I love to teach people about time management. It’s always so fun to show people how the way we manage our time not only effects our organization, but it really effects our overall productivity. I have been teaching a regular class on time management for the last few years and it’s always so neat to see that light bulb click on in my students eyes when they find that one nugget that they can take home and implement into their own life.

When we have a good understanding of “our time,” it becomes easier to getting things done and ultimately enjoy life!  Here are a few nuggets that I would like to share with you on how you can improve your time management! Enjoy!

1. Put your priorities and goals first everyday.

2. Centralize your tasks and calendar all in one place.

3. Start and end your day looking at your planner or schedule.

4. Make time to manage your schedule each and every day! Read the rest of this entry »

Some people say that being organized is “something you are born with.” I say pish-posh! We all have the ability to be organized, it’s just about finding your inner organizer and seeing what will work for you.  With this new year you have the chance to give yourself a break and take the time to get yourself organized. Focus on one area per month, by the end of the year you will be sitting pretty and dare I say, organized!

January (1): Taxes. Taxes. Taxes.
Get started now! Pull your paperwork and start sorting, don’t wait until April 15th. If you self-file order your Turbo Tax. If you use an accountant, make the phone call and get the ball rolling! Be proactive instead of reactive!

February (2) Opt-Out!
Now is the time to take stock of what’s coming in your mailbox. If you are getting too much junk mail, get signed on to the Opt-Out! By taking the time to opt-out, you will find your mailbox a little emptier!

March (3) Home Office Makeover!
Your taxes are done, your mail box only has the important stuff in it and now is the time to clean the office. Take some time once a day or once a week to give it a good over haul. Sort through your files, clear off all surfaces and maybe even rearrange your desk!

April (4) Get Outside!
You’ve been cooped up for months, now it’s time to get outside. Check all you outdoor needs and garden supplies to make sure you are stocked for Spring. Toss out anything that is broken or damaged from the cold winter months. Spruce up your patio with a nice crocus plant, they always make me smile. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you set new years resolutions? It’s hard to believe that 2010 is here upon us. This past year has just flown by (everyone seems to say that these days).  I have never been much of a resolution maker… I always seem to peter out before the crocuses peek out of the ground.

Personally, I am more of a goal setter. It seems more realistic to set a goal and work towards it. I like to sit down early on in the year, think about what I have accomplished and plan out what I want for myself, my business, my family in the new year.

As a small business owner, taking the time to plan out your goals requires some planning and thought but can be well worth the time and effort invested. You may find yourself, as I do at the end of each year, with completed (or very close to completed) goals. Read the rest of this entry »

by Megan Spears

Laundry is a never ending job.

If you have a big family (or even a small one), the laundry room will always be one of the most used rooms in your home. The other problem with a laundry room is that it can be a breading ground for clutter and anything random (like a secret hiding spot).

Here are five simple steps to avoid the clutter and keep your laundry room in order.

1. Keep the surfaces clear. As tempting as it may be, keep your surfaces clear. Always. You need the surface area for folding, so stacking things on top of the washer or dryer only makes it harder for you to complete you task. Because the laundry room is an open space to “hide” those random things we don’t have a home for, or don’t know what to do with, it’s important to make the time to clear off surface areas and put things away just as you would make the time to clear any other surfaces in your home.

2. Go vertical. Vertical space is an unknown organizational tool that is commonly overlooked in most spaces. Use hooks for hanging brooms or mops, shelves for laundry soap or cleaning supplies, and any cabinets for larger storage items. Sometimes a small investment of shelving can make the biggest difference in keeping surfaces clear and/or utilizing a small space to it’s maximum capacity. Read the rest of this entry »

by Megan Spears

grat * i * tude \grat’i tood’, -tyood\

n: the quality or feeling of being thankful < She showed her gratitude for her husband’s romantic gesture by letting him watch ESPN all afternoon. > The quality of being thankful or grateful – Syn. Thanks, Thankfulness, Appreciation, Gratefulness.

This is the dictionary.com definition of gratitude. For some reason, we spend quite a bit of time talking about what we are grateful around Thanksgiving, but why should we limit our gratitude to just one day (or month) of  the year.

Last year, I read a great article in Real Simple on this very subject of Gratitude that I really enjoyed and love to share with people who need that extra boost of motivation (or reminder) of why it’s important to be grateful.

Oprah talks frequently of living a life of gratitude and that not enough people do it. We get so wrapped up in our own drama or chaos that we forget about being grateful or thankful for all that we have. America is of course the the land of excess…

How does it happen that we loose track of our priorities? Getting back to what really is important is what I have feel this time of year is all about. Knowing what defines you and what you can truly express gratitude for!

I am grateful for…. Read the rest of this entry »

So, the big day is officially three weeks away. I have just cracked my cookbooks and started preparing for the big day. We usually celebrate Thanksgiving at our house because Christmas is reserved for my mother in law. I am really wanting some good yummy food to last us all weekend so I really want to start planning today.

Planning for a big event such as Thanksgiving can be really helpful in allowing you to ensure everything is done and you can enjoy your day of gratitude!
Read the rest of this entry »

Creating an efficient closet space is a challenge, even for me. It seems like closet spaces come in all shapes and sizes anymore, so it can be difficult to decide what really belongs inside.

About a week ago, we had our first freeze. It got down to 28 degrees and I just wanted a nice warm sweater to wear. As I searched through my closet to find something warm, I realized that my closet was a mess. It’s a pretty big space and I was starting to just toss things that clearly didn’t belong inside. NOTE TO SELF:  having more space in your closet doesn’t mean you need to fill it with stuff.

I was quickly reminded of that it’s time to switch out the summer and winter cloths in my closet. Here is what I did….

The first thing I did was take out all the “unrelated items.” Things like seasonal coats, and miscellaneous bags, hidden gifts were removed and put in a storage closet elsewhere.  They just didn’t belong in that closet space with my everyday cloths. Read the rest of this entry »

by Megan Spears

Organizing your electronic files is sometimes harder to do than paper files. We don’t see the actual document so we often forget what’s there.  The nice thing is that when your electronic files are organized you can find what you are looking for it will ultimately save you time and money! Creating an organized system for your electronic files can be an easy as 1-2-3.

1. Start with your Folders.

When you are creating your “folders” in your My Documents (for example), you  a similar system to how you would organize your paper files. Think of each folder as a file drawer or maybe a drop file.  When you have a similar folder system to your paper system, you will simplify the process and decrease the amount of time spent searching for files or documents on your computer.

2.  Naming your Documents.

Creating a system (or as my husband likes to say a “method to my madness”) that will help you efficiently track your documents, it becomes a lot easier to see what documents you have and where they belong. If it’s by TYPE, DATE or CLIENT/VENDOR, find a system that will help you better code your documents. Read the rest of this entry »

by Megan Spears

We need to come up with a new name for what most people call a junk drawer. Maybe something like “the nitty-gritty drawer” or “the drawer that holds things without a true home drawer”… something a little more meaningful than a junk drawer.

If you ask anyone if they have a junk drawer, almost immediately they will say… “yes of course, doesn’t everyone?” A place to be the catch all of everything small and important. Essential items that we can’t live without, but that don’t really have a specific home.

My junk drawer sits at my desk, top drawer and it holds my cell phone charger, miscellaneous business cards that need to be filed, chapstick, sunglasses, glasses screwdriver, and a few random broken items that need to be replaced, repaired or tossed.

Early on in my relationship with my husband he would behave unusually strange when I would tell him to clean out his junk drawer because it wouldn’t shut. He thought that no matter what, it should never be purged, cleaned or cleared. His drawer sat in the bathroom next to the sink  so that as he changed from his work cloths, he could empty out his pockets into… the junk drawer. Read the rest of this entry »

by Megan Spears

Did you know that the month of September is Emergency Preparedness Month?

Just a few weeks ago, just three short miles away a forest fire started. It was heading in the opposite direction as our house (thank God!), but it raised many questions from my kids….  “what do we do mom if the fire comes to our house?”

Thankfully, to the help of hundreds of fire fighters, the fire was contained in about a week and there was only a few homes affected. If you have watched the news or picked up a paper within the last few weeks you know that over 250 square miles are burning in the Los Angles area. Sadly, this fire has devastated the people of the LA area. The fire has killed two firefighters, injured 11 others and destroyed 78 homes, two commercial buildings and dozens of outbuildings(*). Did I mention that we are on the cusp of hurricane season. Disaster happens. That’s real!

After September 11th, the US Department of Homeland Security sponsored National Emergency Preparedness Month. Being prepared for an emergency doesn’t have to be a big investment or involve tons of planning. It might just mean having things organized at home so that you can grab and go within a short window of time, or just creating a plan of action.

The key is to just stop and think about being prepared and what you would need. Here are some great resources to start getting things in order for you and your family!

Ready America. This is by far the most informative website on being prepared for a any type of disaster! If you need to prepare your home, kids or business… Prepare. Plan. Be informed! Read the rest of this entry »