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I can’t find %!!!@#

January 7, 2011 2 comments

Getting organized is always a resolution for a large majority of people at the beginning of a new year. Most people don’t get very far. It’s a resolution that’s kept as much as the losing weight intention is. Clutter has an energy. Get rid of it and it’s surprising how much better you feel.

I am by no means an expert organizer. I can create a gigantic mess with the best of them. Anything in my digital life is organized but the physical world is another matter entirely.

Books I’ve found helpful for getting organized in general

Dealing with my finances

Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
Mint.com – so I know how much I’m spending and hopefully saving too!
Statements from banks and credit card companies are all digital. Save a tree. Sign up for electronic statements.
Receipts have a home at Shoeboxed
BillMinder from return7 simplifies your life by tracking your bills. One time or recurring expense it doesn’t matter.

Try something new… see a professional

Open Spaces Feng Shui from Ann Bingley Gallops offers a more holistic approach. It isn’t just about getting organized. More like energizing your Chi.
Spacial Harmony from Dara Finkel working with her could bring “serenity and peace”.

Even though I have a iPod Touch and a Blackberry I use a notebook as a daily log. Simply because it’s hard to talk on the phone and type. Sketching during a meeting is simple. I just start each day with the date at the top and scribble from there. I don’t write to-do lists in there because they already have a home.

There are tons of websites and books to help you create a system that works for you. Stick with it for a few weeks at least before you give up. Changing habits require at least 30 days according to the experts.

My final word is to pick just one thing and finish it. Don’t try to get rid of a year’s worth of clutter in 1 day. It won’t work. Start small but start. It won’t get better by just thinking or staring at it. If it worked that way we’d all have clean desks or houses and a working schedule just by wishing it were so.

Other

Why Saying No is Important

January 6, 2011 No comments yet

I say “no” to a lot of things. I used to say “yes” to things I really didn’t care about or have the time to commit to. It’s a dumb thing to do for many reasons. So a few years ago I stopped doing it. I have less stress and I don’t feel the need to apologize or justify why.

Chris Garrett has a great post “Saying No” that really has some great reasons why you should say “no”.

My top 5 reasons for saying no are:

I don’t have the time to commit properly
I simply don’t want to. And frankly I don’t feel I need to explain why. It just is.
I need some time to recharge my batteries
I don’t do freebies. In the long run it costs me money to work for nothing.
I’m already have plans

Ultimately when you say “yes” for the wrong reasons…be it guilt or something else. It shows. If it’s a client you say yes to when you’re tired. You do crappy work or miss deadlines. If you go to a party you aren’t in the mood for well you aren’t going to have fun. Why bother going? The person you’re torturing the most is yourself.

We are at our best when we honor yourselves. Say “no” when you need to. Don’t justify it or make excuses. Just do it.

The people who don’t understand that you can’t over-commit don’t really care about you anyway.