If you think you would like to throw a party but are worried about all that it entails, consider these points: Visualize. What would your ideal party look like and how would you want to feel? Would you be happiest with an impromptu affair that would involve people dropping in and bringing a dish – either at your home or at a park? Are you more comfortable with a planned party where you are in control of the food and you know in advance how many people are coming? Would you li

Anytime I work in a zone, I start with a vision. Because I share this room with my husband, it needs to be a shared vision. We want this room to have a calming and soothing feel and be a place that sparks joy and happiness. We like soft light but enough for reading. My husband meditates here so the room should have an uncluttered peaceful feel. I allow one month to work on this zone and divide the area into four sections. The easiest way to do this is to assign one wall to ea

Often, we don’t even see the clutter around us. We get used to it being part of our daily environment. Take a walk through your house. Pretend you are showing it to sell. Notice surfaces that have piles of paper or other items. Are there objects stacked on the floor? Another technique is to take pictures of your rooms. It is amazing what you see in a picture that you didn’t notice otherwise. The picture may show you that end table stacked with things to read and other bits a

During the holidays chances are that you are either throwing a party or are a part of setting up a party. It might be a large Thanksgiving gathering, a choir or work party, a cookie exchange, or a gala New Year Eve party. Since I love to give parties, over the years I have developed a plan that lets me enjoy my own parties. The plan involves backwards planning and looks like this: Start with your vision. What is the purpose of this party? Where is it held? How will it look an

I frequently use and recommend backward planning as a It works like this: Start with the end in mind. What does the end product look like and how are you going to feel? Using a party as an example, I would envision that my home is filled with friends, there is an abundance of good food, and that I am enjoying this party as well as my guests. Plan an end date. When does all this have to come together? When is the party? When is the move? Do a brain dump of all the things that

I knew from working with this client before in other areas of her home that she definitely suffers from the “out of sight, out of mind” syndrome. She is afraid that if she puts something away in a file, she might as well just trash it because she will never think of it again. So she has stacks of papers on the coffee table, on her desk, on her office table, and randomly elsewhere. The clutter bothers her and the fact that when she finds something (ex. papers about her father’

You just can’t control the universe. Bad weather happens. Overpasses collapse. Illness happens. Other people have changes in their schedules that affect your plans. There seems to be daily obstacles to overcome so remaining flexible is key to survival. Setting up a daily/weekly schedule certainly helps you manage your time. Routines are great! With daily/weekly routines you don’t have to think about every single task you do. Each morning, as you start your day, look at the bi

Easy to say – harder to do. Below are 9 tips to help you stay in control of your day: Know how you are using your time now. Track how you are using your time for a couple of weeks. The first week you might track Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The second week you might track Tuesday and Thursday. Add in weekend days if that is also an issue. Use a timer and every 1/2 hour make a quick note of what you are working on. No cheating! (Wow, the timer is about to go off, I’d better

Every now and then we get a much needed reminder about how important this is. Yesterday morning I had a job that ended at 2:00. At that time I checked my phone for messages. I had one from my husband telling me that he had to check into the emergency room of the hospital that afternoon and that probably he would have an operation tomorrow – maybe to remove a kidney. I was at least 35 – 40 minutes from home. I called him back to say I was on my way. On the drive home, I called

Don’t lose your dining room table for a month while working on taxes. One of the files you should have near your desk is your tax folder. I like mine a bright red and it sits behind all of my standard desk files in my file drawer. All through the year, anything that comes in that is related to taxes should be dropped into this file. Don’t take time at this point to sort them. It is more efficient to sort them when you seriously start to work on your taxes. Acknowledgements of

Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer #dolist #calendar #timemanagement #transitiontimes #projects

Even the very idea of giving a party can be overwhelming. But like any big project, it is not so daunting if you break it down into small, manageable tasks. I always start my plan with a vision. What do I want this party to look like and how do I want myself and others to feel? I usually develop my party around a theme, but the theme could be as simple as “catch up and have fun.” What next? Brainstorm and write down all the tasks that have to happen to make the vision come t

I do this every year as an end of year ritual. I sit comfortably with some nice pens, my old calendar, a hot drink, and some pleasant music in the background. I take my time to reflect on the past year and plan for the upcoming one. I go through my old calendar month by month. I note birthdays, anniversaries, and standard meeting times (networking groups, goals group, weight watchers, my zone plan teleclass, etc.). I transfer these events onto the new calendar in red. This is

OK, it is really December and the days are speeding up for sure. I feel a combination of excitement and panic. I’m looking forward to some parties and church events. I am looking forward to enjoying my decorated home. I am enjoying the holiday foods and music. But, wow! There are a lot of things that are not done. Most of the cards have not been mailed. Some gifts still need to be purchased – still unsure of what to even get a couple of people. I still have more baking to do.

Summer is really here! I love summers. I think this goes partly back to when I was a student and then a teacher and summer was break time. In summer time our schedule usually changes. This may be because kids are home, a vacation is planned, or it is just so hot. To make this summer really special, let’s come up with a plan. Start with developing a vision. What is most important to you this summer? How do you want to feel? What do you want to do? Do you want more family time

Now is a great opportunity to take the time to really set up your 2015 calendar so that is will work for you. I really enjoy this annual ritual. I sit comfortably with some nice pens and a lovely hot drink. I put on some holiday music and take my time to reflect and plan. I review my current calendar. I note birthdays, anniversaries, and standard meeting times ( networking, goals group, weight watchers, etc.) I also note medical appointments that are already set for the new y

Thanksgiving is almost here. The Holidaze season is already upon us. This is the time to make your calendar one of your best friends. There is so much to do during this season and the ideas just spin around in our head. When will we get it all done? Most of us are pretty good about putting major events on the calendar like parties and programs. What we do not put down are the times we plan to do holiday tasks and rituals. First, brainstorm with your family all that you would

1. I review my current calendar. Month by month I note birthdays, anniversaries, and standard meeting times (networking meetings, weight watchers, etc.). I also note medical appointments that are already set for the upcoming year. 2. I transfer these dates onto the new calendar in red. I want them to stand out from all the other appointments and meetings that will crowd my calendar as the year goes by. 3. At the top of each month I note what zone I am going to work on in my

The holiday season is rushing toward us. This year we have quite a crunch with Chanukah starting on Nov. 27, Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, and Advent beginning Dec. 1. Our holidays become a long list of “things to do now.” We end up exhausted by our over commitment, over buying, over eating, and sleep depravation. How do we escape this madness? Work on your vision right now of how you want this season to look and feel. What is really important to you over the holiday season? What

1. Stand back and study your current kitchen set up. What is bugging you the most? Are your counters too crowded? Do you have difficulty locating items? Are some containers hard to reach? 2. Create a vision of how you want your kitchen to look and feel by the end of this month. 3. Make a list of all that needs to happen to make this vision come true. Some of the tasks on your list might include: Declutter your counters. Take off everything that you are not using at least week