Protect Yourself from Identity Theft 09/30/2011
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/ Add Comment  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.
& Reward yourself along the way! Products that make the difference 11/09/2010
I have researched, purchased and used many different organizing products over the years. Over time I have discovered that indeed, not all organizing products are created equal. Here are two of them that are tried and true for thousands of people and definitely have my stamp of approval. Great systems like these, if used correctly can make a huge difference to getting and staying organized. FreedomFiler: https://freedomfiler.com/Home.cfm?CFID=643760&CFTOKEN=15904802 The Paper Tiger: http://www.thepapertiger.com/ Please check them out today. You'll find that the on-line tutorials they offer give a very good look at how each work and how they may even work well together. *Want to learn more about getting help to install these systems into your office or home? Call 778-866-6942 for details. Is your 'backburner' on overdrive too? 10/27/2010
Talking about time & task management and making decisions about what needs to get done, this last month has been a challenge for me. I do understand the pressures many of my clients face from first hand experience. That past Tidy Times article on 'Delegation' was partially inspired by my hopes to push off some tasks soon. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Believe me, I am happy to have busy times, I appreciate the business, I enjoy the exercise some projects have provided me, and I am happy to have the ability to postpone some activities so I can help others. So, as the title of today's introduction 'Is your 'backburner' on overdrive too?' may allude to, my 'Backburner' file is pretty full. How's yours? Maybe you're so busy you have to put off a few things as well, yet you want to make sure you keep them under the 'radar', right? That is when the 'backburner file comes in so handy. It works very nicely along side the Tickler file system too. If you don't already have a section in your 'action files' called something like 'Backburner', 'Do Later' or even 'Ideas & Goals' I do hope you will consider it. It's a great place to keep notes, articles and documents for projects you would like to get to when things slow down. Poorly designed file cabinets, that when drawers are fully open, 3 inches of inaccessible file space is left behind! Ever wonder how much thought goes into some of the office supply and equipment on the market? Well I do. And recently I was reminded of just how poor some things are made and how it can lead to office clutter. Technical error is common, and for some, this quickly resolved issue can make a world of difference. When choosing your file cabinet please consider the following points:
Keeping Clutter Away for Good! 09/07/2010
1. Handle paper only once. And if that is not possible, at least try to move it one step closer to completion every time you do pick it up. 2. Make decisions now. Don’t put things down ‘for now’. Commit yourself to decide what to do with each piece of paper immediately. 3. Clear out your in-box for 15 minutes each day. Don’t turn your ‘in-box’, into a ‘procrastinator tray’. 4. Sort by Category. Mail and e-mail should be sorted into categories. Try sorting ‘by Priority’, ‘by Action’ or ‘by Date’ 5. Write notes in the right place. Numerous scraps of paper and notes will only serve to frustrate you. Choose one place to keep notes, and if they pertain to a client folder or project, put the notes in the proper file as soon as possible. 6. Get real about what you can read. Limit subscriptions, clip articles out if you want to keep it and recycle the rest of the periodical right away. Be realistic about how much you can actually read too. 7. Purge papers regularly. Twice a year purges will do wonders to keep the volume down. Take time to thin out files that contain unimportant notes, drafts and other non-essential information. 8. Keep file systems logical and easy to use. Creating a Dewey Decimal coded system or trying to develop some mythical ‘Perfect’ system is an urge you should resist. Out of Sight, but not 'Out of Mind'! 06/27/2010
 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. Weeding Your Tasks and Paper 05/02/2010
To help reduce stress if you have more than you can handle, try reducing your backlog of "stuff" that has built up over time. I know that it can be easy in today's busy world to build up a backlog of stuff that you want to do, yet our realities are that sometimes we just can't get to everything. To help you weed out some things that may be growing out of control and overtaking your desk here are 7 items you can start with and the tips on how to weed them out. 1. Messages and Business cards from recent meetings *Try recording the name and phone number in your planner on the day you intend to call the contact back. *If you need to update your contact database or Rolodex, create a file named "Contacts to Update" and schedule in some time each week or month to review this file. *Or, delegate this task to someone else. 2. Notes from Meetings and Staff Memo's *Right after the meeting grab your planner and schedule any follow up tasks assigned to you. *Write a quick note as to what the task is in the planner, if there are points and notes that are needed for the task keep those in another place assigned for projects you have on the go or upcoming. *Toss the extra or unneeded notes, use you planner as the reminder you'll need. 3. A pile of business cards from conference two years ago *Keep only the cards for people you remember or plan to associate with now or by the next conference. *File the cards into your association contacts file to have available when the time comes. *If available use scanning software to make quick work of saving the cards electronically or delegate the task of entering the contacts to your database to someone else. 4. Conference Brochures you may or may not attend *Record a tentative appointment into your planner. If using an electronic planner, schedule a reminder a week or two before so you can then re-evaluate your need to go or register if required. *Put the brochure aside into your "Bring Forward" file or a file for "Association Events" or something similar, so that when the day comes you will be able to find it again. 5. Coupons and promotions *If you really plan to use them keep them handy in your wallet or planner. It is more likely to be used there than if it is just sitting on your desk. *If there is a deadline and you really want to take advantage of the deal then make an appointment to go and do so. 6. Magazine subscriptions renewal cards *Ask yourself; are you really interested in renewing or signing up for the magazine? If yes, fill it out and send it in. *If not; Toss it! Don't worry; the offer will come again. 7. Overstuffed files from projects recently done *If its on your desk because you want to go through and weed it out before filing away to your archive, then go ahead and file it. Grab your planner and schedule time in to weed these files each month. *Try releasing that desire to be a perfectionist on this one, it's not going to help you get to the task any quicker when the file is blocking you from getting other things done. Ultimately this just slows the process down even more. Now, when it comes to tossing the things you don't need as you go along your way through these piles, here are the top 5questions to ask yourself if you are thinking about keeping something: 1. Am I obligated to keep it for tax reasons? 2. Do I need it to fulfill a core activity or role in my job? 3. Would my work suffer if I didn't have it? 4. Is the information up to date and could I get it elsewhere if I need it again? 5. Do I refer often to this information? If you find yourself overwhelmed with the feeling that you just have to much and too much to do, try these tips for taking control of the paper piles and your tasks. Happy Weeding! Top 6 Tips to Increase Productivity 04/27/2010
 1. Set time to work and avoid distractions. If you work from home set office hours and talk to any family about respecting this time. Allowing oneself to get distracted by household chores or passing conversations can really take a bite at productivity. 2. Prioritize your tasks and make a 'To Do" list everyday. Break your tasks down based on their Value and Deadline so you can easier gage what your top priorities are. As well as having this To-Do list, take time to schedule your tasks into the calendar or planner. Getting real about time and when you will do it makes it more likely that you will get it done on time. 3. Plan your week on Sunday. When making your plan for the week, try to group 'like' tasks together. If you have errands and tasks that can be grouped together you can save a lot of time. Take up to a 1/2 hour on Sunday to review on paper what your obligations are for the week ahead, this is one of the best organizing strategies. 4. Create filing systems (Paper and Electronic) that suit your needs. Everyone is a little different in they way the process information. When it comes to file systems, although for the most part they can be similar, there are lots of variations in setting them up. There are even choices to be made when it comes to what you keep as 'paper' and what you keep 'electronically.' Regardless of the system you use, it must be easy to maintain and allow you to find what you need quickly. 5. Dedicate space for your business. If you have an actual office, a converted closet, a spare bedroom or an office nook in the kitchen, the space needs to be dedicated to business. A place where you can work on your tasks and have what you need close at hand, avoiding distractions. 6. Become a student of Organization. If you don't already have a file or a 'favorites' folder on organizing, maybe now is a good time to start one. Read articles and books on time management and organization. Attend seminars, telecasts and try to get your hands on as much good material on this subject as you can. To ingrain the material into your subconscious you should go over the materials 6-8 times. Too busy or overwhelmed to get started? Call me and we can work together hands on getting you going in the right direction. 778-866-6942 |  CategoriesAll ArchivesJanuary 2012 |
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