Getting Organized: A New Christmas Tradition?

One of the many seminars I lead is called Balancing the Holiday Hustle and Bustle. The primary focus of the workshop is uncovering the true meaning of the holidays. The true meaning of the holidays in my life is not the crazy hustle and bustle, but rather enjoying time with my family.

So, this year when my son wanted to do something different with our Christmas tree, we did just that!!


Yes, take a look at the picture. Do you notice anything strange about it?







I know you might be thinking "Becky you uploaded the picture wrong way!"


Well, look again! The picture is the right way.

When my son and husband were getting the tree out and ready to assemble, my son came and asked me if we could put up our tree UPSIDE DOWN. My first instinct was 'no.' In fact, I first told him 'no.' But then remembering the true meaning of Christmas...who cares what our tree looks like as long as we enjoy it!


So, just because something has always been done one way doesn't mean we have to continue especially if there is an easier or more enjoyable way of doing it.

Prime example here! The kids had a really good time assembling the tree upside down and we all enjoyed putting on the ornaments. My 15 year old daughter was excited to put on the tree skirt. As with most teenagers, it is difficult to get them to participate in family stuff but this was an activity she not only participated in, but enjoyed. It was good to see her laugh and have a great time!


So to you and yours, do something different this season!






Enjoy the season!


-Becky Esker


Becky Esker is a Certified Professional Organizer, national speaker, owner of Get Organized! LLC and the forthcoming author of "2 Minutes to Organization: The Simplest Way to Get Organized." For free organizing tips, go to www.TotallyFreeOrganizingTips.com.

Get Organized: No More Late Bills!

Setting up systems that automatically work is the best way to go! With the internet today, technology allows you to set up auto-payment for most all of your bills.

There are generally two options for auto-pay. One is automatic payment from your bank account. The second option is to charge your bill to a credit card. Personally, I prefer the auto-withdrawal from my bank account because this transaction finalizes my payment. Whereas, if it is charged to my credit card, then I run the risk of interest and fees if I don't pay my bill off in full that month by the due date.

The more things you have on auto-payment or auto-pilot, the less you have to remember to do.

As for auto-pilot, I recommend you check out our new Home Operations Made Easy Organizer. It pretty much "tells" you what to do. You either fill in the blanks of forms or check off the checklists as you do them. It is a no-brainer! You will feel good when your home runs on its own and your kids will love you for it.
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=9skxs4cab.0.0.7ckdvzbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.getorganizedcr.com%2Fhome-operations-made-easy%2Feasy-organizer-manual-to-get-organized.html&id=preview


Now go set up some auto-payment accounts!

Becky Esker president and owner of Get Organized! LLC specializes in ADHD. Do you want to get organized? Get your F.R.e.e. "28 Tips to Organize Your Home & Business" brochure. Request your brochure from 319-395-7477 or access http://www.gogetorganizednow.com/.

Get Organized: Create systems and lists

Yes, I got organized today! I just spent 3 hours this morning expanding our companies reach on the internet. I updated, created, published and blogged in numerous places. All are places we should be visible on a regular basis but have been doing only sporadically.

The reason it has been sporadic is because I don't have a system in place. So, I created one today. I now have a list of all the websites where I need to be submitting articles, blogs and press releases. I also created a table that has the date and description of what was submitted.

And the final step in my system is to schedule time on my calendar (on a repeating basis) for me to submit information to the various websites.

The moral of the story... creating systems and setting up lists make implementation of getting organized much easier!

-Becky Esker is the president of Get Organized! LLC, a professional organizing service, serving the greater Cedar Rapids area. Do you want to get organized? Get your FREE “28 Tips for Organizing Your Home & Business” brochure. Request your brochure from 319-395-7477 or access www.GoGetOrganizedNow.com.

Delegation & Planning

Labor Day weekend this year was full of lots of labor! Call me crazy, but we hosted my daughter's entire High School Cross Country team at our home for Pasta Dinner on Friday night... all 60+ of them!

To top it off, later that evening my sisters and their families arrived for a holiday weekend stay. We had 14 people eating, sleeping and playing in our house for 3 days!

Thanks to delegation and planning, all the festivities went off seamlessly.

Three weeks prior to the dinner, Renee Simon (another Cross Country mom) and I planned out the pasta meal and drafted a letter requesting food donations from the other cross country families. The coach distributed the letter and we had folks sign up to bring all the food we requested. I only had to make one phone call to twist someones arm to bring a dish of pasta. As the date approached, I sent out an email reminder or made telephone calls where we didn't have email addresses.

The food arrived as planned and the kids had a great time!

As for the rest of the weekend, my mom (who arrived on Wednesday) accompanied me to the grocery store on Thursday and we stockpiled food to feed the family that weekend. The weather was great, the kids played hard, the guys hit a round of golf and the girls got some shopping in.

The delegation and planning paid off, it was a great weekend. I even enjoyed a nap on Monday afternoon (the real labor day) after everyone left town!

Catching Up After Time Away

Being away from the office can be good...but the world continues to rotate and create more work and stuff while you are gone!

I have been out of the office and away from work for one week in June, one week in July and one week in August. I had limited computer and internet access each time. Two of the weeks out of the office was for holiday and one was for business. But regardless of the reason, the work piles up when I am gone!

I am trying to unbury myself. I have 700 extra emails in my inbox and 2 huge piles of paper on my desk to process plus I have my regular daily appointments. So, how am I going to get it all done?

I am going to put into action what I preach! I am doing some delegating (my daughter needs money and I need some administrative work done), I am going to update my Master List and schedule time for my to-do's on my calendar and I am going to take a few hours this weekend to sit in front of the TV and clean out the junk in my email inbox.

Hopefully, I will have my head above water by the beginning of September, just in time for me to take a few days off for the Labor Day holiday!!

How to Organize Receipts

Check out a video tip of how to organize your receipts!

http://www.getorganizedcr.com/eblast/Receiptsvideoeblast.html

Reviewing the HS Girls State Track Qualifiers. My daughter's 4x800 relay team made it by the skin of their teeth! Des Moines here we come.

Does anyone out there take credit cards through Propay.com? If so, any idea what happened, they are not showing up on the internet anymore!

Just uploaded the audio of the presentation I gave at Hills Banks' Administrative Luncheon today. Find it here www.GoGetOrganizedNow.com

Finally going to bed after a long day... am a bit tired from the nippy weather at my daughters track meet tonight.

I am enjoying a Social Media Marketing seminar at the Eastern Iowa Women Biz Owners. Heather Smith @ de novo marketing is doing a great job!

Making plans to ring in 2010 with a trip to Ireland. Keeping my fingers crossed it all works out!

I am loving the new app I just downloaded for my iPod touch. I love efficient technology!

Just back from a run. Dang that felt good. Loving the 60 degree weather!

Looking at my 1st nationally published article in "Tomorrow's Business Leader" magazine!

Okay I am so proud of myself. I have all my social media sites organized through ping.fm!

How to Stop Accumulating Books

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Sometimes you’ll get a new book, glance through a few chapters, put it on the coffee table for later indulgence, and get back to whatever you were doing. You don’t have time to actually read your new book yet. You've got a lot of work to do, and you're already part way through a couple other ones, so it’ll have to wait.
But then a strange thing happens: Over the next couple weeks, you've done it again. You've bought another must-have book, and the last book, the one that was waiting for you on the coffee table, has silently migrated to your bookshelf, without ever getting read.
You're a book hoarder. How do you stop the insanity?

Steps

1. Cull your existing collection. Keep only particularly valuable books after reading. Donate the rest to your local library or charity, or trade them with other book lovers online. You can also sell your books:
   
   • Look in the yellow pages of your local phone book under "Books - Used." Call the promising-looking stores and find out if they are buying books, if they give cash or trade credit, and if you need to make an appointment. Selling to a local used bookstore is the fastest way to downsize while getting something back, but they generally will take only the ones they think they can sell. The leftover books can then be donated to a thrift store; many libraries also accept donations for their used book sales and will give a donation receipt for tax purposes as well.
     
   • Sites like Amazon.com and Half.com allow individuals to sell books; listing is free and a small commission is taken when the book sells. Current textbooks in particular sell well. However, you're then stuck with storing listed books until they sell (if they sell), as well as the hassle of packaging and mailing them. Decide how much your time is worth and how much you want to make per book; a book that you would sell for $5 may not be worth the effort to list, store, package, and mail, but it would be worth it for a book that could sell for $25. Set a time limit (say, two months), and if a particular book doesn't sell online by then, either reduce the price, "unlist" it and take it to a local bookstore, or give it away.
     
   
   
2. If a book has a few interesting gems of advice but it otherwise not worth keeping, make notes of the few interesting tidbits from the books, save those tidbits in a file for future reference and inspiration, then give away the book. This is probably a good time to organize your books as well. First, break your books up into the following piles, and decide which ones get to stay and which ones have got to go:
   
   • Reference books. These are books like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other nonfiction sources that you come back to regularly for reliable information. If you haven't referred to a particular book for over a year, though, you should probably part with it. These days, you can find a lot of reference information online, and there's always the option of using the local library.
     
   • Books you've already read, that you want to keep. Whether they're fiction or nonfiction, think carefully about why you're keeping them. Will you really be reading it again? Less than once a year, perhaps? If you can get your hands on a copy at the library, why keep a copy at home? Keeping books on hand "just in case" you want to read it again is a surefire way to watch your book collection invade your abode.
     
   • Books you haven't read yet. These can be broken down into two other categories: books you haven't read because you haven't had time, and books you haven't read because you're not really interested in them (usually gifts). If you don't want to get rid of the books that you're not interested in, consider putting them into storage. For the other books you haven't read, follow the remaining steps in this article.
     
   • Generally, if you haven't touched the book in the last 2 years, it's probably time for it to go!
     
   
   
3. Make a rule that you will read X number of books you currently own before buying another one. Set a "read-to-purchase ratio". This solution works well because it lets you control your book purchasing habits without requiring that you wait several years until you've read the entire existing selection. It also encourages you to read more, knowing that you can reward yourself with a new book soon enough, and not feel guilty about it. Choosing a ratio that’ll work for you involves finding that sweet spot between how much time you have to read, how quickly you read, and how many shelves you’ve still got to get through.
   
4. Make a “syllabus” of books to read. Look at your bookshelf, and pick out the next 10-14 books you want to read. The longer you've hoarded it, the better. Then write down the total pages in each book and add up the total. Give yourself a reasonable amount of time to finish all the books, break the total pages down into a daily reading assignment, and tell yourself that you can’t buy a new book until you finish half the books on the syllabus.
   
5. Make a "to buy" list. Sometimes the urge to get a book can be satiated by writing it down on a list of books you would like to read or acquire "someday." Gardening your list can be a satisfying activity. Your list can be as simple as a piece of paper tucked into your library, or as elaborate as a computer database. There are even websites that allow you to keep and catalogue a virtual library.
   
6. To keep your book collection from growing any bigger: If you buy a book, immediately get rid of a book you already have. Either donate it or give it to a friend. This can make you more cautious about buying a book, because you'll have to part with one that's already on your bookshelf!
   
7. Use the library: most library systems will lend you books from anywhere in their system. They also have online resources so you can look up and reserve books.
   
8. Use the library for downloading ebooks: many libraries offer a service that allows you to download ebooks to your pc. Many titles can then be burned to a cd or transferred to another device.
   
9. Purchase and collect your books on an e-Book reader (like Kindle Wireless). No more piles of books!
   
10. If you have room for them and you still think "I'm going to read (or re-read) that someday", keep them. Some of the best post-retirement hours are spent with books that were selected years and years ago. Finding time to read is no longer an issue, no need to answer to anyone (including the library) about how long it's taking to get finished with a book, and keeping five books going in five different rooms at once is perfectly satisfactory. THEN, when you are satisfied you are really done with them (or you think you are not likely to live long enough to re-read all of them), they can go to someone else or to have the paper recycled.
    

Tips

• Some people view their book collection as a reflection of their identity, such as if someone were to look at your books, they'd get an accurate impression of who you are (or who you want to be).[1] If this is the case for you, try to keep the most representative books, and give away the rest.
  
• The novelist Jonathan Franzen limited the unread books on his shelves to less than half of the collection.[1]
  
• Remember, the point of culling your book collection is to make yourself happier. If you're making yourself miserable getting rid of books, accept that sticking with your book hoarding ways is the better choice for you.
  
• One of the best gifts that can be given is the sharing of knowledge. After reading a good book, immediately pass it on to someone else who may like it, and ask them to do the same.
  
• If you are a person who likes to pen notes directly in a book, you might find it hard to find people who will buy or take a book that has been written in. Three things you can do: learn to make notes elsewhere so you can reference them without the book, jot things down on mini post-it notes and stick them in the pages, or just limit what books you write in and keep them. One thing you can do is scan the page and write your note on that and keep it in a file. Yes, there are laws against this, but only if you copy the entire book. Copying a page here and there isn't an issue especially if it is for personal use. There is nothing wrong with the practice of writing in a book so long as you understand that others will not want it afterward.
  

Warnings

• If you are going for the e-Book reader solution make sure your favourite books are available in a supported format.
  
• When you eventually decide to move on to another device, it may be illegal to convert the digital books to the new format if it has DRM.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Organize Books
  
• How to Get Rid of Old Books
  
• How to Package Books for Shipping
  
• How to Repair a Book's Binding
  
• How to Make a Duct Tape Book Cover
  

Sources and Citations

• http://30sleeps.com/blog/2007/12/18/how-to-stop-hoarding-books/ - Original source, shared with permission.
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Stop Accumulating Books. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

It's All Too Much

How do you want to feel when you walk into your home? How does the "stuff" fit into your life?

Ask yourself this before you plan a decluttering project. Then, VISUALIZE. Literally close your eyes and visualize a room. What is it's purpose? How do your things fit into that vision? Sort, Weed and Purge those items that don't fit or are in the way of your vision. Use more logic, and less emotion when making these changes.

What do you feel is keeping you from ending your day feeling productive? Many times, it's not the "stuff," but the endless tasks that we are responsible for. Sit down and make a list of all the things you are involved in and those things that take up your time. There are probably more than you realized! Now, VISUALIZE your goals in life. How do all of these things fit? Of course, there are always those things that have (taxiing kids, shopping for groceries) to be done. But, usually, there are those that you forgot to say "no, thank you," to. Learn to say, "Thank You, but not right now." Now, work on removing some of those things from your list.

The ClutterLess Success Group is a tool used to help you change some of your thinking. With the power and support of others, investigate the true reasons behind your clutter frustrations. VISUALIZE together, and learn to think more logically, to simplify your home and life. contact http://www.gogetorganizednow.com/ for more.

ClutterLess Success Group

Last night Anita and I met with six women who were interested in freeing themselves from their clutter. It was an informational meeting about a local group we offer to help individuals work through their clutter.


While the need to get organized is important, managing clutter is an integral component to organization. The purpose of the group is support, education and accountability. While clutter wasn't created overnight, it won't be cleaned up quickly either. Nevertheless, baby steps in the correct direction is a great way to start!

What's in those Piles of Paper on your desk?

I’m rifling through, I mean, organizing the piles on my “under-sized” desk, precariously choosing the tasks that offer the least amount of decision-making. That IS the whole, entire summation of our paper/clutter jungles – unmade decisions. Why such hesitation? Many reasons come plummeting to my overburdened mind:

1) Perfectionism – can’t make it final, until it’s perfectly perfect;
2) Guilt – I really “should” attend that potentially yawn inducing event;
3) Yes-itis – the Inability to shape the lips and utter “no thank you, I don't have time for that right now;"
4) “For-Now” ism – I’ll just lay this right here, “for now.”

The reasons are plenty and, usually, emotionally charged. The solution is practical. Make a decision. Put it on the calendar, or not. Perfect is not a requirement – Good enough is acceptable. Just do it. How many times do you want to reexamine that paper pile anyway?

End of Year Organizing

I spent the last day of 2008 weeding through my clothing closet. I purged more than 120 items!

I was ruthless!!

If I didn't wear it in the last year, it went.
If I didn't love it, it went.
If it didn't fit, it went.

I was careful to itemize each item and get a receipt from Goodwill. I have filed my receipt away in my 2008 personal tax folder so I will be able to find it when I start on our tax return.

While my closet wasn't overstuffed, it has breathing room now.

It feels good to eliminate the clutter in my closet!