One of the most interesting things I have learned from leading both the boot camps and the one-on-one organizational coaching is that we have an awful lot of entrepreneurs following buttoned up – from Lia Sophia sellers to gift shop owners, financial planners, and everything in-between. It makes sense – you’ve got a lot on your plate…so the more organized you are, the more likely you are to succeed.

That’s why when I came across the headline: How Your To-Do List Can Boost Your Bottom Line in Entrepreneur magazine, I felt compelled to share it here.

The post had me at hello with the statement that successful entrepreneurs tend work smarter, not harder. As many of you know, I’m a firm believer in the power of focus and the importance of lists (ahem, cultivated during a weekly strategy session) to get there. And then they went on to give six great ways to tweak your to-do list so that you actually do that. Here’s their first tip:

Monetize your to-do list. Determine the financial value of completing every task on your list, then write those dollar amounts next to the corresponding items.

For example, if the task is to prepare a proposal to land a $150,000 contract, write “Finish Proposal ($150,000).” If the task is to return a phone call from your number-one customer, who generates $1 million in annual sales, write: “Return Mary’s phone call ($1 million).”

Genius, right? Nothing like assigning monetary value to your efforts. Once you’ve given your task a meaningful value, the author advises that you sort them from highest to lowest, divide the list in half and focus 80% of your time (4 days) on the top half, and the remainder of the time on the bottom half.

Read the article here to get five more great ideas.

As the author eloquently noted,

To get extreme results from less work, you need to be willing to sacrifice good opportunities to focus intensely on great ones.

Using financial value as an organizing principle is a fresh and compelling way to ensure you do just that.

What techniques do you use to focus on what really matters in your business?

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

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.

How do you pack for a trip?

Everyone I know thinks that women pack too much for a trip – whether it’s overnight or for an extended vacation. Or is it just me?

I’m not talking about ‘mom’ packing or trips with the kids. Those trips you need to make sure you have all your stuff and the kids’ stuff and you need to pack for contingencies (Johnny spills juice on his clothes, Mary gets ill on hers, it gets cold, it gets hot, etc.). No, I’m talking about packing just for me.

Now, I thought I had learned over the years to pack well when on a business trip with mix and match outfits and I even have a couple tank tops that are reversible to get more mileage out of my wardrobe.

I was wrong; I really didn’t learn anything.

Enter the packing expert, my husband. Seriously. I saw what my husband packed for an overnight business trip and I laughed, then he opened his bag and I stopped laughing.

Below is the bag he carried on – the only thing he carried besides a binder with his work in it! Yep, it’s pretty small, but he managed to get a change of clothes, his toiletries and even some items for work in it (camera, pens, papers)! (It’s only 12” wide x 17” long x 2.5” deep)

No way could I ever pull that off. I mean, there were no choices, no extra shoes, no casual clothes but what he wore, no bathrobe, no mix and match anything!

Yes, it was for an overnight trip, but still…

Maybe I’m a luggage clutterer, an overpacker. I went on a recent business trip with the Buttoned Up team. The trip was for three business days and two casual days. I realized I had packed enough clothes for eight business days and three or four casual days.

What was I thinking?

“I like to have choices” is what I tell myself. It’s my excuse for ‘luggage clutter’ as I will now deem it. Yes, I needed the make up and the scandals and I had the casual outfit I wore on the plane, and enough clothes for the three days of meetings, but the rest? It just took up space and made my bag weigh a ton. I worked up a sweat hauling the bag through the airport and I actually needed someone to help me get it into the overhead on the plane (she said turning red faced).

After looking at my husband’s tiny bag, it has convinced me that I am indeed a luggage clutterer – there – I admit it. Is there a support group out there for women like me? Am I alone in this malady?

Here are steps I will take to get over my malady and questions I can ask myself when packing:

1. How many days will I be gone – only pack outfits for those days
2. Forget choices on the road – choices will be made before I pack
3. Pack one pair of shoes; wear one on the plane
4. Ten pairs of underwear for four days is too extreme – pack the undies with the outfit
5. Ask myself where I will be going – do I really need socks in Arizona?
6. A bathrobe? Really? Who’s going to see you?

I feel lighter already.

Do you over pack? Could you ever pack an overnight bag like my husband did?

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!

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?

Ever taken two steps out the door in the morning only to realize you’ve forgotten your cell phone?

Or thought you had your cell phone in your bag/pocket/briefcase/ but when you really needed it couldn’t find it?

PANIC! Right?

If you are not in the habit of putting your phone in the same spot each time you return home – and in the same spot in your bag when you leave…you probably waste countless minutes each and every day frantically searching for your phone. Not only is that incredibly inefficient (and depressing when you add up those minutes) – but it’s also making your life way more stressful than it needs to be.

That’s why the habit is worth cultivating. Immediately.

Where do you start?

Docking Stations at Home

Ideally, pick a spot near the door…

…Or in your most trafficked room – the kitchen

If you’re lacking counter space – hang a spot on the wall (preferably at eye level)

3M Command Pouches are not only inexpensive, but practically invisible when the phone’s not there.

Or create a pouch that hangs off of a power cord

This DIY project from Damask Love looks doable…

…or you could always buy a cute one on Etsy like this one from Anna Tere Designs.

Then (if you’re not using a pouch) add a charging station – so it’s ready to go when you are. Here are four gorgeous options that would look great on a console table or a kitchen counter.

Keep it sleek with this tilted charging tray {via A+R}

Mixing the high-tech with natural materials is always stylish {via: Etsy}

Keep it on a kitchen counter without looking cluttered with this floating plexiglass station {via Etsy}

If you’ve got lots of techies in the house – you might want something that can hold everyone’s devices, like this rack system {via: ioo mobile}

Keeping your phone while you’re on the go

By far the easiest way to keep your smart phone from getting lost in big purses, briefcases, messenger bags, or backpacks is to get a small clutch or organizer that can double as your wallet and your phone’s home. If you can find one with a hook or leash, you can hook it to the side strap or interior loop – making it extra easy to locate.

This unisex option is great for any techie on the go {via Etsy}

I personally love this stylish wallet/smart phone combo – which could also double as a clutch for evenings {via Etsy}

And of course, I’ve saved the best for last. Genius Liz Ormesher, who I might add is under 30, invented a small purse – yes a PURSE – that wirelessly charges your cell phone. It’s called Everpurse and it comes in an array of stylish designs.

Just drop it in a fashionable little charging clutch and not only will it be easy to find when you are looking for it, BUT it will also charge it right up.

Where’s your smart phone drop spot? Do you have a compartment in your bag for one too or are you always searching for it? ]]> http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/03/01/tired-of-losing-your-cell-phone/feed/ 3 http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/02/27/reader-question-help-my-sticky-note-reminders-are-taking-over/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reader-question-help-my-sticky-note-reminders-are-taking-over http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/02/27/reader-question-help-my-sticky-note-reminders-are-taking-over/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:06:39 +0000 Sarah http://getbuttonedup.com/?p=22945

A few days ago, our reader Linda (aka “Exhausted Linda”) submitted the following question to the Buttoned Up team:

When I think of something, I put it on a sticky-note instead of taking action right away. The sticky notes really pile up. Is there anything to control sticky notes? I tried using my “Do This” list, but it becomes a real mess.

Sticky notes were truly one of the greatest inventions of all time.

And now that they come in so many glorious shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns – well, they are pretty impossible to resist.

I’ll take 2 of these…

…1 of those…

…and a handful of these…

The fact that they have the adhesive backing just makes them seem so much more useful than a plain, old, notepad or notebook. Right? And thanks to that sticky attribute, this is what happens:

“Oh, I need to remember to call so-and-so at 4pm today. I’ll just stick a bright little note on my monitor so I don’t forget.”

And

“Goodness! I keep forgetting my fax number and I sometimes need to give it to people when I’m on the phone. I’ll just stick a little reminder on the bottom of my computer monitor so I’ll always know where to look.”

And

“Whoa – that’s such a good idea! I really don’t want to forget that little bit ‘o brilliance — so I’d better capture it here on this little sticky note and put it on my monitor where I can see it.”

And…and…and

Before you know it – rather than bright, temporary reminders, you’re staring at a wallpapered computer monitor. Or notebook. Or wall. Or cork board. Or fridge.

Whatever your sticky surface of choice is.

Jotting everything you want to remember on sticky notes can quickly become a counterproductive habit (as you already know!).

Your simplicity-seeking brain will, rather than trying to make sense of each note as an individual data point, blend them all together into one “thing” – namely surface decor. Days and weeks will go by, nothing about the wallpaper will really change (except you add a few more perhaps)…and low and behold, your alerts/reminders/important “nudges” go completely unnoticed.

So what’s a sticky-addict to do?

Taming the Sticky Note Beast

Sticky notes have a simple, singular purpose: to serve as a temporary alert, note or label. And by temporary I mean within the next few days.

Step 1: Detox

1. Toss any note/reminder/alert that is no longer useful. Any note related to a project, task/list or deadline that has already passed should be worm food. Ditto for notes that have already been transferred to a more permanent holding pen (e.g. your contacts, a notebook).

2. Transfer all notes related to ideas or to-do’s to one master “capture” notebook & toss the stickies. Given your penchant for sticky notes, I’m guessing you might also have an affinity for stationery products – especially pretty journals. Go grab one, title it Capture Lists or or something along those lines, and then transfer all of your bright ideas & to-do’s that will take you longer than a few days to get to to the new notebook. If you don’t have a notebook handy, buy a basic Composition Notebook for $2 at your local office superstore. If you are not a physical notebook fan, then go create an Evernote account and set up a virtual notebook or two. Once you set up a notebook in Evernote, it syncs with all of your devices – from your computer to smart phone, and tablet, so you’re never without it. You can snap a picture of each sticky note if you want – or simply make a voice note of what is on each sticky. Whatever is easier for you. Just get the temporary notes off your desk/notebooks/monitors.

3. Transfer all contact information to your contacts & toss the contact sticky notes. Whenever you write contact information on a sticky note a unicorn dies. Stop doing it! Contact information is generally best stored electronically, where it’s searchable on a variety of dimensions – and accessible from a variety of devices. Once you’ve done that – toss the stickies and pinky swear the next time you need to make a note of someone’s number, you’ll grab your phone or tablet or computer instead.

Just doing these three things should reduce your sticky note collection to a more manageable amount.

Then, once you’ve detoxed…

Step 2: Stop Using Sticky Notes for These 5 Things!

1. Contact info – see my note above.

2. Permanent Labels. It’s tempting to use them in this capacity as they do stick. But not permanently. Eventually they curl up and fall off, just adding to your mess.

3. User IDs and passwords. It’s never in your best interest to leave this kind of confidential information lying about as you just never know. There are plenty of fabulous Password journals on the market as well as electronic password organizers. Use them instead.

4. Every idea you have. Rather than jotting down notes about ideas on temporary slips of paper – capture them in one, consistent spot. I personally keep physical and virtual notebooks going for this very purpose. I have a Composition notebook I keep with me at all times. It serves as my main repository of notes and short-term to-do lists. I keep virtual notebooks in Evernote and on Pinterest related to cool topic ideas, product ideas, etc.

5. Calendar/Task alerts. It is usually much more effective to set a task appointment for yourself in your online calendar so that you get an alert when it is time to do it. If you can’t get to it at the moment you had originally planned, just “reschedule” it so you’ll get a new alarm.

Step 3: Start Running these Sticky Note Clean Up Routines Regularly (minimum 1x/week)

You should designate one physical notebook as your main catcher of ideas, thoughts, and to-do’s – or a virtual one like Evernote. It doesn’t matter that it’s messy. Date each entry, draw dividing lines between types of content, box or underline important items so you can find them more easily when you flip through the pages.
1. Transfer to-do’s captured on sticky notes that you cannot get to (or complete) within the 1-2 days into a To-Do/Capture notebook.

2. Take 5 minutes to detox sticky notes every few days – see step 1 above for the steps.

And if after all that – you still think you might have a hard time kicking the sticky note habit, try creating a sticky note tickler file system for yourself. Basically a tickler file is a 43-folder system, where you have a folder for each day of the month plus another 12 for each month of the year. As soon as you finish writing them, you can put sticky notes in either the daily or monthly folder that corresponds with when you want to deal with it. For example, you may put a sticky note related to a task you need to get to in a week or two in the daily folder (1-30) that is 5 or so days from the current date. But you might put a sticky note related to a big new project or idea you want to act on in the future in a monthly folder (Jan-Dec) that is 6 or so months out.

Fellow readers, how do you use sticky notes? Any other addicts out there?

]]> http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/02/27/reader-question-help-my-sticky-note-reminders-are-taking-over/feed/ 7 http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/01/11/what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-buttoned-up/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-buttoned-up http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/01/11/what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-buttoned-up/#comments Fri, 11 Jan 2013 20:59:22 +0000 Sarah http://getbuttonedup.com/?p=22277

To us, getting organized is a means to an end. And that end is presence.

Let us know what you think of this little manifesto we’ve just penned in the comments!

]]> http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/01/11/what-do-we-mean-when-we-say-buttoned-up/feed/ 8 http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/01/09/organize-yourself-for-a-7-day-screen-detox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=organize-yourself-for-a-7-day-screen-detox http://getbuttonedup.com/2013/01/09/organize-yourself-for-a-7-day-screen-detox/#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:36:38 +0000 Sarah http://getbuttonedup.com/?p=22257

Do you ever feel like you are on a treadmill going slightly too fast to nowhere in particular? Sometimes all of that running seems productive in the moment – you are moving, after all. But then, when you take a moment to reflect on the bigger picture and how far you have progressed (or not), the reality can be pretty disheartening.

One of the most effective ways to get off of the hamster track to nowhere and reclaim a bit of perspective is to disconnect from technology completely for a period of time. That’s right. Go on a basic screen fast: no TV, no email, no Facebook, no Twitter, no texting. If you need a computer to do your work, you may use it, but turn off the interenet and email. Instead, plug-in to your inner voice. Observe what’s happening around you. Connect and be truly present with your work colleagues, your friends and your family. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes, particularly as it relates to true productivity.

We recommend giving yourself at least one week to detox from the noise and constant distraction caused by the ever present digital domain. Why? Because you need to put enough distance between yourself and your old digital habits in order to really comprehend, on a visceral level, the degree to which you have been distracted.

But how does one go on a screen detox, especially if your work requires you to be connected? It is possible. Follow these steps and enjoy newly found inspiration, innovation and invigoration.

Step 1: Get organized and make a plan

Prepare your environment so that it works for you, not against you as you go through your detox. Put digital devices and remotes away where you cannot see them and won’t be tempted by them. De-clutter your desk and rooms. When clearing clutter follow these organizational tips: Remove everything that does not logically belong in the space. Put that stuff where it belongs. If it doesn’t have a home, create one. If you don’t love it or need it, let it go. Once you have a pristine environment, organize your thoughts. Decide what you want out of your detox. Clarification on the daily activities that truly matter to your work and your life? A fresh appreciation for something/someone? Once you know why you need to disconnect, then make a plan for how, which includes figuring out when. Holidays and vacations present a great opportunity to disconnect. If you need a computer and the Internet to do your work, get a week ahead of any internet-based work so that you can stay offline for the duration of your fast.

Step 2: Set expectations

Don’t just ignore your inbox and avoid the Internet without telling anyone what’s going on. People will worry. Do tell your friends and acquaintances that you won’t be available for the next seven days. Then use your email and phone tools to set up auto-responders. Tell everyone what you’re doing and let them know that if they MUST reach you for an absolutely urgent matter, they will have to call you and talk to you. If you use Outlook, you can filter all your email into various folders and flag those of more importance so that when you do come back online, it will be easier to focus on high-priority items. Most of the other messages will be out-of-date by then and easy to delete.

Step 3: Stop checking! Really

Just don’t do it. Every time you feel the urge to grab your phone, or log-on to your computer, or turn on the television, have an action plan. Instead, engage someone in a conversation or game, walk the dog, share an intimate moment (or more) with your spouse, go on a walk. You might also find that you have time to do things for yourself, like take a bubble bath or curl up with a good book, which you otherwise “wouldn’t have time” for.

Step 4: Make dates to socialize

Fill each day with activities, with an emphasis on “active,” with the people who are most important to you. Do something special with your children. Go on a date with your spouse/partner. Host a fun event with your friends (book club, clothing swap, happy hour). Find a friend who shares an interest and do that thing together (see live music, go to a play, try a new restaurant).

You’ll be surprised at how much extra time there is in the day when you aren’t constantly answering to the beeping of your phone/email or serving as a slave to your favorite TV shows. If you find that you really can NOT unplug, then you might have an addiction. And that’s okay, as long as you realize it and take steps to beat it, because studies show that there is such a thing as too much screen time. It can lead to depression and other behavioral issues.

Do you think you could ever go on a screen detox?

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