Problems Are Calls For Change and Opportunities to Re-Evaluate Not A Sign of A Failure!

                                                   
Problems  and/or falling short of goals are opportunities to pause and re-evaluate.  Usually, they mean a change is in order but DO NOT MEAN,   "Stop" permanently, moving toward YOUR goals, or stop working!

 
Traffic Sign clipart  
from Clker.com


One of the "points of consideration" I try to show my clients is when a challenge or problem comes up don't throw in the towel, but use it for good.  Take the time to adjust thinking, plans, schedules.

Re-evaluate the plan. 

1.)   Is this YOUR problem/challenge or is in indirectly related to you? 

2. )  Was this situation or challenge missed in the plan? 

               

3.)   Is it a new situation or unpredictable? 

 1.  If the problem is not directly related to the client or the goal we are working on, then we need to look at the problem separate from our current ACTION plan, as it was not part of it before now and therefore, cannot be used to measure the progress or success of the plan in meeting the goal.  Keeping the focus and scope of the plan and commitment to handling the tasks related toward reaching the goals is an essential task and needs to have full agreement before changing the plan.  Also, "feeling like it is not working" or "feeling dissatisfied with results" are not fair measurements and were not part of the plan either therefore, we need to stay true to the plan.

2.  Was this a situation or challenge we discussed when we developed the plan?  Did it get missed or when the priorities and goals set, this was not seen as being an issue.  What Changed?  (measurable)...  Decisions and commitment have to be held to in times of challenge and adversity.  Adjustments can be made, changes are possible but will effect results of previous tasks because you are changing the coarse and timing of the progress toward the goal so care needs to be taken to adjust everything, not just one part of the equation.

3.  Is this a new situation that was not even present before, was not considered when we formed the plan or something that is just not predictable or able to be controlled, (ie: illness, someone else wanting to participate or make a change, external changes that need to be part of the planning).  Again, cause for change but not indicative that the goal has changed or is not going to be achieved.  Might just need to adjust the perception and/or expectation.

I began looking at my personal plan, and tasks (steps taken toward reaching goals) with the "Status Report time approaching" (first quarter coming to a close) and several issues coming up that were stressing and discouraging me.  

I Applied these principles to my work and plan.   

• I evaluated the plan and the steps that were taken, and the results and found a few areas that needed improvement. However, I also saw somethings that were being allowed to reflect on the project and be included into the results that should not have been.  As I removed things that were not part of the original plan and evaluated several challenges that were folded into the action plan and handled because of the need at the moment.  I found this change in the action plan was the cause for the lack of progress and was very understandable. In addition, successfully handling these new and unplanned issues at the time needed to be recognized for the wise choice it was; to just instinctively deal with what came up at that time and account for the delay in the original goal later.   

• I made a list of the "new situations/challenges" and looked to see if they needed to be included into the plan, if they were distractions/challenges that should have been scheduled later or if the results just needed to be able to account for these kind of situations in the future.

• Moving forward I have made changes to the process and to the measuring tools so that all efforts and work is accountable and can be tracked for progress, recognized for improving or solving a problem and adjusting how estimates are done so that all workable time is accounted for and properly credited.  

By doing this re-evaluation I was given an opportunity to look at the tasks and planning process to identify if anything was causing the dissatisfaction.  I gained a new approach to better help my clients and found a way to make my business better and more profitable.  


Hopes, Dreams and Goals are all different.  Goals are what I deal with, they are specific, (SIMPLY STATED), REASONABLE (nothing happens over night, and contracts have terms for a reason, I plan and work in a methodical way, so Contractual terms have to spell out, deadline for the goal to be accomplished and Status updates will be scheduled within that period to check progress) Measurable.  

Unplanned or unexpected changes, delays or closed projects do not have to be negative experiences.  Every opportunity can be a positive experience when time is taken to evaluate the Why, How, when, where, and who and see what could be changed for the better.  A negative result is not a failure unless you stop permanently.  If you redirect and make changes, the stop will just be a break in the progress and once you meet the goal, all that is important is what was learned and accomplished. If, changing the goal is necessary, that is not a failure either, it is just part of the re-evaluation process on long term goals that helps get the accomplishments you really desire.

                                                           

                                               

  

Promotion!~ Samantha Chase (Stacey Cotrufo) authored Best Seller "The Christmas Cottage" is STILL in Top 50!

My newest services is all thanks to my friend, Stacey Cotrufo, (Samantha Chase) her website is samanthachaseauthor.com.  She was looking for an Intern Publicist and promotion assistant and I was looking for clients.  I was too scared to apply when she was first looking but saw her post again and thought, well she knows me and how hard I work, with her help and direction I can assist her and learn this "Writer Assisting" position as we go.  Well during my training phase and working marketing her first book, "Jordan's Return", she writes, edits and releases a "Holiday Novella".  She emails me and tells me what she is doing three days before the first book signing I have ever done.  I was in panic!  My first thought was, @#!*& , friendship only warrants so much grace and patience and on a good day I use up my fair share!  Second thought was.. "What in the heck is a Novella!" I researched it and found some answers but really didn't have time to figure it all out and get busy doing the prep and marketing ideas, so I asked her.  She giggled and said the usual, "Don't stress it WE WILL figure it out together!", and away we went!

Book Released on November 26th!!! Thanksgiving, oh my!  We are both family oriented and Wives, mothers and tired most of the time because of day jobs that support us, so we can do what we really love.  But we strategized, I kept her in stitches with my ideas and she went with most of them.  It has been amazing! It is so much fun as a friend to watch someone realize their dream! and then for it to be better than they anticipated.  As an Assistant this is exactly how you want it go, room for improvement but better than expected results.  As an Intern this is a dream in itself.  I have graduated and become the Publicist and Writer's Assistant and just in time.  This book has done amazing (as it should cause it is GOOD!) but she has done it again!  A NEW RELEASE is coming soon!!! and we are planning (not hoping, wishing ect. but really step by step moving toward doing it again! 

Facebook has been priceless for connecting with our friends and family and building our base but it has also afforded us the "Launch to the public" and we have branched out and are waiting for no one.  We are promoting these worthy reads and people are joining the fan page and connecting on Good Reads and Amazon page.  It is wonderful..  Did you miss the posts or not have time to get it and read it?  Well do not despair, you can jump in at anytime.  We ALWAYS have space for you and your friends on this train.  Jump on and join us on the Facebook fan page  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Samantha-Chase-Fan-Club/162091333890232

We are currently doing a hard push, Marketing Blitz to keep "The Christmas Cottage" in the top 50 as long as possible, which means we need to keep a steady number of Reviews everyday so your review is needed whenever you can post it.  We need to reach new readers and get more LIKES on Amazon, and get likes everyday... Can you help????

Here's what to do:   This is today's post on our fan page.  We make it easy to participate by giving you the links and instructions and we are always available by message on the page to assist you if you are having problems.  We also want you to post comments and questions on the page, truly and interactive and fun experience.  Samantha will even answer directly.  She PERSONALLY connects with the page too.

Help us celebrate STILL being in the top 50!!! and hopefully get back into the top 10 again. We are sharing this link and asking everyone to go to Amazon and LIKE the post.http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-Chase/e/B006CZWRGC/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_nu_vMtVqbB9C4474 Purchase the book and then go back in after you have read it, LOG IN to your account and REVIEW the book, let others know what you liked about the book, write something that lets others know to check this out. You can "Sample" the book before purchasing.. Amazon has some fun features for readers to become interactive with other readers too, Check out the Discussions at the bottom of the page! Tweet with the hashtag #samanthachaseauthor.com Thank you for supporting my friend & Client! :)

Looking forward to connecting with you.  

 

 

Does your plan and organizational arrangement work in an emergency situation or without power?

With all the natural disasters and more and more reports of fires, lengthy power and/or internet outages and unplanned changes I began thinking and looking at my plans and organization and found several changes, adjustments, and new solutions needed to achieve and maintain my productivity goals.

Most of the work and play activities I do depend on a computer.  I have spent countless hours inputting, scanning, upload and downloading information and resources into my computer, so much so that my family calls it my "magic box".  Whenever they ask me something or to do something they pause to see if I am going to open the "magic box"..  So I have to say watching the reports of the devastation of the Northeast from Hurricane Sandy have put me into a bit of a panicked confused state.  I had done alot of soul searching and reorganizing after the Tornado that hit her last April, it had totally unsettled my plans and ways of doing things.  I feverishly started scanning documents and pictures and storing them on an external hard-drive had and thought that was going to protect my treasures and keep me productive and efficient no matter where I was working.  Never, thought about not being able to pack up my stuff and/or not having power.  What if a sudden storm hit without warning or if we were told to evacuate from a fire with only 15 minutes to get out...???

As the days have dragged on the people up North are not worrying about their work, they are struggling to just survive in the cold weather with water everywhere STILL, and without power, low food supplies and water.  Alot of the things I thought would happen to help them haven't and after seeing how the emergency response process worked during the tornado I noticed several things people had not planned for or worse had assumed would be available and they aren't so they don't have anything available.

The basics need to be on hand no matter what.. 
 Shelter & Clothing (what if the house was damaged?)
Drinking Water (2-4 quarts per person, per day for a week or more)
Food (able to be prepared without power, (hot water)
water for washing hands & flushing toliets
Heat
Gas/fuel for cooking stoves, heat, & car
alternative transportation
 First Aid kit

Then, there are the other "necessary items" 
tarps
work gloves
tools
plywood to cover windows
wood for fire
matches or fire starter stick
food producing/gathering tools 

How do you store all this stuff?  Where do you put it so its not in the way until it is needed but is accessible and ready to go when needed?

Well, Kits is one efficient and effective way to handle this need. http://uniquelyorganizedandutilized.blogspot.com/2012/11/kits-or-keep-it-together-somewhere-are.html
Included is our preparedness plan and contact list.

Do you have a preparedness plan?  Do you have your supplies stored somewhere convenient and accessible?

Want one?  Contact me through the website http://uniquelyorganizedandutilized.com and lets schedule an appointment to start preparing your preparedness plan and organized other activities so they can be enjoyed during any hardship to adjustment (moving, traveling, having company long-term, etc)

The Shape of Strategy and Organization

The Shape of Strategy and Organization-SQUARE! It is "hip to be square".  Squares give us visual balance, security and a natural organization that is the start of an expandable system.

Think of all the square in our life.  Pictures, calendars, screens, notepads, books, shelves, closets.  Squares give us a nice visual starting point.  We can sort a chaotic room, file or computer by dividing a square and moving in a grid pattern.

The basic "blocks" of organization. 

One of the main focuses of management & utilization is accessing the components of the plan., in the simplest form, What, Why and When is to be accomplished and with what property or resources.  Boxes are great ways to visualize organization and arrangement without having to physically move a thing.  If you walk into a room, and see utter chaos what are you seeing?  Where does the stuff go?  Why is it there (if you didn't put it there, never mind!) 

The Grid system works with scheduling to!  and helps make the tough decisions, there are boundaries and limitations that cannot be ignored or mitigated.  You are not Superman or Superwoman, you cannot fly, or freeze time so you must "COMPLY" with the limitations of a 24 hour day, time and distance.  Planning properly helps mitigate the ill effects of under preparing for the time required to complete a task.  If you have a meeting that will last 30 minutes and it takes 20 minutes to get to the next appointment, you CANNOT be somewhere it 15 minutes, without skipping your meeting and defying safe driving practices.  

Control your buying by using the grid system to inventory your closet.  Listing what you have will show you that you own 12 pairs of black flats. In addition, it will show you have no brown, tan or white shoes and want them to go with several cute outfits you haven't worn because you lack shoes that match. Your closet is only so tall and so wide, and in most cases only 1/2 of it is for your use.  Unless you hire someone to raise the roof or remove a wall you can only fit so much in there.  Being able to arrange and organize anything requires it to be manageable and inventoried.  Many places we visit can be seen in a grid system.  Restaurants, libraries, grocery stores, clothing departments, many offices that control and manage resources and meeting spaces.

Uniquely Organized and Utilized,  uses the grid as the foundation that everything is assembled on.  Goal setting, Planning, Scheduling, Organizing files and physically arranging things.  The grid system is  two actions for one benefit and helps you see progress quickly!.   

Call today and get on the grid

Uniquely Organized and Utilized

919-219-2650

Summer is almost here, time to pack up school stuff and organize

Ah!... School is almost out, Homeschooling year is drawing to a close, summer fun is here. However, in just 3 short months Fall and a new year will be here. It's time to get things packed up, cleaned out and ready. Time to make the memory books and boxes, pack things up for move in day at college.

Need an extra hand? call me and I can assist or come in and pack up everything.

Also a quick solution to those struggling with getting started cleaning out and organizing is the "Beginners Box". The hardest part of any cleaning and organizing project is getting started and overcoming the overwhelming fear that it will never get done. Well with the "Beginners Box" and my help it will.

Here is how it works:

You take the box and start with one surface, one drawer or one shelf, load everything that will fit into this box.
As you are clearing off the space If you can "sort" out the "To Keep", "To Sell", "To Return" "To Give away/donate ($Tax deduction!!) or "To Throw away" you will have more space in your box and may be able to get two areas done in one trip. (Quicker progress and Save time and Money and get a reward too! )

But, Do not worry if that is too much at first. You can just fill the box and I will do that part.

Next, you call me and I will come over and go through the box and sort things out. Suggestion Files or other means to store the items you want to keep and help you proceed to continue until you have reclaimed your space. We can do as many boxes together as you want. Each trip will take about an hour and is $20.00. I can haul off the donations and the trash for $10.00.

The Beginners Box is also a great way to start a filing system, memory box or book, organize photos or other specific collection. Filing into your exsisting system will also qualify for this system. Scanning items into your computer or storing them on CD to retrieve later. (scanning is extra).

Free consultations, closet measuring and storage suggestions.

Email me to schedule an Appointment any Morning from 8:30 am to 10:00 or Monday and Wednesdays as our schedules permit. Friday Evenings available also.

Having a question or project idea and want to discuss it? Email me or comment here.

3 Steps to Organization

A large plastic tote box with items to be sorted.






A plastic hanging file box with hanging folders and manilla folders. This will also be your "projects in action" organizer. This is the most you can have going on or to be dealt with at a time.





Scan documents, pictures and other notes into your computer and store them on CD or DVD. Hundreds of CDs or DVDs take up the space of 1 large book.
Many pages of information, 1,000's of pictures and drawings can be stored on a DVD. Slideshows can be made to play on your DVD player for added benefit and enjoyment anytime you pop it in.


These are the basics of my "technical" organization plan. Using these methods I have been able to break my clutter into managable portions, sort it out and find appropriate homes for the items or place them in my "projects in action" box to get them scanned and stored on a CD or DVD.

Books and DVD movies that we are not using anymore I consign or sale for extra money or trade them in for store credit for future wanted or needed materials.

Going from Chaos to Order can happen quickly and painlessly. You need three rules that you will stick to throughout the process and after you are initally organized to maintain the order.

1. Everything has a place, and must be in that place. If you need to make a shelf or buy a bookcase to make it happen then that needs to be put on the must happen list. To start out clear off a bookshelf and place things back as you sort, you may find you have plenty of room once you sort things that are in that area and remove things that need to be relocated or removed.

2. You have to define your area that you are working in, Closet, room, shelf, etc. Set the boundaries of that area and stick with that. You will need a place to store things until you are through. It can be another room, another area within the same room, boxes in the shed, whatever works for you, but you need to decide, write down your plan and then be diligent and consistent.

3. You need to set a time frame for this organization project. You should be able to sort through a large tote within 1 hour. So look at your area and see how many totes you think you are going to need to go through. Write this down as well. Until you complete your sorting and organizing of the area, new purchases can only be made on an emergency basis.

If you would like more information or have comments about this system feel free to hit the comment link under this post or email me. I will come to your house and give you a free estimate of how long it would take me to organize your area.

Happy sorting and organizing.

Keep treasures, make space and share a resource

Would you like to keep your treasured books, curriculum, Dvds, Cds, computer programs that you are not using but really enjoy and can't part with them. But, also need space and other materials. What if you could do both? Awesome right, but how?

Bartering Resources is the perfect answer. Okay, good idea but where and how is this done?

Well, I have a group of moms, Titus2momsgroup on Yahoo and one of our services is bartering resources. It is quick and easy, you keep your resources but, you lend them out to other like minded moms and can borrow other resources that you may need that are just sitting on someone else's shelf. It helps both the owner and the searcher of the resource out.

To get more information about the group visit our group page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/titus2momsgroup

If you have any questions about the Titus2momsgroup or about bartering, email me.