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The Words We Choose

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The Words We Choose
By Steve Ryals

It still amazes me to realize how powerful words are. The words we choose to describe our moment-to-moment experience (sometimes called our inner dialog, or running commentary), are usually internal and very private. Speaking gives even more power to the words we choose and the language we use. For example, I often use the word "overwhelm" to describe how I'm feeling, as in "OMG! I'm feeling so overwhelmed!" Usually what I mean is that I'm experiencing a series of physical sensations, including tightness in my body and shallow, rapid breathing, along with swirling thoughts and a strong sense that all these feelings and bodily sensations are an indication that something is very wrong.

Like virtually everyone I know, I'm addicted to adrenaline. I definitely love getting my "fix" in the ways I'm most familiar and comfortable with. That is, unless I'm deliberately getting an adrenaline rush by choosing to step out of my comfort zone. Sometimes, especially lately, I feel as though I'm learning to be more comfortable when I'm uncomfortable, though often I'm so uncomfortable when I step out of my comfort zone that I just want to run away.

When I take this awareness into looking at my relationship with the word "overwhelmed," I see how loaded that word is for me. I have a story that it's not okay to feel overwhelmed. Digging deeper, I realize that I "hate" (have an intense dislike for) the sensations I associate with the word "overwhelmed." I feel really double-extra uncomfortable. The point here is that when I choose another word to describe the very same constellation of sensations, let's say "busy," I notice that I'm more calm than when I use "overwhelm."

Ultimately, my goal is to release my need for internal dialog to label and therefore "cubbyhole" my experience. My intention is to be fully present with each breath, consciously choosing which, if any, stories I want to be invoking to describe my moment-to-moment experience. As I write about extensively in Drunk with Wonder, there is the "isness" of the moment, free of story or content; and then there is our experience or perception of the "isness," which is based on the stories we choose to tell ourselves that gives the "isness" a place in the narrative we call life.

To bring this discussion back to the word "overwhelm," what I'm discerning is that I have used that word to inject a shot of adrenaline straight into my heart. This adrenaline rush, while very intense and definitely a "high," is also very hard on my body, mind, heart and spirit. When I choose the word "busy" to describe my experience of having made a series of choices with the common goal of accomplishing some tasks, I don't get that shot of adrenaline. I feel much more calm and relaxed, and better yet I think more clearly, which actually allows me to accomplish more than I can when I'm putting myself into an emotional frenzy by "feeling" overwhelmed.

My discovery is that when I'm feeling overwhelmed it's because I choose to use that particular word to describe the sensations I described earlier, not because of how many tasks are on my "to-do" list. I create my experience on a moment-by-moment basis with the words I choose to use to describe the "isness." In this moment, the words I am choosing to describe my experience of writing this essay are "empowered communicator."

I still have as many things on my "to-do" list as I did before, it's just that in this moment my list no longer feels overwhelming. It's just a list. I'll get all my tasks accomplished sooner or later without ever needing to feel overwhelmed. How about you? Have you noticed any areas of your life that aren't working as well as they might? Consider taking a close look at your word choices. Perhaps you can choose words, such as busy instead of overwhelmed, which will support you in living the life of your dreams.

Steve Ryals, author of Drunk with Wonder: Awakening to the God Within went from homeless and shooting drugs in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district at 17 to graduating from UC Berkeley on the Dean's List six years later.

Drunk with Wonder was written, edited and designed with almost no help from fossil fuels. Steve is proud to say that Drunk with Wonder is printed on 60# Thor Offset acid-free, recycled paper with soy-based ink.

Drunk with Wonder is the culmination of years of research and decades of personal experience.It's been hailed as where "Conversations with God meets What the Bleep Do we Know?" To learn more about this timely book go to: http://drunkwithwonder.com, http://drunkwithwonder.blogspot.com

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How To Build A Better Filing System And Reduce Paper Clutter

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How To Build A Better Filing System And Reduce Paper Clutter
By Marianne Wolff

A good filing system is essential if you are going to keep your papers organized and off your desk so your workspace isn't cluttered. Here are a few tips to designing a filing system that's easy to use.

Don't create different sets of files. File everything alphabetically and if a category becomes too large (more than half a drawer), create a separate area for it.

Most file systems are too difficult to use because there are too many files. To avoid this problem, use the broadest category possible when labeling your files. For example, instead of having separate files for auto insurance and auto repair, just have one file called "Auto" with different sections for each category relating to auto.

Name your files according to how you will use them. For example, if you attend a professional seminar and get ideas for a speech, file those papers under Speech Ideas, not Professional Seminar.

Use a file index to avoid creating duplicate files. A file index is a list of the names of all the files in your filing system. When you feel the need to create a new file, check your index to make sure you don't already have a place for that document. Also, if someone else is using the files it helps them know where to look for documents. For example, the index will tell them whether a document related to the car can be found under "Car, Vehicle or Auto."

Keep a copy of your file index in the front of the file cabinet and on your computer. When you create a new category be sure to update your file index. Also be sure to take five minutes a day and clean out files. Even if you only get halfway through one file, you will have done something.

Visit us at fasthowto.com for more tips on filing paperwork faster!

http://www.fasthowto.com/business/how-to-file-paperwork-faster/

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Develop Organizational Skills to Get Success

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Develop Organizational Skills to Get Success
By Anirban Bhattacharya

To get success, name and fame in this fast developing world, it is necessary to develop and enhance skills that bring efficiency and a systematic order in life. With the increasing life, the ways to tackle it have been improving as well.

Setting organizational skills for students is important to make their life disciplined and better. Following points can help to develop your organizational skills and gives you success and recognition.

Communication

Free and effective communication is one of the easy steps to develop organizational skills. One needs to be friendly with everyone and expressive enough to float his or her ideas, opinions, and thoughts constructively. This particular quality can also help you to create a cordial environment to get the work done in possible team work and healthy work environment. By interacting with people, you can understand people in better and easy manner. Also, your goals can be achieved at the set time without any hassles.

Leadership

Leadership is a great quality in a person. It not only enhances your ability to meet the targets but also ensures a great work in the end. A leader must be convincing, understanding, analyzing, and soft-spoken to get the work done in most effective and desired manner.

Self development

Self development is one of the basic qualities to enhance skills in life. It also beings responsibility and accountability in a person; improves ability to improves at the greatest. You can further extend your limit and enjoy your life to the fullest.

Commitment

To get success, a person needs to be strictly committed to his or her work. By developing a sense of commitment, a person can develop his or her goodwill in every sphere of the life.

Listening to Others

Have a good hobby that allows a person to bring improvements and enhancements in his or her life constantly.

The aforementioned article has been contributed by the webmaster of http://www.orbitutors.com An online tutor database where you can find a tutor as well as search tutor for all subjects in your local area.

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Organizing Tips for the Busy Mom

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Organizing Tips for the Busy Mom
By Lynn Cressy

As a mom, you probably feel as if there simply is not enough time in the day. Whether you are a mom with a career outside of the home or a stay at home mom, taking care of your household demands and meeting the needs of your family can become overwhelming. By following a few simple organizing tips, however, you can make each day a little less stressful.

One of the most important organizing tips you can implement is to plan ahead. Advanced planning can help you avoid problems with your daily routines, which will make your day run more smoothly. Before going to bed each night, for example, you might want to have your children take out the clothing that they plan to wear the next day. This way, you can be certain everyone will have the socks, underwear, shirts, and pants he or she needs for the day. The last thing you want is to discover your children are out of clean clothes when you only have ten minutes left before the bus arrives!

Developing a routine is also important when it comes to organizing tips for the busy mom. Of course, having a routine can be difficult when children are in sports and other activities that demand their time throughout the day. Nonetheless, you should develop a routine and stick to it as much as possible. For example, you might have all of the children sit down to work on their homework immediately after school and you may plan on having dinner ready at a certain time each night.

Although it may sometimes be difficult to stick to a routine, it will pay off when your children know what to expect each day and how they can help make the day go more smoothly.

To help keep your home organized, download a free copy of the ebook "The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home". Download it free here: Organizing Tips.

Lynn Cressy has a love for decorating and shopping for home decor. She owns a home decor web site and writes articles on home decorating and organizing your home and your life.

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Six Good Reasons To Get On Top Of Your Home Affairs

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Six Good Reasons To Get On Top Of Your Home Affairs
By Claire Mcfee

Having said that, no matter what personality type we fit into, we are all vulnerable to problems if we let clutter get the better of us. If we are not careful, there are some important life areas that can be negatively affected, that are helpful to be aware of and that may jolt you into doing something about it. These include -

1. Health problems - All manner of medical problems can arise through stress, and living in chaos leads to stress, so the two are inextricably connected. Whether it is annoying headaches or the beginnings of cancer, this reason alone is enough to stop making excuses!!

2. Weight Problems - Many of us fall into the trap of eating when things get on top of us. The concern is that if you never get around to controlling your clutter rather than it controlling you, then the overeating cycle may become a very serious issue.

3. Relationship problems - When we are surrounded by stuff and can't sit down and look around even one room and see nice clear spaces with no junk, and then a feeling of unease can stay with us without even realising it. Our interactions with people can therefore be affected by this negative energy, within us and our homes. Get rid of the clutter and re-energise yourself and your home and get rid of all the draining forces within. You will be amazed by you attitude change and therefore the way you relate to others, particularly your partner and/or children.

4. Wasting Time - Life is too short to constantly feel bogged down by clutter. If you live in chaos, then chances are you waste a lot of time searching for things (or the rest of your household does, even of you see it as organised chaos.) Imagine how much more time you could have to yourself, or to spend on quality family time if you saved 5 mins here 10 mins there on a regular basis. This really can equate to hours believe me!

5. Poor finances - If you are disorganised on the home-front, you are almost definitely disorganised when it comes to handling your money. Most of us put off working out our ins and out's every month or so, but having no system when it comes to a savings plan and debt repayment scheme means trouble with a capital T. Try to set a good example for your children by showing them how to look after their money wisely.

6. Depression - Depression can be caused by a number of different issues in your life, and not feeling in control is often one of them. The state of our household often directly relates to the state of our mind, so if your home is drowning in paperwork/half broken toys/clothes that no one wear's anymore etc, then your mind is more than likely feeling overwhelmed as well. Depression can be debilitating, so preventing it if at all possible is the best cure, so be very wary of this problem before this happens.

"Organise your life" to create space and time for you and those you love. Ensure you have the balance in management of yourself, Family, Home, Work, and Finance in your daily routine.

www.organiseyourlife.com.au

Author - Claire McFee

This is one of a handy set of "how to articles" accompaniment to the "Organise your life system", which in simple terms is a complete set of headed lists from the main areas of our lives, Family, Home, Work, Finance, Personal, each list comes with tips and links to manage every thing from the mundane to the most important.

For change to occur in your life; you must take action beyond downloading this article, you must read it, then set yourself an easy to follow plan. Then "Do It"

Claire loves helping people achieve a healthier more balanced life though better organisation and also through preventative health measures.

Claire has a lot of success with publicity for her business including being featured on TV several times, plus numerous feature articles in news papers and magazines of note.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claire_Mcfee
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How To Get Your Home To Work 'For You' Rather Than 'Against You'

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How To Get Your Home To Work 'For You' Rather Than 'Against You'
By Claire Mcfee

I often see overly general and sometimes grandiose statements about how to better organise yourself, which may sound good, but I find are not as easy to put into practice. That's why I try to break down the steps into manageable tasks for you to easily follow.

Now I would like to share with you something that was very helpful to me a while back that I think will help you too.

I once read that to get a head start to your day it is a really good idea to make sure you consistently do the following three things. I know they may sound a bit straight forward and obvious but hear them out because believe me, when I put these tips into place and made them part of my morning routine it made a huge difference to how I felt and how productive I was for the rest of the day.

1. The first tip is to always make sure that your kitchen sink is clean and shiny with benches wiped.

2. The second tip is to make your bed every morning no matter what.

3. The third tip is to make sure you get dressed properly from your hair & makeup to your shoes (no slippers!)

Now most of you I'm sure already do these things but I'm also betting that many of you do them in bits and pieces, which is where the problem lies and is definitely not the most time efficient way to do it.

Don't underestimate the wasted time, (not to mention energy) by allowing yourself to be distracted by something and not finishing a task then and there. There are times of course that some interruptions can not be prevented - but the trick is even if you are distracted and end up having to move to another area of the house, that you go back as soon as you can to complete the task before starting another.

Otherwise you will commonly find that the dishwasher is half stacked and the benches aren't wiped, and that the bathroom is half tidy but with a couple of towels still on the floor and pj's not put away, and the bed is made but the bedroom curtains not open, and then there's you - if you don't have to get to work outside the home - you may have done half your face and hair and possibly even ended up just popping on a pair of track suit pants.

It doesn't have to be this way (unless you have an excuse like having a new born baby to take care of!!)

The tip I found most useful and that admittedly took me the longest to implement, not realising the effect it could have, was No 1. -Having a shiny kitchen sink and benches. Doing this consistently really helped me change my attitude to those mundane but necessary household chores and view them slightly differently, and not always use the excuse I'll do it later. Instead I would think 'why not now?', and usually with no good reply would just quickly do it and get it out of the way!!?? Now when I see that clean area it helps motivate me to quickly clear up other 'hot spots' as well.

One of the best offshoots to this new habit has been that my husband now makes much more of an effort to keep the bench and kitchen tidy and we are happier all round. (Don't expect miracles overnight in this area. Give it a little time and some encouraging words to your other half and the kids too and you may be surprised by the results- more on how to get the family on board in an upcoming issue)

By doing the above on a daily basis (or close enough to) you will also become much more aware of other items that are 'out of place'. You will then be more likely to make the effort to quickly pop things in their proper place. This of course can be a problem if you do not have a home for all the countless objects that co-habit your home!!

If you don't have a place for everything and your piles are growing uncontrollably because you cannot decide where to put everything, all you need to do is evaluate your piles and when you find something that does not have a logical and/or permanent home find it one. Just address one pile/drawer at a time. One item at a time. Then for your sanity get into the habit of putting them back there when we have finished with them!!

1. Acknowledge that if you are saying to yourself "but I don't have the space.." then it's definitely time to get rid of some of your junk!

2. Prepare yourself before you get stuck into it by collecting/buying all sort of boxes/containers that will be the new homes for all your odds'n'ends. This looks so much tidier than items placed in drawers and cupboards loosely, only to stress you out whenever you see them. It's amazing what a difference putting your things in separate/related containers can make.

3. Accept that there will have to be miscellaneous grouping of items, just as long as you do not 'cop out' by shoving everything in a miscellaneous container!!

4. Look at the item and think about where you use it most often. Then simply put it there. Instead of shoving an item in a drawer because you do not have a proper home for it, make a conscious decision to allocate a home for it right then and there (because 'later' often never comes). Then go and get the appropriate container and pop the item in.

5. Find a home for the container that makes sense. For example if it is a hair product/hair clip then it would make sense to put it in a container in the bathroom cupboard. Other examples for those odds'n'ends that can you can make separate homes for be it in your wardrobe/kitchen drawer etc are: your jewellery - (separating big items from smaller items i.e.- rings separate from bracelets and earring etc); pre-bought birthday cards and wrapping paper; nail polishes; odd keys; nails, allan keys screw drivers; loose change etc - get the gist?!

6. Over time the containers you have chosen may overflow with way too many related (and unrelated) items that need to be sorted through again and possibly a bigger home may need to be found. It is still better (depending on the size of the objects in mention) to start with smaller containers to begin with and make sure you limit that box to a set group of objects.

7. By going through this process you will actually make yourself assess whether you need much of the 'stuff' you come across. This is a good thing as it will help you purge items that you really do not need & even if you did need it- you would probably forget that you have it because it is hidden away lying in the bottom of a drawer! Think of it this way - then you can make way for the new items you are likely to accumulate during the year!

The best bit is that once you have done this then when you need to use various items you will know where to PUT THEM AWAY WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED WITH THEM (& actually be more likely to put it there) - a great feeling believe me! You will find that after a while your house will start looking tidy the majority of the time. What's just as good is that doing this can make life so much easier and you will feel much happier when all these items have a proper home.

"Organise your life" to create space and time for you and those you love. Ensure you have the balance in management of yourself, Family, Home, Work, and Finance in your daily routine.

www.organiseyourlife.com.au

Author - Claire McFee

This is one of a handy set of "how to articles" accompaniment to the "Organise your life system", which in simple terms is a complete set of headed lists from the main areas of our lives, Family, Home, Work, Finance, Personal, each list comes with tips and links to manage every thing from the mundane to the most important.

For change to occur in your life; you must take action beyond downloading this article, you must read it, then set yourself an easy to follow plan. Then "Do It"

Claire loves helping people achieve a healthier more balanced life though better organisation and also through preventative health measures.

Claire has a lot of success with publicity for her business including being featured on TV several times, plus numerous feature articles in news papers and magazines of note.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Claire_Mcfee
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Get-Your-Home-To-Work-For-You-Rather-Than-Against-You&id=998977

Closet Organizing Tips

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Closet Organizing Tips
By Alan Dean

When the crisp air of autumn begins to chill the mornings and evenings, I start to pull out my warm clothes and look forward to winter. By October, I am tired of my summer clothes and am ready for the other half of my wardrobe.

October is the perfect month to clear out your closet. As you put away your summer clothes (by moving them to the back of your closet, boxing them up, or putting them in another closet), take a few minutes to really look at each piece and evaluate it.

Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself when you start to organize your closet:

1. Does this piece fit well and flatter my figure?

Often we hold on to clothes in hopes that some day we will fit back into them. If you have had an item for more than two years and it still does not fit, you need to let it go. By the time it fits comfortably again, you will be ready for a new look.

2. Do I really like this piece?

We also hold on to many items that are "just okay" with the idea that someday they will look better on us. That never happens. Make room in your closet for clothes that you love.

3. Does this piece coordinate with other pieces in my wardrobe?

Sometimes we have "lone ranger" items that do not go with anything else. If you cannot wear it with something you currently own, it needs to go.

4. Does this piece need to be cleaned, altered, or mended?

All your clothes should be clean and in good condition. Torn or stained items should be taken care of in a timely manner. Sometimes the cost of cleaning or mending is greater than the item is really worth to you. In that case, let it go.

5. Does this piece reflect the image I want to portray?

As we move into different avenues in our lives, our clothes need to change as well. It is okay to say goodbye to perfectly good clothes that do not reflect who we are at the current moment. A few pieces that look great on you are better than a closet full of items that do not.

After you tackle your summer clothes, it is time to evaluate your winter wardrobe. Ask yourself the same questions. The change of seasons is a great time to reevaluate your wardrobe and assess what you need for the upcoming season.

Alan is a writer for a homes for rent service who is assisting Renee. Find more information on professional organization with Renee who is a Las Vegas professional organizer at www.get-it-together-llc.com.

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Anyone Can Be Organized

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Anyone Can Be Organized
By Marianne Wolff

Many people feel they are incapable of being organized. Either they can't begin the process or their system only works for short while before everything gets messy again. When an organizing system fails to work, we mistakenly conclude that we are the problem when in fact we are just using the wrong system. We don't realize that there is more than one way to arrange the same information or items. People are different and therefore the method that works for you may seem confusing to me.

How do you determine what system suits you best? Think about what appeals to you. If you have to keep track of information, would you rather have it in a file or a binder? If you need to remember events, would you rather have a palm pilot, a paper day planner, a dry erase board on the wall? In your closet, do you prefer things to hang or would you rather have most of your clothes folded in drawers? Considering your preferences is a good way to begin organizing any process or space.

Another reason people get discouraged is that they take on too much at once. An organized closet or office does not happen in a day for most of us. Start small. A drawer, a shelf, or a few files at a time.

The final key to moving towards organization is maintenance. Any system requires maintenance - our cars, our bodies, and our files. Information, clothes, appliances, decorations, etc. that are outdated, broken or not used anymore have to be removed from our space. When things pile up, everyone gets frustrated thinks "this would not happen if I were organized." Most likely, though, the mess comes from neglecting to perform scheduled maintenance.

We cannot organize everything in our lives all at once but we can begin working on small pieces one at a time.

organizing paperwork and getting rid of clutter!

http://www.womanwork.net/2008/01/25/paper-clutter-control-to-save-or-not-to-save-paper

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Don't Let Your Clutter Run Your Life

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Don't Let Your Clutter Run Your Life
By James Wallis

If you are like most people you go into it with the best intentions. You tell yourself I really need to get rid of that clutter.

Are you going to just let it eat away at you day in and day out? No way, now is the time to do something about it. What you may ask, well you always have the option of taking care of it yourself. However, this can be a very time consuming and very stressful task. Many people set out to clear out their junk and or clutter. The put together a plan and then, what happens? They get side tracked with other things.

What is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of cleaning out all that clutter?

Well there are as many answers to that as there are different people in this world.

1. Maybe you have a very demanding job.
2. Maybe you have social obligations
3. Maybe you are overwhelmed and just don't know where to start.

Not to mention all the stress that usually goes along with a job like this. Most people would be amazed at some of the things you need to consider it you take this job on yourself.
1. What can I throw in the garbage?
2. How much can I throw in my regular garbage?
3. If I can't throw it out in my thrash how do I get rid of it?
4. Will I need to call for a special pick-up from the town?
5. Where can I find that contact information?

These are just a few things that you will need to find out, why not let a company remove all this guesswork? I know that when I go to clean out my clutter I start all fired up but when I start to really lay out a plan it starts to take on a life of its own. It does not pay to do this sort of thing yourself, it is not worth the time or aggravations that will tend to in sue. That is why there are so many companies will to do this for you. Most will already have a working plan outlining the best route of attack. From a whole house clean-out to a garage or just an attic or any combination of areas, a professional touch is a good idea. Wouldn't you like your garage back to use it for what it was made for, your car? How about your basement, did you ever think if I clean out this junk I will just about double my living space, or potentially open up a means to collect rent. By turning that mess into an apartment you could be bringing in all kinds of extra money. How about that attic when is the last time you stepped foot in there? Maybe it has been on your mind for a long time, well whatever the case may be there are people that can provide you with both the answers and the help you need. Just make sure you know what to look for and what questions to ask, and always get more than one estimate.

This information was provided by Nationwide Estate Sales Inc. a company which is built on customer service and provides a wide range of services. Check us out online at www.Tagsale123.com

Nationwide Estate Sales Inc.

We offer many professional services including Full service Estate Sales, Tag Sales, Clean outs, Relocation services, Packing and unpacking, Liquidations & Online Selling Assistance. We have experience that you need to get the job done right.

Contact us today: 1-800-810-9174

www.Tagsale123.com

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Get Organized for Business Success

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Get Organized for Business Success
By Laurie Bornstein

Get Organized for Business Success!

Ever wonder why some businesses are more successful than others? There are several reasons, some are; focus, dedication, talent, marketing and organization. Why organization? Without organization you cannot stay focused, implement marketing strategies, have time to work on your business-not just in it and without organizational strategies you are quickly overwhelmed. When you get overwhelmed all you have time to do is to put out fires, you don't have time to develop or grow your business. And if you don't have time to develop and grow your business, you will never experience the level of success you desire.

OK, that's the bad news. Ready for the good news?

Getting organized isn't as hard as you think. The first place to start is in how you organize your day, your use of time.

Step 1- Master Your Time

Take an hour and in that time review how you spend a typical workday.

• What's the first thing you do when you get into work?
• How much time does that take?
• What's the second thing you do?
• How much time does that take and so on, until you've accounted for a typical day.

Now that you know how you spend your day, what part of the day is your most energetic? Your most creative? For me, my most creative, energetic time of day is in the morning. Once you know what time of day you are most energetic, schedule your day so that your energetic time is spent on your big projects-development, client proposals, customer service and those items that directly are in your first category. (See step 2 below for category information). DO NOT spend this time answering email, doing small projects or running errands.

In fact, I recommend reducing the time you spend answering and writing email to 1 to 2 times a day. For me, this means that I do not answer or read email until after I've worked for about 1 1/2 hours. I check email twice a day, the first after my productive 1 1/2 hours and the second before I leave the office. I spend 30-60 minutes on email each time. If this is the only organizational step you incorporate, I guarantee you'll save several hours each day. Imagine how much you can accomplish with an extra 2-3 hours everyday?

Step 2- Build a Team

Begin by separating your daily tasks into a series of 3 categories.

• Category 1-This category consists of tasks that generate revenue. Some examples are: customer service, follow-up, product development

• Category 2- This category consists of tasks that directly support the generation of revenue. Some examples are: networking, client proposals, and education/training that support your ability and skills.

• Category 3- This category consists of tasks that do not generate revenue, they support the business but they do not add to the bottom line. Some examples are: bookkeeping, paperwork, responding to every email message you receive throughout the day and the creation of your marketing materials.

Once you've separated your daily tasks into these 3 categories, review which of the items you can release to someone else, an assistant, a virtual assistant, a bookkeeper, etc. The items you should consider outsourcing are those items that are in the 3rd category, these items do not generate revenue. To spend your time on these tasks will not improve or grow your business. Almost all of your time should be spent on those items that generate revenue.

The mistake many entrepreneurs make is trying to do everything themselves. Why? Because they don't think they can afford help. As long as you spend time doing tasks that don't generate revenue, you take money away from your business. When you hire someone else to do those items, you have gained time, and this is time that should be spent generating revenue. When you spend the majority of your time generating revenue, you make more money. And when you make more money, you can afford to hire help! See how easy that is?

Step 3- Update Your Office

• Update your computer programs for the New Year. To grow your business you need the best tools available. Not necessarily all the tools available, but the tools you use should be up-to-date and as effective as possible.

• Purchase and use office organizing tools, but before you buy any new organizing items, spend sometime thinking about how you work, what areas are most natural for you to use for files, for projects, etc. Once you know how you use your space it's easier to purchase the right organizing items.

• Clear all clutter from your desktop

• Clear all clutter from your computer desktop (this means old email messages, files on your desktop, old files, old programs, etc.)

• Clean any windows in your office

• Consider a fresh coat of paint in a new and inspiring color

• Purchase or improve your task lighting

• Position your desk so that you have a solid wall behind and have a full view of your entire office when seated

• Outsource those aspects of your business that do not require you

When determining your organizational strategy, you'll need to know who you are, what you do, why you do it, and where you can utilize help. While each of these steps seems simple enough, spending time evaluating each step and laying it out in relationship to each of the other steps ensures that you'll have an organizational strategy that supports growth and opportunity.

Copyright © 2008 Harmony Life, LLC. All rights reserved.

Feng Shui Teacher and Entrepreneur Laurie Bornstein, "The Feng Shui Marketing Queen" is the author and creator of 'Simple Feng Shui Series', her FREE monthly ezine filled with articles and tips on how to live and work in balance, visit http://www.fengshuimarketingqueen.com to learn more.

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