Time Management Archives - Page 4 of 6

Time Waster #1: A cluttered mind, heart, and spirit

A cluttered physical space is a challenge, certainly — and we’ll get to that for sure — but the primary challenge for many of us is a cluttered inner world. We get so caught up in what we should be doing, what’s left undone, conversations we want to have or wish we’d had, worries about what’s to come and regrets about what’s happened.

It’s very difficult to clear a space for productive energy when there are so many things tangling up the pathway.

I know that real problems exist, and that they can be genuinely challenging to deal with — and my intention here is not to diminish the reality of those experiences. What I want to address here is the mental debris — the small things that can be cleared away with a few minutes and solid intention.

And often, the best, most efficient way to clear up the mental noise from what we feel isn’t working is to spend a few moments focusing on what is working.

It’s counter-intuitive in some ways in our frenetic, busy culture — but a few minutes of grateful stillness can have a dramatic effect on our productivity. A walk outside, a quiet meditation, a cup of tea — all of these provide a great opportunity to make note of 5 things you’re grateful for as you start your work time.

Time Saver #1: That’s it — spend 15 minutes in stillness, and think of 5 things you’re thankful for. Let that be the tone that starts every day for the next ten weeks. Trust me: it will make a huge difference for you this summer.

P.S. — If you’re ready to go more in-depth right away, check out my Reclaim Session by clicking here.

By Rowena List|2014-06-24T04:30:25+00:00June 24th, 2014|Time Management|0 Comments

Organizing Family Photos

Organizing family photos does not have to be an arduous task as long as you ask yourself these key questions.

What is your ultimate goal with organizing family photos?

Who would like to inherit all your family photos?

Would you like a family photo album for each family member or just one communal album?

Have you asked your family members if they would like a family photo album or is this something that you think they would like?

Do you make a hard copy or do you put each family member’s photos on a disk?

Do you organize your album by event or chronological?

Please ask yourself these questions and get clear on your outcome before starting the project.

The reason why I am getting you to really analyze these questions is because putting together family photo albums can be tricky. The upside is it can also be loads of fun and very rewarding.

I am going to assume you want to put together a family photo album for each family member. I’ll also assume that your pictures are in hard copy format not digital.

Check out this short video on Organizing Family Photos:

Use these top 5 Getting It Together tips to move forward with organizing family photos.

Let’s say you have 2 children. One we will call Tim and the other Sue.

Tip#1: Take a big white envelope and label it TIM. Take another big white envelope and label it SUE.

Tip#2: Take one small pile, small box or one old photo album. Divide the pictures between each big white envelope. Do not worry about anything else at this point. Just the sorting and dividing of prints between the 2 envelopes. If both children are in one picture you could scan it and put the photo in each envelope.

Tip#3: Take each envelope and do a ruthless purge. Toss any photos that are out of focus. Toss any where the eyes are closed or beat red. Toss any photos in which you have no memory of taking it, do not know where it was taken and or do not know who else is in the photos.

Tip#4: Next take your envelope of pictures and sort them by date or by events. For example you could put all birthday pictures together. Then all Christmas pictures together, etc. I find this to be far more effective than trying to do an album by date.

Tip#5: Put together the album. You may choose to write a little story on each page.

Once you have completed the 2 albums watch with delight as your grown children open them and devour the pages. I am sure they will be thrilled.

Still feeling a little overwhelmed by all the photos in your home. Call me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We can discuss your personal needs. I’ll give you some tips and encouragement to help you move forward with this project.

Did this video and article help you with moving forward? If so, please leave a comment in the comment box below and please share the love by sharing this blog post with your family, friends and social media peeps. Thank you. 🙂

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00June 9th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

How to organize travel photos

Do you love to travel?

Do you love to take photos?

If you are anything like me I’ll bet you like to do both. In fact I LOVE to do both. I started traveling at a very young age. I use to collect pop/soda cans, return them for cash and put the money towards traveling. Well, okay in the early stages it was for camp, however when I turned 12 I had an opportunity to travel to Peru in South America for a month. The deal was that I would save the money for the flight and the rest of my expenses were covered. I got the travel bug right then and there. On that trip I took several photos. Now remember this was long before digital so I was mindful of not being to snap happy. With one of the best inventions … digital, we can all be as snap happy as we like. I wonder what will be next in the camera world. 🙂

Check out this short video on how to organize travel photos and then read the quick easy Getting it Together top 5 tips.

Tip#1: Volume. I hear of people that go on a trip and take 4000 photos.WOW! That is a lot of photos to try and manage. Even more to look at and even more to organize. Be mindful of the number of pictures you take. How many photos do you need of the Pyramids? I know it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of being in a country and wanting to capture all of the fun times there.

Tip#2: Organize as you go. When I travel I love sitting down at the end of the day and looking at my photos from that day. I delete any of the not so good ones or duplicates. The one thing I find with digital cameras is that you cannot always see what you are taking photos of. If it is really bright or sunny my view screen goes black. I would say that is the only downfall with my camera. How do you handle this? Please leave a comment in the box below.

Tip#3: Right away. Within the first week of being home, download your photos. Make sure you give each trip a “folder” that is properly labeled. For example “Egypt October 2010”. Be sure to back up your computer. I also put all my photos on Facebook. What I love about Facebook is that I can write comments beside each photo. I can also access my photos from anywhere in the world.

Tip#4: To print or not to print. Do not print because of fear. Print because of pleasure. I meet people all the time that print off hundreds of travel photos in fear that their computer will crash, get stolen or something like that. This is not the right reason to print photos. If you back up your computer you will always have access to them. Print your travel photos only if you are the type of person who likes to make a memory photo album for your own pleasure. These photo albums are your memories and not anyone else’s. That means that probably no one else will ever want your albums when you are gone. Ya, your kids might flip through them, but those are your memories and they have their own travel memories.

Tip#5: Take time. Did you know the average person takes only 7 minutes to look at their travel photos? Once or twice a year grab yourself a nice cup of tea and sit with your travel photos. Flip through your computer or hard copy photo albums. Relive the happy memories of those trips. Better yet, put some of your favorite photos up as a screen saver slide show.

Safe travels. I hope our paths cross somewhere out there in this old world.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00May 26th, 2014|Organizer, Time Management, Travel Organization|2 Comments

Time management – what percentage are you in?

How many hours are in your day?

This is a trick question. Joking aside we all have the same 24 hours in a day. It is how you use them that counts. Some people have a very high value on time while others do not. Some people seem to cram a lot in a day while others do not want to. Since we are all given the same amount of time in a day it really is up to us as to how we spend them.

Are you spending yours the way you really want to?

For sure most of you have certain obligations in a day. For sure some of you have certain responsibilities in a day. Once those obligations and or responsibilities are taken care of you can then look at the rest of your time and see how you are spending it.

Check out this short video on time management.

Did you know that 28% of our day is spent on email? YIKES!!! You have heard it from me before however it is worth repeating.

Unless you have the type of job that requires you to be on email all day only check email twice a day. For sure only check your personal emails twice a day. Check it at noon and again at 4 pm. You will be shocked at how much more time you will have. You will be surprised at how most of your emails can wait from 4 pm until noon the next day. Give it a try and let me know the results in the comment box below.

Did you know that 60% of people check work related emails while on vacation? Giving yourself a mental break actually increases your productivity once you get back to work. Our minds deserve a break. I hear people say “ya but if I do not check my work emails while I am away I will come back to hundreds of emails.” My question would be “how many of those hundreds of emails have taken care of themselves while you have been away?”

Small Bathroom Ideas Pictures Photos Images Selections This is shocking…59% of people check their emails from the bathroom!! Is this the reason so many phones end up in the toilet? There is nothing that cannot wait until you have had a few minutes of private time.

30% of people describe most days as being stressful. Well I guess so if you are taking your phone with you on holidays and to the bathroom. Having proper time management really does ease the stress.

I have found that using the weekly plan sheet eliminates so much stress and increases the number of minutes you have in the day. If you have not received your FREE copy of my Getting It Together’s weekly plan sheet please email me right away and I will send you a copy. Then in your FREE phone session I will give you the step by step methods I use to implement this weekly plan sheet into my life. I recommend colour coding along with getting real about your ideal day.

51% of people admit social media at work hurts their productivity. What about the other 49%? I guess they are not admitting it! Social media has its’ time and place. What I have found about social media is that it is so easy to get distracted and start web surfing without that being your intention. Before you know it 2 hours have gone. Never to been seen again.

I highly recommend having a set amount of time blocked off in your weekly plan sheet for social media. Stick to that plan and see how much more time you have in your day.

The average person has up to 13 different time management methods and they still forget stuff. Are you strictly an electronic kind of person or do you still like the paper method? Pick one way or the other and stick to it.

Another great tip for increasing your time is to illuminate interruptions. Did you know that most people get interrupted up to 7 times a day while working on a project? This might be at work or at home. These interruptions can add up to 50% of your day. There is nothing wrong with putting a sign on your door that says “please do not interrupt unless the place is on fire. I will be available at X time to answer your questions.”

Many people feel that multitasking will increase their time. In fact the opposite is true.

If you focus 100% on the task at hand you will get it done faster, better and with less stress. Please see one of my previous blogs about “Clutter and how it is affecting your relationships.”

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00April 14th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization, Time Management|1 Comment

Easy Christmas Decorating Ideas: Part 2

How did you do with downsizing your Christmas decorations from last year?

Did you have the best of intentions?

Did you get stumped on what to give away?

The sentimental decorations are one of the hardest to deal with. Aren’t they?

What I find is that no matter how hard I try I still end up with one or two new decorations. People make me things or buy me something. As much as I appreciate the thought from the gifter it still leaves me with the dilemma of how am I going to store these added items.

Once again I am faced with pairing down my decorations so they can all fit in my 3 boxes. Remember part one easy Christmas decorating ideas?

I also promised you in that first video I would share my secret about the type of Christmas tree I have.

Check out this short video on easy Christmas decorating ideas to see it.

So many apartments and condos do not allow “real” Christmas trees. Many of you are wanting to be environmentally friendly and do not want to support trees being cut down. Then there are the people that simply do not have the room to put up a tree, or maybe you are going away for part of the holidays and do not want to fuss with too many decorations.

I’ll bet you are liking the idea of my Christmas tree more and more. IKEA liked my idea so much they started selling fabric trees. 🙂

They are not as fancy as mine but then again this piece of fabric did not start out looking like this.

By the way, did you take advantage of your free session? No need to wait. It is only 20 minutes. Grab a coffee and give me a call.

We can discuss how you can have easy Christmas decorating ideas. I also have a fabulous idea to share with you. What to do with the Christmas decorations you no longer want and where they will go.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:42+00:00December 23rd, 2013|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

After School Organizing Tips – you and your kids will love this one!

Do you feel like the time from after school until bed just flies by?

Do you dream of a stress free after school time frame?

Do you ever wonder how your mother did it all?

Gone are the days of walking home from school alone and then staying home alone until your parents got in from work. I guess there are the exclusive cases where this still happens, however in general I think most parents are so concerned with their child’s safety that they have them well looked after. Not to mention that there are so many more activities for kids to do these days.

When I was a kid…do you hate that saying as much as most people do? 🙂

Sorry, but when I was a kid we were allowed to attend one after school activity per week. I picked ballet and my sister picked baseball. Then one year I recall my sister picking horseback riding. That was exciting as being the youngest I got to tag along on the Saturday morning outing. I was afraid that the horses would kick me so I stayed far away and just watched.

I digress.

Please check out this short video on after school organizing tips to help get you started.

SNACKS: Did you know that between 2-3 pm is one of the universal learning times? Our bodies are at a peak which also means it is a great time for a snack. In order to be ready for this time of day you will want to be prepared and organized.

Some of the easiest snacks to have on hand are: single serving yogurts, fresh cut up fruit or vegetables, a block of cheese that you have cut up into cubes and wrapped in packages of say 4-5 cubes, little packages of crackers, protein bars (be sure to check the ingredients as some of the protein bars on the market are just glorified chocolate bars, this is not an ideal after school snack as the sugar high might get your kids fired up), pre-portioned dried fruit and nuts are one of my favorite afternoon snacks, and air popped popcorn is also a fun alternative.

Do you have any other favorite ready to go snacks for your kids? If so please share in the comment box below.

ACTIVITIES: Did you know most kids these days feel overwhelmed by how busy their schedules are? When surveyed they commented on how they wished they had more down time. Keeping that in mind, you will want to try as best as possible to plan after school activities that require the least amount of running around. For example; if you can have all of your children attend the same swimming pool for lessons all at the same time. I know this is not always possible.

What about painting classes or pottery? Volunteering at a senior’s home or the local soup kitchen. Activities that do not require as much thinking or the computer are a nice break not only for us but for kids too! This will help save some brain power for the next item on the list…

HOMEWORK: I recall having to do all of my homework before anything else. I liked that idea because the school brain was still “on” before I made room for the “play” brain. Plus I was not tired. Being tired brings on procrastination.

I think we would all agree kids have way more homework these days which requires more time. In order to have your kids organized and happy you will want to make time for homework where they do not feel rushed.

15 minutes to freedom bonus tip: Make lunches and snacks the night before. Get backpacks also ready with all school notices signed.

Have you taken advantage of your FREE session yet? Give me a call and we can discuss your organizing needs. I’ll share with you my number one saying in order to get and stay organized.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:42+00:00November 25th, 2013|Organizer, Time Management|4 Comments

How to organize a large dinner party

Do you dread the holiday season and all of the large dinner parties that come with it?

Do you wish you had a magic wand and voila…dinner was on the table?

Have you changed your entertaining style over the years?

Somehow my home has become the place where all of the large dinner parties happen. This could be self induced or it could be because I have the space. Or is it habit? You know people do get use to tradition and routine. That being said, I have had to change up some of the ways in which I entertain.

There are ways to have a stress-free large dinner party. Check out this video and Getting It Together’s tips to see how.

Tip #1: Make a guest list.

Know your limit. How many people comfortably can fit around your dining room table? How many people do you feel comfortable cooking for? 6 people may be large for one person whereas 20 may not seem that large to another. I usually have between 12-14 at significant holidays. In general however, I really enjoy intimate dinner parties for 4-6.

Tip #2 Select your date and time.

Tip#3 Contact your guests with a personal invitation. Email or phone, whichever works best for you.

This is a great task to delegate to children if they are old enough.

Tip #4: Make your menu.

I like to write mine out as opposed to keeping it in my head. I keep in mind menu items that are easy and can be made in bulk. For example Caesar salad, mashed potatoes, baked beans, etc.

Tip#5: Write out your shopping list.

I wish I could get everything in one place however that does not work for the type of cooking I do, so I create a list for each of the stores I shop at. Having a list really helps with staying on course and not over shopping.

Tip #6: Make an action plan.

Take all the things you need to do and divide them up over the few days before your large dinner party. 2 days before you can do all of the grocery shopping. As you know from previous blogs I highly suggest cleaning all of your produce as soon as you bring it home and before you put it away. This is a huge time saver.

2 days before you can set your dining room table (another great task to delegate to older children).

One day before you can do all of the prep work, make desserts, etc. For example when I host Thanksgiving dinner I cook all the ingredients for the stuffing one day before putting it all together with the dried bread crumbs. I cut up all the vegetables and get all the big pots and pans out.

On the day of the large dinner party the turkey went in the oven, the stuffing went in the slow cooker, the potatoes went into the big pot and the vegetables went into the steamer.

I even had time for a nice long walk in the beautiful Vancouver sun shine and a relaxing cup of coffee out on a deck!

In the past I have done it all myself. If anyone offered to help I would say “thank you but I have it all covered”. Now when someone offers to help I jump on it.

If they would like to bring something I happily agree and give them an item that I feel would be best suited to them. For example, if one of your guests is always late you will want to delegate dessert to them. If they are the type of guest who is always on time then asking them to bring an appetizer works well.

If one of your guests is not particularly fond of cooking then give them the task of bringing fresh bread.

I have come to realize that everyone likes to contribute and that also means when it is time for clean up.

Tip #7: If no one offers to help or bring anything then it is time to delegate.

This past Thanksgiving the step granddaughters were over. They are not accustomed to offering to help yet. This is the perfect opportunity to practice delegation. They love to help and to feel important. This year Harper was so helpful with putting the cut flowers in a vase, cutting up the garlic and smashing the skore bars in preparation for Sundae Sunday. Harper is taking home economics this year and was very excited to help out.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:42+00:00November 11th, 2013|Organizer, Self Care Organization, Time Management|2 Comments

What is a professional organizer?

Have you ever wondered what exactly is a professional organizer?

Have you ever wondered what does a professional organizer do?

Have you ever wondered how a professional organizer got started in the profession? (This is the question I get asked the most.)

Sign up for your FREE session here.

If you sign up for your complimentary session with me, I will share my story with you…only if you are really curious. If not, no worries we will just dive right into your challenges and how to solve them. 😀

Check out this short video on what is a professional organizer.

A Professional organizer supports, empowers and encourages their clients through the non-judgmental process of sorting, purging and storing of unwanted and wanted items. A Professional organizer provides hands-on services. A professional organizer coaches and transfers organizing skills to help clients develop appropriate and lasting solutions for their individual needs. A professional organizer follows up and is always there for you….on time.

Some of the services I specialize in are:

Residential Hands-On Organizing: De-cluttering and organizing garages, storage lockers, closets, bedrooms, kitchens, kids rooms and home offices just to name a few. I can also support and encourage you with space planning, closet design and storage solutions. And then there are the projects of sorting and organizing memorabilia and photos. Basically if it has anything to do with organizing, I do it.

Other services I provide are: time management, goal setting, packing and moving and productivity coaching.

I also conduct seminars, workshops and keynote speaking engagements.

Do you belong to a networking group, a women’s business group, business professional organization or any other association that you feel might enjoy hearing top organizing tips?

If so, please fill in the comment box below or send me an email at rowena@gettingittogether.ca. Let me know who you would like me to speak to. We can discuss topics that would best suit your organizations needs.

If you are not in the “Getting it Together” community, add your email address to the right. You’ll get instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:42+00:00October 14th, 2013|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move, Self Care Organization, Time Management|2 Comments

Email Productivity Tips

Imagine if everyone followed the same email productivity tips.

What would our inboxes look like?

Can you imagine how much more time you would have?

How things would not be lost in translation?

Check out this short video on one of my favorite tips. Please share the love by sharing the link.

Until these top email productivity tips became a universal law we can all start be using them and sharing them.

Tip #1: The 2-3 cc law.

What this means is limit the number of people you send an email to. For example if you are in an office and the whole office needs to be in the loop of the email send it to the group. However, if the email is really designed for only a few people in the office limit it to 2 or 3 people max.

Address the “to” box to the person who needs to reply.

Address the CC to the ones who need to be in the loop but does not need to reply. (CC’s never replies.)

You may have 2 names in the “to” box and one in the “cc” or you may have one name in the “to” and 2 in the ‘cc”.

Either way, the idea is to limit the number of people you send it to and who is responsible for relying.

Tip #2: 2 pass and call.

In other words if an email gets sent to you and you do not understand it you send back an inquiry. If you still do not understand it, pick up the phone and talk to the person. This avoids a lot of miss communication and misunderstanding.

Most importantly, never discuss things of high emotional content over email. This is sure to get lost in translation.

Tip#3: Subject Line.

Be as specific as you can in the subject line. Follow this:

TIQ:

T: Topic. For example, Golf or dinner party or business meeting.

I: Issue. You are invited, or Tuesday at 3, or to discuss upcoming employment.

Q: Qualifier. Please confirm, or RSVP, or full-time employment starting Friday.

Example of what a subject line would look like: Golf on Tuesday at 3pm, please confirm if you are playing. Or,

Company business meeting on Tuesday at 3 pm to discuss full –time employment, are you available?

Tip#4: One subject per email.

Do you ever get those emails that have several questions in them for you to answer?

You start off reading it and you are thinking about answering the first question when all of a sudden your mind is in overwhelm because there are so many questions and things to think about. You end up answering only one of the questions and it usually is the last one. This makes it frustrating for the person who sent it to you.

It is better to send several emails to one person with each one only containing one subject and one or 2 questions regarding that subject.

Tip#5: Change the subject line each time you change the subject.

Don’t you hate it when you have sent an email to a person about let’s say golf and they reply. Then a day or two later they use that same email to send you a question or invite about something totally different. If this email needs to be filed it now has the wrong subject line in order for you to properly file it.

If it is sitting in your inbox you might even ignore it if the subject line is not pertaining to the subject of the email.

I would love it if this became a universal law!

Tip#6: Point form.

This tip is really helpful when sending business emails.

Have 3 points.

Point #1: Email content. Spill your heart out on whatever it is you need the person to know.

For example: I require your approval for xyz.

Point #2: Explain the issue at hand. Give more details.

For example: I would like to budget for xyz because…

Point #3: Qualify. For example: Please let me know if you approve and when I can get the funding. My deadline is… So your immediate attention would be greatly appreciated.

The person replying to the email replies under each one of your points. I like this one a lot. That way everything “should” be clear!

By using these tips I’ll bet you find your email sending and receiving will be far more productive. Please let me know your progress in the comment box below. In the meantime you will want to share these tips with all of your coworkers, friends and family so we are all on the same page when it comes to sending and receiving emails.

Just think of the time you will save and how you will spend it!

Have you signed up for your instant access to a free ebook that outlines a simple 10-day plan for organizing 10 different areas of your home in 15 minutes or less? If not, enter your name and email in the box to the right.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:43+00:00September 30th, 2013|Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

A Cluttered Life – how is it affecting your relationships?

Have you ever been out with a friend or been in a business meeting and known that the other person is not giving you their undivided attention?

Or you were talking to someone on the phone and you know darn well they are not paying attention.

How does this make you feel? Have you ever been caught on the other end of the stick?

Multitasking does not pay off.

How can you stay engaged and focused when you have a cluttered mind or a cluttered life?

Check out this short video:

Did you know the mind can only focus on one thought at a time?

I was having a big meeting the other day. The person I was with had their phone on the table. Each time it buzzed beeped moved or shook she looked. These little interruptions make our would- have-been 30 minute meeting into 45 minutes. You think not so bad only an extra 15 minutes however, that all adds up. Not to mention I did not feel important or special. I was wanting to hire this person for one of my clients. Would they give my client their undivided attention?

Could this multitasking cost you a job? Could this multitasking be costing you a loving relationship? Could this multitasking be giving you a cluttered mind or a cluttered life?

A doctor was telling me that her nine year old daughter will ask her “mommy where did you just go” when she sees her mom lose attention or disengage. Imagine a nine-year-old being tuned into that. Her precious nine year old mind is not cluttered and hopefully she does not have a cluttered life.

Why not give these top 5 tips on a cluttered life a try.

Tip #1: Start by dedicating your full attention. Relationships are built on trust and you earn trust by listening and proving you are interested. If you cannot do this then rebook your time with them.

Tip#2: Turn off your phone, computer, etc. when you are in the company of others. Especially business meetings and family time.

Tip #3: Focus by really concentrating on the other person’s words. Listen to them instead of thinking about what you might say next.

Tip #4: Clear your mind of other thoughts prior to a meeting or prior to family time, by taking a few deep breaths or listening to your favorite tunes.

Tip #5: Don’t answer your phone unless you can give your full attention to the person on the other end.

Is a cluttered life hurting your relationships? Are you able to give your full attention to the person you are with? Are you able to turn off work when you get home and hang out with your kids?

Do you need to take a few minutes to change “hats?” If so, you will want to take those few minutes.

In the long run people remember how you made them feel. They do not always remember your words or actions.

Everyone has an invisible sign hanging around their neck that reads “make me feel important”…even you.

By Rowena List|2020-06-07T20:52:43+00:00September 13th, 2013|Organizer, Self Care Organization, Time Management|3 Comments

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