Posts Tagged ‘tips’

Getting Organized for Back to School

Posted on: September 11th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

Cathy Mendler

Fall is here—with its coloured leaves (if you live in eastern Canada or the United States), cool nights, and a crispness in the air!  The lazy days of summer are almost behind us, and we’re getting back into our busy routines.

So let’s get started and turn over another leaf!

“We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.”  Wernher von Braun

ORGANIZING SCHOOL AND HOME PAPERWORK

Back to school brings with it much more than structured routines and homework—a seemingly endless stream of paper!

Here are some suggestions to help you handle all of that paper.

Designated Paperwork Area

Designate one area where you will deal with paperwork.  Use a tray or basket as an inbox.  Get everyone in the family into the habit of using it.  If it doesn’t go in the inbox, it won’t get looked at.  Remember–it can take up to 21 times repeating an action before it becomes a habit.  Gentle reminders will help the process when you first start.  Perhaps you can offer a small reward as an incentive.

Routine
Having a routine for keeping paperwork under control is critical.  When your children get home from school, have them unload their knapsacks—dirty lunch containers go in the sink or dishwasher, books go to their homework or study area, paperwork goes to the inbox, etc.

Calendar and Activities Schedule
The family calendar should be kept in your designated paperwork area.  All activities should be put onto one calendar.  Keeping more than one calendar up to date is difficult; it usually results in missed appointments.  Label each family member’s activities in a different colour; let your children pick their favourite colour.

Once you add all of your children’s extra-curricular activities to the calendar, you may realize that they are overscheduled.  Remember that it’s OK to limit the number of activities for each child.  Your children need some time to just be kids!

Reference Binder
A three-ring binder can be used to store frequently used information–names and phone numbers for your dentist, school, babysitter, veterinarian or lawn care company.  Lists for children’s sports activities and take-out menus can also be included.

Tickler File
Set up a tickler file.  A tickler file system consists of folders with tabs for each month and day of the month.  This system should hold all of your current household paper—bills to pay, receipts, coupons, wedding invitations, etc.  A file cabinet should contain your non-current household paper.

If you would like further information on setting up a tickler file, please contact us.

Schedule Time for Paperwork
Set aside a few minutes every day to deal with paperwork.  What’s important is that it happens on a regular basis as required.  Review paperwork in the late afternoon or evening.  It is less stressful than trying to deal with it as everyone is trying to get ready and out the door in the morning!

Don’t forget to place signed permission slips, tests or notes into the children’s knapsacks as soon as possible after completion in order to avoid misplacing them.

Artwork and Projects
Is your fridge or bulletin board covered in artwork?  Each child should have their own box for artwork and projects.  Let your child have fun and decorate the box.  Place a folder inside for current masterpieces.  At the end of the month (or whatever time period you decide), ask your child to select his or her favourite piece or two.  You’ll run out of space in no time if you keep all of them.  If necessary, take photos of bigger projects and artwork that they decide not to keep.  Remember to label each box with the year and grade.

Keep it Simple
Don’t make your system for dealing with paperwork more complicated than it needs to be.  Controlling your family’s paper will be much easier if you keep it simple.

I invite you to share our newsletter with your friends and family. As well, I welcome your feedback and suggestions.

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Homework and Study Checklist!

Posted on: August 27th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

It’s BACK TO SCHOOL time…and it’s time to introduce you to a new checklist!

 

CLICK HERE to view our newest checklist. It’s all about HOW TO SET UP A HOMEWORK or STUDY AREA!



Organize a Homework and Study Area!

Posted on: August 20th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Set Up a Homework and Study Area!

When your children get home from school, have them unload their backpacks—dirty lunch containers go in the sink or dishwasher, books go to their homework or study area, etc.  Let them have a snack and some time to themselves before they start homework.

Make sure that your children have an area to do homework or study that is clear of clutter, comfortable, well-lit and as quiet as possible.

If your children have trouble focusing on homework, set a timer.  Help them prioritize their tasks, so they don’t become overwhelmed.  Have them work on their most difficult subject first.  After that, everything will seem easier.   If they get off track, don’t despair; assist them with getting back on track.  It’s better to get a bit off track than to give up.  Homework should go into their backpacks as soon as it is completed in order to avoid getting misplaced—or the dog eating it!

 

 



Getting Organized for Back to School!

Posted on: August 7th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy Mendler

It’s that time of year again!  The relaxing days of summer are almost behind us.

GETTING ORGANIZED FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

 

Planning
If you plan ahead, you’ll be ready for the first day of school.

Don’t wait until the night before school starts to try and get your children into their back-to-school routine.  Start a week or two before.  The morning routine is under your control.  Everyone will have a better day if it starts out calmly.

Clothing
Have your children try on all of their clothing to see what fits.  Yes, they really have grown 3 inches during the summer!  Make a list of what needs to be bought.

Let children decide what they are going to wear, and lay out their clothes the night before.

School Supplies
Has the school provided a list of supplies that will be required?  Stock up during the back-to-school sales.  With higher gas prices, saving a couple of dollars by running from store to store may not be worth the extra effort involved.  Remember that your time is valuable.

Backpacks should be the correct size for your children.  Let them choose one with your help; if they like it, they’ll be more likely to use it and less likely to lose it.

Lunches
Keep your cupboards well stocked with lunch items.  While single-serving sizes are convenient, they are more costly.  Be thrifty and get supplies in bulk.  Keep a pen and paper handy in or near your pantry to make a note of items that are running low.

Older children should be responsible for making their own lunches.  Provide healthy choices, and let them choose what they like.  Make lunches at night to save time in the morning.  Put leftovers into lunch containers when cleaning up after dinner.  When you cook, double the recipe and freeze one batch.  You can use the second batch for lunches or dinner on a busy night.  It will save you time and will be healthier than picking up fast food.

Labelling
Don’t forget to label all items your children take to school which need to be brought home each night or week.

Checklist
Post a checklist as close as possible to where your children enter and exit for school.  Make it easy for everyone to read.  Have young children draw an outline of the items they need to take.  Have a designated spot for each child’s coat, mittens, boots, backpack and sports equipment.

Calendar and Scheduling
All activities should be put onto one calendar.  Keeping more than one calendar is difficult; it usually results in missed appointments.  Label each family member’s activities in a different colour; let your children pick their favourite colour.  Limit extra-curricular activities for each child.  To make everyone’s life easier, try not to overschedule.  Your children need some time to be kids!

Rewards
Set up a reward system to motivate your children to reach their goals throughout the year.  With your encouragement and positive reinforcement, they will succeed!

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Watermelon Salad Recipe!

Posted on: August 7th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Summer is the best time for salad—when fresh produce is so readily available!

Pauline’s Summer Salad – Erika Holenski, ND

 

It doesn’t get much simpler than this!

Ingredients:

½ watermelon – diced
2 green onions – diced
2 handfuls cilantro – finely chopped

Cut the flesh from half a watermelon into bite-sized pieces. Chop two green onions and add to the watermelon. Finely chop the cilantro and add to the mixture. Refrigerate for about one hour, so the juice of the watermelon acts as a dressing and brings the flavours together. Enjoy!

It’s never too late to improve your health!



Kind Words from Our Client Nancy Schreiner!

Posted on: August 2nd, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“Cathy has helped me immensely with a family member’s move.

Not only is Cathy pleasant to work with, very knowledgeable and proficient at her work, she went above and beyond her duties. Cathy was able to reuse or donate items to assist other families which meant a great deal to me.

I highly recommend Cathy as her expertise would benefit those who must take on any type of project!”

Nancy Schreiner, Burlington, ON

Thanks for reading…

P.S. To read more testimonials, please Click Here



The Yearly Self-Evaluation–from Neworld Coaching!

Posted on: July 30th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

While it’s not the beginning of a new year, it is the start of the second half of 2012. Even if you reviewed 2011 in December or early January, it’s always a good idea to review your progress every quarter. If you’ve gotten derailed, take stock and make the necessary adjustments to get back on track.

 

The Yearly Self-Evaluation

From our colleagues at Neworld Coaching…

For years now, I have designated a couple of hours of time during the first two weeks of December to complete a Yearly Self-Assessment document. Although it may sound like a simple undertaking, it really isn’t. Reflection, soul searching and decision making can be arduous tasks to say the least. Although I always look forward to this exercise, I still find it difficult to analyze my failures and make realistic plans for the future.

Taking into account the five areas in the “Wheel of Life” (Business, Financial, Personal Relationships, Health/Fitness and Self Mastery)…

The first thing I do is reflect. I look back at the past year and ask myself a few of the “hard” questions. What were my successes and how did I celebrate or reward myself? What were my failures and how did I deal with them? Did I listen to feedback from my associates, clients & family? I ask myself these questions (and several more) in order to gain perspective and “keep it real”. The important thing to remember is not to be too hard on yourself. If you learn from your mistakes and growth occurs… then nothing was in vain!

“The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.

The next step is to “dream” of the future. A future where all of my goals are met or within reach. To accomplish this step I must do some sincere soul searching with regard to everything in my life. And because everything always takes three times longer than you expect… I call these my “three year intentions”. Writing quickly, using bullet points and spilling my dreams onto paper is quite liberating. I dream big! Intentions are like magnets, the bigger they are, the more they pull you forward! By redefining everything that I want to be… do… and have… over the next 3 years… I am analyzing my dreams and turning them into tangible goals!

The [last] part of my Self-Assessment is to create a plan for the coming year. I divide the year into four (quarters) and then set goals (usually a few large and a few smaller) to accomplish in each of the five areas. After choosing these goals and specifying when I want to achieve them, I have completed the Self-Assessment and I will be prepared at the beginning of the year to plan my first Quarter. At the beginning of each week I will use a Weekly Planner to set specific goals and I even assign points to myself when I complete a task! The process is a bit more involved than I let on here but suffice it to say that filling in my planner each week is a useful and tangible method for measuring my results and holding myself accountable.

Strategically planning, goal setting and accountability is the foundation of the Neworld Coaching Succe$$ System. Using a series of Planners similar to those mentioned above, along with a specific Weekly Planner and even a ‘Personal Board [Chart]’ we encourage our clients to take the steps necessary to meet their goals. Whatever they may be! As I mentioned, I have been doing this Self-Assessment for many years and I am pleased to share it with you…just click here to view the form. Print it and fill it out! I do… EVERY YEAR. Dawn even does it too and we compare our ideas. It is a great exercise! I hope you find it fruitful for you as well!

~Michael Fletcher

If you liked this article, check out more articles in Neworld’s Shameless Blog.



Technology and Time Management!

Posted on: July 27th, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Summer is usually the time of year to take a well-deserved break. Like many of us, you’ve been eagerly awaiting some time off from your busy schedule.
While your business may slow down during the summer months, it shouldn’t grind to a halt.

Did you know “it is a fact that creativity often flows more readily when you are out[side]—especially if you are near water”? In Write It Down, Make It Happen, Henriette Anne Klauser tells us that “Being near water, especially moving water, gets ideas to flow.”

I attended a POC conference session a couple of years ago on “The Impact of Technology on Time Management” and learned a new word – “Thinksomnia.” While Harold Taylor (a Canadian time management expert) did not create this word, he has “adopted it and use(s) it in the context of our extreme busyness and resultant lack of creativity.” The definition for this made-up word is: “An idea that pops into your head just before you fall asleep, which is so big and brilliant, or else so dark and scary, that it keeps you awake all night long”.

For Harold, “it fit perfectly with [his] belief that because we are so busy and preoccupied all day, the only time we get to really think about anything new is at night just before we fall asleep. That’s when the ideas pop into our minds, and we start thinking about them to the point that we can’t get to sleep.” “I recommend to my clients that at least 10 percent of their work day should be left [available] for planning and thinking. Because our success and the success of our companies depend on it. Everything except creativity is being outsourced to other countries…We can’t afford to short-change our creativity – which we’re doing in this age of speed.”

Keep the above points in mind as you think ahead and set personal or business goals for the remainder of 2012. You may come up with your most brilliant ideas yet. Remember to keep a notepad handy to jot ideas down, so that you can put them into action!



Organizing Your Garage!

Posted on: July 23rd, 2012 by Cathy Mendler No Comments




Summer is here—with lots of sunshine, heat and humidity! It’s time to take a well-deserved break.

Let’s get started and turn over another leaf!


Organizing Your Garage


“I had more clothes than I had closets, more cars than garage space, but no money.” Sammy Davis, Jr.


Are you able to park your car(s) in your garage? If you can’t, do you keep your garage door closed to hide the clutter? Many people say that their garage is their most disorganized space.


The same principles used to organize the inside of your house can also be applied to the garage.


Planning


When you live in our region of the country, organizing the garage has to be done when the weather permits. Choose a date and time as well as an alternate date in case of extremely hot or poor weather. Check with your neighbours. You may not want to clear out your garage when they’re planning a yard sale. Their customers will assume you’re having a yard sale too!


The size of your garage and the amount of clutter will determine how much time you will need. Remember to set a realistic goal for the amount of time you have set aside. Decide if this will be a project for the whole family.


Supplies


Stock up ahead of time–garbage bags, recycle bin, empty boxes, broom, dust pan, gloves, etc. Have cold drinks and snacks readily available.


Get Started


Dress comfortably. Put on your favourite tunes.


Designate areas: Keep, Sell, Donate, Garbage and Recycling. Have the children label areas on the driveway with coloured sidewalk chalk.


Start by removing everything from the garage onto your driveway and/or lawn. If that’s too overwhelming, work on one area at a time. As you empty the garage, sort items into categories—toys, sporting equipment, bikes, tools, car cleaning supplies, outdoor decorations, gardening items, etc. Ensure that all items you keep are in good, working condition. Place items to donate or sell into boxes or bags. Recycling and garbage should be placed in their designated area.


The most important thing is to stay focused on the project at hand. Take short breaks to keep up your energy—especially if your children are helping. Visualize the end result; it will help keep you on track.


Questions to Ask when Sorting


Do I need more than one of an item? How often do I use it? Borrowing or renting an item may be a better option—especially if it takes up a lot of space.


Be realistic about how much your garage will hold.


Organizing Your Possessions


Gather together everything you want to store in an area before you start organizing that space. Designate a different zone for each activity–toys, sporting equipment, bikes, tools, gardening items, garbage and recycling, etc.


Plastic containers are ideal for garage storage because they keep items clean and the bugs away. The garage is not a good place to store photos and heirlooms because of extreme temperature differences.


Use storage containers that you already own. It’s important to measure before you buy any new containers; only buy containers if you need a different size or style. Clear storage containers are best—especially if containers will be stacked. Try to avoid rows of containers; if you have to move a lot of containers, an item is less likely to be put back. Remember to label all containers.


Make use of vertical space as much as possible. Adjust shelves or add extra ones.


Hang tools on pegboards. Draw an outline of the tool, so everyone knows where it belongs.


Stacking recycle bins are available to conserve space.


Create parking spaces for your children’s bikes with paint or tape lines on the garage floor.


Deck boxes are great for storing cushions and other outdoor items.


A cabinet just inside the garage close to the deck can store plastic dishes, glasses and other serving items–making table setting easier.

Garage storage cabinets are available in various price ranges at home building and hardware stores. Cabinets look tidier because items are out of sight. Ceiling-mounted racks can store less frequently used items. There are numerous garage organizing companies who will create the garage of your dreams.


Make sure that paint, gardening chemicals and cleaning supplies are stored safely and out of reach of young children. Dispose of them safely at a household hazardous waste location.


Consider installing a shed to store items such as lawn mowers, lawn furniture, etc., if you don’t have a garage.


Recycling


You’ll feel like you’ve really completed your project if you can dispose of any donations, recycling and garbage right away.


Reward Yourself


Plan a fun activity for the whole family to enjoy after all your hard work!

                        


					


				


						
				

				
					
Procrastinating and Perfection!

					
					

	Posted on: June 27th, 2012	by Cathy Mendler	No Comments

					

						


 


  “Someday is NOT a day of the week!” 


 


Do you procrastinate because you’re a perfectionist or you’re afraid of failing? Twice in the past week, I’ve seen the quote—“If you fall on your face, at least you’re falling forward.” So really, what’s the worst that can happen?


Harold Taylor, a Canadian time management expert, tells us that “Perfectionism is not attempting to be perfect when performing a task; it is the act of spending more time on a task, activity or decision than the results justify. … The opposite of perfectionism is not sloppiness. An e-mail message may not be that important for instance. But a hasty reply filled with typos and fractured sentences will waste more time than you saved by generating a chain of messages attempting to clarify the communication.”