|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One of my mother-in-law's many oft-quoted and wise declarations was "Finish in style." It has been on my mind lately, as I contemplate the end of another year, and the end of the first fifty years of my life. Based on my heritage, I fully expect to live another fifty years, so it seems appropriate to consider what I need to do now, so that I can finish the next fifty in style!
In the meantime, it's not too late to finish this year in style! Make sure that your end-of-year celebrations focus on improving the quality of the relationships that make life and holidays truly meaningful. In his Strategic Coach Program®, Dan Sullivan advocates "The Four Refer ability Habits:" (1) Show up on time, (2) Do what you say, (3) Finish what you start, and (4) Say please and thank-you. Seems simple enough, and yet how often we are surprised when it actually happens. But did you notice something? All of these admonitions require organization!
In my observation, one of the biggest advantages of organizing your life is to improve the quality of our relationships. Disorganization is a recipe for relationship destruction, frustrated searches for lost items, hurried departures and late arrivals, forgotten promises, and good intentions long abandoned, poison our quality of life.
In her book, Delights, Dilemmas & Decisions, Maggie Bedrosian writes about a young man who gets on a plane in Los Angeles, and immediately falls asleep. After two hours, he wakes, stretches, rubs his eyes, and yawns. "Gosh, it seems like I've been asleep for a long time. How much longer till we get to Oakland?" "Oakland?" his seatmate questions. "This plane is going to Auckland."
This story seems to emphasize another key factor required to "finish in style:" Make sure of your destination! (Or to put it in the vernacular of the day, identify your goals.) In this age of opportunities, choosing a destination is difficult enough in itself, but getting there through all the confusion that life offers is a real challenge.
It seems to me that one of the major stumbling blocks to reaching our destination, is that we start, or feel guilty about not starting! Yet there is far more than is humanly possible, to complete. We end up wandering around on road after road, feeling exhausted and empty. In the end, we have little to show for our efforts but an empty wallet and a tired body. I often remind clients that a creative mind frequently has more ideas than the physical body can carry out.
I'll never forget the impact of hearing Joyce Meyer; founder of Life in the Word Ministries, state that often she had to give up what was good for what was best. On the business side, one of the major contributors to the downfall of a business is the failure of management to clearly identify the target market for the products and services they offer, or conversely, to clearly identify what particular products and services will satisfy their target market. On the personal side, there is no doubt that it is good to bake cookies for the homeless, but if you end up snapping at the kids while you're doing it because you're way too tired, you might question whether that is the best action.
If you are looking for ways to finish your year-- or your life -- in style, start by asking an age-old question, "What would you like on your tombstone?" A recent client answered with "She made a difference."
This column marks the end of my journey as a regular columnist for The Get Organized News. I hope it made a small difference in your life. It's been a delightful experience, and I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with Dale and Chris, who do indeed practice the Refer ability, Habits ? and who showed admirable patience when I pushed their deadline to the limit. I'm leaving to concentrate on my new software program, Paper Tiger, which I am committed to "finish in style," and prove once again ? organizing works!
© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com
Wind Chimes and more... There is nothing worse then spending ten minutes looking for... Read More One of my mother-in-law's many oft-quoted and wise declarations was... Read More I gathered some things you can do this spring while... Read More What stops you from 'getting things done?'Have you ever started... Read More Today you have almost as many choices of spice racks... Read More I know I have a problem when I have to... Read More A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care... Read More One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More (This is the second in a series of three articles... Read More There are eight distinct steps to constructing and executing an... Read More De-Cluttering our lives can be an extremely liberating exercise. There... Read More What does "time" have to do with getting organized? Everything!... Read More Ever feel overwhelmed by all the papers, notices, artwork, and... Read More The Productive Environment Scorecard?Read the statements below and rate your... Read More Take time to declutter this summer...Writing can certainly consume the... Read More "Do something every day that you don't want to-do; this... Read More We hear it every day."Buy this product, and simplify your... Read More I talk about the mail a lot in my newsletter,... Read More Back-to-school time ? what does that mean to you? For... Read More When you embark on a life transition, the skills that... Read More 1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not... Read More Staying organized can be a constant battle. The following organizing... Read More Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer,... Read More How do you know if you need to clean out?... Read More I've noticed that in the two years since the major... Read More
Windchimes
for great gifts!
10 Simple Ways to Clear Clutter from Your Home and Office
Finish in Style - Organizing Works!
It?s Spring Cleaning Time? Let?s Make Room For Abundance!
Organization Tips - How To Get Things Done
Choose Spice Racks That Help You Organize Your Home
Effective Closet Cleaning Tips - Let Go of More Than Skeletons
What Momma Never Told Me About Housekeeping
3 Simple Filing Guidelines
The Organized Move: Packing Made Simple
A Personal Action Plan for Change
Taking Care of You: De-Clutter
Organizing - Time is of the Essence!
Control Your Childrens Clutter!!
Just How Organized Are You? Take This Quiz For Individuals
Five Simple Tips to Get Organized Today!
Have an Ugly Day
Simplify Your Life! No Really...Simplify Your Life!
Create A Working Mail Center
Ending The Morning Madness
New Business? Changing Careers? Youve Got a Whole New Ball Game
10 Myths of Clutter Clearing
Home Organizing Tips & Gizmos
Organization Tips - How to Organise Your Computer Files
Ten Signs That Your Life Is Cluttered
After the Clutter: 5 Steps to a New Daily Routine
Some people would say I'm the last person in the... Read More
Home organization means being able to find your stuff when... Read More
"Organize" is a familiar word heard on many of today's... Read More
Getting Things Done (GTD), is a productivity methodology designed by... Read More
1. In terms of organization, what is the first thing... Read More
We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More
? Are you embarrassed when you walk into your home... Read More
Have you ever heard that having a cluttered home can... Read More
How to do keep track of all you have to... Read More
What do you gain if you SIMPLIFY?Dictionary* says:to reduce to... Read More
I recently conducted a survey to look at the relationship... Read More
Buried under mountains of paperwork from your company? Do the... Read More
The Law of the 1st StepA good first step in... Read More
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know... Read More
Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More
There are eight distinct steps to constructing and executing an... Read More
Ever wonder how they do it? How a short-order cook... Read More
The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I... Read More
Spring is such a refreshing time- we are filled with... Read More
What do your storage spaces look like? Do you know... Read More
The Productive Environment Scorecard?Read the statements below and rate your... Read More
When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More
Are you plagued by clutter in your personal or professional... Read More
An organized living lifestyle can cause you to weed out... Read More
There are 3 kinds of clutter: Inner (between our ears);... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |