For the Perfect House Party, Avoid these Mistakes

Overdoing decorations or themes. Enhance your home with adequate trimmings without overwhelming it. Strategically place decorative pieces where they give the best visual effect and lend the proper mood to the area. Your party should be the theme; not the adornments. Don't deck your halls to the point where guests get tinsel-tied each time they take a step. Balance and arrange decorations for everyone to enjoy; not just the first who arrive or the last who leave. Include the seated and the standing.

Overlooking food preferences. Consider all your guests when planning your menu. Provide an array of food and drink choices for everyone; Dieters, Vegans, Drinkers and Non-drinkers. Search the internet for Cocktails, Mocktails, and a variety of other GREAT RECIPES . If you're not sure what kind of substitution you need to make for one of your guests, check with them beforehand. They'll be thrilled that you asked, and will be happy to share their favorite recipe with you and others.

Putting your food out and forgetting about it. Try to serve food throughout the duration of your party. Especially if cocktails are offered because your guests will need to "feed" their drinks. Instead of setting everything out at once, have various trays brought out in intervals. This way, food stays fresh and  your guests stay intrigued over the wonderful surprises that keep coming. They'll also stay "upright" since you're constantly giving them something to nibble on as they sip their drinks (if you know what I mean).

Cleaning only the public areas of your home. Include your personal areas when tidying up for your party; even if you plan to entertain in only one room. Don't leave personal items lying around and clear medicine cabinets of anything you don't want "accidentally eyeballed" by your guests. And most of all...

Forgetting to enjoy yourself. Give yourself enough prep time to grab a nap or just relax 30-40 minutes before your guests are due to arrive so you can greet them with a smile that's fresh and sincere. Days before your party, arrange for cleanup assistance so it's not on your mind as you watch the dishes stack up. Remember, this party is just as much for you as it is for your guests. So enjoy the fun!

~~~~~Tell Tammy~~~~~

What festivities are you planning over the holidays?

Tips for a Stress-free Holiday

Save decorating time and money this Thanksgiving. Use these tips throughout the holiday season (and also get a jump on Christmas):

1. Use white Christmas string lights to drape around the room; the mantle, tables, shelves or even add to plants.

2. Create an illuminating centerpiece with 12 clear votive candle holders. Tie a ribbon around each one and make a bow. Form a circle with the candle holders; bows facing out to give it the appearance of a wreath. Add white votive candles or use other colors that coordinate with your table. A smaller arrangement can be used for cocktail or end tables. Keep out for the holiday season or give them away to guests as they leave.

3. Create taste, function and visual appeal using small, well-shaped pumpkin gourds. Scrape out the inner meat to make pie or soup. Then create soup bowls from the shells. Or fill a large, hollowed-out pumpkin with flowers and use as table decoration.

4. Too busy for your usual workout? Try slipping in some exercise ahead of time and give your kids something to occupy their time as well:

• The day before or early Thanksgiving morning, take the kids for an early morning walk around the neighborhood.
• Turn your walk into a nature-gathering hike and round up colorful leaves, pine cones and small branches from holly berry trees.
• When back inside, lay the leaves out to dry completely. Have the kids create personalized place cards out of the leaves by inscribing guests' names in brightly contrasted marker colors. Place at each person's setting. Decorate tables, shelves and the mantle using the remaining treasures found during your walk.

Use these tips to adorn your house naturally, keep you in shape, and keep the kids occupied while you plan the greatest Thanksgiving Celebration your family has seen.

Put Life Back into the Dying Workplace Party

Do you cringe when you think of the dreaded holiday party at work with its age-old themes and done-to-death menus? If you're tired of the same old stuff, chances are your co-workers are, too. So stop the dread and make things better instead. It doesn't take a lot; just interest, an open mind, and a plan to have fun.

Jump on the planning committee if you aren't already there. Initiate holiday plans early because this time of year brings with it lots of vacations and you don't want anyone to miss out on the fun. Which brings us to the next thing...

Be sure to include everyone...yes, even the "Ebeneezer Scrooges". Include them in the planning process before they have a chance to dampen the holiday spirits of others (probably because their own spirits are in the dumps). Find out what they like to do and ask them to do it. If they enjoy baking, ask them to share their special dish; if they sing, get them to lead the group in a festive song of the season. They’ll be less likely to spread their holiday 'jeer' and will probably feel better for it…everyone else will.

Schedule games, gift-giving or other inclusive activities for later in the party, preferably toward the end. This reduces the “break-and-run after breaking bread” effect. 

And don't play the same games year after year. Rotate them for variety. Personalize regular games with workplace facts or a festive twist. Try something like musical chairs with the staff singing holiday music in place of a CD. Appoint a 'conductor' to signal the stopping points. Or play Win, Lose or Draw the best _____. You can fill in the blank with a work-related theme. 

Celebrations aren't just for celebrating families. They're also times for hope and gratitude for the blessings we have; and the workplace is a blessing. Treat it as such.  

Don't just think holiday; think fun. Be a joyful example; inspire joy throughout your team. You may just find yourself part of a miracle by making next year's party-planner out of this year's Scrooge. It's worth a try.

~~Tell Tammy

What're your holiday party plans this year? Please share with us by posting a comment below.   

Make Your Next Family Reunion the Best One Yet

Summer is here, school is out, vacations are planned and families are gathering for that big get-together...the Family Reunion.

If your family is included in this scenario, here are some tips to ensure your next Family Reunion is the best one yet.

REMEMBER YOUR MANNERS AND BE POLITE. Yes, it counts with family, too. Being among kinfolk doesn't give you the right to be rude. Besides, some of the elders who taught you manners in the first place may be there watching you.

SOME ARE KIN...SOME ARE NOT. Guests are usually welcome, so friends, neighbors, and other non-related people are often invited to family reunions. With that being said, you need to remember that reunions also flush out members of your family that you haven't seen in years. So don't just read a name tag...find out exactly who everyone is. The last thing you want to do is hit on First-Cousin Cathy or Half-Brother Hal.

DO NOT AIR NOR SHARE FAMILY DIRTY LAUNDRY; even if it's your own family's laundry. When you see people together in a whispering huddle, you know it's not about Me-Maw's mouth-watering deviled eggs. So jump in and suggest playing a game or drag out the homemade ice cream maker...anything to distract the gossipers. And don't fret about spoiling anyone's gossipy good fun, either. There's always comfort in knowing they'll catch up on everything later, during the familiar post-reunion phone sessions.

PREPARE FOR ANIMATED ACCOUNTS OF PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS. There's no escaping this. They're as natural to reunions as ants are to cookouts; you know, a colossal pain in the butt, but expected none the less. So dispense with retorts of one-upmanship. Look at it this way; you're ALL family, so if someone happens to be doing well; you're ALL doing well.

And last but not least:

NO CRITICISMS ARE ALLOWED about the planning or organizing of the reunion. If you were on the committee...great! Then you know first-hand how much work was put into it. If you were not on the committee, then you should have been...so keep your criticisms to yourself. And before you leave, be sure to sign up to work on the next reunion committee since apparently, you think you can do better.

Reunions are about gatherings and happy times. Make it a point to keep them that way by remembering the special bond that brought you all together in the first place.

The Best-Kept Secret to Turning A Difficult Customer into a Happy One

If you have a job, you have a customer; a customer who may be internal or external, virtual or physically face-to-face. They could be co-workers that you see every day or simply voices on the phone.

But no matter who your customers are, at some point, you've probably considered a few of them 'difficult'. You know the ones, those who expect you:

...to know their needs (even when they don't know themselves)
...to quickly deliver those needs, and
...to answer every demand and challenge they toss your way in order to get their needs met (and with a smile on your face to boot)

Since the success of your job lies in keeping all of your customers happy and satisfied, it's important to know one of the best-kept secrets on how to turn a difficult customer into a happy and satisfied one.

So what's the secret?

STOP CALLING THEM DIFFICULT

That's the secret?

Yes, that's it. It's that simple.
You see, it's not about what you should do; it's about what you should not do...You should not label them 'difficult'.

Here's why...

Labeling a customer 'difficult' sabotages your relationship with them and is unfair to both you and your customer because...

• You put yourself in defense mode which negatively affects your attitude toward them; an attitude that's bound to be felt by the customer and ultimately resented by them.
• It causes you to inadvertently restrict yourself from providing the full scope of service that you could be giving.
• It creates a negative impression for you, your workplace, your customer, and for anyone who hears you call them difficult.

Then why do we do it?

• Sometimes we don't realize it's what we're doing.
• Sometimes we're just repeating what we've heard others say about the customer. We may have heard  about how hard it is to please them, causing subconscious prejudgment.
• You might even feel challenged because it's you who doesn't know what to do to please them.

When you think about it, you may be the one who's actually creating the so-called difficult customers in your work life. So when you begin to think of a customer as challenging, what can you do?

You can...

• Choose a better attitude and create a better customer...a happy customer.
• View the challenge as incentive to up your game of service, and 
• Don't try to figure out what they want or need; listen for indications of what will please them. Directly or indirectly, they will let you know.

So regardless of what your customer has done in the past or what you've heard they may do in the future, the next time you feel the D-word coming on, do the right thing...the fair thing;

1) Recognize your customers for who they are and what they need...people who need your help. 
2) Then do what's necessary to help them. 

Loyalty will be created and trust will be built. And instead of thinking of them as difficult, you'll learn to appreciate them for the value they bring.

            City of Hampton's
          Administrative Professionals 
                    Support Group

                            April 26, 2012 

Author & Keynote Speaker,
TAMMY THOMAS HOPSON

                                          
                             
                            Getting Ready...                           

Setting Up

My Hype-man makes sure
everything's Just Right!

Final Inspection...Everything's A-Go!

A Blissfully Full House!

Mmmm...the food was
DELICIOUS!

Robert & Me

Bliss Book  Event 

                for the

First Fuits of Praise

                   
                           Women's Day 
                                               Hosted by 
                     The Women's Ministry
                                         April 21, 2012

Speaker Tammy & Hostess Lisa

Mary, My Blissful Associate

     

Pastor & Brother Rick taking care
of the set-up

Vendors Getting Ready

7 Ways to be and Stay Satisfied With Your Job

Do you get excited when you think about the functions of your job? Or are you only interested in doing what's necessary to get you from Monday morning to Friday evening without a hitch?

The way you feel about your job depends on you; your perceptions and your attitude. Maybe you feel you're lacking in the job satisfaction department. If so, consider the following to bring satisfaction back to your position:

Pride and a Positive Attitude 
Keep in mind the fulfilling position you hold and take pride in your role as a service provider. Pat yourself on the back for the great job that you do. Feel good about yourself when you think of the responsibilities that have been placed in your care.

Shared Vision
Determine your definition and your vision of quality service. Compare it to that of your department and team. If you're not all on the same sheet of music, take the initiative and request input from your colleagues to create the necessary steps to get there. Work with your team. Understand, create and agree on new processes and procedures to provide quality service.

Knowledge & Focus
Know your job inside and out. Familiarize yourself with company policies so you can focus on your customer without worrying about your performance. For example: let's say that in the interest of trust, you offer your customer a refund for a prior service mix-up; however, policy dictates this should not be done. Knowing the rules beforehand eliminates the chance of making a bad situation worse by offering something you'd have to either take back, or take a career hit for. Understand just how far you are able to go for your customer. If necessary, ask your supervisor for clarity. Then you can focus on your customers' needs without worrying about errors in job performance.

Improvement 
It's not enough to provide great service. It's also your duty to continuously strive to improve and provide the highest quality of service to your customers, both internal and external.

Dedication
Meet and surpass the expectations of your internal and external customers. Be dedicated to them and to yourself by staying focused on your job-related goals and your current performances. How do you measure up to your own expectations?  

Commitment
Like your dedication, commit to creating a positive experience for everyone. Go above and beyond the expectations of your customers and colleagues. Commit to this and deliver quality service.

Willingness
After studying the previous areas of performance, how willing are you to do what it takes to get the job done?

Job satisfaction begins and ends with YOU. Whether you work 20, 40 or 60 hours a week, the time you put in becomes less stressful when it is spent in a positive frame of mind. Keep in mind that you can't do anything about the actions or attitudes of others, nor can  you control those unexpected situations that constantly creep up. But you can control the way you perceive them which determines how you deal with them.

Whenever there's an issue preventing you from having a great attitude, identify it and do what's necessary to fix your perception of it. Equip yourself to confidently deal with whatever comes along and improve your overall performance.

Become passionate about your job again. And at the end of each workday, ask yourself,

                          "Am I satisfied with my performance...with my job?"

       
                Then think of how good you'll feel when your answer is a resounding "YES".

A SUCCESSFUL BOOK EVENT

Thank you to everyone who came out to Club Twist to support me and my book
Creating BLISS-Better Living In Seven Steps.

Rosalyn & Me

Lena brought her previously-purchased
book for an autograph

Filling Book Orders and
Signing Autographs

BLISS-talking to the Audience

I signed right out of
my Jacket!

Inspired by my presentation, this Young
Gentleman wrote a poem right then
and recited it over the mic.

The audience was inspiring, personal conversations were intriguing, and the many requests for autographs was humbling. 

Share with me some of the night's most BLISSFUL moments...

Email Etiquette

“Email, instant messaging, and cell phones give us fabulous communication ability, but because we live and work in our own little worlds, that communication is totally disorganized.   ~Marilyn vos Savant                          

Recently, I spoke with a professional group about techniques for clear communication and quite a few questions came up about the proper use of email. Since virtually everyone is on the computer these days and are emailing in some form (via desktop, phone, DS, Facebook, etc.) I decided to address some of these concerns in this and future issues of Poise & Protocol.

Tips to Eliminate Easy Email Errors:

• Send only TO the people who need to see your email message. CC (Courtesy Copy) only when necessary. It's a CC, not an FYI. And never, ever BCC (Blind Courtesy Copy) to someone who has nothing to do with the message in the first place. If there's a real reason that person needs to see the email, place them prominently in the TO or CC field. If not -- don't be sneaky -- refrain from sending them the message at all. BCC is to be used in cases like mass mailings such as newsletters where recipients don't necessarily know each other; their addresses will be kept private this way. Use -- don't abuse -- the field for the recipients. 
• Make good use of the Subject Line. People are busy and get tons of email per day. What you place in the subject field could be the deciding factor as to whether or not the message gets read. So don't just say "Hi" when you are clearly sending the message for a specific reason. Instead, try: "Feedback on the report". Let the recipient know from the start exactly what your email is about. 
• Who are you to say your email's important? Ok, if you're the boss or someone equivalent, I guess you have the right. But so many times we're quick to slap on the 'important' symbol to give it a high priority listing when it's not...some bosses included. If your emails are regularly sent out that way, will the really urgent ones get the attention and response you'd like? Or will they be ignored? They'll probably be viewed as garbage that you're trying to pass off as urgent. Chances are they'll be set aside to be read later, if at all; not exactly the way you'd planned, huh? 

These are common email mistakes that happen all the time and believe it or not, readers do notice. Don't mishandle your email. Practice proper usage and eliminate recipients' frustrations that may lead to the deletion of your email messages altogether. 

In future posts, we'll be addressing Tips to Tasteful Email Responses.

If you have a question about emailing, please send it this way to be included as well. Remember, if you have a question about something, chances are someone else does, too.

Until then, 

Easy Emailing & Continued Bliss!!!

IDCC Featured at Local Bank

Old Point National Bank has begun featuring my business, Image Design Consulting Company along with my newly-released book, “Creating Bliss ~ Better Living In Seven Steps”. The business, the book, and I will be on display at this local bank for 2 weeks and right from the beginning (even during set-up) it has attracted a great deal of interest and attention. 

The bank is located at 24 Wine Street in Downtown Hampton, Virginia, and I hope that those of you who are in the area will stop by and give your support. Of course I’ll be back with pictures.

THE MAGIC OF SPRING

March has come and with it has emerged the beginning of spring, the season that represents new life, balance, and growth. Open up to this newness by tossing away the sleepy remnants of winter and embracing the magic of spring.

 

The following actions can produce value in your life at any time of the year; but doing so at springtime creates a greater impact as you are balancing life at the same time Mother Earth naturally balances hers.

Spring in your life:

Add spring to your life: Think clean, fresh, thoughts. Eat well – lots of seasonal fruits and veggies – natural cleaners for your physical body. Prepare colorful casseroles and most importantly, eat your entire meal with reverence, acknowledging beyond pre-meal prayer, the blessings in which it was provided to you.

Spring in your home:

Nothing says freshness like a clean, fresh-smelling home. Citrus fruit set out in bowls create bursts of visual and olfactory stimulation. Flowers from your garden or from that of a family member or friend produce both beauty and a sense of connection as loving energies are shared.

No access to a garden? No problem. The next time you’re shopping for groceries, purchase a convenient and inexpensive bouquet from your local store. And why not create a garden of life for next year? Fill it with pleasure-giving herbs and flowers. If you can’t do it yourself, begin making plans now to have it done by someone else.

Spring in your step:

Add spring to your step by exercising first thing in the morning, outside if possible. Take a short walk before you begin your day. Have your breakfast beverage of coffee, tea, fruit juice, or even better – water, outside on the porch or patio where you can enjoy early morning fresh air before it is polluted by the general toxins of the day. 

Small actions such as these can boost your level of vitality in a big way, providing you with abundant strength and energy.

Until next time, enjoy the springtime and Continued BLISS!!!

Tammy

Celebrate NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP DAY

on March 6

Last week I talked about teaching our children good sportsmanship and all the positive characteristics that could be learned along with them.

Although Tuesday, March 6th is the 21st annual National Sportsmanship Day (NSD), the Hopson Household celebrated it a little early this year, along with our grandchildren.

You see this past weekend was NBA All-Star Weekend. We’re big fans of basketball, including the children, so it’s become a tradition for us to spend the weekend enjoying the events together.

Michael and I let the grandkids (ages 12 and 14) decide on all the fun stuff we’d do. While letting them know that we were there if they needed assistance, we also managed to ease in some valuable lessons and help them work on the following skills:  

How to Plan and Make Decisions for a group

They planned the entire weekend; including menus, ingredients for special recipes, grocery lists and activities to serve as time-fillers between NBA TV events.

How to Design Schedules, Establish Deadlines (and stick to them)

Final plans were set for the week before (with adult approval, of course). The kids used calendars and scheduled programming to coordinate events with other necessary activities, like yard work, housework, trips to the barber shop, etc.  

How to Encourage Teamwork

The kids determined the necessary tasks and were prepared to assign them; but due to their enthusiasm and encouragement, we all just volunteered.  

How to Let Go of Status Quo

By making this year better than last year, the kids dodged complacency and are already stretching themselves by thinking of ways to make next year even better. This develops a great habit for life in general.

How to be Competitive and Keep Fun in the Mix

Since all four of us have different NBA favorites in players and teams, there was a lot of cheering, taunting, and trash-talking. It’s important that children learn how to balance competitive behavior with considerate action, so while viewing the events (and sometimes after the event) Michael and I prompted many discussions in this area, such as:

·  The kids’ perceptions of the teamwork (or lack of) that was displayed

·  Their perception of individual and team characteristics (confidence, encouragement, determination, competitiveness, selfish/unselfish plays, etc).

·  Trash-talking and how it can inspire either inner-determination or create negative reactions.

 "Excellence is not a singular act but a habit. You are what you do repeatedly." ~~Shaquille O'Neal

There are so many strong character traits that can be taught to enhance and inspire our youth just by interacting with them. Use mutual interests and look for subtle ways to teach them through fun and games. Encourage them to not only play as a good sport, but to live their lives as good sports, too. 

Learn more about National Sportsmanship Day here

Good Sportsmanship Enhances Overall Success  

To teach our children sportsmanship, we must first understand that being a good sport involves more than winning with style and losing with grace.

Good sportsmanship creates strong character and develops success through social interaction that enhances self-esteem.

Teaching children to be good sports also teaches them to face life with passion and overcome obstacles through focus and determination.

Whether participating in sports activities or just interacting with family and friends, it is important that children learn proper sportsmanship for overall success.  

In addition to fairness and support, here are some more positive qualities that children learn when practicing good sportsmanship:

A Good Sport learns to:

     Grow through positive interaction

     Overcome doubt; build self-satisfaction

     Outline strategies to achieve definite goals

     Disallow the deeds of others to negatively impact their
                                roles

     Show others through persistence how not to quit  

     Produce harmonic surroundings where all will benefit  

     Objectively perceive situations as they are

     Rise to every task, each time raising the bar

      Trust in the strength of the inner Superstar

While it may be impressive for your child to become a celebrated team player in competitive sports, it’s even more magnificent when they achieve overall success in life. Through the principles of sportsmanship, you can teach your child to become a sound, caring individual, strong in character and deeds.

LIVE YOUR LIFE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED


With the tragic death of singer and actress Whitney Houston, people are split when thinking about her life. Some focus on her talents and pay tribute to all that she gave to the world while others focus just on the turmoil that seemed to plague her life.

While the things being said about Whitney may or may not be true, you can’t help but believe that given the choice, Whitney would want only her artistic life to be remembered by her loving fans. Sadly, that’s not the reality of things.

Although tragic, this event can bring about an opportunity to others; an opportunity to self-reflect. Ask yourself:

• Are you living your life in a way that you’d like to be remembered?
• Does your life merit the kind of tribute you’d be proud to have spoken about you after you’re gone?

If you answered NO, then the next question to ask yourself is “Why not?” If you want an honestly good tribute and not a generic one – you know, the kind that you hear at most funerals when people sugar-coat the life of the deceased so they won’t disgrace the family with facts of a messy life – then do something about it now. It’s not too late. You can still create the kind of life you want.

If you’re not living your truth from within, you’re living dishonestly. If you don’t want to live a dishonest life, then STOP. You’re not being true to anyone unless you do; not even to yourself. You have the power to change your life for the better. 

Live your happiness. Live your true Bliss. Devote your time, energy and focus on the things you care about and your life will go on forever through the love and positive memories you will leave behind.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY NOT JUST FOR FANS

On Super Bowl Sunday, fans will be glued to television sets in family rooms, sports bars, neighborhood diners, and movie theaters to watch the Patriots and the Giants go at it for the game of the season. Family and friends, male and female, young and old will get together for the annual gathering of competitive bickering and "my team is the best" talk. The buzz that's been going on will finally explode on the evening of Sunday, February 5^th.

But where does all this leave the non-fan? We...I mean They want to have fun, too. How can Super Bowl Sunday be just as fun and entertaining for the folks who, at the mention of Giants and New England, think only of fairy tale monsters and Pilgrims?

3-Team Cake for the Men

I happen to be one of those Non-Fans…well, not quite as bad as described above; I do know who the teams are. I’m more into the NBA (sorry football guys and gals) but I do enjoy the hubbub that goes on around this time. So, when the gridiron gathering is at my home and hubby Michael is host, my contribution usually involves football-ish decorations or quirky dishes to add party interest and satisfy my need to belong to the day.

Steelers Represented

Last year, the grand kids and I decided to represent Michael's team (Bears) as well as those of my two younger brothers (Pittsburgh & Tampa Bay). The cake is made from several cupcakes. 

Chicago Represented

Tampa Bay Section

Since it was close to Valentine's Day, we decided to bring some Heart to the table for the Non-fans. There were heart-shaped sandwiches, cupcakes, and Teddi the Princess Bear too. 

We decided on a menu that morning and made a quick run to the grocery store. So you see, you don't have to do a lot to get into the spirit of things. Sunday, Michael will be hosting again and guess what my plans are; to put together some party food (I just love doing that), give Michael, his friends and Tipper the Cat the house along with my blessings. Then I'll grab up a bunch of the refreshments and head to my sister's house for the evening. Who knows, we may even check out the Half-time Show.

APPLAUD YOURSELF

In the past, I've pointed out to clients their worth, their importance, and their value. And usually after hearing just a few of what I call their "positive perpetuations", most of them could then take over and recognize their light, themselves.

That’s what I want you to do, too.

I want you to climb to the next level and see yourself in a bigger way – in a brighter light – in a stronger chain that’s linked by human connections. I want you to discover your own reasons to applaud the remarkable person you’ve been to yourself and to others. I give you praise and now it’s time you praised yourself too.

Take notice of yourself right now. What are you doing? Don’t think you’re doing much? Well, you are. You’re reading this. Applaud yourself! At this point in time, you chose to read something that adds bliss to your life, no matter how good your life is at this time. You’re aspiring to be more than who you are and by doing so; you’re contributing to the world.

So don’t just go through your actions as if they were nothing. See them for all they really are. Then applaud yourself! It’s that easy. Applaud yourself and really feel the praise you’re giving you. Consciously think more about what you do and how you perform on a regular basis. Recognize the way you add to the world; maybe in little ways, but in ways that could make big differences. You see, it’s not about finding the cure for a life-threatening disease. Nor is it about running a mega-company. It doesn’t have to be on a grand scale to be a grand stand.

Look for the many reasons you already have to applaud yourself and know in your heart that it’s not about how large you contribute, but how well.

To De-clutter Your Day, Begin at Night

You run around juggling errands and tasks. You attempt to remember what needs to be done, only to remember what you forgot to do.

Then at day’s end, you find that time has gotten away from you, leaving you tired and frustrated because half of what you intended to do went undone.

What happened? Where did the time go and why are you so tired?

Because of all that running and juggling and remembering that only served to clutter up your day.

Most of us spend the first half of our day arranging details for what needs to be done; and the second half trying to actually fit those details into the time we have left.

  

But it doesn’t work, does it? So, how can you get a handle on your precious time?

The answer lies in one easy step. And when followed properly, it’ll de-clutter your day, eliminate confusion and give you precious time for you and your family. That one step is to:

Use a daily planning calendar, but plan your days at night

Place both your personal and professional tasks on your calendar. Then, before retiring each night, map out your plans for the next day.

Review appointments, parent-teacher conferences, special meal plans, errands; anything that will require your time the next day.  

If any of tomorrow’s tasks involve family members, you can comfortably work out the details; and not while you're quickly gobbling down breakfast or as everyone is heading out the front door. And even if the kiddies or your significant other are already asleep while you are making your next-day calendar review; well you know what’s first on the list in the morning, right?

You’ll have time to choose and properly prepare your outfit for the next day, knowing it’s adequate for the events that will take place. And you’ll have time to find and fix necessary clothing repairs without rushing to do so before you leave home in the morning.

Instead of spending the first part of your day planning, you’ll now be able to use that time to execute your plans. You’ll awaken, knowing what you’re going to do and have everything in place to do it with.

Use your nights to de-clutter your tomorrows and enjoy the down time you earn. Once you know what your next day’s plans are, your time is now free to devote to you. So, curl up with a good book (or a good download of one). Watch the TV show or movie that you programmed earlier. Then relax and sleep well knowing that your calendar is giving you the promise of a clutter-free tomorrow.