For the last 20 years I have worked part time at a middle school. During the first 12 years, I supervised the Student Services area where kids who were having a bad day spent time. Some students spent a lot of hours there. Many of them were kids who just couldn’t keep quiet or sit still, whether because of ADD, ADHD or some emotional or behavioral disorder. It was easy to label certain ones as Troublesome or Underachieving.
I remember thinking then - and still believe - that the traits which caused those kids to struggle through school would one day be the qualities that could create a very successful adult life. Social communication is a skill that is highly regarded in most professions - especially fields such as sales, marketing, public relations, teaching, and consulting.
The energy that used to prevent students from sitting tranquilly at their desks is now welcomed by companies who need go-getters to produce their product or provide their services. Of course, remembering that the Wild Child can grow up to be a Successful Adult can be quite a challenge - whether you’re a teacher or a parent.
The trick is to prepare all children for adulthood and give them the tools to prosper in real life. If you have questions or concerns about helping the kids in your life develop the skills they need to succeed, you’ll definitely want to check out the Cline-Fay Love and Logic Institute materials. After facilitating Love and Logic classes for over 18 years (and using it on my 3 children, as well as at school), I’m even more convinced that it’s the best program out there. They offer many free resources on their website, in addition to a wide variety of books, CDs and DVDs. Go to www.LoveandLogic.com and let me know how it works for you. And, if you know of a group who would like to offer the program, I'd love to hear from them, too.
Positive Spin Tip #5: It may not be a good idea to label people, but it is a great idea to label almost everything else in your home or office. In fact, LABEL is the next step in the G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process. After you GET MOVING, IDENTIFY, and GROUP you need to LABEL. When preparing to sort through a drawer, cupboard, shelf, or closet, gather empty containers and markers or sticky notes to label them. Then, as you IDENTIFY each item, you can GROUP like objects or documents together in a labeled box, basket, file, or other container. The LABEL step is the one that helps make your hard work last! Watch future blogs for more details on sorting through clutter (paper, computer, stuff). If you need help getting your G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process to work, a phone or on site consultation may be the answer. Just let me know - Susi@MessDistress.com
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
S.O.S. Blog #5 - 05/07/10
Are you a procrastinator? Maybe you just need to create a specific time in your schedule to get things done. Benjamin Franklin said, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Believe it or not, that’s all you really need to know about organizing: You make a place for things and then put them away!
When you consider your To Do list, you may ask yourself, “When am I going to do this?” or “How am I going to get all of this done?” Since the answer is probably, “I don’t know,” it’s easy to put things off until Later. Ben’s advice pertains to time, as well as stuff. “Make a place” in your life to focus on certain activities. Enter blocks of time - even 10 minutes (be realistic) - into your planner or calendar to really address those things you want to accomplish. Then, stick to your plan to “put them away.”
The same is true for the stuff we accumulate. Unfortunately, we want things put away but forget to first make places for them. Clutter and procrastination are signs that we don’t have enough designated places.
When we look at a document or other item and ask ourselves, “Where does this go?” the answer is often (usually!), “I don’t know.” So, we put it on a pile of other undecided paper or stuff it into a drawer or closet until we decide what to do with it. Clutter is really just a symptom of indecision. “I’m not sure, so I’ll put it here until I figure it out.” Again, it’s a matter of making enough places, which brings us to.....
Positive Spin Tip #5: The next step in the G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process is to GIVE IT A PLACE. You’ve already done the GET MOVING, IDENTIFY, and GROUP steps, so now it’s time to make places for those items you’ve identified and grouped together. Gathering like items into one place makes it easier to see what size or type of container you need for them. Measure the cupboard, closet, or drawer where items will be placed before purchasing boxes or other storage containers. Having a dedicated container (file folder, basket, box, etc.) helps to both give you boundaries or limits to what you save and makes it simpler to find things later on.
Wish you had someone to guide you through the G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process? I’d love to help you - in person or over the phone. It’s amazing how much we can accomplish during one phone session! Just send your request (or desperate plea) to Susi@MessDistress.com - we can G.I.G.G.L.E.™ together:)
When you consider your To Do list, you may ask yourself, “When am I going to do this?” or “How am I going to get all of this done?” Since the answer is probably, “I don’t know,” it’s easy to put things off until Later. Ben’s advice pertains to time, as well as stuff. “Make a place” in your life to focus on certain activities. Enter blocks of time - even 10 minutes (be realistic) - into your planner or calendar to really address those things you want to accomplish. Then, stick to your plan to “put them away.”
The same is true for the stuff we accumulate. Unfortunately, we want things put away but forget to first make places for them. Clutter and procrastination are signs that we don’t have enough designated places.
When we look at a document or other item and ask ourselves, “Where does this go?” the answer is often (usually!), “I don’t know.” So, we put it on a pile of other undecided paper or stuff it into a drawer or closet until we decide what to do with it. Clutter is really just a symptom of indecision. “I’m not sure, so I’ll put it here until I figure it out.” Again, it’s a matter of making enough places, which brings us to.....
Positive Spin Tip #5: The next step in the G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process is to GIVE IT A PLACE. You’ve already done the GET MOVING, IDENTIFY, and GROUP steps, so now it’s time to make places for those items you’ve identified and grouped together. Gathering like items into one place makes it easier to see what size or type of container you need for them. Measure the cupboard, closet, or drawer where items will be placed before purchasing boxes or other storage containers. Having a dedicated container (file folder, basket, box, etc.) helps to both give you boundaries or limits to what you save and makes it simpler to find things later on.
Wish you had someone to guide you through the G.I.G.G.L.E.™ process? I’d love to help you - in person or over the phone. It’s amazing how much we can accomplish during one phone session! Just send your request (or desperate plea) to Susi@MessDistress.com - we can G.I.G.G.L.E.™ together:)
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