March
2007
News
from Nancy Black
and Organization Plus
March
11th Time to Spring Ahead
for Daylight Saving Time
Daylight
saving time starts the second Sunday in March (the 11th) and runs
until the first Sunday in November, which falls on Nov. 4th this
year.
This
replaces and adds two months to the old seven-month schedule of
April to October. Remember, it is spring forward and fall back.
This
change is occurring because the U.S. Congress passed a law in 2005
to move DST beginning this year. The idea was that more hours of
daylight earlier in the year will save on energy.
Changes in US Daylight Saving Time Can Impact Your IT Systems
According
to Ryan Leestma, President of ISI Consulting, an information
technology firm. "The problem is very wide but it's not very
deep." He says any business using computers will be affected.
"If their
server was set up to synchronize with an Internet time server then
it's going to say hey, it's daylight savings time three weeks
early," Leestma says.
He says
not all servers will do that - any existing software packages will
have the glitch.
"If
you're talking about systems that don't have the same time how do
you correlate events? How do you correlate things that are going on
within an organization?"
The
confusion could be anything from scheduling mix-ups caused by your
office software to problems on Wall Street and flight delays.
If
computers can't reconcile the correct time, they could skew banking
transactions and time-keeping records at ATM's. Leestma says most
banks are making changes.
"I think
it’s fairly safe to assume that the banks are on top of this and
they're taking care of the problem because for them literally time
is money in this case."
It's the
small business owner who needs to be aware, and it's up to the
consumer to download permanent software updates online. Otherwise,
reset your computer clock manually. Just remember to do it again in
3 weeks, and again in the fall... every year!
Don’t
Panic! Save yourself the stress and time of trying to figure it out
on your own. Call Your IT Department, or Consultant, to ask what
your computer needs.
The
3rd Week In March Is Clutter Awareness Week
Dictionary.com
defines clutter: ”to fill or litter with things in a disorderly
manner.”
Many
people suffer from “Clutteritis”. This condition is cause by
information overload, too much stuff, and too little time.
Information overload is caused by the mail and communications that
come to our offices and homes.
People
save too much stuff both in their offices and homes.
In
offices, once you have determined how to process the most important
information, and what is relevant to your current projects, you need
to set retention guidelines for how long you want to keep things.
For more details refer to the article in my February newsletter,
February
Is Archiving Your Files Month.
In homes
school papers, summaries from insurance companies, investment
reports, and bank statements often end up in a big pile, or worse
lost in bags. If this happens to you, you need a mail processing
system.
In
offices, particularly home based offices, people keep too much
stuff. Examples are computer equipment that has been replaced by a
newer version, cell phone chargers, etc, etc.
If you
are paying per square foot for your office, ask yourself if they are
worth the space that they are taking up. If you are running out of
space in your home office, ask yourself if you are really using
everything that is in that room.
Some
people plan to clear their clutter but say they don’t have time to
do it. In reality, they don’t prioritize the time to do it. Whether
you are a solo entrepreneur, or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company,
consider the cost of clutter.
The
average person loses at least an hour a day looking for things, or
two weeks a year.
If your
time is worth $50.00 an hour and you lose an hour a day, in a five
day work week, it costs you $250.00 a week or over $10,000 a YEAR.
What
would you do if you had an extra hour a week? What would you do
with an extra $250.00 a week?
Less
clutter cuts down on stress related illness, resulting in less sick
time, and improves productivity in your company.
Individuals who don’t prioritize the time to clear the clutter in
their homes end up spending more time looking for things and suffer
from stress related illnesses. Walking in to a cluttered home causes
stress as soon as you come through the door.
If you
want to clear the clutter. Start in one corner of the room and work
your way around the room. As you look at each item, ask yourself:
When was the last time I used this?
Do I love
it? Do I need it? Is it worth the space that it is taking up?
Create
three categories: Save, Give Away, and Throw Away. Once you have
made your decision, take the necessary action. Good luck!
If you
still feel overwhelmed, and need a jumpstart consider the
3 Hour Transformation. Yes, together, we can change your life in
only 3 hours, only 180 minutes.
Please feel free to
forward this newsletter to a friend, family member, or associate. If
a friend sent you their copy of my newsletter you can subscribe
yourself at
http://www.organizationplus.com.
Best regards,
Nancy Black
Organization Plus
Home of the Three Hour Transformation
Transform Your Life In Only Three Hours !!
Turn Piles Into Files !!
Free Up More Time For Other Activities !!
http://www.organizationplus.com
Serving the Greater
Boston and North Shore
Call To Arrange Your Free Initial Consultation: (978) 922-6136
©
Copyright 2007. Nancy
Black, Organization Plus.
