Your Life Organized
Christmas organizing and planning links
Here we are at the end of August, two-thirds of the way through 2010. In no time, we’ll be into the annual holiday season. I’m already seeing daily search traffic looking for Christmas ideas. Here are links to Christmas and holiday related posts at Ian’s Messy Desk.
- Start Your Christmas Planning in August – Organized Christmas has a Holiday Grand Plan. By breaking down all the tasks needed to clean and organize the house and prepare for the holidays, and dividing them into weekly assignments, the Holiday Grand Plan will help you reach the season calm, centered and ready to celebrate from a clean and organized home.
- Christmas Carols Song Lyrics With Guitar Chords – Consistently the most popular seasonal post at Ian’s Messy Desk. A few years ago, I compiled a list of links to Christmas carols and song lyrics with guitar chords. I like to refresh the list each year to keep it active.
- How to Write a Christmas or Holiday Card – Writing Christmas cards should be fun, not daunting. Yet, we put off sending cards, we sit for hours try to decide what to say and wish we could just send a quick text message. Writing the perfect thought or holiday letter will make your Christmas greetings memorable. What you write should reflect you, your family and the spirit of the season.
- 10 Simple and Inexpensive Christmas Gift Ideas – Gifts for the teacher, babysitter, hockey coach, or for the hosts of your holiday parties, don’t have to be expensive. Here are 10 gift ideas in small packages.
- A Christmas Planning Checklist for November – One of the best ways to reduce the stress of holiday planning is to spread it over a number of months or even throughout the year. If you didn’t start planning Christmas in August, you can relieve some of December’s pressure by putting these on your November to-do list.
- 10 Tips for Taking Back Christmas – If you find you are getting caught up in spending too much and want to change your focus this Christmas, here are 10 simple things you can do to “take back”the holiday.
- A Christmas Planning Checklist – In an attempt to head off the holiday hassle this year, here are a few tips on creating a personal holiday checklist to make the holidays go as smoothly as possible.
- Advent Calendar Resources On-line – November 28 marks the start of the Advent season. December 1st is the day people starting popping the doors on Advent calendars and eating the little chocolates inside. These on-line advent calendars won’t produce any confections, but you will be able to mark the passage of the next 25 days.
- How to have a green Christmas – I’m not talking about a Christmas without snow; though that’s what Christmas looks like in many parts of the World. I’m talking about being environmentally conscious during the holiday season.
- This Christmas Give the Gift of Time – Retailers would have us believe we need to spend, spend, spend to avoid comparisons to Ebenezer Scrooge. However, we can give a gift that requires no cash outlay, but is priceless.
- Christmas Organizing Tip – Share the Load – If you want to relieve some of the pressure of holiday preparation, ask for help.
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- Early Christmas Shopping (socyberty.com)
- Makeable Christmas Presents (brighthub.com)
- Christmas is coming! (mytotalmoneymakeover.com)
Stop Holding Yourself Back
It may come as a surprise to you to find out the negative opinion of yourself is coming from you. Pay attention to the things you tell yourself and others, and then cut the negative attitudes that hold you back.
Stop the negative talk
We tend to tell ourselves more negative things than positive. With regular practice, you can identify negative thoughts and self-talk and then take steps to change them to positive thoughts, before they get a chance to interfere with your choices and actions. Each time you find yourself thinking negatively, you can say ’stop’ and force yourself to rationally replace that thought with something positive and helpful. The exercise will feel unnatural at first but the more you do it, the more it will become an unconscious habit. As your faith in yourself and your qualities increases, so will your positive thoughts.
Stop complaining
Instead of focusing on the problems, look for solutions.
Stop exaggerating
I’ve said it a million times, don’t exaggerate! 
How often have you said something like, “I have a ton of work to do this week?” Even if you process 1,000 sheets of page this week, you won’t have done much more than ten pounds worth of work. Keep a reasonable perspective on the things you have to do.
Stop “should-ing” all over yourself
Have you ever noticed how many times you say the word should? Should is one of the most commonly used words for some people. I should call so-and-so. I should go to the gym. I should take another courses. I should redecorate my living room. Shoulds show up all the time. And most of us aren’t even aware that they are there.
Start paying attention to when and how often you say the word should. Anytime you find yourself doing something because you feel you should, explore why you are doing it. Say no to the shoulds and replace them with things you want to do. Banish the word should from your vocabulary.
Stop worrying
The problem with too much worrying is that it spoils our day and robs us from living an enjoyable life. Since sometimes we cannot but entertain some worries in our mind, you can then apply some of the tips that can help you overcome them and be able to enjoy your day.
Once you start worrying about something it can quickly grow. It can often be challenging to keep small worries from becoming huge. One way to achieve this is working out the real odds. For example if you worry a great deal about flying, know that plans land and take off safely, every second somewhere in the world. Flying is actually very safe. I wouldn’t suggest looking up any statistics about a current worry, as that is only going to feed it. But after that worry is put to rest, it can be helpful for next time if you know that the chance of that thing actually happening is quite low.
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- Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.: Your Destructive Mind Habits in 5 Short Chapters (huffingtonpost.com)
How to Remember Names and Faces
With Look, Snap, Connect
Do you want to know how to remember names and faces? What would it be like to never forget a person’s name again?
Does this sound like a pipe dream? Not of you use Gary Small’s Look/Snap/Connect technique.
“The major reason we forget people’s names, sometimes only seconds after being introduced, is that we are not truly paying attention,” says Small, author of the Memory Bible, The: An Innovative Strategy For Keeping Your Brain Young.
The next time you meet someone, use these steps to remember their name:
Look – Take a few seconds to identify particular features. Rather than noticing hair colour, take note of a freckle on the tip of the nose, an eyebrow 
Snap – Take a mental snapshot of the person’s face. Choose the distinguishing feature you identified in the “Look” step and link it to the person’s name.
Connect – Take your “snap” of the face and connect it to the name. Let the name invoke a visual image you can link with the person’s face. Small uses the example: If Mrs. Beatty has broad lips, imagine Warren Beatty kissing those lips. The process of thinking up the images and making the connection will fix them into your memory.
This technique may not give you a photographic memory, but it will solve the problem of how to remember names and faces?
“What’s his name?” will no longer be a part of your vocabulary.
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Get organized for back to school
Image via Wikipedia
I posted this about a year ago and it is appropriate to bring forward.
It is hard to believe, but here we are at the end of August. Around here, kids will be heading back to school next week. In fact, schools on alternate schedules have started back already.
What ever you do, don’t let your kids catch you reading this article. They don’t want to think about school a day earlier than necessary.
Here are some tips to prepare home and family for getting into the back-to-school groove.
- Have a Centralized Calendar.
It’s not only back to school, it’s also back to sports, back to scouts, back to PTA, back to choir, etc. A family calendar can help you track what is going on for all family members. Keep it in a centralized location where family members can easily add their events. You’ll know at a glance what is going on any given day. - Get the schedule working early.
Don’t wait for the first day of school to make the adjustments to the household schedules. Start easing family into the school-year routine a couple of weeks before school starts. Start giving children their school year bed and wake times. Adjust mealtime routines to match school year routines.
Check before you shop. - August is the second-biggest sales month for clothing retailers. Are you ready to tackle cloth shopping? Be prepared before you head out. Assess what the kids have, what they need, what can be handed down and what needs to be thrown out. Then, with list in hand, hit the stores.
- Round up your papers.
Eliminate last-minute searches. Determine what documents you need for school registration. Call the school before registration day to find out what paperwork will be required—then find it! - Organize your mornings.
How would you characterize school mornings in your home; crazy and chaotic or calm and cheerful? Plan your morning routines the evening before. - Tighten up current household systems.
Back-to-school adds a whole new layer of commitments and stresses on top of the things that regularly need to be done. Take some time to evaluate your household routines: cleaning, meal preparation, etc. Make sure that these are being handled as efficiently as possible.
Attention to these few things can make a big difference as you swing into the school year.
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Stress Management Techniques
Living is inherently stressful, but how we manage it will determine the number and severity of the stress related symptoms we experience. Many people don’t recognize the symptoms or choose to ignore them. Stress related symptoms can be broken down into four major categories. These include:
A. Emotional
Anxiety
Irritability
Anger
Depression
B. Congnitive
Difficulties concentrating
Memory problems
Confusion
C. Physical
Sleep disturbance
Fatigue
Headaches
Change in appetite
Muscle tension
Gastrointestinal problems
Weight change
Decreased sexual interest
D. Behavioral
Increased substance (i.e., alcohol, drug) use
Social isolation
Conflict with others
These symptoms are your body’s way of telling you something is wrong and you need to pay attention to them. Symptoms that are ignored ultimately lead to much more serious health problems. To reduce both stress related symptoms and the chances of developing these serious stress related disorders, try the following strategies.
Coping Strategies:
Deep Breathing – When you are under stress, you tend to breathe both [...] Continue Reading…
The Five Phases of Project Planning
David Allen says, regardless of task size, the human brain goes through a Natural Planning Model. This is the process we use daily to organize regular tasks: e.g., getting dressed or driving to work. We go ahead and complete them without much thought. We use the part of our brain that is conditioned for this natural type of planning.
Allen goes on to this is an ideal model for planning projects.
The five phases:
Defining purpose and principles – Here’s where we ask “Why?” Answering this question defines the successful outcome, sets the boundaries, as well as focusing and motivating towards completion. You need to know where you’re going before you can plot the course.
Outcome visioning – Allen says, if you can’t visualize the end result you will [...] Continue Reading…
How to Build Self Esteem
Take inventory of your strengths
One of the first things to go, when our self-esteem is low, is our perception of our strengths. Many people are all too aware of their weaknesses but ignore their strengths and qualities. For this reason it can be helpful to spend some time thinking about all the positive qualities that you take for granted.
Think of five successes you’ve had in your life to date. Take a sheet of paper and divide it into six columns. Title the first column strengths and the other five columns one of the successes you have chosen.
Under the strengths’ heading, list:
Mental strengths
Physical strengths
Interpersonal Skills
Character traits
Categories of knowledge
Learned skills
Now, under each of the successes’ find three of each type of strength that you used or developed in achieving each success. Don’t [...] Continue Reading…
Public Speaking Skills
10 Ways to Avoid Bombing While Public Speaking
Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounc’d it to you, trippingly on the tongue, but if you mouth it, as many of our players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently, for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. —Shakespeare, Hamlet
You’ve been asked to give a speech. You do your research, you prepare what you’re going to say and you practice, practice, practice.
Now you’re on stage, you’re picturing the audience sitting in their underwear and you’re ready [...] Continue Reading…
Increase Productivity
Get Started Now
Productivity is a constant process. However, you don’t have to wait for ideal conditions or tools to get started. There are steps you can take to improve productivity today. There’s always some low-hanging fruit that can be plucked with little effort or expense.
Can you see areas in your life that would benefit from starting productivity improvements today? Here are four ideas to kick-off those improvements:
Set benchmarks
Benchmarks are standards that measure the level of achievement. By using a benchmark, you have a clear measurable way to evaluate your progress without becoming complacent. These benchmarks should be established on small scale to avoid being overwhelming.
Start learning
Self-directed learning is the method used when a learner controls the objectives and means of learning. It is a continuous [...] Continue Reading…
How to be an Effective Mentor
Mentoring can be one of the most effective means of teaching: inviting someone to learn from the example of another with more experience. Whether through apprenticeships, internships or less-formal relationships, walking alongside an experienced practitioner can impart essential skills, attitudes and knowledge.
Being a mentor doesn’t mean having all the answers to every question. A good mentor know which questions to ask to stimulate development in their protégeé.
Some of the questions mentors ask:
What are your hopes and dreams for the future?
How can I help you?
Where are your skills being tested?
Where is your character being tested?
How is your relationship/communication style effecting what you are trying to accomplish?
What are some new things you could try?
What are some things that would help you to have more integrity?
What challenges have you faced and what were some [...] Continue Reading…
