by Marcia Francois
Wherever you are in the world, the seasons change every three to six months and it’s either warming up or cooling down. Whatever your situation, take the time to sort out your wardrobe.
Pareto’s Principle states that 20% of your efforts result in 80% of your results.
Did you know that this principle also applies to your wardrobe? That’s right - you only wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time.
by VANA member Frances Palaschuk
For small business effective seasonal marketing campaigns can mean real big business. It is after all the busiest season of the year. Almost every business takes advantage of some sort of marketing gimmick from Holiday Barbie 2007 to Stocking Stuffers for your pets. When you think about it they are still selling the same old products and services but with a twist.
by Catherine Franz
Being a coach, I learned through attending Coach University about letting go of the “stuff” in my life that no longer fueled it. This enhanced itself through my studies in becoming a master practitioner in the laws of attraction — the process of how our environment, the things and people in it, affect what we attract in the present moment. Along with this came of sensing the heaviness of possessions.
My journey began eight years ago and even today I am still letting go except the items have thinned out considerably.
by Karen Fritscher-Porter
What’s an item that can help you organize every room in your home, helps create the appearance that you’re a tidy housekeeper (even if you’re not), and perks up your decorating scheme?
Need another hint?
It comes in all shapes, sizes, colors and materials and can be found in many local retail stores, including craft stores and discount retailers, and at flea markets and craft shows and well basically it’s a universal item found all over the world. You probably have one right now in your home.
It’s a basket!
by Susan Kruger
As a classroom teacher, I used to hear excuses from a few students every morning about why they did not have their homework. Most of them had to do with extra-curricular commitments: “I couldn’t do my homework last night because I had a baseball game.” Or, “I had to go to my brother’s basketball game.” Some of the excuses were due to family obligations: “We had to take my grandma out for her birthday last night.” The best excuse I ever heard… “I couldn’t do my homework last night because I had to go with my mom to get her nails done.”
Many teachers would agree that the number one reason student fail classes is due to missing homework. Creating excuses for homework lowers your grades and encourages a very bad habit for your future.
by Marcia Francois
We all know people that seem to be Super Organised. They never forget birthdays, can find an email within seconds and know exactly where to find anything in their homes.
The actual definition of organised is being able to find anything within a minute or two. This is from items in your home to an email, document or photo on your computer.
Shhhh - I have a confession. Some people say this about me too 
so I’m going to let you in on some of my own secrets and also those I’ve observed from watching fellow Born Organised people.
by Janet Barclay, MVA
One of the most common reasons people invite me to their office for an organizing consultation is to help them deal with the piles of paperwork that are encroaching on their workspace.
It is generally understood that part of the problem is the lack of an efficient filing system and by efficient, I mean one that includes making time to file paid bills, completed projects, and so on. The other part of the problem relates to active projects. For some people, designating a desk drawer for these files is a viable solution, but for visual thinkers, and there are a lot of you out there, the immediate reaction to such a suggestion is, If I can’t see it, I’ll forget about it! Sometimes a desktop vertical organizer will work well, especially if it is slanted so you can see all the file labels, but if you have a large number of active projects, or if the files are very thick, it’s not very effective.
by Mark Silver
Ready to write an article? You even made the big step of scheduling time to do it. So here it is, and you’re sitting at your desk, staring blankly at the screen. Just like you’ve been doing for the last two weeks.
And still no article. Despite the fact it was supposed to go out 10 days ago. Ugh.
Those weirdos who can send out an article every week. Or even more strange, those newspaper columnists that write every single day. They must be from another planet.
by Mark Wardell
1. Plan the following day at the end of each day.
This is the time your mind is most clear. If you try to plan your day in the morning, you become distracted by your e-mail, your voicemail, the telephone, your employees, your customers, and so forth. It’s nearly impossible to think rationally about your priorities when you’re being pulled in 10 different directions.
It’s also a good idea to plan the following week at the end of each week, plan the following month at the end of each month, and plan the following year at the end of each year. Make this part of your regular routine. If you follow no other piece of advice on this list, follow this one. I guarantee you this simple change will increase your productivity more than you can imagine.
by Erin Blaskie
In my profession as a virtual assistant, I am in the front of the delegating lines and I see firsthand what works and what doesn’t. Oftentimes, new clients will ask me to coach them a bit on delegating work to our company and I am always happy to do so.
If you are currently delegating work to others or you may do so in future, here are five ways to make your delegating experience more effective.