August OverHall IT! Issue
AUGUST, 2000
Vol. 1, Issue 8
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Table of Contents:
1. Welcome Message
2. OverHalling and Balance
3. Guest Article
4. D-BUST Your Computer-Part 4-d
(CONTEST at the end of this article!)
5. Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes
6. Products, Books, and Web Site Reviews
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1. Welcome Message
I awoke this morning with the feeling of Fall in the room, a bit
nippy, and to the sight of four beautiful Bucks in the
backyard! The Bucks ranged from first year antlers to * old
men *. What a sight to see.
Speaking of old, have you thought about what your
retirement years might be like? You can find some
interesting questions to start asking yourself, as I start to
bring the OverHalling and Balance of your Financial Area to
an end, in the article RIPE Planning.
I've been extremely busy preparing for my new seminar
series, Enough is Enough, with my dear friend and
colleague, Paula Langguth Ryan. Earlier in the month we
collaborated on the Guest Article, Lightening the Load.
We also have a teleclass planned for this month, Prepared
for School, for adults returning to school and/or parents of
children returning to school.
And finally, I will finish up the S in D-BUST Your Computer -
Part 4-d in which I will discuss how to SAVE your *
favorites/bookmarks * on the Internet.
Okay, ready to start "OverHalling"?
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2. OverHalling and Balance
Does Your Life Include a RIPE Plan?-Planning Tips
for Retirement, Investing, Protection, and Estate
Planning - Part 1 (Retirement)
by: Janet L. Hall
No matter what your age or years of work, it's almost never
too late to start planning for your retirement. As a matter of
fact, the younger you are, the less chance you will have of
becoming destitute, or a * bag * person. I'm not trying to be
funny, it can happen to you if you don't watch what you are
doing and PLAN for the future.
Ponder for a minute on the questions below:
~~ What kind of life do you want in your * golden years *?
~~ How will you use your retirement time, meaning, what
activities, interests, or travel might you want to pursue?
~~ Will you need or want to change your housing and
lifestyle completely or do you hope you can * stay where you
are, doing the same things you've always done *?
~~ If you are planning on living in a different area, what are
the standards of living in that area OR what are the chances
of the standard of living increasing or decreasing where you
are currently living?
~~ How might your health affect your retirement?
~~ Will you need to continue to work part-time after
retirement to * make ends meet *? How will that affect your
benefits?
~~ Do you want to start your own business, many people do
after retirement, and how will that affect your benefits?
~~ What * support * systems do you have or need to have in
place?
If a company employs you, you need to FIND OUT:
~~ if they have a retirement plan (benefits), such as a
pension or 401(k)
~~ what your TOTAL monthly or lump sum disbursement will
be
~~ how much you can contribute
~~ length of service required to be eligible to collect benefits
~~ age required to be eligible to collect benefits
~~ if the plan will meet your needs/lifestyle after retirement
Take the time and schedule an appointment with your
employer's * benefits person * and discuss YOUR retirement
plan. Ask them about YOUR Statement Of Accrued Benefits
(SAB). This is YOUR personal account and will tell you the
benefits you can expect based on your salary and retirement
time.
If you're self-employed, as many of us are, you need to
establish your own retirement plan. The easiest plan is an
IRA at which you can only contribute $2,000 yearly. If you're
young (years away from retirement) check out a non-
deductible Roth IRA. Other plans include SIMPLE, SEP-
IRA, and Keogh Plan. If you want to learn more about these
plans, check our Reviews section near the end of the
newsletter.
Please don't think you can live on Social Security (in the
USA) alone! If you have no idea what you MIGHT have
already accumulated into Social Security, FIND OUT! (Link
for SSA in Reviews section)
WARNING and a TIP: Just when you thought you were
covered! One thing that can zap you financially is a divorce
(I hope this never happens to you) and your pension plan
could be one of your largest assets to be DIVIDED up (I've
seen this happen). SO, if you're married, I sincerely hope
you stay so happily and forever after!
Next month Part 2-the I in RIPE!
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Prepared for SCHOOL- School bells are starting to ring
throughout the USA, get yourself or your children prepared
by taking this TELECLASS on Aug. 30 9-10PM or Aug.31
12-1PM (EST) Find out more and how to register at
http://www.overhall.com/prepared_for_school.htm
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3. Lightening the Load:
Time to Stop Living With the Past
by Janet L. Hall and Paula Langguth Ryan
Someone recently wrote to share how her husband
and his siblings banded together to *clean out*
her father-in-law's home, which she likened to
an indoor junkyard. After they had filled the
dumpster, her sister-in-law pointed at the
contents and said to her father, *This is what
you were loving while we were growing up. These
were the children you were spending time with
and we grew up with them and hated them and
were jealous of them.*
He never knew they felt this way. And he
certainly wouldn't have chosen to lighten
his load this way. Yet it's sometimes
a hard fact that the treasures and *stuff*
we accumulate during our lifetime have a
profound impact on our families, on
ourselves and on our ability to have a
prosperous life.
Luckily, there are a few simple steps you
can take to free yourself from the clutter
of the past and mend fences in your family.
Start by asking yourself a few simple questions
about the things you are hanging on to:
~~ Why are you afraid to get rid of these things?
~~ What do they represent to you?
~~ How long are you going to carry this
stuff around with you?
~~ How have your treasures and *stuff* affected
your family?
~~ Are you hanging on to some stuff *just in case?*
~~ Who said you have to hang on to these things?
Take action now to lighten your load before
someone else decides to lighten it for you. Here
are seven tips to get you started.
1: Invite your children and grandchildren over to
come get the things that were theirs during their
childhood. Donate, auction off or simply throw
away anything that's left. Brenda, a client
in her sixties, was holding on to her daughter's
childhood dolls, thinking she would one day want
them. When Brenda asked, she discovered her
daughter didn't want them after all. She
was free to sell them, which brought her some
extra income and freed up valuable space.
2: Make a list of the treasures you're ready
to part with now. Then write down the names of
friends and family members who have admired
these items. Write down or record a story for
each item, then throw a dinner party for these
friends and family members. Share the stories
with them as you pass along the gifts. Or give
them as holiday or birthday presents.
3: Tap into the flow of giving and receiving
by passing along treasures you want people to
inherit, so you can see the joy in giving and
in receiving while you're still around. Be
sure to write down and relate a story about
the item.
4: Weigh an item's cost to you in terms of
stress and upkeep. If you have a number of
valuables -- such as collectibles, antiques,
linens or pictures -- the expense of
insurance, the worry of possible theft and the
time spent on cleaning can be overwhelming.
One 77-year old woman, Mary, has so much
Depression-era glass on display in her house
it takes her three days a week to dust them
all. What's your joy-to-stuff ratio on these
items in your home? Passing along or selling
these items now will cut down on your stress
level and save you money on insurance premiums.
5: Avoid any fighting and bickering over who
gets what items. Write a letter like the one
Janet's mother-in-law wrote, that simply
states: *I hope we raised you well enough not
to argue over possessions. Your family and
dedication are more important than things.
So I'm sure you won't argue over who gets
what.* As you tell your tales, explain why
you selected a certain person to receive a
certain item. This will go a long way
toward alleviating any ill feelings. Remind
them that it's the memory that matters, not
the item itself. Encourage anyone who isn't
the keeper of the item -- but cherishes the
item as well -- to get a copy of the story
about the item. They can always read the
story, and visit the item.
6: Eliminate items that truly don't have
value any more. How many button boxes or
jars of nails do you really need? Most of
what you're saving isn't probably usable
anymore anyway. Partially opened tubes of
caulk, cans of paint or stain, tape, old
twine, old spools of thread and elastic
all go bad over the years. Throw out
anything that is cluttering up your
home and drawing your attention away
from your family.
7: Unburden yourself from things that are
tying you to the past. Is your basement or
attic still packed with things from
yesteryear? One man's basement had a
six-foot mirror that had been shipped over
from Europe, and was still in its shipping
crate - nearly fifty years later! Do you
have a *shrine* to a late mate or beloved
child? Keep one or two *memory items* and
release the rest. Otherwise, you'll always
be indebted to the past instead of free to
face the future.
Above all else, don't make excuses, don't
assess blame and don't postpone the need to
lighten your load. Too many seniors today
are faced with a limited income and worries
about how they will make ends meet. Your
clutter is acting as a stopper to your
prosperity. You can generate much needed
income and free up space for even more
money to come to you simply by releasing
some of your treasures. You'll spend less
time cleaning and dusting, and have more
free time to do all the things you
want to do.
Travel, take up a new hobby, volunteer, play
with your grandchildren, create a playroom
for yourself or your grandchildren. After
all, what do you want to be remembered
for - your possessions or your joy for life?
**********
Professional Organizer Janet L. Hall and
Contemporary Prosperity Advisor Paula Langguth
Ryan are the originators of the Enough Is Enough!
seminar series. Their unique 3-hour adventures in
money, clutter and time management are designed
exclusively to help you tap your true potential
and achieve better balance in your life. For
more information about upcoming local seminars,
and their services and products, call
800-507-9244 or visit http://www.overhall.com
Permission is granted to print this article
in its entirety or in part, provided
attribution is given, in the form of the
above paragraph.
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DON'T MISS OUR UPCOMING FALL SEMINARS.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Do you have too much to do and NOT ENOUGH time,
money or space to do it? Then don't miss the
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Fall Seminars series, which
kicks off on September 7 at The Show Place
Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
These seminars are two very unique 3-hour
adventures in prosperity, clutter and time
management, designed exclusively to help you
tap your true potential and achieve better
balance in your life.
The first seminar: BECOME A MONEY MAGNET &
MAXIMIZE YOUR TIME - EVEN WHEN YOU NEVER
HAVE ENOUGH - IN 21 DAYS OR LESS! will be
held *Sept 7* (6pm-9pm) and *Sept. 9*
(10am-1pm) at The Show Place Arena, Upper
Marlboro, MD; *Nov. 2* (6pm-9pm) at Fordham
University Auditorium, New York, NY; and
*Nov. 16* (6pm-9pm) and *Nov. 18*
(10am-1pm) at the Southern MD Higher
Educational Center, California, MD.
The second seminar: "OVERHALL YOUR LIFE
FOR MORE SPACE, TIME AND MONEY & BREAK
THE DEBT CYCLE - FOR GOOD! will be held
*Oct. 26* (6pm-9pm) and *Oct. 28*
(10am-1pm) at The Show Place Arena,
Upper Marlboro, MD; *Nov. 1* (6pm-9pm)
at Fordham University Auditorium, New
York, NY; and *Oct. 12* (6pm-9pm) and
*Oct. 14* (10am-1pm) at the Southern MD
Higher Educational Center, California, MD.
Don't miss your chance to see Professional
Organizer Janet L. Hall and Prosperity
Advisor Paula Langguth Ryan in action.
Together, this dynamic duo will help you
harness the energy of money, time and
space so that EVERY decision you make
is a GOOD decision that brings you closer
to your lifelong dreams.
For more details:
http://www.overhall.com/enoughisenough.htm
or
call 800-507-9244.
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4. D-BUST Your Computer - Part 4-d
by: Janet L. Hall
S Stands for SAVE those * Favorite * Websites you love to
visit (like mine! <g>)!
Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser has a folder labeled *
Favorites * (middle, top of screen) in which you can
save/add your favorite websites you like to visit often.
Saving your favorites here can minimize searching time,
typing time, and the old, *I wonder where that website is? *
time.
Other browsers have a similar feature but might be called
something like * bookmarks * in Netscape or have a red
heart on a folder, as in AOL. Look around or use your Help
function to locate and how to use your browsers * favorites *.
In the meantime, those using Explorer, here are some how-
to's and tips for saving, adding, and organizing your favorite
websites.
Explorer automatically provides you with * common * folders
in which you can save/add your favorite websites to BUT did
you know you can create your own folders, name them how
you will remember them and STILL save/add your favorites
to them?
It's easy and FUN! Before we get started on creating your
folders, stop and think AND stop and look at what you have
already added to your favorites in each * common * folder.
My example is with the * common * folder labeled Lifestyles.
I was starting to add various websites to this folder and soon
I had such a long list of different types of lifestyles websites,
it was getting difficult to locate a site I wanted to visit on my
list. I also noticed that many of the websites were common
to each other, such as websites on Feng Shui, ones on
health, ones on children, ones on seniors, you get the idea...
TIP: If you haven't added any websites to your Lifestyles
folder, please use a folder in you favorites that you have
added websites to for this exercise.
First, open up your Favorites folder by clicking on Favorites
at the top of your screen.
You will see a list of * common * folders and hopefully one
labeled Lifestyles.
Click on the Lifestyles folder. See the long list of websites
(pretend or open another folder please).
As I mentioned before, look for websites that have
something in common with each other and decide what
NEW folder name you would like to store those websites
into.
Creating a NEW Favorites Folder
~~ Log onto the Internet
~~ Click Favorites
~~ Click Organize
~~ Click Create Folder
~~ Type in your NEW folder name
~~ Press Return/Enter
~~ Notice the other buttons, Rename, Move to Folder, and
Delete (nifty things you can play with some other time <g>)
~~ Click Close after creating all your NEW folders
I see you named a NEW folder Health because you had a lot
of websites that had to do with Health saved in your Lifestyle
folder.
Now, lets MOVE all the saved Health websites out of
Lifestyles into your NEW Health folder. There are two ways
to do this.
** Follow the first three steps above under Creating a
NEW... (Skip step 1 if you are already on the Internet)
~~ Click on Lifestyles Folder
~~ Locate and Click on the website in your list that you want
to move
~~ Click on Move to Folder
~~ You are presented with your list of Folders
~~ Click on the NEW Folder, Health
~~ Click OK
~~ Click Close
OR you can use the drag and drop technique:
~~ Right Click on the website you want to move (Keep the
CLICK compressed until you * move * the website)
~~ Drag to the NEW Folder
~~ Drop into NEW Folder by releasing Click
~~ Click MOVE HERE
Repeat this process until you have all your saved favorite
websites into the * proper * folders.
If you discover you want to save/add a favorite website to
your favorites and you DON'T have a folder already created,
fear not, you can save/add and create a NEW Folder at the
same time! (I love computers!)
Let's say you decide you want to save/add my website to
your favorites and, maybe in the future, you would like to
save/add other organizers websites too, so you decide to
make a NEW Folder called Organizers.
~~ Log on to the Internet
~~ Type in my URL/Address: http://www.overhall.com
~~ Press Enter/Return
~~ Click Favorites
~~ Click Add
~~ Click New Folder
~~ Type in Organizers
~~ Click OK
NOTICE: You can change the NAME of the website at this
point
~~ Click OK
Remember, Storing, Saving, and Adding your favorite
websites to YOUR folders can be FUN, and save a little time
and craziness in your life. It will also bring you some control
and organization to this crazy computer world that has sooo
much to offer.
NEXT MONTH-T Stands for ???? Can you guess what T
stands for? Be one of the first five to respond with a correct
answer and I'll send you for FREE a copy of The Little Red
WHO, WHEN, and WHERE Home Manager's Booklet!
Winners will be announced in the Sept. issue, so watch this
space!
Rules:
You have to play to win, just a little thought and a quick
email
One entry per email address
Put you answer in the body of an email and send to
mailto:janet@overhall.com?subject=Tstandsfor
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Audio teleclass tapes are available to help you declutter your
Office, Home, and Paper Piles at
http://www.overhall.com/Tapes.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes
~~ The question isn't at what age I want to retire, it's at what
income.
George Foreman (1949-____) US boxer
~~ People are always asking me when I'm going to retire.
Why should I? I've got it two ways -- I'm still making movies,
and I'm a senior citizen, so I can see myself at half price.
George Burns (1896-1996) US comedian, actor
CBS TV 'George Burns's 95th Birthday Party'
~~ Retirement at sixty-five is ridiculous. When I was sixty-
five I still had pimples.
George Burns (1896-1996) US comedian, actor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Products, Books, and Web Site Reviews
~~ Self-employed Retirement Plans explained
http://www.isquare.com/retire.htm
by James E. Cheeks, Esq.
~~ Social Security Administration http://www.ssa.gov
~~ On-line request for your Social Security Statement at
http://www.ssa.gov/transactions.html
~~ FREE Retirement Planner. No matter what your age,
ORP provides a FREE application for planning and
evaluating your retirement at http://www.i-orp.com
~~ AARP (American Association for Retired Persons)
http://www.aarp.org
~~ I highly recommend this NEW newsletter, Art of
Abundance by Paula Langguth Ryan. Subscribe at
ArtofAbundance-owner@egroups.com .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have you gotten your * tickle * for the day? Check out The
secret organizing tool that ALL SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE
have at their fingertips at
http://www.overhall.com/tickler_file.htm
That's it for this month! Hope to see some of you at our
upcoming seminars
( http://www.overhall.com/enoughisenough.htm
)
Smiles, not Piles,
Janet L. Hall
Professional Organizer, Speaker, and Author
http://www.overhall.com
"If your current systems aren't working for you...
get an "OverHall"!"
Janet L. Hall is the owner of OverHall Consulting, which is
based out of Southern Maryland and can be
reached at 800-687-3040 or 410-586-9440, or e-mail her
at mailto:janet@overhall.com
Janet can "OverHall"
your office, home, and computer clutter and can present a
customized speech or seminar for your next event.
Copyright (c) 2000 by OverHall Consulting
P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676
All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to
reproduce, copy, or distribute OverHall IT! or any articles
by Janet L. Hall so long as article(s) is kept intact, this
copyright notice, and full information about the author is
attached.
ISSN pending.
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