Productive and Organized Finding Your WayProductive and Organized Finding Your WayStephanie L. H. Calahan offers simple, yet powerful ideas on how to manage your office, time and thoughts for a more fulfilling life. Articles
Learning from a Kindergartner
2008-03-31 21:27:00 One moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience.— Oliver Wendell Holmes My son is in 1st grade and a few years ago the school changed their mascot from an Indian to a Wolf. The school has done an excellent job of translating how baby wolfs grow into responsible adults of the pack (in the wild) and applying it to various grades in the school. In addition to the Pledge of Allegiance, the kids have learned a school creed. Here is what they recite: Respect the elders Teach the young Cooperate with the pack Learn every day Play when you can Rest In Between Work Together Learn for Life Leave Your Mark This is the Washington Wolf's Creed! Adopted by Washington Elementary School in 2003. Adapted from T. L. Towery's The Wisdom of Wolves What a great thing to be teaching our young school children. He was also able to explain what each line item meant to him as a young person. Can you identify how you can apply the school's creed to your life? The whole re... More About: Learning
Trick to Fight Procrastination
2008-03-29 20:15:00 Live your life with a plan! Make sure that what you do is not by default. Be on Purpose! Many people loose track of their focus and goals because of procrastination. Does that sound like you? If so, try this technique I read about in the Early to Rise newsletter. The next time that you find yourself putting things off:Sit in a chair and do nothing. Sit still ---- very still! Do not read. Do not listen to music. Do not watch T.V. Do not talk to anyone. Do not do anything! Just sit very still and do nothing. After about 10 or 15 minutes, you will get very uneasy. You will start to be aware of each precious minute passing you by while your goals are not being accomplished. Before you know it, your motivation will be reactivated and you'll be off and running! Try this and let me know how it worked for you! I would love to hear your experiences and thoughts. To your success! More About: Fight , Trick , Procrastination
How long does it take for a person to get organized and is it possible to s
2008-03-29 03:15:00 Productivity and organizing project timing varies by project and person. Here are some factors that impact the length of time a project may take:THE PROJECT: To De-Clutter or Not De-Clutter. Some projects require major de-cluttering before systems can be put into place. Other projects only require systems to match the person. The Project Goals. Some individuals are looking to get organized for life strategies (e.g. keep the chair clear so guests have somewhere to sit.) Others are looking for function over form, while some want their version of visual "perfection." Budget. Some people would like to get the project done quickly and are willing to pay for additional people to help move the project forward. Others have a specific amount they can spend during a given time period. When that occurs, the project is spread out over a longer period of time. THE INDIVIDUAL PERSON: Number of People Involved. The more people involved in the decision process the longer the project ... More About: Long , Person
Have Books to Get Rid of?
2008-03-27 17:13:00 Got (or want) Books ? Here's a great web site for you....Want to increase your business library? Or like to curl up with a good book to relax and unwind from the day? Do this for next to nothing, while also being environmentally friendly, with www.paperbackswap.com. It is easy to use and there's no subscription fees for the service. Here is how it works: August 2006 E-Newsletter Simplify Your Life Week Please DO NOT REPLY to this newsletter.You'll find Subscription and Contact Information at the end of this email. Is your life too complex? According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, 60% of Americans feel they do not have enough time to get everything done. So why is that? Most likely it is because most Americans struggle with prioritization. Why didn't we say "time management?" Well, in reality, you cannot manage time. No matter what you do, there will always be 24 hours ...
How Organized Is Your Business? Part 7
2008-03-25 19:28:00 Yesterday I asked you how organized your business was. Did you consider your answer? Today I'll share a thought on how you can move yourself to a business more organized. Use Your ResourcesKnow Resources to Help You Organize We have compiled numerous web resources to help you get organized. Giving It Away: The Art of Delegation You've made an unusual discovery - there's not enough time left at the end of the day. The corollary, of course, is your list of important things to do never gets smaller. In any company, the CEO's to-do list has the potential to grow infinitely. Managing People At A Distance The growing numbers of remote workers has left many a business owners facing a unique challenge--that of supervising employees they rarely work with face-to-face. Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal has a great section dedicated to Small Business es. CCH Business Owner's Toolkit CCH has custom-designed the CCH Business Owner's ToolkitTM to ... More About: Part
How Organized is Your Business? Part 6
2008-03-24 19:22:00 Yesterday I asked you how organized your business was. Did you consider your answer? Today I'll share a thought on how you can move yourself to a business more organized. Evaluate Where You Need to Get OrganizedEvaluate Where You Need to Get Organized Occasionally take some time to review how you are spending your time and how you are using your space. Do you need to do an organization overhaul? Ask yourself the following questions: How many hours a week am I working? Am I spending the time I want on non-work related activities? How do I feel at the end of the day? Do I enjoy what I am doing? How often am I interrupted at work? What time does my work day end? How do I tackle a new project? How quickly can I find a filed document? Is my in-basket overflowing? How do I handle "fires" or urgent items that come up? How do I plan my day? Do I have an effective client relationship system? Has disorganization caused... More About: Business , Part
How Organized is Your Business? Part 5
2008-03-23 18:43:00 Yesterday I asked you how organized your business was. Did you consider your answer? Today I'll share a thought on how you can move yourself to a business more organized. Schedule the Strategic.Schedule the Strategic Business owners often feel like they are fire fighters rather than business owners. While there is usually an adrenalin rush in solving the urgent issues, it is not a very effective way to run your business. Make sure that you have time scheduled in your week for strategic activities such as client relationship management, product development, future planning or marketing. Treat that time as a client commitment and do not allow other things to get scheduled on top of it. By taking the time weekly to plan, you will have fewer fires to put out and a well-oiled business. Are you working in your business or on it? If you are more "in" than "on" you are likely saying there are a lot of things that you wan... More About: Part
How Organized Is Your Business - Part 2
2008-03-23 00:00:00 Yesterday I asked you how organized your business was. Did you consider your answer? Today I'll share a thought on how you can move yourself to a business more organized. Develop a Team! More About: Business , Part
How Organized is Your Business? Part 3
2008-03-23 00:00:00 Yesterday I asked you how organized your business was. Did you consider your answer? Today I'll share a thought on how you can move yourself to a business more organized. Write Your Processes Down! More About: Business , Part , Part 3
How Organized is Your Business? Part 4
2008-03-23 00:00:00 Yesterday I asked you how organized your business was. Did you consider your answer? Today I'll share a thought on how you can move yourself to a business more organized. Take Care of Yourself. More About: Business , Part
How Organized Is Your Business - Part 1
2008-03-20 00:00:00 According to the Small Business Administration small businesses make up more than 99.7 percent of all employees. Add to that the latest figures that show small businesses create 75% of the net new jobs in our economy and you can... More About: Part
Just Say NO!
2008-03-20 00:00:00 My colleague, Ellen Hankes, wrote a great post about how to say NO and feel OK about it. She gives some great ideas in her posting the Art of Saying No. Keep reading for more ideas on how to manage...
Getting Things Done! The Stress Free Way!
2008-03-18 00:00:00 Is it possible to really live a life that is stress free and focused on what matters? It is! But you have to be willing to make some choices along the way. How do you even know if you are... More About: Free , Getting Things Done , Stress , Things , Free Way
Clutter Awareness Week and My Personal Learning
2008-03-12 00:00:00 Clutter! Clutter Awareness week is this month, so we thought it was timely to focus on those areas of our life that we normally avoid. Clutter accumulates in various areas of life because you have decisions you are avoiding for... More About: Personal , Week , Learning , Clutter
Business Listings with Google 4-1-1
2008-03-09 21:31:00 Have you heard of Google -411? I hadn't either until today. Google has added another service to their long list of freebies. If you are like me, then you travel a lot. Tools that help me keep on the go and still stay connected are valued! If I use my cell-phone to get business information, I am charged an extra fee. Google-411 is f*r*e*e*e*e! Keep reading for a video by google staff that tells you more about Google-411. Click here to see the video if you are reading this posting in your email: http://www.productiveandorganized.net/200 8/03/business-listin.html What tools do you know about that would help road warriers? Share your comments! I'm sure that I'll love to hear about it as will my readers. To your success! More About: Business , Listings
Web Information Overload - Consider RSS
2008-03-08 00:00:00 Do you struggle with information overload? Do you take time to go out to your favorite sites to see what is new? Is your inbox stuffed with information from various blogs that you have subscribed to? Are you going nuts... More About: Information
What are Your Real Priorities?
2008-03-08 00:00:00 So many people, when they think of clutter, think of piles of stuff laying all over the place, but we can clutter up our schedules and life choices too. As you are determining your goals, start with identifying your priorities.... More About: Real
Work to the Beat!
2008-03-08 00:00:00 A while ago I asked you if you prefered to work in your office or at your house. In that posting, I talked about how it is important to understand what works for you. What makes you focus? What makes... More About: Work , Beat
Hoarding Education Sessions
2008-03-08 00:00:00 One of my colleagues, Monika Eckfield, shared information on a great series of trainings that I thought you might be interested in. The Mental Health Association of San Francisco is offering sessions on Hoarding and how you can help those... More About: Education , Sessions
Do You Social Bookmark?
2008-03-08 00:00:00 Have you ever seen blogs or websites that have images like what I have to the right? Some sites have them and some just have links in word form to some of the sites these images represent. They are Social ... More About: Bookmark
Clutter Killed Family in a Blaze and the Collyers Mansion Effect
2008-03-08 00:00:00 Clutter can be really paralizing for many people and unfortunately, it can be deadly in some instances. Today's headlines covered two stories involving clutter, fire and death. One in Nebraska and one in New York. Unfortunately, it is so common... More About: Family , Mansion , Effect , Killed , Blaze
Office Clutter - Is Yours Multiplying?
2008-03-08 00:00:00 Office clutter tends to multiply like bunnies or grow like weeds. It is not all about the way things look. Excessive clutter makes your business less productive and less profitable. Now, you may not be an expert at organizing, but... More About: Office , Clutter
Are You More Productive at Home or the Office?
2008-03-08 00:00:00 So, which is better - working from home or working in an office? Are you more productive in one spot vs the other? Does it matter? Well, of course I have an opinion, but first I thought I would share... More About: Office , The Office , Home
How Control-Freak-It is Can Derail Your Success
2008-03-08 00:00:00 Do you want to be successful with your business? Do you delegate? No? Why not? If you are a "control freak" you could be costing your business its success. That is the theme of Melanie Benson Strick's latest article "How... More About: Success , Freak , Control , Control freak
De-Cluttering Your Space Will Help You Lose Weight?
2008-03-08 00:00:00 Recently I read an article on Gallycat about a conversation the author had with Peter Walsh. Peter is the guy that TLC's Clean Sweep made famous for de-cluttering people's homes. I was very happy to read that Peter does not... More About: Space , Weight , Lose Weight
Dust Free Storage with Stor Pods
2008-02-19 00:00:00 If you are looking for a great way to moisure proof the items that you have in your basement or attic, then the Stor Pod may be for you! There are three different configurations depending on your space needs. More About: Storage , Free
Delegation How Tos
2008-02-19 00:00:00 About a week or so ago I went and gave a presentation to some staff at Illinois State Univeristy. One of the coordinators of the meeting shared a great set of resources. I checked them all out and thought that...
Organization Success Stories!
2008-02-19 00:00:00 They say that a picture says 1000 words, so we thought that we would share those with you. Sometimes seeing what other people have been able to accomplish with their own organizing efforts helps you find inspiration. You can see... More About: Stories , Organization , Success
New Blog by Calahan Solutions Consultant!
2008-02-19 00:00:00 I am writing today with a lot of excitement and joy as I announce a new blog available for your reading! Ellen Hankes is one of our consultants and she provides organizing services to clinets in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas. She... More About: Consultant , Blog , Solutions
The Paperless Society - A MYTH!
More articles from this author:2008-02-19 00:00:00 We have heard it since the early 1970s - the Internet will make us paperless! Well, I don't know about you, but my office is not close to being paper-free. One of the reasons for the plethora of paper is... More About: Society , Myth 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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