Ask the right question

Instead of asking yourself, “Will I need this some day?” consider the alternative question: “Is this stuff affecting the organized life I want?” If the answer — the honest answer — is yes, it’s time to let it go.

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To get through life, we all need to ask for help - here's how NOT to do it

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Asking for help isn't just about what you say and do; it's also about what you don't say and do. In my research, I've found there are specific things you can say that can really backfire on you.

Key Ideas

"You're going to love helping me!"

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Don't try and convince someone how much they will enjoy helping you. It reeks of control and is presumptive. It drains their joy out of helping.

How they feel is for them to decide.

A small favor

One common tactic is to portray the help we need as so small, that it is barely a favor. "Would you add these updates to the database? It won’t take you more than five minutes.”

It is conveying that you think the work the other person does is easy, quick, trivial and not very taxing. That’s not a great way to enlist help. You might also underestimate the size of the favor. Do not presume it won’t take them very long the next time you ask them for help.

Scorekeeping

While reciprocity does make people more likely to comply with the request, it also makes us feel controlled, which takes all the fun out of it.

Reminding someone that they owe you a favor does not create good feelings. Scorekeeping is fundamentally bad for relationships.

one more idea

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5 Habits for Crafting the Perfect Remote Work Day

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When people find out that I work from home and set my own schedule, the conversation is often met with an upbeat, "Wow you're so lucky" quickly followed by, "You must have so much self-control. I would end up watching Netflix all day."

Key Ideas

Getting an early start

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Plan your morning the night before and stick to your plan.
If a new task comes in that isn’t 100% urgent, designate a time that you’ll work on it uninterrupted or try to delegate the probl...

Deciding where to work

If you know you’re more likely to work from home, invest in comfortable furniture; you feel good it will inspire you to get work done.
If you want to join a local co-working space but are intimidated by the price point, ask about smaller memberships to start.

Prioritizing tasks

Don’t let your skepticism about productivity hacks get in the way of finding a technique that suits you and helps you get things done.
If you’re still having a hard time identifying priorities, try working backward by identifying work that’s definitely not a priority. Eliminate those items and assess what’s left.

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