From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Do you ever have days when you download your email and find your inbox full of newsletters, spam, chain letters, jokes, and warm fuzzies?

You can unsubscribe from newsletters and use SpamArrest to eliminate spam, but how do you handle well-intentioned friends who feel compelled to share every single email that puts a smile on their face? For an answer to this question, check out Thanks. No. which offers an interesting, if somewhat passive-aggressive, approach to dealing with people who are addicted to forwarding.

Thanks. No. isn’t really my style, nor will I just delete this type of email automatically. I always like to take at least a quick glance, because you just never know when you’ll come across something that is worth reading and even sharing. For example, take the following passage, which I received not too long ago – I think it will speak to you, no matter what season of life you’re in.

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.

It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.

I know that I lived them all… And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams… But, here it is… the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise… How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth go?

I remember well… Seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like…  But, here it is…

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When I read Elaine Shannon’s recent post, Who are the People in your Neighborhood?, I was so inspired that I decided to answer her question in my own blog. Following Elaine’s example, I’d like to introduce you to some of the Very Important People in my world.

One of my VIPs is Jacki Hollywood Brown. I met Jacki through Professional Organizers of Canada, and have always been impressed with her initiative and her dedication to the association, particularly her work in bringing value to French-speaking members. She now serves as POC’s Vice-President, in addition to being a busy mom and military wife, and running her organizing business, J-organize. She is also the only professional organizer I know who specializes in equestrian organizing!

I met Marie Mushing of People in Connection shortly after starting my business. After seeing my profile on a Yahoo group for local businesses, she invited me to attend one of her network events. Although neither of us could have known it at the time, that was the start of a great business and personal relationship. We have referred clients and subcontracted work to one another, and frequently get together to share business ideas. She has recently launched a free membership site called PICFIT where we, along with other members, can stay in regular contact and encourage each other to meet our goals to lead healthier lives. Marie actually lives fairly close to me, so I guess she really is in my neighbourhood. J

My third VIP is someone I’ve never met in person, although we have connected on Skype several times. Neil Matthews is a WordPress genius from “over the Pond” that I met on Twitter, and I’ve tapped into his expertise on numerous occasions. He has recently re-launched his WordPress Owners Club, offering support and training to WordPress blog owners who want to learn how to maintain and develop their site like a pro.

Again following Elaine’s example, I will close by asking you: Who are the cool, funny, out of the box, brilliant, expert People in your Neighborhood? If you decide to answer on your own blog, please leave a link in the Comments section!

Many people use the start of a new year to think of ways in which they can improve their lives, such as becoming more organized. Although most people understand that being organized can help save time and money, increase productivity, enhance their quality of life, and reduce stress, sometimes it’s hard to figure out where to start. For that reason, I’ve teamed up with professionals from all over the world in the first ever Great Organizing Give Away.

When you sign up for this free online event, you can receive an amazing number of free resources to help you organize your home, your office, and your time. You don’t have to worry about these resources contributing to your existing clutter, as you can choose the ones that will help with your specific challenges, and most are in digital format, to be read, listened to, or printed out as needed.

In addition to Organized Assistant’s Personal Medical Organizer which normally sells for $14.95, here are a just a few of the free gifts you can receive:

Organize Your Office:

• How Productive Is Your Business/Non-Profit? - Self-Assessment provided by Stephanie Calahan of Calahan Solutions, Inc., who organized The Great Organizing Give Away
• Make Your Office Work Better – Report provided by Alaia Williams of One Organized Life
• 112 Tips to Organize Your Workday - Booklet provided by Sue McMillin of With Time To Spare

Organize Your Time:

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As a virtual assistant, I support a number of wonderful clients, some on an ongoing basis, and others on specific projects. Today I’d like to turn the spotlight on one of my regular clients.

This month marks my three-year anniversary of working with Sharon Graham, president and principal consultant at Graham Management Group, founder and executive director of Career Professionals of Canada, and author of Best Canadian Resumes. Sharon’s reputation for excellence and innovation, as well as ethics and integrity in the Canadian labour market, has made her a leader in the careers industry, and it truly is a privilege to be a member of her team.

I am especially proud to announce that Sharon has been named as a recipient of the 2010 Stu Conger Award for Leadership in Career Counselling and Career Development. The Canadian Career Development Foundation (CCDF) presents this award each year to individuals nominated by their peers for leadership contributions to the field, and it was no surprise to me that Sharon was chosen for this honour.

Here is just one example of the type of initiative for which Sharon has developed a reputation.

Most entrepreneurs recognize the importance of gaining a thorough understanding of their target market, and Sharon being no exception, is currently conducting an online survey for six-figure Canadians. However, instead of using the information for her own purposes, she will be making the data she collects available to every qualified person who completes the survey, to help them learn about the most effective ways for six-figure professionals to find jobs, along with current information about six-figure compensation strategies.

If you know Sharon, please join me in congratulating her on this exciting achievement! If you don’t, and you’re part of the Canadian careers industry or a six-figure professional, I highly recommend that you get to know her by reading her blog or following her on Twitter.

A few years ago, I did a Law of Attraction exercise where you pretend that it’s a year later, you’ve just bumped into someone you haven’t seen in quite a while, and you tell them all about the past year. At the end of the year, I found that nearly everything I’d written came to pass, so I decided to try it again last year. This time I typed it out, added photos illustrating the things I wrote about, printed it, and put it in a picture frame where I would see it every day. My results weren’t nearly as impressive, and I think I know why.

For starters, it covered too many areas of my life, including business, leisure, and health. Looking at all that at one time was just too overwhelming. Furthermore, because the document was in front of me all the time, I just didn’t see it anymore. I knew it was there and what it was, but instead of motivating me, it made me feel guilty that I wasn’t doing what I set out to do, or annoyed about things that were outside my control.

I realized what was wrong with my approach when I read 2010: The Year of Baby Steps which recommends, among other strategies, setting one resolution per month, instead of trying to change everything all at once. Although I wasn’t necessarily attempting to achieve all my goals at one time, I wasn’t focusing on any of them, so it’s not surprising I didn’t achieve what I had envisioned.

After being inspired by the 31 Days of Self-Care Blog, I decided I would start this year by doing something everyday aside from work and TV/DVD viewing, even if it’s just to get out and walk around the block, or to look for healthy recipes to try. It may not be much, but I think it’s a good starting point, and I know I will benefit. I’m not going to be blogging about my daily progress, because I really don’t think it will interest anyone but myself, but I am making notes in one of the spaces in the weekly planner I ordered from momAgenda.

One of the online tools I’m using to support my efforts to leading a healthier lifestyle is a free membership site website called PICFIT.ca. If you’re looking to lose weight or make other healthy lifestyle changes this year, or if you’re a health professional who would like to get some free exposure by supporting others, you should check it out too!

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