NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING

Keeping old or antique books? Here's how to treasure and preserve them.

In spite of the fact that I often encourage my clients to let go of books they aren't using, I am actually a real book lover. That's why I hate to see them languishing as clutter and being destroyed because they aren't being properly cared for when they could be having a useful life being read by others! 

As physicists and practioners of Feng Shui will agree, all things have energy.  When things you own aren't cared for and maintained well, it fosters negative energy in many ways.  Things that are not organized and are left unused and uncared for drain your energy and on top of that, they cause you to have negative thoughts and stress every time you look at them!

When you do care for the things around you, it creates positive energy and thoughts and it reduces your stress significantly.  For example, as anyone who has a garden and cares for it themselves will tell you, not only do you enjoy the result of the beautiful garden, the act of caring for it is relaxing and revitalizing to your soul. 

So, if you ARE going to keep something, I urge you to reflect and ask yourself if you truly love it enough to give it the care that it AND YOU deserve!  If you don't take care of your things, then you must ask yourself if you really do care for it. And if not, pass it on to someone who will really use and care for it.

If you love books enough to keep them, or if you collect old or antique books, magazines or newspapers, I urge you to take the time to care for them and organize them so that you can properly enjoy them!   This article I found on the www.antiqueweb.com site has GREAT tips on how to ensure your books will be stored and preserved so they can be enjoyed for many years to come and just collect dust!

Did you know that cardboard boxes contain cellulose that attracts rodents? Cardboard that is not acid-free and specially made for storing paper can actually destroy your books!  So check out this  Antique Books Preservation Guide .  The archival storage methods described here are used by the Library of Congress to care for it's collections. 

Here are a few other related links:

http://www.antiqueweb.com/articles/paper_collectibles_preservation_part2.html

Archival Storage & Boxes

http://www.archivalmethods.com/

http://www.iconusa2.com/online/Shopbybrand.htm

Wishing you lots of Neat Books to read!

Co-op America: Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again

Tonight I took the NSGCD class in Recycling for Professional Organizers.  I thought I knew a lot about recycling, but I learned a lot!  And, there is always more to learn!   This article, in particular struck a chord.  I have already tried to implement a few of them, like trying not to buy overpackaged foods.  It's not easy at all, and I doublt I'll ever be able to do any of the suggestions 100%  But it's good to at least try.  Just like with exercise, every little bit helps.  And with these suggestions, not only will you help preserve our environment, you will reduce the amount of clutter you have to deal with!

Link: Co-op America: Ten Things You Should Never Buy Again - in Shopping & Unshopping for Green, Just, & Sustainable Purchasing.

How to Stop Spam (Especially If You're Already a Victim)

Here's a great article from one of my favorite websites, www.passionforbusiness.com  Karyn Greenstreet, a self-employment coach and awesome teleclass leader has some really great ideas on how to stop email spam and clutter.  While you are at her site, take a look around.  If you are self-employed, she has some amazing resources.  I love her and I'm sure you will too. 

Link: How to Stop Spam (Especially If You're Already a Victim).

NAPO will begin offering Certification Program in 2007 - Here are the latest guidelines on getting certified

Great news!  NAPO has released the requirements that professional organizers will need to meet in order to be eligible to take the new certification test.  I'm looking forward to being able to earn a certification that demonstrates not only mastery of a core set of professional organizing skills, but also offers some level of assurance to clients that I am dedicated to ensuring I'm qualified to guide them in achieve their goals. 

Pursuing certification is a great way to show your commitment to the profession and to your clients! I love that the capability to transfer skills to clients is a key criteria for eligibility.  Just neatening up a space is only a bandaid, not a cure.  Facilitating change in habits and transferring skills is critical to truly helping others get organized.  As Jessica Duquette says, "it's not about the stuff"

http://www.napo.net/get_organized/certification/cert_eligibility.pdf

Red Cross Now Picks Up Clothing, Linens & Stuffed Animal Donations in Northern New Jersey!

This is great news!  If you are doing Spring Cleaning and have clothes to donate, here's a link to find out where you can drop off clothing, linens & stuffed animals for the Red Cross or schedule a pickup online.  Clothing proceeds are all going to Hurricane and Disaster Survivors. 

http://www.wecollectclothes.com/home.shtml 

Time Management and Creativity - Do they really go together?

I admit it.  I am a minimalist when it comes to managing time.  I block my days in big chunks such as Office / Home days, Client days, and Family or Social Days.   Office Days are usually either admin days where I catch up on errands, chores, & mail, or they are writing days, where I work on my blog, website, articles, workshop, book, etc. 

I keep a weekly calendar which I customized to my needs and print out from Outlook a few months at a time.   I program my recurring appts and reminders in Outlook, and plan my client and other appointments using old-fashioned pen and paper. 

I keep all my client folders in a desktop step file.  My project folders are kept in a waist high open file on wheels beside me.  I can get in and out and see everything in it without ever opening a drawer.  And the stuff I'm working on is usually spread all over my desk.  It's rarely 100% neat.  But it works for me.  I know where everything is, spend very little time looking for stuff, and I get a lot accomplished.

So it was with great joy that I discovered this article from Harold Taylor.  I'm not alone!  and neither are you. You CAN be organized without being rigidly scheduled and perfectly neat & tidy!   

For all my fellow right-brained and creative people who find it excruciating to keep a daily calendar, schedule every little thing, and file everything away in drawers, here are some great tips from a leader in the time managment industry, Harold Taylor.

Time Management for Creative People

Left-brain and right-brain thinkers can be equally effective Although some people may claim that an organized desk is the sign of a sick mind, it is merely the sign of a left-brain thinker. An analytical, left-brain thinker thrives on lists, schedules and alphabetical files tucked neatly out of sight in organized desk drawers much to the delight of those time management experts who promote structure and order to the nth degree. And although organization is not only efficient, but also viewed as a virtue by many, we are not all left-brained thinkers. Keeping detailed lists in daily journals, cross-referencing with monthly goals and scheduling every task from window displays to bank deposits, to me at least, is bordering on torture. I like to splash my life across

10 Myths about Managing Your Time

Your time is probably the most precious thing you can share with anyone.  Including yourself!  If you want to know what you truly value in life, look at how you use your time.  Are you using your time to be with people you love?  to take care of yourself?  to help others? to nurture and enjoy your children?  to pursue your passions?   Are you using your time to complain about the way things are or to help solve the problems you see around you? 

Figuring out how to use your time to create a life you love is a core challenge for all of us.  There are so many possibilities competing for our time and attention it can be mind-numbing and overwhelming.  I have so many projects I want to accomplish that I continually have to force myself to multi-task less and focus on one thing at a time.

I've been thinking a lot about how traditional time "management" approaches don't really work for me or for a lot of my clients.  So I was doing a little digging around on the web about the latest ideas in time "management" and found this great article by Harold Taylor, who I met at NAPO in March.

His insights are so on target with my experience, I decided to share his article with you rather than spend time writing my own article on it!   Ahhh...the joys of using time effectively!  : )    Thank you Harold!

_____________________________________________

10 TIME MANAGEMENT MYTHS

1. We can manage time. We cannot manage time. Nor can we save it. Time ticks away relentlessly in spite of our efforts to control it. We are provided with 24 hours of time each day to use as we like. The key is in how we use that time. We can use it wisely, or we can waste it, but we can never save it. At the end of the day, it's gone. 2. Time management involves getting more done in less time. Some people may believe that, but effective time management refers to getting done fewer things of greater importance. We cannot possibly do everything we want to do, or all the things there are to do. But if we prioritize what there is to do, and focus on completing the priorities to the exclusion of everything else, we will be more effective. 3. "To do" lists help get things done. "To do" lists do nothing to further a project or task. They simply remind us that they are not done yet. Scheduling time in your planner, as appointments with yourself, to work on the tasks helps get them done. "To do" lists are intentions; scheduled blocks of time are commitments. 4. People need a "Personal Organizer" or other time management system to get organized. People are not organized because they use a time management system, they use a time management system because they are organized. Personal organization involves breaking old habits and forming new, effective ones. It is a state of mind as opposed to a state of the office. Some people are more organized using a 65-cent steno pad than others are using a 65-dollar organizer. 5. A "Quiet Hour" is a great time management tool. A "quiet hour" is a figment of time management writers' imaginations. There is no such thing as a "quiet hour". We can reduce interruptions, but never eliminate them. To be effective we must learn to work in spite of the interruptions. Frequently, interruptions are not time wasters, but opportunities arriving at inopportune times. 6. Keeping a time log to determine where your time is going, is the place to start. A time log should be done last, not first. All we need is more paperwork and interruptions when we're already inundated with them! We should get organized first, adopt effective habits, schedule time properly, put into practice time-reducing techniques and procedures, and once we have the time, keep a time log to effect further refinements. 7. The biggest time wasters include telephone interruptions, visitors, meetings and rush jobs. These are not time wasters, they are time obligations -- they come with the job. The biggest time wasters are self-imposed, such as procrastination, making mental notes, interrupting ourselves, searching for things, perfectionism, and spending time on trivial tasks. We are our own worst enemies. Being effective involves managing ourselves, not placing the blame on others. 8. It's more efficient to stick to one task until it's completed. It may be more efficient, but it's not more effective, for seldom will you have time to finish it. It's more effective to break large projects into small one or two-hour chunks and work at them for a brief period each day. Working on priorities involves frequent brief sprints, not occasional marathons. 9. We should have one planner for the office, and a separate planner for the home. We should have one planner, period. We are only one person, sharing our lives with people and activities at work, at home, at school, etc. Since we only have one life, we should only have one planner. Both business and personal activities should be scheduled in the same planner so business activities don't take precedence over personal and family activities. 10. Time is money. Time is more than money, it's life. You can always get more money, but you can never get more time. It's an irreplaceable resource. When time's gone, you're gone.

© 1996-2003 Harold Taylor Time Consultants Inc. 20 Wolverleigh Blvd., Toronto, Ontario M4J 1R7 Toll-Free: (800) 361-8463   Phone: (905) 853-9328   Fax: (905) 853-9390    harold@taylorintime.com

 

It's not about your stuff!: Thoughts about letting go

Just wanted to share my latest inspirational find.  When I found this blog, "It's not About Your Stuff" by Jessica Duquette I got so excited!  Our philosophies are so similar! I am working on a new workshop called "Let's Clear Your Clutter! The Permanent Clutter Clearing Solution" and I'm so excited about including her as a resource.

To me, clearing clutter is really about getting to the true meaning of clutter.  I don't believe that clutter is just junk that needs to be gotten rid of -- Clutter is stuff that is undermining your ability to function effectively.   

According to Merriam-Webster, clutter is:

Function: verb
1. to run in disorder
2. to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness -- often used with up

Function: noun
1. a crowded or confused mass or collection

Everyone has minor clutter spots, but if you have extensive or chronic clutter, it is a symptom that something in your life isn't working for you.  To clear clutter for good, you need to understand the true reason it's there.  Is it just that you lack the skills to organize your stuff?  Sometimes it is that easy. But extensive chronic clutter is most often deeper than that. 

Extensive chronic clutter is almost always a physical manifestation of deep fears & insecurities, indecision, inner conflicts, resentments, depression, pain, loss, trauma, lack of communication within a family, and more.  In almost all of these situations, the there is an underlying fear.  Clearing clutter for good means recognizing those fears and deciding not to let them control you any more. 

Even if hire a professional organizer to help you, they should respect that you need to let go of fear in your own time, in your own way, based on your own personal reasons for the clutter.  It's not just about getting rid of stuff, it's about letting go of fear on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level and trusting that you will always somehow have what you really need. Clearing clutter for good is about:

• Identifying the underlying issues and what benefits you are getting out of the clutter, e.g., security, insulation, revenge, or perhaps its an expression of your rage   
• Resolving conflicts, clarifying values, facing fears, and communicating from the heart
• Making decisions based on your values and needs, not out of fear.

As Jessica says, it's not always about letting go of fear, sometimes it's a matter of learning to manage your fears. 

I  highly recommend taking a few minutes to read Jessica's blog and thoughts on Letting go...She is a gem.  As she says "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

It's not about your stuff!: Thoughts about letting go. 
By Jessica Duquette "The Diva Of Letting Go"

All the best,

Neat ways to donate or give books away!

Why give books away?

Books like many items, simply rot away on our shelves if we don't use them.  Left unused for long periods of time, what happens - they collect a ridiculous amount of dust, turn yellow, and fall apart!  They create stagnant or stuck energy in your home.    And they start to smell bad, too. 

Is this the life you intended for the book when you bought it?  Wouldn't it be great to share what you got out of the book with others? Why are you hanging on to it when it could be having a useful life and being of value to people?

Okay, so if I can't appeal to your philanthropic nature, let me try the money angle.  : )  If you donate your books - and itemize deductions, you can deduct them from your income taxes!  Check out It's Deductible software.  They allow you anywhere for 2 - 30$ per book depending on the type.  You can also donate your Books on CD and Books on Tape!

Where to give your books away

Unfortunately, many libraries don't take donated books anymore!  : (  But they will usually take Books on CD and Books on Tape, Videos, DVDs, and Music CDs and Tapes too!

Anyway I did some digging around...and here are some neat ideas for sharing the books you love, but don't need or don't have space for anymore.

JustGIVE.org
This is a list of places to donate just about anything! Whether you want to donate Furniture, Books, Household Good and Clothing, Computers, Cars, Cell Phones, Pet Supplies, Eyeglasses, your Hair, or even your Organs, you can find a resource here.
http://www.justgive.org/html/ways/ways7.html

Friends of Libraries, USA 
Currently accepting donations to rebuild libraries affected by hurricanes and more.
1420 Walnut St, Suite 450  Philadelphia, PA 19102-4017  215-790-1674 or 1-800-9FOLUSA
http://www.folusa.org/

Vietnam Veteran's Association
They have both pick up service and drop off service.  there is a limit on the number of books (2 bags or 2 boxes in my area).  Not all areas have pick up service. 
http://www.clothingdonations.org/service.htm or http://www.vva.org/

Freecyle
http://www.freecycle.org/finder/f/books/page_1.html

BookCrossing
The practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise. You can register your book and track its travels here!
http://www.bookcrossing.com/

Housing Works in NYC 
126 Crosby Street, NYC 10012  (212-334-3324)
You can drop off or ship books to them. They work to end homelessness and AIDS in NYC.
http://www.housingworks.org/usedbookcafe/donate.html

Bridge to Asia's book and journal donation program
http://www.bridge.org/books.html

Noteworthy

FIRST BOOK
They don't take books, but you can donate to help kids in need get their "first books"
http://www.firstbook.org/site/c.lwKYJ8NVJvF/b.674095/k.CC09/Home.htm

Add to The List!

If you know of other resources to donate books, click on Comments below and let us all know!

All the best,

Neat Tip: Keeping Your Goals In Focus

Like me, Dwayne over at Genuine Curiousity is always on the lookout for new things to learn about.  This habit can be a distraction when you have goals that you want to achieve!  He's devised a very way to stay focused on your goals by putting them on your Windows desktop!  Here is the link to how to do this - step by step.

http://www.genuinecuriosity.com/genuinecuriosity/2006/03/keeping_your_go.html