May 2011 Editor: Melissa Easley, CPS/CAP
Mind, Body, Spirit By Melissa Easley, CPS/CAP
The month of May as the last month of Spring, has arrived, and we begin the inevitable journey into the long Texas, hot, humid summer. So, besides drinking lots of iced liquids, what can be do to prepare ourselves? Can we perform a little spring cleaning for our minds, bodies, and spirits so we’re not carrying so much clutter? Let’s shred some of that unwanted and undesired behaviors, thoughts, and emotional baggage!
Where do we begin to getting rid of that waste? And more importantly, where do we find the time to throw away and leave behind stuff?
There’s your answer: We need to begin with finding the time. Getting rid of our time wasters is the first step to spring cleaning. Here’s a top ten list of common time management mistakes according to Mind Tools. See if you have these pitfalls to avoid: 1) Failing to Keep a To-Do List-daily, weekly, monthly 2) Not Setting Personal Goals-striving to achieve the SMART goals 3) Not Prioritizing-what really is important/ urgent 4) Failing to Manage Distractions-office gossip around the coffee pot or water cooler.
5) Procrastinationtomorrow never comes. 6) Taking on Too Muchcommitted to everything 7) Thriving on “Busy”similar to procrastination because no planning is involved and only accomplishing part of task. 8) Multitaskingsucceeding in only 2040 percent of the tasks because of working on more than one at a time. 9) Not Taking BreaksREST your brain! 10) Ineffectively Scheduling Tasks-no follow up. Our featured article on Time Management hopefully will motivate you to jump in there do a little May Spring Cleaning!
Notable Quotable “The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ~Stephen Covey
Congratulations Incoming Aggieland Chapter Officiers: President: Lea Ann Westmoreland, CAP Mind, Body, Spirti…………………1 Feature Article…………………......2 Events Around Town………….…..3 President’s Message………...…….3 Chapter Events……………..……...4
President Elect: Mary Ellen Rowan, CAP Vice President: Lisa Benavides, CPS/CAP Secretary: Cindy Hurt, CPS Treasure: Sherry Melton, CPS/CAP
Good Luck and Well Wishes To all those who are completing the certification exams for your CPS or CAP
De-Clutter Your Workspace in 4 Quick Steps by ASAPorg.com Staff Is your work area awash in piles of paper, half-finished cans of soda, stacks of memos, and mountains of file folders? Even if you know exactly where to find everything that you need to get your job done, a messy workspace sends a signal that you’re disorganized and inefficient and is probably slowing you down more than you realize. Not only is it easier than you might imagine to tidy your space, but there is a big upside to having a neat, calm work area. For instance, you'll no longer waste time digging through piles of paperwork to find a crucial document that you need now. You'll make a better impression on colleagues and higher-ups. And with less distracting clutter, it will be easier to focus on your work. As a result, your productivity will increase dramatically. Follow these 4 easy steps to a clutter-free workspace:
1. Remove everything. Take everything off of your desk and other cluttered work spaces, like shelves. (Of course, leave large items like computers and printers in place.) Also remove any papers, calendars, and notes that are tacked to a bulletin board or to your walls. Use boxes, bins, or bags organize your P AS SIO N A ND P U RP O S E
stuff. Group items in temporary storage containers: o Office supplies: Pens, paper clips, stapler, scotch tape, etc. o Forms: Letterhead, company pads, supply requisitions o Paperwork: to-do list, list of calls to return, project-related reports, memos. o Daily essentials: Calendar, calculator, pen cup, notepads o Reference materials: Office manuals, dictionary, price lists, binders o Personal items: Photos, work awards, your child's artwork
Find a place for everything in drawer divider trays, desktop supply caddies, and vertical files. Place items you use daily (pens, pads, calendar, phone call sheets) within reach. Place things you use weekly or monthly (reference materials, supply requisitions) further away, perhaps on a shelf, but still easy to get your hands on. Items you use rarely (extra office supplies, old but important files) should be stashed in a file cabinet away from your desk. Place knickknacks out of the way, on or above your desk.
2. Clean every surface; review every piece of paper.
4. Clean your desk each day before leaving for home.
Wipe down every inch of every work area. Banish coffee cup rings, grime, and dust. Now, go through the papers you removed. Toss duplicates, old memos, and anything no longer relevant to your work. Ask yourself if you'll ever need to refer to a particular piece of paper again. If the answer is no—let it go. Keep action items, current files, and your to-do list.
Ten minutes before you leave the office, put everything away, except for active projects. When you return to work the next morning, you'll feel inspired to new heights of productivity by your clean, almost Zen-like workspace. You've done it! Your workspace is now clear, and you're ready to greet each day with greater enthusiasm and productivity.
3. Replace only the things that you need back on, in, or above your desk. Page 2
Events Around Town
May 14th-The 2011 Starlight Music Series offers five nights of FREE musical entertainment throughout May and June. Families, friends and visitors can load up their picnic baskets, coolers, blankets and lawn chairs for rockin' entertainment under the stars at the City of College Station's Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater.
Wednesday, May 18 - "A Tour of Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial and Lynn Stuart Pathway," with GEN Randy House, USA (Ret.); FIELD TRIP to Veterans Park with lunch at the American Pavilion, carts will be available for transport. (Luncheon sponsored by Brazos Union Masonic Lodge.)
President’s Message Thank you for sharing this journey of Passion & Purpose with me over the past year. When I joined IAAP in 2002, certification was my focus. Holding a board position was not something I’d have ever thought of doing. Like most, public speaking was not a comfortable thing to think about. Through IAAP I have served in most committee positions and chapter board positions. I also put on one memorable skit with Cindy Hurt at an APD. None of these were in my comfort zone, but in a supportive environment like IAAP anything is possible. I have watched many ladies serve as President of IAAP and have learned something from each of them. It is exciting to watch people blossom through IAAP and try things they wouldn’t have normally done. Through IAAP, I have met many awesome people and been to exotic locals like Amarillo, La Pine, Reno and New Orleans (some more glamorous than others.) It didn’t matter where the event was held though, every time you get IAAP people together, you are going to be inspired and lifted up. It doesn’t matter if the napkins are linen or the chicken is rubber, if you are open to IAAP you will be rewarded with friends and education. I hope we continue to grow and improve in everything we do, but we can’t lose focus on the true spirit of IAAP. Thank you to everyone who has supported me since we began this journey. I look forward to representing Aggieland in Houston this weekend and encourage everyone to set a goal of attending a division conference when they can! Sincerely, Sheila Dotson CPS/CAP P AS SIO N A ND P U RP O S E
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Chapter Events & IAAP May 19 - 5:30-7:30 pm Papa Perez Downtown Bryan
So, You Want To Be a Virtual Assistant? Presented by Sherri Beck, CPS/CAP, Owner of Top Koala T and Linda Dunahoo, CPS/CAP, Owner of Lone Star Professional Group Management
There will be no charge for the meeting. You may order from the menu on your own. RSVP by Tuesday, May 17
Follow Us: http://twitter.com/AggielandIAAP http://www.iaap-aggieland.org http://www.facebook.com/aggielandiaap
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