We are days away from spring.

Can you believe it? How is your year going? Are you reaching your goals, resolutions, and dreams? Have you been getting those projects done?

Or… Do you need a friend to help you troubleshoot, problem- solve, organize, and get out of your rut? Could it be time to Spring Clean and get some real help so you can make this year really count? Is it time to get a plan that will help you set and reach your goals…get things done…make those resolutions a reality…and live your dream? I can help!

I am so excited to announce our next coaching program which begins next Monday afternoon. This program is just perfect for wherever you are…

–> With an idea and absolutely nothing ready to have a business?

–> No idea where to begin?

–> Got everything ready to go, but just cannot find time to get it done?

–> Struggling with getting your family on board (Or at least busy so you can snag time to work)?

–> Been working, but just not getting response on the internet and have NO idea why?

Yep! If any of this is YOU, then this program is JUST FOR YOU. Instead of me writing any more, let me take you to the site so you can learn more about this coaching program. You will LOVE it! Learn more here….

>>>> http://www.Writers-Nook.com/SpringClean.html

See ya there!

With much love,
Cindy
http://www.Writers-Nook.com

Time to Spring Clean Your Business!
Join us! This is the year to go for your dreams!
http://www.Writers-Nook.com/SpringClean.html

Staying positive, even in the face of adversity, can help you conquer challenges.  When you think positively, you are envisioning your success.  Failure will not be an option; you will move past the obstacles in your way.  When a person thinks positively, they will attract positive people and positive outcomes in their life.

When you find yourself facing a roadblock, try to find a way around it.  It can be easy to give up.  Giving up will not bring you any closer to accomplishing your goals.  In fact, giving up can make you feel even worse and cause more stress.

Finding a way to forge ahead and reach your goal or accomplish your task will help you grow as a person.  You will feel more confident and able to take on new, more difficult challenges.

It can be difficult to take on a new positive personality.  It is not realistic to expect anyone to change completely overnight.  Taking small steps toward positive thinking will create big changes.

When you wake up in the morning, envision a few positive thoughts.  Imagine yourself having a great day.  Think about all of the wonderful things that will be happening to you.  Think about what you would like to see happening–attracting new clients or being contacted by a reporter who wants to feature you in a magazine story.

You may want to consider creating a “dream board” or a “dream book”.  Write out all the things you would like to accomplish.  Look through magazines and find pictures that correspond with those goals.  When you find a picture you like, cut it out and pin it to a bulletin board or paste it into a scrapbook.

Don’t be afraid to reach for the stars with this project.  If you see a picture of a house you would love to live in, put it on your dream board.  Find a picture of a car you’ve always wanted or a picture of a place you would love to travel to.

Take a moment each day to look at your dream board or flip through your dream book.  Think positive thoughts such as “one day, I will own that car” or “one day, I will take a vacation here”.  This can inspire you and motivate you to work hard and achieve success.  Your dream book is giving you a glimpse of your rewards.  Now, it is up to you to take action.

How do you decide if coaching can benefit you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

#1 – Could I use an impartial person to run my ideas by?

Your friends and family may be great to turn to for help, but remember they are slightly biased. You have heard it said that they will tell you what you want to hear–this is not the time for that! Even if they gave great ideas, it doesn’t help if they don’t specifically understand the inner dealings or your business or market.

Having an impartial person dissect your ideas and plans can be very beneficial, particularly if that person is in your field and has already achieved the success you hope to achieve.

#2 – Could I use help with the smaller picture and details of my business?

For many entrepreneurs the “big” picture is easy to see but it’s the smaller details that can tie them up in knots. What shopping cart to use? What pages to include on your website? How to start a PPC campaign? How to begin an online teaching ministry?

In this instance an online coach can offer help and guidance – from helping you choose the right software to actually helping you plan your first pay-per-click marketing campaign to helping you plan and present your first online class.

#3 – Could I use motivation and guidance?

For many of us, this is the part of business that’s the most difficult. It’s easy to write down a to-do list and business plan, but much harder to actually do it, much less make it a success. A good online business coach can help you overcome these hurdles. If you have someone that you’re accountable to, then you’re more likely to follow through and get things done.

This isn’t a situation that should make you feel bad or shameful; many, many people struggle with accountability and find that having a person they are accountable to or a deadline is the best way to achieve their tasks. Once I hired my first coach, I saw so many differences in such a short time that I made the commitment to always have a coach to work with me along the way. I have one helping me right now. Coaching will take you further than you can imagine. They will help you will take your business uplevel.

These three questions should help you decide whether coaching is right for you. If you do decide it’s something you’d like to try, it’s important to find the right coach – as not all are created equal.

Here’s what to look out for:

* Find someone that has already achieved what you aspire to. Make sure the person has a proven track record and can back up their talk with references, testimonials and REAL results. You should be able to easily “SEE” their success–look at their website… their products. Look them up on Google. See how much they have out there for themselves. Tune into their webinars. You should be able to see real results or keep on looking!

* Find someone you can relate to. A coach with a harsh style or “bootcamp” mentality may or may not be right for you. Only you can determine that. Perhaps you’d respond more to someone that approaches things from a gentler approach. Or maybe you really respond well to tight deadlines and someone who pushes you through the phases. Whatever the choice, it has to be right for YOU. Taking the time to find the right coach FOR YOU is really important.

* Ask any potential coach specific questions and read their answers carefully. This will help you choose the right person for your needs.

* Find someone who wants to see you succeed. It’s unfortunate, but there are some coaches who keep their students in a certain place. This ensures that the person doesn’t outgrow them and continues to use their services. This is not the right coach for you.  A good coach will push their students to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. A good coach accepts that at some point their student may outgrow them and need to move on. It’s important to look for this in a coach, as this way you can be sure that they will always advise you on what is ultimately best for you and your business.

Ready for a business coach? This is the year to take your business uplevel. If you need that boost, a business coach just might make the difference in getting where you need to go.

Announcing! We are on the countdown for our first online group coaching session! YEP! We will be sharing details early this week. This session just might be the perfect topic for you. If you are not on our mailing list, scroll back up to the top of the page and sign in. Our subscribers will be sent a very special offer early next week–it only last for one week, so don’t miss it! Sign up for our mailing list TODAY!

Does it always seem like you are under the gun to get things done?  Time seems to get away from you and you don’t know why.  Maybe what you need is a way to effectively manage your time.

Time management is an age-old problem.  Remember Wimpy in the old Popeye cartoons?  He’d pay on Tuesday for a hamburger today.  Why not pay now?  Procrastination is the enemy of all who try to manage their time.  If you have been bitten by the procrastination bug, it’s time to take an antidote.

Time management issues can be dealt with in three stages:  planning, tracking and assessing.  Just like with other issues in life, the best way to handle them is head on, before the problem gets to be too big for us to even want to look at it.

1.  Planning – Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.  We’ve all heard it and it’s true for the most part.  You have to have somewhere to start or you’ll spend half of your day deciding what to do.  Planning begins with the end – deadlines.  Know how much time you have for each task you have to accomplish.  Within that timeline, you can break down the larger goal into more manageable pieces. 

This method is less of a drain on your resources and your brain.  Use a planning tool like a calendar.  The calendar, preferably a computerized one, needs to have the capability of looking at a several views:  daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.  Use the calendar to map out work and personal tasks so that nothing gets overlooked.

2.  Tracking – How are you using your time?  Use tracking software to monitor how much time is spent on business projects and how much is devoted to each project.  Tracking lets you see where time is being lost.  Maybe it takes too long to do the research for a project or the final organization of it.

If your desk is unorganized, you could be losing what amounts to hours just trying to find what you need.  Time tracking software allows you to create categories for the way that you spend your time so you can easily follow.  If you don’t want to make that investment, create a time tracking spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel to prioritize tasks each day and track the time you work on them.

3.  Assessing – So, where did the time go?  Are you spending more time on minimum priority projects and less time on high priority ones, or is it vice versa?  Take a look at where you are developing black holes of lost time.  On your logs, choose a place for comments about what exactly you did during the time spent on each category during the day.  If writing up a proposal is supposed to take two hours but it is taking you four, what is being missed?

It is easy for time to escape us.  For a business, time is money that you are losing.  Re-evaluate how you spend your time and tighten up on projects that are taking too long.

Why do you procrastinate?  There are several reasons and some might surprise you.  Fear of failure is one reason.  No one wants to be make mistakes but they are a part of life and they do happen to everyone.

Fear of success is also a reason why you might procrastinate.  Here is the rationale:  If you succeed you will be expected to do so all the time.  The pressure alone can stop your work.

Stress causes procrastination, too.  It is easier to deal with a problem by hiding and pretending it will go away than meeting it head on.  The problem is that the day you are ready to deal with it never comes.

Use the following tips to stop procrastination from hindering your work.

1.  Make a list. Use dashes instead of numbers so the items on the list aren’t ranked in any particular order.  Add deadlines so that you can prioritize the list.  As you finish a task on the list, cross it off with a colorful pen.  Every time you look at the list you will get a sense of accomplishment.

2.  Set aside time for other tasks. All work and no play, as they say.  Sometimes when you work, you’ll notice your mind thinking about taking a break and doing something else.  We’ve all done it.  Avoid those breaks in productivity by scheduling time to get away and take a break.  Knowing that you will get a break makes you want to stay focused on your work until that time.

3.  Don’t overload your schedule. If you have too much to do in a small span of time, procrastination will surely creep in.  No one wants to slack off at work, but biting off only as much as you can chew is not the same thing.  You are more productive when you can manage your tasks instead of drowning in them and missing all of your deadlines.

4.  Find coping mechanisms. Stress can lead to procrastination.  Deal with the stress before it affects your work.  Learn breathing techniques; take an exercise class; chant a mantra.  Whatever will relax you can also keep you working.

5.  Stay organized. A desk piled with papers, folders, and sticky notes is not what you want to see every morning you walk into the office.  Keep your desk neat and everything where you can find it when you need it.  Organization stops you from abandoning the task at hand because of a misplaced file.

Procrastination is hard to beat because it comes from within us.  Use the above tips to regain your level of productivity in the workplace.

Auto responders are great “assistants” for the busy writer. The use of auto responders is quickly becoming standard.  Given the digital age we have come into at full speed, it is becoming more and more time-consuming to be checking voicemails and answering machines.  The digital age is now allocating and advocating the use of these responders as a fax-on-demand-type of system.

An auto responder is an automatic messaging system, generally used in instant messaging systems and emails, to generate an automatic response to an incoming message or a scheduled outgoing message to those who have requested this information.  They can be configured in many different ways to include not accepting the incoming message yet shooting a message back, letting the sender know that messages aren’t be accepted and when they will be.

These responders can also be set to accept the incoming message. The automatic message from an auto responder can say anything, letting your reader be aware of a circumstance, a vacation or other information as deemed necessary.

More and more people are leaning towards email and instant messaging versus traditional voicemail and in this it would be prudent to work smarter, not harder.  Auto responders are a smart way of dealing with a messaging system and can eliminate the time of having to call your cell or home machine to retrieve messages when it can be done at a glance.

Auto responders can also be used as a simple and very cost-effective way of advertising.  While I don’t have an auto responder and use a signature with my email, auto responders reach farther and quicker to target markets, more so than a simple email can.  Why?  Most people don’t read an entire email to see the signature.

Responders are also especially useful in support, such as “call a number if I am unavailable” – an encouraging statement for those who are under professional help or trying to quit smoking, for example.  They can even give useful information on how to solve a problem with software or hardware.  Responders are also used to confirm a subscription or cancellation.

Unlimited auto responders can also be used to target specific consumers or other people.  In an organized mailing list, auto responders can be “attached” to certain emails so that certain people get certain messages and not all people get the same message.  If you sign up to receive a daily devotion  each day or once a week, for example, these daily devotions are sent out using an auto responder.

In the end, auto responders provide effective communication with customers and clients, as well as other staff and even family and friends.  They give an edge to providing free advertising and getting your name or company more exposure.

In this whole scenario, you do get to work less and make more, and that is what everybody wants.  Look around – there are tons of free auto responders.  Programs offer different options, so make sure you find the one that will work best for you.

For many of us, nothing is more simple or instinctive than calling someone up to chat.  While we may want to keep it professional, there is a good chance that we will spend a lot longer on the phone than we thought we would, and before we know it, the day has sped by and our efficiency is shot. The work we intended (our intentions are always good in the beginning aren’t they?) to get done is being put off until later.  Have you ever experienced this?  This may be a sign that you need to think about your phone use and how it is affecting the bottom line in your business.

There are many tell tale signs that your phone calls are distracting you from your real work.  One way to determine just how much affect phone usage has on the productivity of your business is to time your phone calls.  How long are you spending on the phone?  Keep in mind that when you get on the phone, you are breaking up your work. Once you finish the call and head back to the task at hand, time is also spent refocusing on what you were doing prior to the phone call.  Put together all the time that is devoted to your phone calls during the course of the day, from getting the number, to talking on the phone, to getting back to work.  The time that you spend “on the phone” just might surprise you.

Next, think about how often you actually take calls.  Do you feel as though the number of calls that you are taking detracts from your ability to work, or do you feel as though it contributes?  You may find that other phones ringing is enough to distract you, or that if the phone stays silent for too long that you get nervous or antsy.  Any of these symptoms might be a sign that you need to form a plan to get out of this productivity killing dilemma.

All hope is not lost however, even if you live with your phone what seems like attached at your ear. In order to combat the time wasting telephone and start making your phone calls and in turn your other tasks productive for your business, try putting this practice into place.

Begin by setting up a rough call time limit based on your average call time. You will need to find out just how much time you spend on the phone using the steps mentioned above beforehand.

Next, make sure that you know what topics need to be discussed before you call anyone.  This is an important way to make sure that your call is not out of control and lasting longer than it should. This step alone will make planning your time better and get more done during your work time.

Although it’s not always easy to determine when someone else will call, you can implement these same strategies for calls you receive. Screening calls will also help reduce or even diminish wasted talk time. Remember that your time is valuable and your business is important, so don’t let the telephone distract you anymore than you have to.

When you’re browsing online Google Notebook makes it easy to clip and paste you’re your notebook.  You can even categorize them by vacation, business research, pet training, and recipes – whatever you want.

To get started you’ll want to get a Google account if you don’t already have one.  To do that simply visit Google and click on “Get Started.”  Note that if you already use Gmail, AdSense or AdWords then you already have a Google account.

You can also visit https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount to create a new account.

Once you have a Google account installing Notebook is easy. Just sign into your account.  At the top of the page you’ll see a whole host of Google applications, click on more and it’ll take you to a page where you can download myriad applications.  Find Notebook, click on it and follow the instructions to download the extension.

Next you’ll need to restart your browser.  You’ll see a little blue notebook icon in the bottom right hand corner of your browser window.  To use Notebook all you need to do is click on this icon and it’ll open a mini notebook.

As you browse if you see clippings or sites you want to add, right-click on the text, image or link and click “Note this” from the menu. You can also highlight text or images on any webpage, and click on the star button in your mini notebook.

You can also clip Google search results by clicking on the “Note this” link at the bottom of any search result.

If you want to add comments to the clipping, click the “Comment” option which is located below the new note.

You can organize, label, and name notebooks to make your information easy to access and easy to understand.  Imagine if your vacation notes were mixed up with your research notes for a project which were mixed up with your recipes.

You can export your notebooks into Google docs for collaboration, you can share your notebooks giving unilateral access or restricted access and you can access your notebook from many mobile phones.

Google Notebook is an effective and efficient tool to organize your online projects.  Whether you’re researching your internet competition, planning your next vacation or collecting craft projects Google Notebook can keep you organized and help you make the most of your time online.

Dear friend, this year is the year of fullness. I have committed to make this year a year of commitment, accomplishment, and productivity. Want to make this year the very best ever too? Let’s find some keys to productivity. Let’s dig in and get moving strong. Ready? Well, today let’s look at one of my biggest keys to productivity…

Take time to write EVERYTHING down!

Talk about a key to productivity! If there were one thing that I really believe makes the difference in my own productivity, it is this one discipline. I know, I know what you may be thinking…

“But, Cindy, I write things down and that is as far as they go.”

or

“I write things down, but then I can’t find it again.”

or

“I get too overwhelmed when I see ALL that needs to be done.”

Oh! You are going to love this, beloved! Let me take you by the hand and show you how to make this work for you. It is soooo important. You see there are some secrets that productive people have. Want a few?

1. They have ONE PLACE to write things down. Now, this does not mean that it you will have only one place forever and ever. Let me give you an example from how this looks for me. I always have my “Little Black Book” in my purse. No, not for phone numbers of old beaus–I am married to the ULTIMATE beau!   Rather, I invest in one small notebook that is small enough to carry everywhere I go, yet big enough to hold my goals, lists of steps to reach those goals, brainstorms, etc. This is SO IMPORTANT! Invest in ONE notebook as YOUR “brain” for this year.

2. They take time to pull aside and “brain-dump.” Yes, you read correctly. Want a secret to productivity? This one will make sense as you pull it all together. Yes, dump your brain regularly. Actually, take some time to dump out everything in your brain now–all of those things that need to be done, all of those things you wish for, all of those things that you want to do, but cannot find time to do. Dump it all into your “little black book.” As little things come across your mind, dump them. That will be your “place” for every idea, hope, dream, goal, to-do, and wish to all be dumped off of your brain and “kept” for you. Wondering why this is a secret to productivity? Glad you asked! The leading hindrance for most people is the stress of having to remember or not forget details. This distracts. This takes the focus from what you need to be doing. Actually, this contributes to forgetting what needs to be done in the task you are doing at the moment, causing things to take longer than they should. Not to mention, we are much, much less likely to ever do things that float in our head as well-wishes. Instead, dump it all in a safe place–your very own “Little Black Book.”

3. They plan. They plan yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily. You probably know this. However, do you know how to make it work? This is an essential!  Here is how I do it.

Every year, I plan a nice Mommy Getaway to really evaluate and plan out the next year. I cannot express how much of a difference this makes for me. I am not talking about putting every day on the calendar. I am talking about sketching out the events of the year and planning my projects for my home, business, family, and myself. I PENCIL in my yearly plans. I also spend time brain-dumping anything that may be floating in my brain. I love this time. It helps to give me a grasp on my year and get in gear.

Of course, this is not enough. Each month, I pull back for an afternoon or weekend to plan out my month. I go back to my yearly plan and pray over what REALLY needs to be on my calendar. Once the final projects and events are chosen, I brainstorm all that needs to be done (all of the things to do) for that project to be completed. Now, do note that because I have “my place” for brainstorming, my little black book, I can brainstorm as things come to mind all along the way. This makes that monthly planning very easy.

Another thing that helps me along the way are my checklists for common projects–like all of the things to do to finish a book or an audio set or prepare a seminar. I have done those things so many times that I have developed checklists so I remember each step that needs to be done to get everything ready. Same thing for my holiday meals or other home projects. Talk about a time saver. Well, wondering what you do with those? I take those and put them on my monthly calendar at a good pace to get things done incrementally.

Each week I make sure that everything is done for the week before and take a good look at what will be done the following week. If I need any supplies, I pick them up over the weekend so I am ready to go each day-nothing can mess up your schedule like missing what you really need to get things done.

Finally, every day, I plan the night before. I end each day going over my daily list of things to do. Any of the the tasks that did not get done for the day are moved to the following day’s list. I also plan in the next steps and make sure that everything is ready to go when I wake up. I get SO much more done when I have a clear picture of all that needs to be done before the day begins. Want a key to productivity? PLAN!

4. Work your plan! Finally, want to know the difference between writing things down, having the perfect plans, and getting things done? This is it! Productive people work their plans! This means that we don’t just write things down. But, we also have a plan for working the plan. This is the bottom line that determines whether we are productive or not. So, how on earth do you do this one? A few quick tips:

–>  Keep your planner WITH YOU! Keep it out and keep it with you. I have a small daytimer that I can carry with me all of the time. All of my important information is WITH ME all the time.

–>  Set up your planner to work with YOUR LIFE. My daily things to do probably look very, very different from yours. What I need in my binder is different today than last year. One key that really made a big difference for me was when I finally set up my binder with forms that *I* needed. In fact, that is the story behind our Make Your Own Brain-in-a-Binder that I developed for my own planner. I always buy a nice binder and throw out anything that does not work with my life. Then, I print out pages that help me to put all of the things I need in one place. I use my planner all day long every single day. It goes everywhere with me. The key was in setting up my planner to work with MY life and all of the things that I do each and every day.

–>  USE IT! Nothing helps me more than having my binder out first thing in the morning over my Quiet Time (to pray over my day)…sitting out in the family room all day…going back over all of the things to do all throughout the day (after each task)…going back over my day as I wrap up the evening…AND most of all, planning the next day right before I go to bed so everything is ready to get going the next day. USE that planner. Watch to see the difference!

Yes! Write things down. Make that time. It will make a HUGE difference in your productivity. It will help you to get a plan for reaching for those dreams.

So, what do you think?

Ready to make this year the very best ever? Want to make this year the most productive year ever? Why not take time today to write everything down? Why not begin today to put those dreams on your to-do list, bit-by-bit, day-by-day?

Have you tuned into our NEW Writer’s Radio Show? We are rolling now! Join us at Blog Talk Radio each and every week for our new shows. You will be fired, inspired, encouraged, and equipped. Tune in live OR download our shows to listen at your convenience. Tune in here!

Oh! I TOTALLY relate! In fact, the past few months, my heart-cry has been to stay focused. Everywhere I have turned, I have heard messages on staying focused…saw articles on being focused…and talked with my friends about being focused. As a result, I have found a few great secrets that have really helped me to stay focused on the most important things in my life and get more done at the same time. Want to know those secrets? Well, let’s dig in…

BEGIN EACH DAY WITH A QUIET TIME…

I know what you just thought…”BUT! Cindy, that gets me off track for the day!”  Oh! Beloved, nothing can help to focus on the REAL plan for the day…the best opportunities…the most important. Actually, on those days that I am very, very tempted to skimp on my Quiet Time, I actually find that I am better prepared for the day that bombards me just moments later. Maybe it is the fresh perspective. Maybe it is renewal of my heart and mind. Maybe it is slowing down to remember to choose the best in everything for that day. Whatever, I never lose by taking time to let God fill my cup first thing each day. Want a great secret to staying focused this year? Begin each day with the best tool for getting focused–a Daily Quiet Time.

Make it easy!

Begin with Daily Bible Reading. Begin with just reading 5 minutes…or in 10 you can usually read through the Bible in a Year using any program! JUST TEN MINUTES A DAY!!

Choose a plan–one that will get you in the Word and NOT frustrate you. And…while you are choosing, choose a new Bible. Each year I choose a different version for Daily Bible Reading. Talk about a HUGE difference! I have been a Christian for 34 years. One of my frustrations (now this is being honest) with Daily Bible Reading is that I found myself skipping over certain passages that I *THOUGHT* I knew. Oh! Struggle with that too? Well, why not try a new version this year? It will make words jump out and seize you! It will make those stories come alive! Last year, I chose to read through THE MESSAGE version of the Bible. It was SUPER! It made such a difference in making God’s Word come alive that I decided to choose another version for my Daily Bible Reading this year. Just begin! Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Instead just dig in and let God talk to you. HE WILL!

As you begin with your Daily Bible Reading, keep a journal close by. Each day, jot down your favorite verse from the day in your journal. I love that this one discipline helps me to stay focused and tuned in for the study…but it does more… I am amazed that almost every day someone comes across my path who needs the Words that God gives me during my Quiet Times. Give it a try! The Word will stick to your brain and be on the tip of your tongue. Plus, it will keep you focused each day on the most important things! Give it a try!

Finally, during your quiet time, read the Bible, copy a verse that jumps out at you, and take some time to just pour out your heart to God and listen to Him before jumping into your day. He wants for you to come to Him and pour out your heart. He doesn’t want for you to walk through your journey by yourself. He delights in being there with you communing with you along the way. Begin each day with some time with Him…you will be amazed at how much more you will accomplish and how focused you will be each day!

WRITE IT ALL DOWN…

Another secret! Actually, this one needs to become a lifestyle thing. Let me explain! Several years ago, I began the New Year (2006) with a bit of frustration. I had so many dreams…so many desires…so many goals…so many to-do’s. In fact, I had had those dreams,desires, goals, to-do’s for many years. Each year, I would dreamily resolve to “go for it” yet again. And…again the next year. Know what I mean???

Well, 2006 was a year of change for me. Looking back, this was one single factor that really made the difference! This has made a world of difference for me every year since then. Want my secret?

I took some time during the last week of December 2005 to just brainstorm anything and everything that I really wanted to do and accomplish. Oh! You should see the poor journal that housed those dreams, desires, goals, and to-do’s! Such a treasure as I look back and see all of the amazing things that were DONE as a result of just writing it all down and then working it!

I just kicked back and spent the time to get everything out of my brain and into the journal. When I woke up in the middle of the night and something was on my brain, I got up and wrote it down. I kept the journal close for the whole week. I wrote out everything–the little things that I just could not find time to get wrapped up…the projects that seemed to never fit into my schedule…the business goals that I had…the financial goals (including how much money I owed on my debts–remember 2006 was my attack year on my debts and I ended the year with ALL of them paid off!!! WOoohooo!)…the dreams that just seemed a bit out of reach.

I wrote down everything that came across my mind.  I compiled them in the journal as to-do lists for different areas of life–the financial page listed each bill I owed with the amount I owed. For my writing goals, I listed books I wanted to finish and project ideas that were on my heart. I even wrote out my dreams for an online radio show–YEP! That far-fetched dream became reality as I began Mom-to-Mom Radio Show in January of 2006. Only a dream. Just needed focus!

Want to know the fun part about this? I reached ALL of my dreams, desires, goals, and to-do’s that I wrote down in January by May. Yes, you read that correctly–BY MAY!! I had to sit down and begin a new journal then with the same format, except I was much more bold in my dreams, desires, goals, and to-do’s. Of all of the years of my life, 2006 was record-breaking! As a family, we reached for greater things and grasped onto them! We dared to go for all of the “impossible” things with focus and determination. It made all of the difference in the world to have it all written down. To mark off each accomplishment was priceless! Yep! This was another secret for staying focused.

Since then, this has become a major part of my life. I saw such a change in my personal productivity that I made this a lifestyle. I regularly pull back for a getaway to really go over my “little black book” and see what has been done, what is yet to be done, and add more dreams and desires to the list. It makes a world of difference for me. But, that is not all, I also take that notebook out each month and each week to dig out any projects that need to be written into my calendar. Those things to do are part of my weekly things to do. Now, they are no longer wishes or dreams, but they are books, projects, and accomplishments that are my HISTORY.

Want that? Why not try it for your New Year and see how it works for you? I think you will love it!

USE A DAILY TO-DO LIST…

A few years ago, I read a book with my children for a homeschool unit study we pursued during the last four years of my son’s school years. I know, I know. It was a study that took on a life of its own. It began with a simple biography about a great businessman. We continued through as many biographies as we could find. We STILL pursue these studies even though my son graduated almost 3 years ago!

What’s the point? Oh! This is a good one!

We read one book about Mary Kay. You always learn so much when digging into the lives of others. One of the life-changing things that I learned from her life was from one thing that she attributed to her success–her daily to-do list. Daily, she kept a list of 5 things to do for the day. Each day the list changed. She wouldn’t list the impossible. She just plugged away each day on 5 vital things for THAT DAY.

I pondered that for a while. I knew that my biggest struggle was having bigger plans than I have hours to work on them. I decided to pray for my daily “5 things” for the day each and every day.

Talk about a great secret for getting and staying focused!

First, it keeps us from going day-after-day never getting “anything” done. You know that feeling? It comes from a lack of purpose and direction. Keeping a journal with all of the stuff on your heart for the year is great. Then, we can look at our daily to-do’s and add those other things into that list of five things. I try to add ONE THING per day from my journal, even if it is a little thing. Of course, there are days that I have to be realistic and limit myself to the demands of the day. I am OK with that when I have hope that I will not put off the heartbeats for years to come. Adding them into my “5 things” regularly helps. Also, on those days that I am blank or that I happen to have some extra time to myself, I go through my journal and work through some of the simple tasks that I can attack. It worked great this year!

Oh! On those days that I have 25 things to choose from…you know that those days pop up constantly, don’t you?…Well, on those days, I write all of them down on a Post-it Note. As I look at my day, I jot down my top five essentials for the day from that list. If things go better than planned, I always have the others to keep on working on. But, this helps me to be sure that I begin plugging away on the things that need to get done to finish up things as soon as I can. It clears my brain and keeps me focused on working my plan. It helps me to accomplish much each day. And…keeps me focused all year long. I don’t get overwhelmed as easily. I don’t miss big things or let big things pile up any more. Give it a try! This year will be your best year yet!

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH GREAT (FOCUSED) PEOPLE…

I don’t know about you, but I really grasp for more in life when I have a big dose of encouragement and inspiration. Nothing fires me up more than people who are focused on going for all that God has in store for them. I just LOVE their passion for success! They challenge me to keep growing, keep moving, keep grasping for my dreams. They inspire me to step out there and trust God for those impossible things that intimidate me. They keep my brain turning and fresh. They spur me to reach for the very, very best!

Do I sound blessed? Did you just “wish” you had others like this? Have you written yourself off?

Oh! Beloved! I am not advocating that you scrap your friends and family.   Rather, I want to encourage you to ask the Lord to show you those that can step into the gap there. Ask God to show you opportunities this year to surround yourself with great people.

Years ago, one of my friends told me that great people are only as great as those that they surround themselves with. Talk about inspiring me! Well, she went one step forward…she said that a mediocre person could become great by surrounding themselves with the very best people in all areas of their lives. I have pondered that since she said it. It is SO true!

I have endeavored to surround myself with great people. They are everywhere! I am not special. You have them around you too.

We live in a complicated culture. Whereas, life is not simple like the lifestyle our grandparents had where they could learn from others while sitting on the front porch sipping tea and chatting (yep, I am from the South! WINK), they also did not have access to so much at their fingertips. We have the internet. We have books, audios and media.

Take time to get to know others. Take time to learn from others. You would probably be surprised at what is deep inside of those surrounding you.

I want to know the greatness hidden inside of those surrounding me. Everyone has something great in there. Digging into their greatness instills greatness in me…AND challenges them to reach for more greatness. It makes the most of our time together.

Of course, those people are the ones that I am around “in person” in my life. But, I also have some choices with my free time. I can surround myself with great people through books…online classes…audios…and other methods of study. I plug into great people regularly who are reaching for the best. They inspire me. They fire me up! They keep me growing!

Wanta get and stay focused? Those that surround you can make or break you! Surround yourself with focused people!

GET RID OF ALL HINDRANCES…

Anybody sitting there and thinking of all of the reasons that you cannot do ONE THING I have written…

…You have little ones that constantly interrupt your quiet times?
…You don’t have TIME for a quiet time?
…You have too much to do each day to write down your list in a journal?
…You don’t have any money for a journal–it IS after Christmas???
…Your day is so full of things wrapped around the children that you could never plan for “5 to-do’s” each day?
…Those around you are YOUR problem!

Oh! Beloved! I DO understand! And…this is YOUR year!

Take a peek at Hebrews 12: 1-2 (I LOVE IT in The Message)…

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

This passage really fires me up! It was one of my key verses. It follows the chapter reminding us of the great men and women of faith throughout Scripture. Then, continues in this passage telling us what it is all there for…to remind us to lay aside every encumbrance, the sin that so easily entangles us, get busy running the race, staying focused on Jesus and HOW HE ran the race. It is SO good!!

It doesn’t tell us that our circumstances will be ideal. It doesn’t tell us that everyone around us will “get it” and support us or get on board with us. It doesn’t tell us to change those around us. It simply reminds us to get focused on Jesus and get rid of all of the hindrances so we can run the race faithfully!

I have no idea what you will be facing this year. My year last year was not perfect. I had some very, very tough times from time-to-time. I had times that I got tired and weary along the way. I had times that everything I touched seemed to crash. However, a big secret to grasping onto all of the things that God had in store for me was to get rid of all of the hindrances and run the race faithfully. God didn’t demand that I do everything perfect, rather He simply wanted for me to keeping my eyes on Jesus while I faced all of the tough stuff. To stay focused!

I had to look past the impossibilities. I had to lay aside every hindrance and every encumbrance. I had to repent of my sins, confessing them so I could be healed and run the race with strength and stamina–sin zaps our strength and stamina. I had to drop my excuses–yep, that is what they were! I had to let go of everything that had been hindering me. Want to stay focused? Get rid of all of the hindrances today! You have a great year ahead!

READY?

On your Mark…Get Set…

We have a great year ahead! Are you ready to go for it? Are you tired of setting resolutions and fizzle on January 2nd? Are you sick of being where you are? Are you ready to go for those dreams? Do you want to have the best year yet?

Oh! Try out my secrets! Stay focused! Make 2009 your best year yet!

Businesses are like relationships:  commitment is an absolute must if they are to succeed.  Here are some tips for staying focused and pulling through the hard times.

* Write a mission statement if you haven’t done so already. It should concisely detail the purpose of your business and its key philosophies.  Many writers neglect to do this unless it is required to obtain funding.  But a mission statement can help you remember why you wanted to start a business in the first place.

* Set goals. If you don’t have something specific to work toward, it’s hard to stay motivated.  By setting challenging yet attainable and measurable goals, you increase your chances of succeeding whether you meet them or not.

* Don’t overwork yourself. Starting and running a business is hard work, and it’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of endless 16-hour days.  It’s rather ironic that this commitment to your business can result in burnout, which can leave you without the energy you need to keep going.  While it may not be feasible to take a vacation when your business is just getting off the ground, it doesn’t hurt to take a day off every now and then.  Taking a breather will give you time to regroup and remember why you chose the path you’re on.

* Outsource the tasks that bore or frustrate you. Small business owners, especially writers, often fall into the trap of thinking they must do everything themselves.  Sometimes they are on tight budgets and don’t feel they can afford to hire help, while others are unwilling to let go of the total control they have.  But if you’re suffering from a lack of motivation, outsourcing can get you back on track by allowing you to focus on the things you love about your business.

* Evaluate the state of your business. If you’ve hit a rough spot, perhaps a change of plans is in order.  You may need to focus your offerings more tightly, rethink your marketing methods, evaluate time wasters, or invest in better equipment.  By isolating and solving the problem, you can get back to business as usual.

Sometimes it’s hard to maintain the level of commitment that we have in the initial phases of a business venture.  By doing what it takes to remain focused and remembering why we chose this path in the first place, we can keep ourselves motivated.  When we reach our goals, we will realize that it was all worthwhile.

Working at home can be challenging, but there are things that you can do to better your chance for success. Read on to find out the top ten tips for mothers who want to work at home successfully.

1. Set up your work space to match your personality. If you are bubbly and enthusiastic, use bold bright colors on your walls, and even for your mouse pad and file folders. Have matching accessories that reach out and make you want to use them. If you tend to be quiet and laidback, a more subtle approach may be more your style. Surrounding yourself with your comfort level, will actually encourage you to spend time in your home office and enjoy what you are doing.

2. Be organized. Lack of organization is the single biggest time waster and energy zapper. It’s too easy to get off-track and lose focus on the task at hand when you can’t locate that crucial piece of information.

3. Use a planner to organize your day, your week, and your month. Make lists, prioritize planned activities, and then set out to accomplish what’s on your list. It’s so satisfying to cross things off the “to-do” list.

4. Set up a work schedule. Although this may vary from one day to the next, after all that’s one of the perks of working from home; be realistic in your expectations. Be careful not to over-schedule yourself. Working too many hours is often a bigger problem than devoting too few hours to a home business.

5. Have call display on your phone. Only answer if it’s business related, during your scheduled work hours, if at all possible. Ask family and friends to understand that you will be unavailable at times each day, and to leave a message.

6. Be professional in your dealings with your clients. Even though you are at home, maintaining a business-like atmosphere makes it easier for you to act professional and be treated like a professional, rather than just someone who is working at home.

7. Have set times to read and respond to daily emails. Unless an email relates to your current project, don’t open it until it’s the designated “check email” time. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of quickly checking and the next thing you know a half hour has elapsed.

8. If you find that you are having difficulty devoting the necessary time and energy to your business, here’s something different to try. Treat your home business as if it belongs to someone else. Although you love your boss, she is very demanding. You want to show her that you can do this job well, but to do that you’ll have to put forth a solid effort. Sound kind of silly? By pretending that you have a boss you may be more likely to treat your home business like a real job that you want to keep and work that much harder at.

9. Eliminate distractions whenever possible. That may mean that the blinds on that window right in front of your computer are closed or that the TV in the corner is off.

10. Stay creative! If you have small children at home, you may want to be very creative about balancing them and your business. Do remember that this season with little ones is very, very short. You don’t get this time back. It is very, very difficult to balance work at home and tend to the needs of children at the same time. Stay creative! Get up a little earlier–I used to get up 2 hours earlier every day. I wrote almost all of my books in those early morning hours. I also stayed up later than them. I put them to bed every night on time. After they were in bed, I snagged that time until dad came in from work to brainstorm, write, set up books, work on my website, etc. I still get SO MUCH done that time of day. Plus, I can end the day feeling productive. Another thing that helped when the children were little was taking work with me. If you set up an Idea Notebook with your ideas, brainstorms, and writing, you can take it with you to the park or to lessons. You can also take a smaller laptop with you too. Use that time that would be lost to plug away. Just stay creative!

Keep in mind that working at home is challenging, but greatly rewarding. Following these tips will help you to overcome the challenges and become a successful work at home mom who still has her sanity at the end of the day.

Google Notebook is a tool which makes it easy to clip and organize online information.

When you’re browsing online Google Notebook makes it easy to clip and paste you’re your notebook.  You can even categorize them by vacation, business research, pet training, and recipes – whatever you want.

To get started you’ll want to get a Google account if you don’t already have one.  To do that simply visit Google and click on “Get Started.”  Note that if you already use Gmail, AdSense or AdWords then you already have a Google account. 

You can also visit https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount to create a new account.

Once you have a Google account installing Notebook is easy.  Just sign into your account.  At the top of the page you’ll see a whole host of Google applications, click on more and it’ll take you to a page where you can download myriad applications.  Find Notebook, click on it and follow the instructions to download the extension.

Next you’ll need to restart your browser.  You’ll see a little blue notebook icon in the bottom right hand corner of your browser window.  To use Notebook all you need to do is click on this icon and it’ll open a mini notebook.

As you browse if you see clippings or sites you want to add, right-click on the text, image or link and click “Note this” from the menu. You can also highlight text or images on any webpage, and click on the star button in your mini notebook.

You can also clip Google search results by clicking on the “Note this” link at the bottom of any search result.

If you want to add comments to the clipping, click the “Comment” option which is located below the new note.

You can organize, label, and name notebooks to make your information easy to access and easy to understand.  Imagine if your vacation notes were mixed up with your research notes for a project which were mixed up with your recipes.

You can export your notebooks into Google docs for collaboration, you can share your notebooks giving unilateral access or restricted access and you can access your notebook from many mobile phones.

Google Notebook is an effective and efficient tool to organize your online projects.  Whether you’re researching your internet competition, planning your next vacation or collecting craft projects Google Notebook can keep you organized and help you make the most of your time online.

First things first – start your day by getting yourself ready for “work.” Take a shower, relax with that extra cup of coffee, work the crossword in the newspaper, tidy up the house, drop the kids off at school. Allow yourself time to stop and smell the flowers before plunging in. 

Some of us like to start slowly. For others, immediately heading to the computer, coffee mug in hand and starting in right away, is best. There are no right or wrong answers here. Whatever works best for you is the right way. Doing things your way is how you will begin setting up your day for work at home success. 

The one thing you should savor is the thirty second commute to work. If you previously worked outside the home, any time spent on getting to and from work is now newfound time. This found time is yours. Use it as your gift to yourself to do with as you wish.  

Most people are creatures of habit. Habit can be a wonderful thing because it allows us to get in our comfort zone without consciously expending any effort in doing so. As a work at home mom, creating good habits for yourself will allow you to accomplish a lot more in a limited amount of time. Put your day on auto pilot as much as possible. 

You will no doubt want to be creative in some aspects of your home business. But in general, try to maintain a similar schedule from day to day. That way you won’t waste time with changes that may not be productive. Leave the creativity for times spent with your family or friends, or for when you are working on an improvement in your home business.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as the sense of accomplishment that comes from successfully completing tasks. To ensure that this happens, make a to-do list each day. Some people make their list at the end of a work day for the next day, while others prefer to make their list in the morning. In either case, it’s a good idea to prioritize the items on your list based on importance. 

Before plunging into the first item on the list, take a few moments to check over the list and mentally decide how much time will be required for each item. As you complete an item, be sure to cross it off. There’s where that sense of fulfillment comes in. 

Now that your day is set up for success, you are ready to face whatever challenges or frustrations may come along. Just don’t forget to enjoy the successes, no matter how big or small, along the way.

Dear friend, when you work from home there still aren’t enough hours in the day to get things done.  Deadlines for projects hang over your head and dinner still has to be made.  Your customers depend on you and so does you family.

When you are a work at home mom, it’s hard to separate work from family life.  Not only are you working out of the place where you live, but, depending on the nature of your business, you may not have to leave your home all day.  If you run an online business, you could be running a load of laundry or fixing lunch between business teleconferences and webinars. This can be good… and bad.

The dividing line can get smudged for family business moms.  To eliminate the tug at the elbow from your little one, solutions need to be found to restore that line between the business and the family.  Separation is important to your sanity and to reducing work related stress. Setting up clear boundaries will help you balance the demands of all you have to do. But, how? Here are some tips:

–> Assess the current situation.

If you use your dining room as your base of operations, you may want to consider alternative options.  If the dining room still gets used for dinner or other projects then it is not exclusively your office, so you are uprooted several times each day, for meals. That isn’t effective. You will lose much time in packing up your laptop and getting it back out and set up. You will constantly battle with having to keep up with things. It isn’t a comfortable working environment. It will not work for very long. It will affect your productivity.

The home office needs a room with a door where you can be apart from the rest of the house.  A den or a garage can be converted into office space that is exclusive to your business.  I have a friend whose office is the laundry room, just because it has a door! When that is not an option, set up shop in your bedroom.  One side of the room can be your office.  You won’t be able to meet with clients in your bedroom, but if the business is an online venture, that is not a requirement anyway.

–>  Take time to get organized like a real business!

Organization is the next step.  A messy desk is not a sign of an uncluttered mind.  Everything needs to have its place.  If you worked in an office, your boss would not stand for a messy work space.  He would know that it affects your productivity AND your stress levels. You are the boss now, so don’t stand for it either.

A basket with separate compartments will help to organize the odds and ends on your desk.  You can keep rubber stamps, letters, invoices, pens, pencils, and the like in here.  If you need to, use a label maker to designate which space is for what.

Have a separate telephone line.  In your office space, all calls should be for business.  You don’t want one of the kids answering a business call or picking up the phone while you are on a conference call.

This also goes for the printer and the computer.  If it is shared by the family, then sensitive material could be compromised by other users.  You don’t want to go looking for the laptop for your online meeting only to find out that your husband took it to work.

A calendar or date planner will help you to keep business appointments and deadlines straight.  You can coordinate your business calendar with the family calendar so that there are no conflicts.  On the business calendar, cross out the dates when you have family events planned.  I color code all of the things on my calendar so I can keep things straight as I plan my month, week, and day. Color coding helps to get my attention. Set up your calendar with everything on one calendar. Then, keep your calendar with you. It will make a world of difference.

–> Get help!

If you have to, hire a sitter on the days that you have the most work to do in the office.  As a work at home mom, you control your schedule.  Having a sitter keeps the kids away from your office and, with a good sitter, having fun.  Someone else is caring for them so you don’t have to worry.

What do you think? Got an idea that will help you?

Mixing business with family in the home setting can be a major source of stress.  Keeping the business side of your life organized and separate though inside your home is crucial to success in both areas. Get things set up so you can relax and enjoy your business to the max!

WRITE IT ALL DOWN!

Another one of our secrets to success here in our home! Actually, this one needs to become a lifestyle thing. Let me explain!

The past few years have been very, very different for me. I have had a plan for getting things done. It has worked!

I began 2006 with a bit of frustration. I had so many dreams…so many desires…so many goals…so many to-do’s. In fact, I had had those dreams,desires, goals, to-do’s for many years. Each year, I would dreamily resolve to “go for it” yet again. And…again the next year. Know what I mean???

Well, 2006 was a year of change for me. Looking back, this was one single factor that really made the difference!

I took some time during the last week of December 2005 to just brainstorm anything and everything that I really wanted to do and accomplish. Oh! You should see the poor journal that housed those dreams, desires, goals, and to-do’s! Such a treasure as I walk into a new year! I just kicked back and spent the time to get everything out of my brain and into the journal. When I woke up in the middle of the night and something was on my brain, I got up and wrote it down. As I ran errands and thought my GREAT thoughts, I didn’t lose them. I wrote them down in my little journal. I kept the journal close for the whole week.

I wrote out everything–the little things that I just could not find time to get wrapped up…the projects that seemed to never fit into my schedule…the business goals that I had…the financial goals (including how much money I owed on my debts–remember 2006 was my attack year on my debts and I ended the year with ALL of them paid off!!! WOoohooo!)…the dreams that just seemed a bit out of reach.

I wrote down everything that came across my mind. I compiled them in the journal as “to-do” lists for different areas of life–the financial page listed each bill I owed with the amount I owed. For my writing goals, I listed books I wanted to finish and project ideas that were on my heart. I even wrote out my dreams for an online radio show–YEP! That far-fetched dream became reality as I began Mom-to-Mom Radio Show in January of 2006. Only a dream. Just needed focus!

Want to know the fun part about this? I reached ALL of my dreams, desires, goals, and to-do’s that I wrote down in January BY MAY!! I had to sit down and begin a new journal then with the same format, except I was much more bold in my dreams, desires, goals, and to-do’s. Of all of the years of my life, 2006 was record-breaking! Since then, I have not gone back! I have made this a discipline in my life. In fact, I just spent the weekend away a few weeks ago going through my old “little black book” transferring the few things left over into my new “little black book.” I brainstormed. I brain dumped. Now, I am off and going strong again. More dreams. More desires. More goals. More to-do’s. More focus!

The past three years have been our very best ever for me and for my entire family. We have dared to reach for bigger things than we could have ever imagined just 3 years ago. As a family, we reached for greater things and grasped onto them! We dared to go for all of the “impossible” things with focus and determination. It made all of the difference in the world to have it all written down. To mark off each accomplishment was priceless!

Yep! This was another secret for staying focused. Why not try it today? The year is still young! Just give it a try and see how it works. Watch things begin changing!

The very best way to get organized is to find the loop holes where we usually end up in a mess and see whether we can get around them. We need to find the pitfalls that always get US.

The following are often pitfalls:

• Forgetting appointments
• Forgetting deadlines
• Being unable to meet deadlines
• Sitting down to work and having no idea what to do.
• Being late for meetings, lessons, and appointments
• Forgetting names
• Forgetting telephone numbers
• Forgetting to take important documents and things along
• Misplacing objects and so on

I have used the following tips in my life and they have proved to be quite effective. In fact, I believe that they are secrets to organizational success. Maybe you too could try them out and see whether they work for you.

Nine tips to organize yourself:

1. Accept the fact that we cannot rely too much on our memories. Our minds are exposed to a hurricane of information every day. As a result the mind does a very nice filtering process and very little of what we see and hear is retained in our minds. So instead of depending on our very selective memory why not depend on a piece of paper. You will be less stressed. Plus, you will not find things slipping through the cracks as much. I use Post-It Notes. I have two different sizes in my purse and planner at all times. I love the little ones for small reminders. I also use the larger ones with lines for more details–lists of things to do for the week or detailed lists of things to do to complete a bigger task. I do not ever rely on my memory. My kids used to help me remember things. Now, they are grown and gone. I have to remember for myself. The only way is to realize that paper is MY FRIEND!
2. Carry a tiny scribbling pad and a pen with you all the time. The moment you commit to an appointment, a commitment, or are asked to attend a meeting, jot it down in the scribbling pad (I use Post-It Notes). Do not bother about others laughing at you. You will have the last laugh in the end.
3. It is a good idea to write down appointment details/orders/commitment details in your book. Each time you tell somebody to do something or when somebody asks you to do something write it down in your book along with the date and the time. Do not be afraid of being thought about as a person with a very poor memory. It won’t be long before people start thinking of you as a highly organized person.
4. If you have an smart phone or electronic pocket organizer be sure to use it. Each time someone gives you his or her telephone number, immediately enter it into your pocket organizer, along with the person’s name of course. I also take their picture (My phone has a camera–I can take their picture and set it by their name!). I also use my phone to set reminders for tasks, appointments, and commitments. Talk about a brain-saver!
5. Business cards can be your helper! Use the backside of business cards to help your memory. Usually we get a lot of business cards as we go about our daily business of life. The business card of course contains the name of the person, his or her telephone number and probably the name of the business for which the person works. But the problem is, the next time we meet the person, the face may seem familiar but we won’t have the foggiest idea as to where we met the person. One thing that helps me is to jot down a few points about the person, things they can offer you, and probably the reason for meeting him or her and the place as well. This will certainly lessen the load on your brain. Keep away the business cards properly. As soon as you get back home or to your office take care to keep away the business cards you collected properly. Don’t just stuff them into your card folder. Take care to read them properly and perhaps keep the cards of important clients separately. If you do not find much use for a person’s card, toss it.
6. Prepare a to-do list everyday. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of to-do lists in getting yourself organized. It is probably the most sensible thing that a busy person should do. In fact, I thought of devoting an entire chapter for to-do lists and I think that is just what I will do. Actually, I plan my week ahead with a big list of things to do. It is usually very lofty in goals. Each day, I make a list the night before of my top-five things that NEED to be done the next day. I try to put them in order of priority. I look at my list throughout the day and mark off each task–that helps me to feel accomplishment throughout the day AND stay on task. As I mark of a thing to do, I look at the next most important thing to do. I get a mental deadline and work to complete that task in my deadline. At the end of the day, I look back over my list from the day. If I did not get something done, I add it to the next day’s list (or if it is better on another day of the week, I move it to that day’s to-do list. I keep my to-do list on Post-It Notes until I do them. I stick my Post-It Note in my planner to view throughout the day. Then, I transfer the task to my planner and mark it off as I complete it. Talk about a great way to not just MAKE A LIST, but USE IT! Takes tons of stress away and keeps me productive. A must!
7. Plan what you have to do well in advance. It is a good idea to have daily, weekly and monthly plans. I set aside time usually twice a year to “get away” for the weekend and really plan. I spend time taking my plans before God, trying to hear His leadership on what I am to focus on. I dump my brain into my journal–all of the things that are floating around in my brain. I put everything from things needed to do around the house to business to-do’s to ideas for blessing my husband and children…on and on. Then, I take out my planner and plan out a monthly focus for my family, home, business, and myself. I brainstorm all along the way all of the things that need to be done for that monthly focus. For example, the other day I began work on my websites for my business. I had already brainstormed all that I wanted to do with them, even sections that I wanted to be sure to include and things I wanted to add. This helps with every task. When the month gets here, all I have to do is take all of the ideas and DO THEM. I add them to my daily calendar. Talk about saving my brain AND time all along the way. I don’t get down to the last minute and have no idea what needs to be done or what I want. I can always add extras, but I have a clear vision well in advance.
8. Develop systems and WRITE THEM DOWN. I have taken my to-do lists through the years and tweak them into systems. Let me explain what I mean by this. I found that many times I was doing the same “task” over and over and over. I was also writing the to-do list for that task over and over and over. Sometimes it got better. Sometimes I forgot key points. Always it took extra time to write everything down fresh. I guess it was laziness, but I am going to call it a “quest for productivity,” but I found that the key to really getting even more done each and every day was re-using those to-do lists. If I see some things that need to be added, I add them. I have also tweaked them into the order that needs to be done to get the task done quickly, without missing anything. Over time, they have developed into a system for doing things–writing an article or book, setting up my Talk-a-Latte studies and Membership Sites, cleaning up the house, packing for a trip, preparing my Christmas dinner, on and on. I even have lists for smaller tasks that I have gotten mixed up over the years–like steps in sending out my ezines, cleaning out the office, etc. Can you see how helpful a permanent list for those things would be? It saves my brain. It saves time in doing the list brainstorm for tasks that are done over and over. It also helps me to delegate to others–they can use my list to get busy doing the things that I want done. One tip–type the list into the computer. Print it out. Laminate it. Then, you have it to use over and over. Develop that system.
9. Set deadlines! It may seem kind of mechanical but it would be wonderful if you could have a fixed time for everything and try to stick religiously to the time table. Believe me it really helps because in that way you will have time for everything and everything can be done in the time for it.

Feel a bit of organization coming your way? Little things make a big, big difference. If you will implement even ONE thing from these ideas, you will be on your way to a more organized life!

I know, I know.

It was a study that took on a life of its own. It began with a simple biography about a great businessman. We continued through as many biographies as we could find. We STILL pursue these studies even though my son graduated almost 4 years ago!

What’s the point? Oh! This is a good one!

We read one book about Mary Kay. You always learn so much when digging into the lives of others. One of the life-changing things that I learned from her life was from one thing that she attributed to her success–her daily to-do list. Daily, she kept a list of 5 things to do for the day. Each day the list changed. She wouldn’t list the impossible. She just plugged away each day on 5 vital things.

I pondered that for a while. I knew that my biggest struggle was having bigger plans than I have hours to work on them. I decided to pray for my daily “5 things” for the day. I get everything dumped into my “Little Black Book.” I brainstorm and break things down until they are in bite-size pieces that can be done in just minutes. Then, I go through and pick the things that need to be done first. I make them reasonable and do-able. I add them to my daily schedule. Things get done!

Remember that saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time?” How do you get things done? One “to-do” at a time!

Talk about a great secret for getting and staying focused! It would even work if you had ONE thing for the day or three things for the day. The point is to not miss one day where you intentionally plan in one thing that helps you move forward. It can take 5 minutes or an hour. It is just something that helps you to move forward. It is SO essential!

First, it keeps us from going day-after-day never getting “anything” done. You know that feeling? It comes from a lack of purpose and direction. You cannot get things done if you are not clear about what needs to be done. You have to know which way to go or you will probably sit still.

Also, it clarifies everything. It clears your brain and keeps you focused on how you will get things done. You can clearly see a step that you can do. It is clear. It is doable. That clarifies everything!

Keeping a journal with all of the stuff on your heart for the year is great–it is one of my biggest secrets to getting LOTS done. But, I hear all of the time from friends who share with me that writing down the ideas and brain-dumping is where they stopped. They get so frustrated because they cannot fit things into their life. Days go by. Weeks go by. Months go by. Years go by. Still in debt. No books written. House is still a mess. On and on. Their journal becomes a nag. It condemns them.

It can be frustrating if you do not have a plan for getting all of that in motion. It can be so frustrating that you either think that it is impossible or that YOU are the only one who cannot get things done. There is nothing worse than having lots of goals, dreams, and desires, but seeing them SIT there in your little black book for years and years without a plan to make them happen.

The answer? “To-Do” lists, of course!

Then, we can look at our daily schedule and add into our daily schedule our 5 things for the day or, if you are just getting started, just one thing “to-do” to work toward our goal or our project. In fact, maybe this might be key for some of you. 5 things look completely overwhelming to you? Just choose one thing to do each day.

So, what ONE THING can you do TODAY? One thing can make a difference! We can all fit ONE THING into our daily schedule.

Now, I am not saying that your ONE THING should be “clean the house” or “write a book.” NOT! That can be a big problem!

Having a thing to do that is made up of many, many other things/tasks is not brainstormed and broken down enough. To just say, “Clean the house” as your thing “to-do” almost always insures that it will go from day-to-day undone. at minimum, you will never “feel” like you are getting anything accomplished. That because it is not broken down into things “to do” that you can manage and SEE each day as you can fit them into your day.

“Cleaning the house” or “Writing a book” are GOALS or PROJECTS. Those need to be broken down into small, small tasks that you can do. For example, if you want to write a book, the first thing you will need is your topic. So, how about taking 20 minutes today to brainstorm for your topic–write down all of the ideas for what you would like to write about. Just dump it all down on a page in your journal. Want to clean your house? Same thing. Brainstorm out all that needs to be done. Get them out of your brain and on paper (preferably into an Idea Notebook so you don’t LOSE your ideas!!).

Feel good? YES! That is a simple thing to do. It is part of the process. It is a very VITAL part of the process. That will get you moving forward and out of your rut. That will give you tasks that CAN fit into even YOUR day!

Now, quick note! You may not know all of the things that you need to do in order to reach your goals. That is where you get a mentor, a coach. That is where you invest in a book or a class to teach you how. I am not saying to hit EVERYTHING on your life-list. I am saying focus on ONE THING. Give it your entire focus as you get down the process. Learn what needs to be done to make it happen. Get busy. (Quick note! If you want to be a writer, I am working on a course to take you through all of the steps. I am also going to offer personal coaching for several key areas for writers. Stay tuned! It is going to be the ULTIMATE course! More on that very, very, very soon! )

After I brainstorm all that needs to be done, I try to add at least ONE THING per day from my journal into my schedule, even if it is a little thing. My personal goal is to work on 5 things per day. I try to balance those from things that I am working on for different aspects of my home and business. Of course, there are days that I have to be realistic and limit myself to the demands of the day. I am OK with that when I have hope that I will not put off the heartbeats for years to come.

Adding them into my “5 things” regularly helps. Also, on those days that I am blank or that I happen to have some extra time to myself, I go through my journal and work through some of the simple tasks that I can attack and conquer.

It works great! I get SO MUCH MORE done each day…each week…each year. Now, I am seeing those books finished that were dreams years ago. I am able to pursue those business dreams and make them a reality. We even beat debt a few years ago–same principle! We hit it bit-by-bit adding it to our list of things for the week. Lists get things done!

Oh! On those days that I have 25 things to choose from…you know that those days pop up constantly, don’t you? I am having one of those weeks this week. Well, during those times, I have a secret that may help some of you who are battling with just TOO MUCH to do–I pull out my Post-it notes. I love the Post-it notes that are around 5X7 and lined. I write my whole list on them. Then, I post the note on my daytimer. As I get things done, I mark them off and journal them in my planner on the day that I finished them.

I know what helps me the most–I NEED to mark things off and see things getting done, especially on those “25 THINGS TO DO” kinda days.

Each day, I will go through them as I plan my next day. I jot my top five for the day into my Daily Planner (I call mine my BRAIN-IN-A-BINDER ). I keep the “Post-it” on the opposite side of page (I use a planner that has the Daily To-Do’s and a Daily Appointment Schedule on the left side of the notebook and Daily Notes on the right side of the notebook. I just post my “Post-It Note” on the right side. That way it is right there in my face all day. If I get more than my BIG GOAL of 5 things completed, I mark them off and work on more. I just jot them down on the Daily To-Do list and mark them off there and on my Post It note. At the end of the day, if I have finished my big list on my Post It note, I leave it on the right side of the page. That lets me know everything on that task is done and when I finished it. Then, on to the next big project! Is this clear as mud?

Special note… I have some things that I do over and over that have a huge list of things that need to be done–set up a website, set up an online study, work on a book, write articles, etc. They once had a cute little “Post-It Note.” Since I do them over and over and over, I have set up a permanent checklist that has been tweaked into a system that make it easier to complete that project. Talk about simplifying the process!

All I have to do is print out my checklist again. Put the project name at the top of the page. And, start working on that checklist each day until that project is complete. I have those tasks broke down into very quick and easy things to do. I have worked through them so many times that they are tweaked to a perfect order and everything that I need to remember to do is included. Talk about DESTRESSING big jobs! That is how I recently sponsored the largest online homeschool convention ever. In fact, it was almost as large as the largest state homeschool conventions. I was able to do it this year with my lists from last year. Since I have it tweaked even more, next year I can hire helpers to help me get it all done! That is where we are going! Over time, using to-do lists gets easier and easier. You can do bigger and bigger projects. Plus, you CAN use your lists over and over too!

Give it a try! Take time today to brainstorm. Brainstorm until you get a nice list of do-able tasks that help you get busy on the projects that have only been on your heart until now. Then, plug them into your schedule this week.

There is nothing quite like moving forward. A daily “to-do” list will help you move forward and stay focused. Give it a try! This year will be your best year yet!