OverHall IT!
Vol. 4 Issue 5
Just reading this newsletter won't get you organized...
YOU must take some action!
Organizing Newsletter for Your Life - OverHall IT!
Circulation 6,198
Vol. 4 Issue 5
Publisher: Janet L. Hall mailto:janet@overhall.com
http://www.overhall.com
(c) OverHall Consulting 2003
Administration information located at end of newsletter
Help Me Help Others Heal Their Environments and Get
Organized - Please forward my newsletter onto those you know
who might need or like OverHall IT!
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome and Happenings
2. OverHalling and Balance
3. Organizing Tips and Tools
4. Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes
5. Tips for Professional Organizers
6. Events
1. Welcome and Happenings
We've been extremely busy here at the OverHall offices. I have a
new office assistant, Donna Michelle, who has been helping me
"catch up" on all the wonderful things I've been wanting to do
for all of you, such as working on and finishing more specific
organizing ebooks and teleseminars.
As my birthday gift to you and to help ring in Get Organized Week
(Oct. 5-11) I have many Ask the Organizer teleseminars scheduled
for you.
To register for one of the Ask the Organizer teleseminars, go
to:
http://www.overhall.com/ask.htm
For Professional Organizers, Feng Shui Practitioners, or other
new business owners check out our business and Internet series of
teleseminars, Sept. 15-19th Now What? Series, Sept. 22-26th, Your
Business and You, and Sept. 29-Oct. 8th FrontPage and Search
Engine Strategies. Take one, a couple or all of them!
http://www.overhall.com/teleseminars.htm
We also have two free teleseminars. Join Paula Langguth Ryan and
myself for a live teleseminar the first week of Oct. and gain
effortless freedom from your clutter and debt. Our new book,
Effortless Freedom From Clutter and Debt:Your 20 Minute Daily
Roadmap for Creating a Perfectly Balanced Life, will soon be
available and we're celebrating with two free teleseminars: Oct.
1, 10:30-11:30 AM (EST) and Oct. 7, 8-9 PM (EST). Register at
http://www.overhall.com/teleseminars.htm
Scroll down to the
bottom and you'll see the links to register.
I'll be in NJ Oct. 17-18th presenting two LIVE seminars, one on
organizing your home and the other on Feng Shui Your
Bedroom. Check them out and register at
http://www.overhall.com/nj.htm
We also have completed two new products, 3 W's To-Do Pads
( http://www.overhall.com/todo.htm
) and an ebook, 70 Tips to Get
Your Children Organized Before and After School
( http://www.overhall.com/organizingchildren.htm
).
If you've been putting something off, like getting organized, be
sure to read our Feature article, Procrastination Clutter Demons.
Thanks for your support and for being a subscriber,
Janet L. Hall, The Organizing and Feng Shui Wizard
Now, on to the articles!
Working in a Paper Dungeon?
Then you need a productivity and indoor environmental
specialist! call us today to see how we can help you create
systems that make your work flow better and create a powerful
image for you and your space. 1-800-687-3040 and outside US
1-410-586-9440.
2.Your Procrastination Clutter Demons: If Not Now, When?
"If I am not for myself, who is for me?
If I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, when? ---Hillel
Procrastination is generally described as "You Know What To Do,
But Don't Do It." Procrastination is non-action!
Here's my personal example of knowing what to do but not doing
it:
There was a BIG cluttered corner in my rec room. You see back in
February when I was told I would need wrist surgery, I couldn't
stop myself from cleaning out stuff. It was like I had to use my
hands NOW. So I went from cabinets to drawers, room to room,
collecting items I no longer needed, wanted, or used.
I had very good intentions. I decided I would be ready to throw
a yard sale before any one else in my area did. I got boxes from
the store, packed up the stuff and "temporarily" stored them in
the spare bedroom, which is not used as a bedroom. Then the rain
came, and it rained some more, every weekend!
March and April came and went, and then guests came from
New York. I had to clear out the stuff in the spare room to
make room for them and an air mattress . So downstairs all the
boxes of stuff went, getting stuffed into a corner of my
rec. room.
In August my daughter decided she could use some of the stuff and
the rest I decided to take to the local auction house, four miles
away. Into my Jeep all the boxes went. NOW I had to take action
or my dog wouldn't be able to get in my Jeep and go to the beach
with me for walks.
See I knew what to do but wasn't taking any serious action
other than moving the stuff around. I had been procrastinating
for almost six months now on those boxes!
Here is an example of one of my recent clients, "Peter". Peter
and I were sorting through and organizing all of the papers,
drawers, and shelves in his office when he discovered a chain
letter he had stuck into his Bible back in 1989. He was
fearful/superstitious to do anything with the chain letter,
that's why he had kept the letter; however, said I could. So I
confidently ripped up the letter, still in the envelope, tossed
it and moved on. Peter knew what action to take; however, he
allowed his fear to put him into procrastination mode.
On another note, if I had no clue on how to have a yard sale, or
how to get rid of my stuff, I would NOT be procrastinating, I
would be thinking. Or if Peter hadn't given into his
superstition, he could have walked through his fear and taken
action.
If you don't know what to do, you are not procrastinating. You
are thinking or wondering about the "What do I do?" or the "I
don't know how's."
If you do not have the skills, knowledge, or know what actions
you need to take, you will remain "frozen" until you decide to
find out or learn the skills, knowledge, or actions you should
take.
I've been reading the book, Do One Thing Different, by Bill
O'Hanlon, in which he tells about a Tibet ceremony, Room of 1,000
Demons. It's an interesting ceremony and the two hints of how to
pass through and get out of the room are 1) What you see is an
illusion so don't buy into it, and 2) no matter what, keep your
feet moving so you can eventually get to the other side, find the
door, and come out.
Many did not make it out of the Room of 1,000 Demons because once
they entered the room they forgot the two hints given to them,
getting stuck and buying into the illusion of their demons.
Are you stuck in a Room of 40 Procrastination Clutter Demons?
Below are some sample excuses of Procrastination Clutter Demons I
hear all the time, which I've categorized into four groups.
Which are yours?:
I. TIME and FOCUS:
1. I don't have the time.
2. I'm too busy.
3. There's no rush.
4. I'm too distracted.
5. I have too much to do already.
6. I'm too tired to start.
7. It'll get done one day, somehow.
8. I have more important things to do.
9. I'm waiting for the right and perfect time.
10. I'm looking for a quick fix.
II. BLAME and VICTIM:
11. Why start? It'll just get cluttered again.
12. It's not my problem.
13. I didn't create this chaos or mess.
14. I have children.
15. This is how I was brought up.
16. I'm always putting out fires.
17. I don't want to do it.
18. I shouldn't have to do this.
19. I never "had" when I was growing up.
20. I was told to never give a gift away.
III. Trust and Fear:
21. I might need it one day.
22. What if I am left with nothing?
23. I'm looking for a guarantee that something will work.
24. I'm afraid I'll make a mistake.
25. Nothing ever goes the way I've planned, so why start?
26. If I finish this I'll have nothing left to do.
27. I need to keep all this just in case I need it later.
28. I am afraid if I move things I won't be able to find them.
29. I am not sure that I could maintain the organizational
system.
30. I don't want someone helping me and seeing all my stuff.
IV. LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE/WORTH:
31. No one cares so why should I? It'll just get cluttered
again.
32. I'm not worth paying for professional help.
33. I am not good at this sort of thing.
34. I am overwhelmed now, I don't want to add anything else.
35. I don't really need my space to be tidy or look nice,
as long as the public areas are presentable.
36. Why try? It'll just get cluttered again.
37. I'm not organized enough to start.
38. This is the way I am.
39. It's too hard.
40. I am not sure all that work would be worth it.
TIME/FOCUS:
Everyone around you and throughout the world is busy and has the
same 24 hours, 7 days a week, and 12 months a year; however some
of you don't seem to be going anywhere. Some of you will continue
to bounce around in the dark Room of 40 Procrastination Clutter
Demons never making it through to the other side unless you take
action and learn planning, scheduling, prioritizing, goal
setting, and gain focus. Who will you get help from and how?
BLAME/VICTIM:
You have a choice to stop blaming others or crying victim about
your clutter and chaos. You have a choice to do something about
your clutter or not. Who can help you? Who can you call?
TRUST/FEAR:
I know sometimes you can't figure out what to keep or not, who
to believe, listen to, or learn from. I know you have fear and
trust issues of "just in case", "might need someday" or of
"being left with nothing" when it comes to your piled up, saved
up, and unused stuff.
If you've been a subscriber for some time now you probably know
me very well because you read my writings, hear my thoughts, know
my desire to help, and have read about people I have helped. I
can help you, when you are ready, all in Divine Order.
Lack of Self-Confidence/Worth:
Self-esteem, judgments, other's beliefs, and your limited
beliefs can cause or contribute to lack of self-worth. Do you
feel guilty when you spend money on yourself? Whether it's a new
outfit or getting professional help for any area of your life, do
you get a pang of anxiety when you do something for yourself?
Have you told yourself 'that's too much to spend' on yourself?
Wouldn't it be wonderful not to feel this way about yourself, to
honor yourself and believe that you are worthy?
Why not walk through your Room of 40 Procrastination Clutter
Demons so you can come to life; let go of your excuses,
all the unused, unwanted, and unneeded "stuff" in your life to
emerge as a new person?
Only you can assume complete responsibility of your life and
actions. If you've been waiting or searching for a sign that
will indicate the best direction to take, well, consider this
your sign!
Many of you will eventually take action, but when? Is doing
nothing working for you or against you?
When you to start to de-clutter and let go you'll be able to see
the other side of you: Calm, loving, stress free, and full of
life and time. Your daily tasks and actions become streamlined
and simplified. Your situation - no your life - will change and
reveal a new you.
Answer the following:
WHO might help you?
WHO might interfere?
WHAT could go right?
WHAT could go wrong?
WHAT will not doing this cost you?
What will doing this save you?
When will you start?
When will you finish?
WHY do you want to get organized?
WHY don't you want to get organized?
Honestly answering the above questions will give you a sense of
direction and help you decide if you should take any action;
however, don't use any of the Procrastination Clutter Demons
listed above as a way of, yet again, not getting organized.
Answer the questions and look for the solutions to the solve the
issues, whether it be time, trust, fear, or what have you.
Lynn Lively says it best in her book, The Procrastinator's Guide
to Success, "When you overcome procrastination, life is
interesting because you bring closure to all that unfinished
business and you move on. If you procrastinate today, the same
tasks, worries, and decisions will still be looming over you
tomorrow. Instead, take action and move on; seek new summits and
adventures."
It's now or never. Remember, the choice you make today will
resonate throughout the rest of your life.
Decide what's important to you and go for it. And if you had a
guide to walk beside you through your Room of Procrastination
Clutter Demons, please give me a call at 1-800-687-3040 or
outside the US at 1-410-586-9440.
Have you decided that you would like help?
Check out my cutting edge program, 33 Days to Creating a
Supportive and Healing Environment, at
http://www.overhall.com/environment.htm
Have You Gotten Your *Tickle* for the Day?
Check out the secret organizing tool that ALL organized families
and successful people use on a daily basis at
http://www.overhall.com/tickler_file.htm
3. Organizing Tips and Tools
Sept./Oct.Special:
70 Tips to Get Your Children Organized Before and After School
PLUS an audio tape. You SAVE $14.97 on this special!
Click http://www.overhall.com/organizing_special.htm
E-books and Books:
Jeffrey J. Mayer, president of Succeeding In Business, and
author of many books, has an ebook, "Winning the Fight Against
You and Your Desk," that I highly recommend. This inexpensive 52
page ebook is jammed packed with time saving tips so you can get
more done in less time. I urge you all to download this at
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=25003
Clutterless Recovery Groups
Mike Nelson is the founder and Executive Director of this group.
Their motto is "We do not conquer our clutter, but we learn how
not to let it conquer us." This site is full of wonderful
articles and other things of interest. I encourage all that are
having extreme difficulties with their clutter in checking out
Mike's site at:
http://www.clutterless.org
Change Someone's Life Without Leaving Your Home: Clean Out Your
Closets Today!
I have been contacted by Anita Paradis regarding over 400 babies
and children living in two orphanages in Kramatorsk, Ukraine that
need clothes and other children's items. You can read more about
the children and their needs at:
http://abrah.org/kramatorsk/index.html
and
http://abrah.org/kramatorsk/international.html
I truly hope you can help.
Don't want to Sell it? How about Swapping it?
This is more of a treasure chest than just a www site! Inside,
you will find all sorts of books, CDs and DVDs that other folks
own, but wish to swap away. The way it works is simple: You list
items that you don't want, and someone will swap you for those
items. When they swap you, they transfer swap points to your
account, and you mail them the item in question. Once you have
the points, you can go and spend them on other items that other
folks list on the site.
Be careful and don't add to your clutter through <g>
http://swappingtons.com
4. Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes
>>Without a sufficiently large appetite for life, there is no
motivation toward action."---Chin-Ning Ch.
>>Facing it, always facing it, that's the way to get through.
Face it.
--Joseph Conrad
Have you made the decision to FINALLY get Organized?
We have several programs in which we can help you get
organized, gain control of your life, and help you move forward
towards a supportive and healing environment. Check out which
would work best for you at:
http://www.overhall.com/Consulting.htm
5. Tips for Professional Organizers
People are looking for Professional Organizers on the Internet
and I can tell you 95% of my new business comes from people
finding me on the Internet, so why aren't YOU are the Internet?
Or maybe you are but you are so far down in the search engines
you are never found! It's not that difficult to create a web
site, and not that expensive to maintain and create a presence
for yourself if you have the proper teacher. I'd like to be your
teacher, your guide, your coach.
I've learned from the best of the best about creating web sites
and Internet Marketing and have begun to train others. Check
out my sister site, http://www.gurusofinternetmarketing.com
If
you need to purchase domain names, web site hosting, or get
FrontPage training click on FrontPage Training or call me at
1-800-687-3040 or outside the US at 1-410-586-9440 to see
how I can help you get an Internet presence.
So you want to be a Professional Organizer?
Check out my one-of-a-kind system, The Wizard's Professional
Organizers System that will give you a jump-start on your
organizing career at
http://www.overhall.com/professional_organizers_system.htm
6. Organizing Events
Business and Internet Teleseminars for Business Owners.
Sept. 15th - Oct. 8th See
http://www.overhall.com/teleseminars.htm
Ask the Organizer teleseminars Oct.3rd and 6-8th
See http://www.overhall.com/ask.htm
Get Your Home Organized and Feng Shui Your Bedroom. Two Live
events in Vineland, NJ on Oct. 17th and 18th. Open to Public
See http://www.overhall.com/nj.htm
Organizing Your Work Space at the Washington Post. Yes folks I'm
coming back to help more of you get organized. Call Cliff at
202-334-6658 to reserve your seat. Closed to Public
NEED a speaker for your next event? Download my speaking
packet at:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/javanof.asp?MerchantID=31507&ProductID=921435
Smiles, not Piles,
Janet L. Hall, FSII
The Organizing and Feng Shui Wizard
Let me work my "spells" on your Clutter, Life, and Environment!
http://www.overhall.com
"If your current life isn't working for you... get an
"OverHall"!"
Janet L. Hall is the owner of OverHall Consulting, and
Organizing By Phone, 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 deliver a customized speech or seminar for your next
event.
Copyright (c) 2003 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 # 1533-0702.
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Here in OverHall IT! it is my hope to help you stop juggling
areas in your life around and help you "OverHall" the areas that
might have become cluttered, ignored, or put on the back
burner. I want to help you bring back into focus the things that
are important to you. I want the chaos to stop for you and help
bring you some structure and hopefully some useful advice and
systems so you can accomplish the most important task...running
your life!
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