Get Rid Of The Clutter

You really can have a successful business and a great life. Often we get caught up in growing our business or climbing the corporate ladder that we put our personal lives on hold. Rather than filling up your calendar with work, organizations, commitments, and activities that don't bring you joy, think about putting on your calendar the activities that you really want to do first. Make having a great life your top priority.

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

Think about your vision for what you want your life to look like and focus on creating your ideal life. Focus on today, not the past or the future. If you're too much at once, you need to un-clutter your life.

ELIMINATE TOLERATIONS

Tolerations are the petty annoyances you put up with in your life. They drain you of energy. They may make you feel tired and stifle your creativity. The car that needs an oil change; the dentist appointment you've been meaning to make. Make a list of everything you're tolerating. By writing them down and planning to eliminate them, you are taking the first step to having the life you really want. Select five tolerations you have been putting up with and take action on the first one as soon as possible ? it will make a difference!

RAISE YOUR STANDARDS

Do you have an "ideal client?" List his seven qualities then focus on working with clients who reach those standards. Clients who are not ideal are taking up your time and energy that otherwise could be spent with people who bring you joy. Raise your standards and work with people who appreciate you and the services you provide.

SET BOUNDARIES

Boundaries are like a moat around your castle. The imaginary lines you establish around yourself protect your soul, heart and mind from the unhealthy or damaging behavior of others. A boundary simply defines what people can and can't do to you. Once you know what your boundaries are, then focus on what to do when someone crosses them. Use this simple four-step communication model: inform, request, demand and, if still no result, then leave. When you protect yourself with healthy boundaries, you gain respect, grow emotionally and you will attract people who have a similar respect for themselves.

DESIGN YOUR IDEAL WEEK

You can design your ideal week, but it's important to have a plan. Plan three different types of days: productive (work), practical (family) and play (yourself). Remember, you'll need to be flexible. A productive day involves concentrating on moneymaking activities. If you're in sales, it's when you're face to face with customers, or making presentations to a prospect. Plan on practical days in the office to catch up on phone calls, write proposals, organize your office, and do maintenance for your business - it's much more effective. Then plan a play day. Block out at least 24 hours and don't do any work - no voicemail, computer or paperwork. Just time for you!

SAY NO!

In order to have a great life, you have to learn to say "no" - even when you really want to say "yes." Ask yourself throughout the day, "Is this the best use of my time, right now?"

UNDER-PROMISE, OVER-DELIVER

Often in our desire to please people, we tend to over-promise. An example: You're asked to provide a report or proposal and you promise to deliver it in five days. You put yourself under pressure and it turns out that some information you need is not available. You complete the project in six days and no one is happy. If you know you can do it in seven days, promise it in 10. Leave buffer time for obstacles. When you deliver the project a day or two early, you look like a hero and the pressure has been minimal.

PRACTICE EXTREME SELF-CARE

You must take care of yourself in order to be successful and to have a great life. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be effective in business or in your personal life. Block out time on your calendar and plan on ways to nurture yourself.

DREAM IN A DRAWER

Do you have a dream? Is there something you would really like to do, but there's never enough time? Most of us have a dream in our drawer. Take it out and take the first step to making it a reality. Hire a coach or have a friend help you with a plan. Set up steps of accountability and make that dream come true!

Phyllis Sisenwine is a Master Certified Coach and Motivational Speaker. The founder of Powerful Solutions, Inc, a professional coaching firm based in Langhorne, PA., Sisenwine shares her success strategies with clients, coaching them to achieve exceptional growth in business and in their personal lives. She uses her 20 years of experience in corporate or outside sales to help her clients create effective plans and develop strategies that result in a focus for success. For more information, call 215-968-2424 or visit http://www.powerfulcoaching.com

---

Choose Spice Racks That Help You Organize Your Home

Today you have almost as many choices of spice racks as you do of the spices they contain. Spice racks are wonderful kitchen home organization gadgets. And a spice rack is a wonderful... Read More

Clutter Clearing Tips that Work

Coping with clutter is rarely easy. There's more involved than just catching up on overdue housework, and staying focused and motivated over the weeks or months it may take to get the job... Read More

Clutter Campaign - Commit Your Time

Decide When And Where To StartDecide when and where to start. You have the same amount of time each day as did Thomas Jefferson, Einstein, and Mae West. It's all in where you... Read More

Get Rid Of The Clutter

You really can have a successful business and a great life. Often we get caught up in growing our business or climbing the corporate ladder that we put our personal lives on hold.... Read More

Home Organizing Tips & Gizmos

Staying organized can be a constant battle. The following organizing tips should help you in various areas of your home, even if you are "organizationally challenged":? Entryway: To avoid chaos whenever you have... Read More

5 Steps From Clutter To Control

Are you overwhelmed by clutter wherever you turn? Here are 5 practically painless steps to a clean slate.1. Begin by identifying the areas which are most impacting your ability to function effectively. Then... Read More

Organized Living in a Disorganized World

We are bombarded with so many factors that perpetuate disorganization. Computers, fax machines, cellular phones, and on-line services enable us to do more - and require us to do more. The speed of... Read More

Compartmentalize

The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I am intrigued with the fact that the word "mental" is in the word. For me, it illustrates the need to separate mentally what... Read More

Getting Organized For The New Year - Part 1

The following procedures will insure an organized and well run office. 1. Have a daily To Do sheet. This is made up at the end of the day. You might have items left... Read More

Secrets to Eliminating Emotional Clutter

Are you plagued by clutter in your personal or professional life? Is there someone in your family or your work who is? Based on my experience, the answer is probably "Yes!"As a professional... Read More

What Momma Never Told Me About Housekeeping

A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care of most everything. Now, we do things pretty much the way she did. What if there is a better way? If you are... Read More

Change the Way You Think and Change Your Life

Dennis is working as a factory worker during the day and a security guard at night. He needs these two incomes in order to stay above water in his bills. He has Wednesday's... Read More

Until We Go Paperless

From time to time I hear this question from an audience member during one of my presentations. They express a dire hope that getting organized is a one-time event based on acquiring the... Read More

10 Minute Tricks to Help You Get Organized

Whoever thought you'd be able to get organized in just 10 minutes?! Here are a few simple ideas.1. 10 MINUTE CHORE BOX:Rather than spending hours organizing, and doing it all yourself, create a... Read More

Are You A Collector?

Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or emotion, and are quite different than ordinary garden-variety "clutter." One man has a love of photography and takes pictures of everything. Another woman... Read More

Success at Work : Techniques : A Cluttered Desk

I followed my boss to a co-worker's cubicle where my boss requested a certain document from the co-worker. The actual surface of the co-workers desk was not visible because it was covered with... Read More

Clutter Crisis?

Clutter costs you time, money, space, and peace of mind. Most of us complain about our cluttered desks, closets, bedrooms, kitchens, attics, basements, and even our cars, purses, and briefcases. Clutter is overwhelming,... Read More

Organization Tips - How To Get Things Done

What stops you from 'getting things done?'Have you ever started your day with good intentions of completing a task or project only to find that by the end of the day you've hardly... Read More

Everything Fits Together Perfectly!

Here's a little lesson I experienced while packing boxes for my move to Victoria, BC.I decided to pack my own belongings so that I would have more money to set up my apartment... Read More

Stress Management: 10 Universal Laws to Get and Stay Organized

1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step in getting organized is to 3-pile everything:pile one is for those things to throw awaypile 2 is for those things that need immediate... Read More

10 Tips on Color Coding Your Paper: From Chaos to Coherence

Color-There Is No SubstituteIn anatomical illustrations you see the brain's visual system, where the optic nerve is actually 25 times faster than our audio nerves (hearing). No matter which processing style you depend... Read More

Tired of Endless Chores and To-Dos? Stop Running Around in Circles and Enjoy Life Again

Do you feel like you are running around in circles, completing one task after the next only to find there are 20 chores you have not done yet? I am not even talking... Read More

The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Organizing Your Kids Rooms

1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing a parent should do before decorating a kid's room?Get rid of the clutter! Because we are such a materialistic, marketing, socializing-driven society, kids... Read More

The Clutter Campaign - Design Your Vision

I like a room you can dance in the middle of! Mariah Burton NelsonOne of the prime reasons that most of us have occasional or everlasting problems with clutter is that we do... Read More

5 Easy Steps to Making Housework More Manageable

Sometimes the task of keeping a clean, tidy house just seems overwhelming. Why is that? Because it never ends! You never get done! In order to make the task more manageable and give... Read More

Three Effortless Ways to Win the Paperwork Battle

Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the projects seem to never end? Imagine how good you would feel if every day you could start with a clean and organized desk?... Read More

Breathing Life Into Dead Spaces

"I don't have enough room!" -- this is a common cry amongst the disorganized. But sometimes, they just aren't looking closely enough. You can find additional storage in the most unlikely places. All... Read More

10 Simple Ways to Clear Clutter from Your Home and Office

There is nothing worse then spending ten minutes looking for something to accomplish a three minute task. Clear the clutter and clear your mind.1. Hold the intention that the only three things aloud... Read More

To Make a Change -- Take a Chance

Life is really all about CHANGE. In order to make a CHANGE, you have to be willing to take a CHANCE. To take a chance is to risk. So let's spend a few... Read More