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My goodness, I sometimes forget that most of the world has their send/receive automatically dumping emails into their inboxes... YIKES my friends- this is not good!! Every time we hear that little chime, or see that message box fade into our screen, it's like a big, dangerous invitation for distraction! I'm writing today to say-just make it easy on yourself, quit with the temptation, and turn off your send/receive! Even peeking at your new email message to see who it’s from, takes your focus off course. It is much more efficient to choose a couple of times a day, and only a couple of times a day, when you will check email, (by clicking on the send/receive button). The key is, you are managing your email and not being managed by it, which no matter what you say, I know for a fact humans are not naturally disciplined creatures, so it’s impossible to fully ignore that famous Outlook chime.

It’s easy to turn off send/receive in Outlook, and here’s how:

• Under the email section in Outlook, go to Tools

• Go to Send/Receive

• Go to Send/Receive settings in the drop box

• Disable scheduled Send/Receive

Viola! Now you’re on your way to increased productivity and effectiveness!

Managing time can be just as tricky when we feel completely busy and overwhelmed, as it is when business may be a little slower. The time management tip I'm about to share can be applied to either situation, to ensure total productivity in your day. It can be especially helpful if we have a full day and only a few seriously important to dos. The tip may sound a little crazy, but try it and let me know how it works for you! I've had clients who swear by this!

Leave the Office Early!

Shorten your day by an hour or two, to create more urgency with your time. When we know we have to leave early, we are more likely to buckle down and not get distracted with random phone calls or unimportant emails. As you plow through your various tasks for the day, there's added pressure knowing that you don't have as much time as you normally do. Sometimes we have too much time, (I know, no one would dare admit they aren't crazy busy like the rest of the world), but when there's not that added pressure, it makes it easier to get off task.

Just like the day before we go on vacation, where we work quickly, with a purpose, striving to accomplish every last little detail so we can leave in peace- so should be each day at work. If you have to, schedule a happy hour or a coffee meeting at 3:00, to force yourself out of the office early.

Are you having FUN in your life?

• Do you laugh a good, deep laugh at least once a day?
• Are you making time for friends and relatives?
• Is there a favorite leisure activity that you wish you had more time to do?
• Are you constantly feeling stressed or overwhelmed with work?

Research shows that we waste an average of ONE HOUR each day looking for things, which equals ONE MONTH at the end of each year. imagine over ten years, it equals nearly an ENTIRE YEAR of lost time! I can confidently point out that being better organized and efficient leaves us with more time for FUN! (You can only imagine the other nerdy stats I have on managing time, and areas where we're losing time because of inefficiencies, but we'll save that for later). Well my fine friends, it's time for you to make a Fun List-since you all know I love lists, right... It's easy, and won't take more than 15 minutes to complete... there's nothing to it- just get in a quiet place, or not, and list out all the things that you enjoy doing- those things that feed your spirit, relax you, make you laugh uncontrollably, release your inner creative talent and/or bring out your best... Make it a point to engage in whatever is on your fun list, at least once a week. Is that easy or what? Make the investment of 15 minutes and DO this little exercise..In fact, you're already on your computer, so open up Word and get to work! Please, enjoy all the fun life has to offer!! If you are feeling apprehensive, thinking- "My schedule is already maxed out" then check back regularly and implement the tips I feed you with... It's powerful stuff if you use it!!

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Did you know that EIGHTY percent of the papers we keep, we NEVER look at again? Isn't that just crazy! Yet so many of us have a huge fear of throwing something out. We swear the moment we toss it will be the moment we need it... Ok, a logical argument, but the truth is, it just doesn't happen. We're too busy, and there's SO much information coming at us all the time- we don't need to hang on to all the "cool" and "interesting" pieces of paper and emails... Seriously! If we all got a little tougher on what we allow to stay in our office and take up our "prime real estate," we'd all be enjoying more refreshed, organized spaces.

Ok, so here are a few questions to ask yourself when deciding if something should stay or go:

• Can I define a specific use for this paper or email?
• Is this information I could easily get again if I had to?
• Is it current enough to keep?
• Are there any tax or legal implications if I don't have the information?
• Are you really, truly going to go back and review the information?
• WHAT'S THE WORSE CASE SCENARIO IF I DON'T HAVE THIS?

Get in the habit of running through a few of these questions as you're processing all that incoming information, and start tossing/recycling/shredding/deleting MUCH more than ever before... I guarantee you will enjoy the benefits greatly!!

It's nearly impossible to be truly productive without being passionate about what you're doing. Now I don't mean that every meanial little task has you jumping for joy, but I do mean that you are connected to the overall purpose of what your work means. I have been with some clients who say no matter what, they can't seem to "get to work," and they may blame it on feeling overwhelmed, disorganized or feel they are horrible procrasinators...BUT, after asking a few questions, it becomes very clear, they are completly disengaged with what they are doing. Yikes!

David Allen, author of Getting Things Done says that a productive experience must include all of the following:

• focused
• calm
• getting things done with a system to maintain a process
• inspired

Yep- there it is from the expert himself- we must be inspired if we want to be productive! Are you working in line with your passion? Do you understand the overall mission connected to the work you're doing on a daily basis? And is it rewarding enough for you? I'm not saying go and quit your job if you're not feeling 100% passionate, but I am suggesting you get clear about what is gratifying about what you do, and keep that in mind as you're pushing through a big project or a challenging task.

When working to organize your home, the beginning stage is all about purging. For many clients, this can be the toughest part of the whole process. How do you know what to hold on to and what to let go of? I love this part of the process, and find that asking the right questions really helps clients come to their own decision about letting something go, without me having to force it out of their hands. =)

What if it's really hard for you to get rid of things? Here are a couple of key points to focus on:

• Is it beautiful, useful, or something you absolutely just love? Anything outside of these parameters must go!
• Just because you spent money on it at some point in the past, doesn't mean you need to keep it. It's a sunk cost, and at this point, the item is likely costing you money by occupying your real estate!
• How does the item serve you, and your vision for a clutter-free, organized space? Does it fit into the ideal picture you have in your mind for your space?
  
• Have you used it in the past year? If not- say adios and don't look back!
  
• Can you define a specific use for the item? In thinking about your busy life, when would you actually get use out of the item?
• What's the worse case scenario if you don't have the item? If you can live with your answer, let it go!
  

I can honestly say in my years as a professional organizer, working with all kinds of people, no one has ever once called me and said, I wish I didn't throw that out, or I now needed something we just got rid of. In fact, when I check in with people, they say the opposite- that they haven't once thought about the stuff they let go of, and that they don't even remember what all they got rid of.

In these busy days, come home to an organized, refreshed environment, and say goodbye to all that clutter! Think: SIMPLE!