Thank you so much for your interest, comments and support in the short time the Get Organized Blog and Get Organized Tips newsletter have been going. Stay tuned for heaps of great tips and strategies ahead… Here’s to a happy and organized 2009! Ciao for now, Michele Technorati Tags: Season’s Greetings,Christmas,2009,Get Organized Blog,Get Organized Tips
Has your living room been hidden beneath clutter so long you’ve forgotten what your coffee table looks like – or whether you have one? Hint: If you’ve been contacted for an Oprah Horror Hoarders taping then the answer is probably oh yes. During the festive season people like to entertain, visit family and friends, share […]
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Dec
Dec
At this time of year people are thinking about food – planning Christmas meals, facing too much festive fare, or resolving to have better eating habits in the new year. I can’t help you with the first, since I shop in the domestically-disabled section (near the Who Are You Kidding faux frypans). But if you’re […]
We all know times are tough – at least compared to the recent past. Let’s be honest, though. For most of us computer-addicted, latte-sipping, iPhone-using Chicken-Littles, the impact of the falling firmament is not as dramatic as the lamenting and sighing and woe-is-me-ing would suggest. But how do we keep perspective when everyone around us […]
If you want to remember something, how do you remind yourself? By telling yourself ‘I better not forget…’? Yelling ‘Hey [person you’re with], remind me to…’? A note in a diary? A post-it on your screen? These reminders ignore how your mind works. You don’t check your reminder repository before everything you do, so things […]
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Dec
Dec
If you’re a regular gym-goer, you know what a hotbed of germs a gym can be. Here’s a simple tip for getting a little insulation from the icky stuff left behind on yoga mats, cardio equipment and weight machines. How to Dodge Gym Germs Use the ‘sides’ of your towel. Let the label/tag side always […]
Millionaire Mommy Next Door has tracked down a veritable overflow (I know it’s not a collective noun, but I like the alliteration) of online calculators. They’ll help you ponder all kinds of financial scenarios, such as: How does my salarycompare with others in my profession? Should I pay ahead on my mortgageor invest the money […]
I’m a huge TV fan – HUGE. As an introvert, screenwriting aficionado and general geek I can happily while away entire decades chuckling with Chandler and Joey, navigating world crises with Jed, whacking upstarts with Tony, staking vamps with Willow and Xander, and making huge mistakes with Gob. I never turn off these shows thinking […]
For most of us the workday consists of 2 activity types: ‘Out There‘ and ‘In Here‘. Out There are meetings, emails, conversations – interactions with others to communicate, advance projects and solve problems. In Here are little buds of creation, thinking and expression – conflations of knowledge, talent, idea and experience that often produce the […]
Last week I attended an event with businesspeople keen to make connections. Now I’m no power networker, but I’m a pretty good observer, and I noticed countless instances of people missing opportunities simply because they weren’t organized. Here are the top 5 mistakes they made … Top 5 Mistakes Made by Disorganized Networkers 1. […]
Okay, so you’ve turned off auto-receive and now only process (never check!) emails at scheduled times. Q: What do you do with your emails when you do process them? A: Deal with each new email in one of these ways: Action, Flag, File or Delete. The ONLY 4 things you should do with new […]
Thanksgiving Day is November 27 in the US. What a perfect prompt for a Get Organized Tip on one of the best strategies for happiness there is… gratitude. Gratitude makes you happier Psychologists have scientifically tested (yep, we’re talking unwitting participants, experiments, statistical analysis, peer-reviewed journals) whether appreciating good things leads to greater happiness. And […]
Okay, so the title’s a smidge disingenuous. What I’m suggesting is that you abandon the tactic of email ‘checking’ – scanning subject lines and sender names, reading what catches your eye, sending the odd reply, all in a haphazard fashion. Why you should avoid ‘checking’ email 1. You double up effort and waste time Checking […]
Do you ruminate about your child’s school challenges? Get that worry out of your head – where it hurts you and helps no-one – and do something useful with it. By thinking constructively about things you can do and making a plan for actions you can take, you save yourself stress and improve your ability […]
It’s one thing to splurge on fabulous shoes, a new iPhone or a scrummy bottle of wine. But it’s just plain dumb to waste your money on penalty charges or excess interest because you were late paying a bill. All it takes is a little organization and a shred of planning, and you can save […]
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Nov
Nov
Expanding your comfort zone is one of those things you can’t help doing once you make the decision. The trick is to think ahead about the areas where you want to grow. Choose a growth area and you’ll start to notice opportunities – then you just need to give yourself a little encouragement to take […]
Waiting rooms at the surgeries of doctors and dentists are not places you want to spend time. There’s the array of 2-year-old magazines bearing disturbing stains, the dude scratching himself beside you, from whom you’re convinced you’ve just contracted Ebola, and the rush to be on time only to still be sitting there, 45 minutes […]
No matter how fabulous your outfit, a haphazard handbag will undermine your personal presentation. Not only is an overfilled, misshapen bag a fashion faux pas, it also a time-waster when you scuba dive in search of lipgloss, an embarrassment when you can’t find a tissue, and an opportunity-killer when you ferret fruitlessly for a business […]
There are 2 steps to this tip: How can I minimize my travel time? How can I make better use of unavoidable travel or commuting time? Spend less time commuting If you can, negotiate to work from home one or two days a week. Voila – instant time saved! Reduce travel time by avoiding peak […]
I’m sure the last thing you want is a lecture on the importance of backing up or a tragic tale of lost files to hammer home the point. Rather, if/when you’re ready to take steps to organize your computer backups, here are 4 levels to consider… Organizing 4 degrees of computer preservation 1. […]