Get started with my simple formula for getting it done!
Watch here for my tips as shown with Rebecca Cressman on BYU TV Living Essentials
Are you ready to get your home organized?
Posted by in Cleaning | Clutter | General | Holiday | Kitchen | Laundry Room/Mud Room | Office | Pantry | Paper | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)Time Tip #9 — Stop Procrastinating
Posted by in Business | Events | General | Health | Paper | Planning | Time | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)Understand why you are procrastinating! This may also be a habit! It is important to know the difference between delaying tasks or decisions for appropriate reasons—such as obtaining more information—and procrastinating. A few things to help you reform your habits:
- Remember that unpleasant tasks rarely turn out to be as bad as you think. Do them first—early in the day. Reward yourself when you do!
- When a task seems overwhelming—break it into smaller pieces. Eat the elephant one bite at a time. Clean the kitchen one countertop at a time!
- Make up your mind! Set a deadline for making a decision and choose what matters most in the decision.
- Remember how great you will feel when you are finished!
- Try not to be a perfectionist. Remember that it is progress—not perfection that matters! Doing something—anything—is better than doing nothing at all!
- Remove distractions that take your focus off your task. Close the door, turn off the TV or phone, whatever keeps you from beginning and finishing the task!
Great fun with the ABC 4 team this morning!
Posted by in Clutter | Events | General | Home | Office | Paper | Time | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)Thank you so much to Don Hudson and Angie Larsen of ABC 4′s News Team. It is always fun for me to talk about my passion–getting organized!
Just a little information to let you know how things work at Harmony Within!
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Preparing Your Business for Natural Disasters
Posted by in Business | Clutter | Emergency Preparation | Events | Finances | General | Office | Paper | Planning | Tools and products | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)Planning ahead for a natural disaster may make the difference between your business being shut down for a few hours or for several months–or possibly even forever. Creating a plan NOW for your company will make the difference. Business disaster preparation should be a priority–not an afterthought!
IMPORTANT STEPS IN CREATING YOUR PREPARED PLAN
1. Create a flowchart showing the lines of authority and organizing communications
2. Define your unique hazards and risks:
- Document storage
- Computers and other equipment
- Employee safety
- Financial security (including information)
- Communications
- Company size, location, neighboring businesses and production materials
3. Identify priorities for essential business operations.
4. Organize employees and resources
- Chain of command
- Calling tree
- Email updates
- Make ALL information and resources available to everyone
- CERT training
- Encourage at-home prep for employees
- Get employee input and answer questions
5. Plan for evacuation and shelter options
6. Build emergency supply kit(s)
7. Evaluate your insurance coverage. Being under-insured an lead to the greatest economic loss
8. Protect vital records and create a recovery system
9. Enjoy focusing on your work because you know you are prepared.
If you live along the Wasatch Front in Utah, you may be interested to learn more about a full-scale emergency earthquake drill that will be held in March of 2012 to test readiness in the area.
You can learn more at ksl.com.
You can also learn more about a great resource for organizing, managing and protecting your vital documents and business information.
Please visit efilecabinet.com for more information.
The Perfect Holiday Gift!!
Posted by in Events | Holiday | Home | Paper | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)
Would you like to receive a gift that will bring you order and simplicity in your life? Is there someone you’d like to give such a present to?
A gift certificate for professional organizing services is the perfect solution! Special holiday rates are available for make your gift even more appreciated.
For more information, please contact Laura at 801-376-3367 or laura@harmonywithin.com.
And don’t forget to listen to Laura with her co-host Vicki on The Organized Woman Show!
Tips for a Visit to the Doctor’s Office
Posted by in Emergency Preparation | Events | Health | Kids | Paper | Planning | Time | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)In spite of the advances in medical care over the past years, there are still times when a visit to the doctor’s office becomes necessary. This varies for different people. When it is time for an appointment with your physician, there are some important things you can do to be prepared.
Listed below are some step-by-step items to consider as you prepare for your visit. In addition, you may want to listen to Tips for a Visit to the Doctor’s Office on The Organized Woman Show. Also consider taking along a friend or family member to help you remember what you learn and to help you ask for the information you need. A notebook and pencil will help you remember also. Spending a little time prior to your visit will make the time spent with your doctor more productive.
CHECKLIST FOR YOUR VISIT WITH YOUR DOCTOR
Information for you to be prepared to share with your doctor:
1. Pay attention to your symptom(s). What is the location, duration, and character of the discomfort? What brings them on? What aggravates them? What relieves them?
2. List all your medications and dosing schedules. Include all prescription and nonprescription medications, supplements, vitamins, herbs, and minerals. You might bring them with you to show your doctor. That way, if there are questions about the dosing, there is no confusion.
3. List prior and current medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, or cancers.
4. List prior surgeries (appendectomy, hysterectomy, knee replacement, etc.), procedures (colonoscopy, mammography, upper GI x-rays, etc.), and hospitalizations. Bring any hospitalization records and procedure reports in your possession.
Questions for you to ask:
1. What do you think is the cause of my problem?
2. Is there more than one issue that could be causing this?
3. What tests will you do to diagnose my problems?
4. How accurate are these tests?
5. How safe are these tests?
6. What is the cost of these tests?
7. What is the likely course of this condition? What is the long-term outlook with and without treatment?
8. What are my options and how effective is each? What are the benefits versus the risks of each?
9. If my symptoms become worse, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?
10. Are you aware of each of the medications that I am taking? Can they negatively interact with the medications you are prescribing?
11. Do I need to watch for side effects of the medications that you are prescribing or for their interactions with other medications I am taking?
Items to consider in follow-up care:
1. Do not stop prescribed medications on your own, even if your symptoms have improved. If your prescription runs out, ask your doctor whether you should obtain a refill.
2. If the prescribed treatment is not helping you, or is causing side effects, inform your doctor right away. He/she may have to reconsider the diagnosis and/or change the treatment.
3. If the doctor cannot offer you a firm diagnosis or help you with your symptoms despite repeated visits, it is a good idea to ask for another opinion. Most doctors will be glad to help their patients solicit second opinions or specialty consultations.
This is YOUR health and YOUR responsibility.
4. Always ask your doctor about your test results. Never assume that everything must be fine if you do not hear from the doctor’s office.
5. Inform your doctor if you are using alternative medicine or non-prescription remedies because some of these remedies may interact with your prescribed medications.
6. Educate yourself with credible medical information. Increasing your own knowledge about the characteristics of your particular condition, your medications, and their side effects can benefit you, your family, and your doctor. Information about your condition may be provided by your doctor. You can also find valuable information on the Internet. Be certain to look for credible Web sites.
DropBox–Online document storage and sharing for free!
Posted by in Business | Clutter | Finances | Office | Paper | Tools and products | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)So, today I was trying to decide the best way to share and store some large files to make the available to several people. I’m frugal, (as opposed to cheap!) so I wanted it to be free! I was looking around for the best option, and what do you know? I got a email from my awesome brother, Andy, with a link to try DropBox. Always a skeptic, I expected to find it complicated and probably not really free.
Guess what! I was wrong, It was simple and free. Can’t beat that! So I wanted to share it with you. It makes it possible for you to access the files you select from any of your devices. And it works for large and small files, making it a much better way than email for sharing large files.
You don’t have to take my word for it! You can check it out and have it for your very own–FREE! Let me know what you think!
You can click here to learn more!
Getting Ready For School to Begin
Posted by in Events | Home | Kids | Kitchen | Office | Pantry | Paper | Planning | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)
Counting down . . . 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and Back to School! Whether it’s something your family dreads or eagerly awaits, heading back to school creates all kinds of activity and change. Besides the obvious back-to-school shopping (see Back to School Shopping) , there are other things you can do ahead of time to feel more organized and ready to embrace the new school year.
I have a few ideas to share with you to help you gear up. Before I share these, may I suggest two things:
- Take a look at the past. What have been the successes during the school years for your family? What have the trials and frustrations been? In other words–what worked and what did not!
- Imagine the school year of your dreams. Break that down into the week or day of your dreams. What would it look like? How would it feel? How would it sound?
Now that you know what you don’t want and what you do want, you’re ready to begin creating a plan! Allow some time to think about and create the plan and be sure to include your family in these steps! Schedule a “team meeting” to discuss schedules, curfews, meal times and chores. Then choose one or some of the ideas below to try at your house.
Some ideas you can consider:
- Create a landing pad. Somewhere near the door where everyone enters and leaves you home, make a designated spot for hanging jackets and backpacks, stashing shoes, placing items that need to be remembered as people leave, etc. This will vary in design on your needs, your space and your family members.
- Create a home management center or household hub. If you already have one in place, take a look at what might need updating or rethinking. This is a one-stop-shopping place for all family members to find family calendars, contact information, school calendars, class schedules, medical information, shopping lists, take-out menus, etc. It can be in a binder, in files or in any way that it is organized and easily accessible for everyone.
- Create a homework zone. This will be the designated spot for kids to do homework. It may be at a desk or at the kitchen table–anywhere free from distractions such as the TV. Plan for good lighting, a clear workspace, computer access and any other type of reference materials needed. You will want to be sure to have on hand plenty of school supplies–perhaps a general supply bin or a smaller individual set for each child.
- Plan for a snack zone. Create a spot where the kids and the parents know the snacks are accessible and approved. This will take some planning–but you KNOW they’re going to be hungry when they get home. Accept it, understand it and plan for it!
- Plan your own time so that you can be available as a support for your kids. Teach them to be responsible for checking their backpacks and calendars for important project information and paper for parents. Offer input if requested with homework, but don’t take from them the satisfaction and the savvy they’ll gain from doing it by themselves.
- Consider a trial run. A few days before the actual Day #1, practice the bedtime routine, the morning routine and the after-school routine. Make sure the kids have input into the planning and implementation–they’ll be much more interested in your ideas if you are interested in theirs!
No, it will never BE perfect. If it were, we’d have nothing left to work for. But it can be better, and we can progress daily and weekly. We can take a look at how things are going and decide if we need to regroup.
For more information and some additional ideas on this topic, you are always welcome to listen free to The Organized Woman Show!
How Organized is Organized Enough?
Posted by in Cleaning | Clutter | Emergency Preparation | Events | Home | Kids | Office | Paper | Planning | Tools and products | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)Here we are mid-summer. If you are like me, you may be starting to feel the “lack-of-routine-blues.” Maybe household chores are lagging behind, maybe your desk has unusually tall stacks of paper waiting for filing, or maybe your meals or sleep routines are not what you prefer. As much as I look forward to and enjoy the change of pace in the summer, now is the time I begin to crave a little more order and routine.
I am a believer, however, in being organized enough. And, I believe everyone is allowed to choose, along with their families or house-mates, how organized that is. This is also where I add that I am convinced that “being organized” is a tool for creating the life you want–not a goal in and of itself.
That being said, it makes sense that this tool will be used in different ways at different times and seasons. When you are going through a time of huge transition, having certain organization systems in place can bring a sense of calm and a reminder of stability. However, allowing yourself to let down on those systems for a short time can also be a “vacation” in a way, for your energies to focus elsewhere.
If you are in a life transition or crisis, I believe you might want to consider giving yourself a break. Consider what REALLY MATTERS to you at that moment. Is it really going to matter if the floor doesn’t get vacuumed for a day or two while you focus on a relationship in need? Maybe it does for you–maybe it does not. Maybe continuing with the routine is just what will ground you to get through the event. Maybe letting it go for a short time will free you to deal with it.
My thought here is that it may be different for everyone–and that everyone has the choice for themselves. Don’t allow anyone else to “should” on you–and don’t “should” on them. The one thing can can never be taken from us is our right to choose our attitude–to choose our mind-set.
So, if you are feeling overwhelmed in any part of your life, might I suggest you ask yourself these questions:
- What part of the problem am I?
- What are the needs and wants of those I love?
- What do I want most out of this experience?
- What is the most important thing I can do right now to have the biggest impact? (Thank you, Matt Townsend!)
The answers to these questions are yours alone. They will change in every situation. And, the answers will help you know for yourself what direction you want to take.
So–for this moment. Are you organized enough? Would being more organized help you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on my ramblings! Have a peaceful day!
**The four questions above are cited from
Finding Balance in Your Life!
Posted by in Business | Clutter | Events | General | Home | Kids | Office | Paper | Time | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)Are you feeling that your life may be out of balance? 
Do you find yourself spending too much time on things that may not really contribute to things that are important to you? Here are a few “True and False” questions to ask yourself to help you determine if and where you might need to make adjustments:
1. I have plenty of time to do what I want to do.
2. I am on a health program that helps me feel energetic and productive.
3. I am excited to get up and going every day.
4. There are no people in my life (at home or at work) who pull me down or offer negative energy.
5. I love my home (where it is, how it looks and what is inside it).
6. My home or office is organized and not cluttered.
7. I spend my time doing the things I have chosen to do rather than what others say I should do.
8. My work is satisfying and rewarding.
9. I take at least two weeklong vacations a year–not necessarily trips, but breaks from my normal schedule.
10. I do not work on weekends.
11. I get adequate sleep.
12. I have plenty of quality time with my family and/or other people important in my life.
13. I have at least one hobby or pastime outside of my work and family activities.
14. I eat food and drink beverages that make me feel energized instead of sluggish and are low in sugar.
15. I allow myself to enjoy at least 15 minutes of silence a day.
16. I have friends that are easy to be with and help me feel great about myself.
17. I carry no heavy emotional weights or addictive behaviors.
How many true answers did you have? Have many false? If you have more true response than false, you are doing pretty well with balancing things in your world. If you had 8 or less true answers, it is time to stop, evaluate, ask for help, and whittle down your to-do list until it becomes one that you have created based on activities that truly support and build your priorities.
For help in creating balance in your work life, your home life–your OWN life, please contact us at 801-376-3367. Our mission is to help you create “Harmony Within.”
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