Health and Well Being

You may ask, what does meditation have to do with this website. Maybe you get it. Either way, just take 2, sit back relax and then get back to what you were doing… I’d love to hear your comments after the journey.

Water at 718 Frames Per Second – Fastec Imaging from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.

Pareto’s Law – 80/20 rule

Stay focused on the 20% that matters. Those tasks in the 20% will likely produce 80 percent of our results. So, it’s critical to identify and focus on those things. When the “crisis of the day” begins to eat up precious time, remind yourself of the critical 20% you need to focus on. If anything on the list of activities and action items has to fall by the wayside – left undone – be sure it isn’t listed in that critical 20 percent.

Organize SB can help you to determine what that 20% is and how to hone your business mission.

Tel: 805-455-4577  – cindy@organizesb.com

Password Mania

Are you tired of ‘trying’ to remember passwords?

I recommend Dashlane, a password protection & encryption program.

I have been searching for a password program – Dashlane does all the work for you.  I heard about it on CBS This Morning (a terrific program). David Pogue is a writer for NYT and recently appeared on the show & recommended it.  I have been a Pogue follower for years.  Dashlane  uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) which has been adopted by the U.S. government and, according to Wikipedia, is now used worldwide. It’s affordable at $19.99/year.

Organizing Special-$135*

TURN YOUR MESS TO SUCCESS!  Get a coach that KNOWS how to run a business.

Procrastinitus is a beast.  It’s like a weight on your shoulders that never goes away.  Whether it’s getting to the gym, doing chores and getting  projects  done, ORGANIZE SB  can get you on-track.

We provide expertise in organizing, office administration, filing, computer training. graphic design, WordPress web design,  and overall business troubleshooting.

805.455.4557 cindy@cindyfaithswain.com

Serving Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara County, and the Inland Empire

Virtually… Worldwide

*Consecutive hours – must be purchased (and can be used at a later date) before October 1, 2013**

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Le Garage: Clutter Busting in Santa Barbara

The orphan child, the garage. He’s detached, lonely, cold and gets absolutely no respect from his siblings or parents. He’s gained tons of weight from empty carbs and junk food. He stinks; hasn’t been bathed for years. He’s the forgotten, the silenced, bloated and unhealthy; Le Garage. He starts out with a promising future full of hopes and dreams.

Santa Barbaran’s know that space comes at a premium price and though we live in paradise, there are always space and organizing issues. How and where we store ‘stuff’ is always a challenge. The madness starts innocently enough; it’s that first indecision about whether something needs to be thrown out… oh no, wait, we might need it in the future. Let’s just put it in the garage for now. Maybe it’s a computer box (from a computer that’s now way past it’s warranty) or a pillow that’s getting old but might be needed if a friend visits, a mop that’s not quite beat to a pulp. “No, I can’t throw that out. I need a back up just in case the new one breaks. I might need it again some day.” And so the madness begins. The pile grows and let’s face it, you’ve got better things to do than spending time thinking about your stuff. It’s not a priority but those piles lurk in the corners of our minds just like computer programs running in the background, sucking up precious RAM (short term memory) and decreasing efficiency. Let’s just dump it on the poor orphan child and deal with it later.

Guilty parents and homeowners sometimes realize the mess is out of control. They are not happy with themselves or the example they are setting for their family, colleagues, and friends so they finally make a decision to get help from a professional organizer. Sometimes the mess is deep and seemingly insurmountable.  You’ve got boxes of pre-2007 paper and tax records which usually only need to be kept for seven years*.  Sometimes it’s a mess that you’re going to leave for your family to clean up when you’re not around. Some of you know what that’s like from dealing with your own parents and elders; it’s not fun. The garage is a place that needs TLC from time to time. So ask yourself, do I really need that mop, box, pillow, raincoat, box of old records* etc?  And in the worse case scenario, which I have rarely seen happen, you’ll throw something out and have to buy it again.

Most people think they’ll get to those organizing projects someday but the day never comes. Organizers are usually the last resort, when surrender is the only way out. I assure you, the relief and peace of mind is worth the price of admission. See what clients are saying about the relief they feel.

Here are some tips to motivate you to purge, clear and clean up the clutter:

TAKE THINGS ONE BY ONE, AND GET THEM DONE!

Tel:805-455-4577 – cindy@organizesb.com

* check with your accountant
** subject to change – call in advance to schedule

You can also check out Yelp reviews too.

Curve-Balls and Transitions

LIFE THROWS CURVE-BALLS; an unexpected death, a forced move, health issues. We don’t know when or where they’ll land or how we will deal with them until circumstances arise.

Transitioning is difficult and stressful – it’s wrestling with the unknown.  Some of us are fortunate to have families that can assist, but sometimes they live far away. Some of us don’t have families and we feel alone. Having an advocate for you and your loved ones is the first step.

I have worked with quite a few families and individuals that have gone through expected and unexpected loss.  Here are a couple of tips to help with difficult transitions:

1) Have plans in advance – don’t wait until a crisis hits for the thought process to begin.  Start talking to your Spouse, Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Close Friends etc. now – confront the discomfort sooner than later and have those talks.

2) Start thinking of purging documents and items that are not needed any longer.  So many people hang on to documents and things for 20+ years; things they’ll never look at again – it’s not unusual.  Go through your files and start to shred and throw out items.  Get your paperwork in order.  This is not a pleasant task or something that has to happen overnight but it should be an ongoing process.  Doing this kind of work in advance will keep you and the family unencumbered; having papers and clutter cleared will help to relieve some of the sadness, burden and stress.  An organizer can help with these things.

3) Ask for help from an estate management professional and fiduciary* when needed.

4) Paralysis can be deadly and is often the state of mind of a person in life crisis such as death of a spouse or family member; make sure your plans include identifying people that can be there to  help in these times of  loneliness to make sure there is food, nutrition, and company to talk and walk with.

If you have lost a spouse or have aging family members (siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins) that live in Santa Barbara County and need assistance, you have arrived at your destination.

Please CLICK HERE to read more about our services.

cindy@lifetransitionassistance.com

805.455.4577

* A California Licensed Fiduciary is a person or institution given the power to act on behalf of another in situations that require great trust, honesty and loyalty. Fiduciaries you may already be familiar with include accountants, attorneys, bankers, business advisors, financial advisors, mortgage brokers and real estate agents. These individuals are hired to act in a clients best interest and must set aside their own personal motives in favor of your goals.