Stay on top of where you need to be and which tasks absolutely, positively must get done today with this Daily Schedule Form.

We’ve been blown away over the past year just how many tens of thousands of downloads and Pinterest love this daily schedule form has gotten. Many hundreds have asked begged us to create an interactive version so that they could type in their lists.

Well, if you’re an addict of this form and were hoping we’d develop an interactive version – today’s you’re lucky day! With this interactive form, you can type in your list (in Adobe Reader) & print it out OR print it out first and fill out by hand. However you use it — it’s an endless supply!

Only $0.95!

Click here to buy

When was the last time you just stopped what you were doing, turned off distractions, and just spent some real, quality time with your family? Or even just one-on-one time with a child?

I don’t know about you, but my mind and body have a tendency to be on full-throttle from the moment my alarm clock (a.k.a. my 3 YO) buzzes at me until the moment my head hits the pillow at around 11:30pm.

Wake up to 3YO dancing on my head, realize his night pull up leaked, change him, throw dirty pajamas in the hamper, realize hamper is full so grab laundry bag, throw in a load on the way downstairs, get breakfast going, pack lunches, wake up sleeping beauties, and on and on I go cycling through an arm’s length to-do list. As soon as one task is crossed off, another jumps on the list to take its place.

Sound familiar?

The upside is that it feels productive. That’s always nice, especially if your days are filled with chasing after unpredictable little people. We all need to feel like we’re accomplishing something.

The only problem is that it’s so easy to get so stuck in the doing that you stop being.

As a mom, I am frequently guilty of getting so caught up in the work-dinner-activity-grocery shopping-shuffle that I cheat my boys – and myself – out of the little moments. Moments where I’ve got 42 pounds of cuteness on my lap, a nose full of Burt’s Bees-scented hair, and am wondering aloud how on earth those pretty colors got inside that big glitter-filled ball as my son turns it around in his chubby fingers.

Over the past six months I’ve been making an effort to switch off the list-driven me at regular-ish intervals. The image above is from one of those moments with my little guy (we’re goofing off at a Monster Truck show).

Here are 6 tricks that are working really, really well.

Start your day with gratitude

Before heading downstairs to start the breakfast prep, I close my eyes and pick one thing about each family member that makes me feel really lucky. It takes about 30 seconds, but it has made a profound difference.

Sharing lunch packing duties with my better half

Put the question: “what kind of mom do I want to be today?” at the top of my physical to-do list

Try to get down on my knees and really look at my boys in their eyes when they ask me an earnest question about something

Limiting laundry duty to three days a week

Monday and Friday for the boys, Sunday for mom and dad.

Limiting screen time to Friday night

It’s a rule that keep ME from pushing the easy button too many times. My iPhone counts as a screen.

How about you? Do you get stuck in the busy-itis rut? I’m curious what kinds of things you do that snap you out of that go-go-go mode and center your attention on what’s truly important. Please share!

Who hasn’t wandered blindly at the grocery store, trying to remember what to buy?

Buttoned Up’s simple grocery list makes it easy to keep track of the items you’re out of so that when it’s time to hit the grocery store, you’re sure to be a model of efficiency. With this interactive form, you can type in your list (in Adobe Reader) & print it out OR print it out first and fill out by hand. However you use it — it’s an endless supply!

Only $0.95!

Click here to buy

Stay on top of where you need to be and which tasks absolutely, positively must get done today with this 24hr Daily Schedule Form.

Print out as many copies as you like! Download here.

I have to admit I was a little shocked (but in a good way!) about how quickly the 7 Secrets to Sticking to Your Goals webinar filled up last week. Within 18 minutes of sending the initial email, the event was oversubscribed by literally hundreds of people. More than a few folks who tried to dial in at 9pm couldn’t get in because the event was “full” by 9:02pm.

Two Additional Webinar Dates

If you were one of the folks who really wanted to attend but couldn’t for one reason or another, we are going to have an additional LIVE webinar this coming week. As with all live calls, I do spend as much time on live Q&A at the end as-needed.

Wed, Apr 24, 2013 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Here’s what I’ll cover on the call:
• Detailed, step-by-step training on the essential components of a goal that set you up for success
• Discover the #1 technique for bouncing back instantly when life throws a curve ball (This one will surprise you!)
• How to decide which goal(s) to focus on and which ones to drop
• 3 little-known steps 99% of goal makers skip but that will make all the difference (Hint: a big-picture goal is just the tip of the iceberg)

Here’s what attendees said about the webinar last week:

This was AWESOME!!! I appreciate everything you said and have learned more from you than I have learned from any help book or other training!

Thank you Sarah. That was great! You are awesome! I did the KickStart camp in January–it was wonderful and it helped me so much. It’s still helping me!

Loved it. Thanks Sarah!

Thank you so much for a wonderful webinar. I look forward to reviewing it again and signing up for one of the bootcamps. Thank you for all your time and effort. Very much appreciated

Join In!

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:
Wed, Apr 24, 2013 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

What are some of your goals that you really want to stick to this year?

Reader Hala Naseeb posed this question on our facebook page:

Do you recommed keeping a separate planner for each of work and personal life?

It’s a good question and at first blush keeping separate planners would seem like a logical and conscientious thing to do. But in reality, it adds a degree of complexity that isn’t necessary. It is much better to have one, central spot for keeping track of your tasks.

No matter how you end up organizing list, be sure you are clear on the distinction between a brain dump list and a to-do lists. A capture list is long. But a to-do list should only have 3 top priority tasks + no more than 8-10 tasks per day. Too many and having a list will actually decrease your productivity as your brain can quickly become overloaded & paralyzed.

How to Organize a List

We recommend keeping one notebook as your designated spot for capturing all of those tasks floating around your head (the brain dump). If you have multiple domains to manage, like professional demands and general household management tasks, rather than keeping one, big run-on list, create sections in your notebook.

Here’s Alison Lord, one of the amazing women I interviewed for our book Pretty Neat with a quick tip on this very thing:

My Approach

I personally organize my capture list in a notebook and group my running lists by the different roles I play. I’ve got six that I juggle: Awesome Mom, Wife of Gar’s Dreams, Chief Dreamer (new product/content creator) at Buttoned Up, Financial Wizard, Successful Entrepreneur, and Athlete. I divide my notebook pages into six sections and put a role title at the top of each one. Then I keep running lists in each of the areas.

Every Sunday evening, I sit down and take those running lists and pick 3-5 important tasks to focus on each day in the coming week. Then I turn those to-do’s into appointments and keep track of them on my weekly strategy itinerary. On that list, I do separate out work vs personal, with work at the top of the day and personal at the bottom.

One to-do list for both work and home = one less thing to remember & organize. And that’s always a good thing!

Do you organize your tasks by category? If so – what kind of categories? We’d love to hear!

If you’re hunched over a desk reading emails or white knuckling it through a stressful period, you’re probably holding your breath more than you realize. Researchers have nicknamed this email apnea and it’s got the negative side effect of triggering your body’s fight or flight system. That in turn makes it more difficult to focus because your reptilian brain shanghai’s your executive function. Re-calibrate & put your prefrontal cortex back in the driver’s seat by doing some simple breathing exercises: in 4 seconds, hold 7 seconds, out 8 seconds. Repeat at least 4 times.

Make a List

If your brain is feeling like a monkey swinging from idea vine to idea vine, grab a sheet of paper and do a brain dump. It’ll reduce your stress related to fear of forgetting and give you an objective way to look at what you have on your plate.

Make Your Bed

The simple act of making your bed is what’s known as a keystone habit – a simple process that, when done consistently, makes you more productive in other areas of life. Take 2 minutes to make yours right when you wake up and enjoy the benefits all day long.

Archive All Emails Older Than 1 Week

It takes about 2 minutes to do and brings you darn close to inbox zero (and frees up precious hard drive space). Chances are you’ll never need to touch those archived emails ever again – but if you do – you’ll know where to find them.

Clean Off Your Desk or Kitchen Counter

The messier your environment, the more difficult it is to focus. Set the timer on your phone for 15 minutes and go to town.

Create Something

When I’m feeling stuck or like a “failure” in one domain (e.g. work) or otherwise out of control, I head into the kitchen and bake – bread, cookies, crackers – you name it. It forces me to concentrate on the task at hand, is related to nourishing my family, a sentiment that bring me joy, saves me from buying packaged goods, and in fairly short order reminds me I can finish things. It also gives me the mental space to reflect on the thoughts racing around my head and synthesize them. Any small creative project will yield similar benefits.

Map Out Your Week

Take your long, laundry list, identify the top 3 priority tasks for each day and figure out what day you are going to do them. If you use a scheduling program, put them in your calendar as appointments.

Go To Bed Earlier

Lack of sleep has serious effects on our brain’s ability to function. When you’re sleep deprived, the part of the brain that controls language, memory, planning and sense of time is seriously impaired. In fact, a BBC article on the importance of sleep notes that folks who are awake for 17 hours in a row without sleeping perform as though they’ve had two glasses of wine & a blood alcohol level of 0.05%.

Work Out

You know you’ll feel better if you work out. Why is that? Well, adults in a 2007 study among noted that a three-month aerobic exercise program seemed to improve their concentration and overall brain functioning.
Researchers looking inside their brains could actually see that the regimen led to the formation of new neurons and more diverse, denser interconnections between them. Read more about the connection between exercise & your brain at the Daily Beast

Focus on One Task at a Time Using the Pomodoro Technique

Our brains work sequentially. Instead of doing two tasks at once, the brain actually toggles between whatever tasks are under way. Switching between tasks impairs our ability to learn and even impairs our IQ more than smoking marijuana. Bottom line: multi-tasking is a giant waste of time. Pick one task to focus on for 20-30 minutes. Allow yourself to do ONLY that task. Set a timer and get to work. When the bell rings, take a break for 2 or 3 minutes and then get to work on the next task.

Choose, Don’t React

You don’t have to do everything. You are in charge of what you do, not your to-do list. Make a simple mental shift and decide which tasks you choose to do or focus on right now. That simple act puts you back in control.

Smile

Not Just a Little, Either. Paste an Ear-to-Ear Grin on Your Face! New research published last year in the Journal of Psychological Science shows that smiling — and especially genuine smiling (where your eyes and mouth muscles are engaged) — may play a part in lowering heart rate after you’ve done something stressful.

Buy a Notebook to Capture Thoughts

Having one place to put your notes, thoughts, tasks makes you more organized. I would argue that a physical notebook is better than a virtual one because it is always accessible – but if you go virtual, that can work too. The key lies in the utter simplicity.

Find a Mentor & Follow Her Path

There are people who have done what you are trying to do in the past. Why reinvent the wheel? It’s totally unnecessary. Look around for someone who teach you what worked for them and then take their shortcuts.

Find One Task to Delegate or Cross Off Your List

I’ll bet you don’t ask yourself the question what aren’t I going to do very often. Anytime you are feeling overwhelmed is a good time to start.

Highlight the Critical Path to Your Destination

Sometimes you get so focused on your list that you lose the plot. Do you really need to do everything on your list to accomplish your objectives? What are the critical tasks that are likely to get you most of the way there? Create a new list with just those and see how fast your stress levels go down.

Eat Clean (No Sugary Snacks)

What you eat definitely impacts your brain. A sugary drink or food that spikes your blood sugar levels also triggers your pancreas to secrete insulin. Insulin’s job is to pull excess glucose from the bloodstream, effectively storing it for later. Before long, your brain, which requires quite a bit of glucose to run properly, doesn’t have enough glucose & experiences a crisis of sorts. The net result – you feel loopy, spaced out and maybe even nervous. We lay people call this a “sugar crash” – and doctors call an episode like this hypoglycemia. Regardless of the name, it’s not good to consume lots of sugar if you need to be buttoned up.

Remind Yourself WHY

If you can reconnect with the reason you are doing something, it’s like rocket fuel. If you can’t, maybe it’s a sign you don’t really need to do it.

Make Sure You’re Not Confusing a To-Do with a Project

If you’ve got something large that’s been lingering on your list & it’s making you feel guilty, take two minutes and break it down into a series of smaller steps.

Write Something Down You’ve Already Done & Cross It Off

You see? You are making progress! Sometimes all you need is a reminder.

Stop Saying “Can’t” / Watch Your Language

If you believe you can crack through what is important, you can. If you don’t, you won’t. Rather than asking yourself

Help Someone Else with Something/Give Some of Your Time Away

Researchers have shown that when you give your time away, you actually become more productive.

Stand Up & Do Something In-Between Tasks

Give yourself a mental break and cleanse your palate in-between tasks.

Lock Yourself Out of Distracting Programs & Websites

Use the programs GetConcentrating.com or Freedom to keep yourself from wasting time. They are worth their weight in gold when you really need to focus.

Take a Moment to Reflect on What You Have Accomplished in the Past Few Months

Grab a sheet of paper and list the things that you have accomplished in the past.

Whenever I speak with people, especially those about to go through our Kickstart Boot Camp, about the topic of clutter, time and time again they use words like “overwhelmed,” “nightmare,” and “guilty” to describe how they feel about the issue.

I get it. Clutter is stressful. It makes it much more difficult to focus on what you truly need to focus on. And it looks bad. Other people can see you don’t have it together. Gasp.

But putting a “bad” label on clutter is pointless. And, really, it’s worse than pointless. It’s keeping you stuck in what I like to call a clutter doom loop.

Life, by definition, is in motion. As long as you’re above ground, things (i.e. clutter) are going to make their way into your environment.

We put a “bad” label on clutter because of what we believe it means / what it says about us.

Clutter is “bad” when it is evidence of our
• Inability to get organized
• Impulsive (and uncontrollable) nature
• Lack of willpower or drive to clean it up
• Depression

In short, we feel guilty because we believe clutter is evidence of some kind of personal failure or personality defect.

But here’s the problem with that line of thinking.

If you believe that clutter is proof positive you’re an organizational failure, you’ll stop (or avoid) taking the steps you need to get it under control. And then your environment will remain cluttered, getting worse over time, thus reinforcing your belief that you’re an organizational failure.

And down and down you go into the doom loop.

If you’re stuck there, consider this:
Would a gardener call herself a failure if a weed or ten sprouted in her garden? No. A good gardener would just deal with the weed by pulling it out.

Now, she can do a few things to keep the weeds at bay.
She can try to prevent too many of them from growing – like covering her garden with plastic or paper and by spraying weed killer.

But some weeds are still going to grow. It’s just the way it is.

So she’s got to deal with them when the inevitable happens. If she doesn’t, they’ll take over everything in her garden.

It’s just the way it is. Not “bad,” just nature.

To keep weeds from taking over she can do a few things:
- Establish a threshold amount of weeds that, once reached, triggers a weeding work session
- Weed on a regular schedule, like every Saturday morning
- Or – hire somebody to do her weeding for her

And so it is with clutter.

It’s not “bad” or evidence that you’re somehow morally inferior or organizationally inept. It’s just a fact of life. No amount of wailing or gnashing your teeth is called for. Just a little weeding.

Do you feel guilty about your clutter? Why? What meaning have you assigned to it? Does this post help you reframe what it means?

On our Facebook Q&A Wednesday, fan Diane lamented about her ability to stay focused on her to-do’s and follow through on tasks and asked us for advice.

I can’t seem to get a handle on keeping track of all my to-do’s and I jump from thing to thing without finishing and doing only one thing from start until finish eludes me…any suggestions?

To-do’s are a lot like vines.

Each one like a little tendril, looping around and around your brain in the hopes of gaining traction. And then when it does get a foothold, it quickly sprouts new to-do leaves and project offshoots, which sprout new to-do leaves and offshoots, and, and, and.

If you don’t have a mechanism for directing them, this is what happens:

{image via: Illinois}

They choke up the works. The distinction that you need to make sense of life, to discern between various projects, life spheres (work, home, kids, etc) all blurs into one, giant “noisy” mess. It’s impossible to focus.

And, man, is that stressful. It’s like having distracting static blaring that you can’t turn off: chchchhchchchchhchchchchchchchchch.

But when you have a mechanism for organizing your to-do’s, all of a sudden things go
from this:

to this:

{image via: Southern Living}

The to-do’s aren’t an overpowering “thing” anymore. YOU are in control.

The number one way to make this happen: hold a weekly (or daily) strategy session with yourself.

This approach is at the core of our Kickstart Boot Camp program because it’s that powerful. Here are the basics:

Step 1: Get the noise out of your head, and on to paper. Take all of the possible to-do’s running around your head and get them on paper to stop the noise.

Step 2: Objectively go through and select the to-do’s that matter to you…that will move your life forward n the way you want it to go.

Step 3: Schedule your priority to-do’s for the week ahead. Assign a day, and if it helps you – a time, to do them.

Step 4: Make it a weekly ritual.

This is what habit researchers would call a keystone habit — a process that, done consistently over time, transforms everything.

Important Implementation Note

It takes time for your brain to get used to this approach. Don’t expect yourself to go from a to-do jungle to ordered garden in one week. Take a gradual test-and-learn approach. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t crack through every to-do on your weekly plan the first time. Focus on what you learned from the process and ask yourself how you could improve in the coming week. Understand what got in your way. Where were you distracted and why? Get curious instead of defeated.

And before you know it, you’ll be in control again.

How do you decide what’s on your to-do list? Do you decide? If not, how might your daily life feel if you DID?

I happen to agree with a few men bloggers on this one: I’d rather celebrate love all year, not just on one day.

It takes time and a little organization to keep the love going. So in that spirit, why not use the next 14 days to get yourself buttoned up so that you actually follow through on your good intentions throughout the rest of the year?

Here is a day-by-day plan:

What are your favorite ways to keep the love going beyond Valentine’s Day?