identify your tasks

Are you feeling overwhelmed by everything you "have to do" each day? Dividing your daily tasks into smaller groups may help you identify what you actually have to do and what you can eliminate from your already full plate, giving you more time to do the things you want to do!
The tasks you do each day fall into one of four categories, as follows.

1. tasks you HAVE to do and WANT to do: planting flowers, buying new furniture for a new house, meeting a friend or business partner for lunch
2. tasks you HAVE to do but DON'T WANT to do: laundry, cleaning, paying the bills
   
3. tasks you DON'T HAVE to do but WANT to do: surfing the internet, scrapbooking, watching TV
   
4. tasks you DON'T HAVE to do and DON'T WANT to do: serving on another committee, volunteering for something you used to enjoy, but don't anymore.

Tasks in group 1 are the easiest to do. We want to do them so we promptly get them done as soon as possible. Your desire to do them is incentive enough for you to get them done.

Tasks in group 2 are tasks that you will eventually complete but are often the source of much procrastination! You know that if you don't do the laundry, you will run out of clean clothes and if you don't pay the bills, your electricity or gas will shut off! These tasks require a bit of incentive do to...possibly even a reward. That way you will have something to look forward to and enjoy when these tasks are completed.

Tasks in group 3 are tasks that get done at the expense of tasks in group 2! These are the things we really want to do but don't have the time to do them...but we do them anyway because we enjoy them. These tasks would be a great reward for completing a task in group 2. That way, you will always get everything done that has to be done, and you will most likely have time left over to do the things you want to do as well.

Tasks in group 4 should be eliminated from your to-do list all together. These tasks are things we get "pressured" into doing. You may have enjoyed being president of the school board 4 years ago but you don't enjoy it now. You may have enjoyed volunteering for one charity but now have another charity that you enjoy more, but you feel bad quitting the other...so you do both! These "don't have to, don't want to" tasks are the ones that take up your precious time and can also create resentment. Make it a goal to eliminate as many of these from your life as you can.

Analyze the things you do each day and put them into one of these four categories. Consciously think about how you are spending your time to see if you could eliminate some of the "don't have to, don't want to" tasks. You will have more time...and be much happier!

For more time management tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

4 ways to help you remember

Have you ever forgotten a very important appointment...or left your child waiting at school? Have you ever gone to the grocery store to get something specific and left without it? When we forget to do things, no matter how important they may be, the cause is not just that you simply "forgot" it is that you probably didn't "remind" yourself. Yes, they are different...and making a conscious effort to remind yourself of things can all but eliminate your forgetfulness. Here are some suggestions on how to do just that!

1. Write everything down in your daily planner.

Everything! Even if I set up the meeting through email, I still make a note of it on paper. You never know when you'll have a power outage and you can't access your electronic diary. Or when you don't have time to look at your email.

2. Make it a habit

If a meeting is recurring, I follow the exact same steps until it's ingrained in me that it's a habit. Like joining a new class at gym...or scheduling a new coaching client...or putting a new system into place, like a weekly back-up instead of monthly.

3. Set multiple reminders
If I need to leave at a specific time to get somewhere, I set electronic reminders (email, Outlook and/or sync to your phone) and a paper reminder (on the refrigerator, in the car, on the bathroom mirror). Because sometimes you do get carried away, especially when you're working hard and you're "in the zone", one method will back up the others.

4. Work your system
A system will only work if you work the system.

That means checking your paper planner every day. Or reading and actioning your reminders on Outlook instead of just clicking "snooze" or even "dismiss" by accident.

I check my daily planner as part of my evening routine so that I can mentally prepare for the day ahead and of course, choose appropriate clothes.

For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

tip of the week (9/28/08)

september 28 -- october 4, 2008

this weeks "tip of the week" was sent from Cori in Kissimmee, FL

Cori writes: "I often have to motivate myself to get organized. One motivational method I use is to imagine a relative or friend going through my closets or drawers. If I would feel embarrassed or ashamed, I know it's time to start organizing! This works for me every time!"

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website!For more organizing tips, check out http://www.andreadekker.com/. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

how much is your time worth?

If you had to place a dollar value on your time, what would it be? $50 an hour? $100 an hour? Maybe even $1,000 an hour!? Your time is precious and very valuable, wouldn’t you say?

Have you ever felt that your time was being wasted? Maybe you’ve been on the phone with someone who put you on hold to take another call. Possibly you were once working on an important project, when someone decided to stop by and “shoot the breeze.” We are all familiar with these common distractions and time wasters.

Let’s suppose you value your time at $100 an hour. Imagine throwing $100 down the drain every hour…that really adds up! Well, if you think about it, you are doing exactly that when you waste time on needless activities. If you knew you were losing $100 an hour, would you continue to let you time dwindle away on unimportant activities? Probably not! Even 15 minutes of wasted time here and there would really add up.

Placing a dollar value on your time will help you determine what you are willing, or not willing, to spend time on. Don’t ever sell yourself short. Establish how much your time is worth and use that value to make decisions on how you will spend it.

For more time-management tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

organizing myth

Many people falsely believe that the words "organized" and "neat" or "tidy" mean the same thing. They think that if you are organized, you must me neat and tidy...and if you are neat and tidy, you must be organized.

While there is some truth to the fact that you can be neat and organized at the same time, there is also a HUGE percentage of neat people who are extremely disorganized.

In fact, and this one's probably going to throw you for a loop -- you can be a total slob (not that I recommend this) and still be organized!

So, what does it mean to be organized?

1) You get everything done when it's due.

2) You find everything you need when you need it.

It's really that SIMPLE.

I personally have several clients who have very different ways of "organizing" their things, but it works for them! While it may not be my style, they truly do get everything done when it is due and they can find any thing they need at a moments notice. They might not be as "neat" or "tidy" as some of my other clients but they are far more "organized."

Keep this in mind as you look around your home or office and decide which areas need to be organized and which areas just need a little neatening

For more SIMPLE organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

time-saving tips

Are you looking for a way to maximize your time in this very busy season? Who isn't? As school and extracurricular activities are all in full swing, we have the extra pressure of the holidays (which whether you like it or not, are just around the corner!) Take a few moments to learn how to get the most out of your days. Who knows, you might even end up with a few extra moments to spend with friends and family!

consolidate similar activities: Instead of starting and stopping at different levels of activity, you'll save time by making all of your outgoing telephone calls together, taking care of all your errands at once, etc.

delegate: You can't do everything! Delegate in the office and at home. To use an effective delegation system, you must train, entrust, follow-up and evaluate.

use master lists and to-do lists: Take control of your time. When used properly, these effective tools give you a specific idea of what you need to accomplish.

make the most of idol time: Catch up on your reading while you wait for appointments. Listen to educational or motivational CDs or audio books while driving to work or while doing house work.

set time limits: If you have to work late, or during the weekend, set time limits for yourself. Whether you work for two or four hours, stop working at the end of that time and enjoy the rest of the evening or weekend.

double up: Look for things you can combine to save time and accomplish more. Walk your dog or play with the kids and you'll be exercising at the same time. Go to the beach with a motivational tape, and you'll be relaxing and getting inspired simultaneously!

enlist your friends: Does your house need to be painted? Do you have a big landscaping project coming up? A great way to get the job done quickly is to throw a painting party. They supply the help. You supply the pizza, sandwiches, beverages and dessert.

make time to relax: Get a good night's sleep (7 hours or more.) Adequate rest tonight will help you to be alert, on schedule and more effective tomorrow.

create a reference list: Reference lists are wonderful tools for remembering and accessing everything easily. Create reference lists for the items below and store them on your computer’s desktop or in a convenient location around your house.

• Personal goals and dreams
• Birthdays
• Favorite restaurant phone numbers
• Web sites you'd like to explore
• Books you'd like to read
• Things to pack when traveling
• Gift ideas for friends and family
• Computer files
• A wish list for yourself

Now, don't worry about doing all of these at once. Simply pick 2 or 3 that you like and start implementing those into your daily and weekly routines. After you feel comfortable, add a few more in. Before you know it, you will accomplish more in less time! What a concept!

For more time management information, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

aim for progress, not perfection

Believe it or not, perfectionism is a very common cause of disorganization. Seems counterintuitive that a perfectionist could be disorganized, doesn’t it? Well, the desire for perfection is often so strong that it creates immobility, both at the onset of your organizing projects, and anywhere in the process if you begin to realize things aren’t turning out perfectly.

If you feel that perfectionism is getting in the way of your desire for a more organized home and life, the first step is to recognize this fact. Then, look for ways to take small steps in the direction you want to go. Give yourself permission to organize imperfectly by focusing your attention on progress instead of perfection.

Several of my clients struggle with perfectionism and I've found that the best way to deal with it is to focus on one specific area (one drawer, one closet or the top of a desk) and complete that task before moving on to the next one. Even though the entire area is not "perfect" there is a part of it that is pretty close. These small areas of progress are just what perfectionist need to keep plugging along.

A word of caution: closely monitor your time so you don't spend hours and hours one a very small project, such as one drawer or cupboard, and loose track of the bigger goal (the entire desk).

The help and encouragement of a second party is very usefully to keep perfectionist on track towards their bigger goals. Try to enlist the help of a friend or family member...or you can always contact me and get a professional on board!

juggling your calendar(s)

One of the biggest organizing mistakes people make is not using a daily planner, family calendar, or some type of organized system to keep everyone's activities in order. However, it can be an even bigger organizing disaster when people have multiple planners and calendars and keep different schedules in different places!

After all, the purpose of using a planner or calendar is so you will know your schedule at a glance...and if you have one calendar at home, one at work and a planner in your purse, how will you know if you are free on Wednesday at 6:30 when your best friend wants to plan special get-to-gather?

Keep personal, professional and family items on one calendar; preferably one that can fit into your purse or briefcase so you will always have it with you, even when you are away from home and the office. This will help to eliminate scheduling conflicts. Remember, 'the man who wears two watches, never knows the correct time.'

For more organizing information, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

meal time made SIMPLE

Cooking for a family can be a time consuming task...and although we know it is worth the time and effort to get our families to sit down together, it doesn't always fit into our daily schedule.

For those of you who wish you had more time to sit down with your family and eat a home cooked meal...I have a solution. Main Dish Kitchen is a business that allows you to order home made meals for as little as $10.00 and will even deliver them to your house. The great thing is, they do all the prep work and clean up and all you have to do is put the meal in the oven!

They also provide a great opportunity for you to get together with friends or even create a fun family night to go into their enormous kitchen and prepare several meals in one night. They have all the ingredients and supplies for you to use so you can come in empty handed and leave with an entire week or month worth of delicious meals.

They have a great menu with new selections every month so you and your family will never eat the same thing twice. Check out their website and bring your family back to the table!

tip of the week (9/21/08)

september 21 -- september 27, 2008

this weeks "tip of the week" was sent from Molly in Montgomery, IL

Molly writes: "My family loves those white erase boards! We have a very large one in the kitchen that has a calendar grid. Every month, each family member has his or her own color of eraser marker, and they fill in their special activities, assignment due dates, on the board in their own color. I fill in important reminders about doctor and dentist appointments in black and underline the appointment with the correct person's color. Everyone knows at a glance where everyone should be each day."

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website!For more organizing tips, check out http://www.andreadekker.com/. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

organize your financial life

You’re barraged with bills and receipts and notices. All that paperwork can get overwhelming! It’s important to simplify your financial life by reducing the amount of paper you have to deal with. Here are some easy ways to simplify your finances:

• Kill the credit card offers by using OptOutPrescreen.com. You don’t need the temptation to get another card. Besides, credit card apps are a huge identity theft risk.
• Take it a step further — stem the tide of junk mail (you can never eliminate it) using the Direct Marketing Association’s own mail preference service.
• Consolidate accounts where possible. Reduce the number of credit cards you carry. If you have bank accounts at multiple locations, combine them at a single bank. The fewer accounts you have to track, the easier it is to stay on top of them.
• Similarly, cancel accounts you no longer use. Extra paperwork from unused accounts just creates clutter, and clutter makes it difficult to focus on the task at hand. (But read ispf’s comment below: closing certain accounts can give your credit score a temporary ding.)
• People often praise automatic transactions. Does your employer allow direct deposit? Does your insurance company allow you to pay bills online? Can you set up automatic investments into your IRA? Automatic transactions make life simpler.

For more organizing ideas, visit: www.andreadekker.com

corral bathroom clutter

towels:
If your towel rack isn’t big enough to hang the family's towels, add hooks to the bathroom. Towel hooks are inexpensive, easy to mount and create a space for each member of the family to hang their towel. No more fighting over whose is whose, plus your bathroom floor will remain dry, not damp.

makeup:
Drawers in the bathroom tend to be catch-alls for lots of different containers, most of which badly organize their contents. An expandable cosmetic drawer organizer fits in a shallow drawer and takes the place of bulky cosmetic bags. Different size compartments will organize lipstick, blush and eye shadow so you never have to root around to find what you're looking for. As you organize your makeup, be sure to throw away anything that smells or is expired. Old makeup contains bacteria that can irritate your skin.

hair products:
Gels, sprays, curlers, combs and hair dryers take up a lot of space in the bathroom. For quick organization, buy a basket or plastic tub for under the sink and load it up with your supplies. As you place them in the tub, evaluate whether you use the product often. If not, donate it to a friend or to charity. When you fix your hair, the whole tub can be taken out and put away without creating a mess.

shower situation:
It's your best friend when you're in the shower, but is it working for you? Shower caddies that are too small or too large can be a pain, both for cleaning you and your shower. There are plenty of options: from over the shower head to suction shelves to corner caddies. If you don't have enough room, one solution is to pare down your toiletries. If you have too much, consider downsizing so you don’t feel like you have to fill up the extra space.


For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

organinze your home with tin cans!

With a little imagination and a can opener, you can create sleek and stylish organizer in any room of your home. The best part is...they are FREE and you can even get your kids involved in the fun!

Click on the pictures below to see how to create each one.





For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

For more projects like the ones above, visit: hgtv.com

coupon organization...save time and money

Using coupons can bring substantial savings to your household budget. Here are some ideas to keep coupons, rebates and other store offers organized.

Follow these three steps to make it easier to take advantage of money-saving coupons and offers:

1. Clip and Collect.
2. Sort and save.
3. Shop smart.

You’ll save time at the checkout and save money on your purchases when you keep your coupons organized.

Click on an idea to see how it works.


As with anything in life, diligence pays off...literally! If you commit to using coupons on a regular basis, you can save your family thousands of dollars each year. Once you get used to using coupons, you might want to try your hand at rebates, which will significantly add to your savings. In 2007 alone, I saved over $1,700 just by using coupons and buying grocery items on sale. I saved another $850 in rebates...and that's only 2 people. Think how much a family of 4 could save!

For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

For more information on the coupon folders above, visit Smead Organomics

cooking up a recipe for organization!

If any of you have ever made a meal from scratch, you know that it requires a series of steps. You’ve come to accept that making a meal (even if it is from the freezer) requires a series of steps…and no one feels defeated by these steps. First you must decide what to make, then you pull out the cookbook, make a list of ingredients, shop for your ingredients, and step-by-step you make your meal.

Similarly, all organizing projects are made up of a series of steps. Most of the time, you won't be able to pull an organizing project out of the freezer so you will have to follow a recipe to enable you to achieve your results. Recognize that while you may not be able to “do the project” right now, you can do steps that move you forward towards the end result of an organized space. And this feels much, much better.

So, let’s put this into action.

1. Select a project. Any project will do…but the key is to pick just one project and forget about all the others. Give yourself permission to focus your time and attention on the one project you choose. Think of it this way: There’s no sense thinking about tomorrow night’s chicken while you’re cooking today’s chili. Right? So why think about the basement while you’re organizing your kitchen. The basement will be there when the kitchen is done.

2. Break Your Project Into Small Sub-Projects. Let’s go back to the example of preparing a meal. The sub-projects for making your meal are to decide what you want to cook, make a list of ingredients, shop for the ingredients, and finally, step-by-step prepare your meal. Apply this same thinking to organizing. Let’s say the project you selected in step one is your kitchen. This project could consist of sub-projects such as organize the pantry, drawers, cupboards, refrigerator, freezer, and so on. Remember those overwhelmed feelings we were talking about in the beginning? If you focus solely on your refrigerator this seems very doable and not so overwhelming. Wouldn’t you agree?

3. Select a sub-project and get started. Just as you selected your first project, now it’s time to select a sub-project. Once you have your sub-project, think about the steps required to move you forward. Keep in mind that it isn’t necessary to figure out every single step of the project before you start and you don’t need to go into great detail with the individual steps. Trying to do this just makes you feel even more overwhelmed.

Let’s go back to our dinner example. When you decide what you are going to have for dinner, you don’t need to decide which brand of ingredients to use at that time. Instead, you add the general ingredients to your shopping list. The decision about the specific brand can be made while you’re at the grocery store and have more information available to you. For example, is your favorite brand in stock? Do you have a coupon for another brand? Are there any tasty-looking ingredients on sale? All of these factors weigh-in on which ingredients you put in your cart…and ultimately into your dinner.

The same holds true with an organizing project. You don’t have to have every single detail worked out before you start organizing. The details, such as which container you’ll use to organize your spices, for example, become clearer as you move through the organizing process. The important thing is to think in terms of steps…and then get busy taking one of them!

So…I have one final question for you. What action are you going to take as a result of reading this article? Are you going to identify one step that will move you forward on your quest for a more organized home and life? Now is the best time to get started!

For more organizing information, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

what do you do with your clutter?

Here's an amazing statistic from ClutterClarity.com: More than 50 cities have chapters of Clutterers Anonymous, a 12-step program to help people cope with their hoarding instincts. While it's natural for us to accumulate "stuff" - the joy of the hunt is one of our human instincts, after all - sometimes too much stuff can start to clutter our homes and our lives.

Collecting is a relatively new phenomenon. Recent generations have had more disposable income than ever, and the options for shopping with that extra money are always growing: super center discount stores, warehouse stores, Internet shopping and online auctions just scratch the surface.

Collecting can give people a sense of comfort and control in a very insecure world. But sometimes collections become clutter, and holding onto clutter turns into hoarding, which can turn homes into safety hazards and disrupt relationships.

How to know if clutter is getting to be a problem. Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you no longer get any enjoyment from your collection?
• Is your collection so big that you cannot display it attractively or store it safely in your home?
• Are you embarrassed to have people over to your home because of too much clutter?
• Is clutter starting to interfere with your relationships?

If you answer yes to these questions, it might be time to get rid of excess objects that are cluttering up your life. Enlist the help of an objective friend or family member to help you sort through the clutter and decide what has to go.

What to do with your clutter.

• Give it to a family member who has admired it.
• Donate it to charity.
• Donate it to a museum or historical society.
• Sell it on eBay.
• Have a garage sale.

How to keep it from happening all over again:

• Make this household rule: For every new item you bring into your home, you have to get rid of one old item.
• Ask yourself, "Do I want this or do I really need it?" If you don't need it, pass on it for the time being. Chances are the urge to buy it will pass, and you'll be glad you didn't give in to the temporary impulse.
• If you suspect you might truly have a more serious hoarding problem, talk to your doctor and consider a group like Clutterers Anonymous.

What do you collect, and how do you keep it from getting out of hand?
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tip of the week (9/14/08)

september 14 -- september 20, 2008

this weeks "tip of the week" was sent from Deb in Monroe, OH

Deb writes: "When I change out my furnace filter, I write the date on the edge facing out. Then there is never a question as to how long it has been between changes. I also keep a magic marker near the furnace for that purpose!"

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website!For more organizing tips, check out http://www.andreadekker.com/. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

catalog clutter

When I am working with my clients, I frequently mention that with so much up-to-date information available online, there’s really no need to keep most paper catalogs, newspapers or magazines.

If you are keeping these items for informational purposes (recipes, instructions, pictures etc.) simply rip out that particular page and recycle the rest. Or, get rid of the whole thing...and look up the recipe or instruction manual on line!

Despite my advice, I am guilty of keeping a FEW favorite magazines around for the next car trip or for a few moments of leisure time. I have a special spot in my home where I keep these catalogs until I am done looking through them.

However, I do set a limit and once the magazine holder is full, I purge! And when a sales catalog from a department store is delivered to me, after browsing it, I’ll place it in my recycling along with all the other fliers. I know that I can simply go online to buy what ever item(s) I want.

If you stop subscribing to these magazines and catalogs all together and just get your information on line, you will not only save money and tons of space around your house...you will also save trees! Try it!

For more organizing ideas, log onto my website: www.andreadekker.com

how do you procrastinate?

You may have noticed that this entry is titled “How Do You Procrastinate?” and not “Do You Procrastinate?” That’s because we all procrastinate! After all, it’s human nature to avoid tasks that we find distasteful or overwhelming - even if those tasks will become even more unpleasant if we put them off. (If you don’t believe me, try washing dishes after they’ve been sitting for a day!)

According to clinical psychologist Dr. Linda Sapadin, author of It’s About Time, there are six styles of procrastination.

• The Perfectionist will delay starting something until they have time to do it “right.”
• The Dreamer is focused on the big picture and long range planning, and will procrastinate when it comes to carrying out the detailed work that is required.
• The Worrier fears change and taking risks, and will put off tasks that take them outside their comfort zone.
• The Defier may resist doing what others expect as a way of establishing his or her individuality.
• The Crisis-Maker gets an adrenaline rush out of doing things at the last minute.
• The Over-doer tends to bite off more than they can chew, so some things just have to be put off until later.

If you're interested, take a couple of minutes to complete Sapadin’s quiz and Discover Your Procrastination Style. Understanding why you do what you do can be a real eye opener and is usually the first step to making positive changes in your life. Then, for strategies to overcome your specific procrastination style, refer to It’s About Time! The 6 Styles of Procrastination, which is available from Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

If not today, then when?

don't get overwhelmed...map out your clutter

Sometimes, when you're not very far along on your organizing project, you may start feeling overwhelmed. You have so much to do but you don’t know where start… so you become indecisive.

Should I start in the kitchen? Should I start in the study? …the craft room? …the kids’ rooms?

HELP!

Okay, okay, re-lax…

Here's what I suggest you do:

1. Grab a piece of paper and go to one room. Do not leave the room until you are done!
2. Draw a 6-square grid on the page and write the name of the room you're in on top of the page—let's just say you're in the kitchen.
3. Then write down each section in that room that needs to be organized, one section per square- e.g. refrigerator, pantry, counter tops, cupboards, eating area, etc.
4. Now look at each individual section you wrote down and list off all the areas within that section that need to be organized. For the pantry you may have…shelf 1, shelf 2, shelf 3, hooks, baskets, and so on….

Now you have a visual plan of EVERYTHING that needs to be done in a particular area.

You can now tackle each sub-section until all the little sections are done. As you finish each section, cross it off and move on to the next item or section on your page.

The great thing is, those little bits can easily be done in 15-minute segments and before you know it, you've sorted an entire room.

At least then there's one room you can call a sanctuary - and then the next, and the next…

Start today! Pick your first room (the room that causes you the most stress) and map out the clutter in that room. Then work on one subsection (shelf #1 in the pantry) for 15 minutes a day. With in a few months or even weeks, you could have your entire house under control!

For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

5 Steps to a Tidy Desk

5 Steps to a Tidy Desk
- By Marcia Francois

You won't believe all the excuses I get from people about their untidy desks!

"It's because I'm creative" or "I know where everything is".

SOUND FAMILIAR?

This may very well be true. However, for most people, an untidy desk makes you feel overwhelmed and out of control. And how can you be productive when you're overwhelmed? Right?! The good news is you can have a tidy desk in just 5 steps:

1. Set up your desk properly: If you answer the phone with your left hand, then keep the phone to the left of your computer. Now this might seem obvious but you'll be surprised at the number of people I encounter who have to scramble and reach behind their computer to get to the phone. It's like that game Twister!

2. Touch each piece of paper once only: This is going to force you to make decisions - throw away, action, forward or file. Those are the only choices you have.

3. Have one notebook for all your notes: When you take messages or need to quickly jot down a note, write it in your ONE notebook. There should not be 10 post-it notes and lots of other pieces of paper on your desk. Better still, write the date on the top of every page so you can reference old information quickly. And start each day on a new page – literally!

4. Clear junk regularly: Every time you get up to go to the loo or for a coffee break, clear your desk of empty mugs, glasses, snacks, etc. The same goes for all those dry markers and pens that don't work. Throw them out!

5. Have only the papers you are actually working with on your desk: I have a rather strong fondness for plastic envelopes. I use these nifty tools to keep my many projects sorted. When I want to work on something, I just grab one of these and open up on my desk.

See? Easy!

You can also have a neat and tidy desk in just 5 steps.

Marcia Francois is a personal life coach and professional organizer who teaches small business owners and other busy people how to have more time, less stress and a more organized and fulfilled life. Visit www.takechargesolutions.org for your free Organize your Life e-book and the rest of your organizing success pack.

email overhaul

An unorganized inbox can translate into several hours of wasted time...all time that could be spent in any number of more productive ways. Writing emails should only be one of your many priorities...don't let it take over your entire day. The tricks to an organized inbox are below. Read on and take charge of your emails!

STICK TO A SCHEDULE
When you open and glance at e-mails but don’t deal with the content immediately, you lose time by having to reread the messages and make decisions again. Designate blocks of time—ideally three or four times a day—for focusing on your e-mails. Like other important communication tasks, you should respond to an e-mail as soon as you read the message. When you can’t, most programs have utilities to “flag” messages as high priority or needing further action.

THE 3 R's: READ, RESPOND, REMOVE
After opening an e-mail message:
1. Read the message entirely.
2. Respond to the e-mail (if needed).
3. Remove the message from your in-box by deleting or filing it.

After the three Rs, your in-box should only contain items you haven’t read or which require further action.

DON'T PRINT
Resist the urge to print off every e-mail you receive...this just adds to the clutter that may already cover you work station! If you want to keep the e-mail for latter reference, file it right in one of your folders within your email account (all email accounts offer files).

Follow these steps every time you deal with daily emails and eventually, your ultimate goal of an empty inbox will be achieved! Yes...this is possible and it feels great!

For more organizing tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

tip of the week (9/7/08)

september 7 -- september 13, 2008

this weeks "tip of the week" was sent from Kelly in Seattle, WA

Kelly writes: "In my search for products that would help me get organized...but not break the bank, I came across a website of FREE organizing print-outs. The links are below.

• Daily Planner
• Monthly Calendar page
• Grocery List
• Monthly Budget
• Seasonal Home Maintenance
  
• Party Planner
• Phone List
  

I found several helpful tools and wanted to pass them along for anyone else who might be looking for something too!"

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website!For more organizing tips, check out http://www.andreadekker.com/. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

clutter--or abundance?

Many of my friends don’t understand why, on any given day, I would rather clean my basement or garage than do something they think is “more fun.” They also can’t understand why I continue to spend countless hours, long evenings and even weekends sorting and filing papers or rearranging a closet. What they can’t understand is how much creating order delights me.

For those of you who are thinking ‘this lady has to lighten up’…don’t despair! I am not like this all the time and I do take several occasions to relax and spend time with friends and family. Although I take great pleasure in organizing, I also realize that if I always choose to stay home and get organized, my life will be dull. Life isn’t intended to be boxed, labeled and put on a shelf.

So…the real question we need to answer is when to let it go and when to tidy it up. How can we be organized enough to find what we need when we need it, but also remember that organizing isn’t about making everything perfect?

As with all things in life, the answer is in finding a balance between chaos and order. A house without sticky fingerprints is missing a child’s laughter. A kitchen without dirty dishes lacks homemade meals. In all life there is evidence of living. Sometimes that evidence looks like clutter; sometimes it looks like the reason to be grateful for the abundance in your home. So before you start attacking every mess, grouching at your kids or spouse and forgetting to actually see out of the window you’re so intent on cleaning, look around and consider: Is all that surrounds you clutter—or abundance?

For more organizing tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

emergency road kit

A well-equipped ride is not only ready for emergencies, but also for those less urgent stops along the way. Before you hit the road, do an inventory check and gear up your trunk and glove box with some common sense essentials.

Emergency Kit:

• jumper cables
• tire jack
• road emergency signal
• flash lights
  
• food (non-perishable)
• water
• cell phone
  
• important phone numbers (insurance agaent and auto club)
• blankets
• first aid kit
• walking shoes

Just-incase Kit:

• umbrella
• tissues and paper towels
• change of clothes
• games or books to entertain children
  
• road maps or a GPS navigation system
  
• dog leash
• plastic garbage bags
• ice scraper
• cell phone
• snacks
• toiletries

For more ideas on how to equip your vehicle for any situation, check out the following websites:

• AAA
• The ultimate roadside emergency kit
• Emergency preparation tips

It's always better to be prepared especially now that we are entering into fall...and then winter. Make sure your vehicle is fully stocked with the necessary supplies you might need.

For more organizing ides, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

home organizer

Yup, it's that time of year again...which means it time to start organizing your childrens' school work and the many papers they accumulate each week. It's also time to start thinking ahead for holiday planning.

So where do you start? I found a great on-line resource (MyHomePoint.com) that can help you organize your family, your home and your life. It's not only an on-line calendar but an entire suite of family and home organization tools that will help you and your family stay connected.

Here is a sampling of their current features, and there are many more still planned!

• A calendar that the entire family can share
  
• Shared and private task lists
  
• Birthdays and anniversaries
  
• Shared and private notes
  
• Home inventory tracking
  
• Pets can be included in the family!
  
• Grocery and other shopping lists [coming soon]
  
• Gift lists and personal wish lists [coming soon]
  

and much, much more... view their complete feature list

For more organizing tips and ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

organizing class

Do you want to learn how to control you clutter, manage your time and better organize your life?

Sign up for our next organizing class!

The class starts on Monday, Sep. 22 and meets 5 Monday nights from 7-9 PM in Grandville, MI.

We will cover everything from paper and e-mail clutter to time management and event planning.

Contact us for more information or to register.

Cost is $50.00 per person or $80.00 per couple! Email us for group rates.

Also, check out my website for more organizing tips and information.

24 hours in a day

Have you ever thought or said, "if I could only add a few more hours to my day I could get everything done."? Most of us, over the course of our busy lives, have mumbled this phrase time and time again. Obviously there is no physical way (at least we don't know of any) to add hours to the day. There is, however, plenty of room to manage the 24 hours we do have much more efficiently. Every day starts anew with 24 hours that we can fill with whatever activities we choose. Let's take a look at how the average American spends them!

• 7 hours = sleeping
• 8 hours = working
• 2-3 hours = personal hygiene and commute
• 5 hours = tv, cell phone, computer/internet, video games

If I do the math correctly, this leaves only 2 hours to run all of our errands, prepare and eat meals, take care of children and pets, do housework, and any other chores we may have to accomplish. It's no wonder we don't get everything done.

As the school year begins, make it your goal to utilize your time more efficiently. Here's how you can start. For the next week or month, discipline yourself to log how you spend every half hour or hour of your day. At the end of the week or month, look over your log and find where you waste the most time...this can be a place where you can gain extra hours in the future.

Over a few months or a year, you will be surprised how much time you've gained back!

the history of Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!

Have you ever wondered where and when Labor Day began. I did, so I looked it up at www.history.com and found a lot more background than I realized. Take a few minutes to read about the first Labor Day (below) and then focus on relaxing and spending time with your family and friends!
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As the Industrial Revolution took hold of the nation, the average
American in the late 1800s worked 12-hour days, seven days a week in order to make a basic living. Children were also working, as they provided cheap labor to employers and laws against child labor were not strongly enforced.

With the long hours and terrible working conditions, American unions became more prominent and voiced their demands for a better way of life. On Tuesday September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers marched from city hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first-ever Labor Day parade. Participants took an upaid day-off to honor the workers of America, as well as vocalize issues they had with employers. As years passed, more states began to hold these parades, but Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later.

On May 11, 1894, workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago struck to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. They sought support from their union led by Eugene V. Debs and on June 26 the American Railroad Union called a boycott of all Pullman railway cars. Within days, 50,000 rail workers complied and railroad traffic out of Chicago came to a halt. On July 4, President Grover Cleveland dispatched troops to Chicago. Much rioting and bloodshed ensued, but the government's actions broke the strike and the boycott soon collapsed. Debs and three other union officials were jailed for disobeying the injunction. The strike brought worker's rights to the public eye and Congress declared, in 1894, that the first Monday in September would be the holiday for workers, known as Labor Day.

The founder of Labor Day remains unclear, but some credit either Peter McGuire, co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, or Matthew Maguire, a secretary of the Central Labor Union, for proposing the holiday.

Although Labor Day is meant as a celebration of the labor movement and its achievements, it has come to be celebrated as the last, long summer weekend before Autumn.