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    March 2008 Edition
   
The Organized Lifestyle Magazine
HOME * OFFICE * TIME * SPIRIT
 March 2008
Deanne
Hello,

Since I started writing the Organized Lifestyle Magazine (OLM) in January 2006 I have intermittently written about my mother who, as you know, suffers from Alzheimers.

My philosophy is to try to learn from situations that may otherwise seem senseless. This is why I choose to share with you how much I have been learning about myself as a result of her sickness. Her illness is an impetus for me to seize my life more fully, and is also an affirmation of the services that Kaos Group offers.

We've all seen that some individuals are rather adept at creating organization from chaos. In our experience here at Kaos, we've seen that some people hide behind their disorganization out of a sense of fear or doubt or hopelessness. It sometimes feels easier to maintain the status quo than it is to tackle our dragons and move into a more fully realized state.

Allow me to paint a picture for you - and yes, it's another one about my mom.

Recently, I took my children (Tess and Ty) to see my mother. When we arrived, my hands were filled with coffee, tea, and a little box of Tim Bits. I quickly realized that I was going to have to convince my mother to walk with us to a comfy sitting area to enjoy our visit. Technically, she doesn't know us, so this posed quite the challenge.

Imagine for a moment how we ask a young child to walk with us down the street - we take their hand, right? So, I reversed the process and asked Tess and Ty to each take one of Grandma Jo's hands and follow me to the sitting area. They did this effortlessly, just like they would with a younger child, and I was speechless. It was a picture that will forever remain in my mind because this is what our parents did for us and what inevitably we will end up doing for our parents. Just imagine how sweet it was to see my 6 year old and 3 year old walking their Grandma down the hall. Priceless.

My question to you is this: Who is holding your hand when you need it? It might sound a bit silly but we all need someone, at some point, to hold our hand. I can think of several examples of people who may hold our hands at one point or another: A Business Coach, a Life Coach, a Therapist, a Colour Consultant, an Interior Designer, a Mentor, or even a Professional Organizer.

February Foto Fun!
* HOME *
under sink organizer

I recently realized that February is the time of year I professionally print all my photos from the previous year. This was not a conscious choice on my part; it just happens that way! However, I've discovered that once you get started it's really a rather fun process.

So, here's a little something we like to call "February Foto Fun!" - some tips on how to start getting your photos organized on the computer, printed onto paper, and filed into your albums.

  1. Put all pictures into one folder which you can keep on your desktop for easy access. I suggest using shoe boxes for hard copies.
  2. File the photos into years and then subdivide into months - the better your organization here, the better your results.
  3. Give yourself a reasonable time frame to work on sorting - 2 hour chunks spread over 2-4 weeks is a good way to start. The key is to set achievable goals.
  4. Buy some great photo albums. I love three ring binders because I can insert plastic sleeves for keepsakes that are larger than a photograph - such as the Valentine's Day card that my daughter made me last year. Note: Do not scrimp on your photo album. This is what will preserve your photos and memories.
  5. When you're ready to print your photos, there are lots of options from which you can choose. You can order on line, take files to a printer, or transfer them to a CD and take them to a kiosk at Shoppers Drug Mart.
  6. Once you have the copies, it's time to sort them again. Now is a good time to cross-reference against your desktop folders to ensure that you have everything you wanted.

It's a fun project to complete and you'll be happy you did it!

Read more about kAos Group Residential Organizing.
The Elusive IT
* TIME *

We seem to spend a lot of time talking and thinking about it. Sometimes it flies, sometimes it drags. We often wish we had more of it - we look for ways to save it. What is it? - Time, of course! There are lots of simple techniques on how to save it and manage it better - heck, there are literally hundreds of books written about it. And yet we often find ourselves at the 11th hour wondering where it has gone.

Below are 13 common it wasters from Tony Allesandro, a successful business strategist.

Tony tells us that time wasting activities can be initiated from the people around us as well as from within ourselves. Some time wasters are unavoidable, but we can reduce their impact on our lives. Start by identifying the most frequent sources of time wasters in your day. As a means of comparison, we've included a list of time wasters. Many researchers find the same handful at the top of their lists, which indicates that these are problems that are common to all of us:

  1. Scheduling less important work before more important work.
  2. Starting a job before thinking it through.
  3. Leaving jobs before they are completed.
  4. Doing things that can be delegated to another person.
  5. Doing things that can be delegated to modern equipment.
  6. Doing things that actually aren't a part of your real job.
  7. Keeping too many, too complicated, or overlapping records.
  8. Handling too wide a variety of duties.
  9. Failing to build barriers against interruptions
  10. Allowing conferences and discussions to wander.
  11. Conducting unnecessary meetings, visits, and/or phone calls.
  12. Chasing trivial data after the main facts are in.
  13. Socializing at great length between tasks.

Do you need assistance with enhancing your it? Time management is about self management and there are many ways to squeeze more productivity or enjoyment out of the 1,440 minutes that each day provides. See below for the next Time Management seminar offered by Deanne from Kaos Group or contact her directly for your private analysis and training. info@kaosgroup.com.
Tax Tips
* OFFICE *

"Can I write that off?" -- This is a very common question from business owners. The next most popular question is, "When is that due?" In preparation for Tax Season, here is a condensed version of allowable business expenses and common deadlines, along with a plethora of sites to assist you with your inquiries.

Allowable Business Expenses:

  • You must be able to prove to CRA that the expense is directly related to the operation of your business.

  • Normally, allowable expenses include office supplies, business insurance, advertising and promotional materials.

  • "Meals and entertainment" is an area of which you need to be careful. On the receipt, be sure to write the names of the people at the meeting. Only 50% of the GST paid on a meal is allowable for credit.

  • Auto: You are only allowed to deduct auto expenses incurred for business purposes. You should keep a mileage log book of business kilometres driven, as well as all vehicle related receipts.

The above tips are compliments of Intellibiz Accounting Solutions Inc. Carolyn is easy to speak with and well versed in her field. She can be reached at (905)-775-9233 or by email at carolyn@intellibizaccounting.ca.

Important Deadlines:

  • February 28th - T4 slips & T5 slips

  • March 1 - RRSP contribution

  • April 30 - Personal Tax Return (other than self employed individuals)

  • April 30 - GST owing on self employment income

  • April 30 - Personal taxes owing (self employed included)

  • June 15 - Personal tax return for self employed individuals and their spouses

  • June 15 - GST return for self employed individuals

Informative Articles for Tax Questions, Myths, Deductions, and Tips:

Deanne's Web Picks

Offer your hand to help Tri for Dakota .

Quicken - Personal and Business Financial tracking.

Deanne Kelleher
Kaos Group
phone: 416.347.9002