Money clutter is something that not many people talk about. Business owners will admit to paper clutter, digital clutter, mental clutter, but they rarely talk about money clutter. It’s time that we did because it can at least as debilitating to your business as the other types of clutter (which you also need to deal with, by the way!).

Here are 7 steps to get you going on dealing with your money clutter, particularly in the area of credit cards.

1. Make a list of all of your credit cards. Put the information in an Excel spread sheet or a Word doc table or any other easy to organize software (or even use paper and pencil!) Just make a list.

2. Note the balance due on each card currently.

3. Note the closing date for each account (not the due date for paying each month’s bill. Note: You can delegate this to your bookkeeper or other assistant if you want, but there is some value in YOU making this list and these determination. It’s your business, right?

4. Put the date that each account closes into your calendar, planner, tickler system, or some other means that lets you know that your account is now ready to be paid. Note: If you have all of your accounts set up to pay automatically electronically and to pay the amount in full each month, then you have nothing to worry about here. This tip is for the person who cannot always pay the full amount each month and so waits to see what is due and how much is in the account before deciding what to pay. This is clutter, by the way.

5. Line up all your cards (on your chart) so that they are organized by the one with the smallest balance at the top and the largest balance at the bottom. These should be easy to do using the sort function in your table or spread sheet.

6. If you have any credit card debt that you are unable to pay off each month, pay the minimum on all of your credit cards (or other loans) – but that’s not all I’m going to say, so keep reading.

7. Pay as much extra on whatever is the smallest card balance so that you can pay that one off. The idea is that if you have 5 or 10 (or more) credit cards, you want to begin paying them off one by one until you have only one or two main credit cards for work and you pay each one of them off completely, each month. Note: When you pay off one of the credit cards from early in your list, stop carrying it. Don’t cancel it, just stop having it available to continue adding to.

When you have reduced your credit card debt to a manageable monthly pay-off, you will have reduced your money clutter significantly.  Test these 7 steps and see what happens for you.

Write down a problem that you have been trying to deal with (or that you’ve ignored) in your business.

I’ll wait.

OK. I’ll assume you have that written down. Now, change the wording of that problem into a question.

I’ll wait.

OK. I will assume that you now have a great question posed. You want a question that is begging for an answer. You don’t have to write it already knowing the answer…you just have to write it as if you expect an answer (from somewhere, anywhere!)

Now you go to the really fun part, which is generating at least 30 responses to whatever the question is that you asked. Just number a piece of paper, put your question at the top and start writing.

I am quite sure that you might be thinking, “Oh, brother, Meggin. Are you nuts? I can’t come up with 30 ideas, answers, alternatives, ways, or any other label for this question. That’s impossible.”

Actually, no, it’s not impossible. Pretty much the first 12, 13, 14 or so ideas that you or your team generate are the ones you need to get out of the way to allow the really good ones to come through. So often, we stop right about the 12 -15 mark (if we even get that far). And while the real answer MIGHT be in that group, if you don’t push past that, you won’t really know. I can literally feel a shift when I blast through the first easy ones. It’s quite interesting and fascinating (and very cool). Dee Hock said,

The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a building filled with archaic furniture. Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it.

This activity is one way to do this. Start writing and feel free to blast right past the 30 mark. There is nothing magical about 30 and certainly should not be seen as an upper limit. I just needed to give you a target that was well past the dozen where you’re likely to write the standard responses. You need and want to get to the newer, fresher, more creative ideas.

So just write. Don’t stop. Don’t think you’ve exhausted the answers. As long as you have working brain cells, there are more ideas.

NOW you have some ideas and solutions to choose from. I believe with my whole heart, that there are no problems that cannot be solved through people putting their creative minds to work.

Join me in that belief and in living that way.

In today’s world, people think that the height of productivity is responding instantly (or as close to instantly as possible). In fact, in many cases, this lessens your productivity. In business, we can’t afford to be less productive. Here are tips for downshifting your ability to be responsive so you can upshift your productivity.

“I am dying…I have lost my way in the jungle.”

Does that sound familiar to any of you? While I know (from frequent experience) that this a horrible feeling and I am dreadfully sorry for anyone who feels this way – there are some upsides to your having expressed this aloud. And the good news is this:

Once you have come to this realization, now you can start to find your way out. Until you have a sense (or clear knowledge) that you are lost, you will not seek a way out. Granted, this is a positive way to look at this not-very-fun situation you are in – but it is not an unrealistic way to view it.

My friend continued her email:

I am so overwhelmed with what has to be done that I haven’t have time for me including some of the special learning situations and “self-help” opportunities I had set up for myself. I know it is a condition of being paralyzed more than being out of time…

The paralysis we feel when we are this frantic is a common state, symptom, and/or result of feeling overwhelmed. I hear this all the time – all over the country. Here is what we know:

Once this paralysis sets in, we become even more upset because we know we are not getting anything done in our paralyzed state and thus, we feel even more useless (believe me, I know).

Maybe you have wondered, as my friend did,

“Should I simply forget all I have lost and begin anew today?”

Actually, yes, pretty much. Here are some thoughts to explain my response:

The feeling that we need to “catch up” is so common for women, in particular – and the reality is that we can not and we will not. It is not because we don’t want to catch up. Heavens knows we do. But the world and our lives never stop bringing us “new” stuff so there actually is not a “space” where we can do the catching up we think we need to impose on ourselves and our situation.
Some of what we think we need to “catch up” on just doesn’t matter and we are better off letting it go. Instead, we can start putting new behaviors and practices into place on what is current vs. with the “backlog.”

Some of what we think we need to catch up on does matter…but if we get bogged down in the backlog, we can’t move forward. If it is terribly important, it will pop up again. Or it won’t…and life will go on.

By starting “new” you have a sense that you can do it. Psychologically, it’s why we like the feelings of new semesters and new years and other new beginnings because we think, “Yes, I can do this.” We bring a positive energy to our work (life) that isn’t there when we’re mucking around in the old stuff. And we need that positive sense of what’s possible to carry on. Otherwise, we just want to (and often do) give up.

Consider the upside of feeling completely overwhelmed and voicing that emotion. You can now start the fresh and new behaviors and dispositions. That is SO much better than wallowing in self-loathing. Can I hear an “Amen!”

If you would like some direct, specific ideas and strategies for getting out of overwhelm – to a place of being “just whelmed,” you are encouraged to check out Meggin’s Just Whelmed Wee Weekly Workshops – www.JustWhelmed.com.  You’ll get a year’s worth of ideas and support.  Not too much.  Not too little.  Just right. 

Good grief, Charlie Brown! Families are running around like crazy–and it’s chaotic, to say the least. Here’s my question: Is this the experience that you want your children, nieces, nephews, parents, and friends to remember about any time spent with you, i.e., that it’s chaotic and crazy? Hmmm….I think not. So, here are some ideas for putting in protected pockets of time and energy for your friends and family.

1. If your children or other members of your family are involved in an organized sport, limit it to one per person per season. This is easier on the child and on the rest of the family.  Running around like a nut is not building anyone’s relationships nor their overall health.  Choose one sport/person/season.

2. Have one day or evening a week that is “off limits” for anything scheduled, at all. Open calendars – heavenly.  These open spaces are protected pockets.  Everyone needs that – especially as a family.  Just be home and eat together, watch a movie, play board games, talk (really…just talk and find out what is happening in everyone’s lives), or whatever else would be pleasant and would help build the relationships and the feeling of ahhhh…space.

3. The “off limits” day refers to you, too. Regardless of whether you are a member of a ‘traditional’ family or friends group, you need a day/evening where you don’t have anything scheduled.  It’s your protected time.  You can rejuvenate and be better for everyone if you have this time and space.

4. Establish ASO time. Too many families are using all their time pockets for screen time (TV, video games, movie rentals, computer, etc.) and should consider instituting limits. Start with an “ASO” time (“All Screens Off”) by a certain hour or until a certain hour.

5. Define what pockets look and feel like for you, as far as your relationships and time with friends and family. First, get clear for yourself - and then let others in your personal circle know.  Next, find out what it looks and feels like for them. You might be surprised.

Putting in protected pockets for and with your family and friends help keep chaos at bay–and let you lead a life that is more peacefully productive. That’s what you want isn’t it?

As an adult, have you ever said, “Gosh, I have so much time and no real idea what to do with myself.” HA! It is, of course, the opposite.  Day after day, everyone is saying, “Yikes, I have way more to do that I can possibly do!”  Here are five ideas to help put ‘pockets’ (i.e., protected places and spaces) of time in your life.

1. Use a planner. When you write in a commitment of any type, add time before and after that commitment. It might be 10 minutes on either side or an hour on either side, just depending on the type of commitment.  The ‘padding’ you are putting in will be your ‘pockets’ and will help you stay sane.

2. Use just one planner. Put everything that you and your family do on that calendar that might have an impact on you. For example, if your spouse has an evening meeting, even though you don’t have to attend, you should place that on your calendar. It might affect you because you’ll be responsible for the children, you’ll be responsible for making dinner, you won’t be able to take your spouse to another event, etc.

3. Don’t fill up your calendar. Just because there is a space open on your calendar does not mean you have to fill it.  These spaces are your pockets.

4. Prepare stickers/labels to put on your calendar that designate “pocket” time. Once the sticker is on that spot, call it an appointment and don’t schedule on top of that time.

5. Schedule “clearing” or “recover” days. I schedule these days after I have been out of town and need a day to clear the decks or to recover from the travel. It’s not a day off, by any means. It’s a day to clear out the mail and email, to get my wash done, to return phone calls that couldn’t be returned while on the road, to get all my “stuff” put away. A clearing/recover day is a day to clear the decks or to recover so you are ready to hit the ground on the following day.

Consciously putting in pockets of time is a good first step toward putting pockets throughout your life. I love to write about this topic because it helps me focus on it as well. Check out the resources below to help yourself stay on track with putting in pockets and being more productive.

Do you have items that are on their last legs? That is, have you duct-taped (either literally or figuratively) something that you depend on? What would happen if it stopped working? For example, has your computer done things lately that let you know that the hard drive is just about to die? But you keep hoping it will just hang on a while longer? The last time you used your big flashlight, did you have to bang it against your hand so it would flicker back to life? And how will it be the next time your electricity goes out for a couple of hours and your flashlight doesn’t work at all?

If you don’t have any “pockets” in place with your possessions, then you are courting disaster.  Here are some thoughts on staying away from the disasters:

1. Proactively, you’ll only want to buy the very best you can afford. This is true in every category from kitchen faucets to hair dye to cars. Spend 10% more than you think you can so you’ll save (big time) in the long run.

2. Help the organization where you work understand this as well. Government agencies, in particular, are famous for being expected to “take the low bid.” Sometimes the low bid is the best one, and other times, the agency is ‘stepping over a dollar to save a dime” as the saying goes. You end up spending so much more in the long run if you buy ‘on the cheap.’

3. If, and only if, you are an EXPERT in repair of your particular item, should you attempt to repair anything yourself. When you factor in your time (and the wear-and-tear on your personal relationships) when you attempt to make an amateur repair, the real cost(s) becomes apparent.

4. Keep an up-to-date list of “Experts” in your address book. Put them all under “E.” You’ll forget their names from time to time–especially if the pocket has run out on a particular possession and you need to get something repaired immediately.  You want to be able to find the person who can help you when this happens.

5. If you elect to buy service contracts, write in your planner when you’ll call for your free check-up appointments. It is ever-so-much better to have something checked when it doesn’t need it – so you never have to call when it  has broken down.  And when you have a ‘free’ check up available, for heaven’s sake, use it.

All of these ideas need to be adjusted to fit your circumstances. Proactively put in the pockets you need with your possessions.

How is it that a grown woman/man can procrastinate day after day, month after month, and year after year? Because procrastination works. It keeps you from having to do the task that you just hate to do. Well here’s the news, folks, you can break the habit (if you want to, that is).

1. Keep a procrastination log. (You’ll enjoy this because you’ll be procrastinating from doing something else.) The way a procrastination log works is this: take notes on those items that you know you should be doing, but you just aren’t getting them done. As each item floats into your consciousness, write it down. You can have a special pad or notebook just for this.
2. After a few days of this, look at the items in your log and divide the list into “work” items and “personal” items. Sometimes, you will see a pattern just by doing this step! It’s amazing when you realize that you never procrastinate at work or you never procrastinate on personal items. If this is the case, then you could have some insight into the issue just by knowing this. If not, however, move on to the next step.
3. Look through your lists and see if there are any items that can be done in five minutes or less. Do these immediately! (Now you can check off a few items in your log and this is so very satisfying).
4. Next, look through your lists and tell the truth. Be honest with yourself. Are there items that you’ve written down that you know you’ll never do? Cross them off. They are just bugging you and weighing you down with guilt–and there’s no need for that if you know perfectly well that you will NEVER do them. Just cross them off.
5. “Return” a task that really isn’t yours. This might be a home task or a work task. You probably have a gracious plenty of tasks, responsibilities, and projects that are yours and yours alone. The last thing you need to do is take on any extras. So give the task back to the original owner.
6. Delegate anything on your list that you can reasonably delegate. Can you pay another person (or company) to do one or more of the tasks on your list? It’s possible there are children or teens in your house who would clean up your linen closet/pantry/storage area for $$. Isn’t it worth that to you? And heavens knows that whatever your salary is, you are probably procrastinating items at work that could be hired out to someone who makes less than you do.
7. Is there anything on your procrastination log that really calls for a professional to step in and help you or take over the task? What if the carpet in your home or office is pulling up from the seam and you can’t fix it yourself (nor should you try to!)? Set a specific time every week to make phone calls to professionals to help you with odd tasks like this.
8. Check through your list to see if there are actually procrastinated tasks that you are afraid of. How about that big project your employer asked you to do? Even if you aren’t going to do the task today, make an outline of what must be done to complete the task. Force yourself to complete one item on the outline before you leave work today. Ed Bliss calls this the salami technique. Just slice off a tiny little piece and get it done. Much easier (and tastier) than trying to gnaw on a whole salami.
9. Hmmmm…now what about those tasks on your procrastination log that you hate to do? Accounting, filing, etc.–and it depends on the person what is on this list. If you really can’t stand to do the task, but it’s part of your job, then get to work 10 minutes early for the next several days until these items are caught up. Then designate an early morning time to complete the item on a regular basis.
10. Lastly, don’t allow yourself to whine about your procrastination. In the time it takes you to whine, you could have finished the task.

And a final tip to get rid of the procrastination time thieves is to read Rita Emmett’s book The Procrastinators’ Handbook. It’s worth the time it takes to read the book, believe me. No thievery there!

Oh, boy. Sometimes you can be your own worst enemy. You have so many projects to complete, and yet things that are way down low on your priority list get done first. Here are a few ways to avoid distracting yourself.

1. Map out your day as “work” and “other” times. When you’re supposed to be working, you should be working. Imagine yourself as your boss – would your boss want to pay you to rearrange the pencils in your top drawer? (And if you’re an entrepreneur–you ARE your boss!)

2. Plan a few breaks during your day. No one can efficiently sit at a desk for hours on end. Your back, as well as your work, will suffer. If your breaks are planned, then you are being conscious about the need to do something to help yourself refocus. If you don’t plan a few breaks, then the self-distraction is more likely to occur.

3. Proactively ward off receiving (and making) personal calls during your work time. These often take longer than you imagine. See #1 above. There is work time and there is “other” time.

4. Avoid having too many personal items on/near your desk. The minute you look at that picture of your pet and think about when it was just tiny or you notice the plants on your desk or nearby shelf that, ‘gosh, just need a little water,’ well, you get the idea. It does not take long if you are prone to self-distraction to head off in that direction.

5. Maintain a “random thoughts” pad prominently on your desk. As soon as a random thought occurs, (e.g., what to pick up for dinner, when to call the dentist for an appointment, etc.) write it down. Then ignore the sheet until the end of the day. Take this sheet home with you and deal with what is listed so these thoughts won’t continue to distract you. [You can create your own 'random thoughts' pad or get the ever-so-cool Note To Self pad on the www.KnockKnock.biz site. Do not self-distract while on this site. Shop here during your "other" time.]

6. At the end of the work day, take a few minutes to deliberately close it out, i.e., put items (files, sticky notes, pens, notebooks, etc.) away. The next day can start more productively if you arrive to an orderly environment rather than a cluttered one. The self-distraction time thief can steal 15 – 60 minutes right off the bat in the morning when you arrive if you haven’t prepared your work space to be ready for you to start fresh on your work.

7. Maintain a work space that is designed for work. Have the items that you use frequently nearby. If you go through stationery at a rapid pace and the stationery is stored somewhere other than in your work space, then you have to go somewhere to get more. On the way to get more stationery, you can easily self- (and other-) distract. Some people do this on purpose. Don’t be one of them.

8. Along the same line, determine whether you have deliberately set up your desk so that it “looks out” toward the foot traffic. Most people are unable to ignore movement (especially if you are avoiding doing your most important work). If you face the door into the hallway, a window by a sidewalk, or any other opening that lets you pick up physical movement, then do what you can to change the physical set up or to otherwise block your view.

9. If you have audible anything in your work space, take a careful look (and listen) to whether it encourages you to self-distract. A few examples might be: a chime that announces that email has arrived, a CD player that has to be changed after each CD (vs. one that you can load up once and will play all day), a radio tuned to talk radio (any verbal sound will pull the verbal part of your brain away from its other thinking).

10. Never, never, never play a computer game during your work time. Disable or remove them from your computer if you can. One game of solitaire or free cell can turn into oh-so-many games. The time thief that is disguised as a computer game is delighted when this happens.

Just choose one of these ideas to implement if you know you are prone to attacks from the self-distraction time thieves.

We’ve all done it – allowed ourselves to be distracted by email rather than getting busy with the task at hand. Email, while often productive and important, can steal time in the most creative ways. Try these techniques, and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Note: This article can be used as the topic of an office meeting – list it on the agenda as “Time Saving/Office Productivity.”

1. Never send or forward “chain letter” email. You’ll still have friends and good things will still happen to you. As soon as you can tell that the email is “one of those,” hit delete.

2. Do not send “bounce-back” emails. These are also known as “ping-pong emails”. They occur when someone sends you something and you thank the person for it. Then you get thanked for thanking, and the ping pong continues. You can help put a stop to this by using NNTR (No Need to Respond) or NRN (No Response Necessary) when you send along something that might start the bounce-back.

3. Use the subject line as the complete email. When it’s possible to do this, then end the subject line with EOM which stands for “End of Message.” For example, send an email like this: “9/7 Meeting Time Changed to 8:30 a.m.” No one has to open this email. They read, take note on their calendar(s), and delete.

4. Learn to use email folders. Usually it’s just a right click on your email inbox to create a folder (or ask your “help” program). As soon as you’ve processed an email and determined that you MUST save it, slide it into the appropriate email folder. For example, if you receive a confirmation of an airline reservation, once you’ve opened it and noted the times and flights are correct, put it in the “Travel Confirmation” folder that you’ve created. Depending on the type of business you do, you might have many email folders, but more than a screen-full is too many.

5. Process everything in your email in-box EVERY day. Take action, move items to folders for later actions, delegate the tasks, or delete. Remember that you can usually retrieve things from your “Deleted” items for at least a few weeks depending on your organization’s policies, so don’t be afraid to delete.

6. Limit the number times each day you handle email. Unless you are expecting a CRITICAL email, do not look in your in-box at other times (and turn off the sound chime).

7. Learn to use the “rules” that are available in your email program. If your boss sends you email, have it diverted to the “Employer” folder, and then look at this folder first when you begin processing your email. If there some people who should *not* be sending you emails, then either delete them or divert their emails to your “Junk” folder. You might look at it someday…or you might not.

8. Avoid personal email at work. You know you’re not supposed to do it. You know that these emails sometimes go to the wrong people. You know this is bad.

9. Proofread, spell check, and make sure you’re sending your email to the right person. Untold chaos and time thievery results from sending an unclear email to the wrong person. (Even worse – sending a very clear email to the wrong person.)