The past two weeks have been super busy both professionally and personally, and in the middle of it all I got a computer virus on my laptop. It was the last thing I needed — on top of a fully booked client schedule, my truck had broken down, my printer died, and my phone shattered. All very important things I need to run my business, and technology was definitely not being my friend.

So after 12 hours of staring at the screen, 4 antivirus downloads, and countless (but very creative) swear words, I was back in business. YAY!

I went back to what I was previously working on — adding website creation for new organizers and small businesses to the list of services on my website, when BAM! My website was hacked. All I could think was how could I possibly offer this service to others when my own site was vulnerable? Sigh…

So I dug in to try to fix it. After another 12 hours of stripping useless hacker code out of my website, I found a text file on my server I didn’t recognize. I opened it, and all it said was, “Silence is golden.”

Silence is golden???
Are you KIDDING me????

Needless to say, I was very angry, and not at all silent about it [insert more creative swear words here]. My already scarce downtime had been wasted on this, and on top of the other expenses I had been hit with that week, I was now going to have to spend my hard earned money on a company to finish cleaning up my website. All because some bored little hacker had nothing better to do than embed some silly code on my site. What was the point???

But, in an effort to find the positive in every negative situation and keep some perspective that stress is only temporary, one of my New Years’ resolutions was to learn how to meditate. And after the week I’d just had, I sure needed it.

So I found a quiet spot, took a few deep breaths, and meditated. And in those quiet moments, a memory floated up of my good friend who attended a workshop where no one was allowed to speak for 6 hours. Although she said it was difficult at first, by the end of the workshop, the quiet had forced her to reflect on her daily life and she emerged with a strong sense of clarity; that she had been spending way too much effort on things that weren’t her true priorities, and they were sucking the life out of her. So when she returned home, she began “cutting the chaff” and saying “no” to the things that drained her.

Saying “no” to things that don’t help you accomplish your ultimate goals in life is a lesson I’d already been coaching my clients on for years. And my friend’s silence, although forced at first, gave her the much needed opportunity to organize her thoughts and priorites, so she could reorganize her life.

Then it hit me…in my silence, thinking about how her silence helped her get organized, I had found my positive in this negative situation and I was no longer angry. The hacker was right — silence IS golden.

Kara Russelo, Professional Organizer at Little Virgo, was featured in Triangle Home Improvement magazine in an article entitled “Back on Track: Staying Organized as you Navigate Major Change.”

Click on the image for a pdf of the article. (NOTE: it’s a bit fuzzy looking in places but legible…)

Business or personal email….it doesn’t matter; there’s always just too much of it. Short of hiring a personal assistant, what can you do? Try these tips to keep you from drowning in email and wasting time bogged down trying to manage your inbox…

1. Get a Spam filter. Lots of companies like MacAffee, Barracuda Networks, and these companies offer software that blocks unwanted emails to leave you with a streamlined inbox.

2. Set up email rules. Emily Parks, owner of Organize for Success recommends putting your email software to work for you by setting up filtering “rules” that allow you to sort by person, subject, importance, keywords and move incoming emails directly into the trash or email subfolders so they avoid hitting your inbox altogether. Here are some instructions on how to set up email rules:

For PC users using Outlook: http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000781.htm
For PC users using Google/Gmail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtaniuBpF6g
For Mac users:
http://www.hosting.com/support/email/create-email-filters-in-mac-os-x-mail–
http://think.stedwards.edu/computerhelp/macmailrulesandfiltering

3. Use an email filtering service. There are companies out there like Sanebox.com and AwayFind.com who, for a nominal fee, will filter, sort, and aggregate your emails so your inbox only receives the truly important ones. They claim you could save about 100 hours a year, and one of my business clients had this to say:

“Sanebox is well worth the low monthly price. I’ve got both my business and personal email accounts on it for about $7/mo. It has been very helpful in cutting down my email clutter so I can focus on the important/urgent ones and get back to the others later. Definitely worth recommending for most casual to medium volume email users. The “aggregation and prioritization” being done for me automatically is extremely productive and Sanebox has been worth it so far.

The only downside is that Sanebox ONLY prioritizes based on sender’s email address… so once you delegate an email from someone as not urgent/not important, it will ALWAYS file any emails from that sender that way. There is no way to prioritize or separate based on subject or any other factors other than sender’s address.

AwayFind.com appears to be much more advanced…and is also a bit pricier.”

This was sent to me by a friend and I thought they were so helpful & clever I had to share them…thanks to thechive.com for the original article.

Use a comb to hold a nail in place
without hammering your fingers.

Too busy to clean? 2 minutes is all you need. Doing any one of the following steps will make a room appear cleaner, but doing all three will really do the trick and won’t take time away from the fun stuff.

Get started using a trash bag, a box or tote bag, and some all purpose cleaning wipes.

1. Eliminate Trash & Gather Clutter. Make a pass through the room starting at the door and working left to right. As you move around the room, put all trash in the trash bag, and gather any items that don’t belong in this room into a box or bag that can be stashed until later or toted to the room(s) where they really live.

 

2. Wipe surfaces. Now that the trash and clutter are gone, focus on the major flat surfaces. Use an all purpose cleaning wipe like Pledge Multi Surface Everyday cleaner, Lysol wipes, or your favorite cleaner on a damp cloth, and quickly wipe the surfaces. The cleaning wipes will leave a fresh scent and any dust and crumbs will be nabbed. When the major surfaces are clean, use the same cloth to spot clean the floor.

 

3. “Froof.” This is my word for gussying up a space. Straighten any knick-knacks & decor, fluff pillows, etc.

In just minutes, you’ll have a fresh, livable space again!

If you’re feeling like there’s too much to do, things are backing up, and there’s just not enough time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and paralyzed. Here are some tips to overcome:

• Gather up the “Action” items. Create a list of all the things you think you have to do — actions to take, bills to pay, phone calls, events, shopping, and anything weighing on your mind. Go down the list and ask yourself “what ACTION needs to be taken on this?” You may find some things are just “mental clutter” and not actionable and can be immediately eliminated.

• Say “No.” Remove extraneous items from your to-do list by writing down your top 5 “life priorities” and if items on your list don’t contribute, immediately scratch them off. Prevent future items from getting on your to do list by practicing this skill.

• Prioritize what’s real. Many times we identify tasks as high priority that really aren’t important and if everything’s marked “urgent”, nothing will get done. So review your to-do’s and be realistic about what’s a high priority.

• Delegate. Sometimes we get caught up thinking we have to do it all ourselves, but if you’re not getting things done the guilt and stress can be all-consuming.

  So realize it’s ok to ask for help from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, or hire someone to help, like an organizer or a virtual assistant like www.TasksEveryday.com. What items can you hand off to keep you focused on the “urgents”?

  Be sure to tell the person you’ve delegated to the order you need things done, and assign deadlines for each task. It’ll prevent any confusion and frustration from either of you and hopefully keep them willing to help in the future.

• Estimate time-to-completion & block time. For truly urgent items you can’t delegate, split them two groups based on how long they will take:

  - “2 minutes or less”
  - “Takes longer to accomplish”

  Then block a hour on your calendar to knock out as many 2 minute items as you can. Set a timer to keep you focused.

  For “takes longer” items, schedule a specific time on your calendar you’ll work on them and just do it.

• Get a “body double.” If you work better with someone else around, ask someone to sit with you for a bit while you work things out.

Then don’t forget to reward yourself when you’re caught up and to express your gratitude to those who helped you.

Perfectionism is ok if you’re an Olympian who’s been training a lifetime for a single flawless performance, but it can be destructive in daily life. So unless you’re training for the Gold, remember that “perfect” is just a goal to work toward, and not a lifestyle choice.

I’m not saying that people shouldn’t work hard or aim high, but when taken to extremes, perfectionism contributes to an overall feeling of never having enough, and of never being satisfied with what you do have. It breeds disappointment for you, and resentment towards you from others when they can’t live up to impossible standards.

I hear many clients express extreme and constant disappointment in many areas in their lives, and find that they regularly employ “all or nothing” thinking like, “If I can’t do it 110% then I won’t do it at all” or, “I feel paralyzed by this stuff and don’t know where to start,” or “I could work for hours but it still wouldn’t make a dent.”

This only creates unhealthy feelings of guilt, depression, and low self-esteem. Often perfectionists fear rejection from others if everything they do doesn’t qualify as sheer genius, and constantly striving for perfection can breed a fear of failure, anxiety, and even contribute to procrastination. All of which can ultimately lead to depression and total immobilization.

So how to overcome perfectionism? Start by vowing to do your “best” (not to be “perfect”) and allow yourself the flexibility for “good enough.” Realize that we’re all in the same boat since no one is perfect. Forgive yourself and others for not being perfect. Recognize that character isn’t developed at the finish line but in your efforts to get there. Reward yourself when you’ve done a good job. Be aware of “grass is greener” thoughts and stop comparing; instead focus on the postive in yourself and others and work towards acceptance.

Want some specific tools to overcome perfectionism? I love this article on LiveStrong.com.

New Years is a great time for a fresh start and setting new goals. But knowing how to keep yourself motivated is a skill you can use year-round. So for those of you whose resolutions are already waning, try these tips to get re-energized and keep on truckin’.

• Remember what you’re working for. Remind yourself of all the good things to come once you reach your goals. Then visualize life beyond the finish line so you don’t lose steam and stop short.

• Prioritize. It’s easy to get overwhelmed if everything seems equally important. So make a list with highest priorities first. Then start working on #1 first and move down the list.

• Identify & eliminate the roadblocks. Ask yourself if an item on your list is really going to help you accomplish your main goals. If not, eliminate it completely. Or if there’s a task you don’t want to do that’s preventing you from moving forward on other items, do it first and get it over with. You’ll be done before you know it and it’ll clear the path to get on with the easy stuff.

• Make goals “bite size.” Break long term goals into smaller, more manageable phases.
  • Be realistic, and give yourself deadlines.
  • For small hands-on tasks, try setting a timer and stopping when it dings so you still get stuff accomplished but won’t burn out or dread it next time.
  • Pick a day and schedule it. Sometimes just knowing when you’ll work on something will keep the guilt at bay.
  • Just get started — tell yourself, “I’ll do one small thing and if I feel like it, I’ll keep going.”

• Do it with a friend. We call it “body doubling” when you get more done just because someone’s there with you. Recognize those times you need someone else around and ask for help.

• Ask someone who inspired you how they did it. Knowing you’re not alone and that what you’re aiming for can be done is very uplifting.

• Find rewards that work for you, then mix & match. Whether it’s allowing time for a hobby, a movie, an ice cream cone, or a walk, make a list of things you can do to celebrate each small success and mix them up so you don’t get bored.

• Track your progress. When you’re feeling particularly unmotivated, take a look back at how far you’ve already come and be proud of yourself for wanting to do something better for yourself.

• Tell someone what you’ve done. Sometimes we just need to hear someone else say “good job.” It’s ok to be proud of what you’re doing and ask for a pat on the back.

• Think positive & lose the excuses. You will get there. Rephrase negative thoughts to focus on how good you’ll feel when you finish.

• Know that this is only temporary. “This too shall pass” is my mom’s mantra in tough times, and she’s right. As usual.

• Ease up. You don’t get points for speed or being perfect, both of which are common paths to burn out. So allow yourself some wiggle room. The ebb & flow is a natural part of any personal growth process, so watch out for “all or nothing” thinking and put small setbacks in perspective. They don’t equal failure.

• Make it fun. Otherwise, what’s the point?

The quickest way to prevent clutter is to stop it at the door. Junk mail services like DMAchoice.org can help, and stopping at the recycling bin on your way in to toss any unwanted mail are a good start.

But once you step foot in the door, here are a few tips to create a “Drop Zone” to help keep items corralled so they don’t get strewn throughout your home as you walk in:

Before:

After:

1. Put a table, rolling cart, shelf or bench near the main door with baskets for: “Incoming” and “Outgoing.”
2. Create “Action Files” with an attractive file box and folders to pre-sort incoming mail into categories: Bills to Pay, To Do, To File, To Read, Contacts, and Coupons.
3. Look for multitaskers like a mirror with hooks on it to “check your look” and hang your keys and sunglasses.
4. Hang large hooks for purses, jackets, umbrellas, book bags, and dog leashes.
5. Shoes can get stored in large baskets, under a bench, or on stackable shoe shelves or cubbies.
6. Add a corkboard, whiteboard, calendar, or notepad by the door so family members can leave messages for each other. Have limited space for hanging? Try Idea Paint — it turns any surface into a whiteboard.
7. Install a purse rack or cap rack for multiple items.

Want help setting up your own “Drop Zone?” Contact us to set one up for you.

Here’s a terrific article with 100 websites and apps you can use to manage your time. It includes things like calendars, notetaking, to-do lists, keyboard shortcuts, time management tracking tools, presentations, and even tools to organize your thoughts and ideas. Enjoy!