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Achieve Results at Home, At Work, and In Life
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 As I write this, I'm looking out my window, and see the trees and flowers starting to bloom and green popping up all over. And it prompts me to ask, What does it mean to be "green" and how does it relate to organizing? Check out the Feature Article below for the winning and earth-friendly combination of green and organizing.
This month's issue is dedicated to helping you see the benefits that going green can have on getting organized, and how being better organized can, in turn, help you be more green. I'm delighted to share ways for you to live better, smarter and, yes, "greener" that will also help you to be more organized.
Happy Spring ~
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- April 24-26, 2009 - Chairing Operation Clean Sweep for Town of Warwick sponsored by Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce.
- April 29 - May 2, 2009 - Attending National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Annual Conference and Expo in Orlando, FL.
- May 5, 2009 - Being interviewed as guest expert by Sandy Dixon of Interior Arrangements on teleclass for Interior Redesign and Staging Industry Specialists (IRIS), titled Bullet Proof Your Business: Tips for Using the Law as a Protective Shield.
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May 15, 2009 - Presenting Organizing & Time Management for Lawyers in Transition for the Pace Law School New Directions Program.
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May 16, 2009 - Conducting a DECIDE to be Organized workshop at Baby Grand Books located at 7 West Street in Warwick, NY from 10 am - 12 pm. $15 per person. All are welcome to attend, but you must pre-register as space is limited. Call (845) 986-6165 to register.
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June 11, 2009 - Presenting 3 Steps to Next Level Business Success at the QED Hudson Valley Business Edge Conference in Fishkill, NY. $76 registration fee for full-day conference. $10 discount for clients and friends of LMOS. Contact me for discount code before you register. For more information or to register, visit http://qedbusinessedge.com.
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| "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." ~ Leonardo da Vinci |
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"Green" Organizing - An Earth-Friendly Combination
While "green" and organizing may sound unrelated, promoting green consciousness is a natural extension of the organizing process. Professional organizers enter homes and businesses on a regular basis, and armed with proper knowledge, a professional organizer can assist clients in becoming more Earth-friendly. As the Chair of my town's Earth Day Clean Sweep for the past five years, I am well aware of the importance of reducing and recycling, and relish the opportunity to influence clients and the general public in this regard.
What can you do to get better organized in a "green-friendly" way? Here are some tips.
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 Think Before You Buy - Try to transform your buying habits so that you are not accumulating too many items in the first place. Most of the environmental damage is done in the manufacturing stage, so the less consumerism, the better. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans produced 254.1 million tons of household trash in the year 2007 alone. In 2008, however, as a result of the economic recession and the resulting decrease in disposable incomes, landfills reported a 30% decline in waste levels. -
Pay Bills Online - According to Javelin Strategy & Research, 53% of Americans currently use online banking services, rising to an estimated 67% by 2012. The report also estimates that Americans could prevent the logging of 16.5 million trees every year if all Americans switched from paper bills to Internet banking.
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Repurpose and Reuse - Consider repurposing or reusing existing items in creative ways to avoid buying more and to give new life to forgotten items that are just taking up space.
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Recycle - Throughout the sorting, purging, and organizing process, think of the benefits of recycling. Often times, a person is unaware of the recycling  guidelines in his or her particular area, or whether a particular item can be recycled at all. For a list of lesser-known recycling programs, visit the Donation and Recycling Resources page of my website. Get educated so you can stop adding to landfills and recycle more. Consider setting up an organized recycling center in your home or business to make it as easy as possible to recycle.
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Donate - Remember, recycling includes donating items that you no longer love, need, or use often to those who could truly put those items to good use. Adopt a charity, or even a particular family to donate to (check out www.TangibleKarma.com). If you just want to unload items for free, consider giving them away on Freecycle (www.Freecycle.org).
Think "green" when organizing. You will not only be able to reduce your clutter and find things more easily, you will be helping the Earth in the process.
Happy Earth Day,
Copyright 2009 © Lisa Montanaro
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you use this complete statement: Copyright 2009. Lisa Montanaro, "The Solutions Expert," is Principal of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm created in 2002 that offers professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa publishes the monthly "DECIDE™ to be Organized" e-zine for the general public, and "Next Level Business Success" e-zine for professional organizers and other entrepreneurs. Subscribe today at www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com. Through LMOS, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth. To explore how LMOS can improve your home or work environment, or help take your business to the next level, contact Lisa at (845) 988-0183 or by e-mail at Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com. |
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Managing Your Mail - "Green" Choices
We are inundated with paper in our mailboxes on a daily basis. How to stop the paper flow? Here are a few resources. Yes, it takes some leg-work to stop receiving unwanted mail, but the time spent in the short term is worth it in the long run. It will lighten the load coming into your home and office in the first place, which makes it easier to stay organized. It also means less paper produced and recycled.
 Catalog Choice is a free service that allows you to decide what gets in your mailbox. Use it to reduce your mailbox clutter, while helping save natural resources.
- DMA Choice is an online tool developed by the Direct Marketing Association to help you manage your mail. This site is part of a larger program designed to respond to consumers' concerns over the amount of mail they receive. The site divides mail into four categories: Credit Offers, Catalogs, Magazine Offers and Other Mail Offers. You can request to start or stop receiving mail from individual companies within each category, or from an entire category at once.
 Optoutpresreen.com is the official Consumer Credit Reporting Industry site to accept and process requests from consumers to opt-in or opt-out of credit card offers.
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Lisa Montanaro, "The Solutions Expert," is Principal of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm created in 2002 that offers professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa publishes the monthly "DECIDE™ to be Organized" e-zine for the general public, and "Next Level Business Success" e-zine for professional organizers and entrepreneurs. Through LMOS, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth. To explore how LMOS can improve your home or work environment, or help take your business to the next level, contact Lisa at (845) 988-0183 or by e-mail at Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com. |
Contact Information
Lisa Montanaro, JD, CPO
Certified Professional Organizer®, Business & Life Coach, Motivational Speaker
LM Organizing Solutions, LLC ™
PO Box 113
Warwick, NY 10090
(845) 988-0183
www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com
Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com |
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