My First Facial

Confession: I’ve just come home from my first-ever facial. I’m not exactly sure why it took me so long, but there you have it.

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Getting Organized: What’s your life hack?

I was listening to an interview with Jen Gotch, the founder of Ban.do (and inspirational trash-dancer extraordinaire) the other day and she shared a legal-pad trick for staying on-task:

Basically, she explains, she doesn’t like to bring her laptop to meetings to take notes because she gets distracted. So she uses one pink legal pad, carrying it from meeting to meeting, taking notes on phone calls, etcetera. And then, she says, she has a rule before she goes to the next page: “I can only do one page at a time. When I fill up a page, I go into my Google Doc system and I put all the notes into whatever file they need to be in or I email if I need to email. Like, take any action that needs to be taken. And then I don’t end up a week in looking back at notes and trying to figure out what the heck it was I was talking about. And then I also then know that all my notes are in one place and not on post-its on my laptop or on the back of a receipt or in a digital file.”

I remember feeling the same way about the receipt-notes and such when I started using a bullet journal, but I especially loved the idea of a stop-gap between the note-taking and the action-taking.

It made me think that we must all make arbitrary rules for ourselves in the name of being efficient and on-task. Life-hacks, so to speak. Some people only answer emails at a certain time, or they always get up an hour early to have some quiet time. Or remember the parent who dressed her kids the night before school? That was controversial!

What are your life hacks or self-made rules that keep you organized or on task? 

P.S. More on getting organized: A Calendar Wall, being productive when working remotely, and how to conquer your chore list. Also, looking organized if you’re note: beautiful office decor.

[Photo via Appointed—who makes such gorgeous office supplies. There’s even a pink notebook. Interview on Entrepreneur.]

 

 

Enjoy the long weekend! (& Friday Links)

I’m not usually one to complain about three day weekends, but I’m not quite ready for this one. We finally got everyone back in school (Skyler in Kindergarten!) this past Wednesday, everyone is excited to be back with their friends and get a bit of a routine going, but nope—that was a total tease!

But alas, who are we to squander the chance for one more summer adventure? So I’m packing up the car to drive up to Tahoe after the kids get out—we’ll pick up Aron from work on the way.

Those of you for whom this is a long weekend, any fun plans? How many of you are taking a break from school versus how many have yet to begin?

Whatever the case may be, I hope you enjoy the end of August. And we hope those in Florida are staying safe. Some links of note…

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