I love paper.  There’s something about the silky-smooth pages of a Moleskine notebook and a high-quality pen that give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.  The Moleskine Volant mini is a relatively new (re)addition to the popular family of notebooks, and well-worth a look.

If you find yourself out and about and needing to make a quick note – maybe you should try turning the pages of a notebook instead of typing something into your phone.  The Moleskine Volant mini is 2.5″ by 4″ and has 56 pages – the last 16 which are perforatted for easy removal.  It’s a perfect pocket-companion for any of the Fisher bullet space pens.

Personally, there are many advantages to having paper available at a moment’s notice.  Whether it’s jotting a quick note-to-self, leaving a note to someone, or making an impromtu list — paper just works however you need it to.  With so many digital companions available (I use my iPhone for almost everything mobile), using paper regularly is a much needed break from the out-of-touch internet world.

Yes, it’s nice to use Evernote to keep all my notes in one location.  Yes, it’s great I can access my Toodledo lists from anywhere.  However, it’s a small notebook and pocket-pen that are the quickest to get an idea out of my head.  It’s a hand-written note to someone that they might remember you by.

I typically export all of my handwritten items to their correct digital place each day.  If I was digital-only, I would pass-up on writing down a lot of list items and ideas – I never have that problem with paper.

I think there’s a place for a physical notebook in everyone’s workflow, and with the Moleskine Volant mini – you really don’t have an excuse!

Do you use paper in your life?  Let me know how you manage it in the comments!

Are you following me on Twitter?

You might ask yourself how a guy who eats and sleeps everything web-related could say “stop reading Mashable” in the title of an article.  Mashable is actually one of my favorite sites and I think after you’re done with this post, you’ll simply read Mashable differently – not stop altogether.

I must have been one of the first readers of Mashable (at least I like to think so).  I remember commenting on an early post, when Pete was still writing everything on the site himself.  I got an email back from him personally thanking me and asking if I wanted him to review my (early-stage then never-launched) start-up, to just let him know.

It was engaging – and I attribute much of Mashable’s success to Pete’s early commitment to his readers.  Mashable immediately became a daily read for me.  A constant stream of start-ups being reviewed: tools, mash-ups, social networks – it would’ve been fine if I would’ve just read the articles and had drawn knowledge and lessons out of each story – but instead, I had become a “beta addict.”

Almost every web app that came along which got mentioned on Mashable, I was one of the first to register for.  Keeping track of account names and passwords was obviously difficult – but it even got to the point where I was getting dozens of emails from sites that I had forgotten what their purpose was.

So began the circle of beta sign-ups, confirmation clicks, account registrations, friend-finding, app-learning, and finally… app-quitting.

Know What You Need to Be Productive

I get upset at my mother when she constantly finds stuff at discount stores and swap meets that she “needs.”  Her house is full of things that she couldn’t pass up because of the price – even though she’ll never use it and it’ll just add to the clutter.

In the web-world, the price is our time and our mind is our house – but the definition of our needs is still very important.  Because I never had a definite outline of HOW I wanted to be productive, I had no idea what I NEEDED to be productive.  The effect of this is that I signed up to use everything that came my way.

1.) Write down exactly how you want your work flow to happen.  This will change depending on who you are and what you do.  The key here is to be exact – know how and when thoughts enter your head, what the easiest way to record that thought would be, do you need a main system of recording and tracking information, etc.

When will you review all these bits of information? How often? Maybe you’ll need project management software and maybe you’ll find you can do everything you need by using Google Calendar.  Either way, breaking down exactly what you need will help you determine what  you need to fulfill your productivity.

2.) Sign up for only what you’re missing.  Let’s say you’ve broken down your information process and you’ve determined that you’re going to immediately input any thought or action into a pocket Moleskine.  At a later time each day, you’re going to enter the day’s notes into a web notebook, like Evernote, so you have access to it anywhere.  You’ll add dates and reminders to Google Calendar, and to-dos to…. oops, you don’t have anywhere to put to-dos.

You can make due for now, but now you know that all you need to make your process complete is an online to-do manager.  You can limit yourself from signing up with just any service to try it out – and focus only on testing new to-do apps. (I’ve chosen Remember the Milk.)

Wash and Repeat

No matter what process you’re overloading yourself with – whether it’s social networking, blogging, finance or design – you can become more productive by repeating this process again and again.

I. Write down the exact needs for your process.

II. List what you currently use that you love and can be used in that process.

III. Define what needs you have left to fill and only try new applications that fill that need.

The web is allowing us to be more productive than ever, but the flood of new applications on a daily basis can actually destroy our productivity instead of making it more sound.

Start today!  If you can define your process and the tools you need, the next article on Mashable about a social network for your cat can simply be entertaining instead of distracting you from what’s important!

Starting a Gratitude Journal

The things you could be grateful could range from the courteous service at the car wash, the help of a friend, to the love of a family member, to the hand of god rocking you gently, anything counts really. Of course, writing in your gratitude journal is much easier after you have had a great day. If you have had a bad day, you still have to write five things down that you are grateful for. It’ll be a lot tougher, but you still have to find some and write them down.

But that’s the point.

You start a gratitude journal to help yourself find the positive things in life. It teaches you to look for the positive in an otherwise dreary day. So it’s on the terrible and depressing days that the journal does its work. Even though times have been tough, you have still been able to find things about your life that you are grateful for. Though they may only be small things like dew drops and kittens, you still forced yourself to find a silver lining in a dark cloud of a day. On a good day, it still teaches you to be grateful for all the good things that have happened to you. It’s a win-win situation.

A gratitude journal is such a wonderful and needed thing. There are few things in life that force you to regularly look at your life and be thankful for all the good things that you have been given.
Start one today, to remind you of all the great and positive things in your life.

How are YOU journalling?

Time is a precious commodity and if yours is getting away from you, you are in need of the self help practice known as time management. It is too easy for life’s interruptions to get the best of you and make you a slave to everyone else’s agenda.

Spending time wisely naturally plays a big role in the level of success a person can achieve. You can read all the self help literature you want but without some sort of plan for your day, your day will simply “happen” to you. You will not accomplish much and you will miss out on new opportunities because you will be in such a constant state of being behind, that you will be out of time for anything else.

Start out by planning your day ahead of time. The key is to schedule a routine time either first thing in the morning or sometime the night before, and stick with it. Make note of what needs to be done for that day. Set new goals and review those previously set.

Set times to start and finish your projects so that one task doesn’t hijack your whole day. Divide big tasks into a series of smaller ones to be completed in increments.

Lastly, take your bigger projects and divide them into smaller more manageable tasks. They will get done quicker because you won’t dread them so much, and your other, smaller tasks will not suffer because of it.

Planning may be key, but acceptance is important too, for even the best made plans can be thwarted by unexpected tasks. Realize that it is okay, deal with the situation and move on. It is so easy to put a small task aside to be completed later, not realizing the pile up you will soon be facing.

They usually only take a minute so handle them and move on. You will feel better, be more productive and suffer less stress. Much of your day can also be eaten up by over thinking the start of a new project.

More time is often spent avoiding it than working on it. It has to get done no matter how much you wish it didn’t. So decide whether you are going to work on it now or later, then move on and continue managing your day.

We all play different roles in life and one can only assume that you want to achieve your maximum potential in all of them. My primary roles are Self, Wife, Mother, and Professional. Let’s begin by asking a simple self help question, “If you don’t set goals for yourself, how do you know if you have accomplished anything?”

That sense of achievement is a big motivator to keep on climbing those mountains of life, so it is essential to get your priorities in order and set goals, achieve, and give yourself credit every one of your successes.

To address goal setting for a wider audience, let’s address the misconception that setting goals is just for your career.

This is unfortunate because at home, where we play the roles of spouse, parent, and household manager, organization and achievement are key to all other successes. To those folks I recommend to use the term “life list” instead. When it is time to put pen to paper, if you prefer, scribble “LIFE LIST” at the top of yours. Maybe even put some doodles around it. Whatever makes you excited to continue.

The beginning stages of your goal setting will be brainstorming. Schedule some quiet time with yourself to think about what you want to do and where you want to be at the end of the day, the end of the year, five years from now, and so on. Remove all barriers from your mind, such as money, location, situation, etc. Let yourself imagine doing, and being at, these places. (Be they places on the map or places in life!) From this page of goals, dreams, and wishes, start to put them in order.

Now you are ready to make your lists. Goals come in many forms. You will start by making a heading of short term goals and another for long term goals.

In the short term you might want to clean out the garage. In the long term you may want to buy a business. Then expand your headings to include anything else so that every goal resulting from your brainstorming has a place to sit, such as “5 year goals” , “Lifetime goals”, “wildest wishes”, etc.

You will be surprised at how attainable some of the most far fetched ideas become as you start to chart your successes and become more productive.

In my studies of human development, I found that procrastination destroys more things than any other single element. If this habit gets out of control, it ruins marriages, careers, relationships, and self worth. Over time, it has the capability to grow until it completely paralyzes an individual. The effect equally devastates the people doing the procrastinating and all others around them.

Everyone procrastinates to a certain degree. It is a natural human tendency to put some things off, especially those activities we deem negative. Where this habit becomes a problem is when it becomes the default mindset. As children, we are inclined to do things the moment that we think of them. The “do it now” mentality is prevalent. The concept of time is not well formed, thus the child lives completely in the moment. Of course, as we age, this all changes.

As we mature, we learn certain lessons. These lessons are taught in a variety of ways. However, the overall message is that responsible people do a lot of things they do not enjoy. To show us how this work, most of us are given chores to do while growing up. Tasks such as mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage, setting the table, and doing the dishes suddenly are assigned to us. Naturally, the desire to go out and play is stronger than the will to do these things. The reason is playing is fun while chores are not. It is in this way that many of us encounter our first opportunity to procrastinate,

Obviously there is a vast difference between putting off the mowing of the lawn and not paying the electric bill. Yet, when we follow the progression of this deadly habit, we clearly see how one arrives at this destination. We simply do not start out as procrastinators. However, as the unenviable tasks that require our attention mount in our lives, we begin to put more and more off. It starts with the lawn. From there we develop the practice of leaving our school assignments until the night before they are due. This action is duplicated when given a project in the workplace. Some of us even revel in the reputation that we gain as being able to complete things at the last moment. Unfortunately, many of us realize that procrastination creates a great deal of stress in our lives.

Procrastination is a habit. Like all other habits, it becomes ingrained in us over time. The more we engage in it, the deeper it spreads it roots. It is not uncommon for procrastination to completely dominate someones thought process. Instead of having a do it now mentality, the default mindset is to put the activity off. “Later” and “tomorrow” are commonly uttered responses when questioned about the task being avoided.

There are two factors that drive us to procrastinate. When simple activities are put off, laziness is the motivator. Basically, we do not want to do it. We can complete the tasks with ease yet just cannot seem to motivate ourselves to do it. Fortunately, this is usually a short lived situation. Once the motivation to act returns, the activity is quickly completed.

The other motivator is fear. Most situations where procrastination is present is based out of this emotion. When confronted with a task, we project into the future negatively. Our mind focuses upon how everything will not work out for us. This creates a degree of fear. When it is great enough, we start to put the action off. This will occur until the pain of putting it off is greater than the pain associated with taking the action.

Repeating this scenario is what causes us to be paralyzed by procrastination. At first, only the most difficult of tasks are avoided. However, as the habit develops, we default to the idea of putting things off. When this point is reached, the individual is most likely unaware of the severity of the procrastination. It is operating at a subconscious level. The result is the inability to take the action necessary to move forward. While this persists, the quality of life decreases as all areas become infected with this tendency.

Awareness is the beginning of the overcoming of this tragic habit. Monitor those areas where you have a tendency to procrastinate to bring a level of consciousness to your shortcomings, Then take action to complete the task in spite of what your mind is telling you. It is the key to success.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/procrastination-the-silent-killer-202615.html

About the Author:
Dennis Harting is the Head Coach at Your Rich Life. He is an acclaimed speaker, trainer, and best-selling author. His international best selling books include Your Easiest Million and The Ultimate Procrastination Handbook. His programs and more information can be found at http://www.yourrichlifeinc.com.

There’s a condition that holds a lot of people back from progressing towards their goals. I’ve been guilty of suffering from this condition on some occasions, and maybe you have too.

It’s been called ‘analysis paralysis’, and is a form of perfectionism. Here’s how it looks: you have an idea. It could be a project that would generate extra income if you pulled it off. It makes sense. It sounds feasible. Heck, it even sounds easy and straightforward.

But days pass, weeks pass, months pass and you still haven’t taken the first step towards making that project a reality. Rather, you’re still thinking about how you’re going to solve every problem before you get started. You’re analyzing the idea to death, literally.

You want it to be perfect before you launch.

As a result, you never launch. All you have is an idea. Possibly a very good one at that.

While you’re dilly-dallying, someone else comes along with the same idea, launches the project with faults here and there and starts making a lot of money with it (as a result of the benefit it’s bringing to lots of people). You then feel like kicking yourself, thinking ‘if only I’d acted when I had the idea, I would be the one enjoying all this success…’

~*~SIDEBAR~*~ If this has ever happened to you, you may be interested to know how come someone else got the same idea and ran with it. You see, thoughts and ideas are all around us. They are living vibrant things, each seeking a vessel of expression. When a thought finds its way into your consciousness, you have the power and right to decide what to do with it. This has many consequences and implications, but for the context of this article we’ll stick to one.

If the idea in question is, for example, an idea for a book that you could write, and you sit on the idea, analyzing it from every possible angle, that thought is not going to stay waiting for you to wake up and put it into expression. It will, having left its seed in your consciousness, leave and seek a more willing and proactive vessel. It continues travelling through the ‘ether’ in this way until it lands in the consciousness of someone who starts writing that book the day the idea arrives in his mind.

~*~END OF SIDEBAR~*~

Of course it’s not perfect when you get started, but get started all the same. In doing so, you send out a message to God that you beleive this project will end the way it was intended when the idea was planted in your mind. This act of faith gets rewarded, as long as you persist in acting on the idea.

What idea(s) are you sitting on? Are you concerned about what others may think of your idea? Are you worried that you might look clumsy or silly? Are you scared that you might fail?

What others think is not a valid reason not to take action now. Your looking clumsy or silly is not a valid reason not to take action now. Fear of failure is not a valid reason not to take action. Truth be told, you’ve got no valid reason not to act on your idea right now.

Can you imagine if a baby, once he got the idea that he ought to start walking, got so bothered by the fact that he hadn’t perfected the skill yet that he refused to take the first step?

That sounds ludicrous doesn’t it?

Yet that’s what many of us do sometimes.

My challenge to you today is what Nike exhorts you to do: ‘Just do it!’ Take one little baby step towards it. Focus on that one step for now. You can think about the next baby step once it’s time to take it.

The way I see it is this: if you’re going to ‘fail’ at the project, get that part of the process over and done with in a hurry, so that you can get onto the next part.

Be like the baby learning to walk. Know that no matter what project you undertake, you’ll make mistakes along the way. Each mistake is a learning process, not a failure to discourage you. Expect and embrace these experiences when they happen. Learn from them and move on.

Don’t let that idea be taken from you and given to someone else who’s proactive with their life.

Be bold. Take action today.

Aricle by Dr Kem Thompson
Dr Kem Thompson is a Success Coach and Trainer who can help you you achieve breakthroughs in your finances, health and relationships. Get FREE gifts when you sign up for FREE ezines: ‘Days of Success’ – http://www.successeminars.com ‘Weekly Success Tips For Women’ – http://www.success-seminars.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr_Kem_Thompson

Whenever I’ve worked on ‘de-cluttering’ my living or working space, I’ve always found that it’s the unfinished project – whatever I’m procrastinating about – that takes up the most room.

Physically, it’s a constant reminder of something I tell myself I SHOULD be doing.
Mentally, it consumes my thoughts and diverts my attention from the present moment.
Emotionally, it weighs down my heart and nicks away at my confidence.

In this article, I invite you to consider how procrastination, as a form of self-sabotage, shows up in the different areas of your life.

Understanding Procrastination – Why do you procrastinate?

Maybe your physical surroundings and your ’systems’ of organization are getting in your way. For example:

~ My workspace is too messy
~ I’m too busy

Maybe distracting or debilitating emotions or thoughts are getting in your way. For example:

~ I’m afraid – afraid to fail, afraid to succeed
~ I’m overwhelmed

Maybe your physical body and its level of well-being is getting in your way. For example:

~ I’m too tired

Maybe your thoughts about the other people in your life are getting in your way. For example:

~ They might not like it
~ It won’t be as good as _____, so why bother?

Procrastination is a habit like any other. If you can envision how you want to be instead and look honestly at what forms of self-sabotage you usually use, you CAN compensate for your procrastination.

Overcoming Procrastination: What type of procrastinator are you?

Are you a Do-er or a Stew-er?

Do-er

A “do-er” will do anything to avoid the task at hand – the dishes need washing, the dog needs walking, the mail needs sorting, the bills need paying, the files need organizing, etc.

Action Plan for Do-er’s

Set a timer for 15-minutes and tell yourself that as soon as it goes off you can do whatever else you want, but until it does, you must sit in that chair and work on the project in front of you.

• Train your self
• Keep it short
• Stay in your chair

Stew-er

A “stew-er” will sit and “stew” about the thing you’re not doing. Your mind will spin round and round about different possibilities, you will plan elaborate things for when you do get around to working, you’ll be thinking so far into the future that you’ll never catch up to yourself.

Action Plan for Stew-er’s

Focus and calm your mind with meditation, affirmations and mind-body work such as breathing.

• Clear your mind
• Ground your thoughts
• Pause and breathe

Whether you’re a “do-er” or a “stew-er”, when we can accomplish our creative goals IN SPITE of having so many reasons to put them off, the rewards are even sweeter.

When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I need to remember that all I have to do is the next thing. A few next things later and I’ve tackled quite a bit!

It’s important to consider the bigger picture of this “thing” that you’re trying to do. There’s always the possibility that you don’t really want to do it or that you’re not meant to be doing it. If this is the case, a part of you knows that and is trying to tell you, so listen up (just make sure it’s not fear or self-doubt in disguise).

Lastly, remember to celebrate what you HAVE accomplished, no matter how small. The more you focus on what you HAVE done, versus what you HAVEN’T, the more confidence you’ll have and the more momentum you’ll build towards the next thing you’re going to do.

Article by Linda Dessau
Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive one of her free monthly newsletters, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/newsletter.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Dessau

Do you feel guilty about all the publications you purchase but never read — or the articles you read with great ideas or opportunities you never implement? Are you spending time recreating marketing materials because you cannot find what you wrote the preceding month or year? Do you run out the door for an appointment at the last minute because you could not find your keys or the directions you needed to get where you are going? Are you frequently feeling tired and overwhelmed? Do the people you care about express frustration at your disorganization or want to spend more time with you? If so, “getting organized” should be high on your priority list!

One of the continual frustrations in my career as a professional organizing consultant has been people’s misconceptions about what it means to be “organized.” Visions of unrealistically tidy desks and impossible mandates such as “Handle a piece of paper only once” conjure up feelings of frustration and impossibility. Fears of being imprisoned by a specific work style eliminate the reality of the freedom resulting from true organization.

What does it mean to “get organized?” Many people have a total misunderstanding of what it really means. I am trained as a musician. I look at organizing as an art form. Paint me a picture of what you want your life to be like, and I will help you get organized so you can get there! “Organization” is very personal. To identify whether a particular aspect of your work or life is organized, ask these three questions:

1. Does it work?
2. Do you like it?
3. Does it work for others?

Getting organized is about creating and sustaining a setting in which everything around you supports who you are and who you want to be – and allows everyone else you care about to do the same! The secret of getting organized and staying organized is what we call a “Productive Environment.” I have spent the past 25+ years assisting individuals and organizations to create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do that by helping them organize their time, space and information.

If you are ready for a life that will help you increase your profit and decrease your stress, here are 9 proven principles to get you started:

1. Today’s mail is tomorrow’s pile:
Are you sick of the clutter in your life? Most people start getting organized by throwing away old stuff. Our most popular service is called The 8-Hour Miracle™. We spend eight hours with a client with the promise of three things: 1) You will know what to do with every new thing that comes into your home or office. 2) You will be able to find anything we have filed or stored in that eight hours in five seconds or less. 3) You will have a Productive Environment GamePlan™ for handling whatever we didn’t handle in the eight hours we were there. If we do not live up to that promise, you do not owe us any money. How can we make that promise? Because we ignore all your old stuff, and set up a system to design the future you desire.

2. Organizing in and of itself is of no value.
It is merely a tool to help you accomplish something important to you. Ask yourself, “If I were organized, what would I be able to do that I cannot do now?” An inability to organize a particular aspect of one’s life often reflects a “should” mandated by someone else – not an inner desire to improve the quality of work or life, which is the only real reason for organizing anything! Always ask “Should I be organizing this at all?”

3. Clutter is postponed decisions.®
Not being able to decide what to keep, where to keep it, how long to keep it, etc. causes paralysis when it comes to organization. The good news is that there are really very few options. You can get rid of something, you can store it so you can use it regularly, or you can store it so you can use it if you want to.

4. Implement The FAT System™.
Papers pile up on your kitchen counter or a desk because you have not made a decision. The good news is there are really only three decisions you can make: File (in case you want it in the future, Act (the ball is in your court to pay the bill, write the report, or make a phone call), or Toss (decide it is not necessary).

5. Eighty percent of what you keep you never use.
Ironically, often the more you keep the less you use. It is no mistake the simplicity movement is one of the fastest growing in the world! Continually practice The Art of Wastebasketry® by asking these questions:
• Does this require action?
• Can I identify a specific use?
• Is it difficult to obtain again?
• Is it recent enough to be useful?
• Are there tax or legal implications?
• What is the worst possible thing that would happen I did not have this? If you can live with your answers, toss or recycle!

6. Overresponsibility can become irresponsibility.
One of the major reasons people keep things is because they “might be useful someday.” For example, many people have every pair of eyeglasses they ever ordered while someone 20 minutes away cannot afford even one pair. Do you have difficulty letting go of things – even if you do not use them? Finding someone else who needs them more than you do will make it easier.

7. Half of any job is having the right tool.
For years I struggled with guilt about my inability to stick to an exercise program. The combination of spending 80% of the time on the road and negative childhood experiences about physical activities seemed insurmountable, until I discovered I could get amazing results using exercise equipment I could pack in my suitcase and use in the privacy of my bedroom.

8. Perfection prevents progress.
A creative mind always has more ideas than the physical body can carry out. Virtually everyone I know, including myself, feels guilty about not being able to keep on top of the “to read” pile. Consider spending more time contemplating what you will do as a result of what you have read than feeling guilty about what you have not done.

9. Asking for help is a sign of wisdom, not weakness.
Sadly, many people have been conditioned to feel that being successful means going it alone. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As president of The National Association of Professional Organizers, my theme, which I have subsequently turned into a theme for my life and my business, was “Together we are better™.” I believe that statement applies to all of life. The only thing keeping you from getting what you want is finding people who can – and want – to help you get there!

Getting organized is an on-going process, not a destination. It is about progress, not perfectionism. When you feel less organized than you would like to be, forgive yourself, and move on. Substitute “If only…” with “Next time…” and you are on the right road!

Will any system turn you into a perennially “clean desk” person – unlikely! Messy desks are the natural outcome of a hectic pace. A place for everything and everything in its place – forget it, but it is half right! A place for everything means than when you want to clean up your office to meet a client, or just because you are sick of the mess yourself, recovering is no big deal! Some quick decision-making will clean off your desk in a matter of minutes, bring back a sense of control and get you on your way to productivity, profit, and peace of mind!

Article by Barbara Hemphill
© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger’s Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Hemphill