How do you keep your life in order?

Never been organized at all, unfortunately the "solution" for me was to never develop hobbies or a social life of any kind so I could spend extra nights and weekends getting a jump on any tasks that seemed difficult, and thinking about and planning the work week. With the organized guys it's a lot more about lists, reminders, and compartmentalizing, prioritizing and separating tasks; and as you get more influence and a better reputation, delegating the lower profile or more menial tasks to cats like me.

 

I live a somewhat organized life. I use my smartphone/Google Calendar as the backbone for time management. I write in a diary every day to organize my thoughts and unclutter my brain. It usually is just a paragraph or two jotted in shorthand on things to improve or do differently. It helps that my significant other is also organized and that she respects my schedule.

Every month, I have a list of things to cross off which comes from a master list made during New Year's resolutions. It includes things such as novels to read, people to visit or stay in touch with, restaurants to eat at, TV shows on Netflix, and an random subject matter to learn about (like Japanese art in the Edo period).

In GCalendar, I have blocks of 'personal leisure' time where I do the above as well as blocks for commute and working out. My phone notifies me, and I do the activity. For commute, I always leave 15 minutes earlier so even with traffic I can avoid stress. There are reminders on my phone for car maintenance, monthly payments, laundry, and so on.

I limit web surfing by clicking a timer on my desk. Once it beeps, I have to close the tab. I use "Read It Later" to cache the article or webpage for reading on my phone or another computer when I have time.

I rarely have meetings because of my line of work. I think better on my feet so I prefer walking meetings the few times I do. I keep my workplace thoroughly clean (have microfiber towels, electrostatic dusters, and an APC by the desk).

As for home, both of us do our chores daily without fuss. We tried maid service, but we had a bad experience. We always wash our dishes promptly, keep the sink clean before leaving for work, etc. My rule is to only keep a certain number of items (electronics, furniture, clothes, documents) to avoid hording. The rest is discarded or donated.

I imagine this will radically change when I have children.

 

I have a small planner that I carry around everywhere. That's as organized as my life can get.

 

I second the Google Calendar.

 

I'm 27 years old. I believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and rigorous exercise routine. In the morning if my face is a little puffy I'll put on an ice pack while doing stomach crunches. I can do 1000 now. After I remove the ice pack I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower I use a water activated gel cleanser, then a honey almond body scrub, and on the face an exfoliating gel scrub. Then I apply an herb-mint facial mask which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an after shave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.

 

You guys don't have girlfriends do this for you? Losers.

 

OP, QFT. A big part of how successful you are is just having the discipline to visualize, plan & organize your life and minimize time-hogs (people) and time-wasting activities (like Clutchfans ).

 

It's hard to cut the cord at first, but you have to stop hanging out with people that drag you down. Besides laziness & apathy, peer pressure might be the biggest hindrance to success. It takes courage to get out of a rut and leave your comfort zone + old habits behind. But if you want it bad enough, you will. The corny phrase "If you keep on doing what you've always done, you'll keep on getting what you've always got" is 100% true.

How old are you?

 

For me my time in the Air Force helped me a lot with discipline.

I do have white-board and a calendar/planner, but for the most part it's just about being on top of things and not procrastinate whatever you might want to.
As far as not skipping my workout routine, my motivation mainly comes from hot women. Seems kinda silly, but it truly is that way for me.
Usually the more I socialize the more I'm motivated to work out, too.

I am very strict with what I eat, but really that's just a choice that I made some time ago. I just thought it was a good idea to try to live/eat as healthy as possible, so I'm never even tempted to eat things like sweets, pork, etc...

I believe that wasting some time or having certain guilty pleasures is fine as long as you keep your priorities straight, so that you don't waste too much time.
That's probably also one of the more important things with staying disciplined in general. What are you about and what's (most) important to you.

 

I have a planner to keep me organized and productive at work. I write down all the tasks I have to do that day and then cross them off as I go. This keeps me liable to what I need to do... I'll see what I didn't complete through the week.

For working out, I always try and follow a program (ex. p90x). With more structure and guideline, it is easier to motivate myself toward completion.

If you're looking to get healthier, take small steps. If you drink sodas, stop or limit it to one a week or something.

 

I use a white board that's big and visible with a list of action items by priority.

Simple but effective.

 

adderall

 

Don't care about keeping it in order.

 

Live for the moment. Sometimes I don't go to work for weeks at a time just on a moments notice.

 

My room is a complete mess, and my schoolwork is spread out among many folders, but I'm able to find what I need most of the time. I do most things on my laptop so that I can't lose them. I check my pockets every hour or so to make sure my keys, wallet, and phone haven't fallen out.

I organize my time pretty efficiently I guess. I do any studying or schoolwork right when I get home for anywhere from 2-4 hours with the occasional break here and there. I'm able to participate in extracurriculars without it interfereing with schoolwork. My social life takes a bit of a hit though, I won't hang out on school nights or on Sundays (which I use to get a leg up on any long term projects for school or just to relax or spend time with family).

I'm never late for anything, I always make sure I leave with enough time to get where I need to be.

 

You let your girlfriend tell you how to live life by letting her make your schedule?