Welcome to the new look Blog

Yes things have changed in my life and my new look blog is reflecting some of those changes.
Simplicity and productivity remain a passion of mine and this will be featured in the profiles I will be doing on Christchurch Businesses who have increased their productivity since the devastating earthquakes that rocked our world.
You can read the first profile on CATE GRACE in my recent blog post.
Another big change has been the winding down of Totally Organised Product and Home Parties as well as our hands on organising services. But you can reap the rewards of this by shopping out our STOCK CLEARANCE SALE
This week I embark on a "Time Management Coaching" course with Julie Morgenstern in New York, so you can soon benefit from my Time Management and Organising Coaching Consultations. Watch this space and I will keep you posted.
Speaking Professionally and Writing are where it is at for me in the near future, so let me know what you are keen to hear or read about and I will do my best to deliver.
Rebuilding Christchurch is a major focus here in my part of the world, being part of a new future for our wonderful city is where I am now spending alot of time.
I am on board the REBUILD CHRISTCHURCH team working with other passionate Cantabrians to deliver open two way communications here in Canterbury. Also we are looking to form an Advocacy service and Charitable trust to aid residents who have been effected by recent events. Watch this space as these developments are closer by the day.
One of my main focusses is to raise funds to give these projects a strong future. Please visit http://www.indiegogo.com/Rebuild-Christchurch if you would like to contribute to the future of these amazing initiatives.

So as you can see exciting times and loads to do, Keep Happy, Keep Safe and Keep it Simple.

The TIME of your life...

The inspiration for this post has come from Karen Brown in Christchurch. To put it her way she has asked me to "address the issue of punctuality", something tells me she is a little frustrated by someone or something that has made her late or been late.

If you have read my book "The Accidental organiser" you will know by now that I do not tolerate lateness and lack of punctuality all that we.. In fact I think people who are late all the time are a real pain. there is no excuse.

So how can one ensure they are not driving others nuts with their lack or respect for time:

* Set your watch a few minutes fast.

* Give yourself more than enough time. leave home 15 minutes earlier than you think you need to.

* Pick up the phone, if you are not going to be ON TIME, call and warn the person waiting for you. even if you are only going to be 5 minutes late.

These are just short and sweet things but will make a huge difference. 

For more on this read "Time keeps on Slipping" chapter in "The Accidental Organiser"

available on the website.

PS: Even if your friends joke about your lateness it realy does Peeve them off.

Are you a Morning Person?

Each of us has a unique time of day that serves us well and another time that does not serve us well at all. I know this because, I know for sure that I NOT a morning person. Never have been and have no intention to change that. This despite the best efforts of my family over the years.

So why is this important I hear you ask? The reason is for you to be able to perform at your optimum levels and achieve more in your day it is important to know when you are at your most alert and when you are at your least active (shall we say). By becoming aware of out best and worst times of day we can then make this time work for us. It seems to be a waste to spend your least attentive time doing your most difficult tasks. However many of us tend to do that without really thinking about it.

My challenge to you is to identify when you are at your peak performance during the day and when you have an energy slump. Once you have done this then you can begin to effectively use your time to handle difficult tasks at your most attentive time and easy stuff when you are low in energy. 

What got me thinking about this was today's 5.20am start to take my daughter and a friend to rowing practice. My husband who is a morning person gets great pleasure, I am sure, to see me roll out of bed and drive across town to then return to bed at 6.15am promptly fall back to sleep. You see he is the morning person in our home, so thinks it amusing that I groan and moan and then go back to bed. However alternately if I ask him to do something at 10pm I would get much the same response as I give him in the morning, you see I am a night owl.

There is no right or wrong as to whether you are a morning person or not, but can you retrain a night owl? Not at 42 years of age I say, you know "old dogs...."!!! However our daughter who is so so in the morning has trained herself to be a morning person through necessity and always wakes with a smile. Our 2nd child is a natural Morning person and has bounced out of bed at the crack of dawn since a young age with a beaming smile as well. However number three takes after me and it takes nothing short of a earthquake and crowbar to get him moving in the morning. Yet we all live harmoniously under the same roof, and do our best work at different times of day.

So find your best time and use it, and forgive those who's best time may be the opposite of yours.

We are not indispensable!

Someone asked me an interesting question today, it got me thinking. This is the best kind of question. 

It was for a tip for people who think they are too busy to take a holiday. 

My response to this is you should never be too busy to take care of yourself. In any way, shape or form. I learnt this when I decided to employ staff. People thought I would have trouble not being in control, they thought I could not hand over the reigns to someone else to do what I have always done. This was a great lesson because, I have employed two wonderful women (Jane and Clare, Thank you both) who do my job better than I could do it. I kid you not, I learnt that I am not indispensable and that there are people out there who are equally or even more capable than me to handle certain jobs within my business.

So if you think you are too busy to look after yourself or take a holiday, think again. There will always be someone who can fill the void you leave especially with careful planning and consideration. You should never be too busy to care for your biggest asset, YOU.

So next time you hear yourself say, "I am too busy", outsource and get over it, because you to are not indispensable.

Getting a Handle on Social Networking.

As many of you will know I am getting to know my way around the Social networks that are on the Internet. I was involved in an interesting, real life, conversation about this the other day. One particular person kept saying. "But doesn't it waste alot of time?", then "Sounds like a time waster to me!", and then "What is the point?" and so on.

That got me thinking. I am not an expert on any of these social networking sites, as a matter of fact I consider myself a relative newbie. however I recognise that sites such as :

* Facebook

* Twitter

* My Space

* Fast Pitch Networking

* Linked in!

To name just a few, are certainly the way of the future if you want any kind of global presence for your business. I am finding these fantastic tools for getting to know colleagues from all around the world as well as to keep in touch with family and friends.

So just how do you stop yourself from getting "hooked", "addicted" or "Wasting time" on sites such as these.

1) Know your purpose - Have a reason for using these sites. For me it is business focused and a way to expand my professional networks. For a friend of mine it is purely personal and a fun outlet. So by recognising why you are using a particular site you can be focused when using them.

2) Schedule your time - Just as you would a  business networking event or fun social function. make a date. Set up times in your day, week or month to be on these sites and keeping up with your friends and Connections you have made. Then stick to those times, try not to get sucked into staying online too long.

3) Have strong "real world" networks - Do not forget your real flesh and blood "touchable" connections, Friends and family. It is vital to continue to pick up the phone, meet for a coffee, sit fro a face to face chat and go out to dinner. Nothing beats the real time connections we make with fellow human beings, make these your priority.

These are just a few simple strategies to keep in mind as you get into the online social networking world. I am still learning my way around many of these sites, but am certainly enjoying the benefits of my friends I have online. So do not be afraid to dip a toes into some of these websites. You never know who you may connect with and where it will take you.

I am off now to learn more about digg, RSS, wiki's,atom.........oh the list goes on.

If you happen to find me on one of those sites do not be afraid to say hi, and possibly add me as a friend.

happy Social Networking.