| March 2010 |
Dear Sue,
From health updates to decorating ideas to news items, magazines and newspapers can contain a wealth of information. However, that information is meaningless if you don't take the time to read it. I have a hard time making time for reading because I always feel there's something "more important" that I should be doing. So I use car trips (when my husband is driving) to do most of my reading. How well are you doing keeping up with your reading pile? This month's tips offer ideas to keep that reading pile under control. With a bit of self-discipline, as well as a discerning evaluation of your incoming periodicals, you can stay in control of your reading pile, both at home and at work.
Best Wishes,
Sue Becker, CPO-CD®, ADD Specialist | |
|
_____________________
Quote of the Month
"Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world."
~ Voltaire
|
. |
Now Available!
10% off during the month of March
Tired of moving your papers from pile to pile but never to completion?
These sticky notes will help you break the habit of putting papers "here for now." They'll make it easy for you to jot down the next action you must take on each piece of paper so you can continue to move it along on its journey towards completion.
Order Today!
Enter discount code "March" at checkout to receive your 10% discount |
____________________
Upcoming Events
March 24, 2010
12 noon - 1:00 p.m.
From Overworked to Overjoyed - Time Management Techniques for the Workplace
Mount Prospect Chamber Women's Brown Bag Series
Mount Prospect Public Library
10 S. Emerson
Mount Prospect, IL ____________________
April 8, 2010
7:45 a.m.- 3:45 p.m.
Electronic Emancipation: How to Get Your Email and Electronic Documents Under Control
Society of Human Resource Professionals
Great Lakes Credit Union (located at the Chicago Fed)
230 S. LaSalle St.,
Chicago, IL |
| |
|
Pare Down That Reading Pile |
 Use a container to hold your reading material. A basket or magazine rack certainly looks nicer than a jumbled heap of paper. Keep the container near where you read. If you read in several places throughout your home or office, have a reading container near each location. Use an appropriately sized container: big enough to hold the current issue of each periodical, but not so big that it allows you to pile up several months' worth. Set aside reading time. Maybe you've told yourself you'll read when you have time, but you never do have time. One solution is to actually schedule reading time on your calendar. Another is to get into the habit of reading at a particular time each week (e.g., Thursday nights from 9 to 10 p.m., or every day for 15 minutes before you go to bed). At a minimum, make time to read whenever your reading container is full. Consider carrying unread articles with you to make use of otherwise wasted waiting time (at the doctor's office, in line at the grocery store, on the train or bus, etc.).
Sort your reading pile. Recognize that you may be able to skim articles from "fun" publications (e.g., a hobby magazine) while those of a more serious nature (e.g., a news magazine) may require more thorough reading. In addition, you may be able to read the fun stuff just about anywhere, while the more intense reading needs to take place in a quite setting.
Tear out articles of interest. When you discover an article you want to re-read or maybe even save, don't set the entire publication aside for later; tear the article out right then and there. This will help you avoid the frustration of coming across a periodical you've saved for some reason but you remember why. If you feel you have to save an article once you've read it, file it where you'll actually be able to find it again.
Give yourself a deadline. If you receive a new issue of a publication but you haven't yet read the previous one, give yourself a deadline to read the old issue. Two or three days are as much time as you should allow. After that, get rid of the old periodical. Otherwise, the magazines and newspapers will continue to pile up, and you may never get caught up. And after a while, the information in the older issues may become outdated. Another option would be to recognize that you might never catch up on the backlog, so let go of all old periodicals and keep only the current issues.
Evaluate your reading pile. If you seem to consistently fall behind on reading certain periodicals, determine why. Maybe your tastes or interests have changed, and magazines on topics you previously enjoyed are no longer relevant to you. It may be time to cancel some subscriptions. Be sure to request a refund for the unused portion of your subscription.
Donate old magazines. If you feel compelled to save old magazines, consider whether you'll actually refer back to them. Also consider whether you'll be able to find a particular article when it's buried in a magazine that's sitting on a shelf with dozens of other issues of the same magazine. A better option may be to use the Internet or library to find relevant articles on a particular topic if the need ever occurs. Meanwhile, contact local establishments to see if they might be interested in your old magazines. Some hospitals, nursing homes, medical offices, and beauty/barber shops will accept them, as will some resale shops. Just be sure to remove your address label to protect your privacy.
________________________________________________________________
|
|
Success of the Month
|
|
Mom Makes More Time to Read to Kids |
|
 The Situation: Jenna, a stay-at-home mom, subscribed to over two dozen different monthly magazines. Heaps of unread fashion, travel, and news magazines filled her living room and bedroom. She vowed she'd read them "someday" even though she was about a year behind on most.
The Solution: We helped Jenna discover that the magazines represented her connection to the world outside of childcare and running a home. As a former busy and successful salesperson, she was having a hard time embracing her role at home, and the magazines were helping her dream about her former life. When we couldn't help her feel more content with being at home full-time, we helped her recognize that she might benefit from some professional counseling regarding her situation.
The Outcome: Jenna attended several sessions with a therapist who helped her work through her transition from employee to stay-at-home mom. When she was ready, we helped her pare down her magazine piles to a more realistic quantity, and helped her unsubscribe from all but 4 of them. "I had no idea how deep inside I'd have to dig simply to let go of some magazines," said Jenna. "I'm grateful that Sue was able to help me see beyond the piles and find a long-term solution to my fixation. I now put my time and energy into reading to my kids rather than trying to hide away to read my magazines." | |
|
|
Want to use this article in your e-zine or website?
You're welcome to share this article. When you do, please include this complete blurb with it:  Internationally known professional organizer, author and speaker Sue Becker is the founder and owner of From Pile to Smiles®. Sue's company helps business and residential clients live more stress-free and harmonious lives by removing obstacles such as clutter, disorganized paperwork, and poor time management. To learn more about how to discover the freedom of an organized home and office and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit http://www.PilesToSmiles.com or call 630-724-1111.
We would love to hear from you!
Would you like to share your feedback or see a specific topic covered? Please share your thoughts with us by sending an email to Feedback@PilesToSmiles.com
www.PilesToSmiles.com, P.O. Box 903, Downers Grove, IL 60515-0903, 630-724-1111 Copyright 2010 Sue Becker, All Rights Reserved Worldwide |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
