How to Control the Paper Madness!

Organized Desk

Recently I've been asked to share my tips on keeping up with the daily "Paper Madness" that comes into every household. Here are my best tips to share with you...

1. Each day when you go to your mailbox, sift through the mail and decide what needs to go straight to the trash, what needs addressing, and what needs to be shredded. I use the trash in the garage to dump the unwanted mail into before I even enter my home.

2. Keep a tray on your desk with important papers and go through them once a week. If you mail in bills, then have a spot to keep your bills on your desk so when you make time to pay them, they are all in one place and you are not searching around the house for them. This will keep your desk nice and tidy so you can focus on your work.

3. My "Rule of Thumb" with paper is to touch it once! Take care of it until it's gone...filed, mailed, shredded, whatever it needs done to it. Don't just move paper from one pile to the next.

4. Use one notepad on your desk to make your lists and any notes you need to function throughout your day or week. Do not use a million "Post It Notes" and place them everywhere, it causes too much distraction, and you could miss important tasks.

5. Use a working file drawer for things that need to be kept up on a regular basis. Such items maybe:

~receipts for taxes

~monthly bills

~things you reference often

Everything else can go into a file cabinet that is not as easily accessible or needed. My huge black file cabinet is kept in our garage. It takes up too much room. I have 1 drawer dedicated just for taxes filed by the year (most recent in the front). You never know when you may need those things.

6. One of my best tips I have for you to keep up on your "Paper Madness" is to have your bills set up on paperless statements so you can cut down on filing. If you itemize on your taxes, and have these payments set up automatically from your account, you can go online to your bank and under the "Search" bar, type in the name and date range and it will pull up the year's worth. This has been a HUGE game changer for me when preparing for my taxes.

7. If you have school age children with important papers coming home, create a hub in the kitchen. I always used a large magnet on the fridge with any "date" type things. The rest I keep together to reference often in the kitchen. I put it in a drawer when we entertain, then bring it back out when I need it.

I hope these tips help you to get things somewhat under control. If you need help getting caught up and this system created don't hesitate to call me. This is one of my favorite services that I offer.

Tips for Work @ Home Moms in the Summer!

During the Summer, when the kids are home, it is quite a challenge working sometimes. Their needs change as they get older, yet they still crave our valuable time. Here are some tips to help you still get work done, yet also be a mom...and not lose your mind!

1. WORK while they SLEEP! It is very hot where we live in Tucson, and we tend to go out during the evening, swim, and stay up late playing games and watching movies. The kids have been sleeping in and I take advantage of it. I get up and get coffee going, make my To-Do List, and start on the day. I knock out any paperwork/filing I need to do. I also take care of any virtual needs I may have. When they get up, I take a break and catch up with them for a bit. Make a plan for them, whether it's helping around the house, or seeing what they would like to do for the day. If your kids are little and still taking naps, use this time to get some work done...uninterrupted. (This is the best time to make calls with out noise in the background)

2. Take them places where they can PLAY and you can WORK! Depending on your kids' ages and what you have available in your area...here are a couple of ideas: Play areas at the mall, McDonald's or any fast food play area, Bounce House places, Indoor Trampoline parks, Water Parks...let them have fun while you work virtually. Get caught up on phone calls, emails or anything else you can do away from your home/office.

3. Power Hour Box! I put this together when my kids were little and it worked like a charm. But it would work nicely for the older ones too, just use it with electronics.Put together a really fun box of surprise toys, coloring books, Legos, Play-dough, whatever they're into (older kids...electronics/TV). They can only play with the items while you are working for 1 Hour! If you are focused, you can get a ton done in 1 Hour. Customer Service calls, Follow Up Calls, Hostess Coaching or Booking Calls (if you're in Direct Sales), go Live on Facebook (if that's your flavor). Whatever you do with that 1 Hour that will give you maximum results.

4. Get a Baby Sitter! Yes I said it...sometimes you just need some help! Do NOT feel guilty about this! Get some of your friend's teenagers to come over. They can play with the kids while you get some work done. They can also do some light house work or an organization project to help you out. Pay them minimum wage, it will be worth every penny. If you're in Direct Sales and do parties, they can wrap door prize gifts and Hostess Packets too. They can take the kids outside to play or go to the park. If they are driving and you feel comfortable, have them take the kids somewhere if you need the quiet to do Conference Calls or whatever you need.

5. Child Swap with a Friend! Pick one day out of the week to have a play date at your house, then have the kids go over to your friend's another day. The kids can play and have fun while you get some work done. It's not perfect, but it does help. And...it doesn't cost money! Some of the moms that work with me do that so it doesn't cost them money and they can get out of the house for the day and work. It works out really well.

6. Involve the kids in your business! I took my daughter (12) the other day to help set up for a graduation party. She helped me decorate tables, make food, tie balloons to everything. She also helped me with the shopping for the event. We had so much fun together. Another client I work for, I took my son (16) he helped clean floors (with his music on) and cook some tasty food for the family. He was such a big help to me and we got to practice driving the free way for his driver's license test coming up. If your kids are too young to take out, maybe they can help put together info packets, put labels on brochures, organize something in your office area, get some laundry going, put dishes away. Kids do love to help out, just think outside of the box, if you're not doing it...it's saving you time so you can work on something else.

7. It's ok NOT to entertain them 100% of the day! It's good for kids to see their parents working on something. It teaches them patience, respect, and responsibility. Kids should be able to read, play, color, watch a show, make a sandwich, there's things they can do where you are not entertaining 24/7! I remember when mine were little, I would fill the bathtub with some cooler water (Summertime) and let them get some toys and just play. I would sit on the floor and make calls while they played. It was really fun for them, yet they could see me working. Sometimes the kids just need to see us and they are quite happy to do their own thing. Each child is different, that's for sure!

8. Some things can WAIT! Sometimes it's worth just waiting until they are back in school to attack the bigger work tasks. Just keep being a good mom, and keep your business at a comfortable level. Always explain to your clients that your kids are home for the summer and see what kind of time frame you need. Most will understand. For my family, things slowed down a ton during the summer, we didn't have extracurricular activities, so all I needed to do was focus on the kids and work. I didn't feel pulled in so many different directions, so it was easy to work on strategy and get the ball rolling so when they were back in school, I had momentum. Make your Dream Boards, make your goals, get your accountability partners lined up. Then hit the ground running come August or September for others!

9. Get to WORK! When you get the chance to work...then do it! Do it HARD and FOCUSED! Turn off the TV, music, get off ALL Social Media. Get all distractions out of the way and just WORK. I would like to recommend a book by Brian Tracy, called Eat that Frog. It is the best book if you tend to procrastinate. It's a quick read and gives such amazing strategy on focus. This book still resonates with me and I use the ideas from it often. Your entire mind set will change after reading it. You can use it in any area of your life.

10. Get HELP! I created my business right after I read the book, Power of Focus by Jack Canfield. His concept in one chapter on delegation was how I came up with the concept for my company. People need help many different times in their lives. If it doesn't make you money, delegate it so you can focus on what DOES make you money. Don't just PLAY office! Don't waste time filing if you can get someone else to do it. Don't waste time cleaning the house if you can get someone else to do it. Create quality time with the ones you love. If you're working smart then you will be able to afford delegation!

I really hope these tips help you during the crazy summer time madness! My bonus tip for you...use your Crock-pot or Insta-pot! They are game changers with the summer heat and spending time in the kitchen. Such a great way to get nutrition into your family's bodies and save time for yourself too. I don't know about you, but by the end of the day, I am exhausted!

Blessings to you and yours!