Have You Considered Your Digital Afterlife?

 Today’s society is increasingly dependent on technology. With this dependence comes a growing online presence as well as all the data, documents and passwords associated with those online accounts… Most folks immediately assume that means just the various social media platforms on which each of us communicate. Yes, social media is included, but it’s so much more than that. In addition to websites, there are password-protected apps on your laptops and mobile devices. This includes your emails, online banking, shopping wish lists, loyalty programs, travel-booking sites, iTunes music libraries, bill paying, web-based photo albums, online file repositories, collaboration tools and more. Our digital footprints are scattered, and the list seems endless!

 Although each individual’s growing online presence can be a bit overwhelming while we are here on earth, have you considered what happens to your digital presence when you are no longer living? I think most folks would be shocked to learn that, under current law in many states, your heirs could be committing a crime by using what passwords you left them after you have passed away. Right now, it’s a legal gray zone… The US Computer Fraud and AbuseAct, created in 1986, makes it unlawful to “intentionally access” a computer without authorization and, then, obtain information from that access. Many propose that loved ones should get access to everything online immediately after one’s death unless otherwise specified in a will. Yet, as estate-planning lawyers have started battling to change this, it’s sparked quite a debate about who owns what on the Internet, who can access what in your digital afterlife and how to plan this transition.

Amidst all the confusion, though, there is good news… The Uniform Law Commission has created (and approved on July 16, 2014) the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Acts, designed to “let relatives access the social media counts of the deceased”, per NPR. This act overrides the terms of service of Internet companies who restrict account access to only the user and requires states to define details.

Still, gone are the days when whoever you designate to handle your estate can collect your mail for a few months to see all the accounts that need to be addressed… By not specifically addressing your digital afterlife, you risk issues with online bills or financials, loss of data (including sentimental items of photos, status updates, communications and more as well as items with monetary value, like music, movies, etc) and losing control of your personal legacy. However, how can you convey that applicable data to whichever personal representative you need handling it?!? Further, should your emails, digital photo albums and online accounts die when you do or can you pass them along to heirs as you do physical items, like a house, an automobile, stocks and prized possessions? While I am certainly not a lawyer and do not have all such expertise, I see the importance of addressing my digital afterlife and have been doing some research.

Where can YOU start and what can YOU do to address this situation? 

First, I recommend creating a digital estate plan. Like estate plans in the traditional sense, this would details your wishes about what you want done with what is yours once you are no longer living. Further, within this digital estate plan, appoint a Digital Executor, who is the person you designate to execute your wises for your digital assets. You’ll need to stipulate in your will that this Digital Executor should have a copy of your death certificate as proof for websites to take action.

Using a password manager to generate, save and autofill your many passwords would make life easier for your heirs. With one of these tools, the password manager’s password is the only one you must remember, protect and make available to your heirs. Plus, by using many of these, you can store vital documents (like your will) in a vault that's part of your password manager account. Great examples of a password manager that would help are LastPass, SplashID, 1Password, Roboform and Dashlane.

If you are uncomfortable with a password manager, as an alternative, you could utilize a password-protected memory stick or flash drive; however, storage of this device could prove tricky as there is often quite a delay before heirs are legally allowed to access your safe-deposit box. Therefore, if you choose the alternative of a password-protected memory stick, you’ll want to store that in a fireproof home safe.

Victoria Blachly, an estate-planning attorney with Samuels Yoelin Kantor in Portland, OR, recommends that you put all details about your online accounts in a VAIL or Virtual Asset Instruction Letter. Your VAIL should indicate which email or social media accounts to delete, conveying your wishes to your heirs for them to take the necessary next steps. Put a copy of your VAIL on a password-protected flash drive or CD, locking both the digital and hard-copy VAIL in a safe.

Further, with the aforementioned legal battles happening, it is very important to update your Power of Attorney document to include language specifically allowing your designated heir to access emails and other electronic data. If you’re incapacitated, this gives your designated person ability to manage your financial affairs.

As another alternative, there are online afterlife companies (or digital vaults) that pledge to store and distribute postmortem your designated digital assets, such as Cirrus Legacy, DeathSwitch, DeadSocial, Eterniam, IfIDie.org, PasswordBox, LivesOn, Planned Departure and SecureSafe. An assigned “digital heir” is provided your passwords once a valid death certificate and proof of the heir’s identity are received. Basically, they allow you to specify “beneficiaries” to receive information about your accounts once death is verified. However, I am extremely wary of these due to all the legal activity currently related to individuals’ digital afterlife. It’s a fluid situation right now, and I’m not convinced of these companies’ stability. Plus, what if you depend on a company for all of your digital data, documents and passwords but that company goes out of business?!?

An interesting substitute for the aforementioned online afterlife companies is Perpetu, which is a startup that was founded by an intellectual property lawyer and banker. You sign up for Perpetu with your email, Facebook or Twitter account; once logged in, you see a list of services you can add to Perpetu, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Gmail, Dropbox, Flickr, Instagram and GitHub. For example, you can schedule a final wall post for your Facebook profile or tell Perpetu to email a download of your Facebook photos, status updates and private message to a selected someone. You can select repositories on GitHub to make public after you die or tell Perpetu to email a download of your LinkedIn contacts to a designated person. Unlike the online afterlife companies I mentioned earlier, Perpetu doesn’t ask users for their passwords; instead, you select what information is downloaded and sent to your contacts.

Websites want to honor their privacy agreements with users. Further, thus far, the legal system has made clear that its desire is to respect the wishes of technology users; however, unless you communicate your specific wishes, the courts and society in general can only guess, assume and infer what those wishes might be.

Assuming you are able to use a password manager or password-protected device to pass along to your heirs the data, documents and passwords associated with the accounts in your online presence, there are certainly many “next steps” to consider, particularly as different sites have various approaches to resolving your digital afterlife…

• -       Facebook: In January 2014, Facebook altered its digital afterlife policy to turn a deceased person’s page into “memorial mode” and make it publicly available, but shutting down a deceased person’s Facebook account requires the user’s birth certificate, death certificate and proof the person submitting the request is the lawful representative of that deceased user.
• -       Google: Google Inactive Account Manager allows you to choose a trusted contact who will be notified by email and phone when your account has been inactive after a specified length of time and who can also be given access to the Google accounts you choose.
• -       Twitter: In its website’s support area, Twitter offers a contact form to assist in deactivating, not transferring, the deceased’s account.
• -       Yahoo: In America, Yahoo accounts are nontransferable but can be terminated after submitting a detailed request; alternatively, in Japan, Yahoo has created “Yahoo Ending” to send an email the user has prepared to as many as 200 addresses and open a “memorial space” board for people to leave condolence messages.

The legal battle related to folks’ digital assets is complicated by many details. For example, certain online accounts can be worth real money, like a popular blog’s site or a gaming avatar that acquired significant status online. Further, some individuals would prefer that their social media profiles become “memorialized” rather than deactivated or deleted. All of this confusion and “gray area” are why it’s vital to communicate your wishes for your digital assets to your loved ones, especially whoever you designate to handle legalities.

Please start by taking some time to think about these items:

• -       What do you envision for your social media content after you die?
• -       What would you like to happen to your blog when you die?
• -       Do you want your Digital Executor to make an announcement online?
• -       Where would you like your obituary posted?
• -       Would you like a guestbook activated on your website?
• -       Would you like your website, blog and / or social media presence to turn into a virtual memorial when you die?
• -       Do you have a list of all websites on which you have a presence as well as the passwords for accessing those accounts? Where is it?

Expand your thought-process to cover all you can think of. Then, once you have a good feel for your wishes, please write them down and be sure to share them.

Want to see more about the items discussed here? You can view a recent interview I did with Julie Coraccio of Clearing the Clutter Inside & Out by clicking here, and stay tuned for an edited version of the video soon.

As you proceed in addressing your digital afterlife, you might find some resources helpful… Evan Carroll and John Romano have written Your Digital Afterlife to assist, and their website of TheDigitalBeyond.com provides many different strategies you can explore. Alternatively, social media and marketing consultant Adele McAlear offers DeathAndDigitalLegacy.com for more information. Investigating the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act and how your state is moving forward on its approval will help to localize your actions. Plus, review this US Government blog post about creating a social media will. Finally, seeking advice from a lawyer in your region is most highly suggested.

Do you have a plan for your digital afterlife? Have you shared your wishes with a loved one? If not, what can you do now to prepare?

A Pleasure to Share "Be More Productive While Working On-The-Go" with Professional Mortgage Women

 Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Raleigh - Triangle chapter for the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women. You can learn more about their organization at http://www.napmwraleightriangle.org/. Meanwhile, since these lovely ladies enjoyed my presentation so thoroughly, here are some of my presentation’s tidbits for you, too.

- Make sure you have the right tools to support working on-the-go… Do you use a smartphone, tablet, 2-in-1 and / or laptop? Are your email, contacts and calendar syncing properly between your various devices so there’s less repetitive actions?

- Always keep tools near you for charging or providing back-up power to your devices, no matter what types of devices you use. Using GRID-IT organizers to keep a set of necessary tools wherever you might be working is helpful, culling together charging cords, flash drives, headphones or earbuds and the like via one for your office, one for your bag and one for your vehicle. Likewise, Mophie’s rechargeable juice packs keep your smartphone going for hours extra.

- It’s even more important than ever to clean each of your tech tool’s exterior regularly as most of us simply do not have time to be getting sick… Do you have a microfiber cloth to use on your smartphone, tablet and 2-in-1 devices?

- It is easier to find what we need more quickly if it’s stored electronically. Invest in a quality scanner for uploading your docs to various online file repositories and, then, choose between Citrix ShareFile Quick Edit for iOS and CloudCube for Android to cull your databases on different online file repositories so you stop wasting time searching.

- Consider how your processes need to be adjusted to transition from offices to mobile environments. There are plenty of tools to help: DocuSign, HelloSign and SignNow for electronic signatures; eFax, MyFax and RingCentral for faxing; PicMonkey, Animoto as well as Skitch to edit imagery for advertising; TimeTrade for scheduling.

- Above all, though, “practice the power of one” with one calendar, one daily to-do list, one running list of tasks to be addressed, one data dump, one address book and one weekly strategy session. This approach helps you avoid duplication, prevent forgetting things, quickly find what you need when you need it and focus on addressing all that’s important.

What tips and tidbits do you utilize to be more productive while working on-the-go? With what do you struggle as you’re working from mobile environments, like planes, trains or automobiles?

Smartphone Battery Letting You Down? Here's Help!

In today’s society, from fast-typing teenagers to busy professionals working on-the-go to grandparents staying in touch with their families, everyone is highly dependent on our technological devices. With all this use, it is very normal for our smartphone batteries to let us down. Have you noticed your cell phone battery lagging and dwindling down before your workday is even halfway through? With these few minor changes, you can preserve battery life and squeeze a little more life out of your ailing phone.

- Determine which apps are running in the background and taking up the most space; then, close those not currently in use and delete those no longer needed. On an iPhone, visit Settings > General > Usage to see which apps are providing the biggest pull on your battery; then, click the > on the right-hand side and tap Delete App to remove those apps hogging your phone’s power which you no longer want. Daily, double-click your home button to get a horizontally scrolling list of running apps, and flick up the screen image of each app you’d like to close down.  On an Android, visit Settings > Battery to delete the apps using too much battery that are no longer needed, and, at the end of each day, visit Settings > Apps to shut down those apps you no longer want running in the background.

- Verify that your operating system as well as all installed apps are running their latest versions. On an iPhone, you can confirm your operating system by visiting Settings > General > Software Update; likewise, on an iPhone, you can make sure your apps are up-to-date by visiting App Store > Updates. On an Android, in Google Play, hit the menu key, go to My Apps and verify that all updates have been done.

- Turn off Location Services completely or disable the Location Services associated with certain apps one-by-one. On an iPhone, visit Settings > Privacy > Location Services; if you tap the circle beside Location Services towards the top, the green will disappear, which turns Location Services off for all applications. Alternatively, you can tap the circle beside any of the apps listed below Location Services to make that app’s green disappear, turning off Location Services for that particular app only. On an Android, visit Settings > Location and uncheck the box associated with apps not needing this data. While it’s great to keep Location Services active for your weather, navigational and Find My Phone apps, it’s not necessary for web browsers, social media apps and file repositories so be selective.

- Turn off Wi-Fi. As your smartphone continually searches for open Wi-Fi connections, it is oozing power. While it’s important to keep Wi-Fi activated as you’re using a navigation-related app so you can get the most accurate directions possible, you generally know when a Wi-Fi connection is necessary rather than relying on your cellular connection. If you don’t need Wi-Fi, on either iPhone or Android, swipe from the bottom or top of nearly any screen to bring up a limited settings menu, from which you can single-tap on the Wi-Fi icon for activating or deactivating this.

- Turn off Background App Refresh completely or disable the Background App Refresh associated with certain apps one-by-one. On an iPhone, visit Settings > General > Background App Refresh; if you tap the circle beside Background App Refresh towards the top, the green will disappear, which turns Background App Refresh off for all applications. Alternatively, you can tap the circle beside any of the apps listed below Background App Refresh to make that app’s green disappear, turning off Background App Refresh for that particular app only. 

- Turn off Bluetooth unless it is in use. Just as was the case for Wi-Fi, when your phone is not paired with Bluetooth devices like ear pieces, keyboards and headsets, having the Bluetooth option turned on means your smartphone is continually searching for available devices, which drains power recurrently. On either iPhone or Android, swipe from the bottom or top of nearly any screen to bring up a limited settings menu, which includes an option to single-tap on the Bluetooth icon for activating or deactivating this feature. 

- Switch the manner in which you fetch emails from “Automatic” to “Manual”. On an iPhone, visit Settings > Mail, Contacts and Calendars > Fetch New Data and make sure “manually” is selected. On an Android, under email settings, just make sure checking for new messages is set to “manual”, not fetch or pull. Constantly checking for new data can be a real drag for your smartphone’s battery, but squashing that neurosis will certainly help.

- Utilize Airplane Mode strategically. Airplane Mode is a setting to turn off cellular connection, Wi-Fi, FM radio and Bluetooth simultaneously while continuing to use other apps that don’t require a connection. When you’re in a low coverage area or just want to preserve your battery without powering down your smartphone, switch to Airplane Mode. On an iPhone, Airplane Mode is the first option under Settings. On an Android, visit Settings > Wireless & Networks > Airplane Mode to check the box for activation. This is particularly helpful when you’re napping since it will still work as an alarm clock but not leak power.

- Turn down brightness. On an iPhone, visit Settings > Wallpapers > Brightness to slide the level of brightness down and tap the circle beside Auto-Brightness to make the green disappear, which turns this feature off. On an Android, under Display Settings, slide the level of brightness down and turn off Automatic Brightness.

- Adjust the time for your screen to timeout to the shortest duration with which you are comfortable. On an iPhone, visit Settings > General > Auto-Lock to choose your desired time limit, whether 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, 5 minutes or Never. On an Android, visit Settings > Display > Screen Timeout to choose the time limit you want, whether 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 10 minutes or Never Turn Off. If you choose either “Never” option, you must manually lock your phone for the screen to go to sleep. More battery power will be used on longer timeouts or if you forget to lock the screen when you’ve selected “Never"; however, there’s no issue related to timeouts while charging.

- Turn off as many Notifications as possible. On an iPhone, visit Settings > Notifications to see what notifications you are currently receiving; choose to deactivate some notifications completely while deactivating the way in which you receive other notifications. On an Android, visit Settings > Device > Apps to turn off whichever notifications you no longer what to have popping up for you.

- Complete a hard restart. Sometimes, there’s nothing that works quite like shutting down completely. On an iPhone, press and hold the Sleep / Wake button on the top of your device until the red slider appears; then, drag the slider to turn your device completely off. Alternatively, to reset your iPhone completely, press and hold both the Sleep / Wake and Home buttons for at least 10 seconds until you see the Apple logo. On an Android, it can be as simple as holding down the power button (not just tapping it to lock the phone); however, if your phone isn’t responding to powering off the phone with the power button, you might need to pull the battery out, count to ten and, then, put the battery back into your phone.

Please keep in mind that, if many of your clients are in areas with low cellular signal, as you are traveling to those locations, your phone will work harder to connect. While you can’t avoid going through such locations, try using your phone more when signals are better and less when in areas of weaker cellular coverage. This is particularly useful for calls and texts.

While each of the aforementioned techniques will conserve your phone’s power, all mobile devices must get charged from time to time. Putting your phone into airplane mode will charge it twice as fast. Further, be sure to completely drain your smartphone’s battery monthly and, then, charge it fully. As a bonus, to make charging your phone easier while traveling, note that many hotel TVs have handy USB slots in the back that will more easily charge most smartphones from in your hotel room. Alternatively, if you’d like a backup plan for when your phone is dying as you’re out and about, consider an external battery like any of those from Mophie or a professional bag that includes a portable charger like those from Urban Junket. What techniques do YOU use to extend the life of your smartphone?

Celebrate National Simplify Your Life Week

 As we're in national "Simplify Your Life Week", what do you think it means to SIMPLIFY? Think you'll need to give up all your worldly possessions to become a hermit and live in a cave somewhere?!? Not quite... Per Dictionary.com, simplify means “to make less complex or complicated; make plainer or easier"... Cutting back on physical clutter can be part of the picture, but the emphasis is on slowing down and focusing on your true priorities. For some, this may mean working fewer hours and taking a cut in pay to have more time with friends and family. For others, this may mean buying a smaller home that is closer to work so as to lessen the daily commute while cleaning out unused items throughout the home. Meanwhile, others may take this as the opportunity to simply say "no" to more of each day's endless requests from others, saying "yes" to only those requests that fulfill personal & professional goals.

Here are some actions you can take today, over the weekend or sometime soon to simplify your life:

1. Remember that less is more when it comes to email… Less email sent means fewer replies received. Less retention folders make it easier to find what you need when you need it. Less email lists to which you subscribe lead to you getting only what information you really want.

2. Outsource, delegate, ask for help… However you word it, utilize others to double your output. Great resources can be found at Fiverr and Task Rabbit so take some time to check out which options might be best for your needs.

3. Automate bill pay… While many folks pay each bill manually when the reminder arrives via snail mail or email, how much easier would it be to have payments sent automatically from your banking account each month? Such settings can be programmed online fairly quickly.

4. Automate many of the domino effects in your daily processes… There are plenty of cause and effect relationships you can set and forget, running without ongoing efforts on your part. Investigate options via IFTTT, Zapier and PodBox for the solution to best support your processes.

5. Plan to have the tools you need nearby when needed… Do you utilize a smartphone, tablet, laptop and / or desktop computer? If you depend on tech tools, you are well aware of all the accessories needed for each, including charging cords, flash drives, headphones or earbuds and the like. Rather than depending on whether you remember to bring all the necessary accessories whenever you are working on the go, keep multiple sets of those accessories (one for office, one for bag, one for vehicle), pulling each set of accessories together with a GRID-IT.

6. Be strategic about how you organize items… Make sure what you need is conveniently located close to where you will need to use it and by grouping like with like to have those items used together stored together. Further, so you can quickly retrieve what’s needed, make sure to assign everything a specific home and return each item to its home each time you finish using that item.

7. Don’t retain the printed manual that came with any item you’ve purchased… Printed manuals are difficult to efficiently store and take up valuable space. Instead, download the corresponding PDF from the ManualsOnline.com website and store electronically.

8. Save time with forms, templates, checklists and the like… If you regularly send the same email response, create a template for that reply, tweak it a bit for each time you send it, and avoid starting from scratch each time you need to send that response. Create a packing checklist so you don’t forget anything that’s needed on each trip, customizing it for personal versus business travel, whether traveling by plane, train or automobile and for how long you’ll be gone. Design a template for grocery lists with all items you normally use, listed in order of the aisles at your regular store.

9. Convert what files you can to a searchable, digital system… Since it’s easier to find documents in an electronic form than paper, transition what you can via a fast, portable scanner, like one of the options from Doxie, Neat or Fujitsu. Then, make those documents easy to access from anywhere as well as simple to share with others by storing them in an online file repository; options for your online file repository include Box, Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, SpiderOak, Google Drive and SugarSync. Finally, if you choose to utilize the free options on more than one of these online file repositories, avoid fragmentation by keeping all your “clouds” together via Citrix ShareFile Quick Edit for iOS devices or CloudCube for Android devices.

10. Cut back on distractions by having fewer pings and dings… When you are distracted, on average, it takes about 16 minutes to refocus upon returning to the task at hand. Therefore, turn off your notifications for emails, social media updates and new text or voice mail messages whenever possible, choosing to schedule set times for checking each instead.

11. Consolidate social media platforms into one management tool... While many enjoy the benefits of the various different social media options, it can be overwhelming to stay on top of everything for LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and more. Instead of logging into each platform individually, group as many as possible together with one login to Hootsuite, Postling, SocialOomph, Buffer or Sprout Social.

12. Practice “the power of one”… While many claim that one is a lonely number, I find it to be extremely powerful in boosting productivity. So that you can quickly find what you need, easily remember all that needs to be done, avoid duplication or things falling through the cracks and keep it all together better, it’s important to have one calendar, one running data dump of all tasks to be done, one daily  to-do list, one source for others’ contact info, one system by which all your files are structured (whether paper or electronic and with as few categories as possible) and one place for all the information you must reference and remember, such as my all-time favorite tool of Evernote, a secure suite of apps that allow users to capture typed text, video and audio files, checklists, web clippings as well as photos, including photos of handwritten notes, in a database of content created by the user or culled in from other sources which is easy to sort, edit, search and share.

Did you celebrate this "Simplify Your Life Week" by making a change to simplify your life? If not, where do you see excess and complexity? What will you change soon based off the aforementioned suggestions or your own analysis?

Why Are Americans Should-ing All Over Ourselves?

As children, we are taught “You shouldn’t talk to strangers”. Then, it often progresses to “You should look like the girls in magazines.” or “You should play football more like Peyton Manning or Russell Wilson." As adults, our shoulds can become barriers. For example, your peers might say “You should stay in your current job so you don’t lose momentum on your career path”, even though that current job is in a toxic work environment that has you severely stressed out. Or your peers might say “You should apply for this job in the next level of your career path”, even though that path is not your true passion.

How do you choose "could" or "must" over "should" daily?

Sometimes, the shoulds come from peer pressure; other times, instead, the shoulds come from within. As should plagues mankind, people tell us what we should or shouldn’t do, and we do the same thing to ourselves when that little voice in our heads tells us what society expects of us. Why are we should-ing all over ourselves?!?

In reality, there’s nothing you “should" or “shouldn’t” do. Those are a reflection of someone else’s thoughts, beliefs, values and priorities  Instead, what you must do is about what is right for your wants and needs as well as what you'll do to achieve those desires. 

There is a distinct difference between “should” and “must”. While “should” reflects how others want us to be, think, speak or act, “must” reflects our most authentic self’s basic needs, cravings, ideals and calling. Yet, it is usually not so simplistic... Choosing a “must” is often scary and a very difficult path while choosing a “should” can be much easier and involves much less risk.

Back in 2007, if I had listened to the shoulds being tossed my direction, I would’ve never opened Organize for Success, LLC  and I certainly would’ve never transitioned from the automotive industry being my full-time job. Many would highlight the stability of my Marketing Director position, wondering if I could possibly survive in this new frontier and saying that I should stay where I was successful. Instead, I took a risk, acting upon my passion for productivity, and I haven’t regretted it at all.

Recently, I came across an article discussing this “should" versus “must" predicament. As modern philosopher Joseph Campbell has said, “Follow your bliss and doors will open where there were no doors before”. Still, for those who are still searching to discover that most basic need, craving, ideal or calling, the article outlines a couple exercises to drive that conversation with yourself. First, write a press release for your future self, maybe about something you will have done, maybe about an award you will have won, maybe about a specific thing that you have created. Second, write your own obituary, elaborating on additional actions and accomplishments you will have completed throughout your life.

Instead of saying “should”, try using “could”. Watch Stefan Sagmeister’s TED talk about jobs versus careers versus callings, and internalize how they compare to each other. Examine your thoughts and beliefs to make certain they accurately reflect YOUR own beliefs, YOUR values and the fire within YOU. Then, take whatever action is right for you. Abandon the guilt! Honor your calling, take the path less traveled and commit to your “must” over any “should”. 

Do you find yourself regularly succumbing to the shoulds? How will YOU shift away from “should” today?

Lessons from the San Antonio Spurs for Your Business’ Success

While most folks are not as big of sports fanatics as I am, there are quite a few individuals worldwide that were following the past few months’ worth of playoffs action for the National Basketball Association. In fact, Nielsen ratings say that 22.4 million viewers watched Game 5 of the NBA Finals, where the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Miami Heat in a rematch of last year’s Finals. As a huge fan of the San Antonio Spurs, I was especially pleased with how things panned out for the NBA championship as the Spurs won their 5^th title in 15 years, but the implications of this year’s Finals don’t end there.

          This year’s championship run for the San Antonio Spurs basketball team is an excellent example of the parallels between sports and business.  First and foremost, like any company, a successful sports team needs strong leadership.  While I might be a tad bit biased, I believe Gregg Popovich is the absolute best NBA basketball coach, exemplified by him winning his third NBA Coach of the Year award earlier this year, and the team trusts him completely. Likewise, R. C. Buford (the General Manager for the San Antonio Spurs) was rewarded for his excellence in leadership with the 2013 – 14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award. Plus, there is a good deal of leadership on the court as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have been together as “the big three” for the San Antonio Spurs for the past 12 years, throughout 4 of the Spurs’ championships.

2014 NBA Champions

During the 2013 NBA Finals, having won the opening game in Miami, the San Antonio Spurs seemed to have the championship in hand as they went back to Miami for Games 6 and 7 in the “best of 7 series” with a 3-2 lead, needing only one more win to clinch the trophy. Yet, that just wasn’t to happen as the Spurs let a 5-point lead disappear over the final 28 seconds in Game 6, where the Heat pulled away to win in overtime and, subsequently, used that momentum to secure the championship in Game 7. It would have been easy for R. C. Buford to have considered the team a failure, blowing it all up and starting from scratch the next season. Instead, the Spurs’ organization used this experience to pull together, refocus and instill persistence in achieving its goals. Through this, they exhibited the definition of TEAM in that “Together, Everyone Achieves More”.

This year’s team successes for the San Antonio Spurs exhibited key traits of successful businesses. Anyone watching the Spurs play saw their approach to teamwork… Passing the ball more on each possession than any of their opponents, trusting teammates to be in the right position at the right time to fulfill their roles, communicating clearly as to what is needed of each role player and each team member dedicating himself 100% to the specific role asked of that individual. This unified team pulled together a group of stellar athletes to win the Finals series against “the best player” in the NBA.

As the NBA opens up free agency today, I find it fitting to spotlight one of the many ways in which the San Antonio Spurs set themselves up for being such a tremendous team. When Tim Duncan negotiated his most recent contract back in 2012, he went from making $21.5 million in one season to $9.65 million the next. This wasn’t because Tim Duncan couldn’t get paid more… Absolutely not! Instead, Tim Duncan approached the San Antonio Spurs’ management team with a goal of freeing money for the team to sign other free agents that could support Duncan, Parker and Ginobili as the team moved towards winning more championships, helping the Spurs avoid the NBA’s luxury tax penalty. It is with this complete team that the San Antonio Spurs are able to excel in a team sport such as basketball, empowering each member of the team to fulfill his specified role. When each team member does his own part, the combination of those roles is a winning team. Wow… What a concept!

Do you have a favorite team in collegiate or professional sports? If so, how does that team exhibit principles that make it successful similar to success in the business world? Are there things your sports team does that could benefit your company and how can you implement those tactics for your own success?

Public Schools Directly Impact Our Businesses

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Wake County Board of Commissioners as part of their Public Hearing on the County Manager's Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2014 - 2015. With the importance of this upcoming fiscal year, I'm pleased that the County Commissioners opened their meeting for public comment, just like they will do again this evening. Here is what I shared with our County Commissioners and community attendees this afternoon:

 "My name is Emily Parks. I am a Wake County business owner, and I partner with other small businesses in the area. As a product of North Carolina's public schools, I have always strongly supported our public school system. I believe wholeheartedly that much of what makes Wake County and North Carolina such a great place to live and do business is our historical support for public education.

Our schools provide local businesses with their workforces, and this human talent is vital for our community's success. Further, it is with a strong school system that Wake County can compete to bring in new businesses, big businesses, that will employ our neighbors and contribute taxes.

However, I am troubled by what I'm seeing in our community for our public school system. We absolutely must stop the exodus of our most highly qualified educators. Yes, we compete with other counties across North Carolina, but we most aggressively compete with other states for these talented teachers. Wake County's teachers deserve our respect, and the proposed pay increase is just a start but an excellent step in a right direction. 

Please support the future of our businesses and this community by voting to approve the proposed budget."

The proposed budget that I addressed in my comments provides a 3.5% pay increase for our county's teachers, those men and women who are sorely underpaid, have not had a pay increase in many years and are leaving for other areas of the country that provide more adequate compensation for their teachers or for other industries which pay more. While the Wake County Board of Commissioners' vote on this proposed budget is still a week or two away, I believe this topic is important and that related discussions should be encouraged. Are there issues impacting your business and your community about which you feel strongly? If so, how do you make your feelings about those issues known?

Manage Self, Rather Than Myth of "Time Management"

 Chances are good that you've attended a presentation about time management, read about it in books or magazines and tried to use some sort of planner or app to "manage" your time. You may ask yourself why, with all your acquired knowledge and all the related tools at your disposal, do you still struggle to get everything done. Well, I'd like to share a thought or two about this with you.

I believe that there is no such thing as time management. Yes, it's a great "buzzword" that evokes the image of someone in control and able to accomplish all that is intended for the day. However, everyone is gifted the same 24 hours in any given day, and it's not about managing that time. No one can control time; it's going to keep ticking away regardless of what you or I do. Instead, I believe getting more done is more about managing oneself as it is much more realistic to control ourselves than the hours in any given day. Manage yourself, not your time.

As we work to get more done in less time, there are specific steps we can take to manage ourselves. Here are a few of the many such steps we can take:

• Complete a weekly strategy session where you create a game plan for the upcoming week's tasks, appointments as well as opportunities for personal and professional development. Instead of prioritizing your schedule, schedule your priorities; focus on making time for what is important.

• Start each day with a written list of 3 - 5 "must do" items. Plan your work and work your plan to be more effective.

• Wrap-up each day by evaluating which action items got done versus need to be carried over to the future and, then, schedule the carryover items to be done on specific dates since "every what assigned a when is more likely to be done".

• Put a stop to procrastination and build momentum by starting on your bigger projects. Set a timer for 15 - 30 minutes and work hard for that shorter duration with a burst of energy.

• Batch tasks so you are completing "like" actions in one, lump grouping; for example, return all calls back-to-back, process all received emails together at set times and schedule errands so you complete all your running around in a single trip.

• When you block off chunks of time for completing what actions are important for achieving your goals, be sure to include buffers for travel as well as "unexpected" opportunities or hiccups.

• Be fully present for each scheduled task or appointment, focusing on the individual, group or activity in front of you rather than thinking ahead or multi-tasking... Not only will you get more out of that specific task or appointment, but you will complete things more efficiently and effectively.

• Identify and eliminate as much as you can the time stealers in your workday. Close your door to limit drop-in visitors. Send phone calls to an assistant or directly to voice mail when you are focused on a specific task at hand. Communicate your priorities clearly. Encourage planning prior to meetings, leading to better meeting management. Options are limitless!

Contrary to the connotation typically associated with "time management", the dictionary definition of "the analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks in order to maximize personal efficiency in the workspace" appears to be quite a bit more accurate. With the aforementioned thoughts and that definition in mind, what do you find is something you can control when working to get more done in less time? What tactics do you utilize to boost productivity and enhance efficiencies?

'Tis The Season to Shred, Shred, Shred

To Shred Or Not To Shred?
... That is the question

 Ah, yes... April 15th is just around the corner, and, with the deadline to file your 2013 tax return quickly approaching, it is a perfect time to purge outdated paper from your filing system. While paperLESS is possible, our world doesn't accommodate the concept of paperFREE, making it all the more important to shred papers discarded with confidential information, and local organizations make it easier than ever to shred what needs to be shredded with several free events coming up (see list of options below or on this site). Yet, with all the different advice available, it is difficult to know what can be recycled versus needing to be shredded. There are many different opinions about what to keep for how long, and the following is what I have found most helpful for my clients. VERY IMPORTANT... I recommend checking with your accountant about items that should be kept for the long-run as well as the BBB's Records Retention Schedule; however, here's a general reference list to get your sorting and purging started.

What to keep permanently, protected from fire and flood:
- Annual tax returns (however, tax-related receipts and bank statements can often be shredded after 7 years... Please verify your specific circumstances with your accountant.)
- Audit reports
- Business licenses
- Year-end summaries from financial service companies
- Stock and bond certificates; investment trade confirmations
- Deeds of property, auto titles and most recent documentation for insurance policies, especially related to pending claims
- Real estate and residence records, including those of paid mortgages and transfer / sale of property
- Health records / medical test results, wills, trusts, powers of attorney and estate-related documents
- Birth certificates as well as adoption and custody records
- Social Security cards and Social Security annual statements
- Current passports
- High school and college diplomas
- Military service information, including discharge papers
- Appraisals for jewelry, artwork, antiques, etc that you still own
- Marriage licenses
- Legal paperwork related to any divorces
- Pensions / retirement plan records as long as they're current
- Death certificates

Documents to keep for terms related to life events:
- Current homes' improvement and maintenance records until the homes are sold
- Receipts for major purchases while you own the appliance, furniture, electronics, jewelry, etc
- Current automobiles' maintenance and added accessories records until vehicles are sold
- Pet ownership and care records until taxes are filed for year when no longer part of your family

Documents to convert into electronic, shredding originals:
- Education records
- Current copy of your resume
- Employment records, including performance evaluations
- Copies of important work projects and volunteer records

What to shred and, as needed, related timetables:
- Any unwanted paper that contains your social security number
- Pre-approved credit card offers immediately upon receipt
- Expired credit cards and identification cards, like driver's licenses and student IDs
- Old bills unrelated to taxes or past time needed for tax records
- Out-of-date account statements
- Paycheck stubs after reconciled with W-2 or 1099 forms
- Brokerage and mutual fund statements after they've been reconciled at year-end
- Records of selling houses or stocks and annual investment statements once no longer needed for tax records
- Tax-related cancelled checks, W-2s, 1099s and receipts for tax-deductible expenses after 7 years
- Records of satisfied loans after 7 years
- ATM receipts, bank deposit slips and receipts for credit card charges after cleared on statements
- Receipts for minor purchases that are not deductible for taxes (like your normal groceries) and for items you no longer own or are no longer eligible for returns
- Property tax records once any related disputes are resolved
- Addresses of prior residences
- Outdated credit reports and credit scores
- Completed travel itineraries
- Old report cards
- Luggage tags that you are no longer using
- Anything no longer needed that has a copy of your signature
- Anything that includes your birthdate and / or prescription information alongside your name

Again, it's important to contact your accountant before shredding anything, just to verify any special circumstances unique to your situation. It's better to be cautious with things like this.

Plus, there's good news: With this being "shredding season", you are in luck. There are plenty of free events occurring soon for you to shred what documents you need to shred. While events across the state of North Carolina can be found online here, below is a list of the events local to the Triangle of NC area:
- Saturday, April 12th at 73 Hunter St, Apex --- 9am - noon (click here for details; limit of 3 small bags or boxes per person)
- Saturday, April 19th at Marrow-Pitt Ace Hardware, 1713 N. Main St, Tarboro --- 10am - 1pm
- Thursday, April 24th at University Mall, 201 S. Estes Dr, Chapel Hill --- 10am - 2pm (limit of 5 boxes per person)
- Saturday, April 26th at Oak Park Shopping Center, 6001 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh --- 8am - noon (limit of 3 boxes or bags per person)
- Saturday, April 26th at Hampton Pointe Recycling drop-off site, 625 Hampton Pointe Blvd, Hillsborough (behind Home Depot) --- 10am - 2pm (limit of 5 boxes per person)
- Saturday, May 3rd at Duke University Federal Credit Union, 2200 W. Main St --- 9am - 1pm
- Saturday, May 17th at Roxboro Savings Bank, 313 S. Main St, Roxboro --- 8am - 11am
- Saturday, May 17th at Coastal Federal Credit Union, 1000 St Albans Dr, Raleigh --- 8am - 12:30pm (click here for details; limit of 3 boxes or bags of documents to be shredded as well as up to 5 electronic devices to be recycled)
- Saturday, May 17th at Lafayette Village in front of Executive Office Suites, 8480 Honeycutt Rd, Raleigh --- 8am - 12:30pm (limit of 3 boxes or bags of documents to be shredded as well as up to 5 electronic devices to be recycled)

If you are unable to make any of the aforementioned events, no problem! Many businesses offer shredding services, like ProShred, Apex Shredding, OfficeMax, A Shred Ahead, Phoenix Resources Recycling and Iron Mountain. No matter which direction you take, though, please keep your confidential information safe, particularly since identity theft is such a growing issue for us all. How do you determine what to shred and do you shred in-house or with a vendor partner? If you take your documents somewhere to be shredded, which option do YOU prefer?

Are You Ready to "Bring The Neat" as well as Implement the "Top Tech Tools for Rocking It at Work and in Life"?

 Today kicks off a very busy week in the world of +Organize for Success, LLC, and I'd love for you to join in some of the fun... Beyond attending this morning's Bizwomen Mentoring Monday event and, then, celebrating the honorees of the Triangle Business Journal's 2014 Women in Business Awards over lunch, I'll be working with several wonderful clients, all leading up to two very special events this Friday, April 11th... Mark your calendar now to join me at either or both of Friday's events!

On Friday, you have two options to get tips and tidbits from me as well as several of my colleagues: First, WrapIt presents "Bring The Neat" Springtime Organizing Master Summit starting at 10am on a Google+ Hangout, and I am thrilled to be one of the presenters. This online event will feature 10 organizing specialists, who will share tips for getting organized and boosting your productivity this spring. While you can find the link to join us as well as the entire summit's agenda at BringTheNeat.com, I want to highlight that my portion about how to "Spring Clean Your Email & Mobile Devices" will be at 11:35am to 11:50am; here's a bit about what I'll share:

Then, I'm so very excited to be presenting an updated version of my "Top Tech Tools for Rocking It at Work and in Life" at 3:00pm to 5:00pm in the Training Room of Executive Office Suites in Lafayette Village at 8480 Honeycutt Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27615... Do you feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done? Might you be losing time and want to get it back? Feel like you might be treading water and all you want is to get ahead of the onslaught? Need a competitive edge?!? Well, this Friday's workshop might well offer exactly what you are seeking... Take full advantage of available software, apps and tech tools to achieve an organized office, enhanced efficiency, greater productivity and larger profitability. Adjust how you approach your work and organize for greater success so you get more done in less time, quickly find what you need when you need it and always know what must be done when. Here's what you'll take away from this presentation:

• Particular software, apps & tech tools to lower your stress and enhance work performance

• Detailed ways to use these software, apps & tech tools to achieve desired results

• How to implement suggested solutions for immediate success

Visit http://TopTechTools.eventbrite.com to register and reserve your spot. I'll do the legwork for you in finding the most up-to-date options and how you could best use each, bringing all attendees an excellent handout to be referenced later for easily adopting what software, apps and tech tools are best for your specific needs... Come ready to expand your effectiveness.

Thanks for your interest in what I'm offering for enhancing your productivity, helping you get organizing and how to include technology in your efforts for greater efficiency... I look forward to connecting with you soon, but don't hesitate to give me a holler in the meantime. Have a marvelous Monday today!

Minimize Morning Madness to Dash Out More Easily

 If the time between your early morning wake-up and the moment you're dashing out the door seems to be shrinking, it might be time to evaluate how you are getting ready to face the world.

Here are a few ways you might be able to minimize your morning madness so you are ready on time and your exit is less stressful.

Start practicing an evening routine to properly prepare for the next morning... Each night, check the next day's schedule to plan what you'll need for all activities. Verify the weather forecast and lay out your clothes for the day as well as any accessories you'll be wearing. Think through what you have for breakfast so you aren't scrambling for something to eat. Go ahead and prepare the next day's lunch; likewise, if you have a tendency to forget grabbing your pre-made lunch from the fridge, leave yourself a "remember lunch" note on the door or by your keys. Have a set place near the door for any items that need to go out the door with you, preparing your keys, work files and purse / wallet / backpack the night before; keep a morning checklist by the door to verify you have all you need. Make sure you have gas in your vehicle. Plus, ensure you don't awake groggy with low blood sugar by consuming a tablespoon of unsweetened almond butter.

Eliminate any unnecessary actions from your mornings... When the goal is getting out the door, it is important to stay focused, but it's easy to get distracted. Can you declutter the night before so there are less distractions? Can unloading the dishwasher wait until after work? Can you absorb the morning's news on your commute to the office instead of in the morning news on TV? For some, these actions are necessary to properly start the day and can put those individuals in the right mindset; however, for others, they are simply distractions that lead to tardiness in getting out the door. Determine in which of those groups you fall and respond appropriately.

Simplify how you accomplish certain parts of getting ready... Choose a hairstyle that is easy to maintain. Choose a breakfast that is easy to prepare, embracing convenience foods, like cereal, yogurt with pre-made granola or frozen waffles. Choose wrinkle-free clothing. Look at each element of your morning; there might be lots of areas to streamline.

Make the most of every available minute...
- Set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier than you expect needing to awake, allowing you a brief block of peace before everyone else in your home is up and giving you a buffer in your morning prep timetable.
- Get moving early, remembering that activity breeds activity. Further, our brains and bodies need oxygen to function properly; getting up and moving can open your lungs for more oxygen. I recently started using the 7 Minute Workout app and have been very pleased... It's "just enough" for me!
- Start your day by drinking a tall, cold glass of water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, which boosts your energy, promotes good digestion, boosts your immune system, detoxifies the liver, helps you lose weight, encourages better skin and kicks off your day hydrated.
- Proceed through a routine each morning so you take out the thinking, go into autopilot and ensure what's important gets completed each day. Likewise, if you live with others, knowing beforehand who gets in the shower first can be hugely helpful.
- Break each element of the routine into a "zone" so supplies for each action are grouped together and located in the area where they will be used, like tools for getting dressed, tools for prepping your face / applying your make-up, tools for preparing your coffee and tools for making breakfast.
- Use music to motivate yourself. Further, motivate your family's youngest members by making the morning routine a game, like completing set tasks within the duration of set songs.

With just a little planning, preparation and routine-building, it can be much easier to get out of the house and on to your day's activities more quickly and with less stress... Which of these action steps can you incorporate into your life to make an impact on getting ready each morning?