Productivity & Time Management and Budgets - oh my......

Being organized involves a lot of areas.  It's not only about organizing your space - but it's about organizing your time and your life.

Organization affects all areas of  your life. From your closets, your living areas, your time, your thoughts, your social life, your money and so much more.....

To be successful you need to be organized and have a plan.  Being organized decreases your stress levels - because you know where you are at - and where you need to go.

Being productive requires organization. Time management is a huge part of being productive.

Time management and productivity is something that is usually not taught - yet it is a crucial part in a persons success.

Being successful also entails understanding your finances. Don't put your head in the sand and expect everything to turn out alright! Money is one place where you don't want any surprises!

Below are two products that can help you get a handle on your productivity & time management and help you understand and plan our your budgets.


PRODUCTIVITY & TIME MANAGEMENT PLANNER

Learn techniques for being more productive. Learn your productivity type and why down time is so important. Discover your peak energy time. Learn how to use your calendar more efficiently to become more productive.

 

BUSINESS BUDGETING PLANNER

Learn how to get comfortable with money. Learn how to create a decision making system that allows you to be in control of your finances. Learn now to track plan your long term goals and to create a budget. Not for business only!

BUSTING YOUR MONEY BLOCKS PLANNER

Get to the root of what's holding you back from earning what you should. Learn what  your money blocks are. By changing your inner dialogue you can change your life. Dare to dream big and get comfortable with money.

  
Order at:    Organizational Consulting Services - Product Page



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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Letting Go and Starting Fresh

Clutter is about more than stuff. It's about your life - past and present. For most people clutter - or memories as they call it - is about their past. Having things that remind us of our childhood, or what we accomplished (old trophies) - gives us a sense of who we are. Or who we were.

But sometimes - we hold on to things from the past that have bad memories attached to it.

The question is - why?

Why do you want to be reminded of a bad or traumatic period of your life?  So that you don't make the same mistake again? Or maybe to remind yourself that you were able to change and become a better person?

Whatever the reason - holding on to painful memories just keeps you in the past.

By letting go - of your clutter - of the past - you can start to make new and better memories.

Physical clutter takes up a lot of room in your home. Emotional clutter takes up a lot of room in your mind and heart.

Going through each room of your home - getting rid of the clutter - lets you open up the room to a new and fresh outlook on life. By clearing the clutter of things that no longer interest you (old crafts) - you make room for new interests.

Give yourself permission to clear the clutter out of your life - and let in more productive possibilities!

Start fresh - one room - one day at time!



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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Planning for your Future - Be Proactive Not Reactive

Being organized is not only about your closet or pantry. It's about your life. Unfortunately, a lot of people leave things to "chance".  By not planning for your future you are being reactive - instead of proactive.

When something happens - such as an accident or illness - are you prepared to deal with all of the things that you will need to deal with? Do you have things in place so that your life will carry on as normal (as can be)?

If you were in the hospital (for example) - would your rent and all of your bills still get paid on time? Do you have quick access to a list of all of the people that you would need to contact to keep things going?

Would those people know where you keep your information so that they could help you? Would they know what you wanted them to do?

You might have a filing system in place - but think about the time it would take to go through everything and find all of the information that you needed.

There are a number of options that might make things easier when you are in a crisis and not able to think clearly.

Having all of your information in one easily accessible place is "being proactive".

Planning for your future - having a list of goals is "being proactive".

Having all of your legal and financial documents in place is "being proactive".

Not sticking your head in the sand and saying "I have time to ...." is "being proactive".

Planning for emergencies and life's challenges is "being proactive".

So start thinking about the future - and plan ..... for whatever might come your way.



Organizational Consulting Services

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


http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Winter Gear - Get Your Essentials in Order

As the weather turns colder it's time to start clearing out your closet of summer things and getting your winter gear in order.

Start by trying on last years coats, boots and gloves.

Do they fit? If not, you might consider donating them.

If they do still fit - are they in good condition?  Check for any rips or missing buttons.

If you need new ones, now is the time to buy them so that you are not caught unprepared when the weather turns colder and the snow starts coming down in buckets!

After you have figured out if you need to replace any items it's time to think about storing you summer items. But first, check to be sure that they are clean and in good condition.

Once you are done with your outerwear -  it's time to check your clothes closet for your winter sweaters.

Go through the same process as with your coats. Check to be sure they still fit and are in good condition. It not, donate them or repair them.

If you need to rotate your summer clothes out of your closet and into storage - be sure to only store things that you still like and will wear next year. If you haven't worn it all summer - are you really going to wear it next year?  Don't store things that you will never wear or use.

By getting your essentials in order now - before you really need them - will guarantee that you will be ready when the snow starts to fly!

Here's looking forward to a snowy winter!


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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Getting Your Calendar Ready for 2018

It might only be August - but I like to get a head start on organizing my calendar for the new year. I'm picky about the type of calendar/daytimer that I use. Therefore, I start looking early - so that I can get one that works for me. 

I like one that has a month at a glance so that I can see all of the appointments I have during the month. This helps me spread out my appointments and obligations so that I have plenty of time for family and friends and don't feel stressed because I try to cram too many things into one week.

I start my new calendar by putting everyone's birthday and anniversaries on my calendar. I use a different colored pen for birthdays so that I can easily distinguish them from my appointments.

Then I highlight all of the important holidays. 

Next - you can add in any vacations that are already planned for the new year, any days that your business/school is closed, any appointments that are already made.

I also add notes to my calendar - about 4 months ahead of time - to make any doctors/dentists  appointments that I might need.

You could also add notes or reminders about ....anything. Write it down so that you don't worry about forgetting important events.

Get a head start on planning for next year. By doing it now instead of in December - you will avoid the stress of the holidays and might actually start the new year off organized!



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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

A great APP to help you get ORGANIZED!

Get yourself, your family and your schedule ORGANIZED! 


Here's a great app that will help!


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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Simplifying Your Life

I don't do complicated! And I do things on my own schedule! I like things to be easy and stress free. 

That means that organization is a crucial part of my life. It's all the little things that make your life easier - or not.

After grocery shopping (not my choir) - I put everything into it's proper place and then I might divide the meat into correctly portioned sizes for later in the week. I might peel and cut up a bag of carrots for lunches during the week - and I put them into individual small bags so that I can easily just grab a bag and go. By doing things ahead of time you will save time later in the week.

I usually make lunches for the next day the night before or even the afternoon before if I happen to be doing something else in the kitchen or have a free moment. I don't wait for mornings because things get too hectic. I do things on my own schedule.

When having a dinner party or barbecue I plan things in advance and keep things simple so that I can enjoy our guests instead of fussing in the kitchen. I try to make food in advance whenever possible and gather all of my platters ahead of time.

Choirs are divided in the family and everyone helps. This is not only fair but also makes less work for everyone. Of course, I don't load the dishwasher (since I supposedly don't do it correctly) - but I do fold the bath towels (because only I fold them the way I like them!). By dividing choirs by each persons' ability there will be less complaining - an added bonus!

When I need to buy a birthday card for someone I will usually buy all of the cards I need for the month at once. One shopping trip instead of 2 or 4 (or however many birthdays fall in that month). I will also write them all out at once and stamp them and then set them aside to mail a few days before the persons' birthday.

In November, I usually buy my calendar for the next year and then spend an hour writing down all of the birthdays and important dates on my calendar for the following year. Done and over with!

I plan my days ahead of time to make the best use of my time and avoid multiple trips to the store.

I use checklists for vacations and camping trips to be sure that I never forget anything. Why reinvent the wheel? When you are out in the wilderness being prepared is crucial!

On trips - keeping your wardrobe as simple as possible (mix and match!) - makes packing much easier. Don't take things that you will probably never use.

Doing only what is really important to you - and not wasting your valuable time on things that you no longer care about - will help simplify your life and reduce your stress (and probably save you money!).

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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/

How Being Disorganized Affects Your Family

Organization isn’t only about closets! Yes, it’s about space management – but it’s also about time management, paper management and life management.

If everyone in the family is not on the same page when it comes to how organized their home should be – there could be arguments and resentment from one of the partners or the children. If one person likes the home to be organized and neat and the other person doesn’t seem to care – it can lead to a lot of tension and stress. 

Even children can be affected when they are too embarrassed to bring their friends over because the house is a mess. 

Being on the same page when it comes to how a home is run and what level of disorganization is acceptable – is something that is crucial. Don’t wait until you boil over from anger before you sit down with the other person and discuss why things are bothering you. At least try to come up with a compromise or a plan that everyone can live with. Even if that plan is that one person does the work of getting your home into the organized space that makes you feel comfortable – and the other person agrees to go along with the plan. Set up some systems and explain the new plan to your family. Discuss your reasons for the new system – such as “it will make our lives easier….” or “by following a new routine we will all be able to get to work or school on time”.

Disorganization also comes into play when your bills are not being paid or are late. This can also lead to a lot of stress and a lot of arguments. By setting up a routine on where to keep your bills and paperwork, when to pay your bills, and who is going to take the lead in handling the paperwork – you can avoid a lot of stress.

When you are overwhelmed because of work or family and other commitments the problem could be time management. Taking a look at how you manage all of your time and commitments, including appointments and kids’ activities – and being realistic about how much time you actually have and what you are spending it on – is a great exercise. For the next week - write down everything that you do all day long (break it into 30 minute pieces). Then sit down and look at how much time you are actually wasting – and also decide what you could give up to make your life easier and less stressed. If you cannot give something up you could look at sharing carpooling the kids to their activities with another parent – that would give you extra time to get other things done. There are a lot of ways to manage your time more efficiently.

Being organized decreases your stress on many levels. Take a look at what is bothering you and try to figure out how a more organized approach might help decrease your stress.

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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/