Organized Assistant » time management http://organizedassistant.com Virtual Partner to Your Organizing Business Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:19:17 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 It’s a New Year – Time to Fire Up Your Business! http://organizedassistant.com/2012/01/03/its-a-new-year-time-to-fire-up-your-business/ http://organizedassistant.com/2012/01/03/its-a-new-year-time-to-fire-up-your-business/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:39:15 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=3003 It’s a New Year – Time to Fire Up Your Business!
For many of us, the start of a new year is a time for change. Even people who don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions generally see this as a time to set goals for the coming months. As a professional organizer, you probably support your clients in moving towards their goals, but who’s helping you [...]

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]]> It’s a New Year – Time to Fire Up Your Business!
For many of us, the start of a new year is a time for change. Even people who don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions generally see this as a time to set goals for the coming months. As a professional organizer, you probably support your clients in moving towards their goals, but who’s helping you with yours? Fire Up Your Biz - Enrich Your Life   You started your business because you’re passionate about organizing and helping others, but to be a successful entrepreneur, you also need to know about product development, budgeting, branding, marketing, networking, social media, video, and loads of other things. You can really spend a lot of time researching these topics and trying to find people you can really trust to give you the right information! Fortunately, Stephanie LH Calahan of Calahan Solutions, Inc. has pulled together over 20 of the best experts on productivity, mindset and business growth in an extraordinary program designed specifically to meet the unique needs of entrepreneurs who want to excel in business and in life. In Fire Up Your Biz - Enrich Your Life!, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from a number of your organizing colleagues along with other business experts. Take a look at this line-up!
  • Depressing Desks and Psychic Debris: Cleaning up the Work Space by De-cluttering the Head Trash (Regina Lark 01/18 @ 11AM CST)
  • Unlock the Secret to Achieving Your Profit Goals (Nicole Fende 01/19 @ 11AM CST)
  • Mindset Matters: Secrets to a Powerful Mindset (Des Gray 01/19 @ 7PM CST)
  • We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This: How to Run Meetings that Actually Get Things Done (Debbie Rosemont 01/25 @ 11AM CST)
  • Get the Right Support for Your Business, Inside and Out (Marcia Hoeck 01/26 @ 11AM CST)
  • Get Time and Tasks Managed Quickly (Michelle Panzlaff 01/26 @ 7PM CST)
  • Conquering Your Fear with a Knockout Punch (Dr. Shannon Reece 02/1 @ 11AM CST)
  • The 3 Surprising Keys that Open the Door to Small Business Abundance (Andrea Feinberg 02/02 11AM CST)
  • A Busy Family’s Guide to Getting Organized So You Can Live Your Best Life and Still Enjoy Your Family (Ellen Delap 02/02 7PM CST)
  • From Procrastination to DONE! (Carrie Greene 02/08 11AM CST)
  • 5 Keys to Social Media Success: Do it Right, Stop Wasting Time and Get Results! (Janet Slack 02/09 11AM CST)
  • How to Overcome your Mental Money Barriers, and Break Free to Success (Georgina Sweeney 02/09 7PM CST)
  • Networking for Success (Heather Townsend 02/15 11AM CST)
  • Conquer Email Overload (Stephanie Shalofski 02/16 11AM CST)
  • Passion Management: How to Juggle/Prioritize all of the Passions We Have (Lisa Montanaro 02/16 7PM CST)
  • Five Secrets to Streamline Your Work Flow (Miriam Ortiz y Pino 02/22 11AM CST)
  • When Life Interferes: Making it through Life's Transitions as a Business Owner (Sue West 02/23 11AM CST)
  • TiME Strategies for the Busy Entrepreneur (Allyson Lewis 02/23 7PM CST)
  • Solopreneur Motivation Secrets: Create the Work Environment and Results You Want (Elaine Quinn 02/29 11AM CST)
That is already a lot of information, and Stephanie tells me a few more sessions will probably be added to the schedule soon. What’s really amazing is that it won’t cost you anything to take part in this program! And no, it’s not going to be just a series of sales presentations; the goal is to be ALL content and NO fluff! You’ll even have the opportunity to submit your questions when you register, so you know the experts are doing this to help you achieve your business goals for 2012. Sign up for Fire Up Your Biz - Enrich Your Life! today.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2012/01/03/its-a-new-year-time-to-fire-up-your-business/feed/ 0 Product Review: Quo Vadis Minister Prestige Weekly Planner http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/29/product-review-quo-vadis-minister-prestige-weekly-planner/ http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/29/product-review-quo-vadis-minister-prestige-weekly-planner/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:00:11 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=2913 Product Review: Quo Vadis Minister Prestige Weekly Planner
When I realized, nearly 30 years ago, that there was a whole world of calendars beyond those that were provided to me by my employer, bank, or local card shop, one of the first product lines I discovered was Quo Vadis. I was impressed by the quality of their planners as well as the extensive [...]

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]]> Product Review: Quo Vadis Minister Prestige Weekly Planner
When I realized, nearly 30 years ago, that there was a whole world of calendars beyond those that were provided to me by my employer, bank, or local card shop, one of the first product lines I discovered was Quo Vadis. I was impressed by the quality of their planners as well as the extensive variety of sizes and layouts they offered. Quo Vadis Minister Prestige Weekly Planner Thanks to the networking expertise of Margarita Ibbott, Quo Vadis Canada generously donated a supply of their planners to be distributed at her presentation at this year’s POC Conference. I was pleased to receive a conservative-yet-unique burgundy one, but I noticed that the others ranged from classic black to a fashionable cactus green. The cover is both pleasing to the touch and well-constructed, so you can continue using it and simply purchase a refill each year – a smart move both financially and ecologically. The inside spread, as shown above, is in a weekly grid format, running from Monday to Sunday. Although this can be confusing at first for someone who is accustomed to the traditional Sunday-to-Saturday layout of most wall calendars, it is ideal for planning purposes as it keeps weekends together. An eighth column includes small calendars for the previous, current, and following months, and identifies the current week and quarter of the year. Each daily column includes a spot to record the day’s priority at the top, followed by a scheduling section.  For Monday through Saturday, the schedule runs from 8 AM to 9 PM, which should meet the needs of most people, and includes a Notes section at the bottom. Sunday’s schedule runs from  8 AM to 8 PM, without the half-hour marks in between that appear on the rest of the days.  This allows a wide section below Sunday’s schedule and the weekly details for five task-related sections: Phone, Fax – E-mail, See – Do, Write, and To pay – To receive. This is not a format I would choose for myself, because most of my activities are not scheduled for specific times, so the time slots aren’t really that important to me, and I prefer to have most of the daily section blank to write my daily tasks, with a smaller section for scheduled appointments. However, for those who are more schedule-driven, it is well-designed. The corner of each page is perforated, making it easy to find the current week without the need for a marker. Other features include the current and following year at a glance (with space to write), mini calendars for the previous, current, and following years, and a removable address book. There are several pages of reference information such as maps, international holidays, and the like, that would probably only be of value to some users. One thing I really like about this planner is the fact that you can start using it on December 5. By this time of the year, we are planning for the new year far more often than we’re referring back to earlier dates, so this eliminates the need to carry two calendars. Although Quo Vadis were pioneers in the development of the weekly planner, they now offer daily and monthly planners as well, to meet the needs of an even wider audience. You can purchase Quo Vadis planners at Amazon.com and many other online and retailers.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/29/product-review-quo-vadis-minister-prestige-weekly-planner/feed/ 2 Product Review: DayMinder Premiere http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/22/product-review-dayminder-premiere/ http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/22/product-review-dayminder-premiere/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:04:27 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=2907 Product Review: DayMinder Premiere
It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a calendar junkie, and I’ve reviewed several of the unique planners I’ve come across here at Your Organizing Business. For those who prefer something more classic, this week we’ll take a look at a product from AT-A-GLANCE. The first thing you’ll notice when you pick up the [...]

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]]> Product Review: DayMinder Premiere
It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a calendar junkie, and I’ve reviewed several of the unique planners I’ve come across here at Your Organizing Business. For those who prefer something more classic, this week we’ll take a look at a product from AT-A-GLANCE. DayMinder Premiere Recycled Weekly Appointment Book DayMinder Premiere Recycled Weekly Appointment BookThe first thing you’ll notice when you pick up the DayMinder Premiere is its black leather-like hard cover, which not only looks professional but is clearly designed to maintain its appearance throughout the year. Unlike some other hardcover planners, the inside pages are coil-bound, allowing it to remain open on the desktop. The paper used for the pages isn’t as smooth or as thick as in some of the other planners I’ve seen, but it’s certainly adequate, and the fact that it contains 30% post-consumer waste makes up for it being a little less luxurious. There is a handy built-in address book at the back with alphabetical tabs that match the calendar section. Another nice extra is a plastic sheet with two storage pockets to keep loose notes from falling out. My husband has chosen the DayMinder Premiere Recycled Weekly Appointment Book as his personal planner for two years in a row. The inside view displays one week per spread, as shown above. The pre-printed time slots run from 8 AM to 5 PM, making this most suitable for someone whose most important activities are scheduled during the daytime. On the other hand, the numbers are discreet enough for someone who is less appointment-driven to disregard.  Each spread includes small monthly calendars for the current, previous, and next two months, minimizing the need to flip to other pages, but leather-like tabs for each month make it easy to flip back or ahead as needed. A full calendar for the year appears inside the front cover, and one for the following year inside the back cover. At 4 7/8" x 8", the appointment book is very portable and will fit easily in any briefcase and most purses. The Premiere is also available as a Monthly Planner and as a Daily Appointment Book. It is an above average quality product which I would recommend to anyone who likes a traditional time management system.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/22/product-review-dayminder-premiere/feed/ 0 Product Review: BusyBodyBook Organizers http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/15/product-review-busybodybook-organizers/ http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/15/product-review-busybodybook-organizers/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:03:20 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=2891 Product Review: BusyBodyBook Organizers
People who are loyal to a particular brand of calendar have probably already purchased their refill or planner for 2012, but others are still looking for one that will meet their needs. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring several different products to help you guide your clients in their decision-making. Last year, I [...]

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]]> Product Review: BusyBodyBook Organizers
People who are loyal to a particular brand of calendar have probably already purchased their refill or planner for 2012, but others are still looking for one that will meet their needs. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be featuring several different products to help you guide your clients in their decision-making. BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer cover Last year, I was sent a review copy of the BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer (read my review here), and it worked so well for me that I didn’t think twice before ordering a new one for next year. It arrived quickly and in good condition, and I’m delighted to see that it’s the same high quality as this year’s edition. In fact, I like it a little better, because they’ve changed the color of the inside pages from bright green to a more muted brown shade, as shown below: BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer inside pages Along with my order, Joan Goldner, who developed the BusyBodyBook, was kind enough to send me a BusyBodyBook Wall Calendar as well as a 7-column BusyBodyBook Undated Weekly Grid Pad. The concept is essentially the same as the Personal & Family Grid Organizer, except that these two products have seven columns instead of five. The Undated Weekly Grid Pad, shown below, includes an additional “notes” column for recording tasks or other items that don’t need to be scheduled for a particular day. Each pad includes 52 pages, enough for a full year, unless you decide to use it for multiple purposes. Possible uses include family activities, meal planning, team planning… you name it! There’s a magnetic strip on the back so it can be posted on the fridge or filing cabinet, and it is three-hole punched for those who prefer to place it in a binder. 7-column BusyBodyBook Undated Weekly Grid Pad The Wall Calendar combines the layout of the Undated Weekly Grid Pad with the construction of the Personal & Family Grid Organizer. Unlike traditional wall calendars, there is no artwork. Instead, you have the option of viewing two weeks at a time, or saving wall space by displaying just one week. On the Wall Calendar, the notes section is moved to the bottom of the page, where you can also view mini-calendars for last month, this month, and next month at a glance. BusyBodyBook Wall Calendar These are really outstanding calendars for a very reasonable price, and would be suitable for organizing families or other groups as well as students, entrepreneurs, and other individuals with multiple roles or activities to manage. All products are available online via the BusyBodyBook website.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/15/product-review-busybodybook-organizers/feed/ 2 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for November 2011: Clutter http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/08/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-november-2011-clutter/ http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/08/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-november-2011-clutter/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:24:47 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=2882 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for November 2011: Clutter
Welcome to the Clutter issue of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! Nearly all organizers are experts in some aspect of clutter, so it’s no surprise that this is our biggest Carnival to date. Make yourself comfortable because there are a lot of new colleagues for you to meet! Clare Kumar became a Professional Organizers Blog [...]

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]]> Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for November 2011: Clutter
Welcome to the Clutter issue of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! Nearly all organizers are experts in some aspect of clutter, so it’s no surprise that this is our biggest Carnival to date. Make yourself comfortable because there are a lot of new colleagues for you to meet! carnival clutterClare Kumar became a Professional Organizers Blog Carnival Star Blogger this month with her post, Clear Clothing Clutter and Help Charities. Please join me in congratulating Clare, and remember that you too can become a Star Blogger by participating in 10 or more editions of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival. Participating for the first time this month are MaryJo Monroe with It's party time! 8 ways to get rid of clutter by hosting a party, Lurlene Anderson with Organizing Just For YOU!,  Sheri Bruneau with What Type of Clutter Do You Have? and Deanne Kelleher with An Exit Strategy for Clutter. It’s great to have you on board! Don’t go away just yet, because there are lots more great blog posts for you to read! Always remember that engaging with other bloggers by following them on Twitter and commenting on their blogs is a good way to grow your network and drive traffic to your own blog. Nancy Borg - The Origin of Clutter and the Simple Steps to Conquer it Hazel Thornton - Is it Clutter? Jacquie Ross - 10 Tips for Busy Moms on How to Keep a Clutter-Free Home Deb Lee - Armadillos Are Dangerous and Ugly, Just Like Clutter Jonda Beattie - Homeless Items In Your Home Ellen Delap - Clutter: A Hoarder's Success Story Lelah Baker-Rabe - Common clutter areas and what to do about them Janice Russell - What Does Your Clutter Weigh? Janine Adams - Standards of Clutter Leslie Josel - Clutter: Clean and Clear Elaine Shannon - Clutter = Stuck Energy Ramona Creel - Is Your Life Too Cluttered? Linda Samuels - Releasing Mind Clutter Natalie Conrad - Do You Have Time Clutter? Lisa Montanaro - What is Clutter? Julie Bestry - Paper Manners Matter: Cut Card Clutter & Store Social Stationery Shelley Molitor - Find New Meaning in the Clutter Sue West - Do Your Surroundings Become You? Audrey Cupo - Five Rules to Follow to Eliminate the Clutter Rivka Caroline - Clutter is just a pile of delayed decision making Lauren Giammarco - Control that Clutter! Tracy Hoth - What to Keep? What to Purge? I don’t know about you, but I’m having this incredible urge to declutter all of a sudden! :) The December Professional Organizers Blog Carnival will be about 2011 Conference Highlights.  Whether you were at the POC Conference this past weekend, NAPO, ICD, MARCPO, Orvention, or any other conference this year, we’d love to read about it! You have until noon EST on December 12 to submit your post.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2011/11/08/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-november-2011-clutter/feed/ 2 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for August 2011: Life Balance http://organizedassistant.com/2011/08/09/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-august-2011-life-balance/ http://organizedassistant.com/2011/08/09/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-august-2011-life-balance/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:43:47 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=2678 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for August 2011: Life Balance
Welcome to the Life Balance edition of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! I enjoy reading all the submissions I receive every month, but this time I personally gained something from every single post, and I'm truly thankful to be connected to so many insightful organizers. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and find out what [...]

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]]> Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for August 2011: Life Balance
Welcome to the Life Balance edition of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! I enjoy reading all the submissions I receive every month, but this time I personally gained something from every single post, and I'm truly thankful to be connected to so many insightful organizers. Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and find out what they have to say about this key subject. work-life balance I'm delighted to begin by introducing two new participants this month: Rivka Caroline - Life-Balance. What Fruity Sugar Stars taught me Hazel Thornton - Life is Like a Bicycle And welcome back to our returning bloggers: Lisa Montanaro - Passion Management: A New Way of Getting Things Done Barbara Tako - Life Balance: It isn't all about the clutter either Lauren Giammarco - Finding Your Balance and Why Rainy Days Never Get Me Down Natalie Conrad - Staying Organized is a Balancing Act Elaine Shannon - Organization is the Foundation of all Growth Ramona Creel - A Lesson From Erma Bombeck Audrey Cupo - The Balancing Act Jane Veldhoven - What Does Your Balanced Life Look Like? Angela Esnouf - One grey elephant balancing Tracy Hoth - Life Balance - It Is All About Playground Equipment Deb Lee - Put “Me” Time on Your Calendar Jeri Dansky - Meditations for Parents Who Do Too Much Stephanie LH Calahan - Do You Want a Balanced Life? He Was Not So Sure... What do you think? Linda Samuels - Words of Our Lives Ellen Delap - Work Life Balance Nancy Borg - 2 Power Tools You Need to Help Manage the Stress of a Busy Day Clare Kumar - Choices, choices, choices - Blessing or burden? Jonda Beattie - Priorities Michelle Panzlaff - To do or not to do, that is the question As you visit the various blogs, don’t forget to grow your professional network by leaving comments and/or following the other bloggers on Twitter. We are now accepting submissions for next month’s Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, when our topic will be Organizing Home Libraries. The submission deadline is Monday, September 13. In the meantime, please tell us YOUR definition of Life Balance in the Comments section below.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2011/08/09/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-august-2011-life-balance/feed/ 8 Product Review: Chaos… simplified Woman’s Day Planner http://organizedassistant.com/2011/02/15/product-review-chaos-simplified-womans-day-planner/ http://organizedassistant.com/2011/02/15/product-review-chaos-simplified-womans-day-planner/#comments Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:50:15 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=2039 Product Review: Chaos… simplified Woman’s Day Planner
In my ongoing search for the perfect paper planner, I was very excited to learn last spring that Laura of I'm an Organizing Junkie had a wonderful Canadian product available to give away. Although I wasn't the lucky winner, I was so impressed with Laura's review that I contacted the designer/publisher, Corrie Bitner, and asked [...]

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]]> Product Review: Chaos… simplified Woman’s Day Planner
In my ongoing search for the perfect paper planner, I was very excited to learn last spring that Laura of I'm an Organizing Junkie had a wonderful Canadian product available to give away. Although I wasn't the lucky winner, I was so impressed with Laura's review that I contacted the designer/publisher, Corrie Bitner, and asked if I could have a copy to review for Your Organizing Business. Chaos... simplified Woman's Day Planner Although Corri wasn't able to send me a planner right away, she agreed to send me a 2011 version when they were available, and I eagerly awaited its arrival. My first impression was that this planner will appeal mainly to creative types, with its handwriting-style fonts and nature-inspired cover image. Unlike planners which focus on productivity, the overall theme of Chaos... simplified is harmony and beauty. For each month, there is not just a page or two, but an entire section, which includes:
  • Financial Outlook page for recording income, expenses, and comparing figures to budgeted amounts
  • Monthly plan, including goals for self, family, household, and financials, as well as "what's happening" this month and next, "things on my mind", and important dates to remember
  • Monthly calendar view, which lies open next to the weekly view, as shown above. This feature means you don’t have to flip back and forth between views, or copy events from your monthly calendar to your weekly schedule
Each monthly calendar includes a section for "scribbled thoughts n' sketched dreams" and the weekly calendars have sections for "things to do" and "phone calls to make." There is also a divider with pockets to hold receipts, recipes, or other loose bits of paper. Instructions are provided to remove these dividers if you find your planner getting too bulky as the year progresses. The rear cover includes a flap to tuck into the current page, so you can easily keep your place without a separate bookmark. Additional sections allow you to record financial information, wish lists for books, movies, restaurants, and vacations, Christmas planning, important phone numbers, and other contacts. I wouldn't recommend this planner as a business tool, but it would be ideal for your clients who are busy home managers or stay-at-home moms. To learn more about the Woman's Day Planner as well as the Girls Day Planner for tweens and teens, visit the Chaos... simplified website.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2011/02/15/product-review-chaos-simplified-womans-day-planner/feed/ 5 Product Review: BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer http://organizedassistant.com/2011/01/18/busybodybook-personal-family-grid-organizer/ http://organizedassistant.com/2011/01/18/busybodybook-personal-family-grid-organizer/#comments Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:54:44 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=1988 Product Review: BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer
From the first time I saw an office products catalog, I've been amazed by the wide variety of calendars and planners. What was available back then seems limited and boring compared to the unique and colourful assortment on the market today, and I'm always excited to learn about a new product, like the BusyBodyBook. We [...]

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]]> Product Review: BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer
From the first time I saw an office products catalog, I've been amazed by the wide variety of calendars and planners. What was available back then seems limited and boring compared to the unique and colourful assortment on the market today, and I'm always excited to learn about a new product, like the BusyBodyBook. BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer We all have our own needs and wants when it comes to choosing a planner. My preferences include:
  • De-emphasis of time slots, as I use my electronic calendar for scheduling appointments
  • Weekly grid format for planning my day-to-day activities
  • Space for a master to-do list for the week
  • Monthly pages for planning blog posts
  • Space to jot dates for the following year
  • Coil bound, so it will lie flat on my desk, whether open or closed
  • Esthetically pleasing
  • Good quality paper and construction
When I opened my review copy of the 2011 BusyBodyBook Personal & Family Grid Organizer, I was thrilled to see that it has every one of the above features. Furthermore, it has pockets inside the front and back covers to hold any loose papers, lots of space for additional notes, a couple of pages to record key contact information, and even detachable pages for additional lists. I especially like the heavy plastic cover which not only protects the attractive inner cover but makes it easy to find the cover when the book is folded open to an inside page. As shown above, each weekly page has five columns which you can use in whatever way works for the way you organize your life. I'm using mine for: Organized Assistant business, client work, personal, home, and social. That may change as the year unfolds, but since they're unlabeled, I'll be able to make that transition easily should the need arise. Someone who is trying to lose weight might use it to record menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and physical activity. A student could use it to keep track of homework for different classes. The possibilities are endless! If someone you know hasn't yet purchased their 2011 planner, or they're not happy with the one they picked out, let them know they can save 15% off the regular price on the BusyBodyBook website, while supplies last. It is also available from Amazon.com and FranklinCovey.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2011/01/18/busybodybook-personal-family-grid-organizer/feed/ 4 Product Review: WeekDate http://organizedassistant.com/2010/12/21/product-review-weekdate/ http://organizedassistant.com/2010/12/21/product-review-weekdate/#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:43:28 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=1962 Product Review: WeekDate
I love exploring different paper planners, so when I saw Deanna Koller demonstrating her new WeekDate calendar to her colleagues from Southwestern Ontario on the train ride to the POC Conference last month, I invited her to write a review for Your Organizing Business. Luckily for all of us, she said Yes! Read on to [...]

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]]> Product Review: WeekDate
I love exploring different paper planners, so when I saw Deanna Koller demonstrating her new WeekDate calendar to her colleagues from Southwestern Ontario on the train ride to the POC Conference last month, I invited her to write a review for Your Organizing Business. Luckily for all of us, she said Yes! Read on to learn about this unique product. WeekDate calendar Like Janet, I am also a lover of the paper planner. After years of loyalty to a specialty 3” x 6” insert that fit my leather bound planner, I had come to realize that it was more fashion than function and it was time to move on. With the world of paper planners open to me, I dove in first to the Planner Pad.  It had over double the amount of space I previously had to write in, and all activities, to-do’s, and appointments were arranged to help me make the most effective use of my time.  Soon though, I was getting to the point where I needed to plan planning time so that I could fill out regular appointments week after week, month after month.  This became drudgery and the WeekDate planner claimed to solve my dilemma. Its tagline, “Only Write it Once” was instantly appealing to me.  After watching their “How it Works” video, I knew it had to be mine. The 9½” x 4” planner opens to 9½” x 13½” full size and is divided into three sections.  At the top of the planner is the colour coded section called Monthlies. Each colour represents a week in the month, from the first to the last. Here you write in items that occur on a monthly basis. My POC Chapter meets the third Wednesday of each month. I wrote it in once, and now I’m done for the year. The bottom section is where the weekly items are listed. Any scheduled items that occur every week are placed here in the appropriate day. Here I placed my entire recurring weekly schedule, including children’s lessons, fitness classes, bill paying and shopping.  Once and it’s done. The everyday items that are not regularly repeating are written in the middle section by date. The colour coding on the page refers to the monthlies section, so if the colour above the date is green, you look at the second week of the month to see if you have a monthly appointment. Each page has a tear away tab that allows you to get to your current week easily. On the back page of the past week are lined columns for whatever notes you may take during the current week. This planner has two integrated plastic pockets. In one is a phone card that you can remove and place into your next year’s WeekDate. In the other is a removable annuals card for birthdays and anniversaries that I can refer to regularly.  These pockets can also hold receipts and tickets. I was initially concerned with the non-traditional layout that places Monday at the beginning of the week, but writing a weekend event with two days next to each other makes sense, so we will see how I adjust. My concerns as I go through the year will be if I can manage my to-do lists and goal setting effectively with this system and if it will be sturdy enough to go through the rigorous use I intend to put it through. Just how committed am I?  Not only have I made the switch, but so will my family, as this whole system is available as a wall calendar and I can’t wait to get the family in line! You can view and order this planner and their complementary products at www.weekdate.com Deanna Koller resides in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, and can be reached through Heart of the Matter Professional Organizing.
]]> http://organizedassistant.com/2010/12/21/product-review-weekdate/feed/ 3 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for December 2010: Calendars http://organizedassistant.com/2010/12/14/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-december-2010-calendars/ http://organizedassistant.com/2010/12/14/professional-organizers-blog-carnival-for-december-2010-calendars/#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:47:06 +0000 Janet http://organizedassistant.com/?p=1951 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for December 2010: Calendars
As the new year approaches, many of your clients will be asking you about choosing a paper planner or an electronic calendar, selecting the one that best meets their needs, or using their calendar more effectively. This month's Professional Organizers Blog Carnival includes lots of tips from your colleagues to help you provide your clients [...]

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]]> Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for December 2010: Calendars
As the new year approaches, many of your clients will be asking you about choosing a paper planner or an electronic calendar, selecting the one that best meets their needs, or using their calendar more effectively. This month's Professional Organizers Blog Carnival includes lots of tips from your colleagues to help you provide your clients with the guidance they need! Calendars Let's begin with Stephanie LH Calahan's post,  The Great Calendar Debate - Paper or Electronic - 21 Experts Weigh In. As Stephanie explains,
One item frequently purchased at this time of year is a calendar or planner for the upcoming year. But, what is the right kind of planner to use?  Some say the traditional paper planner is the best, while others swear by their smart-phone or on line tool.  How do you decide what is best for you? Learn what my colleagues and friends had to say about the "Great Calendar Debate."   They provide tips to help you decide as well as some recommended tools.
Clare Kumar brings us Time Management Strategies - 3 Tools to Manage Your Time. Clare says,
As we approach 2011 with alarming speed it's time to select a calendar. This requires some thought to the need for portability, number of users and the amount of information you need to capture there.  It's quite possible that one is not enough.
In Your Calendar and You, Ellen Delap offers some tips on choosing a calendar and tells us which one she likes the best. One organizer who supports the electronic version is Deb Lee, who tells us why in her post, Simple Tech: 6 Benefits of Using an Online Calendar. Jeri Dansky doesn't reveal her personal preference, but tells us that One Calendar That Deserves a Post All Its Own was one of the most popular ones she's written recently. Of course, to be a useful time management tool, even a carefully chosen calendar must be used effectively, and several experts had advice in this area: In Unclog Your Calendar to Avoid Opportunity Overload, Lisa Montanaro shares an excerpt from the Time Management chapter of her new book, The Ultimate Life Organizer: An Interactive Guide to a Simpler, Less Stressful & More Organized Life, which will be published by Peter Pauper Press in February 2011. In her blog post, Michelle Panzlaff offers several Tips to use your calendar effectively, adding the following tip for readers of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival:
Manage your time. Create a schedule for yourself as you would for any project. When life gets busy or you get distracted it can be easy to let things slide so having a written schedule will help keep you on track.
Paul H. Burton reminds us to Schedule Snippets of Time Between Appointments, and Barbara Tako explains how to Simplify your calendar in 2011 Ramona Creel warns us about Overscheduling Syndrome. She says,
If your family's calendar is too full and your children are inheriting your exhaustion at having too much to do, maybe it's time to revamp your schedule and set some healthy boundaries!
We close this month's Professional Organizers Blog Carnival on a lighter note, with Julie Bestry's Lost Time, Dinner With the King of Norway and The Curse of Multiple Calendars. Since this is Julie's tenth time participating in the Carnival, she is our newest Professional Organizers Blog Carnival Star Blogger. Congratulations, Julie! The next Professional Organizers Blog Carnival will be published on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, and the theme will be Goal Setting. Submissions will be due by noon EST on Monday, January 10, so why don't you mark that on YOUR calendar right now! Going forward, the Carnival will always be on the second Tuesday of the month, so those of you who use electronic calendars can go ahead and create a recurring appointment. See the complete schedule of topics and dates for 2011. A big thanks to everyone who took the time to submit a post at this very busy time of year! Looking forward to seeing many of you again next month and to welcoming some new participants. In the meantime, please take a few minutes to check out this month's submissions and to network with your organizing colleagues by leaving comments and sharing your favorite posts with your social networks.
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