Need to figure out where to include these:
- Jump the gun.
- Cognitively challenging task
- An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. Inertia is a powerful force. It’s what keeps you from starting things you need to do. But it’s also what keeps you going once you’ve finally begun. That’s why it’s so important to do something—anything. That’s the hard part. As __ said, showing up is half the work.
- Honey-do items
- Your in-box is not a file cabinet, and neither is your email in-box. When something’s complete, move it out. My boss does this better and more consistently than anyone I’ve ever seen. Actually, she does it better because she’s consistent. When she’s done taking action on an email, she immediately moves it to a separate folder. She creates a folder for each month’s emails. I prefer to do it by year so that I don’t have to remember what month I received an email if I need to pull it up again, but either way works. My boss also moves her sent items to the separate folder. She finishes each day with an almost completely empty inbox and sent items folder – it’s amazing.
- Now we mainly go out only to get stuff that we’re not able to make at home, like Indian food or fish.
- The better offer game
- Just because something’s hidden and people can’t see it doesn’t mean that’s where it belongs. If that’s not its permanent home, then put it in the island of misfit toys.
- Just because something’s been sitting in the same place so long that it’s gathered dust, that also does not mean it’s its permanent home. If it doesn’t belong there, put it on the island.
- Very much like the island of misfit toys, all you’re doing is getting stuff out of your head and in one place so you can sort it later.
- While you’re purging, purge your car as well.
- Put your homeless and out of place items on the island of misfit toys.
- As you’re cleaning up the island, you’ll find that you actually don’t want a lot of those items. They didn’t have a home for a reason, so put them in a separate pile of stuff you’re going to get rid of. It’s the start of your purge.
- There are tangible and intangible things. Paper is a tangible thing. Thoughts that are on the paper are intangible things. Yes, thoughts are things, and you want to gather those thoughts before you get rid of the papers that hold them.
- Sometimes a thing represents a thought. For instance, you may have a broken thing that you need to get rid of, but you’ve kept it around as a reminder that you need to replace it. So put “replace broken thing” on your list and then get rid of the thing.
- Group like things together. For instance, there are probably items that you want to give to someone or you need to return to someone. Put all of the stuff that will no longer belong to you but will belong to someone you know in a pile. In a separate pile, put things you just want to get rid of.
- Have a garage sale. This will help you get something for the stuff you’re getting rid of, and you can use that money to upgrade. Also, it will show that some of those things you’ve been hanging onto because they “have value” actually don’t have as much value as you think. If you don’t want it, but neither does anyone else, it helps you realize that when you hang onto things thinking they’re worth something, you might actually be incorrect.
- Here’s an idea: if you think things have value and that’s the only reason you’re hanging onto them, walk around with a pad of sticky notes and write down what value you think they have. Add it all up. Would you pay more than that amount not to have that stuff hogging up valuable space in your life?
- There’s a big difference between something having some amount of monetary value and it having value to you. Will you actually use the item? If Not, get rid of it. If you can’t even give it away, maybe the monetary value just isn’t there.
- Think about all the famous people in history you’ve heard of—George Washington, Abe Lincoln, MLK—do you own any of their stuff? Of course not. But do you know who they are? Of course you do. You don’t need people’s stuff to know their stories. And you don’t need your late relatives’ stuff to hang on to their memories.
- Have a dedicated space for things that you have several of. For example, lightbulbs, tape, extension cords, and batteries.
- Re-GiftBagging: We all know that regifting can get you in trouble if you get busted by the giver while giving an unwanted gift to someone else. But what’s the etiquette on using a gift bag again? It’s something we do, but not all the time. If the bag has a name on it or looks used, we throw it away, but we do save nicer bags to use again. Why not? Gift bags are expensive. Still, it can get out of hand if you save too many of them, so be aware of your inventory and don’t keep more than you’ll need. That said, it’s a good idea to make sure you have an adequate supply of gift bags and even cards for various occasions on hand. How many times have you had to run to the store to buy a bag or a card for someone? Wouldn’t it save time if you just stocked up on those items so you’re not having to make a last-minute trip before helping someone celebrate?
- Prepare your Christmas cards ahead of time.