Home Office Organizer

Less Stuff, More Time

2009-10-15T22:11:13Z

Our society has come to a rude awakening of sorts in the last couple years. So many people had been brought up to think that more is more. We buy huge houses, cars we can’t afford and fill our homes and offices with stuff we don’t need. Abundance for abundance sake was an overriding theme, and strangely, we don’t seem any happier for it.

Carving out a corner.

You may have experienced this is a very tangible way when setting up your home office. Whether you carved out a corner or cleared out a room to start your business or new work at home job, it may have been a struggle. For many people, having a home office is a sort of afterthought, and a lot of times involves some clearing out to get it accomplished. The home office is a pretty common place to dump the “life leftovers” because you just can’t think of another place to put it. Then, you have to deal with it to make the space usable. Suddenly, all that stuff seems like a burden.

It takes time & resources.

If you think about everything you own, and how much if we really need, it’s a real eye-opener. If you only have one computer, here’s an example of the work and time it takes to own it:

A place to store it
Energy to run it
Repairs when (not if) it needs them
Maintenance
Cleaning
Insurance
Services to backup your data
Software to use
Internet access

Get the idea? The cost of ownership is much more than just the purchase price. What really costs is the maintenance and usage to make it something you can utilize. Now, what if you have two? Do you need two? How much more time to maintain, repair and use them will it now take?

Do I really need that?

Of course, there’s more to your office than just the laptop. There are supplies, paper, storage, furniture and other various creature comforts. The more things we have, the more time it takes to maintain ownership. Here’s some questions to think about as you look around your office (and even your home or calendar) and think about how much you really need:

What if you pared it down to what you really need?

What if there was some “white space” in the office to give your mind and eyes a place to rest on?

How much time (and money) could you gain back if you scaled back your office belongings 25-50%?

If you had less stuff, would you have more time?

A Humbling Moment: Something In the Way

2009-09-25T22:37:25Z

I’m a dork. No really. Here’s a short story…

I have a printer. I like said printer. It works well, it’s wireless and it does it’s job. But there was on frustrating thing I hated about this printer. I could NOT load the paper tray. This has been a problem since I got the printer several months ago. I dreaded the “printer is out of paper” alert message. I knew the bell alarm, and cringed when I heard it.

Why could I not load the paper tray? I had no idea, but it felt like I had to almost break the thing to get it to load. I was frustrated. A lot.

Then one day….

… I got fed up. I took that paper tray out, took a look inside and made a very humbling realization: the power cord was in the way. That’s why the paper tray wouldn’t load. *sigh*

by striatic on flickr.com

Take a minute to look inside.

Can you relate? Here I was, frustrated, annoyed, avoiding the problem and (quietly, yet shamefully) blaming others when the problem was mine. All it took was me looking inside that darned printer to see what was really going on.

If there is something in your office you hate doing, why is that? Is there something going on that you don’t know about? Do you need to open up the situation and look inside? Challenge beliefs that are no longer relevant?

What’s in your way?

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photo by striatic on flickr.com

My “Focus” Notebook

2009-09-20T03:24:34Z

Recently, I’ve been keeping better track of tasks that need to be done throughout the week. I had a clipboard of some recurring tasks, and I needed to take it to another level. So, I created a “Focus Notebook”. Here’s what I did:

My notebook has these tabs, and here’s how I use them:

Tasks: Daily, Weekly & Monthly
I mapped out recurring tasks, and listed them on separate pages. I review them everyday.

Marketing Plan
Pretty self-explanatory. I read this pretty much every morning, just to remind me where I’m going and what I’ll focus on.

Creative Focus
I put items I want to read over that inspire me. It varies, but contains things like magazine articles. I read something most everyday.

I also created a tag, and used a great looking notebook. It’s not only a pleasure to use, but it is helping me stay focused on the important things.

What would you put in your notebook?

Container Store Shelving Sale

2009-09-17T21:45:38Z

I love a good sale, and I thought you might too! I also am a fan of The Container Store. Whenever I need a container of just about any shape or size, I go over to my local store. I’m amazed that they usually have what I am looking for.

Check out the sale right now!

You might also have one near you, or not. If you’re a Container Store fan, you’ll be happy to know they are having a shelving sale right now! I’m not sure how long it will last, but go and check it out! Click on the banner below, or right here.

If you get something or find something outstanding, please do share in the comments. Happy shopping!

“Organizing For Your Brain Type” Book Review

2009-11-13T00:04:43Z

If you’re looking for a great book on organizing, I have a great suggestion for you: “Organizing For Your Brain Type”. In my opinion, this is one of the best organizing books out there, and I’ve read my fair share of organizing books.

A book is no good if it just collects dust.

Too many times, people get organizing books and have great intentions of getting through them. It’s not that these books aren’t good books (many are brilliantly written!), but because if you’re trying to get organized, you’re probably overwhelmed already. Then, you read a book that is incredibly detailed and you slow down and eventually may put the book down altogether. A simple book that tailors organizing to your style is a great book to read, and Organizing For Your Brain Type is one of those books.

What I like best: This book breaks down organizing into 4 different brain types and two learning styles. You take a quiz (and let’s face it, who doesn’t like taking those to learn something) and find out what your “brain type” is. Then, you read the chapter on your brain type. Yes, if you’re looking for a quick read, just read your “brain type” chapter. How cool is that?

How you can make even more of this book: Once you’ve read your chapter, you can also figure out what your learning style is. This, combined with your “brain type” is a great way of figuring out what systems and products will work best for you. To go a step farther, figure out what the brain types of your partner, children or co-workers are.

So, if you’re up for an organizing book, check this one out. Betcha it won’t become a dust collector.

Where to get it:

Organizing For Your Brain Type

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Disclosure: I paid full price for this book. No compensation was received to write this review.

Purge the Paper: 5 Tips

2009-09-11T04:05:51Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an Idea Thursday”. Each week we’ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s theme is: “Spark an Idea About Purging”.
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I talked a lot about filtering today. In a conference call, teleseminar and a talk with a friend. Purging and filtering go hand in hand. When I think of purging, the first thing that comes to mind is purging paper files.

Wow, that’s a lotta paper…

Did you know that the average home office has 3,000 pieces of paper? Are you kidding me? Uh, no. That’s a lot of paper! No wonder people (maybe you) feel overwhelmed by paper in their office!

If your paper is out of control, it might be time to purge, get rid of, sort, go through and get it squared away. Here’s a few pointers:

Don’t keep what someone else already is keeping.
If you’re keeping your electric bills, don’t. If you need a copy, guess who has one? That’s right, your electric company. Better yet, go paperless and set up an online account and have your payment history at your fingertips.

Seven years is good enough for most paper.
If you’re stuck, seven years is a good benchmark. There is certain paper you should keep indefinitely, but not much. Here’s a document that can help (Be sure to check with your accountant or tax preparer in case you have special circumstances.)

Clean out the file cabinet once a year.
Paper can easily get out of control when it’s locked away in a filing cabinet. So, once a year take some time to archive and purge through your paper files. The new year is a great time to do this, and start the year off with a clean slate!

Make it easy on yourself and don’t overdo it.
If you can’t stand a 16-hour purging marathon, don’t. If the thought of purging your entire office filing cabinet makes you dizzy, break it down into smaller times and projects. Do one drawer at a time, 30 minutes at a time. Be consistent, and before you know it, your office will be a new place.

Protect yourself.
Did you know that most identity theft comes from paper? Not the internet, paper. Be sure to shred important documents so you don’t become a statistic. A good paper shredder can be purchased for under $100. That’s an investment well worth making.

Ready to get started? Go do it!

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P.S. Do you like what you see here? Did you know I have an enewsletter with tips, news and other tasty home office organizing ideas? You can sign up HERE.

Templates Make the Workday Easier

2009-09-06T07:10:08Z

Maybe I’m lazy, I’ll admit it. However, I think most of us who are “into” organization are to some degree. Organization makes things a little bit easier. Finding what I need quickly, and getting the important things done makes me feel better.

I love roadmaps.

I like having my weeks mapped out so I know what I’m doing each day. It helps me stay on task and minimizes the chance that I’ll forget something. That’s why I love templates. They make my schedule and tasks brain dead simple. It helps me stay on task and work each day with a purpose.

Templates are basic plans which can be used over and over again. They can be set up once and then used and revamped as needed.

How I use templates. Here are some working examples…

Recurring tasks: I map out the year with my enewsletter publishing days, tax preparation, marketing review periods and administration tasks. You know they will get done, as you’ve written them down on a calendar and gotten them out of their head. This is particularly helpful with those tasks which are not exactly favorites.
Projects: An example of this is my current podcast, The O Myth (and upcoming NEW podcast on my current site!). We have a template for our show, with small changes for content and guests. We use the template over and over again, and the show outline is ready to go in about 15-30 minutes. With two of us hosting the show, this helps us focus and get the work done quickly so we can get on with the fun stuff. Like producing the actual show!
The daily grind: Have you ever come to the end of the day and thought, “Doh! I forgot to do that again!” With a daily list of things I need to do on a clipboard on my desk, I make sure the important things get done.

How could you use templates in your work day?

I Want a Housekeeper. Bad.

2009-09-03T17:09:36Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an Idea Thursday”. Each week we?ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired!

The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is Something You Want So Badly You Can Taste It

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I work from home, and I can be a bit of a workaholic (in phases). Sometimes it makes the housework suffer. Now, it’s not that my house is a complete sty or anything, but it would be nice to have some help so I could concentrate on other things. Like taking a bike ride with my son or writing the best book ever written on home office organization.

I want a housekeeper.

I don’t mean a full-time housekeeper; just someone part-time to come and clean the bathrooms and handle the detail cleaning (like the blinds, windows, etc.). I don’t mind sweeping or doing the dishes or the laundry (ah the smell of freshly washed linens!).

Said housekeeper would do those little things I just don’t want (or have enough time in the day) to do. It will free up my time and brain to focus on the other things in life. Did you know that many wives “of old” had household help, and the didn’t run a business? But, I digress…

What I’m doing to get there.

That’s all well and good, but what will I do about it? I’m working toward an income goal where I can justify a housekeeper. It will free up my time and let me breathe a little. It will also help me know that things are ship-shape around here. Lastly, it allows me to employ a local service provider and give back to our local economy.

Clean windows, bathrooms, a little free time and piece of mind. Now, that’s something to feel good about.

What do you want?

Organizing as a Filter

2009-09-02T18:36:17Z

There’s so much to do, so many places to go, and so much to see. The problem is, it’s easy to get flustered and paralyzed with so many choices. Know what I mean?

I look at organizing as a filter.

Organizing is more about deciding what’s important, and filtering out the rest. It’s really that simple. How do you organize stuff? Where do you start? Here’s one of the most important things I teach clients and audiences at my presentations:

Sort & Edit: aka, FILTER.

When organizing an office, you’ve got to do this first. What goes and what stays? Do you like it, do you use it or need it for legal (archival reasons)? Once you decide and go through your office (some people call it purging, but, eww…) then you know what you have left.

Think of it like draining pasta: filter out the extra.

It takes a LOT of water to cook a small amount of pasta. In the end, what you really want is the pasta not the hot water. So, when you’re done cooking it, you dump the pasta in a colander and drain out the water. What you have left is the pasta. You filter out the extra and keep what you want (or need).

What sort of filtering do you need to do in your office?

Back to School, Back to Business

2009-08-30T00:47:57Z

As a mom working from home, I do work over the summer. I do dial it down a little, though, as I want to spend some fun times with my son while the sun is out. After swimming, picking berries, riding bikes and enjoying the weather, it’s time for school. I use it as a time to get things straightened up and get back into full gear. Maybe you are the same.

If you’re ready to get back in gear, here’s a few resources you can use to get moving!

31 Days of Home Office Organizing Tips
Take the next month and get your office under control.

Keep track of your projects with Todoodlist
I found this great ebook, and it’s made a huge difference for me in keeping track of what I’m working on.

Spruce up your home office
Making your office a place you like to be

Organize your business cards
Need a place to keep the business cards you accumulated over the summer? Here’s a quick project to help.

Listen to my podcast, The O Myth
We have got a HUGE lineup of LIVE shows in September. Come hear some fantastic moms share with us how we can get it all done!

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Psst… like this post? Want more tools, news and tips? Be sure to sign up for my enewsletter HERE!

Be a Life-Long Student: 4 Tips

2009-08-27T07:25:56Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called ?Spark an Idea Thursday?. Each week we?ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to?grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired! The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is Spark an Idea About Being a Lifetime Learner.
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I’m incurably curious. Maybe it’s a sickness, maybe I’m a little “off” or maybe it helps me learn something new almost everyday.

Ok, ok, I did love school.

I loved it! I loved learning, being in class and expanding my mind. I also loved being an exchange student my entire senior year in high school. I spent the year abroad in a remote small town in Japan. Talk about expanding this small town girl’s mind! I also think it’s what helped me want to learn more about the world around me.

How can you become a life-long learner?

Read like there’s no tomorrow.
There is so much information out there to learn and enjoy between the first and last pages of a book - and I don’t just mean business-related books! Have you read “Pride & Prejudice”? “Anna Karenina”? Oscar Wilde? Thoreau? “Memoirs of a Geisha”?
Over the past year, I decided I needed to expand my reading outside of business books into fiction and the classics. I am so glad I did! Give it a try and get reading or listening to audiobooks. You’ll never be able to read all the great literature out there in a lifetime, but you can sure give it your best shot!

Satisfy your curiousity.
Want to learn how to knit? Buy a book or join a knitting group. Never made a killer homemade chocolate cake before? Try this recipe. If you’re curious about something and want to learn more, ask questions. Don’t worry about feeling foolish because you don’t know the answer. You might be surprised what you learn when you’re curious about the world around you.

Listen more, talk less.
A person I admire once said to me, “Wise people talk very little.” Think of someone you know who has an incredible amount of knowledge and wisdom. Are they talkers or listeners? I’ve found them to be listeners.

Learning is stretching.
There’s so much to learn in our world, and with the universal body of knowledge multiplying every second there’s no way to learn it all! A good place to start is an area in your life or business you feel unsure about. Gain a skill in that area, even if it’s a stretch. Go beyond your comfort level and expand your mind. Think of it like stretching: the more you do it, the easier it becomes. (Trust me, learning Japanese was, and is, a real mind bender. It was also well worth it.)

Are you a life-long learner? What do you want to know more about?

Gut Feeling: Good or Bad?

2009-08-20T06:12:52Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called “Spark an Idea Thursday”. Each week we’ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to?grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired! The theme this week is “Spark an Idea About Following Your Gut “.
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Sometime you gotta go with your gut. There are situations and times when I’m just not sure what decision is best.

What’s your gut telling you?

When I was a new parent, my mother gave me a copy of The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents. One of the most valuable things I learned from this small book was using your “gut feeling” as a compass when making decisions. That part of the book was about teaching children to trust their instincts about choices to make good and bad decisions:

Good choice = you feel “good” inside

Bad choice = you feel “bad” inside

I LOVED this simple concept. I have had this conversation with my young son when he is faced with decisions that could be improved upon. I think it works well for adults too.

Do you trust the “good” or “bad” feeling when you are faced with a choice?

Time For a Reality Check: Get the Stuff Done

2009-08-19T04:06:39Z

Stuff just isn’t getting done. You know the feeling, so do I, and it sucks. No really. It happens at some point or another, and it’s time for a reality check.

When stuff isn’t getting done, it’s time to thing hard about why.

Have you ever looked around in your office, or taken a mental inventory of what you have (or haven’t) been doing? What was the result? I did this recently, and came to a couple realizations.

1. A few important things weren’t getting done, and it’s no one’s fault but my own. No excuses. Period. There were important things slipping through the cracks, I didn’t do them and that’s not good. Other things I needed to stop doing, so I could get on with the important stuff. The only person who could turn this around is yours truly.

2. Time to stop putting it off. For whatever reason I had put these things in the back of my mind. Maybe I needed a mental break, who knows, but now it’s time to get the stuff done.

Have you had this happen? What did you do about it? For me, it was time to look in the mirror, put my big girl pants on and turn it around. No excuses, just action. It’s not too late, just pick up and move forward.

What reality check do you need to do?

5 Ways to Make Your Home Office A Place You Want To Be

2009-08-16T07:30:12Z

Recently we put new flooring in our home, as well as my home office. Can I just say, it looks like a million bucks! I can’t wait to get in there and really get it all situated.

If you work from home, you have the wonderful advantage of decorating and renovating your home office in anyway you please. If that sounds daunting, there are some small things you can do to get started. With just a few small changes, and on a budget you can swallow, your home office will call to you instead of repel you.

Put up some art.
Take a piece from another area in your home, search a flea market or treat yourself to a new piece. Make it something that inspires you when you look at it. Keep the positive vibes going with a great piece of art.

Remember your wins.
My website, The Home Office Organizer, recently won an award for “Best Web Presence“. I was so excited and humbled. The award meant so much to me (it was given to me by my peers), so I put it in my line of site sitting at my desk. Now, when I’m sitting down working, I occasionally see it out of the corner of my eye. It makes me smile.
Have you won an award, earned a degree, got a big fat check or received a great letter of thanks? Hang it on the wall, make a shadow box or put it on a memo board. Keep it in front of you!

Rearrange & Redesign.
Feeling cramped or like your office isn’t working out for you? If you have a small budget for changing up your office, consider rearranging your furniture & redesigning the space with what you already own. If you’re not sure where to start, the book, “Use What You Have Decorating” is a great resource.

Organize.
You knew I had to mention this, right? Organizing your office so you can find most anything you need in about 5 minutes is the best way to make your office a place you love. Cut your frustration by purging your paperwork and getting your office in order. If you’re not sure where to start, begin with what is bothering you the most, like a cluttered desktop.

Hang some window treatments.
The home office is often an afterthought when it comes to decorating. A simple thing like hanging window treatments can make a room feel more complete. A soft, beautiful fabric can make all the difference.

Are You Taking Care of Yourself?

2009-08-13T14:35:52Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called ?Spark an Idea Thursday?. Each week we?ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to?grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired! The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is Spark an Idea on Homeprenuer Health
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You know how it is when you work too hard, and stay up way to late thinking, strategizing or just trying to get your darned blog to do what you need it to. Then you wake up one morning and realize you’ve not been taking care of yourself.

I’m tired.

I have done such a thing recently, and I’m not feeling to well as a result. Maybe it’s that I’m doing too much, or trying to get too much done. Perhaps I have been neglecting taking care of myself, because I’m just too darned busy. Whatever the reason, my body is letting me know that I’m not listening.

Perhaps you can relate?

Have you stayed up too late? Maybe there’s things you’re trying to get done. Maybe you’re like me, and you might have some unrealistic expecations about what and how much you can do when you’re trying to enjoy the summer with your child who is out of school for a few more weeks.

Here’s what I’m going to do.

I’m going to go to bed on time tonight. I’m going to take a look at what I’m doing and see what can wait until I have a few more hours in the day (like when the bus comes). I’m going to listen to my body and give it some rest, so I don’t get sick.

What are you going to do to take care of yourself?

2 Favorite Levenger Products & Tips to Use Them

2009-11-13T00:14:55Z

I love a good organizing product, especially when it’s drop dead gorgeous like the Levenger collection! (They even have a sale that ends tomorrow! Check that out here.) Here’s two of my favorite Levenger, along with some quick tips on how you can use them in your home office.

One of Levenger’s well-known products is the Circa collection. They are so gorgeous!

How to use it:

There are calendars, notebooks, address books and other ways to customize this Circa system. The system is completely DIY, so you’re only limited by your imagination!

Another of their products I like is the Note Card Bleachers:

How to use it:

This product is great for organizing notes and keeping them in front of you. If you’re a visual* type person, this is a great product to keep your info front and center. You could also use this for pictures or even cards you’ve received as a “happy place” on your bookshelf.

*If you’re a visual person, check out my exclusive audio interview with author Lanna Nakone.

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Disclosure: I was not compensated or paid to write this review.

My Blogging Favorites & What I’ve Learned

2009-08-06T20:12:40Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called ?Spark an Idea Thursday?. Each week we?ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to?grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired! The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is Spark an Idea About a Favorite Blogger.
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I’ll bet you’re a blogger; most of us around Sparkplugging are. I’d also be willing to bet you’ve got some favorite bloggers you like to follow and have learned things from them along the way. So, I’m going to (somewhat briefly) share some of my favorite bloggers and what I have learned from them. I’ll also encourage you to do the same thing and link back to this post. Let’s get a little appreciative link love going on!

The Inspired Room Blog

If you like delicious, luscious interior eye candy, you’ve got to check out The Inspired Room Blog! The author, Melissa, and I met through an interior redecorating certification program. We discovered we lived in the same city (back then) and we met for coffee. I’m happy to say she is a great inspiration, and a wonderful friend. Not only that, she’s one fantastic blogger!

What I’ve learned: I’ve learned about making a blog post gorgeous and useful at the same time. I’ve also picked up some various useful html code from her sidebars. Melissa is also extremely talented in building a strong and thriving community. I’ve also learned you can be a nice person and still get ahead (yay!).

Problogger’s Darren Rowse

When I started blogging, I ran across Darren’s blog and was astounded at the depth of information it contained. I had an opportunity to interview and meet him last year at BlogWorld. It was a huge honor to chat with him, as his blog has been a tremendous help to me.

What I’ve learned: I’ve learned how to make my blog better in a month, how I can see if my enewsletter is really doing well and many techy tricks to numerous to mention. Darren is great at sharing information on how he does what he does, and putting it out there for the good of all the blogosphere. He’s a trailblazer, and well known in the blogging and social media arenas.

SimpleMom

I’ve been a fan since the early days! Tsh, the author, has a keen eye for simple design and lifestyle. Her approach to simple living and straightforward solutions rock. (And she’s going to be on our podcast, The O Myth soon!)

What I’ve learned: Simple is better. I’ve also learned there are many who believe (as I do) that sometimes the simplest things are best.

Sparkplug CEO

You know them: Wendy Piersall and Kelly McCausey. I used to read Sparkplugging when it was eMomsAtHome. So, when Wendy gave me the opportunity to write a series of articles for her site, I was star struck and extremely flattered. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would segue into blogging for Sparkplugging.com!

I “met” Kelly as a fellow author here on Sparkplugging.com. She’s an inspiration to watch, and one who feels so strongly about doing right by the work-at-home-mom community.

What I’ve learned: If you don’t know it, Wendy is a talented networker. She’s at the center of the party, and knows everyones’ names. She is also a fierce businesswoman who knows what she wants and goes after it. Wendy has showed me that giving for the sake of giving is something that is not only the right thing to do, but it will come back 100-fold. Wendy’s passion and drive is amazing to watch!

Kelly has taught me about marketing and standing for what you believe in – passionately! She is an early adopter of podcasting (or “internet radio” back in ‘da day…) and has an incredible knowledge of the medium. (I LOVED her class at SparkplugU!) Kelly’s passion and fearless ability to defend her convictions is empowering.

So, what blogger inspires you, and what have you learned?

Pay It Forward: Do Something Small

2009-08-03T05:11:34Z

Today my family and I took a long Sunday drive. We did a little fishing, drove around the local mountain and stopped at an orchard to get some fruit. Along the way, we had to cross a toll bridge. One of my husband’s favorite things to do is to pay the toll of the person behind us. I love to imagine (or sometimes even see) their reaction. It feels good knowing we have paid it forward in a small way.

How could you pay it forward?

Is there something you could do for someone, some small token to make someone’s day? How about pay for their coffee, dry cleaning or even parking? Is there a customer or client you could do something special for? What about a colleague?

What small thing can you do today?

WOW Them By Sharing Yourself

2009-07-30T15:23:41Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called ?Spark an Idea Thursday?. Each week we?ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to?grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired! The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is Spark an Idea about Creating a Wow Experience.
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As a small business owner, I travel around and speak to groups. I happen to love being in front of an audience, sharing a different perspective on the topic at hand. For me, watching the “light go on” is what I love most about talking with other people in a group setting. I share a little of myself, what I know and am always surprised at how people respond.

As you know, I’m also a blogger. There have been times I have written posts which are extremely personal. One in particular was a story about how organizing my home office changed my life. It’s been one of the most popular posts I’ve ever written. This surprised me, as I was really hesitant to even hit “publish”. People were surprised and related to my story.

Creating “WOW” by sharing what you know.

I think creating a wow experience can happen when you share something you have learned in your own life or business. Whether talking with an audience or a client, people resonate with what you have been through. They relate to you and understand where you are coming from, as they may be in the throws of going through a simliar experence themselves. When it’s comfortable, even in business, sharing a personal experience connects people and creates a sense of community.

What do you know, and would be willing to share, that would “wow” your community and help someone?

Motivation: One Little Cue at a Time

2009-08-30T00:44:43Z

Sparkplugging is starting a new tradition called ‘Spark an Idea Thursday’. Each week we’ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to grab our image and carry the tradition through to your own blog! If you do, please link back to this post so we know where you were inspired! The theme of this week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is Motivating Others.
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This week we are talking about “motivating others”. To be honest, I’m not all that sure I know how to motivate others to go, do or be whatever. I think we can be part of it, but it has to build. Let me explain…

I think people motivate themselves.

When we are ready, we get up and get moving. Whether it’s pants that are too tight or organizing a home office. There is a switch that has to flip, an internal snap and you finally say, “That’s IT. It’s time.”

Action sparks motivation.

I also believe that sometimes I just don’t feel motivated. I don’t. However, when I get up and do something, it’s pretty common for me to feel motivated. If I relied on feeling motivated, frankly, I’d never get anything done. Know what I mean?

What if you really care about someone or something, and you want to help nudge them in the right direction?

I think when you see someone needs help, and you can clearly see the solution, you can definitely be part of the solution. How? By being honest, in a way they understand. If it’s a client that expects you to be firm and straightforward, by all means say something with your good intentions firmly in your mind. If it’s someone you are close to and you know they are sensitive, things get a little trickier. So, use your best judgment.

Motivation to change happens one moment at a time.

A friend once said, we are motivated a little at a time. When there is something deep inside saying it’s time to change, you know it. You see visual cues, hear little things and notice instances around you that point to it. No one person or thing makes it happen, it accumlates until you reach the point that it’s time to make it happen.

So, how do you motivate others? Be part of the little cues along the way. When it’s time, they may just remember what you did or said. Then, be there to support them when they make the decision.

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