What Preschoolers Can Teach You About Productivity

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English: Children in classroom during lunch break.

English: Children in classroom during lunch break. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I remember when my nephew was in preschool and learned “The Cleanup Song” – he hated it because it meant playtime was over. But, learning to clean up a mess is a valuable lesson, not only for preschoolers but even for all of us grown ups!

A UCLA study found that when women were near clutter their stress hormones skyrocketed! This proves that clutter makes you more anxious and less focused. The act of organizing can actually help us feel more in control, decreasing stress even in the most out-of-control situations.

That’s why I make it a point to tidy up my desk at the end of every workday and my apartment every night. It’s really worked for me because the next time I enter those spaces they feel inviting instead of stress-inducing.

Here are a few tips to make “cleanup time” more fun than it was for my nephew! Read more

Checklist For Pet Owners Before It’s Too Late

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Brody

Losing a pet is one of the most difficult times you’ll ever go through. It’s like losing a member of the family. I lost my dog when I was young and still miss her. I’ve mentioned Brody, my cousin’s beagle, from time to time on this blog and his fear of fireworks and adorable personality.

Sadly, Brody’s kidneys started to fail him and he had to be put to sleep recently. It’s a decision that has affected my entire family. Everyone loves Brody. His owner, my cousin Jen, wanted to share a list of things all pet owners should think about before it’s too late.

Checklist For Pet Owners Before It’s Too Late

by Jennifer Walsh

My recommendation is to think about these things now, while your pet is healthyBrody and his family and you are not overly emotional, as I was. Maybe it’s a good idea to write them down and keep them in a safe place so that when the time comes & you need this list you have all your decisions in writing. I am sure that this will not make these decisions any easier or that you will not change your mind, but maybe you will feel better prepared. When my dog passed, it was a very difficult time. I found myself looking for distractions everywhere and ended up getting a pit border collie mix to keep me company. Getting her really saved me a lot of sadness. I know not all dog owners want to get a new dog straight away but for me, it really helped. A pit and collie mix require a lot of exercise so I was constantly going on walks and it really did take my mind off the situation. Everyone’s situation is different and you have to do what feels right for you, there are no right or wrong decisions.

Think about how you may want to proceed should your vet bring up the topic of euthanasia. For us, we felt that the decision should be left up to the vet, who we trust only wanted the best for Brody and was making a level-headed decision. We didn’t want to let Brody go, but we also didn’t want him to suffer for our selfish reasons. Read more

Fab Find: Stop Waiting On Hold With Fast Customer

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As far as annoying things go — waiting on hold is right at the top of the list. It can literally take hours out of your life that you will never get back. Talk about being unproductive — well, luckily there is another way and it’s my Fab Find.

I recently had to call customer service to report a duplicate charge on my credit card. Instead of being aggravated and waiting on hold, I tried out a new app called FastCustomer. It does the waiting for you! Skip the menus and bad hold music – with a few taps you can choose what business you need to speak to and then sip coffee, check email, whatever – a representative will call you when the wait time is over!

It works for major companies like American Express, Bank of America, 1800 Flowers, insurance companies and even airlines. It is really a great way to outsource a necessary but irritating task. When I used it — the app called me back and I waited an additional three minutes for a representative. I think that’s time well spent.

Think about all the things you can do while someone else is waiting on hold for you!

1. Read a few articles on ListProducer.com for a more productive day

2. Clean out your email inbox Read more