Elizabeth Hagen - Making Your Life Easier

Extraordinary Results April Newsletter 2008
Fearless Organizing™ - It's All About Systems!

Out shopping with the girls!

We had a wonderful Easter as both of our girls were able to come home for the weekend and our whole family was together!

My daughters are my fantastic shopping consultants so right before Emily and Abby came home I did a total closet overhaul. Everything came out and I ruthlessly went through every item and only put back what I loved to wear. Then we had a fun day together shopping as they helped me find pieces to compliment what was already in my closet. I'm going to share the closet organizing process and pictures in the next newsletter.

This month's feature article shares how I worked with Anese, a Private Platinum Program client, and the systems we set up to help her be more focused, have more clarity, and get more done every day so she can spend more time with her precious family!

If you're interested is working with me in the Private Platinum Program just send me a quick e-mail and I'll send you a Fearless Organizing scorecard to fill out and then we'll visit by phone to see if my program is a right fit for you!

Happy spring!

Our family and my parents on Easter.

Office before.

Corner in office before.

A very happy client!

Office after.

Corner in office after

After Anese coached me!

If you're not happy with how your office functions, you know you could be getting more done every day, and you find yourself spending time on stuff that just isn't that important - it may be time for an Office Makeover and setting up simple, smart systems that work.

That's really what my 1:1 consulting work is all about - helping clients set up systems that work for them and make their life easier. Since I recently worked with one of my Private Platinum Program clients on location, in her office, I thought I'd share with you the steps we did to make her (in her words!) office an "...engine that can run on 8 cylinders instead of 4 or 2 because the filters are clean, efficient, and the energy flows through!" In fact, this client was so happy with the results that she actually asked to help write this piece to make sure that the benefits were expressed from a client's perspective.

Anese is the president of Dare To Engage, Inc., a company that provides personal and professional coaching and training to leaders and high achievers who really want to get that extra edge, take things to the next level, and live life fully engaged.

She is also the mom to two young children. Efficiency, energy and simplicity are very important in her life! In her work with clients, she is an advocate for energy management and maximizing our potential for success. When we started talking about her office, she began to realize that there were some holes in her own energy management. She identified the areas where she was wasting her energy. Then she looked at the cost of that wasted energy and realized that she needed help. Hence my flight to Chicago to spend 2 days diving into her office and helping her create systems that would be worry-free for her.

We made it simple, clean and fun. As many of you realize, life is busy! But once you take the time to set up some structure and systems, you can focus your energy where you want it. Here's a sample of what we did together. As you read this, think about how this information can help you. Imagine having this done to your office! What would you be able to do with an office that could run on "8 cylinders?"

Step 1: Really look at your office and ask yourself what you want your office look AND feel like. I had Anese send me pictures so I could go through every area of her office and find out what was working and what wasn't.

We decided that her furniture simply wasn't working. Her desk had no storage and her office was filled with overflowing bookcases and 60% of the books didn't need to be in her office. She went furniture shopping, sent me pictures of what she found so I could help her pick out the right pieces, and she got set up with new furniture that was going to work! What was interesting about this was that she'd been so busy running her business that she overlooked assessing what was happening with her office furniture and set up.

Is it time for anything to go in your office?!

Step 2: Start going through all the stuff in your office and throw out/recycle what you don't need and relocate to other rooms in your house items that belong elsewhere. I had her do this before I worked with her so we could get more done in our time together. She used my S.T.A.R.T.™ method of getting organized which helped her know what to keep/throw/donate/recycle and then pick the best homes for items she wanted to keep.

Step 3: Set up systems to handle the paper, your thoughts, the e-mail, and your time.

Once I got to Anese's office it was time for the real work (I think a better word is 'fun'!) to begin. We set up her personalized Command Center so she would know what needed to get done every day and have a place to put paper that she needed to take care of later.

We set up an incredible filing system so she can find anything she files or stores in a matter of seconds. Anese was amazed at how simple the system was to set up. She no longer has to worry that once filed, she'll spend any unnecessary time or energy trying to locate it again! The system is so simple all she has to do is type in a reference word and she has the file location at her fingertips!

We worked on organizational techniques to handle perfectionism, procrastination, and multi-tasking. When you know these techniques your power of focus is incredible!

I gave her a small spiral notebook which was now going to be the home for her thoughts, to-do's, and phone messages. Everything in one place!

We didn't have time to go through her e-mail inbox but in our follow-up phone sessions I'll teach Anese the systems I use to keep my e-mail inbox cleared weekly.

In her words Anese's results after we worked together:

I know where things are - so I feel like I have some space now.
I see that when my office is disorganized, I can end up spending a huge amount of my time looking for stuff, recreating the wheel and trying to sort through chaotic files! Completely unnecessary! Having my office organized to the level we've gotten it to will easily free up an extra 5 hours a week that I can use for my clients, my family and the work that really needs my attention and energy.
I feel like I can actually focus on the stuff I want to focus on if I sustain the systems.
I'm really excited to start working on some of the big projects I've been "putting off" because the disorganization was complicating them.
There's more joy and clarity in my office. It is a matter of setting myself up for the best foundation I can so that I can be as efficient and clear as possible. When I'm done with work, I walk out and can close the door knowing that everything will be where it should be when I come back tomorrow.

You may be thinking that you don't have the time to do this. I'm here to tell you that you need to make the time. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. If you want to get more done, have more time and focus, and feel better about yourself, take the time to make the changes needed in your office.

Speaking of having more focus - we decided to make the visit incredibly productive and in addition to our work in her office, I had a private day with Anese. I received a makeover that weekend, also! Anese spent time with me coaching me on my business and my compelling purpose for this work, and I cannot wait to set in place this year all the great ideas that we worked on!

Ever wonder what your disorganization is costing you?! Use the Cost of Disorganization calculator to find out!

Are you ready for your own personal Office Makeover?! Call me today and let's get started - (605) 357-8767. I have room for three Private Platinum Program clients in the next four months - I hope that one of them is you!

On January 18 and on March 7 this year I presented the first-of-its-kind Virtual Day. Over 50 people have spent the day with me 'virtually' in their office getting their space and time organized. We all had a blast! I had guests from all over the US and Canada, Switzerland, Bermuda, Australia, and the United Kingdom. We covered 6 areas in the office and I gave them the systems and methodology to become more productive in their office.

Join me for the next Fearless Organizing Virtual Day on Friday, April 25, 2008!! Imagine, spending the day in your office with an expert 'virtually' by your side for an entire day getting your office organized so that you can be more productive! This will be a great day!

You'll get me 'virtually' for an entire day helping you to organize your office, your time, and your brain.

PLUS...membership in the Virtual Day Community Group, follow-up teleclass, and ALL the recordings of the classes throughout the day.

AND...the option to get the exclusive 'Get Organized Kit', the Organized Goals Webinar, and the 'Organize with Confidence' 3-CD audio set.

SO...NOW is the time act! The early-bird registration ends Friday, April 18, 2008.

Learn more and claim your spot at the Fearless Organizing Virtual Day.

You can get more done, have more time, and make more money in your business.

Spend just one day on Friday, April 25, 2008 to not only learn the tools and systems to achieve a productive environment but to actually take ACTION in your office for an entire day! You won't believe how much you'll get accomplished!