#1 Identify Landing Spots for Keys and Cell Phones

Do you wish to spend less time looking for things you know you have? According to the organized people at Ikea, on average, we spend 6 minutes every morning looking for our keys. Cell phones are the other most often missing item in the morning rush. You can designate a landing spot for keys and cell phones, items that go everywhere with us. The entrance of your home is ideal for keys. Hooks work well for keys, and often can be out of sight in a coat closet. As for your cell phone, decide on an overnight charging station, such as a Kitchen or home office desk, as long as it works with your routine when you get home. The only room to avoid is the bedroom. For many reasons, electronics are best out of the bedroom. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog about your bedroom!

#2 Keep One To Do List

Are you a "List" person?  Some people love them, others avoid them. If you love them and find yourself with lots of to-do lists in different parts of your home or office, bring them all together to keep ONE list for all. Having one reliable list is the key to feeling in control of our busy lives. It can be either a list on paper or a digital one, whichever works best for you. If you are not a list keeper, consider this: freeing your brain of keeping track of your things to do will open up space for new ideas and creativity. It's also a recommended technique to help people sleep better at night. Writing down things to do on a central list can alleviate tossing and turning at night when the mind is active at bedtime.  

#3 Go Paperless

Challenge yourself to receive almost zero paper and bills in the mail. To start, you can place a "No Junk Mail" sign on your mailbox and Canada Post is required to respect your request - no more junk mail. Next step is to look at what mail you still receive in your mailbox. If you're still receiving bank statements or credit card statements by paper, you're creating more work for yourself. The banks have come a long way in making sure your online access is secure and user friendly. Give it a try if you haven't yet. The same goes for utility bills. I promise you'll never miss the paper bills. Added bonus, you'll spend so much less time filing!

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