质数人生

How to Effectively Organize Your Life (Part 1)#

Pre-reading Notes#

This article is inspired by Fadeke Adegbuyi's "Organize your life"and Ray Dalio's"Principles." Based on the 整理借鉴，I have organized it in conjunction with my personal situation, resulting in this article.

The article is divided into two parts.
The first part introduces principles by listing relevant principles for effectively organizing life, helping to build a suitable framework for better organizing and managing personal life.
The second part discusses the application of these principles, covering work, family, health, and more, combining the principles from the first part with personal life experiences to reach a broader audience. This is the first part.

In the past, the days were slow, and so were the cars, horses, and mail.

As Mu Xin's poem states, "In the past, the days were slow, and so were the cars, horses, and mail," there is a significant contrast with today's life. I wonder if you ever feel that life is out of control, such as work suddenly becoming busy, personal finances spiraling out of control, or drifting apart from friends. With the increase of affairs and age, these situations feel like problems thrown at you, making it hard to cope.

Instead of letting these problems keep being thrown at you, it's better to catch them in some way, following some basic principles to form a framework that allows every area of life to be orderly.

I would like to summarize my life management practices that I have been implementing for some time through this article, and I hope that it can inspire you as you face your own life issues. If the methods and suggestions mentioned in the article can effectively reduce your anxiety and improve your quality of life, please be sure to share them with me.

The article is lengthy; you can pick parts that interest you to read, or bookmark it to read later, or revisit it after a long time.

Here is the main text.

Part One: Organizing Your Life Framework with Principles#

When it comes to principles, we naturally associate them with rigidity; principles dictate what we can and cannot do. However, in real life, having a set of life principles to follow can actually increase the freedom of life. Imagine, when we do not have predetermined coping strategies, we often waste time on repetitive thinking and hesitating choices when faced with problems, and the final results may not necessarily improve.

The "principles" mentioned here do not mean that handling life issues should remain unchanged under certain constraints; individual life itself is constantly changing along with oneself and the surrounding world. Therefore, I set the last principle as "Learn from Experimentation," hoping that under the existing principles, one can discover random events in life and establish new principles to better build one's life framework.

Ultimately, by adhering to these simple principles and persistently applying them, one can lead a life that is calm and orderly.

Principle One - Develop Habits and Establish Routines#

Everyone has some habits that may have accompanied them for many years, and these habits subconsciously determine our actions. Some habits are deliberately cultivated, while others are the result of inertia.

Good habits make us feel good and can even help us achieve long-term success. Bad habits, on the other hand, continuously erode our time, health, happiness, and money. It might be worth checking your life to see which habits are effective, which are necessary, and which are hindering you from living better.

• Do you spend several hours a day scrolling through short video apps?
• Do you check social media like WeChat Moments, Weibo, or other social networks whenever you have free time?
• Even when cooking conditions are available, do you rely on takeout for all three meals (or skip breakfast)?
• In your spare time, do you try to engage in some physical exercise?

Cultivating good habits is not easy. In James Clear's book "Atomic Habits," it is mentioned that there is a deeper meaning behind developing a habit:

Ultimately, your habits matter because they help you become the kind of person you want to be. They are the channels through which you develop your deepest beliefs. It is no exaggeration to say that you become your habits.

Once you have the habits you want in your life and integrate them into a series of daily routines, you can effectively maintain efficiency without losing interest. Regarding habits, you will procrastinate or get distracted less, thus saving more time for other things.

Principle Two - Plan Ahead#

We often say that plans cannot keep up with changes, and there are too many uncertainties in life, but that does not mean planning is useless. You can use task management tools or calendars to organize your tasks or future plans.

Remember to set aside some time each day or week to plan your tasks. Deadlines are the primary productivity drivers, but if you don’t even know where the deadlines are, that’s a problem.

Here are some planning suggestions:

• Summarize and plan for trivial tasks (like laundry, organizing, etc., and concentrate time to do them)
• Always overestimate the time it takes to complete a task (the process of completing a task is often more complex than imagined)
• The so-called plan for planning—regularly review your plans

In Laura Vanderkam's book "168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think," she emphasizes the importance of planning a week:

"A well-planned 168 hours can accommodate full-time work, close connections with family, rejuvenating leisure time, adequate sleep, and everything else that truly matters."

Of course, the key is "well-planned." The premise of planning is to first write down all the confirmed dates on your calendar and add all ongoing tasks to your task management tool (it can also be on paper, but it must be recorded). After gathering these, you will be better able to plan what to do in the coming week, focusing your attention on what is important to you, and being more adept at handling unexpected work and events (believe me, unexpected events will be much more frequent than you imagine).

Principle Three - Follow Your Nature#

The best books are those you can't put down. The best exercise is the one you enjoy doing every day. The best health food is the one you find delicious. The best job is the one you would do for free.

Nature refers to those things you are naturally inclined to do without thinking. To organize your life and shape habits, you need to start from your actual situation. Faced with many successful or inspirational cases, you might want to cultivate the following habits:

• I should wake up at 5 AM every morning.
• I should be vegetarian.
• I will never watch short videos or variety shows again.
  But the problem is, you are currently a night owl, and you need to sleep 8 hours to feel energized. You enjoy eating meat, and watching variety shows is your way of unwinding.
  Before organizing your life, choose habits that align with your nature. Be realistic with yourself and do things you can maintain long-term, rather than impulsively resisting your nature and giving up after a brief enthusiasm, which wastes time. For example,
• You want to get fit but really dislike going to the gym; running by yourself is also an option.
• If you don’t like reading, listening to audiobooks or podcasts is also a good choice.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that if you can’t wake up early, you should stop trying to wake up early, or if you don’t like reading, you should stop reading. If you want to develop those habits, you should first follow your nature and adjust by choosing the path of least resistance, rather than expecting to achieve the final goal on the first day, which will lead to resistance after a few days and then give up, which is unwise.

Principle Four - Beware of Perfectionism#

Many people tend to have perfectionist tendencies, striving for perfection in both work and planning.
The pursuit of perfection is certainly good, but overly striving for it can bind us when we set unrealistic expectations from the start. Accepting gradual progress can yield more from life.
Here are some comparisons for reference:

When we ultimately fail to reach overly perfect goals, it is easy to feel frustrated. Don’t let perfectionism dominate your life; believe and get used to the fact that imperfection is the norm. Understand that what is called perfection may not exist in this world, but through continuous effort, correction, and progress, achieving a goal is the state of our ideal life.

Principle Five - Seek Balance#

When we want to organize our lives well, it is often difficult to maintain balance and can even lead to chaos. For example, many students choose to stay up late to write papers before their defenses or cram for English exams a few weeks before the test.
While this strategy can be effective in the short term, its negative side effects are also evident, such as stress and burnout, which can even affect life in the following period. In contrast, if you can plan ahead and execute steadily, the sustainability of tasks is higher, and you will feel more relaxed.

(Of course, this does not exclude the possibility of having to stay up late due to emergencies, but it should be avoided as much as possible.)

Here are some suggestions for reference:

• Avoid spending excessive time on the same task in one day (even if that task is studying).
• Exercise has a significant effect on improving mood.
• Try meditation, journaling, or cultivating a habit of gratitude.
• Value the company of friends and family; being with them will help you feel relaxed.
• Choose appropriate ways to relax (playing games and binge-watching are not suitable ways).
• Ensure you get enough sleep and avoid staying up late at all costs (very important).

Constant busyness does not help you think effectively, but resting can. Excellent athletes not only train tirelessly but also prioritize sufficient sleep, so do not neglect the impact of life balance. For a sustainable life system, rest is as important as work.

The winter and summer vacations during student years are excellent intervals for learning; during this time, you can review previous learning content or plan or prepare for upcoming studies. For those already working, try to take at least 1-2 breaks a year, each lasting at least three days, to completely relax. Use this time to reflect on work and life. Similarly, in daily life, pay attention to rest and adjustment.

Principle Six - Arrange Reasonable Priorities#

You can do anything, but not everything. — David Allen

One way to make things in life easier to handle is to intentionally do less. To free up time for what is important to you, you must first get used to saying "no" to unimportant things.

Arranging priorities is an important tool for organizing life. Always remember, tasks are never-ending, but prioritizing important tasks is achievable. By postponing or refusing unimportant tasks, you can focus your attention on what matters most.

For what is important, see the following image for reference:

Understand what your most important tasks are each day and rank them in order of priority. By being acutely aware of what is important and what is not, you will more effectively decide where to spend your time and energy.

Principle Seven - Organize and Simplify#

When your mind is racing or your desk and living space are a mess, it’s hard to feel that life is orderly. Therefore, learn to organize and simplify your space—whether physical, digital, or mental.

• Physical Space: Clean your surrounding environment, whether it’s your desk, office, or closet.
• Digital Space: Clear out useless apps, emails, text messages, and other ineffective electronic information.
• Mental Space: Learn to empty your mind and let negative emotions have a place to release.

We often feel chaotic in life because there are too many items to organize, too many tasks to do, and too many things to think about. When your goal is to organize your life, remember the truth that less is more.

Principle Eight - Quantify Your Goals and Progress#

Setting goals is important, and knowing how far you are from your goals is equally important. Regardless of whether your goals are big or small, being able to clearly know your current distance from them and quantifying your current progress will help you understand what is effective in reaching your goals and what is not. This way, you can allocate more time in your life to do things that help you achieve your goals.

You can try the following methods to help measure your progress toward your goals:

• Review what you did in the past week and identify what has improved.
• Understand and try the OKR work method.
• Use tools like screen time to track how much time you spend on mobile devices.
• Quantify your current reading progress using the tracking features of reading tools.
• If you need to improve your sleep or wake-up time, record your sleeping and waking times over a recent period.

Principle Nine - Make Good Use of Automation or Outsourcing#

The essence of humans is repetition, and the essence of life is constant repetition. Use some techniques to automate repetitive tasks, organizing your life through this automation mechanism, eliminating the time consumed by repetitive events and freeing up more time and energy.

For tasks that do not require your direct involvement or are more professional, consider outsourcing them to others.

Here are a few examples from my own experience:

• Automation: For weekly reports, I prepare templates while recording daily work, making slight adjustments before automatically sending them via email. Using the built-in template feature of the app, a new report template is automatically generated each week.
• Semi-automation: For work that requires regular financial expenditure summaries, I create a template based on the monthly summary and fill in the queried numbers before reporting.
• Outsourcing - No need for direct involvement: Hire a cleaner to clean the newly rented house.
• Outsourcing - Hand over to professionals: Installing Hackintosh on a Windows computer. Although I could manage it myself after browsing documentation and forums, it would take at least a day, while such remote services online only cost a few dozen dollars and come with after-sales support. In this case, free is actually expensive.

Principle Ten - Dare to Try#

This does not contradict "Principle Three - Follow Your Nature" and is also crucial for building a life framework.
Even if you can effectively utilize the above principles in your daily life, always remind yourself to stay curious and dare to try new things and experiences.

We live in a fast-developing and changing era, and sometimes you may find that even if your life is well-organized, there will still be difficulties, and time will still feel insufficient. At this point, consider whether your framework is outdated and dare to step out of the monotonous daily life.

Just like a few years ago, when I kept various denominations of cash in my wallet to handle different payment scenarios, if today I still insist on using cash, I would be trapped in my own system. This example may be extreme, but I hope you understand what I mean.

Continuous experimentation will add freshness to life and bring more possibilities; do not always remain unchanged. Both these principles and your life should respect and accept new changes and dare to try them.

Conclusion#

The above is the introduction to the principles in the first part. I originally planned to merge the two parts into one article, but the content is indeed too lengthy, so dividing it into two parts can alleviate some writing and reading pressure, hence concluding the first part.

How to Effectively Organize Your Life (Part 2)#

Part Two: Application of Principles#

If you have already read "How to Effectively Organize Your Life (Part 1)," then you must understand the ten principles I suggest for effectively organizing life. You can combine these principles with your situation to formulate specific actions and apply them to any area of your life. You do not need to apply all the principles in every area, but when you wish to use them, these principles will solidify your life "framework" like bricks.

I hope that in these applied areas, you can handle the problems you encounter with more confidence.

Below, I will share how I apply these principles to work, family, fitness, finances, relationships, and travel, serving as a practical section equivalent to the first part for your reference.

Work#

Work occupies a significant amount of time for an adult; almost all of your waking hours are spent facing work. Even if you do not have many work tasks to handle, under non-freelance conditions, you still need to stay at the workplace. There has been much discussion online about how to reasonably arrange your work time. Perhaps previously, you never knew how to fully and effectively arrange your work, and I hope my examples can inspire you.

(Note: If you are currently a student, then studying is your main job.)

Whether you work in an office, from home, or run your own business, you can try to follow the principles below to maintain work efficiency. I will clearly mark the principles I use for distinction.

Organize and Plan your workspace and task manager.
If everything feels chaotic, it’s hard to concentrate on completing anything. Check if your desk is a mess and whether your computer desktop is cluttered with countless files. Even if you can resist ignoring them, they will still subconsciously reduce your attention.

If you are managing tasks, you may find that even if you have recorded all the tasks you need to do together, if there is no order, you still won’t know what to do next. Therefore, regularly schedule time to clean up these distractions (including physical, digital, and mental).

• I have a reminder that prompts me to tidy up my physical desk or computer desktop before the end of each workday, record any issues from the day’s work, and before leaving the workplace, I close all applications on my computer (this is a very ceremonial operation that deliberately reminds me that I am off work and need to do things outside of work).
• Spend 10 minutes at the end of each day to arrange tasks for the next day; if you are a student, prepare for the next day’s class schedule in advance. Don’t underestimate this advance arrangement; it allows you to consciously allocate future time and reduces the pressure of memory.

Prioritize tasks that require energy.
Work often involves urgent matters, such as tasks suddenly assigned by your boss, which can easily take precedence over other work. Urgent tasks can trap people in a rush, unconsciously pushing more important tasks that require energy aside. In contrast to handling urgent matters, those that are genuinely significant to you can lead to promotion opportunities. Seriously consider what requires energy and is important, and organize your day accordingly.
If a new episode of a show you are following is released, you may want to watch it immediately, but if you have important assignments to complete that day, I suggest putting off watching the show. Such a day will be much more efficient than the former. It is impossible for a person to maintain high concentration and energy all day; you need to reserve your best state for more important tasks.

Look for opportunities for automation and outsourcing. Ideally, everything that does not require your direct involvement or is unimportant should be automated or outsourced, but this is an ideal situation. In specific work environments, outsourcing may be difficult, but where automation is possible, do not hesitate to embrace your "laziness."

• My work requires me to regularly send emails or reports to specific groups, so I chose an email application with template functionality that can set up automatic sending.
• I researched and used iOS shortcuts and URL schemes to perform some automated actions to assist my work within Apple's less flexible ecosystem.
• If other complex tasks are affecting your main tasks, consider hiring a personal assistant (of course, voice assistants count too).
• Let professionals handle professional tasks; for things beyond your capability, don’t force it; find someone who can do it better.

Balance work goals and life.
When you love your work and focus on excellence, that’s great, but ensure you have time to rest and recover. The best athletes usually sleep more than 9 hours a night. Train like an athlete: work hard, but prioritize your leisure time. Of course, after working for a while and becoming familiar with the content, it’s easy to experience workplace burnout; don’t just focus on resting and neglect career development.

• Do your best to work during the day, but allow for breaks and adjustments (sometimes, after struggling with a problem, getting up to get a glass of water can lead to a better solution).
• Try to empty your mind on rest days, spending time with family and friends or reflecting on yourself (if, like me, you also have to deal with uncertain work tasks on rest days, this becomes even more important).
• You can take regular vacations each year (using paid annual leave) to recharge during holidays.

Family Organization#

Besides work (classes), home (dormitory) is another place where you spend a lot of time each day. From waking up in the morning to resting at night, maintaining a clean and tidy living environment is a seemingly simple yet crucial task. In this regard, try applying the following principles.

Develop a habit of regular organization.
Remember, as a family member, you should take responsibility for managing household chores, as you will eventually become the head of the family. Household chores are a collection of all trivial matters, and having a regular household habit can ensure that your living environment does not spiral out of control. By planning daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, trivial chores will not become too burdensome.

• Develop daily household habits, such as making the bed, promptly putting away clothes, and washing cups before bed (for daily tasks, I create a checklist and review it 20 minutes before sleeping).
• Establish a weekly family routine, such as organizing the closet or a weekly family cleaning (since I have a cat, I need to clean every two days, but fortunately, frequent cleaning means each time takes less time).
• Set a monthly household routine, such as deep cleaning (for corners that are usually not cleaned) or changing bed linens.

Identifying organizing tasks and chores can be trivial, so try to write them down and place them where they are easily visible. Another small tip is to design the checklist according to the route of movement in the room to avoid backtracking.

Promptly declutter your belongings.
Maintaining tidiness requires long-term effort, while making a mess can happen in the time it takes to eat a meal. Don’t underestimate your ability to clutter your living environment; if you don’t actively organize, it can happen faster than you think. Along with this process, the items accompanying you will gradually age. For example, old textbooks, old clothes, and old household items—if you feel chaos around you, consider whether you should spend time decluttering items you no longer need.
You can try the following methods to declutter these items:

• Regularly check the fridge and kitchen, discarding expired food.
• When organizing household chores, if there are clothes or books you no longer wear, donate them to those in need.
• For items that are no longer used but still have value, consider selling them on second-hand platforms.
• If your friends need them, consider giving them away.

Automate and outsource chores and tasks.
We live in a convenient era, and you should make good use of it. Utilize some modern methods to handle household matters.

• Try using e-commerce platforms' delivery services for regular purchases (it’s advisable to make a list first, and if you can catch a discount, even better).
• When moving into a newly rented house, consider hiring cleaning staff to clean in advance.

Of course, outsourcing comes with costs; if the costs are not within your budget, you can try simpler methods, such as outsourcing tasks to your partner (I tried and failed), roommate, or children. Involve everyone in your household in maintaining the home.

Health and Fitness#

A healthy body is the foundation of everything; unfortunately, health is a long-term matter. When the pressures and urgencies of daily life dominate, health is often the first thing to be neglected.

To avoid long-term health issues, I have the following suggestions.
Follow your preferences in diet and exercise.
In "Qing Yu Nian," Fan Xian suggests Wan'er, who suffers from tuberculosis, to eat some meat instead of always having a light diet. If you do not make fitness your profession, there is no need to have fitness meals at every meal. Instead of forcing yourself to adapt to various dietary and exercise requirements, do what suits you. Personalize your diet and exercise within a scientifically reasonable framework, so that fitness does not feel like a torment.

• If you dislike going to the gym, running and stretching in the park is also a good choice.
• If you don’t like morning runs, there’s no need to force yourself to wake up early; night runs are another option (of course, you can also consciously engage in some physical exercise during the day).

Perfectionism in Healthy Eating.
To maintain a sustainable healthy diet, a "good enough" plan is almost always more sustainable than a "perfect" one.
Consider that when you set a goal to stop eating high-calorie foods, you may inadvertently add pressure to yourself. Respect the 2/8 rule in diet—maintain healthy eating 80% of the time and indulge 20% of the time. The same principle applies to exercise; ensure you have regular rest so that your body can recover.

Prioritize Health and Fitness.
When faced with "too many things to do," we often abandon health habits that consume time and energy when we feel pressure from work and life. Always maintain healthy living habits, such as cooking for yourself or taking daily walks; always remember, being alive allows for output.

Finances#

Money is important, money is important, money is important. This is not a statement of materialism; in fact, many people fail to use money as a tool effectively. By managing finances, you can prepare for the future in advance. You can choose to enjoy the present, but don’t let yourself fall into personal financial difficulties; look further into the future regarding money.

Plan Your Finances.
Manage your money through budgeting, regardless of the amount. People often say they have little money and don’t need to manage finances. But how can you be sure that when you have a certain amount of money, you can use it reasonably? Understand your financial situation; at the very least, create a budget that includes fixed expenses, variable expenses, debts, and savings, and check it monthly.

When creating a monthly budget, consider the following:

• Ensure your budget covers all your current expenses.
• Use accounting software to make your financial situation more reasonable.
• Regularly review and assess your budget to ensure you can stick to it and make adjustments as needed.

Set Financial Goals and Track Progress.
Set financial goals for different periods: 1 month, 12 months, 5 years, 10 years, etc. Consistently measure your progress toward achieving these goals and adjust based on whether you meet them.

• Set financial goals, such as "save 5,000 yuan each year" or "reduce entertainment spending by 10%."
• Consistently save, setting aside a portion of money each month, even if the amount is small; over time, your net worth will grow.

Automate Your Finances.
Introduce automation into your life to reduce the time spent on everything from paying bills to budgeting.

• If you lack the awareness to save money, try using features like the wish list on Alipay or other similar savings tools; slow and steady wins the race, my friend.
• If you use credit cards, remember to set up automatic repayments (of course, your spending situation should be as reasonable as possible).
• Try to use software that can automatically generate income and expenditure reports (you can do it yourself, but it can be a hassle).

Socializing#

Humans are social animals; even if you enjoy solitude, do not overlook the importance of relationships with friends and family. When reporters interviewed people in their 90s about the sources of their happiness, almost everyone mentioned:

Their happiness and regrets were not related to their careers but to their parents, children, spouses, and friends.

Believe me, when we have time, do not hesitate to nurture friendships and family ties; this can lead to a more fulfilling life and reduce the inevitable regrets in the future.

Plan Your Social Time.
As we age, our responsibilities increase, which means we cannot spend time with friends as freely as we did when we were single or in school. Friends are an important part of our lives, so actively plan and arrange time with family and friends instead of waiting for it to happen.

Here are some of my practices for your reference:

• I make sure to video call my mom at least once a week (I no longer have the opportunity to talk to my father; one day you will realize that your parents age much faster than you think, and if you don’t want to have such regrets, talk to them more).
• I have two date nights with my partner each month (even if we are already married, don’t forget the tradition of dating).
• Add calendar reminders for most people in your contacts, so even if you don’t prepare gifts, sending them birthday wishes will make them happy.

Travel#

Occasional travel can add diversity to life and allow you to understand different regional cultures. Travel does not necessarily mean going abroad or out of the province; even within the same city, there are beautiful things yet to be discovered. However, any trip will inevitably take a considerable amount of time (from half a day to several weeks), so before your next outing, you can try the following methods.

Make Plans to Reduce Travel Stress.
Spontaneous trips are exciting, but it can be embarrassing if you realize you forgot your passport or ID while heading to the airport. Necessary planning and preparation can not only avoid such awkward moments.

• Create a travel checklist, listing everything you need to bring and checking it before you leave (if you travel often, make this a template for future trips).
• While the destination may not be important, doing some research on where you’re going in advance is always better than being unprepared.

Try New Travel Destinations.
There are many places worth visiting multiple times, but the freshness of exploring places you’ve never been is also worth your exploration.

• Ask your friends, family, and colleagues about places they have visited and highly recommend (sometimes, this is more reliable than travel recommendations online). People often enjoy discussing their travel experiences and can provide firsthand information on what you should do and what to skip.
• To save money, consider traveling within your city weekly or monthly. It could be visiting natural attractions or trying a newly opened restaurant; exploring unfamiliar places in the city will always give you a better understanding of it.

Finally#

Deciding how to organize your life is not just about achieving small tasks like what time to wake up in the morning or where to put things; rather than getting caught up in various details, it’s better to focus on more fundamental life principles.

The principles may seem simple; the ten principles I summarized in the first part, if you can freely apply them to your life and organize your unique life framework, will surely add different colors to it. If you feel that your current life needs "optimization," you can also refer to the applications of the principles I discussed in the second part.

I aim to cover a broader audience, so the feel of this article may resemble a long checklist, touching on various aspects, but I can only skim the surface; overly lengthy content is not enjoyable to read.

If you are a student, you may find the work-related summaries completely irrelevant, and that’s perfectly fine; just skip them. However, I hope that at some point in the future, you will find them useful. If you are already working and feel a lack of control over your life, I hope this article can inspire you.

I cannot guarantee that every reader will improve their ability to effectively organize their life after reading, as life is very personal, and I cannot even assure you that the article will be useful. But if someone, after reading, reflects and indeed improves some personal life issues in the new year, leading to smoother work and a more satisfying life, I think that would be my "blessing."

Wishing you a Merry Christmas Eve.

Zhou Zhou
2019/12/24