Category: Motivation

9 Questions to Ask Yourself In Your Closet This Week

I spend a lot of time in people’s closets.  I love saying that, it is quite the conversation starter!  But it’s true!  I spent an hour, just an hour, in a closet last week with a client, and we made great progress in reclaiming her space!Image

(1)   What is already designated to leave?

Remove it! 

Often when I arrive to help a client clean out his or her closet, there is already a pile of “donations” started.  And perhaps a bag of items to go to the cleaners or the tailor, or a pile of shoes that need repaired.  Or maybe it’s just the overflowing laundry hamper (though I personally would not put dirty laundry in a closet with my clean clothes).

Remove those bags / piles / baskets first, and put them in your car to be dropped off later.  Or take the dirty laundry to your laundry room and start a load.  See, the closet looks better already.

(2)   What will I absolutely not wear again before next Fall?

Put it away for the season. 

There are clothes in your closet from the winter that you will probably not wear again, no matter how cold it gets again this Spring (I know, I live in Chicago).  Perhaps they are Fall colors, or for specific events that won’t roll around again until October.  Items like formal pieces, heavy sweaters and scarves, boots, etc. can probably go away.  Make sure they are clean, and then put them in a container tucked on a shelf or under the bed until Fall. Image

(3)   What will I absolutely never wear again, period?

Let it go.  For good.

Come on, you know the pieces.  The ones that you look at, and you get the furrow between your eyebrows, trying to determine…

(4)   Why on earth did I buy that item? (Maybe it was on sale?)

(5)   What was my loved one thinking when they bought it for me? (And remember the gesture, not the fact that they are not paying attention!)

(6)   When will I ever wear that thing again?  (You probably won’t.)

If you can’t come up with good answers to these questions, it is time to ease out the offending items.  Sell them, donate them, give them to a friend who would look better in them.  Just move them out of your space for good.

And ask yourself a couple more questions, to move along those questionable “Maybe’s”:

(7)   If I was in a store right now, would I buy this item again? (thanks Tamika!)

(8)   Does this item really reflect who I am, and will it ever?

If the answers to these are “No”, the items has to go.  Now.  Trust me.

(9)   What would be better stored somewhere else in my house?

Put it there.

Very often, we run across things in a clothes closet that would be better stored somewhere else.  Papers, Christmas Decorations, furniture, reusable shopping bags, you name it – it may even have a home somewhere else in your house already, and you just need to spend the 5 minutes and put it away.

Wow, 9 simple questions and a little time spent in your closet, and your clothes and space are looking better already!  Way to Go!

Spring Cleaning For Your Financial House!

It is Spring!  This time of year, we all want to make changes and put things in order for this new season.  In addition, the tax deadline is next week, so let me recommend putting your Financial House in Order, too.    Here are 6 steps to get you started:

 

Shred your discarded personal papers.  Why Shred?  For safety sake.  You want to make it as difficult as possible for someone to commit a crime like identity theft against you.

If you don’t have a shredder, get one.  If (and when) you have a shredder, create the daily or weekly habit of shredding any un-needed paper with personal information on it.  If you tackle this job in little pieces regularly, you won’t amass big piles of papers to shred.  (Note – this is a great job for a helpful child!)

If you already have big piles of papers needing shred, keep an eye out in your community for free Shred Events.  If you just want to catch up and get it all shred at once, you have a couple of options.  The three big office supply stores, Office Max, Office Depot and Staples, all offer shredding services on a per pound basis.  In addition, you could contact ProShred or Shark Shredding , and make an make an appointment to shred all your papers at once.

 

Go on-line and request your Credit Report.  Why get your credit report?  Your credit report is a snap-shot of your financial identity.  Reviewing your credit report may uncover unresolved issues that are harming your credit score, or long-neglected credit cards or accounts that are still active.  Take time to review your report, and follow-up with any issues you notice.  And make a note in your calendar to do it again next year, too.

There are three reporting agencies, Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com) and Transunion (www.transunion.com).  I don’t know about other states, but I know that as an Illinois resident, I am entitled to a free credit report from each agency every year.

 

Buy a fireproof Safe.  If you don’t have a safe, invest in one.  Make sure it is fireproof and portable, and that you, your spouse, and one other person that doesn’t live in your house knows where the key is kept.  Store your irreplaceable vital records in there, like birth / sacramental / marriage and death certificates, insurance policies, passwords, Wills, car titles, etc.

 

If temptation to spend is great, physically “Freeze” your credit cards.   I heard this tip years ago, about a woman struggling with credit card debt actually freezing her credit cards in a large block of ice.  The idea was to make it complicated to use credit, so she would have a chance to consider and re-consider any purchase made with credit.  I don’t know if you want to really freeze your credit cards, but you could remove all but one from your wallet and put the rest away somewhere safe, like in the safe mentioned above or, well, a well-disguised block of ice.

 

Make sure your Beneficiary allocations are up-to-date.  Check your retirement accounts, insurance policies, etc., and make sure that the stated beneficiaries are who you want them to be.  Too often we forget this step, and our loved ones could lose out.

 

Add a “2014 Income Tax information” file to the front of your top file drawer, and make a habit of tossing charitable donation receipts and other pertinent tax info in there.  It will make tax time go more smoothly next year.

 

Add these steps to your Spring Cleaning plan this week, and get your Financial House in order, too.

Paper Management Suggestions for the Lady at the Gas Station.

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A woman noticed the magnets on my van, and asked me about my business.

She said “I always say, I need someone to help me with my files.  I always think that it’s just me, and there is something wrong with me”.

No, there is nothing wrong with you, and you are not alone in struggling with your papers. Here’s why:

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  • Most of us keep too many papers, and / or keep papers for too long.
  • Most of us name our files the wrong thing, if we even have files.
  • Some of us have barriers to filing, either real or imagined.
  • Most of us don’t maintain our papers often enough.

We keep too many papers, and we keep them for too long:

We keep receipts / business cards / post-it notes / grocery lists far longer than they are useful.

We keep newspapers / children’s daily school work / magazines long after they’ve been read.

We keep papers out of habit, because they started out as “important”, but now they are just old news.

We want to hold on to our papers for “just-in-case”.  HOWEVER, You can purge your papers if:

  • The information exists somewhere else (medical records or on-line banking information);
  • The information is not pertinent to you (flyers for activities that don’t interest you or past events)
  • Purging the paper will have minimal consequences (who reads the privacy notices from credit card companies?)
  • You can’t imagine when or why anyone would ask for that information (utility bills or grocery bills from more than a few months ago, account information from long closed accounts, etc).

We name our files the wrong things, if we even name them at all:

Never name a file Miscellaneous.  Ever.  Either a paper is necessary enough to warrant a file named for it, or it isn’t important and it needs to go.  If you have a “Misc.” file, perhaps it could be more aptly named….:

  • marketing ideas
  • Action Papers
  • general credit / banking information
  • Work To Do
  • You choose…. But make it meaningful.  Name your files, name your papers and get to work.

We have barriers to filing, either real or imagined.  They may include:

  1. Non-existent filing systems (your important papers don’t have a final “Away” in your home or office).
  2. Antiquated filing system (what worked 20 years ago doesn’t anymore).
  3. Physically inconvenient filing: perhaps the file cabinets are under other things, or in a remote corner of your home or office, so papers never get put away, reviewed or purged.
  4. Too-Full file drawers – you have files from 2007, but no room to file the papers from last week.

The solutions are simple: purge the clutter, move the file cabinets, purge or shred the unneeded content.

Most of us don’t maintain our papers often enough.

I know that sounds scary.  As though I am telling you that you have to find more time to work on your papers – ahhhhh!!

But remember, I just told you how to keep a lot less.  Really, we just need to perform maintenance more often but for less time total.  Five to 10 minutes a day to:

  •          Open today’s mail;
  •          Shred today’s shredding (a few pages);
  •          Toss the recycling (a few pages);
  •          Pay this week’s bills (once a week);
  •          Enter a few items into your calendar; and
  •          File the few papers that you actually need to keep.

So, to the lady at the gas station and to you, try one of these ideas this week, and you are not alone in your struggles with paper management!

Strategic Planning: My March Marching Orders

I’m working on my Strategic Plan this week, and you should, too.

My 2014 so far:

January:  snow; back-to-school and holiday wrap up; Get Organized Month, presentations and new clients; busy family life.

February: snow; my son’s Confirmation and the associated preparations, sacramental and otherwise; my Dad’s illness and the travel and planning associated (he’s better now); and busy family life.

These are all good things.  I’ve been focusing on details and getting things done, and that’s great.  But now I need to check my Big Picture, and make sure I’m looking at the right details and getting the right things done, plus plot my personal and professional path for the next couple of months.   Onward March!!

What and where:  Strategic planning is a useful activity to help us see the Big Picture, and determine:

  • What we’re doing;
  • where we are;
  • where we are actually going;
  • where we are should be heading;
  • where other people around us are going, and
  • what we have at our disposal to get us where we want to go, either personally or professionally.

There are often times when we just need to move forward, but only after we know where “forward” is, since we wouldn’t want to charge off a metaphorical or actual cliff…

When: 

I am a planner.  So trust me when I say, “Don’t Spend Too Much Time Planning”.  We can over-analyze and over-plan, leading to Analysis Paralysis and getting “stuck”.

Never Let Planning Take the Place of Action.

Regularly review your Plan and make sure you are still on the right path, doing the right things, moving towards the right goal.  I discussed this topic with my husband recently, and he mentioned that his department’s implementing weekly meetings, for everyone to check in on work flow plus elements of their strategic plan.

I can’t tell you the right percentage of time to spend time in planning.  It is necessary, but so is doing your actual work!  So make time for both!

Why and How:

  1. Strategic Planning takes the view from 30,000 feet.  Focusing solely on details for long periods of time stresses me out.  The closer we look at something, often the less we see.  So backing up, and looking at an overview gives us perspective and a break.  For example, looking ahead perhaps I see a conference coming up in April – I can note that, and start preliminary planning or book my travel plans, but I certainly don’t need to start packing.
  2. It always feels better to have a plan.  Most of us don’t like feeling out of control.  I understand the benefits of planning for events and the unexpected.  And just because sometimes things don’t go as planned, they often do.  And the act of planning is invaluable.  “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable”.  Dwight D. Eisenhower
  3. Strategic Planning elevates the mundane, and gives purpose to our actions.  When we look at the Big Picture, we seen that our every-day work is part of something bigger and grander.  Hope is a huge motivator!
  4. Strategic Planning helps us recognize and allocate resources.  My biggest resource challenge right now is my own time.  I have ideas and energy to spare, but a busy schedule to manage.  I wouldn’t want it any other way.  But it means I have to allocate my most valuable resource very carefully.  Which leads me to ….
  5. Priorities: I have 7 index cards sitting here on my desk, with one word written on each, representing my main priorities.  Knowing that time is my most valuable resource, any new requests on my time have to fit in of those priorities, or the answer is “No, thanks”.
  6. Master To-Do List:  My master To-Do List is not the same as my Strategic Plan.  The Plan has broad categories and steps, and the To-Do List a very detailed list of tasks.  I couldn’t have one without the other.  My Strategic Plan dictates my tasks, and having my Master To-Do List ensures that work gets done, because it collects tasks and ideas for 4 or 6 months down the road, so the Plan and the List rely on each other.

This is a very broad topic, and I’ve given you a lot to think about today.  I have taken entire college courses on similar subjects, so I know Strategic Planning can feel a little overwhelming.  But invest some time this week on your Strategic Plan.  Gain perspective, look ahead, cultivate some hope, elevate your “everyday”.  Time well spent, I promise!

Less Searching, More TIme, Less Dirt, More Focus? Must be Clean Off Your Computer Day!

Today is “Clean Off Your Computer Day”, designated by savvy IT people to clean old files off your computer – Embrace it!  I am a PC user, and not familiar with Mac, but some suggestions are universal, so read on for ideas to make your system work better for you!

Here are my suggestions:

  1. Grab a note book.  These types of projects generate a lot of other to-do items.
  2. Clean up your actual computer:
    1. Turn off and unplug (if possible) everything.
    2. Locate and wipe off your computer’s fan(s).  My IT guy says this very important step is often neglected, and skipping it can hamper computer performance.  Keep your computer area de-cluttered to maintain good airflow.
    3. Grab your can of compressed air, and blow out your keyboard.  It’s amazing (and disgusting) what lands in there.
    4. Since everything is turned OFF, with an ALMOST DRY antibacterial wipe, wipe down your keyboard and mouse. I said ALMOST DRY, so if you do this wrong and screw up your electronics, I have 100s of witnesses who read “ALMOST DRY” and who know I am not responsible.  Let everything dry completely.
    5. With a DRY and clean microfiber cloth, wipe off your screen.
    6. Since the compressed air is going to blow stuff around, use a slightly wetter wipe and wipe down your work area.  It’s typically a very germy place.
  3. I often get asked:  HOW DO I WIPE AN OLD COMPUTER SO I CAN RECYCLE IT?
    1. Every computer is different, so run a google search on “How do I remove the hard drive from xxxxxxxxxxx (brand and type of computer)”.  You will receive an instant answer involving a screwdriver and about 20 minutes of your time, and perhaps even links to you-tube videos to walk you through the process.
    2. Once the hard drive is removed, google E-Waste recycling in your area and get rid of the old computers, monitors and printers.  Many towns have permanent drop sites for such things as old computers and printers, TVs and almost anything else with a cord.
  4. Storage:  Back up, back up, back up.  External hard drive or cloud, take your pick.  This will be a blog for another day.  Just know you should be backing up your computer.
  5. Manage Your Hard Drive Better:
    1. Operating systems are getting cleverer with their search capabilities, but you can still save time by setting up your system better now to find things later.
    2. When you search for something, sort documents in your hard drive in reverse chronological order, all the time.  Click on the “Date modified” column on your Documents Library page until your most recently used documents are listed at the top.
    3. DO NOT just have one large folder with everything in it.  Just thinking about that idea makes me cringe.  A single cluttered directory makes finding anything very frustrating.
    4. Use Naming Conventions and subdirectories when you save your folders and documents.  For example, my business subdirectory contains a folder called “Presentations”.  Within that folder, I have subfolders for each type of presentation I give (so, Time Management, Kitchen and Menu Planning, Paper Management, etc.).  Within those folders, I have the actual presentation notes, but also the Handouts associated with the presentation, all starting with HO plus the presentation name, so I know which is which.  I use similar rules for naming other things, too, to quickly find files when I need them.
    5. My IT guy saves his documents first to large folders per Application.  For example, he has both a C:Excel and C:Word folder.  He suggests this strategy helps him find things faster.  Within those very broad “type” names, he then breaks down his files into categories.
    6. My saving method is categorical.  For example, I volunteer with Cub Scouts, Choir and Baptismal Prep Ministry.  Each of these important-to-me categories has its own sub-folder in my main drive, with a folder for each year or project, again to help me find my files quickly.

My clean-out-your-computer day activity may be deleting any documents more than 2 years old, or within category folders if those categories no longer pertinent (for example, “completed clients from 2012 and before”, etc.).  Clearing computer clutter will help you save time and focus more clearly.  What will your clean-out your-computer day activity look like?

As Maggie Says, Now There’s More Room to Dance!

Last week, I talked to two clients about productivity and time management.  Both are struggling to get more done, personally and professionally.  These high-performing individuals, Bob and Sue, have systems in place to take care of their personal and professional tasks.  But they, and we, often get distracted from maintaining those systems.

Sue, one of these two wonderful, productive and hard-working people, went so far as to say she was “lazy’.

I have a problem with the word ‘lazy’. Actually, it makes me cringe.  I never assume a person is lazy, but I think we all lack motivation, focus or a plan sometimes.  And I try to be more positive.  No, dear client and dear readers, you’re not lazy.  What is more likely is that life got in the way, as it often does, of being productive.  So let’s talk MAINTENANCE!!!

We have systems, we know what we “should” do, to move ourselves and our homes and our careers forward.  But we often get caught up in survival mode, and forget about taking a little time once or twice a day or week, to get back to the small tasks that helps us maintain order in our lives.  Bob has great time management tools that he’s used successfully (time blocking, face to face communications, email strategies), but he has fallen away from using them with some office changes this month.  Re-committing to proven, effective strategies is a lot easier than coming up with new strategies!

I got a wonderful email today from Sue about her maintenance efforts over the weekend with her family.  She said I could quote her, and since she says it best, I will!

“’Maintenance isn’t happening’ is a kind way of saying we’re lazy.  It’s true, and we’re teaching the kids bad habits by our example.  My new mindset is to keep removing the clutter, even if it’s in little steps.

Yesterday…I set a timer and cleaned for about 1.5 hours, giving us enough time to get ready for church and not be late.  After Mass we played in the snow, and then I cleaned the living room.  I met family for dinner around 3 pm, then came home and cleaned the dining room.  Hubby got rid of stuff while I was gone and Maggie worked at her stuff too.  Little pieces of cleaning made ALL the difference in my world yesterday.  Instead of complaining, I worked the problem until it was finished.  … We still need systems in a few areas, but there were more pressing jobs that needed done first, like getting cleaned up and cleared out so that we can start fresh habits from clean and organized spaces. 

I’ve decided to get to work, with Maggie working at my side.  Hubby tackles 1 or 2 small jobs before he goes to work each day because I know that works for him.  Weeknights are full with full time work, dinner and homework, so weekends work best for me for Maintenance.  I really took to heart your comments about finding out what day / time works best to deal with household maintenance chores and embrace it.  It’s ok to not go gang-busters during the week, but maintenance must be done during the time that’s been assigned to it.

You certainly got me rethinking my shredding/recycling locations while I was cleaning/de-cluttering my first floor.  Plus, after we took out the leaves in the dining room and put away the extra chairs, it was amazing at how much larger the space was…even Maggie noticed and said it was more room for her to dance in. 

 We just did some redecorating… the next job is getting some new area rugs, but the best part is seeing the space when it’s clean and clutter free with enough room for us to dance.  It’s so calming when it’s like that and because I know this, I know it’s up to all of us to keep it that way.  Doing even little things each day with help us all live better, less stressful lives.”  (Thanks, S!!!)

Indeed.

Working with a client yesterday, I mentioned this week’s blog topic.  We had just cleared out her large coat closet and entry way, and restored order.  We hung up things that had fallen, set aside things to be dropped off with errands and donations, and generally maintained the organization we had established on previous visits.  We agreed that she knew what she “should” do, but had just fallen behind on actually doing it.  We cleared clutter, and indeed, Maggie, Now There is More Room To Dance!

More SnowDay Organizing Projects – Kids can Help, and Have Fun, too!

Oh, for goodness sake, another snow day.  Well actually, a Cold Day.  Bitter wind chills, blizzard force winds and new snow overnight. I understand the caution, truly I do.  So, despite having an 18- day Christmas break, and a three-day weekend last weekend, here we are with more days all together in the house.

If you, like me, are wondering how to get a few things done and still have fun with your kids, can I suggest a few organizing projects? The following projects are useful, quick, kid-friendly and should require no new items to be purchased, since it’s too cold to leave the house.

Clean out your pantry / cabinets: 

Little kids can help pull everything out, and sort like items with like (for example, even a 3-year-old can sort cans of different types of veggies by the picture on the front).  Have school-age kids who can read help you determine expiration dates, and toss all the expired or stale stuff.   Talk about service and charity with your kids, and set aside a bag of items to donate to your local food pantry.

Bake some cookies with the random bits of whatever you may find (in my cabinets, 3 bags of pretzels, a partial bag of white chocolate chips and some left over candy canes are inspiring creativity in me!).  Make a large pot of soup with what you find, and leave it simmering on the stove all day to humidify the air and make the house smell good.  You could really get creative, and have your kids plan this week’s menu with you, based on the current contents of your kitchen.

Clean out under your sinks. 

Bathroom?  Kitchen?  Laundry room?  The process is the same, regardless of what room you are working in!

Pull everything out, wipe everything down.  Combine partial bottles of similar items (I often find 4 or more partial bottles of dish soap, body wash or shampoo under client sinks!).  Use containers you have on hand (kitchen storage containers or plastic baskets) to corral small items and keep them from getting lost.

Consider how many of certain items you really need.  Kitchen sink – how many plastic shopping bags?  Bathroom – how many partial / sample / hotel bottles of anything?  Yep, combine and then recycle.

Clean out the Freezer:  Here’s a link to the project:  June, 2011 Kid Convenience And Nutrition in My Clean Freezer!

     The kids can help, though you may want to be the one pulling everything out so little hands don’t freeze!  Everyone can help sort, you can purge or plan the next meal based on what you find.  I want to make my own bread crumbs, and I know there are some neglected ends of bread loaves I can start with!

Review and Purge the bookshelves:

We just did this a few days ago and it’s a great project to do with your kids.

Put all the books together (meaning, collect them from around the room / house if necessary), and sort what you have.  Consider your child’s reading levels, and purge the books that are too young for them (keep some treasured keepsakes, of course, but not too many).  We have some more shelves to review, but we already have a bag of books set aside for our young cousins, and one bag to donate to the local library.

Put Things AWAY.

Have you been waiting for the right time to finally put xxxx, yyyyy or zzzz way?  Well, guess what?  Today is that day.  Per my friends on Facebook, many of you may have the following things to put away:

  • Recycling
  • Business cards and Christmas greeting card envelopes, to update your contact list
  • Socks to finally get matched up
  • Home / personal paper filing, recipes and paperwork
  • The last few Christmas decorations that you took down last weekend
  • DVDs / Wii games to put back in cases
  • Photos!  Every seems to have photos to print / use / put away / scrapbook / file
  • Shoe clutter by the back door, as well as weeks worth of hats / gloves / sweatshirts / etc.
  • Business receipts to file
  • Cords and connectors
  • Kitchen counter clutter
  • craft items of every description!

Today is that day!  Set a timer, and spend half an hour just putting stuff AWAY!  OR longer – again, with another snow day, you all have the time!

So, stay warm, relax and hang out in your jammies, if you’d like.  And spend a little time creating order in your home with your family members.  Today is the day!

Organize Your Home’s Smallest And Hardest Working Space!

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Let’s face it – we spend a lot of time in the bathroom.  So it makes sense to spend time this week improving that very hard working space!  A client recently asked for suggestions to improve her bathroom.  Her questions focused on towel storage / drying, clothes and general space allocation.  Here are my answers to her, and to you:

Towels:

Any place you can add more towel rods / racks would be a bonus.  And consider how to stack the rods on the wall:  for example, hanging them 3 and 5 feet from the floor – the bottom one for long towels and the top one for hand towels or wash clothes.  You can use one wall for more than one rod.

I have also seen over-the-shower-rod / shower-door racks for towels, if your tub / shower have either of those.  Also, if space permits, you could use a free-standing coat rack outside the bathroom door for your towels, too.  The air flow outside the bathroom may be better for drying anyway.

In addition, I did some research last summer when the towels in my hubby’s bathroom were getting decidedly musty.  The experts say we can re-use towels for a few days, instead of using them only once, but we should wash them every 3 or 4 uses, so twice a week, typically.

Clean-ish Clothes (worn, but can be worn again):

I would suggest an Ish-hook, maybe two.  An “ish”-hook, you ask?  An “ish” hook is for clean-“ish” clothes that can be worn again.  We all have those items (for me, jeans and yoga pants), often tossed on a chair, bedpost or in a heap.

Consider a hook or two, again at varying heights if that would help, for pants and tops.  You can also designate a small amount of rod space and / or shelf space for your clean-ish clothes, and both would work.  I prefer the over-the-door hooks, but if that won’t work in your space, the rod and shelf should help.

Command Products make great hooks that are reasonably priced and require no tools for installation, so you can add a few here and there to see what will work for you.  You could even mount them directly on a door, if the over-the-door items don’t work.

Personal Hygiene Supplies:

Pare down your bathroom contents to your essentials.  The bathroom is typically the smallest room, after all.  Keep only current personal hygiene items in the bathroom.  More importantly, use up items completely and keep less in inventory!

Check expiration dates and purge old stuff.  Consider the seasons:  Winter time?  Store sunscreen and bug spray somewhere else.  Also, review items and determine if they’re expired to your current life.  For example – we had a bin of bath-toys under the sink, but as soon as my youngest started taking showers, the toys went away.  Another example is the drastic hair change I made last year: almost all my styling supplies left the bathroom- either into the trashcan, or into a bin on the top shelf of our linen closet.

Cleaning:

Pare down your cleaning supplies, keep only one or two multi-purpose items at hand and store the rest elsewhere.  If your linen closet is in your bathroom, remember the universal tips of storing large single items on high shelves and using clear over-the-door shoe racks for small items.

Spend a little time this week organizing your bathroom, and reap big rewards!

Little Pieces, Friends. Little Pieces.

I must have been really good this year, because my wonderful husband bought me a new laptop for Christmas.  Seems to me he is the Good One!  Especially considering he also is the one who will switch everything over to the new one and make sure everything is running just right.  He really is the best.

He started working on it first thing this morning, so I did not do my typical get up early / have coffee / plow through emails routine like I usually do.  And after a weekend of travel and yesterday’s oral surgery for my son, let me admit – my email inboxes were full to overflowing.  Now they are mostly cleared out, after 20 minutes of ruthless purging.  Whew.

But I realized the myriad of email subject lines about the New Year / lose weight / work more / donate money / get organized / etc. can be overwhelming.  And I looked at my own to-do list, which is also a bit overwhelming.  And the words that were echoing my head through all of that were “Little Pieces”.

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 Little pieces, my friends, make up the greater big picture.  Take heart.  We can make progress in leaps and bounds.  Today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this year.  Absolutely!   There Are No Limits To Our Greatness!  But it all starts with little pieces.  Changing the world can seem overwhelming, but changing one little thing, one little piece – yes, I can do that.  And so can you.

In 2014, I will post lots of articles, I’m sure, but this week’s article is the first of many focusing on little projects that have big results.  Happy New Year, friends!

Little Pieces: Paper Management to Fix My Dinner Dilemma

To sum up the article you are about to read:Image

  1. Create paper management systems that work for you, and look at them critically once in a while to make sure they are still working;
  2. Regular maintenance is key to the success of any system;
  3. Binders are a great way to store papers that you plan to use again;
  4. Look critically at your practices regularly, and be open and willing to change; and
  5. Imagine different ways that new technology can make your life easier or solve a problem

Some of you may stop there, and that’s fine.  But read on for the rest of the story….

It’s almost 2014.  And my personal resolutions revolve around healthier eating for my family, and getting fit.  So I admit to you, instead of writing my blog, I really want to clean up / clear out my recipe binder. My recipe binder project is a study in good paper management

There are a few motivators working here:

  • I just placed a 3 month order for my awesome nutritional supplements (Reliv, ask me about them!)
  • I also just signed up for a “Figure Friendly Freezer Meal Party” in January
  • I need to menu plan for the next two weeks now that we’re done traveling and hosting parties
    I plowed through my reading pile over the weekend while traveling, and have a pile of new recipes
  • I have a backlog of recipes to try

I read a couple of magazines regularly, pulling out the recipes to use later.  There seems to be so much promise, so much hope and happiness in those shiny pictures in a magazine.  Years ago, I created a binder to keep my favorite recipes close at hand.  My binder is separated into categories that work for me and my family – favorites, appetizers, main dishes, baking, sides and salads.  When I collect recipes from my magazines, I tuck them in the front pocket of the binder.  When I feel like trying something new, I pick one out and we try it.  If my family likes it, I’ll file it in the right category area.  If they don’t, I’ll toss it.  I have purged the occasional cook book, too, when I go back to it for only one recipe repeatedly.  I’ll tear the page out or make a copy in my printer, and purge the cookbook.

So here are the problems I am facing:

  • The front pocket has gotten very full, and I have more to add.
  • There are recipes that have been in the pocket for months and even years, and I have yet to try them.  Which means they no longer appeal to me, and probably never will.
  • I am turning over a new, healthier leaf and many of the backlog recipes don’t fit that vision.
  • I sometimes collect recipes on-line now.

So, this evening or tomorrow, I will spend an hour and

  1. Re-file all the favorites that we’ve pulled out over the holidays (recipes for our favorite holiday cookie recipes, sugared walnuts, and a lovely sauce for our Christmas roast
  2. Grab a sheet protector, put two new soup recipes we’ve tried and loved into it, and add it to the binder.
  3. Look very critically at this weekend’s new pile and the handful of recipes in the front pocket, and ask myself some questions.  Such as:  Is it just too complicated?  Does it contain ingredients I can not pronounce or easily find at my regular grocery stores?  Will my family turn up their collective noses?  Is it healthy?  Do I already have a recipe that is very similar?  Can I find the recipe again on-line?
  4. Start “collecting” more recipes on-line, bookmarking the pages and adding a link to my menu plan spreadsheet so I can find the recipe again when I need it.  An article I read suggested using Evernote (which I love!!) to catalog and organize recipes, too.

What can you spend an hour on this week, a small project, that will reap big rewards?  Imagine, and get to it!  Happy New Year!