I don’t know what your opinion is about the immigration debate going on in Arizona right now. However, regardless of your position, it does provide a great example for why you should deal with things the second they come up.  Okay, maybe not the second they come up, but as soon as possible.

The longer we wait to take care of something, the longer it usually takes to resolve.  This goes for something as simple as placing your keys on the hook when you arrive home, to more complex issues like enforcing immigration laws.  If you take the few seconds to hang up your keys when you arrive home (or put them in your purse… wherever your “place” is), you will spend no time looking for them the next morning when you are ready to leave.  On the flip side, if you toss them anywhere, you could waste precious time, and energy trying to find them. 

Now, the immigration law is a much more complicated issue than losing your keys.  However, I can’t help to wonder how different things would be had someone thought to take care of the issue years ago instead of leaving it for someone else. 

This same principal goes for many things in our lives.  I’m certain you can think of at least one task requiring your attention that you keep putting off because it has become such a large task.  And, the longer you wait, the larger the task gets. However, had taken care of it immediately, it may have only taken minutes of your time. 

What is your nemesis?  Digital pictures, unstored and unsorted.  A stack of unfiled papers sitting on your desk (or scattered throughout your house). 

Whatever the task…
-Vow to take care of it now.  It will take time and be more difficult than before, but far easier than if you wait even longer.
-Make a plan.  If you set goals, you are more likely to get the task completed. 
-Be realistic.  Depending on how long you have waited, your task could take months to complete.
-After you’ve dealt with the issue, keep up with it.  Whether it’s downloading pictures as you take them, or filing bills as they arrive, don’t let the situation compound again.

Often when helping someone go thru their belongings I will hear things like.

“I know it’s faded, but…”
“There are buttons missing, but…”
“It might fit again….”
“Maybe my child/grandkids will use it…”

Something to keep in mind if you you find yourself saying these things; if you wouldn’t buy it, you shouldn’t keep it! 

That means the old cell phone you are hanging onto, the purse with the pinned-in-place strap, and the dried up nail polish are all out!  If it doesn’t fit, it’s broken or missing a part, or simply obselete, take it to be fixed or drop it off at the recycle shop.  Once your home only holds things that you would actually spend money on, you will find a new level of calm!

So, I recently found this website, and after trying it out for a few weeks, I think you should take a look at it too.  It’s an electronic “Teux Deux” list.  It keeps things simple but effectively manages the revolving list of tasks you need to keep track of each day!

Now, it does have it quirks.  But, all in all, it is a great tool to have at my fingertips (on my phone that is!).

Try it out.  Tell me what you think!

Happened on a very cool website today that I just have to share with everyone!  Check out Bluelounge.com for office organizing products that you have just been waiting for someone to invent..Good-bye electirc cord clutter!  Check it out, you’ll see what I mean!

I was flipping thru the Williams-Sonoma catalog just now and it occurred to me how many products there are for the kitchen.  So many of these products have only a sole purpose yet they take up so much room in the kitchen.  For instance, a new gadget I had never seen before, the “mushroom slicer.”  While I’m sure it does an excellent job of creating perfectly sliced shrooms, I couldn’t help but think; “doesn’t a knife do the same thing?” 

Some things may seam like they will make your life easier, but really they are just creating more clutter.  Sticking to the basics is the easiest way to simplify your life.  If you can’t decide, ask yourself “is this necessary?” You may be surprised how often the answer is “No!”

What “amazing” kitchen time saver do you have in your kitchen taking up space?  Let us know on Facebook.

On the desk of a new client sat a clear pickle jar, all tags removed, filled with golf balls.  The task at hand that day was to begin the process of de-cluttering her workspace.  While there were many things on the desk, the jar captured my curiosity.  This client did not strike me as a golf enthusiast, but I could be wrong.  When I enquired about the jar I was confused at first by the answer I received. 

“Oh, those are the important things in life.  They have to go first.”  Noticing the confusion that was very likely strewn across my face, she continued. 

“The golf balls are the important things in life, like family and time for myself.  I can fill in the space with marbles and then sand; things like work and errands, but if I fill the jar with the marbles and sand first, there will be no room for the golf balls.  When I am frustrated with something, the golf balls remind me that what I am dealing with is probably a marble, if not sand, and I can handle it.  They also remind me that I shouldn’t spend too much time on the small things; if I do the golf balls aren’t going to fit!”

Needless to say, the golf balls made the cut that day.  However, they found a place on a nearby shelf.  After all, it isn’t clutter if it has a purpose.  How do you remind yourself to focus on the important things?  Let us know on Facebook.  I can’t wait to read your responses!

Named for the outrageous profit margins retailers experience during this 24 hour period, the Friday after Thanksgiving is commonly referred to as “Black Friday.” However, with the economy in its current state, it is more important then ever that we realize that Black Friday for the Retailers actually means Red Friday for the consumer.  The term actually stems from the old accounting practice of using Red ink for debts and Black ink for profits.

For those of you planning to brave the crowds (more then 147 million last year), here are a few things to keep in mind while hunting for those once in a lifetime sales and impossible to pass up deals. 

First, have a plan.  If your purpose for shopping is to complete your holiday gift list, make sure you actually make a list, and bring it with you!  Stores make a considerable amount of money on impulse buying.  By making a list of the people you need to buy gifts for and what you plan to buy them, you can combat the urge to splurge and still get the gifts you need without sliding into the Red.  If you are unsure of what you want to get someone come, up with an appropriate amount that you would be willing and able to spend and write it next to their name on your list.

Second, make a budget.  It is easy for shoppers to get carried away in the moment.  After all isn’t that what the entire day is built around?  Some of us may already have our holiday list complete so Friday will be more for the thrill of the hunt.  Regardless of who you are buying for, having a budget can keep you calm while the world around you is whirling with “last chance deals.”  The key to a budget however, is to keep track of your purchases.  If you buy mom the video camera she asked for make sure you write down how much it cost you next to her name (on your gift list).  No matter who you are buying for, you should keep a notebook handy to tally your receipt totals as you go.  This will keep you aware of what you have spent and how much of your budgeted money you have left while a also keeping your bank account in the black.

Third, make sure to ask yourself one very important question before each purchase.  “Do I need this?”  If there is a chance that you are buying something for the thrill of the sale instead of the quality of the item or the fact that you actually need it, rethink your purchase!  Don’t let yourself get so caught up in the moment that you start to impulse buy.  Asking whether you really need something will prevent you from purchasing items you do not need.

Fourth, do your research.  How will you know if 30% off of that IPod is a good deal if you haven’t looked at what it goes for normally?  If you have made a list, you should have some things in mind.  Spending a little time researching the things you want to buy can save you a lot of money.  Many stores provide prices for items on their websites so there is little effort needed to do a little research.  For instance, if I wanted to get my sister a new camera, I would check its price at Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-mart, and Amazon.  If I’m prepared with a list of comparable prices I am less likely to spend more then I have to in the stores.  To aid in the researching process there are many websites dedicated to helping consumers find good deals.  To preview the sales, try visiting www.bfads.net or www.blackfriday.gottadeal.com

If you can’t find the perfect gift on Friday, stay calm there are more sales.  Many stores extend their sales throughout the weekend to maximize their profits.  And, if you are not one of the 147+ million people who will be hitting the stores on Monday, you can still take part in the savings.  Many retailers cut prices on their products thru their online the Monday after Thanksgiving.  To take advantage of these deals go to www.cybermonday.com or www.bestcyermondaysales.com.

So, cut your coupons, create your itinerary, and fill out your budget.  This year black Friday will happen as it always does for the retailers.  However, this year make sure it doesn’t become “Red Friday” for you.

With Thanksgiving almost here and Christmas looming, I find myself thinking; “I thought I was busy in October!”  With this on my mind, I would like to share an excerpt from Robert Fulghum’s book “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”  I hope it will serve to remind us that no one person is perfect!

“The man next door cleaned his gutters yesterday.  Downspouts too.  He’s done it before.  I saw him last year.  Amazing.  I was forty years old before I even knew that people cleaned gutters and downspouts.  And I haven’t been able to get around to doing it once yet. 
“I live in awe of people who get those jobs done.  The people who live orderly lives.  The ones who always do what needs to be done and do it right.  I know of people who actually balance their checkbooks each month.  I know that’s hardly credible, but I swear it’s so.
“These people also have filing cabinets (not shoe boxes) with neat, up-to-date, relevant files.  They can find things around the house when they need them.  There is order under their sinks, in their closets, and in the trunks of their cars.  They actually change the filter on their furnace once a year.  They put oil and grease on mechanical things.  Their warranties runneth not out.  Not only do their flashlights work, they actually know where the flashlights are!
“When their car was last serviced-they know that too.  The tools in their garage are on the pegboard-right where they are supposed to be.  Their taxes are based on facts, not hunches and prayer.  When they go to sleep at night, their list of Things to Do has a line through every item.  And when they arise in the morning, their bathrobe is right there beside the bed and it is clean and new.  Socks-right there in the drawer, folded into matching pairs.  Yes!  And as they prepare to walk out the door into a new day, they know exactly where their car keys are and are not worried about the state of the car battery or if there is enough gas to get to work.
“There are such people.  Ones who have it all together.  Exmpt from the reign of Chaos and the laws of entropy.  I see them every day all around me.  Calm and easy pillars of society.  They are the people in your high school yearbook you wanted to be.  The ones who made it.
“Well.  I am not one of them.  Out of the frying pan, into the spilt milk is more me.  Most of the time daily life is a lot like an endless chore of chasing chickens in a large pen.  Life is an air-raid drill.  Never mind the details.” -Robert Fulghum

I, for one, would like to meet a person who’s list of Things to Do has a line through every item when they go to bed!  Are you more like Mr. Fulghum, or the fictional super hero he describes? My guess is most of us fall somewhere in between the two. Instead of “never mind the details;” remind yourself during this busy time to “never mind the unimportant details.”  Prioritizing is always the key!

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.- Henry David Thoreau
With Thoreau’s words in mind Julie Cubino and Kevin Grosselfinger, owners of Harmony At Last, set about designing an application for the iPhone and iPod touch. The goal was to help people free themselves from being overworked, overburdened, and overtired and find energy, enthusiasm, and ease instead. We are excited to announce that this application finally launched!

The application has two main features.The first is inspiration and motivation in the areas of: productivity, time management, work/life balance, space organizing, success principles, and simplifying life. The second is the ability to define your personal “Simplify” goals and track progress along the way.

Simplify can be found on the Apple iTunes Store now for only 99¢. It’s in the lifestyle section. You’ll need either an iPhone or iPod touch to make use of the program. (Please note that the link found in this announcement requires that you have the itunes software installed on your computer.)

We’d like to extend special thanks to fellow WBON member, Michelle Hobbs, owner of Blue Sky Creative for the design of the amazing graphics used in this application.

Well?  How did you do?  I hope I inspired you to take a look at your closet and create categories.  If so, at this very moment, you could go to your closet and tell me how many t-shirts you own.  That’s a great first step.  Now its time to purge.  Getting rid of clothes can be difficult for many people.  So create rules before you do so and stick to them.  If necessary, write them down and tape them to the mirror you are using… yes, you have to try them on! 

Rule #1
If it doesn’t fit, you don’t need it. 
Those are my skinny jeans, they will fit me again.” Maybe, but will you put your old jeans on or go buy new ones?  Hanging on to clothes that define who you were does not allow you to be comfortable with who you are.  This is where the trying on comes into play.  Try your clothes on to make the decision.  Do they make you feel good?  Are they comfortable?  If you answer “no” to these questions, don’t keep the clothes!

Rule #2
Haven’t worn it in X amount of months/years.  You will be the best judge for what a good amount of time is for this rule.  I like to go by seasons.  If I didn’t wear something at all the previous winter, I get rid of it. I probably have something I like a lot more if I went that long without wearing it. If you don’t wear it, it likely doesn’t fit, you don’t like the color, it’s out of style, or you forgot about it.  If you forgot about it, test it with rule one and three before keeping it.  If it is any other excuse, let it go. 

Rule #3
Just plain worn out.
I get it; it’s your favorite pair of slacks.  But, when the hem is fraying and there are snags throughout the fabric, it’s time to let them go.  Held together by staples, safety pins, glue… I’ve seen it all.  If your clothes are worn past fixing, and I mean by a seamstress, let them go!

Exception to the rule, your saving grace…
It’s true; some articles of clothing have sentimental value. Like your favorite pair of slacks.  Maybe they are your favorite because you were wearing them when you met your spouse.  If an article of clothing doesn’t pass the first three rules, it can be saved.  Use caution with your save though.  Make sure not to use the exception for everything.

Taking on your entire closet at one time can be daunting.  You can spread out the decision making by picking categories to go thru.  For instance, just go thru all your pants this week.  If that’s still too large a task, start with your jeans then do your slacks. 

Make sure you take your “give away pile” to a local shelter or charity once you have finished.  I find it is best to use boxes or black trash bags.  This lessens the urge to pull something out of the pile in a last minute change of heart.

Good luck!