Chamber Chatter E-ZINE

By Gina Burgess

Executive Director, CEO

    Who doesn’t like HGTV? It is one of those things that suck you in and keeps you glued to the tube for hours. It isn’t because the shows are so terrific or that the personalities are fabulously cute or funny or interesting. It is because they don’t show TV commercials between the shows, they just move directly into the next show keeping you there while you get interested in how to do this fan-tabulous kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and so on. They make it look so easy!

    Well, it isn’t, but that’s okay because we keep watching and learning and there are some really great things to learn on that channel.

    For instance, here are some oh so simple organizing tricks found on the HGTV website…

    The quest for a desk.

 

Has your desk become a dumping ground for anything and everything? Here is your mission: unearth the desk that's buried under the rubble.

 

Sorting strategy:

1. Use a 'move elsewhere' box (for loose change, batteries, screws, nail clipper and other miscellaneous items that don't belong in this room).

2. Perform a 'rough sort'. Use the R.A.F.T. method (Read, Act, File, Toss) with three trays and a recycling bin.

3. The 'laser sort'. Use the K.I.V. method (Keep It Visible) with a step sorter and coloured 'hot' files.

 

Tips:

1. Name that file. When naming files, always go with the first word that comes to your mind to identify the group of papers. Attempts at making the wording too fancy can create problems when you are trying to find it later and you can't remember what you called it. Keep it simple.

2. Cut the article, chuck the magazine. Instead of keeping the whole magazine, go through the contents page and cut out the articles of interest. File them in a labeled accordion file so you can find it later. You won't have to ask yourself why you saved it in the first place.

Packrat? Try this. If you find it difficult to make

R.A.F.T.-ing down the Organizational river

September 23

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Investing in the Future

Vol. 1  Issue 22   ◊   9/08/08

E-ZINE

To remove your name from our mailing list, please click here.  Questions or Comments?  Have a story? Email us or call 601-798-3122

Community happenings and more information are posted on the

Community Calendar Copyright 2008, all rights reserved.

By Gina Burgess

Executive Director

Taking a break this week. I think I’ve given enough opinion in the above article.

 

Volunteer of the Year

Citizen of the Year

Volunteer of the Year

Nomination forms are in the Chamber office.

Stop by and pick one up to nominate your favorite person or organization for honor at the annual Awards Banquet held in November.

Or, you can go to www.picayunechamber.org and click on 2008 Awards Banquet link on the left hand side of the lower box. It will take you to the forms page on our website which you can print out and then fax or email or drop off at the Chamber by October 10, 2008 before close of business at 4 PM.

 

keep/toss decisions, try this creative technique. Think of your things as people you're considering inviting to a dinner party. You'll invite your friends, maybe some acquaintances but certainly not the strangers. By categorizing your belongs into friends, acquaintances and strangers, making the decision to let things go will be much easier.

 

Easy purging for the sentimental type. Sort clothing and other items into three categories: past, present and future. The items that end up in the past or future bins should be further sorted into 'can't live with' or 'can't live without' piles. The 'can't live with' belongings should be donated to charity or sold at a garage sale. Now evaluate each 'can't live without' item and give one solid reason why you need it in your life. If you can't come up with a reason, it's time to let it go. This technique is very approachable for sentimental people and makes decision-making quicker and easier during a purge.

 

  I have a hard enough time letting go of things on my desk without considering them friends, acquaintances or strangers. But, it is an interesting sort of perspective.

    Here are some things that make sense:

Take 10 minutes each day:

     ...and tackle the piles. Sort, toss, file or stick in a To Read folder. When you are going to the doctor or waiting on a client, pull out your To Read file and you’ll get through that file, too, even though you add to it every day.

    ...delete old emails out of your inbox

    ...create folders in your email then use those folders. You’ll save the ones that you need and delete the ones you don’t. Use the first word that comes to mind when you are making a folder category. That will eliminate that annoying, time consuming “Find Now” search you have to do when hunting down correspondence.

    ...throw out old papers. Why do we keep things on our desks that take up space but we don’t need? 

    Now, where will I find that 10 minutes?

Advertising Pricing

 

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Thank you to:    

Alicia Elam New York Life

Beth Lenoir Stewart Insurance

Brandon Rhodes Edward Jones

Ed Peckinpaugh Premier Title

Shasta Leninger NOFFCU

John McAulay State Farm

Lynn Dupont RE/Max

They will be out and about meeting you and talking about the Chamber.

(Pronounced ZEEN as in e-magazine.)