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In my latest presentation to the Roaring Women's Group of Vancouver I shared a lot of information on common obstacles to getting and staying organized. 

What I didn't have enough time to cover was the 'Barriers' we come across when faced with the prospect of having to 'Let Go'.  
Obstacles and Barriers do cover some common ground, yet Barriers are more focused on the fears we have. Rather than going into details on the dozen of barriers that can be faced, today I will talk about one important barrier.  That barrier that involves us hanging onto unwise purchases we regret. 
 
You'll know you've hit this barrier if you say something like:
"I can't toss this, it cost me too much!"

When you catch yourself saying this, it should be a sign that you need to seriously consider letting this item go!

Why, may you ask?

Because holding onto to something only because it cost too much is like holding onto crashing stocks. We fear that if we get rid of the object which we now regret buying, that we will make this loss ‘real’. 

It is 'real' already. Hanging onto this object of ‘regret’ however does nothing more than to remind us of our mistake. 

Ask yourself. Can someone else make use of this? Can I donate it and get a tax deduction? Can a sell it? 

Make the choice to free yourself from clutter that only serves to make you feel bad and make more room for 'happy' in your world instead.
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Sharing ideas on why 'To-Do' lists are more effective than 'Visual Reminders'.   

Visual reminders can be helpful, yet when they get used for too many things they become clutter.  

This clutter makes us feel overwhelmed, breaks our focus and can make us lose sight of our top priorities. 
 
We tend to think 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind', yet let's consider the role of the 'To-Do' list to help us to remember what our priorities are instead. 
 
Writing down our tasks and then putting away the file or project to where it belongs means we will remember to do it.
And with projects out of the way we can then focus more clearly on tasks individually, thus being even more effective.
 
My gift of Tiger Tables and the Time Matrix tools that I share with my newsletter readers is great for keeping priorities clear. They should be used in conjunction with your day-planner.
 
If you don't have a copy, please sign up on my home page now and get your free gifts today.
 
And remember to make sure that if a task is truly important, if it has a deadline, and if it will take more than 20 minutes, that you put it in your calendar. 'Getting the Stones Down' as they say. 
 

If you having trouble, are overwhelmed and need help to get started in the right direction, try my 'Get Your Life Back' package which includes 2 full hands on sessions and calls and emails to follow.
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Every year the executive team of the Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) plans outings for its members. For example, last year many of us got on a bus and headed down to the USA to visit two very popular 'organizing' product retailers. They were 'Container World' and the 'Storables'. How excited I was to get a chance to see these shops, yet I couldn't help but be a little disappointed that we didn't have something like this in Vancouver.

Well, we do now, it's called
 'Room in Order' and they are right
in the heart of Vancouver! 

The collection of household, office and personal organizing products that they carry were fantastic. I was ecstatic to see some very useful, decorative and innovative products that I have not seen anywhere else!

Room in Order is definitely worth checking out, especially if getting organized in a stylish way interests you.

I managed to grab a few photos from my cell phone during the visit, so here is your sneak peak an just a portion of what they offer...
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Comprehensive Selection of Affordable Closet Organziers
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Wide assortment of Kitchen and Bathroom Containers to die for!
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The Neatest Seats / Storage Containers I have seen for less than $40
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Waste and Recycling options that are sleak, inovative and high quality
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Handbags that could corner the market!
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Ladies beware, the jewelry and cosmetic solutions were adorable too!
See for yourself, or visit them on-line to learn more:
http://roominorder.com
Location | 1055 Davie St,
Vancouver, BC V6E 1M5
Email | info@roominorder.com
Call | (604) 684-8884
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Instant results! Done in no time! Faster than ever!
Push button technology! Get it now!

Western culture's way has us all believing that we can have anything done in a 'snap'. It will be 'easy' and all we need to do is push a button and our problems are solved. 

Yes, it's true that our microwaves, digital cameras, remote controls and other 'push-button' technology has made some things easy, and given us back a little extra time. So why do we still hear "I don't have enough time!"? Perhaps we do have enough time, if we just stopped and organized it a little better.

When I have the honor of looking into an office or home that someone wants to have organized, I can approximately estimate how long it will take. A couple of important variables are the expectations about what the final results will look like, and of course what we find along the way, which may require more attention.

I have been in 20 hour homes and I have been in 200 hour homes and I can tell you that in either case one thing is constant. One hour is one hour and in one hour you can do only one hour worth of work. No instant fixes, no 'push-button' solutions and no modern technology can change this fact. You can of course have the help of extra hands to help make this go faster.

If you or someone you know has a space that is aching to be reclaimed, can you guess how many hours it could take? 

What I do know is this; if there is a mess, it didn't get there overnight and it won't disappear overnight either. Besides, what's the rush? Oh yes, those instant results we are used to. Actually, when it comes to some projects that I have been hired to work on, I really wish sometimes I could be locked in, given free reign and allowed to 'have-at-it!". Of course this may in fact lead to a burn out so doing work in intervals is fine and gets the work done over time regardless.

With this is mind, lets now consider how frustrating it may be for someone faced with a 200 hour home. If they come to the realization that they could work diligently for hours and not 'see' the difference, how disheartening this could be for them. What is an important thing to remember, however, when faced with this prospect, is that just because the first portion of work won't be 'noticed', does not mean it is wasted time.

For example, if you had 10 pounds to lose and lost 5 pounds, it would show right away. Just like 5 hours on a 10 hour kitchen. Yet if you had a goal to lose 100 pounds, 5 pounds would not show right away. On a 200 hour home this could mean you’ll need to put in 40 hours to start 'seeing' the difference and enjoy the benefits increased organization brings.

Remember; a pound is a pound, an hour is an hour, and it will 'show' in time. Starting and working through the process, one step at a time, is what will make the difference. 

Many of the wonderful people that have allowed me to come into their homes and offices are talented, intelligent people that have just let things go for a while. That same 'while' is just waiting for things to change direction, that's all.

As inspired to write about this today, I must pay homage to two wonderful ladies, Pam Young and Peggy Jones, also known as the "Slob Sisters'.
Their book "Get Your Act Together: A 7-day get-organized program for the overworked, overbooked and overwhelmed" is an informative, insightful, entertaining and practical guide to help anyone get organized. 

There are many professional organizing gurus that offer expertise, their systems and even their personal experiences to help improve the state of our lives and our homes. These two wonderful ladies are in that category!

With Warmest Regards,
Michelle

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I know it can be difficult to be objective about stuff, especially after it has been piled all around us for a while. As it piles up around us we become more and more complacent about it, forgetting why we have it and what its use is. 

Here are two simple questions to ask about some common household items that may be lurking in the corners of your countertops, closets and drawers.

Magazines
Will I bring old magazines with me to the doctors or mechanics so I can read mine instead of theirs?
What percentage of the magazines or newspapers that I pay for, do I actually read?

Newspapers
Have I ever browsed through a pile of old newspapers in my free time, looking for old information?
If I really needed to look for information in old newspapers, wouldn't a trip to the Library or a Google search cover my needs?

Keys
Do I remember what lock this key is for?
Do I still own or use the lock for which this key belongs?

Instruction Manuals
Will I really forget how to use my toaster?
If I am keeping for warrantee reasons only, has it expired?

Twist ties
When was the last time I needed a whole pile of twist ties at once?
If I already have a collection of twist ties, do I need more, and for what?

Souvenirs
Do I have a mountain of pictures of my trip that I can look to reminisce instead?
Will I ever really use that tacky novelty ashtray I bought on my last holiday?
 

I recognize the fact that in this world we are bombarded with paper, information and stuff and that getting overwhelmed by it is something that can happen to anyone. 

Need help with letting go, getting organized and becoming more effective and relaxed? I will be happy to help you simplify your life and your work today.

Call now for your no-cost consultation in the Vancouver, BC area. 778-866-6942

Warmly,
Michelle Panzlaff

Another past article of interest:
http://www.tidytiger.biz/1/post/2010/03/the-top-questions-to-ask-yourself-about-your-stuff.html

 
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Event Planning can be a real challenge.
So many details to handle and they all are important.
So how do you keep it all together? 

Well there are lots of great tips, tools and products to help you. Yet, before I offer up mine, let me give you some tips on what to consider when picking your date and things to discuss with your team to ensure everyone is on board and enjoys working your event along side you.

Checklist for picking the date:
Make sure Chief Guest is available
Verify that VIP's are available
Check if you can get the venue for free
Consider any holidays that may effect attendance or travel
As well, check on city events or service strikes
Give yourself lots of time to prepare and schedule it into your calendar
Consider when to send invites so there is enough time for guests to plan

For Team Success, I offer the following list of tips:
Don’t criticize, make suggestions, and offer solutions
Do not sub-delegate items given to you
Do not be late
Be friendly and stay calm
Plan what to do and stick to it
In smaller groups plan "how to do"
Mean what you say
Keep accurate records
Be flexible
Enjoy the event

If you are consider
ing an event and need a quick and easy way to get started on the right track, check out my Event Planning Kit, that comes with 9 custom made checklists and forms to help you to plan your next event in style.

Get your digital cop of the kit for only $14.99 by visiting http://www.tidytiger.biz/products.html
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