The Real Truth About Organizing

I am a Certified Professional Organizer.  Here are some truths about me. 

1.   My house is lived in.  Real life people live here so real life needs to happen here.
2.   I have a few stacks.....stacks of books, stacks of paper, and a pile of shoes.
3.   I have mismatched, handwritten file folders
4.   I have dust....more than my fair share
5.   I have a lot of filing that needs to be done
6.   I have too many clothes
7.   My car stays a bit of a mess, not out of control messy but messy
8.   You are likely to find a few dirty dishes in my sink and a counter that needs to be cleaned.
9.   I have unorganized photos
10. I struggle with staying focused.

Here are some other truths:

1.  I can find just about anything I need within a few minutes
2.  My stacks are a bit of my decor.  They are neatly stacked and I know what is in each stack. I      will schedule time to go through the paper stacks at least once a week.  
3.  Mismatched, handwritten file folders don't bother me.....they work.
4.  My house is relatively picked up and I do a quick dust about once a week. 
5.  I file two times a year and because I don't keep so much paper, that works for me
6.  I do have too many clothes....a goal for 2014.
7.  I clean the stuff out of my car once a week.
8.  I always put dishes in the dishwasher before bed or immediately upon waking in the morning
9.  I do have unorganized photos....another goal for 2014.
10.I struggle with focus but work very hard at keeping myself focused, which you can do when 
you talk yourself through and remind yourself to stay on task. 

Organizers are not perfect......we just have tools and systems that will help you get organized and stay more organized.  Real life is going to get us all out of whack, every now and then.  The key is being able to right the ship pretty quickly.    

Getting organized is one thing......staying organized is another but with small, manageable steps you can do both.....albeit not perfectly but excellently!  Now, I have to go wash dishes!

Eating the Elephant - How to De-Clutter Your Space and Your Mind

The thought of de-cluttering leaves many people totally paralyzed and totally overwhelmed. I have many clients, surrounded by clutter, physical clutter and emotional clutter, initially incapable of attacking the piles, stacks, worries and problems.  

One of the first steps I take, when working with a client, is to break things down into smaller sizes.  I take a stack of papers and divide them into categories.  In the closet we look at only the white shirts or black pants and make decisions about just those.  In the box with all the memories, we look at 10 pieces of memorabilia.  When looking at life, worries and problems, we look at next steps.  Breaking the large, gargantuan piles and clutter into small manageable piles, makes it much easier to get through the task. The process seems achievable when you look at a shelf, instead of a room, a cabinet, as opposed to a whole kitchen, a drawer as opposed to a whole chest of drawers, a next step instead of a huge problem, or a 30 day plan instead of the rest of your life.  

What things are overwhelming you that you can break into smaller, more bite sized pieces?  It literally is impossible to eat an elephant any other way than one bite at a time. 

Being Deliberate

A word I use, a lot in my business, is "deliberate" or "intentional".  To me, this is one of the most important words we can use in our day to day life......let me explain.

Thesaurus.com has several synonyms listed for "deliberate"

intentional

purposed

aforethought

planned

calculated 

thoughtful

willful

conscious

When working with an organizing client, I want their attention focused on the new systems we put into place that will allow them to be more organized.  I want them focused on what they are bringing into their home.  I want them focused on a task until completion.  

When working with a life coach client, I want them focused on their part in a relationship. I want them focused on the thoughts and beliefs that are running through their head.  I want them focused on their dreams, goals and values. 

When we go through life willy nilly, we get to the end of it and wonder where the time has gone.  When we are deliberate about our days and have given our days, weeks, months, years and life some thought, we have greater success at reaching our goals. 

"A goal without a plan is just a wish".  

~Anthony Robbins~

"The best way to predict our future is to create it."

~Abraham Lincoln~

Being intentional and deliberate about life does not mean that it can't be spontaneous and fun.  It doesn't mean that there won't be huge twists and turns.  
Being deliberate does mean that you will be aware.  Being intentional means that you will take some action steps towards your goals.  

We all know life is fluid and can change on a dime, but paying attention to the days we have been given, will create a more beautiful ride through life. 

The Smartphone To Do List

(Apple.com)

I have an IPHONE 4 so I do not have the latest and greatest of all things techie.  I do like my IPHONE 4 because it does what I need it to do but I am sure it will do more.

I have used several things on the IPHONE that I love but today I will focus on To Do Lists that are available for most Smartphones since I promised a follow up blog to my To Do List post (declutterbugnc.blogspot.com).
 I am going to admit I am still and paper list girl.  In a survey of all To Do List people, it was found that about 1/2 of the population is still paper To Do List people.  Really, I am a combo, since my calendar is housed on my IPHONE, but essentially, my daily tasks and grocery lists are on paper. 

Having confessed that, I do have good information about Apps for To Do Lists on Smartphones. As a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO for short and yes, there is such an organization and it is really big and worldwide), I have access to a lot of different organizers and information that keeps me up to date on many of the APPS on smartphones that are working well.  So, below, I am listing 7 Techie To Do Lists recommended by smart, sharp organizers around the world.  

Some of these Apps are free, some are free but have premium services for an extra fee and others have a monthly or annual fee.  Some are a bit more complicated and detailed than others so look carefully at what your real needs are in a To Do List and stay away from bells and whistles that you don't need or won't use. I have linked each of these to their website; just click on the APP name. 


1.  Todoist.com

2.  Things

3.  Rememberthemilk.com

4.  Priorities

5.  Nozbe.com

6.  Toodledo.com

7.  MiniMaList

Take a few minutes, find out which one might work for you and try it out.  I just might, too! 

Time Sucker Neutralizers

Yesterday's blog covered the subject of time suckers.....those sneaky little critters that stealthily come in and suck time out of our day and leave confusion and devastation in their wake!

Today we are going to "re-cover" the time suckers and I'll give you some ideas of how to keep them from attacking and destroying your day.

1.  Computer - As I sit here writing this blog, I have seen 3 e-mails come in and 4 notifications pop up on Facebook, in separate tabs I have open.  A smart time sucker neutralizing tactic is to turn all the other tabs off or open your work in another browser.  It is easy to get distracted by all those pings, dings and notification numbers popping up so turn them off!  When you get ready to do anything on the computer, set a timer, have a plan and pay attention to meanderings into unplanned territory.

2.  Phone - Voicemail is a beautiful thing. To manage time suckers, I regularly let my voicemail take messages so I can control when I return calls.  I can  manage my time by calling at a convenient time for me.  If you do happen to end up on the phone, with a chatty friend, make sure you are periodically paying attention to just how much time you are on the phone.
Phones are now just mini computers so turning email, voicemail, text messaging, and other notification noises off, while you are working, is another  important time management strategy. 

3.  TV - The best thing you can do about TV is plan what you are going to watch, when you are going to watch it and how long you are going to watch it. Turning on a TV, without a specific reason and time limit is dangerous time sucker territory.  Infrequently, there are those days that you need to just "veg" in front of mindless entertainment.  That is a great mental health strategy as long as those days are few and far between and you are ready to get up and get moving when the time comes.

4.  Twirling - I explained, in my blog post yesterday, that twirling is moving from one area of your home or office to another area and continuing to find things to do in each area without purpose.  The best neutralizer of twirling is focus.  You have to pay attention when you have lost your focus and head back to your original goal or project.  Sometimes this means talking to yourself or setting some kind of timer to beep so it will be a reminder of where your focus should be.  

5.  People -  This seems cruel to call people time suckers but they can be some of the worst offenders.  Co-workers will consistently interrupt your workflow with little to no regard.  Children, spouses, family and friends will call upon you and demand your time, whether it is convenient for you or not.  Boundaries is the key word here.  Set boundaries.  Your time is just as important as everyone else's time.  Put a sign on your door at work that states whether or not you are available.  Let your spouse, friends and family know that you may not always be available right when they think they need you but will help them, if possible, as soon as possible.  Even young children can be taught to respect your time.  Set a timer and tell them you will give them your attention when the timer dings.  Sometimes this works for spouses, too!!

6.  Perfectionism - I have seen this trait stop people in their tracks.  Projects don't ever get started or completed because someone wants it done perfectly. Excellence should always be our goal.  Giving it our best is the best we can do.  Don't let the unattainable goal of perfectionism get in the way of the attainable goal of excellent completion. 

There it is; the list of antidotes to time sucking.  The best offense is a good defense. Over the next week, pay attention to where your time is going and plan a defensive strategy to help you gain back your control! 

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

 ~Carl Sandburg~

Follow Through

Following through seems like one of the most natural things in the world to do.  You start something and you finish it but that is not the case with a lot of, if not most people.     Lack of follow through creates enormous problems:    Don't follow through on pursuing healthy lifestyle -  weight gain and sickness Don't follow through on schoolwork -  poor grades Don't follow through at work -  poor results at work and poor work image projected Don't follow through at home -  clutter piles up, frustrations mount and bills go unpaid Don't follow through when disciplining children- disrespectful and unruly children Don't follow through on getting car serviced on time -  greater damage and higher repair costs Don't follow through on backing up digital photos -  computer crashes and photos lost Don't follow through with saving money - crisis hits and you are not prepared Don't follow through on opportunities - opportunity lost

So if all these terrible things are going to happen to us because we don't follow through, then why don't we follow through?   I have found 6 main reasons people fail to finish what they start. 1.  Not paying attention.  Have you ever walked in the house or office, mindlessly set something down and then never went back to do anything with it?  Things begin to pile on top on one another and the next thing you know, you have a mess.   Have you gotten to the end of a day and wondered where your time has gone?   We mindlessly go through a day instead of being deliberate about using our time and energies wisely.  2.  Tired.  I find this to be a huge reason for people not finishing the things they start.  You come home from work or have had a long day with kids and it seems easier to leave the dishes in the sink, the laundry unfolded or not put away, the mail untouched, the magazines unread, the pile of papers left unattended, the groceries not put away, etc. etc. etc.  You get the point.  We are all running and going and doing but the fact of the matter is -if you take those few moments, even when you are tired, to follow through on some of these tasks, you will actually, in the long run, feel less tired and overwhelmed.   3.  Not scheduling time.  Many people have good intentions but never set aside the time to do or complete something they have set out do.   4.  Wrong reason for setting a goal or agreeing to do something.  Many times we say yes to something without thinking it through.  We feel bad for saying no, we feel pressured to say yes, we are doing something because someone else we know is doing it or we are convinced we are the only person that can get it done. 5.  Following through is going to be hard.  There are many things in life that we have to persevere through and many of us just don't want to be bothered.  We want things to be simple, uncomplicated and quick.  We don't want to have to make that unpleasant phone call.  We don't want to take the time to finish something because we have gotten bored.  We don't want to feel some of the uncomfortable emotions or feelings we will feel when we press through.   6.  Forgetting.  Many times we just forget to do something we said we would do; call someone, write a note, make a meal, etc.; we just forgot.  Here are 6 easy steps towards becoming better at follow through.   1. Pay attention to what you are committing yourself to and why. Don't commit to something you don't have passion, time, or energy for. 2. Press On. Pressing on and pressing through are two lessons I have learned the hard way. It is my choice to stop or press on and when I choose to press on, in spite of how I feel, I win every time! It is easier to give up when things are hard but when you press through the hard stuff of life, eventually you will come to breakthrough; you will get to the other side. 3. Be deliberate. When you walk in the door or office, make sure you take those few extra moments to put things where they belong or take 15 minutes to do it at the end of the evening. When you are going through the day, take regular "timeouts" to self-check if you are being deliberate about your day or see if you are mindlessly going through another day. 4. Self-talk. This is one of my strategies to make myself follow through. For some reason I have a problem with unloading the dishwasher. I will start, get bored and leave it with the door open and dishes sitting on the counter. Not sure what that is all about but it just is what it is. I have to talk to myself and tell myself to go back finish it, that it won't take long and it will be worth it. Ridiculous? Maybe but it gets it done and it can work for you. Your brain is telling you something all the time anyway, so why not control some of what it is telling you! 5. Make a note or schedule the time. Put things you need to do on a list of things to do or put it on your calendar. If it doesn't get done, keep moving it to your current to do list until it gets done or your realize it shouldn't be there in the first place. 6. Delegate or get help. Many times we need help completing a task. This can mean you involve family, friends, co-workers or of course your friendly professional organizer! Whoever it is, when it is time to ask for help, by all means, enlist help. Follow through is a habit. When you have the mindset that you don't have to follow through, then most of the time you won't but if you believe that following through is the only option, then most of the time you will.  It is possible to begin to do better at following through......beginning today!

Working Backwards - Time Management

                                         (photo courtesy of danilin/freedigitalphotos.net)

I wanted to give you a few tips on how to get out the door on time, each and every morning.  It involves working backwards.  Work backwards with me, through each step, and you will see how beneficial this can be.  This process requires you being completely honest with yourself about how long it takes you to complete certain tasks.  If you can be honest, you will see marked improvements on getting out the door in a timely and  less frazzled manner.  

If you have children, you need to factor in their getting ready personality into this equation.  I had one child that moved at a snail's pace and the other that moved quickly and efficiently.  Know your kids and know that they are not going to make an about face in their getting ready personality anytime soon! 

The below scenario involves only me getting out the door. 

7.  I have to be a my client's house at 9:00 a.m.

What time do you need to be somewhere?

6.  It takes me 15 minutes of "perfect" driving time to get to her house.  I live in a small town and rarely do we have traffic back ups but if you live in an area of the world that you know has traffic back up potential, I would certainly factor that into my calculations or be checking the traffic report on a regular basis. That means I need to be in my car between 8:40 and 8:43.  

What time do you need to be in the car? 

5.  It takes me 10 minutes to gather everything I need and get them to the car.  This usually involves getting water, coffee, diet coke, snack and any work related items I may need. Therefore, I need to be completely ready to gather these items at 8:28 - 8:30.  

How much time do you need to get everything ready to walk out the door? 

4.  It takes me 20 minutes to shower, dry my hair, do all my morning rituals like applying moisturizer, deodorant, brushing teeth, etc.  I move fast when it comes to this part of the morning because I have short hair and quite frankly don't enjoy standing in front of a mirror that long.  So, that means I need to be in the shower by 8:08 - 8:10. 

How long does your morning getting ready routine take?

3.  It takes me 5 minutes to pick out the clothes I am going to wear and iron them if necessary.  

I need to start picking out and ironing my clothes by a little after 8:00. 

How long does it take you to have your clothes ready and is that something you could do the night before?

2.  It takes me 50 minutes to prepare and eat my breakfast, walk and have my quiet time, therefore this routine needs to begin around 7:10.  

How long do you need to eat, exercise and take a few moments of quiet? 

1.  It takes me about 15 minutes to really wake up.  If the alarm goes off, I am not one to jump immediately out of the bed.  Therefore, I have to factor in waking up time which means the alarm needs to be set for somewhere around 6:45 -6:55.   

What time should your alarm be set?  Do you like to jump up or hit snooze a couple of times?  

So working backwards, I have figured out, in order to walk out the door, in plenty of time, to arrive to my client's house on time, I need to set my alarm for around 6:50.  All of the things I do for me are important for me to do in the morning.  You may not need to do all of these thing but be realistic about what you do have to get done before you walk out the door.  

Working backwards can help you in many time related activities.  Try it out, see if this exercise works for you so you can begin to arrive on time and enjoy less harried days. 

  

Do What You Know

This is a phrase I often use with my clients and with myself......do what you know.  

Many times we have a lot of knowledge about something but are unwilling to take the steps needed to act on what we know even though it will most often produce positive results.  

Many people I know will sign up for Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutri-System,  buy all the weight loss books they can find and buy every magazine that has "LOSE 10 POUNDS BY TOMORROW".  

Many people, including me, will read fitness magazines, tear fitness articles out of magazines, and my personal favorite is pinning those ab-busting, butt-toning, calorie burning and tricep trimming exercise programs to my PINTEREST Board.  

Many people I know will read relationship book after relationship book and yet 
nothing changes in their relationship.  

One of the things that tickles me, when working with an organizing client, is the number of "GET ORGANIZED NOW" books and magazines that they have stashed in numerous places in the house.  They also have all the "GET ORGANIZED" products, still in their original packaging.

All of this to say, while these things are not bad to read and study,  the question is are you willing to take the next step?  Are you willing to do what you know about losing weight, about working out, about your relationship, about organizing or about any other area of your life?  Many of us want the magic bullet.  We want the formula.  We want the easy way to get some of the hard things done.  

That is why I say, do what you know.  When you start doing some of the things that you know, you will in most cases achieve the results you want.  It won't often come naturally or easily but you will never regret giving it your best shot.  

So what do you know that you aren't doing? I am asking myself the same question today and hopefully will do some of the things that I know that will produce positive results in my own life.  

Bad Habits

I am trying to change a "bad" habit.  On the surface it doesn't look like a bad habit but that is the way it is playing out in my day.  

The habit I am trying to break is getting up in the morning, immediately looking at my phone and checking e-mail, Facebook, Words with Friends and Twitter.  My rationale for doing this is that I will get it out of the way and then I can focus on the things I need to do.  I had read that looking at these things, first thing, was not a good idea.  I had seen the studies about it, I had heard testimonials about it, I had heard all the rationales for not looking at these things as soon as I woke up.  Of course, I thought - I am different; this is what works best for me.  Well, guess what?  I'm not different.  Everything I read, heard and saw was exactly right. Looking at email, Facebook, WWF and Twitter upon waking is a time sucker not a time saver. The other day I realized I was cutting my exercise short or totally out because I didn't have enough time.  I realized I was cutting my quiet time short or totally out because I didn't have time.  The things that are essential for my health and well-being were being cut short or totally eliminated because of the time I was spending looking at all my "stuff" online.  

Today is the beginning of change.  Today I had to intentionally not look at my phone.  I had to intentionally get out of the bed, put on my walking clothes and go for my walk.  I had to intentionally not look at my computer or phone until I had a few moments of quiet devotional and prayer.   I could feel the pull of the phone and the computer.  I could feel myself wanting to just go take a quick peek to see if so and so had returned my email, see what had happened on Facebook, see what Twitter had to say and see if my opponent had seen the mega point word I had scored on WWF.  I knew what I could be doing but I chose to do what I should be doing.  

This is a recurrent theme in my organizing and life coaching.  I am constantly trying to help people do what they should be doing instead of what they could and have been doing.  I am helping people think what they should be thinking instead of what they could and have been thinking.  New thoughts, new habits.......all add up to a better and more purposeful life. 

Now that I'm through with my walk, my quiet time and now my blog post, guess what  I'm going to do now?

The To-Do List

The dreaded "To Do" list never gets "To Done"!  There is always something on that list and there sometimes seems to be the same things on it over and over. 

As I have dealt with clients and myself, over the years, I have found that one of the problems with the "To Do" list is it is oversimplified.  Take for example the item on my list that says - Plan Reception for Dr. Smith. This is an important event for a person running for a political office so it is something that is high on my priority list and requires a lot of my time and attention. However, it is unrealistic for me to think that I am going to be able to just scratch that off my list, until the reception is over.  One of the  problems with that entry is that it requires numerous steps to complete.  It requires getting hosts, getting invitations printed up and sent out, putting together a viable guest list, and it goes on and on and on.  If you are the type that likes to scratch things off a "To Do" list then you need to break your "To Do" list into smaller action items.

Another issue with "To Do" lists are the sheer size of them.  Anyone that just makes a running list of everything they have to do will easily get overwhelmed by looking at it.   It is just too much to take in.  I suggest each night, looking at all you have to do and moving the most important items to the "To Do" list for the next day.  Not everything has the same amount of importance on your list so learn to prioritize, not by what you want to do but by what you need to do.  

Lastly, break your "To Do" lists into categories.  Many times, when I get overwhelmed by my list, I will break it down into categories - Email, Calls, Shopping List and Errands.  You may have other categories that make more sense to you and that is fine......you need to do what works for you!

I hear all of you screaming, what about a SMARTPHONE or ONLINE "To Do" list.  I will admit that I am still mostly a paper girl, not sure why, I just am, but in another blog post, I will give you some of the most popular online and mobile "To Do" lists.  

Well, better run........I have a reception to plan!  

The De-Clutter Process

De-cluttering can be such a freeing process.  For many people, though, it feels like it is an overwhelming, unattainable goal.  I believe that de-cluttering is essential for living the best life you can live.  

                                           (photo courtesy of Bill Longshaw/freedigitalphotos.net)

Take this room, for example.  This is not any one of my client's rooms as I don't take photos of any of my client's rooms.  This was a stock photo off the Internet but I am using it to prove a point.  How can someone live their best life in the midst of chaos?  How can a child enjoy all they have been given if they can't even get to half of it?  How can you feel like your world is not closing in on you every time you step into that room?  

So, how would I attack a room like this?  A little bit at a time.  I would first go through and see if there is any trash...........yes, trash........you'd be surprised.  Then I would begin to take one thing at a time and decide what to do with it OR I would begin to divide the items into categories.  You could have a category of cars, games, blocks, clothes, art supplies, etc.  Then once it is divided into categories, I would only put a small fraction of the stuff back in the room limiting  the number of items in the child's room. 

The same goes for any adult room.  Take one thing at a time, whether it be a shelf, a drawer, a corner, or the top of the dresser. Divide the items you find into categories and then make good, sound, sometimes hard decisions about whether it is adding value to your life and just like the child, limit how many items you get to "play" with or surround yourself with. 

There are two main things that are hard about the de-clutter process - letting go and pressing on, even when you don't feel like it.  Getting through those two things will open a world of possibilities, allowing you to think about life instead of stuff!  

A Tanzanian Proverb says it best - Little by little a little becomes a lot.  Now go get going, little by little.  

Ultimate Blog Challenge -One Week In

One week into this Ultimate Blog Challenge and I am feeling pretty good.  I have some blog posts already prepared for the days ahead and I am feeling pretty good about myself until...... I count how many more days I have to prepare and how many days are left.    

Then I start to panic.  Then I start to sweat.  Then writer's block attacks with a vengeance.  How in the world am I going to do this? What was I thinking?  I look at my calendar and think, there is no way I can come up with that many thoughtful, well written, witty posts.  YIKES.  

I also start getting overwhelmed about commenting on two other posts, putting my post on Twitter, and wishing I had more time to look at a lot of the blogs being posted 

Then, I stop and breathe.  I have a lot of company when it comes to this challenge.  I have a lot of people, apparently from all over the world, that are feeling the same way.  I have a lot of people that can empathize with the overwhelming wave of emotion that has overcome me.  

So, I do what I tell my organizing and life coach clients.  Breathe, take a little bit at a time and look how far you have come, not so much at how far you have to go.  I also tell them to not give up right before breakthrough and to press on, even when they don't feel like it.  

So, I am going to take my own advice and press on.....doing what I can, when I can, the best I can.  1 week done - that is where my focus is going to be  Then, when I catch myself getting overwhelmed and thinking too far ahead I will focus on my next step, not the next 24 steps.  

How are you feeling about this challenge after the first full week?  

Confessions of an Organizer - Brilliant Clients

I have to confess, I have a client I think is brilliant!  She has such a creative mind about organization and can cut, saw, sew, tweak and measure and make something work that I would have never even thought possible.  For example, she totally transformed her pantry, using the Elfa System from the Container Store.  Now it wasn't as easy as buying some pieces from the Elfa system and just sticking it in the pantry and being done.  Nope, she had to tweak the system to fit into her space, cut some stuff down, order some extra pieces and install it herself!!!  She did a great job and I have told her I want some of her brain to magically appear in my brain.

                                                  

                                                                          Pantry Before       

                                                                           Pantry After

My job with my client, as an organizer and life coach, is to encourage her, keep her on track, hold her accountable and give direction.  She is so motivated to get her whole house organized and I know, without a doubt, that she can do it and will do some things that I would have never thought for her to do.   I love that about my job.  I am never done learning......new organizational products, new techniques, outside the box thinking.  I can learn from magazines, websites, friends and yes, even clients that appear unorganized but who truly have organized minds.    You see, I may be the expert but every client has great gifts and talents that they can share with me and together we can accomplish a lot!!!! 

Due to confidentiality, I don't normally post before and after pictures, but she sent me the pictures and allowed me to share them with everyone.  Enjoy, get motivated and realize that you too can achieve an organized life....a little step at a time!