Recently I learned a very important lesson I want to pass on to you.

Lately, I have been on a webinar and research frenzie, trying to grab all the information I can possibly put my hands on to work on growing my business and providing the best I can to my clients and everyone else who is interested in getting organized.

I signed up for so many webinars, I can't even count them.  I downloaded so many e-books, I ended up gathering such an extensive virtual library of information,  I will probably never get a chance to read it all.

As a result of signing up for all those webinars, I ended up on so many mailing lists and my in-box was filled daily to the max.  Everyday I would receive emails from marketers, coaches and other experts who wanted me to sign up for this or go to that...it was really getting out of hand.  

It got to the point I had to put on the brakes.  It was taking so much of my time to do all this, I was not spending enough time on what was really important.  I have always wanted to provide as much content and information as possible and spending so much time receiving instead of giving was causing an imbalance in my business and my personal life.

So, I made a choice to stop all the noise.  I removed myself from all but a few mailing lists of the people I was most interested in receiving information from.  I reset my limits as to how much time I take each day to review the information I do receive. 

I took a good hard look at how I was spending my time and refocused.  I began by making a list of all the things I needed to do in order to work on my business, not just work in it, and scheduled time in my calendar for them.  This included all the writing I do (besides this blog), networking, joint venture meetings, creating products, following up with potential clients, connecting on Facebook and Linked-In, answering email, and working with my in-home clients.  I set guidelines for myself as to how long to allot for these tasks and when they would be done.  Now, these important things take precedence again.  If there is any time left over, I will listen to a webinar or two, or download an e-book I actually intend to read.

Bottom line, I cut out all the noise so I could hear what was really important.  I now have my balance back and it feels sooooo good!

So, what noise can you cut out of your life so you can hear what is really important?  I'd love to hear from you.

I hope you can cut out some of your own noise but, if not, and you need some assistance, let me know.  I am here to help.

Until next time, have a great week. 

Did you know that people spend, on average, 6 minutes looking for their keys in the morning?  That's 180 minutes or 3 hours a month and 2190 minutes or 36.5 hours per year!!!  That's insane!

Something so simple can be using up so much of your time.  This is just one example of how taking small steps to get organized can save you precious time.

The "key" is to select one location that you will always keep your keys, such as a pocketbook, totebag, hook on the wall, a valet.  There are even valets that are charging stations as well so you can keep everything together and your electronic devices charged, all at the same time!

Another step you can take to save time and get organized is to plan ahead the night before.  Take some time to select what you are going to wear to work the next day, make a lunch (which can save you time and money!) and put everything you need to take with you by the front door for the next morning. 

Just by taking one simple step, you can save over 36 hours a year that you can be spending doing other things instead.  Imagine how much time you can save by planning ahead and taking some additional simple steps.  

What simple step can you take besides the ones I've mentioned to save you time?  What is your "key" to sucess? 

For more tips just like these, contact A Better Space and learn time management tools that will streamline your processes and save you time throughout your day.

In the meantime, have a great week!

It's that time of year when we should be going through our closets and getting ready for the upcoming Fall season.  I thought this information provided by Ali Brown would help you pull  your look together while you get that closet organized...

"Five Fall Colors to Spice Up Your Look"

I found two great "Take Back Initiatives" that can help you in the process of decluttering your home. 

One can be used when decluttering your medicine cabinet and the other when decluttering your clothes closet.

These are great incentives for getting those areas organized: 

• The US Drug Enforcement Administration is sponsoring a national take-back initiative to accept unused or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal on Saturday, September 25, 2010. “Collection activities will take place from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at sites established throughout the country.” Check the DEA site for locations in your community.

• Along similar lines, but with clothing instead of medications, the Men’s Wearhouse is accepting lightly used men’s suits, sports coats, slacks, dress shirts and shoes, business casual clothing, coats, ties, cuff links, and other accessories during the month of September. The Men’s Wearhouse National Suit Drive gives the suits to local non-profit organizations. Donations can be made at any Men’s Wearhouse.

I would love to hear from you about how you made use of these initiatives and how they encouraged you to eliminate your clutter. 

Until next time, have a great week! 

Okay, so now you've organized your junk drawer, your closet or perhaps your garage.

Are you done?  Absolutely not!  There is one more thing you forgot to do.

You need to commit to "staying" organized.  Getting organized is one thing; staying organized is another.  Without commitment, you are likely to fall back into your old disorganized way.

Before you know it, that drawer is a junk drawer again, your closet is a mess or you can't get your car back into the garage.  All because you didn't commit to staying organized.

Most people think that the "process" of organizing involves decluttering, categorizing and organizing.  That's true, but there is still one more step - Maintenance.

Without this important step, the rest will fall apart and all your hard work will have been for nothing.

It's not that difficult to do; it just takes a conscious effort on your part, and on the part of your family, to maintain the organization of the space.  Just by putting things back where they belong when you are done with them is the easiest way to insure that you are staying organized.  By staying organized, you are saving precious time and energy because you don't have to go back and do it again!

So, can you commit?

A professional organizer such as myself will not only help you get organized, but show you how to stay organized.  Contact me if you could use my assistance.

In the meantime, have a great week!

It's hard to believe the summer is drawing to a close and your children may have already started school or may be starting soon.  Start now to develop a routine that keeps everyone on schedule because it takes a few weeks to master. Here are a few ideas to help you streamline the process of getting ready so children make their bus on time with little fuss:

 1.  Get homework, permission slips, lunch money, and anything else that is needed ready the night before.

 2.  Wake the kids up 1 hour before school is scheduled to start.  This should provide enough time to do all of the morning preparations needed without too much stress.

 3.  Have the kids dress, brush hair, and brush teeth before they come down for breakfast.

 4.  For the most productivity in your morning, make a "No-TV-Before-School" rule. Television  tends to make children lethargic and irritable when you need them to be focused and agreeable.

 5. Have a list of favorite healthy breakfast ideas ready so that little time is spent in trying to decide what they should eat.

 6. Make lunches either the night before or while the kids are eating their breakfast.

 7. Have a list of healthy lunch options available for easy reference.

 8. Set a time for 10 or 15 minutes in order to complete a few chores before school: feed pets, make beds, pick up rooms, etc.

 9. Make sure shoes, jackets, and backpacks are easily accessible to children.

10. Start putting on shoes, jackets, and backpacks about 10 minutes prior to the bus arriving.

With these tips in place and practiced daily, you will find that you will be able to get the kids ready and off to school with much less hassle.

Try them and let me know how you make out!

In the meantime, if you are overwhelmed with the process of getting organized, feel free to contact me.  I will be more than happy to help.

Enjoy your week! 

As you all should know by now, my favorite time of the year is Summer.  The problem is that mid-way through, we have to start thinking about "back to school".  The stores are all filled with supplies and the sales have begun.

Shopping for school supplies can be chaotic if, as with everything else, you don't have a plan.

Here are some ways you can organize your school shopping experience:

Consolidate Your Lists

When you have several kids to shop for, it's best to consolidated everything you need into one big list. Having a master list can save on time dramatically, which I think is a necessity when shopping with your kids in tow!

The school supply circulars are starting to come out in the newspapers, so be on the lookout for the best deals. Since our schools start on August 31st, stock up on supplies now, before the supplies dwindle.  I have found in years past that if I wait until school actually starts, the more specific things we need are already gone.

While you most certainly don’t have to dump everything out on the floor or a table to get the sorting process started, it can definitely get the kids excited. They tend to love rummaging through the pile of school supplies. It can be exciting.  Whether you are a kid or not, there is nothing like a pile of "new stuff".  To make sorting easier and to coral all of the school supplies, I suggest using a separate bin for each child. As you check the supplies off of the lists, you can then put them in their designated bins. Now you are ready to put them away until school starts and easily add the few extra things if you need to.  

Now that you have all of your school supplies neat and orderly, don’t forget the labels! Every school has different rules for what should be labeled.  Make sure you label backpacks, lunchboxes, clothing and outerwear too, especially for the younger ones! After you make the investment on all of that back to school gear, you don’t want it to end up lost!

So, have you started your back to school shopping yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?

Hope these tips help you have a more organized "back to school" experience this year!  If you need help because you are feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of getting organized, contact me at A Better Space.  I will be more than happy to help.

I heard a story this week that I wanted to share with you, just to give you some perspective.

There was a woman who needed to videotape some rooms in her house for insurance purposes. Having just cleaned her home from top to bottom, knowing that she was going to video tape it, she shot the tape and then watched it quickly before delivering it to her safety deposit box.

When she watched the tape, something happened...

She was astonished to see the amount of clutter and junk left on the various surfaces throughout the house. She realized that the camera’s eye was picking up clutter her eyes were simply moving past. She had lived with those items hanging around for so long, she was no longer seeing them!

So, she went back and scrutinized the tape, marched back to those rooms that she had filmed and really went through the stuff, making firm decisions and tossing several items.

She found out how helpful it was to see these rooms through the video.

So, why not get out your video camera and give it a shot. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve never really seen….

Leave me some feedback and let me know how you make out.  If you need some new ideas from a fresh perspective, as to what you can eliminate and organize, contact me.  I am more than happy to help you see your home through a fresh set of eyes.