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Meal Prep, Single-Tasking and More Habits to Adopt to Help Organize Your Busy Life

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Jan 3, 2020 12:35 pm·

By Stephanie Kaplan

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10 Effective Tips to Help You Organize Your Busy Life

Be an Early Bird

Be sure to get out of bed before everyone else in your house does. Just having that extra 10 to 15 minutes of alone time can make a real difference in how the rest of the day goes, promises Supreme Organization Founder and President Jodie Watson. Use the time to get a jump-start on your day without interruptions.

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Set an Intention

Start the day with mindfulness and set the objective to be productive and organized — and watch  things begin to shift. “Organized people think through their days,” Laura Vanderkam, author of  What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, has said. “At the beginning of the day, they ask, ‘What do I need to do to make this a good day?’”

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Mak a Morning Plan

Don’t try to wing it in the a.m. Instead, come up with a routine that works and put your morning on cruise control. Completing tasks in the same order can help you accomplish more, even with the inevitable get-out-of-the-house stress. “The more you practice completing a task, the less you’ll have to consciously think about each step,” blogger Casey Osmundson of Pretty Organized has said. “What once seemed like a challenge will soon feel more like second nature.”

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Know Your Most Productive Times

We all have a natural rhythm. Some of us are morning people who wake up ready to conquer the world, while others are night owls who are most efficient in  the evening hours. Figuring out which one you are is key. “Moving the right tasks to the right time is an important step to maximize the effect you can have on your productivity, creativity and well-being,” Daniel Pink, author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, has said.

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Write It Down

Making a to-do list of daily  tasks can help you stay on track. Plan everything out the night before and structure the day by getting some of the bigger, more daunting chores or assignments done first. Check back in with the list throughout the day to ensure nothing gets overlooked. “Set small, achievable goals,” advises blogger Osmundson. “Be realistic. Add one thing at a time and limit the number of tasks to be completed. Your ultimate goal routine should still be a pretty short list!”

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Unplug to Reboot

These days, everyone is addicted to their devices — and it’s a major distraction from efficiency. Try setting aside times for checking emails and only replying to urgent matters. “When technology no longer dictates your life, you’ll feel like you’re truly living to the fullest,” productivity coach Carson Tate, Founder of Working Simply in Charlotte, N.C., has said. Turn off push notifications from time-sucking apps like Facebook and Instagram and news sites to avoid constant interruptions. “This way you’re not going offline entirely but rather choosing when to access your social media sites and networks,” the late entrepreneur Levi Felix, Cofounder of Digital Detox, used to advise at his popular retreats. “This puts you back in the driver’s seat.”

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Map Out Mealtime

Figuring out what to eat for every meal can be a real time waster. Simplify things by prepping in advance. “Try recipes that are practical, easy to follow and have familiar ingredients,” suggests chef Candice Kumai, author of Cook Yourself Sexy. “Make sure that you stay within your range of comfort. Start with recipes that only have a few steps and a few ingredients that you love.” Chances are you will not only save time, but will also eat healthier.

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Learn to Unitask

It might seem like being able  to handle lots of things at once makes you a superhero. But multitasking can actually raise the levels of the stress hormone cortisol and leave you with brain fog and scrambled thoughts — and it’s time to stop doing it. “Multitasking is a great way to spin plates and do lots of things sub-optimally,” blogger Carl Phillips of Frictionless Living has said. “It often means we start but don’t finish. It also means we’re not fully engaged with what we’re doing but rather thinking about what’s next.”

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Let Go

If toxic people are draining your productivity, it’s time to reevaluate those relationships. “Whether you have a friend who finds a problem for every solution or a cousin  who calls every day to complain about how unfair the world is, negative people can take up a lot of space in your life,” says psychotherapist and author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do Amy Morin. “Cutting out toxic people frees up space for those who matter most in your life.”

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Just Say No

Setting boundaries and taking control of your time and mental energy is imperative. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has stated “the difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say  ‘no’ to almost everything,” while the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs claimed “focusing isn’t about saying yes; focusing is about saying no.” Stop agreeing to all tasks, invitations and assignments that come your way. “We have a limited amount of time, a limited amount of energy,” says Tyler Kleeberger, Founder of mindfulness blog Becoming Human. “We have to then  decide which things we are going to commit to and understand that there will be certain things that we won’t be able to commit to as a result.”

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