Post-It Productivity

Color code Post-Its to help organize your life.

We all have ways of keeping ourselves organized and staying productive. Some of us keep a planner and keep nice detailed notes about what we have to get done. Others use Tasks in their email client of choice and keep track of what they do that way.

I’m the type that needs visual reminders in front of me or I’ll forget or leave notes lying around.

I have devised a method that I call Post-It Productivity that has helped me stay organized and give me a visual picture of what I have to do while giving certain items priority.

I know some people may disagree with the paper that I am using, but it keeps me organized and on task. At this point, I’d rather waste paper than time.

I’m going to outline my method for staying productive using post-it notes.

Pretty Colors

I categorize my life using different colored Post-Its. I use lavender for any work-related action that needs to be taken care of. Green is used for any writing idea that I have. Blue represents personal projects that need to get done like getting a tire fixed, or organizing an outing for my son’s scout troop.

Power In Order

Now that the categories are defined by color I use a vertical ordering system that lends importance to the top of the list. I love the flexibility of this system as I can move things around if need be.

Power In Pulling

There’s no better feeling than crossing a to-do item off of your list! Well, that’s not entirely true. To be able to pull a completed item off of a wall and crumble it up or rip apart makes me feel ferociously accomplished!

Post-Its For Projects

I also use Post-Its to keep track of complex projects. If I am developing a new website there are hundreds of steps in doing so including purchasing a domain, setting up hosting, finalizing design, deciding on site structure, developing seo’ed content, etc.

How do you stay organized and make sure nothing falls through the cracks? I’d love to hear!

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Day 10 - Body For Life - 5 things that keep me going

Along my 10 day journey, I’ve realized some things that are essential to keeping you motivated during a workout campaign. I’d like to share with you what has helped me so far.

1. Support.
I want to thank everyone that has given me encouragement during this. It’s amazing how much of a motivator it can be when someone shows genuine interest in what you are doing. I give all my friends on Facebook status updates on how I’m doing during my workouts. Many of them send me messages and post comments that help keep me moving. My wife and kids have also been a huge encouragement. When you spread the news about what you are doing, people will respond with encouragement. I’m the type that will start strong and fade fast if I’m not motivated to keep moving.

2. Sleep.
If I don’t get enough sleep, I’m depressed and grumpy all day long. The workouts are much more tough to get through if you don’t have a good night of sleep prior to it. Also, your body needs that time to repair itself after being torn down during the workout.

3. Nutrition.
Getting the right amount of carbs and protein is essential to health and generally feeling better. Here’s an interesting page regarding how much protein you need that I found. I am much more motivated when I feel better. I feel better when I reduce sugar and eat healthy stuff. That’s all I’m gonna say. I’m not a trainer or nutritionist. All I know is how I feel!

4. Schedule.
I love the Body For Life program because it keeps my on a schedule and I know exactly what I’m going to do and how long it’s going to take. That’s critical when you are pressed for time and your time management skills suck.

5. Consistency.
Staying consistent is key. Just like anything else, consistency and repetition with the right habits will lead to success. Before, I was consistently eating horribly and never exercising. Consequently, I felt like crap. Now, I’m working out daily and eating much better. As a result, this is the best I have felt in a number of years.

As Jonathan Swift said, “If we keep doing what we are doing, we’ll keep getting what we’re getting.”