The Posh Blog

Can you believe we are just a few days away from September?  This year has gone by so fast.  I was meeting with a client the other day who expressed a similar feeling.  She told me that at the beginning of the year she had made a resolution to get organized.  When she realized it was August she told herself “I am not going to get to January and still not be organized”.  That’s when she called me. 

Was organizing on your resolution list this year?  Did you reach your goal?  If you have not fully committed to organizing like you intended to the good news is there is still time.  There are still four months left in this year which is plenty of time to tackle an organizing project or two.  You can start the New Year off on the right foot.  Here are three things you can do to get your project going.

1. Choose one area to concentrate on.  Even if you want your entire house or office organized, the reality is that you can’t do it all at one time.  Choose one area or space to concentrate on.  During your project you may have to walk to another room to put something away, but don’t get distracted and start working in that space.  That is a sure fire recipe for disappointment.

2. Time and project size.  Before you start a project try to estimate how many hours it might take, and then increase it by at least a quarter.  When you schedule time to work on the project consider how many hours you have available verses how many hours you think the project might take.  This may seem elementary, but it’s better to begin the project with an idea of how far along you will get rather than thinking you will finish it and then being disappointed when you run out of time. 

When estimating how long a project will take, take these two things into account: first consider how large the space is.  Is it a small linen closet which can take an hour or two or an entire kitchen which can take 7 hours or more depending on the size.  The second thing to consider is how much stuff is in the space.  Using the closet example, is the pantry overflowing?  Are the counters covered with piles of dishes, mail, or random stuff?  Again, this will all effect how long the project will take.

3. Stay focused.  Set a timer to keep you focused and working.  It will give you a goal.  You can even try to “beat the clock” if you are motivated by racing.  Don’t read old letters or magazines as they will only slow you down.  When your space is organized you will be able to find the letters or you can set them aside to read later when you are not “working” on your space.  Don’t take phone calls or check e-mail.  If you have children, consider scheduling a play date for the kid so you can keep focus and utilize the entire time you have set aside.
Again, there is still time to get your space organized this year, it just takes a little focus and discipline, or you can call the POSH Space team and we will be happy to help you. 

Was organization one of your New Year’s resolutions this year?  If so, did you get organized or not? 

I challenge you to get one space organized between now and December 31st?  Who’s in?

Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Happy Monday!

Last week I had my Make a Difference Girl’s Night Out where we discussed goals and putting ourselves on the top of our priority list.  We had an amazing time!   If the topic of goals, priorities and life balance interests you then you may want to take a peak at my article 5 Steps to Life Balance that was published today on w2wlink .  This article discusses using goal setting strategies to reach work/life balance.  The article is featured in the Work Life Balance section of the site.   

I will be contributing a monthly column to w2wlink.  W2wlink is an online community for professional women.  It gives them the information they need to grow as a corporate CEO, an entrepreneur, a fast paced employee, and how to balance it all at the end of the day.   

I hope you find the article and the web-site to support you and your growth. 

Enjoy! 

Angela  

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

Hi Friends,

My article was published on the Balance Austin web-site.  Read a preview below and then to click the link to continue reading. Enjoy! 

Ah a New Year. The air is full of hopes, dreams, and new possibilities. It is the time of year when we start thinking about our goals for 2009 or as they are commonly referred to as “resolutions”. There is one on the list of many busy women I know and that is to have work life balance. I am constantly seeking better ways to keep my business and personal life flowing like a peaceful river rather than churning like Niagara Falls.    One of the best ways to do this is to…click here to continue reading.

  I was listening to a teleclass the other day on the topic of time management.  It was an excellent call and I wanted to share one big thing that really struck me.   

Time Management expert and former Franklin Covey Coach Bill Zipp, talked about having a hypothetical “Stop Doing List”.  He said that many people spend too much time doing too many low priority tasks.  What we should be doing is eliminating the low priority tasks all together and focus on the high priorities.  Bill also said that many people “confuse activity for accomplishment”, meaning that people feel like they are getting more accomplished simply because they are busy.   

I have talked to many clients who say that they feel a sense of accomplishment when they check something off their “to do” list.  I’ve said the same thing myself!  But, I think we need to translate that to our Stop Doing list.  We should feel a huge sense of accomplishment when we remove something from our to do list and not just when we check one more thing off our list.   

I know this is a difficult concept for many people to embrace.  I have been using a similar method for over a year now and I still find it difficult to decide what item is getting “kicked to the curb”.  But I do it each week and I have found that it makes me feel better because I can let go of any guilt associated with not completing a certain task.   

The week is almost over, it’s the perfect time to think about what is really important for this week and what you can banish from your list.  Just typing the words “banish from my list” makes me feel better already!   What is one thing you can strike from your to do list today?   

A smaller to do list, that’s the good life!

Enjoy!

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

  Did you know that September is Self Improvement Month?  So what better time to make an investment in your self?  I am always looking for ways to do things better and one way that I am constantly trying to improve myself is by reading and learning from books.  Of course, most of the books I like to read are related to organizing (no surprise there!), business, time management, and self help.  One of my all time favorite books is The Success Principle’s by Jack Canfield.  It is an extremely long book, but very worth it.  If you are interested in self improvement it is a fantastic book filled with ideas and strategies you can begin to incorporate into your life.   

Some ways you can improve your life may include: getting organized, eating better, being a better listener, being more patient, being more present, being more courteous (yes, it’s also National Courtesy Month-who knew?), and having more fun!  And much more I’m sure.  

I know it can be difficult to take time to do something for ourselves, but now that it is Self Improvement Month, it’s your chance to do something for yourself guilt free!  Big or small, make a bold claim today to do something to improve yourself this month.   

Here’s what I’m planning on doing this month:  I will read one new book that I have been wanting to read, but have not been making the time for.   I’m so excited to finally give my self permission to do this! 

What will you do to improve yourself this month?  Choose one thing to focus on and put it on your calendar.  Take steps everyday to help you to reach your goal.  You have 21 days left to get it done.  Good luck! 

Enjoy your new and improved good life!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

Have you had a chance to be inspired by the Last Lecture:  Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch?  If you are not one of the more than 5 million people who have viewed the Last Lecture on YouTube I hope I can inspire you to watch it.     

Randy delivered the traditional last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2007 after learning that his battle with cancer would soon be coming to an end.  In his lecture Randy talked about the life lessons he had learned and the importance of living your childhood dreams.  In fact Randy was passionate about inspiring others to live their dreams.   

Randy talked about how sometimes on the way to a dream we run into a brick wall.  He says “The brick walls are there for a reason.  The brick walls are not there to keep us out, the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.  The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.  They’re there to stop the other people.”   

How have your dreams and challenges impacted your life?  Have you run into some brick walls?  How did you handle them?  What can you do today to make some of these dreams possible?   

Take a few minutes to think about what your childhood dreams were.  I did and it was fun and enlightening.  I thought about things that had not crossed my mind for years.  I update my goals annually and after revisiting my childhood dreams I realized how relevant many of my childhood dreams were to what I do today and what I want today.  Isn’t that funny?  All those tests you take in school to determine what you should be when you grow up are really relevant.  Who knew?!  So for me this has sparked me to add some of my childhood dreams, which have not been accomplished, to my current day goals.   

Are your dreams still relevant?  Can they still be achieved?  Is it something that you want to achieve?  What is one action you can do today to help you reach your dream?  Are you are brave enough to post a comment with five of your childhood dreams?  The first person to post a comment with five of their childhood dreams will receive one of my “Favorite Products Guides” (a value of $24.95).  If you are the second or third person to post a comment I will send you a Levenger Recpeit Holder (a value of $3.20).  

I hope you take a look at Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture; it may be just what you need to achieve one of your childhood dreams.   

In case you want a good chuckle, here are a few of my childhood dreams:

1. Become an Interior Designer (no surprise there)
2. Have two children and a wonderful husband-Yea!
3. To own a label maker (mission accomplished!).
4. Become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (I was going to audition in 2002, but decided to race in a triathlon that took place at the same time as the auditions-sometimes we find new dreams)
5. Become a New York City Rockette (do you see a theme here?).
6. Own a Gucci purse (I know it’s superficial, but that goes way, way back).
7. To surf in Hawaii
8. To be the woman in the “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan…Because I’m a WOMAN…” commercial.  I wanted to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, wearing heels and look fabulous doing it. (Similar to I’m A Woman by Peggy Lee)
9. I wanted to be the first woman to own a major league baseball team.  (I know that one is not possible now, but maybe I could be the first Hispanic woman to own a baseball team).
10. To have a bear as a pet.  (not a teddy bear, a real live bear).
11. To be a public speaker (Go me!  I’m still looking to expand this if anyone’s interested)
12. To be an entrepreneur.  Although I didn’t know what an entrepreneur was or how to spell it for that matter, I was functioning as one at a very young age.

 Enjoy the good life,

Angela

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.