5 Reasons to Say No and Get More Done

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NO!

NO! (Photo credit: guercio)

Everyone wishes they had more time — more hours in a day and more days in a year. Who would have thought that making more time for yourself could be as simple as saying “no?”  Yep — that one word will give you your life back.

It’s easy to agree to a coffee break or to see that movie your friend has been obsessed with for weeks. But its important not just to say “yes” as a default answer. Do you really want to drop whatever you’re doing to get coffee? Or just not say “no” to a friend? We all end up saying “yes” to things we don’t actually want to do.  Then you don’t get to do the things you really want to do.  Of course, there are some things that you just can’t get out of.   Read more

4 Ways to Get Inbox Zero

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photo (1)I finally did it! I got to Inbox Zero. It’s really an amazing feat if you ask me. Getting your inbox to have absolutely nothing in it. Crazy, right? Well I was able to do it this weekend. I don’t know how long it will stay that way but I feel great.

Having Inbox Zero gives you a great sense of accomplishment and relief. Not being overwhelmed by a full inbox can do wonders for your psyche. It’s a wonderful way to start the week.

Here’s a few tips to get an Inbox Zero of your own!

  1. Make time: You have to set aside time to go through emails and do nothing else. You can write back, delete, save for later and delegate during this time. But make sure this is the only project you are working on. Read more

List of Ways to Make the Best of Jury Duty

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English: New York City - Supreme Court Deutsch...

English: New York City – Supreme Court Deutsch: New York City – Oberstes Gericht (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It happens to all of us at some point in our lives — we all get called for jury duty.  I had to serve last week in New York City and I tried to make the most of the slightly irritating and inconvenient task.  Here’s some ways that you can do the same:

Take yourself out to lunch:  When do you get an entire hour to yourself to eat and relax?  The thing about government agencies is that they are very strict about their break times and their lunches.  They will have you out to lunch at 1pm on the dot.  So take advantage!  Do a little prep work beforehand and find some yummy options near the courthouse where you’re assigned.  Read more

Creating A Realistic Bucket List

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Whenever someone tells me that they are new to listmaking — I always suggest making a life list or bucket list first.  You know yourself better than anyone and you know what you like and don’t like.  A bucket list is a collection of your greatest hopes, dreams and goals.  It can include something as extreme as “travel around the world,” or as practical as “learn Spanish.”  But it is important to make your list attainable if you really are serious about crossing off all the items.  For ways to keep your list manageable and realistic — Christine Harding from Wish.co.uk offers this guest post: Read more

Makeover Your Home Office

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Have you started spring cleaning yet? I went through my closet this weekend and got rid of 20 pairs of shoes. I’m not even exaggerating. It was ridiculous. But I feel much better now that the task is complete…and excited to replace some of those shoes. When I spring clean, I start off decluttering the drawers and closets then begin general cleaning stuff that I don’t do enough.

But spring cleaning doesn’t apply to your home only. Don’t forget your office too. Whether it’s at home or in an office — an organized desk can send your productivity soaring.

Recently the folks at Manilla.com came to me with a dilemma. A comedian/actress named Jo had let her desk mess get out of hand. She wasn’t even able to use her desk anymore and had moved over to her dining room table to get work done. Except — her productivity suffered so they called me in to do an office makeover. Check out this video for a look.