Have you ever heard the expression
‘Why do today what I can put off until tomorrow?’

When we put things off, we are procrastinating. Maybe it’s putting off cleaning the car, organizing the closet or paying a bill or… the list goes on and on.

So how do we beat it? Here are three ideas:

1. Break big tasks down to smaller ones. If your goal is to read a long novel for example, set small goals to read chapter, by chapter. A small goal to read a couple chapters is less overwhelming than telling yourself you have to read the whole book.

2. Don’t think about it, ‘just do it!' Stop worrying, just start doing. Getting started is half the battle. Don’t wait to get inspired to start a task. Feel the fear, and do it anyway!

3. Get the help of a friend. Maybe you’ll be more motivated with a friend at your side. Like with studying, meeting with a study buddy means you are far more likely to commit to the task.

Rely on external resources and help, such as self-help books, training programs and of course professional organizers. All of these options can help you deal with procrastination. Your success and piece of mind is important, if you need help and want to see just how much fun it can be to ‘get it done’, I am here for you.


TIME SAVING TRICKS

Less stress and a smooth running day can be yours if you use your time wisely. Here are some suggestions to help you save time.

 * Make lunch the night before
* Always leave your keys & wallet in the same place
* Clean your home one room a day, or every other day
* Use a calendar to keep track of date specific tasks
* Make a ‘To-Do’ list everyday
* Try running a load of laundry while making dinner
* Set your alarm 15 minutes early
* Set our clock 5 minutes ahead
* Cook large meals on weekends that carry a few days
* Lay out your clothes the night before
* Run errands on the way home from work

Other tricks to help you manage time:
 
* Make a checklist of tasks for each week & month
  that happens on a regular basis. This will save you
  having to write out repeating tasks on your to-do
  list every time.

* Observe how you spend time for a couple weeks to
  see where your time really goes. Make notes of
  when your energy levels are high and when you feel
  most tired.

* Use your time tracking information to plan a master
  schedule for each week or month. Include routine
  tasks and room for creative fun time too. Schedule
  sedentary tasks for times you know you generally
  have less energy.

* Review all outstanding action files, goals and ongoing
  projects every week. Friday afternoon can be a good
  time to clear your head for the weekend.

Every year, thousands of people are made victims by identity theft.

Modern telecommunications devices and computer processing can make it easier for us to stay in touch and process transactions, yet they can also make it easier for criminals to get hold of valuable information.

Be it paper or digital, preventing the wrong element from getting a hold of information they can use to steal from you and others, is important.

Imagine your children’s information being used to establish credit cards and loans before they are even old enough to work. Imaging your identity stolen and your credit rating trashed for bad debt that someone else created for you. Worse yet, imagine being arrested for crimes you never committed.

In doing some research on the topic, these are just some of the scenarios I found that identity theft victims have had to live through.

Your safety is my concern, and so I have unofficially declared October as Theft Prevention Month. In order to prevent any one of these stories from ever being yours, today I offer some tips on identity theft prevention and local resources to help you protect yourself, your loved ones, and your business.

Common ways to protect yourself:

Paperwork
One easy first step to helping prevent someone from getting a hold of your private details is to invest in a paper shredder. Expect to spend $30.00 - $100.00 depending on what your volume of shredding may be. Shred personal information, credit card and debit card receipts, pre-approved credit applications etc. Cross cut shredders that can handle full sheets of paper make shredding easy and effective.
You can also bring your papers to service providers who make it their business to shred your docs on site. Some will even come to you, should you have a significant amount of documentation to destroy.

Around Town
When using your debit and credit cards, watch who is standing around you. Guard your pin number from prying eyes. Also, try not to carry extra credit cards you don’t use. That goes for cards like you Social Insurance Number too. Better to leave that in a safe at home if you can.
For added security for your credit cards, cover up the 3 digit code on the back too. Memorize those numbers or write it down in a secret place somewhere separate from the card. That way you won’t be sharing that code to everyone you hand your credit card too. I personally got stung on this one not long ago.

At the Mail Box
When ordering checks, have them delivered to your local bank instead of to your home. If getting new cards mailed to you, watch that they come on time. If you suspect it’s late call the card company to see when it was mailed. If too much time has passed, have the card canceled. Same can go for your bills too.

On-Line
Secure your computer with anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-spyware programs. Have a firewall set up and when shopping on-line be sure that the site you are providing your private details to, is secure.
Set clever passwords for your on-line accounts. Combo’s of letters and numbers is best. Don’t use things like your mother maiden name or the city you were born in.

Personal Information
Unless you initiated the call yourself, do not give out personal information over the phone. Keep in mind too that there is technology available to monitor cell phone calls, so use a land-line if you can when you are going to give personal information over the phone. And another tip is to keep your phone number or social security number off of your personal checks.
Some key information that you should be diligent in protecting would be, your full name, date of birth, address, credit card numbers, Social Insurance Number (SIN) and any other personal identification numbers that could be used to open accounts, redirect mail, establish cell phone services, rent vehicles or even secure employment.

Resources that can help you protect yourself:

Local Shredding Service and Data Protection Options:
http://www.shredit.com/Home.aspx
http://www.1800shredding.com/consumer/candianmembers.php
http://www.ironmountain.ca/en/index.asp
http://securit.com/

Local Document Storage:
http://butlerboxandstorage.com/
http://www.fergusonmoving.com/storage-2/secure-document-storage/

Sellers of Shredders:
http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_i_results.asp?txtSearch=paper+shredders
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/category/shredders/21131.aspx

Legal Shield (Formally known as Pre-Paid Legal Service of Canada:
(My personal trusted network connections)
https://www.prepaidlegal.com/MS/Multisite?site=hub&assoc=valerielkrehmer
https://www.prepaidlegal.com/MS/Multisite?site=hub&assoc=christinebennetclark

More great tips and stories on line:
http://www.identitytheftprotection.net/47-identity-theft-horror-stories/
http://www.stop-idfraud.ie/

Isn't life great? Sure it has its ups and downs, yet it always seems to be at least interesting.
 
This fall is bringing my family some big challenges, some of which are saddening, and all of which shall pass. For this I am grateful. Let’s just say right now I am enjoying some love and support from my family and friends while I squeeze the lemons life brought in. I will need the ‘juice’ to give me the energy to also provide my love and support to those that need it from me. It’s funny how it all comes together.
 
Putting things into perspective I know I have a lot of work ahead of me this fall to keep me busy. Some of which is me helping my valued clients to get organized. Organizing may not be a passion for many, yet it is a passion of mine. As things pick up this fall, I find myself picking up more and more clutter, to show it to the door.
 
Please note I will be offering house sitting services of a new kind in the near future. I got a taste of it recently and think living in a space really facilitates a greater understanding of the challenges that one can face in the home.

How would you or someone you know like to take a holiday and come home to a clean and organized space? Tell me where it hurts and what you would like changed, go on holiday, and then come home so I can show you the difference 'organized' can make. I feed and water plants and pets too, just don't ask me to cut the grass and we're all good.

Call or write anytime to discuss taking a real, everlasting holiday from clutter!

 By: Sandy Chernoff, owner: Soft Skills for Success

Today’s competitive world has made everyone more concerned about how to find work, and how to excel in the field he/she has chosen. We all have our strengths and weaknesses; it is vital that we mould and develop those strengths, and overcome those weaknesses.

Why Soft Skills Make the Difference

Employers often have to choose from 10 or more viable candidates for any one position. 

How will they select the best one from a group of individuals who all possess similar educational qualifications and work experience? 

Usually that will boil down to the one with the best soft skills: 

• self starter
• a good team player
• an excellent communicator 
• an efficient time manager
• an effective problem solver
• an effective conflict resolver 

The person with these traits will obviously be the one most valuable to the organization.

Most successful businesses rely on relationship building and that develops with good communication, excellent customer service and quality products.  Collaborative teamwork cannot exist without cooperation, support, clear communication, trust and respect....all of those are based on good relationships.

Soft Skills Improve Job & Organizational Performance

Those possessing good soft skills will improve their performance at work.  This will not only catch the attention of the boss, but will help to increase the happiness factor of those they contact.  This in turn will enhance the creativity, productivity and ultimately, the bottom line of the company.  The more members of the team with excellent soft skills the more all of the aforementioned will be true.  Employers realize that in order to achieve company goals, they require employees with effective soft skills. 

Soft Skills Bring Personal Growth and Success

Soft skills are empowering. No matter what career path one chooses, the better one’s soft skills the more impressive will be their accomplishments.  These attributes are beneficial in all aspects of a person’s life: at work, at home, at play.



To learn more about Sandy Chernoff and Soft Skills for Success
 visit: www.softskillsforsuccess.com 



Sandy,
Thank you for sharing this valuable information on Soft Skills with us. 
Michelle Panzlaff
Tidy Tiger

I sure hope you're enjoying the summer as much as I am. The simple pleasures and time with my sweetheart is what brings sunshine to my days, so not too worry if the sun hides behind clouds, I am still happy for what I have.
 
One of the very few items of inspiration in my home is a small stone placed on our bathroom counter that says simply ‘Gratitude’. It reminds me that life is great and to be lived with joy. I don’t have many objects of this sort because they cause clutter and more work to clean around. I prefer my space. Yet this object has one simple powerful message, so it stays. Besides, with my fiancé painting up a storm, our home is full of beauty and inspiration already.
 
I am going to admit, writing this post today was a bit of an effort. When I am busy with life, projects and helping others I sometimes put off blogging and writing articles. Sometimes I am just not inspired to do this; rather I would like to be knee deep in an organizing project.
 
The idea for today’s post came to me as I was doing some reading and I felt it was overdue. So, I sat down, started typing, and out it came.
 
And now for today's post. Enjoy...


Advice for the Expert and Novice Procrastinator
 
It’s Thursday afternoon, and Tracy realizes that her proposal for her newest client is due by the tomorrow morning. With a busy night of family events planned, she knows that if she doesn’t get this done prior to leaving work she is going to be dropping the ball. So far this proposal is only in outline and finishing it in time seems difficult. Can she do it? 
 

For many people the tendency to procrastinate is basically normal and at worst it creates unnecessary time pressure and some inconvenience. We all occasionally put off doing things, avoid action or feel unmotivated at times. I could have put my name in that first paragraph too.
 
Then there are people that really have a hard time. They may seem incapable of getting things started, let alone done. We’ll call them ‘expert procrastinators’ as they, more often than not, find themselves immersed in stress and open loops. For them it may feel like living on the edge of a storm, constantly.
 
Today, I’ll share some easy methods that can help anyone, ‘expert or novice procrastinator’ beat procrastination and get back to feeling less stressed and more productive today.

1. Watch out for, acknowledge and counteract ‘deferral thoughts’ such as “I can send the report tomorrow”, “I will take the trash out after I watch my show” or “The dishes can wait till I need them for our next meal”. Instead, when you have these thoughts, try to take it from another angle and tell yourself “If I do the dishes now, I can enjoy the rest of the afternoon without this hanging over my head”.
2. Stop waiting for you to feel motivated and inspired to take action. It’s true, and I too have experienced it, we like to think we must feel ‘inspired’ before we act. In reality, most times it’s getting started that gets us more motivated to continue. Once you get started, one small task leads to another and before you know it some great progress can be made and that will inspire you to keep going.
3. Reward yourself. After completing a task give yourself a little treat. It can be anything you like and can afford, maybe even a nice walk around your neighbourhood or a sweet treat to enjoy.

 
 
Article to blog… done!
My reward… cake and a walk!
 
Have a grrrrrreat day!
Michelle 

Try making a game of showing up on time..

People are generally more enthusiastic about embracing even the most mundane task if they can figure out how to make it more interesting. Getting from A to B isn't too exciting, yet try making it a game. The object of this game being, getting to your destination as close as possible to your targeted arrival time. No later, no sooner.

WANT TO GET MORE JAZZED AND FOCUSED IN YOUR BUSINESS?

If you're like me and many people I meet, I bet you just nodded your head 'YES!' 

Just because I stay organized doesn't mean I don't need to keep working to improve my business. I work on improving my business all the time, step by step. I find inspiration to do this by being part of a coaching program, and I really enjoy the support I get there.

My clients look to me to support them, yet indeed I too need support. Heck, I think we all need to look outside ourselves sometimes and discover the things we don't know and how they can make our lives better. 

So if you need support to get your workflow 'unstuck' and back in 'flow' call me. That's my passion and those are the skills I love to flex.

And if right now a little 'inspiration' to get you 'juiced' with possibility and opportunity is what you need, come join me for taste of the 'Inspired Living Business Plan' and what it can do for you.

FLYER AVAILABLE ON LINK BELOW..

Go ahead and ask, you won't be the first...

If you want to know what simple activity can consistently make someone better organized, I will answer 'The ability to make quick objective decisions'.


To Decide or Not to Decide. 
Learning to ‘make decisions’ on everything, as soon as it crosses your path, and dedicating time and energy to follow through on your choices, are two important aspects to staying organized.

Not being able to make decisions, and putting things ‘here for now’ is a challenge that plaques many, for various reasons. These reasons, or shall I say ‘Obstacles’ are mainly due to what I will call ‘technical error’.
 
Technical Error is not having a proper, easy to access ‘home’ for things. Then again, sometimes the 'obstacle' leading to this 'decision making challenge' can be related to fears or even perfectionism. Yet anyway we slice it, learning to make objective decisions about what we keep, where we keep it and whether or not we act on it is very important in my opinion.

So to help you and those you know make better choices about what to keep and what to do with it, here are some tools to share.

To help you make quick decisions I have a free copy of the '4 Decisions to Make with Tasks and Mail' for you on my site.

Then if you want to take a look at thinning out or eliminating any piles of business cards, magazines, brochures and over stuffed files you can find great 'Tips to Weed your Tasks and Paper' here.

And if letting go is hard, stay objective by asking yourself these questions about your stuff:

When it comes to Paper:
Is it a duplicate?
Is it current?
How often will I refer to it?
Can I get it elsewhere if I need it?
Do I have time to read it?
Do I want, or truly need this?
Is replication very difficult?
Does the law require I keep it?

When it comes to Clutter ask:
When was it last used?
Is there a specific date I will need this again in future?
How hard would it be to replace again if I needed it?
How does it make my life more purposeful or better?
Is it beautiful or loved?
Does it reflect the person I am now?
What is worst case scenario if I toss it?

Now, if you still struggle a bit with the questions above and/or still need a little help to decide where to put things, take a closer look at the information in my 2010 article The-top-questions-to-ask-yourself-about-your-stuff


OK, all good? Ready to tackle it alone? Great!

Not looking forward to going it alone?
Just don't have the time?
Or is being objective impossible because you can’t see the forest through the trees?

Call me, its my passion to help. 

Try this basic exercise to 'Managing Commitments' 

1.  Write down on a blank piece of paper one project, situation or task that is on your mind that you need to ‘get done’.

2.  In just one sentence describe the intended outcome so that you could check this project off as ‘done’. 

3.  Then write down the very next physical action required to move this project or task to completion.

Commonly the best thing that comes from doing this is you having a clearer definition of what ‘done’ looks like, and the very next step you need to take to get there.

Nothing has happened yet, after all, the task has yet to be done. Yet for many, after doing this simple activity, a sense of added motivation can be felt as up until now it was just a thought nagging at your subconscious mind. Now you know what 'done' looks like and can place this task in priority with other tasks and projects also written down.

Podcast on topic here