Manage Time

February is Time Management Month. Good grief! Where did the time go? I think it is fitting that time management is celebrated during the shortest month of the year. It is hard enough to get the bills paid and fit in everything that has to be done by the first of the next month when we have a full thirty-one days to do it. But February challenges us to get it done with fewer days--- and we usually squeak by.

Most of us do it by using time management tools. We use these things without even thinking about it. They have become ingrained in our everyday lives to such an extent that we do not even think of them as time management devices. Here are the most helpful time management tools as identified by 200 people in a national survey.

A monthly calendar. Most successful people use a manual or digital calendar that lists appointments and important things to accomplish.

A to-do list. Keeping a list of what is to be accomplished is a good way to keep things from slipping through the cracks. Highly successful people list a date to accomplish the task and often allocate time on their calendar.

Prioritizing. Life becomes overwhelming unless the most important tasks get handled first. Many people have trouble prioritizing. If you are one of them, try this 1-2-3 method. Ask yourself which of the items will result in a bad consequence if it is not handled today. Put a 1 next to those items. Which items will result in a bad consequence if it is not done in the next three days? Put a 2 next to those items. What items will result in a problem if not done in the next week? Put a 3 next to those items. Now tackle the items marked 1 first, 2 second and so on.

Most folks find using just these simple tools allows them to adequately manage time.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitons.net

Making a Little More Time

Have you noticed that most of the New Year’s Resolutions we make require us to find a little extra time to carry them out? Exercising means finding the time to work out. Eating healthier means shopping for groceries and fixing meals, getting organized means finding the time to get the job done.

Investing the time to do the things that make life better takes effort and a firm resolve. There is one activity, however, that yields quick results in lightening our load and gives us more time in the long run. That is taking measures to stop unwanted solicitation by mail and telephone, including wireless.

A few minutes on the telephone or Internet can stop of lot of mail from hitting the mailbox and a keep a lot of solicitors off the phone lines.

Stop prescreened credit card and insurance offers from lists supplied by Equifax, Experian, Innovis and Transunion by contacting www.optoutprescreen.com or calling
1-888-567-8688

Direct Marketing Association (DMA) charges a nominal fee for stopping mail advertisement from companies using lists from or affiliated with DMA. Contact them at www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.hmtl.

Stop unwanted telephone solicitation by contacting the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222. This service excludes calls from charities, political organizations and surveyors, but stops the rest.

Less junk mail to sort and less unwanted telephone calls interrupting the day frees up a little time to do more important things. Who couldn’t use a little more time?

Beverly & Kristen
www.keytransitions.net

Tips for Managing Holiday Gatherings

Getting together with friends and family is one of the joys of the season. It can also be a trial when personalities clash or the event arrives before you are ready. Whether you are hosting the gathering or attending it, here are a few tips to lessen the stress.

Deciding what to wear is one of the great stressors for gals who often plan the wardrobe for the whole family. Make that decision long before the day of the event and hang the entire cleaned and pressed outfit, including underwear and accessories, on one hanger. When it is time to dress, there is no second-guessing, the right underwear is not in the dirty clothes hamper, and you do not have to scramble to find the missing snowflake earring.

When giving a party, be ready a half an hour early. I have never hosted a party when someone did not arrive before the stated start time. If it is a dinner party, have a few help-yourself appetizers set out for the early arrivals to nosh on while you put the finishing touches on the meal and table setting.

Be prepared for an unexpected guest by having a place setting in reserve and a plan in your head for where you will seat the extra guest. Under the best circumstances, no unexpected visitor will show up, but if one does you are prepared and cool as a cucumber as you squeeze him in next to Grandpa.

A hostess gift is a nice gesture, but do not expect the hostess to set out your home baked goods or wine. It is her choice whether to share your gift or save it to enjoy later. I saw a party brought to a standstill last year because a guest insisted that everyone taste his homemade snickerdoodles and peppermint Schnapps, even though the party had a carefully planned Felice Navidad theme. As a guest, follow the host’s lead and let it go his way. As a host, just say “ Thank you for the lovely gift. I am going to certainly enjoy this later.”

Steer clear of confrontation by having a few stock phrases for irritating and disagreeable encounters. Some of them are: “ I can’t say I agree, but what an interesting idea.” or “ Let’s talk about this another time” or “Look, there is Leo. I have been looking for him. Excuse me.” Then go somewhere else quickly.

Planning and preparation are the first to steps to organizing and they are good ways to take stress out of holiday gatherings.

Have a terrific holiday and may all your gatherings be happy ones.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransition.net

Keys to a Happy Holiday

Thanksgiving Day has come and Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza are not far behind.

Here are our suggestions for Keys to a happy holiday:

• Keep it simple. There is enough stress without complicating matters. Simple plans are best.
• Enjoy special moments. Don’t get so caught up in preparation that you neglect to enjoy the present and the presence of those you love.
• Yield to the inevitable. Stuff happens. If you can’t change it, just deal with it and move on.
• Save some time for yourself. Give yourself a break and do something just for you. You will feel less harried and overwhelmed.
  
  Have a happy holiday!
  
  Beverly and Kristen
  www.KeyTransitions.net

Time Organization for the Busy Family

Here are a few hints for managing time with a busy family:

• Post a family schedule where everyone can access it.

• Plan meals weekly and shop once. Consider doing some of your grocery shopping on line. Amazon.com is a good way to shop for staples and have them delivered to your door. Locally, you can order your groceries from Farm Fresh Internet Express (www.Farmfreshsupermarkets.com) and for a small processing fee; they will do your shopping and have it ready for you to pick up. You can even use their Internet Express feature to create your shopping list. It will print up with the items listed by aisle.

• Use a calendar with pockets for birthday cards, appointment reminder cards, etc. Avalanche Publishing (www.Avalanchepub.com) makes many versions that are available direct from the publisher or at Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s and Sam’s Club.
  
  
  Just a few simple timesavers can give you the time you need to get things done.
  
  Beverly & Kristen
  www.KeyTransitions.net

MANAGING TIME AND TECHNOLOGY

Do you e-mail, instant message and text? Are you the type who embraces new technology and finds infinite ways to use it in your work and home life?

Or do you yearn for the days when Blackberry was a fruit and Twitter was the sound made by birds? Do you wonder where all the time went that you were supposed to save through the use of technology?

Technology is only a tool. It can make time management an easier process or it can clog your system for getting things done. You are the key to how well technology supports your management of daily activities.

The truth is nobody really manages time. Time just keeps on ticking away. What we manage are our activities along the time continuum. So we engage in activities that either meet our goals in the time frame we envision, or we engage in activities that use time in ways that do not produce the results we aim for. We are really managing ourselves and what we choose to do. There are a lot of ways to do that and technology can support our efforts.

It is great to be able to find what we need by Internet search rather than driving all over town or even letting our fingers do the walking through the yellow pages. It is great to find our destination through automated directions rather than wandering around strange streets in search of our next stop.

It is not so great to be continuously interrupted by messages on our cell phones or to wade through a mass of e-mail several times a day.

In order to be organized, you have to know the tools you are using, have a plan for their use and remain focused on achieving your goals. If the tools are not working for you, it may be that you do not know how to use the technology, it is not the right technology for the job, or it is just not right for your style of organization. Once you know what the problem is, you can take steps to correct it.

Here are a few hints for handling the most common technology management problems:

• Don’t be a slave to e-mail. Schedule time to review your e-mail twice a day. Turn of the “ping” that tempts you to have a look when new messages arrive. Understand the auto-controls available on your toolbar and use them to manage the mail. When tackling a long list of e-mails after an absence, start with most recent ones first. That will save you time responding to earlier messages about the same subject.

• Put yourself in control of your cell phone. You do not have to respond to every call when it comes in. Caller ID and voice mail allow you to judiciously screen callers so you can respond to those you choose. Assign a recognizable unique ring-tone to individuals who need an immediate response. That might be your child, your spouse, your boss or an emergency call service. In some phones, unique alerts can be applied to text sources as well.

• Keep your PDA current. You cannot be where you need to be on time if the appointment is not listed. You cannot easily call when you are going to be late if the phone number hasn’t been entered. Schedule a designated time for a periodic review of PDA content and/ or uplink to your computer. Schedules may require more frequent review than resource lists. Enter the time for update in your PDA as a regular appointment and take that time to update the information. It is comparable to a carpenter making sure his saw blades are sharpened. Tools don’t work unless you maintain them.

If technology takes more time to use than you save using it, decide if you are willing to gain proficiency. If that is not something you are willing to do, find a low-tech system that works for you. This can be a problem if you are working with a group of techies or living in a high-tech household. When that happens, it is wise to invest time in a little communication and cooperation to reach solutions that work for the group.

Time and technology continue to advance. It takes an organized approach to use them both wisely.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

The Clutter Whisperer

I’ve got clutter and I must clean up!

It started when I got a virus on New Years Eve that lingered for three weeks. When I recovered, I was washed out and easily tired. There was no time to take care of the little things as I caught up with clients, did speaking engagements and checked on a sick mother. The mail went unsorted, dirty clothes piled up and the detritus of living went unattended. In other words, clutter happened. It happened in the way clutter usually happens. Some life event prevented me from performing usual routines that keep me organized.

While I was sick, the only thing that did not hurt was my eyeballs, so I watched television programs I seldom see. On one of them, I became acquainted with Cesar Milan, known as The Dog Whisperer. The psychology he uses to rehabilitate aggressive, scared, lazy, or compulsive dogs struck me as relevant to organizing. During one feverish period I even fancied myself as a “ clutter whisperer” taming piles of unruly items into organized spaces that stayed that way.

The reality is that much of the psychology Milan applies to rehabilitating dogs can be applied to getting organized. In fact, he says he rehabilitates dogs and trains people. That is a true statement for organizers. We rehabilitate spaces but educate and train clients in organizing techniques. There are some other parallels I found interesting. Milan advocates a three-step process of exercise, discipline and affection. My philosophy for organizing is get started, stay focused, and celebrate the successes. Sounds similar to me.

Milan also advocates setting rules, maintaining boundaries and recognizing limitations. All are important concepts in organizing, especially when organizing for groups like families or office staff.

The more I think about it, “clutter whisperer” is a good title. Although clutter is inanimate, it often takes on a life of its own. It causes us no end of trouble and we invest it with a whole host of emotions.

So try a little “Whisper” psychology and see if it tames your mess. Mine is almost back in order. One more day of focused discipline should do it. Then it will be time to celebrate with a little treat for myself. Maybe I will watch the Dog Whisperer.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

You Don’t Have to Be a Natural Born Organizer to Get Organized

Are you a natural born organizer? I am not one of those. I could always manage my time, plan strategically and organize events and projects. But when it came to organizing things and space it was another story.

I was the kid whose mother was always telling her to pick up her toys. I was the teenager who was grounded until her room was straight. I was the employee who was asked to clean up her desk when the big shots were taking a tour. I was the mother who frantically tried to get my home ready for company.

Then one day it hit me. I had learned how to organize my time and put together projects and events from my mother. She was really good at that. She was not so good at organizing spaces, so it is not a skill I absorbed through exposure. Maybe, I thought, it was not too late to gain that skill set.

I was lucky that I married a man who was awful at managing his time but very good at organizing his things. He taught me a lot. My daughter, who inherited her father’s propensity for order, taught me even more. Then I actually took classes and read some books. Amazing! I tried my hand at applying what I learned- and it worked!

It is comforting to know that organization is a thing that can be learned-that we can all attain order in our life if we are willing to adhere to a few easy rules:

• Identify a place to store things near where they are used and put them back after you use them
• Be creative in using space. Utilize wall space and space under furniture.
• Break every project down into manageable steps that lead to your goal.
• If you cannot cram everything into the space available, it is time to get rid of some stuff.
• If you cannot keep it looking tidy, hide in a drawer or behind doors. You will at least create the illusion of order.
• Organization means to arrange to suit one’s self. Adapt your system to who you are. If it works for you, that is all that matters.

If you need a little boost to get started, consider hiring a professional organizer. One of the most important things that a good professional organizer does is transfer knowledge about how to organize. We teach through instruction and example and gentle coaching. Many folks have not had the opportunity to gain the skills to organize various aspects of their lives and the opportunity to work with and observe someone who has the knowledge is all that is needed to get going and get organized for good.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Resolutions Are About Change

You resolved to get organized in 2008. It was New Year’s Eve and everything seemed possible. You have looked at every program on organizing that cable television offers. You have surfed the Internet for expert advice and you have bought books on organizing. Now it is weeks later and you haven’t gotten started. What’s the problem? You have the knowledge, so it is money, time, motivation or vision.

Money is really no excuse, so let’s just get that out of the way. There are creative, inexpensive ways to get organized that cost little or nothing. Some of our favorite organizing tools cost a dollar. There are also many items that already sit in closets and drawers that can be used to create an organized system. Boxes, baskets, crates, paper and plastic bags can be used to compartmentalize items for better access. Just organize within your financial means. Fancy can come later.

The problem of not enough time is a little harder to overcome. Time is limited so you have to eliminate some activity to make time to organize, or you have to become more efficient in using the time you have. Eureka! Isn’t that why you resolved to get organized? So you could be more productive and have more time? No more searching for hours for that important paper that you need. No more missing deadlines for project submissions or paying bills. No more desperate mornings trying to find something to wear and settling for whatever doesn’t need ironing. So setting aside time to organize is an investment that collects dividends of more time. You just have to get motivated to do it.

Lack of motivation is one of the hardest problems to overcome. You may be comfortable with your mess. If you are successful and happy, you may be wary of a change. You may not look forward to having to deal with family members and housemates to maintain a new system. You may suspect that you will fail. There are many theories of change and how to overcome resistance to it. There are too many to go into here, but you may enjoy looking at writings by Kurt Lewin, Tannenbaum and Hanna. or Beckhard and Gleicher

One of our favorite models for personal change is the ADKAR model by Prosci, which outlines the building blocks that individuals must have to be motivated to change
1. Awareness – of why the change is needed
2. Desire – to support and participate in the change
3. Knowledge – of how to change
4. Ability – to implement new skills and behaviors
5. Reinforcement – to sustain the change

You are aware you need to get organized and you want to do it; you made a resolution. You have obtained knowledge about how to change. So the question is do you have the ability to make the change.

We find that many of our clients do not have the ability to envision a system that will work for them and will fit within the time and financial resources that they can devote to getting organized. This is what most frequently keeps them from getting started. If this is the problem, try thinking small. Instead of asking “How do I organize may closet?” ask “How can I get my belts off the closet floor and make them easily accessible?” Small steps that result is small successes are powerful reinforcers for continued movement toward the larger goal.

Sometimes you just have to ask for help. Talk it over with a friend who is successful at organizing or call a professional who will work with you to develop a vision and a plan for achieving it

You may also have physical limitations that interfere with getting the job done, or time commitments that cannot be altered. These are other circumstances in which help from friends or a professional organizer is a good way to achieve your goal.

Resolutions are good things. They help us target personal goals to improve our lives. Keeping the resolution is a matter of finding ways that work for us to implement the change and make it part of our daily lives. Good luck!

As the Cableguy says “get’er done”

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Get Organized for the New Year

Well, another year is at its end and it is time to think about what we will do differently in 2008.

If you have been following our blog, you may remember that I do not make resolutions; I make promises to myself. Last year my promise was to drink more water. I was successful in doing that and lost a few pounds in the process. This year I will promise to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night, something I cannot remember achieving in my lifetime. I have discovered recently that I do function better with adequate rest and the clincher was when I heard that insufficient sleep causes weight gain. I wonder if I sleep more, if I could eat more without getting fat. No such luck!

What does all this have to do with getting organized? Drinking more water was about setting a measurable goal and creating a schedule for achieving it. That is a basic step in completing any project you undertake whether it is cleaning out a garage or organizing your underwear.

Getting more sleep is about time management. I do not plan to stop doing anything I am currently doing to find that extra hour or two of sleep. So I have to be more efficient in the use of my time. Gaining time to do the things that are important to you is one of the great benefits of improving organization.

January has been declared “Get Organized Month”. Pick a project that helps you improve your organization and find some time to do the things that matter.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organizing Projects

For many local students, school starts this week. The rest get to wait until the day after Labor Day to return to the halls of formal education. It will not be long until they are assigned their first project. Whether the subject is reading, or science or social studies, the student is required to plan, organize and meet a deadline. These are important skills that they will use many times when they run their own homes and follow their grown-up careers, but they are seldom taught in school. Some students find ways to get the job done on their own, but most students need to be instructed and guided.

Some professional organizers (like Key Transitions) offer support for project organization and use a wide variety of tools and techniques to allow the individual to be successful in reaching the goal. There are, however, basic steps that can be reiterated every time a student has a project. Repetition of the process will help develop skills needed to accomplish time-sensitive tasks.

1. Establish the begin date and end date of the project.
   
2. State the goal of the project. This sounds easy but can be complicated. Is the goal to read the book or to be able to express in writing the plot and message of the author. The goal is the latter. Reading the book is one of the steps for achieving the goal.
   
3. Create an action list by naming the steps that need to be taken to accomplish the goal and assign target dates to each of the steps.
   
4. Decide what materials are needed to accomplish each step and incorporate acquisition of the objects in the action list.
   
5. Assign responsibility for each action step. Does an adult have to buy materials? Does the student have to obtain soil samples from different locations that require transport by someone else? Is there group cooperation involved or assigned research to be done?
   
6. Review the target dates to make sure the assigned times are realistic and allow the project to be accomplished on time.
   
7. Work the project using the action list as a guide.
   
8. Ask for help when you need it. The list lets you know when you are running into trouble and have to modify your plan.

This process will become second nature after the students have used it several times and found how successful it helps them to become.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net