How to Get Things Done Without Trying Too Hard

Richard Templar specialises in taking a common sense approach to obvious subjects and making the commonplace seem revelatory. He lives a semi-virtual existence in rural Devon.

Introduction
You can and you can’t
You have to want to be organised
You don’t have to change your personality
Know yourself
Make time
Have a routine
Don’t tell yourself you’re bored
Don’t get distracted
Think about what you’re not thinking about
Don’t panic!
Do it little and often
Think positive
Steer clear of time sappers
Know when the good times are
Do the scary jobs
Set yourself limits
Invest now, save later
Don’t do too much
Don’t waste your down time
Be reliable
Don’t wait for people to change
Write lists
Get off to a flying start
Visualise the finished thing
Have less
Sort it or bin it
Ditch the eco-guilt
Have a packing list
Get into good habits
Have a place for it
File your week
Keep a notebook
Count your bags
Streamline your workload
Streamline your movements
Multitask
Build up a stockpile
Double up
Turn your toothbrush upside down
Pin a note on the door
Be decisive about mess
Learn how to tidy
Get the kids working
Don’t do it yourself
Give false deadlines
Use a two-bin system
Have a shopping list
Read faster
Keep time
Get ahead of yourself
Remember birthdays
Make technology work for you
Get Christmas wrapped up
Treat yourself
Find a sixpence
Be decisive
Lay the groundwork first
Talk it through
When you have to decide, do it
Toss a coin
Tell everyone what you’ve decided
Hone your people skills
Be assertive
Learn to say no
Stand your ground
Understand thick skins
Say what you mean
Keep calm
Count to ten
See their point of view
Feed it back
Learn to delegate
Know who's doing what
Get the best out of people
Know what really matters
Prioritise
Know what is urgent (and what isn’t)
Organise your to-do list
Clear some downtime
Plan your life
Don’t just firefight
Have a thorough diary
Know what makes a difference
Get organised at work
Know where you’re going
Know what you’re doing
First you must push the wheelbarrow and then you can sit down
Don’t work a week behind
Deal with it when it happens
Don’t do things twice
Organise your space
Don’t read things you don’t need to
Keep it together
Make sure the boomerang comes back
Keep your meetings on time
Know what you’re aiming for
Avoid unnecessary meetings
Don’t get interrupted
Don’t get caught by the phone
Choose between email and phone
Reduce your inbox
Ditch the ping
Stop playing games
Get it over w