JVOTS-(Virtual Office Technology Services)

I recently heard someone talk about changing our “I shoulds” to “I coulds.” It resonated with me on a personal and professional level, as it seems so easy to get caught in the trap of stressing about everything I “should” do. When we think of things in terms of “I should,” we exist in a pressured state of feeling forced to do something. Thinking about what I “could” do shifts us into a mindset of choice—I am deciding in this moment whether to do this thing. It not only sounds different, but it feels different to phrase options from the perspective of “I could” instead of “I should.” There is an internal mindset shift that occurs when we do this; and it allows us to move forward with trying to do the things we could, instead of getting stuck in the mode of pressuring ourselves to do what we should.

As parents, we have the opportunity to think about our children and families in terms of “I coulds.” Instead of making lists of all the things we “should” do, why not think about all we could do and accomplish? Here are some simple ways we can apply this thinking to our parenting and the relationships we have with our children:

• I could spend a few minutes of 1-1 time with my child each day.
• I could have my child help me with a chore I need to get done.
• I could plan a simple activity that our family can all do together each week.
• I could get the playroom/bedroom/office/garage organized.
• I could be more consistent with my response to the negative/inappropriate behavior my child exhibits.
• I could read that book/journal/blog I find interesting.
• I could be more patient with my children.
• I could set limits for how much time my children spend watching television and playing video games.

How about you? What are some of the “I shoulds” that have been hovering over you and your life? Take a few moments to write down all the “shoulds” that come to mind – jot them down in whatever order you think of them. Your list might include household chores or projects, such as doing the laundry or repairing something that’s broken; personal ideals such as losing weight; activities with your children, such as a weekly game night; time with your partner; etc. Once you have your list, go through and read each one using the phrasing “I could…”. Notice how you respond mentally and physically to thinking about each item on your list as a “could” versus a “should.” When these things arise for you on a daily basis, focus on shifting into the choice mode of “I could” instead of the pressure mode of “I should.” Notice the impact this way of thinking about things has on your relationships with your children, your productivity during the day, and your personal sense of accomplishment. Here’s to more “I could’s” and less “I should’s”!

Whether you plan ahead or do a last-minute scramble to the store, it can be tough to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. If you’re trying to think of something that your loved ones will actually use, this year think outside the gift-wrapped box and instead consider giving them a subscription to an online productivity tool or service. While it may seem somewhat uncommon to give a gift that’s not an actual “thing,” if you can make someone’s life a bit easier, believe me, they’ll remember you for it, way more than for giving them a traditional gift. Here are a few great online tools to consider giving:

Evernote Premium – This is a great tool that will let your loved one capture everything they find out in the world, on the internet, and on their computer, and integrate it all into one central spot. From there, they can organize their stuff to their heart’s content, as Evernote Premium lets you include virtually any file type into its database and then lets you search, sync, and share what’s inside across every device. It’s awesome, and awesomely useful.

ReQall Pro – For the frequent forgetter, ReQall can be an indispensable tool for capturing, transcribing, and organizing to-do’s, notes, and tasks. Set your loved one up with a Reqall Pro account and they’ll be able to use their voice to keep a record of the important details of their life and their work, and then access that information from any computer and many smartphones. It even integrates with Evernote!

Shoeboxed – Does your love one suffer from “paper scraps syndrome,” with crumpled receipts and mangled business cards stuffed at the bottom of their desk or buried in their briefcase or purse? If so, sign them up for Shoeboxed, who will send them a pre-paid envelope every month to collect all their scraps. Once it’s sent back to Shoeboxed, they’ll scan everything and put all the scraps into a searchable online database, making it easy to find every bit of information.

OfficeDrop – If your gift recipient has stacks of paper on their desk and no visible means of making them go away, OfficeDrop will make short work of the stacks by scanning every document and integrating them into an online document manager. Every bit of text on each document is indexed, making it super-easy to search for those important records, without creating a tornado of paper in the office.

Most of these tools offer a “gift subscription” or a way to purchase these for someone else. Giving the gift of organization and productivity can be really meaningful, as the recipient’s life can be improved every single day if they are using the right tools. As a bonus, they won’t have to find space on their shelf for that decorative plate you were considering giving them!

Guest Writer – Joshua Zerkel

Custom Living Solutions, the premier Professional Organizing & Productivity Consulting service for the San Francisco Bay Area, is dedicated to bridging the gap between the way you live and the way you want to live.

We focus on helping small business owners, entrepreneurs, coaches and consultants find easy ways to cut clutter, manage paper and email, get control over their time, and enhance productivity – all of which can help boost your bottom line. Custom Living Solutions provides measureable results and maximum return on your investment in organizing.”

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