Archive for the ‘04 Get Productive’ Category

23 Productivity Hacks

Posted on: May 26th, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

RESOLVE TO IMPROVE

Did you procrastinate when it came to completing your income tax return this year because you were overwhelmed? What steps can you take NOW to make filing next year’s return less stressful? You’ll be glad you did!

PRODUCTIVITY TIPS

Larry Kim’s “23 Best Productivity Hacks of the Year” article is definitely worth the read. You most likely already implement some of these ideas on a regular basis. During the next month I’m challenging you to try three new ideas to improve your productivity. 



Tax Time Procrastination

Posted on: April 25th, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

      TAX TIME PROCRASTINATION…
HOW TO AVOID IT!


One of the top reasons that we procrastinate is because we feel overwhelmed and the thought of filing our yearly taxes certainly fits the bill. Despite being aware of the consequences of failing to file, as many as 45% of us cite procrastination as the reason why we delay to file or even let the deadline pass us by.

Here are our favourite suggestions for helping our clients overcome tax-time procrastination:

1.    Find a tax buddy who will keep tabs on you and encourage you to file your personal taxes on time. If you have your business taxes prepared by a professional, ask them to send you reminders.

2.    Make up your OWN tax deadline which is ahead of the traditional date. Mark your calendar accordingly and imagine how GREAT it will feel to have your taxes filed sooner rather than later. Remember that you only need to pay the bill by the traditional April 30th (or later for business) date.

3.    Break it all down into smaller pieces. If you have an intimidating amount of work associated with preparing to file your taxes, try to work on one section (income, for example) at a time and spread the process over several days.

Do YOU have a suggestion about how to overcome tax-time procrastination? Comment on our BLOG or FACEBOOK PAGE.



Do I Toss or Do I Keep?

Posted on: March 15th, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

 

       TO TOSS OR NOT TO TOSS?


One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, right? Here’s a quick list of things to toss from your home office TODAY! Some of them are a bit TOO obvious!

•    Pens and markers that don’t work
•    Bent paper clips
•    Old newspapers and magazines
•    Old equipment like phones, computer components and printers
•    Old documents

Please remember to be kind to the environment and RECYCLE! Check out the WHERE TO RECYCLE resource page on our website to learn more about how to recycle markers, electronics and much more!

Do you wonder when is the right time to shred documents? Here’s a quick guide:

•    Pay stubs for one year, until you receive your new T4 (or W2) receipt
•    Credit card statements until the next one is received (remember to check for accuracy)
•    Tax returns and receipts after seven years – Check with your accountant and/or Canada Revenue.
•    Bank and investment statements for one year – Check with your accountant, financial planner and/or Canada Revenue.
•    Medical bills and benefits statements for one year – unless required for income tax purposes – Check with your accountant and/or Canada Revenue.
•    Newspapers and magazines ideally after you’ve read them

If you follow these simple rules to rid your home office of excess clutter, you’ll find that you have more energy to GET PRODUCTIVE!

Do you agree with our list? Comment on our BLOG or FACEBOOK PAGE, and share your opinion with our readers!

 



5 Rules to Manage Your Schedule

Posted on: February 23rd, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

 

         IT’S ABOUT TIME!


Professional organizers can help with time management. Here are our five favourite rules to manage your schedule, tame your to-do list and GET PRODUCTIVE.

1-    Write it down. Trying to keep it all in your head contributes to chaos and causes headaches!

2-    Prepare the night before. We waste SO much time running around every morning! Gather necessary items, lay out your clothes, and set the timer on your coffeepot before you go to bed.

3-    Remind yourself. If note-making is not your style, record verbal notes on your phone or leave yourself a voice mail message.

4-    Make allowances. Some tasks that you THINK will take fewer than five minutes will probably take twice as long. It is also a good idea to plan for an alternate route to appointments in case of traffic delays. Always allow yourself extra time!

5-    Just say NO! Don’t say YES to everyone asking for something. If you find it almost impossible to say NO, set aside time each week for these extra requests. Say NO once that slot of time is filled.

Do YOU have a favourite time management idea? Comment on our BLOG or FACEBOOK PAGE.

 



Help for the Arm-Long To-Do List!

Posted on: January 19th, 2016 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

..IS YOUR TO DO LIST TOO LONG?

..You may be making THESE mistakes!

Is YOUR To Do list as long as your right arm? Whether it’s on paper, stored on our phones or stuck in our heads, we all have a long list of things undone that are with us constantly. We also tend to make two major mistakes with our lists that could make a HUGE different to our productivity if we could just overcome them!

First, we are often guilty of confusing quantity with quality. Don’t associate your self-worth with the number of things that you check off your list. Accomplishing tasks move us forward, but make sure that you are not working at smaller, urgent yet less important tasks instead of allotting time to complete what is most important first. Review your list again and set some new priorities.

The other huge mistake that we see people make is to use our to-do lists as a form of torture! We create lists that are so long that it is virtually impossible to complete them. Then we feel badly when we don’t accomplish everything that we had set out to do. Negative thoughts take far too much energy and often cause us to be less productive. Reduce the size of your list, reward yourself and feel better about your accomplishments. We wish you all the best in the New Year and hope that these ideas will help you to turn over a new leaf and make 2016 your most organized year yet!

Try these two small suggestions for yourself, and let us know how you did on our BLOG or FACEBOOK PAGE.

 



Get Ready to Get Productive!

Posted on: December 17th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

Get Productive...
  TAKE BACK YOUR CALENDAR!

  Here are our TOP 5 time-saving ideas for
..December!

MAKE A LIST, CHECK IT TWICE.  In addition to making a list before you head out, ask family members to provide you with their wish list in advance of the Holidays. Take advantage of online wish lists and store registries.

PLAN BACKWARDS. Look at your calendar in terms of deadlines. For instance, if you want your cards in the mail by December 10th, plan for all of the related tasks, such as writing a newsletter and getting stamps, and schedule enough time to complete them prior to your deadline. Do the same to plan for your gifts, meal planning, decorating and all the myriad tasks on your list.

STREAMLINE YOUR GIFT GIVING. Unless you REALLY enjoy them, avoid buying marathons by purchasing gifts online and even outsourcing to an assistant or family member. Having a list and a set budget can help reduce time lost to decision making and retracing your steps. Consider a gift exchange instead of giving a gift to all extended family members individually.

STRATEGIZE YOUR GIFT WRAPPING. Have a dedicated (and well-stocked) location in your home which everyone is expected to use. Encourage your family (and yourself!) to “wrap as you go” and NOT leave it all until the last minute. Another good idea is to purchase a number of the same gifts to give to teachers, hosts/hostesses, bosses, etc. Have a couple of these wrapped and on hand in case guests show up with an unexpected gift.

SIMPLIFY FOOD AND DECORATIONS. Stock your pantry with staples, so that you are well supplied for baking and food preparation. Not every dish and treat needs to be homemade–and neither does every meal! Consider a potluck dinner or giving out assignments. Have decorations like your tree and other greenery delivered.

These are just our TOP FIVE suggestions and you, no doubt, have many more. If you can think of some that we’ve missed, add your comments on our blog or FACEBOOK PAGE.

 



Get PRODUCTIVE…

Posted on: November 17th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...
..…with SEVEN great ways to reduce Holiday Stress!

 

 

1.    Set up a Holiday action plan.
Start by determining what activities are most essential to bringing YOU that Holiday joy. Then, set goals based on how you will spend your time doing things that you value. Don’t forget to break down larger goals in smaller and more manageable tasks. Be sure to write them down, and refer to them often.

2.    Keep your plans WITH YOU all of the time.
Include your appointments, task list, gift list (including ideas), contacts and budget notes with you, so that you will be able to make use of this information as you need it.

3.    Spend time daily and weekly to review your plans.
Take time to review your goals. Chart your progress to make sure that you are on track AND that nothing critical gets overlooked. Set deadlines for your goals. Remember to be realistic, AND remember to reward your progress.

4.    Create your Holiday budget AND stick to it.
Determine how much will you spend in total and for each person on your gift list. Take your budget with you, and keep track of what you’ve spent. Be sure to include an allowance in your budget for unforeseen circumstances like forgetting to include a person on your list, price increases, shipping costs and sales ending too soon.

5.    Keep gift buying as simple as possible.
Limit the number of stores  as well as the amount of time spent in each one. Online buying is a good alternative as long as you allow extra time and consider shipping costs in your budget. Follow your plan as closely as you can. Include some flexibility, so you still enjoy your gift buying experience.

6.    Focus your time between work and play.
When you are working, don’t focus on your personal life and your never-ending to-do list. Do your best to leave work on time, so you CAN get those things done. Try to focus ONLY on family and friends while you are spending time with them.

7.    Take time for your own personal well-being.
Whenever you are feeling stressed, take time to relax and refocus. Schedule time for self-renewal, exercise and healthy eating. If you can’t get everything done, focus on the things that matter most to you.

When you plan in advance and manage your time based on what is most important to you, you will have less stress and more peace during the Holidays AND in the New Year ahead.



Does YOUR Business Need to Turn Over A New Leaf?

Posted on: October 15th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

compass_slantedAre you a business owner whose days fly by in a whirlwind?

Do you feel like you are SO close to realizing your entrepreneurial dreams…but just not quite close enough?

Why not learn the 10 Secrets of Outrageously Successful Business Owners from Neworld Coaching? 

Click here to learn more about a great NO-COST program!



GET PRODUCTIVE…It All Starts With A Plan

Posted on: September 17th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

– Chinese Proverb

Check out Coaching Positive Performance’s 7 Tips in How to plan for a productive day.

The majority of people have too many items on their To Do List. Daunting lists can be overwhelming and make it more difficult to get started with accomplishing those tasks.

Check out Leslie Shreve’s article What NOT to Use in Your Task List and Why.

Ask yourself, “How can I be more productive?”



How CAN We Use Time More Efficiently?

Posted on: August 11th, 2015 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...

  I know it’s summer, and for many people, it’s likely the time
  of year when you feel most lazy. If you’re on holidays, that’s
OK.

  If you’re supposed to be working, it’s a different story.

How well do you manage your time?

Check out Lolly Daskal’s short article 7 Time Management Mistakes That Are a Complete Waste of Time.

Ask yourself, “How can I be more productive?”