While we're updating lists, take a few minutes to update your contact list on your PDA if you use one. Delete those names that are no longer relevant to you and those "vital contacts" you no longer recognize!
If you categorize your list, categorize those names that are not categorized.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Get Organized Month - Update Your Christmas Card List
Now that you have probably received all your Christmas cards, it's a great time to update your Christmas card list. Whether you use an address book, Outlook, Yahoo, Palm, or a written list, let's get started!
Compare the address of your Christmas cards with the address you have on your list. You may want to add in any personal info you want to remember about your friends and family. For those addresses that disagree with your list, change the pertinent information.
If you received Christmas cards from people not on your list, decide if you want to add them to your list.
If you are revamping your list this year, like we are, it's easier to do it with another person. One person to read the address and the other to write or type. It also serves as a way to insure accuracy if the person writing or typing repeats it back to the first person.
Compare the address of your Christmas cards with the address you have on your list. You may want to add in any personal info you want to remember about your friends and family. For those addresses that disagree with your list, change the pertinent information.
If you received Christmas cards from people not on your list, decide if you want to add them to your list.
If you are revamping your list this year, like we are, it's easier to do it with another person. One person to read the address and the other to write or type. It also serves as a way to insure accuracy if the person writing or typing repeats it back to the first person.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Schedule - Take Some Time Off!
Today is Sunday, a day of rest. Take some time off if you can, and do something to refresh your soul - read, take a nap, give yourself a pedicure, take a bubble bath, write in your journal, spend time with God, dream, go for a walk - whatever it is that refreshes you!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Catalogs
Let's get rid of all those excessive catalogs. I have a box on a shelf that houses my current catalogs. It's only about five or six inches high, so I must be selective in what I keep. When I get a new catalog, I find the old one and toss it.
So wherever you keep your catalogs, purge those you don't want and keep only the latest issue of the ones you do want. Better yet, sign up to receive the catalogs via email. When you receive catalogs in the mail that you know you don't want, immediately place it in your recycling container so you don't waste time and energy by having to move it again.
The internet eliminates the need for you to keep a lot of paper catalogs around. If you sign up to receive catalogs via email, you're saving trees!
There's a great website that will help you eliminate your paper catalogs in a few minutes. It's www.catalogchoice.org. It has an alphabetical list of catalogs and gives you the opportunity to decline receiving each catalog on the list. I went through the entire list and it took me only about 15 minutes.
It will take up to 10 weeks for your catalogs to stop coming. You just have to be strong and not sign up to receive any of the ones that catch your eye!! I managed to get through the list without signing up for Godiva and Sees Candies. :-)
You can waste a lot of time and money by flipping through catalogs unnecessarily. You can also save a lot of time and money by shopping online. Just have to be discerning.
So wherever you keep your catalogs, purge those you don't want and keep only the latest issue of the ones you do want. Better yet, sign up to receive the catalogs via email. When you receive catalogs in the mail that you know you don't want, immediately place it in your recycling container so you don't waste time and energy by having to move it again.
The internet eliminates the need for you to keep a lot of paper catalogs around. If you sign up to receive catalogs via email, you're saving trees!
There's a great website that will help you eliminate your paper catalogs in a few minutes. It's www.catalogchoice.org. It has an alphabetical list of catalogs and gives you the opportunity to decline receiving each catalog on the list. I went through the entire list and it took me only about 15 minutes.
It will take up to 10 weeks for your catalogs to stop coming. You just have to be strong and not sign up to receive any of the ones that catch your eye!! I managed to get through the list without signing up for Godiva and Sees Candies. :-)
You can waste a lot of time and money by flipping through catalogs unnecessarily. You can also save a lot of time and money by shopping online. Just have to be discerning.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Computer Programs
Today let's declutter our computer programs. Excess programs on your computer slow it down. Click "Start" at the bottom left hand side of your screen. Click "control panel". Then click "add or remove programs." This will list all the programs currently installed on your computer.
Scroll down through the programs and click the program you want to remove. Then click "add or remove" to remove those programs you no longer use - the one for the digital camera you no longer own; for the printer you got rid of; for anti-virus programs you no longer use; and other programs you don't need.
Just don't be too hasty. We had two items listed for a game we love, and I uninstalled the program for the game rather than the one for the free trial!! Ugh.
Scroll down through the programs and click the program you want to remove. Then click "add or remove" to remove those programs you no longer use - the one for the digital camera you no longer own; for the printer you got rid of; for anti-virus programs you no longer use; and other programs you don't need.
Just don't be too hasty. We had two items listed for a game we love, and I uninstalled the program for the game rather than the one for the free trial!! Ugh.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Purse/Wallet and Briefcase
Take a few minutes to declutter your purse or wallet. File all those receits. Get rid of expired credit cards, membership cards, and coupons. Toss all the trash. Remove excess items. Evaluate what's left - is it necessary?
Now for the briefcase - toss the trash, old newspapers, and other outdated material. File receits and other papers you want to keep. Do you have what you need - pens, paper, etc? Replenish anything that has wandered away. Is your briefcase working for you - does it hold all you need it to hold? Or is it bigger than you need? Make sure it meets the need.
Now for the briefcase - toss the trash, old newspapers, and other outdated material. File receits and other papers you want to keep. Do you have what you need - pens, paper, etc? Replenish anything that has wandered away. Is your briefcase working for you - does it hold all you need it to hold? Or is it bigger than you need? Make sure it meets the need.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Storing Christmas Lights
If you haven't taken down your Christmas lights yet, here's a great bit of advice: Real Simple Magazine (www.RealSimple.com) suggests coiling your Christmas lights on a garden hose holder - the kind you crank. No tangles or knots! Cover them with a trash bag and you're ready for next year!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Get Organized Month - Declutter Magazines
January is "Get Organized Month" as declared by the National Association of Professional Organizers. So I'm going to take a different task each day to help you get organized.
Today let's attack magazines.
1. Go through your magazines and toss those you know you have no use for any more. To double your time, do this task while watching the Rose Bowl Parade or game, a movie, or another activity that lends itself to multi-tasking.
2. As you're going through your magazines, ask yourself if you really want to continue the subscriptions you have. If you don't have time to read your magazines, it's wasting your money and cluttering up your house!
3. For those magazines that are left, cut out articles or ideas you want to keep or read. Keep a file for those articles you want to read and toss.
4. For those articles or ideas you want to keep, make files for each different category or create a binder for decorating ideas, scrapbooking examples, etc. Use plastic protector sheets and just slide the ideas into the sheets. If you place a piece of paper in the protector sheet, you can store an idea on each side.
5. If there are entire magazines you want to keep, get some magazine boxes and label them accordingly. Give yourself a limit on what you will keep. For example, if you decide to keep one year's worth of magazines, remove the oldest one when you receive and have read the newest one.
6. Decide if you want to organize your magazines by magazine titles, topics, or by month (if you want to look at ideas, recipes, etc. seasonally).
7. Keep your current magazines in a magazine rack or box and take them along when you might need to wait for a doctor's appointment. You may also want to take along your file of "need to read" articles.
Now, doesn't that feel great?!
Today let's attack magazines.
1. Go through your magazines and toss those you know you have no use for any more. To double your time, do this task while watching the Rose Bowl Parade or game, a movie, or another activity that lends itself to multi-tasking.
2. As you're going through your magazines, ask yourself if you really want to continue the subscriptions you have. If you don't have time to read your magazines, it's wasting your money and cluttering up your house!
3. For those magazines that are left, cut out articles or ideas you want to keep or read. Keep a file for those articles you want to read and toss.
4. For those articles or ideas you want to keep, make files for each different category or create a binder for decorating ideas, scrapbooking examples, etc. Use plastic protector sheets and just slide the ideas into the sheets. If you place a piece of paper in the protector sheet, you can store an idea on each side.
5. If there are entire magazines you want to keep, get some magazine boxes and label them accordingly. Give yourself a limit on what you will keep. For example, if you decide to keep one year's worth of magazines, remove the oldest one when you receive and have read the newest one.
6. Decide if you want to organize your magazines by magazine titles, topics, or by month (if you want to look at ideas, recipes, etc. seasonally).
7. Keep your current magazines in a magazine rack or box and take them along when you might need to wait for a doctor's appointment. You may also want to take along your file of "need to read" articles.
Now, doesn't that feel great?!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Getting your Office Ready for the New Year
I read an article this morning that echoes my advice on clearing out your desk and files for this year to get ready for 2008. It was written by Rhonda Abrams and appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer. Enjoy!
Rid your desk of clutter to usher in new year unfettered
Rid your desk of clutter to usher in new year unfettered
Friday, December 28, 2007
Taking down the decorations
When it's time to take down the Christmas decorations, sort through and declutter. Get rid of anything in your Christmas boxes that you haven't used for the last couple of years and that you don't love.
As you are replacing your Christmas decorations with the regular ones, do the same thing. Get rid of anything that you don't love or is extraneous. Take the moment to look at your decor with a fresh eye - is it too much? is there something you need to make it complete? is anything faded or worn? is there something in another part of the house that would brighten up your look?
While you're at it, get rid of old magazines and other clutter. A nice time to rethink things!!
As you are replacing your Christmas decorations with the regular ones, do the same thing. Get rid of anything that you don't love or is extraneous. Take the moment to look at your decor with a fresh eye - is it too much? is there something you need to make it complete? is anything faded or worn? is there something in another part of the house that would brighten up your look?
While you're at it, get rid of old magazines and other clutter. A nice time to rethink things!!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Stock up on your Christmas wrap supplies
Today is a great day to stock up on next year's wrapping supplies. Since you've just finished wrapping all those gifts, you should have a good idea of what you need.
I went to Wal-mart (www.walmart.com) this morning at 6 am. There was a big rush over to the Christmas section, but I found much cuter things in the greeting card section. Hallmark and Expressions were both half price and no one was looking there.
Also found some placemats for next year and a few small gifts. These, too, were tucked away in the domestic section, and not in the Christmas section.
Happy shopping!!
I went to Wal-mart (www.walmart.com) this morning at 6 am. There was a big rush over to the Christmas section, but I found much cuter things in the greeting card section. Hallmark and Expressions were both half price and no one was looking there.
Also found some placemats for next year and a few small gifts. These, too, were tucked away in the domestic section, and not in the Christmas section.
Happy shopping!!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Last minute prioritization for December 24
If your list is longer than is humanly possible to accomplish today, prioritize. Make a list of everything you feel you need to do. Look it over to see if there are things you can live without doing. Next, see what you can delegate to others. With your remaining list, prioritize, giving the most urgent and important item on your list a #1 and so on down your list.
This will clear your mind and allow you to concentrate on the most critical tasks, one at a time. Any time you think of something else you need to do, add it to your list and figure out where it falls on your priorities.
If during the day, you are at your energy's end, take a few moments, put your feet up, have a cup of tea or coffee and re-energize.
I hope you and yours have a wonderful, Merry Christmas!
This will clear your mind and allow you to concentrate on the most critical tasks, one at a time. Any time you think of something else you need to do, add it to your list and figure out where it falls on your priorities.
If during the day, you are at your energy's end, take a few moments, put your feet up, have a cup of tea or coffee and re-energize.
I hope you and yours have a wonderful, Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Check out CampusCalmU
Check out www.CampusCalmU.com - Campus Calm's new program for college students. I'm so impressed with this website and the help it offers college students!
All sorts of information is provided by Maria and her 12 experts (I happen to be the one on Time Management). So If you have a college student in your life, buy him/her a membership - an amazing, continuous gift.
All sorts of information is provided by Maria and her 12 experts (I happen to be the one on Time Management). So If you have a college student in your life, buy him/her a membership - an amazing, continuous gift.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Interview with Family Circle Magazine!
Yesterday I was interviewed by Family Circle Magazine for an article they are doing on organizing your scrapbook supplies. The article will appear in the April 1 edition.
My book signing on Saturday went well according to Borders - above average sales.
What fun!!
My book signing on Saturday went well according to Borders - above average sales.
What fun!!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Book Signings at Borders Stores
Just wanted to let you know I'm very excited to announce I'm having three book signings at Borders - one here in Ohio and two in Maryland.
December 15, Saturday - Borders in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, on Howe Avenue, 1-3 pm.
December 29, Saturday - Borders in Gaithersburg, MD, 1-3 pm.
December 29, Saturday - Borders in Silver Spring, MD, 5-7pm.
Hope to see you there!
December 15, Saturday - Borders in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, on Howe Avenue, 1-3 pm.
December 29, Saturday - Borders in Gaithersburg, MD, 1-3 pm.
December 29, Saturday - Borders in Silver Spring, MD, 5-7pm.
Hope to see you there!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
