Refined Perspectives

 We have all met those people who just seem to "connect" with everyone they meet.  They are really good at quickly reading people and successfully use that skill both professionally and personally.  If you struggle to communicate your desired message, the problem often lies, not with your ability to articulate your message, but rather your ability to understand how your listener needs to hear  what your are trying to communicate.  

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For those of you who have a "to do list" that you check off each day, you already know how good it feels to put a check mark beside a completed item.  Nothing feels better, well almost nothing, than looking at a completed check list at the end of the day.  It may, however, surprise you to know that even those check list people often have routine things that they forget to do each day.  Things like making the bed, putting the dishes in the dishwasher, washing dishes, feeding the dog, (unless you own a dachshund, they will never let you forget), sort the mail and so many other little jobs around the house or office.

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I admire people who do the unconventional.  Just because the world says something should be one way, does not always mean it's the right way.  One place that I notice that most people tend be reluctant to "buck the conventional" is in our homes and more pointedly in the formal dining room.  The least used room in most modern homes is that formal dining room.  

Don't get me wrong, I love and regularly use my formal dining room.  I have a china cabinet filled with Royal Albert china and a cabinet with English teacups.  …

Sometimes getting organized and leading a balanced life is a lot easier said than done.  All of us have both personal and professional obligations that need to be done everyday, all of which can get in the way of staying organized and balanced.  Something that many people have in common that can get in the way of leading that elusive balanced life is the inability to simply say "no".  

I realize that we can't say "no" to the boss, the customer or client, at least not too often, but there are times in our lives that we say "yes" when our minds are screaming "no, I can't do one more thing"!  …

Every year January brings fresh new hope for all of us.  It represents a "starting over" point, a time to stop and reflect on last year's successes and failures and put them all behind us.  January is the month we get to start over with our diet, our exercise programs, our goals, and our lives in general.  January stands before us like freshly fallen snow, all white and ripe with opportunity.  So take advantage of that mindset.

Let January work in your favor.  …

So, the kids are back in school and the new school year is well underway.  With all the activities that kids are involved in, it is often difficult to help them stay on top of homework, schedules, books, assignments and life in general.  

A good way to keep your kids organized so they are ready to "grab and go" in the morning, is to create a "staging zone" in your home.  A "staging zone" in the first place they put things when they get home at the end of a school day, and the last place they put them in the evening to be ready for the next day.  …

Many people use someone else's definition of organization, but I believe that is what leads to failure when it comes to being organized.  Instead I ask clients "how organized do you want to be?" 

When we talk about getting organized people usually get an impression of a spick and span office with not a paper out of place. But my experience tells me that an office like that may work well for some, but be more distracting for others. …

This tip is kind of in two parts and the title says it all.  However, many people have a lot of clutter in their home or office space because they simple don't make a habit of putting things away.  They tell themselves they will set aside some time later to "catch up" and the longer before that day comes, the more stuff stacks up and then the bigger the job becomes and consequently the chances of getting it done are greatly diminished.  …

From time-to-time we all feel like time is just slipping through our fingers.  There always seem to be more tasks than time and after a while we can feel like we will never get caught up.  When time is not managed one always seems to feel disorganized or "off".    

When I work with people on time management projects, I often hear that the biggest problem that they have is just too many things to do and not enough time. Although for some people that can be very true, I find that many people really aren't aware of just exactly how there time is being spent each day.  …