March 2009 |
March 31:
"What patterns or processes can you improve on when setting and achieving goals? Where do you frequently fall short? Do you lose motivation? Is there some way to ensure that you will reach your goals? What are the consequences of not reaching your goal?"—Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, pages 92–93
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
Here's the final installment of Julie Morgenstern's SHED reading assignments. You can catch up on the other assignments here.
Week 5: Summary and Reflection
Answer the following questions:
+ What insights did you gain about yourself from reading this book?
+ What did you learn about where the clutter is in your life?
+ How does it feel to have removed some of the clutter that was weighing you down?
+ What will your next Point of Entry be?
SHED Tip:
All in all, keep in mind that SHED is a fluid process: once you begin SHEDing one area of clutter, others begin to emerge which you tackle next. The steps begin to cascade in order—you could be Separating the Treasures in one pocket of clutter, while already onto Embrace and Drive from earlier pockets of clutter you have already released.
The whole process develops a flow, which every client, and reader has described as exhilarating and invigorating and energizing. So, come on. Are you ready to SHED? Let’s get to it!
And, for insight into this book, read why Julie wrote it:
I’ve been an organizing and time management expert for 20 years. And from the day I started my business, I’ve been working against the misperception in popular culture that constantly confuses “organizing” and “decluttering”. Most people think of getting organized as Organizing EQUALS Throwing things out. In reality, these are very different processes with very different purposes.
My earlier books focused on organizing and time management—emphasizing that you can get organizing without throwing anything way—a concept millions found so freeing they were finally able to get organized after years of living in chaos.
With my latest book, I felt it was time for me to finally address the topic of decluttering head-on. What exactly is decluttering? When is it the right thing to do? Why is getting rid of things so hard? And most importantly, what is missing in the popular advice out there that is preventing people from succeeding?
SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, is the result of that effort. In it, you will discover many Common Misconceptions about Clutter, such as:
1- Clutter is just a bunch of junk you should easily be able to toss. Truth: Clutter represents an attachment to something you are struggling to release: an old belief system, obsolete need, or unexpressed part of you that needs to be discovered.
2- Getting rid of clutter will get you organized Truth: Decluttering will not create a system, but it will help you manage change. Releasing the obsolete will get you unstuck—by opening up space for something new. It creates the energy, space to think, and time to figure out what’s next.
3- Clutter is always messy Truth: Clutter is what is obsolete, the objects, things and habits that no longer serve you—and it doesn’t have to be disorganized.
I’ve always been viewed as more of a Clutter Whisperer, than a Clutter Buster, the organizer who works from the Inside Out. I never believed in the “tough love” approaches that make for entertaining TV makeovers—or that people hear from genuinely well meaning friends, family, and even from inside their own heads: “Don’t think, don’t hesitate, put it in the crusher! It’s time to move on! What good is it doing you?! Throw it all away!”
People who are shamed into throwing things away may comply in the moment, but they will feel sick to their stomach the entire time, and will quickly refill their barren spaces, ending up back right where they started. Cavalierly tossing things from your home, office or schedule (due to shame or pressure) never provides a lasting solution.
SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, shares the wisdom gained over 20 years by myself and my team of organizers around the country, working with clients to both organize and de-clutter. This book shares the secrets we’ve learned that make the difference between failure and success in letting go…..and converts an activity typically considered as painful as ripping of a band aid, into a nurturing, fulfilling, exhilarating process of transformation.
The unique promise of SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, is that it will help you clear the clutter for good, by taking a very different approach to the process than you’ve ever seen before. I am very proud of this book, which makes the link between “de-cluttering” and reinvention; and hope you found it a practical and inspiring tool to create an authentic and energized life.
Thanks Julie! Do you have questions on SHED'ing? If so, leave a comment here, or email go@franklincoveyproducts.com.
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
March 31:
Here’s a tip to follow so tax time is less of a headache each year: If you move residences, make sure you notify any companies or organizations you’ve done any sort of work for—that is, any entity that might need to send you a form to include with your taxes. Never count on the post office (or another person) forwarding your mail—the possible consequences are too dire.
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
March 30:
"A combination of three ingredients—the high Emotional Bank Account, thinking Win/Win, and seeking first to understand—creates the ideal environment for synergy."—Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, page 273
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
Meet our Paper Product Manager, Jodie Erickson, as she discusses her favorite product picks for the season!
How long have you worked for Franklin Covey?
Almost four years.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Now that spring is here, I’m really looking forward to getting back in the garden. What I’m looking forward to most is planting some 18th century tulip bulbs that I bought online from a special horticulturalist.
What are the hottest trends in paper and paper design this season?
Our Better Than a Yellow notepad, Rollabind®, and Moleskine® products are more popular than ever before. One of the reasons is due to the current economy: As people’s job descriptions have grown to accommodate workplace changes, they need tools to help them juggle more tasks and increase their flexibility. Our note-taking line has a constantly growing variety of formats and binding options such as ring, wire, and perfect-bound to suit every taste.
What is your favorite product this season for men and why?
For men, I would definitely choose the Rollabind® notebook.
This is a completely unique planning product and that appeals to customers who want modern look and functionality. One of the great things about the Rollabind notebook is that it allows you to move pages around so you can take notes anytime then organize them later. Plus, it has some of the highest quality paper around—double weave, archival quality –that looks good on your desk and feels good when you write on it.
What is your favorite product this season for women and why?
With a recently refreshed design, we expect our Blooms planner will be very popular with women.
It is definitely one of our most colorful, cheery planners, and customers tell us all the time how the botanical theme elevates their mood. My favorite feature of this planner is its Daily Tracker, which is the perfect place to jot down important notes.
Which paper product do you think is the most innovative and unique and why?
Our most innovative and nontraditional product has to be the Wire-bound Daily Planners. There really isn’t anything similar to them in the marketplace. Both 13-book Compass and Julie Morgenstern (July Start) come with 12 Monthly books and One Monthly Calendar Book, plus a matching notepad.
With this wire-bound two-page-per-day system, users can keep their time management system slim yet still retain the benefits of a self-contained ring-bound daily planner. We also have a wide selection of wire-bound covers that allow users to customize their look.
What about the paper offerings makes FranklinCovey’s selection better than our competitors’?
Without a doubt, our planners use the highest quality paper in the industry, and our paper is always 30% postconsumer waste, unlike many others. We also offer more designs—and formats—than any other planner provider. At FranklinCovey, we pride ourselves on providing something to suit every personality and planning style.
What’s your favorite new design for this season?
My favorite new design for 2009 is the Kaleidoscope Planner. Each page is a vibrant pick-me-up and really gives me an energy boost each day.
I love the less structured design so I can plan the way I want on any given day.
Thanks, Jodie! Have any questions on our paper product offerings? Leave a comment here or email go@franklincoveyproducts.com.
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
March 30:
To minimize clutter, facilitate easy storage, and find information fast, organize your long-term filing (taxes, loan, medical documents, etc.) by year. Why? Most people can remember the approximate year of, say, a home purchase, surgery, or other important event. And when things are organized by year, it drastically reduces the number of files to flip through to get to what you’re looking for.
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
March 27:
"Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it."-David Starr Jordan
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
Do you feel like e-mail has taken over your life? Well, you're not alone. In a recent study by Information Week, over 75% of the people surveyed said that e-mail is essential to their lives—and an additional 15% say they'd rather lose their spouse than give up e-mail! It's important to remember that e-mail is a tool we can control—one that is meant to improve communication and make our lives easier. To that end, here are four top tips to wrangle that Inbox:
1. Smarten up your subject lines. Put as much descriptive information in the subject line as possible, and your recipient will know what your message is about without having to open your e-mail. For instance, "Rescheduling Meeting: Orig. 6/1/08 3 PM—New 6/1/08 5 PM" is a lot better than "Meeting time changed."
2. Don't use your Inbox as a filing cabinet. Instead, create descriptive folders in your e-mail program—by topic, client, vendor, etc. As you're finished reading your messages, immediately file them accordingly.
3. Filter your messages. Once you've set up some folders, you can then tell your e-mail program to automatically put messages from specific senders or with specific subject lines into the folders where they belong. For instance, if you're receiving dozens of newsletters, create a "Newsletters" folder, and have your e-mail program filter those e-mails right into the folder, bypassing your Inbox entirely. In your e-mail program, search the help for "rules" or "filters" for more instructions.
4. Beware the Inbox overload. Instead of letting e-mails "pile up" in your Inbox indefinitely, set a limit for how many messages you want to let accumulate at any given time. I recommend no more than 25 or so (once you have more than that, it's hard to actually see what's in there). Once your messages start growing past the limit that you set, schedule some time to process your e-mail.
By Dave Ulacia
When we think about “success,” we often think about rising to positions of responsibility, prominence, and financial reward. And we often attribute that kind of success to things like ambition, perseverance, and expertise. But success is about a lot more than making the most of your intellect, talents, and creativity. It’s also about building strong, lasting relationships—personal and professional.
Relationships that yield a treasure trove of memories and experiences are rewarding in and of themselves. Learning how to build and foster lasting relationships will lead you toward your personal and professional bests. Whether you’re still working your way up the ladder or already sitting in the catbird seat, there are three surefire ways to help build relationships at work and home.
Strong relationships are impossible without trust. Trusting relationships are the heart of companies, teams, and families that consistently and continually yield meaningful success. Successful teams are symbiotic in that they excel when team members step up and show leadership in their own area of expertise, regardless of whether or not they’re the team’s formal leader. This requires knowing how and when to lead—as well as when to let others lead.
A key quote from the FranklinCovey “Leadership: Great Leaders, Great Teams, Great Results” seminar: “When formal authority is our sole source of getting things done in organizations, we can easily become coercive and dictatorial—we’re really not leading. You may get the results you want, but at what price?”
First, listen. Yes, it’s a total cliché, but it’s true. Listen to your coworkers. Listen to those who report to you. Listen to your bosses. Listen to your kids. Your parents. Even when—or perhaps especially when—they disagree with you. No matter how old you are or how experienced you think you are. Why? Because you’re bound to learn something. After all, every person on earth has lived through a set of unique experiences you may never have. Even if you still disagree afterward, you’ll learn something about them, about you, about work relationships. In the end, you’ll earn (or retain) people’s respect—and their willingness to follow the direction the group decides to take.
Second, the crucial counterpart to listening is honesty. Everyone believes honesty is “the best policy,” but sometimes we throw that belief out the window when we think it will lead to hurt feelings or awkwardness. This inevitably ensures that problems repeat themselves. The trick is to learn how to be completely honest while being discreet and diplomatic. This requires real forethought about what you say. Would you want someone to approach you about a problem? Find a personal hero in the art of sensitive, effective communication. When you get the words and delivery right, what could’ve been a headache turns into a profound learning experience that could change a coworker’s life and career forever.
And, finally, none of this will do any good if you don’t keep your word. When you say you’ve got some crucial part of the project covered, give it your all because you know the team is depending on you. When you promise to communicate the team’s concerns to management, be a dependable voice for those you represent instead of shrinking from a potentially daunting task. In good times and bad, keeping your word is an insurance policy. Build a reputation for it and you’ll get your share of the reward and praise for successes, and people will give you the benefit of the doubt and go to bat for you when problems arise.
Besides increasing your ability to build trust and influence at work and at home, the biggest reason to make these three practices a habit is simply because they make life a lot easier—and more fulfilling. It’s simple practicality, baby!
FranklinCovey is committed to helping you reach both your personal and professional goals. No matter how you manage your time, our planners, software, and book/audio collection will make the most of your current skills while helping you build strong, successful—and influential—relationships.
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
March 27:
Saving money is a great way to be more productive: The more you save, the less you worry about making ends meet. One easy way to save—and feel like you’re being a greener citizen of planet Earth—is to monitor your home thermostat better. During cold months, throw an extra blanket on the bed and set the temperature at 60 degrees or lower at night, and try not to set it higher than 68 during the day. And as the days get warmer, think twice before you turn on the air conditioner or evaporative cooler. Instead, open a window or change to cooler clothing. Similar thinking applies with gas-guzzling car air conditioners; messed-up hair is a lot easier to remedy than a bounced check.
- 0 comments
- Login or join to post comments
