Blessed are they…..

There are those people in every organization who perform the myriad of tasks that everyone takes for granted.
If you haven’t done any of these in a while, then you owe someone a thank you.
I once had a boss who, when my time with the organization was complete (my tour was finished) and I was getting my outbrief, looked at me and blankly said, “I honestly don’t know exactly what you do around here.”
I replied that much of what I did was, in fact, largely unnoticed because there were no problems associated with my department. “But don’t worry,” I assured him, “You’ll know more about what I did after I have been a gone a few weeks. When I’m not here, you’ll suddenly miss me.”
I wasn’t trying to be self-aggrandizing or arrogant. He just never knew how many problems never got to his level because they were handled at mine.
Then there are the basic, every day activities:

1. Making the coffee (and again and again)
2. Refilling the paper tray in the copier
3. Sorting the mail
4. Signing for delivery packages
5. Cleaning out the office refrigerator
6. Taking care of the trash
7. Sending flowers to whoever is sick, had a baby, or lost someone
8. Making the lunch run
9. Answering the phones in the common areas
10. Replacing the toner in the printers

So to those people who DO those unappreciated, daily activities that make it nicer for the rest of us, thank you!!

It is minus 4 degrees at my house right now.  The temperature did not get higher than 7 degrees today.  On really cold days, when I am snowed in, I stay home.  Why fight Mother Nature?

Being trapped in the house and my office makes me ridiculously productive.   No transit time, no spending time doing my hair in preparation for a face-to-face meeting, having to grab coffee on the road or waiting in-between meetings.

I love working on my home office.  I know some people who do a lot of work from home have a hard time “going” to work, but I love my work and I love the environment.  Still, there are times when I struggle to attack the projects that frustrate, irritate, or seem mundane.

So the question is how do I to get motivated when the project pile just keeps getting higher?

1. Wash the towels first.   I am the queen of laundry, and when the pile looms, I attack the towels first.  Why?  They are bulky and once they are in the washing machine, the rest of the pile looks less daunting.  Make a dent in the biggest, easiest pile first.  Then the rest of the tasks seem more manageable.
2. Make a dated list.  Not just the normal To-Do List that continues to grow every day regardless of the past three 18-hour workdays.  Put the day and date at the top of the  list of what is really important that day, and jot down what you really want to get accomplished that day.  Giving yourself measureable, attainable goals is helpful.  Simple ones like “Take Vitamins” and “Walk Dog” counts.
3. Multi-task.  I know, I know.  Everyone says that multi-tasking increases the time it takes to accomplish something, but if you have a long, tedious conference call to attend that you are not chairing, clean out a drawer or do some other fairly mindless task while others talk.  I run two computers simultaneously so that I can always be working on something, and I don’t wait for loading of pages or looking up other information.
4. Do the Post-Its Notes Focus Trick.  Thinking about the 2 dozen cupcakes that you need for the Halloween Party in the morning?  And the dog’s vet visit? And the oil light that came on yesterday?  And the project that is due in two days?  Write all the little distractions and other things on their own Post-It note, so and put them on the wall, on the space under the counter of your desk, or anyother place where you might see them.  Then as you get a few moments of free time, you can do some thing about those quick taskers.  What is left at the end of the day gets stuck on your daily list.
5. Walk fast.  People in organizations assume that if you walk quickly, you are busy.   When you ARE busy and walking fast, and fewer people will want to waste your time with idle chat, (so slow down slightly but keep walking).
6. Get it Done Now!  I make a sign and post it.

Good luck!

Mary

~ 7 Financial Strategies to Lead Into a Successful 2010 ~

January always seems a bit like a Monday morning. Lots to do, and not nearly enough coffee. Pass the aspirin and start planning now.

1. Assess the debt. If you personally did your part to single-handedly stimulate the economy over the holidays, we thank you. January is the time to assess all debt – credit cards, lines of credit, what you owe Mom and Dad, and car payments (I don’t count mortgage payments as debt, because you have to live somewhere, and if you weren’t paying a mortgage you’d be paying something for rent anyway.) Add it all up, and write that number on your calendar for Jan 1, 2010. As you pay off debt, track that number by adding up all debt at the beginning of every month, to make sure that debt number is heading in the right direction.
2. Any Thing, just not Every Thing. The book Do It made a great point several years ago – you can have Any Thing you want, just not Every Thing you want. So prioritize your serious wants, and separate those from your more frivolous wants. If you want to take a vacation, make saving for that a priority. If you want to increase retirement savings, cut out something less important. It is all about making a clear decision and focusing on the end goal.
3. Make a List and Check it Twice. I am the first to say that shopping with a list adds time. (I always forget something in the first aisle and have to double back somewhere at least twice.) However, whenever I take a trip, I make a list. When I go to a presentation, I make a list. For my financial goals, I make a list. Why? It increases the chance of getting it done if it is something I look at regularly. When making 2010 business goals, make a list. And before heading off to shop, make a list.
4. Taxes, Taxes, Taxes. The tax bill is going to come as a surprise to a lot of people. The US deficit spending has to be funded from somewhere, so we are going to see personal income as well as corporate tax increase. If the deficit spending increased by 4 fold in 2009 alone, how much do we think our taxes are going to increase? (Hint: Probably more than what we’d like.) Hopefully taxes won’t multiply by 4 immediately, but we are naïve if we think we are not going to be impacted. Start planning for taxes early, and be prepared. You might need to get professional help.
5. Pay to Pay? I know, it does seem wrong to pay a someone so that they can help you pay what you owe to the government. However, remember that a great tax person will generally 1) know the laws, 2) know the most recent changes, 3) actually save you time, effort and money in the long run. Don’t forget to take 2008 losses. Lot of folks are still reeling from the stock market melting, and many people sold at a loss. Remember that you can offset gains with losses for tax purposes. Again, seek a professional if it seems overwhelming.
6. Get the family involved. Sit down and honestly discuss financial matters with the family. Make sure everyone (over a certain age, of course – an 8 year old doesn’t need to know what the utility bill is) understands that there are limited resources. A great technique is to give teens and tweens their own “living allowance” which includes what they need for lunches, entertainment, clothes and miscellaneous items. Start tweens off with a weekly living allowance, and teens for the month. It teaches them to budget, to allocate funds for what they want, and to be mindful of money. My friends did this with great success. The first month the teen ran out of lunch money on the 20th of the month. Mom directed the teenager toward the jar of peanut butter. Teen never had a budgeting problem again.
7. Spend less than you make. If money gets tight, stop shopping. I was very impressed when a friend of mine told me a few weeks before Christmas that she just couldn’t do gifts this year because money was tight. Her friends were MORE than understanding, and a more than a few felt relieved because they were tight this Christmas too. Pressure off!

Happy New Year!