Organization Rules® August 2010 Newsletter

Check out the article "What can you get for mom's stuff?" in Liz Pulliam Weston's column on MSN.COM, featuring Vickie's book Don't Toss My Memories in the Trash. Liz is the web's number one personal finance columnist.

Caregiver Magazine Spring 2010, Article-“Simple Steps to Downsize a Decades-Old Home” by Vickie

NARFE Magazine May 2010, Article-Downsizing A Lifetime of Memories by Vickie Dellaquila

Home Instead Newsletter-Vickie is featured in Home Instead’s national newsletter

8/19/2010 9-11:30AM "Yes you can write a book" authors panel. Greentree Radisson, 101 Radisson Drive, Pittsburgh PA, 15205. Vickie will be on the authors panel.

09/20/10-10/04/10-Get Organized class at the Butler Community College, Cranberry campus, Cranberry Twp, PA. Register by calling 724-772-5520.

10/01/10-Get Organized Presentation, Ross Twp Community Center 7-9pm, Pittsburgh, PA . Register by calling 412-931-7055.

10/03/10-Don’t Toss My Memories in the Trash presentation, Ross Twp Community Center 2-4 pm, Pittsburgh, PA. Register by calling 412-931-7055.

Stay tuned for upcoming events…

Being Present

Do you live in moment or are you always thinking about what is next? I think many of us have a tendency to do this, including myself. With technology advancements in phones and the internet, life moves so fast that sometimes it is hard to keep up. Multi-tasking is very encouraged with all the technology that exists. Texting, blogging, social networking, and email all move so fast.
Does multi-tasking really work? Studies show that it really does not work. Your brain is capable of doing a bunch of things at once; however are you doing them all well at the same time? Are you really able to drive a car, text, or talk on the phone all at the same time and pay attention to other people driving and your driving?

Technology is a wonderful tool. I have a blackberry and participate in social networking frequently-both are great tools. However, they can encourage multi-tasking and can also become time suckers without you even realizing it.

Organize your time with social networking, texting, phone calls, and emails. Allot a certain amount of time each week for social networking. Decide what makes sense for you. It may be 15 minutes a day or three times a week for social networking. Do you have to return a text or a phone call as you as soon you receive it? I know many people who as soon as they see the red flashing light or hear the little ping sound that you have a text, they go right to it.

Try to live in the moment and don’t become a slave to your technology. It is a difficult thing to do. Has this happened to you or have you maybe been of guilty of this: you are having dinner with someone and all of sudden they stop paying attention to you because they have a text or a call they need to take. They try to look at you while they are texting and hope you don’t notice. When this happens to me, it makes me feel disrespected and the person is not listening to me anymore. If you are receiving the text or call, live in the moment and let the text or call go for a little while. I know there might it something you really need to answer. It is amazing that 10 years ago these emergency texts and phone calls were rare. Why not live in the moment and pay full attention to the person across the table from you instead of returning a text or answering your phone right away?

Organize your time and set up a time limit to these devices and focus on one device at a time. Blackberries, social networking, and texting are wonderful tools and I use them often, however live in the present with people who are sitting across from you and talk to them rather than looking for a bright light or hearing a beep from your blackberry, droid or whatever the new item will be in the future.