We’ve all known someone — and we’ve all been someone — who’s always “getting ready to get ready.” They’re in a constant state of preparation but never seem prepared enough to truly take action. In some ways, this can be linked to creative avoidance (see week #8) — but it often wears the disguise of action while not being productively focused. It also is handy excuse when you’re terrified of taking a big leap.

Time Saver #9: Become a creature of habit. The brain thrives on routine. It loves to know what’s coming next. And the more you practice within the boundary of a productive routine that works well with who you are and how your work, the more your brain will be prepped to get right to work when those cues are activated.

For example, if you wake up at the same time each day, shower, eat breakfast, and take a ten-minute walk before you sit down to work, your brain will learn to recognize that when you’re doing those things, it’s time to start working.

Again, the assumption sometimes that structure kills creative thinking is just false. The truth is you have a greater chance of having a flash of insight or stroke of genius if you create an environment that is conducive to free-flowing thought. If you’re always flailing around trying to “get ready,” chances are high you’ll never set get set or get going.

What are three habits you’d like to develop in the coming months around maximizing your time? How can you start setting up a routine that will engrain those habits?

You know you have important things to get done yet you avoid them. Procrastination is part of being human, but at what cost?

Isn’t it amazing how suddenly “urgent” certain tasks become when you’re trying to get rolling on a certain project?

Time Saver #8: Have a solid plan in place and just go for it. When you are committed to getting a project done, you will not feel the need to procrastinate or creatively avoid. Having excitement and true joy for a project usually results in energy, flow, eager anticipation — and action. The TV will not be calling your name. Social media will not be beckoning. Good productivity also means good habits. If you need to set goalposts for yourself to start as you establish these good habits, go ahead and make a game of it. Set a timer, give yourself rewards, compete with yourself — whatever motivates you to try a new behavior.

It’s also important to listen to the voice of procrastination sometimes. Is this a project you’re dreading? Do you wish you really weren’t doing it? Maybe it’s time to consider handing it off or breaking up with a client. Is fear driving your stalling — fear of failure, or (sometimes even stronger and more insidious) a fear of success? Take an honest look at why you’re constantly driven to distracting behaviors, and ask yourself if there’s something deeper that you need to address.

What role does procrastination most often play as it pertains to the things you say you wish you could do more of?

How often do you catch yourself replying to emails, answering the phone when it rings, and trying to have your lunch? It has been proven that multi-tasking does not work. Our brains are not built for it, and our lives cannot sustain it.

Time Saver #7: Stick to one thing at a time and one thing only. Trust me on this one. I know it’s counter-culture. But I guarantee you will have more time if you do this. You will get the task done properly and more efficiently if you focus on one thing. Each time you get an interruption, it takes up to 20 minutes to get your focus back to where it was prior to the interruption. That is wasted time.

What are some things you can do to minimize distractions? Turn off your phone. Close the door. Turn off the “ding” sound that indicates you have a new email — or just close out your email altogether. Shut off TV or radio if they too easily pull you in.

Pay attention to what distracts you easily (it might surprise you), and do what you can to decrease the presence of those things in your environment during your work time.

I have seen people with to do lists that are as long as my arm. And I have a long arm! Do you have your to dos on your phone? Do you have them in a book? In your mind? What about on your fridge? Or maybe you have a combination of all of these.

Time Saver #6: Have one system for keeping track of your “to dos.” If you like to have your list on your phone, keep it there. If you are like me and are really visual, have it on one piece of paper.

The most important thing about to-do lists is that they only have 6 things on them. Start by putting the most important thing that you need to do tomorrow at the top. Chances are it is not checking emails. If you do not get all of the items done on your list, you would take the unfinished items and make them your number 1 or 2 priorities for the next day. I would also recommend looking at your list and allotting time frames for each task. I catch myself with having very high expectations of what I can get done in a day and low expectations of how long a task will take, and I suspect I’m not alone there. Budget in some cushion time — usually about 30% — to give you some wiggle room.

What are some ways you can streamline your to-do lists? And what do you notice about how priorities shift when you only have 6 items?

What is your time worth to you? $50.00 an hour? More? Once you have spent your 24 hours today, you will never ever get them back.

Do you regard your time as sacred? Do you treat it with the same respect that you treat other people’s time? If someone wants a favor from you during your work or relaxation time, what’s your response?

Time Saver #5: Beautiful boundaries. Here’s the truth: If the time you designate for your “priorities” is in practice up for grabs — doing chores, running errands, doing things for other people whenever they ask, surfing the Net — then the reality is that you do not regard it as sacred time.

Find a time management system that works and stick to it for as long as it works .

Take 15 minutes at the end of each week to plan for the following week. Block off certain times that you will commit to whatever it is that’s a priority for you. Regard this time as non-negotiable. Mark it in your calendar like you would any other important appointment. Learn to say NO and set boundaries.

Where are some areas you can practice saying no this week?

Obviously technology has introduced many incredible things into our lives. But there are times when it is just another distraction in your life. How many emails are in your inbox? When was the last time you cleared out some of your files? Do you have a system set up that allows you to easily breeze through emails as they come in? It’s possible to have your Inbox at zero every single day.

Time Saver# 4: Try giving your Inbox 15 minutes and no more. The trap that the vast majority of people fall into is obsessively checking emails multiple times a day. This is a huge time waster, and it’s not necessary at all. Think about it: if something is truly urgent, you’ll get a text or a phone call, and there’s really no email that can’t sit for a few hours — 99% of emails do not require an immediate reply. Those who are masters of productivity in the business world almost universally have a strict twice-a-day time slot (often only once-a-day!) set aside for going through their Inboxes.

If you’re drowning in junk mail and don’t know where to begin, check out www.unroll.me for a super quick and free service that lassoes all your junk mail for you and allows you to unsubscribe with a quick click of a button. It’s heavenly!

Get your computer running faster by deleting your delete box. If you have dealt with all of the emails in your delete box, then there is no reason to be keeping them. This takes up room on your computer.

Clearing out your computer takes faith — trusting that whatever you recycle you will not need, and if you ever do need it again for some reason, you will be able to find it from a different source.

When the PC computer was invented, many people thought we would be paperless — but instead we have 20% more paper. WHY? Many people print things because they are fearful. They fear they might lose it on the computer; fear they might not remember what it is that they need to deal with; fear they might not have a proper trail unless it’s filed somewhere — so better print it off as a safeguard.

Why do you print things off of your computer? Challenge yourself to move more towards going paperless.

Time Saver #3: Have systems for your paper.

If you can’t go completely paperless and have your bills on a preauthorized payment system, here’s a great acronym to help you remember what your relationship to paper should look like: OHIO — Only Handle It Once.

This is the best rule of thumb when it comes to paper. If your credit card bill comes in the mail, file it under the day you will deal with it. Do not even open it until you are going to pay it. This way, you’re not handing the same piece of paper multiple times — opening the envelope, looking it over, putting it in a “for later” pile, forgetting where you put it, searching for it, etc. — when you know you only need to handle it once.

There are some who think that organization kills creativity or spontaneity. I’d challenge you to just try organizing your systems — just try it, for these next several weeks. You might be surprised how clearing clutter actually opens up new ideas and spontaneous energy in unexpected ways.

Can you find important papers when you need them?

Can you see by looking at your desk where your most essential writing tools are?

Do you know where your keys are?

Your glasses?

Your wallet?

Your kids? (That’s a joke.)

Maybe you’ve always struggled to stay organized, or maybe you’re what I call “situationally disorganized.” Perhaps you used to have a system, used to be able to get out of the door on time, and used to be able to find your keys. But maybe something has come up in your life that has made you unable to follow the systems you once had set up, or you have too much on your plate/mind, or life just simply got away on you.

This does not mean you have failed. It just means you need a new system — one that works for wherever your life is now. Once you start to implement these strategies, I guarantee you will be able to find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less.

Let’s start with your workspace.

Time Saver #2: Put everything from your desk in a box. Give your desk a good cleaning. Put back only the bare necessities. Your phone, your computer, your small jar of pens/pencils, your calendar or datebook — perhaps your 1to31 Organizing System.

Keep a photo or two close by of your favorite pet or person, or an image of a place you’ve traveled or would like to see someday — any image that evokes happiness, hope, joy, and freedom.

The rest of the stuff in the box can be dealt with in 15 minutes or less. Take each piece of paper out of the box and deal with it: delegate it or dump it.

Things that get delegated are things that do not require your attention. If you have things that do require you attention ( within the next 30 days — bills to pay, cards to send, deadlines to meet) then file these to do’s in your 1to31 Organizing System.

Anything else — junk mail, fliers, that thing you’ve been kinda-sorta meaning to get to for the last six months but you know you really won’t and don’t have a desire to — let them go. Recycle them. Start fresh.

Your workspace is like a table of contents: you should be able to look and find everything you need — and if it’s not immediately in front of your eyeballs, you should at least know exactly where to turn to find it. This is the structure that holds your physical work environment together.

A cluttered physical space is a challenge, certainly — and we’ll get to that for sure — but the primary challenge for many of us is a cluttered inner world. We get so caught up in what we should be doing, what’s left undone, conversations we want to have or wish we’d had, worries about what’s to come and regrets about what’s happened.

It’s very difficult to clear a space for productive energy when there are so many things tangling up the pathway.

I know that real problems exist, and that they can be genuinely challenging to deal with — and my intention here is not to diminish the reality of those experiences. What I want to address here is the mental debris — the small things that can be cleared away with a few minutes and solid intention.

And often, the best, most efficient way to clear up the mental noise from what we feel isn’t working is to spend a few moments focusing on what is working.

It’s counter-intuitive in some ways in our frenetic, busy culture — but a few minutes of grateful stillness can have a dramatic effect on our productivity. A walk outside, a quiet meditation, a cup of tea — all of these provide a great opportunity to make note of 5 things you’re grateful for as you start your work time.

Time Saver #1: That’s it — spend 15 minutes in stillness, and think of 5 things you’re thankful for. Let that be the tone that starts every day for the next ten weeks. Trust me: it will make a huge difference for you this summer.

P.S. — If you’re ready to go more in-depth right away, check out my Reclaim Session by clicking here.