Extraordinary Results December Newsletter 2005
7 Steps To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed

>> Personal Note

I had a wonderful time in San Jose, CA a few weeks ago speaking to the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers Fall Conference. I just love meeting other organizers and sharing all the great ideas on how we help people to change their lives. You can visit www.napo.net to see the professional organizers that are in your area.

I’d like to wish you all a happy holiday! What a fun time of year – even here in cold South Dakota!! You can just feel the excitement as everyone is getting ready for the holiday and spending wonderful times with family and friends.

We are going to have all of our children (plus special friends) home and we can’t wait! I’ve started now to freeze some meals and make much larger dishes than normal!

I know that this time of year can also be a time of stress and anxiety. I would urge you to really look at all you have scheduled in December and decide now what is REALLY important and cross off everything else. Sound scary? Perhaps, but you’ll be glad you did.

What about those holiday traditions that you slave over? Does your family really enjoy them? Why don’t you ask them and if they aren’t that thrilled with it anymore – ditch that tradition and start a new one!

Be sure and check out the December issue of Family Circle magazine – I have a holiday tip published!

>> Give the Gift That Gives All Year 'Round!

Why not give someone special in your life the gift that will help them feel better about every aspect of their life? I am committed to helping women feel extraordinary and everyone feels better about themselves when they have their life in control. With the "Organize Your Life Today!" 4-CD set and workbook I can be right with them in their home or office helping them get organized for the New Year!


And, for each set you purchase in December you will receive a special two-pocket apron ($15 value!) just like I use when organizing with a client! The apron is filled with supplies (post-it notes, sharpie, labels, etc.) to use when organizing so you have everything right when you need it. You don’t need to do anything on the Order Form at www.organizeyourlifetoday.com - I will include this unique gift with your order!

 

>> 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Overwhelmed
    (Excerpted from "Organize Your Life Today!")

Do you look at your office or home and feel totally overwhelmed by the clutter, piles, and stuff? Do you wonder where to start? Do you want to run out in terror?!

I know what it’s like to feel like your home or office is totally out of control instead of you being in control. I know that this feeling causes stress and anxiety. And, can make you a not very nice person to live or work with!

There’s hope. I work with overwhelmed people every day and help them get focused, organized, and productive in their home and office. But, you need a plan.

Step 1: Get Ready
Take out your calendar and pick the date you are going to go through your entire home or office. This will take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Have a clean sheet for each room and write the name of the room down on top of each page.

Step 2: Identify the Areas to Organize
Begin at the front door and imagine a big clock imposed on the floor. Choose where you want 12:00 and start there. Now, look around the room clockwise writing down any area that you’re tolerating or that bothers you. Before you leave each room put a * by the area that bothers you the most in each room. Go through each room in the home or office.

Step 3: Prioritize
Take a clean sheet of paper and title it “Priority Form” (or use the forms in "Organize Your Life Today!"). Now, transfer each priority from all the room sheets onto this paper. Look at each area and decide which one you want to tackle first. You may want to pick an easy area to have a quick success story or you may want to pick a large task to get the worst out of the way right away.

Step 4: Choose a Date
Set a date to organize this area and put it in your calendar.

Step 5: Get Ready to Take Action
Look at the task that you’ve chosen to do first and decide what supplies that you’ll need. If needed, break this task down into smaller tasks and number in what order you’ll do them. Write down a reward that you’re going to give yourself when you’re done. Make it a GREAT reward!

Step 6: Do It!
The day is here and you’re ready to get started. Put on some fun music, some comfortable clothes and start organizing the area. Use my S.T.A.R.T. ™ method to get organized:

Sort
Throw
Appoint a Home
Restrict to a Container
Take back Control

Take everything out of the area that you want to organize and S.T.A.R.T. ™ Sort though and decide what belongs there and what doesn’t. Put the items that don’t belong there in a box and bring that away later. You need to stay focused on the area that you are working on. As you’re sorting you’ll also be throwing away items and/or putting in a box for donation or a garage sale. After you’ve sorted through everything whatever is left belongs in that area. You’ve just appointed a home for those items. Now, restrict them to a container if possible. Use baskets in a closet, drawer divider bins in a drawer, etc. to get ‘like’ items together into a container. Step back and look at what you’ve done! You’ve just taken control back of that area of your life and it feels great!

Step 7: Reward, Relax, and Repeat
Well done! Acknowledge yourself and enjoy what you’ve just accomplished and cross this task off your Priority Form. Be sure and enjoy your reward and when ready – tackle the next task!

It’s amazing what happens when you start to get organized in your life. You’re going to feel better about yourself, have increased self confidence, and get so much more done each day. You’ll love getting organized—I guarantee it!

Want detailed step-by-step help and get all the forms you need? Visit www.organizeyourlifetoday.com and start 2006 off organized!

>> Quick Tip

Do you have out of town guests visiting for the holidays? Why not make them an ‘events calendar’?

Use a 3-ring binder and the first page will be the dates they are visiting with the family events planned. Then go to your Chamber of Commerce and city’s web site and print out other events going on that they might want to participate in. Use clear plastic page protectors in the binder to hold brochures and pamphlets of events.

All of the arrivals and departures of family members could be recorded on the calendar, along with flight schedules. You can use mapquest.com to print out directions for the various activities.

>> Computer Tip

Make your own Holiday gift tags at http://holidays.momsnetwork.com/introgifttags.shtml. Print out on your color printer on card stock and you’re good to go!

>> Workshops/Teleclasses

See my workshop schedule at my blog – organizedresults.blogharbor.com.

Start off 2006 Right!!
For those of you in the Sioux Falls, SD area I am presenting my GO Seminar on January 18, 2006 from 9 – noon in the Oak Centre I office complex in Sioux Falls, SD. This workshop is open enrollment and the fee is only $159 which includes a GO System Implementation Packet and the book “Getting Organized”. Since I rarely speak for an open enrollment workshop this is your chance to take advantage of this life-changing seminar.

After attending the workshop you will:

• Improve your ability to focus and concentrate
• Gain more control over your workload
• Never have stacks and piles of paper again!
• Easily and quickly prioritize your workload
• Get more done in less time
• Increase your contribution to the bottom-line results of your organization

To register download the registration form and fax or send to me.

I’m in the process now of booking winter and spring speaking engagements. If your business or organization would like to start off this fall being more focused, organized, and productive please visit the Speaking page on my website. It’s time to make your life easier!