How many times have you left the house and realized you forgot something?
Or how many times have you searched high and low for something and wasted 10, 20, or even 45 minutes looking for it?
Today in 31 Days of Organizing, I’m going to talk about the power of routines and the magic of two minutes now saves hours later.
See, I believe most anything can be simplified and systematized with a routine.
An effective daily routines take only two minutes.
I’m completely serious!
- Daily flossing (only floss the ones you want to keep)
- Handling the mail (snail)
- Handling email (okay, this is maybe 15 minutes with an effective and efficient routine, but still…)
- Having a leaving-the-house-mantra: phone, wallet, keys (this one belongs to my hubby) and knowing exactly where those items are
- Creating a home for something and labeling it
- Making a new client folder and labeling it (remember: paper folder, electronic folder, email folder – this is one area where I like things to be matchy-matchy)
- Closing or opening anything (a quick routine ensures you don’t forget anything)
- Making updates (a thorough checklist doesn’t take long and saves hours later when you discover you forgot a step and have to go back and redo the thing in whole or in part)
- Daily writing (you might write longer than 2 minutes, but having a routine to get you in the “writing frame of mind” is invaluable)
I’m so wild about two minutes now saves hours later because it’s so very, very true.
I’ve seen mail piles three feet tall because someone didn’t take two minutes each day to sort their mail using the recycle bin and shredder.
I’ve seen email strings that go on for 20 messages because someone wouldn’t take two minutes to schedule a lunch appointment by phone.
I’ve seen late fees, over limit fees, and missed opportunities because said, “I’ll take care of that later” and never got back around to handling the important matter.
And I’ve seen people stressed out, harried, and lonely because they don’t take two minutes each day to pet their cat or dog. They think, “I’ll do it later” — except sometimes later never comes.
If you sigh in exasperation and say, “Angie, I can’t even find two minutes in my too-busy day,” I can help.
Make Some Room,
Angie
P.S. When you’re ready to do something about your disorganization, procrastination, or overwhelm, I can help. Let’s schedule a Clarity Session and get you into action.