2009: Articles I Think Worth Passing Along

Posted on September 8, 2009 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Open Loops

Tuesdays are open loop at SimpleProductivity blog.

Photo by Andy on Flickr Whatever you might think about Andrew Carnegie, you cannot deny that he was very successful in business. “Andrew Carnegie’s Top 4 Tips for Massive Success” at the Positivity Blog has some great expansions on some of Carnegie’s philosophies. The one that struck me was “How do you never get much done? Well, one good way is to try everything at once and spread yourself too thin.” I get into those modes frequently…running around like a beheaded chicken, and wondering at the end of the day why I didn’t get anything done. Selecting a few activities to focus on is a good way to make deliberate progress.

Unclutterer points out that “Uncluttering is not a competition”. The goal of decluttering is not to make me get rid of everything, or to be as organized or minimalist as someone else. It is to make my life more comfortable and free. We don’t have to be perfect.

Zen Habit’s “How to Live Without the Clock” via Lifehacker expands on a course I took in summer 2008. Instead of working by the clock, get away from the clock and set themes. My course had me pick themes for the rest of the summer, the month, and the week. It was a surprisingly difficult task; but it steered me in picking the projects I would work on during that time span. After all, if you attempt everything at once you get nothing done. (See above)

Kiplinger has some great bargain hunting strategies in “When Is the Best Time to Buy…?” It’s a great overview of bargains to be had at certain times of the year. We all know that getting school supplies is best done in August, but did you know that the best time to buy a grill is in October?

Photo by Andy on Flickr