http://www.OnlineOrganizing.com/BlogList.asp Are you buried in clutter, wishing you had more time in your day, and behind in your paperwork? Are you looking for the tools and techniques to help you get and stay organized? Blog Central at OnlineOrganizing.com is the world’s largest organizing blog – with tips and tricks from dozens of Professional Organizers. Come back every day for new ideas for organizing your home or office! Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:45:04 EST en-us http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2700 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2700 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST Last week I discussed a few ways we could dress up our homes for the upcoming holiday season. It seems that is always my favorite part…getting the house to feel festive, warm and inviting. There is a whole other side to the holidays which is usually the part I dread. Especially now that we have moved and once tried and true traditions have to be adjusted to allow for more travel. Most of my clients tend to agree with me that the holiday season can produce more anxiety and stress even over tax ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2698 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2698 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Distractions are receiving some very negative press these days, don't you agree? I was thinking that if we gave as much attention to being focused as we do to being distracted, we would probably find ourselves more focused--just a thought. It's interesting that we have chosen to make distractions the enemy because in doing so we have given them power. However, distractions aren't the problem, we are! On any given day I can be distracted by a dozen different things. Some of ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2659 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2659 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST Cleaning out your junk can be incredibly freeing -- but where do you start? There's so much to do!! Before we talk in detail about "de-cluttering," let's take a minute to look at the bigger picture. Here are a few rules of thumb to follow when you begin cleaning out -- either at home or at the office: Have A Plan Of Attack Begin working in the area that is the biggest thorn in your side -- the part of your home or office that causes you the most agony. Even if you feel as though ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2664 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2664 Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST For most people these days, keeping up with the daily onslaught of email is a major challenge. In fact, experts estimate that e-mail has added an extra 1.23 hours to the average person's workday ( E-Writing: 21st Century Tools for Effective Communication by Diana Booher; Managing Your E-Mail by Christina Cavanagh). If you multiply 1.23 hours by 5 days for 52 weeks, the average person is spending 320 hours per year of extra time handling e-mail. Wow! That is a lot of time spent on ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2699 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2699 Tue, 3 Nov 2009 23:05:29 EST I'm a busy mom with school-aged kids, so it goes without saying that we experience hectic school day mornings. If your mornings are chaotic like ours, follow these get-organized tips to ensure a smooth to and from school routine. Make mornings flow smoothly by getting everything ready the night before. Have school bags packed and placed by the door and tomorrow's outfits laid out. Organize your kid's departure and arrival spot (I call this the launching and landing pad). ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2697 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2697 Tue, 3 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2642 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2642 Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST When I sit down with a client to work on prioritizing and delegating, the biggest challenge is always deciding what kinds of activities and responsibilities to give up. Quite often, we get so entrenched in what we think we "should" be doing, that we forget to pay attention to what we "enjoy" doing. So when it comes time to let go of the boring, tedious, and time-consuming tasks that eat up our day, we face a struggle just trying to identify them. Reality Check It is incredibly difficult ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2692 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2692 Tue, 3 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST The final mystery is oneself. ~ Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde may not have known it, but his statement is applicable to how much of a mystery our own financial "secrets" can be, even to ourselves. Sure, you may be skilled at sussing out that Colonel Mustard did it in the library with the candlestick. But what if Mrs. Peacock, the agent from your insurance company, Mustard Mutual, canceled your homeowner's policy with a pen stroke? Would you know why, or what it meant? As we've ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2694 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2694 Mon, 2 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST Normal.dotm 0 0 1 309 1764 Not From a Box, Inc. 14 3 2166 12.256 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2696 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2696 Mon, 2 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST My blog for this week is an update to my blog from 10/05/2009 on Project Management SaaS. I did additional research on each of the project management tools and posted the information. If you have used any of these software packages, please share your ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2695 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2695 Sun, 1 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST "Sweat for an hour, bask in the afterglow all day." Nancy Peham Therapy Exercise, and dance in particular has always been therapy for me. As a person who has spent most of my life being physically active and athletic it's no secret to me what science has now confirmed. One of the many benefits of exercise includes its mood-altering properties. Our brains release "feel good" hormones that circulate in our systems for hours after the exercise stops. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2691 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2691 Sun, 1 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} Normal 0 false false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2693 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2693 Sun, 1 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST When I heard the word "vendor", I used to think of guys selling things from carts on city streets. In my mind, those "vendors" were trying to forcibly sell me things I really didn't want. When I became a business owner, my definition of a vendor expanded. I now define a vendor as a person or a company that sells goods or services to my company to enable me to engage in my business. Some of my company's vendors, particularly the ones who want to sell me advertising space, still ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2495 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2495 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST I don't know about you, but I am inundated each and every day by e-mail. I have my personal e-mail and my business e-mail. I am involved in Free Cycle ( www.freecycle.org ) and get close to 100 emails a day just from that. I am on Facebook and get emails with status updates as well. What is a busy mom to do? You need to learn how to manage all the e-mail you receive without driving yourself crazy! E-mail is a great way to stay in touch with friends, family and business associates ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2690 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2690 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST Before the holiday season begins it is a good time to evaluate our current décor and begin thinking of ways to enhance what we have for better enjoyment and functionality. Quick changes can be made to update rooms and provide a fabulous background for hosting holiday events. We have to think of decorating in terms of layering. Special to the holidays is the chance to create ambience and an atmosphere that glows with warmth and coziness that no other time would seem ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2688 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2688 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST Do you spend consciously or unconsciously? Staying alert to how you are spending your money, especially given the current economic climate is key to the quality of your life. There are three major spending habits that can wreak havoc on your well-being and your pocketbook. Do you engage in any of them? Habit #1: Bargain store spending. If you love a bargain, but don't know where this bargain is going to live when you get it home or you don't have an immediate use for it, it ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2658 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2658 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST Let's face it, we love our stuff! We are a society of consumers. That's one of the benefits of living in a prosperous capitalistic country -- we have a lot of disposable income and a wide variety of ways in which to spend it. Americans, in particular, shell out a tremendous amount of money each year for leisure consumable goods -- purchases above and beyond those required to meet our basic needs for shelter, food, clothing, and transportation. Why Do You Buy What You Buy? ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2689 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2689 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:41:31 EST EXCITING NEWS, FRIENDS! I NEED YOUR VOTE! I recently found out I am a finalist for the PHILANTHROPY AWARD at the 2010 NAPO Los Angeles Organizing Awards in Hollywood, CA, on January 30, 2010. I would really love to walk/rock the red carpet in L.A. so I am asking for your vote. Voting is open to anyone, so one of you would please forward this to your friends and colleagues after you vote (if you are so inclined). I would really appreciate it. Simply create a username and VOTE. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2663 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2663 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST To-do lists. Just the name of them sounds exhausting. They have become the thorn in many of my client's side. Whether they are written in long form on paper, or maintained electronically on a computer or handheld device, they cause much stress. And here's one reason why. Most people unknowingly combine their master to-do list and daily to-do list together. This one act causes the list to become lengthy and overwhelming, which in turn almost guarantees failure. The person with this ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2686 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2686 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST In my almost 2 months stint as caregiver to my mother during her short but intense battle with liver cancer, I learned first hand how easy it is to fall off your own priority list. Although I arrived in Boston with my portable home gym and grocery list of good intentions, it didn't take long before things started to fall apart. I had no concept of just how incredibly tiring and draining 24/7 care would be (even with hospice help) and the continual interruptions from concerned friends ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2630 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2630 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2641 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2641 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST I'm one of those people who has always had a "plan" for my life -- and rarely does it ever go the way I intended! I'm like George Bailey -- "I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that" -- then I find myself jumping off of a bridge and talking to angels (not exactly, but I'm sure you know the feeling...) Changing Your Mind(set) I'm a veteran at figuring out precisely what I want, then getting stuck partway along the ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2684 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2684 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST Last week , we revisited how to protect your paper trail of personal information from identity thieves, and also talked about all the different ways other institutions (besides your creditors) can sneak a peak at your credit history. But wait, there's more! (Lots more!) You already know that the three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and Trans-Union) keep track of all the activity on your credit cards, mortgages, loans and medical accounts. But they aren't the only ones ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2687 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2687 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:30:00 EST August 1st 2009 our family received the news that my mom had terminal liver cancer. September 29th she passed away. I spent the better part of August and all of September helping my sisters care for her - her fervent wish was to die at home, and we were able to honor that wish. Once she received the diagnosis, she immediately began to prepare to die. She stopped eating, refused any treatments to slow the growth of the golf ball sized tumor on her liver, and put the last of her affairs in ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2675 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2675 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST I've discovered another cool mobile application called Quipit that will allow you to take pictures of paper documents or notes on a whiteboard and turn them into digital files (pdfs). Since it seems like we're never without our camera phones, this is a quick and compact way to store and share files while on the go! Email or fax qipit digital copies via email, your online Qipit account, or right from your phone Store all of your paper documents and notes as digital documents for ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2682 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2682 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:30:00 EST This past Friday I gave a workshop to a group of women and one of the recurring questions/comments was about how, as moms, they all felt like they were doing an inadequate job with keeping their homes organized. I spoke to the evils of "org porn" (Mentioned in my May 11th post: http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2313&prevthispost=yes ), and then spoke from the heart. I really do believe that as women and mothers, we put so much pressure on ourselves to live in the ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2685 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2685 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 08:30:00 EST The following are some theories and concepts from David Allen's book Getting Things Done . It's so popular now that people refer to his method as GTD. If you find any of these ideas thought provoking, please check-out his book and see how you can start applying his productivity principles. "Anxiety is caused by the lack of control, organization, preparation and action." - David Kekich David Allen's goal is teach people how to have a "positive sense of relaxed control." No ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2683 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2683 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST "Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again." – Joseph Campbell Spatial Awareness Imagine a stage full of dancers moving in intricate patterns, sometimes moving in unison sometimes blending or diverging, but always following the choreography that represents the theme and overall flavor of the dance. Thanks for visiting my blog Dancing Beyond Clutter where we explore the "inner work" of organizing through the metaphor of dance. ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2680 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2680 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST Can you believe that 2009 is almost over? Just two months left. How did that happen? It happened while I was working on my new branding, taking an intensive, ten-week online course to become a certified productive environment specialist, networking like crazy, going to Canada for a vacation, and having my great nieces and nephew spend the night to watch the movie, ET . But before the last two months fly by, it is important to get a few things for 2010. Many people are ordering their ... http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2681 http://www.onlineorganizing.com/BlogEntry.asp?id=2681 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST Keeping track of your customers is critical to the financial success of your business. So your customer files are not the place for disorganization in your office. What goes in your customer files? Regardless of the nature of your business, you will need to capture the following information about your customers in an organized system: · Contact information · Contract or letter of agreement · Records of sales: estimates, orders, invoices, sales ...