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Let’s Talk Food Shop

02/17/2011 By Nancy Borg With no comments yet

2441851141_optIs your supermarket organized the way you like it?  Mine is forever changing. They’re constantly re-mechandising, I get it.  Smart marketing strategies are evident in aisle end caps; prime real estate for sale items and for seasonal displays. These teasers are specifically targeted to the impulsive and harried shopper, and it works seamlessly. But sometimes this changes the usual location of other products, and it takes me longer to hunt down the item I’m looking for.

When you’re in a hurry, consistency is important for a quick retrieval. Yet, every time I go, it feels more like a scavenger hunt for staple items. I have searched and found twine in at least four different aisles; laundry, party goods, office supplies, auto/electrical aisles, and it’s never a sure thing.  The Q-tips used to live in the beauty- aid aisle and now they are in the baby-care section. Every time I go, it’s a scavenger hunt for staple items. There are multiple locations to buy chips, cheeses, and certain breads and crackers.

And of course, purposely, the dairy section is in the furthest point of the store so you have to trek through the entire store to pick up a quart of milk. Inevitably, you’ll probably purchase something you don’t really need, especially if you’re hungry.  Consumerism at its best.

The goodies displayed in the checkout aisle is always an interesting experience.  I always feel badly for the mom with her young children who begin to whine as they approach the displays. It’s a true testament for her will power.  The array of candies and toys are super tempting and quite effective for the frazzled Mom to quiet her screaming child.  I’ve been witness to the struggle countless times.

When the lines are long, it’s difficult to maneuver your wagon. And if the registers are not adequately staffed, the experience can be chaotic.

Food shopping need not be so stressful.  Some people love this errand and others dread it.

How ’bout you? Is it a love or hate to do?

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The Sustaining Rewards of Being Organized

02/10/2011 By Nancy Borg With no comments yet

Let’s face it, daily life is stressful enough, and being disorganized can only exacerbate the anxiety when you can’t find what you’re looking for when you need it.  Add on the paper pile-up on the counter that has morphed into a diversified tower of  bills, magazines and catalogs, peppered with unwanted  junk mail.   Unfinished projects that you genuinely intend to get to are easily placed on the back burner because your inbox is too full.  You’re probably rushing to get out the door to get to work on time or show up for an appointment promptly.

Think about it.  Why is this happening?  Are you leaving yourself ample time? If you find that your are consistently repeating behaviors that don’t bring  you a positive or efficient result, STOP doing those things.  It is counterproductive and should alert you to change your systems.

Identify your time wasters and implement time savers.  So when you realize that every day you are searching for the car keys, your glasses, etc. (probably because they are dropped in a different place every time), it would be ideal to place them in a designated and exclusive landing place so retrieving them would be a breeze.  Likewise, if you are reaching for something you use often (from articles of clothing to a kitchen frying pan) and it is not in the most accessible place, move it.

More importantly, while being disorganized is an obvious time waster, it can also be costly.  Missed appointments can hinder a business relationship, or can have a negative impact on your personal relationships.   Pay attention to what is not working before it becomes manic.  Misplaced coupons and gift certificates once eventually found are typically past their expiration dates.  When I work with my clients and we discover a treasure, how often do I hear, “I was looking for that!”  If something is that important to you, separate it from the general clutter and create a special folder and mark it as a priority. Take the extra time and create a place to organize your redeemable rewards and don’t take a chance that it will be misplaced or lost forever.

And loose change? Just like clutter, it can grow and invade every countertop. But the difference is,  it has exponential value…it’s $$$!  Grab a cup, jar, or Tupperware container and empty your pockets everyday.  This kind of clutter you CAN ignore for a while because it’s fun to just watch it accumulate.

Organizing  your closets to correlate with how you wear your clothes and how you need to access them is yet another great motivator to save time.  These are not revolutionary techniques but you must take the time to fine tune your daily routines to make it easier to get dressed.

Today, with the acquiring of so much more stuff, and challenges of work, social,  and home-life, there is an increasing need to be organized in order to function.

Use organization as a powerful tool to tackle your time-mangement challenges.  If you added up all the tiny bits of time wasted on ordinary things, you would be amazed as how much extra time you would have to spend time doing those things you enjoy to do. These little adjustments can reduce great amounts of stress.

There are so many benefits of being organized, and making conscious efforts to change can only improve the quality of your life. Indeed, life is so much “sweeter” when you are organized, and calorie-free 🙂

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Organizing For An Emergency

02/02/2011 By Nancy Borg With 3 comments

8376821469_optThis is not a novel idea.  Clearly none of us can predict an emergency, hence it is called just that, an emergency. But realize that when caught off guard, it is hard to implement sensible decision making when you are in the throws of a disaster.  Setting up systems prior to the emergency and being prepared for one, would be ideal.

Should any kind of household emergency occur, can you say with confidence that you are ready?  How organized are you?

Right off the bat, prepare a list of emergency phone numbers all on one place and post it in a designated place for immediate retrieval.  Unquestionably, calling 911 saves lot of lives but it doesn’t solve all emergent problems. Anticipate.  Make the effort to prevent a disaster.

In all honesty, I do not claim to be an emergency specialist, but I can speak from both personal and professional experience. Regretfully, most of these scenarios have happened to me. Here’s my short list.

  • Check batteries for your smoke and fire alarms, stay on top of that. It can save a life.
  • Have an ample supply of batteries, flashlights, and lanterns, and a battery operated radio.
  • Check for a land line phone.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors.
  • Be sure you have a fire extinguisher in the home.
  • Winterize your home and prevent pipes from bursting.
  • When you go on vacation, remember to shut off valve to the washing machine.  Avoid the flood.
  • Have crystallized aspirin handy in the case of a heart attack.
  • Never let your gas in you automobile go below 1/4 of a tank. You never know when you may need that full tank for an emergency.
  • Have your windows protected against storms and floods.
  • Have your gutters cleaned regularly.
  • Perhaps purchase a wet-vac (flooding has become a more common occurrence than you think) or have a reliable Water Restoration company on your emergency list. Keep old towels handy as well.
  • Have your cesspool maintained annually.
  • Clean your chimney regularly and avoid the puff back.
  • Organize your family’s critical medical information and create a folder that a loved one can retrieve an emergency (documenting all medical history, including medications).
  • Take inventory of your valuables and create a detailed manifest of  these items.  Take pictures for safekeeping.  Should they get lost or stolen, you will need this documentation.

The list could go on for sure.  If you live where earthquakes, mud slides, brush fires, and other likely disasters are a threat, be diligent with the necessary preventative measures. Readiness and preparedness should be a pro-active practice each and every day, but in regards to an emergency, these measures could be life -saving.

Protect yourself,  loved ones, and your treasured possessions against potential danger or risk.  Indisputably, these are not the things in which to gamble on.

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