Your Growing EdgeWritten by Angie Dixon
You’ve probably heard term “leading edge” used to refer to technology or products that are in front of curve, that are really advanced. You may have even heard term “bleeding edge” in this context. I want to talk to you about your personal “leading edge,” your growing edge.Your growing edge is that area of your life where there’s still a lot of room for improvement but you’re pushing ahead and stretching margins of that area every day. For some this is productivity in business, for others it’s personal balance, for still others it’s family time and quality of interaction. How do you find your growing edge and what do you do about it once you’ve identified it? First, finding your growing edge. This can be easier than you might expect. It’s a simple matter of looking at your life over last few months or year and seeing what challenges you keep bumping up against. For me, it’s eating right. I don’t eat breakfast or lunch and I eat too much junk. Over last year I’ve struggled with this repeatedly, each time managing to eat “well” for a little longer, but then falling back into my old habits. The point is that I am growing in this area. You may have an area like this, too. You’re challenged by it, you make some changes, you retreat from these changes, and you make changes again.
| | Letting Go of Clutter In Your OfficeWritten by Angie Dixon
Some people would say I’m last person in world to be writing about clearing out clutter; I seem to accumulate so much of it. But I also get rid of it, when it reaches point of bothering me. That’s first thing about clearing out clutter. Everyone has a threshold at which clutter starts to bother them. My husband’s threshold is much lower than mine, and when he starts clearing out, I jump in and help him. But in my office, things go to my threshold and no further—usually. Recognizing your threshold and working within it is first key to letting go of clutter. If it’s really not bothering you, and you can find everything you need, it’s not essential to tackle it right away. The second key to letting go of clutter is to bring recycle bin (for paper without staples) and large kitchen trash can (for everything else) into your office and put them beside desk, which is clutter central in most offices. Get a box of manila file folders, a box of hanging file folders, and a plastic file box, kind with a handle that you can get for about ten bucks at a big office supply store. And a pen. Pick up every piece of paper off your desk, one sheet or sheaf at a time. Start with paper because there’s usually more of it than anything else. Don’t touch anything twice. When you pick it up either put it in recycle bin (remove staples first), put it in trash if it can’t go in recycle, or put it in a folder, label folder, and put folder, inside a hanging folder, in plastic file box. Don’t worry about organizing files. Just get everything out of site and off your desk. Get two or three boxes if you need them. They stack nicely out of way against wall.
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