Category: Motivation

Time Management and Life Lessons at Cub Scout Camp

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I attended Cub Scout camp last week with my son, 5 othtree editer Cub Scouts and three other parents.  It was a great time, and I learned a lot, including some life lessons we can all learn from:

Keep the “Get Ready List” simple:

Imagine with me:  20 people sharing one “Kaebo” (restroom and shower house).  Now imagine the line to get in and out of the kaebo at 7 am, before our 7:45 am Flag Raising ceremony and breakfast.  Long line, short time frame, short attention spans.

Needless to say, the Get Ready List for the scouts and we leaders was very short.  Get up, get dressed, brush your teeth, use the kaebo if there is time.  That’s it.  Showering, cleaning up and anything else waited until later in the day.  Luckily (or not), personal hygiene is not a huge priority at a camp in the forest for 8-11 year old boys and their leaders.

Simplify your morning.  Keep the Get Ready list short and the directions clear.

Tell them, tell them again, tell them one more time.

You know that really short “Get Ready List”?  It still needs repeating, especially early in the morning and late in the evening.  For scouts, for family, even for co-workers.

Keep your message (whatever it is) simple, and repeat it over and over and over again.

Don’t wait until its time to leave to announce you can’t find something.

Get ready early so that you can spend time searching for lost items.  Planning ahead allows time for searching, whereas announcing for the first time that something is lost as we leave camp does not.  Plus, then your scout leader won’t get a furrowed brow!

Get ready early.  This holds true not only for flashlights and swim trunks, but briefcases and projects as well.

When you have the chance to nap, take a nap.  Same goes for using the washroom.

I loved my little tent in the woods.  My cot was comfortable, and the evenings were cool and great for sleeping bags!  But the cicadas, occasional mosquitoes and rain interfered with our sleep some nights.  A quiet half hour in camp one afternoon afforded the best nap ever, with the sound of the wind in the trees to put me to sleep.  When you can nap, do so.

And did I mention the line at our bathroom door?  We (at least the women) got in the habit of using the nicest Kaebos around camp whenever the opportunities presented themselves.

When you find a teaching moment, teach.

There are lots of really cool teaching moments in life, but especially at Cub Scout camp in a national forest.  Nature, life, character building, life skills, etc.  And luckily, when life’s pace slows down a bit, we can seize teaching moments as they occur, and really connect with each other and ourselves.

Slow down.  Slow way down.

Camp was Monday to Friday, in a national forest.  My car was parked at least half a mile away from our campsite except for move-in and move-out. We walked a lot, everywhere.   had limited wi-fi and cell signal, and no laptop.  We had a consistent and clear routine as our daily schedule, and nothing else on the to-do list.  It was lovely.

I can’t take you all to camp with me, but we can all learn good things about life from my experience.  Let me know which lesson resonates with you the most!

How Will You Declare Your Independence?

I had a fireworks moment this morning, in respect for our Independence Celebration last week!  An article I read recently made a whimsical statement to “declare independence from eating food you don’t like”, like the usual cook-out food, for the 4th of July.  I happen to like traditional 4th of July food, so we trotted out all the favorites: BBQ pulled pork, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and ice cream at a local ice cream place for dessert.  But the article made me smile, and it makes me re-think other things, like what I would declare independence from if given the opportunity.

Then I read a LinkedIn post about a mid-year goal / New Year Resolution check-in.  I really liked that idea, so I ruminated on that for a while.  Then the two ideas collided in my head!  Pow, fireworks, etc!  (ok, not really, but you get the picture…)  So, Time Management ideas for this week…

Back in January, I decided to ask “Why Not?” instead of “Why?” for 2013.  I resolved to Say Yes! to things and people and ideas, in my personal and professional life.  And so far, I have achieved or am making progress on a number of goals for 2013.  So what else do I need to declare independence from?  And how will that allow me to say Yes! to?

Independence from being sedentary. 

Few people who know me would consider me sedentary, but when it comes to formal exercise, I am.  At least I am more sedentary than I would like, or than what is good for me.

How much time and mental energy could I free up if I just went out and exercised like I know I am supposed to?  I would also be declaring independence from pain, tight fitting clothes, sense of failure, cholesterol and cholesterol medicine in the long term, evil prostaglandins, and a host of other things.

And I say Yes to living a healthier, better life.

Independence from our hectic schedule.

This started out as “independence from busy weekends”, but truly, I would like to work on the whole schedule.  I have spent some time this past weekend with wonderful life-long friends.   And the recurring theme of many conversations is how busy and burned out we have become.  My family and I deserve better, as do my friends and their families.

So I will say yes to time for my family and myself with more intentional scheduling. Now, bear with me, this is the declaration of independence from our hectic schedules, but I still have to work out the implementation plan!  Did our founding fathers outline and strategize such things?  I wonder!

Independence from Judgment, of others and of myself.

My internal soundtrack (my own voice inside my head) is often very judgmental.  I make snap judgments of others based on appearances, perceptions, my own state of mind, etc.  And I quickly and harshly judge myself for any slight failing or slip-up.  I usually catch myself, and then try to turn things around, but the negativity exists.  I don’t share or act on the judgments, but they are still there, and they taint my thoughts and my happiness.  So, I will work on being open to others without judging, and also accepting others and myself more readily.

So, now I have shared my Time Management suggestions for this week.  My question to you is “For the second half of 2013, what will you declare your independence from?” Let me know!

Let Me Introduce You To My Hall Closet (aka Linen Closet)

An appealing aspect of class participants coming to my home is the opportunity to look around for organizing ideas. Even my cleaning people mentioned last week that they pick up ideas at my house!  I created a house walking tour for the classes I host here.

I spent time in two different linen closets last week (I really do have the coolest job), so I’d like to share the tour with you, starting with the Linen Closet (aka the Hall closet).

First of all, I don’t call our linen closet a linen closet.  I call it the hall closet, because there are no linens and only a few towels in it.  We keep our bed linens in our bedrooms, where we use them.  There are only 2 extra sets of towels in the closet, because really, how many extra sets would we possibly need?  The kids’ towels are on hooks on their bedrooms, I use the ones in the bathroom, and there are 2 extra sets in the downstairs bathroom, in addition to those my hubby uses daily.  I do laundry regularly, so we don’t need to keep more than an extra set or two.  Paring down the towels certainly cuts the closet clutter!

I have one set of cleaning supplies for most of the house.  There is extra dish and Imagedishwasher detergent under the kitchen sink, but almost everything else is corralled in the hall closet into a portable caddy and a clear oblong bucket.  The caddy contains my regular cleaning supplies, and I carry it from room to room with me when I clean.  The bucket holds special items like leather and carpet cleaner, and the bottles of concentrates that I purchase then mix with water to make my own supplies (love my Melaleuca!!).

Moving down the shelves, we come to our hygiene and wellness shelf.  I have two Imagesquare baskets side by side that hold the bottles and supplies that usually roll around linen closets, getting lost or in the way.  One basket holds our toiletry inventory.  I take advantage of sales for our toiletries, buying multi packs of body wash, deodorant, bar soap, toothpaste, chapsticks, etc.  When someone runs out of an item, they check the basket to see what we have in stock.

The other basket holds our medicine and first aid supplies.  It’s safer to store medicine in the hallway and not in the hot steamy bathroom, and we don’t use them often, anyway.  And when my kids were younger, the medicine basket was on a much higher and safer shelf.  When someone is feeling poorly, with a cold for example, the cough medicine, throat drops and vapo-rub are all together in one location.

The very top shelf holds items rarely used, like heating pads or beach towels.  I move the beach towels down to a lower shelf for the summer.  And the bottom shelf holds Imagepaper towel, toilet paper, tissue and paper cup inventory.  There is more TP in a drawer in the bathroom, but we have more storage room for large packages out in the hall closet.  No once can ever say they can’t find a box of tissues or extra paper towels.

And finally, on the floor is the communal laundry basket, so no one can ever say they couldn’t put their stuff in the laundry basket, either!!!

One area of untapped closet storage space is the door.   If you find you need more storage, you could use an over-the-door shoe rack and stash toiletries or first aid items in the pockets.  I have also seen long table linens hung on over-the-door towel racks for wrinkle-free storage.

So, if we were touring your linen closet, which type of item causes the most clutter?  Towels?  Cleaning supplies, paper goods, bottles of shampoo, band-aids?  You decide, and try one of the tips above to eliminate the clutter and make the most of your linen closet!

Boost Summer Productivity with Tech and Routines

my portable office

my portable office

My sons are home with me this week since school has ended for the summer and activities are just starting up.  And while I really like my family, they are quite fabulous, the schedule changes and having them home with me in my office threaten my professional and personal productivity.

The lure is strong, to ditch my computer and take everyone out to lunch, or go on an adventure, or curl up on the couch and watch movies with them.  Also, the interruptions increase, which is a small price to pay for being with my family, but again, those interruptions damage my focus and make simple tasks take way too long, or not get done at all.

So….. what is a working parent to do? A dear client last week suggested that I get a desk that folds out of my van, so I can work anywhere.  I like the image of folding out a desk, but I already can work from anywhere, thanks to cool technological tools.  Here are some of my ideas, maybe they will work for you, too!

  1. Know what is in your in-box.  I have been making a conscious decision to check my work email on my smart phone while I am leaving a client appointment or meeting, instead of waiting to get home.  This may seem like another distraction, but I actually find it beneficial to my focus, deleting unneeded messages right away and spending some of my commute time mentally preparing for the work waiting for me when I get home.
  2. Make your office portable.  I take my IPad everywhere.  I can write up client notes and send them right away, instead of having to wait to get home to compose, edit and send the notes. I also added duplicate apps to my IPhone and IPad, like WordPress for managing my blog, Paypal for invoicing clients, and Evernote for sharing documents among all my devices.  We traveled this past weekend and I took just the IPad instead of my laptop.  I had everything I needed for work and for fun (downloaded movies and my Kindle App) right at my fingertips.
  3. Make it easy to manage and receive your money.  I have been using Paypal a lot lately for my client billing, which shortens the wait between completing client hours and payment – awesome!
  4. Go Paperless.  I cancelled my PO box in May, which may seem trivial to you, but for me it is huge!  I’ve had that PO box since I started my business!  However, steadily over the last 12 months, I have moved my correspondence to strictly on-line so that I could let go of the PO box, with its added expense and maintenance.  In addition, I receive some monthly publications on my IPad now, instead of in print.  My office is not yet Paperless, a goal for 2013, but I am one step closer.
  5. Share the calendar.  I am slowly warming up to the idea of sharing our family calendar online, through google calendars or a similar platform.  I figure summer is the time to decide, before the school schedules start up again in August.

Routines:

  1. Get up early.  I am still getting up before 6 am.  I heard a quote recently, something about how you never hear about the hero of the story sleeping in and taking it easy!  So, I get up and enjoy a very productive 60-90 minutes before my boys get up.
  2. Shave your head (or not!!).  I shaved my head back in March for a fundraiser, and it has taught me a lot (a blog for another day).  It seems extreme, I know, and I am NOT recommending that anyone should shave their head just to save time in the morning, but it is remarkable how much time this change has opened up!  Are there parts of your daily routines that you can streamline for summer?
  3. Maintain your focus.  I am so grateful for my accountability partner, especially right now.  Most summers, I struggle to get even the basics done some day.  With the focus that comes from accountability, I feel I am still moving forward on professional goals despite the summer urge to slack!.

So, what will you try this week to streamline your work and increase your productivity this summer?  Give one of these ideas a try, or share one of your own, I would love to hear it!

Seven Family Summer Survival Strategies

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Driving home from a client appointment last week, I had some time to think big ideas.  I felt that I should be dreaming up this week’s blog article topic, but I really wanted to map out my plan for making this summer fun and relaxing, and productive, too, for all the members of my household.

I had a light-bulb moment on the Tri-State tollway – I put the two together!  So let me share ideas that work for us always, and also a few new ones that I’m trying this summer!

Seven Family Summer Survival Strategies:

  1. Have everyone stick with Morning Routines (personal maintenance).  Regardless of when I, the little guy or my teenagers get out of bed, our routines remain the same: Get up, shower, have breakfast, make your bed, put your dirty clothes away, brush your teeth.  No matter when we wake up or what is on the schedule, these tasks need to be completed before we head out for the day.
  2. Stay on top of home maintenance.  Laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning. You can pare down some work for summer, but these household tasks are essential.  And since my kids are capable and available, they are going to help.  Which leads me to……
  3. Chore Assignments:  Make and post a schedule of activities and chores.  We have never used chore charts and my boys are too old to earn stars or treats, but the assignments are essential.  I just created a dry erase board (made a template in MS Word, slipped it in a plastic page protector), with blocks for each child’s activities and chores for the day (including food prep like grate cheese or peel carrots, mow grass, clean basement, vacuum, take out trash / recycling, pack, put laundry away, unload dishwasher, dust bedroom).  I’ll write this up and post it daily, so even if I am off to work when the teenagers get out of bed, they will know their expectations for the day.
  4. Lay some ground rules, or remind everyone what they are.  For example:
    • No company when mom and dad aren’t home, but we are open to company       otherwise.
    • No TV before noon.
    • Basic hygiene still applies, no matter when you wake up.
    • Be home by 5:30.  HOME by, not leaving your friends house by, 5:30.
    • Cell phones and tech gadgets still get turned in at 10 pm.  Non-negotiable.
  5. Lay your own ground rules.  Mine include:
    • Maintain 5:30-7 am productivity hour.
    • Abandon TV viewing altogether, until I conquer my reading pile.
    • Walk every evening with my husband.  Relaxing and fun, and good for us both!
  6. Re-work your menu planning for summer.
    • We will stock our breakfast menu planning items (go to http://colleencpo.wordpress.com/category/meal-planning-kitchen-organzing/ for more ideas), since we do have early activities to get to this summer in the morning.
    • We eat lunch at home during the summer.  No school hot lunches for the next few months.  So I asked my sons for input, into what they want on-hand for their lunches.  I stocked up on sandwich ingredients, cut fruit and veggies, chips and leftovers.  Thankfully, these are all things the boys can make for themselves or each other.
    • We eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, thanks to my local farmers market.
    • In an effort to keep the house cool, I rely heavily on my crock pot and grill during the summer.  If I have to turn on the oven, I will make 2 or 3 items all at once (like bake cookies, bread and potatoes), to make the most of the hot oven!
    • May was ridiculously busy with after-school and evening activities.  I am just looking forward to cooking, and eating together as a family more consistently!
  7. Slow down and Have Fun!  We had a number of activities and tasks to complete this past weekend, but we also had some unstructured personal time, and it was lovely.  In addition, we’re all making our list of things we want to go and do this summer, like road trips, movies, adventures and hikes, and favorite ice cream haunts!

So, spend some time this week working on your plan to make your family’s summer great, too!

“If I Had A Nickel…” Getting Buy-In From Your Family

If I had a nickel for every time I was asked “How do I get my family to get and stay organized?” I’d be rich.  Perhaps you want to get organized, but you feel challenged with young children, your spouse, maybe even aging parents or grown-up children who are still / again living at home.

Remember, please, I am an organizer, not a parenting expert or marriage counselor (as my husband and kids will attest).

We love our family members.  No one is broken, and No one needs fixed.   Each of us has strengths and skill sets.   And sometimes, a family member’s strength is NOT organizing.  Or maintaining systems, or even seeing how their actions or inactions affect others.   BUT, we need to be able to live together in shared space.   So, here are ways to gain cooperation or “Buy-In” from family members (or co-workers, employees, etc):

Determine Your Needs.  Not Wants, but Needs.  We need clothing and shelter, we want nice clothing and a big house.  Stating “Needs” instead of “wants” creates urgency.  For example, I want things to be pretty, but I need things to be organized.  So I am willing to spend effort and money on organizing first, and “pretty” later.  And I live in a house with all men and “pretty” is not a want for them.  So I stick with needs.

Solve a Problem.  Identify specific problems in your household, and how organizing can solve each.  If the problem is “We’re always late”, organizing your time and Launch Pad better could help you be on time.  Focus on one specific challenge.  Resist trying and failing to change everything at once.

Get Clear in Your Own Vision so that you can communicate it to others.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” (Mahatma Gandhi)  Set the example.  This helps us to Speak From Experience, which lends us believability.  Be willing to step up and organize yourself if you are expecting others to get organized, too.

Keep it Simple.  Keep your ideas and message simple, dispassionate and to the point.

Keep it Realistic.  Keep participant ages, skill levels, attention spans, etc. in mind when you ask for assistance.  Strive for little steps in the right direction instead of big global changes.  Also, don’t make organizing look so easy that no one will ever offer to help; or so difficult that no one will ever want to help.

Don’t Tell, Teach.   Remember Organizing is a process, and we often need to teach the process.  No one reads minds.  Lay out each person’s part of the process for them.   I learn more every day, and I do this for a living.  Understand there is a learning curve for all family members.

Use Marketing to sell the Organizing Process:

  1. Make a statement, how every one is going to try this new idea.
  2. Make it a Team Effort.  And let everyone know they are needed.
  3. Express the “Why”:  Why and how everyone will benefit.
  4. State the expectations for everyone.  (And mention that you are only human, and you, too, are feeling your way through these changes).
  5. Offer assistance and resources for your projects and to help others.

Find a Motivator.  Point to something personal, specific or tangible: More money?  Less stress?  Different stuff?   With kids, the motivators could be:

  • A better morning routine will get us out the door and on to activities sooner.
  • Purge and sell your extra toys and games and use the money for a new game system.
  • If we clean out the basement, we can gain a play / recreation room.
  • If we get more organized, we can stop driving Mom crazy. (maybe that is just me…..)
  • If we prove we are responsible in one area, we can get xx or yy privilege.
  • If we plan the menu and put stuff on the shopping list, we get foods we like, and the cabinets are full.
  • Use life transitions, like a new school year or moving from tween to teenager, to motivate change.
  • My boys are growing, as is their understanding of the world around them. We try to do things because sometimes they are just “the right thing to do”.  Recognize motivators can change as people grow.
  • Take advantage of Summer Vacation.  Plan an organizing project per week, and offer a reward upon completion.  E.g., Clean out the garage this morning, play this afternoon.  Work on a new habit or behavior for a week, with a trip to Rainbow Cone at the end.

If you can’t achieve Buy-In, create boundaries.  If a family member is unwilling to participate in the organizing efforts, allow chaos in their own room but not in common space.  And if they can’t keep common space organized, then limit access to that space (this works for kids, not so much for adults!!).

So, be specific about your organizing projects, be a good advertiser for the process, and find creative ways to get your family members involved in the process.  You will gain assistance in the short-term, and a more organized family in the future!

I Learned New Things In My Closet This Week!

I like my clothes, but come Spring I always get the urge to purge old items, put away my winter stuff and buy a few things to green dress with accessories update my closet. I have a few challenges:  I like to look good, but often get stuck in ruts when it comes to daily dressing.  I have great accessories but forget to use them.  And historically, I dislike shopping.  I don’t know what to buy, what fits my body type or what the current styles are. I have gotten better in recent years, but I still find shopping for myself a challenge.

I met with Tamika Price, Wardrobe Coach, last Wednesday doing a “closet audit”.  (www.tamikamariaprice.com , or Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/tamikamartellprice).  I spend a lot of time in other people’s closets, but this is the first time I spent time with someone else working on mine!  As we set up our appointment, Tamika was conscientious and punctual, always plusses in my book.  Plus she is very pleasant to spend time with, and looks great all the time.  I know I’m receiving sound style advice from a stylish person!

In preparation for our appointment, I collected everything, even outerwear and my really dressy items, and brought it all togetherdonate pile for review.  Since the dressy items were out, we looked at those first.  A few items went to the “donate” pile immediately; an old dreary suit, and a full length formal black skirt that I have no business, at 5’2”, wearing … ever.  Everything else stayed, but she recommended getting my favorite formal dress shortened to a more flattering length.  Brilliant!  So I started the “to be altered” pile.

We reviewed tops and jackets next.  Since I shaved my head, I am even more drawn to bold colors.  Pastels wash me out now that there’s no hair to soften the look!  A few weeks ago, I pulled out some light-colored items I no longer find flattering, but I waited to hear from Tamika before I let them go completely.  She showed me how to better accessorize one of them, and the others went to the “donate” pile.  I repurposed a favorite but underutilized jacket as outerwear, and now I leave it and another stylish jacket at the back door to grab as I run out in the morning. And all the while we are reviewing my clothes, Tamika was suggesting ways to wear the items I already have, new and different combinations I had not imagined on my own.  And the suggestions were all awesome!to be altered pile

On to skirts and pants. I have a lot of skirts.  I like them, I look good in them, and I wear them often.  Tamika is very diplomatic and focused.  I lobbied to keep a skirt that she suggested I donate.  Respecting my desire to keep it, she suggested a shorter length and some accessories to improve the look. I also mentioned how much I hate boot-cut pants, and my need for a stylish pair of jeans.  She kept notes on all of my preferences, offered suggestions and noted everything on her checklist / shopping list of essential haves and need- to- buys.

Since our appointment, I have used my wardrobe much better.  I have dug a little deeper in my closet and been more imaginative with my ensembles, using both neglected items and regular items in new ways.  I have put together pieces I would not have thought to before, I wear my accent pieces daily, and I have dressed up a little more for client meetings.skirt with yellow tee

To sum up what I learned this week, or what I already knew but needed reminded of:

  1. Be willing to alter your current clothing items to update a look or better suit your style.
  2. Re-imagine what you have in your closet in new and interesting ways.  Tamika paired a skirt that came as a set with a totally different top for a totally different look.
  3. You probably already have really great items in your closet, you just need to      remember and refresh what you have and use it better.
  4. There are some things you just can’t fix.  Itchy or ill-fitting, items that are stretched out or just not my color, yep – let them go.dressed up gray and green henley

Most surprisingly, at least to me, is that I am really looking forward to shopping soon with Tamika!  I know the basic pieces she has suggested will stretch my clothing choices, and that the new items on the list will give me more options and more shine to my everyday work image.  And instead of dreading my shopping trip, I am optimistic that it will be successful, which is a big change!  I’ll update you after our shopping trip!

You Know Smart, Helpful People. Talk to Them.

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I talk.  A lot.  I strike up conversations with anyone anywhere.  My husband never worries about me being lonely if he takes me to some event because soon enough, I’m chatting with someone.  I meet great people and learn new things all the time.  I don’t talk to people solely for information gathering, but it’s a great side benefit! 

     A client was struggling last week with decision making, and I suggested she gather more information about a particularly important and weighty decision.  Ask the experts.  Talk to people.

     After a personal sharing of parenting struggles last week, a different client said she had never stated these things out loud, and that it is too bad we all don’t talk about these things because we could learn from each other.  Solution?  Talk to people. 

     Recently, a fellow organizer helped me change my NAPO Chicago profile address because I’m eliminating my post office box.  She is considering using a P.O. Box, so she asked why I was letting mine go, and I was happy to answer.  Direct, efficient, weighing opinions and facts – awesome.   

     You know smart and helpful and friendly people.  And if you don’t, well, you probably do, but if you don’t, you know people who know smart, helpful and friendly people.

     We still have to act, of course, in addition to talking, but we can learn a lot from each other if we ask the right people the right questions.  So, talk to people.

Ask Experts.   I don’t know how to set up a limited liability company, but I have a wonderful friend and attorney who does.  I don’t know what authors are popular with young adults, but the nice lady who owns the used book store does.

     I don’t know how to move my porch light to make room for the new awning I want installed, but my friend the electrician does and he’s stopping by later.

     I don’t know if a seller can expect a higher price on their home if they paint inside first, but I have a friend who is both a realtor and a house painter, and he’ll tell me. 

     I don’t know a lot of things, but I do know a lot of people, and they’ll help.  And remember, some suggestions are free and some you have to pay for.  Ask Experts questions, but don’t be a nuisance.

Stretch your mind and stretch your circle:  Sometimes you have to stretch your social circles to broaden your range of answers.  Ask your friends to ask their friends, to stretch outside your usual circle for new insight and ideas.

Talk to people, but consider the source.  Ask for opinions, but recognize that which friends are more negative or positive than others.

Ask for opinions, but be specific.  Your friend may rate a business or experience on criteria other than yours, so ask for specifics to back up a recommendation or referral.  If you are looking for a new physician, specify the type, or your geographical region or insurance provider.  Be specific when you answer questions, too.  I love my pediatrician because he is really good, very close to home and will always make room in his schedule for us.  On the other hand, others might not like that he is quick with his exams and explanations.  So I always tell both sides. 

Talk to yourself.  Yes, I really did just suggest that you talk to yourself.  Some of us are auditory learners, which means we learn by hearing.  When I edit articles or an email, I read the content aloud to determine if I said what I meant to say.  And my family clears the room, like they just did as I edit this article.

     I recently opened up a new business checking account, and had two accounts for a month while the last of the checks cleared the old account.  When I was catching up on my bookkeeping yesterday on Quicken, I struggled for half an hour about how to account for 2 different monthly ending balances, fees paid and reimbursed, etc.  Luckily, I live with a CPA (for whom I am eternally grateful), and I asked him for help.  However, I figured out what I needed to do just by explaining it aloud to him.  Hearing the description of the problem led me to the right solution, while my hubby nodded sagely a lot, and then confirmed that I was correct (which is good, since he’ll have to look at it all again in 10 months at Tax time!!).

     So, if you are struggling this week with decisions or options, look around at the people you know, ask some specific questions, get some new ideas and get talking!

6 Tips to Tweak Your Weekends!

Recently, my brother and my niece conversed on Facebook about their “Thursday Feeling”.  Apparently, many people experience a lift, a “Whew, I’ve almost made it!” feeling on Thursday as they look ahead to the weekend.  I’m not on board yet with their “Thursday Feeling”.  Improving our weekends is a work-in-progress, so I asked my readers to share thoughts on weekends.

Based on your responses, we would ideally spend our weekends sleeping in, not cleaning the house, accomplishing home projects, playing outside, doing homework (either ours or helping our kids with theirs), shopping, watching movies, relaxing and eating good food and ice cream. Ideally.

Last weekend was just right.  Dinner out on Friday night with family, then an event at church.   Saturday morning, all 5 of us participated in a 5K around our neighborhood, raising money for a local cancer organization.  Then we spent time with my young niece, knocked out an organizing project, took naps and watched movies.  Sunday started with family traditions, then Mass, brunch, and more relaxing.  It was lovely.

In reality, weekends can be hectic and choppy.  Personally, I start out with Cub Scouts on Friday.  We have such a great time, but I am typically in charge of some planning and running our meetings, so when most people are winding down on a Friday, I’m revving up.  Occasionally, I take Saturday clients because that is the only time some of them are available.  Then we, like many of my readers, have multiple sporting or creative events, shuttling the kids here and there, fitting in house cleaning and home projects.  Sundays always start with family and Mass, but may end up filled with work or projects or more commitments.

So how can we tweak our weekends?  Where can we find that Thursday feeling?

  1. Align expectations. Trouble occurs  when I anticipate a lazy weekend, and my husband plans a family day of  yard work.  My teenagers want to sleep until noon, I want bedrooms cleaned by 10 am.  If you share your life with others, make sure to align your expectations with theirs.
  2. Communicate.  A friend shared her family’s weekend strategy with me.  She and her husband have a “meeting” on Saturday morning over coffee to discuss their weekend plans and expectations.  They write down the scheduled events, the need-to-dos and also the hope-to-dos.  She says “It feels good to have a list that we work on TOGETHER”, everybody gets at least a few things accomplished and her family feels better about their weekends.
  3. Don’t schedule too much.  Try to leave some “white space”, as my friend Jan would call it, and choose to relax how you would like.  Be selective when signing up for activities and accepting invitations.
  4. Shop during the week or on-line.  I avoid the mall like the plague every day, but especially on the weekends. Shop during the week when the stores are less crowded.  You can also automate your shopping. I shop on-line with Melaleuca.  I love the household products, but mostly I love that they ship to my house monthly.  I use Reliv as my nutritional supplement. I place my order quarterly and it arrives on my doorstep.  I use Amazon.com for gifts and harder-to-find items.  Less time at actual stores means more time for me and my family, and that is worth any money spent on shipping.
  5. Stick with routines. Schedule at least a few things.  A mother of 4 young sons admitted that she prefers the structure of weekdays.  Everyone seems happier during the week.  Unstructured time is when the kids get rowdy, and sometimes into trouble. Stick with bedtimes and meal times, and I mean all of us, not just the kids!
  6. Find your weekend somewhere else.  Because my weekends tend to be busy and not terribly relaxing, I have worked to find “weekend” time (relaxing and rejuvenating time) during the week.  Every other month or so, I might schedule a massage, or catch a chick flick at the theatre on a weekday (none of the fellows in my house would want to go with me anyway!).

So, what will you try this week to make your weekend better?  How will you promote that “Thursday Feeling”?  Slow down and enjoy!

Productivity Series: Use Accountability to Get Things Done

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(Originally published in 2013)

I work with an accountability partner and want to share how awesome the process has been.  But what is accountability?  An accountability partner?  And how can you benefit from the process?

Accountability means a “responsibility to someone or for some activity” (google).

We’re all interconnected, responsible TO many people.  I’m responsible to my kids and husband, my family, friends and community, and my clients and professional partners.  I am also responsible FOR lots of people and activities for this cast of characters.  They’re important and I take good care of these responsibilities.

I am the person to whom others are accountable.  Personally, for example, my kids are accountable to me to do their chores and their homework, and I’ll certainly tell them if something is left undone.  Professionally, my clients agree to work between appointments towards their organizing goals, and they report to me about how things are going, to ask questions and determine next steps.

As accountable as I am to others, I often ignore my own personal or business deadlines.  I’m the boss, so no one checks on my productivity.  The business is well run, the BIG stuff gets done, my clients are well served and my presentations are completed.  But long-range strategic tasks, important but not urgent, get pushed aside by immediate and urgent issues that come up.  I have lots of ideas, but lack the time or focus to make the ideas a reality.  Those strategic tasks get pushed further down the to-do list.  I needed to create accountability to get these things done.

Think about it – if you know a friend is waiting for you at the gym, you are more likely to exercise.  Or making an appointment for the plumber to fix your sink motivates you to clean the cabinet underneath before he arrives, right?

Enter…. Jan, my accountability partner.  She has experience with accountability partnerships and graciously offered to work with me.  Here is how we work:

  1. Once a week, Jan and I email, skype or meet in person.
  2. We talk for an hour or so, and we each determine 3 goals to work on for the next few weeks.  The goals are complete-able in the 2-week time frame.
  3. During the weekly conversations, we report how we are progressing towards our goals, brainstorm ways to get past blocks that occur, and determine goals for the next two weeks.

The very first step for me was to clean up my very long Business master to-do list.  I deleted duplicate and completed ideas.  Then I sorted the list into short-term ideas, mid-term ideas (1-3 months out), and long-term ideas (3 months – years).  Now I can choose 2 or 3 ideas to complete every two weeks.  This first step was awesome in itself, to help me clear mental clutter and focus on my short- and long-term business goals.

The weekly conversations have been great for keeping me on task and working towards my goals.  I like and respect Jan, and since I have to admit to her my movement or procrastination towards a goal, I make sure to have good things to report!  I keep my weekly goals at the bottom of every day’s to-do list, as a reminder.  We may not make progress daily, but we both admit to looking at and acting on our accountability list the day before our weekly call, to ensure we have progress to report!

An unanticipated benefit of the process is my very clear list of accomplishments from the last 6 weeks.  Just looking at that list motivates me.  In summary, so far I have: tweaked my technology set-up, coordinating my IPad, laptop and IPhone with Evernote and Skype; cleared my DVR cache and created more time to read professional work; cleaned up my banking by updating my checking account and on-line banking for my LLC, and installing a credit card reader on my IPhone.

Don’t let me add to your to-do list!  But, if you find there are important but neglected goals in your life that you REALLY want and need to get to, think about accountability and finding a partner to make things happen!