Ketchup & White Out

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ketchup_bottle_2white-out-bottleIt’s February and 2014 is in full swing.  Is it getting a bit busy with commitments, activities, projects, obligations and responsibilities?  Is your calendar overstuffed?  Do you have too many obligations and not enough time to get it all done?  I have a suggestion, leave space for ketchup and white out on your calendar.

Ketchup = time on your calendar to catch up
White out = time on your calendar that is intentionally whited out with no appointments or obligations

This is a helpful tool that reminds us that it’s important to purposefully  leave open pockets of time on our calendar, because this provides us with time to catch up to the fast pace of life.  By leaving blank time on our calendar, we give ourselves time to pause, breath, reflect, and organize.  Who doesn’t need that?

 

© February 2014  Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®  All rights reserved

NAPO

Proud member of NAPO

Post Holiday Organizing

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Christmas Ornament BoxCan you believe it’s the end of January already? Are your holiday decorations still up? Where are the holiday cards and gift wrap? Would a few suggestions help motivate you to take action?

1. If holiday greeting cards you received aren’t destined for a scrapbook or memory box, toss, after making a list of who sent you a card this year.
2. If you have surplus holiday cards that didn’t get sent, keep one and donate or toss the rest.
3. Save the box if the decoration is a collectible item. Otherwise, ditch the box, and pack the item with holiday linens or soft decorations.
4. Pack your decorations by room. This makes it easier to put them out next year.
5. Toss the following:
Candle stubs
Christmas lights that have lost their twinkle
Faded, worn out, or tired outdoor decorations
Ornaments that have lost their luster
Wrapping paper that’s too small or flimsy to store for use next year
Gift bags, boxes, and tissue paper that have been reused one too many times

© January 2014 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All Rights Reserved

NAPO

Proud member of NAPO

date book

Organizing Habits

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writing-habitCreating habits is a great way to help yourself stay organized. Once something becomes habitual it takes less thought and effort. Here are a few good organizing habits to establish in 2014.

  • Label where items belong and repeatedly put them back in the same spot.
  • Spend 5 minutes a day per room removing items from floors, desktops, counter tops, table tops, and other horizontal surfaces.
  • Toss junk mail immediately.
  • Don’t print emails, recipes, or other information from your computer. Instead create folders and file the information on your computer.
  • Stop stockpiling groceries, cleaning supplies, and toiletries. Establish a maximum number to have on hand that allows breathing room in your cupboards.
  • Share household responsibilities with everyone who lives under one roof. Teamwork is the best approach to chores.
  • Go paperless with monthly bills and statements, and don’t print out payment receipts. Set up a folder and store on your computer.
  • Allow only one opened bottle of dish detergent, laundry detergent, soap, lotion, etc. at any given time.bin
  • Immediately get rid of junk (old, broken, or damaged items) once the replacement has been acquired. Don’t fill up your basement, attic or garage with junk.
  •   Set up a clothing donation bin by your clothes dryer and fill with clothing you want to get rid of, as soon as they come out of the dryer. Drop them off or have them picked up at your house every 3 months.

© January 2014 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO® All Rights Reserved

NAPO

Proud member of NAPO

Saving Time

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Tip:  Time yourself when doing simple tasks, like emptying the dish washer, scrubbing the bathroom, or folding laundry.  This will let you know exactly how long it takes to do those tasks.  Then you can squeeze them into your day when you have 10 or 15 minutes to complete them.