A few years ago, my life was a mess. So was my house, my desk, my mind. Then I learned, one by one, a few habits that got me completely organized.

Am I perfect? Of course not, and I don’t aim to be. But I know where everything is, I know what I need to do today, I don’t forget things most of the time, and my house is uncluttered and relatively clean (well, as clean as you can get when you have toddlers and big kids running around).

So what’s the secret? In truth, there aren’t any secrets. There are simple habits that you can develop over time that will get you to where you want to be. These are habits that you can apply to your work, your home, your kids, your hobbies, your life. Instead of giving you specifics for how to organize something specific, like your desk or your closet, I provide principles that you can use over and over in every situation. Read the rest of this entry »

In a previous post I asked if you were an emotional pack rat. Stephen responded and left the following comment:

“Any thoughts on how to change your character, you know, the way you are that means that you would behave in the same regrettable way in the future?”

It’s an interesting question and the answers usually lie in two camps: yes you can change and no you can’t. Personally I believe you can change but the key to changing is having the right motivation and the absolute desire to do it. I don’t know the specifics of what Stephen was referring to but I’m going to assume that it’s a matter of determining how to respond vs. reacting. Read the rest of this entry »