Finally Get Organized in 2010 with a Declutter Challenge

One of the most interesting Declutter Challenges that I have come across is one called the “2010 in 2010 Declutter Challenge”. The concept is easy, and the results are huge! You simply choose one way to make the challenge work for you, and during the year 2010, declutter away! Keep track on a calendar and look forward to a having a much more organized home by the end of the year!

The first idea to get rid of 2010 ITEMS. Big items, small items, multiple part items, items from your garage, items stuffed into your attic, items that you can’t recall who gave them to you, items of which you have too many, items you never use or read any more.  If you are worried that you won’t be able to get rid of 2010 items, don’t forget that “get rid of” doesn’t have to only mean “throw away”. USE UP that huge supply of shampoo in your bathroom storage cupboard instead of buying new product! USE UP that overload of detergent, or that bulk purchase of canned tomatoes! As long as you are REDUCING YOUR CLUTTER item by item, you are succeeding in your challenge!

The second idea is to commit to decluttering for 2010 minutes in 2010! If you do the math, you will discover that it’s only about 45 minutes per week! Less than 10 minutes per day… which is not much at all, is it? 10 minutes of commercials well spent? 10 minutes of waiting for your ride to come? Have a small declutter project for the week, set the timer at 45 minutes, and simply declutter your way down to zero each week!

A third idea is to declutter 2,010 pounds of “stuff”! I know it sounds like a lot, and it is. However, this Declutter Challenge may be perfectly suited for those who have excess furniture taking up space that they would love to get back, stacks of heavy catalogues or magazines stashed in the basement, or a garage piled high with who-knows-what. Purchase or borrow a basic scale, or ask the weight at the dump where you drop off your big load. Decluttering 2,010 pounds from your house in the year 2010 will no doubt give you a lot more space, and get rid of a lot of unnecessary clutter!

If you take the 2010 in 2010 Declutter Challenge in any of the forms suggested, or if you adjust it to suit your own particular needs, you will take a huge leap towards your desired clutter-free state. Enjoy your challenge and get clutter free!

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-2010-in-2010-Declutter-Challenge&id=3588705] The 2010 in 2010 Declutter Challenge

Originally posted 2010-01-28 12:51:33. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Who Can Resist a Dancing Snuggle Bear?

I was contacted by a rep. from Snuggle Creme last week who asked if I would let my visitors know about this new product. Who can pass up offering a $2.00 coupon and the cute dancing Snuggle Bear. I just had to pop him on my blog. CLICK on the dancing Snuggle Bear to get your coupon.

Snuggle Creme, a new product on a mission for upliftment, just released two new fabric softeners to their lineup:

Are you in need of a little ‘me’ time? Pamper your senses with the luxurious texture and delicate fragrance of new Snuggle Crème. It leaves your clothes feeling smooth, soft, and delightfully fresh to wear. Go ahead, treat yourself and your clothes.

Available in two indulgent scents – Sweet Almond and Jojoba Essence – rich, creamy textures and delicate fragrance designed to leave your clothes feeling smooth.

Sweet Almond Essence

Liquid concentrate in 32, 50, 150 load bottles
Now in sheets! 70 count and 105 count

Jojoba Essence

Liquid concentrate in 32, 50, 150 load bottles
Now in sheets! 70 count and 105 count

Indulge your senses. New Snuggle Crème fabric softener treats you and your clothes to luxurious fragrance and softness.

Originally posted 2009-03-28 11:49:17. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

5 Easy Steps to Meeting Deadlines

This article by Professional Organizer Denise Landers discusses 5 easy steps to help you meet deadlines; and 3 of the 5 are directly related to getting organized and how important getting organized is in getting things done and on time.

It is tough to work under the gun, but it’s something we all need to do from time to time, either because we put a project off until the last minute, or because we had a heavy dose of work dumped on our heads.

Regardless of the cause, however, developing the skill to meet tight deadlines can do big things for your career – managers and executives love employees who can finish work on time, and team members who can organize and execute quickly usually rise to the top.

With that in mind, here are five tips to doing great work on a tight deadline:

1. Clear the decks. The first thing to do, when you need to produce great work in a hurry, is to allow yourself to concentrate on it. That means making some space, both mentally and physically. Try to clean up your work area so that nothing else is going to distract you. And at the same time, clear your head of other thoughts and problems as much as you can. If something else is bugging you, make a note to come back to it later; you want to be able to keep your eyes on the road.
2. Know exactly what you are working on. This is actually good advice in just about any working situation, but is especially critical when you are under the gun. Find out decisively what is expected, and exactly what your deadline is, before you begin. Otherwise, you could waste countless hours working in the wrong direction.
3. Get organized. There is a tendency, when we are under stress, to jump right in and “just do it.” Big mistake. To get the most out of your time, spend a little bit of it – even if it is just a few minutes – organizing all the relevant data and components. A little bit of time figuring out where to start can save you quite a bit later on.
4. You are usually better early than late. While most of us have had the experience of pulling an “all-nighter” at one point or another, the practice is usually counterproductive. You are almost always better off getting some sleep and rising early to finish a project than you are staying up deep into the night and trying to stay fresh. Additionally, many of your best ideas and insights are likely to come when you aren’t thinking directly about the task in front of you, anyway. So, feel free to get some sleep or take a break to rest your mind –it is hard to walk away when you are in a hurry, but it might just speed you up in the long run.
5. Know when to move on. One of the biggest challenges of working quickly is fighting the impulse to be a perfectionist. There is nothing wrong with wanting to do your best work, but if it keeps you from getting other things done – and possibly making the next item on your list even more urgent – then you are not helping yourself. Get into the habit of doing a good job, finishing a project, and then moving on… it is not always easy, but it is usually best.

How do you know when being perfect is too perfect? Since learning to finish projects and then letting go can help you achieve so much more than obsessing over details, here are a few tips for learning when to wrap it up and move on:

• Diagnose yourself. If you are still reading to this point, there is a good chance you have recognized some perfectionist tendencies in yourself in the past. Ask yourself: do other people routinely finish their work before you? Do you find yourself agonizing over details that might not matter that much? If so, you might have some work to do.
• Set firm deadlines. One easy way to beat perfectionism is to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to finish a project, and then stick to it. Once the time is up, finish things the best you can, and then submit your work and move on. Over time, this practice will help you to recognize when you really need to make revisions, and when you are simply focusing too tightly on things that aren’t important.
• Ask for feedback, and then let go. As part of this process, ask your supervisors or peers to see whether they notice a big difference in the quality of your work. If they still think you are doing a great job, then learn to let go of tiny imperfections and get things finished more quickly.

Don’t give up perfectionism altogether. Of course, there are going to be some parts of your life where a perfectionist streak is a good thing. For example, if you are a cardiologist, most of your patients would probably approve of you trying to get things just right. But, it is important that you figure out which parts of your personal and professional life require 100% accuracy, and which areas simply need to be finished on time. Learning to tell the difference is perhaps the most important thing you can do for your productivity.

Denise Landers is the author of Destination: Organization, A Week by Week Journey and the owner of Key Organization Systems, Inc. As a national speaker, trainer, consultant, and writer she provides clients and audiences with the time management training tools and techniques that improve daily work flow and increase productivity.

Originally posted 2011-01-18 13:14:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

What an Email Inbox is Not

I found this great article about e-mail clutter written by fellow Professional Organizer Donna Lindley

Consider your physical mailbox at home. Would you store pieces of mail in your mailbox that require action? What about mail announcing that your friend has moved and has a new address? How about mail reminding you of an upcoming appointment? I didn’t think so. Your email inbox should not be any different. A mailbox, whether physical or virtual, is a place to receive mail. It is NOT meant for storage. Mail should come in and out quickly.

Below are some of the most common items that we find “stored” in our clients’ inboxes. An email inbox is NOT a:

Filing System - create folders to store email that you want to keep for future reference.
Contact Management System – use a contact management system to store contact information such as email addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, addresses, etc. Some options include Microsoft Outlook, ACT!, Goldmine, and Salesforce.com.

Calendar - store your appointments in your calendar. It doesn’t matter whether you keep a paper-based calendar or an electronic calendar. You need to have one place to look to see all of your appointments.

‘Favorites’ List – if someone sends you a great website, don’t leave it in an email in your inbox. You can add it to your “Favorites” in Internet Explorer, your “Bookmarks” in Mozilla Firefox, or try Delicious. Delicious is a free Social Bookmarking website. It allows you to bookmark your favorite sites and access them anytime from any computer with internet access. You can keep your “favorites” private or share them with others.

To-Do List – your email inbox is the worst place to store your to-dos. Again, you want to have one place to go to see all of your to-dos. You cannot possibly compare and prioritize them if they are not stored together. This is probably the most common offender.

Many of you are familiar with the old adage – A place for everything and everything in its place. By creating “homes” for each of these types of items listed above, you can gain control of your email inbox, keep it organized and save time.

Michigan-based Productivity Trainer and Certified Professional Organizer, Donna Lindley, publishes the “Timely Tips” monthly ezine from Organized Office Solutions. If you’re ready to jump-start your productivity by organizing your space, time, email and paper, sign up to receive your FREE tips by going to [http://www.OrganizedOfficeSolutions.com]http://www.OrganizedOfficeSolutions.com.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/What-an-Email-Inbox-is-Not

Originally posted 2009-12-24 16:19:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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