in advance. That is why I highly recommend you create your list of fun and exciting activities that will help you to cultivate happiness and boost your wellbeing in 2021.
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Stay positive, be mindful and organize your life for 2021!
xo Kate
2 thoughts on “How To Organize Your Life For 2021: 7 Simple Steps”
Merry Christmas Kate and may the spirit of Christ remain with you in the days and weeks to come 🎄🥳🎉
Merry Christmas Ashok!!! Wishing you all the best! 😊🤗