April 30:

With company budgets tightening and positions being consolidated, it can be tempting to feel like you’ve got no time for a break. But studies show a break recharges your mental battery and helps you be more productive on the job. So treat yourself to lunch out every once in a while. Or if money is too tight for that, take a book, magazine, or portable hobby project to work and be sure to take a break or two each day and enjoy the book or other item in the beautiful warm weather.

Note: The contest will close on May 11th at midnight.

It's contest time! Read below on how doing a little spring cleaning, can help you win products to keep you organized...

By Julie Morgenstern

Years ago, spring cleaning meant beating the rugs, throwing open the windows, and getting rid of dust bunnies under the bed.  But in a year as full of change as 2009, it’s the perfect time to take spring cleaning to a whole new level.  Let’s clear out the excess from our spaces, schedules and to-do lists… so we have the energy and clarity to move forward, and discover what’s next.

I invite you to join me in a “55 Things You Don’t Need After All” Spring Cleaning Countdown, starting with 10 articles of clothing  and finishing with 1 time-hogging habit that is no longer serving you. The great thing about this challenge is that it provides you with bite-sized assignments you can get done in a week, and covers many common pockets of clutter in your life.

We start out with physical objects—clothing, books, kitchen items, toiletries, and then move onto the clutter in your schedule –which, as you know, can be just as cumbersome!  As the number of things I’m asking you to get rid of decreases, the difficulty in letting them go increases a bit.  But that’s OK—you’ll be ready.  The energy and momentum you gain from the first set of items tossed will give you the confidence and courage to tackle the tougher stuff later.

At the end of the countdown, you will have released 55 stagnant things from your life, creating cleaner spaces and room for new thoughts, adventures, ideas and experiences.

NOW—here’s the fun part. If you take up this challenge THIS WEEK , and POST your comments and questions to me on this post in the comment section below… you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win cool prizes to keep you organized!  In order to be entered into the contest, you must answer one of the suggested discussion points below.

Here's what you could win:
+ 1ST Prize-1 hour consultation with Julie

+ 2nd Prize- Julie’s On the Move Tote and pack of Switchables

+ 3rd  Prize- Julie Morgenstern Writing Center and In/Out Tray

+ Five 4th Prizes- copy of Julie’s book SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life

Okay- now it's time to make some space!

The 55 Thing Spring Fling Countdown

This week, get rid of:

10 articles of clothing that don’t fit, don’t flatter and will never be worn.   

9 books or magazines you’ve already read or know you aren’t going to get to. 

8 excess items from your bathroom – anything from outdated makeup to old cleaning supplies and near empty bottles of lotion.

7 unloved DVD’s, CDs, or VHS tapes that you haven’t listened to or watched in years.  

6 items from your fridge or pantry that will never be eaten or have passed their ideal freshness. 

5 useless pieces of kitchenware – anything from old pots and pans, outdated appliances- or that weird wiry thing you’ve never been able to identify.

4 items on your to-do list that you keep avoiding. Dive in headfirst and either do it, or delete it (if it’s really not worth your time after all).

3 regular chores (at home or work) that are no longer necessary, or that someone else can and should do instead of you. Yes, this means delegate, even if you live alone—look for low-cost services, hire a teen, barter with friend.

2 obligations in your schedule that make you cringe when you see them. I.e.-  committee work which is no longer rewarding, meetings you regret having booked, or a social engagement you are genuinely dreading.

1 time-hogging habit that is no longer serving you. I.e.- procrastination, chronic lateness, or constantly checking email.  You may not slay your habit monster in one day, but make the commitment today and comment on this post publicly proclaim your resolve. 

That's it! The 55 Spring Fling- now it's time to get the help you need to succeed.

I want to hear from you… So, talk to me!!!  Tell me how the challenge is going, what you are getting rid of,  and your experiences along the way.  I’ll be monitoring the discussion all week, and piping in with my advice, guidance and insight.

To help get your conversation juices flowing, I’ve even included a series of questions to stimulate the discussion listed below- answer any one of these questions, and you'll be entered to win the prizes above.

+ What’s the most peculiar wardrobe items you find it difficult to part with.

+ What makes books so difficult to get rid of? What criteria do you use to decide if a book is a treasure to you?

+ How many half-used or unused containers of beauty products are cluttering your bathroom? Do a count for us!

+ What is the most ridiculous old tape, DVD. Or CD you unearth in your entertainment center?

+ What is your attachment to all the kitchenware you never use?  What “good times” or “good meals” does it represent?

+ What makes it so hard to delegate? What innovative solutions have you found to successfully delegate?

+ What is your worst time wasting habit, and how many hours do you think it steals every day?

Get started today!

************************************************************

CONTEST RULES AND GUIDELINES
The purpose of this Contest is to invite Contestants to share with us their spring cleaning process.
 There is no purchase necessary to enter or to win, nor is there any cost to register.
 All entries must be submitted on the GO Community no later than May 6, 2009.
 Winning entries will randomly selected.
 The prize may not be transferred to any other person.
 The winners will be posted online within one week after the close of the contest period. Winners will also be notified via e-mail.
 This contest is limited to U.S. residents only and Contestants must have a shipping address in the United States. This contest is void where prohibited by law. Applicable taxes are the responsibility of the Contestant, and appropriate tax identification information may be required prior to the awarding of any prize.

The Prizes:
+ 1ST Prize-1 hour consultation with Julie

+ 2nd Prize- Julie’s On the Move Tote & pack of Switchables

+ 3rd  Prize- Set of Julie’s desktop organizers

+ Five 4th Prizes- copy of Julie’s book SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life

+ No cash alternative or alternative prize is available on request, but in the event of the advertised prize being unavailable, FranklinCovey reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.

Eligibility
 The Contestant submitting the entry must be at least 21 years of age.
 The Contestant is deemed to be the holder of the established e-mail account associated with the entry.
 By submitting the entry, Contestant is granting to FranklinCovey the right to use their comments for commercial purposes for an unlimited time. Comments not selected as the winner may still be posted or used for commercial or promotional purposes.

Other
 FranklinCovey reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject and disqualify any photographs which are deemed in its sole discretion to be obscene, profane, offensive, lewd, pornographic, or otherwise inappropriate.
 FranklinCovey assumes no responsibility for entries unable to be processed for any technical reason and further reserves the right to cancel the contest if it becomes technically corrupted or because of unauthorized human intervention. FranklinCovey reserves the right in the event of such cancellation to award the prize to an eligible, non-suspect entry received prior to cancellation.
 Contestant agrees that entry and acceptance of prize constitutes permission for FranklinCovey to have the option of using the name, state, photograph, and statements of the Contestant. Such use will be without compensation and may be for editorial, public relations, promotional, or advertising purposes, or any other purpose as deemed reasonable by FranklinCovey. Documentation of such permission may be requested by FranklinCovey and failure to provide such documentation will result in forfeiture of any winner status and/or prize.
 By submitting the entry, Contestant agrees and hereby releases FranklinCovey and its affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, agents, officers, and directors from any and all liability or responsibility arising in connection with Contestant’s participation in the contest or as to any prize(s) that may be awarded.
 Employees of FranklinCovey, and its subsidiary companies, and their immediate families (parents and children) are not eligible to participate in the contest.
 This contest is sponsored and promoted by FranklinCovey, 2200 West Parkway Blvd., Salt Lake City, Utah 84119
 Any Contestant who does not agree with the above terms and conditions should not enter this contest.

By Dave Ulacia

Do you frequently feel overwhelmed by all the tasks on your to-do list? Is every day a struggle to meet deadline after deadline, no matter how hard you work? Do you forget (or double-book) appointments because you don’t have time to check your schedule first? Do important projects get sidelined by the smaller “fires” you need to put out? These are all symptoms of poor prioritizing.

At a glance, it may appear as if all the tasks on your list are equally urgent and important. But with only a few minutes of your time, the differences quickly become clear when you know how to identify your priorities, then organize and execute around them.

Deciding what is most important is a skill you develop with mindful practice. Since each of us has our own unique set of duties, goals, and responsibilities, there is no one formula that works for everybody. To prioritize effectively, you must first understand your own roles and dreams. What are your job duties? What commitments do you have to family or community? What are your personal and professional long-term aspirations? How are you moving toward them? Once you know these things, you will find it easier to define your priorities and schedule your time to make better use of it. Spend a few minutes contemplating these questions before you proceed.

In his bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, he says that we spend time in one of four ways, as seen in this matrix below.

As you can see, every task falls into one of the four categories or “quadrants.” An urgent matter is usually visible; it is the ringing phone, the person standing in your doorway, the looming deadline. Urgent matters press on you but they may not be important to the big picture of your personal or professional life. Importance, however, specifically has to do with results and is easier to identify. Quite simply, if something is important, it contributes to your mission, values, and goals.

According to Dr. Covey, 90 percent of most people’s time is spent in Quadrant 1, the Urgent and Important, while the remaining 10 percent is spent “vegging out” in Not Urgent and Not Important Quadrant IV. Some people spend all their time in Quadrant III under the illusion that they are dealing with important Quadrant I matters, but they’re really just wasting time. Quadrants III and IV may contain either entertaining or seemingly important tasks, but Dr. Covey says, “effective people stay out of Quadrants III and IV because, urgent or not, they aren’t important.” If you have problems prioritizing, it’s a good bet that you will find most of your daily activities can be put into these quadrants.

The secret to good time management and effective prioritization is simple: make sure you spend most of your time in Quadrant II. Quadrant II deals with things that are important but not urgent, such as relationship-building and investing time in planning the future. You not only get all your tasks completed, but you also build a strong foundation for the future by putting your time where it will reap benefits instead of going to waste. Dr. Covey says that if you live in Quadrant II, “Your effectiveness would increase dramatically. Your crises and problems would shrink to manageable proportions because you would be thinking ahead, working on the roots.”

To become more productive immediately, try spending a few moments every morning evaluating your priorities with this simple chart in hand. Write each of your daily tasks in whichever quadrant it belongs. The things that count, the things that are your priorities, will show up repeatedly in one or more quadrants over the course of a week. Try to identify which quadrant(s) you spend the majority of your time in (it may surprise you) and you’ll have a clear picture of what’s most important to you. Then, all you have to do is get in the habit of evaluating each task with this chart in mind. If given the choice to spend time on a wasteful Quadrant IV activity, why not choose something from Quadrant II? If someone asks you to continually solve his or her Quadrant III problems, why not decline and move on to a task in Quadrant I?

Prioritizing is about choosing what to do and what not to do. No matter what your goals and pressures are, remember that your time is under your control. Once you get comfortable evaluating the usefulness of your tasks—planned or unplanned—you will see an immediate increase in your productivity, your success, and your energy in all areas of your life. FranklinCovey’s Planners and Refills can help you wrangle tasks and events for every day, while items like the Better Than a Yellow Pad and Nothingelse.pad® let organize your thoughts in your own unique way.

We are so thrilled to welcome our newest GO Guru- Jean Chatzky- read her letter to the GO Community here...

By Jean Chatzky

Hello GO Readers!

I am happy to be your newest resource on the GO Community. As a financial expert, I cannot wait to share my advice with you. But before I get to that, I want to tell you a little bit about my life and my approach. 

I am a mother of two teenagers, living in a suburban community, who works hard, tries to keep the house as neat as possible, get some exercise a few days a week and make time for my friends.   What that means is when it comes to my money, I do not micromanage.  I simply don’t have the time.  I  am not a stock picking savant or a fastidious checkbook balancer.  Instead I have adopted some basic rules and tactics over the years  that have created financial security for me and I believe will do the same for you. As we spend time together on the GO Community, I’ll share them with you. 

But for today, let me give you one to get you started.  Control the things you can control.

Before I left the house today, I struggled to pack two school lunches (because someone had eaten all the turkey and I hadn’t noticed), argued with a cranky 14-year-old who was agitating about his bio test, and dealt with the fact that my dog had managed to get into something that smelled truly vile.   All before 6:30 in the morning. 

Life happens.  Stuff happens.  Which is why long ago, I gave up trying to control the things that are beyond my control.  Trying to wrap my life up in a nice little perfect bow was simply not worth the trouble – and besides it wasn’t possible.   We now know we can’t ield any power whatsoever over stock prices, gas prices, milk prices.  So why try, particularly when we can focus our energies on things they can truly impact – things they can actually fix. Like?

Saving money. We have become terrible savers in this country.  It didn’t used to be that way.  The generation that came through and truly remembers the Depression saved money consistently.   We spiked in the 1940s, tapered off in the 1950s and 1960s a bit, but by 1984, the national savings rate was still 10.8 percent.  By 2005, we were spending more than we made. Clearly we need some mind games that actually inspire saving.  The one that works for me is visualization.

Retirement for me is a beach house in Long Beach Island, New Jersey.  I know what it looks like.  I know when I want it.  That makes it a lot easier to – say – not buy those shoes.  Because I’m not choosing between beautiful pumps and “retirement,” I’m choosing between beautiful pumps and a four bedroom, grey shingled colonial. Knowing that, I can leave the shoes in the store.  Another strategy: Chunk it down.  Research has shown we save more money overall when we set the bar lower — aiming to put away smaller but achievable amounts — than when we aim to save everything at once.

The second thing you should control: Your time. A very wise woman once said to me: The busier I am, the slower I go. Smart, right?  When you are overloaded or under pressure, you are more likely to make mistakes.  The day I have three meetings, two articles on deadline and I have to make it back to my kids’ school to see the guidance counselor is the one – undoubtedly – that I lock my keys, and of course my computer, in the car.   In some areas of life – if I miss a movie or a workout – it’s no big deal, I can handle that.  But if it’s my money or my job or my kids on the line, bungling is a bigger deal.  So the days when I feel like downing a vat of coffee to go faster are the ones I force myself to slow down.

Third on the list: Control your spending. Right now, controlling the things we can control as it relates to shopping means making conscious choices.  It means spending the money on the cream “investment” jacket that will be the mainstay in our spring wardrobes, but soft pedaling our purchases on trendier items that will be relegated to the back of the closet within a year. And it means taking careful note of every dollar you spend.  Because only once you know where your money is going can you make conscious choices about where you want it to go in the future.

My line of products for FranklinCovey was designed with the Control What You Can Control mantra in mind.  Our tote bags (I’m living in the small brown one!) help you control your clutter.  Our planners have a system to help you track your spending.  Even the wallets are equipped with mirrors (to look yourself in the eye before you buy) embossed with questions on the back from me to decide whether that thing in your hand is something you really want to take home with you or would be better off leaving in the store.

I look forward to getting to know you on GO and welcome your comments about the sort of advice and products you truly need.   And if you’d like to see more from me, please visit my blog at jeanchatzky.com.

Jean

Thanks, Jean, and welcome to GO! Help me welcome Jean to GO by commenting below or giving this post a cheer...