As you work hard everyday helping others you make a real difference in the world.

As much work as it can be, I think it feels great to know this. Don’t you?


Today I thought I would share a special note and share my top tips on what makes a great task organizing system. Maybe then I can make a difference too by helping someone get back to being creative and enjoy more peace of mind too.

There are three very important factors to a good task organizing system...

1. You must trust it.
A system has to be set up in a way that you will feel confident that you will see task reminders for what you need to do, when you need to do it.

2. You must have a place for everything.
The physical needs to house this system must be in place and labelled or documented well. (This factor usually needs to be in place prior to the 'trusting' part, yet having 'Trust' in your system is the most important factor, so I put that first.)

3. You must maintain it regularly.
A schedule of daily, weekly, monthly or yearly review must be in place, as well as time put aside to tweak, maintain and purge from system as needed.

To start off on creating this ‘Must Have’ system you will need to do two things.
1. Put the time in, that is needed to complete it.
2. Establish a good budget for your organizing needs.

Because after all, if 'stuff' is worth keeping, or worth doing, then it's worth it. Right?
If it's not worth it, then toss it!

One question some people may have for me at this point is 'How do I get started?'  So in addition, today I will give you an outline of my 'Tiger Method'  and the focus at each point in this 5 step process...

Testify on your motivation.
* Write out goal statements for all areas of your life that need focus.
* List your priorities by their Condition and Cost/Value.

Identify what works and what doesn’t.
* Note Technical Errors, External Realties and Psychological Obstacles holding you back.
* Consider your personality, style & unique challenges.

Get Real about what you need to do.
* Use a task planner to do this.
* Categorize Organize and Map out your task schedule to make time tangible.

Engage your plan and take action.
* Make decisions on tasks using 4 D's, "Delete, Delegate, Defer and Do It."
* Purge excess & meaningless tasks.
* Assign space for tasks and keep separate.

Repeat and Refine as you go.
* Monitor your progress & timing bi-monthly.
* Make time to re-group in times of crisis.
* Be flexible yet honor your commitments.
* Take time to celebrate your successes.

This process can help you lay out your dreams; it only requires your passion and a bit of effort. The sooner you start, the sooner you realize your dreams.

"The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." ~Vance Havner

Go get' em Tiger!

Here are 20 questions to see just how organized you are feeling right now.

Don't worry about perfection, as these kinds of quick assessments are only meant to bring to light areas you may want to improve on, and to give you an overall feel for just how organized you really are.

Got 5 minutes to assess your level of organization?
1. Do you make time to be organized?
2. When your home / office is messy, how do you feel?
3. Do others see you as organized?
4. Do you feel in control?
5. Do you file weekly?
6. Do you use a calendar / planner to organize your events / schedule?
7. Do you make time for what you enjoy doing?
8. Are you on time for your appointments?
9. Do you get enough sleep?
10. Most of the time do you feel rushed or relaxed?
11. Do you have short and long term goals?
12. Do you use a ‘To-Do’ List?
13. Do you break down larger tasks into smaller pieces?
14. Can you measure your results?
15. Are you clear about your priorities?
16. Do you know where your passport is?
17. Is your checkbook balanced?
18. Do you have an In & Out Box for mail?
19. Do you shred personal documents before throwing them out?
20. Can you find your keys right away? 

That's it. Keep it simple. Just review where you are at, what your strengths are, and areas you would like to explore making improvements.

Check in any time and share your experiences, advice and insights. I welcome responses.

Paper cutter is a real challenge because of the volume of paper we all seem to accumulate.

It's just a fact that pieces of paper easily stack and hide each other.

Here are some quick tips to help you purge and organize your paper clutter.

Look for related items and gather them together.
You’ve done this a million times: sorted through a stack of papers and divided them into small stacks, such as Bills to Pay, Bank Statements, School Papers, To-Do Lists, Ideas You’d Like To Try, Things I Might Buy, and blank yellow pads. But you probably stopped there. Keep going through the next three steps, and you won’t end up re-stacking all those papers, only to go through them again later.

Dispose of unneeded or duplicate items.
Did you find duplicates, or old documents you no longer need? Toss them!
Examples: Expired warranties, magazine articles that you kept but can’t remember why, information that you could easily find again, financial statements whose information is repeated on later statements, But please be sure to shred or destroy properly. See my resource page for local options.

Choose containers for each group of items.
After you have purged and you know what you are going to keep, take a look at each box of papers and consider what kind of container will work best. File folders are a natural, but consider other alternatives where appropriate:
Three-ring binders can be stored on shelves, and contents can either be hole-punched or placed in pockets and page protectors. (TIP: have a hole puncher in reach at all times if you go this route.)

Box-bottom folders handle bulkier items well.
Large envelopes can substitute for file folders if you don’t have a filing cabinet or if the papers are various sizes and apt to fall out of a file folder.
For voluminous stacks, you don’t need to organize further, try a box. If you do need to further organize a big stack, think about an accordion file or a notebook with dividers.
(TIP: what ever options you are considering 'do' think long term on how it will work for you before you go to set up.)

Choose a home for each container.
If you use it allot, it needs to be in your reach. Store frequently-used papers in convenient locations. You’ll also locate files easier if you line up all the tabs on hanging file folders in a straight line, rather than alternating from left to right. (TIP: Decide on what side to put 'Main Category' header tabs and keep them in a tidy row too. It makes for easy scanning later.)

And remember that as you have new papers that need to be filed, take the time to label them properly and place them where they belong sooner than later. If you 'Put it here FOR NOW' you are asking for trouble later.

Floating Pieces of Paper/Notes 
Eliminate floating pieces of paper by having only one place to write things down. Be sure to identify a home where it will always be kept as well. You may keep your notes in a notebook that stays by the phone, a small pocket notebook that you carry in your pocket or purse. Or maybe a note-pad on your Smart Phone that you know is always going to go with you.
Just follow this rule... never jot something down with the idea that you’ll rewrite or type it in later. Now is the time. 'Putting stuff here for now' is how we get in trouble in the first place, so write it down in its permanent location to start with.


Happy Organizing! Call if you get stuck!

Does your day seem to disappear before your eyes?  Critical tasks left undone? Desperate for a solution?  When you launched your business were you prepared for everything you had to do to make it thrive?   Productivity and profitability do go hand in hand!

Maybe when you began your business you thought you just needed to learn skills to make you an expert in your field and "Voila"! you'd be a sought-after success!

It's not so easy, is it?

To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to know about all sorts of things—like product development, budgeting / branding, marketing, networking, social media, video, and so much more!  Then, if you get that all figured out, did anyone ever teach you how to successfully combine your business with the rest of your life?

The truth is every performance gap, every little inefficiency, every lack of organization or productivity, not only reduces the effectiveness of your business, it also steals time from your personal life! This is TRUE FOR all BUSINESS owners!

Wouldn't it be great if you could find everything you needed to learn in ONE place?

I'm inviting you, as my guest, in an extraordinary program designed specifically towards the unique needs of entrepreneurs who want to excel in business and in life … Fire Up Your Biz - Enrich Your Life!   Stephanie LH Calahan of Calahan Solutions, Inc. has pulled together some of the best experts on productivity, mindset and business growth that you can find -- over 20!

Sign up by clicking here today!

Warmest Regards,
Michelle Panzlaff

PS
This program offers a TON of value. Don't miss out!  Stephanie tells me that the goal is to be all content and no fluff!  This is not a series of sales presentations.  They are even taking your questions to get answered, so you know you'll get solid value.

It's time to stop feeling exhausted at the end of each day.

This is the time of year in which I perform my seasonal swap of clothing. No more sandals and summer time dresses taking up room in my closet. Now is the time I grab my two seasonal bins from storage and spend a couple hours to bring out the winter wear and put away the spring summer fashions. Next year I will be excited to do the swap again and look forward to taking back some of my favorites to enjoy.
 
I suggest everyone try this, and give your closet some breathing space. Enjoy the stuff that you really love and use often. All you need is a few clear bins as shown in the picture and some safe and dry space to store it. As you see, my needs are covered with only two bins. The box on top represents a portion of donated items from my household and my mothers too.
 
Cost to you, about $20 per bin and a few hours of your time.
And you can do this with things like kid’s toys and books too. Doing a seasonal swap each year gives your children a chance to focus more on the few favorites they own and each year see the old as new again. It beats shopping for new stuff when you can get a thrill from un-boxing some almost forgotten favorites.