Destressing Christmas Already? ... Yep!

   
If you really want to destress your holidays, start now! Twelve Tips to Destressing Christmas has a plethora of ideas to help make your celebrations meaningful and joy-filled.

Things like being intentional about your celebrations, creating memories, planning meals, smart and green gift-giving, decluttering, and much more!

Give yourself the gift of a destressed Christmas!

More on Christmas:
Labeling Storage with Digital Pictures
The Very Best Apps and Websites for Holiday Gift List Organization
Recycling My Christmas Tins into Pantry Storage

Another App to Keep College Students Organized

  

Here's another app I found to help keep college students organized: Timetable. Enjoy the following review by Linda Gorman of the Daily Orange:

"You’ve probably said it before, but this time you’ll mean it: This is the year you’re going to get organized. No more scribbling assignments on your hand or digging for syllabi crumpled at the bottom of your backpack.

Organization is tough. But if wall calendars and color-coded subject folders aren’t your thing, don’t throw your hands up yet. If you have a smartphone, you have a whole host of tools at your disposal to make the scary business of getting organized a little more manageable. One of the best tools available is the top-rated, recently updated Android application, Timetable.

Timetable, available for free from Google Play, offers students a simple way to keep track of courses and assignments.

From a centralized dashboard, users start out by entering their courses, called “lessons,” into the app, including details such as location, time, teacher and subject. From there, students can add tasks or exams for each lesson with due dates and details about the assignment or test. Lessons are displayed as colored modules on a daily or weekly calendar.

The calendar is useful, but the real utility of the app comes into play when changing the default settings to allow notifications and auto-muting.

Timetable automatically silences your phone during scheduled lesson times. Never again will you slink down in your chair and pretend you have no clue whose One Direction ringtone interrupted your short-tempered professor mid-lecture.

For those who want more information right on their home screens, Timetable offers push notifications about upcoming deadlines, as well as widgets with details about the day’s lessons or tasks.

Timetable’s user interface is clean, intuitive and highly customizable. Users have a choice of color themes for widgets and for the app itself. Students can specify the days of the week that Timetable will use, as well as the information about each lesson and task, such as subject, teacher, location and more.

If you have multiple Android devices, it’s possible to take your schedule with you wherever you go. Timetable syncs your account to the Cloud to keep data consistent and current on whatever tablet, phone or notebook you’re using.

Getting organized and staying organized is important, and it will give you a leg up on your classmates. Entering classes, assignments and exams into Timetable is a great way to get the semester off to a good start."

More on organizing for college:
3 Apps Every College Students Needs to Get Organized
Organizing Your Dorm Room
Getting Organized for School - Backpack Checklist

September - National Preparedness Month - What Are Your Potential Emergencies?

  
As a result of moving to Montana, my husband and I have a different set of emergencies to anticipate than when living in Ohio or Maryland. As a result, we had a conversation recently on how to prepare for such eventualities.

First, we identified those emergencies we might face.We thought we might encounter no electricity, no water, extreme temperatures, high wind,  and heavy snow. No longer do we need to prepare for tornadoes, though, as we did in the other two locations.

Next, we identified the ramifications of those emergencies.It could mean no heat, no connection with the outside world, lack of water, no indoor cooking facilities, being stuck in snow, being cold.

Third, we identified action items to prepare for these possible emergencies.- We plan to get a kerosene heater to provide heat should our electricity go out.- We decided to get a battery with which to charge our phones and computers. We already have car chargers for them.
- We will begin to fill empty containers with water and a little bleach so we would at least have water to flush the toilets.
- We'll stock up on nonperishable items should we not be able to cook at all - tuna, canned veggies and fruit; and a manual can opener.
- We'll make sure to have a full back-up gas canister for the grill should we need to use it as our main source of cooking.
- I bought a pair of heavy-duty snow boots. My husband already has a couple of pairs.
- By the end of September, we should winterize our car - have blankets, hand and feet warmers, water, etc. in each car should we get stuck somewhere.
- Our snow shovel is accessible.
- We have coats, gloves, etc. that are appropriate for snow removal.

What emergencies might you face in your area and how will you prepare for them?

More on preparedness:
Prepare for the Unexpected - Winterizing Tips
Getting Your House in Order - A Great Wintertime Project
Organizing for Safety During the Holiday Season - A Simple  Tip

It's a Great Time to Rethink Life!

  
When I had kids at home, I would rethink life when school started, in January and at the beginning of summer. Each of these times marked when schedules changed. In light of these schedule changes, I'd think through my schedule and our family's schedule. All of us were active, and if I didn't intentionally rethink life, things would start falling through the cracks and we'd miss important events or need to be in several places at once!

I'd think through my passions, priorities, gifts and how these lined up with my schedule. I wanted to make sure that I was investing my limited time in those things that were most important to me. And it gave me an opportunity to remove those things that no longer mattered as much. A great time to evaluate!

As an empty nester, my schedule is not nearly as complicated as when we had kids at home, but I still want to be very intentional about how I spend my time. At every age, it's important to align your life with your passions, priorities, gifts and the legacy you want to leave future generations!

If you're inspired to rethink life, I'd love to help! A simple step-by-step plan is included in all my time management books. Here's where they are:

Three Steps to Time Management books (printed and downloadable)
Three Steps to Time Management books (on Kindle)
Rethinking Your Life in 3 Weeks

Or, if you'd like some coaching to walk you through the process, drop me an email at Bev@1-2-3GetOrganized.com and we can set up a telephone or Skype call.

Live life intentionally!

 

Hoarders Dos and Don'ts Guide

  
If you're a hoarder or have a hoarding friend or family member, you might be interested in the Hoarders Dos and Don'ts Guide put out by Address Our Mess, hoarding experts. 

Hoarding is a complicated issue and must be handled carefully and thoughtfully. This guide will give you some valuable insights on how to most effectively address hoarding.


More on hoarding:
Hoarding - There Are no Easy Answers
Are You Turning into a Hoarder? Find Out.
Dehorder Game - Clean Up a Hoarder Home

 

Getting Organized for School - Start the Night Before

  
Wouldn’t you love to have a peaceful, stress-free morning tomorrow? Starting the night before can help eliminate the rush and push, getting your day off to a pleasant and calm start. This is a blog post I wrote when we had five teenage foster daughters trying to get to school on time each morning!

Getting Your Child Organized

Knowing how much sleep your child needs is essential to his/her well-being and success at school. Trying to function well in a sleep-deprived stupor is impossible.

I feel strongly that a huge role of mine as a mom and foster mom is to create an atmosphere where my child can succeed. In order to insure that my children get enough sleep, I work backwards:

- I figure out when my child needs to be in bed with the lights out in order to get the sleep she requires. We have five foster daughters in our house this week. One starts school today, two tomorrow and two on Thursday. We are reining in bedtime so everyone can get enough sleep.

- We determine how much time is needed for nightly routines – shower/bath, brushing teeth, room decluttering, prayers, reading, etc. – and start the routine that much earlier than bedtime. With five girls and one bathroom between them, we are starting at 7 to get them all in their rooms by 9!

- Next, we figure out how much time is needed for morning routines - shower/bath, brushing teeth, breakfast, etc. Each child sets the alarm to allow enough time for her morning routine to be accomplished without rush. We have one child who is younger than the rest, and has trouble judging time. When she first came, we wrote out a timed schedule of what she needs to do in the morning and how much time it should take.

- We encourage each child to choose her clothes for tomorrow and lay them out.

- Before choosing her clothes, she should have packed her backpack – homework assignments, permission slips, gym clothes, etc., checking her backpack checklist.

- Before packing her backpack, she can pack her lunch and put it in the fridge. If she doesn't want to make a sandwich the night before because it will get soggy, at least she can pack everything else and know which kind of sandwich she will make in the morning. (I must confess, I made my girls’ lunches throughout high school. For some reason it stressed them out, and I didn't mind doing it.)

Getting Yourself Organized

If I am running behind in the morning, it makes life stressful for everyone! So I try to create the same type of routine for myself. If I am sleep deprived, I get crabby and little things that shouldn't bother me trigger inappropriate responses.

- I need to know how much sleep I need and determine when I need to be in bed with the lights out in order to get it.

- Working backwards again, I calculate how much time I need for my nightly routine and start the routine that much earlier than bedtime.

- During my routine, I think through what my morning routine will be and how much time it will take, including fixing breakfast and making sure everyone else gets out the door on time. I set my alarm to allow for that to happen without panic. Ten minutes can change panic to calm, so I try not to cut my morning routine too short.

- Before I start my evening routine or during my routine, I think through what I'm going to wear tomorrow and make sure it's clean, ironed, etc.

- Before that, I think through my schedule for tomorrow and pack my briefcase and/or purse and/or gym bag (backpack or diaper bag for some of you) with what I need for the day tomorrow. I'm much less likely to forget something if I can think it through calmly.

- If I'm going to need a lunch, I'll prepare it before I pack my bag and stick it in the fridge. If I take leftovers from dinner, I try to package them while putting the food away after dinner.

- While I'm packing my lunch or while preparing dinner, I look to see what I have planned for breakfast. When I plan my meals for the week, I also plan breakfasts so I can get what I need when I do my weekly grocery shopping.

- After dinner is a good time to set the table for breakfast. If you have two tables - one in the kitchen and one in the dining room, you can set both whenever you empty the dishwasher - one for breakfast and one for dinner.

It’s a lot to think about, isn’t it? It’s easy to see why time slips away without even realizing it. But by being intentional about your evening schedule, you’re creating an atmosphere of success for both your child and yourself which will hopefully result in a peaceful and productive day tomorrow!

What do you do to get your day off to a good start?



More on Organizing for School:
Getting Organized for School (and Life!) - Getting Enough Sleep  
Getting Organized for School - Ideas for Creating a Central Hub  
Three Steps to Time Management for the Working Mom

Twelve Tips for Planning a Low-Stress Wedding

    

A wedding is a breeding ground for stress, one reason being that there are so many details to manage. There's not much you can do about Aunt Martha and Cousin Joe not wanting to speak to each other, but you can organize and manage details so there are as few surprises as possible.

There will always be those things that pop up at the last minute, but if you have done a good job of organizing, they are usually either out of your control or are minor. The following tips will help ease your mind as your plan your wedding:

1. Start early. As soon as you know you’re getting married, start planning. My daughter and I had almost a year to plan her wedding and we used it all! Her wedding was very large and we did much of it ourselves. If you don’t think you need that much time, it never hurts to be ahead of schedule, even if your wedding is intimate and simple.

Even if you’re not engaged yet, there are several things you can start looking at: wedding dresses, bridal party attire, invitations, etc. Don’t scare off your boyfriend, though, by jumping the gun!

2. Keep the communication lines open and healthy with your fiancé and your family during the wedding-planning process. Your relationships are more important than your ceremony. Your ceremony will take place on one day ... your relationships will continue for the rest of your life. Work on finding win-win solutions to problems and be open to their ideas.

You will spend the rest of your life finding solutions to problems. To help you perfect this skill, avail yourself of pre-marriage counseling. I highly recommend the Myers-Briggs personality type inventory. And make good choices, the most important one in my opinion: don't be selfish. It's impossible for a marriage to flourish if one or both partners are self-absorbed.

3. Determine your budget and the size of your wedding. Your budget will likely determine the size of your wedding. If your parents are paying for your wedding, get a clear picture of what they are willing to spend. You can decide to stick within that budget or contribute some yourself. Or you may be footing the entire bill yourself.

Whatever the case, I suggest living within your budget. Insisting on a lavish affair is not worth the stress that debt puts on your relationship with your parents and/or your fiancé and later on your marriage.

Do your homework as you estimate the cost of the various components of your wedding. Costs add up quickly, and being realistic about them avoids last minute sticker-shock and its ensuing stress. Overestimate your costs so that if things turns out to be higher than you anticipated, you have a little padding.

4. Get a wedding organization book and live by it! This wonderful tool provides checklists, timelines, and deadlines. It also supplies you with etiquette rules and other such valuable information. Remember, though, that just because something is suggested in your wedding organization book, if it’s not you, don’t do it! This is your wedding, and it should reflect you! If you can afford a wedding planner, she will do much of this for you.

5. Secure a venue for your wedding and reception. Some locations are booked a year or more in advance, so don’t procrastinate on this one if your location is a popular one! To avoid this hassle, some couples are deciding to marry on less typical days: Friday evening or Sunday afternoon, for example. By thinking outside the box, you may discover creative solutions to this search.

6. Decide on a wedding dress and wedding party attire. This may take a while, so give yourself enough time to find what you want. The internet makes this overwhelming task much easier! Look online to find styles you like and narrow down your search this way.

Give yourself enough time for altering, re-ordering correct sizes, etc. If you are having dresses made, allow adequate time for measuring, sewing, try-ons, and alterations. We had the bridesmaids’ dresses made by a friend. To cut costs, we used a 50% off coupon at Jo-Ann’s when we purchased the material.

7. Plan your wedding ceremony with your fiancé. Don’t just include everything you’ve seen in others’ wedding – make it meaningful to you. We actually attended a wedding ceremony that seemed like it included everything ever done in a wedding ceremony – it was eternal!!

Make your ceremony reflective of you! Sit down with the minister or person who is going to perform your wedding, and express your desires. Any wedding ceremony can be adapted to fit your values and wishes.

Our daughter and son-in-law have a very strong faith. Her engagement ring was a triangle. She and her fiance were represented by the bottom two corners, and God was represented by the top corner. They wanted their relationship to become closer as they became closer to God. The triangle shape reoccurred throughout the wedding and reception.

Our daughter didn’t want a wedding cake – she wanted cheesecake instead. We found already-sliced Cheesecake Factory cheesecake at Sam’s. They chose to eliminate the cake-cutting, obviously.

A friend of ours was into the two-step, so he and his groomsmen wore cowboy boots and it was a two-step reception. Another friend got married in his Chucks, his signature footwear! Don't be afraid to be different!

8. Keep a binder or file or box containing wedding paraphernalia – contracts with those providing services, sketches, ideas, final products, etc., so you can locate colors, samples, etc. at a moment’s notice.

9. Determine what help you need – both paid and volunteer. If you have friends who are willing to help with various aspects of your wedding, accept that help if you like their work. A friend might be able to design your invitation and/or program. Or help you address wedding invitations. Ask friends for recommendation for wedding cake bakers, caterers, etc. If people offer to help, consider saying yes!

10. Hire a wedding coordinator at least for your wedding day. Then you, your mom, your family, and your wedding party can enjoy the day and revel in your celebration. She can take care of those little details and make sure that everyone is where they need to be.

11. Prepare an emergency kit for those last minute snafus: safety pins, masking tape, cellophane tape, a stapler, bobby pins, hair spray, needle and thread, extra pantyhose, extra make-up, scissors, etc. Ask a friend to be on stand-by to run errands if necessary.

12. Relax and enjoy your day! Determine not to be stressed even if everything doesn’t go exactly as you planned. Someone may faint or goof up, but the important thing is that you're getting married!! Don't let small things spoil your celebration. And ... live happily ever after!


More on relieving stress:
6 Ways to Reduce Stress by Getting Organized
Foods that Relieve Stress
Twelve Tips to Destressing Christmas

 

Getting Organized for School - Helping Your ADHD Child Stay Organized

    
I've done a lot of study on ADHD and have a soft spot in my heart for those living with it. The following article offers excellent ideas for helping your ADHD child get organized for school.

"Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic disorder that begins in childhood and often persists into adulthood. Inattention can create difficulty with organization, which can pose problems in school during childhood and the teenage years.

Problems with organization stem from problems with executive functioning in the brain (i.e., the level of detail and the time it takes to complete the task). Learning organizational skills can help a child or teen overcome this obstacle. It can also be helpful with the other symptoms of attention deficit disorder, such as time management.

The NYU Child Study Center notes that some children have difficulty with organization, though the deficits are more severe in children with ADHD. But learning organizational strategies early can prevent the symptoms from interfering with productivity. Parents can play an essential role by teaching the child different techniques and monitoring progress.

For example, the parents and child can make a schedule for homework with due dates, and leave space for checking off the assignment when it is done. A homework schedule helps with other symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity and impulsiveness, as it keeps the child on a specific routine.

Parents can use the schedule to make sure the child submits his assignments on time, and see if there are areas in which he is struggling. When making the schedule, part of it should be kept open to review assignments, as careless mistakes are also a symptom of inattention.

Besides creating a method to keep track of assignments, the child or teen also needs an area to work where the number of distractions are limited.

For example, the child should have a consistent place to do homework with all clutter removed. The study area should also be quiet. The child can also create a storage area to hold important papers for school, such as a binder labeled for each class. Parents should also encourage the child to pack his bag at night to prevent school work from being lost or left at home. Experts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign also say that the child should also clean his desk at the end of the day to help maintain organization; this also encourages the establishment of a daily routine.

Since inattention can make it difficult for the child to do complex tasks, caregivers can help break tasks into steps and write out each step. This exercise also helps the child learn planning and follow-through. Leave room on the list to check off when a step is completed. When taking notes, the child should leave the page margins open to add more information when reviewing the material.

Parents should also consider the use of a reward system, which reinforces the child’s new organizational skills. Here are some ideas for ADHD behavioral interventions for the home that work and have been proven effective.

Parents should remember that a child’s or teen’s behavior takes time to change — it’s not going to happen overnight. Don’t be discouraged by setbacks, which are usually temporary in nature. Help be a cheerleader and positive support for your teen or child. You may find the results encouraging and beneficial, not just for your home life, but for your child’s mental health as well."



More on organization and ADHD:
Helping Your ADHD Child Get Organized
ADHD Organization - Decision-Making
ADHD Organization - Time and Energy

 

Organizing Office To Dos for the Visual Person

  
Most time management experts say that you should clear your desk every night.

However, if you are a visual person, out of sight is usually out of mind, isn't it? So clearing your desk at the end of the day may be a disaster UNLESS you make a list of your top priorities for the next day.

Another option is to clear your desk of everything other than your top priorities for the next day. Arrange those top priorities in order of importance on your desk so you're ready to go the next morning. You won't even need to think! It's all ready for you.

What a nice way to start the day!

More on organizing for the visual person: 
Organizing for the Visual Person - Calendars
Office Organizing for the Visual Person – Magazine File Boxes
Three Steps to Organizing Your Office

Getting Organized for School - Discover Your Child's Learning Style

  

I try to repeat this blog post every year because I think it's so important! It's critical that we are students of our children so we can create an atmosphere where they can succeed!

One of the greatest gifts you can give your child is understanding her learning style. Discovering my daughters' learning styles greatly increased my ability to help my children learn - knowing whether they were auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learners. It kept me from forcing my learning style on them, and helped me suggest ways to study and learn.

Cynthia Tobias has written several books on learning styles and learning in general. I'll recommend two that I found very enlightening: The Way They Learn and Every Child Can Succeed: Making the Most of Your Child's Learning Style. She gives numerous ideas for implementing each type of learning style.

As you talk these concepts over with your child, knowing his learning style gives your child confidence, the ability to adapt his learning accordingly, and freedom from comparison. You may find it helpful to discuss this information with your child's teacher, especially if he is a kinesthetic learner and must be moving in order to learn.

You still have time before school starts to read one or both of these books. What a great tool to stash in your parenting tool belt!

More on getting organized for school:
Getting Organized for School - Ideas for Creating a Central Hub
5 Tips for Organized Back-to-School Shopping
Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room



 

Costs of a Disorganized Office, Solutions for Productivity

A great article by Frank Rowan:

"When you organize your work environment, you optimize your surroundings for productivity and increase your ability to work effectively.

Conversely, a disorganized office costs more to run. Supplies, tools and equipment go missing because nothing is organized or put away properly. Those things have to be replaced to complete work tasks, consequently twice the money has been spent in the end. Plus, you spend valuable time searching for missing items, files or paperwork. In fact, some studies have revealed that the average senior business leader spends nearly four weeks each year navigating through messy or cluttered desks, looking for lost information. Does that sound like productive time to you?

If I haven’t convinced you yet, read these benefits of taking the time to create an organized and well-structured office.   

• Better communication: An organized office environment encourages better internal communication. With a central area for staff communication, it is easier to share sales news, track targets, and plan and monitor projects.
  
• A manageable budget: Organized spaces will allow you to quickly see what you have, what you need, and when you might need more. This supports the creation and sustaining of budgets, especially for supplies and equipment.
 
• Increased work ethic and morale: When you and your staff take care of your surroundings, it makes the workplace a more pleasant place. Taking care shows that you value your work and the people who work for you.
 
• Better time management: Simply put, you spend less time looking for things and more time actually working. An organized office will complement and support your time management strategies.

Begin by clearing your desk of everything but your computer, your day planner, your current files, your inbox and your telephone. Depending on the size of your desk, you may wish to put your current files or inbox on top of a filing cabinet within arm’s reach to maximize desk space. Anything you don’t need on a regular basis should be stored out of arm’s reach. Choose one central system for managing your notes, tasks, to-do lists, brainstorming and scheduling. If you have a day planner, use it. If you prefer electronic systems, use those. Having too many binders, notepads and calendars gets confusing. Make a habit of tidying your desk at the beginning and end of each day.

Keep loose papers pinned to your to-do list, or have clear and organized folders. Use drawer organizers to keep your stationery drawer clean and easily accessible. Organize your loose paper, inbox and action items in a file sorter or stack of paper trays. Use categories like to-do, to review, waiting response, and on-hold and to file. Put your phone on the left if you’re right handed, and on the right if you’re left handed, so you have the appropriate hand free to take notes when you’re on a call. Keep a notepad or sticky notes by the phone to record messages and conversation notes. Personal items can be distracting when they’re in your primary line of vision, and encourage daydreaming. Photos and memorabilia have a place in your office, but relocate any items that are in direct sight.

Assess common areas. For example, put doors on shelving so cluttered spaces are not visible. Label boxes, containers, and shelves so everyone knows what goes where. Create a consistent filing system. Provide enough shelving and filing cabinets to store files in a systemized fashion. Ensure your system keeps files out of the way and out of sight when not in use, but maintains easy accessibility. Return or sell unused stock and overflow office supplies, like stationery. Locate other unused items that you can potentially sell or donate to create more space.

Consider renting out unused portions of your office to independent consultants or small businesses. Ensure each staff member has access to the organizational materials they need to keep their offices neat. Provide stacking trays or file sorters, and suggest systems that may help them. Remember that you can’t control their work environment, but you can provide the support they need to stay organized. Minimize the distance between your office and the areas you frequently use (like the printer or photocopier). Locate your office so you have a clear line of sight between you and the most productive area of your business.

Once you make some initial improvements and set up systems to manage your data and organize your supplies, the hard part is over. A clean and organized office is easy to sustain once it is in place. Remember to be patient with yourself. Depending on the state of your work environment, this may be a project that takes a little while."

More on office productivity:
Three Steps to Organizing Your Office
Three Steps to Time Management for the Office
Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work

Six Ways to Maintain Peak Energy at Work

   
Do you find yourself dragging through your work day? There are a number of ways to maintain your peak energy level during your work day. Experiment with the following:

- Get organized the night before. By getting your clothes, lunch, and briefcase ready the night before, you're less likely to be rushed and/or late. A calm and controlled start to your day allows you to focus readily and lucidly when you get to work.

- Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation results in irritability, stress and slow reaction time similar to being drunk, not to mention many other health risks. Your body keeps track of the sleep you've lost. Falling asleep when sitting quietly is an indicator that you may be sleep deprived.

- Take breaks! Take those your employer offers or create your own breaks if you are your own boss. Go for a walk, go outside, climb a few flights of stairs - move! Just a few minutes of change refreshes your mind and your body.

- Noise is a distraction and energy drainer. Try to reduce it as much as possible. If you are in a noisy area, close your door or wear headphones to reduce sound, if acceptable at your workplace. Go to a quiet location to work, if possible.

- Eat. If you are running low on fuel, you will not be able to function properly. Have a healthy snack during your breaks. And don't skip lunch!

- Drink. Keep yourself hydrated. Coffee from our favorite coffee cafes is three to four times stronger than regular coffee. And if you get a specialty coffee, it's loaded with sugar. Stop for one on the way to work, and expect your energy to crash in a couple of hours as the caffeine and sugar wear off. Better to have some green tea or water.

Be intentional about maintaining your energy level, and you'll find your productivity will increase. As your productivity increases maybe your paycheck will too!
 
More on productivity:
Three Steps to Time Management books
The "Do It Now" Mindset
Wrapping Up  Today so Tomorrow Runs Smoothly

 

Living with Imperfection

    
One of the best time management skills to master is knowing when to do a top-notch job and when to live with imperfection. It is impossible to expect perfection from yourself in everything you do. Otherwise you will never stop working!

If you have perfectionist tendencies, ask yourself if perfection is necessary for the task at hand. Is it worth the extra time to do it perfectly? If not, determine what is necessary and let the rest slide. Your twitching will eventually stop!

If perfectionism is getting in the way of quality relationship time or personal refueling time, stop now! Perfection is not worth that sacrifice.

During a quiet moment, ask yourself why perfectionism is so important to you. Is it a competition issue? A self-image issue? Something you've carried from childhood? Take a look at the cost of perfectionism on you and yours. Are you forcing others to be perfectionists, too? Does it create stress?

Some tasks are just not important enough to require perfectionism. Some are. Knowing the difference is the key.  

Allow yourself to be human and imperfect!

More on productivity:
Do You Have a Mid-Afternoon Priority Check?
Don't Sabotage Yourself with the "Evening Drift"
Increasing Efficiency

 

Increasing Efficiency

 
Ever feel like that hamster in a cage, moving but not going anywhere? Here are a few ways to increase your efficiency and productivity.

- First and foremost, know your priorities, passions, and gifts. Use these as filters for incoming opportunities and requests. If you're not sure what is important to you, you may be controlled, by default, by others' agendas.

- Create a master weekly schedule that includes your priorities, passions, and gifts. Use this as you plan your schedule each week. If your schedule is erratic, create a master list of things you need to accomplish each week.

- Say no to those activities which do not contribute to your objectives. If that’s difficult, ask for some time to think about it, compare it with your priorities, and then say no. If you're unsure about whether or not to pursue the opportunity, get some advice from your spouse or close friend who is aware of your priorities and commitments.

- Find ways to simplify your life, schedule, etc. Remove activities from your life about which you are no longer passionate. Remove clutter from your life.

- Create systems and routines for handling paperwork, daily/weekly activities, etc.

- Delegate whenever possible. Train your delegees well, whether it is on the job or doing house chores! And plan a time to follow up.

- Make lists. Write down what you need to do, to remember, to buy, etc., rather than waste time later trying to remember them. I keep my lists on my phone, so they are available at any time.

- Plan your errands strategically so as to save drive time and gas.

- Avoid people who are time-wasters, unless you feel “called” to that relationship. Use email or texting when you must communicate with them so as not to be trapped by their lack of control. Or call them five minutes before a meeting or similar commitment, thereby limiting your conversation time.

- Determine if an emergency or interruption is urgent and important or just urgent before you change your scheduled activities. Just because it may be an emergency for someone else, doesn’t necessarily mean it must become an emergency for you!

- Don’t check your email first thing in the morning; instead, do your highest priority.

- Prepare the night before so your morning will run smoothly.

- Keep well-stocked on the essentials - milk, bread, toilet paper, etc. Milk and bread can be frozen (use milk with screw on cap and pour out a little milk before freezing to allow for expansion). This prevents costly (both time and money) emergency trips to the grocery store.

- Make a master list of school supplies your children use frequently. When you go to the office supply store, check your list to avoid running out of an essential. At the beginning of the school year buy project supplies as well as school supplies - markers, colored pencils, poster board, report folders, etc. When your child has a last-minute project, you'll be prepared! No more late-night trips to the grocery store hoping they'll have poster board.

- Do the same with office supplies. Make a list of essentials - paper, ink, labels, legal pads, binders, etc. Each time you go to the office supply store, check your list. Many office supply stores will deliver if your purchase is over $50.

- Compare prices between local office supply stores and online stores. I have found quality computer ink, shipping supplies, and other items at cheaper prices than my local stores, many times with a better selection. And I don't have to go anywhere!

- Use small snatches of time to do quick tasks. Save large blocks of time for big projects. If you have projects that require lengthy attention, create "no interruption" times during your day. Schedule times when you are available to field questions, phone calls, etc. Record this information on your answering machine.

By increasing your efficiency, your day will be more productive. And you may be able to find some extra time in the day for yourself!

More on productivity:
1-2-3 Get Organized Time Management Books
Wrapping Up Today so Tomorrow Runs Smoothly
Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work
Do You Have a Mid-Afternoon Priority Check?

 

Organizing Summer Fun - 10 Free (or almost free) Summer Activities for Kids

 

Need some new ideas for providing creative activities for your kids or grandkids? I discovered this great article that will inspire you to try something new! Handy links provide resources for making it happen.

"Visiting a museum can be a low-cost (and air conditioned) way to enjoy a hot summer day. Kids of all ages want summer fun that's a break from the ordinary, especially from those dog days of boredom.

The good news is that parents and grandparents can provide lots of fun activities without breaking the bank.

While they're at it, they can even provide some priceless lessons, skills and memories.

If you're prepping for another summer with stay-at-home kids or visiting grandchildren, consider these wallet-friendly ways to make the most of "together" time.

1. See how it's made

Unlock the marvels of manufacturing for thousands of American-made products by going on factory tours that are often free and usually educational. Visit Factory Tours USA for listings of nearly 600 offerings, searchable by state, product or industry.

2. Amuse 'em at a museum

Check with museums near you about free or low-cost admission and other summer programs for kids on select days. Some credit cards and member organizations also offer special museum admission deals.

3. See pros play

If the young 'uns (or you) are pigskin fans, you can go hog-wild at National Football League training camps, usually mid-to-late July. Admission to preseason practices is often free, or a small fraction of a game ticket, and some training camps offer "family fun" events for a more fan-friendly experience. Contact franchises or visit NFL.com for dates and locations (typically posted in early July).

4. Spare the expense of bowling

Kids can bowl two games per day for free — every day, all summer long — at some 1,000 bowling centers across the U.S. and Canada participating in Kids Bowl Free. Preregistration is required (you'll need to print and bring passes to your designated lanes), and if you want to do more than just keep score, low-cost family passes allow up to four adults to participate.

5. Angle for free fishing

With the exception of Alaska, every state (and the District of Columbia) holds no-license-required days, ideal for newbies to, ahem, test the waters — and maybe even provide dinner. Get details on summer's free fishing days at takemefishing.org/nfbw, where you can also download a free app for iPhone and Android smartphones that features more than 35,000 boat ramps and marinas in the U.S. where you can launch or dock a boat.

6. Turn half-pints into handymen (and handywomen)

In addition to free weekend "how-to" workshops for adults, Home Depot hosts them for kids between ages 5 and 12 on the first Saturday of each month, while Lowe's offers them on select weekends. In these clinics, kids get the lowdown on do-it-yourself projects and typically build a wooden craft they can keep.

7. Let them be crafty

For those who prefer pipe cleaners and beads for their creative construction, Michaels, Hobby Lobby and A.C. Moore host regular, in-store crafts classes specifically for kids; many are free, others cost $5 or less. Lego stores hold free, monthly model-building events. Meanwhile, any-aged offspring -— or you — might enjoy spilling creative juices at BeFunky.com, where uploaded photos can be tweaked into cartoons, Warhol-esque painting or who-knows-what.

8. Host a yard sale

You can get rid of clutter, teach some entrepreneurial-enhancing skills and earn a few bucks. For the best turnout, pick a Saturday morning — and have the kids spend Friday designing and hanging signs in the neighborhood. You can post a free advertisement on Craigslist and in some community newspapers.

9. Instill a science alliance

No disrespect to the classic "volcano" made from baking soda, vinegar and food coloring, but an at-home Science Fair can reap more inventive, if not yuck-inducingly offbeat, projects — and also help your kids get a jump on mandated assignments for the coming school year. Find dozens of creative experiments, for various skill levels and ages, at ScienceBuddies.org, ScienceAndMath.com or other websites by doing a Web search on 'science experiments.' Most projects can be done with less than $20 of already kitchen-stocked or store-bought materials.

10. Hit the big screen (at a small price)

They may not be new releases, but some theaters have free or low-cost showings of family-friendly films, typically on weekday mornings. Chains offering freebies include REI Cinemas, Muvico and Clearview Cinemas. Admission is $1 at Regal as well as Cinemark and Century theaters, with the latter providing a $5 punch card to see 10 films in its series."

More on organizing summer fun:
Organizing Summer Fun - 50 Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List
Organizing Summer Fun - Michael's Passport to Imagination
Planning an Intentional Summer for Your Child



 

Don't Sabotage Yourself with the "Evening Drift"

 
After a long day, it's easy to drift through your evening. Doing so, however, may end up sabotaging yourself later.

It's important to rest, refuel, and spend time with those you love. It's also important to be pro-active in using your evening well. By doing so, you'll be able to anticipate what needs to happen tomorrow, and you'll feel less overwhelmed at the end of the week.

Each week when you plan the next week's schedule, plan your evenings as well:

- Establish an evening routine consisting of several tasks that keep life on track. Some examples might include family time, bath times for kids, homework time, 15-minute clutter clean up for the entire family, loading/running the dishwasher, thinking through tomorrow's dinner, some personal time, a set bedtime, etc.

- Schedule household chores (load of laundry, cleaning task, paying bills, etc.) that can be done throughout the week. Doing a load of laundry or two during evening activities eliminates dedicating large chunks of time to it over the weekend.

- You'll also want to think through what is necessary for everyone to get out the door in the morning: breakfast, lunches, backpack/briefcase/diaper bag/purse loaded, athletic uniforms/gear, band instruments, school forms, choose clothes for tomorrow, etc. Create checklists to eliminate stress and forgotten items.

- Multi-task in low-risk areas: Fold laundry while overseeing homework. Dust while watching a TV show. Vacuum during commercials. Clean counters while on the phone. Studies show that multi-tasking during tasks that require thought or concentration produces poor results.

If by using your evening time well, you can squeeze in some tasks you normally do on the weekends, you'll avoid having a huge weekend to-do list! Encourage the rest of the family, if applicable, to do the same.

And then take time to enjoy your weekend!

More on Productivity:
Do You Have a Mid-Afternoon Priority Check?
Going Beyond the  To-Do List 
Creating Systems and Routines
 

Organizing Summer Fun – 50 Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List

I found the most wonderful site that encourages you and your kids to connect with nature: Go Explore Nature! 

I did some exploring on their website and came upon their 50 Ideas for Your Summer Bucket List. Most of their ideas come with links and will inspire you to get out with your kids. Many are no- or low-cost and spark creativity in your children.

Some examples: a summer scavenger hunt, a cardboard box fort, a weather station.

Check it out!

More on organizing fun:
Planning an Intentional Summer for Your Child
Organizing Spring Break Fun
Organizing Summer Fun - Michael's Passport to Imagination
 
    

Organizing Summer Fun - Michael's Passport to Imagination

  
I always like to find opportunities for organizing summer fun for families each summer. Here's something that is starting at Michael's today and continuing for seven weeks: Michael's Passport to Imagination. Looks like a creative way to combine fun and learning for a great price!

More on organizing summer fun:
Planning an Intentional Summer for Your  Child
Organizing Spring Break Fun
Organizing Spring Break - Planning in Some Refill Time

Do You Have a Mid-Afternoon Priority Check?

 
I'm an early morning person, and I start fading by mid-afternoon. Even if you don't have that problem, here's a great tip to help keep focused when things start getting fuzzy!

Instead of waiting until the end of the day to assess your priorities for the next day, consider doing a mid-afternoon priority check. At 2 or 3 o'clock, look to see what is remaining on your to do list for the remainder of the afternoon. Look at your schedule for tomorrow and the week ahead so you can plan your priorities accordingly.

The advantages:

- you'll have a clear picture of what needs to be done by the end of the day and you can adjust your focus if necessary

- you'll have renewed motivation to ramp up your productivity so as to avoid working late

- you'll be less likely to discover last-minute tasks just as you were ready to end your work day

- by keeping the big picture in mind, you'll avoid getting bogged down on lower priority tasks.

A mid-afternoon reality check enables you to be able to maintain your focus and your productivity!


More on productivity:
Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work
Don't Let Interruptions at Work Derail Your Productivity
Going Beyond the To Do List

Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work

  
There are a number of things you can do to stay at your peak effectiveness during your work day. Experiment with the following:

- Take the breaks your employer offers to you. Go for a walk, go outside, climb a few flights of stairs - move! Just a few minutes of change refreshes your mind and your body.

- Multi-tasking is over-rated. It seems that all the hype about multi-tasking over the last few years has proven to be bad advice. The studies I've read recently show that people who concentrate on their task at hand do it more quickly and more effectively than those who multi-task.

Doing a couple of tasks at the same time which require little concentration is always a time saver - just make sure you don't sacrifice quality for "efficiency." If you have to redo a task, it's not saving you time.

- Create boundaries for yourself. Don't volunteer to help someone else at the expense of your own duties. Don't let others waste your time. If you are in a noisy area, close your door or wear headphones to reduce sound if it's acceptable in your workplace. Go to a different location to work in quiet if possible.

- Eat. If you are running low on fuel, you will not be able to function properly. Have a healthy snack during your breaks.

- Drink. Keep yourself hydrated. Our well-known coffee cafes make their coffee three to four times stronger than regular coffee, and if you get a specialty coffee it's loaded with sugar. Stop for one on the way to work, and expect your energy to crash in a couple of hours as the caffeine and sugar wear off. Better to have some green tea. Or water!

If you need more help with time management at the office or organizing your office efficiently, see our books on those topics.

More on work efficiency:
Three Steps to Organizing Your Office
Three Steps to Time Management at the Office
Three Steps to Time Management