Category: Uncategorized

  • 9 Ways to NOT Waste Time While Waiting

    I have three kids and a job, so that means I am constantly driving someone somewhere and waiting.  Plus, I am an organizer, so I hate to waste time.  Here are 9 ways I have found to not waste time while waiting.  Between sports activities, client sessions, doctor visits and then the more fun unexpected things like cavities, physical therapy or early school closings for heat, I find myself waiting in check out lines, carpool lines, outside clients’ houses or doctors’ waiting rooms at least once a week.  I could view this as lost time and get frustrated at all the time I am WASTING…….OR, I can look at it as found time in my day!

    Here is a list of 9 things you can do while waiting:

    • Make your own doctors appointment. When was your last check-up? Often when taking care of our family we forget to take care of ourselves. We have created a Health Care checklist on our website, just click here to download it.
    • Take advantage of all the Good Housekeeping magazines at your disposal and search for a new recipe for your family. Snap a picture of the recipe or scan it with your phone. (yes there is an app for that!)
    • Send a text or email to that friend you have been meaning to call. Set up a time to meet.
    • Send a text to your spouse or partner. You would be amazed the effect a simple “I love you” text will have.
    • Check your calendar. Make sure you have not forgotten any important dates. Check for overlaps or missed appointments or important events.  While you are at it schedule “ME” time!
    • Use your smart phone for more than Candy Crush. Check out the app store for new apps.  New apps are constantly being introduced, you never know when the app you have been looking for will pop up.
    • This may be the only “ME” time you get all day! Don’t waste it!  Go ahead and read a book or even take a few minutes to meditate.
    • Plan your next party or dinner with friends.  Write up the guest list and create the menu and shopping lists.
    • Do a brain dump.  There are always about 10-40 things going on in my head and putting them down on paper not only reduces the stress of having to remember, but it allows you to schedule those tasks on the calendar or create a to do list for the next day.

    If you hate wasting time as much as I do, follow this next tip.  Next time you are headed out the door, be prepared with your phone fully charged and put a book and notpad in the car so that when you are stuck waiting, you can make the most of your time!

    If you liked this article, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Joan Robinson, our Senior Project Manager, helps families get organized and declutter so that they can focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

  • A Day in the Life of an Organizer Mom

    Here is a day in the life of an Organizer Mom.  I am not Martha Stewart.  My house does not look like a Pottery Barn catalog.  I am not perfect.  I don’t have it ALL together, but I am organized and that makes a difference.  It’s true, I do practice what I preach but as you will see, stuff happens. I have found that the more organized I am, the easier it is when the unexpected arises.  This is just a glimpse into what a normal day is like in my world.

    5:00am: My Fitbit alarm goes off way before the kids get up. I check my phone for texts, emails and Facebook posts. Respond to anything urgent. Today I do a bit of yoga before I get a shower and get myself ready.

    6:15am: I wake the kids up (Julia 15, Caroline 13 & Drew 7). Make sure everyone is up and getting ready.  Set out “snack baskets” so the kids can make their lunches.  Grab pie dough out of the freezer for dinner tonight.  Make sure all the kids have forms and money they need. Pack my lunch.

    6:50am: Drew realizes he is wearing his uniform not his gym uniform. CRAP! I forgot it was Thursday! Caroline thinks he should be wearing his regular uniform because it’s open house day at school. Fabulous! Now I have to search through old emails, ask Facebook and text another mother to find out what he needs to wear.

    7:00am: Receive confirmation that he should be wearing his gym uniform. He changes and disaster is averted.

    7:00-7:25: Wait with Julia for the bus.

    7:30: Get Caroline and Drew ready to walk out the door.  Confirm with the kids that the sitter is picking them up from school. My husband takes kids to school.

    7:35: Finish getting ready.  Pack my workbags and double check that I have everything I need for work and meetings. Double check I have my power cord for my computer because I forgot it last time.

    7:55: Head into the office

    8:30-1:00: Work in the office.  Lot’s of brainstorming today, creating new packages. The internet is down so it’s like working with one hand.  Ugh!

    1:15: Arrive early for the meeting to make copies.  Call the babysitter to remind her to pick the kids up.

    1:30-3:00: PTO meeting at The Harbour School.  Meeting runs late so I don’t leave school till 3:15.

    4:00: Arrive home and start prep for Chicken Pot Pie at Caroline’s request.  While making dinner, help Drew with homework.  Stop several times between both because he has a particularly challenging assignment.  Drew complains a lot and homework is taking twice as long. The girls bombard me with forms that need to be filled out and information that I need to read. I can’t concentrate to look at these forms now, so I do a quick check to make sure nothing is due tomorrow. The papers go in the folder to review tomorrow during my planning hour. I set aside one hour every Friday to review paperwork, review the calendar, meal plan and make my grocery list.  Is it happy hour yet????

    5:00: Homework is done. Take a minute to check email, FB and calendar for the next day.  Send out emails about PTO board meeting.  Text Julia’s Waiver Aid about meeting tomorrow. Make a quick call to Tara to discuss another blog post. Work on this post for a few minutes. Waste 10 minutes trying to figure out something on my computer, nothing has been the same since my hard drive was replaced.

    5:20: Dinner is ready to go in the oven.  Now it’s time for a glass of wine. Ahhhh…. Check out a few recipes and work on meal plan and grocery list to get a jump start on tomorrows planning hour.

    5:50: First sip of wine because I was too distracted by the children arguing.  I also realize that dinner is not cooking fast enough.  May not be ready at 6:00. Sigh.  Call for Julia to take a shower before dinner since now she will have time.  Notice Drew’s book bag is in the middle of the living room floor.  Call for him to put it away, otherwise tomorrow morning will be running around trying to find it

    6:00 Nope, dinner is not done. Go on FB to share Tara’s blog post.  Check my Fitbit app and realize I am behind my buddies in my Workweek Hustle step contest.  Walk around my dining room table several times to get a few extra steps.

    6:20 Crap. Dinner is still not done.  Continue to walk around dining room…..

    6:30: Dinner! Finally.

    7:00: Cleaning up dinner.  Phil texts and says he is on his way home. Once everything is cleaned up, I hop on the treadmill and try to catch my competitors.

    8:00: Say goodnight to the kiddos. Phil puts them to bed.  Log another 30 mins on the treadmill

    8:30: My favorite time of day, bath time.  I enjoy a long soak in the tub while watching TV.

    9:15: Hop into bed and try to keep my eyes open for a bit longer.  Who am I kidding I’m asleep by 9:30.

    And….it all starts again in the morning.

    If you enjoyed reading about a day in the life of an organizer mom, let us know.  We are considering making it a multi-part series.  This day in the life was written by Joan Robinson, our Senior Project Manager at No More Piles.  If you liked this article, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Joan Robinson, our Senior Project Manager, helps families get organized and declutter so that they can focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

     

  • Three Things No One Wants to Organize

    Usually, I love to organize anything I can get my hands on. Unfortunately, I have found over the 14 years that I have been in business that there are 3 things no one wants to organize, but they are three critical situations that need the most organizing. They are: Surgery, Long term illness and Injury. These three situations often cause disorganization within a household. The disorganization adds stress, clutter and extra work to an already stressful situation.

    These situations can come as a surprise, but during your lifetime, you will encounter at least one of them, so it is best to do a little research and get organized now so that you can be prepared.

    Paperwork
    The first area that we see fall into chaos when life throws us a curve ball is paperwork. I highly recommend that you put as many bills as possible on automatic payment which will reduce the paper bills coming into the house. Second, make a list of the monthly bills with account numbers and monthly due dates. This will allow a spouse, parent or child to easy know what to look for.
    If any of the above happens, it usually involves lots of medical paperwork. Getting a separate file box for just these papers will make your life easier for both filing and matching up the bills with the insurance forms. A small file box like this one or even a rolling cart will help you with easy access and portability. In the event of a long term illness or surgery with long recovery, having a rolling file cart that can be wheeled will allow you to have a mini-office near the bed or couch to keep you productive (if you want to be).

    Don’t Keep Secrets
    Somewhere on your computer or on paper, you should have a list of any medications that you are on, who your doctors are and your computer passwords. A trusted friend or family member should have access to this information. This information can allow that person to pay bills, check your calendar or email to reschedule or cancel appointments and give your doctors up-to-date information.

    Research Services
    Even if you think you won’t need them, make a few phone calls or do some internet research on grocery delivery places, home health care agencies, transportation services, pet sitters/walkers, home cleaning services, so that you have an idea of what is available to you and what it takes to get started. You can probably get groceries the next day, but getting nursing care or a home health aide may take several days to set up. This is especially important if you are dealing with an aging parent and don’t live close enough to help easily. www.AngiesList.com is a great place to start finding service providers with reviews from customers.

    Ditch Your Pride
    Reducing stress will help you heal faster or maintain your health longer. If you have family or friends that want to help you, LET THEM! Make a list of all the things that you want to have done and ask them to pick something off the list. It could be as easy as bringing you your favorite soup or watering your plants or picking your kids up from school or practice. People often feel helpless when someone they love is sick or hurt and they really want to help. It makes them feel good that are doing something to help no matter how small. Letting them help will reduce your stress and keep your household from going into chaos while you get healthy. There are even websites like www.carecalendar.com, www.mealtrain.com or www.takethemameal.com to easily coordinate whatever a family needs, allows people to sign up for what they can do and sends reminders.
    If you don’t want to rely on the kindness of family and friends, hire help. Concierge Services, Professional Organizers and Daily Money Managers can help with many of these tasks. You can find these on www.AngiesList.com and www.NAPO.net.

    Your Physical Space
    Depending on your needs, you may need to rearrange your home to accommodate your injury or illness. You may need to make wider paths in your home for a walker, crutches or a wheel chair. You may need to clear a room to set up a hospital bed. In addition to accommodations for your physical well being, you may need a guest room set up for overnight family and friend helpers.
    A little planning and forethought can go a long way in alleviating some of the stress involved in highly stressful situations like surgery, long term illnesses and injuries. Asking for advice and recommendations from friends or family members who have gone through similar situations or doing some research can help you take a little control over the uncontrollable.

    If you liked this article, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Tara Rudo, Life Strategist, helps families get organized and declutter so that they can focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

  • 25 Things To Do When You Have A Two Hour Delay

    The dreaded two hour delay.  You whole day hasn’t gotten derailed, but the morning sure has.  Here are 25 things you can do when you are home with the kids for 2 extra hours in the morning.  You can stay productive and get some things done that you either haven’t thought of or have put off for too long.

    1. Make breakfast with your kids.
    2. Plan your child’s next birthday party.
    3. Download pictures off your camera to your computer.
    4. Update your holiday card list (and then throw out last year’s cards)
    5. Two loads of laundry
    6. Fold and put away 5 loads of laundry that are washed and dried but haven’t made their way back into the closets and dressers
    7. Strip all the beds and remake them.  The kids can definitely help with this one and it fosters team work trying to get that fitted sheet on the mattress.
    8. Clean out two drawers of your desk, kitchen or bedroom.
    9. Go through the spring/summer clothes and make your shopping list of items to replace or round out your wardrobe.
    10. Prep and load the slow cooker pot for dinner tonight.
    11. Meal plan for the upcoming week and create your grocery shopping list.
    12. Research vacation ideas (although your research may be clouded by the need to escape to somewhere warm)
    13. Do a workout at home.  Check out Fitness Blender  for free online videos.
    14. Create your training program for an upcoming race.  Hal Higdon’s website has training programs for 5k up to a marathon.
    15. Give yourself an at-home facial.  My personal favorite is Arbonne’s 3 step ultimate facial.
    16. Look ahead at your calendar and schedule your babysitters.
    17. Check calendar for upcoming birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, baby showers and shop online.
    18. Create your packing list for spring break
    19. Schedule your doctor, dental, eye doctor and mammogram appointments
    20. Call your parents, grandparents or a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a while.
    21. Write and send a thank you or thinking of you note to someone.
    22. Clean out your refrigerator.
    23. Go on www.abcya.com with your elementary school kids and play some educational games.  My kids are currently loving the geography ones in preparation for their upcoming school Geobee.
    24. Do your nails.
    25. Roll over and go back to sleep.   Or, just let the kids sleep in and enjoy the silence.

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Tara Rudo, Life Strategist, helps working moms and families focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

  • The Blizzard Effect

    Blizzard-2016-300x225
    I had everything planned.  I started the first week of the year with lots of business planning.  I blocked several days to really dig in and get all my personal, marketing and writing goals set for 2016.  I was motivated, energized and ready to jump in to 2016 with both feet.

    Then, the blizzard happened.  It started with an early dismissal on Friday of my two children.  There goes a productive Friday.  Then, with 30+ inches of snow in the next 36 hours, we hunkered down and enjoyed our family time.  I cooked and baked.  We entertained our neighbors and kids and had a few glasses of wine since there was no way anyone was driving anywhere.  It was a fun weekend!

    I knew that we weren’t going to have school for a few days, so I proceeded to reschedule my Monday and Tuesday clients.  I thought I would make the most of the days at home and get some writing done in the office and create the back log of articles and blog posts that I would love to have and never make the time for.  DID NOT HAPPEN!

    I spent Monday and Tuesday making hot chocolate every hour for the kids coming in and out of the snow.  I spent those two days drying the seemingly endless amounts of wet clothing, socks, gloves, hats, coats so they could head back outside.  I was called in as head referee for the snow balls fights and to make sure everyone got turns on the “best” sled and reminded them not to walk over the top of the igloo that Dad helped them build.

    Blizzard-2-300x225
    By Wednesday, I was in a blizzard depression.  I was tired after 5 days of snow and being stuck inside with the kids and the noise.  I love the outdoors, but I can only take so much of freezing temperatures and back-to-back days of sledding and shoveling.  I was annoyed that I had now rescheduled my entire week.  I was tired of trying to head into my home office in the hopes of getting some stuff done only to get interrupted.  By Thursday, I wished I lived on a tropical island and would never see snow again.

    I had just lost a whole week of productivity.  I know, I know, I should have enjoyed the time that I had with my kids because they won’t be young forever.  Blah, blah, blah.  I just spent the two weeks of winter break spending lots of quality time with the family.  So, after 7 straight days of being home with the kids, I just wanted to go to work (and them to go to school)!  Plus, on top of that, I felt that I had lost all the energy and motivation that I had to really take 2016 by the horns.

    I walked into my office Monday morning when thankfully schools were back in session and on time and took a long hard look at the vision board that I had created.  I realized that I was not going to get anywhere by blaming the blizzard.  The blizzard had slowed me down (losing a week of productivity), but it certainly wasn’t going to stop me.

    The Blizzard Effect can happen under many different circumstances that are outside our control.  It could be an illness, the death of a loved one, a layoff or some other unexpected event.   We need to be flexible and forgiving of ourselves when we get derailed and then “put on our big girl panties” and get back on track.

    Watch out 2016!  I’m back!

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Tara Rudo, Life Strategist, helps working moms and families focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

  • Joanie’s Busy Day Beef Barley Soup

    Today I thought I would share with you my favorite Beef Barley Crockpot Soup recipe.  This time of year always gets a bit crazy.  Work, school, & afterschool activities make getting dinner on the table a challenge. It’s also the perfect time for a hot bowl of soup. This is my No Fail slow cooker soup for when I have no time to make dinner but want a hot meal on the table for my family.  Don’t be afraid to buy pre-chopped frozen vegetables to cut down on prep-time. If your family likes veggies, add what they love. This soup is so yummy and filling I’m sure your family will love it.  Enjoy!

    before-Barley-soup

    Joanie’s Beef Barley Soup

    8 cups beef stock

    1 pound stew beef

    1 onion diced

    1 cup chopped carrots

    ½ cup barley

    1 – 14.5oz cans of diced tomatoes

    1 cup frozen peas

    1 bay leaf

    Salt and Pepper to taste

    Throw everything but the peas in a slow cooker on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours) and walk away. 30 minutes before dinner, throw in the frozen peas and give it a stir.

    Yes, it’s that easy!

    Serve with a fresh salad and bread. Serves 4-6.  If you have leftovers, pop them in the freezer for a quick thaw and eat meal another day when you don’t feel like cooking.

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Joan Robinson, Senior Project Manager, helps working moms and families focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

  • Get ready for Joaquin!

    By now you have gotten wind of Joaquin (no pun intended).  Now it is time to get ready for Joaquin to arrive.  It is reported that he has the potential to be one of the biggest storms we’ve seen in years. The good news is that you have time before the storm hits.  You can’t avoid losing power, but you can prepare. So here is a list of what we are doing to get ready
    My basement shelf for emergency supplies

    • Stock up on bottled water, enough for at least 3 days
    • Stock up on non-perishable foods
    • Be sure to have your manual can opener on hand
    • Check your flashlights and have candles handy
    • Have a battery operated radio on hand
    • Be sure you have batteries for flashlights and radio
    • Have emergency numbers on hand, such as BGE
    • Make sure all your devices are charged (especially the ones that entertain the kids)
    • Make sure your battery back up is charged, if you don’t have one now is a good time to purchase one. We just saw them in a 2 pack at Sam’s club this morning.  https://www.samsclub.com/sams/cp-bundle-cgp30-b/prod16810555.ip?origin=search_page.rr1&campaign=rr&sn=SolrSearchToView&
    • Make sure the gas tank in your car is full
    • Have cash available
    • Make sure all you have enough of your prescriptions to last at least 3 days
    • Do your laundry now! Don’t get stuck with no clean clothes
    • Break out the board games. Have some fun with the family.
    • Most importantly make sure you stock up on wine!

    Don’t wait till the last minute to purchase your supplies because they will be in high demand and will go fast.  We hope that you and you home are unaffected by the storm and if not be sure to keep the number for our friends at Flood Department on hand 301-829-2600, in case your basement needs some help after the large amounts of rain.

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Tara Rudo, Life Strategist, helps busy people focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

  • To Host or Not to Host

    bbq pic

    There are many occasions throughout the year where you will have the opportunity to party. But, to host or not to host, that is the question.  Right now, we are one-step away from the busiest celebration season of the year: Summer and all the fun and events it brings. After all, we have Memorial Day BBQs, Graduation parties, 4th of July and with all the great weather, there is always a good excuse for a Friday night BBQ. For some, hosting a party is an impulsive decision, for others, a mental struggle. There are several things to consider and many others to plan, if you go ahead. Therefore, I recommend asking yourself these three main questions before deciding whether to host:

    1. Do I have the time to pull everything together before the event?
    2. Do I have the space to comfortably fit the number of people I will invite?
    3. Do I have the money to spend on this event?

    If the answer to any one of the above questions is no, then do not host. You can stop reading here and go ahead with your day.

    If you are still reading, then you must have decided to host. YAY, party time!  Now, it is time to start planning and organizing. This is the only way to minimize unforeseen situations, provide the best time for your guests and make sure you have fun too.

    1. Plan the menu. In the case of a small gathering, you may want to ask your guests about food allergies or dietary preferences, so that you can avoid conflicts. On the other hand, in a large gathering, you will want a variety to cover all tastes and preferences (like having meat and veggies options).

    You can do the main dishes and ask your guests to bring sides and dessert. Be thoughtful in your assignments to set the party up for success. Don’t assign appetizers to your family member that is always late. Don’t ask your friend that can’t cook to make something challenging. Most importantly, keep your menu simple enough or to things that can be made ahead of time so that you can enjoy your party and not spend the whole time in the kitchen.

    2. Sit down vs. buffet. This should be decided based on the number of people attending being able to sit at a table and by the formality of the event.

    3. Real dishes vs. paper/plastic. It all depends on the type of event you are hosting. Using paper/plastic dishes minimize the risk of breaking something (something to consider especially when you have kids around) and also make the cleaning much easier, which is something to think about it when you have a large number of guests. If you have a more intimate party with a small number of guests, the real dishes will save you some money, but will also add to clean up time. Real is always more elegant, but you will need to weigh elegant vs. easy clean up.

    4. Beverages. Do you plan to serve alcohol? If so, the first thing to consider is what you are going to serve (wine and beer or full bar) and consider the number of guests and the duration of the event. When you think of a full bar, the general rule is: 50% will prefer wine, 30% beer and 20% mixed drinks. If it is just wine and beer, consider that 60% will prefer wine and the rest, beer. Usually, a person will consume 2 drinks in the first hour and 1 drink/hour in the following.
    For non-alcoholic events (or as options for children and non-drinkers): soda, water, juice or sparkling water. You could even create a punch or mocktail that both kids and adults can enjoy like an Arnold Palmer (ice tea and lemonade) or a large dispenser with flavored water (water with cut limes, lemons, cucumbers or oranges)

    dispenser

    5. Background noise. If there is an important sporting event or the Preakness, you may have the TV on. Or, are you going to have music? If so, what type? Make sure that everything is working, your stereo is set up and that important game is part of your TV package.
    Not sure what kind of music you want, check out Pandora or download the app. You can search genres and you can find a pre-built station that will suit your tastes. Pandora has stations for Dinner Party, Classic Rock BBQ or Laid Back Brunch and many more that continuously play a variety of artists that fit that theme.

    6. Stock your house. Fully stock your bathroom with extra toilet paper, wipes, feminine products and air freshener. Put extra trash bags in the bottom of the trash can so that the bag can be easily changed when it is full. Have extra napkins, paper towels, dish towels handy. Guests will want to help and if you make it easy for them, you will get extra help!

    7. Entertainment.  If you are having an outdoor party, you may want to have a few games to keep people busy.  Corn hole, croquet, frisbees, volleyball or even just some footballs to toss around can keep fidgety guests and kids entertained for hours.  If it is a night party, kids would love some glow sticks, flashlights or a few jars to catch lightening bugs.

    Planning before will allow you to fully enjoy your party without having to keep checking every moment if everything is ok!

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Tara Rudo, Life Strategist, helps working moms and families focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.  Image courtesy of tiverylucky at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Get 10 More Hours Out of your Week

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    If you are a busy professional, then chances are you have more money than time. If you constantly feel like you need 30 hours in a day to get everything done then it is time to take a closer look at where you spend your time. What if I told you that you can get 10 more hours out of your week?  Get organized and be real about what can be done in a given day or week and you will stop the dread and get more done.

    The Law of Delegation. If someone can do the job 75% as well as you can, delegate it. This could apply to the office or your home. At the office, we often take the stance of it takes too long to train someone to do a task, so I will just do it myself. That is very short sighted. If you take the time to train a person, then that task will be off your plate forever. You can’t be penny wise and pound foolish with your time.

    At home it could be dry cleaning, mowing the lawn, making dinner, doing laundry, house cleaning, etc. House keepers, dry cleaning companies that pick up and deliver, yard service companies, personal chefs. They are available in all metropolitan areas to help you get these activities off your list. If you don’t need help year round, consider hiring help for just a few weeks or months to get you through busy times at work, during an illness/surgery or after the birth of a child.

    Time Blocking. If you want to get something done, it needs to be on your calendar. Most people have hopes for their week instead of a schedule. Everything that you do in a week should be on your calendar (except for maybe meals and bathroom breaks). You may even need to put sleep and exercise on your calendar to ensure that you are hitting your target amount.

    Daily To Do vs. Master To Do. Constantly looking at a long master to do list is daunting. If you have a day in the office (or at home) that you are dedicating to getting lots of smaller tasks done, I recommend creating a list just for that day. We always feel more accomplished when we get to cross things off a list and it will help keep you focused. Don’t put more on the list than you can reasonable get done in a day and don’t be aggressive. It feels much better to completely finish the list and pull more off the master list than to not finish.

    Keeping a master to do list of EVERYTHING that you need to get done will help take the pressure off having to keep all of that information in your brain. My master list has everything from fixing a dripping sink, buying lacrosse supplies for my daughter and sending a birthday card to making business calls and registering for a networking event.

    What’s for Dinner? That is the dreaded question of the day. Whether you have a family or not, this one seems to cause everyone stress. The biggest roadblock to healthy eating is poor planning. Take a few minutes to plan each week and do one grocery shop. If you are too busy, consider ordering groceries from peapod.com or hometownharvest.com. If even that is too much time, hire a personal chef like Shirlé at www.fourcornerscuisine.com

    Night before prep. Mornings set the tone for the day, so make them as stress-free as possible. Prepare your work bag, clothes, lunches and kid’s stuff the night before.

    Done, but not perfect. I love this mantra and I think everyone needs to adopt it (except for accountants doing tax returns). Don’t set yourself up for failure or waste precious minutes by trying to make everything perfect. Send the birthday card even if it is late, the recipient will still appreciate it. Bring store bought items to the picnic because you had a crazy week. Stop stressing about things that only matter to you!

    Say “No”. The main reason that we have too much on our plates is that we PUT too much on our plate. It seems simple, but it is the hardest thing to learn. Next time you are ready to say “yes” to something, consider what else in your life you are saying “no” to. I guarantee that you will feel better saying “no”, than you will only putting in 50% effort to the thing you said “yes” to.

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Tara Rudo, Life Strategist, helps working moms and families focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.

    Image courtesy of arztsamui at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  • Effectively Working From Home

    More and more people are working from home. Some are full time from a home office and some are only working one day per week at home. The flexibility and changing work culture have made this option very attractive (no commute, work in your pjs, deal with sick kids or snow days). Effectively working from home is a big challenge.  It can be tough to find the uninterrupted time you need to complete your work. The best way to be successful and productive at home is being organized and setting clear expectations.

    In an office setting, noise and periodic distractions are built in. A colleague will stop in your office to ask about a project. You will have a meeting with your team. At home, the distractions are more random and often it is more difficult to manage them.

    On the other side, for some, it is too quiet. They can’t think and be productive without the accountability of other people around and the white noise of an office setting. You can build in some distractions by taking regular breaks and making or returning phone calls. Creating a good structure for your day will help you to keep focus in your work and manage your time efficiently.

    Here are some tips:

    1. Set up a good workspace. Be aware that lighting, noise, being able to close a door, a comfortable chair and ergonomic set up are all going to impact your productivity. Remember that this is going to be the place you will spend most of your day and it needs to fit to all your needs.

    2. Avoid Shiny Squirrels.  Dishes, laundry, ringing phones, message/email notifications are all things that can instantly pull your attention away from a task. Just like when you are walking outside, past a window or driving in your car and a squirrel jogs by. You ALWAYS look at the squirrel. How distracting this tiny animal can be in our lives? That’s what I call “Shiny Squirrels”, anything that distracts us easily.

    3. Set up time blocks. Plan your day and try not to sit for hours. The average person has a maximum attention span of 20 minutes for a single task, so set a timer and take small breaks to check on your email, social media, talk to a family member, get up and move around. This will allow you to refocus on the task and be more productive than forcing yourself to work until a task is completed.

    4. Embrace technology and use it in your benefit. Talk with a headset, so you can walk around. Use shared online calendars with your partner to keep your lives organized. Use a time tracking app to see where you spend your time during the day and add in some accountability.

    5. Set expectations for family members. A clear and honest conversation is the only way to start. Your kids, parents or spouse will be more tempted to talk to you and share a special moment when you are so close. It is essential to set rules and even signs on your office door (WORKING–KEEP OUT) especially if you have kids. My kids know that closed office door means I am working, they may knock, but if I don’t answer, they can’t come in. Remember that’s this is a process and a new routine for both sides.

    6. Plan your tasks for when your brain is in the right mode. Most people don’t pay attention to when they are most focused, creative, energetic or tired during the day and plan their tasks accordingly. Personally, I am more focused first thing in the morning, so I try to schedule those tasks (accounting, budgeting, invoicing) as early in the day as possible. I am more creative in the afternoon, so it is better for me to schedule my writing time then.

    Being organized and setting clear expectations will help you enjoy all the perks of working from home while minimizing the frustrations. You will get more done in less time just by eliminating the commute. You can now spend your “found” time with your family, on self-care or just relaxing with a good book.

    If you liked today’s post, you’re welcome to use it in your own newsletter or blog as long as you include the following blurb: Tara Rudo, Life Strategist, helps working moms and families focus on what’s important. Get our FREE weekly tips and advice at www.NoMorePiles.com.