8 steps to conquer your paper

8 steps to conquer your paper
By Marcia Francois, 2007

Remember a few years ago when we all got excited about a paperless society? Well, I don’t know about you but I seem to have more paper now than ever before.

But where does it all come from? Mail, magazines, newspapers, printed emails (I don’t do this but I know there are lots of you who do), birthday cards, takeaway menus, brochures, notes from school teachers, e-books, and the list goes on and on.

If you don’t have a system, you are going to get overwhelmed. And you know what happens when you become overwhelmed? You don’t do anything and things get worse.

Here are my steps to organise your paper:

1. Start by throwing away as much as possible
Paper should earn the right to be in your life. Don’t just hoard everything. Before you hit PRINT, ask yourself if you really need to print it.

Tip – if you’re in the habit of just printing everything, then put a post-it note on your computer to remind you to STOP AND THINK BEFORE PRINTING.

2. Decide what needs to be stored near and what can be stored further away
Items that you use on a daily basis should be stored near you while those you use less often should be kept further away.

My Household Organising File is literally at my fingertips while my old tax returns are filed at the back of my filing cabinet. See?

3. Determine your organising style
If you’re a visual person, you might need your accounts visible until you’ve paid them but if you like the minimalist look AND you will remember to pay it, you could file it away. If you work with your style instead of against it, you will be much happier and you’re more likely to keep up with the system.

I write the due date in my planner and file the account in a temporary place until paid, and then permanently file it. Until decluttering time, that is!

Tip – Go to http://www.letstalkorganizing.com/ebooks.html for a great resource on organizing your home office. I've read it and it is fabulous!

4. Decide on a home for each type of paper so you’ll know exactly where to find it later
You should have a system so that everybody in your family knows how to find any documents.

Magazines go in the lounge until the next one arrives, newspapers (once read) go in the recycling bag, children’s artwork goes in their scrapbook, all financial documents go in the study, etc.

5. Sort into categories – first broad and then narrow
File so that YOU can find it. It’s no use filing by name if you think by category.

For example, I remember by category, like coaching, organising, writing, etc. So I don’t have folders that say Jenny, Susan, Lisa. If I’m coaching Jenny, her emails go under coaching. Susan is a personal friend so her emails go under personal. Lisa and I are working on a joint venture so her emails go under… joint venture. That’s it :-)

6. Then do the actual filing
This can be fun if you play to your personality.

I like bright colours and nice, clear dividers and pretty files. It does help to have cute files so you're more likely to keep up your system. Let’s face it – would you rather file documents in boring, grey files that are falling apart or in lovely, colour-coded files? Of course you’d rather have the beautiful files.

Make sure you label clearly and keep your system simple. If you decide to change the categories, you don’t want to have to buy whole sets of stationery.

7. Maintain
This is the most important part of any organising project.

You have to set aside some time every week to get the paper under control.

Schedule 15 – 30 minutes every week for filing and throwing away newspapers, magazines and notes from school. If you run a business from home, I’d suggest that you schedule 15 minutes a day.

Remember the old saying, a stitch in time saves nine. This is so true for paper. Ignore the paper for a month and see how it takes you hours to sort out.

8. Control the clutter
If you are serious about getting a handle on the paper in your life, put some personal rules into place. For example, each child gets a clean pizza box for all their art every year. When that box is too full, they have to go through it and decide which to keep and which to toss.

I have a memory box for all love letters, birthday cards, anniversary cards, notes and so on. When it starts getting too full, I go through it and see what I can declutter. It’s amazing how each time you look though it (every couple of years), it is easier to decide on what’s most important to you at that point in your life.


As with everything else in life, it is always more work setting something up than maintaining it. It will probably take you a couple of hours to do steps 1 to 6, and then 15 minutes a week for steps 7 and 8.

You will save time by not looking for things and money on interest charges from missing invoices and by not buying duplicate items.

(C) Marcia Francois
Marcia Francois is a personal life coach and professional organiser who teaches busy people how to have more time, less stress and a more organised and fulfilled life. Visit http://takechargesolutions.org/ for your free Organise your Home e-book and other helpful tips.

take time for your self

Take time for self-care
By Marcia Francois, 2003-2007
First published 2003

I've been battling quite a bit with time management since the middle of February and have only just come to grips with my time a bit better. It seems like I'm not the only one though!

Many people have recently said to me that they're feeling quite tired and burnt out, very busy but not accomplishing much. I call it "doing the hamster thing". You know what it is that they do - they run around on those little wheels in their cages, going nowhere fast. And that’s not a very pleasant feeling. Trust me – I know!

I really believe that in order to manage your time better, you need to decide what's important to you and what's not. If you don't decide, you can be sure that other people will decide for you.

If something is important to you, you will make time for it. I used to say things like, "I don't have enough time for exercise because I get home from work too late." One day I realised that that's absolute nonsense. Obviously I was making work a higher priority than having a fit and healthy body. It's as simple as that. Hmmm…

So this month I want you to take time to focus on yourself. I can just hear all the busy mothers out there saying things like, "but my children need me." Listen, it's not a selfish thing to do - instead, it only makes you a better person. I'm also very driven and have hundreds of things on the go so I do know what it's like. But you can’t give what you don’t have.

There are seven areas to everyone's life - spiritual, work, financial, family, friends, health/physical and personal. We constantly give and give and because we all lead such busy lives, it's very easy for that last section to slip. Hopefully that will be changing soon.

This year I decided that because my personal development is extremely important to me, I need to start scheduling time just for me. What I've been doing is scheduling two nights every month to focus on me. If I find interesting worksheets, quizzes or e-books on the internet, I print them and do or read them in this self-time too. I don't know about you but sometimes I read a book and at the time I'm too lazy to fetch some paper and do the exercises. Now I note them down and do all these exercises during my self-care time.

my favourite type of self-care!

You can enjoy your time pampering yourself with a lovely bubble bath, paint your toenails or read a favourite book. Or buy a favourite magazine and read it over some coffee and cake at a quiet coffee shop. Or book yourself on a workshop. I do regular talks and workshops and while I love it, I do enjoy receiving now and again. So every year, I attend at least two workshops.

For all the unstructured people out there, you're probably thinking, "where's the spontaneity?" I'll do a Dr Phil and ask you this, "how's the spontaneity been working for you?" I also tried the spontaneity thing and I never seemed to get around to things that were important to me!

I've really found this time of self-care very useful and I know that you will too. You'll be able to really think about what's working for you and what's not. I suggest that you buy a pretty notebook, and write it all down. There's something very special about committing things to paper instead of having it all milling around in your head.

My sister calls her personal time "Shelley time". Repeat three times: It's not a sin to have (insert own name here) _____________ time. Very good!

Download the worksheet but more importantly, take some action. You are so very worth it!

(c) Marcia Francois
Marcia Francois is a personal life coach and professional organiser who teaches busy people how to have more time, less stress and a more organised and fulfilled life. Visit http://takechargesolutions.org/ for your free Organise your Home e-book and other helpful tips.

The power of habits

the power of habits - by Marcia Francois
first published in Feb 2003

I’m going to start off with a really powerful quote by Mike Murdock, which goes, “the secret of your success is hidden in your daily routine”. I saw another good one too the other day that said, “successful people do what unsuccessful people are not prepared to do”. And that’s exactly my point; there are hundreds of little things we either are doing or not doing that affect the degree of success that we’ve achieved.

A habit is an action done so many times that we don’t even have to think consciously about doing it anymore.

Most people agree that it takes 21 days to form a habit and only 3 days to break it. For example, when we were very small, we were all trained to brush our teeth every morning. The toothbrush with toothpaste was given to us and we dutifully brushed our teeth every day. Now, I don’t know anyone at my age (!) who has to really think about brushing his or her teeth. I know that I stumble to the bathroom, half-asleep, and brush my teeth automatically. Why? It’s a habit.

If you take time to think about your daily routine, you’ll notice lots of good habits like driving within the speed limit, drinking 2L of water daily, etc. A few years ago, I decided that I needed to start drinking more water. So on 1 January 1998, I started forcing myself to drink 2L of water every day. This habit took hold in only 14 days because after the first two weeks, it was easy and it’s been that way ever since.

Now, in the same way that good habits are formed, bad habits are also created just as easily. I know of people who start saving, say R100 every month, and everything goes well for three or four months. Then they decide to go on holiday and stop saving for one month. The snag is that it doesn’t end up being just one month, because the habit they were creating has been broken. The next month it’s easier to spend that R100 on clothes, and after the third month, they’re back to square one!

So this month, I want to encourage you to think about some good habits you want to start implementing and some bad habits that you need to replace with good ones.

If you currently have a bad habit at work of shuffling paper around and not dealing with it, start this month by being disciplined and either filing it, working on it or throwing it away. When you’re tempted to just throw it back into your in-tray or start making a pile on your desk, STOP!

Remember that you have the power to break that bad habit and start creating some good ones. And the same goes for driving – if you’re like me and let other drivers on the road irritate you, stop and tell yourself that you’re going to replace all that negative behaviour with something positive. Maybe you need to start saying things like, “I am perfectly calm and stress-free in traffic.”

Action challenge
1. Print out the habits worksheet.
2. If you work outside the home, copy it so that you have one at home and one at work.
3. Read through your list every day to remind yourself of the habits.
4. Start implementing it. Make like Nike and “just do it”


By the way, this ties in really nicely with a blog post I wrote recently, my daily steps to success. If you haven’t already read it, go on over and see what I wrote.

© Marcia Francois 2003-2007
Marcia Francois is a personal life coach and professional organiser who teaches people how to have more time, less stress and a more fulfilling life. Visit http://www.takechargesolutions.org/ for your free Organise your Home e-book and other helpful tips.

Make your life easy with effective systems

make your life easy with effective systems
by Marcia Francois


Life is such a whirlwind, isn’t it? If you’re anything like me, it often seems like the weeks go by in a blur of activity…and then it’s weekend again. Or the weekends go by so quickly and when Monday comes around, you feel like you’ve just started to relax and the week is upon you once again.

The problem with this is that we never have a sense of peace, calm and control. A feeling that we are directing the course of our own lives.

I go through patches of hectic too so I thought I’d share some of the systems I’ve set up to make our lives easier:

Household calendar
We have one household calendar in our kitchen where we mark off any commitments like church, other ministry commitments, meetings, gym, socials, and so on. We use a sticker system with a different colour for each area of life. The nice thing about this system is that when there are too many stickers, we know we’re too busy. I also mark off the recycling pick-up days, when the meter reader is due and of course, things like birthdays.

I couple this with diary planning for the week ahead. I look at my diary on a Sunday and put in my appointments for the week. I also add any tasks that I need or want to work on, like writing articles, e-courses, newsletters and so on.

Meal planning
I love meal planning because it saves me time. When I say this to people, they think I’m crazy because “how can all that planning save you time?” It’s quite simple – a twenty-minute planning session on the weekend saves me time from Monday to Friday, when I need it most. No more standing in front of the open fridge wondering what to make for supper.

And you can still be spontaneous within the plan. I plan meals for the working week but if I don’t feel like a particular meal that day, I change it around and cook another day’s meal. Like if it’s very hot and I planned to have baked potatoes with a topping, I’ll postpone that to another day and make a pasta salad instead.

Regular decluttering and organising
I tackle an area in our home every weekend. Let’s face it – if we are constantly buying things and bringing them into our homes and lives, clutter is constantly building up unless we get rid of some of it.

It doesn’t have to be a huge exercise. While you’re busy cooking or baking, you can sort out a cupboard or two. I don’t trust my oven timer (it is erratic) so I stay in the kitchen whenever I bake to make sure my muffins don’t burn! I then use the time constructively to sort out the cupboards, plan my menus, write out my shopping list, etc. You can see the fruits of my labour on the organising blog at http://organisingtips.blogspot.com/

When you factor in just 15 minutes’ decluttering and organising every weekend, you can easily maintain your home if it is already organised. Of course, if your house is nowhere near where you’d like it, I would suggest 15 mintues every day. Sign up for Beth’s declutter calendar at http://encouragingcoach.com/ and start the process now.

Launch pad
Do you know the place in your house where you dump your bags as you enter? Flylady calls this a launch pad. I like that term because it reminds me of action. We have an interesting, little corner in our entrance hall that I use for my launch pad and my husband uses another section near the kitchen.

Mornings are one of the worst times in most families – you can’t find your keys, wallet, bag, etc. Frantic running around and screaming happens and that is just not fun.

The point is that we use our launch pads to ready ourselves for mornings. Every evening I pack my handbag, work bag and keys, and they are all left here. In the mornings all I do is grab and go. Literally once I leave the bedroom, I walk to the fridge to get my cooler bag with my lunch, set the alarm, grab my bags from my launch pad and I’m out of there. And that’s two minutes tops!

Now, over to you. Which systems can you implement to make your life easier?


© Marcia Francois 2007
Marcia Francois is a personal life coach and professional organiser who teaches people how to have more time, less stress and increased productivity. Visit http://www.takechargesolutions.org/ for your free Organise your Home e-book and other helpful tips.

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how I can help you
Virtual organising session
I can help you with an objective opinion and lots of good ideas via a virtual organising session.

Hands-on organising session
I will come to your house for a 2 or 3-hour hands-on session. We will do a needs analysis and then get stuck in - decluttering, organising and setting up systems to help you with your time and space.

I also offer wardrobe organising sessions. You will fit on everything (either when I'm there or beforehand) to decide what you love wearing and what must go. We will then declutter and organise your clothes, shoes, accessories and so forth.

Email me for available times.

Eat that frog!

this month's article

Eat your frog!
By Marcia Francois


Eat your frog? By now you’re wondering if I’ve gone stark raving mad! No, I’m not mad.

I first learned of this principle from Brian Tracy.

Your frog is the most important task of the day. It is the one thing which, if done quickly and effectively, will ensure your greatest success.

You see, when most people get to work, they already have some idea of what they have to do for the day. Let me give you a specific example.

Okay, imagine that these are the 5 tasks that await you on a particular day:

1. Read and respond to emails.
2. Phone somebody to resolve a query.
3. Set up a meeting.
4. Compile monthly report.
5. Draft a process email and send out.

Most people would probably do the tasks in this order – 1, 3, 2, 5 and 4.

Why?

Because that’s the easiest way to get through the list. After all, by 10:00 nearly all the items can already be ticked off the list.

But then a “typical day” happens – client phone calls, queries left, right and centre, you’re called into a couple of meetings and before you know it, 4:30 has rolled around and you still haven’t done that monthly report.

Sound familiar?

That’s because you haven’t eaten your frog. Your most important task is still undone.

So let’s change it all around.

What if you walked into the office and did nothing else until your report was done? You’ve eaten your frog. And it’s only 9:00.

You then catch up on emails, and draft the process email to send out. The “typical day” still happens but because the most important tasks are done, you can squeeze setting up the meeting and phoning the other person into the tiny five-minute slots you do find during the course of the day.

You see, it’s what I’ve been teaching my time management clients for years when I tell them to ask themselves, “what’s the most important use of my time right now?”

If you get used to eating the frog first, the rest of your day can only get better. Your most horrible task is over and done with and you can almost…but not quite…relax!

And if you have TWO frogs, then you eat the ugliest one first!

My challenge to you is this – just try it for a week and see how your productivity soars. You know I’m the go-to gal if you want to increase your productivity so I made a worksheet to help you get into the habit. Download it now. Page 1 has Mon - Sun and page 2 only has Mon - Friday.

I can’t wait to hear how it works out for you.

By the way, I thought I ought to practise what I preach. So this month, I did exactly that. I wrote this article a week earlier than I usually do so that it’s done. And I feel great!

© 2007 Marcia Francois

Marcia Francois is a personal life coach who teaches people how to have more time, less stress and increased productivity. Visit http://www.takechargesolutions.org/ for your FREE success pack, articles and helpful tips.

2006 - My year in review

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THIS MONTH'S ARTICLE
2006 - my year in review

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Spiritual
This year was probably not the best year I've ever had spiritually but I've realised in my Christian walk that this is a marathon, not a sprint and there are ups and downs. As with everything else in life, you have to keep your eyes on things above and just keep moving.

Business
Looking through my goals for the year, I did a lot better than expected in most areas but not as good as I wanted to in other areas.

I got a bit techno-savvy and set up my website and domain name in March. Continuing the techno streak, I set up three business blogs - take charge of your life, organising tips and the newsletter archives.

I ran 9 workshops - 4 Awesome Relationships, Goal-setting 101, Discover more of yourself, Simplify your life, Health and wellness day, and Spring into Organising.

I also interacted on a one-on-one basis with many clients through coaching and organising.

I also developed an e-course, and several e-books which are now for sale on my site.

And I was featured on Kaya FM as a clutter control expert!

I also learnt lots about marketing this year - I now know that marketing's not a swear word :)

I had two sets of business cards printed - I had the reprint done to direct people to the website to get their free success pack, and also to link to the blog.

Financial
This year, I invested a lot of money in myself.....because I'm worth it. Seriously though, I bought lots of e-courses, e-books, CD's and print books to develop myself and improve my business.

Despite all that, I managed to reach my savings goals with almost no trouble at all. Why is it that this seems to be the easiest goal of all for me to accomplish every year?! I don't think I've become extremely self-disciplined over the years so it might just be that I'm addicted to seeing that savings account grow :)

Health
I lost 4kg on Weigh-Less!!! (this year, my goal is to lose another 3 and get to my goal weight). I changed my gym routine to incorporate some dance classes - originally 3 but then I got bored with belly dancing and now only do hip-hop and salsa. I also went to an Introduction to Nia dance workshop.

I have never eaten this healthily in my life, thanks to Weigh-Less, and am faithfully eating lots of vegetables and fruit on a daily basis.

In 2006, one of my main goals was to create more balance in my life and that, I'm proud to say, I really did. Of course, it's a battle when things get busy. But I have learnt to relax my expectations somewhat (for instance, sometimes I chose to spend a couple of hours reading instead of cleaning, or going to gym instead of working late, etc.).

Marriage
Dion and I had lots of date nights this year and of course, we also participated in the first Relationship Boot Camp I ran, to set off our relationship on the right foot.

We also travelled quite a bit this year. We went to Port Elizabeth for our 11-year anniversary at the end of April, then had our big holiday in Thailand and Malaysia in October/ November, and we ended off the year with another long weekend in Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth early in December. Dion and I met in Grahamstown 14 years ago at Rhodes University so it was really special to go back there.

Ministry
Even though this was a really quiet year, I helped around 15 people discover their passion. I also started a new passion-driven ministry called Success Principles, based on Jack Canfield's book. The new ministry had only a few members but each meeting was so inspiring as individual members shared and encouraged one another.

Social/ friends
We always start off the year very well with socials but then as the year progresses and it gets busy, we somehow don't get to see all our friends as often as we'd like. And the travelling didn't help this year either!

I made lots of lunch dates with my friends - isn't it nice to meet up and just be with your girlfriends? (If you haven't spent time with your friends lately, bring them along to the From Drab to Fab workshop. You will have a wonderful time - I promise!)

However, we ended off the year very well and managed to meet up with 3 sets of friends just in December alone, which was just wonderful.

Personal
One of the major things that affected me this year was blogging. It amazes me to see how people's opinion of blogging differs. Some love it, some hate it, some don't understand it but still hate it :)

You might have noticed that I love blogging! I have made some amazing friends through blogging and the internet this year. I even got the opportunity to meet up with Ali and Ricardo on Christmas Eve.

I attended 4 workshops/ courses this year for my own pleasure/ personal development.
I read a total of 72 books this year (on average, 6 every month) - 52 fiction and 20 non-fiction.

And I also saw some really good movies like The Holiday.

Getting back to techno-savvy, we finally got ourselves a digital camera and MP4 players. AND! I'm typing this on my new laptop - yay! Back to the digital camera... oh my word, are those things nifty or what?! I love that camera and discovered another little addiction - taking pictures of food. I know it's weird but it could have been weirder, right???

So that's it - my year in review. (I'd love to hear more about yours in the comments)

Enjoying your holidays

Marcia's monthly motivational message - Enjoying your holidays
Remember to download your holiday survival guide

When we think about the Festive Season, some people look forward to it and some people don't.

Just in chatting to some friends the last couple of weeks, I get mixed reactions like this: I never go away during December because there's no traffic in Jhb, and then… I hate being in Jhb during December because the rest of the country's up here and there's no parking. Some people plan everything around family time, and some purposely want to be away from family. Different strokes for different folks? I suppose so.

The one thing in common is that people have definite ideas about what they want and don't want. This is great. However, you need to plan around that instead of just stressing about your expectations not being met.

So, the first action step is to decide, as a family, what is most important to you. Do you want to do cards and gifts, do lots of church activities, volunteer at a children's home or spend time with friends and family?

Choose a couple and then plan around your common goals. It might also be a good idea to write these on your refrigerator so you're constantly reminded of what's most important.

Here are some points to help you plan the holidays:

family
1. Who do you want to spend time with?
2. Are you buying gifts for everybody or will you each draw a name? I know somebody whose family only exchanges gifts with the people they're together with on Christmas Day.
3. Resolve not to get into an argument with your relatives about stupid things. Remember they know how to push your buttons!

food
1. When you cook, cook double and freeze the extra portion. On the days when you don't feel like cooking, you can just pull the meal out the freezer and defrost.
2. Make extra cookie dough and freeze. You can then easily defrost and bake when you get visitors.
3. Don't feel like you must do everything. You're not Superwoman. Say yes when people ask if they can bring something and tell them exactly what to bring.

fun
1. You don't have to attend every social event you're invited to. It's okay to say no.
2. Eat something small (sandwich) before you go out so that you don't overeat and make bad choices. This is especially true if you're on a weight loss journey like I am. Choose tomato-based sauces instead of the fattier, creamy options. Halve your portion immediately and ask for a doggie bag. Those of you in South Africa can spread some Christmas cheer and give your doggie bag to a homeless person or to the car guard.
3. If you're at a party and you're drinking, remember to drink lots of water.

figures (money)
1. Don't go overboard with the money. Buy now, pay later results in lots of stress in the New Year.
2. Decide on a budget for all gifts and stick to it. If you run out, get creative and make something (babysitting vouchers, a casserole, some baked goodies, home spa/ massage vouchers).
3. Put aside some money for the time leading up to your January salary. In SA, there is usually a six-week gap between the Dec and Jan salaries. We've done this in my family for the last seven or eight years so that we always have money in January. It takes a bit of discipline but is so worth it when there are 3 weeks before pay day and you have plenty of money in your bank account.

Well, I hope these points gave you something to think about.

Here's to a meaningful holiday season! Always remember that the reason for the season is our Saviour's birth.

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

10 favourite organising tools

My favourite organising tools

There are some things I just can't do without. These 10 tools really help me to keep me and my household organised.

Notebook and pen
I have notebooks all over the house, one next to my bed, one on the entrance hall table, one in my handbag, one in the car, etc. It is easy to jot some notes down immediately without losing the thought than to have to try to remember it.

Flipfiles
Flipfiles are so useful –in the kitchen alone, I use two – one for favourite recipes and one for my household organising file. You can buy your own downloadable household organising file for only R75 (plus R5 admin charge)
We used a flipfile for a travel file to put all the stuff we printed off the internet of tours we wanted to take, checklists, etc.

Masking tape
I got this excellent tip from Confessions of an Organized Homemaker. I use masking tape for labels everywhere. The tape is really easy to write on with both a pen and a marker. Use in the kitchen to label your leftovers in the fridge and also your storage containers in the cupboards.

Permanent marker
Use a permanent marker to label virtually everything. This is one of the main tricks to keep your home organised. It is all well and good to have everything nicely sorted but if you can't remember what's in each container without having to look inside then it's a bit useless, isn't it? My house has one in the kitchen, one in my handbag and a couple in the study.

Post-it notes
I use post-it notes for labels. If you use the proper branded ones, they stick on everything and last forever. Don't waste your time with the cheap stuff. My fridge is labelled with post-its - the same ones have been in there for about 6 months now and are as good as new. There is no sign of non-stickiness. Use in the fridge, on shelves, boxes, trays, magazine holders, etc.

Clear square or rectangular plastic storage containers
Once you start using clear containers, you will never go back to the opaque stuff. You'll always know what's in there and find your food doesn't waste as often. You can pack more stuff into a space if you use square or rectangular containers than if you use round ones. Use in the kitchen for food and in the study for paperclips, staples, etc.

Ziploc bags
Use Ziploc bags for sandwiches, freezing food, holding vegetables, for toiletries when travelling, if you're going on a day trip and need to take some sunblock and mosquito repellent, etc.

Prestik
I use Prestik to stick up shopping and menu lists in the kitchen, a recipe on the cupboard when I'm baking (so it doesn't get dirty), Christmas cards on the side of the wall unit (so they don't take up space on a shelf) and to stick up a pen and my goals list in my wardrobe.

Elastic bands
Use to close bags of chips, sweets or vegetables. They are easier to use on freezer bags than those clips you get in the packets.

Perpetual calendar
Set it up once with all the birthdays, anniversaries and special events, and you use the same one year in and year out. Diarise to check it around the 27th of every month for upcoming birthdays and you are all prepared!


Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

Setting healthy boundaries

What is a boundary?

In a physical sense, it is easy to understand that a boundary marks off where your property starts and where the neighbour's ends. You are responsible for your property but not for anything that happens on your neighbour's.

While not as easy to mark off, our emotional boundaries also mark off where our responsibilities start and end. Too many people feel out of control of their lives because they don't know where their boundaries start and end.

Boundaries are like fences in that they keep bad things out and good things in. This means that you protect yourself from things or people that might hurt you and you nurture things or people that help you. Notice I said fences and not walls. A wall means that nothing gets through from either side; a fence allows flow.

Boundaries are limits or barriers that protect you, your time and your energy. When your boundaries are well-defined, they help to prevent conflict within your relationships. They are like your personal "rules".

"Setting limits is a way of defining who you are and what you're all about, what you will do and what you won't; what's acceptable to you and what's not" - Laura Stack

You can't control other people's behaviour but you can control the extent to which it affects you. In other words, control your exposure to people.

For example, I don't allow people to make racist remarks around me. Now I can't control what they will say but I can control whether I continue to listen. Another example is I don't allow anybody to speak to me in an abusive manner. Again, I can't control what they say but I will warn them before putting the phone down. It's their right to say what they want but it's also my right to not sit there and be a doormat.

Setting boundaries means owning and taking responsibility for your personal choices and the consequences thereof. You make the choice, you take responsibility and you can make a different choice if you don't like the consequence.

Here are some signs that your boundaries are weak:
· Knots in your stomach when you agree to do some things
· Anger and resentment
· Deep feeling of dread
· Feeling shocked or being appalled at something someone said

The first step to creating stronger boundaries is to learn to say no. Read last month's newsletter for more tips.

Remember if the reaction to your setting boundaries is not great (sulking, anger, etc), it's not about you - it's about them. That feeling is on their side of the "fence".

Write these 3 sentences on a piece of paper and write out as many statements underneath each as you can think of:

1. People may not…
2. I have a right to ask for…
3. To protect my time and energy…

As always, if you need help or want to send me some comments, I'd love to hear from you.

Here's to setting healthy boundaries!

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

Saying no

Such a small word but so difficult to use sometimes.

We seem to use this word so easily with our spouse and children but have a hard time saying it to "other people".

So the trick is to figure out how and when to say no.

I'm not saying that you should be selfish and never help anybody out. However, most people are running around stressed because they're saying yes to everybody but themselves.

You should only be saying yes when you genuinely want to do something, you feel excitement at the thought of doing it or it ties in with your life goals or definition of success (you'll learn more about this on Discover Yourself).

You don't have to first have another appointment to say no
If you've planned to have an evening in (bubble bath, reading, TV, whatever…) and you get invited out, this does not automatically mean you have to accept. An appointment with yourself is just as important as one with other people. Value your time!

Realise that when you say yes to one thing, you ALWAYS say no to something else
When this happens, you usually say no to the more important parts of your life - God, family, yourself. For example, you're asked to help out on a committee at your child's school. You could end up so busy with committee work that you deprive your child of quality time. Another example is saying yes to everybody at work collecting money for birthdays, leaving presents, etc, and no to your own financial future.

Don't instinctively say yes. Buy time to think about it first.
Always check your diary first before committing to plans. Or just take a deep breath. Otherwise you end up saying yes to everything and at the end of a hectic period, you're virtually burnt out.

It becomes easier to say the more you practise
At first when you have to say no to something or someone, it feels terrible. But it is incredibly freeing when you realise that you made the correct decision in saying no. It is an acquired skill and the more you use your "no" muscle, the stronger it'll get.

When you say yes and you feel resentment, you should have said no
Learn to listen to your heart. The Bible says that we mustn't give grudgingly or under compulsion, and yet, so many of us do. We say yes, and harbour deep feelings of resentment and bitterness. Nothing good comes from a resentful attitude.

Saying no comes easier when you are confident in your own capabilities
When you say no firmly and without a grovelling apology, it affirms your self-worth and it's a way that you stand up for yourself. Men seem to do really well at this but women seem to want to explain everything and apologise while they're saying no.

You don't have to be rude or ugly about it - there are many ways to say no
No can be "I can't help you this time", "I can only do it next month", "that's not my strong suit" or simply "no, thanks".

Make a quality decision this month to look at your schedule and see where you're saying yes to things that don't support your goals. Then, work at saying no to it so that you can say yes to more important things.

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

August - Saving time for what matters most

It seems like everywhere you go, you hear the same message. I don't have enough time, I need more time, I'd love to exercise more, play more, __________ more (fill in the missing word) but I just don't have the time.

Here are a few of my favourite time-savers. If you have any more to share with me (and your fellow readers), please post them in the comments section below.

1. Do your grocery shopping when the stores are empty
I've started doing our weekly shop on Friday nights at 6.30. My favourite Pick & Pay closes at 7pm so the store is not very full and all of us shoppers are in "accomplish" mode so not a lot of browsing and so on. We're armed with our lists and get on with the job. I've saved at least an hour from doing the weekly shop on Saturdays like I used to do.

2. Whenever you cook, cook double
I cook at least double of everything for the nights when I have coaching appointments or consultations in the evenings. It then takes just a few minutes to defrost in the microwave and saves me about 30 minutes (you guys know I don't believe in spending a lot of time in the kitchen anyway, unless it's to organise something : ). You can freeze individual portions of just about anything - soup, rice, casseroles, etc.

3. When you return home from the shops, cut all your vegetables immediately.
Yes, it will take a bit of time, but it saves you time during the week when you're busy. Remember, you can spend some time every night getting out all your chopping boards, knives, etc. AND cleaning it afterwards, or you can do it once a week. I vote for once a week. Do the same for your meat and chicken if you separate it out for different meals.

4. Set up a menu plan for the week
I mentioned this point last month with regard to saving money, but the best part of it for me is that it saves me time. You don't have the indecision every night of opening that fridge or cupboard and wondering what to cook. It's already decided. Try it and see - you won't look back. You can download a free menu planner off my website.

5. Choose your clothes in the evening
This is another underestimated time saver. When you choose your clothes in the evening, you can see if your shoes need to be cleaned, if all the buttons on your shirt are still intact, and so on. Then in the morning, and if you're like me, you need all the help you can get just to get out of bed, you're set to go.

6. Pack your lunch in the evening
Not only does this save time, but it also helps you to remember everything. I have a little cooler bag that I use to pack my lunch while supper is cooking (or defrosting). I pack my sandwich, cereal, yoghurt, my cup-a-soup and my two fruits.

7. Use TV time for other mindless tasks
I understand that TV is relaxation time but this works for me. I exercise with weights, wrap gifts, pack my bag, update my diary, sew buttons, go through my old magazines, etc, etc. all while watching TV. The list goes on and on. At least at the end of a show, I feel like I've accomplished something instead of just being a couch potato.

8. Tape TV programmes and watch them on video later
I'm a HUGE Dr. Phil fan and I tape the programme every day. If I had to sit and watch the programme live (well, first of all, it's right in the middle of the day) it would take an hour, or to be more precise, 58 minutes. Because I tape it and fast forward through all the ads, it takes only 43 minutes. The reality TV shows like Survivor, Amazing Race and The Apprentice are usually only about 37 minutes long. Just goes to show how they plug all the shows with ad breaks.

9. Batch routine tasks
Keep all your filing together so that you file 5 things at once. Make all your telephone calls at the same time. Write out all greeting cards for the month at one time. And wrap all the gifts at one time too - yes, in front of the TV!

10. Automate as much as you can
This is what I'm trying to do with the business more and more, like automating this newsletter, so I can focus more time on my core genius. For example, I use the AutoText function in Microsoft Word extensively for all emails I write a lot, like questions on my coaching and workshops, my e-signature, etc.

I'm actually also busy compiling these into a FAQ page which I'll upload to the website soon. I read a great tip in an online newsletter recently. Whenever you comment on a blog, make it meaningful and use the same wording as a post on your own blog. I did this with my spending fast post on the blog.

By the way, I'm going to discuss lots more of these types of productivity-type tips at the Spring into Organising workshop.

Bonus tip - say no to things you don't want to do.
That's all I'm going to say because this is the topic for next month's newsletter!

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:

Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular "Take charge of your life" monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.organiseyourbusiness.com/

July - Saving money

Inspirational quotes
· In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing. -- Theodore Roosevelt
· Learn to use ten minutes intelligently. It will pay you huge dividends. - William A. Irwin

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Marcia's monthly motivational message
15 ways to save money

When I ask people what their financial goals are, saving money is always in the top 3. But they also tell me that they don’t know how, or they don’t have any good ideas. Good news! I’ve done some thinking and I hope to challenge your thinking a bit.

Now, wouldn’t you rather use some money for something else – paying off debt, saving for a holiday, buying petrol? [For the non-South African subscribers, all the references to petrol are simply because our petrol prices have been skyrocketing over the last couple of months.]

1. Decide what you want to save and transfer it out of your main account as soon as you get paid
Somehow, you will make the rest work with your budget. I’ve been saving this way for the last 10 years and I’ve only ever had to take some money back out about 6 times. If you don’t have anything budgeted for savings, then just start with R50. You’ll get hooked soon enough and that amount will start to increase.

2. Write down your expenses, day by day.
Yes, it is a bit annoying to do this. But if you want to know where your money goes, it’s the quickest way to find out. And you’ll notice that after a week or two of accounting for your money, you start automatically correcting your course. Suddenly you realize that your 3pm daily habit of Coke and a Bar One from the vending machine (R9) works out to R200 every month. I’m not saying, don’t ever get anything. Buy two snack packs of chocolates at Pick & Pay for about R35 that will last you the month, and just like that, you’ve saved R165.


3. Never go shopping on an empty stomach.
You’ll end up with a trolley full of junk food that you normally would not have bought had you not been starving. When I heed just this one tip, I save at least R150 every week because I just don’t feel like buying a lot of food J

4. Make a list of errands before you leave the house
When you do this, you can plan your route and also make sure to do everything you need to. Otherwise it’s a case of “we forgot to pay the phone” once you’re back home. You then waste time and petrol money having to go back the same way.

5. Always, always, always use a shopping list
You can download my list at http://takechargesolutions.org/shopping list.pdf. Use a fridge magnet and attach it to the front of your fridge, and train your family to mark off the item as soon as it’s nearing empty. What’s the point of adding toilet rolls to the list when you’ve just used the last one?! It’s easy to be assaulted by all the “sale” and “only Rx” signs once you’re inside. A shopping list helps you to focus once you’re inside the store. I’m not saying that you’re not allowed to be flexible. It’s just that you make sure you will get everything you need.

6. Check the lower shelves in stores
Stores pack all the most expensive items at eye level, so next time you buy some salad dressing or whatever, don’t just grab the first thing you see. Compare the prices of all the brand names, being sure to look at all the items. It will take a bit of time the first time you do this, but once you’re used to it, you’ll know.

7. Only buy enough fresh produce for your needs
You can get so easily hooked with the “3 bags of tomatoes for R20” and “2 cucumbers for R10” signs. But if you stop to think about your needs, you’ll realise that you don’t need 3 bags for just 2 people. I used to think that they only sold them packaged like that until I took one bag of tomatoes to the till one day and … lo and behold, nothing special happened. They charged me R6,67 for the tomatoes and that was that.

8. Try online grocery shopping, especially if you’re an undisciplined shopper
We have good friends who have been shopping online for about 3 years. She swears that they save at least R300 every month, and that’s after paying the delivery charge. We figured out that it’s because it totally eliminates all the impulse buys – food on a hungry stomach, and cute stuff.

9. Never go shopping when you’re cross or upset.
This is a variation of number 1 except for the fact that you’re likely to feed your emotional hunger. All the ladies know what I’m talking about. You’re cross because of something that happened at work, go to the mall and end up buying a lipstick, handbag or clothes that you don’t need. We all do it – some of us just buy bigger items than others.

10. Always pay your accounts on time to avoid interest charges.
Remember that with credit cards, your purchases are interest-free for 45 days BUT if you’re a day late, you’re not only charged interest for the day; interest is charged from the purchase date.

11. Plan your meals
When you plan your meals by the week (as I do) or by the month, you will save money. Firstly, you can use up all the food in the freezer before buying more, and secondly, you’ll know exactly what you need to get from the shops. I have a look through my freezer to check that there’s enough food for the week. I then make my list and go shopping. Then on Sunday afternoon, I decide which meals we’ll eat on which days and attach my meal planner to the side of the fridge. It takes me maximum 30 minutes (if I’m really taking my own sweet time) to get supper on the table every night. See? Saving you time and money! Download your meal planner from http://takechargesolutions.org/menu planner.pdf


12. Eat more pulses
For those that don’t know, pulses are things like lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc. They are a great source of protein and you can use them to replace the meat in one or two meals a week. For example, use lentils as a mince substitute for your bolognaise sauce, or top your baked potatoes with a chickpea, tomato, spinach and cheese sauce. Delicious!

13. Limit the number of cleaning products you use
I use a multipurpose cleaner, toilet disinfectant, dishwashing liquid and a multipurpose gel. I could combine the last two but I must confess – I’m hooked on my brand of dishwashing liquid. I use the multipurpose gel for washing the car, cleaning windows & mirrors, as a shower spray, cleaning carpets, etc. All you do is squeeze a generous amount into an empty spray bottle, fill with water and shake to mix. I use Teepol (R7,99 for 750 ml at P&P).

14. Look out for a fr*ee car wash
I’ve noticed that many service stations offer a fr*ee “wash and go” if you spend a certain amount on petrol. Look around you and start using these services. Hey – every R10 counts, doesn’t it?

15. Switch from fizzy drinks to water
You will save hundreds every month AND ***big bonus*** you’ll also be healthier and will lose some weight.

16. And now for a bonus….. Hire a financial coach
Yes, initially there is an investment. But over time, the rewards will be HUGE. Your coach will help you to accelerate your progress and help you to pay off your debt and save some money.

Happy saving! My wish for you is financial happiness!

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it:
Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

June 2006 - Overcoming perfectionism

Inspirational quotes
· I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent. - Ashleigh Brilliant
· Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing. - William Feather, author
· He who deliberates fully before taking a step will spendhis entire life on one leg. - Chinese Proverb
· Don’t make excuses. Make things happen. Make changes. Then make history. – Doug Hall

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I used to think perfectionism was a good thing. I think it’s because for a very long time I confused it with excellence. If excellence is doing something to the best of your ability, what is perfectionism? Read on…

Have you ever said these things to yourself, or has someone said it to you?
· If you can’t do it right, then don’t do it at all
· Anything less than perfect is simply unacceptable.
· It’s not good enough.
· I can’t do it now because I don’t have the time to complete it.
· Everything must be perfect before I can start.

All of those statements smack of perfectionism. Read them again and see. Perfectionism actually paralyses us. The truth is that even if you do a job 80%, it’s better than nothing because you’re taking action!

You see, a lot of people don’t ever start something because they want all conditions to be perfect. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that will never happen! When you do step 1, step 2 becomes easier and before you know it, you can look back and appreciate how far you’ve come.

Now you can see why perfectionism is the root of a lot of procrastination problems. When I send out the weekly organising challenges, I often say “you can do anything for 15 minutes”. Because when you start, you overcome the perfectionism monster that wants you to have hours to sort out your budget, filing, cleaning out your cupboards, etc.

You don’t need hours – you can do anything in baby steps. I know you don’t have hours to spend doing this or that – neither do I – but we all have 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there. And all those small pockets of time add up.

Now I don’t want you to think that I’m saying it’s not good to do something to the best of your ability. Of course it’s good – I just don’t want you to make excuses that you can’t do the things you want to or need to.

In closing, I want to encourage you to take some action! Don’t let your perfectionism cripple you.

c) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

May - personal integrity

Inspirational quotes
· Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are. – John Wooden
· No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made. Destiny is made known silently. - Agnes De Mille
· “Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught.” - J.C. Watts

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Marcia's monthly motivational message – personal integrity

Are you a person of integrity? Read on and I’ll ask you again later.

In my opinion, someone of integrity keeps their word no matter what the cost. And make no mistake; it will cost you, either in time, money and sometimes even “friends”.

They return phone calls when their voicemail messages say they will. They keep commitments. They do the right thing even when it’s unpopular, e.g. not gossiping about people, walking away from conversations where sexist, racist talk may be happening. You get the picture.

The other day, I heard someone say, “well, when I see *Jill here, then I’ll believe it”. I agreed with her. In this situation, it was absolutely true and it got me thinking. If two people who don’t know Jill all that well think this, then she’s done a really bad job of maintaining her integrity. If she’s known to break her word, then she’s done it more than just a couple of times! [*Jill is not her real name]

I don’t know about you but I don’t want to be known for being unreliable and uncommitted. I think the reason is because we are too quick to agree to do things without thinking the consequences through clearly.

If you have done this and you need to get out of a commitment, ask the person to release you. Don’t adopt a passive-aggressive approach and just not pitch up. This is not integrity! What’s the worse that can happen? They say no. And if the answer is no, then do what you said you’d do cheerfully but learn your lesson for next time and think before you speak.

This month, think carefully before you speak and say things like… I’ll phone you later, you’ll have it tomorrow, yes, sure I’ll help out.

Have a great character-building month!

(c) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

April - Focus!

Inspirational quotes
· Give your full attention to one thing at a time. - Deb Koffman
· The best way to botch up a job is to rush through it because you can't take your mind off the other tasks you still have on your plate. Talk about counter-productive! So, in the interests of quality control, and for the sake of your own frazzled nerves, limit yourself to one thing at a time. Stayed focused and you’ll do good work. – Source unknown
· The first requisite for success is the ability to apply your physical and mental energies to one problem incessantly without growing weary. - Thomas Edison


People often ask me how I manage to get everything done. I am married, work a full-time job, run a part-time coaching and organising business, run a church ministry, go to gym, write this newsletter and all the weekly challenges, run workshops, and so on.

I do believe that a large part of the reason is my ability to focus on my priorities, especially when I really need to get something done. Now I’m not Superwoman so I do have my really lazy times but thank God, those don’t happen often. Here are just two of the many ways I manage to stay focussed:

Use a timer
It is generally so easy to get sidetracked. You go to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. On your way, you see something on TV and stay to watch. It’s usually only when the ad break comes on that you realise you’ve wasted 20 minutes and you were on your way to do something else. When I do some chores in the kitchen like sorting out my pantry, packing dishes, etc., I use the oven timer to keep me on track. That ticking reminds me that I only have 10 minutes (or whatever) to do this so I make sure it gets done. While I’m cooking, I use the few minutes between adding ingredients to pack my lunch for the next day, or to weigh my cereals and other foods (I’m on Weigh Less, remember?)

Make a list
I love lists! I am always making lists of things to do. I have monthly lists, weekend lists, daily lists, things that can be done in 5 minutes, etc. Call me crazy but based on results, my system works for me! When you make a list, it focuses your attention like nothing else. And there’s no pressure – if you don’t finish, you just move it forward. The other weekend I had a list of 22 things I wanted to do on the Sunday – I did 20. I’m sure if I only had 5 things, 2 of them would have also been left undone! And before you all write to me telling me that I’m too busy or whatever, I do have fun things on my list like finish x book, or go look at y website, or paint toenails.

I hope that this helps you to get some ideas to focus this month. After all, you do want to achieve your goals!

Recommended reading: The power of focus – Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen & Les Hewitt

(c) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

March - Setting good habits

This month’s theme is SETTING GOOD HABITS

Inspirational quotes
· We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit. – Aristotle
· The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine. - Mike Murdock
· The door of opportunity won’t open unless you do some pushing. - Unknown


Habits are actions we perform continually until they become routines. When they become routines, we don’t even have to think about them anymore. When we were first learning to brush our teeth as children, at first we had to really concentrate to get it right. Soon, because we did it daily, it became a routine and is (hopefully) now second nature.
The key is to build up a series of good habits that you automatically do without having to really work at them. My voicemail message on my phone says, “successful people do what unsuccessful people are not prepared to do”. I get a lot of interesting comments from people phoning me and that’s good because I want people to start realising the truth of it – successful people create many good habits in their lives that unsuccessful people don’t have the discipline to do. Ouch! I know that’s tough – I’m talking to me too. I have some good habits like goal-setting, financial, time management but two really bad habits (reading too much and going to bed too late, and not being consistent with a healthy eating plan).

So! I have decided to join Weigh-Less tomorrow where I will create some good eating habits and in so doing, lose a couple of kilos.

What good habit will you commit to do this month? Go to the blog and let me know by posting your comments. I’m also going to post some feedback every week to let you know how I’m doing, and I encourage you to do the same. It will be good to have a whole community of like-minded people.

Let’s do this together!

Recommended reading on this topic: Today matters – John C Maxwell

(c) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org/

Procrastination

This month’s theme is DEALING WITH PROCRASTINATION

Inspirational quotes
Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible - George Horace Lorimar
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today – Thomas Jefferson
Procrastination is the thief of time. – Edward Young


All of us procrastinate at some time or another, and for many different reasons. I’m certainly not immune. Sometimes I’m just lazy, or I think it’s going to be too difficult, or I just don’t feel like doing it, or I build it into this mammoth task. The solution is to find a couple of methods that work for you and use those to propel you to action. In other words, procrastinate in the best way. Hang on a second – I’ll explain…

I have many tricks up my sleeve to combat this monster. If something needs to be done and it doesn’t have a deadline yet, I’ll leave it for a day or two and then… one morning I’ll come in, quickly check emails (15 mins) and not do anything (no coffee or breakfast) until that thing is done. You can also give yourself a self-imposed deadline. Say, this has got to be done before lunch, and sure enough, you’ll work furiously getting it done. I had a day like that today – I’d been putting off writing a sales script yesterday and gave myself 2 hours. When I actually did it, it only took me an hour.

Or reward yourself the minute it’s done – depending on the size of the task, of course. Like a cup of coffee for making a difficult phone call.

For bigger tasks, it always helps if you tell yourself you’ll work on it for just 15 minutes. Anybody can do anything for 15 minutes. Usually by the time 15 minutes rolls around, you’ll have gotten into it and want to make some serious headway. I do this with gym – “I only have to stay for 30 minutes” and before you know it, the class is over and an hour’s gone.

This month, I want you to focus on areas of your life where you might be procrastinating and make a decision to just do something – anything – for 15 minutes!

You can do it!

(C) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.organiseyourbusiness.com/

Change

This month’s theme is CHANGE

Inspirational quotes
If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude – Maya Angelou
Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future. – John F Kennedy
We must be the change we wish to see – Mahatma Gandhi



Happy New Year to all of you. My wish for you is that this will be your absolute best year yet.

The good news is that you don’t have to be stuck with your situation the same as it was last year. Remember my tagline? If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got. This is SO true. If this is to be your best year yet, then you’ve got to do something different. Otherwise, I will bet you that you’ll be in exactly the same situation next year this time, probably saying something like, “I had a terrible 2006, I hope this year’s different”. My friends, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but simply hoping will do nothing! You’ve got to take action.

Any change can be a bit scary but I’ll ask you this – do you want to stay a caterpillar or turn into a butterfly?

So this month, I want you to focus on where you want to be and start stepping into greatness by making changes to lead you to your best year.

I know you can do it so go for it!

(C) Marcia Francois
Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular Weekly Organising Tips ezine. If you're ready to finally live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.organiseyourbusiness.com/