One Bag Nation

Archive for May 2008

What Works, What Doesn’t: My Notepad in the Car

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 31, 2008

What Works? My habit of keeping a small notebook and pen in the car, in a little drawer that’s easy to reach from the driver’s seat.
All kinds of things come to mind when I’m driving: calls I need to make; something I need to pick up for dinner; upcoming birthdays; books or music I hear [...]

I Need to Stop Procrastinating and Start Working

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 29, 2008

Earlier today I indulged in a bit of a poor me post about losing sight of my goals and disliking my day job. I spend more time thinking about how much I dislike it and trying to avoid it than I do working. And the truth is, once I get started it’s not all that [...]

I’ve Dropped My Big Rocks

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 29, 2008

Several weeks ago I wrote about the notion of attending to your “big rocks” first, in terms of time management and productivity. I had three big rocks, and ambitious goals.
As of this writing, I think I’m still carrying just one of those big rocks. Why?

The first rock was to work towards financial security for my [...]

Introducing Lost & Found

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 28, 2008

It’s inevitable that when we begin to declutter, clear out cupboards and closets, and weed through piles of paper that we’ll find something that has been missing for a while. It’s like a treasure hunt.
I decided to keep track of the things that were lost – and then found – as a result of [...]

Reducing Email Clutter

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 28, 2008

There’s a lot of chatter on the productivity blogs about “processing your inbox to zero” and how to manage email overload. I decided that poor David Allen would hyperventilate if he saw my inbox, so I took a crack at it, and began by ruthlessly deleting mail after mail. Most of those emails represented indecision [...]

The Basement Report: an Update

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 27, 2008

If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know that I had to leave town for a few days due to my brother’s illness. Yesterday was Day 15 of my basement clean-up project, but sorry to say, I haven’t made any progress since my trip.
I was busy unpacking, doing laundry and getting over my jetlag – [...]

What Works, What Doesn’t: Desk Day

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 27, 2008

I’ve implemented ideas from two organizing and productivity gurus to help me manage household bill-paying and other household paperwork. Setting up and consistently using an inbox, and the routine of my weekly desk day have made a big difference in my quest to be more organized.
At the suggestion of David Allen, I have one large [...]

Heading Home

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 25, 2008

It’s kind of scary how much I’ve enjoyed this trip. My brother was critically ill, so this was far from a relaxing vacation. And as I mentioned in my post the other day, I’m staying in a very modest hotel, but it has seemed like heaven.
And I haven’t had any real responsibilities. Someone else is [...]

That’s a Classic: The Missing Shoes

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 23, 2008

The other day my husband was in charge of our daughter’s Daisy Girl Scout troop meeting; he and another dad planned a mini-olympics event to be held at the local community center.
I had told him what time he needed to leave to get to the meeting on time, and with about two minutes to spare, [...]

Crisp Sheets, Soft Pillows and Fresh Towels

Posted by: onebagnation on: May 23, 2008

I’m staying in a hotel (alone!) for a few days, while I visit my brother who’s been in the hospital. Even though it is decidedly not a vacation or a fancy hotel, I feel totally pampered. It’s easy to keep my room tidy because it’s just me and I didn’t bring a lot of stuff. [...]