Reprinted from Organized Lifestyle Magazine by permission of Deanne Kelleher, kAos Group

HOME: Plan Ahead for Peace of Mind

If this time of year has started your heart beating a little faster and you're already wondering how you'll fit it all in, have no fear! You can reduce that feeling of overwhelm by planning ahead. It might not be super easy but it is attainable.

Consider starting with the following steps:
1. Write down all of your upcoming events - dinners, events with family and friends, work events, fundraisers, etc.

2. On a piece of paper, write down all the tasks that you need to do in preparation for each of those events - setting up committee meeting/dinner, booking your hair appointment, picking up cards, buying stamps, sending out invites, making reservations, contacting guests, blocking off vacation days in your office calendar, setting up auto responders and so on.

3. Go to your calendar and schedule in what you are able to, everything else is a task that you can keep on one list. If you use Outlook use the To-Do bar for tasks. If everything you need to do is either scheduled in your calendar or noted in your task list you can stay on top of all that you need to do.

As a professional organizing company, our objective is to simplify your life in a way that accommodates your lifestyle and your personal preference. Planning ahead means peace of mind.

Call us today for your complimentary This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it that will show you how your key areas are functioning and where small changes will have the most impact.

TIME: Save Time by Systematizing the Repetitive Tasks

The next time you change your voice mail, create an email signature or respond by email to a commonly-asked question about your business, consider saving some time by doing the following:

• Create a document with your email auto-responder and voice mail messages typed out so you don't waste time recreating the verbiage every time.
• Build on this document every time you find yourself writing the same content over and over. Examples include: your by-line for articles or answers to FAQ's about your business, vacation instructions for an assistant or a thank you email for resumes received.
• Create one place to keep ALL of your user names and passwords. On your computer Excel is excellent because you can password protect the file. If you prefer paper, put it in your filing cabinet.

By documenting commonly repeated tasks you will not only save time but you will increase the accuracy of how you communicate. Inevitably, your documentation will be the tool used to delegate work to others or to increase the speed of training a new person.

In a team environment, a documentation process for specific activities, like job duties, is advantageous. By recording the details pertaining to daily, weekly and monthly repetitive processes, you can strengthen and clarify job descriptions and reduce the learning curve for new team members.