Time for Reflection [Part 2]

How is your reflection?
Last post we discussed that at this time of the year many of us are reflecting on what we have achieved this year and what we would like to achieve in the New Year. The answer for many is that they would like more time or balance and therefore I felt the saying below to be very appropriate.

Many of us struggle towards the balance goal
without ever stopping
to think what we are doing and
what we really want
in our lives.

Reflect to identity the direction you want to go.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Time for Reflection

For the majority of people this time of year is consumed with decorations, celebrations, gifts and shopping lists however as we approach the end of the year it is also a time of reflection. Reflection on what we have achieved this year and what we would like to achieve in the New Year.

New Years Resolutions

Whilst New Years Resolutions are a great idea I recommend thinking about goals that you would like to achieve in the future.

It is worthwhile investing time now in really considering what is important to you. What do you value as an individual and will your values tie in with your goals?

Goals
Goals provide us with a direction on where we are heading and we can identify the steps to achieve our goals.

Give yourself time to sort your goals and a way to start is to consider the following areas of your life:
1. Family
2. Career / Business
3. Health
4. Money
5. Relationships
6. Personal Growth
7. Fun Time
8. Physical Environment

You do not have to set goals in each area but at least reflect on the areas to see where you can make changes to gain better balance.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

It's the season to be jolly

I know many of us are in denial but we are now in mid November, which means that Christmas is coming. It is a great time but a really busy time with finalising orders / completing projects / reports for work, shopping for gifts, and attending loads of work, family and friends celebrations. Don’t leave it to the last minute – start now!

Want to enjoy catching up with friends – then do it now, don’t try to squeeze it all into December.

Start your Christmas card list and then begin writing your Christmas cards now, once again don’t leave it until mid December. Do it now.

Write out the list of presents you have to buy, place it in your purse and as you shop cross off each name so you don’t double up. It will give you a real buzz to see the slow progression to completing your shopping without the last minute pressure.

Make a promise to yourself to buy what you can before December starts, if you are having celebrations at home buy your decorations, napkins, plates, and non perishable food items. Purchase bulk drinks and then you only have the minimum to purchase closer to events and start your menu, that way you can write out your shopping list and know what non perishable items you need.

It really is the season to be jolly therefore prepare now so you can enjoy yourself.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Tackle Clutter in Small Steps

Sometimes the thought of tackling the clutter is overwhelming however it does not have to be that way. The following are some small steps which will help you work up to the bigger more overwhelming projects.

Small steps:
§ Pick a cupboard – just one and start there and only there
§ Start in one room – an easy room
§ Throw out 5 things a day, this adds up over time:
o 25 items a week
o 155 items a month
o 1,825 items a year
§ Pick up things off the floor
§ Clear a surface
§ Toss old magazines
§ Dump junk mail immediately as it comes into the house, flick and throw
§ Put things away – a place for everything and everything in its place
§ One book shelf
§ One draw
§ The pantry – toss anything expired
§ Pile of paperwork use “the 4 D’s” – Do it now, dump it, delegate it or date it

I hope if you have been struggling with where to start clearing the clutter, these tips will assist you get started on your clutter. A little bit every day helps.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

DeCluttering Excuses!

Taking the time to declutter is not always easy but at times we can actually talk ourselves out of even starting with the following excuses.

Have your ever heard or said yourself:
“It’s alright for you to be organised but I live in a small house.”
“I don’t have the money to buy the boxes and containers to declutter”
“I don’t have the money to redo the room so everything fits”
“I need to buy another book case to fit everything in”
“I don’t have anywhere to put …”
“It’s going to make a mess”
“I don’t have enough cupboard space”
“I don’t have time"
“I don’t know where to start”
“The job is too big so I just haven’t started”
“I have young kids I have no time”
“I’m too busy”
“I’ll do it next week”
“I want to clean up first then I will …”
“I have too much stuff”
“I might wear it one day”
“It will be great for a dress up one day”
“I might lose weight and fit into it again”
“It might come back into fashion”
“I’m keeping it for the holiday house”
“I’m the only one that can do it”
“I have to go shopping to buy what I need first”
“I have all my stuff because I might need it one day”
“Its memories that I don’t want to let go of”
“I can’t get rid of my stuff; it’s worth a lot of money”

What other excuses have you said?

Decide to take ACTION rather than let the excuses distract you from getting yourself organised.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Tips to Tackle Clutter

Knowing that you want to start decluttering is one thing. The next is actually having an action plan. The following are some tips to help you tackle the clutter.

Decide where you are going to DeClutter
> Take a moment to decide what area you will tackle
> Perhaps even make a list of areas and then prioritise them so you are only focused on one area at a time and do not get distracted by other areas or spaces
> Set yourself a timeline to accomplish a number of areas for example “I will tackle the top three areas on my list over the next 4 weeks.”

Set a deadline
Before you even tackle the first space allocate your time. I will spend 2 hours decluttering my wardrobe. You will find that you will work hard and stay focused for the 2 hours

Prepare
Have the tools you will need for your decluttering project ready, I find the following useful:
> Cleaning cloth for dust, marks, scratches
> Vacuum cleaner
> Box, bag or container for:
o Rubbish
o Recyclables
o Charity
o Other rooms / spaces in the house
> Pen
> Paper
> Music
> Drink of water

> Comfortable clothes

Reward
Decide on a reward for completing your project. It does not have to be huge it may even be a phone call to a friend, 30 minutes to read a book, or a glass of wine but either way you have achieved something and it should be celebrated.

Map out your “How to” steps
> It is important to have a plan of attack for example, if you are going to DeClutter your wardrobe know your rules such as I will throw out anything I have not worn for 2 years, I will throw out anything that is too small etc.
> Also have a plan for how you will reset your wardrobe, will it be colour co-ordinated, or garments together then colour co-ordinated. Have the end in mind before you start.

Make yourself accountable to someone
To ensure you follow through on your projects, tell someone else about it, whether it is a work colleague, partner or friend. It helps your motivation and focus.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

How to find the energy to declutter?

> Take a deep breath
> Are you an early bird or night owl? Work at the right time of the day for you
> Know your limits – sprinter or marathon runner
> Eat healthy
> Music is a great motivator

Understand that the hardest part is getting started so:
> Put all your focus on getting started
> Just spend 15 minutes
> Know what you are going to achieve
> Start with a small task to get started
> Make it easy to get started
> Have a rubbish bag and recycling bin ready

So take action and start decluttering, one small space at a time.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

How will you feel once you have decluttered?

Once you have decluttered you will start to feel:

> Relaxed
> Focused
> Free
> Proud

What are the benefits of decluttering?
> More time
> More efficient
> Praise from others
> Save money
> Do things well
> Escape drudgery
> Be more comfortable
> Live in a clean atmosphere
> Live longer
> Increase enjoyment
> Relax

Why are you not getting yourself clutter free?
> Rather be doing something else
> All or nothing [procrastination because the task is too big]
> Too broad of a statement about getting organised
> Sense of attachment
> Fear of failure

So take action and start decluttering, one small space at a time.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

What does clutter do to you?

Clutter affects you and the people around you in many ways, for example:
> You waste time searching for things
> Clutter occupies space
> You lose things
> Extra money is spent on items which have already been bought
> Money is wasted on excess furniture and storage to hoard the clutter
> Clutter makes you feel busy and causes unnecessary stress.
> You get distracted and have difficulty focusing
> Clutter affects your image. You look out of control
> You cannot prioritise or work efficiently when you can't see or find the tasks that need to be done

How do you know when it's time for you to Declutter?
It will become very obvious when:
> You have difficulty finding things
> You're always saying, "I know it's here somewhere!"
> You can't see your desk for the mess
> You cut your fingers in the filing cabinet when you try to dig out a file
> You have to push your body against the cupboard door to close it
> The bookshelves are beginning to break because of all the weight
> You've forgotten what your floor looks like because it's buried under the mess
> You feel out of control and overwhelmed when sitting in your office

Don’t let your clutter control you, your moods, your success, your time. Take ACTION and start to clear the clutter.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” list so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Clearing the clutter

Did you know that clutter can bring you down? Think about how you felt last time you cleared out a space that was bothering you. It is a real sense of freedom whether it is a whole room, wardrobe or desk. It is worth investing the time in clearing the clutter.

What is clutter?
Over time our homes, have a tendency to accumulate and collect all kinds of treasures, gems and keepsakes. Now we all know that one person's trash is another person's treasures, but our homes can only hold so much!!!

Our motto is “Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful”.

Of course, this process will not be done in one day, after all it took years (or if we are really good, months) to make it this way.

Start slow and take the time needed to follow through. You will find that decluttering is not as hard as you thought it would be.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Declutter your Mobile Phone

Too often we leave the organising and decluttering until the end of the year – which is a busy time with celebrations and shopping. Or the start of the year – which is a good time for planning so why not schedule your decluttering gradually throughout the year? This means that it is not a massive job when it comes time to declutter.

Rather than tackle a whole job such as the office at once it is great to continuously work on smaller areas such as your mobile phone. What you say? Declutter my mobile?

Believe it or not there are many areas that do get decluttered in your mobile.

Contacts

Delete all temporary numbers.
Delete any numbers belonging to people that you don’t know.
If you are like me I always save numbers when clients / potential clients contact me so that I can wow them the next time they call by saying their name.

Photos / Video’s

If you don’t need the photo’s then delete them.
If they are worth keeping perhaps download them to your computer and print them.
If they are of friends send them to the person / persons that are also in the photos. Make their day and show them you are thinking of them.

SMS/ text messages
Delete all your old text messages from your:
Inbox
Outbox
Sent
Drafts
Even check the saved area and delete ones you no longer need.

Depending on your phone you may have other options such as:
Memo’s

Check your memo area on your mobile phone; do you really need all those old memo’s? Surely you have acted on them by now!

Tasks
Do you have old tasks that should be deleted? Now is the perfect time to delete them.

This task should only take 15 minutes but it is another job done and like everything when it is organized it saves you TIME in the long run.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” or “wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Its time to think about Christmas Shopping.

The end of the financial year is a fantastic time to go Christmas shopping. Not because you have time on your hands, in fact it is to save time, save money and save stress.

However like everything it is important to plan your shopping trip. It is time to think Christmas Shopping. So it’s important to have a plan.

Planning
First, consider who you have to buy Christmas gifts for. Think immediate family, extended family, kinder and school teachers, sporting coaches … spend time now making a complete list.
Next, consider how much you would like to spend in total on Christmas gifts. Then consider how much you will spend on each gift. This will ensure you keep within your Christmas budget while shopping.


Thirdly, take some time to think about what would be a suitable present for each gift you need to purchase. This will allow you to think creatively and provide some direction while shopping which will save you more time.


Benefits
By starting your Christmas shopping early it will ensure you maintain your budget, can shop without pressure, emotional guilt and temptation which often occurs when you just need to purchase a gift in a hurry.

Oh and remember it is easier to leave the kids at home this time of year. Ideally everyone else around you will not be out shopping so you can get a babysitter for the afternoon. This will give you more time to think clearly and shop wisely.

Like everything it is worth doing the hard yards now so that you will be able to enjoy the Christmas period instead of making it hard work.

Happy planning and successful shopping.

About Us
LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” or “wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

End of Financial Year – Great time to review!

We often focus at the end of the year on our review of the year that has gone, and consider plans for the New Year and then set goals based on what has been identified. The end of the financial year is also a good time to stop and take a look. It is worth investing some time in reviewing if you are meeting your planned objectives and goals. You don’t want to waste the next 6 months just because you could not spare a couple of hours mid year.

Therefore take some time to check year-to-date highs, lows, the planned, the unexpected, the wins and the losses.

Potential Assessment Questions.
Perhaps the following questions may help with the assessment:

• Are we meeting budget?


• If yes, why, if no, why not?


• What have been our highs?


• What should we do more of to ensure we have more highs in the second half of the year?


• What have been our lows?


• What can we do to change this?


• How is our customer feedback process?


• Is it working for us?


• Is it working for our customers?


• When we get feedback where we know we need to make some changes, do we make the relevant changes?


• What staffing challenges have occurred so far?


• How did we handle them?


• Are we engaging our staff?


• What can we do to engage them more?


• What are our plans for the next 6 months?


• Are our staff aware of our plans?


• If yes, great, if no what are we going to do to ensure we are all working towards the same goal?

Don’t feel overwhelmed
The questions can go on and on don’t feel overwhelmed, just take some time to review you don’t want to waste the next six months.

Speak to Your Accountant
Even if the focus is specifically financial, remember it is important to speak to your accountant prior to the end of the financial year so any potential tax savings can be implemented. Don’t miss out on some great tax savings just because you could not spare a couple of hours for a meeting. I know my 1 hour meeting with my financial adviser saved me $4,000.00 in taxation. That meeting was well worth my investment of TIME.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” or “wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Not-to-do lists

Lists, lists, lists I love them. I have shopping lists, weekly menu list, 2009 goals list, action items list, to-do list, birthday list, presents list, cleaning my house list and it goes on. The problem with all the lists is knowing what to do first so the idea when presented to me of a “not-to-do" list sounded sensational.

Author Michael LeBoeuf recommended the following for the not-to-do list:

• All low-priority items, unless you have successfully completed all your high-priority items.


• Anything you could reasonably delegate to someone else.


• Demands on your time from others that are either thoughtless or inappropriate.


• Any errand that, if ignored, will have minimal consequences.


• Anything you might have done for someone else that the person should be doing for himself or herself.
  

Wow – what a great idea. Think of the time you will save by not doing things. It will allow you to focus on getting the priority items done.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” or “wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Office Organising Tips [Part 4]

Conquer Your Filing
In an idea office environment we should be able to find anything that we need the instant we need it. So why is it that we can not always do this? The answer is in whether we have invested the time to establish a filing system that we understand. It is easy to file items however the objective of filing is to find the filed items quickly.

By creating a filing system where we can retrieve documents when we need to find them we can save ourselves hours a day.

Steps to conquer your filing.

Purge what you do not need!

Put like items together in broad categories such as a main category, then a sub-category. For example, the main category is financial, sub-categories include bank accounts, shares, cash flow, profit and loss etc.

Keep a file index [a master list of file names].

Always check your file index prior to creating a new file or when deciding where to put new documents.

Keep the most recent papers in the front of the file. When you open the file the most current information will be on top.

Set up new files when you need then, this way the paper is dealt with and you have completed your task. It only takes a couple of minutes to keep everything in its place!

Create a filing system for your electronic documents that mirrors the system you have for your paper documents.

Remember . . .
Throw out papers you do not need. The 80/20 principle applies to filing as well. We only refer to approx 20% of the documents that we keep filed. So next time before you spend the time filing a document ask yourself whether you really need to keep it. If the answer is yes, ask yourself whether you are placing it in the most logical spot to find it when you do need it.

About Us

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” or “wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to

www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Office Organising Tips [Part 3]

Tips to Save You Time when you Communicate
Everyday at work we communicate too many people such as colleagues, clients and suppliers. We communicate in many different ways such as email, letter, quotation, telephone, verbal and non-verbal. Just as taming your desk saves you time so does clear communication.

Phone call
Before making a phone call take the time to write down the points you wish to discuss. Ensure the person you are talking to has the time to speak to you before you even commence your discussion, this way they will be fully focused on the conversation and you will both save time by not having to cut the conversation short and then have to repeat the conversation later on.

Follow up
If you need to follow up on something after your discussion make a note into your diary immediately so you know when you have to follow up by. This serves three purposes, firstly it will not be forgotten, secondly, it frees your head space to focus on other work and thirdly, your colleagues, clients, suppliers etc know that you are a person of your word and always follow up on what was agreed. This in turn, ensures that they will follow up with you as they know you have made a note of the discussion outcome.

Leaving a message
When leaving a message whether it is voicemail or with another staff member or even sending an email, be clear about what you are expecting from the other person including when, where and how. This way a full response can be provided back to you, even if they can not reach you directly.

Just a few small improvements every week will add up to a great deal of time saving over a year which allows you to be more productive.

About Us
LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” or “wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Are You Really Saving By Cutting Back?

Recession, tighten our belts, cut backs, retrenchment and ‘batten down the hatches’. This is what we constantly hear and read in the media about businesses and the year ahead.

Does this mean we should all live in fear of loosing our jobs, expect prices to sky rocket and escape somewhere else? Does it mean we need to stop living the great Australian way of life and start sacrificing our leisure activities, cut back on the kids after school activities and save every spare cent? All this, whilst we work extra hours so our employer sees us as dedicated and for no extra remuneration.

Hang on a minute – we all deserve more respect than this in our jobs. Remember good people are hard to come by in any economic time. Isn’t the company’s best asset its employees? If businesses start loosing key people in their business where are we really heading?

Have we forgotten the investment that has already been made into the staff - recruiting, training, empowering and nurturing them? Our employees have years of knowledge and understanding of the business that can’t be documented and passed onto the next person. Now that the times are getting tougher is it not always the right decision to retrench or cut back on company benefits?

What should we be doing?
Michele and Silvana are the directors from LifeStyle Refocus; a Melbourne based Lifestyle Management Company. They recommend that we should still be looking after our employees so they don’t become disgruntled due to company cut backs. Investing in staff and looking after them is crucial in any economic time.

LifeStyle Refocus works with businesses in Melbourne helping give employees real work/life balance while still getting maximum productivity from staff. Silvana quotes “it is usually the small things we do for an employee that keeps them happy and content in their jobs – it is not always about monitory rewards”

We all appreciate being acknowledged and thanked for our efforts. Whilst at Christmas time our tradition is to do this on an individual basis, it is important to thank staff for their contributions on an on-going basis and as a team. Although economic times are tougher, employees still need to be acknowledged in some way so they don’t feel the need to move on once the market eases up.

LifeStyle Refocus can help businesses look after their staff by offering incentives and rewards. They also offer team building activities which brings employees together for a shared experience which is not only fun, but builds morale and team spirit. All the rewards and incentives are tailored to your business structure and culture.

Michele and Silvana from LifeStyle Refocus are proud of their business which offers staff incentives and rewards. Find out more about Lifestyle Refocus at www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Michele on 0437 311 802 or Silvana 0417 595 744.

Office Organising Tips [Part 2]

Organise Your Desk
What does your desk look like? Are you happy with the way it is set up? Do you even stop and look at your desk and analyse whether it is working for you? Your desk can be a key factor in your productivity.

A cluttered desk can affect you as follows:
§ It can waste your time
§ It occupies space
§ You can lose things
§ Money is wasted on extra office furniture and storage to hold all the extras you are keeping
§ It can affect how others see you
§ It can appear that you are out of control
§ It can be difficult to prioritise your work when you can not find what needs to be done

What to do:
§ Keep only supplies that you need on a daily basis on your desk
§ Ensure the top draw closest to your desk holds your "office tools" that is the stapler, pens, pencils, paper clips. It is close by but not occupying space
§ Create a paper flow system for your incoming documents so they do not accumulate in your in tray
§ Use your in tray for items that have not yet been placed into the paper flow system
§ Avoid looking at document and putting them back into the in tray or on your desk, it is wasting valuable time

The act of maintaining your desk is one step on the way to be more effective and profitable. Remove the clutter so you can focus on the important areas of your business.

About Us
LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do” or “wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Anzac Day

We wish our very best to all those attending ANZAC Day Memorial Services. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

What is ANZAC Day?
ANZAC Day – 25 April – is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.

What does it mean today?
Australians recognise 25 April as an occasion of national commemoration. Commemorative services are held at dawn – the time of the original landing – across the nation. Later in the day, ex-servicemen and women meet and join in marches through the major cities and many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are held at war memorials around the country. It is a day when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.

The staff at LifeStyle Refocus

Office Organising Tips

Empty your mind
Empty information from your brain and organise it. That can be done by using a diary, a notebook, a planner, and your computer or specific software packages that are available. By doing this it gives your brain space to think about what you should be focusing on because you have the prompts you need to deal with tasks or appointments when they occur.

Reoccurring tasks
Do you have reoccurring tasks that you have to do? It may be checking office stationery supplies [weekly, monthly etc] or paying insurance premiums [annually]. Place these tasks into “Microsoft office tasks” and it will remind you when you start up your email program of the jobs that have to be done. They can be set up as reoccurring tasks so that they remind you when needed.

Give yourself time
Try and leave some space within your day to focus on a project or key action items. This allows you time to deal with tasks that have to be done.
Do you know that we underestimate how much time it will take to complete a task? It is a habit that we all do until we fully track our time and have an educated understanding of the time tasks take. Think about when you check emails and how long you think that will take you. How often are you surprised when time has just slipped away? Therefore whenever you think about how much time something is going to take allocate twice as much time. This accommodates for such things as interruptions or further research that may be required to complete the job properly.

Conquer large projects
When you are feeling overwhelmed by large project take a few minutes and break the project down into small, sequential steps. Then start from the end task and schedule these steps into days and approx time each task would take. This way you will have it completed on time. So long as you stay on track with your time line you will feel that you are making progress and not be overwhelmed.

About Us
LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Happy Easter

The team at LifeStyle Refocus wishes everyone a very Happy Easter. May you enjoy the TIME and spend it doing things you enjoy.

Silvana and Michele

Getting organised starts with clearing the clutter!

The steps to decluttering whether it is the shed, office or home are the same. It can be difficult to know where to begin clearing the clutter but it can be a good idea to start in an area that does not need a lot done to it. This will take less time but it will give you a start.

The following are some steps to get you decluttering:
§ Have a plan
§ Know how you are going to organise the stuff while you are going through it
§ Use a systematic approach
§ Gather boxes and suppliers you will need, such as boxes or containers with the following labels
keep in this area
elsewhere
donate
recycle
micro sorting
and rubbish
§ The elsewhere box is for any object that belongs elsewhere [in the house or office] to stop you leaving the room you are working in
§ Keep your shredder handy to shred old paper on the spot

“I never have the time”.
In reality you do, just start with an area or space that you know you have enough time to complete and start decluttering. It may be a desk draw, a shelf or a filing draw. Take 5, 10 or even 15 minutes each day and you will make progress.

Each time you do spend some time decluttering you are moving towards your goal. See how much you can accomplish each time you spend decluttering and take notice of how good you feel.

Micro sorting
When you are sorting an area you will come across something that needs further sorting such as photos, business cards, meeting minutes etc. Place these into another container for micro-sorting. These are things you can sort another day.

Double check
Before you place everything back into place question yourself once more whether you really need it or should it go into one of the other boxes.

If you want to give yourself a real boost and see how successful you had been take some before and after photos.

Reward
You can also reward yourself after each milestone you reach. Big or small every bit is a success – celebrate your success.

When your space is clutter free you begin to save yourself TIME. This will make you more productive and be a small step to creating a better balance in your life.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Do You Have Your Tools?

Every day we all want to achieve more and “get on top of things”. However most people feel that the “to-do” list grows daily rather than achieving what we intended. We will endeavour over the next few weeks to develop habits which will help you be more organised and actually make progress on your action items list.

One of the best places to start is your desk. You can waste a lot of time at your desk looking for basic tools like pencils, stapler and even important documents. The plan is to keep your desk tidy.

§ Put all pens and pencils into your pencil cup or draw
§ Remove all cups and food items
§ Throw away all the bits of rubbish and junk mail from the top of the desk
§ Put any receipts into a receipts folder / file
§ Place the papers you are working on right now next to you
§ Put all the other papers AWAY from your desk

Like a good trade person, we need to have our tools with us so ensure your stationery draw is stocked don’t waste time at home or in the office looking for basics like a sharpener, sticky tape or staples.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Help your children make sense of the natural disasters

Living in Victoria, Australia at the moment we have been struck by many bushfires where hundreds of properties and lives have been lost. After 10 years of drought and extreme hot weather the fires have been incredible. They have affected us all in very different ways. This is an extract from an article by Michael Grose who is a parenting educator. His website is www.paretningideas.com.au

As adults we all want our children to live carefree lives and keep them from the pain and even horror of tragedies such as natural disasters. In reality we can't do this. So what is a parent, teachers, or other caring adult to do when the natural disasters fills the airwaves and the consciousness of society? Here are some ideas:

1. Reassure children they are safe


2. Be available to listen to what they think and feel


3. Help children to process what they see and hear, particularly through television - children are good observers but can be poor interpreters


4. Support children's concerns for others


5. Let them explore feelings beyond fear


6. Help children find a legitimate course of action if they wish


7. Avoid keeping the television on all the time


8. Be aware of your own actions - children take their cues from you and if they see you focusing on it in an unhealthy way then they will focus on it too


9. Take action yourself - children who know their parents, teachers, or other caregivers are working to make a difference, feel hope.

Children's worlds can be affected in ways that we can't even conceive of so adults need to be both sensitive to children's needs and mindful of what they say and how they act in front of children.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

You’ve got mail - Controlling your Inbox

We all have far too much to do everyday and would love more time to focus on the things we love, so why is it that so many of us double or triple handle our emails?

To control your “Inbox” you have to establish new habits. The following guidelines will assist you to “manage your mail”.

• Set times during the day to check your emails. Perhaps aim for 3 times a day - in the morning, after lunch and before you go home for the day.


• Use the 2 minute rule – action anything that can be done in less than two minutes. Read each email and action it then and there [don't forget to delete it once you have dealt with it]. The majority of our emails can be handled immediately with a quick answer.


• If it is not a quick email place the email into your follow up area and establish time in your day to action the follow up items. Don’t leave them there and forget about them. It is really important to follow up otherwise they will become urgent and take a lot more of your valuable time.


• Set a goal to have not more than 15 emails in your inbox at any one time.


• Try and delete emails every day, don’t forget your sent items, deleted items and junk email folders


• Make folders to place your emails that require further action – limit the number of folders and have meaningful folders like follow up, to read, to phone etc

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

Creating Goals and Focus for the Year Ahead

We have all read the books, which say no goal is ever achieved unless it is visualised. Part of the visualization process can often be writing down the goals – being accountable.

Following is a chart of the categories that can be considered in your goals for the New Year.

These are in no specific order and you do not have to have goals in all areas if they are not relevant to you.

Categories to consider

• Spiritual


• Family


• Work / Career


• Physical / Health


• Social


• Personal


• Rest and relaxation [Wellbeing]

Business Plan / Life Guide

Now we have a business plan – or a life guide. That is one step in the process to accomplishing our goals. But just as in business it is a great idea to break these goals down. Let’s break them down into monthly achievements as you would a sales, marketing or business plan.

Monthly priority list:

Spiritual

2. 
   

Family

Work / Career

2. 
   

Physical / Health

Social

Personal

Rest and relaxation [Wellbeing]

Tick off each category as you accomplish it and gradually you will achieve your yearly goals by chipping away. Congratulations it is a sensational feeling.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.

10 Tips for Starting the Business Year

So here are some suggestions for increasing sales and generating that revenue stream required to keep busy increasing and building relationships:

1/ Go through your ledger and find the top sales items and check that you have actually been paid for each of them. Now is the time to follow up those customers and send them a New Year wishes card [everyone does Christmas cards] and thank them for their support over the year.

2/ Any outstanding accounts justify a personal call from one of your top sales team (or you and your business partners) to talk about their business plans and only at the end ask if they could assist you by completing payments before the end of the month

3/ Identify the pattern of purchases of these items in previous good times and send out a special offer (not a discount) to them suggesting that it may be appropriate to start planning to restock or restore business developments now that there are new consumers coming back into the market

4/ At the same time it is important to break down the sales prospects on the basis of the level of risk that is represent as it is essential to maintain good control of risks, billing patterns, revenue collection and bad debt supervision.

5/ Have a sales meeting with your whole team at least once a fortnight so that everyone is aware of the items that make the greatest contribution to the survival of the business and encourage everyone to cross-sell related merchandise and services.

6/ Draw up a sales flow chart that ensures what works and what can cost sales performance, including following up on customer inquiries, prompt attention to orders, inventory management and thank you notes to customers who are vital contributors to the business success.

7/ Go through advertising and promotion material and break it down into three categories – will this bring new business, reinforce repeat business or merely build brand recognition and then apply the rule that the first attention is on repeat business, the second is on new business and brand promotions can wait until next financial year.

8/ Focus sales and marketing efforts on main stream lines that directly impact upon customers lifestyles, and business development activities so that you aim to build a customer relationship and not just another one-time purchase.

9/ Make sure that all staff take a little extra time with credit card payments, using the time taken to ring up the order to make sure that the signature on the card matches and asking for cash when a card proffered has been maxed out.

10/ Ensure that you keep your bank manager aware of the efforts that you are making to keep the business growing and keep your family aware that now is not the time to go out and spend as they are vital members of the sales team for the next few months.

Dr Colin Benjamin is Entrepreneurship and Strategic Thinking Consultant at

Marshall Place Associates, which offers a range of strategic thinking tools that open up possibilities for individuals and organisations committed to applying the processes of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship. Contact: CEO Dr Jane Shelton.

LifeStyle Refocus is a Melbourne based personal assistant, corporate concierge and lifestyle management consultancy. They are all about saving you TIME. By taking care of your “to do or wish list” so you can spend time doing the things that are truly important to you. For more information go to www.lifestylerefocus.com.au or contact Silvana on 0417 595 744 or Michele on 0437 311 802.