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I realized I was having difficulty sticking to my task list.because I had never made a plan. The Planning The Night Before challenge was to get me past that difficulty. The challenge was to make my plan for the next day in my bullet journal the night before. MORE
I was working with a colleague recently, helping him through a process that was unfamiliar with a tool he had not really used. What we were doing is less important than the conversation. Paste the item three times." I'll admit it, I was bored. MORE
If you are not a long-time reader of my blog, or only know me through the podcast, you probably don't know much about me. Today I give you 10 things you probably didn't know about me so that you can learn about where I come from, both literally and metaphorically. The post Podcast Episode 18 – 10 Things You May Not Know About Me appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast MORE
Predictable annoyances wear us down, much like a river wears away stone. By dealing with these ongoing issues, we can free up our time and energy for something more meaningful. Let's turn our pigeons of discontent into bluebirds of happiness. MORE
I'm sure that doing puzzles can be a great help to those who want to up their mental game, but it didn't have the effects I was hoping for. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: A Puzzle A Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge MORE
Even though Evernote has some serious disadvantages (see Evernote: Love, Hate, and Usage ), it is still my chosen note software. Today I wanted to show you how I use Evernote so that things are manageable. When I first started using Evernote seriously, I researched the best practices. MORE
I can go down a rabbit hole of distraction faster than a rabbit. To keep myself on track, I took a trick I learned as a parent – using external tools to enforce limits. Today’s show is about the various limiters I use to keep myself away from distraction. MORE
Sometimes I feel that when I declutter my information intake, I get stuck in a bubble of my own making. But in order to keep growing, I need additional inputs. So the 30 day challenge for this month is to search out a new website each day. This month's challenge is to seek out a new website each day. MORE
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Do you ever have a stretch of time where you are so busy it feels like you can't even pause to catch your breath? If so, you need to look at building margin into your life. MORE
Most people have moments when they see something and think, "I'd like to do that someday." If you're not going to forget about it, that means you either have to do it right now or write it down somewhere so you won't forget. MORE
It used to be that people sent cards at the holidays as a matter of social norm. Now with social media, most people don't send holiday greetings. After all, it is much easier to click a few times or to post once and let others see it when they may. MORE
If you have ever gotten frustrated with a pre-made planner because you ended up working to fit the planner, rather than the planner fitting you, there is a solution. That solution is Bullet Journaling. The post Change Your Life With the Bullet Journal Method appeared first on Laura Earnest. MORE
My 30 day challenge of exercising every day is over. See what I learned! The post 30 Day Challenge Wrap Up: Exercise Every Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge MORE
The average American sits for 11 hours a day. That is outside of the time spent in bed sleeping. We are the fattest we have ever been, and our sedentary lifestyle is leading to disease. MORE
There is too much stress in our lives. We're so busy and overwhelmed that our stress levels creep up. And it's not good for us. Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to mood disorders, cardiovascular disease, digestive problems, eating disorders and more. It's a killer. MORE
One of the things that I struggle with as I put together routines to support my life is meaning. It's one thing to take another person's routine and adopt it, but for me, this quickly turns sour if it doesn't matter to my life. I'm looking at this more closely as I rebuild routines. MORE
For my 30 Day Challenge this month, I did a spending freeze. As I talked about when I started it, I wanted to reduce the stuff I was bringing in to the house, and see if could manage to break my spending habit. It wasn't easy, but I got some great results. Read on for more details. MORE
Life can get caught up in the day to day task list items. So much so that we forget about everything except crossing off the next item. In today's show I will talk about an every day list. We'll look at what they are, how to make one, and how to make sure you do them. MORE
One of the things that can suck up a lot of our time is doing things for others. This is particularly apparent if you have kids that still live at home. If you can empower others' independence, you can get a lot of time back for yourself. MORE
The two-minute rule says that if you can deal with it in under 2 minutes, do it right then. In some cases, I think this is a good rule. But in others, I think batching is a better way to go. Batching is grouping like tasks together and getting them done. MORE
I had thought to tackle something major this month, but honestly, I need something that is going to help me stay on track rather than something that is going to shake the foundations. And for that reason, I have decided that this month's 30 day challenge is going to be to plan the night before. MORE
Back about 10 years ago, multi-tasking was touted as the way to get more done. Doing two things at once is better than one, after all, right? Not so fast.(literally literally and figuratively!). When I first heard about multi-tasking, I really thought it was a good idea. MORE
The holiday season is upon us. For most people, it hits like a blizzard tornado, and they find themselves spit out in January dazed, exhausted and bruised. And I understand, because I was like that for many years. MORE
It’s the last month of the year, and I was at a loss to choose a single habit. Many of the habits I have tried through my 30 day challenges over the past year needs some reinforcement, so I thought it would be good to spend a month making those habits stronger. MORE
Not all tools can be used optimally by all people. This applies whether it is a physical tool like a hammer or a productivity system. Today we will look at an approach to allow you to get as much out of a tool as you can. I've always maintained that there is no magic bullet in productivity. MORE
130 
It has been said that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Since we can distill complex thoughts into single images, it makes sense that we can use images to represent our desires. MORE
There is so much information coming at us today. We get it from the media, internet, email, social media. We can try to escape, but as long as we have our phones, we have even more information at our fingertips. MORE
One of the things I hear over and over is that for a more satisfied life, one needs to make a gratitude list. I can always use more satisfaction in my life, and so for the new year I have decided to start with a gratitude. The post 30 Day Challenge: Gratitude appeared first on Laura Earnest. MORE
130 
This is the last month of the year, and I decided to firm up the 30 days challenges I had attempted over this year. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: All of the Above appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge MORE
Once again I am struggling with burnout. I looked through my archives to see how I dealt with this in the past. And I thought I would pull together the information on burnout in one place. The post Podcast Episode 19: Dealing with Burnout appeared first on Laura Earnest. Burnout Podcast MORE
130 
I've talked about how you can take a tool that is not quite right and make it work for you. This is good if you cannot use a tool optimally, or don't really know how to use it fully. There are times, though, when you do know how to use a tool, but are forced to use a sub-optimal or substitute tool. MORE
130 
How you start your day impacts how the rest of your day will go. Start the morning frantic, and you will be playing catch up the rest of the day. But you can stack the deck in your favor by doing the two things that will make your whole day go smoother. MORE
Have you ever bookmarked a website, to return later and find that it is gone? Or wished that you could make notes on a website and save it? These are the primary reasons to use a notebook application like Evernote instead of a bookmark manager. MORE
It has now been four years since my very short excursion into the world of education. The wounds have skinned over enough for me to talk about it, and so I wanted to take today to talk about why I am grateful for the worst boss I ever had. I'm going to call it a mid-life crisis. MORE
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 31, 2020
For April of 2020 I am going to stretch myself to start a simple daily meditation: 5 minutes of focusing on my breathing. The post 30 Day Challenge: 5 Minute Breathing appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 30, 2020
I'm sure that doing puzzles can be a great help to those who want to up their mental game, but it didn't have the effects I was hoping for. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: A Puzzle A Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
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Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 29, 2020
Most people have moments when they see something and think, "I'd like to do that someday." If you're not going to forget about it, that means you either have to do it right now or write it down somewhere so you won't forget.
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 21, 2020
Even though Evernote has some serious disadvantages (see Evernote: Love, Hate, and Usage ), it is still my chosen note software. Today I wanted to show you how I use Evernote so that things are manageable. When I first started using Evernote seriously, I researched the best practices.
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 17, 2020
Once again I am struggling with burnout. I looked through my archives to see how I dealt with this in the past. And I thought I would pull together the information on burnout in one place. The post Podcast Episode 19: Dealing with Burnout appeared first on Laura Earnest. Burnout Podcast
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 15, 2020
Have you ever bookmarked a website, to return later and find that it is gone? Or wished that you could make notes on a website and save it? These are the primary reasons to use a notebook application like Evernote instead of a bookmark manager.
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 8, 2020
Sometimes ideas need time to incubate. We may need to work out details, methods, or even the feasibility of the idea itself. To the outside person, this can look like procrastination. But in fact, incubation and procrastination are very different. How are they different?
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 29, 2020
The 30-Day Challenges this year are to get me to expand my thinking, abilities and more. This month I have chosen to do a puzzle a day. The post 30 Day Challenge: A Puzzle A Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge aff
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 28, 2020
My 30 day challenge to find a new website a day is done. I've found some great sites - and some new inputs for my regular reading. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: A Website A Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 23, 2020
One of the things that can suck up a lot of our time is doing things for others. This is particularly apparent if you have kids that still live at home. If you can empower others' independence, you can get a lot of time back for yourself.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
I can go down a rabbit hole of distraction faster than a rabbit. To keep myself on track, I took a trick I learned as a parent – using external tools to enforce limits. Today’s show is about the various limiters I use to keep myself away from distraction.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 16, 2020
The two-minute rule says that if you can deal with it in under 2 minutes, do it right then. In some cases, I think this is a good rule. But in others, I think batching is a better way to go. Batching is grouping like tasks together and getting them done.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 9, 2020
One of the things that I love to do is to dive into a topic and do some research. These thing are always issues that impact my life at the time. I thought as one of the alternating short articles on the blog, I would make use of that research and share it with you.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 4, 2020
Predictable annoyances wear us down, much like a river wears away stone. By dealing with these ongoing issues, we can free up our time and energy for something more meaningful. Let's turn our pigeons of discontent into bluebirds of happiness.
Simple Productivity Blog
FEBRUARY 2, 2020
Productivity is not simply just about how you do your work. Peak productivity takes into account your physical state, distraction level, energy, and organization. Today we will look at 20 essential productivity tips for your daily life.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 31, 2020
Sometimes I feel that when I declutter my information intake, I get stuck in a bubble of my own making. But in order to keep growing, I need additional inputs. So the 30 day challenge for this month is to search out a new website each day. This month's challenge is to seek out a new website each day.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 30, 2020
This month I tackled implementing a gratitude practice. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: Gratitude appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 19, 2020
It has been said that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Since we can distill complex thoughts into single images, it makes sense that we can use images to represent our desires.
Simple Productivity Blog
JANUARY 12, 2020
If you have ever gotten frustrated with a pre-made planner because you ended up working to fit the planner, rather than the planner fitting you, there is a solution. That solution is Bullet Journaling. The post Change Your Life With the Bullet Journal Method appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 31, 2019
One of the things I hear over and over is that for a more satisfied life, one needs to make a gratitude list. I can always use more satisfaction in my life, and so for the new year I have decided to start with a gratitude. The post 30 Day Challenge: Gratitude appeared first on Laura Earnest.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 30, 2019
This is the last month of the year, and I decided to firm up the 30 days challenges I had attempted over this year. The post 30 Day Challenge Wrapup: All of the Above appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 22, 2019
There is too much stress in our lives. We're so busy and overwhelmed that our stress levels creep up. And it's not good for us. Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to mood disorders, cardiovascular disease, digestive problems, eating disorders and more. It's a killer.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 15, 2019
There is so much information coming at us today. We get it from the media, internet, email, social media. We can try to escape, but as long as we have our phones, we have even more information at our fingertips.
Simple Productivity Blog
MARCH 3, 2020
If you are not a long-time reader of my blog, or only know me through the podcast, you probably don't know much about me. Today I give you 10 things you probably didn't know about me so that you can learn about where I come from, both literally and metaphorically. The post Podcast Episode 18 – 10 Things You May Not Know About Me appeared first on Laura Earnest. Podcast
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 8, 2019
It used to be that people sent cards at the holidays as a matter of social norm. Now with social media, most people don't send holiday greetings. After all, it is much easier to click a few times or to post once and let others see it when they may.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 3, 2019
How you start your day impacts how the rest of your day will go. Start the morning frantic, and you will be playing catch up the rest of the day. But you can stack the deck in your favor by doing the two things that will make your whole day go smoother.
Simple Productivity Blog
DECEMBER 1, 2019
The holiday season is upon us. For most people, it hits like a blizzard tornado, and they find themselves spit out in January dazed, exhausted and bruised. And I understand, because I was like that for many years.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 30, 2019
It’s the last month of the year, and I was at a loss to choose a single habit. Many of the habits I have tried through my 30 day challenges over the past year needs some reinforcement, so I thought it would be good to spend a month making those habits stronger.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 29, 2019
My 30 day challenge of exercising every day is over. See what I learned! The post 30 Day Challenge Wrap Up: Exercise Every Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Many years ago I saw the effect of simplifying spaces in my home. By taking away the immediate choices my daughter had for activities, she was able to settle quicker and play longer.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 10, 2019
I've talked about how you can take a tool that is not quite right and make it work for you. This is good if you cannot use a tool optimally, or don't really know how to use it fully. There are times, though, when you do know how to use a tool, but are forced to use a sub-optimal or substitute tool.
Simple Productivity Blog
OCTOBER 31, 2019
The average American sits for 11 hours a day. That is outside of the time spent in bed sleeping. We are the fattest we have ever been, and our sedentary lifestyle is leading to disease.
Simple Productivity Blog
OCTOBER 30, 2019
I realized I was having difficulty sticking to my task list.because I had never made a plan. The Planning The Night Before challenge was to get me past that difficulty. The challenge was to make my plan for the next day in my bullet journal the night before.
Simple Productivity Blog
OCTOBER 27, 2019
I was working with a colleague recently, helping him through a process that was unfamiliar with a tool he had not really used. What we were doing is less important than the conversation. Paste the item three times." I'll admit it, I was bored.
Simple Productivity Blog
OCTOBER 20, 2019
One of the things that I struggle with as I put together routines to support my life is meaning. It's one thing to take another person's routine and adopt it, but for me, this quickly turns sour if it doesn't matter to my life. I'm looking at this more closely as I rebuild routines.
Simple Productivity Blog
OCTOBER 13, 2019
It has now been four years since my very short excursion into the world of education. The wounds have skinned over enough for me to talk about it, and so I wanted to take today to talk about why I am grateful for the worst boss I ever had. I'm going to call it a mid-life crisis.
Simple Productivity Blog
OCTOBER 6, 2019
Not all tools can be used optimally by all people. This applies whether it is a physical tool like a hammer or a productivity system. Today we will look at an approach to allow you to get as much out of a tool as you can. I've always maintained that there is no magic bullet in productivity.
Simple Productivity Blog
OCTOBER 1, 2019
Life can get caught up in the day to day task list items. So much so that we forget about everything except crossing off the next item. In today's show I will talk about an every day list. We'll look at what they are, how to make one, and how to make sure you do them.
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 30, 2019
I had thought to tackle something major this month, but honestly, I need something that is going to help me stay on track rather than something that is going to shake the foundations. And for that reason, I have decided that this month's 30 day challenge is going to be to plan the night before.
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 29, 2019
For my 30 Day Challenge this month, I did a spending freeze. As I talked about when I started it, I wanted to reduce the stuff I was bringing in to the house, and see if could manage to break my spending habit. It wasn't easy, but I got some great results. Read on for more details.
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 22, 2019
Back about 10 years ago, multi-tasking was touted as the way to get more done. Doing two things at once is better than one, after all, right? Not so fast.(literally literally and figuratively!). When I first heard about multi-tasking, I really thought it was a good idea.
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019
You have a list of projects. How do you know which one to focus on? It all comes down to return on investment, at least in terms of time and energy. Today I will give you a way to rank your projects to make it a bit easier to figure out which one to tackle next.
Simple Productivity Blog
SEPTEMBER 15, 2019
Productivity advice can be found pretty much wherever you look. I was watching the Princess Bride a few days ago and realized how much of the movie can be applied to make my life more productive. I work on a team of men that constantly quotes movies.
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