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Archive for the ‘Work/Life Balance’ Category:
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 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.
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 Are you exhausting yourself trying to juggle too much at once? Do you find yourself coming home from work only to sit down, pull out your laptop, and start working again? It’s time to stop telling yourself and your loved ones, “only one more email” and actually focus on the time we often don’t give ourselves enough of; time for family, friends, and YOU.
When your work life and personal life are out of balance, your stress level is likely to soar. We came across a great 30 second speech by the Former CEO of Coca Cola, Bryan Dyson that we feel offers some great words of wisdom to help you treasure (and make more of) that time which is so very valuable.
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. They are Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four Balls-Family, Health, Friends and Spirit-are made of glass. If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it.
Work efficiently during office hours and leave on time. Give the required time to your family, friends and have proper rest.”
Couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Here are a few more helpful tips to help you find that balance you rightfully deserve:
1. Prioritize. Try to figure out what your top five priorities are, not what you think they should be. Make a list and be honest with yourself. Now see if you can cut that list down to your top three.
2. Eliminate The Unnecessary. Once you’ve created your list of priorities, it will be easier for you to see where you could start cutting things out. Tell yourself, OK, if it didn’t make my top five, I can get rid of it.
3. Private Time. Respect this time and others will too. Ask yourself, do I really need to check my email and phone every five minutes or can it wait? Don’t be afraid to talk to your manager if you feel your work is truly taking away from your personal time. Demonstrate that you can be efficient and productive in the time you are at the office. Keep in mind that more hours does not mean you are being more productive.
Here’s to a better work-life balance and more time for the things you love.
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 As you think about the year you’d like to have in 2011, begin by reflecting on the year that is coming to a close.
What went well in 2010? What were your wins? Proudest moments? Times when you felt your best? What was the most fun? Brought you joy? Made your heart sing? Made the biggest difference for your work or your life?
Next, think about what challenges presented themselves. What surprised you? What roadblocks did you face? What obstacles got in your way? What drained your energy? What did you try, but didn’t like?
Now, with answers to these questions, think about what you’d like to build on, or what you’d like to overcome and conquer in 2011. What kind of year would you like it to be? What one business goal are you most excited to accomplish? What one personal goal, when achieved, will add quality to your life?
What intentions and goals are you setting in 2011? We’d love to cheer you on!
Watch the blog for more on Planning for Success in the weeks to come. There are some powerful things you can think about and do to set yourself up for success in 2011. We’re excited to share the year with you.
To your success!
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 An organized child's room saves parents time, money and stress! Some of you may have heard that my husband and I welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our family back in April. We love every minute of this new thing called “parenthood,” but are also learning many new things about life. One of these things is how much more work it takes to stay organized with a baby in the family. I would say that I am a naturally organized person and have been for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until we brought our baby girl home that I realized just how important being oganized is.
There is just so much more stuff…toys, clothes, blankets, bibs, diapers,wipes and the endless gifts & hand-me-downs from family and friends. Don’t get me wrong, we are super thankful for everything that we have been given, but with new things constantly coming into our home, it is so crucial that I take the time to purge & organize on a regular basis. For all of you new moms out there – here are a few simple ideas on how I have learned to be organized these past 7 months:
1. Create a home for everything – In my daughter’s bedroom, I have designated each dresser drawer for different items (i.e. socks in the top drawer, pants in another drawer, burp clothes in another, etc. I also have cute baskets under my changing table that hold items like diapers, wipes, changing pad covers and the like. (See photo above) Additionally, in her closet I have these really cute organizers that I use to arrange her clothes by size (0-3 months, 3-6 months…). I also have specific bins/baskets for her toys, blankets and books.
2. Establish a regular ”tidy time” - I have learned that if I don’t take 5-10 minutes each evening to tidy things up, my house would be a disaster. I love taking a few minutes every night after dinner to put everything back into its “home.” It is so nice to go to bed with a clean house, but it is also wonderful to wake up and start each day in a neat and tidy space.
3. Schedule in time to get your “to-do” list done - Having a baby makes your days much more unpredictable than they once were. It is really important for me to mark off time in my calendar to get certain things done. If I don’t schedule in time to do the laundry, grocery shop, and other errands, I would probably never get these things done. Remember, it is okay and necessary to ask for help when you need it!
4. Take time to purge regularly – Babies outgrow clothes and toys all the time. If you are planning to have more kids, then I would recommend containing and labeling those outgrown items and storing them. If you are not planning to have more kids, take time to purge and then donate or consign those items you no longer use. With each holiday and birthday, I recommend taking time to encourage your child to let go of a few toys before bringing his or her new toys into their room. This way you are never accumulating too much stuff and you are teaching your kids how wonderful it is to give.
I would love to hear your ideas & tips on how to be an organized mom, so please feel free to share your ideas with us in the comments section on this blog post, on our Facebook page or send us an email through our website. We’ll compile some of your best tips and post them either in the blog or on the Facebook page. Here’s to New Moms, Vetran Moms and those who support Moms in various ways – to your organized life!
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 You! You, our beloved clients, readers and community, to whom we want to extend our sincerest thanks for giving us the opportunity to do what we love; helping you get and stay organized and make the most of your time. We want to acknowledge the hard work you put in as we realize getting organized and maximizing productivity is easier said than done (though we strive to make it as easy as possible!).
It is about wanting to make change in your life and maintaining that which ultimately aims to minimize stress, overwhelm, and give you back a little more of what we never seem to have enough of; time. So thank you. Thank you for helping shape the company we are today. May your Thanksgiving day bring an abundance of comfort, people to love, and a chance to finally sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. Here’s to you!
In gratitude,
The Simply Placed Team
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 Don’t you just love the Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling logo (shown here)? Those of you that can relate to the woman in that picture, please make sure to check out our guest blog post on the Peeling Mom Off the Ceiling website/blog. I write about multitasking not being all its cracked up to be.
If you are a mom stuck up there on the ceiling, run, don’t walk (actually, just click) to register for Leslie Irish Evan’s free webinar, “Get Me Down From Here”, taking place on December 1st. Remeber, its free, though I’m sure what Leslie has to share will be priceless.
Join the conversation (filled with humor and great tips for managing stress and simplifying your life) on the Peeling Mom off the Ceiling facebook page.
Lastly, you may also want to avail yourself of Leslie’s free report, Chill Out Now, where she shares information to help busy moms reduce stress, improve your mood and have more energy. Win, win, win.
Enjoy and we’ll see you back down here on the ground, with your shoulders detached from your ears. What a great concept!
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 Would you want to be driving in front of her and have to stop suddenly? In 2007 in Washington State a law passed that made it illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving without a head-set. However, it was a secondary offense, meaning one could only get a ticket if there was another infraction committed, such as speeding, or swerving.
The legislators noticed that despite the law, there has been an increase in car crashes and associated injuries with cell phone use and in March of 2010 they voted to make driving while talking on the cell phone or texting a primary offense. This revised law went into effect on June 10th and if ticketed, comes with a fine of $124.00 per offense.
Drivers who are distracted by the phone, eating, texting, even some conversations and music, aren’t as alert as those who just focus on the road and their route. Did you know that a driver talking on a cell phone is as impaired as a driver with a .08 blood-alcohol level? Did you know that a driver who is texting is as impaired as a driver with a .16 blood-alcohol level (double the legal limit)? Did you know that a driver talking on a cell phone will be half a second slower to hit the breakes in emergencies and missmore than half the visual cues seen by attentive drivers? (These facts are from the Washington State Department of Licensing).
While fictional, dramatacized and graphic (do not watch with young children near by), this video originated on break.com and viewed often on YouTube depicting the potentially fatal results of texting while driving is one you may want your teen driver to see (or may want to review occassionally yourself if you’re tempted to text while driving).
The New York Times did a series called “Driven to Distraction“. Make sure to check out the fun 3-minute game we featured in a previous post ( illustrating what happens when we drive distracted) and this quick video that features real people and shows interesting simulated distracted driving results.
The next time you go to send a text while on the road, don’t, or pull over if you must. If you have to make a call, only do so using a hands-free devise, and even then, remember that its not just important to keep our hands on the wheel, and our eyes on the road, we also need to keep our mind in the game and fully engaged as well.
Bottom Line: We’re just not as good at multitasking as we think we are and the road, behind the wheel, is a dangerous place to discover the truth. Is there any call, text message, email or other distraction that’s more important or more urgent then you life and the lives of others? We think not. Don’t drive distracted!
Thoughts? Comments? You know where we stand on this issue; we’d love to hear from you. (Just not while you’re driving).
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 On May 4, 2010 from Noon to 4:30pm the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce will be Celebrating Women in Business. The keynote speaker, Liesbet Trappenburg will present “You are Not Your Job! Creating Sustainable Work/Life Balance.”
Debbie has been asked to be one of three break-out speakers for this exciting event. Debbie will be teaching “Multitasking Makes you Stupid.” Learn why multitasking is not an effective productivity strategy. More importantly, learn how to focus on one task at a time, working free of distraction, so you can consistently get more of the important things done in less time. You’ll be able to implement some new productive habits immediately so that you can work smarter, not harder and get results.
They are expecting 100 Sammamish businesswomen and entrepreneurs at this year’s event! For more information or to register for this event, click here!
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 Life and work have been pretty “loud” lately. Business is thriving at Simply Placed and we’re doing some great things. Personally, I’ve had a significant event in our family, as my daughter prepared for and completed her Bat Mitzvah. That included a great deal of coordination and celebration with all the elements of planning a large event, including some guests in town.
I’ve been enjoying the quiet of time in my car when I’m commuting lately. Typically I would listen to music on the radio, perhaps the news if I needed details about traffic, the weather forcast, or just needed an update on what was going on in my community and the world. When I didn’t have the radio on, I would often listen to a book on CD. Filling my commute time in this way was both enjoyable and felt productive. Lately though, I’ve just been enjoying the quiet. No radio, no music, no news, no book. Its been wonderful to just “be”. Rarely do we have this opportunity.
When and where are you able to enjoy the quiet? In a favorite spot in your home? On a walk or run (me, I need the music from my iPod to keep me running)? The public library? During a daily reflection or meditation practice? Yoga class?
When this post is published, I will be enjoying vacation (automation helping me pre-write and schedule this for posting). This down-time will help me recharge my batteries and return in a better position to serve clients, encourage the Simply Placed team, market our services, and be a resource to those who need me. I will enjoy the quiet on my vacation.
Let us know how we can help you work smarter, not harder, to give you more time to enjoy some quiet in your life.
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 We recently came across this trailer for a documentary called ”Race to Nowhere.” This trailer shows how our kids are under so much pressure to perform well in school and extracurricular activities that they are feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and unhappy. According to the students and teachers interviewed for this documentary, students are spending countless hours on homework each night, not eating, getting sick, and some have gone so far as to contemplate suicide as a solution to end their pain and stress. How devastating!
The goal of this documentary is to redefine success. Success is often measured by how much money you make or what you produce, but how great would it be if success was defined by how happy you are?
We find out clients are happiest when they feel good about their work/life balance. There’s a great quote I read that states, “You can do everything you want in life. Just not at the same time” (Barbary Sher). Take this to heart and prioritize. What’s important to you right now? What can wait? Do you have the balance you want in life?
Please take a few minutes to check out this Race to Nowhere trailer and then take some time to slow down and enjoy life!
Let us know what you think and how this trailer impacts you. We always love to hear from you.
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