Get Organized Now! Newsletter by Maria Gracia http://www.getorganizednow.com Issue: October 10-16, 2009 Number of Subscribers: 181,999 ============================================ Hello {!firstname_fix} ============================================ SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR MONEY WORRIES...FOREVER Do you sometimes have more month than money? Ever wonder how you're going to dig out of the hole of debt? Would you like to begin controlling your finances, once and for all? I've got a secret. I know of a way that you can pay off ALL your bills without having to pinch pennies, get a second job or cut back your spending in any way. Even better, it's easy, quick, and you most certainly can do it. When you are debt-free, you can ... * Enjoy happiness and peace of mind knowing you don't owe anyone a dime * Get your hard-earned money working for YOU so you can retire early and comfortably * Worry less about losing your job. You need a lot less money when you are debt-free * Spend less time working and more time doing the things you want to do with those you love I highly encourage you to visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ez-leo-oct16-t.html P.S. Imagine how wonderful you're going to feel when you're out of debt--this dream is completely in your reach. --Maria Gracia ============================================ DON'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE Do you put off tasks that you don't want to do or don't like to do? Do you say 'I'll just do it tomorrow?' Procrastination, for one reason or another, happens to the best of us. There are ways to help alleviate it. 1) Plan your day according to your most productive time. Are you a morning person? Plan the most difficult or unpleasant activities during the morning when you are least likely to procrastinate and have the most energy. Or are you an afternoon person? Then do the most difficult or unpleasant activities after noon. 2) If you find you are putting off even beginning a project because you find it too overwhelming and intimidating, break the project down into smaller steps until they are manageable. Write the steps down and be specific by putting a date on each one as to when it will be completed. To remind ourselves of our goals, it is helpful to write reminders that can be posted in different places (i.e. mirror, refrigerator, front door). The more we remind ourselves of our goals, the more likely we will follow them. 3) Prevent distractions and interruptions from occurring. When you have something that needs to be done, turn off the cell phone. Do not answer the door. Turn off the television. Remove whatever it is that distracts you from doing the job at hand. 4) Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep. Exercising will help you to create more energy and you'll be less likely to procrastinate. Eat complex carbohydrates instead of simple sugars. This will provide a steady release of energy instead of a short boost. Getting a good night's sleep, at least 8 hours, will help you re-energize and you'll be able to maintain more energy during the day. 5) Get organized. Being disorganized causes chaos and is very distracting. When you are organized, you are better able to focus on a task instead of the clutter. While in the office, close the door and clean up the clutter on your desk. Have all the necessary equipment and supplies on hand before you begin your work. 6) Ask for someone's help to stop you from procrastinating. Ask this person to hold you accountable for the completion of a task you have been putting off. ----- FINALLY, AN EASY, NO NONSENSE WAY TO GET RID OF CLUTTER AND TO FIND MORE TIME FOR THE THINGS YOU LOVE TO DO-- NO MATTER HOW BAD OFF YOU THINK YOU ARE Are you absolutely sick of all the clutter that seems to seep into every single room in your home? What about your overflowing email inbox? Do you wish the mountains of paper would magically vanish into thin air? Do you always feel like you can never catch up with your endless to do list? Is your family sabotaging your organizing efforts? In short, do you wish you can live a more organized, happy, less chaotic life? Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ez-fh-oct16.html ----- 7) It is perfectly fine to make mistakes. If you demand perfection from yourself, you are probably going to put off beginning something until the perfect moment. Nothing is perfect, so it is not going to happen. The most important thing is to let go of perfection and start something. Realize that perfection is impossible to obtain. It is important to do your best, but you do not have to be perfect. Praise yourself for what you have accomplished. 8) Create a mental picture of the project you wish to complete. Maintain your focus on the end result as well as the process to get there. Keep in mind how good it is going to feel when you finish the project. Remember this feeling when you begin a new project. 9) Reward yourself when you have completed a boring or unpleasant task and even when you have achieved a small task on time. If you know a Starbucks coffee or other treat is waiting for you if you succeed, you will be more motivated to get the job done. The more positive reinforcement, the less likely you will procrastinate. Focus on what you have done rather than what is left to do. Do you feel a surge of energy and enthusiasm when you finish an important task? It is a good feeling, isn't it? On the flip side, consider penalizing yourself if you have not completed a task. For example, miss a television show if you do not complete a task on schedule. You will probably not want that to happen again and will strive to get the good feelings that come with completing a task. 10) Avoid overextending yourself. Evaluate your obligations and then prioritize them. Is there anything you can omit, delegate or move to a different time frame? Set realistic goals. As the saying goes, 'bite off only as much as you can chew.' Make a list each day of every task you need to complete in order of importance. Finish each task before starting the next task. 11) Make the task at hand as pleasurable as possible. When you are doing a task, ask yourself a question. Is there a fun way to do this job? Try to make a game out it. Be creative. Give yourself points or prizes as you do the task. 12) Plan for setbacks because they are bound to happen. Planning will prevent you from slowing down because of a setback. And finally, do not give up. ----- GET ORGANIZED AT THE OFFICE-- YOU'LL BE SUPER PRODUCTIVE WITHOUT HAVING TO WORK HARDER AND YOUR CLUTTER-FREE OFFICE WILL BE THE ENVY OF YOUR CO-WORKERS Your phone is ringing, your email inbox is bursting, your To File tray is spilling onto the floor. You can't find the paper you're looking for. Your To Do list is already so long, and growing by the second. You can never leave work on time, you're missing deadlines and you're up to your eyeballs in work. As they say, somethings gotta give! Are you ready to get organized at the office? Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ez-fo-oct16.html ============================================ NEW STUFF AND SITE UPDATES Everything below is accessible by visiting: http://www.getorganizednow.com Please note that we update our site on a weekly basis, so the new stuff and site updates below may only be available for one week. ** Get Organized Now! Blog: Department 2 Read my personal comments, stories tips and observations about getting and staying organized in today's hectic world. You don't want to miss it. Newest entries: 1) 10/05 - So and So is Dropping By 2) 09/28 - 15 Minute Increments Until Completion 3) 09/21 - Your energy levels affect your organizing efforts 4) 09/16 - We're now on both Facebook and Twitter Visit: http://getorganizednow.typepad.com/get_organized_now_weblog/ ** NEW Web Poll Our featured multiple choice question is, 'Are you always on time, or generally late, for appointments and events?' Go to the following link and cast your vote. It only takes a second, and your opinion can be heard. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/#webpoll ** NEW October Monthly Checklist: Department 1 Leaf disorganization behind and fall into a wonderfully organized life, with our new October monthly checklist. Go to the link below and look for the fallen leaves. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#checklist ** NEW Weekly Organizing Challenge: Department 1 Each week, you'll get a new challenge that should take you 30 minutes or less to accomplish. How fun knowing that lots of people are working on the same goal! Check out what this week's challenge is. We've just posted our Week of October 10th challenge. Go to the link below and look for the bread machine. http://getorganizednow.com/#challenge ============================================ DROWNING IN A SEA OF LOOSE PAPERS AND STICKY NOTES? HERE'S HELP! You have to remember a birthday, so that gets written on a calendar. You have to make a grocery list, so you scribble down a few items and stick the list on the fridge. Someone gives you a phone number, and it gets written in the address book. You're planning your garden, and that information is stored in a notebook. You want to keep track of the movies you want to see, or the books you want to read--another sheet of paper. A friend gives you an email address on a sticky note that is now attached to your computer monitor. Paper, paper and yet more paper--it's all over your home, stuck to the refrigerator, bulletin boards and computer monitors, scattered on your kitchen table and your desk. Are you at your wit's end? If so, you'll be happy to know that I have the perfect solution to this problem. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ez-ez-oct16.html ============================================ AN ORGANIZING TIP FROM ONE OF OUR READERS I put sticky notes on the dash board of my car to help me recall which errands I have to run. This way, they are already in my car and right where I can see them. I've even put them on my steering wheel! Kathleen Hooker Sylvania, OH * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html ============================================ ORGANIZE THOSE MOUNTAINS OF PAPER ONCE AND FOR ALL So many people have spoken of the so-called paperless society. There's no doubt that the world hasn't caught on to this concept yet. There's more paper than ever... bank statements, insurance paperwork, schedules, school-related reports, medical records, warranties-- and of course all the fun paper too, like memorabilia, articles, hobby-related stuff and more. This is not to mention all the email messages and computer documents that get printed and copied each day--even more paper! These papers start small, quickly turn into piles, and then grow into mountains. Sometimes, these mountains of paper get so high, that the thought of tackling them is just too overwhelming-- especially when you don't have a good filing system in place or much time to put one together. If you're sick and tired of the piles of paper taking over your home and your life and you just don't know where to start, I have a solution for you. The good news is, this solution won't take hardly any time at all, and the result will be stunning--a filing system that will allow you to dismantle those mountains and find whatever you're looking for in seconds. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ez-mo-oct16-b1.html P.S. I guarantee you'll be able to get all your paper organized, in an efficient, easy-as-pie to set up filing system that will be the envy of all your friends. Here's what a recent customer had to say... I wanted to thank you for putting together My Oh-So- Organized Filing System. It is such a simple idea, but worth every penny. I put your system to work immediately, and you should see my filing drawer--it's beautiful! I could not have achieved the level of success without your completely thought out system. It's wonderful. Everything is filed away and neat and organized. I can find anything. I showed my husband and he was so impressed, he was telling the neighbors! Excellent product--I highly recommend it! --Jennifer Thoden, Drapery Sewing Supplies ============================================ GET ORGANIZED NOW! RECOMMENDATION OF THE WEEK If you're like most people, then you want to get organized and stay organized, BUT you don't want to spend a bunch of money in the process. And these days, there are plenty of organizing products to choose from. Many require you to dig into your wallet--and dig deep! What you may not realize is that there are dozens of potential organizing solutions in your home at this very moment. That's right! Most everything you need to organize your stuff is at home with you now, just waiting for you to use it. You're going to love this. You can magically convert your trash, recyclables, and has-beens into more than 150 cheap organizers for your home. Not only will you save money, you will bring out your 'green' side, conserving resources and protecting the earth. Each idea will cost you less than 20 cents, and you will save literally hundreds of dollars that you would have otherwise spent on store-bought organizing products. Not creative? You don't have to be able to sew, scrapbook, knit, do wood work, or anything! You don't have to have a creative bone in your body. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ez-co-oct16-r2.html Maria Gracia P.S. Get ready to save hundreds using what you have in your home to get organized, and discover 150 low-cost or no- cost, eco-friendly solutions to organize and store your stuff! ============================================ AN ORGANIZING TIP FROM ONE OF OUR READERS To simplify gift wrapping and gift wrap storage, I only buy white ribbon and all-occasion paper that will look good with white ribbon. That way, if there's a ribbon sale, I can stock up on white. And if I pick up new gift wrap, I know I'll have ribbon at home already that matches. Sara Heard New York, NY * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html ============================================ CRAVING YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT MEALS? MAKE THEM AT HOME FOR A FRACTION OF THE COST Have you been craving meals from your favorite restaurants (like Applebee's, Boston Market, Chili's, Outback Steakhouse, Macaroni Grill and Red Lobster), but don't want the high expense of constantly eating out? I'm always trying to replicate my family's favorite restaurant dishes at home, but it hasn't always been easy. That is, until now. I've just discovered how to prepare my family's favorite restaurant recipes--that taste just like they do when we're eating out. The best thing is, these meals cost 5 to 10 times less to prepare at home as they do to eat at the restaurant! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ez-hm-oct16-b3.html ============================================ ORGANIZING CHALLENGE NOTES Week of October 3: Organize Your Coupons To organize my coupons, I purchased an index card box with alphabet dividers. I flipped the dividers backwards and each one represents an aisle in my grocery store. Now when shopping, I have all the relevant coupons at my finger tips as I get to each item in the store. It's easy to maintain, and reduces search time in the store! --Kara MacDowell Thanks for giving me permission to empty out my coupon drawer to start over. How freeing!! Now I feel I'm caught up and ready to only clip what I need. Thanks! --Jaclyn, Louisville, KY ============================================ BECOME OUR FAN ON FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Get-Organized-Now/50467098715?ref=ts * * * * * FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Visit Twitter and follow me: http://twitter.com/getorgnow ============================================ LAST WEB POLL RESULTS What best describes how you feel regarding the back-to-school season? 11% Hooray! Finally more time for me!! 2% I'm so sad. Without my kids home all day, what will I do with all the extra time? 22% Mixed feelings. I like the kids home, but I know the extra quiet hours will help. 65% No kids living at home, so the back-to-school season doesn't affect me. Total Votes: 931 ============================================ IN CLOSING An inexhaustible good nature is one of the most precious gifts of heaven, spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought, and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather. -- Washington Irving And remember . . . there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now! Warmly, Maria Gracia Get Organized Now! http://www.getorganizednow.com ============================================ (c) Copyright 2009 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now! * Copyright, contact and reprint information: http://www.getorganizednow.com/contact.html * You signed up to receive our Idea-Kit and/or our Newsletter at our Get Organized Now! Web site. We never add names unless you have voluntarily opted in. * We never rent, trade or sell our email list to anyone. 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