Getting Organized To Be Organized In 2013

That's The Plan

For the last few years I have stayed away from making New Year's Resolutions.  Usually I just want to be supportive of the goals of others. I am still happy to do that, but I have always wanted to accomplish the goal of being more organized.  I think I manage my time well, but when there is a time crunch involved I tend to focus on only one thing which leaves everything else in disarray. That results in a lot of catch up later or leave it for a rainy day instances.  It gets to be quite a workload when you have to do everything at once. 

So for 2013 I really want to get back to basics and find ways to make things run more smoothly.  I know being more organized will make everyday tasks much easier, so while I will not strive for perfection, I plan on giving it a valiant effort.

According to Wikipedia's definition of organizing

Anything is commonly considered organized when it looks like everything has a correct order or placement. But it's only ultimately organized if any element has no difference on time taken to find it.

The second part of that definition is what rang true to me.  I tend to often forget where I've put things, what page I'm on in a book I'm reading,  and what I need to grab at the grocery store.  This is where the unravelling begins for me.  This is how my time management becomes a big rush to the finish.  I need to find ways to keep my plans on track instead of throwing it out the window and starting back at square one.

This year I plan to make a plan.  It's one thing to say you'll do something but another to take action and make it happen. I know I need to get some things in order so that I can take the steps to creating organized systems that work for me.

Implementing My Plan

I know that I procrastinate on things that I dread doing. I also know that when the tasks are done I feel a sense of accomplishment and relief.  I'm going to base my plans and goals around that.  Here are some of the ways I am going to grab 2013 by the organizing bins!

• Always start with the task I dread doing to get it out of the way and leaving more time for things I enjoy (like blogging!)
• Don't be afraid to get rid of stuff.  If it doesn't have a purpose, take a picture of it for the memory and say adios to it
• Put things in writing. I read this in a book once, write down 6 things you need to do that day, if you only get 3 done, then the additional 3 tasks are the first 3 things on the next day's list
• There's an app for that.  I've found the Lift app to be very interesting and plan on putting it to good use
• Train my brain.  I've started playing around with Lumosity.com and while I am only using the free version I am enjoying seeing the results and will look for more free brain trainers
• Freshen up and fix it up.  You know that great feeling you get when you come back from the hairdresser? I get the same feeling when I get around to changing light bulbs and sprucing things up. I need to do more of that
• Know that it will be all okay.  This might be the most important point of the list.

Do you have an organizing strategy or helpful hints? Please leave them in the comments, because I can use all the help I can get!

Happy New Year Everyone!

My Movember Challenge - Klout It Up!

Making the MOst of Your Klout

The challenge today is to give some +Ks on Klout to people who are participating in Movember.  It's free to do and if you tweet out you're +K's I am sure you will receive some thank-yous from those who are the +K recipients.

Not sure how to give a +K to someone?  Here are the Steps to make the MOst of your Klout.

1. Login into your KLOUT page
2. In the left column under your profile pic it will list YOUR INFLUENCERS click the "see more" by that and a new page will show up with a list of your KLOUT pals and their topics.
3. Beside the people on the list will be topics that they are influential in. Just click on of the topics to give them +Ks
4. A box will pop up asking if you to tweet/share your +K. Pick one (twitter works best with Klout messaging).
5. A message will pop up that will inform the Klout receipient of your +K props! Just hit tweet/share and voila you have just sent some KLOUT their way!

Don't have any Klout pals participating in Movember? Here's a list of some Movember peeps.  Did I miss you? Let me know by leaving a comment below with your Klout page.

Want to join the MY MOVEMBER CHALLENGE
Then add your name to the LINKY at the bottom of this post
http://thesunshineisin.blogspot.ca/2012/11/my-movember-challenge-movember-2012.html

My Movember Challenge - Movember 2012

Finding Some Movember MOjo

It's that time of year again!  Movember 2012 has arrived and I am once again participating in the fun.  Every year I try to up the ante in how I participate.  I guess you could call it finding my Movember MOjo

 (see how you can find yours too at the bottom of this post!)

If you are not quite sure what Movember is exactly you can learn more info on Movember.com.  If you decide to sign up I hope you will join the STACHE TO THE FUTURE team.  You can find the link on my MO SPACE near the right side of the page.

I am proud to say that this year I am involved in organizing two Movember events.  The first one happens Movember 10th (which is really November 10th for those not familiar with the Movember terminology).  It will be a Movember Kids KW Day as a partnership with STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS IN KITCHENER WATERLOO and THE KITCHENER MARKET. 

The second being a Movember Networking Event happening at THE SIGN DEPOT in Kitchener Ontario on Movember 22nd (November 22) also know as #SignDepMO

My Movember started on my first day back to work after my vacation.  That evening I attended the KW Movember Kick Off Party. Being part of the KW Movember committee I was given the task to sell tickets to the Movember Ball happening at the end of the month.  I was able to sell 10 MoBall tickets in about 2 hours.  It was a bit of a challenge as I was dipping into the cash people had allotted to beer and poutine.

Movember Can Be Challenging

While selling the MoBall tickes I was able to meet and chat with a lot of great people.  Everyone there had at least one thing in common, they were participating in Movember.  For some it was something they had done for a few years, but for many it was a new challenge they were taking on this year.  During my first year the challenge was to get KW on the Movember Map!  A challenge our team was quite successful at and KW became an official Movember city the following year.  My second Movember year was to make as many in KW aware of all the great ways to participate in Movember, whether it be by encouraging people to sign up or by letting them know about the great Movember Events taking place. Today I decided that for year three I am going to do my best to challenge myself everyday for the rest of Movember 2012.

Want to Join Me? 

I posted the first challenge on my Facebook.  Want to join and be part of the daily challenges? Don't worry everything will be in the spirit of fun!  Take a second and sign up below. Then check this blog daily for the next challenge.

Use Your Camera On Your Smartphone Phone and Find Your Stuff

Keep Track Of It All

I came across this video from iVillage





This is a great idea and here are some other great ways to use your camera/smartphone to help you find your stuff

1. Take a picture of the items that kids toys that need to go in specific bins and tape a picture of it on the side.  Even children that have not learned to read yet can recognize where there stuff belongs (IE crayons, books, lego)
2. Take a picture of your parking space (I got this idea from @1ofthose2girls).  I've done this on several locations.  Just take a pic of your parking space number and level number.  You can delete it when you're back at your vehicle
3. Stack up library books as soon as you get them home and take a pic of the spines.  That way when it is time to return them, you can be sure you have not forgotten any
4. Calendars can get so cluttered with so many things and sometimes errors are made when jotting down the info. Often activity/school calendars are sent home.  Take a pic of each calendar so you can be certain you have the right times/dates etc.
5. Find your favorite recipes.  Instead of combing through a ton of your recipe books to find that one dessert you made for last year's BBQ, take a pic of the recipe.  If it's too big then take a picture of the book and what page it can be found on.

Have any other tips for using pictures to help you get organized? Lets hear them! Leave a comment and share the knowledge!

When Does Walking Away Suddenly Make You A Target?

Let's just say a lot of events have led up to this post.  This will not be the typical post you are used to reading on my blog.  You have been warned.

This morning I woke to hear that Lance Armstrong was to be stripped of his cycling achievements because he no longer wanted to fight allegations of doping.

Where does it say that walking away from something automatically makes you guilty?   It's sad to see a world where your efforts to make change for good come secondary to scandal. 

Take a time out from this post and read my friend Neil's thoughts which will then lead you to the post on the Lance Armstrong website. 

Does this sound like a man that is guilty? To me it sounds like someone who's ready to move on to bigger and better things.  Choosing to concentrate on what brings out the best of him instead of what has been a big chip on his shoulder.

BUT WHAT DO I KNOW?

I don't know.  Frankly it doesn't matter to me. Reporters continue to say actions speak louder than words, and  they say by Lance Armstrong walking away he is showing he is guilty.

Well what about these actions?

During his treatment, before his recovery, before he even knew his own fate, he created the Lance Armstrong Foundation. This marked the beginning of Lance's life as an advocate for people living with cancer and a world representative for the cancer community.


(Quoted from LIVESTRONG)

and the action that meant so much to those living in my community.




Ride With Lance brought much needed dollars to Kitchener Waterloo for The Grand River Hospital's Cancer Centre  (that's right, he didn't take the funds raised back to the US for the LIVESTRONG foundation, they stayed right here in Kitchener Waterloo). It also brought a lot of community awareness to our area. The first Ride With Lance happened without too much attention until after the event.  The city was buzzing about how much was raised during the top secret fundraiser. In years to come it became almost a city wide scavenger hunt to figure out the route the Ride With Lance would take.

In 2010 I heard on twitter that Lance was in town and later that day I noticed some temporary fencing going up at the end of my street.  I grabbed my flip cam and off I went 




The following year I was approached to help with a project to help a cancer survivor raise funds to participate in the final Ride For Lance.  I was thrilled to be involved. Marcel's Journey did lead him to wear the yellow jersey in the final ride.

Again I ask WHAT ABOUT THOSE ACTIONS?

Millions of dollars to our local hospital....
They will hard pressed to tarnish the shine of Lance Armstrong here in Kitchener Waterloo.


I myself have walked away from two things this summer that I was very passionate about.  Does that make me guilty of something? What does that say about my actions?   Have you ever walked away because of frustration?  Do you think that cancels out all of your credibility?

Pinterest As A Search Engine

The New GOOGLE IT

When someone asks a question, the majority of the time the answer is GOOGLE IT!

I would take it one step further and tell them to go on youtube and type the subject then demo

IE Smartphone demo or Hairstyle tutorial or Step By Step .... in this case how to build a boat

I think you can learn how to do almost anything from YouTube videos.  The problem is sometimes they are very long-winded or take a long time to load depending you internet connection.

Enter Pinterest

I have mentioned in other posts why you should join Pinterest.  Now that most have a good working knowledge of the site it is time to use it to search for the answers to the dilemmas you have.  Find out how to learn to sew, plan parties, create crafts and more.  The search bar on Pinterest can help you find so many things.  The key is to be very general then pick which demo works best for you. For example typing in HOW TO BAKE A PIE has fewer results than just typing in PIE.  Now don't go thinking this is just for the domestic goddess (which most of you know I AM NOT).  Type in astronomy or write a novel and you will find info for that as well. Sometimes it will be in video form, other times you may need to click through to the corresponding post, but most often the info is all laid out for you.

So the next time you have a question, try using Pinterest as a search engine and let me know how it worked out.

Celebrities That Look Like Other Celebrities

Do every notice how similar some celebrities look? Do you wonder if it is done on purpose to increase their popularity?  Here are just a few that I think look very similar.  Wonder who they are? See the answers below

• Row 1 - James Caviezel and Eric Roberts
• Row 2  - Brooke Shields and Rachel Weisz
• Row 3 - Matthew McConaughey and Josh Lucas
• Row 4 - Natalie Portman and Ashely Judd
• Row 5 - Mickey Rourke and Gary Oldman
• Row 6 Mickey Rourke (from the past) and Bruce Willis (from the past) 

So do you agree or disagree?  Do you have any to add to the list? Leave a comment and yours might be in the next post of Celebrities That Look Like Other Celebrities