I know, there’s a real iPhone mania… but truly, there are some excellent reasons to own an iPhone.
For all you iphone addicts and for those of you who want to be…
What does your iPhone do for you?
Applications you can use to de-clutter you life, purse, briefcase and desk top: Seriously, I have given up my appointment/address book, collecting business cards and invoicing on the computer:
- iCal: syncs with your computer and gives you reminders a year in advance or just a day or minutes. Some may prefer to be reminded of birthdays each year as well as appointments each month, week or day. Whatever your needs, the iCal on the iPhone is a powerful tool to get you where you need to be.
- BC Reader: This handy application is an excellent tool for when you are at a convention, conference or business meeting… it takes a business card, scans it and places it in a “Card Holder” file within its own application and also in your contacts list.
- Bump: For those clients that have iphones there is an application called “Bump”. This one requires that both iphone users have the app. If you both have it, simply go to the app and bump phones to each other. It’s that simple.
- Timeworks: is an application that enables you to bill your customers from your iphone. Simply write up the work items and invoice and send it along to your customers email address.
- Facebook & Twitter: Some communicate business ideas and blogs through Facebook and Twitter, these apps are available as well.
- Notes: on the front page of your iPhone is “Notes”. It has become an essential tool for me. No need to look for pen and paper… this is a fast way to takes notes while with a client.
I admit, I love my iPhone. It is incredibly useful and a lot of fun. I store a huge amount of photos and information on it. Not to mention the uber easy access to my email accounts. I am indeed hooked.
Any iPhone addicts out there among the fittobetidy.com crowd? Do you have a favorite app that you use for organization? Let us know.
Can you find your favorite websites easily?
I find it helpful to bookmark my favortie sites in an organized way, just like I would organize a file cabinet.
Bookmark Suggestions: Categories broad enough to encompass many sites.
- Travel – sites for cities to visit, travel guide books, car rental, flight info, mapquest
- News - sites for newspapers, local or national news, any of your favorite sources for news
- Weather – this may include sites for local, national or vacation areas
- Tools and Reference – wikipedia, dictionary, or handy household tips
- Health – nutrition info, Health Club class schedule, any site you feel is helpful to you regarding health and fitness
- Social Networks – this might include Facebook, Twitter and others
- Favorites - all your favorite sites
- Things to Do – activities you’re planning, Museums,
Can you suggest a category under which many sites can be stored? What are they, let us know?
Keeping your computer clear of clutter is as beneficial as keeping your house free of clutter. Keeping your most used websites in a organized manner makes your computer easier to use and more enjoyable. Less is more.
The idea that computers are supposed to free us of the paper trail mess is true. So much can be stored on our computers. We can make sure the information is easy to find when we need it. It helps us in a small way to be more green. Helping to save a tree and the planet one computer at a time. Check out this handy website to learn more about bookmarking your favorite websites:
http://mactips.info
Like my Mom always use to say, “too much of anything isn’t good”. At the time, I think she was referring to the jar of pickles I was trying to polish off. But, of course, she was right. When I have too much stuff, I can’t find anything. It is often easy for me to decide that I have too many pieces of fabric, or pots and pans, books; I de-clutter people’s homes and offices all the time.
Telling a client that they have too much stuff…is tough. Especially when they have, like many of my clients, many varied interests and the “stuff” that goes along with the interests. Many sew, work crafts, collage, play instruments, paint. Rarely do I come across a serious clutter issue without a creative and busy mind attached to it.
There’s often a recent move that helps to create the situation or a combining of households. Whether it be two adults moving in together later in life after each owning a household of items or a box or many boxes of items arriving after a family member dies, there’s often too much stuff for us to deal with easily. Unless it is sorted before it arrives, it takes time to sort through it all.
Questions/Priorities:
- What do I want to focus on at this time in my life?
- What do I need to keep in order to do that?
- What can I give away that no longer serves me or fits into my current life?
Master Plan:
- What is the overall vision of the household decision makers.
- What ideas or plans do they see for that room or space?
- How does it differ from another family member?
- What is the compromise?
A Place For Everything, Everything In its Place:
This is probably something I write about a lot because it is an easy way to control clutter. If you have a home for scissors in the kitchen, that’s where you will find them; that’s where you will put them when you are finished using them. I can’t tell you how many clients have several pairs of scissors or other commonly used household items because they “lost” the first one in clutter or they did not have a home for it in the first place.
So many of us are trying to do too many things at once these days. When we do too much… we do not always finish everything we start. Many do not know about this tried and true rule. If you’re one of those people. Give it a try and see how it works. You’ll love finding things, right where you left them!
Was helping a client de-clutter her bedroom today. As an extremely busy woman with a husband and two children, she was overwhelmed by the task and just could not get started with it. It’s hard to find the time to work on clearing the clutter and getting rid of it as well. I asked her, “when, how and why did this stuff get on the floor of your bedroom?” She replied. “it’s been here since Christmas”. In addition, there were cluttered surfaces making it difficult to find things or to clearly see what was there?
Essential Questions To Ask Yourself:
- Are you blocking energy from flowing through your bedroom?
- Is your clutter issue affecting others?
- Do you share your bedroom with someone else thus sharing your clutter with him or her?
That’s a significant factor in organizing. When does it go over the “little bit messy” to the “out of control messy?”
Here’s What We Did:
- cleared the bureau top of all unnecessary items
- cleared the floor of toys
- moved mirror from in front of balcony door to the end of the walk-in closet, thus serving its purpose
- recycled clothing no longer in use
- opened up new space in closet
- brought currently used clothing into walk-in closet that was being stored elsewhere
- organized shoes all in the same area
- got rid of items that had negative emotions attached to them
- created a bedroom sanctuary
All of this done in 2.5 hours. Next time, we will empty her bureau and get all the clothing into the walk-in closet, remove the bureau and place a comfy chair or love seat in its place. More sanctuary, less clutter and stuff.
