Did you know that being disorganised could be affecting your health?  What about your career?

It’s not just about missed appointments, unpaid bills, or forgotten birthdays.  Being disorganised can lead to stress, a feeling of “stuckness” and an inability to finish tasks and commitments.

Do you sometimes find yourself starting multiple tasks, either at home or at work, and never finishing any of them?

Do you know what your priorities are?

When you don’t really know what your goals are, it can be quite hard to know where to put your energy.  You may start off feeling excited about a project or task, but quickly lose interest as you see the next “shiny thing”.  You may feel “scattered”, clueless and confused.

Not having long and short term goals can make your life feel dull and boring, which in turn can lead to depression.

Having a disorganised and cluttered home or office, can stifle your creativity and your ability to take in new information.

There are lots of ways of getting organised and there will be one that works for you.

You can start by decluttering your desk at work, or your kitchen bench at home.  Find all the bills and paperwork that needs dealing with.  Order then in “date due” order and place them neatly in a place where you’ll be sure to see and deal with them.  Perhaps next to your phone or computer would be the best place.

Start using your wall calendar to write in all your important dates and appointments.  You might like to invest in a well-designed diary or personal organiser.

Take advantage of the calendar application on your smart phone to set up reminders for appointments, bills and birthdays.

“To do” lists are a great tool for keeping track of all that you have going on and making sure you don’t forget to pay those bills, or buy birthday presents.  Often writing out a “To do” list can immediately make you feel lighter, as all the stuff floating around your brain is now on paper.

When you start to feel a bit more organised, take some time to plan your next holiday, or a fun get –together with friends.

Then, when life starts flowing a bit more easily, sit down to work out your life goals and priorities.  Organising your life will seem like a breeze when you know exactly what you want to achieve.

(If you think you might need a helping hand with getting organised, give your personal concierge a call)

“I don’t know how you do it!” you find yourself saying.

“You really are Wonder Woman,” you conclude.

Being “wonder woman” isn’t as hard as it looks, and if we’re being completely honest, it’s actually a bit of a facade.

Unfortunately, we look at those women who appear to be “doing it all and having it all” and we just want to be like them.

What you don’t see is just how it is they manage to get everything done.

The secret?

Outsourcing!

There are so many aspects of our life that can be done by someone else; the cleaning for example, or the ironing. There are people who will come and sort your pantry out, or help to organise your office.  (Cough cough)

Some assistants, like me, will also do things like book appointments for you, arrange meetings and even organise someone to give the floor a vacuum, do your washing and ironing! Who says you need to be CEO of some multimillion dollar company to have your own PA?

You don’t!

The best think you can do to become the wonder woman you want to be is to call in help. Call in someone to do all the things you don’t like to do so that not only do you get everything done, but you also get to spend more time on the things you enjoy and that make you happy.

Calling in help is not an admission of failure, it is what all sensible, smart, savvy women do … it is their little secret.

Who are you calling in first, Ms Wonder Woman?

Whether you’re trying to impress, wanting to keep them as clients or merely wish to say “thank you for your loyalty” entertaining clients and business guests is a sure way to get the message across. Taking them out for dinner is a safe option; providing the venue, whether a restaurant or cafe is up to your guest’s expectation and will suitably impress them. Going somewhere exotic can be nice, especially if it’s not somewhere your guests are likely to have been but be careful if you’re not terribly familiar with their likes and dislikes.  It could end up as a dismal failure. If you can afford it, aim for something that is a cut-above average.

The better option, however, would be to find out what your client likes and dislikes. A sumptuous dinner will be the bee’s knees for some, but others might find them boring and unimaginative. If your client is more active, or perhaps a bit of a risk taker, try something totally different.  Have you ever thought of taking a client on a hot air balloon ride, swimming with sharks or skydiving? Wine tours and tastings can be fantastic for relationship building and generate “non-office” discussion, but remember not to drink and drive.  Book a driver for the day (that would be me!)

Ultimately, where you decide to entertain your business guests and clients is dependent on three main factors:

1. What is the purpose of the entertainment?
2. Will business discussion need to be had?
3. What does your client like to do?

In the last few posts we raised some pretty big questions about life, the universe and everything.

I’ve given you some ideas on how you might find answers to those questions.

If you’re still at a loss, or your brain is racing and full of ideas, perhaps it’s time to slow it down and gain some focus.

Meditation is a fantastic tool, not only for finding focus, but it will help you relax and can have significant positive effects on your health.

You may think that meditation is just for hippies, or spiritual types.  In fact, anyone can do it and there are a lot of resources to teach you how.

So, what is meditation? The simplest explanation is that it’s a way of emptying your brain of the constant noise of thoughts by using the rhythm of your breath as a focus.

Relaxing you brain through meditation allows it to have a rest and, with regular practice, you will improve its ability to process information and make decisions.  You will learn how to dismiss unimportant and distracting thoughts, as well as identifying what is really important to you.

Some great ways to start meditation include:

• Buying, or borrowing a book, for example “An Illustrated Guide on How to Meditate” by Matthew Johnstone;
• Buying or borrowing some CDs with guided meditation and relaxation exercises;
• Enrolling in a short course at your local community centre or TAFE;
• Practicing yoga in a group, as this often includes a meditation component.

Happy meditating!

You’re in your 30′s and single, your career is everything.

You’ve been building your skills and reputation for years now, your work may feel easy, but the passion is no longer there.

Or perhaps you feel stifled.  Your ideas feel tired, you are not excited about the new project and you are no longer interested in learning about new trends in your chosen profession.

Does that sound like you?

If it does, maybe you are asking yourself, “Am I in the right job?”, “Am I working for the right company?”, or “Am I working with the right people?”

Being dissatisfied with your career could simply mean that you need a new challenge with a new company, where you can learn new ways for doing things and meet new people.  Or perhaps you would like more responsibility and are ready for a big promotion.

On the other hand if:

• you’re constantly bored, or
• frequently sick, and
• groan at the thought of yet another day at the office,

then perhaps it’s time to re-examine your life goals and aspirations.

This doesn’t mean you have to quit your job immediately and look for an alternative career.  Especially if you’re not sure that that career might be.

Some things you can do include:

• taking a short course at your local community centre of TAFE college in a subject you are interested in,
• looking for a similar job in a different industry, or a different job in the same industry, which uses all your transferable skills, as well as giving you the opportunity to learn something new,
• make an appointment with a professional career counsellor, who can help you explore some options,
• if you have a hobby you are really passionate about, explore the possibility of making it into a full time career and a sustainable source of income.

The possibilities are endless…