Keep It or Toss It by: Rowena List of Getting It Together

The average home has well over 350,000.00 items in it.

How many times do you hold an item in your hand and ask yourself “ should I keep it or toss it?” And because you can’t decide at that moment you simply put it back down. Down on a pile of stuff or on a cluttered counter or stash it in a “junk” drawer. The never ending cycle continues until you have reached your limit and decide to take action. Massive action.

Check out this quick video by Getting It Together on “Keep It or Toss It” 

Then read on for more tips.

Keep It If….

  1. You would buy it again if it was lost or stolen.
  2. It has a proper place in your home and you use it.
  3. It fits in your life today. Say goodbye to those size 6 jeans.
  4. It’s hugely sentimental to you.
  5. You absolutely love it, need it and use it.

Toss It If…..2

  1. You don’t know what it is.
  2. It’s not worth repairing.
  3. Your gut is telling you to part with it.
  4. It was a gift and you have never used it or love it.
  5. You already have more than you need or use.

One of the biggest reasons people don’t clear the clutter and downsize is because they don’t know where to take the unwanted items to. And another big reason is fear. The fear of letting go, the fear of thinking they might need it again one day and the fear of less.

Less is more.

It really is.

P.S. Are you wanting to get organized? Not sure where to start?

Contact us for a free over the phone discover session at www.gettingittogether.ca

By |2020-06-07T20:52:32+00:00June 20th, 2018|Home Organization, Organizer|0 Comments

What To Do With Your Greeting Cards – Do You Toss, Keep, Store Or Dispose Of Them?

Several of the homes I am working in right now seem to have an over abundance of greeting cards. These are cards the family members have received over the years. One of the questions I get asked frequently is “should I keep these cards? I will get to that in a minute. In the mean time I find it interesting that most of these greeting cards are in an old box, they are bent and sometimes still in the envelope….unopened! Boxes of cards can get very dusty and musty smelling too.

Do you have boxes of greeting cards that you have received?

What is your purpose of keeping them?

Read on to get the TOP 5 Getting It Together’s TIPs on What to do with your greeting cards.

Tip#1 Decide if you are an Ecard person or a paper card person. Pick one method and stick to it. Some people are NO card people. Maybe as a family they have decided to not send any cards. (You might decide to put the money you would spend on cards and donate it to a charity of your choice) Then there is the “send out card” company. They do all the work for you once you have given them all your details.

Tip#2: Purpose. What is the purpose of keeping a card? If you give someone a card do you expect them to keep it FOREVER? Probably not. Just like if someone gives you a card they do not expect you to keep it forever. I heard of a lady who kept every card she had ever received. Her thought was that she would re-read them all one day when she was in an “old folks” home. She thought she would like to remember all the kind things people had said to her. I visit an extended care home once a week and I hate to say it but there is no room in those places for a lifetime supply of greeting cards.

Tip#3: Keep the very special ones. So you decide that yes indeed you would like to keep the very special cards. After each Birthday, Anniversary, festive holiday season sit down with a cup of tea.

Look over all your cards and select your 2-3 most precious ones. I put one or 2 of my most special greeting cards in random places in my www.1t031.com binder. That way when I open a page I get a warm fuzzy feeling from the person who sent me the card.

Tip#4: Store them properly. Once you have narrowed down your cards, store them in a plastic shoe box. Many hardware stores carry these boxes at a very reasonable price. Our local store just had them on for .67cents (Canadian) each. It would be fair to have one box per person in the household.

Tip#5: Recycle, repurpose. Please be sure to recycle all greeting cards you are not keeping or repurpose them. One way is to turn your old greeting cards into gift tags. Cut out part of the pretty picture, punch a hole in the upper corner and put a ribbon through it. Check in with your local school or senior centre’s to see if they would like cards for craft projects. I knew one lady who could take a greeting card and turn it into a box. She then put small candies or a piece of jewelry in it and gave them away.

Love to hear from you. What do you do with your greeting cards? Please leave a comment in the box below.

2

PS: This picture is of the system I use to store new greeting cards. This box has dividers in it for all of the special occasions. Once I buy my cards I simply file them under the appropriate occasion. I also use my perpetual calendar that is part of my 1to31 Organizing System. This helps me keep track of all my friends and families Birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions. Check it out www.1to31.com

By |2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00August 11th, 2015|Home Organization, Organizer, Organizing to Move|0 Comments

Slim Trim Weight Loss Ideas

One of the most frequently asked question I get is “what should I do with all my papers?” and the next FAQ is “how do you stay so slim?” We will talk about papers in another article. For today we will concentrate on slim trim weight loss ideas. You might be thinking what does this have to do with getting organized? In order to be our best selves we need to be organized. It affects all areas of our life doesn’t it?

Have you ever heard of the three major body types?

They are Ectomorph, Mesomorph or Endomorph.

An ectomorph is a typical slim person. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles.

A mesomorph has a larger bone structure, larger muscles and a naturally athletic physique. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight.

The endomorph body type is solid and generally soft. Endomorphs gain fat very easily. Endo’s are usually of a shorter build with thicker arms and legs.

People can be a combination of the above body types.

Do you know which one you are?

I happen to be an Ectomorph.

With all that being said all body types can reach and maintain healthy weight loss. The key word here is HEALTHY.

Why not try Getting It Together’s Top 6 Tips on Slim Trim Weight Loss and see the results for yourself.

2Tip #1 Start your day with exercise or increase your daily activities. It takes good planning and organization to get to the gym every day. (We have talked about that in one of our past video blogs) Maybe you are in a situation where this in not possible. Small children at home or start work at 5 am. You can however increase your daily activities.

Take the stairs, park as far away from your office building as possible and walk to it. Run around the park with your kids. Do some stretching throughout the day. Walk on your lunch hour or have walk and talk meetings.

Tip #2 Start your day with a high protein shake. I love my hemp protein. In a blender add a banana, frozen fruit, yogurt, hemp protein powder, seeds, nuts and water. You will be full for many hrs plus all the protein goes right to muscle rebuilding. Protein shakes are also a great meal replacement for busy people on the go.

Tip # 3 Drink loads of water. How many times do we need to hear this? Cold water boosts your metabolism by up to 30%. I like to add lemon to mine. This acts as a natural cleanse and tastes good. The key is to always have water with you. This takes some organizing. Carry your refillable water bottle to the gym, to work, beside your TV, in the car and to the dinner table. The more water you drink the more daily activity you will have because you will need to be running to the washroom 🙂

By |2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00July 14th, 2015|Organizer, Self Care Organization|2 Comments

How to Avoid Shopping Traps

How often do you hear people say “oh it is only X dollars so I may as well get it”

Or

You are out shopping with a friend and the clerk lets you know that today only is “buy one get one free (BOGO) or buy one and get one at half price”

These and many more are some of the shopping traps we need to be aware of.

Check out this short video on how to avoid shopping traps

Then read on for Getting It Together’s Top 7 tips on How to Avoid Shopping Traps (not in any particular order)

  1. Gift with purchase. You will see this a lot at the cosmetic counters. Spend 50.00 and you get this for free. Now the interesting thing about these gifts is that they might not be the best items for you. Check and make sure you really need these free items or have a friend/family member that you can give them to. Do you have large quantities of unused cosmetic items sitting under the sink? Why not donate them to your local women’s shelter?RL1 (4)
  2. Bigger is better. All of the big box stores promote this mentality. Let’s get real! If you live on your own or have a really small family you probably do not need a life time supply of paper towels. It is better to keep your money in the bank than on your pantry shelf taking up valuable space. So often I clear out a client’s pantry only to find several hundreds of dollars of expired food items. Can you split large bulk items with your neighbour or a family member?
  3. Free Shipping (if purchase is over X amount). Don’t get caught up in buying unnecessary items just to get the free shipping. Better yet why not talk to a friend or family member and see if they need anything from that same store.
  4. Get them in all colours. I always thought that was interesting how Oprah talked about her favorite things and when she found a sweater she liked she got it in every colour. For her it is not about the money however when does a gal have that much time to wear all those sweaters?
  5. It’s on sale. This is not the reason to buy anything. The only reason to make a purchase is because you need the item. This is especially true for women’s clothing. You hear ladies say “well it was ONLY 9.99” but do they wear it? Just think, you have to spend to save!
  6. Complete your set. Ok if you have a fine china set and you use it and love it then you probably would want to have ample place settings to complete the set however in most other cases (which I cannot think of one can you?) then what set do you need to complete?
  7. Not having a purpose. We can get caught up in these traps by thinking that one day we might need that item. Whatever that item might be. Buy things as you need them.

5 Questions to ask yourself before purchasing.

  1. Do I need it?
  2. Do I have the money to buy this?
  3. Can I get it on sale or at a better price someplace else?
  4. Can I ask for this item for my Birthday, Anniversary or Christmas gift?
  5. What is the purpose of buying it?

This article is not about putting a damper on shopping which can be a fun past time for many. It is simply one way of looking at how to avoid shopping traps. We all make purchasing mistakes. Buy an item just because, or to make us feel happy or we feel we got talked into it just to name a few. However next time you head on out for a shopping day take these tips and maybe it will help you in being a more mindful shopper.

PS: My online marketing buddy Mary Charleson, wrote this great article on Target. I found it so interesting that I wanted to share it with you along with Mary’s FREE offer.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:36+00:00May 19th, 2015|Organizer|0 Comments

How To Get Financially Organized – Part 2

Hopefully by now you have your systems in place. Did you decide to go paperless or are you feeling more comfortable with a small file cabinet?Tab03b Did you check out the fees at your bank? If you received the 1to31 organizing system how are you doing with it? Do you need a quick consultation on how to get the most from it? If so please contact me and I will walk you through it. In the mean time, check out this short video on

How
To Get Financially Organized

– part 2

and then read Getting It Together’s Top 5 Tips Tip #1: Automatic savings. Set up an automatic savings deposit every month. Look at your finances and decide what amount can go to your savings accounting. If it is done automatically you will not miss it. Even small amounts add up. Check out the documentary “livingononedollar” if you do not believe me. I save all of my change and add it to this account. Those loonies and toonies add up for those of us living in Canada. I see the States have a one dollar coin now too. Welcome to our world America. Tip #2: Make a monthly date with yourself. Once a month take the time to look over your financial situation. Review your bank statements and files in your file cabinet if you are not paperless. If you receive everything online set up files on your computer using the same file names in tip 1 from part 1 of

How To Get Financially Organized
 

. Also each month reconcile your spending, your cheque book and your budget. Tip #3: Have a financial goal. Whether you are just starting out in your first job or are established in your career it is important to have a financial goal. How much do you want to save each year? How much do you want to donate if anything? Take a good hard look at all of your expenses and come up with a plan. If you find this overwhelming give me a call and I will help you organize all of this. This tip alone will be very empowering if done correctly even if you do not make the kind of money you would like to be making at this moment in time. Tip #4: Clear out the old. Once a year clear out all of your old bills, investment statements and any other papers that happen to make their way into your files. That can happenJ Tip #5: Talk. It is important to talk to your kids early on in life about money and finances. Get them to set up a short term and long term savings account. Talk to your partner about your financial goals. Do you have the same values around money, saving and spending? P.S.>> Click here to listen to my Guest spot on BlogTalkRadio. It was so much fun! A great short story to end with. Shared by one of my readers. Thank you The Magic Bank Account Imagine that you had won the following *PRIZE* in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 in your private account for your use.  However, this prize has rules: The set of rules: 1. Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you. 2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account. 3. You may only spend it. 4. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400 for that day. 5. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, “Game Over!”. It can close the account and you will not receive a new one. What would you personally do? You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for. Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew it would be replenished in the morning, right? ACTUALLY, This GAME is REAL … Shocked??? YES! Each of us is already a winner of this *PRIZE*. We just can’t seem to see it. The PRIZE is *TIME*

  1. Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life.
  2. And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is not credited to us.
  3. What we haven’t used up that day is forever lost.
  4. Yesterday is forever gone
  5. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time WITHOUT WARNING…

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds? Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.  Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think. So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life! Here’s wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. Start “spending”….

DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT GROWING OLD…!

SOME PEOPLE DON’T GET THE PRIVILEGE!

 

How To Get Financially Organized Part 1

Do you panic when it comes to tax time?

Do you dream of having all of your important papers ready at any given moment for the bank?

Like when you are going for a loan or mortgage.

If your house was on fire what would you grab?

The interesting thing is almost everyone interviewed says their photos. No one ever says their important documents. In fact both are very hard to replace if not almost impossible.

Why not set up a system that is easy to grab? Yes for the most part things will be on your computer however I have found that people still like to have a paper trail. I think it is because we feel more in control if we have that important document in our hands and then we can file it. We can see it at a quick glance and more importantly we can touch it. What do you think? Please leave it in the comment box below.

We are still not a paperless society. There are certain things that we need handy in paper format like a power of attorney or a will.

In order to get financially fit I would suggest watching this quick video (Part One) and then follow these simple Getting It Together’s Top 5 tips on how to get financially organized.

Tip #1: Set up a small and I mean small file cabinet or portable file box. The reason you want to keep it small is so you will toss out the outdated information as the new information comes in.

Create File Folders for:

  • Savings Account
  • Chequing account
  • Credit Card accounts (I suggest having two credit cards especially if you travel)
  • Retirement accounts
  • Mortgage
  • Investment accounts
  • Insurance: life, critical illness, disability, home and car
  • Loans
  • Will and power of attorney
  • Tax return from past yr and current yr.
  • Miscellaneous

I personally have all these important documents in a binder. My executor knows exactly where it is and what is in it. 1to31-4663 medThis will make her job easier when the time comes for her to deal with my affairs. Being this organized with your important papers is a gift you give to the people who are left to deal with your affairs. There is nothing worse than trying to find all the important papers while grieving.

Tip #2: Set up online banking and telephone banking. Like it or not sooner than later we will have to do 90% of our banking online and why not? It is a great way to save time. You can do all of your banking while the kids sleep or on your coffee break at work.

Tip #3: Set up automatic bill payments. The best thing I ever did to get financially organized was setting up all of my bills to be pre-authorized to go on my visa. Then once a month my Visa gets paid automatically from my account. Yes it is important to check your credit card statement to make sure that all of the purchases are yours. You can do that online before it gets paid. If you set up this system it is important to pay your credit card off in full each month. The last thing you want is to be paying interest on your phone bill etc. The best part is you get extra travel miles if you collect those.

If you are not comfortable with automatic bill payments then set yourself up a little area in your home where you pay bills. Is it in the kitchen or do you have a small office area? Make sure you have the supplies required.

  • Stamps
  • Envelopes
  • Pens
  • Paper
  • Return address labels
  • Shredder
  • Recycle bin.

Once the bill is paid file it until the next months bill comes in at which point you can shred the last months bill. There is no need to keep a life time of phone bills. Even if you are in business for yourself you only have to keep 7 years worth. All major companies keep a record of our bills should you ever need an old statement.

Tip #4: Reduce banking fees. Check with your bank to see how you can reduce monthly banking fees. If I keep a balance of $1000.00 or more in my account I avoid all fees. If you are a senior you might be able to avoid fees. Each bank has different policies. Shop around to get the best deal for you.

Tip #5: Use your 1to31 system. Don’t have one yet? Check it out at www.1to31.com

If you are still getting paper bills file them under the date in which they need to be paid. The 1to31 is the best place to keep track of them.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:38+00:00April 14th, 2015|Organizer, Organizing Finances, Tax Organization|0 Comments

How To Improve Your Energy Management

Do you wish you had more time or do you wish you had more energy?

Do you wonder how some people get so much done in a day?

What if we were to manage our energy within those 24 hours would it feel like we had more time?

Time is finite, energy is not.

Please take the time now to watch this quick video on How to improve your energy management.

What are some of the things that energize you?

Some of mine are hanging out with friends, going for a nice long walk, sitting and having a gourmet cup of coffee, and an organized home.

What are some of the things that de-energize you?

Some of mine are being around negative people, chaos, unresolved conflicts, and not getting enough sleep.

IMG_1226Every day we wake up with our “bag” of energy. When we do things that energize us our bag gets filled up. When we do things that deplete our energy our bag gets sucked dry. We need to do things everyday to fill our bag of energy up. Increased energy means we get more done in less time. Has anyone ever called you and said “hey I am in your neighborhood and I would like to stop by in 20 minutes?” Do you wonder where all that energy comes from to quickly put things away and straighten up the house? You get it done in record time. And, if you have all day to tidy up your house you probably take all day. See how this increase in energy has just given you extra time?

Here are Getting It Together’s Top three quick tips on How to Improve Your Energy Management

Tip #1. Make a list of the things that energize you and a list of the things that deplete your energy. Love for you to share some of them in the comment box below. I’ll bet most of us have many in common.

Tip #2. Do at least one thing every day that gives you energy. It might be as simple as sitting for 15 minutes and enjoying a cup of herbal tea. It might be meditating for 15 minutes or exercising. I highly recommend scheduling these energy boosters in your calendar. They are a very important appointment with you.

Tip #3. Take a look at your list of energy busters. The things that drain you. What can you delegate? What can you eliminate? Our plates are only as full as we make them. Are there some things that can wait? By eliminating some of these energy drainers you will increase your time. How will you use this new found time? If there are things that only you can do and they are energy drainers do them first thing. Get them off the list and reward yourself with an energy enhancer activity.

P.S. Catch Rowena LIVE on this one time Blog Radio Show interview – April 18th at 10:30am PST. You will get the latest significant business secrets and more all for FREE. Click here so you won’t miss it. Just click on the reminder button to save to your calendar or have an email reminder sent to you.

How To Have A Stress Free Vacation – Part 2

Whistler

Whistler, BC

After reading part one of how to have a stress free vacation I am sure you are anxious to get going with part 2.

Are your bags packed?

Do you know where your passport is? It is up to date?

Because I love to travel I like to be ready at any given moment to be able to take off. You just never know when you will get the call….hey I have a spare ticket to Bali, want to come? Ok, I am dreaming of this call.

In the mean time check out Getting It Together’s Top 5 simple tips on how to have a stress free vacation so you’ll be ready to go at the drop of a hat too. Please share the love by sharing the link to this video and blog post.

Tip #1: Have a travel bin. Keep your passport, airplane headsets, detailed packing list, left over foreign currency, travel size toiletries, travel meds like gravel, bear bell if you are biking in Whistler BC Canada, travel jewelry roll up, travel pillow and blanket for the plane, portable travel scale to make sure your suitcase is not over weight, plug adapters, and travel books/maps and brochures of places you have been to and will return to or places you would like to go to.

Can you think of anything else?
If so, please leave your comments in the box below.

Tip #2: Travel medicine bag. Have one ready to go at all times. Carry things like band aids, pollysporin, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil for rejuvenation after a long flight, vitamin c so you can nip a cold in the bud, headache relief pills, and any allergy medication you might need.

Tip #3suitcases: Plan your return. Avoid the stress of rushing back to work by coming home from your vacation one or two days before you need to return back to work. Nothing makes a person lose vacation mode more than by running in the door late on a Sunday night and having to be in the office first thing Monday morning. Not to mention you will have nothing in your fridge unless you have a magic elf filling it for you.

Tip #4: Catch – up day. Use that first day back home to catch up on laundry, returning phone calls, opening and dealing with mail and emails. Get back into the groove slowly. Savor the vacation mindset. Look at your photos and savor the memories.

Do you have the luxury of having a catch up day at work? That first day back after vacation can seem overwhelming. Look at your tasks and bite them down into manageable to do’s. The last thing you want is to be exhausted after your first day back to work when returning from a fun filled vacation.

Tip #5: Look at your bucket list. We can all be prone to vacation let down. Back to reality, work, and life in general. So why not look at your bucket list and start thinking about your next vacation.

Where is your most favorite travel destination? Please leave it in the comment box below.

In the mean time if you have not taken advantage of your FREE 30 minute call why not do that today? We could do a little vacation dreaming and come up with a plan of action for you.

Simply go to www.reclaimsession.com to book your time now.

 

By |2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00March 17th, 2015|Organizer, Time Management, Travel Organization|0 Comments

Organizing your make-up: Find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less

R applying Makeup-5Most of you know I come from a cosmetic background. With well over 3 decades in the business I thought it was time to share a few of my trade secrets. Like most of us, putting on our make-up is a habit. One day rolls into the next and before long we realize we have not cleared out or organized our make-up for some time. This is not a good thing.

Here are a few of my top tips for organizing your make-up. You’ll be able to find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less and be up to date.

Tip#1 Pump bottles. Whenever possible use cleansers, moisturizers and foundations that come in pump bottles. This saves time. No more opening the containers morning and night. Simply pump out what you need. It is also more sanitary as your fingers are not touching the open caps.

Tip#2 Brushes. One good set of brushes is all a gal needs. My favorite is the MaryKay brush set because it comes in a nice roll –up container. This is especially handy when traveling. Good brush sets will last many years. Wash them once a month in a little shampoo and conditioner. Allow to dry overnight. Toss out all old, used sponge tip applicators and broken brushes.

Tip#3 Colour cosmetics. This includes eye shadows, liners, lipsticks and blush. Dump out your cosmetic bag, drawer or basket. Know your limit. How many items do you really want and need? It is safe to say that 3-4 eye colours will cover your basic needs. Toss the ones you never use and ALL purchasing mistakes. Come on, we all have one or two of those in our bag. The shimmery gold eye colour that you thought you HAD to have. Toss ALL lipsticks you are no longer wearing. The ones with just a little left in the tube, the FREE ones that are not your colour and the outdated ones. Keep your favorite 3-4. Do the same with your liners and blush. The thing is we wear 20% of our make-up 80% of the time.

Tip#4 Storage. Pick one place to store your make-up. Do you like to keep it all in a cosmetic bag, a basket or a drawer? The more places you have to store cosmetics the more likely you will spread to those areas. This is not a good thing. I keep all my items in one small drawer in the bathroom. I also like to have a travel cosmetic bag ready to go at all times. I put all my “almost finished” eye colours, blush and liners in there.

Tip#5 Toss. How many bottles of half used creams, lotions and potions do you have? Do you go onto the new before using up the old? People have the best of intentions of using up those partially used bottles. They don’t. Do yourself an organizing favour and toss them out. OR promise me you will use them up before buying new.

Do you have lots of unopened make-up items, cosmetics or toiletries? Please donate them to your local women’s shelter. They would be happy to receive them.

Keep your “look” up to date with regular consultations. Many cosmetic counters offer this service. So do home based cosmetic companies. Find a consultant who knows your style and one that you trust.

I love organizing cosmetic drawers, bags or baskets. Be sure to contact for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss your make-up needs; your storage concerns and solutions. I’ll even give you the latest make-up trends.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 26th, 2015|Organizer|0 Comments

How to Organize a Computer

Can you believe that most people waste 76 hours per year-nearly two weeks’ worth of work, looking for things on their computer or in their office?

Do you have a love hate relationship with your computer?

Do you wish your computer was more organized?

Check out this short video on How to Organize a Computer.

Read on for my simple top 5 tips on how to organize a computer so you do not toss it out the window.

Tip#1: Back up your computer. Can you believe that 30% of people do not back up their files and every 3 seconds someone’s hard drive fails. YIKES! You can get an external drive, or rely on the “cloud”. (It is a virtual backup on a website that uses multiple servers.) Even on a sunny day here in Vancouver would you feel comfortable relying on a cloud? What if the cloud crashes? I still feel that the most important papers in your life need to be backed-up on your computer and you also need a hard copy.

Tip#2: Empty your recycling bin or trash. Have you kept EVERY single solitary email, file, document, etc. that you have ever received on your computer? You could be headed for a crash and burn situation. Just like you take out your paper recycling each week, you need to do the same with your computer. Clean it up. Take 15 minutes each week and delete what you no longer need. Exit out of all programs you are using; don’t just minimize them, then empty the trash.

Tip#3: Organize your desktop. Don’t save unneeded files. It slows your computer down. I’ve seen desktops that have so many files on them you can hardly see the screen. This is clutter to the mind just looking at it. Take a second to put these files in a hard-drive folder like “My Documents” or “My Photos”. Before you move any files, ask yourself  “do I need this information any longer or can I toss it?”

For example you might have thought it was cool to have “Google Earth” on your desktop. How often do you look at it? Is it necessary to keep it?

Tip#4: Re-boot. “Booting up” a computer was so termed because programs load in sequence, the first pulls the rest up by their bootstraps. It’s fine to let a computer “sleep” rather than shut it done, but reboot weekly to really refresh it. I recommend turning your computer off at the end of each day. This will save on electricity which saves on our environment. Reduce your webpage history. Your browser stores visited sites automatically. Set the history to clear every week.

Tip#5: Keep it clean. How often do you wipe down your keyboard, your mouse, your screen? I cannot even imagine the germs that are on and around our computers. We touch them with dirty fingers, we sneeze around them and not to mention crumbs from our morning toast. You can get all kinds of fancy computer cleaning kits. I personally use a Q-tip and microfiber cloth for keyboard and screen and an alcohol wipe for the mouse.

You know there is so much more we can talk about when it comes to our computers, organizing emails, etc. I’ll save those tips for another post. In the meantime please feel free to contact me for your FREE 30 minute reclaim session. We can discuss your burning computer questions, how to organize them, and how to move forward. Contact www.reclaimsession.com to book your time now.

If I cannot answer your questions you might have to join me for lunch with my really smart girlfriend! Lucky for me I can call on my girlfriend to help me out with most computer issues. She is not a computer person by trade, however she is really smart. She is actually a professional photographer. A world class one I might add.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00December 29th, 2014|Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

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