51 Commercial Length -Quick Organizing Tasks to Tidy your House

Ever say, "I don't have time for that!"? Or tell someone else, "It literally takes two seconds to do it, so do it!" Okay, it might take a bit longer than two seconds to carry a laundry basket of folded clothes up the stairs, but the point of it is it doesn't take very long.

Why do we put off doing things that don't take very long? It would only help us stay on top of things so we could be more organized. While there are, I'm sure, many theories on this somewhere out there, here's my take:

There was a time when I could get a lot done while watching TV. I'd pop up during a commercial break and quickly switch a load of laundry, unload the top rack of the dishwasher or let the dog out. It was like a little race to get it done. I knew I didn't have much time before the show would be back on. I could get a bunch of little things accomplished during these built in breaks. If you added all of the little tasks up, it made a big difference in helping keep things organized.

But lately, my husband and I have been watching less regular TV and now Netflix our way through the last couple waking hours of our week nights. There are no commercials to pop up during and get off the couch. We don't have break times built in to our evenings anymore. If one of us needs a refill on a snack or to take a "potty break," as I now call it since having a toddler, we have to press pause.

When can we "press the pause button" in our daily lives to get things done?

Lack of commercial breaks and Netflix is definitely not the only problem or all to blame. Some people wouldn't even bother to get up during a commercial break any way. But if you have time to check your status updates or post a picture to Instagram, you have time to take out the trash. Get my point?

If I was a health care professional, or writing a blog about the lack of exercise our society has in general, I might make a point here that this adds to another problem. We sit around too much. But taking the organizing angle here, it means less built in breaks to do these little types of things. We have to consciously make time to do things that take 1-3 minutes. While this may seem super strange to make a point about, I find it actually very significant.

A lot of things take a shorter length of time to get done then we think it might take. We forget this. We think we don't have the time because we don't really know how long something will take us to do. We just need to take the time it takes to get it done, and remember how quickly it actually took us. No big deal.

People ask me all the time about how I stay so organized, or how they could be more organized. They might admire or tell me they wish they could do it, but seem to think they don't have the time. We all have the time. You just have to look at where you have a few minutes here and there to work at it.

In order to be organized you have to constantly work at it. Find ways to do little things every day along the way to keep things up. While I might set aside a few hours with clients to work on this, in my daily life I do organizing tasks all the time that take very little time.

51 Commercial Length Tasks (1-3 minutes or less to accomplish):

1. Empty trash in bathroom/s
2. Take out recycling (Newspapers/Magazines/Plastic bottles)
3. Re-fill things: (Soap Dispensers, Napkins/Paper Towels, Bird Seed Feeder)
4. Unwrap a new toothbrush and throw out the old
5. Wipe Mirrors of fingerprints and water spots
6. Collect dirty Bath Towels and replace with fresh ones
7. Take off your old nail polish
8. Get the mail from the mailbox
9. Water house plants
10. Put bags of donations in the car
11. Collect library books in a bag to return
12. Put a receipt for an item you need to return with the item in a bag
13. Put a gift for someone in a gift bag
14. Write a thank you card
15. Throw out any produce that are past prime eating time
16. Make a grocery list
17. Wash out a water bottle, refill, and take a few sips
18. Wipe out the microwave
19. Open a bill and pay it
20. Delete emails you have no intention of reading
21. Unsubscribe to newsletters you never read
22. Pull the garbage cans down to the street
23. Sweep the kitchen floor quickly
24. Replace kitchen washcloth and towel with fresh ones
25. Clean out lint screen in dryer
26. Mend a button
27. Take loose change out of your purse and put it in a jar
28. Put more toilet paper in the bathrooms
29. Replace a battery in something that needs it
30. Clip your finger nails
31. Open or Close the curtains
32. Make a bed
33. Fold up blankets on the couch
34. Collect plastic bags to recycle next time you grocery shop
35. Plug in devices to charge
36. Pack a lunch
37. Take vitamins and refill a weekly pill/vitamin organizer
38. Throw out expired coupons
39. Switch a load of laundry from the washer to dryer
40. Wipe off the kitchen table or a counter top of crumbs
41. Pick out your outfit for the next day
42. Talk about your day or upcoming week with kids or spouse
43. Put something on your calendar or in your phone as a reminder
44. Put three things away
45. Plan a meal
46. Put dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher
47. Put dirty clothes in a hamper or laundry basket
48. Make an appointment for something you've been putting off
49. Cancel something you don't really want to do or have time for
50. Stop, pause, breathe and look out the window at the rain, birds, clouds or trees
51. Smile, and pet the dog or cat and make sure their license and tags are up to date

Now make your own list, or better yet just get up and do them. See how many little things you can get done here and there though out your day!

Leave a comment below or share your quick tasks.

AnyList App for Organizing

I love the App AnyList for organizing! A basic account is free and it's easy to use. All you need is an iPhone or iPod touch. I use it on my iPhone.

Download AnyList Here.

Make as many lists as you want.
I use it for keeping track of  to dos, groceries we need, and keeping a packing list for travel I can reuse whenever I need it. I also find it super handy for an on going wish list for things I'd like.

Make lists Private or Shared.
A cool feature is that you can either keep the lists private or share them. I keep my to do list private for instance, but share the grocery list with my husband. That way he can add items he needs or wants when he thinks of it and we can both see it. Of course, I make my "wish list" a shared list too to make it easy for him to shop for things for our anniversary, my birthday or Christmas.

Color Code or Categorize.
A nice feature is that you can change the color of lists. For instance, my private lists are in one color and my shared lists are in another. The grocery list allows you to have categories like produce, beverages, dairy, frozen foods, deli, household and cleaning, etc.

Mark when you've completed something, Delete, Hide Completed, or Reuse a list.
The app allows you to touch any item and make a red slash mark through it to either show you've completed a task or no longer need an item. You can also swipe sideways to delete anything. I love that you can hide the completed or show completed items as well. This comes in handy for the grocery or packing list that I reuse often.

Do you have a favorite app for organizing? Leave a comment to share.

Get Stuff Done Club Organizing Interview & Book

I was recently interviewed on organizing in the Get Stuff Done! Club™ hosted by Certified Professional Coach and time management author Liz Uram from The Coach and Mentor Group. Members of the club use Liz's book the: How to Organize and Manage Your Time Workbook

Listen to the recording of our interview: 

The How to Organize and Manage Your Time Workbook

If you are someone who struggles with managing your time, I highly recommend taking a closer look at using this workbook and consider joining the club. The How to Organize and Manage Your Time Workbook helps people take back control of how they spend their time. You get to envision how you want your day and week to be and then use the practical tools and worksheets to help you reach your goals. The book comes with an assortment of colored highlighters that you'll use to help categorize the different areas of your life, a fun bonus that also has a practical purpose.

Each month members of the Get Stuff Done! Club™ are on the phone with Liz and one of her special guest experts who share their best ideas for time management, staying organized and goal setting in all areas of life. The club is for people who know that the key to success is creating a vision of what you want, setting goals to get there, staying focused, and taking action. Learn more about the Club: Here

I spoke with Liz on March 20th, which happens to be the first day of spring. Whether or not the weather is warm yet where you are, which it's not here in Minnesota, this time of year has many people thinking about spring cleaning projects. Together, we explained ways to put thoughts into action while giving our listeners practical steps on how to make a plan so they can ultimately, get stuff done! 

Listen to the recording of our interview: 

Purchase How to Organize and Manage Your Time Workbook

Simplify Your Life Week: Say "No" More

Day #6- MONDAY

Create Smiling Spaces in your schedule by saying "No" more.
Do you feel like you don't have time to do certain things you want to do or wish you had more time to relax? Do you over commit yourself or family to too many activities? Try making a conscious effort to start saying "No" more to things that you don't want or have the time to do. Watch as you create more space on your calendar for those things you do want to do.

How's your simplifying going? Leave a comment or question below.

Simplify Your Life Week: Designate Days

Day #4 - SATURDAY

Designate days & time for chores and family.
Start by making a list of all the things that need your attention and time each week regarding the ongoing maintenance of your home and family. Then assign days of the week and even times of the day to devote attention to each. Some things will need more than one day or time a day. For instance you could do laundry more than one time and call it "Towel Thursdays." Make a weekly chart for you and your family to see so that you can manage your time and schedule activities together. 

Assign time for: 

• Grocery Shopping
• Laundry
• Taking out Trash & Recycling
• Attending Pets
• Family Time
• Chores & Cleaning
• Errands
• Yard Work 
• Paying Bills 

 How's your simplifying going? Leave a comment or question below.

How to Organize Your Social Media Time

1) Assess your current social media usage.

Do you know how much time you are spending on social media currently? If not, find out by making a list of each (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) and log your time for a week. Reflect on your findings. Is it as much time as you thought, more or less?  

2) Decide if you want to be spending more or less time on social media. 

3) Make a plan & take action.

• Schedule social media time. Actually establish when and for how long you will do it each day.

Examples: One hour a day in the morning for business: marketing/networking, and/or 15 minutes a day in the evening for personal: posting a picture, commenting on friends' posts, or browsing boards on Pinterest.

Organizing Tip: Use a kitchen timer to help you stay within the time you've allotted.

• Schedule "unplug" time and device-free zones. If there is a specific time or place you don't want to be connected to your technology... then establish that, let others know, and stick to it.

Examples: No devices during family dinner time, while on vacation, or on Sundays

  4) Adjust your plan after you have had the chance to try it out for a couple of weeks. 

If you want to increase or decrease the time you've allotted, or re-specify a device-free zone, make the changes needed.

Free Printable Checklists to Get Organized

SMEAD has a selection of free, downloadable checklists that you can print and use immediately.
Take a minute to "check" them out and organize you life one small helpful list at a time.

Download, Print, Get Organized!
Grocery List
Monthly Goal List
House Cleaning Checklist
Travel Packing Checklist

Do you over think? Try going with your gut.

Something a "sandwich artist" said the other day at one of my favorite sandwich shops, Pot Belly, has stuck with me. I was having a hard time deciding on what to put on my sandwich for a dressing when she recommended an option to me. She said, "I promise you it's a very little commitment, try it."

What I loved about what she said was that she was completely right. So often we get caught up vacillating over something for way longer than we really have to or should. We oftentimes end up going with what our first instincts were telling us anyway. Why not just go with our first reaction more often. It sure will save us a lot of time.

I'm sure there are more important things that require more thought. Don't let making little decisions seem like a bigger deal than they really are. Go with your gut, and enjoy your sandwich.

Save the pondering for...dessert?

Time to Focus on Yourself

Sometimes it can be hard to find a focus, especially when it involves ourselves. There are so many things that can be demanding on us each and every day. When we finally get around to some time to ourselves it can be hard to even know where to start. If it's been a while since you've had some alone time to think about what you want, here are some ideas I think may help. All you need is 5-10 minutes and a pen and paper.

• Write down all the things you'd like to do if nothing got in your way. (4 minutes)
• Circle your top three. (1 minute)
• Next write down one small action step you can take related to each item. (3 minutes)
• Include these 3 steps in your next week's to-do list by scheduling a time to complete them on your calendar. (2 minutes)
• Repeat this next week by adding an additional small step to focus on.

If three things seems like too much, drop it to two or one. The idea is to keep focused and not to get overwhelmed. If you break goals down into smaller tasks it will be more manageable and you'll be more likely to achieve what you want to do.

Example:
If I had all the time in the world I'd....

1. Redecorate the bathroom
2. Make a crafty gift for my niece's 3rd Birthday
3. Write a novel

Small Action Steps for this week:
This week I'm going to....

1. Look for 10-15 minutes online at pictures of Bathrooms to get ideas about what I like.
2. Go through a pile of old paper dolls I have and evaluate their condition for a craft project.
3. Think about what I would like to write about on the treadmill or drive to work instead of listening to the radio.

How to Keep Your Inbox Clutter Free

Ever feel like you just want to ditch your current email address and get a new one because your inbox is too full? Save yourself the hassle. Try these simple steps to help you keep your email inbox clutter free.

Take Out the Trash, Everyday
Keeping your inbox clutter free starts with making it a habit to "take out the trash" everyday. Before you even open any mail that you must or want to read, begin by putting a check in the check box next to any mail you intend not to open. Then delete them right away. Examples to check mark:

• Email lists that you got on that you wish you had said no to
• Anything that looks suspicious or "spammy"
• Subject lines that bother you or make you feel crummy in some way, why bother.

Unsubscribe
The next step is to "unsubscribe" to any lists that no longer apply to you or peak your interest. Now that you've deleted them, go to your trashcan or deleted emails and see them all gathered together. Open them one at a time and scroll down to the bottom of the email or where it says "unsubscribe." Click on this and there you have it. You're free of it. It's that simple. Repeat for each additional list you're on.

Consolidate & Make Folders
If there are email newsletter or lists you're on that you do enjoy time to time consider making a folder for them. Either set your email to automatically send it to the folder or move it to the folder yourself like you would file a piece of paper. This way, when you do feel like reading it you know where you can find it and they're all together in one spot, not cluttering up your inbox.

5 Tips for your new 2011 planner

1) Decide whether you like digital or handwritten (PDA, Blackberry vs. Paper)
2) Consider your lifestyle. Do you carry a purse or bag? How big is it? Size and placement in your bag matters.You don't want the planner to get lost and need it to be at easy reach if you have hopes to actually enter dates and record appointments. Test out the size of it in the store by making sure it fits right and establish a "home" for it to be at all times.
3) If using paper, write in pencil. Using pen makes it difficult to make changes and reschedule.
4) A planner that has the times written in it for each day makes it easier to not over book yourself if you can block out specific time that you are doing any one activity.
5) Schedule your to-dos right in your planner, like an appointment, rather than make a to-do list.

Done is better than perfect.

Nothing is perfect no matter how hard we try to make it be. Refusing to accept this is like trying to stop a few more leaves from falling off the trees after you've just raked them. Over thinking less to get things done is better than perfect. So bag up those leaves and be done with it! The rest will blow away shortly.

Turning the Volume Down

Do you ever feel like things are just a bit too loud? It can make it hard to concentrate, and hard to feel calm and in control of our choices. When we realize how sounds affect us and we are able to turn the volume down it's amazing what can happen.

Having things a bit more quiet gives me a little more clarity and much needed peace. When things are quieter I can hear myself think and can make better choices. I can give the space needed in between activities to decided what to do next and what really matters most at any given moment.

If finding more peace and quiet seems impossible, just imagining it can help. How to do this? Listen to yourself breathe and become aware of your posture and the tension you're holding in your body. Splitting your attention from completely outwardly focused to partially inwardly focused seems to help quiet things down, even for just a split second.

There's nothing like a phone call

Why is it that we put off calling important people we'd like to keep in touch with? Why is it so hard to just pick up the phone and make a call? I think this is such a strange thing and I know I experience it in both my personal and professional life.

I often find myself looking for other ways to communicate besides using the phone. There's email, direct mail, and online social networks. But what happens when the person you want to communicate with doesn't use the computer, like my grandmother, or you don't have their address, like a friend I've been wanting to write from high school? My friend from high school isn't on Facebook, and that's okay. There are somethings you just can't share or talk about on Facebook or Linked In. Somethings just simply require a phone call or face to face interaction.

My grandmother used to tell me how important keeping in touch with your friends is. She said that as you get older it means so much to have people to talk to and keep you company. I have to admit I don't think I'll ever be the social butterfly she was, but I would like to improve on keeping in touch with people that mean a lot to mean. If that means picking up the silly phone to do it, than that's just what I'm going to have to do. As my grandpa used to say on occasion, "Buck it Up!" (meaning: just do it, or hang in there you're alright, in this case: pick up the phone!)

What an idea.

Drop Everything & Pick Up Where You Left Off

My sunflowers blooming for the 1st time after I returned from my Grandpa's funeral.

Everything is so busy nowadays. Most of us never seem to be able to catch up or slow down enough to do what really matters most to us. We may feel we don't have time and can't for some reason take a break long enough to feel content with where we are at.

Hearing that a loved one has died can jolt us into a reality that life will have to be put on hold and pause as we deal with this new found moment. We drop everything and start to cancel things, reschedule and reprioritize. The amazing thing is that people understand this and respect that we require complete control of our time when we express this to them.

There is something to be learned from how people can drop everything in their scheduled for the day to attend something like a wake or funeral of a loved one. I'm reminded of this because my grandfather recently passed away and I saw so many people that drove hours or took plane flights across the country to attend his wake and funeral. It meant so much to see them and pick up on conversations right where we had left off, however many years ago.

We are reminded of our own mortality and just how short life really is, or how precious time can be.

What I've experienced is that it is a wonderful thing to have friends and family that love you. People are there for you and care. We must reach out for support when we need it and ask for help in times that we can't do it all ourselves.

Learning to let go and accept help is not a weakness, it's a skill that I believe some of the strongest people must posses. We are made stronger and our lives improve by including others in some of the most private moments we have.

When all we seem to want to do is crawl under a rock and be alone, we forget how someones smile, hug, kind comment or lending ears can make such a difference and bring us out of the darkness and back into the sunshine.

We are not alone. We must open our hearts to others that are willing to help us and be receptive to all good. It is then that we are able to see the beauty of a couple of sunflowers and a rainbow across the sky as signs that life will go on and goodness is all around us.


Morning Glories from my yard this week.

When we feel we don't have time to go fishing or take a nap, think about how easy it really is to clear a schedule if we really have to and make it happen.

Timer it up

Always feel like you're multi-tasking and not getting anything done?

Try setting a kitchen timer to help you focus on one task at a time. Work on what ever it is for the time you have allotted and stop when the timer beeps, dings, rings, or buzzes. I love to work in 15 minute increments. It's amazing what you can accomplish when not trying to multi-task.

New Planner Equals Mid Year Boost

With fall and school time fast approaching, now's a great time to get a new 2010-2011 planner. Most planners/calendars in stores now will start with July 2010 and end with July 2011. Even if you have a planner with a few months left in it, you may find getting a new planner refreshing and just the kind of mid year boost you crave similar to what you feel around the New Year. Although I don't usually recommend not using up something before getting something new, this is one of the exceptions. Perhaps it is because after six plus months in my purse my planner is looking a little rough with coffee stains, water marks, and bent edges. Maybe your planner has a similar history? Either way, it currently makes my days and months ahead feel dull and uninspiring, which is why I went out looking for a new planner.

Sometimes we cram so much into our schedules that we feel overwhelmed and like we have no time for anything. Getting a fresh start and chance to re-write in our appointments, to dos, places to be, can help us prioritize and see if there might just be something we can take out and free up some space. With more space free we can add in a much needed vacation, an afternoon to our self, or a day to pick up that hobby we told ourselves last January we were going to do this year. Don't worry there is still time! We've got 5 months left in 2010 and with your new planner going through July 2011 you've got more months ahead to look forward to.

Curious what planner I chose?
At-A-Glance 2010-2011

LifeLinks "Perfect for Office and Home!"
(purple) also saw it in green and orange

Planting the Seed

Planting the seed of an idea is a step that I believe some us overlook the value of. For those of us that find the toughest part of taking on a new project or challenge is getting started in the first place, relishing in this small but important step can be just the thing we need.

What do I mean by all this? Doing one small thing to move in the direction of starting something brings you one step closer to completing it. Whether you come up with a new idea yourself or something has been looming on your plate for while now, give it a shot. I'll give some examples:

(This first one is very literal. It is the "seed" that got me thinking about this topic yesterday.)

1) I want to have a vegetable garden in my backyard and be able to pick fresh tomatoes to eat with basil and fresh mozzarella.
*The first thing I did after I got this thought was to decide where in my yard the best place to put it would be by watching the sun and seeing where the yard got the most light. This jump started the process and I've got my garden this summer!

2) I want to read more, but never seem to have the time.
*Decide to turn the TV off before bed and devote 30 minutes to a book or magazine.

3) A vacation would be great, but deciding where to go is holding me up.
*Spend 20 minutes looking at a site like AAA and get some ideas depending on your interests.

4) I want to exercise more, but am feeling un motivated.
*Put your workout clothes on right away in the morning or change right away when you get home from work. That way the first step is done before you can change your mind. (Getting a new pair of shoes or workout outfit can be an added boost)

5) I want to make delicious and healthy food for my family.
*Pin that recipe you found in a magazine that started this idea on your fridge as a reminder.

6) I want to re-decorate my bedroom.
*Stop by the home depot or Lowes on your lunch break or way home from work and pick out some paint samples.

7) I want to go out on a date, to dinner, or a movie with my husband but money is tight right now.
* Put a jar on your kitchen counter. Get in the habit of emptying any change or single dollar bills into it at the end of the day. Watch as your pennies turn into the next night out.

8) I want to vote in the upcoming election, but I don't know who's running and where to go.*Spend 15 minutes online by typing in your location and the word "voting" and see what pops up.

When You're Having Fun

Remember the old saying: "Time flies when you're having fun"? As a kid, we used to think summertime just went on forever. When school let out the fall seemed like a lifetime away. We'd play outside, go swimming at the pool, maybe take a road trip with our families, or go to camp. Each day felt so much longer.

As we get older, time sure does seem to fly by. I can't believe it's July already. We are more than halfway through 2010. But, are we having fun? Sometimes I think time feels like actually the opposite when I'm having fun. When I'm really engaged in something time feels like it is going by slower. Perhaps this is because I'm experiencing each moment to it's fullest. Children do this all the time, so for them it makes sense that time seems to go by slower.

If time really isn't changing from the time we are a kid to the time we are an adult maybe it's as simple as changing our attitude about how we spend our time. If we slow ourselves down to relish the moment, we just might regain the feeling that we have all the time in the world to do everything we want.

The best thing about this is we can start right now.

Revise your Schedule

This month is "revise your work schedule" month. Believe it or not, scheduling is one of my least favorite things to do. Come to think of it, I hear a lot of people don't care for it. I wonder why?

I guess it is because it requires us to think ahead and have to anticipate so many things in advance. It can be hard to make a commitment without knowing if something else will come up that you should do or would rather do instead. We sometimes feel like if we schedule it we are locked into something with no way out. It can also be hard to find time for everything we feel we must do, leaving very little time to do the things we want to do.

The thing that I've learned though is that if you don't schedule things it's hard to make adjustments when things come up because you lose track of what you were hoping to do on any given day. This is why I tend to even schedule things like my "todos" and workout routine plan. If something else comes up I know what I was planning on doing and can move it around to another spot. This works for me.

A few quick scheduling tidbits I like:

*Have only one calendar or planner
*Use pencil so you can have the option to make a change
*Allow a buffer of time between activities so that you don't feel rushed
*3 main goals or big things a day is usually enough for me.
-Example #1: Workout, Meet a friend, Work in evening
-Example #2: Work, Grocery shop, Make dinner
-Example #3: Work, Clean, Date Night
*If something works one week, try and repeat it the next
*Don't forget to schedule "me" time.
*Learn to say no.