Crossroads

                              (photocourtesy of tiverylucky/freedigitalphotos.net)

To decide is to walk facing forward with nary a crick in your neck from 

looking back at the crossroads.

 ~Betsy Cañas Garmon~

I am at a crossroads.  There are decisions that have to be made.  Crossroads are scary and exciting at the same time.  You feel like you are jumping off a cliff into the great unknown and not sure if you are going to have a parachute or not.

As a Christian, I place my hope in God who will provide the direction I need and will, if I am willing to listen, direct my steps. Sometimes, even though I believe God has my best interest at heart, I'm not sure I want to go through the essential tough parts of life to become the person I am designed to be.  I just want the path to be easy and obstacle free.  

I am at a crossroads.  I have to decide.
Indecision is not an option.

Thankfully I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt,
all will be well - no matter what.  

The Smartphone To Do List

(Apple.com)

I have an IPHONE 4 so I do not have the latest and greatest of all things techie.  I do like my IPHONE 4 because it does what I need it to do but I am sure it will do more.

I have used several things on the IPHONE that I love but today I will focus on To Do Lists that are available for most Smartphones since I promised a follow up blog to my To Do List post (declutterbugnc.blogspot.com).
 I am going to admit I am still and paper list girl.  In a survey of all To Do List people, it was found that about 1/2 of the population is still paper To Do List people.  Really, I am a combo, since my calendar is housed on my IPHONE, but essentially, my daily tasks and grocery lists are on paper. 

Having confessed that, I do have good information about Apps for To Do Lists on Smartphones. As a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO for short and yes, there is such an organization and it is really big and worldwide), I have access to a lot of different organizers and information that keeps me up to date on many of the APPS on smartphones that are working well.  So, below, I am listing 7 Techie To Do Lists recommended by smart, sharp organizers around the world.  

Some of these Apps are free, some are free but have premium services for an extra fee and others have a monthly or annual fee.  Some are a bit more complicated and detailed than others so look carefully at what your real needs are in a To Do List and stay away from bells and whistles that you don't need or won't use. I have linked each of these to their website; just click on the APP name. 


1.  Todoist.com

2.  Things

3.  Rememberthemilk.com

4.  Priorities

5.  Nozbe.com

6.  Toodledo.com

7.  MiniMaList

Take a few minutes, find out which one might work for you and try it out.  I just might, too! 

Time Sucker Neutralizers

Yesterday's blog covered the subject of time suckers.....those sneaky little critters that stealthily come in and suck time out of our day and leave confusion and devastation in their wake!

Today we are going to "re-cover" the time suckers and I'll give you some ideas of how to keep them from attacking and destroying your day.

1.  Computer - As I sit here writing this blog, I have seen 3 e-mails come in and 4 notifications pop up on Facebook, in separate tabs I have open.  A smart time sucker neutralizing tactic is to turn all the other tabs off or open your work in another browser.  It is easy to get distracted by all those pings, dings and notification numbers popping up so turn them off!  When you get ready to do anything on the computer, set a timer, have a plan and pay attention to meanderings into unplanned territory.

2.  Phone - Voicemail is a beautiful thing. To manage time suckers, I regularly let my voicemail take messages so I can control when I return calls.  I can  manage my time by calling at a convenient time for me.  If you do happen to end up on the phone, with a chatty friend, make sure you are periodically paying attention to just how much time you are on the phone.
Phones are now just mini computers so turning email, voicemail, text messaging, and other notification noises off, while you are working, is another  important time management strategy. 

3.  TV - The best thing you can do about TV is plan what you are going to watch, when you are going to watch it and how long you are going to watch it. Turning on a TV, without a specific reason and time limit is dangerous time sucker territory.  Infrequently, there are those days that you need to just "veg" in front of mindless entertainment.  That is a great mental health strategy as long as those days are few and far between and you are ready to get up and get moving when the time comes.

4.  Twirling - I explained, in my blog post yesterday, that twirling is moving from one area of your home or office to another area and continuing to find things to do in each area without purpose.  The best neutralizer of twirling is focus.  You have to pay attention when you have lost your focus and head back to your original goal or project.  Sometimes this means talking to yourself or setting some kind of timer to beep so it will be a reminder of where your focus should be.  

5.  People -  This seems cruel to call people time suckers but they can be some of the worst offenders.  Co-workers will consistently interrupt your workflow with little to no regard.  Children, spouses, family and friends will call upon you and demand your time, whether it is convenient for you or not.  Boundaries is the key word here.  Set boundaries.  Your time is just as important as everyone else's time.  Put a sign on your door at work that states whether or not you are available.  Let your spouse, friends and family know that you may not always be available right when they think they need you but will help them, if possible, as soon as possible.  Even young children can be taught to respect your time.  Set a timer and tell them you will give them your attention when the timer dings.  Sometimes this works for spouses, too!!

6.  Perfectionism - I have seen this trait stop people in their tracks.  Projects don't ever get started or completed because someone wants it done perfectly. Excellence should always be our goal.  Giving it our best is the best we can do.  Don't let the unattainable goal of perfectionism get in the way of the attainable goal of excellent completion. 

There it is; the list of antidotes to time sucking.  The best offense is a good defense. Over the next week, pay attention to where your time is going and plan a defensive strategy to help you gain back your control! 

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

 ~Carl Sandburg~

Time Suckers

                               (photo courtesy of stuartmiles/freedigitalphotos.net)

Fact......We all have 24 hours or 1440 minutes or 86400 seconds in day. 

There is no one anywhere that had, has, or will have anymore or any less. 

So what are you doing with your 86400 seconds?

Many times we are in circumstances beyond our control, but more often, than not, we can control much of how we approach our day. 

Here are some things I that I find are time suckers and result in unproductive time during our day. 

1.  Computer - Let's face it.  Many of us read a lot of blogs, look at a lot of Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram and Pinterest.  We sit down to do one quick thing and the next thing we know, 30 minutes or even 2 hours have gone come and gone. 

2.  Phone - Phone conversations with friends are great but sometimes not timely.  Phones can even be mini computers that we spend time playing games or getting involved in social media. 

3.  TV - Oh my.  This can be a total time sucker!  How many hours of TV can you watch in a day or night without really realizing how much time has passed.  With at least a gazillion TV stations at our fingertips, it is easy to channel surf our way into oblivion.  

4.  Twirling - This is a common practice when dealing with my clients.......they twirl.  They start cleaning out a desk drawer, see something that needs to go somewhere else in the house, they go to that spot, they see something in that area that needs attention, they take that somewhere, they see something in that other area of the house that needs attention and this goes on and on and on.  Then at the end of the day, the desk drawer remains cluttered, unorganized and relatively untouched.   Twirling and not being focused will suck time out of productivity.

5.  People - I know that sounds a little harsh and it does not encompass all people all the time.  I am specifically talking about those people that stop by your office for a chat, regardless of what you are doing.  I am talking about those people who use you as their personal water cooler to catch up on the latest and greatest news, sports and office related banter. 

If you work at home, it can be a roommate, spouse or child.  

6.  Perfectionism - Trying to do things perfectly will absolutely suck time out of your day and your life.  No one is saying you should not give any project or task your best but many people will not begin or  move to another task unless perfection can or has been achieved. 

What are your personal time suckers?  Where are you wasting valuable time that would be better spent somewhere else?  
My next blog post will be on how to solve these time sucker problems. 

 "Money, I can only gain or lose. But time I can only lose. So, I must spend it carefully."     - Author Unknown

Follow Through

Following through seems like one of the most natural things in the world to do.  You start something and you finish it but that is not the case with a lot of, if not most people.     Lack of follow through creates enormous problems:    Don't follow through on pursuing healthy lifestyle -  weight gain and sickness Don't follow through on schoolwork -  poor grades Don't follow through at work -  poor results at work and poor work image projected Don't follow through at home -  clutter piles up, frustrations mount and bills go unpaid Don't follow through when disciplining children- disrespectful and unruly children Don't follow through on getting car serviced on time -  greater damage and higher repair costs Don't follow through on backing up digital photos -  computer crashes and photos lost Don't follow through with saving money - crisis hits and you are not prepared Don't follow through on opportunities - opportunity lost

So if all these terrible things are going to happen to us because we don't follow through, then why don't we follow through?   I have found 6 main reasons people fail to finish what they start. 1.  Not paying attention.  Have you ever walked in the house or office, mindlessly set something down and then never went back to do anything with it?  Things begin to pile on top on one another and the next thing you know, you have a mess.   Have you gotten to the end of a day and wondered where your time has gone?   We mindlessly go through a day instead of being deliberate about using our time and energies wisely.  2.  Tired.  I find this to be a huge reason for people not finishing the things they start.  You come home from work or have had a long day with kids and it seems easier to leave the dishes in the sink, the laundry unfolded or not put away, the mail untouched, the magazines unread, the pile of papers left unattended, the groceries not put away, etc. etc. etc.  You get the point.  We are all running and going and doing but the fact of the matter is -if you take those few moments, even when you are tired, to follow through on some of these tasks, you will actually, in the long run, feel less tired and overwhelmed.   3.  Not scheduling time.  Many people have good intentions but never set aside the time to do or complete something they have set out do.   4.  Wrong reason for setting a goal or agreeing to do something.  Many times we say yes to something without thinking it through.  We feel bad for saying no, we feel pressured to say yes, we are doing something because someone else we know is doing it or we are convinced we are the only person that can get it done. 5.  Following through is going to be hard.  There are many things in life that we have to persevere through and many of us just don't want to be bothered.  We want things to be simple, uncomplicated and quick.  We don't want to have to make that unpleasant phone call.  We don't want to take the time to finish something because we have gotten bored.  We don't want to feel some of the uncomfortable emotions or feelings we will feel when we press through.   6.  Forgetting.  Many times we just forget to do something we said we would do; call someone, write a note, make a meal, etc.; we just forgot.  Here are 6 easy steps towards becoming better at follow through.   1. Pay attention to what you are committing yourself to and why. Don't commit to something you don't have passion, time, or energy for. 2. Press On. Pressing on and pressing through are two lessons I have learned the hard way. It is my choice to stop or press on and when I choose to press on, in spite of how I feel, I win every time! It is easier to give up when things are hard but when you press through the hard stuff of life, eventually you will come to breakthrough; you will get to the other side. 3. Be deliberate. When you walk in the door or office, make sure you take those few extra moments to put things where they belong or take 15 minutes to do it at the end of the evening. When you are going through the day, take regular "timeouts" to self-check if you are being deliberate about your day or see if you are mindlessly going through another day. 4. Self-talk. This is one of my strategies to make myself follow through. For some reason I have a problem with unloading the dishwasher. I will start, get bored and leave it with the door open and dishes sitting on the counter. Not sure what that is all about but it just is what it is. I have to talk to myself and tell myself to go back finish it, that it won't take long and it will be worth it. Ridiculous? Maybe but it gets it done and it can work for you. Your brain is telling you something all the time anyway, so why not control some of what it is telling you! 5. Make a note or schedule the time. Put things you need to do on a list of things to do or put it on your calendar. If it doesn't get done, keep moving it to your current to do list until it gets done or your realize it shouldn't be there in the first place. 6. Delegate or get help. Many times we need help completing a task. This can mean you involve family, friends, co-workers or of course your friendly professional organizer! Whoever it is, when it is time to ask for help, by all means, enlist help. Follow through is a habit. When you have the mindset that you don't have to follow through, then most of the time you won't but if you believe that following through is the only option, then most of the time you will.  It is possible to begin to do better at following through......beginning today!

Working Backwards - Time Management

                                         (photo courtesy of danilin/freedigitalphotos.net)

I wanted to give you a few tips on how to get out the door on time, each and every morning.  It involves working backwards.  Work backwards with me, through each step, and you will see how beneficial this can be.  This process requires you being completely honest with yourself about how long it takes you to complete certain tasks.  If you can be honest, you will see marked improvements on getting out the door in a timely and  less frazzled manner.  

If you have children, you need to factor in their getting ready personality into this equation.  I had one child that moved at a snail's pace and the other that moved quickly and efficiently.  Know your kids and know that they are not going to make an about face in their getting ready personality anytime soon! 

The below scenario involves only me getting out the door. 

7.  I have to be a my client's house at 9:00 a.m.

What time do you need to be somewhere?

6.  It takes me 15 minutes of "perfect" driving time to get to her house.  I live in a small town and rarely do we have traffic back ups but if you live in an area of the world that you know has traffic back up potential, I would certainly factor that into my calculations or be checking the traffic report on a regular basis. That means I need to be in my car between 8:40 and 8:43.  

What time do you need to be in the car? 

5.  It takes me 10 minutes to gather everything I need and get them to the car.  This usually involves getting water, coffee, diet coke, snack and any work related items I may need. Therefore, I need to be completely ready to gather these items at 8:28 - 8:30.  

How much time do you need to get everything ready to walk out the door? 

4.  It takes me 20 minutes to shower, dry my hair, do all my morning rituals like applying moisturizer, deodorant, brushing teeth, etc.  I move fast when it comes to this part of the morning because I have short hair and quite frankly don't enjoy standing in front of a mirror that long.  So, that means I need to be in the shower by 8:08 - 8:10. 

How long does your morning getting ready routine take?

3.  It takes me 5 minutes to pick out the clothes I am going to wear and iron them if necessary.  

I need to start picking out and ironing my clothes by a little after 8:00. 

How long does it take you to have your clothes ready and is that something you could do the night before?

2.  It takes me 50 minutes to prepare and eat my breakfast, walk and have my quiet time, therefore this routine needs to begin around 7:10.  

How long do you need to eat, exercise and take a few moments of quiet? 

1.  It takes me about 15 minutes to really wake up.  If the alarm goes off, I am not one to jump immediately out of the bed.  Therefore, I have to factor in waking up time which means the alarm needs to be set for somewhere around 6:45 -6:55.   

What time should your alarm be set?  Do you like to jump up or hit snooze a couple of times?  

So working backwards, I have figured out, in order to walk out the door, in plenty of time, to arrive to my client's house on time, I need to set my alarm for around 6:50.  All of the things I do for me are important for me to do in the morning.  You may not need to do all of these thing but be realistic about what you do have to get done before you walk out the door.  

Working backwards can help you in many time related activities.  Try it out, see if this exercise works for you so you can begin to arrive on time and enjoy less harried days. 

  

Techie Things I Could Not Live Without (Well, Probably I Would Live Without Them But It Would Just Be Hard)

     I am a baby boomer that knows just enough about electronics and technology to be dangerous.  However there are a few "apps" and techie things that I really have grown to rely on to help me be  more efficient in many areas of my life.  I wish I could say I had grown smart enough to know how to get Affiliate payments and get kickbacks on my recommendations, but I just have not had the time to teach myself and have not had the time to learn......but one day!

Here are a few of them and probably the top 4 on my list. 

Google seems a little silly to post here because most everyone is familiar with Google.  The reason I chose Google is simple, it makes me feel smart.  If I want to know if the St. Louis Cardinals won their game the night before, I Google it.  If I want to remember how many ounces are in a pint (yes, sometimes I get that really mixed up), I Google it.  If I want to know the name of the actress in a movie I am watching and I cannot remember her name, what do I do?  Google it.  Google provides me with quick easy answers to help me solve computer problems, find products for my clients, and find out answers to frivolous questions. 

Evernote is really one of my favorite things.  I am sure there are other apps that will do what Evernote does but I just have not found it and do not feel the need to go anywhere else and look.   Evernote is quite simply a place where I can keep up with notes, quotes, websites, ideas, and anything else that, in the past, I would have written on a piece of paper and would have then wondered where I had written that information and on which piece of paper!

Evernote allows me to create different notebooks and sort information into each of those notebooks.  For example, for this Ultimate Blog Challenge, I went to my notebook, Blog Ideas, and saved ideas in that notebook to refer to later.  I have also been saving all of the Ultimate Blog Challenge Blogging Tips to use at a later date, when I run out of my own blogging ideas. 

Evernote makes it incredibly easy to save websites, selections and emails from your computer. Check them out at evernote.com

Carbonite literally saved me many tears, headaches and gnashing of teeth.  I downloaded Carbonite onto an old computer that was beginning to act very whonky. Carbonite saved everything, except videos, of which I had none.  It saved all my documents and my photos and would have saved my music if I had any of that saved but I didn't.  When that old computer took it's last breath I had nothing to fear.  I got my new laptop, signed on to Carbonite and it uploaded everything from the old computer to my new. It did take a couple of days to complete the upload but I could still work on my computer as it was uploading.  Now, each day, Carbonite makes a pass and saves anything on my computer that is new and hasn't been saved to Carbonite.  The best thing is I can see all my documents on my IPHONE, too!  All of this for $60 per year - $5 per month.  So worth the peace of mind, for me. Check them out at carbonite.com

Last of all but not least is Pinterest.  Pinterest is many things to me but basically Pinterest is a big virtual bulletin board.  On my account, I have several bulletin boards broken into categories:  Organizing Ideas, Organizing Products, Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Cleaning, Decorating Ideas, and so forth.  You can check out all my Boards at http://www.pinterest.com/declutterbug/

Pinterest  is a great  reference point for recipes when I have forgotten to write down the ingredients and am sitting in the grocery store stumped.  Pinterest is the place where I get some magnificent organizing ideas.  Pinterest is a place where I see some fashion ideas that I might be able to pull off and lastly Pinterest makes me feel smart, too.  I see some DIY ideas that I would have never thought to attempt but when I see the people on Pinterest taking it on, I feel empowered and inspired.  Check them out at pinterest.com. 

So there you have it.  I hope you find some things you can use and will help you be more efficient, too.  If this baby boomer can figure this stuff out, so can you....so dive in.....the water's fine!