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The 21st Century Illness

Most every individual and family is acutely aware of the substantial loss of free time since the late 1990’s. We call this the 21st century illness. Symptoms:

*Frantic overworked employees who believe this is the path to the true American dream. The offset: No time for much else, even participating in family events.

*The All-American family that must have everything and be everything. Primarily a mother’s activities, a non stop movement to keep the home looking great, the kids’ activities involving the mommy mobile, community organizations, schools, etc.

*Community activities have gotten completely out of control for many families in matters of time and financial commitments. Join one and the invitations become never ending. If you perform, you’ll be lucky enough to become a hard working volunteer member on the Board.

*Note on little league sports: Big problem, and lots of pressure on dad and mom to participate.

This may be just exactly what you want and represents an important ingredient in your work ethic and sense of self worth. Now what happens to the “lesser” to dos? OH MISS Concierge will gather those that you are less inclined to do and find the alternative solution. You are now on your way to finding the time for what is really important and can not be retrieved once gone.

Having experienced lives with little or no balance, we have become seriously aware of what we call the 21st century illness: the lack of time to recreate, to rest, to nap, to love and enjoy time with your family.

Let OH MISS manage lesser issues that don’t involve you in your fundamental careers or group activities. Take time to recharge your batteries-read a book, go on a cruise, take a week to visit your children or grandchildren.

OH MISS can arrange the most desirable transportation, watch your home by doing all the ancillary things such as bringing in the mail, newspapers, pay bills, care for pets by visiting during the day, assuring your home is secure and giving the appearance of being occupied.

Don’t Toss the Memories in the Trash

It may be that you are an adult child, who needs to help your parents downsize and move or you need to move from your large home to one that is smaller. Is it overwhelming to think about starting the process of downsizing and relocating? Wouldn’t it be easier to just toss it all out in the trash and start over again? Many seniors and their adult children are faced with the task of downsizing and relocating to a smaller home, apartment, or retirement community. Instead of throwing all of your precious memories in the trash, make a plan to start the process.

If you have several years of accumulation, it can be emotionally and physically overwhelming. Remember when you moved in and thought I could never fill all this space? Now it is an attic, garage or basement that hasn’t been emptied for decades. This can be a daunting task. It is an issue facing many seniors, baby boomers, and healthcare providers. Adult children may be geographically distant or part of the sandwich generation that area overwhelmed with trying to manage their own lives while raising children and managing careers. As much as they would like to help their parents, they may not be able.

Consider these points when starting the process of downsizing and moving on:

• A good way to start is to get someone to help you through the
downsizing process because it can be overwhelming. You need help and support.

• Think about starting now, even if you don’t plan on moving for a while. It can take some time to sort things out of your attic, basement, garage, and the rest of the house.

• Consider the amount of space you will have in your new home.
this will help eliminate moving items that will not physically fit.

Think about what you will really need. Will you place settings for 12 or will 6 or 8 maybe work? Do you really need 3 turkey roasters? When was the last time you made Thanksgiving dinner?

• Why not give pieces of furniture or other possessions to family
or friends who have admired them for years? If your granddaughter has admired your china hutch for years, why not give it to her now and see the joy and happiness that it brings her today.

• Adult children need to pick up their stuff, whether you have it in a spare bedroom, attic or garage. The days of rental storage business is over unless you have decided at this time to go in to that line of business. Again, the kids need to get their stuff out of your home. Set a time frame and stick to it.

• If you feel overwhelmed looking at a pile of papers that you need to sort through, start with just 15 minutes. Set a timer for 15 minutes, sort through the pile, and then stop working when the timer rings. Remember every item you own requires your time, energy, maintenance, and money. Decide if the item is worth keeping.

While downsizing can be emotionally and physically overwhelming, the process can be achieved through planning and organization. Taking it one step at a time can not only make the downsizing process easier but rewarding as well as you move to your new home.

Get Ready to Shred

If you’ve just filed your taxes, chances are while preparing your documents you also found piles and of papers you don’t need to save. You probably thought you had it under control. You own a shredder, so it should be easy, right?

Wrong. Many of us find ourselves too busy to sit down weekly and shred those statements and papers with personal information to keep our desks and counter tops clean. So the papers that should be shredded pile up week to week, in some cases month to month to the point where we can’t even see the top of our desks or counters anymore.

The great news is we don’t have to stare at those piles much longer. Gather up those documents and head  out to the Tampa Bay Professional OrganizersShred-a-Thon May 7, 2011 at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Fletcher Avenue from 9 a.m. to noon– or when the professional shredding truck is full. There is a $10 donation for each box. All shredding is being donated and the money received is going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay.

We at OH MISS are proud members of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the local Tampa Bay Professional Organizers. We support the Shred-a-Thon by volunteering our services. On a daily basis, OH MISS helps people get organized when they feel overwhelmed by all the clutter around them.

An uncluttered space can lead to an uncluttered mind, allowing you to become clearer in your thinking and in turn reducing stress. If you need help with the paper overflow, call OH Miss at 813-636-9700 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 813-636-9700 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to make an appointment.

Summertime and the storms are a coming

Greetings one and all. Can you believe that SUMMER is here? now I know i have friends in Colorado where they had sleet just two weeks ago. but we have been baking here in Florida. Being on the West Coast of Florida we are also paying very close attention to the fact that hurricane season is now upon us and of course the major story of the last 70 days, the horrific environmental catastrophe in the Gulf with the oil spill that just keeps on giving.  I know that we all have our opinions on the handling of the oil spill so  will not address that directly here. I just want everyone to be vigilant in what you do and how some of the least expected action can have lasting repercussions.

Now for those who live in the land of Hurricanes, I realize that it has not yet been quite a month. But it doesn’t take long for the tropical storm to turn to a hurricane make a blip on that weather radar and then you are SOL.

There are some necessary protective measures that you should do before you need to do them..  Get your hurricane survival suitcase(s) and backup plan together.  Do you have an elderly person living with you that has home health care that needs constant supervision, oxygen, monitoring of different sorts. Check with your doctor, your social worker, your county, your home health service.  They can assist you with the paperwork so you can have a plan in place. What shelter or hospital will they need t o go to in an evacuation? Will you or another relative, or caregiver be allowed to accompany then?  Remember your animals. Even if you go to a medical shelter or hospital you will not be able to take your pets unless they are a guide dog. Find a temporary home where they can go so your furry children won’t be lost, stranded or perhaps killed due to lack of planing and horrible circumstances.

Make sure you have copies of your insurance information, medical information and identification in a zip lock bag. Also include your medications-30 days supply is great but if it is only a week’s worth that is better than nothing.  Include bottled water-gallon size is good, canned goods, perhaps if you have space , your grill with an extra container of propane. That may be the only way you will be able to get hot food for a few days. Don’t forget your toiletries, a couple of changes of clothes, Not to be forgotten-an EXIT PLAN.

Do you know where you are on the evacuation map?  Are you in an area of mandatory evacuation? Level 1 or is your number higher say 5 or 6.?  Important information to know.  Also pick up your hurricane guide at your local market or ACE Hardware store. You can also download them. All the major media networks put one out .  If you have seen the weather alert radios they aer an excellent source of information when a storm is coming your direction. It will alert you and tell you what the alert is. You can get those at the local grocery stores now as well as home Depot, Lowes, Target and many other business locations.

Some insurance companies are now offering a preregistration form for use during the hurricane season at no extra charge. With your written permission they can have adjusters to your home site as soon as possible. Sure it take a couple of minutes to fill out the form, but in the event that your home suffers damage, do you want 5 minutes of form filling to be replaced by 5 days of waiting for an adjuster of some sort to show up?  Water is the worst damage followed but wind, smoke and fire. I am not going to lecture anyone but say just be prepared and let your family know the plans, where are you goingto meet if you live in the same area, how are you going to communicate?  Make sure that your car’s gas tank is filled. Check the oil, air in your tires. You would do this if you were going on a motor trip for vacation just as a safety precaution. Why wouldn’t you do it on a regular basis for your family’s safety and yours as well.You don’t want to wait in line when you could be loading that same care and heading out of dodge. The same for preparing your home. Get the plywood and any other protection that you would need to prevent glass damage to your home. Your favorite orchid plants and hanging plants need to be brought in to the garage or home. Remove items that could become flying weapons through your windows. That includes bird feeders and other such feeders as well.  Have a swimming pool?  Dump your patio furniture in it, No harm to the furniture or the pool and one less flying object.

If you are going out of town, let a neighbor , friend or hire a service to check on your home while you are away especially should a storm come up while you are gone. We never expect these things to happen but mother nature sometimes has a strange sense of humor and really does get a laugh by throwing you off guard. There are some concierge services and others that will look after your home while you are away for a minimal cost. OH MISS does a house/pool/mail/plant check. Do you know if your lawn service is cutting the grass as they should?  What about the pool? Is that where anything green is growing? Peace of mind can be a wonderful thing.  If there is no time to get ready-where is the saferoom in your home? Don’t forget to fill the bathtubs and sinks with water. You may not have water service or electrical service when you first get back to your home. So as I go to start taking my own advice with Alex out in the Gulf, I hope that you will as well.

Stay tuned for some exciting news about OHMISS and the growing butterfly population right here at home.

April Shred-a-thon

Last week I mentioned that I would let you know what papers are needed and for how long when it comes to your tax returns.

For items concerning your income you will need these basic records:  Form W-2,Form 1099,Bank Statements, Brokerage Statements, Form K-1.

For items concerning expenses : sales slips, invoices,receipts, canceled checks or other proof of payment,written communications from qualified charities.

For items concerning your home: Closing statements, purchase and sales invoices,proof of payment,insurance records, receipts for improvement costs

For investments:brokerage statements, mutual fund statements, Form 1099, Form 2439

Now how long do you have to keep these records: Guidelines to follow

If you owe additional tax then the period is 3 years

If you do not report income that you should and it is more than 25% of the gross income shown on your return the period is 6 years.

If you file a fraudulent return , it is indefinite

If you do not file a return, it is indefinite

If you file for a credit or refund after you have filed your return, it is 3 years or 2 years after you paid taxes, whichever is later

If you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities, it is 7 years

For more information on record keeping, the IRS has put together a handy publication on record keeping for Individuals.  For any other questions consult your tax professional.

Now that you have done all of that, isn’t time to get rid of some of those papers?  You have kept them organized by year, I am sure. So following the guidelines above shred the papers and receipts you no longer need.  The Tampa Bay Professional Organizers are having a Shred A Thon on April 10,2010 at the corner of Fletcher and Dale Mabry in Carrollwood.  Pro-Shred will be on hand to professionally shred all the documents and papers you no longer need.  You will also be issued a certificate of shredding for your peace of mind. The event is a fund raiser for the Children’s Cancer Center with a suggested donation of $2.00 per box of papers shredded. Pro-Shred and the TampaBay Professional Organizers are donating 100% of the donations to the Children’s Cancer Center. Come on out. You’ll be able to enjoy more of our beautiful weather and not spend time in front of your personal shredding machine.

Happy Valentine’s Day,Mardi Gras,& More

First of all Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!  Wow this has been quite a week for us here at OH MISS.!  With Gasparilla Parade last weekend, the cold weather-I know our friends up north it has been much much worse. The simple fact is, we live here in sunny Florida and we don’t expect it to get this cold.  Most of us are going to have to wait a few more weeks before we will know how much damage has been done to our plants and landscaping.

But to continur on,, we corordinated a beautiful wedding yesterday at the beach. It was absolutely bone chilling cold but beautiful.  It was a sunny day and other than the fact that it did not reach 60*, perfect. How could it not be? One of us had our anniversary yesterday and the DJ celebrated his birthday as well. All sorts of reasons to celebrate.

Now along that vein, did you know that besides being St. Valentine’s Day today, it is the start of the Chinese New Year-The Year of the TIger. A chinese custom is for married couples or the elderly to give AngPous (red envelopes) to the younger or unmarried. The envelopes usually contain money. The amount is usually $8.00 as the number 8 is considered a lucky number.  They will also wear new clothes that day as to symbolize that they have plenty(or enough to go around) The Tiger is considered to be lucky,vivid,lively,engaging and have incredible bravery.  Persons born in the year of the Tiger are said to have these characteristics-courage, vehemence,self-reliance,friendliness,hopefulness,resilience,vanity, and disregard.   Happy Year of the Tiger!

Now tomorrow the 15th of February is Clean Monday.  This is the Orthodox equivalent to the Christian Ash Wednesday.  Clean Monday is the day that the home or living space is thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom, all crumbs and dust are cleaned away.

In New Orleans the Mardi Gras season that has been going on for a couple of weeks now,since the day of Epiphany or Three Kings Day is coming to a close.  Most know only of the ending of the season with the parade and Fat Tuesday.  Another custom that is held throughout this time is the custom of the King’s Cake.  This is a cake that is made witha plastic baby inside and sometimes coins.  The person that receives the piece of cake with the baby is supposed to hold the feast the following year. Fat Tuesday is when all the world is a stage and their is music and dancing , reveleryabounds as does the food and drink in a sense preparing for the time of Lent that will begin on Wednesday or Ash Wednesday.  This is a time that Christians often give up something that is very meaningful to them-usually in the food category such as chocolate, chips, meat, something in that ilk in keeping withthe preparation for Easter Sunday.  This year Easter Sunday will be the same for both Orthodox churches and Christian churches.

Ash Wednesday is this upcoming Wednesday the 17th and begins the preparation for Easter Sunday.

Oh and if you are wondering where the origin of the heart shaped box came from for the chocolates that are given at Valentine’s Day, you can thank Mr. Cadbury who in the mid 1800’s put his chocolates in a heart shaped box. Another factoid that even centuries before the cocoa beans were considered to be aphrodisiac

Again Happy Valentine’s Day, Fat Tuesday, and Chinese New Year!

Resolutions still there?

Okay so it has been awhile since I last wrote but I do have reasons some valid, some not so much.  The holidays were very special here as we were able to share them with family and friends. Anyone who has or knows of a 3 1/2 year old knows that the time is anything but quiet and low key. Still the wonder of a child during the holidays is inspirational. 

New Year’s Eve came, and we were fortunate to share with some close friends, watch the ball drop, sip champagne, eat our blackeyed peas with greens and a bit of pork, throw in rice for good measure. I don’t know all of the significance of the various parts of the whole butthen again I was born in the North, raised out West and now and have lived in Florida for over 16 years. No wonder I get confused?!

So my question to you is are you still adhering to your NewYear’s resolutions?  Did you make any or did you just say the heck with it. I don’t ever get very far with them and I do write them out because it is a habit.  If you are like most folks, it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. Do you realilze that is tomorrow?  If you started your resolution on New Year’s Day and are still going strong with that resolution, you have more than a 50% chance of sticking with it. Congratulations! You should be proud of yourself, so give yourself the preverbial pat on the back.  If you fell off the wagon, don’t give up. If it is important, there are 345 days left in 2010 to get right back on the wagon train and start your new habit.

January is National Organization month. It is inherent in us, I think from when we are really really little that on New Year’s Day we put all our new stuff away and go through the rest so we can give it to the less fortunate or even toss if it is beyond repair.  As adults we still need to do this. We are getting ready for tax day. Do you have all your receipts in a place that you know where to find them?  If not it may be time to start gathering unless of course you like P&P. That is panic and pressure which will rear it’s ugly head about April 13 or if you really like to push the envelope the 14th. Even if you file an extension for filing, you still have to have a good guestimate. You just get to put off filing out the forms on line or on paper.  You know I just heard that if you efile your income tax, you get your refund sooner. Now that would be incentive, would it not? Now if you aren’t getting a refund this year, I can see putting off the big rush to file. If you owe, I am sorry.  The fact is whether it is our receipts for tax purposes, your closet because the layer of clothes on the floor has become an added shelf(does that count as home improvement?), the cabinets that are bursting at the seams and you can’t get them closed anymore. HELLO-it’s time. 

I am going to be on the charity bandwagon for just a minute and I promise you I will stick to that.  There are so many of our neighbors, friends we haven’t yet met, and folks in our corner of the world, that could really use that old blanket, those clothes that don’t fit anymore for whatever reason. I make no judgement.  What about the pots and pans that you don’t use anymore or the dishes? You name it someone could probably use it. If you don’t have a collection at your church or synagogue, donate the items to your favorite charity. More and more charities are using thrift stores to help them make ends meet so that they can meet the needs of your community. Some in the Tampa area are Charlie’s Treasure’s for The Children’s Home, The Spring, Goodwill, Salvation Army, League of Mercy, Kidney Foundation and the list goes on.

We are so fortunate to live where we do, no matter what your political bend, the American people will get it right. But even in our land of abundance there are those that aren’t as fortunate. We have refugees that are now going to be coming in from Hatti. How heart wrenching is that?  Folks are going to need our help. Make sure that the organization you choose is legitimate. Go to their website. Just don’t go by an email sent asking for help. This can also be a time of flim flam folks. They will pull at your heart strings and your purse strings, but what you give will not go where you think.

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Getting to January

Hopefully by now everyone has adjusted to our adjusted time. Rolling back is always such a wonderful thing. Just having that extra hour even if for one day seems like a luxury unlike any other. Unfortunately what it the magical moment also signifies is the beginning of the holiday whirl, swirl,frenzy and stress.

How can a concierge company help at this time of year?   Hiring a concierge firm to be of assistance is similar to what happened in the Ozzie and Harriet neighborhoods back in the 50’s 60’s and 70’s before mobilization of families and jobs. We could ask a neighbor for a suggestion for a referral if we needed something done at our home or where to find a special present that we had not yet located. We could most likely get help from a neighbor to put holiday lights outside our home to make it look festive during the season. You might have even shared ladders and tools then later a beverage and cookies. Now we hope that are neighbors are nice if we even know them other than to wave from the car.  Who can we call to get the names of persons that do a good job for a good price?  You know the ones who suit up, show up and are on time? What a concept!

Having the services of a concierge firm is like having that neighbor to ask, it is a wonderful resource tool.  Not only can a concierge firm guide you to the right people for the right job but they can also oversee that job if you are unavailable.

What about having someone gather all those impossible to find toys for you?  Then what is really cool  is having them all gift wrapped and delivered before Christmas. No worrying about hiding those special goodies in the closet, the pantry, under the bed, in the garage or attic or anywhere else you can stow something.

Need to get a party planned for the office at last minute? A concierge firm can usually help you get it organized, pulled together with decorating, catering and assistants so that you don’t feel like pulling your hair out. They can even arrange to have your home cleaned before and after. Why not be able to enjoy a party at your own home. Isn’t that a novel concept?

I am reminded of a friend a couple of years back that was very involved in a group of business people in town. This person was so busy at the time trying to keep her feet even close to the pavement, yet she wanted to send out holiday cards to the people in her group.  It was over 100 individuals. The quandry was to either run address labels for all of them or hire someone to write the name and address on the envelope.ersonalize the inside of the card, and post.  Above and beyond the cost of the cards and postage, this task only cost her $40.00. I can not begin to relate to you the number of people who said to her,”How did you find the time to do this?” or “Wow, you made me feel really special with your handwritten card.” How much is that worth in today’s marketplace?  I would just guess that it is a lot more than $40.00.

Another scenario might pop up with out of town guests showing up at the last minute during the holidays. Love to see them but now how do I entertain them?  Let the concierge help you get tickets to a show or sporting event. What about reservations to a new restaurant in town or an old one that you really like.

We’ll catch up next time on helpful hints for Thanksgiving whether you are at home or on the road.

If you work for a company or a corporation and would like them to consider having this type of service available to you at work. Let us know. We will offer you 25% off your first out of pocket fee. Special rates for corporate clients for the next 90 days. Give a gift that is useful.

Until then, enjoy this beautiful Florida weather with just a hint of fall as you think of friends and relatives who live up North or in the Midwest that area getting snow remembering “This is why I live here.”

Shred a Thon/too many papers

If you are like many families, papers seem to multiply overnight. You thought you had it under control but something went wrong. You even went out and purchased the shredder, you thought it would be so easy. Once a week just sit down and shred the statements and papers with personal information on them to keep the counter top or desk clean.  In a perfect world with strict discipline and good habits, this can work.  For the majority of us, life is so crazy and hectic, one week becomes one month and so on.  The papers that should be shredded are piling up. We can’t see the counter or the desk top any more. We begin to suffer angst and guilt. Are we really so bad that we can’t even take care of our shredding?

The Tampa Bay Professional Organizers are having their second Shred a Thon of 2009 on November 07, at the corner of Fletcher Ave and Dale Mabry Blvd in Tampa.  We will have a professional shredding company on site who will do all the shredding for you and issue you a certificate of shredding. There will be members of the group ,who are all professional organizers, volunteering Saturday to help people with their boxes of documents that need to be shredded for security reasons.  There will be a limit of 10 banker’s boxes per person.  The group is asking for a donation of $2.00 per box that is shredded and the funds will go to a local charity. There will be prizes for the oldest document as well as the person who comes the farthest.  Our last Shred a Thon we raised $2000 that was donated to Ronald MacDonald House.  The hours will be from 9 a.m. to noon.  Be early was when the truck is full of shredded paper, the shred a thon is over.

We at OH MISS are proud members of the National Association of Professional Organizers.and the local Tampa Bay Professional Organizers. We support the Shred a Thon by volunteering our services. We help people everyday with organization and when they feel overwhelmed by all the clutter around them.

If you need help with the paper overflow. If you feel that life is out of control and you are overwhelmed with paper and clutter , we can help. When you have an organized space, you can be more clear in your thinking and less stressed. We at OH MISS are comitted to reducing stress in all areas of your life.  Call to make an appointment 813-636-9700. If you mention the blof you will receive a 15% discount on our regular fee. Don’t let stress and stuff get you down. Call OH MISS.

TOO MUCH ON YOUR PLATE WEEK

Now did anyone have to tell you that you have too much on your plate?  Did you really have to have a designated week of the year to realize it?  Fear not my friends, it is officially “Too Much On Your Plate Week”. For purposes in writing this, the week shall be called “TMOPW”.

We all try to do so much, whether it is on the job or at home, with families, friends, and oh yes don’t forget those volunteer hours. I was given a packet of cocktail napkins not too long ago that had a picture of a woman wildly waving her hand in the air and shouting”pick me, pick me, I volunteer., let me help.” This of course was noted to be caused by one too many espressos. This however is not always the case.

We seem to need permission to slow down, take a break, read a book, take a walk, etc.  For some reason our backgrounds insist that we continue to plow through to the bitter end no matter what toll it takes on our bodies, minds, families or friends. We think we are doing just fine. That we have the whole situation and life under control, then pop something happens that is not on the agenda. We are thrown for a loop and hope that somehow we can recover.  Our bodies and minds ae amazing and humorous as well. They have systems that will slow us down whether we want to or not. Make no bones about it, if you do not slow down and take some things off your plate, your body will help you with that decision and you will have No choice.

I recall as a young woman in my twenties and being the overachiever that I was and also figuring that there was no life after 30, I had to do it all. I had my own retail store, sold some real estate on the side and assisted my husband with his restaurant. This of course was all the while I was moving in to a new home and did I say my parents were moving to our communiity? Needless to say, I caught what I thought was a cold. No big deal, a cold, you get some pills, cough drops a little chicken soup and you are ready to roll,only not so fast. I lost my voice and thought I just had laryngitis.  After my cold appeared to have resolved, my voice did not. I had to go to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist.  He sat me in the chair and asked me what was going on in my life. I know it’s a funny scenario as it is like the dentist putting one of his instruments in your mouoth and then asking a question that requires an answer. Ha!  So I wrote on a note pad that he had for this type of situatioin what was going on in my life. Frankly I was quite proud of all that I was doing and still be able to stand up and function.  This man looked at me straight in the eyes and said”how much do you think you can do at one time?” I shook my head. I don’t know I said. When something needs to be done, I just do it. I needed to fix it.

If you haven’t figured out where this is going, it is that we can not do it all, or at least not all at the same time.  I had a condition that is referred to as frozen vocal cords.  It would be months before I could even get a squeak past my lips as I would try to communicate. As I said before, our bodies do make us pay attenttion and slow down whether we want to or not.  Picture this. Have you ever tried to have a telephone conversation with somone when you can’t vocalize? Have you tried to tell a contractor what you need done when you can’t speak? Or better yet, how about trying to make a sale. Nope, it isn’t going to happen.  I had to learn the hard way that I can’t do it all, all the time, all at once.  I have been told that I am strong willed and stubborn, but then I guess you had already figured that one out for yourself.

This week, I give you permission to sit down and read a chapter of your book, or enjoy a beverage with your friends. Take that walk,go runing if you like the runner’s high, or take the yoga class. This won’t releive your stress but it will slow you down.  Now as far as the stress of everyday life is concerned, taking that yoga class will do you no good as long as that “to do” list is still hanging over your head.  This is where learning to prioritize comes in to play. Put what is most important at the top even if it is the one that is the most uncomfortable. Get the uncomfortable done first, then the rest is easier.

I was at a reception just about a week ago.  As I stood talking with some folks that like you are professionals and occupy the executive suites around town, the basics of everyday life came in to the conversation as we talked about how we got our things done. What is the best use of your time?  Is it standing in a line at the grocery store or the post office or returning the gift that you do not like at all? Or is it getting some of that paperwork off your desk talking to a client that creates billable hours for you?  If I were to be so bold, I would bet that it would be a client for billable hours and not the grocery store, post office, or mall.

This is where a service like OH MISS comes in handy, For very little, an OH MISS associate can get that list done in a flash, throw in the post office if you like, the wine shop, the dry cleaners etc. What does this do for you? The answer lies in the fact that you are billing more hours=more pay. You are clearing the “to do” list by at least a fraction and eliminating some stress from your life. After all do you want to be the one that is thrown for a big fat loop and find out you have been knocked out of the game for several days, weeks, or even months?  Do the math., It will be less expensive to have someone else do the errands that for you to pay a Doctor and lose those hours at work.  Get the type of down time You want not the kind that is thrown at you.

With that I will say to all of our friends and aquaintances new  and old-Happy TMOYPW!  Wouldn’t you love that in a crossword puzzle?

Have an awesome week.

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