Presented by Ella Woodward with Erin Zammett Ruddy (source)

1. Don’t Put It Down, Put It Away

• Saying you’re going to do something later is how clutter begins
• Anything that can be done in 1 minute should be done right away
• Tidy house, tidy mind
• The more often you clean, the less you have to clean

2. Don’t Hit the Snooze Button

• We should be going to bed and waking up around the same time
• Get outside and into the sunlight ➜ tells your brain to wake up
• Set yourself up for a great day ➜ how you wake up matters
• Create a morning routine

3. Be Kinder to Yourself

• Review and reflect at the end of each day
  • What went good? What went bad? What could have been better?
• Do so from a place of gratitude
• Everyday is a new day for new opportunities
• We are all works in progress

4. Declutter Spaces

• Focus on yourself, not the stuff
• Think about the vision you have for your life and a space
  • E.g., a place of creativity
• There are 2 types of clutter (Peter Walsh, author of Let It Go):
  • Memory: things we save because it reminds us of someone, an achievement or event
  • “I Might Need It One Day”: things saved for an imagined future
• Re-name your “junk drawer” and organize it
  • 15-Minute Wins: 15 minutes is the time you should spend cleaning out this drawer
    • Dump, sort, divide, put back and away

5. Set Yourself Up For Success When Working from Home

• Give yourself a specific area or corner to work from
• Don’t start work the moment you wake up (have a morning routine)
• Dress and feel like you’re working
  • If you’re out of your pajamas it signals to others you’re working
• Don’t multi-task, set boundaries
  • Treat your workday like one and take real breaks
    • Give your brain a rest (e.g., go for a walk; don’t do a load of laundry)

6. Manage Your To-Do List

• Don’t put things on a to-do list you know you won’t do
• Transferring your list onto a calendar with a specific time frees it from your mind
• “Eat a frog” (Mark Twain): it’s best to do big tasks first things in the morning when you’re more awake/alert
  • Wake up early, be productive, knock things off your list

7. Manage Your Inbox / Emails

• Get new emails out of the way first
• Focus on writing clear emails in the subject line (start with the conclusion in mind)
  • Use bullet points and white space (people are usually reading emails on their devices)
• Reply All if you’re on a chain (so everyone knows they have your buy-in)
• CC only the necessary people when sending emails
• Give specific deadlines
  • Don’t use “by end of day” (everyone’s “end of day” is different)
  • Give a specific time (e.g., Friday at 3:15 pm)  
• Write efficient emails
  • Bold certain things, get to the points
  • Write emails that are easy to respond to

8. Meditate

• “If you want to make your body stronger, you have to move it. If you want to strengthen your brain, you have to keep it still.” – Suze Yalof Schwartz
• Practice a 5-minute meditation in the morning (see: Meditation Tools & Tips)
  • Close your eyes, quiet your mind, focus on your breath (putting hand on chest helps)
  • Be in the present moment
  • Name it (thoughts, feelings) to tame it

9. Take Naps

• Put yourself in a quiet room, remove devices
• Keep room cool (a slight drop in body temperature signals sleep to your brain)
• Set yourself up (e.g., sleep aids: sleep mask, white noise)
• Have a piece of paper to write things down that may come to mind right before you go to take a nap
• The best time to take a nap is when you feel you need it and are able to

10. Say No

•  Ask yourself: “Would I be willing to do this tomorrow?”
• Think about your future self
• Remind yourself that your time is valuable
• Being busy is different from being productive
  • Fill your calendar with things that are important to you and that you have to do
• As soon as you know you’re going to say no, say no (Book suggestion: Set Boundaries, Find Peace)

Final Reminders

• Be considerate of your future self (e.g., when waking up, spending money, with what you’re eating)
• Focus on how you’re doing things
  • Be more mindful and conscious
  • Find joy in the tiny areas of life that are apart of life (e.g., washing dishes, making the bed, etc.)
• Make small changes that have a big payoff on your well-being

Resources:

The Little Book of Life Skills by Erin Zammett Ruddy

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