Ellen Hankes

One Little Secret for Big Holiday Enjoyment

As Christmas nears many busy people entertain thoughts of baking holiday goodies, visiting the brilliant neighborhood light displays and having the neighbors in for festive cheer. How can we squeeze more in an already full schedule?

Pick your holiday fun and the list goes on. And on and on. How do you you fit it all in?

Here is the secret to holiday happiness: choose the most meaningful activities and focus on them. Ask family members which holiday tradition is their favorite. It may be making the gingerbread house, going to the local holiday music fest, caroling at the neighbors or enjoying a glass of holiday cheer at home.

Include each family member's favorite in your holiday celebration and you will have a wonderful, memory-filled Christmas.

What are you doing to simplify your holiday celebration?

Overwhelm can Paralyze

As I prepared for a program with a group of parents, I talked with one of the parents prior to the event. "What is your biggest organizing challenge?" I asked Lucy.

Without hesitation, the young mom responded, "I'm so overwhelmed I don't even know where or how to begin organizing!" While I could feel the frustration in her voice over the phone, this is not an unusual response.

When the piles get high, it can be so overwhelming that one becomes paralyzed. Listed below are some ideas that have helped others. Perhaps one or more will help you deal with your overwhelm.

Passing On the Family Treasures

Sentimentality is a interesting emotion. Why are some people passionate about passing personal belongings from their generation to the next while other individuals do not feel it is important? For the sentimental person, the item can be a vehicle for attaching positive emotions associated with the item or the person who once used or owned it.

If a child's tea set is a way of remembering the good times when Lucy and her cousins played tea party, Lucy may be reluctant to give up the sea set some eighty years later. Parting with the tea set might be made easier if Lucy has a granddaughter who enjoys the tea party ritual as much as she Lucy once did. The transfer of ownership from one generation to another generation can take place with love and ceremony which in itself becomes a pleasurable memory.

What special things have you passed on to others? We would like to hear from you.

Organize Wallet to Save Time & Money

The flu shot season is here. I took advantage of a local pharmacy program that offers a flu shot at an attractive cost with the convenience of drop-in service. My plan was to save gas, money and time. Last year my flu shot was administered at the family medical clinic that is further from my home.

My wait at the pharmacy window was increased because the person ahead of me had four insurance cards. She was not sure which one was the current card. After a call to the insurance company it was determined that none of cards were valid. The exasperated customer paid for her prescription after an unsuccessful phone call with her spouse.

Share Books

It's an electronic age but the bookworm is alive and well fed. Your bookshelf may be bulging with titles that you no longer find useful. If dispersing of books at work or at home is part of your get-organized plan, here are some ideas on how to share books with others.

Donate books

Many public libraries accept books for periodic fund-raising booksales. Check with your local library for information on book donations. Other groups such as Goodwill often accept books and will give you a receipt for their charitable donation.

Sell books

Recently I visited a Half Price Books store. They source inventory of books, music, movies and games from sellers of such material. I was amazed at the variety and volume of reading material, not to mention the low prices. Be aware that prices offered for used or new merchandise depends on supply and demand as well of condition of the item.

How do you keep your professional or personal library under control? We would like to hear your story.

Proactive Email Management

The emails just fly in the inbox. They are work related but some personal ones may slide in as well. There are emails of varying importance in the queue mixed with newsletters and updates that are no longer as attractive as they once were.

Here's one tip that will can cut your inbox emails by 10 per cent or more. Send fewer emails. Here's how:

1. Refrain from replying to all. Ask yourself who needs to know the information. Often only the sender needs to know your reply.
2. Find other ways to thank people. If the only purpose of the email is to relay a kudo, think twice about sending the email. Instead, combine the note of appreciation with another purpose. "That was a great webinar, Josh. You really were on topic. Would you be willing to brief Randy next Wednesday when he is in town." Josh will respond will a more detailed message than just "Thanks."
3. Avoid supplying your email address. When untimely e-information arrives in your box, unsubscribe. I often put a note in the comment box that requests reason for unsubcribing: "Proactive email management."

What steps are you taking to manage email? We would like to hear your ideas.

Examine Extra Expenses

  Reviewing the details and added charges on your bills will help you understand where your money goes. Sometimes those extra charges are negotiable but unless you understand the reason for the expense you cannot control it.

When the bank statement arrived this month Eleanor found a minimal charge that had not appeared on her statement in previous months. The bank phone number was listed on the statement so it only took a minute to inquire about the reason for the charge.

The expense was for, it turned out, the electronic bill paying which is offered by most banks. The previous month Eleanor had exceeded the bank's free amount of electronic checks so a small charge was assessed. Eleanor's banker offered, "It is still less expensive than the cost of postage!"

Have you found unexpected charges--large or small--on your bills? What action did you take?

Clear Clutter to Allow Fire Escape Route

National Fire Prevention Week is a time to pause and ask "Is the clutter in my space a fire hazard?"

Now is the time to take proactive steps to protect your family, your neighbors and yourself from the tragic human and material loss of a fire.

Reduce clutter.

The past year has sadly brought household fires where lives were lost because clutter impeded the ability of fire professionals to rescue occupants of the cluttered home. Get help if you need it.

Rescue Your Next Presentation

  Do your presentations or speeches need help? Whether it is a sales call or an auditorium, there is a huge payoff in organizing your presentation. Here are some ideas to rescue your next presentation opportunity:

Ask yourself "What's in it for the audience?"

The listener wants your words to speak to their head or heart. Your information must relate in some way to them, You have the ability to solve a problem, make the listener feel better, or very importantly, to make them laugh. If your presentation is irrelevant the listener will move on mentally to other things.

Is Time on Your Side?

To have time working for you it is important to be able to see this elusive thing called time. All clocks measure the passage of time, but various styles of clocks display it differently.

A digital clock shows the hours and minutes in a numerical, or digital, format. Digital time displays are found on cell phones, appliances, some alarm clocks and in vehicles.

Analog clocks are those with a dial with numbers or marks that represent the hours of the day.Wall clocks, some alarm clocks and many wristwatches are examples of analog clocks.

Why does it make a difference whether a digital or analog clock is used? Some individuals find that they are more aware of the passage of time when analog clocks are used. There is a suable awareness of the minute hand moving around the clock face that can be related to the passage of time. The spatial relationship of the hands on the clock may be more effective for a person who needs more visual cues in organizing or managing time.

Consider where clocks are placed throughout the workplace and home. Are the clocks in the right places to serve as a reminder of time?

What happens when you become more aware of types of clocks and where they are placed in relation to your needs?