Organize IT

Ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff swirling around in your mind? Sometimes feel lost and lacking in focus? The reason will likely be that you have amassed many unresolved thoughts in your head, and our brains simply aren’t very good at dealing with these never ending loops in our minds. Whenever I feel unclear and unfocused I like to sit down with my notepad and just get all those thoughts down on paper. It really helps to lift the mental fog! Below I’ve compiled several suggestions that I use in my life, that will help you to clear your head. Share your own tips in the comments!

Last month I presented nine reasons why GTD sucks. Naturally for such a contentious topic I got a lot of comments, so I thought it would be fitting to do a roundup and summarize some of the best remarks from the readers. Thanks to everyone who contributed, hope this post give you something to think about.

Organize IT recap for 11th April 2008.

• The Scotsman has an article discussing how anxiety is just a normal reaction. It looks at the increasing attitude for over-medicating and over-diagnosing. While there is no doubt that for some people anxiety can develop into a disorder which can be debilitating, there seems to be a lot of people who just assume anxiety (and fear, unhappiness, etc) are automatically bad. We are humans, not robots. Let’s hear your thoughts!
• Who says you need eight glasses of water a day? At this blog I’ve always been an advocate of regular water consumption to improve your general wellbeing, but this article brings up some interesting points. For instance, much of our water needs can actually come from what we eat. It even covers the history of the hydrotherapy craze. How much water do you drink? Do you think it brings any benefits?
• If you are a fan of Moleskines, Put Things Off has the ultimate guide to the famous brand! Nick discusses what they are, why you should have one and what types are available. The post also comes with a ranking system that determines how addicted you are to Moleskines. Personally, I had a fairly successful experiment with a Moleskine but because I tend to scribble ideas down a lot, I just couldn’t come to terms with being scruffy in such an expensive notepad! I have an extensive collection of Moleskine hacks for those who are into that sort of thing.

Over the last year my diet has greatly improved. Gone are the days of binge drinking, snacking and takeaways every night (such was the life of a student). While I’ve certainly not become some super fit, salad eating health freak, I am now much more aware about what I eat and it has been one of the more successful lifestyle changes I’ve developed. Below I’ve described how I put my habit building suggestions into practice. Why not share tips from your own experiences?

Last week I talked about trying to find the right balance with whatever you do, whether it be with your work and home life, or your productivity and leisure time. Because balance is such an integral part of how we live our lives I believe it deserved a greater look so I began writing this post. However, in researching the issue I came across an interesting correlation between my balance and why I occasionally fall off the bandwagon…