Secrets to an Organized Closet

June 16, 2016

Does your closet scare you? How long does it take you to find what you are looking for? Are your clothes crammed in tight or is there space between your hangers?
How would I organize my closet, as a professional organizer? Well, I just did my closet last week, so I’ll share my secrets with you.
First, a little advice. These are the 2 magic questions to ask yourself as you go through, or purge, your closet.

Do I use it?
Do I love it?

Anything else needs to go in one of the discard piles.
Materials needed: 1 black trash bag and a white bag, Post-its or paper, a Sharpie, a labeler or plain-old Scotch tape.
Once you gather the materials, you are ready to get started! Here are the steps:

ONE: Decide where you will donate or sell the clothes you discard. I like to give clothing to my favorite thrift store. Think about a women’s crisis center, a community closet or a resale shop close by. Now get 2 different colored trash bags, or even boxes, a sharpie, and some Post-its.

TWO: Take everything from one section of your closet—like all of your blouses–and pile them in a larger space like the bed or the bedroom floor. This gives you space to move and think. I’m a bit claustrophobic, so I prefer the larger room to work in.

THREE: Use the Post-its or some notebook paper to make categories where you will pile clothes.
Categories: Keep * Try on* Donate * Sell * Repair* Trash

FOUR: Sort your clothes by taking each item and making a quick decision about which pile it goes in. Do not think about it too much. Remember to ask yourself the use it/ love it questions if you get stuck.
One of my early clients, about 7 years ago, had an inordinate number of bras. This was inexplicable to me. She had between 20 and 30 bras. They took up an entire drawer in her bureau! I asked her to pick a reasonable number of bras, and then we whittled them down to that number. Then they only took up half of a drawer.

FIVE: Get together with a trusted friend, sister or daughter and give them a fashion show of the things you aren’t sure flatter you. If it doesn’t fit now, release it.
For example, don’t keep boxes full of the size 8 clothes you plan to fit into “someday;” by the time you fit into them they will be out of style and you will want to celebrate by getting new clothes.
Saying goodbye is so hard to do! I have a few skirts I need to take in, which I’ve been meaning to do for about 6 months. I wore them a lot when they fit me, so it’s worth it. I decided to put a Post-it with an expiration date on the hanger. If I don’t alter the skirts by Thanksgiving this year, I have to get rid of them.

SIX: Bag up or box the Give, Sell and Trash clothes. Use black bags for trash and label white bags ‘Donate’ and ‘Sell’ with a Sharpie. Put the ‘Donate’ and ‘Sell’ bags in your vehicle immediately.

SEVEN: Repeat with a section of your closet every day or every weekend until you’ve finished!

EIGHT: Once the whole closet is purged of clothing you don’t use or love, organize it. Divide up pants, blouses, T-shirts, dresses, bags, PJ’s, etc. into categories. If you think you have way too much of a type of item, like blouses, you need to do another purge. A good rule of thumb is 3x more tops than pants. Now place the clothing in their zones.

Some of the zones I use: workout, casual, professional, dresses, purses/bags, travel
Of course, we are all different. You may need to add or take away a zone depending on your activities.

NINE: Enjoy your handiwork; you just accomplished a major organizing project! Take a picture of your awesome, organized closet and post it on FB or Pinterest, and please share it with me too!
www.facebook.com/OrganizingAttics2Basements/?pnref=lhc
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Related links: https://www.pinterest.com/jennyrossomorin/organizing-your-closet/
Real Simple June 2016 article: Solutions for every closet.
Real Simple January 2015 “Clothes” purging tips p. 101.

by Jenny Morin

Deal with Desk clutter for good!

May 17, 2016

Do you clear off your desk only to find paper clutter piling up within a few days?

How much does handling invasive paper clutter cost you every week, every month, every year? How much time does your office staff spend looking at, filing, piling, looking at it again, re-piling, and finally filing it or throwing it away?

You’ve heard the rule ‘touch it once,’ but are not sure how to do that AND get the paper to its destination in just one step. This article teaches some tried and true tricks professional organizers like me teach clients.

Refuse paper—Don’t bring it in

The first step to managing your clutter is preventing paper from coming into your home or office. Yes, refuse to let it come in. Don’t take papers, flyers, subscriptions, etc., unless you have something further to do with it. Ask yourself: is there an action linked to this paper? If the answer is no, then let it go, let it go!

2. Take time to Purge

This is the most important way to prevent paper clutter. Be ruthless! Decide on a time each day or at least once per week to purge unnecessary paper from your desk. What can you purge? Anything you’ve delegated to another person, completed, spilled coffee on, decided on, or is outdated information, like old agendas, et cetera. **

Rip open Mail daily

This habit will help you stay on top of the mail, which is one of the main paper clutter-makers. And while you open the mail, make sure you do it over the trash can or recycling container. Then you just let the junk mail slip down into the disposal.

I recently worked for a client, a well-respected business owner, who had 2 years of mail piled up in boxes. When we finally ripped through that mail and disposed of it, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Do those 2-minute Tasks now

I credit this tip to David Allen’s brilliance. It makes so much sense everyone should be doing it. Instead of putting that paper on a pile or putting that action on your to-do list, do it now! Sort through the papers on your desk (or your emails) and do everything that requires 2 minutes or less. I promise you will feel like you accomplished something, and the paper won’t weigh you down any more.

5. Transfer the Action (to calendar or to-do list)

To be more effective, take whatever action the paper demands and transfer it to your to-do list or calendar. You kept your meeting agenda because you want the information the team leader shared about the new production team, but are you ever going to look at it again? Or did you use writing as an exercise to help you remember the information? (As many do.)

Here’s what I do: any information I want for later, I type into my tablet or phone in a nifty Note app while I am in the meeting. Then I email it to myself. The information is not lost, and doesn’t end up cluttering your desk. Later, usually during planning, I transfer any action items to my to-do list or calendar any events. Sweet solution!

Paper is not a reminder

Say you kept the agenda from last week’s staff meeting to remind you to call the head of HR for a link to a training she talked about. Why not just email or call her right now, or write it down so you won’t forget, then toss the paper?

Refuse to pile up magazines, newspapers

Just like you did with mail, flyers, and other paper, refuse to keep stacks of magazines to “read later.” This is a trap. If you have trouble with this, discipline yourself to recycle last month’s magazine when this month’s arrives. If you have more than 2 magazines unread, stop your subscription or put it on hold. Especially if you get a sinking feeling when you add a new magazine to the pile of older issues. If getting the magazine still gives you joy, that’s fine. Just see step 8 for options about information you want to keep.

Scan articles and other information to read later

Instead of keeping an entire magazine, newspaper or other publication, take 2 minutes to scan the article that interests you most, then toss the original. Or, if you don’t have a scanner, cut the article out and create a file– “Real Simple articles,” for example.

I actually have a file of Real Simple articles because I love the practical solutions and timely topics they present in the magazine. So it’s OK to keep some information– in reasonable amounts.

I’ve been a professional organizer since 2008, and these steps work wonders for my varied clients. Which tip is the most helpful to you? Please share with me!

Email Jenny your comments: jennym@efficientspacesco.com

**Be sure to record next actions and tasks you’ve delegated on appropriate lists… For more on this, read David Allen’s book Getting things Done.

by Jenny Morin

What to do with all the Toys?

March 30, 2016

Toys. . .

So your kids are in school and you walk past the toyroom or their bedroom. Ugh! You think: ‘I can hardly see the floor in there! Every time I try to organize it, it lasts for a week or so, then it’s back to this mess! What can I do about the toys?’

Well, do you remember the toys you had growing up? You probably were able to keep them orderly. Think back. Just how many toys did you have growing up? I’ll guarantee it’s nowhere near the volume our children have today. Our kids are practically drowning in toys. We have whole rooms dedicated to the overflowing bins of fast-food giveaways, stuff from grandparents, birthday parties, Christmas, et cetera. I feel that kids today are overwhelmed by the amount of toys they have, yes, even burdened by them. It’s definitely an overwhelming task for a child to clean up all those toys!

Now don’t get me wrong—I don’t have anything against toys. I just think we have too many of them. It is time to discard the toys children don’t play with or have outgrown. So, how do you do it?

When is the best time to purge toys? Short answer: When the kids are gone.

Long answer: Purging toys when kids are home is pointless. You must tackle it while they are away. Most children get attached to their toys even if they don’t play with them any more, (they are like us, holding on to clothes we never wear!) and they will promise to play with them. Don’t believe it!!!

What if something is valuable or has sentimental value?

Real-life example: My friend has a train table her husband made. She asked me if she should get rid of it, stating that her son never plays with it. I advised her to remove it from the room and hide it for a few days to see what happens. See what her son’s reaction is and decide whether to reinstate it. Since our talk, I thought: Why not talk to your son about selling the train table and then buying some toy or sports equipment he has been wanting?

Where do I take used toys? Have a favorite thrift store? Donate them there. It’s a good idea to call first to save yourself a wasted trip or a runaround trying to find a thrift store that has room. Locally, The Mission is my favorite, followed by Salvation Army and Goodwill. Don’t forget the preschool or nursery nearby, which is likely to accept toys. It’s a good idea to call first.
Where do I donate used story books? That depends. Most towns have used bookstores that sell books on consignment or will buy them outright. You could make it fun and use the proceeds for an ice cream cone together or a trip to the Pharmacy (A Grant’s Pass icon;old-fashioned soda-jerk counter and all). Another good way is to donate them for a good cause. Local schools have annual white elephant sales and they LOVE to receive children’s books. You are doing 2 good turns: helping the school raise funds and getting a book into the hands of a child who will love it.
Will my child be emotionally scarred if I get rid of toys while she is gone? No, 8 out of 10 dentists agree that letting go of toys is part of growing up. Seriously, folks. I’m not saying get rid of their cherished items, like the panda bear that has been their lovey since age 2, or the quilt their grandma made them. Store those precious mementos in a safe, dry place like a cedar chest, a labeled cardboard box, or a clear plastic tote. I keep one box of baby clothes and special toys for each of my children, which I will give to them (with their other belongings) when they are settled.
How do I organize the toys once I’ve purged? Short answer: By category.

Long answer: See the picture I’ve included. Some categories for starters: Legos, wooden toys, cars and other wheeled toys, people, balls. One great tip for even small children to put away their own toys, take a picture of the kind of toys that belong in each bin as an easy label. Or, just draw a simple picture and tape them to each bin. It worked for my children!

Can I get tax credit for my donations? Yes!

Whenever you donate to a thrift store or a school, library, etc, be sure to record it. The number of books, and the approximate value are helpful. Thrift stores will give you a receipt with your name on it, but they don’t write even the number of bags/ boxes you donated. Make a note RIGHT then on the slip with the number of bags you donated and the general contents like: Household items, books, toys, clothing, shoes . . . you get my drift.

Just make sure that the organization is legally a nonprofit, says accountant John Warekois.

“They have to be a qualified nonprofit organization; it’s good to get a letter from the organization saying they are a non-profit.” He described a client of his who had claimed some donations as tax deductions, but the IRS denied the deductions because the organization was not registered as a nonprofit. So be careful!

To recap: purge your toys, use these tips, make the results fun for the kids by using the profit for something they desire or a special outing. And claim your due from Uncle Sam!

Resources for You: John Warekois, CPA, Medford. http://www.oregontaxcpa.com/

Local bookstores: Oregon Books, http://www.powells.com/sell-books-online will buy used books in good condition. In Medford: Rogue Book Exchange: (541) 779-1326, Village Books, (541) 779-7576, HQ Books: (541) 779-2326

Grants Pass Thrift stores: Gospel Rescue Mission: (541) 479-9748, St. Vincent DePaul: (541) 476-5137, Goodwill: (541) 479-6000.

Medford Thrift stores: St. Vincent DePaul: (541) 772-3828, The Salvation Army: (541)773-7335, Refashion Consignment: (541) 772-2302, Goodwill: (541) 772-3300

Freecycle.org is a great place to give away items you don’t need to someone who wants them. See article: http://www.moneycrashers.com/freecycle-network-free-stuff/

Tax deductions knowhow: http://www.moneycrashers.com/charitable-contributions-tax-deductions/

Valuation: www.goodwill.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/12/Donation_Valuation_Guide.pdf

by Jenny Morin

Why Plan?

March 2, 2016

Planning is a great tool for you to grow your business or your career. Why is planning so important? you may ask.

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail – Ben Franklin

Let’s invert that statement: Be sure to plan, and you will SUCCEED.

When you take time to plan, you ARE more in control of your life. You know what you have coming, and you get noticed as a doer; someone who gets things done.

And planning doesn’t take long! 30 minutes is plenty of time. So, plan for success!

For example: When my husband Frank came back from a writing conference, he had so many ideas for marketing his next book that he was having trouble keeping it all straight, and he was stressed about it. As I do with my time coaching clients, I suggested we sit down and brainstorm all the ideas he wanted to put into place and schedule them.

He said: “That helped me prioritize, categorize, define and lay out a game plan for the next 3 months, which is critical for a successful book launch. Now I can focus on my work and not get distracted by unknowns. I can work with more confidence.” ~ Frank Morin, Author

Planning gives you weekly time to think about your business. I take this time to think about at least one new thing I would like to do differently or more efficiently.
By taking time to plan, your week is geared toward YOUR goals. This is a major difference between doers and followers. To gain traction in any position, you must set and achieve goals to improve your performance. You will rise to the top and get noticed as a person who gets things done.
Planning gets you motivated for the week. What are you most excited about this week? What kudos are you looking forward to? Do you have a time planned to get together with someone fascinating or talented?
Good planning helps you anticipate complications, which means less time putting out fires.
Planning causes focus on priorities and what’s important; less distracted by minor events or tasks. This is true at work AND at home. Want more free time? Plan. To finally make progress on your goal? Plan. Want to be truly able to focus on your family while home? Plan. Planning is the answer, my friends.
Looking ahead to the week’s appointments helps avoid scheduling conflicts or double-booking. Have you allowed enough time for the meeting with your client Amy? How long did your last meeting last? If you don’t plan properly, Amy’s meeting may spill over into another person’s appointment time, which may upset that next client.

When I don’t plan, things go haywire. A few weeks ago, I was getting ready for a last-minute trip. I hadn’t planned on Monday. Big mistake. I almost missed my call with my business coach, which I’ve NEVER forgotten before. And I was so distracted that day I missed a reminder text from my Aesthetician, so I missed my facial, and probably annoyed her. I felt frazzled and definitely NOT together. Not a good feeling, because I like to have my ducks in a row!

Improve performance: Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. ~ Gary Ryan Blair Proper planning makes you better prepared for meetings and client interactions. Tracking how long different clients take and how long it takes you in between to prepare for the next person/meeting will save anxiety. I know a financial planner who always allows herself 30 minutes between each client to prepare for the next one; a practice that has worked well for her. Also, you will be more able to focus completely on the client you are with when you are not worried about timing or lack of preparation

Be flexible. Remember, plans change. Your priorities may change as the week goes on, or you may have to deal with an emergency. Make it work for you!

Source: www.moneyunder30.com

by Jenny Morin

Don’t give up on your New Year’s Resolution!

February 10, 2016

How is your New Year’s resolution going? Did you know only 8 percent of Americans are successful in achieving their New Year’s resolution? Wow, that’s depressing. And half of those who make resolutions abandon them after the first month.

Well, it’s been a month and a week. I’d like to show why resolutions fail and how to come up with a resolution or goal that you will stick to.

First, here are the top 3 New Year’s Resolutions in the U.S.:

Lose weight
Get organized
Spend less, save more

What is the deal, are we weak-minded or without willpower? Not exactly, says psychologist Mark Goulston. His reasons why resolutions fail:

Many times resolutions are driven much more by emotion than logic.

So, say my resolution is to stop eating chocolate for a month. This resolution was made in the moment, rashly, when I saw the scale on January 2. I didn’t take into account how much I enjoy chocolate, nor did I determine that the one thing I needs to lose weight is to ban chocolate. (Limiting calories and increasing exercise play a role too.)

So, one reason why many of us don’t keep our resolution is: Uncertainty. We don’t know how we are going to feel in the future.

Even though I was determined in that moment to ban the evil chocolate from my diet, I might feel differently a week later when I see my son eating a piece of his Christmas chocolate and I have a strong craving for it. I can smell it. Ooh it smells good. I see him enjoying it. I can almost taste it. That’s it—I will have just one piece. And BOOM! My resolution is thrashed. It’s over. I failed. Right?

That leads to the third reason people don’t keep New Year’s resolutions:

“They believe that they won’t keep them and in so doing they will then either disappoint others, causing embarrassment or disappoint themselves, causing shame.” ~ Mark Goulston, M.D., FAPA

SO HOW DO I FIX IT?

Spend more time thinking deeply about what you really want out of the year.

Many of the studies I read listed this as a reason for abandoning our New Year’s resolutions. We hadn’t truly considered all the ramifications, so when an obstacle like that tempting chocolate comes up, we cave. In other words, commit to it.

Be realistic: Decide what you are willing to do. Am I really going to resist having a dessert when I am out to dinner with friends? Does this mean I have to become a hermit in order to lose my flub? No! In fact, a small reward for sticking to your goal is good for you, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh, Duke and Vanderbilt found that if you eat mostly healthy, but “carve out a portion of your meal for a calorie-laden treat,” it is motivating.

They call this a vice-virtue bundle. Hmm, sounds intriguing . . .

So, this addresses self-control issues we face at the dinner table or other situations.

“We determined that people are best served by making vice-virtue bundles, combinations that include primarily healthy choices but also toss in a small proportion of something indulgent, ” ~ Cait Lamberton, University of Pittsburgh

Like CHOCOLATE, or bacon, or cheese . . . .

Find an accountability buddy or a friend who wants to accomplish
the same goal, so you can cheer each other on when the going gets tough.
Remember that one mistake does not a failure make. Encourage yourself with positive self-talk. Talk to yourself as if you were helping a friend with their goals.

So, to quote an author I know (my husband) Frank Morin, in order to set New Year’s resolutions that will last, you must “look deep, see clear.”

Resources: http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/just-listen/201312/why-most-people-dont-keep-new-years-resolutions, http://www.business.pitt.edu/katz/katz/faculty/lamberton/vice-bundles.php

Set in Stone, YA novel by Frank Morin, http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=set+in+stone+by+frank+morin

by Jenny Morin

How does Organizing save you Money?

January 19, 2016

Whose New Year’s resolution is to get more organized? Quite a few Americans, in fact. It is the 2^nd most popular resolution. And this is the best: Getting organized will actually save you money! (Saving money is the 3^rd most common resolution.)

Not only that, but having an organized home brings peace of mind, helps you feel in control of life, and generally makes life more enjoyable.

In America, a capitalist economy, accumulation is a problem. We buy things we don’t need, they take up space in our home, and eventually we donate them or throw them out.

So, how exactly does spending money to get organized SAVE money?

You can see what you have. If your clothes closet is jam-packed or your office supplies are stuffed willy-nilly in a cabinet, it is difficult to see what you have on hand. Often, you will go out and buy more file folders, staples, or another pink top because you don’t realize you already have one.

Just last week, I worked with a client in his office closet and we purged 4 boxes of mostly office supplies, which I donated to a thrift store for him. Now, he does get tax credit for the donation, but it is not even close to those supplies’ original cost of about $200. Another client has spent HUNDREDS of dollars replacing power tools he already owned because the original tool was buried!

You use what you have: Our grandparents/parents are good at this because they lived through the Depression. They made do; they used things up.

For example, how many times have you gone out to buy travel-sized shampoo, conditioner or lotion when you have a drawer full of hotel samples at home?

Cha-ching! Another great example of this is using the food you have. How much produce, meat and other perishables do you throw out per month? Instead, if you make a menu, shop for that, and cook the meals planned, you will seldom have to throw out spoiled food.

Organize your finances: This is an obvious one. When you have a SYSTEM for bill paying, you know which bills get paid at the beginning of the month, which get paid on the 15^th, for example. Organizing your bills starts with organizing your mail.

One thing professional organizers excel at is creating a SYSTEM for incoming mail. That means mail :

Always goes in the same place (doesn’t have to be fancy)
Gets sorted into categories like File, Respond, Pay
To complete your SYSTEM, include another 2 or 3 categories: Bills paid on 1^st , bills paid on 15^th, bills paid on 30^th

This SYSTEM lets you see at a glance what gets paid when, and takes so much stress from monthly bill-paying!

Not only that, stick with your SYSTEM and you will never have a late fee again. That is definitely worth the time or money spent!

Actually find money! I can’t tell you how many times I have actually found money while sifting through a client’s papers. Uncashed checks especially. Once, as I sorted through a box of newspapers and discarded magazines, I found a $350 check from my client’s Grandmother. He had convinced himself he had already deposited it. Other organizers tell about finding thousands of dollars in one home!

Get back your time: Time is money, after all. Think about all the times you have had to go searching for a tool like the duct tape or Philips head screwdriver and spend an hour looking for it?

Think about the frustration, the missed opportunities the delay in your project—you could be exercising, moving to another project, having family time, reading, etc. And your weekend time is valuable, just like your billable time.

It does pay to be organized. The savings are worth the extra effort and expense, if you need help. An expert like me will help you get the job done faster and create a SYSTEM with lasting results!

Resources: http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/,http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/advice/a19197/organizing-save-money/, http://www1.cbn.com/family/get-organized-%09%09-to-%09%09-save-money, http://www.moneyunder30.com/how-being-organized-can-save-money

by Jenny Morin

‘Tis the season to spend wisely

November 25, 2015

Now, even though I have been guilty of over-buying, especially when it’s a ‘good deal,’ the only thing I’ve over-bought lately is paper towels. You can never have too many paper towels, right? That’s what my Dad believes, and his philosophy rubbed off on me. But seriously. I asked my 8 year old boy to inventory the paper products before I went to Costco. Serious error on my part. Now we have close to 40 paper towel rolls in the garage.

But I digress. My intent here is not to talk about buying habits, but to give some solid advice about NOT accumulating ‘stuff.’ I’ve gathered 6 helpful tips for staying within your means for the Holidays.

Establish a Holiday Budget — Decide what you can afford, together with your spouse/family, and stick to it. Try to plan for everything: gifts, meals out, travel expenses, special ingredients, wrapping materials, etc.
When you are out shopping, make sure to have a list with you — Stick to your list. Now, you can allow yourself some impulse buys, just make sure it’s something you had in mind. Not something the store has in mind for you. Retailers are so good at placing the good deals on endcaps or pricing their surplus attractively, and we tend to fall for it. Beware of wandering through malls and other stores, and DON’T bring your children, they will fall for the marketing and displays too!
Before you bring an item home, or even put it on the cart, think about it — Is it something you need or is it just something you want? Can you afford it, will it fit in your home, will it be on sale after Christmas, etc….

In the past, I have fallen for marketing lures. I remember the time years ago at Christmas when I really over-bought everything from wrapping paper to presents. I’m really glad my husband didn’t do the numbers like the accountant in “Skipping Christmas” to find out how much I spent that year. I am especially vulnerable to marketing at that time of year, wanting everything to be ‘perfect’ for the special day.

Focus on making memories — Remember, trying to buy the perfect Christmas gift is not realistic. The things we remember best are the memories we make as we bake together, do crafts, sing carols, create a Nativity play, and serve others together. It’s the traditions or activities that mean the most, not the number of presents under the tree. One of my best Christmases, almost everything we received was homemade by my mother; red flannel nightgowns, puppets and a puppet theater. We spent the day putting together puppet shows and had a ball.
Encourage gratitude — Instead of a spirit of entitlement, as many children have these days, let’s teach gratitude and giving by encouraging them to either make or buy gifts for others, including their teacher. Also, have each child write a thank you note to grandparents, aunts and uncles they received a gift from. We tried this last year and it caused the children to think about the generosity of others and their own gratitude. An added benefit: the grandparents were so tickled!
Start a family tradition that helps someone in need — Whether they need companionship (the elderly) food, or something fun under the tree, you can easily find a family service opportunity. Last Christmas, we used the money from our Christmas jar (which we put change in throughout the year) to buy presents for elderly. The gym had a “senior” tree with items they needed. Many of the things were actual needs, like pajamas, winter gloves, and so on. We took the kids shopping with us and they were surprised by how quickly our money dwindled.

To sum up, be careful this season, don’t go into debt for the Holidays! Know what you have to spend, use your list, don’t fall for marketing lures, and spend time making memories and focusing on others. These are the ingredients for a truly memorable Holiday season.

Resources:

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2014/10/22/6-tips-to-steer-clear-of-holiday-debt

The Christmas Jar by Jason Wright

https://www.mainstreet.com/article/10-best-ways-to-avoid-holiday-debt-beware-the-spending-danger-zone/page/3

by Jenny Morin

10 Secrets to get More done in your Home Office

October 8, 2015

Tip 1: Figure out what your best focus time is. Do the work that requires the most brainpower then. If you’d like to pinpoint the time of day, email me and I will send you a quiz that will show you when you do your best work! jennym@efficientspacesco.com

Tip 2: Limit distractions. If you spouse or kids are home, make sure they know not to disturb you. Close the doors if you need to. Put on headphones with some music that helps you focus. This has a dual job: to let people know you don’t want to be disturbed, and it keeps you from hearing background noise.

“Ambient sounds, especially with words, occupy about 5-10% of your intellectual bandwidth. By wearing ear protectors, you acoustically isolate yourself. This freed up bandwidth can now be focused on the desired task.

It’s a great deal. Just put on some earmuffs and you become 5-10% smarter.”

~ Peter Rogers, Straight A Stanford and on to Harvard

Tip 3: With emails, you can take one of 3 actions: File, respond, or delete. Try not to think about it too much! It doesn’t have to be complicated. The general rule of thumb: if it takes 2 minutes, do it now. (From Getting Things Done by David Allen)

Tip 4: Set up folders for emails. Organize them by topic, project, or individual names. A person wastes 6 weeks annually searching for lost documents or because of unorganized folders for the one project they need. Be consistent about filing them.

Tip 5: Have an inbox for paper , and clear it daily.

Tip 6: Have a “hot spot” for today’s most urgent project. Personally, I prefer a clear file folder standing up in a vertical file sorter. My file sorter holds 5 files. Also, put your to-do list in plain sight and review it each morning before you start.

Tip 7: If you tend to distract yourself: ahem… yes I do that! I find that setting a timer is very helpful. This works well if you are easily distracted by “bright and shiny” new emails. Say your purpose for opening your email is to write one necessary email and then close the email so you can focus on a project. Set a timer for 15 minutes before you open your inbox to avoid getting “sucked in” by your email. This really works!

“One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us.” ~ Daniel Goleman

Tip 8: If texts, incoming emails, skype pop-up, or calendar notifications have alerts that distract you when you are trying to focus, make sure to turn off those alerts for the hour or 90 minutes when your project needs your full attention. (Before you do this, check your calendar to make sure you don’t have a meeting or scheduled phone call.) If you are not sure how to do this, ask a tech-savvy friends! Or link to the article I provide at the end of this post.

Tip 9: Delegate email deletion and unsubscribing from sites to your kids or grandkids (it works great!). Also, make sure to limit spam by having good firewalls in place to limit what gets to your inbox.

Tip 10: For information you want or need to keep, have it scanned by someone you can delegate to (an assistant, tech-savvy son/daughter, grandchild, high school student) and file or organize it into files. Make sure and train the workers to do it at a time when you’re doing something low-focus, like responding to emails. That way the interruptions with questions won’t affect your productivity.

Use these 10 tips to achieve more and reach your business goals!

https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2014/05/30-minutes/

https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2014/02/extra-hour/

How to turn off distracting notifications: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-distracting-desktop-notifications-turn-windows/

by Jenny Morin

7 Tips to Whisk away the Clutter!

April 29, 2015

Clutter. It magically accumulates, it seems. We bring home groceries, the mail, the junk mail, meeting agendas, et cetera. Follow these 7 tips to quickly clear your counter, desk, or command center.

Envision what you’d like the counter or desk to look like for inspiration to get started.
Sort the clutter into piles of like items, for example unpaid bills in 1 pile, paid bills in another, invitations in another, junk mail (or just immediately recycle junk mail), etc.
Put away all the papers that don’t require further actions if they are needed for record keeping, and Ruthlessly recycle those you have no further actions on or don’t intend to do anything about. Be Ruthless, not reckless!
For items that don’t have a file or a “home” established, put them in the first place you think of. That way, the way your brain works, you will think of that place first when you need to locate the item.
Set up an in-basket for all other paper or items requiring action from you. This includes mail, prescriptions you need to fill, the online health signup you got a letter about, Post-its that have notes to yourself, everything.
Get to the bottom of your in-basket daily or at least every 3 days so nothing falls through the cracks.
Schedule a 10-15 minute time for yourself every day to go through the in-basket. This is what organizers call Maintenance. Pick the most likely time of day for yourself, when you feel the most ambitious.

by Jenny Morin

Making Tax time easier

February 27, 2015

TAXES. Ugh.

If you’d like some tips for making tax time easier next year, read on.

Did you get your taxes in on time or did you have to file for an extension? Were you stressed out trying to find the documents you need like W-2’s or receipts? I have several friends who had to scramble to find their tax docs, consuming time that could have been more productive. They could have been making money working for clients instead of searching piles or clogged files for what they needed.

Some people dread tax time because that is how their life looks every April. But others are calm and assured, with very little disturbing their daily routine. Why?

Organization. The people who don’t dread tax time are those who have their tax documents gathered in one place and have them filed early (especially if they are getting money back). Whether a business owner or a homeowner, doing a few key things will make it easier for you and your accountant when tax time rolls around.

My husband, Frank, and I each run our own business. Our client files are quite different, but our tax documents go into just a few files.

All receipts for tax deductible donations get put into an “Odd year tax” or “Even year tax” file, which we give to our accountant. We keep the rest of our records on Quickbooks, which we can email to our accountant.

Now, I don’t like updating my QB (I update it once a month), but Frank is excellent at updating it every time he receives a check. As his office manager, I take care of depositing and filing the check with the payment slip. That way, everything is in its place and recorded accurately, which makes tax time easier, and tracking our P&L easier as well.

Record keeping for taxes doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, the simpler the better. It’s important to record what you take in and what you spend, and have a regular time of the week or month to update everything. It will be easier to remember if you schedule time on the same date each month like the 1st or the 15th.

For homeowners, just keeping a file that holds all the tax documents you get in the mail from your employer, your bank, your investments, etc, is the main thing you need to do. If you don’t have a file or a filing cabinet, a drawer or a basket will do, as long as you make a habit of sorting your tax documents into that place. As I mentioned earlier, have a place set up to drop receipts from charities or thrift stores so you can get all the deductions you are eligible for. They can all go into the same file, basket or drawer if you like.

And don’t forget mileage! Whether you use your vehicle for church, nonprofit or your business, tracking that mileage can really add up on your tax deductions. The government currently pays 56.5 cents per mile for business, 14 cents per mile for charitable service organizations. Did you know you can get reimbursed for medical visits and moving? You can.

I encourage you to put these or similar systems in place now, this week. Do it while you still remember the stress of gathering your tax documents this year. Instead of being stressed out in April, you will have peace of mind. And that’s a good way to be.

by Jenny Morin

Efficient Spaces Blog

Secrets to an Organized Closet

Deal with Desk clutter for good!

Refuse paper—Don’t bring it in

2. Take time to Purge

Rip open Mail daily

Do those 2-minute Tasks now

5. Transfer the Action (to calendar or to-do list)

Paper is not a reminder

Refuse to pile up magazines, newspapers

Scan articles and other information to read later

What to do with all the Toys?

Why Plan?

Don’t give up on your New Year’s Resolution!

How does Organizing save you Money?

‘Tis the season to spend wisely

10 Secrets to get More done in your Home Office

7 Tips to Whisk away the Clutter!

Making Tax time easier

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