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.
Do you feel like you are being pulled in multiple directions at the same time? Many of us do. There are so many things competing for our attention it is difficult to prioritize and maintain any kind of balance, but it is possible. Here are a few tips to help you prioritize the things that are really important in your life and get back into balance.
1. Yourself: It may sound selfish at first glance, but think about the logic of this concept. Keeping all of the plates that you are juggling requires the same thing that you need to be able to take care of others--taking care of you first.
2. Your Family: Make time for family meals together. No matter how busy our schedules get, we all have to eat. Make it a priority to eat together as a family each night. Also set aside one evening each week where you and your family member are there to spend the evening together. This can be an evening of board games, card games, watching a movie together, or just plain talking. The time spent together is wonderful for keeping the family even more deeply connected than spending just meal times together. This also shows your children that you are committed to their well-being as well as your own.
3. Your Health: There are three sides to your health, physical, emotional and spiritual. By getting enough sleep (7-8 hours), eating right, and exercising, you are not only addressing the physical aspects of your health, but also the emotional. Exercise and eating right are great ways to combat stress. Don't neglect the spiritual side of your health as it plays an important role in maintaining good overall health and balance.
Oh, and don’t forget to have fun! After all, what is the point of anything if you don't have fun along the way?Choosing to 'enjoy' plays an important role in keeping our lives in balance. Don't be afraid to have fun!
As we enter into the holiday season (and the biggest shopping day of the year), keep this thought in mind:
The best gift you can give your loved ones is your own joy and happiness.
If you’re filled with joy and peace this holiday season, it will affect everyone around you in a positive way. On the other hand, if you feel stressed and grouchy this season, it will affect people, too. Focus on joy and make this the best holiday season for you and your loved ones!
Is your life in disarray? Do you have trouble finding things? Do you constantly forget stuff? If so, don’t worry — you’re like most of the human population.
Disorganization is a natural state of order...but you can master it...or at least get a handle on it if you follow some SIMPLE suggestions.
If you have a desire to get organized, here are my favorite organization tips … stuff I’ve learned along the way, from other sources and from experimentation.
9. Google Calendar. It really doesn’t matter what calendar system you use, but I’ve found that Gcal works best for me. It’s so simple and fast, and as an online calendar I can access it from anywhere (as can my wife). We share a Google Calendar, and we put everything on it: work stuff, personal stuff, our kid’s school and extracurricular events, birthdays, family gatherings, reminders to follow up on things, school holidays, and much more. It keeps all our scheduling in one place, and we never have to worry about remembering again. Other good calendar options: 30 Boxes and Outlook are also popular.
10. A simple system for pending items. One reader recently wrote to ask me how she should organize her pending items, such as plane or theater tickets. I suggested she create a “Pending” folder to hold those items, and make a note of each item on her calendar. For those that are attached to a specific date, she could note the item on that date (”Theater tickets for 8 p.m., in Pending folder”). For items that she wants to remember periodically, she could make a note on the first of each month (for example) … so on the first of next month, there is a “Pending items” notation on her calendar, with a list of items in the Pending folder she wants to reminder herself about. If she doesn’t need to remember them yet, she can move that item to the first of the next month.
11. Make your system usable. If you’re having problems with your organization system, take a careful look at what’s tripping you up. Sometimes there’s a difficulty or complication that makes the system too difficult to use. If it’s too difficult, you won’t use it. Keep it simple and usable — if possible, even fun — and you’ll be more likely to stick to the system.
12. Create a landing strip. When I get home, I empty my pockets and put everything onto a tray near my doorway. My wife does the same. Keys, purse, my ID and cash, cell phone, anything. This way it doesn’t get tossed on our counter or table, and we never have to look for it or forget it when we leave. See Unclutterer’s article on The landing strip.
Is your life in disarray? Do you have trouble finding things? Do you constantly forget stuff? If so, don’t worry — you’re like most of the human population.
Disorganization is a natural state of order...but you can master it...or at least get a handle on it if you follow some SIMPLE suggestions.
If you have a desire to get organized, here are my favorite organization tips … stuff I’ve learned along the way, from other sources and from experimentation.
...continued from yesterday...
5. All info in one place. Use a text document, a wiki, or some other type of system to keep all the information you regularly use and need in one place. You’ll never look for it again. Read more and also see how to organize your family with a binder.
6. Put it away now. Done using something? Most people will put it down somewhere nearby, with the intention of putting it away later. But messy houses and offices are full of these intentions. Instead of letting things pile up, put them away immediately. Right now, no exceptions.
7. Use an inbox, and empty it. Instead of having papers all over the place, have one inbox for all incoming papers. Well, one for your office, and one for your home. Now you’ll never lose a piece of paper again. Empty it regularly (at whatever regular intervals work for you — daily, weekly, every other day, etc.). Here’s how to process your inbox.
8. Keep a simple filing system. If your filing system is too complicated, chances are you won’t use it. Use this simple system to keep your files in order.
Check back tomorrow for more tips and look back to yesterday for the first 4!
Is your life in disarray? Do you have trouble finding things? Do you constantly forget stuff? If so, don’t worry — you’re like most of the human population.
Disorganization is a natural state of order...but you can master it...or at least get a handle on it if you follow some SIMPLE suggestions.
If you have a desire to get organized, here are my favorite organization tips … stuff I’ve learned along the way, from other sources and from experimentation.
1. Everything in its place. If you just followed one tip on this list, this would be it. Practice this, and you can skip the rest of the tips and articles listed in this post. Seriously.
So how do you do it? It’s simple. For everything that you own, designate a place for it. You can even label some of those places, to make it easier to remember. Find something that doesn’t have a place? Designate a place for it. Then simply put things back where they belong when you’re done using them. It sounds simple, but it actually takes a lot of practice to get this habit down. Read this article for more.
2. Start small. If your life and your home and your office are all incredibly disorganized, don’t try to conquer all of it at once. Choose a small chunk (maybe the top of your desk, or at least one part of it?) and organize that. Then come up with a simple system to keep it organize, and try to practice that system until it becomes habit. Now expand your “zone of organization” further, to a new area. One chunk at a time, you can get organized.
3. Create routines. One of the best ways to keep your life organized is to make routines for everything — for errands, laundry, finances, etc. And if you do this one at a time, and make it a habit, you can optimize your life this way.
4. Clean as you go. This is a great habit … instead of having big cleaning binges, clean things as you go. Done using some dishes? Wash them right away. Clean the toilet when you finish using it, so it never gets dirty. Read more.
november 23 -- november 29, 2008 this weeks "tip of the week" was sent from Jennifer in Norfolk, VA
Jennifer writes: "I am on active duty for the US Navy, so I live out of a coffin rack. Sometimes I have to get dressed in pitch black darkness.
I started safety pinning my socks together in pairs. I also use square boxes to separate my undies, socks, and bras. Now I can get dressed in the dark and just grab an item in each box.
This worked so well out at sea that I started doing it when I got home. Now I can wait until all the pairs have been worn and know which socks don't have pairs very quickly."
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.
Everyone would like to have their finances in order, but this is no small task considered how busy the average American is in this day and age, on top of the complex nature of handling personal finance, so here are eight things that you can do that will help keep your finances in order.
1. Limit the number of paper checks you write. Keeping track of a large number of checks can often be quite difficult, if you can get things to be automatically drafted out of your checking account, or if you can pay for everyday purchases in cash, this will definitely reduce the amount of checks you have to take care of.
2. Limit your number of paper bills, if you can get your bills online or via email, it's probably a good idea, this way they won't get lost in the mail or lost in your home somewhere. They'll be right on your computer, which will be much easier to track.
3. Use an "expando" to keep your bills in order. They're a great way to store files without having to have an expensive file cabinet. They fold out like an accordion and are really cheap. This way you'll have a place where all of your bills are, and that way they won't get lost.
4. Regularly clean off your desk. If you don't take care of whatever's lying on your desk, it will pile up real quickly. Take a couple of hours every Saturday and take care of whatever's on your desk.
5. Throw junk mail away. For some reason credit card offers and other financial offers just sit on people's desk unopened...just shred them and don't worry about them.
6. Keep the important stuff. There is some paperwork you just need to keep, for example, if you ever have a bad debt that is settled, you need to keep that paper for a life time, because it will come back to haunt you and you need to prove that you paid the bill. Organize these important documents and keep them in a file cabinet or an expando.
7. Get your spouse onboard. Taking care of the finances in an orderly fashion is ten times easier if your spouse is helping and onboard. If everyone's pitching in, the task will be much less arduous
8. Set a time. Pick out some time every week just to give your financial life a once over, it doesn't have to be more than an hour a week, just take care of any bills, make sure there aren't any charges on your checking account or credit card that aren't yours, and balance the budget. Doing a little bit every week will save you a lot of time in the long run.
For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com
Are you looking for more organizing resources, articles and ideas. Click on one of the links below and get organizing advice from some of the best resources around...people who make their living organizing!! It's not too late to get organized for the holidays!
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 unorganized desk makes you feel overwhelmed and out of control. And how can you be productive when you're overwhelmed?
The good news is you can have an organized desk in just 5 SIMPLE 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.
2. Touch each piece of paper once only
This will 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 from your desk, clear your 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
Keep your many projects sorted in separate folders. When you want to work on something, just grab one of the folders. All you have to think about is that one folder…not all the other projects you are working on!
Thanksgiving is the start of the busy holiday season. It can be a stressful time, but only if you let it. Here are a few suggestions for taking the stress right out of your gathering.
1. The first thing to do is plan and prepare ahead of time. Sit down and make a list of the things you need to get done. Take an inventory of your supplies, dishes and cookware. Make sure you have everything you need. There is nothing more stressful than finding you don't have something on the big day! Also, plan your meal from appetizers to desserts. Make a list of the ingredients and items needed. Don't forget to plan for leftovers. Purchasing a few disposable containers can be handy to store leftovers for sharing with family and guests.
2. If you are having company at your house for Thanksgiving, set a date with your family to clean the house the week before Thanksgiving. That way you will only have to do a little touch up when the guests arrive. If you plan to have your house professionally cleaned, make sure to book your appointment early.
3. Plan your guest list to determine how many people you are going to feed. Instead of sending out elaborate invitations, consider just picking up the phone and calling each guest to invite them personally. You will get the RSVP right away!
4. Cook, bake and create as much as possible ahead of time. There is no need to spend all of your time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving while everyone else is enjoying themselves. Side dishes, pies and other items can be made ahead-of-time-items and then frozen. When needed, just defrost, heat and serve.
5. Keep everyone busy and share the workload. You do not have to do everything yourself. Enlist family members to help out and assign duties. Involve children with simple jobs. Don't forget to get help when cleaning up too.
6. Focus on what really matters. The whole point behind gathering at Thanksgiving is to give thanks and show appreciation. Take the time to enjoy the company of family and friends.
Finally, after the holidays, keep the lists you put together for organizing this Thanksgiving celebration. You can use these lists to find areas that need improvement so that next year's event is easier and even more stress-free!
Having trouble writing your holiday newsletter? First, just make a list of the things you'd like to mention. This may include vacations you've taken this year, notes about various family members, thoughts of the season and so on. Don't worry about putting them into story form, or even sentence form yet. Just jot all of your ideas down.
Once you have all the ideas, choose one topic and write a few sentences about that subject.
After you're done with each subject, prioritize and put your paragraphs in order. Then write an intro at the top and a closing at the bottom. You're done!
Less is truly more and with the holiday season fast approaching, this common saying is worth repeating. Keep this simple phrase in mind as you go about your day and your holiday preparations. The less stuff you have, the less time you have to spend dealing with all your stuff. You keep more money in your purse and create greater peace of mind for yourself and your family. Less truly is more…now more than ever.
november 16 -- november 22, 2008 this weeks "tip of the week" was sent from Terri in Boynton Beach, FL
Terrie writes:" My husband will often ask me to remind him to do something when we get home or I will think of something that I need to do and it is the middle of the night. I simply move my engagement ring to my right hand. This trick helps me every time!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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.
It’s not a secret that the economy is not what it used to be. It seems like everyone is looking for another way to make more money…especially with the holiday season right around the corner. I too am always looking for a bargain on everything so I thought about a few ways that you might be able to quickly and easily save a few bucks!
1. Call around to get better rates You can save several dollars every month if you take a few minutes to call around and see if you can find a cheaper quote for insurance, utilities, services, and other every day activities, It never hurts to ask!
2. Eat out of your pantry and freezer Get creative with your meals. Make a list of everything in your pantry and freezer and find some recipes to use up all that food. Then you only need shop for fresh produce for the next couple of weeks.
3. Group your errands
Keep a list of errands to run and only do them once a week. It's also a good idea to keep all the stuff together, like library books, dry-cleaning, etc. You will save both time and money when you stop jumping in the car as soon as you think of something, and instead have an assigned day for errands.
4. Stop reading the sale catalogues I will often throw away all the free newspapers and sale catalogues as soon as I bring in the mail. That alone has saved me hundreds of dollars every month.
5. Sell your stuff What do you have around the house that you no longer need, want or use? Sell those items on e-bay Craig’s List or at any number of consignment shops that have popped up all over the place. Your “trash” really might be someone else’s “treasures” and wouldn’t it be worth the extra money…and space!
Do you plan to do any shopping for the members of your household over this upcoming holiday season? I’d be willing to bet that’s a big y-e-s! If you’re planning to bring some new items into your home as part of the holiday festivities, now is a terrific time for some of your older items to make their exit.
In a nutshell, now is a terrific time to create space for the holidays and all the clutter that it brings, and a great place to start is your kids’ closet! Even though going through your child’s closet or play room in November may not be the first thing that jumps to mind, it makes sense on so many fronts.
Going through your child’s things now gives you some perspective on how much stuff he or she really has. This is important info to capture in your mind and take with you when you go shopping. As you go through your child’s things, think about what he really needs. Based on how much he already has, how many gifts make sense?
Take advantage of the calm before the holiday storm and create some space now.
Did you know that the average person wastes six weeks a year looking for stuff? That is more than 1000 hours each year! When we can not find things, it produces high amounts of stress and anxiety. Example:
When you can't find your keys or your schedule...that is high stress.
When you constantly loose information at work and your boss gives you a warning instead of a raise...that is high stress.
When you are always rushed and running late...that is high stress.
All of us experience stressful situations but too much stress is a major contributor to declining health...and who wants that?
We all need to get more organized, reduce clutter and downsize our lives. If we can chip away at our clutter a little bit each day, we will be on our way to a life of less clutter and less stress!
Success in life requires a short "Yes" list, and a long "No" list. - Gary Ryan Blair ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whenever I coach time management clients, one of the first things I tell them is this:
You are ALWAYS saying no to something when you say yes to something else.
For example...
if you say yes to volunteering on 3 committees, you're saying no to one or all of the following: your family, your self-care, your exercise time, your household...
if you say yes to that beautiful new pair of shoes you really can't afford, you're saying no to your debt-reduction plan - ouch!
It's such a small word but is often so hard to say.
Why should you say no?
1. it helps you set firm boundaries
2. it helps you honor your values
3. it makes you more productive
4. it reduces your stress
5. it frees you to serve where you're called to with joy
This week, I'm challenging you to SLOW DOWN and think carefully before you say yes to anything.
In fact, why don't you start saying, "let me get back to you on that" so you think clearly about the situation before committing yourself.
The Holiday season usually means lots of guests and lots of food. Here are a few ways to simplify your entertaining efforts this Holiday season…
clear clutter before guests arrive: Prepare in advance, but only worry about areas that guests will see. For example, clear just enough space in the front hall closet for company's coats. Scoop up anything left around and place it on your bed. If you put it in a bag in a closet, you'll forget about it; if you put it on your bed, you'll have to deal with it (or sleep somewhere else) that night. Don't underestimate the power of clever disguises — a floor-length tablecloth or bottomless gift-wrapped box can hide a myriad of clutter sins.
time meals to perfection:
It's all in the planning. Create a time-line based on when you want the meal served, then work backward. If the meal is to be ready at 2pm and bread takes 10 minutes to warm, then write "1:50, bread in oven” Spare no detail. Right now you remember the gravy, but in the flurry of last-minute activity that once-obvious item might slip your mind. Better to have it all in writing and hanging on your fridge, cabinet or range hood.
prepare for overnight guests: Make visitors feel welcome by gathering all your sample-size toiletries and placing them in a decorative basket with a sign for guests to help themselves. Leave magazines and books on the nightstand with a note inviting guests to take them if they're not finished by the time they leave.
How much of the clutter in your home is the result of indecision? Not sure? Here’s an example.
A flier comes home in the mail announcing an upcoming event. You hold onto it because you may want to go…but you don’t really decide if you will go or not. So the indecision known as the flyer sits on your counter for a few days until it is buried by the next few rounds of indecision. Should I go on this field trip? Should I use this coupon? Should I donate to this cause? It’s a good organization…I probably should…but I don’t know. I’ll decide later.
And on and on it goes.
A key strategy to cutting through this clutter is deciding to decide. Certainly not every decision can be made the minute it lands in your mailbox or on your kitchen counter…but which ones can? I bet it’s a lot of them.
Decide to decide on everything that you can decide on NOW and you’ll dramatically reduce your clutter. Part of the reason our clutter feels stressful is that it represents lingering indecision. When you decide to decide, you free yourself from both clutter and the stress that goes along with it.
november 9 -- november 15, 2008 this weeks "tip of the week" was sent from Susan in Carmel, IN
Susan writes: "I keep a box in my closet to gather small items for stockings at Christmas time. In this box there is a bag for the six people for whom I will fill a stocking.
When shopping during the year, I purchase items and place them in the appropriate bag. When the busy Christmas season comes, I simply fill each person's stocking.
I don't have to shop for stocking-stuffers at the last minute, plus most of the items have been purchased while on clearance."
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.
We've been updating the articles on our website and have some NEW great ideas. Click here to take a look and read them for yourself. We have articles for everyone no matter what your projects or organizational problems are! We can help!
I have heard every excuses int he book for why people "can't get organized"...but really they just aren't making it a priority. If you want to get your home, office family and life back on track and organized, read over some of the excuses below and see if you fit into any of the categories. They read what I have to say about them...and see what you can do to make organization a priority in your life...I promise it will be worth it!
1. I'm going to fail If you think you can do it, you can. If you think you can't, you won't. It's true. You can organize your home if your attitude is positive. Remember that any task you complete, no matter how small, is a success. Reward yourself.
2. It's too much work Do you find getting organized as being too big of a chore so you do not even want to start it? You can make organizing fun. Set a timer and organize for 15 minutes to see if you can 'beat the clock.' Organize to your favorite music. Organize while you're chatting with your best friend on the phone.
3. I don't have the time If you don't make the time, you won't have the time. Start with a project that only takes a small portion of your day. Even 10-minute projects are better than no projects at all. Accomplishing just one tiny goal can give you the motivation to keep going to organize more.
4. I will never be able to get this all done Don't think that you have to do it all alone. Get help. Make it a group effort. Get together with your family or friends to organize your home.
5. I'm very sentimental. I cannot get rid of anything Perhaps you are finding that you are having a hard time parting with belongings. Going through belongings and trying to get rid of some of them can be difficult for some people. However, being too attached to belongings can often lead to piles and piles of clutter. This can cause added stress, so it is important to let go of some items. Determine what is most important to you and only keep those items. Consider donating the remaining items to charity where someone else can enjoy them.
6. Someday I will get to it If you are having trouble getting started with becoming organized, perhaps you should consider calling a professional organizer. A good organizer will help you identify the reason you collect and hang on to stuff and can customize a program to start you on the right path.
If you travel for business and have to do expense reports, make it simpler to get them done! Designate one spot for collecting your receipts when you travel. This might be in your wallet, in the zipper pocket of your purse, in a plastic envelope, or in the front pocket of your briefcase. Choose a place that makes sense to you and works well with what you carry with you when you travel.
If you are reimbursed for mileage on your personal vehicle, then I suggest that you keep a clipboard, pen and mileage log in your car. Click here to print our mileage log. It might be wise to print several at a time and keep them with you for each month or week you travel.
When you get home from a business trip, fill out your expense report right away — while the details of the trip are still fresh in your mind. If it’s something you truly dread, getting it out of the way quickly will make it easier (plus you won’t waste the energy anticipating the ugly task ahead.)
Many of my clients complain that their bathrooms are just too small to fit everything they need, use and store in this room. Often bathrooms are one of the smallest rooms in the house. If you consider everything this room is used for, it's no wonder we run out of space. However, there are many bathroom storage ideas that can be implemented by using your imagination. Look around your bathroom and evaluate places than can be used as storage space. Below I've included some tips to maximize space in this seemingly "too small" room!
An Empty Wall: If you have a wall that is empty it is just begging to be used. Bathroom furniture is made smaller in scale and finished to withstand the heat and humidity that bathrooms must endure on a daily basis. Consider pieces such as bookcases, chests, ottomans, wardrobes, sideboards, modular cubbies, or tables.
Another option for an empty wall is shelves. You can either cover the wall from top to bottom or just selectively hang a few if you need them.
Over Doors and Windows: If you have enough vertical space over your doors or windows place a shelf over the space. You can store infrequently used items or extra toiletries that you only have to access occasionally. Keep style in mind and use decorative baskets or bins on the shelves.
Space Above the Toilet: This space is often overlooked. There are many pre-made shelves that are especially for this area. You can also use stock kitchen or bathroom cabinets or shelving.
The Bathroom Door: There are several options for this space. The first is the traditional hooks at the top of the door. Second, is the bar you can hang over the door that contains towel bars. Third, is to attach your own towel bars to the door. Choose ones that will compliment your decor. You can use a minimum of two and depending on the length of your towels you may fit three. You can also use a pocket organizer if you already have a space to hang your towels.
Around the Tub: Do you have any space around your tub? How about adding shelves around your tub or making a shallow shelving space between the wall studs?
There are many versatile ways to maximize you bathroom. The bathroom storage ideas presented here are a way to start organizing your space so that you can store your items easily. Getting rid of the clutter is the first step to having an inviting space to relax and unwind at the end of a long day.
If you are like me, you love to cook...and even if you don't love it, you probably still do it from time to time. This time of year, when the Holiday is just around the corner, I seem to collect recipes from every party or place to go, not to mention all the magazine and newspaper recipes I've clip! I need a place to put these new recipes and a place where I can go to find my tried and true recipes.
Below, I've listed several different methods for storing your recipes. They all have pros and cons but are all excellent ways of storing recipes for easy retrieval. Pick which one is right for you and your cooking style and set a date to get your recipes under control by the end of the year. It will make Holiday baking so much more enjoyable!
Binders - Purchased a binder specifically for organizing recipes. They usually have very good dividers for categories and pretty papers to use to place your recipes on. This is nice because you can compile all your recipes…the ones from mom and grandma, magazine and newspaper clippings and computer prints outs all in one place…no matter what the size of the recipe.
Recipe Box - Using a recipe box when organizing recipes can be handy. But is can also become difficult when the amount of recipes you have exceeds the box space. So, choose carefully and pick one that has more space than you currently need to allow space for your growing recipe list.
Small Photo Album - If you would rather organize recipes in a smaller album but like using index cards then consider a 3x5 or 4x6 photo album. You can easily slide the recipes cards in or out yet they stay protected when not in use.
Laminated Cards - For those recipes you use all the time but still can't memorize, place the recipe on a index card of your choice and laminate it. Punch a hole in the corner and place an office "ring" through it. You can place it on any hook in your kitchen where you cook.
Your Computer - If you have a computer - great! If you have one in your kitchen that's even better! Here are some ways to incorporate using your computer for organizing recipes:
If you have a scanner, scan your recipes to your computer. After that you can either place them in folders for the main categories (pasta, chicken etc.) and in subfolders for the actual recipes. This is a good way to find recipes using the "search for files or folders" option on your computer. Just type in the name of the recipe and up it comes on your screen ready to go.
In case of a computer failure it is best to back them up. Burn them to a CD if you computer has that capacity and you will always have a copy to fall back on.
Purchase software made specifically for organizing recipes. Some come with recipes built right in others do not. Some help you organize a grocery list and basic pantry list also. So, read the software carefully to make sure you are getting what you want. Don't forget to check out the system requirements to make sure the software is compatible with your computer.
Organizing my recipes was one of the best things I did. It helped me organize my meals, grocery list and significantly cut down on my preparation time because I could actually find the recipes I needed.
So, start by choosing the method you think will work for you and start organizing recipes. Even if you can only do a handful at a time you will end up with a great system that saves you time and energy.
Let's start your work week off right...let's get organized!
I know what you are thinking...'but I don't have time to get organized'. My answer to you is, "you don't have time NOT to get organized!" Once you start getting organized, you will be amazed at how much time you save. You will no longer have to spend 15 minutes searching your computer for 'that one file', you won't spend 10 minutes looking for your report, you won't spend 20 minutes searching through the 6 piles of information on your desk! It really adds up after a month and even a week.
I realize that you are all busy...I am too. So I'm going to revert back to my famous 15-minute speech! Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much you can get done in that time. You will be amazed at the difference this will make if you do it for an entire week...and then an entire month.
For those of you who need a little help getting started, here are some ideas for when you have a spare 5 or 10 minutes:
1. Connect with an old client.
2. Delete some of your contacts, especially if you can't even remember who they are.
3. File or delete 10 emails.
4. Enter 5 business cards in your contacts.
5. Make a list of things to update on your website.
6. Go through your RSS feed reader and organize your blogs.
7. Go through your cell phone and delete old messages.
8. Plan your projects for the next month.
9. Go through the bookmarks on your computer and delete those you don't need.
10. Compress and crop some photos
My challenge to you
1. Print out the list.
2. Aim to do one of these tasks every day for a week...they will take you less than 15 minutes!
REMEMBER: "Small results, repeated consistently over time, produce huge results"
