• What's New at Mise En Place? – We are pleased to introduce two new Assessments. Details can be found below.
• Feature Article – Shuffle the Deck!
• Ann Michael Recommends - Drive carefully and please stop running red lights. If your life is really that crazy, frantic, and so overloaded that you need to shave 30 seconds off your commute by running the red light, then call us. We want you to be safe on the road, and we want to be safe too.

Let's face it, you've tried lots of things in your attempt to get organized and yet you aren't. Still, you have that picture in your head, that vision, of what your work space looks like, how good it feels to work there and how much you will be able to accomplish. Congratulations! That is the first step in creating your Individual Organizing and Productivity Solution (I-OPS®). The next step is to do an Assessment - what's working, what isn't. From that Assessment comes your plan of action.

And so, we invite you to take the next step. Mise En Place is pleased to announce two new Assessments:

• Individual Worker: Designed for individuals in any work environment who are tired of being overloaded, overwhelmed and finally want to make a change.
• Micro-Business Owner: Whether you are a photographer, a consultant, a spa owner, or a freelance writer, owning your own business often times finds you wearing multiple hats (sometimes at the same time!). If you find yourself thinking, "I didn't get into business to do ...(bookkeeping, payroll, marketing, sales, etc.)" and you're overwhelmed with the administrative tasks associated with your venture, we understand.

Simply click on the name of the Assessment noted above to begin taking it. Mise En Place enjoys working with professionals who are interested in and committed to making a change in their work environment. Each qualified Assessment includes a complementary one-on-one phone Strategy Session with Mise En Place's Founder and Chief Productivity Officer, Ann Michael Henry. Upon review of your Assessment - generally within 48 hours of receipt - we will contact you to schedule your one-on-one Strategy Session with Ann Michael.

Watch for the Manager's Assessment in the next issue of Pondering Productivity. If you are in charge of a group of people and want to work with them to improve their work environment and productivity, than this is the assessment for you.

Shuffle The Deck!

When you settled into your office, did you bring a deck of cards, your pinball machine, a portable TV, and a ticker tape machine? Why not? After all, you need a break every now and again so a quick game of solitaire or pinball shouldn't be a problem. And what's wrong with watching a little TV or checking how your stocks are doing multiple times a day?

Hopefully as you read this you are catching the sarcasm and are chuckling. You know it would be ridiculous to shuffle a deck of cards and play a game of solitaire at your desk. Yet, you don't think twice about playing solitaire on your computer. And, there are very few jobs that require you to have a television on for most of the day as you work. Yet, how many videos - YouTube, promotional, or otherwise - do you watch while at work? Then there is the incessant stream of information that you feel compelled to monitor. What do any of these have to do with your top priorities of the day? Chances are nothing.

Are you are ready to leave work with more things accomplished? Are you ready to feel more satisfied at the end of the day? Are you ready to get home on time for dinner? Take these three steps today:

1. Remove all games from your PC and block gaming sites via the Internet.
2. Stop watching videos unless they are directly tied to your key deliverables of the day. Imagine your boss asking what you did today and you replying, "I watched a hysterical video about a drunk squirrel". Is that what your company is paying you to do?
3. We are blessed to live in a safe and secure country. Yes, emergencies happen and fortunately they are few and far between. Seriously, do you need to know that Lindsey Lohan is out on bail or that Paris Hilton got busted again? Is there really a need to monitor the events of the world so obsessively?

One more thing. Ask yourself the question, "Why do I play solitaire/watch videos/surf the net (or any other low- or no-value activity) when I have important work to do?" Next time we'll talk about why we allow ourselves to get distracted when we should be forging ahead with activities that will move us forward and give us a sense of completion and satisfaction. Until then, enjoy getting home in time for dinner with the family.

Turn Windows Games Off

Are the games that came with your computer affecting your productivity? Do Solitaire, Hearts or Freecell derail your efforts to get your work done? Then it is time to get rid of that distraction! The trick is, how to do it. You may think that you can simply "uninstall" through the programs list. However, you won't see games displayed there -- they are kind of hiding out.

Turn Games Off:

• Go to the Start Menu and choose Control Panel.
• Click on the icon that says Add or Remove Programs, or it may say Programs and Features depending on what version of Windows you have.
• Instead of looking for the game in the list of programs, click on the button in the left column that says something like in Windows 7 "Turn Windows Features On or Off" or "Add/Remove Windows Components".
• Depending on your version of Windows a wizard will open. If you see "Accessories and Utilities", highlight that option and click on the Details button to see the choices. Simply place a check in the box and click OK to remove the component.
• If you have Windows 7, find the "Games" item and use the + sign to view all games. Uncheck the box next to some or all of the games and click OK.

Important Note: These instructions vary depending on what version of Windows you have, but the trick is to NOT look in the Programs list, but in the Windows Components.

Ann Michael Henry is the Founder and The Productivity Chef for Mise En Place -- an organization and productivity consulting firm devoted to working with clients to discover the right ingredients for managing e-mail, digital data, paper, and workload so that they can "get cooking" at work and still have time to satisfy their appetite for life.

Her personal philosophy...let's get the work done so that we can go out and play is what motivates Ann Michael. If you liked today's issue, you'll love Ann Michael’s productivity tools, products, and training designed to help you improve your focus, organization, and productivity at work so that you have time to experience all that life has to offer.

Having the right ingredients – tips, tools, and proven techniques – to accommodate an individual's work style is what makes the difference. This is where Ann Michael thrives! Her ultimate goal is to find the recipe that works for you!