Monthly Archives: October 2009

Design Your Life - The New You Starts Here

Announcing the Design Your Life e-Program

Design Your Life is Here! For some time I’ve been busy preparing the Design Your Life program for you. I’m very excited that it’s now open! This comprehensive, 12-month self-improvement e-program delivers ongoing structure, motivation and accountability for taking action on the things you want in life. It’s based on the popular Life & Goal […]

How To Feel Happier Now? Face It!

According to a recent Scientific American article, a number of studies suggest our feelings are strengthened, perhaps even stimulated, by the faces we make.

Don’t Frown, Be Happy

In one study, frown-impaired Botox injectees felt happier than people who were free to frown. And the botoxers didn’t feel any more attractive, in case you’re thinking that would account for their mood lift.

My Partner is a Hoarder. Help!

There are a several ways to approach this, both for you and your partner.

Start by making peace with the fact that you can’t change someone else. In fact, if you push too hard your partner may become defensive, making the situation worse.

Instead, focus on getting what you need (perhaps a clutter-free space of your own?), modeling the benefits of hoarding-free behavior in your own life, and reinforcing positive change in your partner. The first post, below, is about working with a disorganized colleague, but the three tips are equally applicable to living with a stuff-loving partner.

Create Your ‘Organized Life Morning Routine’ [Mission #21]

Last week we created your personal Organized Life Bedtime Routine. This week we’ll create one for the morning.

Having an Organized Life Morning Routine will help you face each day – and the world – with a sense of confidence, order, and motivation.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.

Announcing The Design Your Life Logo & Winners

Thank you so much for your wonderful, inspiring and thought-provoking comments on our Design Your Life logo survey.

We spent ages reading over and considering the excellent ideas you raised. Every comment gave us food for thought.
The Winners

Because there were so many good ideas and perspectives shared, we decided to choose 2 winners. Congratulations to:

Personal Organization Web Watch [11 October]

Here are some cool articles on aspects of happiness, productivity and personal organization that I’ve found around the web in the past couple of weeks. I hope you find something helpful here. 🙂
Business & Career

* When a Colleague’s Mistakes Affect You | Harvard Business
* How are you going to Crush It in 2010? | Escape From Cubicle Nation
* Focus on Strengths, Not Correcting Weaknesses | Dumb Little Man
* 101 Small Business Mistakes (and What You Can Learn From Them) | Wise Bread

Hoarding: 7 Lies That Keep You Caught In Clutter

Hoarders on Oprah

Oprah has yet another show about hoarders this week. It got me thinking about the lies we tell ourselves to avoid letting go of the stuff that fills up our homes and lives.

Of course extreme hoarding can be associated with psychiatric disorders. More commonly, though, we justify mounting mounds of matter with the little lies we tell ourselves.

Here are 7 of the most common self-delusions I hear, along with a decent dose of reality.

Organize Your Audio For Learning & Pleasure [With Free iPod Worksheet]

Your iPod, CD player or car stereo is a veritable vault of education, motivation, fun, and relaxation.

All it takes is a little organization to liberate the goodies. You’ll upgrade your knowledge, make better use of your time and improve your mood.

Here’s how…
Organize Your Music

They say that music is food for the soul. Well, how about a little lyrical nourishment?

Decide on the kind of music you want to listen to. Choices could include:

Introducing the 52 Organizing Missions ‘Hall of Fame’ Gallery [With Prize]

Share your success! Take a look at the comments on the 52 Organizing Missions posts, or the 52 Organizing Missions success stories, and you’ll get a sense of the wonderful strides these Mission-mates are making in their personal organization. In the spirit of acknowledging our successes and celebrating our strengths, I’m starting a Hall of […]

Create Your ‘Organized Life Bedtime Routine’ [Mission #20]

One of the best things you can do to feel organized throughout your day is to prepare well the night before. So in this mission we’ll create your personal Organized Life Bedtime Routine.

You’ll absolutely love the difference completing this mission will make to your daily stress management, time management, and home organization.

Remember: you only need 30 minutes for the basic mission. Extended Options are below.

What Do Your Tools Say About Your Goal Commitment?

This week in The Age, Valerie Khoo discusses what your business tools reveal about your commitment:

The tools you use are an indication of how serious you are about your business. Do you have a dedicated website or are your using a free blogging platform like Blogger… Does your email address feature your own domain name or that of your internet service provider.

Valerie’s test of commitment can apply to many life areas:

Declutter Your Life – Get More Energy

‘Decluttering is a way to identify what’s obsolete in your life,’ says Julie Morgenstern in the Woman’s Day article 12 Reasons to Unclutter Your Space. ‘Getting rid of stuff creates a sense of energy, giving you room to think, which frees you to do more with your life.’ Julie’s so right. People constantly tell me […]

Hear Me Talking About Productivity and Piles of Paper on Sydney Radio

This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed about organizing your office on the Small Business with Prue MacSween show on Sydney’s Radio 2GB 873AM. We chatted about: How to avoid piles of paper and inbox overflow. Solution: make quick decisions. How to organize your desk for better productivity. Solution: use my ‘real estate’ […]