A Quick Holiday Prep Plan

At this time of year, the sheer number of "to-do's" on your list can become overwhelming -- even after you've removed those tasks you really don't care much about! But by tackling your "obligations" in an organized and systematic fashion, you can take the sting out of the holidays and get your prep work done with plenty of time left over for enjoying the season.

Thanksgiving Countdown

The holidays are almost upon us -- and while I intend to go out for turkey day this year, many of you are going the more traditional route. If you're one of those who plans on hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner, you need a plan that will help you get everything done on time and with a minimum of stress.

The Work-At-Homer In Its Natural Habitat

The home-based worker is an entirely different animal than the typical employee -- if you're a creature whose office is at home, you know how hard it is to keep your private life from intruding on your work, and your business from taking over your personal time! Let's examine the species "work-at-homer" in its natural habitat and watch the life and death struggle for balance.

Learning To Delegate More Effectively

Delegation can be a tricky business. You don't want to simply "dump" distasteful work on someone else -- but you need to make sure the job gets done, and it doesn't need to be done by you. Delegating can become a particularly sensitive issues when it is lateral -- asking a fellow colleague, freelance consultant, family member, or friend for help. But by approaching delegation in the right way, you can make the experience enjoyable for both parties.

Make Your Work Day Easier

As a Professional Organizer, I teach my clients how to stay on top of their daily "to-do's." Phone calls, e-mails, paperwork, mass mailings -- how do you keep things from falling between the cracks? Here are ten simple suggestions for keeping routine business affairs from taking any more time out of your day than they need to...

Admin Time? What The Heck Is That?

Managing your time at the office can be a real challenge -- how do you stay on top of daily to-do's when you have meetings to attend, fires to put out, and people knocking on your door every 5 minutes asking for something? The key is to have a regular chunk of time blocked off for getting YOUR work done.

Incoming To-Do's

Talk to any Professional Organizer, and he or she will tell you that time management is about making room for the "want to's" as well as the "have to's". But when you are in a state of extreme overwhelm, you don't have enough energy left over for your higher priorities in life. Fortunately, it's easy to regain control over the daily grind with a good time management system -- so let's start by examining the way you deal with routine to-do's.

Workable Work Spaces

Now that the kids are back in school, it's time to get your own work space in order. You don't have to be Fortune 500 CEO to need a functional office. Paying bills, filing, staying on top of phone calls, and tracking expenses -- these activities all require an orderly workspace. And don't forget your personal documents -- no matter what kind of paper you accumulate, you need a dedicated space for storing and managing it.

Time Management For Students

Being a student these days isn't easy -- in addition to classes and homework, kids must juggle a myriad of extracurricular activities, family responsibilities, and afterschool jobs. It's no wonder the next generation is feeling the stress -- it can be downright overwhelming at times! That's why it's more important than ever for kids to learn good time management skills early on.