Here’s a Method That Increases Your Organization and Productivity

One may be the loneliness number, but it can also be a powerful number!

When I’m feeling overwhelmed by stuff or tasks, it’s often because I want the whole problem to just go away. Unfortunately, neither the Organizing Fairy nor the Task Completion Fairy have visited my home or office recently. And, my magic wand isn’t working at all! So, ignoring the issue isn’t the answer.

Often, I get caught up in “gotta do it all at once” thinking. For example, if I want to delete some books, I feel like I have to go through my whole book collection and determine all of the ones I want to donate. Or, if I am creating some e-content, it must be completed in one sitting.

Does this sound familiar?

The truth is that there may never be a time when you can finish the entire endeavor, especially if it’s a large one. You may get called away (or distract yourself!). You might not have all of the information or supplies. While in a perfect world completing the project all at once sounds great, it may not be feasible.

If you keep waiting for the “right time,” the responsibility may grow in size – either in reality or just in your mind. Either way, the bigger it gets, the more difficult it is to start.

So, what happens if several projects are in this category or if you’re experiencing a life-disrupting event which impacts all activities?

Talk about overwhelm!

Enough about the problem, let’s solve it!

I want you to consider the “the power of one.” One can seem like a small number but don’t let it deceive you! It can be impactful if used on a consistent basis.

If you have extra stuff in your space, think about deleting “just one”:

• item from each category i.e., pair of jeans, tool, shirt, book, small kitchen appliance
• unit of stuff such as a box, drawer, bag, etc.
• non-functioning electronic gadget
• outdated catalog or magazine

If your calendar and to-do list is stuffed, you can also consider deleting “just one” event or task. Here are some examples:

• Cook a double portion of dinner and put one portion in the freezer. At a later date you won’t have to have “cook dinner” as a task because you can pull it from the freezer.
• Eliminate a volunteer activity that you don’t enjoy.
• Delegate a household chore, whether it is to someone else in the home or to a paid service such as cleaning, shopping, errand-running, or bill-paying.

The idea of “just one” doesn’t always include deletion. Sometimes addition can be just as powerful. Develop one new daily habit such as process one more piece of mail, put away one more piece of clothing, wash one more dish, or answer one more email.

For the next week use the “power of one,” whether through deletion or addition. Try it in different ways and places. I’d love to hear what happens!

Share your discoveries below.