Author Archives: B

How Much is too Much Organizing?

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I’m a little bit of a nerd when it comes to organizing, so I like to sign for organizing newsletters. The other day I got one in my inbox on how to decide what’s really important. We all struggle with that, so I opened it up to read some of the tips the author had to give. I was a little surprised to hear that we have to try and get rid of everything in our lives that we don’t use immediately. What surprised me even more was that learning that excess things such as paperclips and pens that we won’t use until the future create extra clutter and should be tossed.

Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am not currently using a paperclip at the moment. I’m not about to clip something as I’m writing and depending on how much I accomplish during today, I might have something to clip at the end. At some point in time I would like to clip something. I am 98% sure that there is something currently fastened with a paperclip somewhere in my office.

But to get rid of every paperclip in my office sounds a bit ridiculous. I know I’ll need one eventually. I don’t know if you can buy just one paperclip, but it would certainly be a waste of my time if I had to venture to the store every time I needed a paperclip.

I can see where having a large excess of paperclips might be a problem. Say one time I bought an entire case of boxes filled with paperclips because I was convinced I’d need that many when I actually didn’t. I could understand a personal organizer suggesting I donate all of those paperclips I didn’t need. Or maybe if I was bored I could make a paperclip mountain in the corner of my office.

But in the grand scheme of things my handful of paperclips that I actually own (in my handy dandy paperclip dispenser) takes up probably less than 1% of my office space and takes up even less room in my mind. (Unless, of course, I need something clipped and I can’t find out, which was the cause of the Great Paperclip Meltdown of 2010 and resulted in the acquisition of a paperclip dispenser.)

And a plea, to all of those who have time on their hands to even catalogue their paperclips: there are much more exciting hobbies out there! Maybe it’s time to get a new one!

As much as I love things like greeting card organizers and label-makers, I don’t want to live my life worrying about whether or not my pens are organized (unless they’re spread out over my desk). You shouldn’t have to either!

Get rid of things that you honestly know you’ll never use (e.g., ice cream maker, melon-baller) but know that it’s ok to keep the things you might use, but not right away. I’m not immediately using a wine glass right now, but it makes sense to have room in the cupboard for a time where I might use one.

Unless, of course, it’s time for a glass right now.

KBwB-BFlower-50Visit my busy page for my blog posts on how I keep my crazy organizing habits in check. Feel like your organizing is getting out of control? Stop cataloguing your pencils by lead-type and take a break by discovering a great new read or trying out a great new recipe. Go on. I dare you.

A Change Will Do You Good

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Some people can be uncomfortable with change, but sometimes (as Sheryl Crow says) a change will do you good. It’s easy to fall into the same patterns and habits and sometimes these behaviors are so ingrained into our daily routines we don’t even realize it until a change comes along and mixes everything up.

Naturally our first reaction is over-reaction. Someone pushes a meeting ahead at the last minute leaving you to wait in an unfamiliar place for half an hour. Traffic forces us to take a different route to the grocery store. It could even be something as little as Starbucks running out of your favorite latté topper. End of the world, right?

Except consider this: previous scientific studies have proved that changing up our daily routine can actually be stimulating to our brains. Forcing our brain to think beyond our normal range of daily activities can foster creative thinking and improve our problem-solving skills.

Take this as an example: try writing your name with the hand opposite to the one you normally use to write. Writing our names is something that probably most of us do on a daily basis. See how much more brain power it took to write it with your other hand? If we took the same logic and apply it to other things that we do in our lives, then you can come up with other changes in your routine that force you to think creatively and lift you out of that rut.

I recently tried this when I found myself staring at a blank Microsoft Word document for almost twenty minutes, willing words to type themselves onto the screen in a way that made sense. After my clairvoyance skills failed me, I decided that the next best thing to revive me would be to head outside with my dogs for a walk. Once we had started I decided, on a whim, to do our normal circuit backwards. Even though I have lived in the neighborhood I do for upwards of 20 years and have walked those same streets at least one hundred times, it still proved to be pretty difficult to follow the same route backwards. That time to myself, the fresh air and the increased brain power made my walk that much more invigorating. After that, I was excited to get home and finish what I had been trying to start for ages.

Try it sometime. Change the location you work, the coffee you order, what to have for lunch today. You may find yourself more energized and ready to pull yourself out of the rut you find yourself in, solve a problem you’ve been stuck on, or break through that writer’s block that’s been plaguing you for weeks.

A change really can do a world of good when it comes to being productive, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Even if it doesn’t help to jump start that project you’ve been pondering, you’re doing something exciting and new for yourself too!

KBwB-Flower-50

Feel like changing it up? Take a break from your business and being busy by checking out what I’ve been reading lately, or try out a new recipe from my baking section. My list of recipes I want to try and books I want to read just keeps growing!

The Procrastination Problem

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KBB_snail_on_sidewalkAaah, November. I remember back in the day when I was a student, I’d spend the majority of the month acting like a crazy person. I’d skip classes in order to study and took power naps at weird times of the day so I could get up early and start studying some more.

One particular night stands out above all others- I had two essays due the next morning, and I pulled an all-nighter trying to finish them. I will always remember this night fondly because I got both essays done on time and received a pretty good grade on both. However, this was also the night I discovered my body’s caffeine-limit- two pots of coffee and four Red Bulls in a 24-hour period left me puking in the bathroom at 6 in the morning, editing my essays in between retching.

The stuff we do for that piece of paper, right?

The thing is, I probably could have avoided that night altogether had I not procrastinated. Trust me- everyone will do this at some point in time, so you’re not alone. (Even supposedly ultra-organized people like myself.) I have never heard of anyone not procrastinating on a particularly tricky or dull assignment at some point or another, so if you have heard of someone who hasn’t procrastinated ever, this person is probably a) a robot, which means they aren’t human and it doesn’t count, or b) this person has a horrible disease in which they think they are a robot. in which case they should probably seek medical attention.

For all those out there procrastinating right now, take comfort. A professor once told me that procrastination is a good thing. She often encouraged us to embrace the urge to procrastinate rather than to fight it, as studies have often showed studying (or writing essays) in short spurts is actually more productive than hitting the books for ten hours straight at the library. Your brain is sharper and retains more information that way. If you feel the urge to procrastinate, it may be your brain’s (or your body’s) way of telling you that you aren’t mentally prepared to complete the task at hand, therefore creating a sub-par result like a bad grade, or a blog post essay that makes no sense.

Of course, procrastination isn’t always good. For example, if you have one hour until your exam starts, it’s probably not a good idea to start studying right now. The adrenaline coursing through your body is not going to allow your brain to mentally focus on the task at hand until you’re actually sitting there in the exam center, pen at the ready.

But there’s no reason you still can’t take my professor’s advice. Instead, be kinder to yourself and realize that you’re not a machine- you’re a person who needs study breaks and sleep and proper food (eating an entire bag of Sour Patch Kids does not constitute as a meal, and neither is a cup of coffee). Here are some ways I’ve found that you can turn procrastinating into something productive.

1) Make a snack. And make it something healthy, please! Instead of limiting yourself to eating at the computer, which can cause you to overeat, take five minutes and make yourself a snack that has protein to help with the sleep deprivation from which you are suffering, no doubt, and a carb that will take your body longer to process so you are energized longer, such as a piece of fruit.

2) Play around. Give yourself a few minutes to mosey on over to FreeRice.com. It’s totally addictive, it makes you think, and it helps donate grains of rice to those in need. See how many grains of rice you can stockpile before you answer too many questions wrong, post your results to Facebook, then get back to work!

3) Clean your bathroom. Or your dorm room. Or your kitchen. Or whatever. You get to burn some of those calories you’ve been retaining since you’ve been stationary for so long, and you get to do something productive. I always find I do a better cleaning job when I’m using it as a way to procrastinate. Something about the thought of churning out another homework assignment makes me realize how much I care about the cleanliness of the grout in between my bathroom tiles- of which there are many.

4) Grab a coffee. Agree to meet up a similarly swamped friend and go to the coffee shop down the street. Stand in line. Bitch about all the work you’ve had to do and how little sleep you’ve gotten. Discuss the merits of the different coffee roasts and which one is more caffeinated. Tip your barista (she’s probably in the middle of midterms too!) then walk back to the library, or wherever it is you’re studying. If you’re at home, make yourself another pot of coffee and give yourself five minutes for it to brew. Pause. Enjoy your first sip. There now. Doesn’t it taste that much better?

5) Take a walk. It’s by far the best way to procrastinate. You get exercise and you blow off any steam that’s been building after working through a frustrating calculus problem. There’s something about the fresh air that seems so invigorating, especially at this time of year. Take your hot chocolate, take a friend, take your iPod- whatever works! Allow yourself at least ten minutes and enjoy the crunch of the leaves and that last little bit of fall sunshine. Some say that exercise of any kind can get the blood flowing back to your brain, which allows you to focus and study much more effectively.

Use all of these tactics, or none- whichever works for you. After awhile, you’ll figure out what works for you, your body and your lifestyle. And if all else fails, you can always revert back to my favorite procrastination technique- the crazy, late-night dance party. Stick on some J-Lo and shake it!

Or not. After all, you could always do it later!

KBwB-Flower-50

Need more excuses to procrastinate? Visit my books page or my baking page to see what I’ve been doing with all of the time that I’ve been wasting. Although let’s be honest with ourselves- can we really call baking a waste of time?!?

What I Would Have Done, Had I Been You

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KBB_bookmark_mugSometimes one of the biggest mistakes we make, both personally and professionally, is not taking our own advice.

It may seem like common sense to trust your own judgment but unfortunately when we’re neck-deep in situations ourselves, it’s hard to maintain the same kind of level-headed thinking that comes so easily when helping to solve a the problems of a colleague or friend. So what is a professional like you or me to do?

A woman I knew was guiding me through a difficult situation and I was getting frustrated that the answers were not coming easily. She asked me, “Well, what would you tell a client in a similar situation?”

I thought about it, told her what I would have recommended, and asked her again what she thought I should do. She smiled and said, “You already told me.”

Isn’t it funny how we have to step out of our own shoes in order to step back into them? When solving a problem in the workplace or at home, try asking yourself what advice you would give a friend or colleague in need. It’s a little like thinking outside of the box- it can take some time to get the hang of it, but the results are more often than not innovative, positive and rewarding.

KBwB-Flower-50

If you’re not going to take your own advice, at least take mine. Check out my business section for more posts filled with practical advice you can use RIGHT NOW in your own personal and professional lives. If I were you, I’d go read them all right now. Seriously.

What to Do When There is No Problem

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Sometimes, there is no problem.

Isn’t that weird? I think most of us spend our day-to-day looking for problems because we’re so used to them coming up. From our email search functions not working properly to that guy who cut you off on the way home from work, it seems like there’s hiccups everywhere, everyday.

So when there aren’t any problems arising in your business and everything seems to be running smoothly, it can be hard to figure out what to do. Where do you go from there?

Most people feel it’s a natural step to hire a consultant for their business when they’re experiencing problems. It’s great to get a fresh perspective on a situation in order to come up with a solution to make it work again.

What a lot of people don’t realize it that hiring a consultant can also be helpful when there isn’t a problem. A consultant may be able to give you an outsider’s perspective on where to take your business next. Some examples of this could be decision on how to expand your business, or take on a new project.

Or why not continue working on what’s already working? A consultant may be able to offer suggestions on expanding your client base, or starting a new advertising campaign, or diversifying a solid advertising base with some exciting new social media adventures.

Consultants aren’t just there for when there are problems that need fixing. After all, there isn’t always a problem to be fixed! Maybe the only problem you should be considering is, what do I do next?

KBwB-Flower-50

Got some time on your hands? Check out my business section for more inspiration on how to improve your business, or visit my busy section on how to start your next project. Or why not try something completely different to take a break and do some baking? The possibilities of what to do next are endless!

Do Unto Yourself What You Would Unto Others

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That seems a little backwards, doesn’t it? People who read the above may conclude one of the following about me:

1) I’ve either gotten my sayings really mixed up or;

2) I wrote this during happy hour.

Neither, I’m glad to say, is true. I think most of old adages offer some good advice, no matter what their origin. Unless you haven’t guessed already, the adage here I’m referring to is, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s a philosophy that I hope we all live by.

But what about the way you treat yourself? Do you really treat yourself the way that would treat others?

We make so many allowances for the way others act and sometimes bend over backwards to make accommodations for a late invoice, or work late to get out that report for a demanding client. Does this sound familiar?

We all want to do well in our businesses and make a good impression on who we work with, but that also means taking a good look at areas where you can treat yourself a little better. Are you putting an extraordinary amount of pressure on yourself to put out a new tweet about your business on the hour every hour? Have you been ignoring your filing or doing your taxes in favor of other work?

The problem with ignoring your own wants and needs, both personally and professionally, is that we often become frustrated at setting ourselves unrealistic goals or deadlines. This can become reflected in the quality of work that you do, or how well you treat a client. That’s ironic, considering you were going out of your way to treat them how you would want to be treated. Instead, you’re treating yourself and them in a way you would never want to be treated in the first place.

Hiring a consultant to help you manage your time and reflect on the processes that aren’t working for you may point you in the right direction. There’s no need to feel embarrassed- running a small business is hard! A good consultant will remain non-judgmental about what hasn’t been working for you, and might be able to offer suggestions as to what can help. This doesn’t have to be a painful process to put more pressure on yourself. It could be as relaxing as spending an afternoon airing your grievances out over coffee. It’s definitely a way to start becoming kinder to yourself.

Still worried about what a consultant might say about learning how to treat yourself better? Keep in mind they may have heard an old adage or two about that themselves.

KBwB-Flower-50

What are some of the ways that you’ve treated yourself kindly lately? Comment below and tell me how it makes you feel. No, really. We could all use some pointers sometimes. Don’t forget to check out the business section of the blog for more common-sense-advice-that-you-knew-already-you-just-needed-someone-else-to-tell-you-it-type articles. But of course, you knew that already. You’re so smart.

A Lesson from the Material Girl

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If you live in Toronto like I do, then you’ve heard no end of TIFF-related news stories and celebrity sightings. For the most part, Toronto’s reaction to TIFF has been a positive one as movie-goers had the opportunity to view several Canadian-made productions and to shake hands with George Clooney (who I am told is just as charming and handsome in person). But sparks flew yesterday with reports that Madonna had ordered TIFF volunteers to turn and face the wall while she entered her press conference promoting her new film, W.E. Not only were people outraged to learn of her treatment of the Torontonians who so kindly donated their time to make this event possible, this report came just a week after another news report was published concerning her ridiculous behavior at the Venice Film Festival. (You can read all about it here.)

Reports today from TIFF’s security company and Madonna’s publicist denied the superstar ever made such a demand on TIFF’s volunteers. It remains to be seen whether or not this incident was actually true or part of a wave of Madonna-publicity-hysteria that seems to emerge every time she appears in public. But it sparks an interesting question: when does celebrity behavior go too far?

Undoubtedly, most of us are not rich and famous celebrities. We’re all just people trying to get along with our day-to-day lives and run our businesses. None of us would dream of exhibiting the type of behavior that big name stars are purported to do. But on a smaller scale, how much do we do it on a daily basis? How many times have we blown off a meeting, or took too long to respond to an email without an apology?

It’s difficult in the world of technology to remember that the people we are dealing with are just that: real people. Sure, it’s easy to fire off an email with a one-sentence directive, or attend a harried Skype conference with a client to present only pared-down facts. Most will understand- everyone struggles to balance their busy schedules and sometimes these kinds of interactions are necessary.

But when you have a minute, why not actually sit down for coffee with a client or a business partner? Send off a quick email letting a colleague know how much you enjoyed their presentation. Say thank-you when your assistant brings in your mail. Taking the time to show your appreciation for something is one of the best ways to encourage people to work with you simply because it demonstrates that you are a nice person! Imagine that!

In the world of celebrity, and in business, any stunt such as the one Madonna pulled can be seen as one of pure publicity. As the old adage goes, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” But acting unkind towards the people who have helped you get to where you are, and doing it publicly is just that: bad publicity. Other than that, it’s just being plain rude.

People will probably still want to work with Madonna because of her enormous fame. The same could not be said of an accountant who acted rudely, or a designer, or even a small business consultant.

But for the record, I do happen to like hydrangeas.

KBwB-Flower-50

Do you hate rude people? Me too. Share your horror stories with me by commenting below. Want more advice on how to spread the kindness? Check out my article on doing unto yourself as you would unto others. And yes, that’s what I meant to say. I don’t mix up my proverbs…much.

Original news article found here: http://www.680news.com/tiff-2011/article/277075–madonna-did-not-issue-order-to-make-tiff-volunteers-look-away.

Why Blog?

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Well, why not?

Blogs are a great way to express yourself creatively and emotionally. If you’re willing to set aside the time to explore the Internet, you can probably find dozens upon dozens of blogs that cover every subject from crazy things that your dad used to say (sound familiar?), to lists of awesome things that can improve a person’s day in many little ways (that probably sounds familiar too).

I guess that’s another reason people blog- a lot of these blogs have ended up becoming quite famous. Maybe your blog could end up being the ticket to your fifteen minutes of fame- although there is never a guarantee yours will enjoy the same amount of success!

Besides being an outlet for yourself personally, blogging as part of your business plan is often a smart move for those who feel like they have a lot of information to share with their clients. It’s a lot less intimidating than giving a lecture but requires less maintenance than a weekly newsletter. A blog can be maintained however and wherever is most convenient for you and can be updated as often as you wish.

Best of all, blogs can be a great way to let your clients get to know you on a personal level. We live in an age where we send quick one-line emails instead of handwriting business letters and sealing them with wax. We do business much more informally now! Clients are interested in hearing your thoughts on what is relevant to your business at this moment, whether it be your take on the current housing market or what you consider to be the best colours to paint your bathroom. Making a connection like this on a personal level may be the key to a good business relationship later on!

Having said that, I hope you get to know me a little more through my blog. My consulting business provides help for the people who need a little extra support when dealing with the everyday trials of running a small business. As such, I’ve picked up some tips and tricks that I’m excited to share with you. I’d love to hear your thoughts on some of the strategies currently working in your life too. Subscribe to my blog and let me know about yours. One of my favourite things to do is read, and I’d love to hear more about what you do.

Who knows? It could be the start of a beautiful blogging friendship.

KBwB-Flower-50

Let’s be blogging friends. Click here to read more about what I do, or visit business, baking, busy, book or best practices to find out what I like to write about. And if you really want to be super friends, I’m on Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads and Instagram and I’m waiting to hear from you!