Just a Few of My Favorite Tools...

With NBC airing a live production of The Sound of Music on December 5th, I can't get that song "A Few of My Favorite Things" out of my head. Therefore, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite apps. As I often repeat, there is no one-size-fits-all for organizing so there are many alternatives that might better suit YOUR unique needs; I preface this post with the caveat that these are just the apps (and one website!) that I currently can't live without, all for Android & iOS alike. Here are a few of my favorite tech tools:

1. Evernote - Online research, articles to review, ideas for upcoming workshops, client notes, checklists and much, much more... There's just too much for my little brain to remember, which is why Evernote's ability to help me "remember everything" is vital. My information syncs real-time between all my devices, and I can quickly locate what I need when I need it. Amazing tool!

2. Dropbox - Whether it's a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation or PDF image, when I'm traversing the state, it's important to be able to quickly and easily access what files are needed; plus, many files are too large to email while many recipients are frightful to open unexpected attachments. Dropbox solves both issues: I can store files in the cloud to share between devices and easily share with others.

3. EasilyDo - This "smart assistant" helps me get things done, like joining a conference call with one tap, sending birthday wishes, keeping my travel documents handy and automatically updating changes to my contacts. Yes, Siri is a great option for iOS while Google Now helps Android users, but EasilyDo gives me another boost.

4. Square Register - I'm often meeting clients in your own offices or out at a public location, making it imperative to have a tool for collecting credit card payments while out-and-about. Square is easy to use and reasonably priced.

5. DocuSign - In my effort to limit paper, DocuSign has become more and more a part of my day-to-day workflow, allowing clients to sign off on agreements remotely and me to keep those signed documents in an electronic form, whether in Evernote or Dropbox.

6. Dolphin Browser - This free, mobile web browser is customizable, allows for voice and gesture controls, offers extremely fast results and includes the ability to save / share content to Evernote, Facebook and Twitter.

7. AroundMe - With all my traversing across North Carolina, this app helps me quickly locate the closest coffee shop, gas station, movie theatre, parking deck, restaurant, supermarket or bank, allows me to search for specific businesses in the vicinity and shows the local weather report for wherever I might be located.

8. Skype - Meeting virtually with clients nationwide requires a tool for face-to-face connections without having to travel any further than the screen of my tech tool. Quick, easy and free = an awesome combo!

9. WRAL's Sports Fan - As a fan of the David Glenn Radio Show broadcast noon - 3pm statewide, I like to catch what portions I can between appointments or while working on my Mac. Sometimes, I'm not in a position to listen to it on the radio, but this app makes it possible to catch the broadcast from wherever I'm working.

10. PaperKarma - Want to cut down on the mail coming into your home or business? No need to go through the hassle of Catalog Choice... Just scan your address from the mailer into PaperKarma and block future mailings.

11. Doodle - Committee meetings, client sessions with corporate teams, planning appointments with those supporting my business efforts... There are countless times I need to schedule face-to-face commitments with groups of people. With Doodle.com, folks vote for which suggested option works best, and we schedule the meeting for whatever date / time works best for most.

12. MusicID - As someone who enjoys many different kinds of music, I'm often hearing a tune I like and wondering about the title / artist. When in doubt, I open MusicID, click "Identify Song" and hold the phone near my speakers. Very quickly, all my questions about the song are answered, and I can hop to iTunes to buy it.

Which are your favorite apps? And which are the apps without which you just couldn't survive?!? Please comment below and share this post with those you think would enjoy these helpful tools.

Making a Difference in Memory of Dad for Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Last month marked the 4th year that my father has not been here to celebrate his birthday… Now, don't get me wrong; Dad was never a fan of making a big fuss in regards to birthdays, but he did like to recognize that day each year. It's an injustice that Dad's life got cut short, and I do not want anyone else to face that same kind of loss. You see, the statistics regarding lung cancer are very troubling…

- Lung cancer is the #1 cancer-killer of American women and men, taking more lives than colorectal, breast, pancreatic, kidney and lymphoma cancers COMBINED.

- Only 16% of lung cancer patients survive 5 or more years after diagnosis, compared with 89% of breast cancer patients and 99% of prostate cancer patients.

- Lung cancer takes the lives of almost twice as many women when compared to breast cancer and three times as many men when compared to pancreatic cancer.

- Of those diagnosed with lung cancer, 15-20% have never smoked while 50% are former smokers, many of whom quit smoking decades before diagnosis… Only 30-35% of lung cancer patients were current smokers when they were diagnosed.

- 1 in every 3 Americans has been touched by lung cancer, either with his / her own diagnosis or by losing a loved one to this horrible disease.

- North Carolina ranks 9th out of all states for deaths attributed to lung cancer… 8,559 North Carolinians are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer this year; however, together, there's always something we can do to make a difference.

November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and, in an effort to change the aforementioned statistics, there are many events planned to increase awareness and raise much-needed research funds. Last weekend was the Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally in Greensboro, NC, for which I was the event chairperson. Each year, this fun and exciting event gives all of us the opportunity to increase awareness about lung cancer, build a kinship with lung cancer survivors, friends and family members that have all been affected by this disease, and, very importantly, raise much-needed funds for lung cancer research, education & access to treatment.

I am very excited to report that this year's Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally had over 720 participants who have raised over $109,000 thus far, although fundraising continues through Tuesday, December 31st. Together, we truly are making a difference. There is power in numbers, and the involvement of each individual who attended or donated towards this cause is very important. On behalf of myself and everyone that worked to plan this year's Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally, I send out a HUGE thank you... The Lung Cancer Initiative Run, Walk and Rally of Greensboro has the most wonderful planning team, filled with non-paid volunteers who work tirelessly all year long to create an event that is both enjoyable and successfully supports our mission to "decrease deaths and provide support to those affected by lung cancer through research, awareness, education and access programs across North Carolina"… This event is truly a labor of love for everyone involved. And, with the support of our planning team volunteers, event day volunteers from UNCG, motivated donors and event participants, we can save lives and will absolutely continue to make a difference!

If you, too, want to help with #FightLungCancer2013, feel free to make a tax-deductible donation at http://lungcancerinitiativenc.racepartner.com/Greensboro/emily2013 or learn more at http://www.lungcancerinitiativenc.org/, reviewing the "lung cancer facts", "lung cancer screening info" and "resources" under "lung cancer info" from the page's header. If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer so it's vital to know the symptoms, be aware of what's happening with your body and seek assistance if you feel like something is out of whack. Early detection makes treatment so much more effective!

Before reading this blog post, if someone had asked you about which cancer took the lives of more women than any other, would you have guessed lung cancer? Likewise, before reading this blog post, would you have guessed that lung cancer takes the lives of more men than any other cancer? There is so much power in knowledge so please pass this information along.

Top 15 Features Offered by Evernote for Adding More "Wow!" to Your Life

So you've heard about this amazing tool to help you "remember everything", but you're simply not sure how it could really impact your life? Well, there are a plethora of features that make using Evernote truly awesome for entrepreneurs, C-level executives, busy professionals, small business managers and the like. Here are just a few examples of its amazing features:

1. While the most basic note in your Evernote database will consist merely of only typed text, each note can be much more complex, having options for including stored documents, recorded audio or video, captured photographs, web clippings and tasks with reminders. Solely your creativity can limit your options for notes to be included in your database.

2. Evernote users can create an unlimited number of notebooks in which to organize their notes, containing an unlimited number of notes in each notebook. Then, notebooks can be combined into what's known as stacked notebooks, providing limitless options for organizing all of one's saved content.

3. Tags allow one more level of filtering to find exactly what you need when you need that specific information. While no note requires a tag, such categories can be helpful when grouping notes from different notebooks or if you'll be searching for a note by a term not included in that note's contents.

4. Speaking of searching for any given note, it is Evernote's search capabilities that truly separate this tool from its competition. The search feature combs through not only notes' titles and the notebooks' names in which those notes are stored, but it also seeks a match in all typed or photographed text in each note's body as well as in any associated tags or URLs from which content was clipped.

5. Sharing notebooks supports collaboration as users can manage projects with team members in different places or communicate information with clients while not working in a face-to-face or side-by-side scenario.

6. Likewise, users are able to share individual notes via a link on Facebook, a link on Twitter, in an email or saved as a URL copied to a computer's clipboard.

7. Evernote offers a multitude of methods for creating notes... Every account is assigned its own email address, and each email sent to it creates a new note. Content can be clipped from various different web browsers as each clipping creates a new note. And content tweeted to @myEN subsequently creates a note, too.

8. As one's database grows, the convenience of easily editing notes' content allows each user's Evernote account to evolve with that individual's needs.

9. To enhance the ease of editing, Evernote added the Skitch feature so users can add annotations to any notes that contain images, which includes options for arrows, stamps, text, shape overlays, highlighting and more.

10. Furthermore, users are able to merge social media connections and related notes based off any interactions with those individuals in scans of business cards or manually uploaded contacts via Evernote's acquisition of Hello.

11. As reminders can be attached to each note, including an alert based off any specified date and time, Evernote allows for task and project management.

12. Evernote's ubiquity empowers users with the capacity of accessing the same information everywhere at the same time as it syncs "real time" between all devices on which the user has included the tool.

13. Via its "trunk", Evernote integrates with TONS of different partners.

14. Based off its desire to be "the permanent, trusted and ubiquitous place for all memories", Evernote holds fast to three rules: your date is yours, your data is protected and your data is portable.

15. While there are enhancements available for a small fee in the Premium version or for enterprise users in the Business version, most functionality offered by Evernote is included for free, which might be the best feature of all.

Want to learn more, including step-by-step instructions on setting up and best utilizing your account? You're in luck... A new offering of Emily's "Using Evernote to Remember Everything - Evernote Basics" workshop has been added at 3-5pm TOMORROW, and you can learn more or register now at http://evernotebasics.eventbrite.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tech Tools for Your Next Tailgate Party

Recently, I was invited by Geralin Thomas to "guest post" on the Metropolitan Organizing blog. Since tomorrow is the official kickoff for the NFL's regular season and high school / NCAA football continues this weekend, I wanted to share these helpful tips with you, the loyal readers of my Tips To Organize For Success blog... Enjoy!

As we inch towards fall, sportscasters everywhere fill reports with football updates… Who's the starting quarterback? Who's hurt from last night's game or practice? What's the coach's take on this year's schedule and how will the team perform? Meanwhile, there's an entirely different conversation happening in households across the country, and it all circles around pre-game festivities. It's the ultimate excuse to gather with friends for cornhole, crack open a couple cold beverages and fire up the grill. Whether you're an ACC fan waiting to see the Demon Deacons, Tar Heels, Wolfpack and Blue Devils take the field or you're an SEC fan excited about the prospects for this year's Gators, Bulldogs, Tigers and Crimson Tide, chances are good that there's tailgating in your future. If so, there are some tech tools that you might want to consider in making the process of planning your next tailgate party a little easier.

OurTailgate.com offers a free tool for ensuring the right amount of food, eliminating folks bringing duplicates and simplifying communications to all invitees. After creating an account, you choose whether your upcoming tailgate is a one-time or series event, assign a type (high school, college, professional, etc) as well as the associated sport and enter the event name, date, time and location. Then, you can manually enter your guest list or upload guests from a spreadsheet as an xls or csv file, sending an invitation to each email address added to the guest list. Create a sign-up sheet for who's responsible for which aspects of the event with the "Sign Up To Bring Items" link; finally, as the event nears, if there are necessary items for which no one has claimed responsibility, email a reminder to all invited guests… It's brilliant! Since the most important thing for a successful tailgate is getting everyone involved that is planning to attend, OurTailgate.com provides an ideal tool.

Making sure that all the vital elements are included is really essential to a successful tailgate. With that in mind, within its Family Matters section of checklists, ListPlanIt.com has quite a thorough list of what to bring.

Likewise, if you are an Android or iPhone user, consider downloading the Tailgate Fan app, which allows you to pull from a wide array of tasty recipes, share funny photos with friends and participate in contests to win awesome prizes. Android users can also shop Google Play for the Tailgating Planner app while iPhone users can find the Tailgating app in the Apple App Store, both of which lay out everything you may possible need so you don't forget any tailgating essentials.

On game day, step one is getting to your destination. iPhone's Stadium Finder app or Android's Football Stadiums app will let you type in the team you are going to see, and your smartphone will tell you where to go. Plus, each app offers seating charts to see exactly what kind of view you'll have once inside the stadium.

At the grill is where a tailgate party can be made or broken, but you don't have to be an expert to be successful. Whether using Android, iPhone or iPad, find new recipes and ideas with the Grill-It! app.

Upbeat tunes played in the background keep the party lively and energized. While you can always stick with the music downloaded to your smartphone, creating a "Tailgate Fun" playlist specifically for your tailgate parties, app options include TuneIn Radio Pro, Pandora and Spotify.

While you might be at your favorite team's game, you and those attending your shindig don't want to miss all the action across the league or your team's conference. Keep tabs on all the games happening at once with apps like ESPN ScoreCenter, NFL '13, Yahoo Sports and FOX Sports… You'll be the belle of the ball if you have such valuable details to share, all in the palm of your hand.

Above all else, though, I highly recommend that you "remember everything" by putting all your information in one place with Evernote. Since Evernote allows you to create a database of notes comprised of text, photos, audio blurbs, web clippings, checklists and tasks to be done, it's an excellent destination for things that pop into your head during the planning process, recipes you come across that you find tasty, decorations you see while out and about or tidbits you find in your online reading. Whatever you find useful for your next pre-game festivities can be compiled here, making the information accessible across all your devices whenever you need to act upon it.

With these tech tools and the involvement of everyone attending, your next tailgate party is guaranteed to be a huge success… Don't forget the ice, utensils, paper products and condiments, be sure to show your team spirit and have fun; hopefully, your favorite team will hold up their end of the bargain by winning and you'll have stellar weather. Regardless, here's to a great party!

Making September a Month to Remember

Aaaah... September! Such a wonderful month! Contrary to what we've been hearing over the past few days, Labor Day is only the UNofficial end of summer with autumn arriving on September 22nd, and September is hands-down my favorite month of the summer season. Temperatures are still high with North Carolina continuing to regularly enter the 90ºs, many of my favorite fruits & vegetables are in season, like apples, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, peaches, squash and tomatoes (all of which I love, love, love!), and it's the perfect time to visit Atlantic Coast beaches without 4th of July crowds. Plus, as a huge sports fan, I'm thrilled to add watching football and soccer in with all my outdoor adventures for the month of September. I can get pretty competitive at NFL fantasy football while I cheer loudly for my Demon Deacons... And shall we not forget that September 20th is my birthday. Happiness!

However, it's really not all about me. There are several very important events happening during the month of September, about which I'd like to make sure you're aware. Sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency with the Department of Homeland Security, September's National Preparedness Month encourages Americans to take steps in preparing for emergencies that may strike their homes, businesses, schools and communities. To assist in disseminating information that will help you prepare for and respond to emergencies which might impact your workspace, I will be providing the "When Disaster Strikes, Will Your Business & Your Team Be Ready?" workshop at Executive Office Suites in Lafayette Village on Thursday, September 26th. For details or to register, please visit this website. Alternatively, to learn more about National Preparedness Month in general and how to prepare BEFORE an emergency, please go to http://www.ready.gov. While the thought of something bad happening might be too difficult to consider, it's vital to take simple steps to protect yourself, your team and your overall business, and I look forward to seeing you at this workshop on the 26th.

Additionally, as someone who lost my grandfather to Alzheimer's disease, I want to make certain you know that the month of September is World Alzheimer's Awareness Month. The highlight of the month is Alzheimer's Action Day on September 21st, when everyone is encouraged to "Go Purple" to show your support to end Alzheimer's disease. Please mark your calendar now to wear purple on Saturday, September 21st, and visit http://www.alz.org to learn more Alzheimer's and dementia as well as how you can help.

Whether you celebrate the last few weeks of summer by enjoying what tasty treats are currently in season, by catching some great sporting events or by vacationing in our mountains or on our coast, please take a moment to see how you can better prepare for potential disasters or what you can do to help those suffering from the debilitating Alzheimer's disease. You really can make a difference!

Location, Location, Location!

In real estate, there's an old adage of "location, location, location", highlighting the importance of where you choose to buy or rent. Well, organizing your office places the same importance on "location, location, location". Here are a few things to keep in mind when organizing your space:

- Make it easier to find what you need when you need it by limiting what is kept in your space... Purge what's unnecessary, and remember that "I might..." does not count as a reason to retain something.

- Keep the mantra "like with like" in mind to group like items together, making it easier to find what you need when you need it.

- When assigning homes to what you keep, store items closest to where you'll be using them, creating "stations" for each function of your job.

- Determine if your personality is more "out of sight is out of mind" or "in view creates visual clutter" so you use appropriate storage tools.

- Every item you retain should be assigned a "home" so it's easy to locate when needed and easy to put away when finished working with it.

- Once homes are assigned, be sure to clearly label what goes where... Label each file or container with terms that enable you to find what you need. There's no "right" or "wrong" verbiage to use when labeling each home.

- When creating your storage solutions, remember that "horizontal is hidden and vertical is visible" so you can easily see labels and know what you have.

- Separate "active" items from those you consider "archive", keeping actives closer for easier access while storing archives further away.

- Use color to group related items... Things you like less placed in files or containers that are of colors you prefer make those items less of a negative and drive actions.

- Move shared files / tools into a common space for team members to easily access in a timely manner whenever they are needed.

- Don't forget about walls and backs of doors... Often, these areas are wasted space, but they can provide a plethora of storage options.

- Remember "a place for everything and everything in its place" to stay organized for the long haul, particularly as new items arrive.

Are any of these tactics you are currently utilizing? Could any of them be implemented for your greater productivity?

Tools for Mind-Mapping

Mind-mapping software can help you become a better, more creative problem solver, identifying gaps in data and working through specific processes. Each option's flexibility helps you reach clarity faster on key issues, organizing your decisions regarding identifying, prioritizing and tracking key project tasks. If you aren't already using a mind-mapping tool, here are some options for you to consider:

- The most popular mind-mapping software is MindMeister, available via mindmeister.com, which is very easy to use, is less artsy than most others and works on Android, iPhone, iPad, desktop, etc.

- ConceptDraw, available via conceptdraw.com, is a serious mind-mapping, project diagram and planning (Gantt Charts, etc) tool that works via PC or Mac.

- Curio, available via zengobi.com, is focused on creative brainstorming and project management, making it a good option for mind-mapping.

- Creately, available via creately.com, is easy, attractive and intuitive, offering an online tool for creating collaborative mind maps and concept maps. Works for both teams and individuals.

- iThoughts, available via ipadmindmap.com, allows you to import and export mind maps to and from over 7 of the most popular desktop mind map applications for use on iPad and iPhone only.

- Novamind, available via novamind.com, is great for folks looking to make fun and colorful mind maps.

- Lucidchart allows users to drag and drop shapes onto its canvas to quickly start flowcharting and mapping out a process; this tool has redesigned the entire process of mind-mapping so you can easily create whatever flow chart, wireframe, mind map or org chart you need. Found at lucidchart.com, it works with Google Drive, Google Apps, Macs and PCs alike.

When comparing these options, what's most important is your comfort level with how that particular tool flows. Therefore, I recommend you take advantage of each option's free trial, and look closely at the online demos.

Back-To-School Helps Stock Your Office

Aah... It's that wonderful time of year when newspapers & TV ads start being flooded by back-to-school specials while inserts tout "huge savings" on office supplies. Although we're still about two and a half weeks away from North Carolina's annual tax-free weekend, during this ritual of back-to-school shopping, a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils could easily replace roses, carnations or tulips, and those of us in the business of organizing workspaces start to drool over great gadgets & gizmos that'll increase your efficiency with incredible savings. It's no coincidence I just wrapped up a public presentation of "Go From 'Where'd I Put That?' to 'Here's What I Need' In No Time Flat", where I was able to utilize props to represent many of those fabulous office supplies that help to quickly locate what you need when you need it. These days, there are so many fantastic options to equip your workspace!

When addressing your need for a functional filing system, the list of necessary office supplies will often start with a DYMO LetraTAG Labelmaker, which enables a mobile solution for easily adding labels to each file folder. Speaking of file folders, I recommend 1/3-cut file folders that are a darker color on the outside and a lighter color on the inside. Color drives behavior so having a task that you don't like too much in a color that you do like a bunch will make that particular task a lot less unbearable; then, having the inside be ligher than the outside will increase the odds that the piece of paper you are attempting to file actually ends up inside the file folder you had envisioned as its destination. As you start to assign homes to each item that must be filed, start with big categories; assign one color AND one tab position to each big category, trying to keep each file folder label general enough that you don't have too many folders but specific enough to provide a home for each item to be filed. For example, all far-left-tab, green folders might be for FINANCES while those individual folders include FINANCES - Budget as well as FINANCES - Reimbursements. Likewise, all middle-tab, yellow folders might be for CLIENTS while those individual folders might be CLIENTS - John Doe as well as CLIENTS - Jane Smith. What naming convention do you use for your files?

Meanwhile, as you continue taking advantage of back-to-school savings by stocking your office supplies, please keep in mind that square or rectangular boxes, baskets and bins provide excellent options for containing related, loose items, including accessories for your tech tools, but you may also want to consider Cocoon's GRID-IT accessory organizer. In addition, clipboards provide an option for client forms or event-related checklists, and document sleeves can help organize meeting agendas, travel documents and reference items, including instructions for company-wide tools or specifics for how you are able to use your business' logo.

Above all else, though, make sure to add an Inbox on or near the entry to your workspace. Giving those individuals bringing items to you a place in which those items can be placed will empower you with control over your workspace, enabling you to address each of those items when appropriate and minimizing distractions from the important work on which you are already working.

What tools do you have in your office that assist in quickly finding what need when you need it, knowing what you should be doing at any given time and getting more done in less time? Please share in the comments below.

Options For Password Managers

If you're considering electronic storage of your passwords, here are some options that might meet your needs:

- LastPass (limited, free option or $12/year premium): With one, master password, you can log into websites via one click, auto-complete forms, securely store data & notes, synchronize across different browsers & devices and access your data from mobile devices while on the go. This solution works across all major platforms and has the added security of two-factor authentication.

- SplashID ($19.95 desktop + $9.99/mobile device): While this option provides multi-platform services similar to those of LastPass, it's a tad bit more complicated. If seeking more bells & whistles, try this one and see how comfortable you become with all that it offers.

- Roboform ($9.95 for first year; $19.95/year after): Full functionality of this option is limited to only Windows-based devices. Roboform has a relatively tricky set-up process for its installation. However, if you work primarily on a Windows-based PC, it's worth a try.

- 1Password ($49.99 for Mac OR Windows; $69.99 for both; $17.99 / iOS device): For some folks, it's a little concerning that your 1Password data is housed in Dropbox's servers; however, for most, the extreme cost of this option makes it most prohibitive. Either way, you get 1-click login for secure websites, easy online shopping checkout with credit card storage and instant syncing across your various devices. Currently, it is not available for Android devices so it's more Apple-focused.

- KeePass Password Safe (free for Windows PCs): This OSI Certified open source software offers a free alternative for those working solely on desktop PCs. While most others store your passwords in "the cloud", KeePass keeps them on your computer's hard drive, which is why they cannot be accessible remotely.

When comparing these options, what's most important is your comfort level with how well each particular tool fulfills the one-click logins and the tool's general layout. Therefore, I recommend you take advantage of each option's free trial and look closely at the online demos. Which password manager do you prefer?

Productivity and Technology Organization Workshops

Headed into 2013, I'd been told many times that "you're such a good speaker", but public speaking still put such fear in me... I resolved to overcome my fears by scheduling regular speeches, particularly as this provided the added bonus of sharing my messaging with more folks at one time as opposed to my "normal" one-on-one consulting. It seemed like a win-win opportunity, and that has proven to be the case. While you can see the entire list of upcoming workshops on this page of my website, I would be honored if you'd join me this Friday.

Click Here to Register Today for Organize for Success' next workshop...

Go From "Where'd I Put That?" to "Here's What I Need" In No Time Flat

Friday, July 12th - 10am to noon

Onsite checkin starts at 9:30am

Location = Executive Office Suites' Training Room in Lafayette Village,

8480 Honeycutt Rd, Ste 200, Raleigh

A recent Price Waterhouse Coopers report cited American workers as spending nearly 50% of their time looking for information, including paper documents. Worse yet, the average paper document is copied 19 times, thereby creating a drain on paper, ink, supplies and, of course, time… That which can never be replaced!

Just imagine… What could you be doing with all of that time if you weren't looking for misplaced, misfiled and mismanaged stuff?!?

What You Will Take Away From This Presentation:

- Learn options to store important information and tools to later locate what you need quickly and easily

- Discover collaboration tools that make sharing data, documents and information simple and effortless

- Create an office set-up to maximize efficiency for increased profitability

Learn more or register now at http://org4success-space.eventbrite.com.

While I believe that I put the "work" into "workshops" with content-rich presentations, don't take my own word for it… Attendees are raving about what they're learning in these classes. Here's a recent review:

"I am sorry it took me so long to take one of Emily's classes on technology & organizing! The class was worth every dime & more. I learned so many tools that will help me not only professionally but also personally. My wedding planning is going to be much easier now. Emily is very detailed and gives many options depending on what your needs are. She was able to troubleshoot with participants as well and came up with solutions. I can't wait to get my Pit Stop Package for even more help!" - Julie Seibert, Host of Reawaken Your Brilliance & Owner of Healing Through Organization

Eliminate App-Related Overwhelm in Three Steps

Can't find the app you need on your smartphone quickly enough at the time you need it? Can't remember what all is on your smartphone to begin your search? Tired of digging through unused apps for those you can't live without? If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the many options downloaded to your phone, have no fear... That smartphone can get back to being a user-friendly productivity tool with just a few steps. Start with the following three actions:

* Get rid of the lemons and clunkers... If you aren't using it, you either don't know how to use it or it is just not applicable to your needs. Find those no longer needed and delete them. This will clear up space so there's less visual clutter and leave only those you really want to use.

* Thoroughly utilize what apps remain... Learn all the services offered by those remaining apps. Determine how those services could be applicable for meeting your needs. Develop habits for using those tools. Practice, practice, practice, and ask if you're unsure about what a tool can do, whether you ask the app's help desk, search the web or shoot me an email.

* Be purposeful about what apps you add in the future... If you download an app just to give it a try, schedule on your calendar a date for its deletion should you decide it's not one to be kept. Then, don't add another app unless you can envision a need being met by it.

There are many that I love, but I want to hear from you... Which apps have a permanent home on YOUR smartphone? Why?

Stop Procrastination in Its Tracks

If you find yourself stalling on important tasks, it might be the onslaught of distractions facing you each day; however, it could also be that you are procrastinating. If it is procrastination, take action:

* Don't know what to do or how it should be done? Make sure to ask, whether that's the client for whom you are performing the task, your manager that has asked you to complete this action or a business advisor / related expert in the community... Once you have such clarification, you'll be more confident, which will make it easier to get started.

* Make decisions based on the best available information and move forward. Gather what details you can, but don't delay unnecessarily if you don't know every conceivable facet.

* If you focus on fewer things at once, you'll get more accomplished faster; then the increased rate of success can fuel even more success.

* Break large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. Bite-sized items are much more likely to be completed so make sure the items on your to-do list are concrete actions.

* Schedule time on your calendar for each task to be finished. Each "what" that has a "when" assigned to it is easier to get done.

* Set a timer for 15 minutes (or whatever you deem a reasonable timeframe), and get started; if you have momentum when the timer goes off, reset it for the same timeframe, and, then, continue as long as you maintain that momentum or until your next commitment.

What tactics do you utilize to overcome your own procrastination?