It arose one morning from the bowels of my desk, a formless mass that spread and covered itself over anything I was looking for.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“I am Clutter,” the mass answered, “and I am here to confound your life. I am the things you refuse to throw out though you haven’t used them in six years, the miscellaneous papers, phone numbers, business cards, and chatckas you accumulate and don’t put away. I am the inevitable manifestation of your sloppiness. I am Clutter.”
I grabbed Clutter and moved it from one end of the desk to the other.
Clutter chortled. “That’s my favorite pastime. Moving from one end of the desk to the other.”
“What do you want?” I asked.
“To frustrate you. I will resist all attempts to remove me, reduce me, or otherwise eliminate me. It’s my purpose to hide whatever important piece of paper you need, whichever phone number you must call.”
“I’m throwing you out,” I stormed.
Clutter shook his untidy mass sadly, as in pity. “Not without looking through me to see if there’s anything you really need,” Clutter answered. “The odds are slim, but you won’t take that chance. And while you’re sorting through me, I’ll re-form in another pile.”
“But you’ll be smaller, more manageable.”
“Not really. You’ll decide to keep 90% of me, as you always do. And soon, new papers, numbers, documents will gather, making me more obstructive than ever.”
“You won’t ruin my life, Clutter! I’ll start a filing system! Put a bit of you where you belong.”
Clutter gazed at me contemptuously. “The last time you tried that, you created my cousins, Chaos and Disorder. It’ll never work.”
Clutter had me and I knew it. Attempts in the past to file things alphabetically had only created 26 piles of mess instead of one. I was desperate, so I decided to bluff. “I’ll take a time management course,” I threatened. Clutter quite rightly ignored my remark. I wasn’t dealing with an idiot, after all.
“Then I’ll buy a computer and store you on my floppy disks!”
“And within a month your disk-filing system will be in total disarray, plus you’ll have another pile of papers waiting to be entered onto disks. Face it, you can’t win.”
Exasperated, I ran to the closet. “I’m getting some air.”
Clutter had been to the closet before me. Shoes were scattered, shirts were unhung, clumps of pants and underwear lay strewn next to towels and a lawn chair. Socks congealed in small piles, looking like the waste product of some nylon-eating monster. Cliff notes from A Tale of Two Cities lay atop the heater.
“Clutter,” I yelled. “You have crippled my productivity for the last time. No longer will I be late, no more will I miss appointments, Never again shall I be overwhelmed by your size and withdraw into reading old magazines. I am going out to the store to buy a paper shredder.”
I looked around for a long moment. “Now where did I leave my keys?”
Clutter burped.
(Author unknown)
February 20, 2012
I’m feeling just a bit tired today. Generally, I try to get around 7 1/2 to 8 hours of sleep each night…a bit more on the weekends. Last night, I ended up going to bed about a half hour later than usual. I’ve had a fairly productive morning, but I’ve been catching some yawns in between projects.
One thing I recently learned is that it’s not a great idea to surf the Internet, text, or watch TV right before bedtime. Apparantly, according to the National Sleep Foundation, the artificial light from these devices disrupts circadian rhythms and suppresses the release of melatonin (sleep promoting hormone). This, in turn, can result in you having trouble falling asleep.
Interesting. I usually don’t have my computer on that late at night, but I have been known to catch a late-night TV program before bed or even respond to a text message or two at that time. Next time, I’ll think twice before engaging in either of these directly before bedtime.
So, what can you do to relax yourself before bed? Many sleep specialists recommend relaxation techniques, such as a warm bath, meditation or soothing music 30 to 60 minutes before you to to sleep.
Just for fun, comment on this blog post and tell us how many hours of shut eye you’re getting each night.
Wishing you a (yawn!) productive day and restful evening!
February 17, 2012
Yesterday, I chaperoned a school field trip to the Schlitz Audobon Center in Milwaukee, WI. What fun the kids had learning about owls, squirrels, groundhogs, raccoons, fox and other animals. With the incredibly mild weather, they even got to walk on the trails AND play in the sand on the beach (Lake Michigan) in their snowpants. It was a great learning experience and the kids had a blast!
Among all the interesting things I myself learned, the facts about the gray squirrel were particularly interesting.
Of course, every fall, the gray squirrel spends its day gathering nuts and seeds. It then hides them so it will have enough food to last through the cold weather. However, the gray squirrel doesn’t hide its nuts in any one place. Instead, its hiding pattern is called scatter hoarding. The squirrel will bury its food in HUNDREDS of different locations. So if another squirrel or animal finds one of the hiding spots, it’s not a huge problem. There will be plenty more where that came from. So, my next question was, is the squirrel able to remember all of these hiding places? Apparently, most of the time! It cleans each nut or seed before it is hidden, which leaves a scent that the squirrel can find later in the winter.
While this system is great for the gray squirrel, it is definitely NOT great for humans. Hiding bags of chips, for example, in 7 different cabinets, is only going to result in you thinking you’re out of chips, which will snowball into you buying yet MORE chips. If the butter which is normally stored on the top shelf of your fridge gets moved to the bottom shelf, you’re likely not going to be able to locate it as quickly as the gray squirrel would, which again may result in you buying more butter when you still have some left.
Final Word: Don’t scatter hoard! Consolidate like-items in one place so you know exactly how many you have, and if you’re really running out of that item.
February 10, 2012
If your spouse hasn’t brought home flowers in awhile, or your relationship has completely lost it’s passion, I have a wonderful resource for you to check out this week. It’s a complimentary presentation that will instantly help you add that ‘spark’ back into your relationship.
Believe it or not, you’ll learn a very effective method for using tiny little text messages to wake up the ‘secret romantic’ in your life–even if you have kids, work too much, or just ‘don’t have the time’.
The techniques in this video have been tested by tens of thousands of women around the world. This is a wonderful resource, and I highly encourage you to watch the
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February 3, 2012
I often get readers asking me for moving tips. If you’re in the process of moving, or are planning a move in the near future, here’s some great advice from Erik Braunitzer (courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Company, agents for NYC Apartments.)
Moving can be an arduous process. It takes time to pack up your life and prepare to move it to a new location. It can be expensive to hire professional movers to come pack, and load the truck for you. If you need to move yourself, you may not be able to afford the cost. However, with careful planning you can make the moving process easier on yourself while still saving money. A careful plan makes it easier when you need to unpack as well.
Moving Supplies
The first step is to gather the right supplies to help you move. You should have plenty of boxes, boxing tape, and box cutters available. Packing materials to keep your items safe are important as well. Old towels, newspapers, and pillows can be used to protect your fragile items. You can also purchase special types of boxes and packing items for the things that are the most important to you. Sheets can help protect your larger items from getting dirty while moving. Rope is important to have on hand to secure the items in the moving truck. A dolly makes it easier to load the truck. If you are putting some items in storage packing with mothballs and air fresheners can keep things fresh and pest free.
Packing and Labeling
As you pack up each box, it helps to label the boxes. The labels should have what went into the box. This can be general such as kid’s books or dishes. The label should indicate what room the box should go in when you unload it, and it should also say whether the box is heavy or light. This will help when you are packing the truck, since you want the heavier boxes on the bottom. Always clearly label the box if something is fragile. The fragile marking should go on all sides of the box.
Organizing
A list of the items that you are packing and moving, and the items you are discarding will make it easier to make sure all of your items have been accounted for, especially when you are hunting for a particular item. You can also create a moving checklist and include the things you need to do like changing your address at your bank, setting up the utilities in advance, along with the work order numbers in case there is a problem, and the contact information for the moving company. This checklist can include the days you will pack and any other tasks that need to be done before and during your move.
Book a Moving Truck
A moving truck is essential for a smooth move. If you cannot afford a moving truck, you should contact friends and family well in advance of your move for help. Scheduling a moving truck in advance can help you save on the rates for the truck as well. When you book the truck you can also book the moving dollies, which will make loading and unloading the truck much easier, especially if you are moving appliances.
Get Help
You do not need to do everything alone. Ask friends and family to help you with all the stages of moving. Packing boxes can be monotonous and having a friend to talk to while you are working helps. Help on moving day with loading and unloading can make your job much easier. You may need help with the final cleaning after you have loaded the truck.
January 26, 2012
Have you ever seen the comedy show, ‘The Big Bang Theory’? A friend recommended it, and now my husband and I enjoy watching it together.
Sheldon, one of the characters, is ‘very organized’ and is constantly making comments along the lines of organizing, specifically to his disorganized neighbor. Here are two of my favorite comments…
———————
Sheldon: [in a deep Arnold voice] If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.
———————
Leonard: Did it ever occur to you that not everyone has the compulsive need to sort organize and label the entire world around them?
Sheldon: No.
Leonard: Well, they don’t. Hard as it may be for you to believe, most people don’t sort their breakfast cereal numerically by fiber content.
Sheldon: I’m sorry, but I think we’ve both found that helpful at times.
January 19, 2012
What are you spending your time on each day? Do you sometimes take a moment to think about how your precious time is being invested? Here’s an Old English Prayer that I thought I’d share with you this week on the subject of using time wisely. Enjoy!
Take Time
Take time to work.
It is the price of success.
Take time to think.
It is the source of power.
Take time to play.
It is the secret of perpetual youth.
Take time to read.
It is the foundation of wisdom.
Take time to worship.
It is the highway to reverence.
Take time to be friendly.
It is the road to happiness.
Take time to dream.
It is hitching your wagon to a star.
Take time to love and be loved.
It is the privilege of life.
Take time to look around.
It is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to laugh.
It is the music of the soul.
–Old English Prayer
January 12, 2012
Did you over-indulge over the holidays? I know I did. I have yet to meet a person who can resist those wonderful, rich foods of the season.
But now that the holidays have come and gone, one of the top new year’s resolutions so many of us have is taking off those extra pounds.
And I know the perfect way to do just that!
There’s a resource on the Web–a free video–that is chock full of information to not only help with those nasty excess pounds, BUT to also change your thinking about why the so-called ‘healthy’ foods you’re eating may be stopping you from reaching your weight goals.
I, for one, certainly do not want to eat carrots and celery, just to look good. Life is too short to not enjoy delicious foods.
That’s why I loved all of the valuable information on this video. It was very down-to-earth, made perfect sense AND was filled with information to help you look and feel great all year long and thereafter–without depriving yourself of delicious foods.
I was very impressed with the amount of quality information on this video and could hardly believe they were giving it all away. It’s unheard of.
I urge you to watch the video all the way through. It started off interesting, and by the time I reached the end, it was completely eye-opening!
Visit:
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Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
P.S. If you are seeking the perfect solution to shape up, look, and feel your best, there’s no need to search any further. Watch this video all the way through–it’s that important.
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January 7, 2012
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December 30, 2011
My 7-year old daughter (soon to be 8 as she likes to say!) is home from school on Christmas vacation this week. It has been a joy having her here with us all day, although it’s important that I get some work done at the same time.
For this entire week, I’ll be using my ‘Sandwiching Projects and Playtime’ philosophy. This means that I do a project, and then I give some time to my daughter, and then I do another project, and then I give some more time to my daughter–and it keeps repeating throughout the day.
This ensures 1) that I get some work done, 2) that I am spending quality time with my daughter, and 3) that my daughter has time for independent play, reading, etc.
It’s working beautifully, and it’s a great system any parent can use anytime!
December 26, 2011
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