Deciding priorities

Put In The Big Rocks First

The Author Steven Covey is one of my heroes.

In the book “First Things First” he describes a story that one of his associates experienced on a seminar. In the middle of the lecture the presenter pulled out a wide-mouth jar and placed it on the table, aside to some fist-sized rocks.
After filling the jar to the top with rocks he asked, “Is the jar full?” People could see that no more rocks would fit, so they replied, “Yes!”
“Not so fast,” he cautioned. He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, “Is the jar full?” This time the students replied “Probably not.” The presenter then reached a bucket of sand below the table, and dumped it on the jar, filling the spaces between the rocks and the gravel. Once again he asked “Is the jar full?” “No!”, the students shouted. Finally, he grabbed a pitcher of water and filled the jar completely, asking to the public what they could learn from that illustration.
One of the participants answered, “If you work at it, you can always fit more into your life.” “No,” said the presenter. “The point is, if you don’t put the big rocks in first. . . would you ever have gotten any of them in?”
This is a perfect lesson on priorities.Some of us need a real life illustration like that to keep on track. I for one am grateful for it. My big rock today? Paying the bills. What is your big rock?

Oh the Irony

I’m trying to read an article on multitasking while multitasking. Its not going so well. I think I may have about 50 current tabs opened waiting for direct action or bookmarking.

Am I really accomplishing anything? Maybe. I certainly am not done reading the article. I do know one thing. This is distracting. Having so many things calling for attention is stressful. I’m not sure why I start one thing before finishing another.

When I see something new to look at I’m like a kid with a new toy. I can’t wait to rip the packaging off and get started. Think of a magpie trapped in yard full of shiny things each one vying for attention.

Its a bad habit.It’s something I really need to work on. I am going against my own advice. Never a good idea.

The good news is I downloaded Windows Live Writer. It makes blogging so much easier. I’m using it right now. Just by itself. Not trying to do anything else. Ah… now that feels better.

One Good Shred Deserves Another

I ve given myself the nice WWF sounding nickname of “The Shredder Killer”.
I've effectively “killed” three shredders in the 11 years or so that I've been in the organizing business. I get going gang busters & forget that all those tiny shreds eventually start rising to the top and will clog the shred machinism.
It seems like when I’m in the shredding ”zone”, I forget how much I really have accomplished until I break the machine. My new machine has nice trash can I can see so when the tough get shredding I can easily see how full it is.
I doubt this is the last shredder I'll buy but it would be nice if it was.

Organizing experts Julie Morgenstern and Peter Walsh

Organizing experts Julie Morgenstern and Peter Walsh each have their own approaches to decluttering.
Here are a few of their tips figuring out what to keep and what to toss:

1. Define your vision
Peter Walsh, author of the bestselling "It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff". The starting point has to be, 'What is the vision you have for the life you want?

2. Define the clutter
Clutter doesn't have to be made of stuff. "It can be any obsolete object, space, commitment or behavior that weighs you down or distracts you or saps your energy", Morgenstern says.

3. Start small
Every once in a while you will be overcome with thoughts of "what if I really need that later?" If that happens, just take a deep breath, remember your goal and keep going. "Keep in mind that if you aren't careful, what you own will end up owning you," says Walsh.

4. Let your good riddance help others
You can even take a tax deuction if you itemize

5. Examine all aspects of your life for clutter.
"If you think about it, the reasons why a lot of people buy stuff are exactly the same reasons why a lot of people run out and eat inappropriate food—to make themselves feel better," Walsh says.

Feelings, whoa ,whoa, Feeeeelings

I'm feeling guilty because I havent posted in while. We are getting ready to move to our new home. Im also feeling guilty because I havent put much in the Salavtion Army give away basket. I have done so much purging to fit into our tiny apartment can it be Im purged out?
That Im not certain of. Im determined to fill the box. It looks so lonely only half full. Besides if it's only half full Im stuck with looking at in the living room till it goes out the door!

Tips to Get Control of Your Day

No words of wisdom from myself today. I'll let another comment.

Bob Prosen's Tips to Get Control of Your Day
1. Determine your top priorities. There should only be three or four. Write them down, and keep them on your desk so you won't get distracted.
2. Delegate, delegate, and then delegate some more. Remember, delegation is not the same as abdication. You don't just turn your back. Stay involved at appropriate points until your goals are realized. Obviously, if you have hired smart and surrounded yourself with pros, delegating effectively is pretty easy.
3. Perform a two-day time study. Write down where you're spending your time for two days, and at the end of those two days, assess yourself:
Are you spending time on too many things that aren't priorities?
What types of activities are taking more time than they should?
Where are you gravitating in the business?
Is that the best place for you to be spending your time?
What issues are coming to you that shouldn't?

Be brutally honest with yourself, and make whatever adjustments are required. Be certain to communicate those changes to your team, or they won't understand why you're doing things differently.
After you re-prioritize, block out time on your schedule for planning and for thinking about the Big Picture and the Next Big Thing as they relate. If you don't schedule it, you won't do it.

The Art of Living

To develop to the fullest,
You have got to understand,
That things don't always function
In the way that they were planned.

There's a special art to living,
And the challenge must be met,
But the longer that you try it,
Why the better you will get.

Don't waste your time in waiting
For the world to come to you,
You have to climb the mountain
to appreciate the view.

by Grace E. Easley

May you love only what can serve you simply.

It has come to my attention that I can further my "organized" education by learning more about space planning for garages. Now the topic excites me but the study... not so much. I haven't mastered my own desk enough to feel ike I have time to learn the fine art of sorting thru the outer limits. Mind you, if we pre-sorted and streamlined alot tof things "pre-garage" they would never end up there in the first place.

That is my mind set now. We havent had a garage for a couple years now so alot of "Garage type thingys" ended up in the basement.

Right now I am looking at 3 separate sewing containers near my desk. Why you ask?
Uh, I'm asking myself why!!! At one point I had a bigger home where I kept a small sewing container in the bedrooms- sort of a point of use dealio. But many bedrooms no longer exist so its time to consolidate. I have weakness for nice containers so that makes it harder.

But I am undaunted in the consolidation desire. My love of neat containers is now sort of a bain
now that I have less space.

The good news is that someone will find my old containers of much use in their own home
after I give them away. So to whoever gets my shaker basket "God Bless You".
May you love only what can serve you simply.

'Tis the gift to be simple- Good enough for shakers, good enough for me

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn 'twill be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,

When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn 'twill be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

shaker song - simple gifts - joseph brackett - 1848