Pare Down That Reading Pile

March 3rd, 2010 by Sue Becker No comments »

2010 03 Reading PileFrom health updates to decorating ideas to news items, magazines and newspapers can contain a wealth of information. However, that information is meaningless if you don’t take the time to read it. I have a hard time making time for reading because I always feel there’s something “more important” that I should be doing. So I use car trips (when my husband is driving) to do most of my reading. I enjoy reading magazines about caring for the home and family, including Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, and Real Simple magazines, as well as books about time management. I cut out magazine articles of interest and either act on them (e.g., make the recipe, create the centerpiece, etc.) or file them by subject for future consideration. I use sticky notes to mark the ideas I like in library books (or highlight them if I own the book) and type up notes on my computer to save those ideas for future reference. Here’s a link to my newsletter  for this month where I offer additional ideas to keep that reading pile under control. How well are you doing keeping up with your reading pile? What things do you always make time to read, and what things do you always seem to be behind on reading? I look forward to hearing from you. Meanwhile…

Best wishes as you try to keep that reading pile under control,

Signature_Sue

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Posted in Home Organizing, Organizing Challenges, Paper Organizing

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Write Things Down to Get Them Done

February 24th, 2010 by Sue Becker 2 comments »

Write things downA button from my coat had been sitting on my bathroom counter for the past week – it was there to remind me to sew it back on my coat. Unfortunately, I only saw it when I was getting ready for work in the morning and getting ready for bed in the evening. I didn’t have the time or energy at either of those times to take on this straightforward task. So there sat my button, and there I was with my coat flapping in the wind where the button should have been. Recognizing that my “keep it out to remind me” system wasn’t working, I broke down and wrote “sew button” on my calendar.

 Although I counsel my clients to write their to-dos on a master list or right on their calendar, sewing on a button seemed too insignificant to warrant such a “formal” step. Yet as I plowed through my task list yesterday and came across my simple reminder, I marched up the stairs to my sewing supplies and sewed on that pesky button. There was something powerful about making a commitment to do it at a particular time – it represented a pledge to myself to get it done. I also saw the reminder when I had time and energy to act on it.

 I encourage you to move your intentions to commitment by writing them down on a task list or calendar. Get all those random thoughts out of your head and clean up those “reminder” piles by committing to paper or your electronic reminder system what you need to do and when you’ll do it. I’d love to hear what to-dos you’ve been carrying around in your head or tossing into a pile, and when you’re willing to commit to getting them done.

Best wishes,Signature_Sue

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Labels Make it Easy to Find Things

February 17th, 2010 by Sue Becker No comments »

Label

Labeling is a frequently overlooked part of the organizing process. Clients often tell me they’ll remember where things go, so there’s no need to label storage areas or containers. But how many times have you put something where it doesn’t quite belong, plopping it any old place and vowing to put it away later? I had a client who used to hang her clothes in the first spot she could find in her closet. Once we labeled the various sections of the closet (using Closet Rod Organizers from The Container Store) she spent the extra 3 seconds it took to actually hang things where they belonged because seeing the labels wouldn’t permit her to do otherwise. Labels can serve not only as a reminder of where something goes, but also make it easy to find things when you need them. Let’s face it, labeling makes finding things and putting them away almost mindless.

I suggest you use a label maker (they’re widely available at office supply stores and general merchandise stores) or print labels from your computer. It makes a huge difference to have printed labels rather than handwritten ones – they look neater and are more “official.” But no matter what kinds of labels you choose, make sure they’re neat and legible and adhere securely. You can label what goes in a particular container, or label the spot where the container goes. For example, here’s a picture of a kitchen cabinet where I labeled the bins according to what goes in them.

 

Kitchen Cabinet1 

Alternatively, I could have labeled the shelves to indicate where things go.  

Not only is labeling useful, it’s also fun. Once you start, especially if you’re using a label maker, you’ll find excuses to label everything. And if you want to incent your kids to organize their rooms, the promise of being able to use the label maker will be a great incentive.

As you contemplate the benefits of labeling, be sure to watch this fun video:

Dymo Label Maker Commercial

Happy labeling,

Signature_Sue

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Are You in a Period of Change or Transition?

February 10th, 2010 by Sue Becker No comments »

Emerging monarchI’ve recently earned the Certificate of Study in Life Transitions  from the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization . Understanding the concept and process of transition is critical to the organizing process, so I’m passing along some information on that subject that may help you understand and overcome your organizing challenges.

In his book Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes, William Bridges differentiates change versus transition. “Change,” he says, “is situational.” Things like a move to a new city, the birth of a baby or the death of a parent constitute change. “Transition, on the other hand, is psychological. It is not those events, but rather the inner reorientation and self-redefinition that you have to go through in order to incorporate any of those changes in your life. Unless transition happens, the change won’t work, because it doesn’t take.”

The organizing process typically involves both of these elements – getting organized involves change, but staying organized requires transition. That’s because disorganization is a merely a symptom of something deeper (e.g., physical difficulties, family issues, ADD/ADHD), and unless that underlying root cause is uncovered, the physical changes brought on by getting organized won’t last for the long term. On the surface, there’s clutter, missed appointments, bills that are paid late, and general disarray. But something deeper is causing this chaos, and when I’m working with a client, it’s part of my job to find out what that is.

If you’re ready to make a change and get organized, be sure to dig deeper and uncover the root causes of your disorganization so you can not only change your environment, but actually make the transition to a life of organization. The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization has a fact sheet that can help you identify some of the causes of your disorganization. Download this free information to help analyze the source of disorganization in your life. I’d love to hear what you discover about yourself.

Signature_Sue

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Posted in Causes of Disorganization, Home Organizing, Organizing Process

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Buy Needful Things

February 3rd, 2010 by Sue Becker 1 comment »

PAYThis week’s blog is from guest blogger Gretchen Rubin, a best-selling writer whose new book, The Happiness Project, is an account of the year she spent test-driving studies and theories about how to be happier.

“I’m an under-buyer (as opposed to an over-buyer). That means I have trouble prodding myself to buy things, even things I absolutely need, like contact-lens solution. When I do buy, I buy as little as possible (even though this means I have to buy again before long). I often procrastinate about buying essential seasonal items, like mittens, until late into the season. I use things for too long, past the point at which they’re used up or worn out. Sure, a pair of old khakis is nice, but at some point, I really do need a new toothbrush.

“As an under-buyer, I’ve developed some resolutions to help me buy, and the most important of these resolutions is ‘buy needful things.’ I force myself to stop at the drugstore to pick up the supplies I need. I prod myself to buy three tubes of toothpaste, not just one. I ask myself if we have an emergency supply of cereal and light bulbs. I ask myself, ‘Do I need this?’ and if I do, I buy it (or at least I’m supposed to buy it) without saying, ‘I’ll pick this up another time.’

“As Samuel Johnson wrote, ‘To live in perpetual want of little things is a state, not indeed of torture, but of constant vexation.’ It’s no fun to be in a household that’s constantly running out of toilet paper.

“Over-buyers, of course, have the opposite problem. They spend too much time and money buying things that they don’t really need. ‘We can use that. This might come in handy. That would make a good gift…for someone.’

“For over-buyers, the resolution to ‘Buy needful things’ is also useful, because it reminds them to ask, ‘Do I really need this? Right now? Or do I just think I might need it?’

“To find out if you’re an under-buyer or an over-buyer, take this quiz.”

Hi – Sue here. I’m a “just right” buyer. I value my time, so I’ll buy multiple bottles of contact lens solution and other things I know I’ll use. As someone who doesn’t like to shop, my challenge is dragging someone to go clothes shopping with me to help me stay motivated. I’d love to hear how you did on the quiz and what buying challenges you face.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you,

Signature_Sue

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Posted in Home Organizing, Shopping

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Manage Your Mail

January 27th, 2010 by Sue Becker 4 comments »

The U.S. Postal Service reported that in 2006, the average household received 29 pieces of mail per week. Sometimes it seems like I get that many pieces a day! In order to prevent the mail from overtaking your home or office, try these tips:

  • Have a designated place to put incoming mail until you’re ready to open it. The kitchen counter or table isn’t usually a good idea unless you’d like the mail to accompany your dinner!
  •  Make time every day to go through the mail. Otherwise you may feel like the postal carrier Newman from the Seinfeld TV show. If possible, try to go through the mail at the same time each day (e.g., right when you bring it in, after dinner, before bed, in the morning, during your commute on public transportation, etc.); this will help make daily processing a habit.
  •  For each piece of mail, decide what the next action is that you need to take on it, and then do something purposeful to move it along on its journey. Possible actions include disposing of it (throwing it out, recycling it, or shredding it), paying it, making a phone call about it, filing it, or reading it. If you can’t take the appropriate action right away, use Action Notes to remind yourself of what the next action is.

action_notes

Put this processed mail that still need action into a desktop file holder, project file, or PilesSmart® system sorted according to the required action. 

  • Schedule time during your week to take the appropriate action on the papers in your action system. 

Enjoy knowing that new paper piles are less likely to appear in your home or office because you’ve got a system set up to manage and organize the mail.

Best wishes as you turn those paper piles into smiles,

Signature_Sue

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Posted in Mail Handling, Paper Organizing

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Don’t Meander Along the Path to Organization

January 20th, 2010 by Sue Becker 1 comment »

shovelingWhen I was shoveling the snow from my driveway recently, I laughed at myself when I realized that my shoveling style mimics my organizing style. I pick a place to start shoveling and I make a straight path from that starting point to the end of the driveway without taking any detours. That straight, clear path makes it obvious which areas of the driveway remain to be shoveled, and also give me a sense of accomplishment as I view that long stretch of empty asphalt.

 That same direct approach works well when I’m helping a client get organized. We avoid zigzag organizing by picking a place to start and stay focused on that one area until it’s completed. This approach works whether we’re working on a desk, room or schedule. For example, if we’re working on a desk, we typically start in the bottom left corner and go through every piece of paper, knick knack, and file folder in that section until we’ve worked our way to the desktop surface. If we have to end our session before we have a chance to address the entire desk, it’s obvious where we’ve left off, and we can clearly see how much we’ve accomplished.

 My clients often tell me that when they’re working on their own, they tend to bounce around the area they’re organizing and have only their sense of exhaustion and maybe a full garbage bag to attest to their hard work; they often can’t see any difference in the space they’ve worked on. When you pick a single spot to tackle and stick with it, you’ll have a better chance of staying motivated because you’ll plainly see your progress and can quickly pick up wherever you’ve left off in the organizing process.

Here’s to your organizing success,

Signature_Sue

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Plan Your Day to Achieve More

January 12th, 2010 by Sue Becker 1 comment »

Time ManagementThe past couple of weeks have put my time management skills to the ultimate test. I’ve had a load of work- and volunteer-related activities, with some personal and social life sprinkled in. As easy as it might be to feel overwhelmed during this very busy time, I’ve done a good job of keeping things under control and so far, nothing has fallen through the cracks (at least nothing that I know of!).  The key factor in my ability to staying on top of things is daily planning.

I liken daily planning to planning a road trip. You have a starting point and an ultimate destination, and you need to determine how to get between the 2 locations. A daily plan serves as the road map that helps you accomplish the things you’d like to get done on a given day. To create your own daily plan, use your planning tool (appointment book, online calendar, phone, etc.) to map out what you want to accomplish that day. Then decide how detailed you want to get – do you need to specifically schedule each phone call, or just block out general phone call time? Do you need to schedule every minute of the day, or just list the top 5 things you want to get done and fit them in whenever the mood strikes you? There is no right or wrong way, just whatever way works best for you.

A common problem for many people is getting to the end of the day with a to-do list that doesn’t seem any shorter than when the day started. Often that’s because we are unrealistic in terms of how time-consuming many tasks are. Using my road trip analogy, that’s like not taking into account how many miles are between two points, as well as how road construction, detours, and other unforeseen hazards may slow you down. To build your time awareness, try this time estimating exercise:

  • Note how long you think each item on your to-do list will take.
  • Pay attention to how long each task actually takes, and jot the actual time down next to your estimate.
  • As you amaze yourself with how much longer things may have taken than you estimated, determine if it’s because you were simply an inexperienced estimator, or because problems, interruptions, or procrastination made you less efficient than you could have been.
  • Use this information to find ways to work more efficiently, as well as to remind yourself to allow more time to get things done in the future and to schedule less each day.

Best wishes as you move towards filling your day with things that leave you fulfilled.

Signature_Sue

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Don’t Let Those “Organizing” Commercials Fool You

January 6th, 2010 by Sue Becker No comments »

Using containers doesn't mean your organizedThe first time I heard a particular radio commercial of a major home improvement store, I though I had misheard it. But when I heard the same commercial a second time, I became alarmed as I realized that thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people might think its message was accurate. The message? Buy storage containers for “important” stuff, “not so important” stuff, and “not sure why I’m keeping” stuff and “you’ll be organized for the new year.” Well if tossing stuff into storage bins is all it takes to get organized, there’s no reason anyone would ever be disorganized. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. As I’ve mentioned before, and as I put into practice with my clients, using containers is just one step in the process of getting organized, and it’s not the first step. And while putting things into bins as the commercial suggests might look better than having them scattered all over, it most likely won’t help you easily find things when you need them. And that’s the whole reason for getting organized – to make life easier and save you from hunting all over to find things. So go ahead and use store’s suggested method if it works for you. But for those of you who would merely end up with a containerized mess rather than a visible mess, remember that tried and true methods of setting up organizational systems have a much greater chance of being successful for you in the long run.

Best wishes,

Signature_Sue

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Top Ten Organizing Tips

December 30th, 2009 by Sue Becker 2 comments »

Top 10January is Get Organized (GO) month as designated by the National Association of Professional Organizers because so many people make New Year’s resolutions to get organized.  If getting organized is your goal, you may be overwhelmed by the seeming enormity of the job. To make that goal less intimidating, I’m offering my top 10 list of things I recommend you do to get your life in order. Good luck as you start creating order in your disorganized world:

1. Make a daily to-do list and follow it. Most people have no problem creating the list – it’s the “following” part that causes problems. Prioritize your list by asking, “If I can only get one thing done today, what must it be?” and then get rolling.

2. Control interruptions. We often interrupt ourselves more than other people interrupt us. Pay attention to how often you use the telephone, television, internet (yes, even blogs!), email, etc. as ways to procrastinate. Identify specific times during the day to give those items your attention, and specific times to work on whatever you determined was important for the day.

3. Have a place for everything. Try to store things near where you use them and store similar things together. I’ll admit that sometimes it makes sense to store similar items in a number of places because they’re used in a number of places: light bulbs and batteries, for example.

4. Put everything in its place. Whether it’s items you’ve brought in from the store, clean laundry, the day’s mail, or your keys, put things where they belong – it usually only takes a fraction of a minute longer to put something away rather than putting it “here for now.” And at the end of the day, be sure to clean up areas that have gotten messy – it’s calming and productive to enter a room or office with clear surfaces, and you won’t have to start the day cleaning up yesterday’s work.

5. Let go of things regularly. Match (or even accelerate) the outflow of things to the inflow of things; otherwise you’ll find yourself drowning in clutter. Donate, sell, give away, throw away, shred, etc. as appropriate.

6. Process the mail daily. Toss the junk, shred sensitive information you don’t need, and decide what to do with what’s left. Create a place where mail that needs action can “live” until you do whatever needs to be done with it.

7. Process email efficiently. Once you open an email, process it thoroughly (reply, delete, file, mark for future action, etc.) before moving on to the next email. Otherwise you’ll waste lots of time re-reading emails until you finally take action.

8. Set up a filing system. Only save papers you need for tax or legal reasons or are certain you’ll refer to in the future. Create a filing system you can trust – ask yourself, “Where will I look for this item when I need it?” rather than “where should I put this?”

9. Learn to say “no.” Take control of your life instead of letting others control it –identify what’s important to you and live your life around those things. If you agree to take on obligations you resent or for which you don’t have time, you’re not going to be of help to anyone, and you’ll take away room for the things that enrich your life.

10. Be realistic about your reading pile. Give yourself a deadline to get through the magazines and newspapers you receive. If the new issue comes in and you still haven’t read the prior one, give yourself a couple of days to read it or let it go. It might also be a good time to evaluate which periodicals are worth the investment of your time.

And here’s a bonus tip: don’t be afraid to ask for help. A non-judgmental friend or family member might be able to help you make decisions or do some of the physical work. Of course From Piles to Smiles can also provide a personalized plan of action as well as hand-on help or telephone coaching. I’d love to hear from you – what do you find most challenging about getting organized? 

Warmly,

Signature_Sue

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