Category: Career

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Margin

 Did you know 40% of any book is “white space” or margin?

You might think what a waste of space! But try reading a book without that white space, and you will begin to feel the heaviness of black ink as it creeps into your mind and begins to slow down your reading and comprehension. Our lives are much the same way.

Our souls crave white space. Downtime for our senses, just as the margin allows our eyes to rest on every page.

Our lives are filled with noise and clutter. We tend to both create and wear the badges of honor that cause us to believe that “more is better”. How much CAN I get done? How long is my “to-do list”. Go, go, go, do, do, do. How far will we push out the margins of our lives? Until the words run off the page and the letters fall into oblivion? Blackberries, emails, Twitter, Facebook, texting, and the “old school” phone calls. When is enough…enough?

  • When can I sit and be quiet?

  • When can I be alone with…myself?

  • What would I think about? What would I DO?

If you can’t answer these questions. Then these thoughts have been written for you. I beg you to give yourself the “gift” of doing nothing. Schedule it if you have to! But find the time in your week to simply…do….nothing.

Go sit in a park. Go to the woods. Get outside so the breeze can touch you once again…and you actually take notice. Listen to the sounds of the world. Listen to the sounds of “your head”. Allow them all to have a place.

Welcome back…to yourself…margin is a beautiful thing.

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How to be organized at work

First, realize that each day is going to be a “paper day” or a “people day”. Sometimes there is nothing you can do to change it. 

Try to plan at least 3 of one type and 2 of the other type each week. 


On a “paper day”… 

 1. Go through all your paperwork and place post its on each paper. 

 2. Write the specific action to be taken on each post-it. 

 3. Have three files (green, yellow, red)

  • Green = Take Action
  • Yellow = Waiting on other’s or Pending
  • Red = File (remember to file by company name) 

 4. Organize your computer Email & My Documents folders – 

    a. Create files by each company that sends you email. 

    b. Drag all of your correspondance into the corresponding company file. 

    c. Use follow up flags on your daily email (green = take action…) 

    d. Put every person in you “contacts” file. 

    e. Keep attachments with emails. 

 5. Think like a “Sushi chef”…. only have one thing that you are working on in front of you or on your desk. Put all other papers in one of your colored files. 

Instead of an “inbox”, all papers start in your green file. Work hard to move them out of that file. But just keep your post-it specific about what you need to do next with that paper. 

  

  On a “people day”… 

 1. Make your calls. 

 2. Circulate through the office and “check in” with others. 

 3. Take someone out to lunch. 

 4. Expand your network – personal and professional. 

 5. Check in with family. 

 6. Try to get out of the office…remember…you are a “people” too!