Last month, I posted about my self imposed sleep curfew.  It's been working great and I have had a lot more energy.  I'm working smarter instead of harder.  I also listed three techniques for getting more things done during the day so you can sleep earlier.  This is my second installment of tips for doing things faster and easier. 

Basket Bingo

For quick decluttering in a room, put anything out of place in a laundry basket.  You will instantly be energized because the room will look neat.  Throughout the day, every time you pass that basket, find a home for one of the items in it.  If you can’t think of where the item should go, recycle it, donate it or toss it out. 

You may have to set the basket up out of reaching little hands, but it’s a great way to get rid of clutter fast.  You can also use an open box, but the container has to be something that you can carry to another room fairly easily.  Plastic bags do not work for this purpose, because you cannot easily see what is inside the bag and access it.

Even without vacuuming, dusting or cleaning, your home will instantly look neater if there are no stray items laying around.  Even if you don't have time to deal with the items in the basket now, work on it little by little when you do have time.

Just Say No

This sounds almost too obvious, but it is true.  If you find yourself stressed out and frustrated at not being able to get it all done, maybe it's because you're not supposed to.  Start thinking of things that you can eliminate.  You can even start with things you have to do by day of week and see how your schedule looks. 

If you do not have a free night that is unscheduled, you have too much on your plate.  There is always a catastrophe waiting to happen.  Having a free night will allow you to rebound from unplanned emergencies, catch up or just have some free time to relax. 

Start thinking about things you can defer or drop completely.  Focus on the things that are really important and get rid of tasks or items that don't bring you contentment.  Trust me, if it's really important, someone else can get it done.  If no one wants to do it, then it's not that important.

The Big Three

Many time management gurus advocate making lists to prioritize tasks.  Many of us have these lists with a gazillion things on them.  To make sure you are focusing on what's important to you, I challenge you to establish "The Big Three".  This is a small list of the three items that you WILL do today.  If you think of other important things, you can add them to another list, but you can only have three items on The Big Three.  This ensures that you do not try to accomplish too many things for one day.

The items on the list should be small tasks, like "schedule doctor appointment" or "fill out permission slips".   A project like "get a new job" is too large in scope.  Break it down to smaller jobs.  Good examples are "write outline for resume" or "find five companies for new job opportunities".  These are manageable tasks for that bigger project. 

If you are able to do more than The Big Three, pat yourself on the back.  If you are struggling, make your list The Big Two, or even The Big One. 

Maribel Ibrahim, The Frugal Writer, created www.StartSchoolLater.net and is a Co-Founder of Start School Later, a grassroots coalition dedicated to ensuring that the health, safety and equity of children are protected when determining sleep schedules.  To get involved with Start School Later, sign the national petition and the Anne Arundel County petition to ensure that children do not start school before 8 a.m.