A check and a thank you

Nothing better than a check in the mail, right? Well, I got one better - a check with a thank-you note for my services! Now, that's a good mail day.

Sara Caputo, productivity expert and principal of Radiant Organizing, made my day recently with that postal present. I was touched and flattered. And, I decided I am going to follow her example and send a few more thank-you notes in my life.

It's not such a big undertaking. Try it yourself.

Here are some thank-you note tips.

1. Keep a set of blank, all-occasion thank-you notes handy along with stamps and a good pen.

2. Write the first line about the other person. See how Sara told me about my writing. Examples: "You bowled me over on my birthday ..." "Your taste in music always has been superb ..."

3. Make it easy on yourself. A sentence or two is enough. Remember, it's the thought that counts.  Really.

4. Be timely. Say, within two weeks. And, if you're not, send a note anyway. No matter how embarrassed you are or how awkward you feel. For uber-tardy thank-you notes I recommend a handwritten note over an email.

The Social Media commitment

I have made a commitment to grow my business. This entails getting on the social media train. And, Lord knows, that train has left the station so many times with me not on it. So what does this mean? It means, not in any particular order, incorporating a social media schedule into my work week. On what days and what time will I use do my social media? What social media will I use? (This blog of course. Facebook. Get on top of my LinkedIn account. My Web site has been neglected for way too long. And, the list goes on ...)

My colleague, Sara Caputo, owner of Radiant Organizing, a productivity and organizing company, advises "if you wait for the perfect opportunity to do something, you will never get anything done. Stop putting whatever you are putting off OFF! The best strategy is to put time blocks around the overwhelming things and break them into chunks. This makes the entire process easier to wrap your brain around."

This hits the nail right on the head for me. Oftentimes, when I first see the big picture my reaction is I have to take deal with all of it all at once. I get overwhelmed, which results in abandoning the project. So, my first step is to make a schedule (and stick to it). The other steps will fall into place if I stick to my schedule. Also, am going to get a professional head shot taken. Really need to update the 2+ year-old phone photo I've been using.

Above photo, roughing out a social media schedule. When it comes to mapping out a schedule or strategy, I think best with pen in hand.