It Takes Time to Make Time – Tip #1

Business owners have long heard it takes money to make money.  The thought being you have to invest in your business to get ahead.  The same rings true for our time.  It truly takes time to make time.  You have to be willing to invest a little up front to get more out of your time.  Time management has always been a hard pill for most to swallow.  How can you manage something that isn’t tangible?    I look at it more along the lines of there are portions of the day when I wish the time would slow down (late for pick up at school and I am begging the clock not to tick away) or when it seems to go by so slowly (when I arrive early for pick up without something to read or do).  How can we manage ourselves to make sure our time is used wisely?

My next few posts will deal with how to take time to make time.  These aren’t time management tips per se but more organizing ideas will help you to find more time in the long run.

Tip #1  Clean Out Your Closet

We all know, fashion diva or not, what it is like to be in a hurry to get dressed.  It seems like when you are pressed for time nothing looks good, fits or is clean!  Mornings are hard enough, and it seems as though the minutes we have in the morning tick more like seconds.  Having your closet organized can be a great way to find more time in your day.  If you take the time to sort out your clothes, purge what you no longer wear (or fit into) and group the clothes you have left into categories, you will:

• Easily find what you are looking for
• Have clothes that fit and look good ready to put together
• Know what you have and what you need

Who doesn’t want to look good when they walk out the door?  Getting dressed should not occupy that much time in our day, but if you have ever stood in front of your closet and thought, “I have nothing to wear”, you know how fast time can be sucked away.  For ease and convenience, it is important to find clothes that are easy to mix and match.  Think staples and uniforms.

• Choose bottoms and tops that can easily be put together to create a whole new look.  Beware of the hard to match tops and bottoms…you wind up with lots of unworn clothing.
• Choose what you like to wear.  You will always have “go-to” outfits that will be quick and easy to throw on.  These become a “uniform” of sorts.   A child who wears a uniform to school doesn’t have to think before they get dressed!  Why do you think they still exist in schools? – ease and convenience.
• Choose clothing that fits.  Tailor items which almost fit, but need a little adjustment.  If the clothes don’t fit, you won’t wear them!

I also want to include accessories in this tip.  A boring white shirt can be brought back to life with a fabulous necklace.  A plain black dress can look different if you wear different accessories with it every time.  Shoes can transform an outfit from OK to WOW in no time flat.  (no shoe pun intended!)  The same as organizing your clothes, organize your accessories and shoes.  The easier it is to see what you have, the more likely you will wear it.

For more ideas of organizing your closet and accessories check out my other posts:

http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/category/closet-organizing/

http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/category/jewelry-organizing/

Organizing your closet will free up many minutes on a daily basis.  A little hard work upfront will go a long way.  But remember it is an on going process.  A closet is a boundary.  You must limit what goes in.  The one-in-one-out rule is very important to remember when shopping!

I want you all to know that every tip given here is not the only solution to an organizing dilemma.  They are suggestions to help you get started on a path to organization.  No two people are alike and no two spaces are alike.  If you have tried something I have suggested and it doesn’t seem to be a good fit, write a comment and I will try to offer another solution.  By all means, I want you all to have the Fresh Start feeling that organizing gives you.  I am here to help!

Homework Haven – Organizing Your Homework Station

OK, I can’t really say I understand why teachers give so much homework.  I don’t see why children are in school all day long and then are given 2 hours of homework a night.  I guess this is all in preparation for the real world when we take work home with us and are attached to our PDA’s.  None-the-less, I still detest homework, just like I did when I was in school.  Maybe it is my own memories of hours of homework that just make me cringe when I sit my kids down to do theirs.

I have to be honest.  My oldest son will be entering 5th grade and the school he attends starts homework at this grade level.  I know, don’t hate me, but I am freaking out!  My son hated doing his easy reading homework the past two years and his occasional book report threw him over the edge.  This year I am going to be aimed and ready for battling helping him.

First and foremost, I know a good study area is important to keeping the focus on the work assigned.  You may be thinking, she is just starting homework with her son, so what does she know…long story short, we have moved numerous times and we have attended schools that assigned heaps of homework.  His kindergarten had 12 worksheets a week with coloring on each page, enough to send a 5 year old into tears.  I have talked with my son to find where he thinks studying will be best.  He has chosen his room at his desk.  I asked him because I value his input and want him to take ownership in his work.  Whether you have a desk in your child’s room, a place a the kitchen table, a place in the family room or a desk set aside in your office, a space designated for homework is key.  (Hey, I did well laying on my bed, although my wrist suffered from the numerous leaning sessions!)

Once you have found the best location for homework to take place, make sure it is free of clutter and distractions.  Don’t have piles of papers on the kitchen table and expect your child to have great focus.  Also, if working in a room, make sure the toys are kept away from the study area.  Kids will be distracted easily and you can’t expect them to want to do homework when they are surrounded by things they would rather be doing!

After you have cleared the space, stock your study area with the tools they need to get the job done.  Don’t have all your school supplies away from the area, or they will have to get up to get what they need and will lose focus.  If they will need a ruler for homework, keep one in arms reach.  Do they need additional paper, pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, or calculators? When setting up their work area, keep these in stock.  If your child will work in a transitional area (kitchen table) then keep these supplies in a caddy or box so they can bring it with them to work and put it away when they are finished.

Finding the best time to get the homework done is a must in getting the job done efficiently.  If you wait until 8 pm to get started, the kids will be tired and it will be hard for them to focus.  I have found that if you get them right when they get home, they are still in school mode and you can reward them with play time.  This works for me, but may not work for you.  Have your children help decide what is the best time for them to get it done, because if they have ownership in the decision, they will have ownership in the results.  Take into consideration practice schedules and when their neighborhood friends are playing.  If their friends are outside playing while they are working, you will never get your child to focus on their work.  Talk to the neighborhood moms to see if they have a set schedule for homework.

Finally, make sure the area they are work in is comfortable.  Would you want to sit on a hard chair for two hours?  Also, don’t forget they need adequate lighting.  How would you want to be working?  Make sure they are well fed for the energy they need to accomplish their work.  A cranky, hungry child will take longer to get the job done!

I still wish there was no homework assigned, but since I will not have my wish granted this year, I am going to have a great attitude with my child.  I am determined to make it as great an experience as I can so he will not go in with a bad attitude (OK, the bad attitude will be there, but I will try and curb it as best as possible!).

Now What? Organize Your Free Time

I know the back to school dream of the parent.  The one where if you finally have your kids in school full time so you are going to get all the projects left untouched in your home complete.  You may even squeeze in a leisurely bath while you dread anxiously await your lovely children to return.  What to do with all this new found free time?  Then reality kicks in and you realize your dream did not come true as you kiss your kiddos good bye every morning.  You seem to have nothing done at the end of the day.  They come back much sooner then you every imagined.  When did the clock start going from 9:59 am to 3:05 pm?  What happened to all the other minutes?  Now don’t get me wrong, you want your kids to come home, but how can you be excited when all you’ve accomplished is the gym and the grocery store.  The productivity gods are not impressed. 

For those who went from corporate life to stay at home mom, you think “I used to have 8 reports, a conference meeting, pitch 4 new clients and go out to lunch all before 3 pm!  Now I am lucky to get a shower in during the day!”.  How does the day disappear so quickly when you have a the same amount of time that you used to?  There are still only 24 hours in a day, but why do the 24 hours seem to go light speed  now?  It all has to do with managing your day. 

Contemplate:  Think about where your time is allocated to in each day.  Take time to make time.  Look at where you are wasting time.  Now be honest and don’t think you don’t waste time.  We all do it.  You got sucked into the latest status updates on FaceBook, you had a phone conversation with a friend that went way too long, you volunteer for an activity that you dread, you click on a link in an email that starts a web surfing adventure…you see what I mean.  We all waste time.  This isn’t to say you can’t do those things ever, it just means you need to set boundaries to help guide your time.  Also, think about when you work best:  morning, afternoon, evening?  Make sure you know when you can be most productive so you can allocate your time better.

Delegate:  When you worked in an office, you had help.  Whether you had an assistant, a co-worker, or even an employer, you had the opportunity to ask for help.  Why does that seem to be a problem for the stay at home/work from home folks?  You think, I should be able to do this all without the kids around, but really delegation is more important than ever.  You may not get it done the right your way, but you can at least know it is getting done.  Delegation is best for those tasks you tend to procrastinate on or fail to remember to do.  They aren’t getting done because they aren’t a priority.  Pass the buck and get it off your list!  Great people to delegate to:  Husbands, children, house cleaners, neighborhood teens, grandparents, friends, I mean the list is endless!  Just make sure you compensate by doing something back that works in your schedule or with monetary tokens of appreciation! 

Regulate:  Set a regular schedule to get your tasks done.  Look at what normally needs to take place and what you usually do in your week.  Group errands together and group chores around the house together so you are more efficient.  It seems so mundane, but in actuality, it will be so much easier to know what to do and when to do it.  Your family will also know when laundry gets done so they will have what they need ready to be washed (OK, we may still need to check with them and ask repeatedly, but hopefully it is easier than throwing in another chore throughout the week).   

For more tips on Regulating check out my blog post on Automating Your Day :

http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/automate-your-day-clearing-the-mental-clutter/

Manipulate:  I don’t mean be deceitful to others, I mean be flexible with your ideas of time and scheduling.  How can you change things on the calendar to be more efficient.  Does this mean you used to work out in the morning at 9 am and now it will have to be 11 am because  you can accomplish more in the morning around the house?  Can you go to one grocery store instead of 3 or 4?  Or can you grocery shop once a week on a specific day and get all you need for a week instead of running out multiple times?   There are ways to change our habits and become more efficient in the process.

Just say NO:  OK, it doesn’t rhyme, but it is the most important thing to get more done.  Stop doing for others if you aren’t getting things done yourself.  Take a break from volunteering, sign up for the easy jobs in the classroom, don’t attend events you aren’t excited for.  Say no to yourself as well.  Does it have to be done perfectly, or is just OK good enough?  Do you really need to send out elaborate invitations to an all out birthday, or would a small gathering or activity be enough to celebrate?  Think about what you can take off your to-do’s and know it is OK to say NO.

Don’t let interruptions get you down!  This can be the worst culprit of time stealing and an unproductive day.  Can you turn off the phones, turn off the email reminders, turn off the TV and don’t answer the door for two hours a day?  Can you see friends in the store and let them know you will give them a call later, but you must get going?  Avoiding the interruptions can make you a speed machine in no time!

Once you have readjusted your schedule, delegated tasks, said no, and limit interruptions, you will be on your way to a taking those bubble baths and maybe even a leisurely nap!  Well, really, you just might feel a little less frantic and a little more mellow.  Also, you will be ready to focus on the kids when they walk back through the door!

Dream Weaver – Organizing your Ideas and Thoughts

I feel like a mental drain has been attached to my brain.  I am in the process of updating my website and blog. I have had this WordPress blog for over a year and wanted a more custom look.  I wanted my blog to stand out!  I love to look at blogs with style.  I wanted that!  I  found a great designer who only designed on Blogger, so not knowing much of anything, I moved my blog (www.afreshstarttheblog.blogspot.com).  I LOVE the design but was uncomfortable on Blogger.  I am not saying Blogger is bad, I am just more familiar with WordPress and this change has been tough!   I have decided Iwill be moving my blog back to WordPress and my website, too!   This process will take time. (Ugh, patience is not my strongest asset!)   I am hiring a designer to handle both the Blog and Website, since again, I want a more custom feel.  I have learned that I am NOT good at digital design…no matter how hard I try! 

In the process of this change, I have found a lot about organizing ”ideas”.   This has been a challenge because you don’t physically see and touch these ideas floating in your head.  How do you organize something that isn’t physically here?   But really, if you don’t organize them, they will get lost in your mental clutter!  I have been wasting time trying to make these changes because I didn’t have a game plan in place.  I was just searching for ideas, but not placing the ideas I have or found in an organized home!

My project has been critiquing my website and blog, as well as other websites in and out of my industry.  I have been making notes, printing of pages for likes and dislikes, and thinking about what I want from my site.  I found that my designer really helped guide me in organizing my thoughts.  His questions helped me to understand what I should be looking for as well as how to help guide him in understanding what I want.  I have had a file of “Web Ideas” filling up for months now as I have been getting ready to take the plunge.  I had a cluttered file of ideas and no real master plan as to what to do with it.    I wound up sorting through my papers and creating a chart of what I like and dislike about each site I have visited.  This helped me to articulate what I wanted.  I had a clear path to the finish line!

I have many clients who have this same problem with ideas they want to do with their home projects.  Whether it is remodeling, redecorating or a dream home file, they have all these ideas (scraps of papers, magazine clippings, photos, catalogue pages) all stuffed into one file with no rhyme or reason.  I work with them on creating a binder or accordion file folder to keep their “ideas” in an organized manner.  If using a binder, we use page protectors and dividers (easily found in discount stores or office supply stores).  I personally like the binder because you can flip through the pages, remove things you no longer like, add to each section and protect the pages as you look at them.  Use the dividers to break the “ideas” project binder down into bite size pieces.  For example, you may be renovating a kitchen.  You would want to break it down by counters, cabinetry, appliances, decorative accents, paint colors, fixtures and flooring.  One thing I realized in my project is that you need a way to communicate to others what you really like, by showing them what you don’t like.  I really have found it helpful in guiding me to what I want!

What project are you working on that could use an idea binder?  We would love to hear what it is and how organizing your ideas will benefit your project!  Leave us a comment.

Resources

These companies have been a blessing to my company and I want to share them with you!

A Red Bench

Are you interested in taking your organizing career to the next level? Check this team of dynamo’s out – your business will grow exponentially.
http://www.aredbench.com/

Bliss

Looking for a great web-based home & life information management system. This covers you from your calendar to your recipes, and everything in between. (And it looks great, too!)
http://www.myblis.com/


Clearly Noted

Are you a professional organizer looking for inspirational cards to send your clients? You will be amazed at these cards and they can customized them to your logo/branding. A must have for your business.
http://www.clearlynoted.com/


The Container Store

Looking for organization products to put the finishing touches on your projects? This is the mother load of organization products!
http://www.thecontainerstore.com/

Collectify

Have you created a Home Inventory? Are you protected? Collectify will help get your Home Inventory completed in no time!
http://www.collectify.com/

Eight Crazy Design

Eight Crazy Design strives to create blog and twitter template designs that tell the world who your are and what you want to say. Blog fashion for everyone!
www.eightcrazydesign.com

Inner Peace

Women all over the world are raving about the Inner Peace for your Inner Purse™ purse organizer! Why carry an unattractive organizer purse when you can carry any purse and be fabulously organized! Organize your purse the way YOU want with this Modular Purse Organizer System. Don’t settle for a pre-arranged purse organizer insert when you can beautifully customize your own Inner Purse!
http://www.innerpurse.com/cmd.php?af=981631

Natalie Moser Photography

Natalie has a flair for photography. She will make you feel comfortable and relaxed to capture your most natural look. Not just photographs, but true art. You will fall in love with her work!
http://www.nataliemoserphotography.com/

Organized A to Z

Another fabulous resource for organizing products! Look for their sales – they have great products for great prices.
http://www.organizedatoz.com/

Scan Digital

Are you buried in photos, you know the ones stored in every top shelf of your closet? Send them to be scanned and organized in no time at all!
http://www.scandigital.com/

Self Growth

Looking for articles and advice on self improvement? Self Growth is the encyclopedia on self improvement with information from experts in numerous fields, including Health, Psychology and Organizing!
http://www.selfgrowth.com/

Looking for More Together Time With Organization

What image comes to mind when you think of spending time with family?  Is it interaction and conversation?  Is it fun activities or relaxing vacations?  What we think of and what actually takes place can be so very different.  We are so busy with technology, work, school and activities that we actually could be in the same house, yet we don’t spend any time together.  No wonder families feel so disconnected!

Oprah (yes again, an Oprah topic) recently had on families who were taking part in a “What Can You Live Without” Experiment, Part II.  She profiled two families and followed up one single mother from Part I.  All families were living with excess, both physical items and activities.  One family spent time together in the home by adjourning to their prospective space (bedroom, recliner, office) where they would thrive on technology.  The computer, video games, cell phones and TV were high priorities to the family.   They were so “busy”  with their gadgets they didn’t have time to spend together.  They would text each other in the house to talk, instead of walking to the other room to talk.   Technology can be a helpful tool and entertaining, but it can also suck up your valuable time like a Dyson vacuum. 

The other family showcased wasn’t spending quality time together either.  The biggest complaint was that mom was busy working and would come home late from work.  As the episode went on, you could see home much this hurt the children.  They lost themselves in iPods and video games, and ignored the underlining problems.  They also bought in excess and never really thought twice about it.  To show a portion of their excess, they pared down their pantry.  The excess food was purged and brought to a food bank.  The family had an eye opening experience of what it would be like to not have food in their home.  The family was changed for the good.   Possibly the problem was the parents were working so hard to give their children so much, but never realized what the children really needed – more together time!

What is getting in the way of your family spending time together?  Are you really achieving your goals or are you chasing your tail?  Is what you do in your daily life bringing you closer to your goals, in balance with your values?  Are you living in excess?  If reading these questions make you stop and think that there needs to be some change in your life, relax and know it can be done.

Through organizing you can clear the excess and clutter in your home.  The organizing process helps you to realize what you actually need in your home and what is truly excess.  This doesn’t mean you get rid of everything and live in a tent.  This means you live with what you need and use to function in your life.  Now, that isn’t permission to keep everything.  Really decide what you use and need.  All the “stuff” can occupy your time; having to maintain, clean and care for it all. 

In order to organize clearly, you need to prioritize.  What  are your goals?  What is important to you?  Where is your time wasted?  Are you busy checking email and not checking in on your children’s life?  We all think we are using our time wisely, but we tend to waste our time on matters that don’t line up with our priorities.  Really look at your schedule and see what is unnecessary.  Also, look to see what you can delegate and purge in order to realign your time with what is important to you.

Are you getting Together Time?  How do you spend quality time with your family?   Where can you improve?  Let us know and get the support from those who know what you are going through.  We would love to be on your journey with you.

Visit my website for more tips on organizing.

 

 

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Evaluate your magazine subscriptions. Even a great deal on magazines will still be a waste of money if you don’t have time to read them. There are only so many hours in a day!

Love the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred for a fast and effective 20 minute workout. Look for the DVD set at Target or at www.excercisetv.tv. Now you have no excuse, everyone can find 20 minutes a day to excercise.

Have a Smooth Flowing Christmas Day

For as long as I can remember, there have been stories of parents staying up all night finishing up last minute details for Christmas Day.   In our home we typically attend our Christmas Eve church service, have a nice family dinner, and read Twas the Night Before Christmas to the kids.   Then we get the cookies, milk and reindeer food laid out by the fire place.  Needless to say, we are busy.  The kids are up later than we want (have you tried to put your kids to bed early on Christmas Eve?) which means the last details for You Know Whoto have come need to wait until it is truly a Silent Night!   Trying to wrap all your gifts, build toys and bikes, get things ready for breakfast the next morning, and all the other details you put into your day can really make a to-do list as long as Santa’s.

A few ways to make your Christmas filled with special memories of peace and calm instead of exhaustion and stress is to prepare as early as you can. 

1. Wrap gifts and have them labeled in advance.  I will say that I don’t do this for all the gifts because I like to use gift bags.  If I make the gifts bags in advance they don’t work into my hiding spots and will get crushed.  I will wrap the gifts from the North Pole in special paper and hide those.  The gift bags are easy to throw together at the last minute.  You will be able to put these gifts under the tree in record time.
2. Outsource when you can.  Do you have grandparent who can put the bike together ahead of time?  Do you have a neighbor who can help you store your gifts?  Do you have a babysitter looking for extra money who can wrap gifts for you?  Are others coming to breakfast or dinner?  You can ask others to help contribute to your feast with a potluck format.
3. Check to see what gifts need batteries and have the stock of batteries there when you open the gifts.  You never know what toy or electronic will need a fresh set. 
4. Have your camera and video camera ready for action.  If you still you a 35 mm camera, have plenty of film available.  If you are digital, make sure that your memory card is empty and available to fill up with fun Christmas memories.  Also, make sure your batteries are charged or that you have spare batteries available.  There is nothing worse than getting the camera out at the last minute and it won’t work.
5. Have a scissors, screw drivers (both flat and Phillip’s), and a box cutter to open packages and install the batteries.  I have found a new gadget that is so helpful in opening the plastic packages that are a struggle to open.  You know the ones that are formed around the package and are impossible to open?  The gadget is called the iSlice.  I found mine at the check out of Michael’s craft store.  You can find it at www.islice.com. 
6. Have trash bags on hand.  This will keep the mess down and have room for playing with all the new gifts.  Also, have a container to put gift bags, bows, or any other reusable wrapping for another time. 
7. Have paper and pen available to take notes on who gave you what gifts.  You will have a much easier time writing thank yous when you have the list available.  The kids can power through gifts faster than the speed of light and it is very hard to keep track of who gave what gifts. 
8. Prepare your breakfast items the day before.  Sausage and egg souffle casseroles, coffee cake, donuts and other yummy favorites are easy to make ahead and heat in the morning.  Trying to make pancakes and waffles may be more of a mess than you want amongst the other activities.  But if this is a must for your family, make the batter in advance (store it in the refrigerator) and have the pans or waffle iron laid out and ready to go.  Have the serving pieces laid out and the table set the day before to make coming to the table to eat a breeze.
9. If you are having a Christmas dinner, do the same as above and try and get as much done in advance as you can.  Rethink what you serve on Christmas.  I know many who have lasagna instead of turkey.  Just because your family did the same meal every year doesn’t mean you need to do the same.   You can create a fabulous meal in advance and not spend the day in the kitchen after the gifts are open. 

The whole point of Christmas is to spend time together.  It is not about the gifts, it is not about the elaborate display, and it is not about spending the day in the kitchen.  Plan ahead so you will be able to enjoy this special day with your family.  If you are up late the night before, you will be exhausted and cranky.  If you are running around during the day unorganized and unprepared, everyone will feel the tension which makes for a stressed out family day. 

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.  For those who celebrate other religious celebrations at this time of year, I wish you a wonderful holiday season.  Next week I will be writing on New Year’s resolutions.  I look forward to hearing comments on any thing you and your family do to help keep your Christmas and holiday season Merry and Bright!!!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

Don’t Forget the Milk…

The more we are cramming into our schedules it seems like the more we forget.  It is a vicious cycle that we can’t seem to break.  When we forget to do something we have to go back and do it or we disappoint someone in the process.  I was talking to a group of women last week about this very problem.  We were supposed to make food for our women’s group and bring an ornament for a gift exchange.  This was two more items on the Wednesday to-do list than normal.  Not only did most of these women have these two additional tasks, but their children also had a project due at school that morning.  With the craziness of the additional items, almost every woman forgot something.  One woman even had to leave the group and go home, get her daughters project and then go to her school.  They all had the consensus they needed to have a note stapled to their forehead so they wouldn’t forget things. 

I know when things are more crazy and more is expected of or from me, the more I have on my mind.  My mind does not magically grow when there is more on my mind, so things become forgotten.  I tried so many ways to not forget things, from calendars to post it notes, but still from time to time there were things that were forgotten.  Through trial and error, I have found some tried and true ways to insure I have my act together. 

1.  Organize my home.  The whole point of organizing is not to have your home look sterile and unlived in.  The point is to be able to find what we are looking for quickly and efficiently.  If you have clutter (unnecessary items) it gets in the way of what you need.  It becomes obstacles in the way of efficiency. 

2.  Plan ahead.  I look to the week ahead to remind me of what is going on.  If I have to bring food for an event, I plan something that I can purchase in advance and quickly make.  I add this to my grocery list the week before.  My family knows what is off limits and will not eat or open the food.  I also think ahead for days that will be a little more chaotic than normal.  I may try and get up a few minutes early that day in order to keep ahead of myself.  I don’t recommend cutting back on sleep, so I try and make sure I go to bed that night a little early too. 

3.  Calendar.  I put everything in my calendar.  From my dogs’ flea medicine schedule, to making a blog entry, to grocery shopping and working out.  I schedule my day and keep a schedule of my “chores” for the week.  Keeping a routine of  activities helps me to know when I am supposed to do something without having to think about it.  This helps keep my head clear and allows me to focus on other things.

4.  Reminders.  If something is not routine, I will forget it.  If it is not written down, I will forget it.  If it is not in front of me, I will forget it.  I have learned to add reminders to my Outlook calendar that will sync to my phone.  This sends me a reminder in advance to the time I have set.  For the most part have it set to 15 minutes prior, if  it is something I am somewhat accustomed to.  If  it is something I have set so far in advance (like a dentist appointment I set 6 months prior) I will set the reminder for 1 day prior.  If you do not have Microsoft Outlook, most e-mail accounts (gmail, hotmail, yahoo) have a calendar.  The best part is that you can access it from any location.  You can print off the calendar and have a paper version if you prefer that format.  You will be able to schedule reminders in these calendars too.  If you don’t want to stray from your paper calendar you can use an on-line service that will send you reminders.  One service I have found to be easy and convenient is Jott.com.  Jott.com will send you e-mail reminders, as well as text messages and voice mails.  You will have no excuse to forget anything! 

Check out www.jott.com for more information.

5.  Lay things out.  Set out items that you need for the next day.  If you are taking in your drycleaning, put the drycleaning in your car.  If you have mail to bring to the post office, put it in the car.  I know so many people who forget something even though it is by the door to go out.  If you are in a hurry, you can’t focus on the bag by the door and there it is left at home and you are on your way without it! 

I know how angry I can be when I forget something.  I know I disappoint myself or someone else.  There are times when it is not a big deal, but I know how precious my time is and the time of those who are counting on me.   I hope these tricks that work for me will help you out and keep you from stapling notes to your forehead!

If you would like more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now