Get Organized Now! Newsletter by Maria Gracia http://www.getorganizednow.com Issue: December 12-18, 2009 Number of Subscribers: 181,999 ====================================================== Hello {!firstname_fix} ====================================================== ====================================================== Banish Clutter Once and For All ====================================================== It's not every day that I recommend organizing books from authors other than myself. But, when something really good comes along--something that I feel supplements my books and products beautifully, I'd feel I was doing you a disservice not to tell you about it. Mimi Tanner, the author of 'Declutter Fast' is actually a reformed pack rat. That's right...she has struggled with mountains of clutter for years. But today, she is free. She has discovered the joys of order and organization. She focuses on getting rid of clutter, and she does a wonderful job at it. Mimi makes decluttering your house both quick and pain free. I'm inspired by her excellent methods. I'm sure you will be too. Visit: http://fb1e43irtfrc0vb5vdtzkk0s9i.hop.clickbank.net/ ====================================================== It's OK to Say No Sometimes ====================================================== So many of us are overextended, but we need to remind ourselves that there are only 24 hours a day, 168 hours a week. If you sleep the recommended 8 hours a night, you're left with 112 hours in a week. Imagine if you work a 40 hour week--you are down to 72 hours a week. Okay, now factor everything else into those 72 hours. At some point you need to make a judgment call and realize you can't do everything all the time, or you will burn yourself out. Saying 'No' is an art form. There are many reasons why we have so much trouble saying it, even if it's in our best interest to do so. Some of the reasons include a) we don't want to hurt the other person's feelings, b) we don't want them to think negative thoughts such as we're being unkind or c) we avoid it in order to try to escape confrontation. Many of us lack daily refusal skills. 'No' may be a mere two letters--but it is a powerful word. 1. What's or Who's at the top of your list? The starting point for deciding to retake your time is to make and set your priorities. Write down what is most important to you. Remember to include yourself and your health on the list. You can't care for others if you're not feeling well. It is often hard for most of us to be honest with ourselves. Display your list on a bulletin board, wipe board, your computer or in your journal-- anywhere as long as you will look at it often. Make sure your list includes those who need and deserve your time. 2. Take time for yourself everyday. You are important and YOU deserve to take priority on your to-do list. Make sure you give yourself some free time to pamper yourself, just relax, or work on a hobby or craft--however you like to relax and decompress. Include rewards after completing tasks. Saying 'no' is not selfish. Plus, it may allow you the time to pursue new hobbies and interests. Saying 'no' can be very good for you and your well being. 3. Be brief, direct, and honest. Do not make excuses. People respect honesty. Be fair, and most of all remember to be fair to yourself. Treat yourself right and you can't help but treat others right too. If you need to use humor to lighten the 'no', do it! 4. Do not make commitments you are not prepared to keep. Saying 'no' is only a refusal of that particular request. Take a minute and breathe before answering a request. Sometimes in the case of volunteer organizations, instead of tackling the entire world maybe you can volunteer to do one small task, like making a flyer or writing an article for the newsletter. 5. If you feel that you are unable to say 'no', especially to someone's face, say you 'need to think about it.' Call after you have thought about it for a day or two before you answer, but be honest with yourself. It's so easy to say 'Yes' at first, but remember 'No' is all right too. It will take time to get used to saying 'No.' Many of us are people pleasers so we want to say 'yes'. We want people to like us. ====================================================== Finally Organized, Finally Free -- for the HOME by Maria Gracia * HOT PRODUCT! Huge (405 Pages) HOME Edition! * Finally, a comprehensive resource to help you get organized once and for all! * Get 2,175 organizing tips, ideas and techniques to help you organize your home, your time and your life! 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/foffhome.html P.S. Get organized before the end of 2009. You can do it! ====================================================== 6. Remember you don't have to give a reason. We don't give reasons when we say 'yes' so why should we have to give a reason for saying 'no.' A simple 'I appreciate you asking, but no thanks' will often do the trick. Kick your guilt to the curb! 7. Set limits. If you are only available to help a friend for 4 hours on Saturday, tell them that and stick to your limits. Keep in mind to be firm but polite. You need to recognize how much you can reasonably do. 8. What are you to do? Before you make a commitment, make sure you understand what exactly is expected of you. Are you expected to organize the entire party or just cook a dessert? 9. Think ahead. Organize yourself. Have clear to-do lists and a calendar in order to allow you to know what is coming up and whether you are able to make another commitment. Is it a long term or a short term commitment? Do you honestly have time for it? An agenda to organize your life is key! 10. Give some away. If nothing else works, remember to delegate some of your commitments to others. Delegation is the key to being a good leader. Break up things among family members, friends, organizations, or co-workers. Allow others to help you. ====================================================== Finally Organized, Finally Free -- for the OFFICE * HOT PRODUCT! Huge (395 Pages) OFFICE Edition! * Finally, a comprehensive resource to help you get organized once and for all! * Get 1,875 organizing tips, ideas and techniques to help you organize your office, your files, your schedule and so much more! 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/foffoffice.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) 12/07 - Good Things Are Often Planned 2) 12/03 - Time Management is NOT About Accomplishing Everything on Your To Do List 3) 11/24 - What's Holding You Back From Getting Organized? 4) 11/18 - National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Month Visit: http://getorganizednow.typepad.com/get_organized_now_weblog/ ** NEW Weekly Organizing Challenge: Department 1 Each week, you'll get a new challenge. 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 December 12th challenge. Go to the link below and look for the message in a bottle. http://getorganizednow.com/#challenge ** FEATURED Ecourse: Department 8 One of the most common questions I get on the subject of getting organized is, "Where do I start?" This is an excellent question. If you just dive in without taking some time to plan, there's a good chance that you're going to get overwhelmed, and the job is not going to get done. Here are the 5 simple secrets for getting organized. Go to the link below and look for the pickup sticks. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#ecourse ** FEATURED Slideshow: Department 8 Invest just a minute or two doing something that will save you lots of time later. The minutes will really add up! This course consists of 5 lessons and will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Go to the link below and look for the timer. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#slideshow ** December Monthly Checklist: Department 1 It's the last month of the year. Make it your most organized ever! Start today with our new December monthly checklist. Go to the link below and look for the seal pup. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#checklist ** Web Poll Our featured multiple choice question is, 'When I walk into someone else's visibly cluttered house, I feel...' 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 ====================================================== 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/filing.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. ====================================================== An Organizing Tip From One of Our Readers ====================================================== I needed to organize my menu, grocery list and coupons in a place with easy access, and not on the refrigerator. I asked my husband to put a magnet on the back of the kitchen cupboard door. He bought a strip of metal and screwed it to the inside of the door, using small screws so they wouldn't poke through to the front. Now I use a pad of paper with a glued magnetic strip on the top for the grocery list. The pad of paper easily gets pulled off, written on, and then put back on the metal strip. A magnetic pinch clip is used for the menu, which I prepare weekly before going to the grocery store. I also use a smaller magnetic clip for any coupons I can use. Sharon Kieliszewski Combined Locks, Wisconsin * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html ====================================================== Drowning in a Sea of Loose Papers and Sticky Notes? Here's Help! ====================================================== Movies you want to see someday, books you'd like to read, phone numbers, addresses, goals you wish to meet, recipes you want to try, wish lists, ideas, your cleaning checklist, your to do list... There's so much information you have to keep track of, but where do you put it all? Typically, it ends up on scraps of paper and sticky notes 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/ezorganizer.html ====================================================== An Organizing Tip From One of Our Readers ====================================================== One Christmas I realized, almost last minute, that I didn't have enough placemats for the 17 guests who would join us for Christmas dinner. I went to a dollar store and bought decorative wall calendars; the ones that are about 12 inches square when closed. I wrapped them in foil-type gift-wrap, put ribbons on them (put the ribbon on so it crossed in the upper left part of the package), and attached gift tags where the ribbon crossed for place cards. These were my placemats. The table looked far more festive than I hoped, and we started a new Christmas tradition when I invited guests to unwrap their 'placemats.' Everyone loved the idea and now my kids have a little fun when they just casually start 'tearing up' their placemat after dinner while unsuspecting new visitors look on. Everyone is delighted to find they may do the same. This also provides the small Christmas gift I like to make sure every visitor receives when they join us for dinner. Mary Louise Mayo Allen, TX * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html ====================================================== Organize Your Boxes of Photos--Quickly and Easily ====================================================== Have you got years and years' worth of photos that have never even made it out of the film developers' envelopes? Worse yet, have you got rolls of film that haven't even been developed? Are you up to your eyeballs in boxes and stashes of photos that are a jumbled mess? Wondering how you'll ever manage to organize the old photos you've inherited when you're already frazzled by your own collection? Feeling frustrated by rummaging through your piles in search of a special photograph only to come up empty handed? Have you slowed down or even stopped your picture taking because you just don't know where you'd put any more photos? Are you fed up with feeling overwhelmed and guilty about your out-of-control photo collection? You're not alone and, I'm happy to report, there is now help. There are so many people out there that are overwhelmed with the seemingly monumental (O.K. make that monumental) task of organizing their photographs. It's just too big of a job to go it alone. We all need support, encouragement, and even just the sense that we're not alone. I'm thrilled to share what I've learned is now available for you to get your photos organized once and for all. Visit: http://getorgnow1.photohelp.hop.clickbank.net/ Maria Gracia Get Organized Now! P.S. This system has helped so many of my friends. I highly recommend it! ====================================================== An Organizing Tip from One of Our Readers ====================================================== I was missing pay dates on my bills and getting late fees because I would not open mail as soon as it arrived and just put them on my wall holder. So I typed the name of all the accounts such as gas, light, credit cards, dept stores, etc. on the little return address sized labels. The ones I still mailed had a little mailbox before the name, some I phoned in had a little phone in front of the name and some paid by Internet had a little symbol. Some I paid in person had a little person on the label. I could get two names on each label--then I would stick these on a monthly calendar on my fridge allowing enough time for mail, etc. to reach the account owed. As soon as I pay the bill I cross it off the calendar. Might seem a little old fashioned, but now no guesswork on when bills are due! Wayne Hawthorne Glenshaw, PA * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html ====================================================== Want to Live a Happier, More Fulfilling Life? ====================================================== Imagine being able to... * Hit your ideal weight and stay there forever without feeling miserable * Exercise and LOVE it * Be free of depression no matter how severe or how long you've suffered * Get rid of your panic attacks and stop obsessive behaviors * Quit bad habits for good - and not miss them one little bit * Live every single day with passion and purpose no matter what your age Until now, there has been no way to eliminate the mental patterns that stop you from doing the things you want to do. But now there is, and you deserve to live your dream life. Visit: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=373018 ====================================================== Organizing Challenge Notes ====================================================== Week of December 5th: Decide on 3 Goals for January I plan on doing the following in January: 1) to eat more fruit. 2) Getting multiple streams of income. Writing articles, work part-time and sell our old stuff online. 3) to make 3 goals like these at the start of every month. It will work much better then making huge New Year's resolutions! Mangla Sachdev London UK ====================================================== Become Our Fan on Facebook ====================================================== http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Get-Organized-Now/50467098715?ref=ts * * * * * Follow Us on Twitter http://twitter.com/getorgnow ====================================================== In Closing ====================================================== Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. --Will Rogers 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. You'll never get an unsolicited email from a stranger as a result of joining this list. * To subscribe, visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/free-ezine.html * To unsubscribe, click the link at the bottom of this email. You are subscribed to our list as: {!name} {!email} ============================================