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by Ashton Rigg on 25-Jul-2016 06:00:00
When it comes to bringing you one step closer to your #lifegoals, Brisbane’s hottest new start-up knows what’s up. Alice + Albert is a personal concierge service aimed at making everyone’s life a little easier, no matter how big, small, mad-cap or mundane the task.
We caught up with Alice + Albert founder and professional list-ticker Louisa Dyson to get her top organisation tips to declutter your head/work/study space and help you get on top of your to-dos.
Her first tip? “Get the hardest tasks done first. Everything else will be easier!”
According to Lou, the formula for epic organisation is to develop the right mindset + create the right space + determine how to spend your time. Here are some of her top tips to get organised and take control of your life.
1. Reset your attitude & habits
You’d be amazed at how many things you do without even thinking about them, from the moment you switch off your alarm in the morning until you brush your teeth at night.
Start taking note of the habits or behaviours you feel aren’t making a positive impact to your life. Once you acknowledge them, you can start to work on changing them.
2. Understand the value of YOUR time
“You are your most valuable asset,” says Lou. Recognising that your time is valuable and shouldn’t be given away too easily is a huge mind-shift for some people.
Think of your time like money. You only have so much of it to spend in one day, so what’s worth it and what's not?
3. Create a routine
Once you know what’s worth spending your time on and you’ve started to focus on some positive habits, you can begin to craft a solid routine.
“Understand what your non-negotiables are and work around them. Do not compromise,” says Lou.
What’s important to you could be (and most likely will be) totally different to what’s important to your friends, colleagues or family.
Be sure to include things you like to do, like exercise, brunch with friends and travelling (of course!) in your routine; and write it in your phone or on your planner so you’re accountable for it!
4. Create a conducive working space
Did you know we check our phones every 6.5 minutes? Every time we do, it can take up to 25 minutes to get back on track after being distracted.
Having a work space you can actually do work in is super important.
If you can’t remove the distractions, you have to remove yourself. Wondering how to study while your housemates are having a party or the kids are constantly interrupting? Truthfully, you can’t. That’s why we have on-campus study days!
5. Make lists
Every day starts with a new list – a prioritised list. Lou’s advice is to create your list in the morning, setting yourself up for wins for the rest of the day, and to reward yourself every time you tick something off.
Not everyone is a natural list-maker, but nobody is REALLY a multi-tasker. As much as you might like to think you are, it’s not in our natural makeup.
6. Make use of technology
Technology is a huge part of our lives, but are you really taking advantage of it? Start utilising your digital diary more – maybe even set up shared calendars with your partner or fam.
“We get around 11 hours of digital exposure a day – make some of this time useful,” says Lou. Reminders, notes and calendars are your friends!
7. Schedule time for YOU
We often neglect to schedule in time for ourselves to do the things we love and then wonder why we feel a bit deflated.
Instead of spending all of your waking hours being super busy and being pulled from pillar to post, take a small pocket of time each day to reset, check in with how you're feeling, and re-align those positive and productive vibes.