February seems like it just flew by. I cannot believe it is the end of the month already.

I’ve enjoyed talking with some of you in my “get to know you” free consultations. The offer is still open. If you will spend 15 miutes to answer a few questions and let me get to know you, and your needs and frustrations about organizing, I will offer a solution to one of your problems. Just sign up on my online calendar at http://tungle.me/eileenroth

I am recuperating from the flu. We took a trip 10 days ago, and two others in our group got sick, and so it hit my husband and finally me.
Being sick gave us a headstart on spring cleaning, we washed down the entire bed, linens, pillows and even vacuumed all the mattresses.

As March approaches, consider spring cleaning your home or your office.
Remember the phrase - “In with the New and out with the Old?”

Think about what things you can Purge.
That should always be the first step.
What do you no longer use or need?

Purging doesn’t always mean “tossing”.
It could be that these are old files that you need to save but are no longer needed close by and can be sent to storage.

On the other hand purging might mean deleting – deleting old emails that no longer needed or are completed. Deleting old jokes, old files.

It could also be deleting pictures that are crowding your computer. With the age of digital cameras, it is easy to take 2 or 3 times the amount we used to take with paper pictures.
Do you really need 3 pictures of the same people/item/scene? Choose the best one and delete the others.

Get a jump on spring - What do you need to start purging?

Eileen Your Tour Guide for Success

It is another year, and January will come to a close. Why is it that so many people fail to keep their New Year’s Resolutions past a week or two? Here are six reasons that New Year’s Resolutions fail:

1. Resolutions are spontaneous.
When do most people set New Year’s Resolutions? At a New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day party. People are going around the room, and each person blurts out their resolution. This type of resolution is so spontaneous that it rarely can be taken seriously – unless it was a goal that was truly considered before the party.

2. Set to “top” someone else’s resolution
Setting a New Years goal just to “be better” than someone else’s resolution is not your own resolution. e.g. Someone says they want to lose 5 lbs, so you say you will lose 10 lbs to “top” that person. Competition with someone else can make achieving a resolution fun. However, it does not work when it was not your intention in the first place. If you have no “ownership” of the goal, you are not likely to achieve it.

3. No substance or value
Some people make frivolous resolutions – e.g. “I’ll stop drinking/smoking for a week.” Because there is no real intention here to keep the goal, it dissolves quickly. Resolutions need substance or value to the person if it is to really be accomplished.

4. No deadlines
When there is no deadline, and nothing to work toward, there is no reason to continue doing a goal past the first day or the first week. Deadlines help people achieve their goals because they have a timeline to strive for.

5. No rewards
Achieving goals are often accomplished because there is a reward attached to it. “If I lose 15 lbs, I can buy 4 brand new slacks.” “If I stop smoking, I will buy myself a new set of golf clubs or a new Corvette.” Rewards that are both specific and something the person truly desires, motivate the person to achieve the goal. (Rewards attached for no particular reason will not motivate you!)

6. Not enough time
It takes 18-21 days to make or break a habit, so if you quit after a few days or two weeks, you haven’t practiced the new goal long enough to make it a habit and sustain it. 18-21 days in the working world is 1 month (a work week is 5 days x 4 weeks = 20 days), so you might want to do something new for at least a month. Work on your habit for 30 days and it will be ingrained in you.

PS If you are buying any type of container this month, be sure to read Container Basics on the ScrapOnizer site which applies to buying containers for any storage: www.scraponizer.com Look under Sage Advice for the article.

This is a repost of an article I wrote for Scraponizer containers. Check out their containers - great for scrapbookers, but also for all kinds of little things from Silly Bandz to Legos and Barbie doll accessories to hair accessories for girls. Then there are great ideas for making photos with their folders or having calendar countdowns for showers or holidays or whatever - end of school year.

Check out their great containers: www.scraponizer.com Look under Sage Advice for the article.

This article mentions Scraponizer products but the concepts are great for buying any container.

Container Basics

Every time you decide to organize a space, you need containers. Containers help confine items to a certain space. When items are separated, it is much easier to find what you want when you want it. This is true for any type of hobby that has small parts because you want to store them in a neat and organized fashion.

The ScrapOnizer containers are great for scrapbooks, sewing supplies, beads, unmounted stamps, stickers, etc. You can also use them to organize small toys like Legos®, Knex®, Barbie® doll accessories, Crazy Bones®, Silly Bandz® as well as trading cards like Pokemon®. In fact you can organize anything small including hair accessories, nail polishes, school supplies, office supplies or the proverbial junk drawer.

Whenever you organize a space and purchase new containers, here are 5 key considerations to keep in mind:

Shape
Seal
Size
Color
Label

Shape
When you choose a container, choose square or rectangular containers over round containers. Round containers lose the corners, thereby they waste space. (Note: Round containers are best used for mixing bowls, a lettuce keeper, and a large round basket for balls in the garage.)

It is also difficult to put anything else right next to round containers whereas it is easy to put something right next to a rectangular container –especially when storing inside drawers, boxes, or file cabinets which are already rectangular in shape.

Rectangular containers are stackable. This is a big advantage to utilize your height, a space that is often neglected. Depending on the number of containers you have, see if storing them horizontally on a shelf gives you more space than vertically. Try both ways. This is one of the advantages of ScrapOnizers — they can be stored vertical or horizontal.

Have a Tight Seal
You always want to find a container that has a good seal. ScrapOnizer containers seal tightly so you do not worry about items moving from one section to another when you turn them vertical or horizontal.

If a child, or you, accidentally drop a container; it is nice to know that the contents will not spill out. No one wants to spend hours cleaning up small accessories.

Tight seals are also great if you have younger children where crafts or toys in a young child’s mouth could be detrimental – i.e. a tight seal could keep a toddler from obtaining small crafts like beads.

Color
For the most part, choose clear containers. Clear containers are easy to see through. At one glance you have the “clear solution” as to what is inside each individual container.

One way to help distinguish one container from another is to add color. Color can be added in three ways on ScrapOnizer containers by using labels or decorating them:

a) to the holder for the containers
b) to the ScrapOnizer spine (the side that does not open)
c) to the entire ScrapOnizer container

Sometimes you don’t want to see all of your “stuff!” This may occur when containers are kept on an open shelf, especially in a public place in your home. One way that you can change ScrapOnizer’s clear containers to non-clear is to decorate them and/or use labels. (see Labels below)

You can also use a color code system to designate different contents inside the containers. For instance, scrapbookers could choose red for paper stock while white is for Cricut cartridges and orange is for chip boards.

Another option is to use color to designate different uses for the containers such as white for scrapbooking containers, blue for sewing containers, and red for toy containers.

Color can also be used to match the colors in the room or to indicate a theme like a holiday or seasonal storage container. Of course, color can just be decorative.

Identify with Labels
Even if the container is clear, it is a good idea to label all containers. Labels identify a container even faster than looking inside.

If the items inside are all related, you can just label the spine (on the side that does not open) of the ScrapOnizer with the item name, “Paper” or “Beads.”

If they are all theme related, like an occasion or season, you can label the containers with that name, i.e. Thanksgiving or Wedding. If there is more than one, you might want to say Wedding 1, Wedding 2 or it might be more specific like Wedding paper, Wedding stamps, Wedding chip board.

You can also label and/or decorate the container that holds several ScrapOnizers with stickers or crafts to create a nice design to match the contents, a theme, or even the colors of the room.

Clear labels are not easy to read on clear containers. Choose white or color coded labels. Color coding your labels can also work well to identify different items, i.e., stickers from stamps from die cuts from chipboard. (see Color above)

Size
Before buying, determine what you want to store and what size you would like. ScrapOnizers come in various sizes including minis to fit inside larger containers. The Storage Sets come with different removable section trays in each container, offering 2, 3, 4, and 8 section options. For large sheets of scrapbook pages, you will want the 12×12 sizes.

For small items, you may want to use the mini containers inside a larger container. Note that 30 minis will fit into one 12×12 ScrapOnizer and 16 minis fits into one 8.5×11 container or an 8.5×11 divided with either 4 or 8 sections.

Shopping
Before you shop for containers, measure the height, width, and depth of the space the containers are going in. With a little planning, you can determine how many of each size container you want.

November is a time of stuffing – stuffing turkey, and often stuffing ourselves.

Then it was time to stuff “things” as the annual holiday buying spree began the day after Thanksgiving. Many people see the word “sale” and think it says “buy” even though the letters are different.

Like all of you, I rushed out to buy the newspaper and looked at all the after Thanksgiving sales. But I looked with a purpose; I was looking for something. I wanted a portable hard drive so I could take more with me than I could on a memory stick as well as not have to worry about leaving something behind when I speak or consult.

My power point presentations and pictures take up a lot of space. I wanted more space to be able to work on presentations or products when I was flying. And I found a good deal on the day after Thanksgiving. No, I was not there at 7am when they opened. I arrived mid-morning and made my purchase after the hustle and bustle of the crowd was gone.

When you look at the word SALE, also look at the word STOP.
Stop and ask: a. Do you really need this item? b. Does this item contribute to your well-being or give you a special pleasure?

Everything I bought this season has been because I need it or gives me long-lasting pleasure for my hobby. My hobby got a real “makeover” these past 2 weeks before my hubbie’s sister and brother-in-law arrived for Thanksgiving. I have to learn how to do a u-tube, when all is running well, and show you.

So when you are out shopping SALE, remember to STOP and ask.

Happy Chanukah for this coming week.

I just returned from a 15-day trip to Israel. What an amazing place for a country the size of New Jersey! There is so much history there!

Some of you may be travelling for the holidays, so here are some quick time-saving tips

1. Get your boarding pass online and pay for baggage fees 24 hours in advance – sometimes it saves money, but definitely saves time of standing in line. If you have your boarding pass, you can go right to the electronic check in.

2. Take a smaller purse and fit it into the carry-on bag.

3. Pack an extra duffle bag in your suitcase. It is useful for beach days and to bring extra items home.

4. Get a travel pillow if you might sleep on the plane -it keeps your head from falling over too far. Tie it onto your carry-on bag with a shoelace. If it comes in a plastic cover, keep the cover to keep the pillow clean. (skip the air kind, they leak.)

5. Take a book or electronic book reader.

6. For your carry-on bag:
   a. Pack no more than 3 oz. of liquids – shampoo, conditioners, hair sprays, etc.
   b. Pack an extra set of clean clothes, at least underwear and pjs, just in case your luggage is lost or late.
   c. Keep makeup, deodorant, toothbrush and tooth paste in here.
   d. Carry and/or buy food at the airport for mealtimes or snacks.
   e. Bring an empty water bottle and refill at the drinking fountain AFTER going through security. (Can’t take more than 3 ounces through security, and none if flying international.)
   f. Pack all meds in this bag.

7. Don’t make any plans for the day before and day after the trip – use it to pack/unpack and clean-up or catch-up with work, and sleep. I hardly slept on the 18-hour plane rides, it has taken 3 days to get back to normal!

It is time for fall cleaning. Make a list of the projects you would like to tackle. Fall brings about a time for two different types of goals: The first type is to finish off the 4th quarter on a higher note than the past three quarters. The second type of goal is to “fall clean” your information.

Goals to complete the fourth quarter might be:
a) To improve something you have been doing
A good example is to change the words or presentation you use when you make sales calls
Does your power point presentation need more visuals or some animation?
Do the words used to present the benefits of a product need to be improved?
Do you need more persuasive words to influence the buyer?

b) To start something new
If you have added a new product line, or a new target audience:
Do you need new sales material and new benefits in your presentation?
Do you need to approach different industries or people?

c) To find a new way to do something you were doing
Sometimes we have to find a new way to do things. If your marketing avenue was making cold calls and setting up meetings, try using a new avenue like teleconferences or social media to reach more people at one time.

Goals to “fall clean” might be:
a) Toss all “dead’ sale leads.
If you have a definite “no” from a prospect, the lead is dead.

b) Clear your paper files
Some information will never be used again either because the project is finished or it has been replaced.
Toss all outdated information.

c) Clear your hard drive
If you have drafts or several old versions of material, delete the old ones when the final version has been improved unless you need it for proof of changes. In that case, be sure to keep only the changes and not the entire document.

d) Delete old emails
Many people save emails for “just in case” and rarely or never go back and look at them again. If the email does not serve a purpose now, delete it. An easy way to do that is to sort by name and quickly remove all emails from the same source at one time.

Happy Fall cleaning!

Last month I blogged about email deletion from an overloaded IN box (see July 2010)

Some people have been asking what to do about the emails you want to keep or the ones you need to take action on.

Emails to keep – no action step
If you need to save emails that have no action steps, move them into a file folder. It is your choice to keep more file folders in your email program or copy the information onto your hard drive. When you copy to the hard drive, only copy the relevant part of the email onto a document and file it in a category on the hard drive.

Emails to keep – needs action steps
These emails need to be put into a tickler system.
A tickler system is a system that will “tickle your memory” (remind you) that you have something to do.

There are 3 types:
1. 7 days of the week: maybe 1% of people do not shuffle from Mon to Tues to Wed, etc.
2. 43 folder system: 31 days + 12 months - still shuffle from 15th to 16th to 17th, etc.
3. Take Action File: file by next action step (instead of date)

If you want to find the backup of your To Do List – whether it is paper or emails, purchase the Take Action File System manual to get both papers and emails organized. Click here: http://everythinginitsplace.net/products/take-action-file-system-tickler-system/

PS There is a student version too that is two systems in one, it includes a student file system. http://everythinginitsplace.net/products/take-action-file-student-file-system/

Emails, emails, everywhere and too many to read.
Like most people, I get too many emails and spend too much time on them.

I have separate email accounts for friends, general business, newsletters and speaking, which makes for too many emails.

This past week my husband asked me to clear my emails by Sunday.
I just finished a six part teleconference course that pushed me behind.
Then we were gone for 12 days to see family this month, and the emails piled up.
On top of that I have been making some financial changes that have taken quite a bit of my time. More emails piled up.

My husband suggested just blatantly hitting the delete key and completely emptying the email boxes. He says anyone who wants to talk to me will contact me again.
But my business emails are not social.
Most of my emails will keep coming unless I unsubscribe. They are newsletters or blogs. Deleting will not stop the deluge.

How do you get out from under?
The only thing that has worked for me is to decide that a handful of people get to remain.

Here are my steps:
1. I sort the emails by name instead of date. to make both reading and deleting go faster.

1. I unsubscribe from those I don’t really care about or don’t need to read.

2. I delete those I can skip reading for now.
   Maybe next month I’ll read their newsletter.

3. I determine who are the better experts or have something that resonates with me? Those I read and delete. The rest are unsubscribed too.

If you have some good tips for keeping your email box low, please add a comment.

Eileen

Do you forget things?

Have you gone through the whole day and then remembered something that really needed to be done that day but you had forgotten about it?

Did you miss a teleconference call?

Did you miss an event you wanted to attend?

Did you miss sending an important document to someone?

Did you miss a major deadline?

You ‘re frustrated.
You’re aggravated.
You’re stressed.

because You FORGOT.

Should you take a memory course?
Should you get hypnosis?

Want a simpler remedy –

Make a LIST.

Creating a To Do List helps you stay focused
on what needs to be done that day.

How many times have you gone to the grocery store without a list and forgotten to buy something?

The same thing applies to work To Do’s.
A list keeps you on track so you do not forget.

In fact, when you empty your brain –
or do a “brain dump”, you will relax.
Your mind says “I can find it.”
It is okay to stop thinking and thinking and thinking about it.
You wrote it down.

Stop clogging your memory with tons of information.
Write it down!

If you need a place to keep all the lists
or hard copy of things you need To Do –
click here: Manual: Take Action File System

School is out in Arizona and probably almost out everywhere else. It is summer time.

While some people feel that is the time to be lazy, it is a great time to spend time with your children.

Put together the past year’s photos, school papers, artwork and cards in a memory book.

I know — it is not just last year’s, it’s the past five or ten years!

You do not have to be an avid scrap booker to put together a simple album your child will cherish for a long time.

Have your child do it with you. They will enjoy it! Shop at a scrapbook store or craft store together Let your child choose some fun scrapbook items to make the pages even more exciting.

It will be fantastic.