Archive for the ‘Life Lessons’ category

When Does Enough Become Too Much?

August 18th, 2010

Too many choicesA  few years ago I entered the produce section of my newly remodeled grocery store to purchase some tomatoes, only to discover that it was going to take quite an effort to fulfill my mission. The new and “improved” produce department was at least double the size of the old one, and it took me 5 minutes of intense searching to discover where the tomatoes were located. There were dozens of tables displaying bin after bin of all types of fruits and vegetables, and I became increasingly annoyed at each bin that didn’t reveal the object of my quest. While some of you may have enjoyed such a hunt, it nearly brought me to tears – so many choices and so much floor space to navigate left me feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.

 It turns out I’m hardly alone in my reaction to having too many options – numerous studies have concluded that satisfaction level drops as people are given more choices. For example, a joint study by researchers from Columbia and Stanford Universities concluded that “people actually seemed to prefer to exercise their opportunities to choose in contexts where their choices were limited” and “they even performed better in such limited-choice contexts.” Translation: less choices lead to greater satisfaction and better performance.

So what does this have to do with organizing? I wonder if having too many possessions leads to a similar decline in satisfaction. One of the steps in the organizing process is to pare down the number of items one has so that only things that are useful or meaningful are kept. Many of my clients have an abundance of items yet resist letting any go because they are sure they will need them “someday.” For example, they may have a closet packed with clothes and be reluctant to let go of any because each one has the potential to be just the right choice for an upcoming occasion. Does having to choose which of the 11 pairs of black pants to wear, or which of the 53 pairs of shoes is just the right one, at least on some level, lessen one’s quality of life? If closets aren’t your sore spot, what about your overstuffed bookshelves, overflowing craft room, or an impassable basement?  Although they often insist otherwise, I imagine that this seemingly endless possibility of choices might actually cause people to be less satisfied than they realize.

So when does enough become too much? I’d love to hear your take on how the volume of items from which you have to choose impacts your satisfaction.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

Signature Sue

Organizing Lessons from Toy Story 3

August 4th, 2010

Toy Story 3As I did around this time last year, I just saw a Disney-Pixar film that offers some great organizing lessons. This year it was Toy Story 3 that lured me from the comfort of my couch. The premise of the story is that Andy, who we met as a young boy in the first movie of the series, is getting ready to go to college and must decide what to do with his toys. This story tugged at my heart not only because I have son named Andy who’s in college, but also because I see many of my clients face the same struggles as Andy while they move towards creating a new, better life for themselves. Here are my observations:

The oldies but goodies are goodies for a reason. Andy had a large number of toys that he had enjoyed throughout his childhood – he didn’t seem to be constantly bringing in new toys. What oldies but goodies do you own? While they may not give you the thrill of being new or offer the excitement of finding bargain, there’s probably a good reason that you prefer these things. Whether it’s a pair of pants that fit you just right, a paring knife that makes life in the kitchen easier, or a piece of artwork you enjoy pondering, many things in our life are hard to replace – so stop trying. Don’t make impulse purchases, or even conscious purchases, if you already have something that suits your needs – you’ll end up having less clutter. 

It may be easier than you think to let go of things you don’t need. Molly, Andy’s sister, had a bedroom filled with things that were no longer meaningful to her. Until her mom prompted her, she hadn’t taken the time to pare them down. Once she got started, however, Molly had an easy time letting go of a lot of things she didn’t want or need. Her mom’s encouragement gave her the motivation she needed to move things to the donate bin or even the trash, so she could surround herself with things that were meaningful to her now. Is there someone who can encourage or help you let go of the things that no longer make your life fulfilling? If you’re a parent, can you help your kids learn to set limits by helping them evaluate their belongings?

Here’s a link to my newsletter where I offer additional observations on Toy Story 3 – I’d love to hear your thoughts. In case you missed it or want a refresher, here’s a link to my newsletter on last year’s movie, Up.

Wishing you simplicity, harmony and freedom,

Signature_Sue

Teach Your Kids Life Skills

July 28th, 2010

Teach kids life skills“Brush your teeth”, “Make your bed”, “Feed the fish” – parents sometimes feel like a broken record when it comes to handing out chores to their kids. And sometimes (ok, maybe often), rather than delegate, we might do something ourselves because it’s easier than doing battle with the kids or because we know we’ll do it better – I know firsthand how true that is. But I think we owe it to our kids to have them help out around the house – it teaches them responsibility and helps train them to be mature independent adults. And isn’t our job as parents to one day push them out of the nest and watch them fly?

My oldest son recently graduated from college and moved out of state. I’m sad that he’s so far away, yet happy for his great job opportunity and comforted to know that he has the life skills he’ll need (at least most of them) to comfortably and confidently get along in the “real” world. Of course he didn’t just learn those skills overnight – my husband and I have been preparing him for this phase of his life for the past 22 years. We’ve had him and his younger brother participate in a variety of chores, from mowing the lawn to emptying the dishwasher, doing their own laundry to managing their own bank account.

There have been some stumbling blocks along the way, but we view those as teaching moments that are sometimes more powerful than any verbal lesson could be. Without going into great detail and violating his privacy, I’ll just say that my son had an issue with a credit card that really surprised us. It taught us that we can’t only teach by example – explicit instructions are often necessary. Many of my clients are impacted by this same lack of specific training – I’m constantly amazed at how many of them tell me they grew up in organized homes, yet they’ve hired me to help them get organized because they don’t know how to do it. Their parents did everything for them so they never learned the process of being organized. Some of the basic skills I often have to teach them are:

  • How to keep a calendar
  • How to keep track of bills
  • How to set up a filing system
  • How to establish a process for doing laundry
  • How to put things away when finished with them

I invite you to consider what tasks you’re doing yourself that your kids are capable of handling, and how you can get them more involved in being contributing members of the household. What lessons did your parents not teach you that you wish they had?

Here’s to your life of simplicity, harmony and freedom,

Signature_Sue

Life Lessons Learned from a Hockey Team

June 16th, 2010

#1 fanMy favorite sports team, the Chicago Blackhawks, recently won the championship trophy for professional hockey – the Stanley Cup. Whether or not you’re a hockey fan, you can learn some important lessons from the Blackhawks:

Surround yourself with people who can help you achieve your vision. In 2004, ESPN named the Blackhawks the worst franchise in professional sports – that’s all professional sports, not just hockey. Personnel changes were made throughout the management ranks at all levels, and just six years later, the Blackhawks have won what is arguably the hardest championship of all professional sports to win. Are the people in your life or business able to support you in being your best?

Let people know you care about them. With new, visionary thinkers at the helm, the Blackhawks changed many of their policies, including how they interacted with their fans and past players. Within the last three years, they’ve held their first fan convention, allowed the games to be televised, and invited past stars to be ambassadors for the team. As a result, game attendance has skyrocketed. Are you treating the people in your life, including family members, employees, customers and vendors in a way that makes them want to support you?

Focus and commitment will get you to your goal.  Several years ago, the Blackhawks adopted a marketing campaign with the slogan “One Goal” – that being the Stanley Cup. Their advertising, as well as their mindset, had them focused on achieving that goal. In fact, when they won several rounds of the playoffs this year, they didn’t allow themselves to celebrate too much, because they hadn’t yet achieved their goal of winning the Stanley Cup. What goals do you have for yourself, and what are you doing to focus on achieving them?

Wishing you succes in achieving your goals,

Signature_Sue