5 posts tagged “organization tip”

Today is a scary project – more so for women than men.

Ready?

When was the last time you took everything out of your wallet, briefcase or purse?

Eeeekkkkk!!!

If I gave you $50 to identify every item in your briefcase or purse, could you get them all?  Sorry, to get your hopes up there. I’m not really going to give you $50 even if you do know.  I’m making a point – do you actually know every item that is in there and where it is?

So … when was the last time you took everything out and organized it?

• Got rid of the useless stuff (gum wrappers, old receipts, earring without partner, crumpled tie; unidentified food scraps …)
• Especially for married women – get rid of all the stuff your husband has you carrying for him because he only carries a small wallet.  Guess why he only needs a small wallet – because he has a ‘pack animal’ along that carries all his junk.  Don’t tolerate that nonsense.  Let him get his own purse.
• The same goes for the children – you are not their courier service.  You wouldn’t believe how much stuff you will accumulate if you allow the children to give you things to carry for them. They’re smart little weasels and they learn this trick very early in life.  Keep an eye out for it.
• Fashion tip for the ladies here.  A small purse is much more complementary to your figure, your style and your accessorizing than a huge, overloaded burden ripping your shoulder out of its socket and bumping against your hip making your butt appear larger than reality.  Not a pretty sight!  Hint: Ask Jennifer for advice here.
• checked that the information in your wallet was up-to-date and valid
• cut up and destroyed old credit and membership cards
• organized the wallet itself
• organized the entire briefcase or purse
• do you actually utilize all the little compartments within the purse or briefcase?  They are there for a reason and, when put to good use, are very efficient.

Take time this weekend – when the course is over and you’re sitting down recuperating – to go through your purse or briefcase.  You’ll be glad you did – you’ll feel lighter physically and emotionally. Try it and find out for yourself.

Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success Expert

Yesterday we discussed how to save a lot of time and energy while increasing efficiency by simply allowing the answering machine to take your calls and answering them at scheduled times.  I realize that not everyone is in a position to do this depending on the type of business they are in.  Remember, you can apply the concept to your personal life as well.

So, to the next black hole in your time management dilemma …

The wonderful and evil email inbox.

Start by only looking at your emails at specific times during the day. 3 to 4 times is likely enough for most people at work … when you arrive, after a break, after lunch and after afternoon break, about ½ hour before you leave. Not taking breaks?  Tssk. Tssk. We’ll get to that another day.

• Have a scheduled time(s) blocked off to check email. Within that time:
• First, do a quick scan for emails you are waiting for.
• Respond quickly and efficiently to those.  If they need research or more work, respond and say you have received the email are looking for the details and will send them asap.
• Delete all items that appear to be junk that were not caught by your spam filter.  Don’t be tempted to open and read them.  You’ll be sorry … they’ll waste time and could mess up your system which will waste even more time.
• Do a quick check through what is left (the delete should have narrowed them down to a manageable amount) and send short responses to them.
• Try not to get tempted into clicking on embedded links within emails unless they are work related.  All of a sudden, you’ll look up and an hour (or more) will be missing from your day.  The internet has a way of sucking you in, not unlike the Bermuda triangle.
• Do not get involved in answering personal emails at work – you’ll automatically respond at an emotional level increasing stress and decreasing efficiency. This starts a cycle of panic because now you are behind on your work that has a deadline.  Personal emails should be kept that way – personal and not on work time.
• When your scheduled time block is up, you know that the important emails are looked after so you will be less stressed.  The rest can wait until your next scheduled check-in time when you repeat the routine starting with completing items you promised to send out in the previous time block, followed by important and expected emails as a priority.
• Repeat as often as you need depending on your particular situation.

I already know the big question that’s on the way but I’m not going there today.

To your efficiency….

Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success

Everyone has been ahead of me this week on organizational ideas.  No doubt everyone is already incorporating this little time-saver idea into their working hours (it also works well for personal time) but I thought I would mention it just in case.

• Allow your message service to take ALL your calls (unless you are expecting a call at a specific time and/or are to be on a conference call).
• Then choose two or three times a day in a defined timeframe to pickup messages and return the calls. 
• Prioritize the calls before doing any.
• Keep your callbacks short, to-the-point and on schedule. 
• When your timeframe is up, do not call anyone else. Wait for the next call back timeframe.
• Repeat the sequence.
• Return all calls within a 12 hour window – it is bad business etiquette to take longer than that. 

I know it’s difficult in the beginning and it takes practice but once you catch on to it, you’ll be surprised how much more efficient you become.

To your success…

Sue Crutcher, Life Empowerment Mentor and Success Coach

Congratulations! Many of you are already very organized with your keys.  This is excellent as most people I know are not.

Now, since you’re putting your keys in a specific spot when you enter your home, today I offer another suggestion.

• Put a little open jar or container that is decorative and not see-through right next to where your keys are.
• As soon as you get in the door at home, unload all your coins into that jar.
• Every day, every time, when you get in the door.
• Do NOT peek into the jar … that’s the reason it is not see-through. It will help avoid you ‘stealing’ from yourself to buy your coffee in the morning when you leave for work.  Take from it even once and you’ve set yourself up to do it again … and again … it will ruin the whole point of the exercise.

On a specific day (such as the first day of the month; first Sunday of the month; last day of the month; 15^th … whatever you choose), empty the jar and roll up the coins.  Put them in a safe place somewhere else in the house (like a shoebox on a shelf in the back of your neatly organized closet) for now.  You can buy bags of coin rollers at the dollar store for pennies each.  Whatever you do, do NOT take your coins to a grocery store and put them into one of those machines that ‘cashes’ you out.  You may not be aware of it, but if you read the fine print, the machine keeps a portion of your money – around here it is 10%!  Ludicrous!  On the other hand, being lazy deserves a penalty.

At the end of the year (or, if you’re always short of money around Christmas to buy gifts, do it then), go and get your stash of cash.  Take it to the bank (this is why you rolled the coins.  There is a rule on what amount of coin is considered to be ‘legal tender’ – generally one coin less than fits in a roll for that coin is the legal tender … example: $9.75 in quarters is acceptable, but not $10 or more … good luck trying to pass off a lot of coinage, most stores are not interested) and deposit it in your savings account.  You will be amazed at how much money you have ‘saved’ over the course of the year.  Now, the only decision is to choose what you want to do with it – I would suggest you treat yourself with a portion of it and invest the rest.  It’s your life and your money, enjoy it as you see fit.

Want an idea of how much this could be, without you having to do any math?  From now until December 31, there are approximately 270 days.  Say you put in an average of $1.50 a day in the coin jar – you’ll have just over $400 by year end.  We could all use that!  Remember the old adage “a penny saved is a penny earned”.  In Canada, we are fortunate in that we have $1 and $2 coins and they sure add up quickly!

Happy savings!

Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Financial Success

Do you know exactly, this instant, where your house and car keys are?  If you do not have an IMMEDIATE ‘yes’ answer, today’s tip will be very useful to you.

Upon arriving home, place your car and house keys in the same location EVERY time you enter.  The location should be convenient and accessible on the way in and the way back out.  If you are left handed, keep it somewhere on your left; if right-handed, on your right.  A decorative tray or bowl on a side table is a perfect location.  It should be shallow so you can scoop out the keys on the run out the door.

If, for some unknown reason, you leave your keys in your car … I would suggest you rethink that.  Why make it easier for anyone to help themselves to your vehicle.  It can really ruin your day when you go to leave for work in the morning and discover that your car is missing.

When you get out of your car, always put your keys in either the same pocket (mine are always in my right coat pocket or zippered front pocket of my purse) or a specific spot in your briefcase or purse.  That way, when you need them later … tadah! … there they are, right where they belong.  If they are not there, you lost them and you are about to waste yet more time in your life while you search for them.

In a short time, by always placing keys in the same location, you will no longer have to be concerned whether or not you know where your keys are … you will have more time in your day for important things rather than scurrying around hunting for them yet again … life will be just a baby step easier that it was.  Develop the habit and it will become second nature very easily.

To more time in your day…

Sue Crutcher, Baby Steps to Success