Archive for the ‘Organizing Process’ category

« Older Entries

The Surprising Costs of Disorganization and 3 Simple Steps to Overcome Them

April 1st, 2013

The weather has been quite a topic of conversation here in the Midwest these last few weeks. Just when we thought Spring was on its way, Ol’ Man Winter reminded us that it wasn’t too late for a snowstorm. Although we can’t do much about the weather (other than complain), we do have control over our own environment. If you have a
particular area in your home or office that’s in disarray, or a difficult situation to overcome (like paying bills on time), then you can start today to take control.

One day, as I helped a client organize his home office, we came across an envelope with $3,500 in cash! He had completely forgotten about this money, which could easily have been thrown away and lost forever.

You may not have envelopes bulging with cash lying around, but being disorganized does have a cost … in terms of time, stress, worry, late fees, and more.

Disorganization takes a toll on your life – and your wallet

Emotional costs of disorganization include:

  • Medical costs due to stress and worry (80% of our medical
    expenditures are stress related, according to the Centers for Disease  Control and Prevention)
  • Strain on household relationships due to clutter or always  being late for things
  • Strain on outside relationships because you’re too  embarrassed to have visitors
  • Strain on workplace relationships because disorganization and  poor time management make you unproductive

Financial costs include:

  • Losing gift cards, checks, and savings bonds
  • Missing errors on bank or credit card statements
  • Paying bills late, which incurs late fees
  • Continuously paying bills late, which impacts your credit  rating (this has expensive ramifications when purchasing homes and other big-ticket items)
  • Overlooking errors on medical bills

Here’s a link to my newsletter where you can read more about the costs of disorganization and how to overcome them.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

No comments »

Posted in Organizing Challenges, Organizing Process

Tags:

7 Simple Steps to Tame the Job-Hunting Jungle

February 1st, 2013

As we inch closer towards spring here in the Midwest, I’m looking forward to the budding trees and blooming flowers that are only a few months away. As I enjoy the longer days and increased activity at my bird feeder, I’m also a bit saddened that two of my friends have lost their jobs in the past month. However, their cheerful dispositions and confident attitudes can serve as a wonderful example to anyone who’s involuntarily unemployed. Their positive spirit inspired me to write some tips about organizing a job search. Whether you’re currently employed and looking for a new opportunity or unemployed and searching for work, you’ll want to get the most out of your job-hunting time and effort. To overcome feeling overwhelmed, I recommend creating a plan and getting organized – this will help you focus your efforts, stay motivated, and accelerate your success.

Think about your ideal job. Take time to identify your skills and interests and write down attributes of your ideal job. (You may ask a career counselor to help with this step.) Also, think about the type of business you’d like to work for, including aspects such as company size and location. Be sure to consider any transportation and time restrictions you may have.

Set goals. Next, clearly define your job search goals. For example, how much time will you devote each week to job hunting? What specific steps must you accomplish to make your ideal job a reality? Write down the specific tasks you need to accomplish each week. For example: “Research and review 30 company websites, make 20 phone calls, attend 1 networking event, update my resume, practice my interviewing skills, and review classified ads.”

Create an action plan. Now it’s time to schedule your tasks. If you work full-time, you’ll need to squeeze a few tasks into a full day. Having a written plan of action – such as a specific list of people to call during your lunch hour – will ensure you make the most of your limited time. If you’re not working, don’t fall into the “I’ve got all day” trap! Create appointments with yourself to accomplish tasks that will lead to achieving your job-finding goals.

Invest your time wisely. Be sure to allocate your time to each job-hunting activity according to how potentially effective it will be. For example, for your field, spending time networking may be much more effective than responding to classified ads. Also, schedule and tackle difficult or unpleasant activities during the time of day when you have the most mental energy – for most people, that’s first thing in the morning.

Here’s a link to my newsletter where you can read more about the how to plan your job hunt. I’d love to hear what additional  tips you have.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

No comments »

Posted in Organizing Process, Time Management

Tags:

Routines Can Help You Simplify Your Life

January 15th, 2013

I always brush my teeth before I go to bed, exercise first thing in the morning, and wash the household towels on Fridays. These  routines help minimize my trips to the dentist, allow me to do some guilt- free snacking, and make sure my family’s towels are actually helping us stay clean rather than being a breeding ground for bacteria. Rather than wanting you to pity my boring life, I want to help you see that habits and routines, no matter how unexciting, can be the key to a stress-free life.

Charles Duhigg shares my passion for the mundane because he wrote a whole book on the subject of habits: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. According to Duhigg, habits, by their very definition, allow us to do things without thinking about them. That frees up our brains to work on the more complex problems in life. Unfortunately, habits can be good as well as bad (those that aren’t aligned with our current goals). For many of my clients, bad habits (or lack of any habit or routine) are the cause (at least in part) of their disorganization. I suggest you read Mr. Duhigg’s book to learn more about how you might be able to break your bad habits, but here are some habits or routines you might want to develop in order to create a more organized and stress-free life.

Don’t put things down, put them away. Yes, it’s often easier to just drop something near where it belongs rather than completely put it away. Often times it’s because we have a false impression of how much longer it will take to go the distance. Rather than lift the lid to put the dirty socks in the hamper, it’s easier to just plop them on top; instead of hanging up the jacket, it’s quicker to just drop it on the couch. But really, does it take more than five or 10 extra seconds to finish the job? Put mind over matter and put things where they belong. Make it as easy for yourself as possible – for example, maybe you can just remove the lid on the hamper. If the problem is that things don’t have a place where they belong, block out time to create an organizing plan for your problem areas. Of course you’re welcome to contact me if you’d like some help.

Always do something purposeful with every piece of information you encounter.  Whether it’s a piece of paper or an e-mail, make a decision about what next action you need to take and either take that action, or put the information in designated place until you’re able to act purposefully on it. Make a point of doing something to move it along on its journey.

De-clutter regularly. In your workplace, spending time at the end of each day cleaning off your desk and tidying up loose ends can be highly beneficial. Not only is there a psychic benefit of starting the next workday with a clean desk, but you’re also more likely to begin working on what you want to be working on rather than gravitating to whatever piece of paper happened to catch your eye. At home, spending five or 10 minutes in each room each evening putting things away will prevent things from getting out of control. Of course if your family helped create the clutter, it sure would be nice if they helped with the de-cluttering, too.

Before purchasing something, make sure you know where it will go. Otherwise it will become clutter. You’ll typically want to store things near where you use them and store similar things together. Store things that you use most frequently in easily-accessible places.

What habits or routines will you work on developing for your simpler, more stress-free life?

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

No comments »

Posted in Home Organizing, Organizing Process, Paper Organizing, Simplicity, Workplace Organizing

Tags:

Lists Can Help You Gain Control

October 1st, 2012

Get the oil on the car changed; plan Saturday’s dinner party; write thank you note to Jenna – these are the items on my to-do list for today. And I mean an actual written list, not just some ideas floating around in my head. Why, you may ask, would I need to write these down? After all, it’s only three things. Writing things down prevents me from forgetting things, helps me know what to focus on, and frees me from the stress of having to remember. Writing it isn’t the same as having it in my head – a written list is like a best friend who gently reminds me what and when I should be working on hings to keep me out of trouble. A written list puts me in control of my day, and it can do the same for you.

I have several lists that help me take advantage of the power of writing things down, and I’m sharing them with you here. If you’d like a complete collection of all the forms and lists that help me and my clients stay organized, check out my APPLES Resource Guide. Fear not, Jenna – your thank-you note is in the mail!

Before I start describing my lists, I want to comment on what form your lists can take. I prefer written lists – they work well with my paper planner and I like the hand-to-brain connection of writing things down. You may prefer electronic lists – something you can save on your computer or carry around on your smart phone. Here are two resources that can get you started on making electronic lists: IQtell and Lifehacker. I’d love to hear what electronic lists you like to use.

Okay, on to my list of lists:

Master To-Do List This is where I write down things I have to do that I’m not quite sure when I’ll do. For example, I want to follow my own advice and update my emergency plans (e.g., what to do if a tornado wipes out my home). I could just choose a date to do it and jot it down on the corresponding page in my planner. However, my next couple of months are very full so I’m not quite sure when I’ll do it. Rather than trusting that I’ll remember to do it at some point, I’ve added it to my master to-do list. I keep this list in my planner, review it once a week (the reminder to do so is on my Weekly To-Do List) and schedule anything I’m ready to commit to doing. You can read more about a master do-do list in my previous blog posting.

Weekly To-Do List My weekly to-do list is typed onto a notecard that moves from Sunday to Sunday (attached via paper clip) in my paper planner. It reminds me to do things like water the houseplants, plan next week’s meals (check out my previous blog posting on meal planning), and prepare for next week’s clients. My houseplants, hungry family and clients appreciate my being on top of these things.

Daily To-Do List I have two kinds of daily to-do lists; one is similar to what most people use – I pick three to five things I want to get done on any given day and write those in my planner. But I also have a daily list that’s typed on a notecard and moves from day to day in my planner. It lists recurring tasks I want to attend to each day, like water my outdoor flowers, thaw the next day’s dinner (thanks to planning meals each week, this is easy), and check some of my social media sites. Even though I remember to do most of these things without looking at the list, having them written down keeps things from falling through the cracks.

Here’s a link to my newsletter where you can read more about the lists that keep me organized. I’d love to hear what lists you use to help you stay on top of things

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

 

7 comments »

Posted in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Organizing Process, Time Management

Tags:

Family with ADHD Gets Organized Together

September 13th, 2012

My favorite part about my job is that I help people improve the quality of their lives – whether I’m working with them side by side or by phone, or even through my blog or newsletter. I received an email from someone I’ve never met, but who was inspired by my writings to set herself and her family on the path towards being organized. I’m sharing her note to inspire you to discover the simplicity, harmony and freedom of being organized in your own home:

“Dear Sue,
My 10 year old son is diagnosed ADHD and my husband and I, we suspect, also have some ADHD in us.  So it’s great to see someone addressing these types of issues when it comes to organization.

Your posts are always so helpful.  I just read your blog post on clutter and financial prosperity.  That is so true, both directly and indirectly!  I also read over your back to school post which is a great reminder for us.  And I just planned out my menu for the remainder of the week.  I try to plan menus and it doesn’t always happen but when it does things definitely run smoother.

Wanted to share my story with you…maybe you’ve mentioned something like this in the past in your blog but here goes. I’ve been struggling all summer to declutter my home. I went back to work full-time a little over 2 years ago.  It was a big transition then and things are now starting to really pile up, closets bulging, financial papers in disarray, etc., etc.  We have a bi-weekly cleaning service come in but I think that actually makes the clutter worse as things are put in piles and stashed away for cleaning. Even though everything looks great after a cleaning, by the end of 2 weeks, things are everywhere again and have to be pile or stashed away;  the cycle repeats itself.  So I’ve decided the whole house needs a good decluttering and downsizing of stuff….I’ve made a little progress this summer but then I get tired, overwhelmed, overly perfectionist-y, burned out and turn my attention elsewhere. It’s almost the end of the summer and my list is still pretty long.

This week, I decided to ask my family for help. My husband can’t stand clutter but he doesn’t know what to throw away, put away, etc. When I was a stay at home mom, we got into some bad habits of me handling everything in the home. So, he usually gets overwhelmed, moves things around a little bit and just retreats to the basement.  Then there are the kids…they are 10 and 6.  They certainly don’t want to waste their free time cleaning. But I can’t do it all.  I am also making a serious effort at getting fit so my time is limited.

So yesterday morning, I wrote them all a sweet note and informed them of my intentions to start the school year organized. I wrote that I would like them all to help and we would start in the evening with our craft pantry and plastics drawers.  Then I left for work before they got up.

When I picked up the kids at the end of the day and asked them about my plan, they were not thrilled. Neither was my husband. But after dinner and some downtime, my daughter and I got started.  And eventually, the guys got involved, too.  I gave them jobs they could handle…I had the kids help me take items out of the drawer. Then together we went through the different cups and decided which to throw away. My husband glued a found broken item. Then he was ready to wipe down the drawers and put everything away. He didn’t put things away exactly the way I would but it was done and organized, which is all that matters. (big aha moment for me!)  The kids and I started on the craft cabinet which really took an all-hands-on-deck approach. To my surprise, they did a really good job of letting things go and my daughter was downright relentless (lol)! We decided we should add a couple of shelves to the cabinet so my husband worked on that. At bedtime, everything still needed to be put away. I took care of that and sent everyone to bed. I ran out of time but will finish putting the last few items away tonight. It should only take a few minutes.

What I’ve been trying to accomplish all summer, the family finished in a couple of hours. In addition to some cleaner spaces and checking off some nagging projects, we also got the unexpected benefits of family bonding and a feeling of teamwork. At one point, one of the kids said it was actually kind of fun!  And I don’t know how many times I heard, “Oh! That’s where that is!”  Now, hopefully the kids will also take some pride in their work and help keep things cleaner. Now we have some momentum and I think we’re going to tackle our dining room tonight.

Well, thanks for listening to my long story. Since you “helped” do this in a sense, I thought you should know. I know it was only half of a pantry and a couple of drawers but I think this is the start of something big in our
home.
Take care,
Chris”

Thanks so much for sharing, Chris – please check in again and let us all know how you’re doing. I’d love to hear from other readers about how your organizing journey is going. And if you need a bit of help, either in person or by phone, please get in touch.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

 

No comments »

Posted in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Home Organizing, Organizing Process

Tags:

Get Motivated to Get Organized

August 30th, 2012

Have you ever spent time working on an organizing poject, only to abandon it before you reached your desired outcome?  Many people have great intentions to get rganized, but just can’t seem to keep their momentum once they get started. And ome people can’t get started at all, no matter how strongly they desire oganizational bliss. Sound familiar? Here are some tips to help you keep your mtivation high while you organize your life.

Start with a small space. Oganize a linen closet, medicine cabinet, or a drawer – a small space that wll be fairly quick and easy and give you a sense of accomplishment. That will give you the confidence and motivation to move on to bigger areas. I once worked with a client who wanted to start our organizing work in the cabinet where she kept her food storage containers. At the time it seemed odd that she wanted to start there when there were much more visible areas of her home in disarray. The next time we got together, however, she raved about how thrilled she was to have at least one area in her home she could look at that provided a sense of peace and calm. Tackling a small space might give you that same thrill.

Do it in small chunks. You don’t have to view organizing as an all or nothing proposition. Set a timer for 15 or 30 minutes and spend just that amount of time working your plan of attack. Before you have time to lose your motivation, it will be time to end the session. You may be surprised at how much you can accomplish when you focus for just a short amount of time.

Give yourself a deadline. I’m not talking about choosing a random date and saying, “Here’s when I need to have this done” (although if that works for you, go for it). I’m talking about scheduling a party, inviting houseguests, or holding an important meeting in your office. Maybe fear of what others will think of your clutter will motivate you to stick with your organizing plan.

Here’s a link to my newsletter where you can read more about how keep your motivation high. I’d love to hear what works for you.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony, and freedom,

No comments »

Posted in Organizing Challenges, Organizing Process

Tags:

Simplify Your Return from Vacation

July 2nd, 2012

Ah, summer – time to slow down, unwind, and take a vacation. I’ve previously written about how to prepare for a relaxing vacation (revisit my tips here), but have you ever prepared for your return from a trip? More likely, within a day or two after you come back from your travels you’re immersed in the chaos that made you crave a vacation in the first place! Some simple forethought and planning will help you make a smooth transition back into the real world so you can still bask in the peaceful glow of your time away from the rat race. I hope these tips will convince you that you don’t have to dread, or even forego a vacation simply because the thought of getting caught up afterwards is too daunting.

Clean before you go. Attack the piles of papers, wash the dishes, catch up on laundry and wash the floors before you head out the door. Nothing can zap your lingering vacation high faster than entering what looks like a war zone. If you clean things up before you go, the only mess you’ll have to deal with when you get home is the vacation clutter. And doing all that work before you go will assure that you really need a vacation!

Have your groceries planned. Have all groceries but perishables already stocked before you go. In addition, create a list of what you’ll need to grab from the grocery store upon your return so you can zip through the store on autopilot. Better yet, stop by the store on your way home from your trip so you don’t have to run out again. You might also want to have a few meals prepped and frozen ahead of time so you can ease back into the routine of cooking.

Let people know. If appropriate, change your voicemail message and email auto-response to let people know you’re away, and when you’ll return. That will save you from having multiple messages from the same people who are wondering why you haven’t gotten back to them. Don’t be afraid to fib a bit about that return date – announce it to be a day later than you’ll actually return so you have a day to catch your breath and prioritize things before jumping right back into the madness. And once you have returned, use these tips to plow through the mail and email avalanches that await you.

Here’s a link to my newsletter where you can read more about  how to smoothly transition back to reality after a vacation. I’d love to hear what additional tips you have.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

1 comment »

Posted in Organizing Process

Tags:

Get Organized for the Right Reasons

March 22nd, 2012

“To be able to open a cabinet, drawer or closet  and find what I’m looking for;” “To start my family’s day on time and on a positive note;” “To experience the joy of leisure time;” “To make living with AD/HD easier.” These are all reasons clients have told me they want to get organized. Although each reason supports a different goal, the one thing each of them has in common is that the end goal is about more than being organized – organization is a means to something bigger and more meaningful.

Why does a bigger, more meaningful reason matter? Why can’t one just get organized for organizings’s sake? Well, “getting organized” could be your ultimate goal, but it’s not particularly motivating. And motivation is just what you’ll need to stick with the organizing process, as well as to maintain the organizing systems you create.

Before you start your organizing project, decide what greater goal organizing will help you achieve. Will you have better relationships because you get to places on time and no longer keep your friends or family waiting? Will you eat better because you can easily find things in your kitchen, so preparing healthy meals at home will be a breeze? Think about the compelling reasons you want to get organized, and write them down. You might even want to post them where you can see them to motivate you during your organizing sessions, and to remind you to maintain your systems once you’ve set them up.

Another reason to create compelling reasons to get organized is to help guide you as you go through the decision-making process that’s inherent to the organizing process. For example, if one of your goals is to be able to get out the door quickly by easily finding things in your clothes closet, you may have to pare down your wardrobe to fit into the space that you have. As you evaluate each item in your closet, you can ask yourself how keeping it will help you get out the door quickly.

So how do you create your bigger goal around getting organized? Ask yourself what bothers you the most about your home, your office, your life. What frustrations do you experience because you have trouble finding things, you don’t get your bills paid on time, or your schedule is too full? What weight will be lifted when you get organized and regain control?

I’d love to hear your compelling reason for getting organized.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

 

 

 

No comments »

Posted in Goal Setting, Goals, Organizing Process

Tags:

Manage Mealtime Mayhem

March 7th, 2012

Several years ago I saw a sign that said “I have a kitchen because it came with the house” in a client’s home. It’s a relief to know there’s at least one other person besides me who doesn’t like to cook. After all, with the huge number of cooking shows on TV, cooking magazines staring at me in the grocery store, and specialty spice shops and olive oil stores popping up all over, I can’t help but think that everyone except me loves to cook (and is good at it as well). I do love to eat, however, so I’ve done all I can to make meal planning as painless as possible. Whether you’re the cook in your home or are lucky enough to be the beneficiary of someone else’s cooking, enjoy these tips to make mealtimes less stressful.

Plan meals for the week. I used to spend stress-filled hours (ok, minutes, but it seemed like hours) staring at the refrigerator and freezer each evening trying to figure out what to make for dinner. I finally took my own advice and now plan dinners for the upcoming week every Sunday. I write them on an erasable whiteboard attached with magnetic clips to my refrigerator. It’s amazing how much less stressful my day is just knowing I can answer the question “What’s for dinner?”

Create a rotating menu routine. I have 21 index cards, each of which contains one dinner suggestion as well as any special ingredients that I’m not likely to have on hand. Rather than having to put a lot of thought into what to make for dinner, I just grab the seven index cards in the front of the stack and use them as my
starting point. I check my calendar to determine which nights might require a quick meal or an early or late dinner based on my husband’s and my schedules. I reorder the seven index cards to correspond to each evening, and write those meals in order on my whiteboard. I write the special ingredients from the index
cards onto my grocery list and check my freezer and cupboards to make sure all of the non-special ingredients are on hand. I put that group of index cards in the back of the stack and I’m ready for next week’s meal planning.

Create a themed menu routine. Another option to make meal planning easy is to have a theme for each day of the week. Themes help narrow down your options, which for me is the biggest challenge of meal planning. For example, Monday is breakfast for dinner; Tuesday is Mexican; Wednesday is pasta; Thursday is soup; Friday is fish; Saturday is pizza – you get the idea. You could also include a night where family members take turns planning (and maybe even cooking!) what’s for dinner.

Here’s a link to my newsletter where you can find some more ideas to help you make mealtime easier than ever. I’d love to hear what helps you manage mealtime mayhem in your home.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

No comments »

Posted in Home Organizing, Household Tasks, Organizing Process

Tags:

Partnering Can Help You Overcome Your Organizing Challenges

January 20th, 2012

It’s finally happened – the last traces of holiday candy, cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, kettle corn and other assorted holiday treats that have filled my home for the last month and a half have been consumed. At last I can continue my quest to eat more healthfully. Sure, I could have embraced healthy eating all along, but until all temptation disappeared from my sight, the lure of sugar always seemed to overtake my limited willpower. And it wouldn’t have been fair to the rest of my household to just throw out those tempting morsels.

So what does this is have to do with organizing? Just like my limited willpower regarding junk food would have made it incredibly difficult to avoid eating it, circumstances in your life may make getting or staying organized a real challenge. Now that doesn’t mean you can’t overcome those challenges, but it’s important to recognize that they’re there. Why? First, so you’ll cut yourself some slack about why the seemingly simple quest to get organized can be so challenging. Second, so you can do something to move those obstacles out of the way.

What kinds of challenges am I talking about? Some of the more common ones I encounter with my clients are: a workload that leaves no time or energy for organizing; limited knowledge about how to get organized; feeling overwhelmed; fear of failure; perfectionism; and finding organizing boring and isolating.

All of these challenges can, at least in part, be mitigated by working on your organizing project with someone else. Working with someone else can give you the energy and motivation you need to stay on task, and can make the process move along more quickly than when you work solo. An organizing partner can help you develop new ideas about how to approach your most challenging organizing obstacles, and can help you break your project down into manageable steps to remove that sense of overwhelm. Working with someone else can give you a sense of accountability so that you are more inclined to maintain your organizing systems. Your organizing buddy can help you recognize when you’re falling into perfectionism mode and help you identify just how detailed your organizing efforts need to be. And best of all, an organizing partner can make the organizing process easier, interesting and yes, even enjoyable. There are a lot of similarities to the benefits of working with a personal trainer, which I’ve written about previously.

So how do you choose your organizing partner? The key characteristics for a successful partnership are working with someone who is nonjudgmental, will work confidentially, and who will gently bring you back on track when you’ve veered off.  In addition, they must be focused on helping you achieve your goals, not theirs. They must be patient and supportive, and most of all, someone with whom you’re comfortable sharing your situation and your memories. If you’re not lucky  enough to have a friend or family member who embraces these qualities or who is willing to help you, I’m at your service.

So what obstacles are getting in the way of you organizing goals? What can you do to eliminate them?

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

No comments »

Posted in Causes of Disorganization, Chronic Disorganization, Organizing Challenges, Organizing Process

Tags: