10% Can Help You be More Organized
By doing or not doing ten percent, you can lead a more organized life.
So I read a book outside of my usual genre recently. I guess you could call it a self-help / positive psychology read. Others might refer to it jokingly as the "woo-woo" variety. I'll admit I had my doubts when it was recommended highly on a weekly podcast I follow, but I checked it out of the library nonetheless.
The book was 10% Happier: How I Tamed The Voice In My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, And Found Self-Help That Actually Works -- A True Story by Dan Harris.
Some of you may know Dan Harris from ABC News where he's a prominent news anchor.
The upshot of the book is that Harris has a panic attack on live television and realizes he needs to find a way to manage his stress, anger, anxiety, and self-destructive behaviors so he turns to yoga and meditation.
The book chronicles his self-help journey in a candid and often humorous way. When he comes public with the book he gets asked repeatedly why he became a devout yogi and the honest answer he came up with was: "...because it makes me 10% happier." Really, who could argue with that answer?! It made sense to a lot of people.
This 10% number stuck in my head and it got me thinking about organizing and how even if we just did something 10% that it would be enough to make a difference in our disorganization.
Think about the strides you could make in leading a more organized life if you did 10% of the following:
Decrease your spending by 10%.
Spend 10% less time on social media.
Send 10% fewer emails.
Donate 10% of the items in your closet.
Tidy your kitchen counters by 10% each night.
Lop off 10% of your to-do list each day.
Go to sleep 10% earlier.
Make your bed 10% of the time.
If Dan Harris can be 10% happier just by meditating each day, you can be 10% more organized just by doing some of the things on this list.
Now 10% sounds pretty puny compared to 50%, but it sounds way better than 0% doesn't it? You have to start somewhere, right?!
Is there something you could decrease or increase by 10% to get you farther along on your organizing journey?
And on a related note, is there a "woo-woo" book that made a difference in your life? Please share!