Unitasker Wednesday: Hide your St. Patrick’s Day hangover

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

If you’re planning on heading into work tomorrow with a wicked hangover, let me recommend these options for hiding your identity and keeping a low profile from your boss and coworkers:

These sunglasses will make people think you’re Sir Elton John and keep out the dreaded light that burns your skull –

While these sunglasses will also “shutter” out the burn –

This pair combines the light-blocking powers of the first two pairs into one MEGA pair of sunglasses –

And this pair appears to block out light completely, which has the added bonus of allowing you to nap on the job unnoticed –

Now, this pair provides much needed forehead protection –

And this final pair is appropriate any time you have a hangover, not just on March 18 –

Of course, if things are really rough, you can always send a decoy into your office to take your place for the day, and no one will even notice it’s not you:

Posted by Erin on Mar 17, 2010 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

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A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

  • Self-cleaning toilets: Genius!
    The people in Switzerland are brilliant.
  • Spring cleaning your yard
    Spring is right around the corner and now is the time of year when we emerge from our homes to find our yards in disarray.
  • Paperless postal service
    I’m not sure this is going to catch on as fast as email, but I can see it being more popular among younger folks who have very different views of privacy in an increasingly online world.

Posted by PJ on Mar 17, 2010 | Comment | Tweet This

File your taxes already!

Since tax time is a little less than a month away, I wanted to nudge everyone to get their papers filed if you haven’t already done so. Especially if the government owes you money, it’s good to get this chore marked off your to-do list earlier than later.

Be sure to check out “Three year end tasks to take the edge off tax time” for tips on keeping your paperwork orderly before you file. Then, once you’ve filed your taxes, I highly recommend using the FreedomFiler system to help you maintain an organized filing cabinet. (And, just so we’re clear, FreedomFiler did not pay us to write that — I’m a true fan and user of the system.) If your files are already in decent shape, check out “How to store your tax returns” for a few tax-time reminders.

If the entire process gives you a headache and makes you nauseated, be sure to read this tax filing and organizing advice from the personal finance professionals I read daily:

Posted by Erin on Mar 17, 2010 | 12 Comments | Tweet This

The productive procrastination bin

While many productivity experts religiously follow the “only touch it once” system for document management, I’m more of a “touch it as few times as necessary” system follower. There are simply times when touching a paper only once is unrealistic for me — the mail will arrive while I’m on a phone call or I need to really mull something over before responding.

To handle these touch-more-than-once documents, I have a (gasp!) procrastination bin on my desk. Actually, it’s a basket that hangs from a shelf, but “hanging procrastination basket” just doesn’t have the same catchy name factor as the straightforward “procrastination bin.”

I have certain rules for what can and can’t go into the procrastination bin. The bin isn’t a dumping ground for things I don’t want to do or a spot for papers that need to be filed. It’s a designated area for things that can’t or shouldn’t be dealt with right now.

Qualities that make it okay for a document to go in the procrastination bin:

  • It can fit. If the procrastination bin is full, nothing more can go inside of it and the document must be processed immediately. There is no squishing, fancy folding, or clever engineering to fit more inside the bin than what it was designed to contain.
  • There are no consequences for procrastinating. If putting off the task will cause me stress, cause someone else frustration, or has a nearly immediate deadline, the document cannot go into the bin.
  • Time is scheduled on the calendar for when to do it. When a paper goes into the bin, an entry must be made on the calendar for when to properly process the paper. Nothing can go into the bin and be forgotten.
  • Procrastinating might be better than taking care of it right now. There are times when not taking immediate action is actually the best thing to do. The procrastination bin is perfect for these types of documents.
  • The bin is small. I purposefully purchased the hanging basket that is made of wide mesh and isn’t very large. It can only be used for papers, and I’m not tempted to use it for items other than paperwork. It has a dedicated purpose and limited functionality.

In addition to the rules I have for the procrastination bin, I also have 30 minutes blocked off on my calendar each month to re-evaluate everything that is in the bin. Even with other dates on the calendar to process each paper, I’ve found that this 30 minutes will often take care of some of the items earlier than planned. I always schedule this 30 minute evaluation to occur right after lunch when my concentration levels are low. I realized that it’s better to use this time in a somewhat productive manner than waste it staring off into space, zoning out.

Posted by Erin on Mar 16, 2010 | 13 Comments | Tweet This

In praise of the reversible belt

Maybe I spent far too much time playing with my Transformers as a kid, but for some reason, I always get a kick out of flipping the buckle on my reversible belt whenever my shoe choice dictates that it’s necessary to change from brown to black (or vice versa). Despite the disapproving look my wife gives me, I refuse to stop making the Michael Bay sound effects during the aforementioned buckle-flipping.

A reversible belt saves space in your closet. They are perfect for travel and usually less expensive than buying separate belts in black and brown.

In particular, we like this men’s belt from Kenneth Cole:

And this women’s belt from Nine West:

Posted by PJ on Mar 16, 2010 | 18 Comments | Tweet This

Mark your calendars!

Real Simple magazine is celebrating their 10th anniversary next month, and they are throwing two amazing parties you can attend for free.

The first event: Chicago, Friday, April 9, from 12-7 pm at Union Station’s Great Hall.

The second event: New York City, Thursday, April 15, from 12-7 pm at Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall.

Each party will feature: “15-minute workshops led by experts on fashion, beauty, fitness, cooking, and more. Performances by Broadway’s hottest shows every hour in New York. Special commissioned performance by the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. Mini manicures. Food tastings. Gift bags and more.”

At the New York event, I will be presenting a 15-minute workshop on the topic “time saving tips.” I will repeat the same presentation four times from 4-5 pm. According to the current schedule, I will be in the Dining Room of Vanderbilt Hall for these presentations. (The Real Simple website currently says that I’m presenting in Chicago, which is an error. I’ll definitely be in New York.) I will also be attending the Client Lunch from 12-2 pm on the same day (catered by Charlie Palmer’s Metrazur — yum!), and be available to answer questions, sign books, etc.

Again, both events are free and open to the public. The lineup of speakers is amazing, and I’m honored to be participating. If you are unable to attend, you can follow along through the related Facebook group and through the Twitter hashtag #RS10 and @Real_Simple account.

Posted by Erin on Mar 15, 2010 | 4 Comments | Tweet This

Embark on new adventures: Erin’s second set of 2010 resolutions

Back in early January, I marked the Ides of March as when I would officially check in on my first set of resolutions for 2010 and finalize my resolutions for the second quarter. In the post “Increasing energy: Erin’s first set of 2010 resolutions,” I outlined what I planned to do for January, February, and March.

For the most part, I’ve kept to the resolutions I created. Unfortunately, I had to take six weeks off from the gym and withdraw from the race I planned to run in April because I kicked a rocking chair and significantly injured my foot. I’m just now getting back into a modified gym routine and can wear regular shoes again.

One of the highlights of my first-quarter resolutions was discovering new recipes for my healthy meal plan. One of the things I did was add the Canyon Ranch Cooks cookbook to my collection. With it, I have successfully made and enjoyed dozens of new recipes. During the doldrums of winter, it was nice to keep mealtime interesting and nutritious. Additionally, simply having more energy has been a wonderful thing.

The theme for my second-quarter resolutions is “Embark on new adventures.” Now that I have the much needed energy I was craving, I’m excited about putting it to use. The following are the resolutions I’ve set for April, May, and June:

  • Plant and tend to an herb and vegetable garden.
  • Take a knife skills class.
  • Go rock climbing.
  • Accomplish all 67 tasks on the “Spring Cleaning for the Overachiever” list on pages 189 and 190 of Unclutter Your Life in One Week.
  • Go through my entire home and office and play the uncluttering game I’m moving overseas! (Just to be clear, I’m NOT moving overseas, I’m simply playing the game.) Essentially, take on a full-home minimizing project.

To help me achieve these resolutions, I’m going to reference the post “Creating a plan to achieve your 2010 resolutions.” I’m also going to keep up with all of my first-quarter resolutions to maintain the energy levels necessary to help me with these second-quarter goals.

What are your resolutions for April, May, and June? How are your resolutions progressing for 2010? Share your resolution stories in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Mar 15, 2010 | 15 Comments | Tweet This

Assorted links for March 13

The following are interesting tidbits that have crossed my desk in the past week. Please feel welcome to add any uncluttering links to the comments for all of us to enjoy.

  • Yesterday’s Washington, D.C. Express newspaper included the article “The Clean Season: Spring Cleaning Solutions,” which featured many wonderful organizers and myself. If you’re thinking about spring cleaning, be sure not to miss this item.
  • If you’re in the D.C. area, check out the April issue of Washingtonian magazine. (It’s not yet online.) There is a wonderful section on home renovations, and the article “Making Space” on page 193 includes terrific advice from professional organizer Scott Roewer.
  • I was fascinated by Monica Ricci’s post “700 Lines and Counting!” about itemizing. I’m afraid to take on such a project even in my relatively simple home.
  • A great multitasker — the Screwpop 4-in-1 Keychain Tool featured on Lifehacker.
  • Organize your next move with help from the Wall Street Journal’s article “Home Buyers Check Out Apps.” Even if you don’t use a smart phone, most of these applications can be accessed on the web.

Posted by Erin on Mar 13, 2010 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Putting away laundry

Reader Kelly submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

Your advice on doing the laundry is fantastic. I’ve employed several tips with great success. In particular, I’m a fan of clothing items that need little care (e.g. no ironing, dry cleaning, etc.). However, I’m unable to find usable suggestions on HOW TO PUT THE LAUNDRY AWAY. One mantra of simple living systems is to touch things only once (mail directly from the mailbox into office without setting on kitchen counter first and while throwing away junk mail before you even bring it into the house), but I’m unable to find a laundry system that doesn’t result in piles and piles of clean laundry that needs to be put away. Getting it into the washer and dryer is easy — how can I get it to put itself away? My kids are 2 and 4 years old. I do one load of laundry a day. It ends up sitting in our enormous rolling laundry cart in the laundry room, where we all gather in our underwear looking for clean clothes. Please help.

I laughed aloud when I read your description of your family gathering in the laundry room looking for clean clothes because I have done exactly that on numerous occasions. My guess is that anyone with a washer and dryer at home has done this, but maybe around a couch, dining table, or wherever clothes are folded. And, I don’t know why, but I’m usually standing on my tippy toes, quickly shifting my weight from foot to foot, on a mission to locate clean socks. You’ve just described the human clean clothes hunting ritual!

To find a solution to this problem, start by making sure you don’t have more clothes than storage space. If drawers and closets are cramped, you might be avoiding putting clothes away because you can’t easily do it. You shouldn’t have to push down on clothes to shut drawers, and you shouldn’t have to use your elbows and exert upper body strength to cram clothes into a closet. Also, check out your closet and make sure that whatever method you’re using to organize your clothes is simple to maintain. If your closet organizing system is too convoluted, you might be avoiding the chore for this reason.

Although your rolling laundry cart is really cool, it might not be the best tool for your family. You may be better served by having four labeled, stackable, laundry baskets or a rolling, 4-bag, laundry sorter. Each night after dinner, you and your husband can take five minutes to put away the clothes in your designated bin or basket and then spend another five minutes helping your kids with theirs.

Challenge everyone to a race, play upbeat music, and/or make the new routine as much fun as possible. After a few months, it will become second nature and putting away laundry will no longer be an issue. As your children get older, they’ll be able to put away their clothes without help (around age 5 or 6) and eventually even do their own laundry (usually around age 10, 11, or 12). I’m definitely looking forward to these milestones in my house!

Be sure to check out the comments for even more suggestions from our readers for ways to help get clothes out of the laundry room and into their proper storage spaces.

Thank you, Kelly, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Mar 12, 2010 | 79 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Streamlined and simple

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Johannes_G’s bare bones home office:

I chose this office because its minimalist style is extremely calming. There isn’t anything here to distract the owner while he works. In the notes about the image, Johannes_G says that he deliberately got rid of an external monitor and chose to only use the laptop screen to keep the setup uncluttered. I prefer to work with two monitors for improved productivity, but I’m happy to read that careful thought went into the selection process for each of the desk’s items. So often people put items and equipment on their work surfaces out of habit instead of with intentional action. Seeing this desk made me pause and look at my desk to see if anything was on it out of habit instead of need. Thank you, Johannes_G, for your addition to our Flickr pool.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Mar 12, 2010 | 6 Comments | Tweet This

The big picture

As this is being posted to the website, someone very close to me is undergoing brain surgery. She has an aggressive tumor, which as far as doctors can tell, started growing just six weeks ago.

A month and a half ago she was healthy, gregarious, and planning a baby shower for me; now she’s in Houston at the MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center fighting for her life.

I hate this tumor, and I hate all of the fear it has caused.

I’m sharing this personal story with you for two reasons. First, as a reminder that life is short, even if you live to be 100. We are not immortals. Each moment is a gift, and you have a choice of how you spend that time. You can let it idly pass you by, being unaware of its rich possibilities and cluttering your days with unimportant stuff. Or, you can carpe vitam — seize life — and take advantage of all the valuable experiences this world has to offer.

Second, I’m sharing this story with you as a reminder that you never know what others are dealing with when you encounter them. The person who cut you off in traffic may be rushing to the hospital. The cell phone that rings during a movie may be an emergency. The person who didn’t return your e-mail may have more important matters in front of him. None of us can read minds or know what is going on in everyone’s life — cut people slack, and hopefully they’ll do the same when you need that favor.

Stop cluttering up your life with things that don’t matter to you. Take responsibility for your life and what you have chosen to include in it. Stop cluttering up your time assuming the worst in other people. And, treat everyone you encounter as if you know someone they love is undergoing brain surgery — unfortunately, it might be true.

Posted by Erin on Mar 11, 2010 | 93 Comments | Tweet This

10 more uncluttering things to do every day

Today we welcome Sherri Kruger, editor of Zen Family Habits, as a guest writer on Unclutterer. She also has a personal development site dedicated to sharing simple tips to enjoy life.

Last July, Erin wrote “10 uncluttering things to do every day.” I was proudly doing a few things on her list, but as usual there were a couple I hadn’t considered. This got me thinking about what other things I could do daily to reduce the clutter around our home.

Here are 10 more uncluttering things you can do each day.

  1. Reset your home each evening. This doesn’t have to take long, but it’s really effective. Spend 5 or 10 minutes on a quick run-through of your home. Straighten books and knickknacks, return dishes to the kitchen, and hang up jackets. Don’t strive for perfection, this is just a quick pick up.
  2. Never leave a room empty handed. Look around you. Are there things that don’t belong? When you leave the room, for whatever reason, be sure to grab a glass and return it to the kitchen, or whatever the case may be.
  3. When you’re done with something, put it away. Right away. Clutter arises when we take something out, use it for awhile and neglect to return it to its proper home. Remember the Unclutterer’s gospel, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”
  4. Hit the laundry basket. Every time. It may seem easier to simply let your clothes fall where they may, but this only creates clutter. Take 30 seconds to hang up your clothes or put them in the laundry basket. Erin recommends getting ready for bed an hour before you plan so you’re not exhausted when handling your clothes.
  5. Take out the garbage. Perhaps garbage day occurs only once a week, but emptying the garbage nightly, even if not entirely full, is a great habit start. Over-flowing bins are not attractive.
  6. Vacuum everyday. Vacuuming ensures everything is up off the floor. Essentially, you’re doing a nightly reset during the day making it even easier to keep on top of clutter.
  7. Clear out your e-mail inbox. Hundreds of e-mail messages in your inbox can be incredibly overwhelming. Take time at the end of each day to clear out your inbox. When you come back in the morning, it’ll be a lot less daunting.
  8. Cut out the non-essentials. Re-evaluate the necessity of your involvement in groups, clubs, committees or boards. Limit yourself to participating in things that are important to you and make you happy.
  9. Do just one thing each day. Pick a drawer, closet, or shelf that’s driving you nuts. Focus on doing one little thing to move yourself closer to the clutter free state you’re Seeking. Ask yourself: Is this really important? Can I get this again relatively easily?
  10. One thing out everyday. Walk through your home with a critical eye. Look for one thing you don’t need, use, or want. Keep a couple of boxes by the garage or front door for temporary storage.

I hope this inspires you to do a little bit every day to keep ahead of the clutter and move toward a calmer and simpler life.

Posted by Sherri on Mar 11, 2010 | 75 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: Specialized steak branding irons

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

When March rolls onto the calendar, I begin preparations for the coming warmer weather months. I plant seedlings for my garden, wipe down the patio furniture, and clean up the grill. Additionally, I bring out my vast collection of specialized steak branding irons.

What’s that? You don’t have a collection of steak branding irons? How is this possible?! Didn’t you rush out and buy one after we wrote about the monogrammed steak brand in our Unitasker column two and a half years ago? I can’t believe you didn’t! Shocking!!!

Well, now is the perfect time to jump on the steak branding iron bandwagon! Start your collection with a double heart branding iron, because nothing says “I love you” quite like a branded steak:

Or a Marine insignia branding iron — for your steaks, not new recruits:

Or your Christian fish branding iron, because (religious imagery aside) nothing is funnier than confusing your guests with a fish picture on a slab of beef:

Or your rocking dad branding iron, because we all know dads who brand their meat really do rock:

You can even buy the entire set of more than 20 specialized steak branding irons for just $524.

Join the fun, and let your meat speak!

(A special thanks to reader Alyson for introducing us to this very bizarre trend in grilling.)

Posted by Erin on Mar 10, 2010 | 21 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

2008

Posted by PJ on Mar 10, 2010 | Comment | Tweet This

Four steps for making more time for what matters most to you

Today we welcome a guest post and many terrific suggestions from Annabel Candy who regularly blogs about productivity and self improvement at Get In the Hot Spot.

How often do you hear people say they don’t have enough time? Like me, you may have used the “not enough time” excuse as a reason for not following your dream.

We all have goals, the problem is making time for them in our busy schedules.

For years, I wanted to write but didn’t. I often used the “not enough time” excuse and thought it was true. I didn’t have time to write because I was running a business and raising kids.

But my life was totally immersed in doing, not being, and the more I did, the more unhappy I became.

Until I decided to do something about it, accept the blame, and prioritize better.

First, I worked out where my time went.

I wrote down everything I did and noticed my days were cluttered. A typical entry would be: 10 minute personal call, 10 minutes planning meals, 20 minute business call, 15 minutes e-mailing.

By lunchtime I often felt so frazzled I just slumped in front of the TV with Dr. Phil and rejoiced that at least I wasn’t as messed up as his guests.

After a week, I made a pie chart showing where my time went, where I could save time, and what I could remove. I recommend doing this as a visual guide to see how your time is spent.

There were 10 main time traps I noted and what I needed to do to control them:

  1. The Phone – I don’t have to answer it every time it rings.
  2. The Internet – Log in an few times a day for specific purposes only.
  3. Housework – Let some things slide. The state of my house is not an indication of my emotional well-being and it doesn’t have to be perfect.
  4. Friends and Family – Manage them into times when I want to see them or socialize. Don’t let them encroach.
  5. Cooking and Shopping – Streamline them, bulk buy and cook.
  6. Sleep – Try cutting out one hour of sleep. I’ll probably function fine and gain an extra hour a day.
  7. Commuting to work – Can I cut out the commute and work from home a few days a week?
  8. Reading – Reading about writing, travel or starting a business is good unless it takes up time when I could have been doing them.
  9. TV – Limit it to the shows I actually enjoy. Never channel hop.
  10. Dreaming – At some point I have to stop dreaming about following my passion and start doing it.

Stop yearning for more time and work out how to create it with these four steps:

  1. Make a pie chart that reflects your tracked time.
  2. Work out which time traps are stopping you from following your dreams.
  3. Write a weekly schedule for yourself and stick to it. Make sure you log at least three sessions for following your dream.
  4. Schedule times in your calendar for the things you want to do and follow through.

No more “not enough time” excuses needed.

Posted by Annabel on Mar 10, 2010 | 26 Comments | Tweet This

Basement Project: Day 4

The next task in my basement project was to clean up our tool bench. Here is a picture of its cluttered state before I got started:

It is a decent tool bench and serves our purposes. Unfortunately, the workspace had become quite the dumping ground for whatever we thought belonged in the basement but didn’t yet have a permanent storage solution. After a couple hours of attention, the clutter was removed. All that remains are the tools that we use for guitar and furniture making and basic home improvements.

In addition to the great peg board for the most-accessed tools at the back of the bench, I also put to use a set of four plastic storage bins from Ikea (which I can’t seem to locate on their website, but Container Store appears to carry similar ones):

These bins will keep errant screws, nails, and other small materials from running rampant on the workspace. A significant improvement to our tool bench.

—
Other posts in this series:

Posted by Erin on Mar 9, 2010 | 15 Comments | Tweet This

The Guitar Hanger

If you are a guitar enthusiast, you may be interested in the extremely functional, uncluttered, and organized storage solution known as The Guitar Hanger:

Check out the full details:

I would only consider these if you regularly play your guitar. A case is the best storage option if you only play your guitar every once in awhile and prefer a long-term storage solution. For our household, though, these would be perfect for freeing up some floor space.

(Images from The Guitar Hanger website.)

Posted by Erin on Mar 9, 2010 | 22 Comments | Tweet This

Is there cash hiding in your clutter?

In tight economic times, getting rid of clutter can be a good way to cut your expenses and/or bring in extra cash. If you’re looking to save or earn a buck, consider these possibilities:

  1. Old hobbies. Most hobbies require equipment, supplies, and/or specialty tools that can easily be resold at near-cost prices. If you’re no longer participating in rock climbing, scrapbooking, or golf, consider selling the hobby’s accouterments. Sites like eBay and Craigslist are good options for selling the supplies, and so are sites where hobbyists visit (like Ravelry for knitters, crocheters, and spinners).
  2. Collections. If you’ve lost interest in a collection, consider putting it up for sale on eBay. Sell things as a single lot if you don’t want to spend the next couple weeks at the post office mailing each piece of your collection to far-flung locations around the globe. Look at other sales of similar items to see what kind of a bid to expect.
  3. Maintenance costs. The more stuff you have, the more you have to maintain — you have to pay for more square footage in your home, more money goes out to heat and cool your space, and even more is spent on things like painting, cleaning gutters, lawn mowing, etc. Typically, to get more square footage in a home, you also have to live further from your job, which increases commute times, travel expenses (fares, tolls, gasoline), and you have to service your car more often. All of it adds up, putting greater strain on your pocketbook. Living simply almost always means paying significantly less on maintenance costs.

Where have you found cash in your clutter? Share your suggestions in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Mar 8, 2010 | 25 Comments | Tweet This

Three universal truths for why projects are not completed on time

Finishing a project on time is a difficult achievement in the workplace and at home. In last week’s post “Uncluttered project planning,” I discussed ways to avoid missing deadlines when you’re in charge of the project. However, we’re not always the ones calling the shots.

In fact, even when we think we’re in charge of a project, we often are not. When we have to rely on others to supply information, supplies, or support, timelines (and budgets) can quickly be extended. After years of working across multiple professions and with clients, I have identified where projects typically go awry. From page 200 of Unclutter Your Life in One Week:

These are the universal truths for why projects are not completed on time:

  • Clients are never as prepared as they say they will be.
  • Clients always change their mind.
  • People always underestimate the amount of time it will take to do something.

(The word clients in this list can easily be substituted with bosses, co-workers and also you.)

Clients are never as prepared as they say they will be. For most people, working on a project is more fun than planning it. As a result, clients don’t think through the entire process and its results before contacting a vendor. Putting in the research, collecting data, identifying the goal of the project, and envisioning it through to its completion before contacting a vendor will help enormously to preserve a timeline.

Clients always change their mind. I think it’s important for a project to have flexibility, but changing the scope of a project will extend timelines and/or costs. You need to be prepared for these changes and ready for when they happen. You can reduce the impact and costs of these changes simply by having a single decision-making liaison between the client and vendor. If a client or vendor is being contacted by more than one person, there are too many cooks in the kitchen. One person should act as the filter on both ends of a relationship to make sure that only approved changes that relate to the final outcome of the project are communicated.

People always underestimate the amount of time it will take to do something. Even though I have timed myself enough to know how long it actually takes me to do something, I still think I work faster than I do. We all think this way. In our minds, we have speed of pumas. Avoid this project pitfall by using the following:

A good rule of thumb is to double everything up to a day. If you think something will take you two hours, plan for it to take four. If you think something will take you eight hours, plan for it to take sixteen. After eight hours, the double rule stops being as accurate. For projects that I estimate will take between one and five days, I just tag on an additional day. If someone says it will take him two weeks to complete a portion of the project, I add three additional days into the schedule.

Your project’s timeline can be preserved or closely achieved with proper planning, organizing, improved communication, and realistic expectations for work completion. Remember the three universal truths for why projects are not completed on time, and do your best to avoid them.

Posted by Erin on Mar 8, 2010 | 15 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

Posted by PJ on Mar 7, 2010 | Comment | Tweet This