Productive Environment Institute with Barbara Hemphill & Andrea Anderson is The Official SelfGrowth.com Guide to "Organizing and Learning How to Organize". You can find complete information on Productive Environment Institute with Barbara Hemphill & Andrea Anderson and her products by visiting Tame Your Paper Tiger in the Digital Age.
Do you ever feel that somehow clutter has taken over your home, office, or life? Many of my clients do. At some point they have thrown up their hands and given in: “Why bother? It’s too much work. I don’t have time to be organized.”
If you have ever felt this way, begin thinking about how ... Views: 706
You can do all of those small chores and be finished in no time at all, instead of counting days to get a job done. Stop saying that you don't have any time to get your work done, now you can count how many TV shows it will take, for you to reach your goal!
How many times have you said, "I ... Views: 2366
Your office is a busy place; people come and go all day long, clients, fellow workers, maintenance people etc. People that you most often times, you see on a daily basis and are free to enter when needed.
However, do you realize that by doing some common everyday things that you may be ... Views: 1172
Recent natural disasters have caused everyone to think hard about what they would do if they were to lose their home. If disaster struck, would you be prepared? Most people have never documented in detail their home and its contents. Creating a list of items for insurance purposes would be ... Views: 820
Recently my daughter applied for a home loan and to her dismay there were four errors on her credit report. Credit card companies and one bank she had never had accounts with were listed with thousands of dollars owing on the accounts. It took several weeks and a lot of time and effort, not to ... Views: 1099
Messy rooms, disorganized closets and jumbled junk (I like to think of them as resource drawers) add unneeded hassle to our already hectic days and lives. I sat by two colleagues at a meeting today and the one was telling us about the flood she recently had in her office when she was on ... Views: 678
Is your car your office, restaurant, and kid's playroom? Are there ancient Cheerios stuck in your cushions? Does Rover's slobber cover the windows? Is your garage is looking pretty good now that most of its contents are in your car? If so, it may be time to "restore order" to your vehicle.
Most ... Views: 781
The executive who wants to get his environment and professional life under control will invest in several customized paper management systems. The savvy business person values her time, and counts the cost of wasted time searching for missing documents.
The average executive wastes an hour a ... Views: 723
Self-employed professionals usually run their businesses and their homes out of the same office space. This convergence of the personal and professional life in one space can cause disorder for even the most conscientious.
Restoring Order® recommends the following strategies for the ... Views: 867
You know the routine - a New Year and a fresh start. All past attempts at losing the weight, staying on task, remembering appointments, or being more organized are wiped clean as you are offered a "king's x" or "re-do" as the clock strikes midnight and you have a full 365 (or even better, 366 - ... Views: 759
Spring is a time for “Spring Cleaning”, new beginnings and a fresh start. Many times a fresh start means letting go of things in your past, both emotional and physical, (or tangible), and allowing room for new things and experiences.
As a Professional Organizer, I derive great satisfaction ... Views: 874
To organize life and manage time we have to aim to manage self. How we spend time that produces results (or lack of) is about choices, habits, and actions. Here are ten tips to get the most of your day and the results you want.
Make Deliberate Choices
Intentionally choose how to use time. Time ... Views: 925
Put your rain boots on. Get ready to slush through the paper piles in your office. It's time to create a paper free path from the door to your desk. Follow these 5 ways to file away and put paper in its place!
1. Have an inbox.
Your inbox is the box, container, basket, manila envelope or file ... Views: 774
We have so many hours in the day, and we tend to think we can get everything done that we planned to do, right? Not always, so we multitask some things in order to catch up. But can it be a costly mistake to multitask most of the time? So let's discuss some things.
Multitasking is a symptom of ... Views: 9852
A well set-up home office enhances productivity and reduces stress with less mess. Consider your priorities when setting up your home office. If your workspace isn't well organized, you won’t be able to have the full benefits of working from home, will you? Ask yourself these questions to see ... Views: 1171
Life is a journey. Not just any journey, but the most fantastic journey in the universe. Life is a journey from where you are to where you want to be. You can choose your own destination. Not only that, you can choose how you are going to get there. Goal setting will help you end up where you ... Views: 1196
The holiday time can be a joyous time, and at the same time, it can be stressful and chaotic. So here’s some helpful hints to make Thanksgiving the time of remembrance, family and thanks.
1. HAVE SOMEONE ELSE SERVE YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER. A lot of supermarkets and restaurants offer fully ... Views: 1136
1. First step: Plan and organize early.
To have an enjoyable trip, start gathering what you may need by making a list. Plane tickets will cost more the closer you get to your departure date, so reserve them at least 2 months prior to leaving. Apply for a passport at least 4 months in ... Views: 1031
Volumes of information are thrown at us each day, turning us into “information overload zombies” making it difficult to decide what to do with all this information.
What do I mean by “information overload?” It’s the information that is either gathered because we have a project to do, ... Views: 1081
Newspapers, statements, sticky notes, letters, junk mail, cards, receipts--STOP! It's any wonder people feel overwhelmed and can't get out from down under. Here are 10 simple tips to maintaining your sanity:
1. Daily Attack: Sorting through papers 5 minutes each day, rather than having ... Views: 1229
The thought of closet organizing makes most people groan. But it doesn't need to be this way! Starting with a messy closet, you can get that closet organized and keep it organized in just 5 minutes a day.
Set a timer and let's get started!
-- Day 1.
Your first 5 minutes will be devoted to ... Views: 856
A grocery shopping list can be the front line tool you use in saving money on your grocery budget each month.
There are several more sophisticated ways to save grocery money, but none is easier or faster to implement than the lowly grocery shopping list.
Interestingly, this is a tool that ... Views: 728
Thirteen and a half inches! Every day for one week I measured the amount of mail I got. All totaled, over a foot of paper came through my front door. Only half an inch of it was even remotely important.
How you handle the mail coming into your home is one of the keys to reducing your ... Views: 616
How many times have you told yourself that you really should get organized? You may have promised yourself that you’ll do it and you've even set aside whole weekends to finally get the job done. Somehow, the weekends come and go, and it still isn't done.
You know it is going to take a lot of ... Views: 686
A client of mine sent me a "pearl of wisdom" which defined "junk" as something that you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it. Who makes this stuff up? Probably the Chief Marketing Officer of the Container Store!
How do you decide what to keep and what to get rid ... Views: 697
Honestly this is the very hardest!! Tips I have found that work for me: I show him how I want it to look and how I want it kept that way (like junk 'resource' drawers that he also uses all the time). I bought organizers for the drawer and organized it and asked him (a verbal contract) if he ... Views: 1099
One thing I have noticed as a professional organizer of homes and offices is that most people hold onto magazines and catalogs way after they have 'expired'; which creates clutter. It seems today everything has an expiration date, from food, medicines, children's car seats, batteries to parts in ... Views: 1000
When you think of clearing clutter does a closet, drawer or room come to mind? How about getting rid of the clutter in your medicine cabinet? This could be as important as getting rid of clutter in other parts of the home; it could actually be a health issue.
The bathroom is not the best ... Views: 708
Using a printable grocery list is a smart way to save time and money. Here are my top tricks for getting the most out of any grocery list.
-- Customize it.
Most printable grocery lists are quite generic so as to be usable by a wide variety of shoppers. That's fine, however, for maximum ... Views: 914
You've probably seen those expensive closet organizing systems that make your closet better organized than your kitchen. These are wonderful products if you are looking for top-of-the-line, but if you want the same results...organizing your closet effectively...but don't want to spend a lot, ... Views: 1005
You've shelled out cold hard cash and have a beautiful new closet organizing system at your fingertips.
Your newly organized closet is truly impressive; at-a-glance you can see EXACTLY what you have and where it is. No more morning frustrations. No more lost minutes digging for the perfect ... Views: 1105
I was reading in the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff…and it's all small stuff" by Richard Carlson, PH.D. I have read the book before but not everything always sticks so I like to go back and reread as a refresher. I set as my goal to read two to three chapters a night. They are so small each ... Views: 1809
The topic of closet organizing is not usually used in the same sentence as "sports nut", but if you have an active sports-minded family, you may find yourself needing some organizing ideas. Closets overflowing with sports equipment and the inability to get out the door on time because you are ... Views: 1203
I have a friend with the sign Simplify above her kitchen sink. Another friend was tell a group of women that she has signs all over her home that say Simplify. Her husband asked her, "What does Simplify mean to you??" We all laughed about that and the sign that used to say "Simplify, Simplify" ... Views: 896
Do you cringe when you hear the word goal or New Year's resolutions? Or are you goal driven and you relish the thought of writing goals and crossing them off? I am one of the latter. I write down what I am going to do during a day, if I do something that is not on my list I sometimes go back ... Views: 798
If you are going to worry about every inch of your home, and that you cannot find the time to do anything about it, you will drive yourself nuts!
This is also a good way to develop an ulcer!
Everyone in this world is disorganized in one way or another, even Professional Organizers (gosh ... Views: 1021
Energy is a finite resource. How we live our lives as an individual impacts hugely on how energised we feel. (Article - Energy - Are You Making The Most Of Yours). Organizations often neglect to think about how they generate or dissipate the collective energies of their workforce. As a ... Views: 901
Having trouble making ends meet. Have more month left than money? Many people struggle with this issue. One of the best ways to save money and truly stretch your dollars all the way to the end of the month is to live a more frugal lifestyle.
Yes, frugality is key. Being frugal with one’s ... Views: 943
According to organizational experts, we’re not only born with an innate need to organize, but the desire to organize as well. If we need it and want it, then why are so many offices a mess?
Surprisingly, order does not mean a neat row of sharpened pencils and tidy stacks of paper. If you can ... Views: 1297
Are you like me and tend to make a dozen New Years Resolutions and don't really follow through on any of them? That has been my problem for years, but not this year, I have a new system that I think will work for me.
Did you ever wonder why you don't follow through?
Did you ever wonder what ... Views: 988
I worked for The Department of Services for People with Disabilities for ten years. I was a caseworker for people who were low functioning. There are many types of disabilities, mental as well as physical limitations. This can be a challenge for the parent or guardian when traveling at any time ... Views: 804
Feeling pulled in a million directions this holiday season? Your children need you at school concerts, work has extra holiday hours and commitments and your friend needs help planning a big holiday party? The extra money, time and energy during the holiday season is very stressful. Keep in mind ... Views: 593
Finding the right Christmas gift for everyone on your list can be tricky, not to mention stressful. So here are some handy tips that will help make your seasonal shopping simple and stress-free:
1)The thought counts – Put some thought into each gift so it matches the tastes of each ... Views: 754
Ah, the holidays! Such a wonderful time of good cheer, peace among men, women, children and relatives--you wish!
You planned ahead this year--none of that last second holiday rush for you. You requested Friday afternoon off months ago so you could attend your eight-year-old’s stellar debut as a ... Views: 734
Do you have an old bookcase in your house? Perhaps it’s stuffed with books, papers & magazines. Perhaps it’s empty, or maybe it’s so full of “shtuff” that you’ve forgotten that it’s even a bookcase!
A bookcase can be a handy and creative piece of furniture … if you let it. Sure, you can ... Views: 2846
Make your list and check it twice, or three times, or maybe even four.
This year we have to think about toys that have lead based paint, higher utility bills and staying within our budget.
We are all much more conservative, due to the economy and utility cost skyrocketing; which is a good ... Views: 923
It is getting close to that time of year when we are going to be entertaining more than usual and we will need a Master Plan in order to remember everything on our lists.
Entertaining can be stressful, there are so many things to think of and plan for, things to purchase, not to mention when we ... Views: 892
"Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves." Dale Carnegie
Plan today and know exactly what to complete by year end. Save time ... Views: 832
“I would love to get organized, but I don’t know where to start!” Have you ever said (or even thought) those words? If so, you’re not alone. Often the hardest part about getting organized is figuring out how and where to begin. What you need are simple ideas to help you break through that ... Views: 1073
The holiday season can bring some special organizational challenges to the average home. Here are some simple tips to help you conquer clutter during the fast-approaching holidays.
-- Don't overdo.
Just as it's easier to enjoy the holidays when you don't over pack your schedule with too many ... Views: 841