My 6 favorite life hacks

One of the most important strategies for living a life of soulful abundance is learning to embrace the idea of simplicity. When our lives our simpler, we tend to have less stress, feel less overwhelmed, spend less money, accomplish more, and have more time to enjoy what's truly important to us.  I've spent the last few months searching for and experimenting with different tools that will help me simplify my life in significant ways without spending a lot of money to do so.

The following six tools made my list, and together, they provide a solution to just about every time-consuming, necessary but unpleasant, and/or stress-inducing task I have.  Even better, three of the six are FREE and the others cost less than $60 each.

1. Google (Free):  Google's free e-mail software is great.  I was first attracted to the fact that I no longer have to worry about deleting e-mails because my mailbox is full.  But I quickly learned that opening an e-mail account full of thousands of useless and out-dated e-mails was yet another source of stress.  Google's label, archive, filter and search functions have helped me learn to manage my e-mail box quickly and efficiently. But Google's usefulness doesn't end there.  I use Google Docs as a no-cost web server of sorts, allowing me to access project files from both my desktop in my home office and my laptop from anywhere that I have internet access.  I'm using Google Sites to build project websites to collaborate with clients/customers and of course, Google's Blogger is a personal favorite site of mine.
   
2. YNAB (You Need a Budget) ($59.99):  I've been using this awesome budgeting and financial planning software for two years now and it has totally transformed my relationship with money.  I went through two brief periods that I fell off the financial wagon (didn't keep my records updated) and I felt totally off-balance and out of control.  I no longer live from pay check to pay check, I can easily and painlessly keep my checkbook register balanced and I sleep better at night knowing that I control my finances, not the other way around. From planning for large recurring and special expenditures throughout the year to saving significant sums of money in a short period of time, this software has been a God-send.
   
3. FreedomFiler (from $32.95):  With a full life and two home-based businesses, coupled with a life-long distaste for filing, I used to find myself drowning in papers.  In addition to spending unacceptable amounts of time looking for misplaced papers, forgetting about things I wanted to do because I couldn't find my reminders, and yes, even occasionally forgetting to pay bills that I had misplaced, I often found myself getting physically ill when I looked at all the clutter in my home office.  FreedomFiler has changed all that.  This simple-to-use filing system is unlike anything I've ever seen and has made figuring out what to keep and what to toss a snap.  Now every piece of paper that I choose to keep in my office has a place to call home.
4. KeePass (FREE):  More and more of the websites I frequent require passwords.  At the same time the increasing incidence of online identity theft is making me think more carefully about the passwords I chose and about not using the same password for every site, which I used to do to make my life easier.  No more worries with KeePass.  This free little utility requires that I remember one password to open it, and then I can create an entry for each website which lists the URL, user ID and password for each.  I can cut and paste as needed, knowing that my passwords are secure and a few extra brain cells are available for more pressing matters.
5. ExcelSquare ($11.25):  This is by far the best project planning tool I've ever used - and I've used several.  From managing my recent home purchase and renovation to developing an implementation plan to roll out my new business, this sophisticated but user-friendly Excel application is perfect for keeping me on track and on schedule.
6. Vertex42's Printable Daily Planner (FREE):  I think I've tried virtually every planner/personal organizer system out there, which little long-term success.  The benefits of using a daily planner are immense, but the logistics of finding a system that is effective and user-friendly enough to use on a daily basis is more of a challenge.  I've tried software programs such as Outlook, hard-copy planners such as Day-Runner, At-A-Glance, and even the beautiful, but very expensive, Franklin Covey systems.  Vertex42 has created a very simple but complete one-page Excel template that has room for appointments/work schedule, daily task list, people to call, expenses, and important things to remember.  I downloaded it to my desktop, and print a month's worth of pages at a time (the template includes a perpetual calendar).  I keep the previous month, current month and next month pages in a small 3-ring binder and I use the blank back pages for extra notes as needed.  Sure, it takes a few minutes to print a month's worth of pages, but I have the functionality of a Franklin-Covey planner for the cost less than a ream of paper and ink it takes to print it.

I hope you'll find some of these tools useful.  If so, please let me know.  And, if you know of others, please post a comment.  I'm always open to trying new things.

Wishing you a simpler, prosperous and abundantly soulful New Year!

A clean plate

I'm big on to do lists. Unfortunately, I'm much better at adding things to my many lists than I am at crossing them off. Yes, I have completion issues.

One thing that helps is to remember to "clean my plate". At least once each week I identify at least three things that I can do that week that when finished, will be completely removed from my list, at least for the time being. In other words, I know that there are recurring tasks, like vacuuming or doing laundry that are crossed off my list one week, only to be added back again the following week. And then there are finite tasks, like taking that big bag of clothing to Goodwill or purging my home office files that I don't have to do often. Getting at least a few items "off my plate" each week gives me a much-needed sense of accomplishment. Now I just need to learn how NOT to fill those newly empty spaces with new tasks.

Waste those time wasters

When I think of procrastinating, I think of being lazy - not doing what needs to be done. However, I'm beginning to realize that excessive busy-ness can also be a hallmark of procrastination. It's a subversive form of self-denial that enables us to trick ourselves into not doing what needs to be done because we're "too busy". Hence, we can avoid "the work" and the guilt we would otherwise feel for not doing it.

Have you ever had days where you've been busy all day long, but at the end of the day, felt like you haven't accomplished a thing? I think what matters most is figuring out what's important, and spending the bulk of our time and energy focused on those things, and letting the other stuff go. Not only will we feel a great sense of accomplishment, but I for one will probably feel a much greater sense of satisfaction knowing that I've spent the day with my goals and my efforts in alignment. For some great tips on letting go of the need for busywork, visit Zen Habits.

10 tips for staying focused at work

It's been a struggle, but I'm learning to "go with the flow." It's become relatively easy to do at home, especially since I live alone and I work hard to manage my life with conscious intent. My home environment is like a slow-moving river. I control the direction and the pace of the flow.

However, it's much more difficult to follow the tide in the workplace, especially when it's moving in multiple directions and changing constantly. It's difficult for me to stay focused at work when phones and fax machines are ringing, other people are talking, several people are asking me to do things (often at the same time), client requests are coming in, priorities are changing, the boss is overflowing with ideas... you get the picture.

There is a price associated with losing focus at work, and it's more than reduced productivity. Losing focus also leads to unnecessary stress, anxiety, pressure and feeling lost, overwhelmed, unproductive and more. Like a sailboat that's lost it's compass, losing focus can often leave us feeling uncentered, ungrounded, and aimlessly going in whichever direction the wind blows - whether that's where we need to be headed or not.

Need help remembering to stay focused during the day? Here are some tips that help me (when I remember to use them):

1. Uni-task. I used to think that the ability to multi-task was a virtue. During my many years as a single, working mother, it undoubtedly was a necessity. But things have changed and so have it. As I learned from my life coach, I'm more productive, and things go much smoother, when I "complete the circle" (finish one thing before starting another). This isn't always possible, but my compromise is to break the task into smaller pieces that can be completed in the time alloted.
2. Keep a single to-do/action item list. One of the most useful, and most wasteful, inventions of all time has got to be Post-It Notes. They're great when they're used for their intended purpose - to leave a quick note without writing on a document or labeling a stack of papers. They are NOT helpful when dozens of them clutter your workspace, each with a different to do item or thought to remember. It's much more effective to keep a single to-do or action item list and if needed, another list (I use a small notebook) to record ideas as they come to mind.
3. Break tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. There's an old saying that the longest journey begins with a single step. That's true when it comes to projects at work too. No matter how huge the task at hand may appear, there's surely a way to break it up into smaller tasks. Doing so helps you be more organized, better prepared and less overwhelmed.
4. Combine like tasks. It's counter-productive, and a total waste of time, to jump up to walk down the hall to the copier to make a single copy. Unless you need it right away, wait until you need to make several copies.
5. Limit the number of times you stop to read and respond to e-mail. E-mail is great, but it's a huge time-waster. If you have one of those annoying little pop-up windows that alert you each time a new e-mail comes it, turn it off! If you're like me, it's nearly impossible to resist the urge to peek. When you do check your e-mail, remember that not every email is worth reading or responding to and it's not necessary to subscribe to (or continue to receive) every newsletter ever written. It's hard, but try to delete, respond and/or archive each e-mail as you read it to avoid a junky e-mail box and more time spent re-reading later.
6. Take frequent breaks. Your brain, your eyes and your back deserve a break, regularly. Plan to take at least one short break each hour that you're working. Although it may seem as if that many breaks are wasting time, they're not. Believe me, you will feel much more refreshed, and productive, if you take care of yourself.
7. Clear off your desk at the end of each day. Another hard one, but it makes a huge difference. There's nothing that provides a greater sense of accomplishment than ending the day with a clear desk and then starting the next day with the same.
8. Keep mindful of what's truly important. A lot of things are "urgent", particularly to other people. But it's important to realize that not everything that's urgent is "important. " What IS important is knowing the difference and trying to stay focused on those things that are truly important.
9. Become a creative problem-solver. Not all work processes are set in stone. Just because something's always been done a certain way doesn't mean that that's the most efficient or productive way to do it. Be on the look-out for ways to cut costs, to reduce energy consumption (electricity and human energy) and to save time.
10. Pray throughout the day. Nothing helps maintain (or regain) focus like praying. And the best thing about prayer is that you can do it any time, any where.