If you don’t feel like this woman when you think about the emails in your inbox, let’s chat.
Have you or someone you know ever experienced a day like this? … You come into the office and open your email to see what’s come in since you left the previous day. You essentially stay in email and on the computer all day, trying furiously to keep up with the volume as it comes in, clicking links, reading interesting things, firing off intelligent responses, researching answers, perhaps even taking a detour to something fun, like Facebook. Suddenly you look up at the clock and realize it’s 5:00. End of the work day (or so you wish), and you can’t figure out where the time went. You look over your task list and wonder what you got done all day. If you know of someone like this (or if this is you), they (you) may benefit from an Email Intervention.
Suggest they seek help (or seek it yourself), beginning this Thursday afternoon. Simply Placed, in conjunction with Kreate Business Events, hosted by Julian Michael, will be conducting a FREE webinar for those who would like to learn how to handle their email more efficiently and effectively, saving them time, money and stress day after day. Sound like a good idea? Register here. Please help us spread the word by sharing this with friends, colleagues, family and others in your network. Put it on your Facebook page, tweet about it, include it in an email you send …. you never know who you’ll help.
Feel free to comment here on the blog and let us know your biggest challenge around email as it relates to organization and productivity. We’ll be doing a couple of blog posts in the coming month offering some tips and ideas. If you share your challenge we may just solve it here.
For many businesses the summer season brings a different pace to the office. Anxious to get out and enjoy the nice weather, spend time with kids out of school on summer break, and take a vacation, we seek ways to get our work done faster. For some companies, the summer months also bring a slow down of business. This can be an optimal time to employ some strategies that will both help you get out of the office earlier to enjoy those nice summer days, as well as put you in a position to be even more effective and efficient for when business picks up again. Here are a few tips that can help you leave the office earlier today, while still getting the important things done.
1. Clear the clutter – you know it should be done periodically, but do you know the benefits? You’ll eliminate distraction (those papers in front of you that you don’t really need) and make it easier to find what you need, when you need it (saving time every single day). Go ahead and take one of those slower summer days in your office to get rid of anything that’s getting in the way of your optimal productivity. Clean out old files, toss papers you no longer need, unearth your desk so you have space to work, take out trinkets you’ve collected over time that are crowding your work space. Breathe deeply and enjoy the space!
2. Christmas in July – it may sound like a crazy idea, but what if you took care of the task of ordering and preparing your business holiday cards this month? You certainly can wait to send them until early December, but why not take the time now to do the legwork while you have it, and save the time for a busier season when there’s other demands on your time. Not thrilled about the idea of doing this task so early? If you really want to stand out from your competition (who also send out holiday cards in December), send “Happy Summer” cards or “Thank You for Your Business” cards to show appreciation and recognition right now. Consider printing address labels and postage with one of Dymo’s printers to save even more time on the job.
3. Review and revise your plan – If you have an annual business plan, marketing plan, or set New Year’s resolutions, the summer months are a great time to take a look, assess where you are, adjust your sails (if needed) and create a fresh action plan that will help you accomplish your goals for the second half of the year.
4. Eat a Frog for Breakfast – you’ve heard me preach this one before … if you really want to get out of the office earlier while still getting the important things done, then do the important things first.
5. Design a new system – have a process that you do repeatedly? Now might be a good time to see if you can train someone else to do it (helpful for vacation coverage or for ongoing delegation to free up your time for things that only you can do), find a way to automate it or simplify it, or create a system to support it. This might be a new filing system, documenting a process for a policy and procedure manual, or brainstorming with a team that all performs similar tasks on best practices or time-saving ideas to streamline the process. Slower times are perfect for tackling these types of projects that will save you time immediately, and most importantly, when business picks up again.
What do you do when business slows a bit to develop new business and/or to prepare you for the busier times that are right around the corner? What strategies do you count on that help you get out of the office a little earlier or take a break to play, vacation or get some R&R? We’d love to hear from you. Comment away!
Enjoy the lazy hazy days of summer!
Disclosure: This is sponsored content and we have been given nominal gift in recognition of our time to do this post. That being said, we do not blog about anything we do not believe in and Dymo did not edit our post or direct our content in any way.
We’ve been asked again to review a Dymo product. You can see previous reviews as well as get ideas for using labelers in your home or office here.
This time we were sent the Dymo LabelWriter 450 Duo. The features we like about this labeler are that it is compact, versitile, easy to use and fast.
This multi-function printer does not take up much space on your desk, yet it does the work of a number of tools. It has two slots from which you can print – one for postage labels and one for all other labels. First a note about the postage printing capacity – this allows you to print USPS approved postage labels without paying a monthly fee and without a trip to the post office to mail something. Win win! There’s even an “AddressFixer” feature on the software included that will double check the mailing address for you from the USPS database to ensure it is accurate.
From the other label slot you can print close to 60 varieties of labels. Imagine being able to quickly (71 labels per minute!) print address, shipping, file, supply, or name badge labels, among others. The Dymo LabelWriter 450 Duo comes with the printer, a starter roll of address labels, a starter cassette of Dymo D1 labels, a power adapter, power cord, and USB cable, the Dymo Productivity Software, a quick start guide and cleaning card. It also integrates with and prints easily from many popular programs like Microsoft Word, Outlook, QuickBooks and CardScan.
While I found the “list price” of $299 on the web, I also saw this product selling on Amazon.com for $119.98. While you’ll need to purchase the label tape or roll to accomplish the project you have at hand (it prints both paper and plastic labels beautifully), you will not have to purchase or use ink or toner – as this tool uses direct thermal printing.
So if you need a multi-function device for printing a variety of labels and postage in your office, saving you time and increasing your productivity, this might just be the right tool for you. Again, we love how compact it is, especially for all that it can do.
A company in our industry, Get Buttoned Up, is having a contest for anyone who emails them a tip for labeling at info@getbuttonedup.com or on their Facebook page (just leave a comment with your tip). Do this and you will be automatically be entered to win one of these bad boys yourself!
We’d love to hear if you have a favorite tool that makes your office more organized and efficient. Leave us a comment here on the blog, or visit today’s Facebook Page discussion. We’ll see you there.
Disclosure: This is sponsored content as we have been given the label maker as a product sample to keep and review. That being said, we do not blog about anything we do not believe in and Dymo did not edit our post or direct our content in any way.
This week when I flipped my calendar forward to the month of May, I happily saw the little palm tree I had drawn a few months back signifying my vacation to Maui! While I am beyond excited to escape this damp, dark weather, I realized I only have a little over a week before I leave.
Far too often, we schedule trips and vacations to get away and relax. Lets remember that a true vacation does not mean work, work and more work, just with a more beautiful view and a mai tai in your hand. Taking a vacation should mean powering down your laptop, turning off your phone, and yes, relaxing!
It is only natural to find it difficult to relax when you are constantly thinking about all of your work related to-d0′s. For that reason we’d like to recommend a few tips so you can actually enjoy your vacation. Consider the following:
1. Stand Your Ground & Limit Temptation: We’ve all seen those people at the airport or even laying out at the pool, typing away on their laptops or taking conference call after conference call. Think of it like this, if you are trying to eat healthy, don’t go to the grocery store and load up on a bunch of cookies. Why? Because if you don’t buy them in the first place, they won’t sit in your pantry taunting you, and thus you won’t eat them. Same goes for bringing your work with you on vacation. You can’t be tempted to use what you don’t bring. Limit as many distractions as possible.
2. Remember: The World Will Not End: Have you ever found yourself thinking, “but if I leave the office even for a few days everything is going to crash and burn and nothing will get done”? This is where delegating is extremely important. Prepare your colleagues/manager with any and all necessary information. This may even mean printing out instructions. Make sure people who reach out to you during your absence know who to contact instead:
A. Set-up your voicemail so that if anyone calls, they will known the dates you will be absent from the office and will be directed to whomever you appoint as the next in command should they have any urgent questions.
B. Create an OOF (out of office) email, again, stating the dates you will be gone and the name and contact information of the appropriate party they can reach in your absence. We realize emergencies to arise, and as such, be very clear which situations warrant interrupting your vacation. Remember, people have the tendency to think their situation is most important and should require immediate attention, even when it may be a minor issue that CAN wait.
3. Pony Up the Dough: If you are traveling with someone and you know yourself well enough to realize you may have difficulty overcoming the temptation to check that email or make that call, it’s time to engage an accountability partner and raise the stakes. Set a dollar amount, and tell your travel buddy each time they catch you doing something work-related, you have to pay up.
4. Transition Back to the Daily Grind: There’s nothing like coming back from vacation to see your inbox flooded with emails and your voicemail light blinking incessantly. Regardless of how well you were prepared for your departure and return to reality, it can be an overwhelming feeling. So, where to start?
A. Dedicate the first day to getting back into the swing of things. This means not scheduling any meetings, not making any new calls, and not starting any new projects. Go through your emails and voicemail and start capturing the tasks that require the most attention. Once you have your list, it’s time to prioritize. Simply write a number next to each item (EX: 1 being most important), or place them in priority order on your task list and then get to work, checking things off as you go. Keep in mind, when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
B. Put away any items you brought with you, whether they are for home or work. If it is work-related, put all those materials in your work bag, ready to go for the morning.
As far as home is concerned, it is too often we leave our suitcase sitting out for weeks on end before we actually put items away or start a load of laundry. It’s like ripping off a Band-aid. Just get it over with and done.
Remember, a vacation is supposed to be fun. A time to rejuvinate. Do it well and you’ll be more productive at work upon your return. Keep in mind the importance of a positive work-life balance. You will be glad you did. For more organized travel tips, check out Smead Organomics “Preparing at Work for Your Vacation” post.
We’ve reviewed the Smead Stadium File on the blog before. Here’s a video of Debbie doing a free commercial for the Smead folks at the National Association of Professional Organizers’ conference in San Diego this month.
We’d love to hear about one of your favorite, cost-effective tools that helps you stay organized and productive in your office or home office. Leave us a comment below!
Often we’re asked about the ROI of our services – the return on investment. We can easily explain the value that is realized when someone increases their organization and productivity. Another term for ROI is “Risk of Ignoring” – meaning – what’s is the risk of doing nothing about disorganization or productivity challenges?
The Cost of Disorganization: Greater than we Think
We all know that being disorganized undoubtedly leads to stress. And stress undoubtedly leads to numberous pain points within your daily life, whether at home or at work. But have you ever really sat down and thought about what disorganization is costing you?
As Professional Organizers, our goal is to help reduce your stress. As such, we have put together a list of common “pain points” that often result from disorganization. Not only do we wish to make your lives at home and work easier, but we want you to keep in mind that short-term investments yeild long-term results.
Common Pain Points to Consider:
1. Lost Business Opportunity. If your business/company is disorganized, chances are you are missing out on a fair amout of potential business opportunities. Curious what disorganization is costing your company? Click here to calculate it for yourself.
2. Customer Service is Suffering. Forgetting or simply taking too long to follow-up does not make your customers happy. The last thing you want is for your customers to think you don’t value them. Not to mention, it makes your company look bad and can result in a loss of customers and a dive in sales. Haven’t we all had a bad customer service experience that makes us never want to give them our business ever again?
3. Overworked and Overwhelmed. When you are feeling overworked and thus overwhelmed, everything seems to crumble and fall apart. Why? Because you aren’t on your “A” game. Yes, we all have “one of those days” every so often, however, when you are being pulled in too many directions, you become less productive and efficient.
It’s time to be honest with yourself and re-prioritize. Realize you are not superhuman. More importantly, keep in mind that trying to constantly multi-task actually decreases performance. (Insert “Multitasking” into the blog search bar over to the left to read our evidence on that fact). Focus on one thing at a time, complete it to the best of your ability, and move on. Done is better than perfect.
4. No Work/Life Balance. We cannot stress this enough. Which is why we encourage you to check out several of our blog posts about how you can find more time for the things you love most in life. Find that “me-time” you deserve.
5. Your Health is Suffering. Did you know that 80% of our medical expenditures are stress-related? Yikes! We can do something about that. Whether you’re an individual or an employer, health care costs make an impact on your bottom line.
Common Situations Where Being More Organized Could Save You a Pretty Penny:
• Late payments. Misplaced bills ultimately lead to interest and penalties. Avoid these by having a solid bill paying system in place. Who wants to pay more when you don’t have to. These situations are avoidable.
• Pending rebates. You purchase that new cell phone only to realize you did not collect the necessary information to receive your $100 rebate in time. Missing out on a rebate is like setting that $100 bill on fire. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to have some extra cash in my pocket.
• Duplicate purchases. This is especially true when it comes to food. Consider organizing your pantry or refrigerator every so often to ensure you aren’t purchasing multiples of anything. What are you going to do with 10 bottles of ketchup? Organization helps you find what you need, when you need it. You’ll avoid needing to buy another _____________ (fill in the blank), just because you can’t find the one (or several) you know you already have.
• Unused gift cards. We see this a lot. Have you ever gone into a store and you are at the counter digging through your purse or wallet for that gift card you know you have only to realize you left it buried in a drawer or pile at home?
When you get a gift card, put it straight into your wallet that way you will always have it with you when you are out and about. Don’t want to fill up your wallet with gift cards? We recommend the card cubby. Cute, portable, perfect for gift cards.
• Overdraft fees. In other words, failing to reconcile. These fees can really add up over time. If you are ever in doubt, check your balance before making another purchase. Thought you were good to go but still received an overdraft fee? Reconcile it ASAP. The sooner you do, the greater the likelihood your bank will be more willing to work with you.
• Multiple trips to store. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you come home after a trip to the store only to realize you forgot “X” and “Y.” Our time is valuable and we always say we need more of it. Save time by creating a shopping list. Check out our Meal Planning Made Easy system to help you plan and save you time, money and gas each week.
• Repairs. Neglecting maintenance can end up costing you much more than it may have if you had attended to it in the early stages. Take your transmission for example. Putting off changing your transmission and power steering fluids (which can cost around $300-depending on your car) could turn into thousands when your transmission goes out. Several hundred or several thousand…hmm?
• Tax Deductions. Remember to always track your mileage and business expenses. Create an expense report if you don’t already have one in place. Unsure of what you can and cannot deduct? Check with your manager or CPA. You may be missing items you could have been reimbursed for.
Remember, it is business and no matter how great your relationship is, if you don’t bring it to their attention, they probably aren’t going to bring it to yours. Why would they if they can save some cash themselves?
• Late fees. I’m sure most of us have received a letter or bill in the mail with the words “Payment Overdue” in bright red. Maybe you let out an angry sigh and throw it in an already growing pile of papers telling yourself, I’ll deal with it soon. But guess what? You don’t have to ever see those nagging words again.
When you go to get your mail, automatically separate the junk and any recyling and get rid of it, NOW. All you are left with should be anything that requires action, like bills. Open all of them up, and enter the dates into your calendar or online bill paying system (unless you have auto-pay). Remember, do not enter the date they are due! Remind yourself a few days prior and make that your due date as it sometimes can take a few days for things to do through. Always give yourself a little cushion.
We’d love to hear how you’re saving time, money or stress, or improving your business or life through organization. Leave a comment here on the blog.
Feeling the pain? Contact us today and let us know how we can help. It would be our pleasure to be a resource to you!
Would you like to meet some local companies (25+) that specialize in organizing products and services? Perhaps you have some burning clutter questions you’re dying to ask a local Professional Organizer?
You’re in luck! The Seattle NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) is hosting their second annual Spring Into Organization Fair and Ask the Organizer Panel this Saturday, March 19, 2011 at the Bellevue Sheraton Hotel (100 112th Ave NE) from 9:00AM-1:00PM. This is a great opportunity to learn to simplify your home, business and life from local vendors and Professional Organizers (like Simply Placed!) working in your community.
Simply Placed will be there as a vendor and Debbie will even be one of the Professional Organizers on two of the three panels including “Paper Management” and “Ask the Organizer.” So if you would like tips/ideas on how to conquer your paper files or just find yourself saying, “If I could just get organized…” we’d love for you to attend! For a detailed descriptions of the panels click here.
Open to the public, event costs are $10 at the door or $8 if you prepay through www.seattlenapo.com. Did we mention a continental breakfast is included? Come hungry and full of questions! We hope to see you there. Make sure to find us and say “hello”.
Sure, you’re passionate about your job, feel great about those you serve when you volunteer, you love your family and spending time with them, but we also realize that sometimes, your life can drive you a little nutty. Don’t worry, you are only human. And being human means from time to time, you need a breather to de-compress.
Perhaps some of you are rolling your eyes thinking to yourself, sure, “me-time”, that’s easier said than done. You are absolutely correct, but you also have to ask yourself, where do I fit on my priority list? Did you even put yourself on the list to begin with? Perhaps you should!
Its important, and good for your overall productivity and life balance to make yourself a priority periodically. Here are some ways to help you show yourself the love and keep that “burnt out” feeling at bay. After all, aren’t we all more efficient and productive after a little R&R?
Take a step back and reflect. So you know you want more time to yourself, but you have to ask yourself WHY you want that time. Think of it like goal setting, if you have a goal in mind, maybe you want more free time to catch up on some casual reading for example, you’ll be more inclined and motivated to make the change.
Make an activity list. Take a few minutes to jot down a list of all the activities you currently participate in AND the ones you would like to do more of. Next to each one, also write down how the activity makes you feel. Do you feel more relaxed when you do this activity? Happy? Energetic? Any that make you feel stressed, timed, bored or anxious? Can you eliminate them? Now prioritize your list. Rank each one in order of importance and then pick a limited number you would like to really devote so time to. Why? Deeper engagement. Not spreading yourself so thin. Remember, you can do it all, just not all at the same time.
Know where your time goes. There may be a surprising disparity between how you imagine you spend your time and how you are really spending your time. Consider keeping a time log for a reality check (yes, you need to be honest with yourself when you keep it). Think of it like a food journal. Start tracking how long you spend on tasks and activities you do during the day. A diary, journal, or small spiral notebook would work. Ask yourself if you are spending your time on the right things. The results may surprise you.
Edit your list. Here’s where you really want to be selfish. Now that you have a more accurate picture of where your time is going, it’s time to see what you can get rid of. Eliminate, delegate or reduce time spent on low value or enery draining activities. This frees up time to focus on priorities and activities that energize you or that you love, contributing towards overall increased productivity.
Minimize distraction. Turn off the lights, lock your door, whatever dramatic gesture you may need to take to let others know, hey, this is my time and I’ll come out when I’m ready. Ok, maybe not so dramatic but you get the idea. Let your family members, friends, or co-workers know that you are taking some “private time” and will get back to them later. Hide your cell phone, step away from your email/computer, or delegate a task to someone else. Maybe you can outsource something. If you are worried about budget, scrutinize your spending and you might find that you can reallocate your resources. Many times it pays to delegate a task; analyze where you’ll get the best return on your investment.
Leave white space. This is especially true of your calendar. Keep in mind, just because you have an empty box doesn’t mean you have to fill it. Don’t have any white space on your calendar? Time to make some! Start by completely clearing one day a month on your calendar. This leaves room for creativity, spontenaity, and rejuvination. Ahhh … now doesn’t that feel better?
Remember, it is all about balance. If you don’t give yourself the time you deserve, other elements in your life will suffer, and that’s not good for anyone. Check our one of our latest blogs on to have a healthy work/life balance. Here’s to being a little more selfish without feeling a shred of guilt!
For many of us, it is the same routine day in and day out. We get up, get ready, head to work, work for 8 hours (or more), drive home, eat dinner, try and throw in a workout somewhere, and go to bed. It’s like they say, rinse, wash, repeat. But what is lacking here? Sure, we need to work in order to make money to live our lives, buy groceries to feed our family, and juggle errands and everything else for the wheels to keep turning. But are we being as productive as we would like to be or THINK we are being throughout this seemingly mundane routine?
What if there was a way to make those boring, tedious, draining tasks more fun? Do you think you would become more productive? Might you even find a way to slightly enjoy them? Would you feel more motivated? What could you accomplish if it included an element of fun?
We recently stumbled across this YouTube video that beautifully puts the following question to the test: What do you need to add an element of fun to in order to encourage you to do it?
While you are doing your taxes, do you blast really bad music (but secretly love) that you would only listen to so long as no one else is around? Maybe you absolutely hate working out but find if you bring your dog along for a jog it’s a little more tolerable? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear what element of fun you throw into the equation to make the tasks of life more productive and enjoyable.
What "shiny objects" distract you or make it hard to focus?
If we want to get more done, we should focus, right? Easier said than done?
We now know that multitasking can be counter productive (when we do so, it takes longer to complete multiple tasks than if we were to focus on one at a time, our rate of error increases, our ability to learn new things and remember things decreases and our stress level rises – enough evidence for you?). See past posts on this topic with additional fascinating facts here and here.
So why is it so hard to focus? Even when we’re not trying to multitask, we can be distracted. We can be distracted by things around us, by technology, by other external factors (noises, smells, etc.) and by our thoughts. I recently reread and wanted to share a Psychology Today blog post by Dr. David Rock, titled Easily Distracted: Why its Hard to Focus and What to do About it. Dr. Rock talks about distraction, our brain, and some strategies to to help us focus. Thanks to Chris Crouch of DME Training for originally bringing this article to my attention. (Chris has a great blog as well, called Smart Stuff 4 Work that’s geared towards busy professionals that want to work smarter, not harder. Check it out!). Let me know what you think about the article and if its helpful to you.
…. you never know who you’ll help.
