Dear   ,    

It's getting to be transition time once again. Summer is coming to an end ('though I, for one, am not willing to put away the beach toys just yet), and "psychological autumn" begins this weekend with Labor Day, and students and teachers heading back to school.

These transition times in the northern climes mean changes in clothing, activities, and even décor. As you transition into fall, take some time to evaluate your summer things before you put them away for the season. Did you use each item, or are there some you never actually got around to using (again) this year?  Are they still in good condition, or should they be tossed now rather than stored for another year?

As you pull out your fall clothing, check to see if it still fits, is still in style, in good shape, and suits your current lifestyle. Take the opportunity to clear up any clutter in both the outgoing and incoming seasonal items, and then label the items you are putting away as you restock your closets and cabinets so everything is easier to find. Make your seasonal transition smooth and easy by making it organized!

By the way, I promised you news about my new 28-day Time Management program this month.  The new program is almost ready for publication, so I've included a sneak peek as this month's featured article on time management. The full program will be launched on September 15th (my birthday), but in the meantime, you may want to take advantage of the final 2 weeks of the discount price on my 28-day Paper Management program. That program is still available at the introductory rate of $28, but will go up to its full price of $60 once the Time Management program is released. So if you haven't taken advantage yet, sign up today for "28 Days to Putting Paper in its Place" at the early-bird rate!

Enjoy your upcoming holiday weekend and pack in all the remaining summer you can get! See you in September. 

- Maryann Murphy, MSW

Find The Right Time of Day to Plan your "To Do"s

(from my new "28 Days to Time Management Success" program)

We all have times of the day when we're most creative, most energetic, and most able to focus. Since identifying and prioritizing your To Do list is such an important task, it makes sense to schedule that activity carefully to take advantage of your peak performance time.

For most people, the best time of day to make a daily action list is at the end of the day - for the following day. As you wind down from the day's activities, review what you accomplished and what you still need to do the next day. If you wait until the morning to make your things To Do list, you're more likely to get distracted by incoming emails, phone calls and other demands on your time.

Reviewing this list, though, can be most effective first thing in the morning before you start your day. Take a look at your goals - both long term and for the week, then resolve to make today successful by focusing on your top priority items first.

1. If you didn't do this yesterday, and it's not too late in the day, make your To Do list for today RIGHT NOW. Choose 1 or 2 highest priority items that you really need to do today, along with 1 or 2 additional tasks that will bring you closer to reaching your goals.
2. Write them into your planner for today.

3. At the end of your workday, make your list for tomorrow. Experiment with the best time for you, but try creating your new list at 5 or 6 pm and then REVIEWING it first thing in the morning the next day.

4. Schedule this planning time into the end-of-day slot on your calendar every day for the next week. Again, be sure to write it down.

Bonus Activity (if you have time and energy):  Schedule a reminder on your smart phone or  computer to write your daily To Do list at the same time each day for the next three weeks. . After a few weeks, this will become a great time-saving (and productivity-enhancing) habit!

NOTE:  For your copy of the complete 28-Day Time Management Success Plan, email me at mmdwk@peoplepc.com to reserve your spot for the early-bird rate of just $28.

Recycling Corner:  Jeans

The most environmentally-friendly way to recycle clothes is to give them to someone else who will wear them.  Clothing donation bins run by charities are available in many locations, and drop-off locations are also available at stores like Goodwill, Savers, and Salvation Army; and yet each year, almost 24 billion pounds of clothing end up n U.S. landfills!

The project "Teens for Jeans" was organized by www.DoSomething.org, a website devoted to helping teens become more involved in volunteering. Teens collected and donated over 800,000 pairs of jeans for homeless youth this year, and they plan to start the program again in the fall through local schools.

Any clothing donations can help, but specific clothing drives like this can be an exciting and motivating way to get rid of your old clothes and help others at the same time. 

Keep an eye out for clothing drives as the weather starts to cool down, and get your bags of clothing ready for donation. If you know of any teens looking for a cool project for their school, have them check out www.teensforjeans.com, or www.DoSomething.org.