Productivity Archives - Page 2 of 4 - SOS: Simple Organized Solutions LLC

It’s OK to Ask For Help

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2021-02-26T13:44:29-06:00February 26th, 2021|Categories: Productivity|Tags: assistance, get things done, project, reciprocity, skillset, strength, task|

When you ask for help is not a weakness, it’s a strength. It means you understand your capabilities and your limitations. As we get older, we discover that we can’t do all the things we could do when we were younger, physically and possibly mentally. Aging is not the only reason that we may need to ask for help. Not everyone has the skills to do everything. Physical strength is another reason. If the task you need done requires strength you don’t have, regardless of your age, you need to ask for help. Even if you do have the skillset [...]

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Creating Gaps in Our Schedules

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:12-06:00July 29th, 2020|Categories: Productivity, Time Management|Tags: get things done, motivation, overwhelmed, productivity, schedules, tasks|

There are a lot of people that use a schedule to get things done. For those of us that use them, we all have, or should be creating gaps in our schedules. In this context, they are little, or sometimes big snippets of time between appointments, tasks or projects. If you already have them in place, that’s a good thing. Creating gaps in our schedules is a good time management practice. It’s also good for productivity, and to keep from becoming overwhelmed and stressed out. A gap in between appointments or tasks, allows us to regroup and breathe before moving [...]

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Using Visual Cues as Reminders

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:12-06:00July 22nd, 2020|Categories: Productivity|Tags: get things done, goals, habits, reminders, routines, to-do list|

Using visual cues as reminders to do things is a great productivity hack. On a related note, it’s a great way to create a routine, and also to reach a goal. We all have a lot of things to do on a daily basis and remembering to do them can be challenging. However, when we get into the habit of performing repetitive tasks such as in a routine, after some time, the routine becomes habit and we don’t even think about the actions involved. In the case of creating a routine, visual cues come in handy as a reminder to [...]

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Taking a Break For The Sake of Getting Things Done

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:13-06:00June 3rd, 2020|Categories: Productivity, Time Management|Tags: focus, productivity, task, time management|

Do you find that you have issues with getting things done? Taking a break sounds counterproductive, right? It may seem that way but there have been scientific studies conducted over time on this subject. Researchers found that taking a break, actually frequent breaks, can increase productivity. A break is a pause in your work with the intent of going back to what you were doing after a short period of time. It takes your mind off of a task to refresh your brain. There are different schools of thought as to how long to work before taking a break, and [...]

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Multiples of One Item Doesn’t Always Cause Clutter

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:14-06:00May 20th, 2020|Categories: Productivity|Tags: efficiency, eliminate clutter, organizing process, productive, time saver|

Professional organizers, me included, often write about having multiples of one item causing clutter. That can be true if you’re not using all of them due to lack of need, and organization. Each item you own needs to be assigned a home, but sometimes homes can be in various places, confused? Let me explain. There are some instances where multiples of one item are needed because you use them in more than one location. This concept can be a time saver. Multiples of one item such as reading glasses, may be used in different rooms in your home at different [...]

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A Process Depends on The Next Step Until Completion

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:14-06:00May 13th, 2020|Categories: Efficiency, Productivity|Tags: automation, efficiency, processes, productive|

As I was watching my street being repaired by replacing sections of concrete, it made me think about processes. This has been ongoing for about a month, so I’ve grown accustomed to watching the repetitious series of the steps of their process, waiting for the next step. A process is a series of actions that end when the last step in the process is complete. For each section of concrete, the steps of the process are the same. It begins with the first step of placing cones around the section, or sections that need to be replaced. The next step [...]

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Being Productive While Staying at Home

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:15-06:00March 18th, 2020|Categories: Productivity, Reduce Stress|Tags: downtime, laughter, organize, productive, stress|

During this time of uncertainty and social distancing, a lot of us are considering how best to use our time wisely while staying at home. There are many posts from my professional organizer colleagues on this subject. And who better to provide ideas for productivity than professional organizers! There are those that have employers that allow them to work from home. That’s great because they aren’t losing pay and have tasks, and maybe virtual meetings to attend to. They can easily find ways to be productive while staying at home. Others that don’t have the option of working from home, [...]

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How The Evernote App Increases Productivity

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:17-06:00November 22nd, 2019|Categories: Organizing Tips, Productivity|Tags: apps, increase productivity, memory, organized, smart phone, storage|

The Evernote app is one of those apps to organize your life that consequently increases productivity. With the invention of the smart phone, which has internet connectivity, the apps came next. Apps are basically software applications that you install on your smart phone. They have an app for everything that you can think of. It seems that all these apps were created to help us with our fast paced, on-the-go lifestyles. We keep our phones close to stay connected but they can be useful tools as well. Just go into the ‘app’ on your smart phone to search for a [...]

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Procrastinating vs Deferring Tasks

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:18-06:00October 16th, 2019|Categories: Procrastination, Productivity|Tags: deferring tasks, distractions, perfectionism, prioritize, productivity, schedule|

There is procrastinating, and then there is deferring tasks. Understanding the difference between the two is important in terms of productivity. Let’s explore the differences to determine how to work with both to increase productivity. Procrastinating Definition according to the Merriam Webster dictionary: ‘to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done’ Let’s face it, we are all guilty of procrastinating on tasks ‘that should be done’, especially those that we don’t want to do. Whether they are work tasks or personal tasks, it’s the same. There are reasons we do this and it may be different [...]

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When is Your Peak Performance Time?

By SOS Simple Organized Solutions|2020-11-17T13:41:18-06:00October 1st, 2019|Categories: Productivity|Tags: early birds, night owls, productivity, schedule, tasks|

Everyone has a peak performance time. What I mean by that is, the time of day that your brain functions in an exceptional state. During this time, you’re more likely to get the most work done, especially creative or analytical tasks. Most of us fall into the category of early birds, or night owls, but some fall in between. Scientists have studied patterns of cognitive ability and how they fluctuate during the day. It has to do with our personal patterns of circadian rhythms as described in this Business Insider post. It’s more than likely that you know your peak [...]

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