Decide to Decide! Learn to Become a Master Decision Maker

We make decisions every day -- some trivial and some very important. Stop and ask yourself if you generally have issues with making these decisions. Do you fret over them? Does the idea or reality of making decisions freak you out? Well, if so, Decide to Decide! Becoming adept at decision making is one of the most useful skills you can learn. It can purposefully influence your life and business. People that are quick and efficient decision makers appear more powerful and demand more...

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posted on: 10/24/2012 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

The Wisdom of Creating a Not-To-Do List

As a productivity consultant, success coach, and business strategist, it is my "job" to ensure that my clients are being the most productive they can be in order to be successful. Or is it? It may come as a surprise that many of my clients seek me out not to be more productive, but to actually slow down and do less. So, does being more productive mean you have to do more, but being less productive means you are doing less? To be fair, they are not mutually exclusive. When a person learns and adopts strategies that make him or her more productive, this usually leads to increased time. That increased time can be put towards more work, more play, more sleep, more exercise (any exercise for most people!), or more family time. I like to...

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posted on: 10/3/2012 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

Change is Good: I'll Go First!

The only constant thing in our lives is change. However, few people like -- much less love -- changing. There are many famous quotes about change, all conveying the same general message: that change is inevitable and scary, but good. Any time we make a change in life, whether we initiated that change or it was forced upon us, we have a choice to make: to embrace it, or fight it. But what about the process that's involved in making that choice? The change process can be extremely difficult so here are some ideas to help you through it. Change is...

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posted on: 6/20/2012 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

You CAN Have it All -- Just Not at the Same Time

Recently, I attended the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), held in Baltimore, MD. I had the absolute pleasure of seeing and hearing the closing keynote speaker, Dan Thurmon. I first encountered Dan at the National Speakers Association (NSA) annual conference in Anaheim in July 2011, during which he was inducted into the NSA Hall of Fame. Dan is a performance artist and professional speaker who juggles, throws knives, and rides a unicycle on stage, all of which is very entertaining and exciting. Yet, his message is equally powerful. In fact, I was even more impressed with his ability to weave high-level content into his performance elements, which is not an easy accomplishment to pull...

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posted on: 4/25/2012 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

Done is Better Than Perfect!

So, you are a perfectionist. And proud of it! And in some ways, that serves you really well. You maintain high standards, delivery quality, and people value your level of expertise. But sometimes, that perfectionism is causing you stress, procrastination, and depriving the world of receiving your great ideas and content. So what to do? Adopt the mantra, "done is better than perfect." Now before you get defensive, let me explain what I mean by that statement. I am not advocating that you use this mantra as an excuse to pump out shoddy, low quality work. That wouldn't feel very authentic. After all, you're a perfectionist, remember? What I am advocating is a relaxing of your unattainable standards. Allow yourself to make an...

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posted on: 3/21/2012 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

Finding the Healthy Balance of "Control"

As a productivity consultant whose business is founded on the idea of making people's lives easier and more manageable, I spend nearly every day thinking about control in some sense. Control is strange when you stop to really think about it. Is it a concept? An idea? Or a goal? And is it inherently good or bad? My answer is... it depends.
...

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posted on: 1/18/2012 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

Organize to Minimize Holiday Chaos

Overwhelmed just thinking about the upcoming holiday season? Relax. If you take a little time to plan your holiday season, it will be more enjoyable for you and your family! Focus on practicing good organizational techniques and time management principles.

Here are some tips to make the holidays enjoyable and the New Year start off in a positive manner.

Set Goals...

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posted on: 12/21/2011 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

Being Organized Puts More Money in Your Pocket

Millions of Americans vow to be better organized every year. But did you know that being more organized can save you money? Yes indeed! Here's how.

• Organized finances – If your financial papers and systems are organized, you can easily assess your budget, track your spending and see where to cut corners if need be. It will be easier to access all the details of your accounts and finances. Knowledge is power and when your financial life is accessible and trackable, it usually results in more savings. An added bonus -- you won't have as many missed tax deductions due to your improved financial record...

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posted on: 10/26/2011 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

Harness the Power of Technology to Boost Productivity

Powerful smart phones, computers, tablets, websites, software, blogs and social media. There are so many technology tools and gadgets these days that it is hard to keep up! On the other end of the spectrum are people that are glued to their devices, addicted to their "Crackberry." Indeed, for many people, technology has become the master. However, true technology was designed to be our servant. The following tools (some are "apps," which is short for applications for those of you that have are not as familiar with smart phone lingo) will help you harness technology to boost your productivity. You may have heard of some, while others may be new "finds." All of them are designed to assist you in being smarter, faster, and more...

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posted on: 9/21/2011 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips

Procrastination: Time Management's Enemy

Ah, procrastination. Most people experience it at one time or another. Procrastination can be a deep-seated problem involving fear of failure or success, or a natural result of overload. Regardless of why you are experiencing procrastination, there are ways to overcome it! How you choose to overcome procrastination depends on the task involved, the people involved, and the underlying reason for the procrastination. Take a look at the following strategies, and see which help...

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posted on: 7/20/2011 1:30:00 PM  by Lisa Montanaro
category: General Organizing Tips