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Showing posts with label TIME MANAGEMENT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TIME MANAGEMENT. Show all posts

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Did You Make New Years Resolutions? How to be Successful...

We are now in our 2nd month of 2024. Have you already thrown out your New Years Resolutions?

At the beginning of every year a lot of people "resolve" to start or stop some new or old habits. By February - everything is forgotten.

Why is that?

Maybe it's because the goals we set were unrealistic. We have great intentions but we tend to bite off more than we can chew. Instead of saying (for example) that we are going to lose 50 pounds six months (which could be unrealistic) - we should plan on changing our lifestyle and eating healthier. 

Another reason that people can't meet their goals is that most people need an accountability partner and without one - they will not be successful.

Having goals means making a plan. Making a plan means Time Management. Without time management people tend to get off track. And once people are off track - it's hard to get back on track. Time Management is an important component in being successful in life.

When all of these things don't fall into place - people tend to give up.  And there goes your New Years Resolution.

Being organized in your life means having a goal, then having a plan to meet your goal. Then breaking it down into manageable pieces. Putting those pieces into your calendar and managing your schedule and your time.

And most important of all - having an accountability partner to keep you on track.

Be successful in life by being realistic about what you can accomplish. If you need help - ask for it. Successful people surround themselves with knowledge and are willing to ask for help from people that have more experience then they do. 

If you need help in figuring out to make your goals a reality, or you have problems managing your time or paperwork  - reach out to a Professional Organizer who can help get and keep you on track!

Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....   

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Setting Yourself up for Success - Not Failure!

It's a new year and everyone wants to get Organized! That's great! But where should you start?

The answer is simple:  start with what bothers you the most! There is no right or wrong answer. If an area of your home bothers you - fix it!

Most people don't start an organizing project until things get so bad that they can't stand it any lonoger - and then they go overboard!

They want to do a "whole house" organizing without really thinking about what exactly that entails - and being realistic on how long it takes. They jump right in - without planning anything. Because planning things involves time - and they want to get started right away - while they are "in the mood". 

And things don't go smoothly..... because they didn't take into account how long it really takes and they only have the weekend to complete the project,  what supplies they need, or that they need a lot of extra help with things.

If you want to be successful - you have to have a plan. A realistic plan (based on your abilities) that also includes a realistic time line. Most people underestimate the time it takes to do anything. For example - if you want to organize your kitchen pantry - you have to first take everying out of your pantry, then decide if any of the food is expired and throw that out - or if you actually use or like any of the things in your pantry and then decide if you want to keep it. Here we go again - making a lot of decisions - which all take time.

Once you've narrowed down what to keep and what to purge - you have to decide where it goes. Does where you had it make sense? Is it really conveneient? If not - where should it go? Does your pantry really make the best use of the space? 

Lots of things to think about....   And now you are out of time and everything is laying out all over the kitchen and you have to get to an appointment. 

Being realistic about how long things take (it's different for everyone), what tools and supplies you need, and your ability - is really crucial to your success. 

Set yourself up for success - by having realistic expectations. Time Management is crucial.

Instead of saying that you are going to do a "whole house organziing" this weekend - break it down into smaller projects. Start with one room or one corner of the room. Complete your organizing project and celebrate your success! Then on to the next smaller project. Eventually - you will have completed your "whole house organizing".

Set yourself up for SUCCESS - not FAILURE!

Keep on Organizing......

Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....   

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

2023 World Organizing Day

Organizational Consulting Services to Celebrate World Organizing Day on May 20th


Member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals Celebrates with Other Professionals from Around the World

 

May 20th is World Organizing Day and Organizational Consulting Services, a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO), is celebrating the global initiative by offering a 10 % Discount on any One (1) Hour Virtual Organizing session during June and July.

 

World Organizing Day is a global initiative founded by the International Federation of Professional Organizing Associations (IFPOA) to celebrate the work of organizing and productivity professionals.

This designated day aims to increase public awareness of the benefits of getting organized. It highlights the work of organizing and productivity professionals who enrich the personal and professional lives of their clients.

 

It also recognizes the accomplishments of individuals and organizations in their efforts to become more organized and productive.

 

NAPO members improve the lives of their clients throughout the year by helping them create environments that support productivity, general health and well-being.

 

By becoming more organized you can reduce waste, save time and money and reduce your stress. A Professional Organizer will work with you to come up with the best solutions that work with the way your brain works. Everyone learns differently and everyone uses their home differently. There is no “one size fits all”.

 

Don’t be embarrassed because the organizing books or gadgets that you bought didn’t make your home more organized. A Professional Organizer will find the solution that works “for you”. And they will teach you organizing skills that you can use in the future.

 

Call or email for more information on how Organizational Consulting Services can help you become more organized.  Onsite or virtually.      (440) 666 – 9326   or   kefconsulting@gmail.com

 

To find a productivity or organizing professional in your area, visit www.napo.net.

 

About NAPO

The National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) was founded in 1985 as a nonprofit professional educational association for professional organizers. Today, NAPO has approximately 3,500 members worldwide, representing the full spectrum of the global industry:  professional organizers, productivity consultants, authors, educators, trainers, manufacturers, service providers and more. NAPO’s mission is to be the leading source for organizing and productivity professionals by providing exceptional education, enhancing business connections, advancing industry research, and increasing public awareness. Visit www.NAPO.net to learn more.

 

About IFPOA

The International Federation of Professional Organizing Associations (IFPOA) was founded in 2007 as a forum to foster communication and best practices amongst professional organizing and productivity associations worldwide in a collaborative effort to elevate our industry globally. Its 13 member associations span the globe. Visit www.ifpoa.wordpress.com to learn more.

 

                                          Watch the Video


Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life


Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....   

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

How Can You Use a Professional Organizer in Your Life

A lot of people think that you can only use a Professional Organizer to organize your kitchen or garage.

I love kitchens and pantries - my favorite! But there are so many more ways that you can use the services of a Professional Organizer!

Besides helping you organize all areas of your home or office, a Professional Organizer can help you declutter and organize your home as you age. As we get older our lives change. Kids grow up and move out. You will probably not be hosting big dinners anymore - so the need for a lot of the things that you used to use - is no longer there. Rearranging your kitchen so that the things that you use are at a lower level so that you don't have to reach, is also a good idea as you age.

Most people wait until they are a lot older (70 - 80's) to start downsizing, purging, decluttering. And that is too late. People don't realize how long the process actually takes. They also don't realize the emotions that come with purging your stuff. a lifetime of memories - and they all tend to come flooding back when you start the purging process. And the number one thing that I hear kids say most often to their family is "we don't want that stuff and we will throw it out after you die". A devastating thing for a parent to hear. Because everyone thinks that their stuff is valuable and everyone should care about it. But it's not - and they don't. A hard truth to hear.

Start the organizing and purging process earlier so that your kids don't have to be traumatized and stressed out by going through your belongings. They will thank you for it!

***

If you wanted to downsize to a smaller home, an Organizer can help you purge and downsize, decide what will fit into your new home, and help you unpack and set up your new home so that you can walk in and be settled in a short period of time. Wouldn't it be great to be able to find all of your things the day after your move - instead of looking at boxes for weeks?

 ***

Another way that a Professional Organizer can help you is by sorting, purging and organizing a home or estate after a parent dies. The amount of paperwork alone is overwhelming. If you can find it that is! Most people do not realize the amount of time it takes to find and gather up all of the documents that are needed in dividing an estate. Getting all of the financial paperwork together is a daunting task. Clearing out their clothes is really hard and very emotional. Finding places to donate items, taking them to donation sites or arranging for pick up of items is something that an Organizer can help you with. 

Getting through the process is not easy, but a Professional Organizer can make the entire process more efficient and less stressful.

***

Besides physical organization - a Professional Organizer can also help you organize your schedule and your life! Time Management is one of the most important things in our life - yet it's something that is usually overlooked. 

By working with a Professional Organizer on time management and scheduling - you can eliminate a lot of stress!


Feel free to reach out with any questions on more ways that a Professional Organizer can make your home and life run smoother!

Happy Organizing!

 

Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Being Organized involves Time Management - Here are some Tips to Help

 25 Practical Time Management Tips

Regardless of how much we’d all like to have extra hours in our day to get things done, we’relimited by what we have to work with. Instead of wishing for more time, there are ways to make the most of the hours available by practicing time management tips.

The majority of hard-working people want to practice good time management and they start out well with this, but they forget to figure in the one biggest thing that sabotages time.

Time Management for Interruptions

Interruptions are one of the biggest time thieves in your life. You may not have actually tallied how many minutes or hours have been stolen from your day by other people or situations barging into your day.

Here are some tips to help you eliminate or better deal with them:

1. Build time into every aspect of your day for those interruptions that we all experience.

You will never have a single day that’s not interrupted by something unexpected. This is usually what throws people off course. It can break your concentration, making it harder for you to get the flow back.

If you’re at work and someone pops in for “just a minute,” you’ll notice that it always turns into a lot longer. Before you know it, half an hour to an hour will have passed and you can’t get that time back.

You want to allocate time for these interruptions by looking at your day and figuring out how much time you have to give these. For example, when someone walks into your office, you can say, “I’m working on a project so I can only spare five minutes.”

At the end of five minutes, if the other person is still there, you say, “I’m sorry, but my time is up and I have to get back to this.” If you respect your time, others will, too.

2. Plan your day the night before.

This gives you a go-to launching place. You know what you have to start on first. It helps you to manage time if you have a map to follow - even if it’s simply a list of what you must accomplish that day.

3. Plan your phone conversations.

This is a huge time waster. But if you plan your conversations before you make the call, this helps you stay in control of how long the conversation lasts. If someone calls you and you need to get off the phone, you just say that you have to go.

Most people don’t want to risk sounding rude, so they’ll remain on phone conversations that are taking up a lot of their time.  If that sounds like you, there are several easy ways to end a phone conversation.

You can say that you’re in a time crunch and have to go or that you need to take care of something. Usually, that will cause the other person to say goodbye and end the call.

It’s okay to tell someone you can’t talk at the moment and will have to get back to them. The second you start being someone else’s sounding board for all of their problems, on an endless loop is when you get taken advantage of constantly.

4. Don’t let technology interruptions disrupt your time management.

When someone isn’t dropping by your office or home, they’re reaching out to you through technology like email or on social media. These can quickly take up hour after hour of your day because it’s easy to get sucked into playing a game while you’re handling something business or personal related online.

If being on social media is a must for you, let it be a scheduled interruption. For example, you just write it on your planner that at lunch, you’ve scheduled ten minutes to be on social media.

Stick to that time just as if it were an appointment. If you have to, use an alarm on your smart phone or set an egg timer so that you’re made aware of the end time of this distraction.

5. Separate the interruptions between what must be dealt with and what doesn’t have to be dealt with at that time.

You don’t have to make someone else’s urgency your priority and you’ll see this a lot when it comes to work things. Someone didn’t get what they needed or didn’t accomplish what they needed and all of a sudden, they want to drop it in your lap.

Or, they want you to stop everything you’re doing to help them get out of a jam. There’s something to be said for good teamwork, but if this is a recurring situation, it’s time to put the brakes on bailing others out.

Prioritizing Your Time

There are billions of people and billions of things that have to get done each day. But there’s only one you and you can’t do it all. So you have to prioritize what gets done and what gets moved to another day or delegated to others.

6. Look at your day’s to-do list and begin your day by starting with the most important item on your list.

There’s a psychological reason you want to do it this way. When you do the important tasks first and finish them, it gives you a feel-good release of hormones and it makes you feel more energized and more like tackling other items on your list.

Plus, you get to see that you’re making progress. If you start with the easiest task or the fastest task and put off the most important task, there’s a chance you may not get to it by the time the day ends – and then anxiety sets in.

7. Refuse opportunities that will take up too much of your time.

You can’t be involved in every activity and you can’t attend every single meeting that you’d like to. You’ll end up overworked and frazzled. If you work from home and there are several webinars you’d like to attend, but you’re already struggling with time management, there’s a way to decide which ones to choose.

You look at the ones that will give you the most benefit both personally and professionally.  Sometimes there might be something you’re interested in, but it’s not conducive to a good time management schedule. That means you have to pass.

8. Get your rest.

If you push yourself to go beyond what you should do by cutting back on sleep, this will eventually catch up to you. When you lose sleep, it can cause you to lose focus.

This means you’ll start doing sloppy work and you’ll find yourself having to redo work – or you’re sluggish to begin with. Not only that, but when you start giving up your needed rest, it weakens your immune system and you’ll be more susceptible to catching whatever virus is going around.

You’ll end up losing time rather than being a good manager of it. You might want to stay up later and wake up earlier to get more done, but being well rested means you become far more productive – and quality improves, too.

9. Take care of yourself in other ways, too.

Make sure that you get the exercise that you need because exercise is something that actually helps you with time management. It keeps your energy levels high.

Plus, taking a break from personal and work responsibilities gives your mind a chance to be refreshed and come back to the task with a fresh outlook. Increased focus helps with productivity and saves you time in the long run.

10. Take time off.

There can be a tendency to work full speed ahead, whatever it takes, to get all of the things done that you need to get done. Many people give up time with friends and family to try to gain more time.

They bring work home on weekends or they work on a to-do list all weekend around the house in an effort to get things done. Some people haven’t had a vacation in years - not because they can’t afford it - but because they don’t feel like they have the time.

But if you take time off, away from everything you need to do, you end up getting more done because your body as well as your mind needs time where it has absolutely nothing it “must” focus on.

Let Go of Perfectionism

When someone is a perfectionist, the job has to be done perfectly. These types of high achievers can experience more stress than someone who is not a perfectionist. When it comes to time management, perfectionism will work against you.

11. Know that it’s okay not to do it all.

Forget about multi-tasking. Multi-tasking is synonymous with doing several jobs poorly all at once - and that’s very frustrating to someone with perfectionist tendencies.

You don’t have to accomplish everything in one day. Instead, concentrate on what’s right in front of you that has to be done first. Get that finished and then move on with the next item.

12. Give everything you need to do a time limit.

Whether you’re a perfectionist or not, this is a good rule of thumb for anyone looking for better time management. Open-ended tasks have a tendency to pile up because there’s no finish line.

So when you look at the whole picture of what has to be accomplished with the time you have, it can feel overwhelming. It’s better to break the things you have to do down.

For example, if you have a project that has to be completed by a certain deadline, you need to divide that project up by how long it will take to get the work done.

If the project will take 40 hours to complete and you have two weeks to get it done, you know you have to work on it 20 hours per week or 5 hours per day. And take into account interruptions and other obstacles that will get in the way.

13. Don’t schedule anything back to back.

You have to have some time - even if it’s just a few minutes - where your mind can relax and get away. Mental exhaustion is often more draining than physical exhaustion.

Like your body, your brain can’t go full speed ahead on something without needing a time out every so often. In between your to do list tasks, break and do something enjoyable – or do nothing at all.

14. Divide all of your tasks up in your personal and professional life by hours, days, months, seasons or year.

For example, if you know that every fall the gutters on your home have to be cleaned from the leaves that fell, you’ll want to put some time for that task on your schedule.

If you know that every year, there’s a Christmas party at work and you’ll need to bring something as well as show up, put that on your calendar, too. If you own a business that has seasonal items, you’ll want to schedule to take care of releasing those products, press releases or email newsletters ahead of time. You don’t want to wait until December to talk about December projects.

15. Look over your to-do list - you should have one for both home and office - and cut it down.

Most people end up with poor time management because their to-do list has too many items on it. That’s because we all like to achieve things and even the possibility of achieving things makes us feel good.

But people often set up tasks that they can’t accomplish because there’s not enough time.  It’s like setting yourself up for failure. Whittle the list down and if there’s time left over, you’ll feel a bonus that you got something “extra” done rather than failed to complete something imperative.

Get Organized for Better Time Management

Everyone has areas of life where there’s a lack of organization. Whether it’s at home or the office, we misplace things and we can’t find things when we need them because we’re not organized.

But getting organized is a big help with time management. Declutter your home and office before you attempt to tackle staying organized and managing your time better.

16. Forget the elaborate systems.

Any system you use for organizing your life that takes a lot of time to keep up with is actually a waste of time. An organizational system should enhance your life, not detract from it.

You can use simple means such as an expandable folder to keep track of bills that need to be paid or projects that need to be completed. You can use a filing cabinet with hanging folders.

Don’t overcomplicate your organization system. Invest in simple solutions and watch how it transforms the way you manage your time and act in a more productive manner.

17. Don’t procrastinate.

This is a big problem for a lot of people in all walks of life. We don’t like to do the things we don’t like to do. It’s as simple as that. No one wants to do the hard jobs that seem boring.

We don’t want to do the job that’s going to take us five hours to complete when the sun is shining and we’d rather kick back and go to the beach or spend time with friends.

When you get the most difficult tasks over with, they’re done and you have that sense of satisfaction that it’s now behind you. One of the biggest time management problems is with paperwork.

If you haven’t switched to electronic file keeping, then it can be easy to get overwhelmed and disorganized just by the volume of documents. Since you don’t want certain sensitive information stored online, you’ll want to keep that at home.

When you get important paperwork, take care of it immediately. Put it where it needs to go. If there’s something that requires you to make a phone call before you can put that paperwork away, put the paper in your desk inbox and make a note in your planner to schedule a time to make that call.

18. Group similar items together at home in order to save time.

For example, when it comes to better home time management, if you have to run errands, group all of the errands that are within the same area together. Try to work it out so that you only have to deal with one errand day a month.

Do the banking, post office needs and any medication pickups on the same day. Driving can be a big leak in your time management success - and since you need to pay attention to driving, you can’t do much else except maybe listen to a podcast or something else you need to listen to.

19.  Do the same at the office.

You can do the same when it comes to work tasks. Things that have to be done every week can be grouped by days and according to difficulty and length of tasks.

If you know that you need to drop something off at someone’s office and you have a meeting, you can drop the item off while you head to the meeting. This also helps prevent time wasted chatting when you have to be somewhere.

20. Have a calendar for both home and office.

Keep it where you can see it every day. You can put it on the wall or on your desk. The ones with the large blocks that enable you to write appointments in them work best.

This way, you can see your day at a glance and your week and month as well. These larger calendars often work better for time management than the smaller ones you can keep tucked away.

Finding Opportunities to Improve Time Management

You can manage time better by finding lost time. Lost time is that which you didn’t even realize you were wasting in the first place. It’s almost like keeping change in a piggy bank and one day you realize it’s totaled over $100!

21. Don’t waste the time that most people do.

There are ways to find time that’s often overlooked because people tend to think of time management as being large blocks of time available. But you can do a lot with just ten or fifteen minutes.

Don’t waste the time you have while waiting in a doctor’s office or while exercising. If you like to use a treadmill, you can get one that has a desk so that you can take care of something that has to be dealt with.

22. Realize that not everything that seems important is.

It only seems that way. Look at your life and stop doing the things that aren’t important that drain your time. If something isn’t a matter of you being happy and succeeding personally or professionally, then it’s not important.

23. Run ahead, not behind.

When you get behind schedule, it can make you feel a lot of pressure and it adds stress to your life. Try to get things done ahead of time because this gives you a buffer in time management.

24. Delegating is a great way to help with time management.

Most people like to do things themselves because they know then that the job is done correctly. But if you do the things that others can do, it’s draining your time. For example, some time drains are things like mowing the grass or cleaning the house, scheduling meetings, handling social media updates.

What you can do is to look at how much it costs you do the tasks that you do. If someone else can do them, then you’re not only losing time - you’re losing money.

If you earn $200 per hour, then an hour of mowing the grass costs you $200. But if you pay someone $50 to mow the grass, then you saved an hour and $150 because you gained time.

25. Deal with emails the right way.

Handling email causes more people to get off track than any other online task beside social media and online games. Manage your time wisely with email by setting aside a specific time to deal with email and setting a time limit on how long you’ll take responding to the messages.

If they’re not important, don’t save them to look at later because they’ll only pile up in your inbox. If your life allows you to, hire an assistant to deal with handling your email. 

Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more.... 

 

Monday, June 15, 2020

Getting Organized with Time Management- using the Pomodoro Technique


Getting organized means completing tasks that you set for yourself. But some people find it hard to stay on task. Either they get distracted or they find that their motivation decreases as time goes on.

One way to get the job done is to break it down into smaller amounts of time - with breaks in-between.  Using a timer and working until the timer goes off is one way to get your task completed.

Try it and see if it helps! 

The Pomodoro Technique simplifies time and task management with a single, simple tool: a timer.

Follow these steps to maximize your work sessions with the Pomodoro Technique:

  1. Choose your timer. The Pomodoro Technique is based on the tomato-shaped kitchen timer, but any timer will do.

  2. Track your sessions
o   Use a sticky note, notepad, scratch paper, or your computer
o   Use check boxes or scratch marks to track each session you complete

  1. Set your timer for 25 minutes
o   While the timer is ticking, work without distractions

  1. When the timer goes off, stop and take a break. Your break should last at least 5 minutes, but should be kept short.

  2. After completing 4 successful Pomodoro sessions, take a longer break
o   Now is a good time for a 30-minute break, a snack, or even a short nap to recharge

  1. Repeat with sets of 4 sessions until your project or work-day is done

Be sure to focus on the project that you are working on - and don't think about the timer. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in short bursts of time.

Happy Organizing!
 
Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life


Organizational Consulting Services
Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest
*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....

Monday, March 16, 2020

Put It in Writing: Set a Schedule for Managing Time and Stick to It


The hardest part about time management is making a real commitment to following a schedule. It can be especially difficult for people who want to work for themselves to work on any type of schedule. It can feel wrong somehow to keep a schedule as an entrepreneur. However, keeping a schedule is going to increase your success exponentially. Putting your schedule in writing will help you follow it.

* Use Your Smartphone – Today’s cell phones are really mini computers. You can have your entire life on there, including your work schedule with alarm reminders and everything. If you see a popup on your phone every time you go to use Facebook, reminding you of tasks that need to be done, you will not have much of an excuse for not doing them.

* Try Google Calendar – If you have a Gmail account, then you already have access to a powerful system that can help you put your time in writing, while helping you keep track. You can easily set up different calendars for different aspects of your life and color code the entries. Further you can print out a calendar each day or sync to your smartphone so that you don’t forget anything.

* Try a Project Management System – Project management systems like Basecamp can help you put your schedule into writing, and organize it too. You can use this system whether or not you outsource tasks to others by just assigning the work to yourself if you don’t have others to assign them to. You’ll get an email reminder before the task is due.

* Use Evernote – This nifty little program can be used to help you keep track of your schedule, notes for projects, and more. It has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to it you’ll enjoy using it to keep track of many tasks.

* Try the “Old-Fashioned” Date Book – The old Filofax still exists and many people prefer it to using technology. If you’re one that does, don’t despair because many people stay better organized with everything in writing in one single notebook. If that’s you, you can still do it that way.

* Use a Large Whiteboard – The great thing about having a large whiteboard on your office wall is you can’t escape the tasks that need to be done since they are very obvious. You can also feel accomplished as you erase things as they get done.

* Use Time Tracking Software – FreshBooks.com comes with time tracking software that enables you to keep track of what you’re doing easily once you set up names for them. Make entries for using social media, making phone calls, even doing the dishes, and you’ll soon figure out where you’re wasting time. You can’t get time back, so it’s nice to know where it all went.

* Create a Contract with Yourself – Actually put your promises and goals into writing in the form of a contract. Write down in black and white what you will do, what your work hours are, and what you plan to do during those work hours. Then sign it.

Setting a schedule and sticking to it requires commitment to your business as if it is a job. This isn’t to say that it won’t be more flexible than a job. But, if you have to move the two hours you wanted to work on a particular project, due to a family emergency, you need to then take time from elsewhere to replace the two hours you were going to work. Seeing the schedule in writing will help you schedule things the best by making a visual representation of your day.


Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services
Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

Monday, February 3, 2020

Did You Throw Your New Years Resolutions Out the Window Already?


We are now in our 2nd month of 2020. Have you already thrown out your New Years Resolutions?

At the beginning of every year a lot of people "resolve" to start or stop some new or old habits. By February - everything is forgotten.

Why is that?

Maybe it's because the goals we set were unrealistic. We have great intentions but we tend to bite off more than we can chew. Instead of saying (for example) that we are going to lose 50 pounds six months (which could be unrealistic) - we should plan on changing our lifestyle and eating healthier. O

Another reason that people can't meet their goals is that most people need an accountability partner and without one - they will not be successful.

Having goals means making a plan. Making a plan means Time Management. Without time management people tend to get off track. And once people are off track - it's hard to get back on track. Time Management is an important component in being successful in life.

When all of these things don't fall into place - people tend to give up. And there goes your New Years Resolution.

Being organized in your life means having a goal, then having a plan to meet your goal. Then breaking it down into manageable pieces. Putting those pieces into your calendar and managing your schedule and your time.

And most important of all - having an accountability partner to keep you on track.

Be successful in life by being organized!


Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life


Organizational Consulting Services
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Monday, November 11, 2019

Set Aside Dedicated Areas for Various Aspects of Your Time


One way to help yourself manage your time better is to keep things separate. If you have a specific area to accomplish a goal, you’ll be able to get your mind dedicated faster to that one task. It might seem like a pipe dream, but if you really want to be creative, find a space that makes you feel creative and go to it each time you need that extra creative spark. In that way, you become more in charge of how your time is spent.

* A Reading Cubby – You may have had one in elementary school, a little place that you could go for quiet reading time. You can do this at home easily by just setting up a chair in the corner of a living room, bedroom or office that is set up with good light for reading and if necessary the proper electronic components if you want to read by laptop or Kindle.

* A Mail Checking Station – This works especially for snail mail and is best if it’s close to the trashcan. Get the mail in, and immediately go through it, tossing the trash, and then taking the mail to the computer in order to schedule, process and pay bills.

* Games Only – Some people cannot afford this but it is something that will truly help you manage your time better. Separate your work computer from your fun computer. At the very least create different sign-ons to your computer: one for work, one for games. This way you won’t be tempted to check work when you’re having fun, or play games when you’re supposed to be working.

* TV Time – It’s very difficuylt to get work done, or even read a book with the TV blaring. Having technology in the bedroom is also not conducive to a good night’s sleep. Consider having the TV in only one room in the house and only using the TV during limited hours.

* Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner – Eating is a very important part of your day and should be treated as such. If you eat all over your home and office there is no true break or time to digest your food. Take the time to set the table, and eat at the table or breakfast bar in order to differentiate the time spent on eating, versus working, versus play.

* Resting and Sleeping – There is nothing wrong with taking a nap on a rainy Sunday afternoon, but you want to be very careful about sleeping and resting during the work day. Plus, you want to avoid working when you’re supposed to be resting and sleeping. Make your bedroom a peaceful oasis away from the rest and go there when you need a break.

* Being Social – So often, the internet becomes a substitute for true social gatherings and due to this easy access to a social life, it can be all too simple to flow from work to being social accidentally. Like with gaming, set up specific times to be social - whether it’s out of the house, outside of business hours, or on the computer.

* Exercise – If you don’t have time and space set aside for exercise, it’s unlikely you will ever do it. Set aside the time, and the space, even if you have to go to a new space. If you get to the new space, you’ll automatically reach your exercise goals because your surroundings will inspire you.

Setting up different areas to get various activities done will help you differentiate your time better, be more organized, and get more done than you thought possible. Creating dedicated areas for specific activities is an excellent time management tip that will work for most people.



Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services