Week 10 – Desk Management – Celebrate an Organized Workspace (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Organize Your Desk Day - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

In a study commissioned by Professional Organizers in Canada, 7 in 10 Canadians who work say their workplace is disorganized, and disorganized Canadians report feelings of stress, frustration and failure.

Week 10 – Desk Management – Maintaining an Organized Workspace (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Organization - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Now that your office is set up for success, is your organizing work done? Well, if nothing changed, maybe, but our lives are always changing – we all know change is the one thing we can count on. So, here are four tips to keep things organized no matter what comes your way.

Week 10 – Desk Management – 6 Strategies for a Successful Home Office (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Successful Home Office Spaces - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

We’ve covered a wealth of material in this series which is applicable to any office, but working from home presents unique challenges. Numerous stats show productivity gains of 15% or more through working from home. Why is it then that some people can work successfully from home but others say they simply can’t? The foundation to work successfully from home comes from planning an effective work space and developing appropriate work practices.

Desk management – 5 steps on how to organize your desk (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Organizing Your Desk Space - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

We’ve covered the theory behind getting organized, but what about the practical side? How do you go from a cluttered to calm desk space? The following 5 steps show you how:

Desk management – 5 ways to control desk clutter (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Desk Management - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Even with papers tidied and files put away, desktops can appear busy because of computers and the many peripherals and accessories we use. Here are 5 ways to reduce desktop disarray:

Desk management – 5 items that really belong at your desk (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Desk Management - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Here we are, 8 weeks after beginning this series on organizing your workspace, finally talking about how to organize your desk. We have covered space planning, ergonomics, time management and information management before getting to the desk – the most used space.

Week 8 – Information Management: Tips – Time Saving Tools (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Managing Time - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

New features have been designed into data storage supplies to make them easier to use and to save you time. Take a look at your data storage processes and especially for any that are repeated often, consider feature-rich quality tools for a smoother, more efficient experience.

Week 8 – Information Management: Afraid of Your Inbox? 5 Tips For Email Efficiency (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Organizing Your Email Inbox - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

One of the most common frustrations in today’s work environment is the volume of email. I commonly hear reports of between 100-200 emails a day and inboxes with thousands of unread emails. Coupling email with portable devices creates the expectation of an immediate response – a pressured system.

Week 8 – Information Management: 3 Simple Steps To Manage Your Contacts (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About How to Manage Your Contacts - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

In business it’s often said that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. But, what good is that if you struggle to organize and manage your contact information?

Program a model for early childhood education

New Brunswick Program is Helping Children - Photo Courtesy of Dreamstime.com

RICHIBUCTO, NB, Oct. 16 /CNW/ – La Boussole, Centre de la petite enfance et de la famille de Richibucto inc. celebrated its official opening today in Soleil Levant School. Elected officials and community leaders from business, culture, health, and education joined children, their parents and caregivers to tour this unique “one-stop” location for children from birth through Grade 8.

Painting of Black Woman with Afro embodied by a Rose and Based in Water is Art

Donna Kakonge's Painting - Photo Courtesy of Donna Kakonge

After the Caribana Exhibit in July, I contacted Joan Butterfield, the curator to congratulate her on the exhibit.

Painting Black Woman with Afro embodied by a Rose and Based in Water is Not Art

Donna Kakonge's Painting - Photo Courtesy of Donna Kakonge

I tried to get my artwork displayed at One Love, a vegetarian restaurant northwest of Bathurst and Bloor in Toronto; however another artist had already reserved the space.

Royal Ontario Museum – “From the Soul”

Painting at From the Soul at the ROm - Photo Courtesy of TalkofToronto.com

bell hooks says “taking our cues from mainstream white culture, black folks have tended to see art as completely unimportant in the struggle for survival” (hooks, 2000). From the looks of the number of people at the Caribana Exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) on July 22, 2010, this is changing.

Week 7 – Information Management: Strategies – How To Deal With Incoming Information (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Information Management - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

We are increasingly inundated with mail, some of it very useful to us and critical to our successful performance, but much of it extraneous and distracting. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by the physical clutter of paper mail and the mental chaos of an abundance of electronic information, it is critical to systematically deal with each incoming piece. This means knowing how to process email, regular mail, faxes, information from trade shows, meeting notes and more.

Week 7 – Information Management: Strategies – 6 Tips To Turn Your Filing System Into A “Finding” System (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Filing and Organization - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

For incoming information that makes it past “delete”, systems are required to hold our active or “do” items and those we designate for reference. Filing systems are the most commonly used but unless set up effectively can quickly become cumbersome space hogs full of papers that are never referred to.

Week 7 – Information Management: Strategies – Reference Material At The Ready (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Organization - Photo Courtesty of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Filing works well for storing some types of information but not others. Smaller papers can get lost, files can easily get out of order and they may not stand up to heavy use.

Week 6 – Time Management: Tips – 5 Time Saving Products (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Products That Can Help You Organize - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

There are numerous products on the market designed to help you use time more productively. Here are a few of my favourite time-savers:

Week 6 – Time Management: Tips – 5 Ways to Use Time More Efficiently (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Setting Priorities - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Since time management is the most common challenge to being organized, here are five more time management tips to boost your productivity:

Week 6 – Time Management: Tips – 5 Ways to Overpower Procrastination (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Time Management - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

A recent Leger Marketing survey commissioned by Professional Organizers in Canada reveals that of the 80% of Canadians who say they are disorganized, they appear to struggle most with their ability to organize time.

Week 5 – Time Management: Strategies – Three Tools to Manage Your Time (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Tools to Help You Manage Your Time - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

I read an article recently that suggested that the average worker uses 13 different time management tools. The most common tools fall within the following three categories:

Week 5 – Time Management: Strategies – Setting Priorities (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Setting Priorities - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Just like space, time is a limited resource. In fact most of us would say this is a resource under constant pressure. With so many demands on our time, it is easy to feel pulled in several directions and be unsure of what to focus on. Here are three strategies to help you invest your time wisely.

Week 5 – Time Management: Strategies – 5 Ways to Master Your To Do List (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Organizing Your To Do List - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Our goals and objectives lead to numerous actions. Writing them down can help us make sure we don’t forget them, but is there a best way to do it? Here are three strategies to keep your To Do list under control:

Week 5 – Time Management: Strategies – Setting Priorities (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Time Management - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Just like space, time is a limited resource. In fact most of us would say this is a resource under constant pressure. With so many demands on our time, it is easy to feel pulled in several directions and be unsure of what to focus on. Here are three strategies to help you invest your time wisely.

Week 1 – Selecting Organizing Tools (Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Organizing Tools for Your Home Office - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

Organizing tools are critical to create an efficient and effective workspace. Tools help us group like items together, identify and contain items for easy retrieval, and place items in the most comfortable position for use.

THE HOTTEST PERFORMERS CHILDREN’S BOOK OF 2010

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CURTAIN UP! A BOOK FOR YOUNG PERFORMERS, a children’s picture book by DIRK McLEAN with colourful illustrations by FRANCE BRASSARD has been published by Tundra Books in Toronto & Tundra Books of Northern New York.

Donna’s Online Store Sale

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Week 4 Space Management: Inspiration – Defining Your Office Style (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

By Clare Kumar

Given the amount of time spent in our offices, once designed for function, it makes sense to create spaces we truly enjoy being in. Since offices hold a large variety items, selecting a style can help unify the space and reduce visual chaos. In this article we’ll consider furniture, soft furnishings and lighting. In the next we’ll explore colour, art and accessories.

Week 4 – Space Management: Inspiration – Personalizing Your Space (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

By Clare Kumar

Having defined your office style through furniture, soft furnishings and lighting, you’ll want to consider the use of colour, art and plants to further personalize your workspace.

Week 4 – Space Management: Inspiration – Four Ways To Boost Your Creativity (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Getting a Boost at Work - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Out of the box thinking is necessary to generate new ideas and even problem solve in our daily tasks. Since time is always limited, we have to be efficient even in our creativity.

Week 3 – Space Management: Ergonomics – Work Station Comfort (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Work Station Comfort - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Numerous studies show a direct link between comfort at your workstation and productivity. In fact a summary of 250 studies on the impact of ergonomic equipment shows average productivity gains of 25%. Add to that the benefit of avoiding serious and sometimes permanent musculoskeletal injuries (such as low back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome) and it makes sense to invest time into making sure your office space suits your body and your work.

Week 3 – Space Management: Ergonomics – Using Your Computer Safely (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar About Ergonomic Best Practices While At Your Desk - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

Just as it is critical to have a supportive chair and a work surface at the correct height, it is essential to know how to use a computer correctly to avoid serious repetitive strain injuries.

Week 3 – Space Management: Ergonomics – Best Practices (Originally Published on GetConnected.com)

Clare Kumar Writes About Getting the Best Out of Yourself While Working - Photo Courtesy of GetConnected.com

By Clare Kumar

The equipment you use in your office goes a long way in setting up your chances for working in a healthy way. In addition to these you will want to establish some best practices to ensure you are doing everything necessary to take care of yourself while at work.