Conquering a To Do List by the Wall Street Journal
Is it really this simple? Thanks to the Wall Street Journal!
More from this article! http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204296804577124742529431640.html
Fire Up Your Biz – Enrich Your Life
I am honored to be a part of an amazing group of presenters, sharing information and more. Get ready to stop constantly riding the brake on your business and shift into OVERDRIVE! Listen in for free from your computer, phone or skype!
- Fire up your personal performance.
- Unleash your profit potential™.
- Discover new strategies to manage the demands of running your own business.
- Get a handle on the minutia and details that prevent you from doing the ‘heavy lifting’ to move your business to the next level.
- Quiet the ‘fear voices’ and manifest a larger vision for your company.
- Have a profitable business and time for what’s important to you!
- Live a richer, more fulfilling life
- Have powerful support systems that allow you to free up time and grow your business at the same time.
- And lots more!! Check out the session descriptions below.
Fire Up Your Biz – Enrich Your Life was born from the 1000s of conversations that we have had with business owners just like you about what holds them back from really going where they want to go with their business.
Join us for the fun and learning! https://war91778.infusionsoft.com/go/FireUp/EDelap
Want to get organized in 2012? Clutter Diet Membership Specials until January 16, 2012
So many people want to get organized for the New Year, but if you are on a budget or don’t otherwise have access to hire a professional organizer, I wanted to share with you a resource to help and let you know about a special deal. In 2006 organizing expert Lorie Marrero created The Clutter Diet®, an innovative online program that helps you “get your house in shape.” Her program has helped thousands of members in eighteen countries around the world, making organizing expertise affordable and accessible to anyone, anywhere. As you know, I am on of the five online Experts too!
When you use the coupon code “2012win”, you will receive 25% off an Annual membership! This discount is the lowest possible price Lorie offers.
Annual memberships are usually $143.40, but with this coupon code your price is 25% off, just $107, good through Monday, January 16 at midnight CDT. In other words, it costs you only $8.92/month to have unlimited access to organizing experts for personal consultations online!
The best part of all– If you are concerned whether this program is right for you, no worries, because your first two weeks are free! You can sign up for the Annual membership with this coupon code and your card will not be charged until 2 weeks later, and you can cancel at any time. We feel great about recommending Lorie and her team, because there is no risk involved.
For comparison:
Month-to-month Clutter Diet membership: $17.95/month ($215.40/yr)
Normal price for annual membership: $11.95/month ($143.40/yr prepaid)
Usual price PER HOUR with a professional organizer in person: $75.00+ per HOUR
YOUR PRICE: $8.92/month ($107/yr prepaid)
Get organized with these member resources:
- unlimited access, 7 days a week, to a team of Certified Professional Organizers® for personal consulting in the member area, including photo consultations,
- easy multimedia tutorials,
- searchable reference articles,
- your own customized reminder system,
- and their exclusive weekly project plans…
…all for about the price of a box of trash bags or a package of coffee.
Click here
http://www.clutterdiet.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=1403
Choose “ANNUAL” option, and enter the coupon code 2012win to get started with your free two weeks and lock in this very special discount price. After January 16 at midnight, annual memberships will cost $143.40.
Your first week takes you through Lorie’s 7-Day Quickstart [use your affiliate link here] program, a week of focused guidance to help you choose a project, plan it out, and get it DONE! Then you get an additional 7 days of full access and support at no charge before your special discount price is applied.
FTC Disclosure: Occasionally in this newsletter we may have links to other companies’ products which provide us with a commission if you purchase from our link. We want you to know that we feature only products here that we absolutely believe in and getting a commission on them is just a smart bonus if we happen to have a link available to us… We are at all times looking out for what is best for our readers and our reputation. Thank you!
ADDA-SR Conference Survive and Thrive with ADHD on February 17-18, 2012
24th Annual Conference
Attention Deficit Disorders Association – Southern Region
Friday and Saturday – February 17 & 18, 2012
Sheraton North Houston Hotel – Houston, TX
This event is designed for parents, educators, adults with ADD and healthcare professionals. The general session speaker will be Thomas Matthews, M.D., with UT San Antonio covering updated trends in ADHD. Author Chris Dendy will present several sessions addressing teen issues. Thirty breakout sessions address wide variety of topics including behavior management, life skills, medication, educational law, related conditions and classroom strategies. Join me at the session Organizing Your ADD Family on Friday. For further information call 281-897-0982, or visit www.adda-sr.org
10 Easy Eliminations
Ready to make a big break in decluttering? Not sure where to start? Sometimes it is best to start with the easy eliminations to make a quick visual and emotional difference. Choose a few that are really easy for you! Here are 10 easy eliminations for your home or office.
1. Boxes
I find that families keep toy boxes, shirt boxes, shoe boxes and boxes galore! Now that boxes are free at the post office for shipping, keep only a small number of different size boxes for mailing. If you think you may return a product, keep the box only until you have confirmed your decision. Only keep 2 of those shoes boxes for upcoming school projects please!
2. Tee shirts
Each race we run, vacation bible school we attend, and school alumni celebration adds to our tee shirt collection. It is time to pare down to a number that can fit in a drawer or hang in a section of your closet. What number depends on you. A memory quilt is a good next step if you are not ready to part with these.
3. Ball caps
We all have our favorite! Pull a few together, hang them in an easy access space, and part with the remainder.
4. Single use kitchen items
Some of the least useful are often the most space hogging items! If you have more than one miscellaneous kitchen drawer, go through and pare down to one drawer. In the newly empty drawer you can fit hand towels or pot holders. When was the last time you used that breadmaker, fondue pot, or air popcorn popper?
5. Toys that your kids have outgrown.
Our kids are blessed with an abundance of toys. Keep a few that you consider to be keepsakes. Ask you kids to be a part of the decision making process. Donate to local philanthropies to make a difference.
6. Cookbooks
Who doesn’t want to have a wonderful home cooked dinner on the table? But having more cookbooks than needed does not make you a better mom or an Iron Chef. Pare down to what you really love and use. Think about using allrecipes.com or the internet to find recipes too.
7. Extra towels
You get new towels, but the old ones are put in the back of the closet or in the garage. Keep a few for those big spills, a few for padding, and move the rest on!
8. Cell phones
Cellphones for Soldiers takes your old cell phone and turns it into a phone card for our service people. It is free to send it off too! As soon as you get your new phone, send the old one packing.
9. Junk mail
Stand over the recycle bin, just inside the garage before you enter the house, and drop in the junk mail. Right away you feel better! We are overwhelmed when the mail comes, so just have this baby step as the first step to getting in gear with paper.
10. Receipts
More than ever, the clerk asks if you want your receipt. Answer no if it is at Starbucks, at the gas station if you don’t keep a mileage record, at locations with small purchases, and where you think a return is not necessary. Having fewer receipts keeps them from piling up!
What are the easiest eliminations for you?
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Technology Tweaks with Big Organizing Payoffs
Even the smallest tweak and tip with technology can make a difference.
- Need to create your grocery list or other list by store? Try the app ziplist for your smart phone. It helps you create a checklist by store.
- Use click ‘n ship at www.usps.com. Get postage online and print it on your computer! All you have to do is drop it off!
- Getting lost? Print out your map from google and keep it on the car seat next to you.
- Use Evernote www.evernote.com or Dropbox www.dropbox.com to keep up with your ideas and notes.
- Use Send Out Cards to send cards and gifts to family, friends and clients. I joined Send Out Cards because I am passionate about making mail more fun! Just click on this to send a smile, a congratulations or celebrate an event! https://www.sendoutcards.com/storefront/ellendelap/
- Love to try new recipes or looking for old favorites? Try www.allrecipes.com.
- Keep all your important phone numbers in your phone for easy dialing.
What is your favorite technology tweak?
Putting into practice Getting “Off the Grid”
How do you disconnect, get “off the grid”, or take a “digital sabbatical’?
For me, it is a day I decide that I need some time away. I want to be in the moment with the people I am connecting too, not thinking about all the responsibilities of work.
It can start very small with a few hours between checking email and your phone. Just begin with a routine of checking email 3 times a day.
The same can happen with your phone. While we do use our cell phone for our family connections too, you can choose to return phone calls at 5 pm for a day.
It can grow to be one day every week, like Sunday. You can plan on a nap, plan some family fun, and plan some rejuvenation time.
And it can be a leap! You can take a week for a vacation or a stay-cation. Using technology for information about your destination and your travel, you can restrict your technology connection.
So how does it start? With your commitment to being in the moment, taking time to take a break and taking time to do all those things you love.
Need more convincing? Check out this blog post by Gwen Bell. http://www.gwenbell.com/digital-sabbatical/
For the other side’s perspective, here is also a blog by Peter Shankman. http://shankman.com/how-do-you-define-off-the-grid/
How are you putting into practice a little R&R away from technology this summer? It is realistic? Do you want to? I would love to know how you make the break or make the connections while away.
Unplug this Summer
Summer is our time to kick back, enjoy some time for family and vacations, and relax. In our 24/7 world, this is hard. We are tethered to our work with our technology. There are good reasons to take a break. NASA researchers recently found that vacationers experienced an 82% increase in job performance post-trip. Performance expert Tony Schwartz says, in addition to being rejuvenating, relaxing helps your brain take in new information more easily and enhances your creativity. Summer gives us the opportunity to deeply connect to our family in a less structured environment. With more time to talk and be together, relationships take on new meaning. We all do our best when we have the opportunity to rejuvenate and reconnect.
Setting boundaries for your technology
It’s a choice to answer the phone, check your email, and step away from the computer. Head out with your head in the holiday game! Look forward to the time you are resting, relaxing, being adventurous and being away from every day. Set yourself up for success by leaving processes in place for those around you in the office with procedures to follow.
If you are the type that can’t leave home without it being spotless, give yourself time to get your home ready. Get the laundry done, your mail sorted and your home in tip top shape the week before. Clear your plate as much as you can at home and work.
Unplug for a day: For You
- Take a day during the middle of the week to take off. Plan a “field trip” for yourself to a local museum, Farmer’s Market, or destination you have wanted to visit, but never have the time.
- Plan a day camp for your kids at a local community college or YMCA, then head home and sit in the quiet. Read a book or magazines you have been waiting to read for a while.
- Set a boundary to check your email only in the morning on Saturday. Spend the day doing and connecting with your family or on your own.
Unplug for a day: Your Kids
- Set aside a day to play cards, board games or family charades.
- Go fishing with your kids for a day at a lake or in Galveston.
- Establish screen time boundaries for daily living in your home, such as technology at dinner.
Unplug for a week: a big leap!
- Take your cell phone for just emergency, but take off from your email, leaving behind an auto-responder directing people to connect with those at work who can assist them.
- Take a stay-cation at home for a week, just to enjoy area destinations you and your family have not visited. No packing required, but staying on the vacation mindset is. Connect with your family and establish tech-free times. Play games, go to the pool, and ride bikes as ways to connect without your technology.
- Take a vacation and plan your day’s activities. Use the internet for coupons and sightseeing, but not for email. Leave all the technology at the hotel, safely stored.
- Give yourself an extra day to get back into the groove at home and work. Return home early or take Monday off to get this extra time. No meetings or appointments on this day! If your laundry is overwhelming, take it to the Laundromat for the “fluff and fold” treatment. Be brutal about paper and mail and cull only what must be kept and acted on.
- Break away from being overwhelmed by making a list and prioritizing what needs to be done.
In the end, it is all about taking the opportunity for intentional and mindful technology use. Truly we feel our best and do our best work because of relationships and renewal! You will be very glad you did!
ADD and Productivity
Slow to start, hard to complete, lose interest, can’t get it perfect? These are some of the stresses of productivity and ADD. Having some tools to work through these challenges can help.
- Know your strengths and work from your strengths. Have the best possible match for your work. Creativity, being in the moment, and being a people person are often strengths for people with ADD. Also an intense curiosity and love of information are common. Tedious, every day tasks are usually not. Whatever your strengths, capitalize on them in your work.
- Create partnerships that work for you. It can include an administrative assistant, a colleague, or technology. The interaction with your partner will help you get started and the accountability will help you finish. Be sure to ask for help in addition if you need this from a professional organizer, an ADD coach or a productivity consultant.
- Set a timeline that is compelling. Your brain clicks, clicks, clicks with a deadline. Set a series of baby steps with faux deadlines to get projects completed on time.
- Use a planner that works for you. For technology your smart phone is always with you and can remind you. For paper think about the planner pad with its lists, week at a glance and month at a glance features. Focus on using the week at a glance features to help you “see” what you are doing each day.
- Capture tasks on paper or with technology. Always have a way to have a brain dump, then prioritize your 3 Most Important Tasks (MITs) for the day. You can’t get it all done, but you can get the most important done!
- Establish routines in your day and your week. Have a power period each morning and afternoon, with interruption and distraction free times. Assign certain tasks to certain days, such a Money Monday or Financial Friday. Routines ensure that you are on top of the most important tasks.
- Delegate what you don’t do well. Continuing to struggle can be demoralizing and distracting.
- Know what good enough is. Perfectionism can strangle your work. Reflect on what a minimum standard and a good enough standard are and come to a compromise.
What is your best go to idea for struggling with productivity?
Cell Phones for Soldiers Drive during June and July 2011
Cell Phones for Soldiers Drive Hosted by PostNet Kingwood and Professional-Organizer.com
Your old cell phone can help a soldier stay in touch with family. Cell Phones for Soldiers wants to turn your old cell phones into more than 12 million minutes of prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas. To do so, Cell Phones for Soldiers wants to collect 50,000 cell phones each month through a network of more than 3,000 collection sites across the country. PostNet Kingwood and Professional-Organizer.com are partnering to host a drop off site in Kingwood from June 1 – July 31. PostNet Kingwood is located at 4321 Kingwood Drive in the HEB Shopping Center in Kingwood. Drop off your used cell phones and make a difference!
To learn more about Cell Phones for Soldiers visit
To learn more about PostNet Kingwood, including store hours, visit
http://www.postnet.com/kingwood-tx194/ or call (713) 589-2151
We specialize in working with ADD/ADHD clients. Whether in your home or your office, we motivate, empower and affirm our clients in their quest for organizing and productivity! 