Back on track again

This morning I did my power praxis for Simple.ology again.

I am feel great. Let me explain. I have a great little program called Simple.ology that I list ALL the things I have to do. Everything. I can list everything I think of for now and in the future.

Now that is a long list. It is now out of my head and on the page.

But the beauty of this system in what happens next. You have the options of:

• Do it now
• Delegate it
• Schedule it
• Do it later

The great part is that the items are never lost or forgotten. In the past they were on pieces of paper - lost.

Once I do an item I can tick it off as completed. Simple.

It has some other wonderful tools I will tell you about then another time.

So after all the sorting and chucking of paper for the last couple of days. It is great to list some items that look towards the future and not the past. And tick them off when they are done.

I have decided that Marvellous March will be a the month to simplify. I have sorted through the paper piles and now I am doing the stuff that is left.

Having the reward of seeing the completed item tick is great for the self-esteem as well.

If you use Simple.ology tell me how often you use it and how your productivity has increased.

If you haven't used and want to know more click here to be sent to the Simpleology 101. Don't worry it free. It may look overwhelming at first, but it not, the whole program comes with an easy step by step guide.

Now that I am ready to complete some more things on my list I better get back to it.

Leona

How to progress from backlog?

When I have been back from my forced break for 2 weeks now and I am taking it very slow. But my biggest problem is how to get through all the stuff that has piled up over the week I was off line. For days it felt like one step forward and 3 steps back.

I would read heaps of emails and then my inbox would fill up again. So I had to get tough. I have decided that I need to unsubscribe from lists. I do this about every 6 months or so. You might need to do it more frequently.

1. First decide with category emails are coming in:

• friends
• family
• works
• information
• learning
• fun.

2. Set up rules in your emails

• Friend and Family go to a selected folders
• Works can be diverted to dedicated folders.
• newsletters and blog posting can diverted to other folders.

3. Make a list of your most frequent emails. I usually work on 10 at a time.

4. Every time you receive an email from this list read it and decide if this was useful. Tick if it was or Cross if it was not.

5. At the end of a week look at the number of ticks and cross - if you had more crosses than ticks - unsubscribed from this newsletter. It is taking up more time than you need.

Remember some item or programs you download automatically add you to their email lists e.g. itunes. Decide if you really find this useful.

Some emails are from products that have been free. Great marketing tool but does the extra information really serve you now.

Sometimes you have subscribe to 2 or 3 lists to decided which is the best one. If the lists give you the same information but at different times. Focus on what have the best information or the extra information.

There are a lot of decision to be made. Make the time to make the decision and yes it will have to made regularly because our tastes change. What was important to you a year ago may not be relevant today.

At the moment I seems to be unsubscribed from a lot of stuff. And it is taking a bit of time but I am looking forward to next week when my downloaded unread emails no longer reach 3 digits.

If you feel that you still need all newsletters from months and years ago - I suggest that they are either all excellent and constantly change to meet you interests (tell me about them) or you have not changed in your thoughts and ideas. I would suggest to live a little and step out of your comfort zone. Try something different.

Now back to my emails

Leona

Decluttering notebooks of life

I have been sorting through my old notebooks. It is a very interesting process.

As a reformed hoarder I often have a mass culling of stuff and deciding what I need and what I don't need anymore. For me the reasons why I cull stuff is mostly because I don't need it need it anymore or it is no longer important. By getting rid of the old ideas I can make way for the new.

Sometimes I don't need the information anymore, because I have grown and hence is no longer relevant.

As I am going through the notebook crossing out bits and pieces, I stubble on some cherished notes or a poem that I wrote and I need to keep it so I am transferring into another notebook. Occasionally I will find some notes that I want to keep either because I still want learn the information.

It is very time consuming but very rewarding. On the physical level I am throwing out papers and reducing my notebooks. On the mental level I am shedding thoughts and ideas that no longer suit. On the spiritual level I am lighting my connection to the past and trusting that have the information I need.

Many of the notes I am getting rid of remind me that I have grown and I am happy with where I am now. I am becoming the person I want to be.

I am not hanging onto the past as proof of who I am - the past is not me. It is mealy the training ground.

Sometimes I worry that I might throw out something that I might need. But I have to trust that if need to be reminded of that lesson, an opportunity will present itself to learn it.

I am astounded of the variety of sources that I learn my information. I collect information from everywhere.

I know that I am a work in progress and I am pleased to be reminded of the growth I have done. Proof that I will keep growing into the person I want to be.

So have you got old notebooks or diaries that you are keeping. Have you re-read them? Are they still relevant to you? Maybe you no longer need them because you have grown. Be proud of yourself if you have grown. Congratulations. Declutter your life and you connection the past - to free up your future.

Leona