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Chaos Eradicated! Aggravation Abolished! Overwhelm Obliterated!
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Greetings!
Now, I have the same reaction as any one of you, when I walk into a store on November 1st, and they're playing Christmas music: "Please . . I need AT LEAST another two weeks!!" But the hectic pace and the stress of the holidays are brought on by having too much to do in too little time. There is much that is not within our control, school schedules, office parties, cooking and cleaning, etc. (read more)
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October Wisdom - "Information is a source of learning, but unless it is organized, processed and available, it is a burden, not a benefit."
William Pollard |
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News:
Hoarding - this compulsion for hanging onto belongings is not just an eccentricity, it can be a crippling illness. A&E's new show "Hoarders" shines a light on this issue. The next new show is on November 2 at 10PM (past my bed time, but so riveting I have to stay up). The Oprah Winfrey Show devoted 1 full hour on Oct. 8 to the show. Learn more about hoarding and Hoarders at A&E
Classes I've taken this fall to better my service to you:
Ethics for Professional Organizers - not only an ongoing interest of mine, but a requirement for those of us who are Certified Professional Organizers.
Helping Clients Focus At Work - disorganization is not just in the home; this is an often neglected area for which many do not seek help.
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Donations, donations, donations
You have until December 31st to donate in order to take those charitable deductions on your taxes!
Several places to donate:
610-995-9096 Great stuff, drop off is starting on the 13th and the sale starts on the 29th. Check the website for more information.
*Career Wardrobe, a non-profit dedicated to providing aspiring working women with professional attire www.careerwardrobe.org/. There is a collection the 2nd Tuesday of each month at Athertyn at Haverford Reserve, 7700 Parkview Drive, Haverford, PA. They take more than just professional clothing, see their website for more details. | |
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"I know I wrote it down . . ."
Except it was on a small scrap of paper, a cocktail napkin or Post-it, which is... now where? Buy a small notebook that can go anywhere with you or use your Notes in your PDA or a digital recorder, whatever works for you. Keep everything in one place. Simplify.
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Untangle Your Feet!
.Get those computer and phone cords off the floor under the desk - drill or cut a hole in the desk top (office stores have plastic grommets to trim the hole) and run all cords through it. Then mount your power strip to the bottom of the desk surface. Before plugging in, make tags of light-colored tape and label the cords, then bundle them with wire ties.
If you cannot mount something under your desk, here is a very clean and affordable option called the cable box.
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October Success Story
By the time "Sally" called me, she was at her limit. She is a teacher, and she had run out of places to store paper and other materials. Part of this was due to the variety of her subject material, and part was due to the fact that teachers spend 80% of their time preparing for classes, and having a store of resource material is helpful. Her classroom is gigantic, and there is lots of storage. But it was all filled beyond capacity, and so was her small apartment and garage.
This was a two-part job. It was quite a task to tackle the 5 file cabinets, 3 big closets, 5 standing cabinets, built-in shelves and assorted boxes in her classroom, and coordinate that with the work in her home. But with guidance, she did come to see that she had a lot of duplication, that she was probably never going to use much of it, and even got some new ideas just from going through stuff she hadn't even had a chance to look through for years.
The second part, and the more profound, was the self-examination Sally did. She kept a journal of our work, and looked at her habits and what she was thinking about when she saved things. The process allowed her to see how much time she was spending just in the management of the large volume of materials, and we also found ways to cut the time of necessary tasks. But the exercise itself just gave her a little altitude, allowed her to step back and examine her situation, which has a very calming effect when you do it regularly.
"The fact is, I never asked myself why I saved stuff - I just assumed everything was a potential future resource," Sally told me. "It was almost as if I wasn't doing my job if I didn't save those "resources." For her, it was not just about getting the paper under control. "The most amazing part of this is how it has changed me - I used to be so stressed, but I now have the confidence and the tools to do my job well and feel good about it."
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(cont'd from above)
But we do have control over a lot of it, gift lists, shopping, sending cards, planning meals, and visits - did I mention shopping? If you schedule some of these things to do soon, you'll be a lot less stressed when the office party, decorating, cooking, and more shopping have to go on the calendar. Don't get run over by a reindeer, bring joy to your world. We can help you get your plan together so that you are ready to go!
Thanks for all the opportunities to help you on your journeys,
Anna Sicalides
The Organizing Consultant LLC
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who may appreciate it.
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