There seems to be a phenomenon that is growing by the day. 

It's common for our socks to have lost their mates after we have done the laundry.  They have been known to hide inside a fitted sheet, stuck inside a shirt sleeve or attached to the inside of a pants leg.

The common solution for this phenomenon is to have a laundry basket filled with odd socks.  I have worked with so many people who have this laundry basket in their laundry room, bedroom or elsewhere in the house where the odd socks live.  

Sometimes we never find that odd sock.  I have a theory that there is a large hole in the earth somewhere where all of the odd socks get sucked out of our washing machine in the spin cycle and end up.  This leaves the other sock without its mate forever more.  How sad. 

However, don't be distraught.  I have begun a support group for all of the odd socks that get left behind to survive on their own.  I have called it "Socks Without Partners". 

The support group is not intended for long term, however.  It's is intended for a 30 day period of time.  The group meets after every laundry day in a laundry basket and they remain there for only 30 days.  After that, they move on to become dust rags. 

The by-laws of this support group state that after 30 days, the chances of finding their mates has become so minimal, it is not worth staying on.  They have already hung out with other single socks and are now ready to take on the world of dust.  I am thinking that a Veteran's hospital might be a choice as well since they care for some amputees who need socks.  Whatever you choose, do not get caught up in the "What If" syndrome that plagues so many of us.  "What if I find that other sock 3 months from now?"  It's not a great loss; it's okay.  Move on. 

Bottom line, you can create your own support group in your laundry basket called "Socks Without Partners" but remember, after 30 days, they are to move on. There will be more single socks in your future, I promise.

I would love to hear if you have started your own support group for your single socks and how many members you have! 

In the meantime, have a great day!

I don't know about you but I spend a lot of time in my car.  I am traveling to and from client consultations, client sessions, networking events, shopping trips for organizing product for my clients, donation drop offs and Clever Container parties for my hostesses.  That's just the time I spend in the car for business.  I also run errands, attend social events, visit with friends, etc.  

I know how important it is to manage your time when you are planning trips and one tip I quickly learned was how to plan out the amount of time I need to get to a new location for the first time.  If we have never been there before, how do we know how long it is going to take?  I have the solution!

My key to success to insure that I will be on time is to go onto Map Quest.  (You can also use Google Maps.) Get directions from your home (or wherever your starting point is) to the location you need to be and determine how many miles the trip is in length.  THEN, double that number and it will give you a good idea as to how long it will take you.

For example,  if I am visiting a client for the first time and I know that her home is 14 miles away from mine, I double that number and I know it will take approximately 28 minutes (give or take a few minutes) to get there. 

Trust me, this works.  I have been using this method for more than seven years; from the time I first started my professional organizing business in 2004 to figure out how much time I should allow to get to my appointments.  Now I use this method for all trips to places I have not been to before.  Keep in mind you might get there just a few minutes early some times depending on traffic but you will not have to worry about being late.  You can always cushion it with an extra five minutes if you will be involved in rush hour traffic, but again, this system works well for me.  I love it because I have found that my GPS is very inaccurate with judging arrival times because it does not take into account traffic delays.  My system does!

We can all use tips to help us with time management and I particularly love this one.  Give it a try and let me know how you make out.

In the meantime, have a great week!  

I am posting this blog one week after my official launch of my Clever Container business.  I am an independent consultant for the only company in the United States that provides organizing products and education right in your own home when you host a party.  As a consultant, I come to your home (in Bucks or Montgomery County, PA) and bring organizing products right to your home and educate your guests about how to get organized and the products they can use to do so.  It is a great way to have some fun and get some great products at the same time.  Anyone can order product from their catalog by using my Consultant ID#373 at www.clevercontainer.com.

I mention this because now I am technically running two businesses, A Better Space and my Clever Container organizing product business.  Lately, I have felt that time is not on my side.  Learning a new business is a challenge and I am determined to learn all that I can to provide the best service and products to my clients and customers.  ln doing so, I have had to commit a lot of time and energy to spend the time necessary to do it right.  That is my nature. It doesn't have to be perfect, mind you, but it needs to be the best it can be.

What that means, however, is that I have been getting up early and going to bed very late at night in order to stay on top of all that is necessary to keep it all running smoothly.

Very quickly, I learned, after seven and a half years of being in business as a professional organizer and now as a product consultant, that time is no longer on my side and I need some help.

I am taking the next step and will be looking for someone who can help me by doing some of the administrative work in my office either virtually or in person. 

The reason I am telling you this is to show you that sometimes, we need to re-evaluate our situations and make the changes necessary in order to grow or improve because we sometimes need more time on our side and we can always find ways to do just that. 

Do you need to find more time in your day?  What can you do get more?  Delegation is the key to success.  I would love to hear from you what you have learned to delegate. 

If you are struggling to figure it out and need some assistance, contact me.  I would love to help you find more time in your day. 

In the meantime, have a great week!

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a great holiday season, but now it's time to get down to business.

As a women entrepreneur who began my Professional Organizing business over 7 years ago, I work with many other women entrepreneurs who struggle with time management and paper management in their home offices.  As a result, I pay lots of attention to the struggles with growth and prosperity that entrepreneurs alike contend with. 

There are many habits that can hold us back so I thought I would list some: 

• Not returning phone calls.
• Being late for appointments.
• Not returning emails.
• Not having a schedule.
• Not filing important documents.
• Not saving money or paying yourself first.
• Failure to understand the law of reciprocity.
• Handling mail or email more than once.
• Forwarding nonsense emails.
• Not scheduling events.
• Not exercising.
• Procrastinating.
• Lack of systems.
• Not choosing healthy foods.
• Not drinking enough water.
• Not taking time to rejuvenate.
• Watching meaningless television.
• Failure to invest in personal development.
• Failure to listen.
• Trying to be perfect.
• Waiting for the right moment.
• Failure to budget.
• Lacking or not providing sufficient or efficient communication.
• Having a messy or disorganized workspace or home.
• Unprofessional voice mail.
• Not having a dedicated workspace.
• Not having a business card.

Which of these apply to you?  Choose two or three habits at a time and replace them with good ones. 

If you need help with time management, paper management, or organizing your messy and disorganized workspace or home, contact me.  I can help.

In the meantime, have a wonderful week!