Tax Season—Let’s Get Organized!

It’s that time again—the dreaded tax season.

Are you overwhelmed?  Do you have a hard time finding important documents?

As April 15th rears its head are you left kicking yourself because once again you didn’t get everything organized for early 2017—like you swore you would this time last year?

Are you left struggling with accomplishing the daunting task of finding those papers and receipts—leaving you in a procrastination loop?

This year skip the unneeded headaches and work with me directly, through Virtual Organization.

I will work with you, virtually, to not only get your documents organized for this year, but for years to come—taking the tax season stress out of your life for good!

Kick those worries of tax extension fees to the curb!

After being a Professional Organizer and Productivity Coach for over 20 years, I have seen it all—The shoebox method, glove box system, bags of receipts in the trunk or under the seats (contractors habit!), and unsorted receipts sprinkled throughout the home and office.

Committing to Virtual Organization means no longer putting off what needs to be done.

Let me gently guide you to take immediate action to get real results. Leaving you with the security and accountability of knowing your de-cluttering project will get done.

Take the last minute stress out of your tax season preparation.
Sign up for your FREE 20-minute consult today!

Working virtually is no different than having me work right beside you. You will be able to ask me questions live and together we will work through any challenges you may have.

Pricing is based on your lifestyle and responsibility levels. All packages are custom tailored to fit your needs. Packages include weekly progress sessions via phone, email, Zoom or Skype.

Available by phone @ 516-433-2330 EST, email laura@organizedproductivity.com, or book your appointment via the calendar here.

Check out our latest blogs, for further inspiration:
Pop The Procrastination Bubble and The Stressful Life of a “Work-From-Home” Procrastinator

Confidentiality:  All information is confidential between us and cannot be shared. 
I work according to NAPO (National Association Of Professional Organizers Code of Ethics.

Pop The Procrastination Bubble

Procrastination is defined as ‘the action of delaying or postponing something’.

It is the one action in life that is only ever realized in hindsight. And what does procrastination always want to latch onto? Your ‘to-do’ list!

Now don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean that ‘to-do’ list won’t get completed…it will, surely—but, when? During the next few days? Months? Years?  That question still remains.

Procrastination is a common denominator in just about everybody’s life—myself included. During those times of procrastination, you always started your task with good intentions, feeling that ‘today will be the day, today I’m going to get everything done!’—only to find yourself an hour later immersed watching cat videos.

This can leave you feeling unproductive, defeated, depressed and guilty. My view is to not beat yourself up. Life is a challenge. Instead of becoming overwhelmed with all the new tasks that keep getting added to the ‘to-do’ list every day, switch your list into what can be completed in a timely order.

How do you do this? With organization! Yes, even your ‘to-do’ list needs to be reorganized.

Follow these steps to take the stress out of your ‘to-do’ list and nip procrastination in the bud.

  • Break the list down into the various sections of your life where the projects need to be completed (ex. kitchen, office, garage).
  • Add priority codes beside each task, within each section.
  • Give yourself a realistic deadline date for completion.

Just by completing this small step, I bet you’re starting to feel a slight weight being lifted off those heavy shoulders.

An important lesson in life is while you may not be in charge of outcomes,
you ARE in charge of your actions and you have a choice to procrastinate or not. 

Over the last 24 years, I have had the opportunity to work with every type of client out there. It has left me with the knowledge and tools to provide streamlined organization tactics, tailored to each individuals need(s). I am proud to say that I have earned the name “Dr. DeClutter” or “Doc’ for short, from a number of my clients. A title I hold dear to my heart.

Right now, Task Management Solutions is offering two programs to help you find the information you’ve been searching for to help you manage solutions to make your tasks easier.

Sign up NOW for your FREE Virtual Organizing Session to Help Prepare for Tax Time

Pricing is based on your lifestyle and responsibility levels. All 1-2 month packages are custom tailored to fit your needs.  Packages include weekly progress sessions via phone, email, Zoom or Skype.

Available by phone @ 516-433-2330 EST, email laura@organizedproductivity.com, or book your appointment via the calendar here.

I can’t wait to give you an overall sense of wellness and calm, so you can get back to being carefree for summer!

How to Have an Effort”less” Outdoor Party

How to Have an Effort”less” Outdoor Party

Enjoying Your Party Instead of Missing it from Working so Much

Spring, Summer and Fall are the perfect times to enjoy hosting a relaxing and fun outdoor party.

The smell of barbecue always livens up the neighborhood with great food cooking on the grill.

These days there are less outdoor events happening in neighborhoods as the cost is overwhelming if you’re doing it alone. However, there are solutions to make it easy to prepare the festivities and include your guests to participate.

After reading this article you’ll be better prepared to host your own outdoor party and I also share a link to get a complete outdoor party planner checklist!

Here’s some tips for planning your next outdoor party:

Pick A Date

Party planner calendarApril – October are great months and shouldn’t be limited to humid July/Aug.

You can easily check the forecast by Googling a monthly weather calendar for your area – it may not be 100% on the money, however it’s a good guide to check rain and humidity expected. Consider picking a rain date if forecast looks iffy.

Send Out Invitations

After picking a date, send out your invite by email including date and start/grilling time. Definitely put an end time to prevent laggers.

People enjoy participating and this can be stress-free by taking them up on their offers of what to bring.

Make it easy by using this outdoor party shopping list and assign tasks by name so they bring exactly what you need without duplication.

This makes your party “easy breezy”  for you to enjoy and not shoulder the work and cost, which is why I’ve heard people have cut down on summer barbecues.

This list makes it super easy to make a budget for the party so you don’t go over your $ limit.

Pre-Party Preparations

Before the party, here’s some considerations to keep in mind for your pre-party preparations:

  • Request set-up and clean-up volunteers who you know are reliable.
  • If you have a pool, make sure it’s cleaned the day before and guests bring their own towel.
  • Have the lawn cut and leaves raked to make your yard inviting and free of debris.
  • Have enough chairs for guests. Rent or have guests bring folding chairs.
  • Rent a canopy if shade is needed.
  • Outdoor lighting needs to be sufficient for your front/backyard and walkway safety.
  • Make sure extension cords are not in pathways or near seating areas.
  • If decorating, you can use piñatas, hang lottery tickets, or string lights.
  • Fans keep guests cool and flies away. Avoid putting them in walking paths or too near food.
  • Keep music at reasonable levels if using a DJ, boom box, iPod dock, or laptop. Do you need dance area?
  • In case of injuries have ice packs and Band-Aids handy.
  • Have fire extinguishers available in kitchen and in yard near the grill.
  • Keep grill area apart from guest seating area.

Bottom line is for you to want to host a party at your home so YOU can enjoy entertaining without feeling overwhelmed.

The new norm is for guests to contribute and share in the planning as it’s a well-known fact entertaining these days is expensive but easy to do so all can enjoy.

“Pot luck” dining is always a good option too. If you’re worried about running out of food, you can simply suggest a “chip-in” pizza delivery for those late stayers but get the approval and $ collected ahead of time.

Keep in mind, most people won’t see the tiny details of how things look so budget, plan, execute, sit back and ENJOY!

And be sure to CLICK HERE to  download the Ultimate outdoor Party Checklist.
Need help getting organized for your next party? Schedule a complimentary Discovery Session to discuss organizational and productivity challenges we can conquer together.

What You Need to Know About Clutter and How It Affects Your Life

What You Need to Know About Clutter and How It Affects Your Life

Clutter: A Quick Definition

What exactly is clutter? Here’s some thoughts to put it into perspective:

  • Something you don’t need
  • Something you wish you didn’t have 
  • A whole lotta nothin’
  • Useless “stuff”
  • Meaningless mania
  • Unsorted mess
  • Illogical thinking      
  • Junk
  • Valueless items  
  • Someone else’s…
  • Unrelated items
  • Postponed decisions
  • Unfinished actions
  • VISUAL NOISE                                                   

How Clutter Makes You Feel

Can you relate to any of these?

  • Disorganized
  • Unproductive
  • Sloppy
  • SadToo Much Stuff
  • Tired
  • Overwhelmed
  • Like you want to run away!
  • Unprofessional
  • Drained
  • Guilty
  • Out of control
  • Unfocused
  • Out of sorts
  • Guilty
  • Angry
  • Stagnant/Frozen

What Clutter Causes

The sad truth is, clutter can have a very adverse effect on your personal and professional life. Here’s a variety of ways clutter can be causing you costly mistakes:

  • Lost time looking for things              
  • Lost $$$
  • Misuse of valuable time
  • FrustrationPaper Avalanche
  • Anxiety
  • Stress
  • Arguments
  • Miscommunication
  • Paper “pain”
  • A physical mess
  • Lack of space
  • Confusion
  • Inefficiency
  • Depression
  • Lack of focus and concentration
  • Distraction

If you feel like you’re the only one on the planet who feels disorganized because there’s cluttered chaos in your home or office, rest assured you are not alone.

From my 23 years of being a Professional Organizer, I have heard words listed above directly from clients and those who have shared their feelings in general life conversation.  It takes over your life resulting in the causes I listed.

Huffington Post did a recent survey stating 84-87% of those polled worry their home is not clean or organized enough causing anxiety over maintaining their homes.

What’s interesting is that people have similar issues – a/k/a “symptoms” – however they still need a customized solution.

When dealing with disorganization, I use an “outside-the-box” approach that caters to a client’s specific needs and personalities.  Each person is unique in their situation. I help clients understand the why and then develop a long-term solution.

Why do they feel this way? I listen with compassion and design systems from their comprehension of how it will work for them.

These days home offices are the “norm” which has taken over space unplanned for in their original design and success only happens when systems are set up. Business owners, department Managers, and employees need to be on the same page via an organized, systematic environment improving the bottom line.

Organization starts at homeMost of the time I find that it goes back to their roots. Was organization taught at home? Did they have a place for everything? What role models did they have to show them the logic behind the solutions?

School does not teach you how to keep your bedroom neat or how to keep your kitchen set up to cook with ease.  You learn that from your environment.

I came from an organized environment.  When Sundays used to be Sundays – oooh so long ago – we all gathered at Grandma & Grandpa’s house – aunts, uncles, cousins.  Whoever was left at the end helped clean up assembly style.

I remember the routine fondly.  The men got the living room back in order the way Grandma had it.  The women handed each other items off the kitchen table in line to the appropriate cabinet to store dishes, glasses, silverware to the exact spot they came from.

My fondest memory was standing in front of the open fridge next to my Grandma and handing her the next item for her to store.  It went exactly in a specified spot.  Just to be a prankster with her, I moved things around when she wasn’t looking and she laughed.  But it always came back to her system.

Little did I know then that she was actually teaching me the profession I so enjoy when I can teach others the logic behind what goes where.  Having set chores on Saturday was a built-in benefit that started young.

I started my business after she passed and I would sense her hand on my shoulder at the end of client sessions in recognition of a job well done!  I will add that she taught each of her 6 children the “art” of organizing.

I never knew what a cluttered home looked like until I had my first babysitting job. I took the task of washing the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen for the parents who were busy with their 5 children – trust me, there were no organizational skills taught in that house so my help was so appreciated!

Time to DeClutter

It’s Time to DeClutter!

Whatever age you are, it is not too late to learn. Let’s discover together how to remove the “chaotic clutter” from wherever you are nationwide through virtual organizing sessions in your office, home office, or home.

Click here to sign up for a Complimentary Discovery Session 

“Think Out Loud” Sessions also available to declutter your brain!

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