tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27149335643037171962024-03-14T03:42:33.585-07:00Simplifying Wayssimplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-41561763004191139422021-05-12T11:11:00.002-07:002021-05-12T11:17:26.497-07:00Buy NothingThe concept of buying nothing seems so unrealistic, but the popularity of the Buy Nothing movement is growing. It started as a social experiment in 2013 by two friends on Bainbridge Island, WA. Since it's inception it has become a worldwide social movement with groups in 44 countries. The premise is local groups form gift economies that parallel and complement cash economies. People join with different motives, to save money, consume less and/or get rid of things in a more positive way that are cluttering their lives. Some Buy Nothing groups evolve to be supportive communities that give back in support and connections well beyond the free items group members may give away or receive within the community.
I am not on Facebook and up to this point the Buy Nothing groups have been managed by volunteers under the Facebook umbrella. I am excited to learn that the founders are in the Beta stage of a BuyNothing app. One of the test site groups is in Alexandria and I have signed up to be a Beta user. Here is <a href="https://buynothingproject.org/" target="_blank">a link</a> to find out more about the Buy Nothing movement and to get on the waitlist for the app.
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/0fa7fef255cd/earth-day" target="_blank">My spring newsletter</a> featured a short article on Earth Day and offered ideas for recycling common items. The Buy Nothing effort sure ties in to one of the core tenants of protecting our earth - reducing. I look forward to finding out more about this movement and sorting out how to get involved.
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-39344528543355426202021-04-02T09:55:00.001-07:002021-04-02T09:55:49.972-07:00Spring is Here! Spring is a time of new beginnings and hope and I believe this fresh start is more welcome this year after the challenges of 2020. Even though we are still dealing with the pandemic we have hope through the vaccines. I am beyond hopeful and excited about a volunteer opportunity I heard about at a vaccination site next week whereby I may be able to receive the vaccine after a day of volunteering with a team of doctors and others who are distributing the Covid vaccine.
Spring for me and a lot of people represents getting outside and digging in the dirt to get our flower and vegetable beds ready for all they will bring us in the coming months. It is restorative and meditative to be outside enjoying nature and directly see the benefits of my work. It is also an optimal time to look at our outdoor entertaining spaces and sort out how to prepare them for the coming months of outside relaxing and entertaining.
This time of year is an optimal opportunity to edit rooms and give our homes a lighter, fresher look. A great way to do this is to walk through each room and remove and wash winter throws and pillows. I also tend to have some other decorations that are seasonal in each room, so I change those out. I do tend to do a deep edit of all the stuff in each room seasonally and in the spring feel this need more so. We do not realize how books, magazines, decorative items, and extra things pile up and make our rooms look cluttered and unsettled.
Wishing you a beautiful, streamlined spring full of hope and possibilities.
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-46490017576137289362021-03-18T08:25:00.003-07:002021-03-18T08:33:08.055-07:00Getting to Flow<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEVOeECdIBxvbxooBsaNFCgUIv7KyZSjykfd2-cfDQcWHRRvBPPRHkhVBQWGY7jzDTwhFZO-EJOczOt6pdcAMvd3Nbau-g6TS5HsLDRDabFlSqob81eewwZ5kMgtt4PbJjNLgJuo-Qz0/s1334/Focus+App.PNG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="200" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEVOeECdIBxvbxooBsaNFCgUIv7KyZSjykfd2-cfDQcWHRRvBPPRHkhVBQWGY7jzDTwhFZO-EJOczOt6pdcAMvd3Nbau-g6TS5HsLDRDabFlSqob81eewwZ5kMgtt4PbJjNLgJuo-Qz0/s200/Focus+App.PNG"/></a></div>It takes 7 minutes to get into the zone and to really focus on a task. As we
are all well aware, we are constantly bombarded with distractions, especially
most of us working from home. I have heard many statistics about how long it
takes to get back into flow after a distraction and most recently heard it takes
10 minutes. So if we think about all of the times we are distracted in a day, we
had better have a plan to deal with it if we want to get anything done.
I took a virtual productivity workshop last Saturday and took away many tips, some
of which I already knew, though great to get a refesher and get reinvigorated.
My biggest take away is a philosophy I already embrace - to go back to basics.
Here are some of the gems I picked up to become more productive and get to flow
quicker.
<ul>
<li>Avoid Distractions - We have gotten used to managing our distractions and
not being aware how they are stealing our time and productivity. A huge
distraction can be our workspace. Clear away the clutter and make it as open
as possible. If you are a person that keeps tabs open to all the pages you
intend to go back to, embrace using
<a href="https://www.one-tab.com/">One Tab</a> to hide them though still
have easy access. It is important to turn off our notifications on our
phones and computers so that we aren't binged and dinged every time a text
or e-mail comes through.</li>
<li>Get reacquainted with the Pomodoro Technique, a brain-based proven concept
that we work best in 25 minute increments with a 5 minute break in between.
This one technique alone will focus your energy and increase your
productivy. There are many count down clocks on the market that support the
Pomodoro Technique. Here is more information about it from my
<a href="https://mailchi.mp/a0657b232f9f/e-mail-tips-to-get-out-of-the-black-hole">Summer 2020 newsletter</a>.</a> </li>
<li>Commit to your Power Hour - this hour should be devoted to a project that is
important that you keep putting off. It could be a goal you want to achieve,
but you never get around to focus on it. Ideally the speaker said if your
schedule allows devote one power hour to personal goals and one to work.</li>
<li>Time Block - we all put appointments on our calendars and reoccuring
meetings. Though most of us don't block our time for work. I'm not
suggesting to get into the minutia of scheduling, however the power hour(s)
should be blocked and the top 3 tasks/actions should be identified and
blocked on your schedule.</li>
</ul>
Don't try to make too many changes at once. Try to sort out how to minimize the
distractions and by going back to basics before long we all
will be getting to flow and will enjoy our enhanced productivity.
</ul>
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-75873081435638064392021-02-12T09:26:00.000-08:002021-02-12T09:26:29.526-08:00How Focus, Gratitude and Letting Go Lead to Greater Happiness and ProductivityMy kids remind me regularly that the things that make me happy sometimes don’t make sense to them. I find contentment in having a picked-up house and to two teenagers I guess I understand in a way how that may seem odd. I believe that happiness and contentment is found by recognizing and feeling the little moments of joy.
A little joy I had recently was organizing my food storage container drawer! I finally let go of all the containers and lids that didn’t have a matching partner. I eliminated the frustration of not finding the proper lid, by storing the lids to most of the containers next to or under each storage container. I donated the unwanted usable containers and was left with the ones I use for all my food storage needs. Paring down gives the drawer a little room and will help it stay organized. My quick February organization project ultimately saves time and takes the hassle out of food storage.
Thanks to an <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/01/this-two-minute-morning-practice-will-make-your-day-better" target="_blank">article I read</a> by positivity guru, Neil Pasricha, I am trying his happiness and productivity practice which is a quick check-in each morning to identify 3 things to focus on, recognize something I’m grateful for and establish something I plan to let go of. So far I’m on week three and I find it easy to do and well worth the less than two minutes it takes. I highly recommend it!
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-67924705138926417092020-06-18T08:42:00.000-07:002020-06-18T08:42:18.601-07:00Climbing Out of the E-mail Black HoleEmail is something that needs to be managed well otherwise it can take over and dictate our days. Like most things, sometimes I feel like I'm in control and am managing it pretty well and other times I forget common recommendations and I do get lost in the black e-mail hole! Over the last month I've watched a few webinars on e-mail management and here are some take aways. <br />
<br />
There are several decisions you need to make to manage your e-mail effectively. Decide how many e-mails are too many to have in your in-box and decide if you are going to use folders to organize your e-mail. <br />
<br />
Definitely explore your e-mail account's capability to use filters/rules to manage your in-box. The goal is to process all of the unnecessary e-mail out of the inbox. For example you can set a filter for all newsletters to go into a newsletter folder. Another folder idea is to set up a filter to move all advertisements to a folder to review at your convenience, only if needed. <br />
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A big time saver is process e-mail at designated times during the day. Is twice enough, or do you need to check it four times a day or more? Whatever rule you set for yourself, also determine the amount of time spent at each e-mail check. Set a timer to hold yourself accountable. <br />
<br />
Another strategy, if you are concerned about the expectation that you need to respond to e-mail right away, is to set up an auto response to inform people when they can expect to hear back from you. Such as, "...I respond to e-mails daily between 4:00 and 5:30 p.m. If you need immediate attention, please call me."<br />
<br />
The productivity guru, David Allan coined a method the Four Ds - Do it; Defer it; Delegate it and Delete it. He recommends using this method when reviewing and managing e-mail. <br />
<br />
E-mail at times are other people's to dos - make sure they are truly your to dos.<br />
<br />
If you don't want to spend the time processing old e-mail, but are too anxious to delete them, create an "old mail" folder and move all old e-mails over to it. If you find you never access it, maybe after a period of time you may feel comfortable deleting the folder. <br />
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April Merritt of iliosdigital.com recommends using the ART system - A - Action; R - Reference and T - Trash to process e-mail. She proposes that all e-mail fall into one of these three categories. She is a proponent of setting up action folders such as Take Action Now, Take Action Next Week, and Take Action Waiting. The tasks for the action can be moved into a task management app or kept in e-mail if you like to manage actions that way. She recommends Trello, Asana, Insightly and Evernote. If you leave your actions in your e-mail - either in folders or in the in-box, make sure you organize the reference into folders and delete the trash e-mails.<br />
<br />
It is important to turn off any distracting noise, including e-mail notification sounds as it will hinder productivity. Think how much restraint it takes to not check e-mail when the notifications are on. When notifications aren't turned off it is very hard to not want to check it. Though the fear of missing out (FOMO) usually pertains to social media, I believe it also relates to e-mail.<br />
<br />
One of my biggest takeaways is to send the kind of e-mails that you want to receive. Copy and blind-copy others, only if it is necessary. The best way to send e-mail is to have strong subject lines which helps immensely to find e-mails later. Another tip is if you receive an e-mail with a subject that doesn't make sense to you, edit the subject line to your needs so that you can find it later. <br />
<br />
I hope you find some of these strategies helpful as you organize and manage your e-mail in-box to suit your needs.<br />
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simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-43061989612716654612020-06-08T10:33:00.000-07:002020-06-08T10:33:26.012-07:00It is hard to believe that we are at the half way point of 2020. June is a great time to take pause and revisit any New Year's goals. We shouldn't beat ourselves up if we forgot about them, but instead take a breath and determine what we want to change for the better in the next 6 months. I listened to a National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) Podcast a few weeks ago and the productivity expert recommends instead of setting annual goals, to set monthly goals because it allows for 12 opportunities to reset to a starting point to try again. Think about the hope we feel at the start of a new year and all that we want it to be. Imagine having that feeling and opportunity 12 times a year! <br />
<br />
There is <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2018/04/15/neuroscience-explains-why-you-need-to-write-down-your-goals-if-you-actually-want-to-achieve-them/#b6d155079059">neuroscience</a> that substantiates the importance of writing down any goal that you want to accomplish instead of just thinking about it. By turning a goal into a SMART goal - specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely - and writing it or typing it where you can review it regularly, the odds of it happening increase dramatically.<br />
<br />
I've implemented that practice, albeit not consistently (I'm working on that) by keeping a personal and work to do list in Evernote. I've typed out my monthly goals at the top of the to do list. I find the visual of seeing the goals and then the related tasks I want to do in each list, holds me accountable and I am getting more accomplished. I've created the habit of opening up Evernote and the two lists each morning and reviewing the tasks to identify my daily priorities. At the same time it also gives me an opportunity to review my monthly goals.<br />
<br />
One of the few silver linings of the pandemic is the gift of a little more time and the opportunity to do more. Of course we don't always want to, but if we can get into the mindset to think about the change we want and the steps needed to get there, then when things get back to normal, we will be that much closer to reaching our goals and feeling a sense of accomplishment and hope that change is possible. <br />
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simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-82912077831829687952020-01-18T11:01:00.001-08:002020-01-18T11:01:05.705-08:00An Organized Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0A_bxCz9_rMcZkcLH2SdlZqqTAPQaezoPUGzLg2iZ7DO3jR3Buxyy_ojfcN-taavRlar_JMaxj9SNNZNbAL8chZkCaBQKIfpFRAsMbu8LAkEo3ewifNVozKf9XdxKlIEyAlLKQoW4cQ/s1600/Go+Month.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0A_bxCz9_rMcZkcLH2SdlZqqTAPQaezoPUGzLg2iZ7DO3jR3Buxyy_ojfcN-taavRlar_JMaxj9SNNZNbAL8chZkCaBQKIfpFRAsMbu8LAkEo3ewifNVozKf9XdxKlIEyAlLKQoW4cQ/s200/Go+Month.jpeg" width="200" height="200" data-original-width="178" data-original-height="178" /></a></div>The National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals, of which I'm a member, designates January as Get Organized Month. Getting organized is a common reoccurring resolution individuals have because we recognize to get organized allows us to do more and not be distracted by unimportant tangible and intangible things. Just about every magazine and news outlet leading up to the new year and stretching into the first few weeks of the year focuses on strategies for getting organized.<br />
<br />
I think the solution to become organized is to weave it into your daily and weekly routines. I also believe it is important to regularly organize throughout the year so that it becomes part of life. Here are my top 10 organizing strategies:<br />
<br />
1. Make your bed. It provides a psychological lift and a sense of accomplishment at the start of the day. It is also welcoming to see at the end of the day. <br />
<br />
2. The most important organizing strategy is to designate spots or homes for everything. Everyone in the home needs to know where everything goes and to actively participate in putting things away.<br />
<br />
3. Everyone in the home needs a landing spot for their stuff preferably by the door so that bulky items such as backpacks, school books, work items, keys, purses and other are kept together in each person's designated spot.<br />
<br />
4. Spend 10 minutes at the end of the day putting everything away. It will pay dividends to your mental health to be able to relax and not be distracted by clutter.<br />
<br />
5. Use some kind of planner - digital or paper - but consistently use it. <br />
<br />
6. Keep a complete list of tasks you need to do and update it regularly. Identify weekly what tasks are top priorities that are urgent and must be done and schedule them in your week to get done.<br />
<br />
7. Open your mail daily over your recycling bin and near your shredder. Manage the mail that comes into your home by calling the companies directly that you don't want to receive mail from or utilize services such as <a href="https://www.paperkarma.com/">Paper Karma</a>, stop direct mail pieces through the <a
href="https://www.directmail.com/mail_preference/">National Do Not Mail List</a>, and register with the <a href="https://dmachoice.thedma.org/">Direct Marketing Association</a>.<br />
<br />
8. Do quarterly big sweeps. These are larger projects such as cleaning out the pantry to weed out expired food and doing an inventory of your <br />
freezer so that food isn't wasted. Another quarterly sweep project is managing closets. Go through your clothes as the seasons change and make sure that everything is in good shape and that you plan to wear each article of clothing - (if not donate it). If you have kids organizing toys is a quarterly sweep project. If you get your kids involved you will teach them to use their things and to let go and share their things with others if they aren't.<br />
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9. Create finite spaces to help keep spaces tidy. An example is to use a tray on a counter to corral items and create a habit to only put things on the tray, not on the counter, and process them regularly off of the tray. <br />
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10. Only have things in your home that reflect you and to channel Marie Kondo, "spark joy". Regularly edit your rooms and closets so that you can use and enjoy what you have and not let your things rule your life. <br />
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simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-4014765480846287722018-08-05T11:01:00.000-07:002018-08-05T11:01:32.858-07:00Worst Linen Closet EverAccess to our attic requires dismantling our linen closet in order to get to out of season clothes and decorations. All of the closets in our home are small, and we don't have a garage, so unfortunately we do need to store some bins in the attic. Over the years, I have culled down the bins and have encouraged us all to move towards an all season wardrobe, with fewer clothes, so that we store less up there. <br />
<br />
Getting my daughter ready for sleep-away camp, and not finding her plastic travel soap dish that I thought was in her travel bag in the linen closet, forced me to yet again reorganize our mess of a linen closet. I took everything out and purged old linens, towels, threw out expired over the counter medicine, and grouped everything I was keeping by category. I went from open baskets to closed plastic boxes that will keep everything contained better (if my kids use the lids), and allow for easy removal when we need to access the attic.<br />
<br />
Though I never found her plastic travel soap dish for camp, I did end up with a much improved linen closet that still isn't optimum, but is a lot more pleasant to use. <br />
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<b>Before -</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdICq5ey2N2xZF81FB5jF9aO-_DkpQTsJ3djmUzSOKxRQQwsIQu45gr2vpFi9SOqOPpbbutzLOVHPAHRtfRUQr_yRkUeLBY-iA029ohdfAefNjkUvLa9eRsbhaekVTWyOGe74vFJIVwA/s1600/Linen+Closet+Before.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdICq5ey2N2xZF81FB5jF9aO-_DkpQTsJ3djmUzSOKxRQQwsIQu45gr2vpFi9SOqOPpbbutzLOVHPAHRtfRUQr_yRkUeLBY-iA029ohdfAefNjkUvLa9eRsbhaekVTWyOGe74vFJIVwA/s320/Linen+Closet+Before.JPG" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="320" /></a><br />
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<b>After -</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF4T8qPehPPkR3zS1oDu9C2asDdxCub9mwUX8cKHsym6s9WZ04OnHide7o_OkzEguV_EwifLLUCbYOFNxeiYrPrMfdHvEJ4rLQmuQBYC09KXB6qklHgj_SZf1rfwrALOSI24MiDeJIEE/s1600/Linen+Closet+After.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhF4T8qPehPPkR3zS1oDu9C2asDdxCub9mwUX8cKHsym6s9WZ04OnHide7o_OkzEguV_EwifLLUCbYOFNxeiYrPrMfdHvEJ4rLQmuQBYC09KXB6qklHgj_SZf1rfwrALOSI24MiDeJIEE/s320/Linen+Closet+After.JPG" width="240" height="320" data-original-width="240" data-original-height="320" /></a><br />
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-40409138881787101652018-04-07T14:11:00.000-07:002018-04-07T14:18:10.199-07:00The Spring Organizing Bug is Catching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwVJT8Jfjrj9WFAjkw0IBZcAZW5KFmLmD2aLp4yL4GDxH6aELJNzoyV2sGn5UDAaM38fDff3E0bmEefbKTEz0J-i7AhIgptLZeW-ybLzDBj9RmumDCA01K4n8FTCyjw1VdbhlLgui-Qg/s1600/2018-04-06+12.02.26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwVJT8Jfjrj9WFAjkw0IBZcAZW5KFmLmD2aLp4yL4GDxH6aELJNzoyV2sGn5UDAaM38fDff3E0bmEefbKTEz0J-i7AhIgptLZeW-ybLzDBj9RmumDCA01K4n8FTCyjw1VdbhlLgui-Qg/s320/2018-04-06+12.02.26.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><br />
It is a cold, dark April day and it feels like February. Though it is hard to think Spring on a day like today, it will eventually feel like Spring, and hopefully we will finally be able to put away our cold weather clothes. I know many of you have probably gotten the Spring cleaning itch, which for many of us includes going through our clothes, and other household items and donating or selling things that don't speak to us anymore. I do think many of us get the Spring organizing bug because we have spent many months inside and now it is an opportunity to throw open our windows and not only bring more light in, but make our rooms feel lighter. <br />
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Spring also represents a time for a restart to not only get our homes in order, but to refocus on goals that are important to us. I contributed to an <a href="https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/home-and-garden/the-rite-of-spring-cleaning-decluttering-organizing-and-purg/">Alexandria Living article</a> on this very topic.<br />
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Another way to make our homes feel lighter is to process paper daily, or several times a week. Better yet, keep it out by getting e-statements and utilizing services, a good one is <a href="https://dmachoice.thedma.org/static/about_dma.php">DMAchoice</a>, to get off of junk mail lists. Spring time is a great time to go through files and put together a few bags of documents to be shredded. Take advantage of the many free, Spring shred days in our area. A good one is sponsored by my bank on April 21st from 9:00 - noon, <a href="http://www.cofcu.org/connect/news-and-events/community-shred-day">Commonwealth One Federal Credit Union</a>, on Eisenhower Avenue. It is open to the community and you don't need to bank there. <br />
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Happy Spring and happy organizing! simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-41065063486143314382018-02-06T07:34:00.000-08:002018-02-06T07:34:51.399-08:0010-Minute Drawer Clean-outI created a mess all over my kitchen floor when I reached for a set of measuring spoons and along with them came an assortment of monster straws, that my kids had long aged out of, taking up valuable real estate in my kitchen drawer. I decided right then this drawer was first up to try out my claim that mini organizing tasks can be done in 10 minutes or less. <br />
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I first took everything out of the drawer and sorted it into donate, keep and trash. I ended up with a decent size bag of stuff we don't use to give to the Green Drop and a few items were broken so they went in the trash and the remaining keep items, I sorted into categories. I cleaned out all of the gunk and crumbs that collect and seem to multiply in utensil drawers, and then put all of the items back in their respective categories.<br />
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I went slightly over 10 minutes, but I now have a drawer that we go in frequently that is clean, organized and not over-stuffed. One drawer at a time, it can get done!<br />
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<b>Before</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTJZg1haBK68SVeQZnV5dN-ye9a-9EYOvxuoGUw2CeyNNCIeWuQOMztOPAII6vhDuTchQcD77XQPHZP7raGEScUqQC_DUcmu4CE1paQ25vsA65NbyXspgcqhgCE-bEys3-v1fknXirok/s1600/2018-01-06+14.15.23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTJZg1haBK68SVeQZnV5dN-ye9a-9EYOvxuoGUw2CeyNNCIeWuQOMztOPAII6vhDuTchQcD77XQPHZP7raGEScUqQC_DUcmu4CE1paQ25vsA65NbyXspgcqhgCE-bEys3-v1fknXirok/s320/2018-01-06+14.15.23.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqvCLSvQf1gpG0Vv_1Vf-cj6Sx7p5dQLCVEmVw3S4rTyDmrL5ujGP805UOgCizewm_lxXkb0JCPebhIQiLftBGdLJmgqipZSzLQ98IznV5r-rAKmwcE1Anb-OA4aoQa5FqnQ1CMvKzTM/s1600/2018-01-27+09.01.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqvCLSvQf1gpG0Vv_1Vf-cj6Sx7p5dQLCVEmVw3S4rTyDmrL5ujGP805UOgCizewm_lxXkb0JCPebhIQiLftBGdLJmgqipZSzLQ98IznV5r-rAKmwcE1Anb-OA4aoQa5FqnQ1CMvKzTM/s320/2018-01-27+09.01.34.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="1200" /></a></div><b>After</b>simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-86192393085946105072018-01-20T07:28:00.000-08:002018-01-20T07:28:11.136-08:00Creating an Important Document Road-map The not-so-fun tax documents are starting to come in and it got me thinking about my files and papers and how I need to get them organized for 2018. Yup, I haven't done it yet! What I did do a few years ago though is some big picture organizing of all of our family's important documents and I created a road-map to explain the how, what and where to manage it.<br />
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We all know how important it is to have our critical life documents in place, so that we have them when we need them. However sometimes life gets in the way and this important task gets pushed to the back burner. Working with an organizer can help you check this important task as done. Having a professional guide the process makes it less stressful and painful. However, there are helpful checklists out there for you to do it yourself. The website <a href="https://www.gyst.com/articles/GYST-guide-to-accounts-passwords-and-digital-details">Get your SH** Together</a> has several. <br />
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It is critical to gather all important documents such as wills, insurance, marriage and birth/death certificates (follow the link above for the complete list) and to ensure that important people in your life know where to find them. Gather them all in a secure place and make sure they are updated and protected so that if you need them, you have them.<br />
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<b>Road-map Creation<i></i></b> - It is essential to set up files and to have a document that reminds you and informs the important people in your life where all the essential documents are kept, how to pay bills, contact information for key people, and how to find passwords so that a stressful situation doesn't become more stressful for a loved one trying to get essential information, if and when you can't. There are 6 elements to create a Road-map for yourself and loved ones.<br />
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<b>Insurance <i></i></b>- In order to make sure you have the right insurance and that you can get items replaced if you need to, you will need to do a home inventory. There are many home inventory software companies out there that make this process easy, and a good one is <a href="https://www.homezada.com/">HomeZada</a>. Though even a video and spreadsheet of items and model numbers by room would suffice. Check with your insurance company and find out their requirements.<br />
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<b>Important Paper / Files<i></i></b> - Only create paper and electronic files that are absolutely essential. Create an index of what is filed where to include instructions to find digital paper. <br />
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<b>Income / Expense <i></i></b>- Create a spreadsheet to describe all assets and all expenses, to include how all bills are paid. If paid on-line - explain if the bill is paid from a checking account or charged to a credit card.<br />
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<b>Passwords<i></i></b> - Do your loved ones know your essential passwords? Do you use a password manager? Share with your spouse and others as appropriate your master password, computer lock-screen password, bank accounts, credit cards, etc. I can't tell you how many couples I have worked with where they don't know each other's important passwords.<br />
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<b>Contacts<i></i></b> - Create a list of important people in your life that can help answer questions (accountant, financial advisor, executor, home maintenance providers, etc) and also friends, neighbors and family you want contacted in an emergency situation.<br />
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<b>Safe Deposit Box / Fire Proof Safe<i></i></b> - Create an index of what is stored here and make sure your loved ones are aware of it and know the code to access the safe, or have a key to a bank safe deposit box. You will want to put the Road-map document here for loved ones to access and you can also send them a copy, as you feel comfortable.<br />
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The sense of satisfaction and relief are tremendous when the road-map is complete. I know paper can be overwhelming, but there are a lot of resources out there - both good websites with checklists and professionals that are available to help at any point in the process. Good luck creating your family's road-map and let me know if I can assist.<br />
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-89405431459289297412018-01-06T05:55:00.002-08:002018-01-06T05:55:49.597-08:00Baby Steps to Getting Organized in the New YearHappy New Year and Happy Organizing! <br />
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There is so much information how setting broad goals isn't the way to go, to meet New Year's resolutions. If you truly want to make change, the way to go is to set small, specific goals that are doable and realistic that move you towards achieving your broader goals. Resolutions are about change and making any kind of change, especially if it requires forming a new habit, is challenging.<br />
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I read an article a few days ago about Jim Webster, a chef and food journalist, who lost 60 lbs by wearing his Fitbit faithfully, and not eating for 12 hours after his last meal of the day. As a chef, he is around food all the time and needs to test what he is making, which can wreck havoc on any weight loss plan. He realized, in his line of work, to achieve his weight loss goal he couldn't follow a rigid diet plan, but he could focus on what he could do, walk more, watch what he eats and not eat after a specific time. He found success and continues with this lifestyle.<br />
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Many people realize the importance of organization and define getting organized as one of their New Year's resolutions. The problem is getting organized is a broad goal and can be too daunting especially if there is a backlog of clutter. Once normal life resumes post holidays, those great intentions sometimes fall by the wayside. A better way may be to focus on one small organizing task, like a junk drawer, or entry way table that won't take a lot of time to get in shape, but will still give the emotional lift and sense of accomplishment that something was done towards your goal of getting organized. <br />
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As I went to reach for a water bottle yesterday and an avalanche of water bottles fell out of my pantry, I realized my 10 minute project was identified for me. The problem was easy to diagnosis - too many water bottles. We have a home for the water bottles, however it had gotten messy and several of the bottles couldn't fit so they were haphazardly thrown in the storage container. It took 10 minutes for me to take the storage container out, weed out the bottles we don't use, take out the travel coffee cups (moved them to the mug cabinet), and now all of the water bottles with lids fit neatly in the storage container in our pantry. You would have thought I achieved something so wonderful by the lift and sense of accomplishment I felt. <br />
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I truly believe that in short, regular scheduled time increments goals can get accomplished. I'll keep you posted on other 10-minute organizing blitzes I accomplish. Here's to getting it done this year!<br />
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simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-48749523194134318462017-11-21T07:45:00.000-08:002017-11-21T07:45:09.297-08:00Why the hiatus from writing? Like most people I too procrastinate and push things of lesser priority, or I don't want or enjoy to do, to the bottom of my to do list. It hasn't been top of mind for me. However, with Thanksgiving on Thursday (how can that be?!), I thought I'd break my blogging fast to express how grateful I am to all my clients - those who have been with me for many years and those who are new clients. I am privileged to meet so many great people, and while I am hired as the organizing expert, I find we learn from each other.
I sometimes take for granted the positive feeling I receive when a client is so excited about an outcome of a finished project, or seeing a client who was overwhelmed at the start of the process, be happy and content as a project wraps up. I get so much joy contributing to the process and am grateful for the opportunity to do what I do.
May this Thanksgiving bring joy, and continued feelings of gratitude for all that we have in our lives to carry us through the busy holiday season and end of year. Happy Thanksgiving!
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-35918325866811279812015-06-02T07:10:00.001-07:002015-06-02T07:17:53.492-07:00Paper Paper Everywhere but Not in My HouseHopefully, you have been able to take advantage of many of the document shreds in our community this spring. Whether you save up your shredding and shred in bulk, like I do, or shred as you process your mail, there would be less to shred, if you only receive mail that you need to receive, instead of receiving junk mail. However, with a little work, you can significantly reduce or eliminate all unwanted mail from your home by utilizing some apps, services or contacting paper reduction/preference organizations.
<a href="https://www.paperkarma.com/">PaperKarma</a> is a free IOS and Android app that allows you to snap a picture of unwanted mail you want stopped. PaperKarma contacts the mailer and handles removing you from the unwanted distribution list. It is so easy to use and all the hard work is done behind the scenes for you!
Another way to reduce paper coming in is to set up an account with <a href="https://www.catalogchoice.org/">Catalog Choice</a>, a non-profit mail preference company. You inform them of the mail you don't want to receive any longer - not only catalogs, but credit-card solicitations, junk mail and other unwanted mail. They handle getting you off the list so you no-longer receive the unwanted mail.
Another way is to go to the official <a href="http://www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t">Consumer Credit Reporting Industry website</a> and complete their on-line form to opt-in or opt-out of firm offers of credit or insurance.
<a href="https://www.dmachoice.org/">The Direct Marketing Association</a> charges $1.00 to remove your address from their lists and once your information is in their database, it cannot be sold to other companies. A person must renew every 5 years.
You can see, with a little work, there are ways to significantly reduce, if not eliminate unwanted mail coming to you. Your shredder may soon be collecting dust!
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-67197596121714124872015-04-26T11:05:00.000-07:002015-04-26T11:05:01.384-07:00Simple Closet StrategiesOrganizing a closet may not be on your top 10 fun things to do list, however, if you want to wear more of your clothes and gain a sense of accomplishment in a short window of time, it may just be the job to tackle. Here is what I recommend.
First, do a preliminary glance through and pull out everything you 1) don't care for now, 2) is stained or damaged, or 3)doesn't fit now. Discard the damaged and start a donate bag for the clothes someone else can wear.
Second, try on all the rest, yes, may be a pain, but then you'll be able to identify clothes that look fine on the hanger, but less than fine on you!
Third, sort by color, sleeve length and type of clothing. Need help keeping the categories sorted then use closet rod dividers that can be labeled. Need more short hanging space? Check out <a href="http://www.containerstore.com/shop/dorm/closet/hangers?productId=10015612">Umbra's height adjustable hanging rod</a>.
Utilize the often unused space at the top of the closet by turning a square crate on its side so that you can separate items by categories and then utilize the top of the crate as a shelf.
If you don't have the budget to do a full closet redesign and overhaul, sometimes with a little time spent on reviewing, sorting and organizing the clothes, and a few, inexpensive modifications to your closet, you will be able to find what you want to wear in less time and know that everything in your closet you love and looks good on you too.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9wmOdQxuYfdH9YUx4L_v581pfH7flMMAqaeuG1wij1j-dlZ4-Ky02ZwXQ8x6LeJUm80w0X5-4sL5oxCaQobQ9m4je3HIVsKmcel4DlAba69x9woOtWuMhJ_mYbdLbdosR74JHzTawOI/s1600/Milk+Crates.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg9wmOdQxuYfdH9YUx4L_v581pfH7flMMAqaeuG1wij1j-dlZ4-Ky02ZwXQ8x6LeJUm80w0X5-4sL5oxCaQobQ9m4je3HIVsKmcel4DlAba69x9woOtWuMhJ_mYbdLbdosR74JHzTawOI/s320/Milk+Crates.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iknZ8p5AB697Ki5EqCUfm0-4FATKVh1z-rYCgOPoNQ9tecYL54tQS7J2SmX0EebLdlRTrE8OS3xtH-5DDrTVy5Z1TDhtOPj9sj17SDwp8c2xDaIyIMnH9mhqBqgCiT30B1t3XEfzQgM/s1600/2015-04-25+11.06.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iknZ8p5AB697Ki5EqCUfm0-4FATKVh1z-rYCgOPoNQ9tecYL54tQS7J2SmX0EebLdlRTrE8OS3xtH-5DDrTVy5Z1TDhtOPj9sj17SDwp8c2xDaIyIMnH9mhqBqgCiT30B1t3XEfzQgM/s320/2015-04-25+11.06.07.jpg" /></a>
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-41735365627564021432015-04-19T05:43:00.001-07:002015-04-19T05:43:25.670-07:00Spring Cleaning Fever Hopefully you have caught the spring cleaning bug which has definitely hit our house. My 10-year old daughter is begging me to have a yardsale and as of yet, I haven't committed - more than anything due to the amount of time and work that is needed to have one. Knowing how persistent she is, we will have one this spring! Yardsales are a great way to make a little profit from items that don't bring you joy now, items you don't need or want and clothes that don't fit. So if you have the time and think they are fun - like my daughter - then go for it. However, make sure you don't bring the items back in your house that don't sell. There are many local charity dropoff centers or you can schedule a charity pick-up for the day after your scheduled yard sale.
Another great activity to do to help augment your home lightening is to take advantage of all of the free document shred events that are offered in the spring time. There is a <a href="http://www.crystalcity.org/do/power-purge-and-shred2">power shred</a> Wednesday, April 22nd from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Crystal City that will take electronics to recycle properly, documents to shred securely and paint to dispose of safely. Having a deadline of a document shred can be a great motivator to go through old tax files to take out the supoorting tax information (only need to keep 7 years worth - return forever), and clean all of your files of unnecessary papers so that your files aren't over stuffed and are more pleasant to use (ha - we all hate filing)!
Organizing all of the closets in a house is a great way to prepare for the change of seasons. Clean and store all winter coats and accessories and bring out light outerwear, sunblock, swim goggles and summer hats. Since our closets are small in our house, we can't keep our out of season clothes in them so it is always quite the project to clean and prepapre the fall and winter clothes, contain them and then bring down from our attic the spring and summer clothes - me plus three in our house. I have written in previous blogs this is a dreaded task, but I find with my teenager wearing a very limited wardrobe of sweats, shorts and t-shirts and my husband and I wearing less wool, that I am dealing with fewer bins and this seasonal job isn't as dreadful.
Good luck with all of your spring lightening projects and get outside and enjoy the weather.
simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-3394688464437287662012-05-21T08:55:00.000-07:002012-05-21T08:55:48.579-07:00Tennis and Organizing; A Winning CombinationI have found the more I can streamline routines and tailor and continue to tweak my organizational systems, the better my spaces function and I do too. Sometimes with the busyness of life or just because I am not working my systems, they malfunction and I do too. I liken it to playing tennis, when my serve is strong and the fundamentals of tennis are there, such as proper follow through, watching the ball and other basic elementary tennis skills, I can play the best tennis and even get in the zone. When I play well, it is so much fun and life is good, and when I’m not playing well, nine times out of ten it is because one of
the basic tenets of tennis has fallen by the wayside. When I start focusing again on my basic tennis skills usually I can improve my game right away.
How does this relate to organizing? If you find that your once uncluttered environment is now becoming cluttered or that you got out of planning your day and you are reacting more, then revisit the tenets of organization…<b>ORDER – Organize, Routines, Decide, Edit and Readiness.
</b><b>O – Organize </b>– I always tell clients that the easy part of organizing is designing a system that works for the space and most importantly has as few steps as possible. The hard part is using the system, i.e. processing the mail, putting keys where you determine make sense, using your filing system, etc. If you find that you can’t keep your systems up then maybe they need to be simplified or you may need to utilize tools to help you make it a habit, such as electronic reminders or timers.
<b>R – Routines</b> – Incorporate a 15 minute end of day wrap-up and clean-up routine to help organize your space and position yourself for success the next day.
Continue to create routines especially for children and to discuss them,
practice them, and get their buy in so that they know what is expected. Routines for adults also contribute to saving time (no searching for lost keys), and enhance productivity because established routines allow us to free up our minds to focus on our priorities. Creating a routine for any standard practice we repeat daily frees up time and reduces stress because we don’t have to worry about the details of life.
<b>D – Decisions </b>– every day we have 24 hours to decide how we are going to use it. How do we figure out what truly are our top priorities? It is important to be able to make decisions and differentiate between what is an immediate priority and what is still important, but can wait. What happens a lot is we all get into reactive mode instead of planning and prioritizing so that we can decide thoughtfully.
<b>E – Edit – </b>I have learned to be skillful at different types of editing. There is the physical space editing that reduces clutter and enhances visual space. The other editing is related to time, editing out tasks, events and other time takers that aren’t important now, can be deferred or permanently deleted off of my schedule. This is a skill and like everyone, I can be great at it, but I also have months where I’m not editing items off of my schedule as I should.
<b>R – Readiness – </b>In my house I’m always saying to my kids, “Are you ready for tomorrow? or “Is your backpack ready and in the right place?” Everything that can be done the night before, should be both for kids and adults. Time just slips away in the morning and there is some comfort in knowing that if there is an alarm snafu or a mini crisis in the a.m., at least all bags are packed and are ready to go.
Remember the tenets of organizing and you will have more time at work to be more productive and more time at home to enjoy and relax and spend as you’d like.simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-15373431138270959282012-05-11T07:05:00.000-07:002012-05-11T07:05:31.041-07:00The Gift of More Sleep and Leisure for Mother's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPxTqmU0HtNDCBL3o0WwloljQyQCy8GNswatqC2N3QfFg0jG3glHHhEe4a_BIEzTQlZsrwqOjwJuHmOuEZ3ma25IyfNeJmGmuD_MQBNIRAcx2O7CCkQ2Eq0uv-8LbHXsWAz4fPajSjXo/s1600/Summer+2011+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="180" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPxTqmU0HtNDCBL3o0WwloljQyQCy8GNswatqC2N3QfFg0jG3glHHhEe4a_BIEzTQlZsrwqOjwJuHmOuEZ3ma25IyfNeJmGmuD_MQBNIRAcx2O7CCkQ2Eq0uv-8LbHXsWAz4fPajSjXo/s320/Summer+2011+094.jpg" /></a></div>
I attended an organizing conference recently and I was struck by something I heard by one of the keynote speakers who said the way many of us live now is we regularly steal time from sleep and leisure to get everything done. She went on to say that over the long haul working too much can make us less productive and,if we give up too much of our leisure time, it eventually will catch up with us in the way of illness, sleep deprivation and effected mood. Most importantly, stealing time from sleep and leisure adversely compromises our quality of life. Hearing her presentation made me think of the time deficit we all seem to have these days due to advances in technology and the lines of work and home becoming less defined.
I have the fortune to work with many great clients and many of them are moms. Moms who work outside of the home, Moms who don’t, all amazing wonderful, involved women, and what I’ve noticed, besides the fact that we all have the same stuff, is the uncompromising love we have for our children and families. Something else that is very clear is most of us are pressed for time and at times feel stressed and overwhelmed.
The first thing I tell my clients when they are feeling this way is to do an audit of their schedule to determine if there is anything that can be deleted, deferred or delegated. I call this audit the 4 Ds and the last D is decide. We all need to decide how we are going to spend our available blocks of time. When we plan and make conscious decisions about time it is easier to say no to requests that can’t be scheduled now or defer or delegate issues that come up when we already have decided how we are spending our precious 24 hours. The second thing we usually do is focus on organizing the space where most time is spent. When clutter is purged along with it goes stress, negativity and wasted time.
To honor all busy, wonderful moms this Mother’s Day I am offering a 10% discount off my 3-hour organizing audit to help you focus your energies where you want them to be and to make sure you are blocking out enough time for sleep and leisure. Happy Mother’s Day!simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-17650452411061329002012-04-16T12:27:00.011-07:002012-04-16T12:49:29.012-07:00Earth Day Celebrations: Recycle Your Stuff to Join in the FestivitiesEach year most cities organize Earth Day festivities that in some cases include paper shreds, electronic recycling as well as all types of green initiatives and fun activities. This time of year always gets me thinking about how organizing at its core supports recycling and green initiatives. How wonderful is it to not have to buy those big plastic toys for our toddlers when we can get them 2nd hand through a neighbor whose kids have aged out of them or at a Thrift Store? <br /><br />When my clients are organizing their spaces they always think about recycling and donating first before throwing anything in the trash. As we continue our spring cleaning, organizing and lighten our homes, lets continue to think of all ways we can recycle what we don't need, want or use now and think of others.<br /><br />Here are a few local Earth Day events:<br /><br /><a href="http://alexearthday.org">Alexandria Earth Day - April 21st </a><br /><a href="http://cleanfairfax.org">Fairfax Earth Day - April 28th </a><br /><a href="http://crystalcity.org">Power Purge and Shred - April 25th - 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.</a>simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-44213476102970516792012-04-10T09:52:00.003-07:002012-04-10T09:55:57.638-07:00My New Love: CardStarSince I have the organizing gene, anytime I can improve a system or process or use something in a new way that saves time or somehow is better, it is always something to celebrate. I have been singing the praises of my new found treasure, <a href="http://www.mycardstar.com">the App, CardStar.</a><br /><br />My purse got about 5 pounds lighter thanks to an organizing friend who introduced me to it. CardStar holds digitally all of the plastic cards and key tabs that many stores and restaurants entice us with to get discounts. Viola, my wallet is not overstuffed and my three key rings (yes, I have three) can now just hold keys because all of the plastic cards and key tags can be left home! In addition to the convenience of not having to carry all of the extra plastic, CardStar saves us time too as it organizes the cards alphabetically so there is no more hunting for the right loyalty card - as they are all available, in alpha order, in the same place, once you put them on your phone. Every person I have shared the App with has the same excited reaction I did because anything to lighten our wallets and purses is something to cheer about.<br /><br />Over spring break my kids and I biked into Old Town from the Belle Haven Marina heading to Ben & Jerry’s for “Free Cone Day”. I realize the cone negated the exercise! After ordering our cones, my son picked up the new Belly card, which apparently many merchants are going to start offering. Belly is a type of loyalty card that is tied into points and of course more points, equals more saving and in the case of Ben & Jerry's incentives to buy more cones. Normally, I would have to be sold on its value, since I knew nothing about it, but I knew with my CardStar App, I could just scan it and be done with it.<br /><br />I think we all download popular Apps and we use them a few times and then they sit on our phones. This is not one of those Apps, trust me you will be using it regularly and you’ll be spreading the word too. <br /><br />Okay, now my mission is to learn about Evernote and how to use it. More on that later….simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-66080427948112019672012-03-27T14:53:00.002-07:002012-03-27T14:56:29.603-07:00Living Life with AbundanceIs the saying “Less is More” really true? As an organizer, I truly believe it because I see people trapped and stressed out by their stuff. It can be expensive and stressful managing an excess of things, keeping up with the latest gadgets, figuring out how to store them, clean them and maintain them. I think by being more thoughtful, we can select the “stuff” that really speaks to us and that we need to have and by doing so, what we end up having are things that represent us and our life, instead of an overabundance of stuff that drains us.<br /><br />Living life with abundance is a good philosophy to be reminded about to get us out of just living life going through the motions, and instead thinking about how we can live life more fully. This can be interpreted different ways, but usually it means to get out of reactive mode and into taking control of who you are and want to be. Of course we naturally check in with ourselves around our birthdays and at the start of a New Year, but spring also is a time to reflect on how we are living life. <br /><br />As an organizer I manage clients’ physical and mental spaces, in some cases, both filled with clutter. I assist them to purge the clutter and create systems and processes to be in control of both their physical and mental spaces. Living life abundantly doesn’t mean living with an abundance of tangible things, because we all know by now that the stuff alone doesn’t make us happy. It is the relationships we form and nourish, both old and new, and the life experiences we share with others that contribute to the feeling of abundance. When we continue to meet people, be neighborly, make new friends and get involved in our communities we bring richness to our lives. <br /><br />I just got back from the National Association of Professional Organizers’ ( NAPO) conference which ran for many days. It was an incredible experience , though I feel a little overwhelmed with an overabundance of materials, business cards, notes from sessions, and stuff from the exhibit hall that I need to sift through. I walked away with an increased knowledge base and many new friendships and am so glad I had this life experience. May your spring be abundant.simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-264656488652049832012-03-21T07:20:00.000-07:002012-03-21T07:21:59.762-07:00Spring has Sprung!With the mild winter weather we had this year, I didn't go through my usual pining for spring temperatures because we have had 60 and 70 degree weather for a while now! Spring time for me always brings the need to clean house and organize things and prepare for the new season. Part of my readiness includes putting away the crock pot and I'm more motivated to grill food and prepare lighter fare.<br /><br />I have gotten down the dreaded bins of clothes from our attic and I am half way through the process of changing the clothes out for the season. Once this task is finished I always feel 10 lbs lighter. Speaking of weight, I am working with a trainer to see if I can actually be 10 lbs lighter by summer!<br /><br />The Sunday Style Section of the Post had an article last week on the average cost of laziness. It was about how we waste money buying goods and services that we can do ourselves,with planning. Consumer Reports and ShopSmart have a 5-minute rule, which really makes sense to me, "If you can peel, make or shred it in five minutes, it's not worth a premium price". Why pay a premium price for convenience? I think we have to change our mindset from regularly using these kinds of short-cuts to just when we are pressed for time. The article stressed planning out errands and grouping them together to cut down on multiple trips, packing lunch instead of buying (healthier, saves time and money) and how the small things such as using your banks ATM can save money in the long run.<br /><br />A new season is another great opportunity to evaluate annual goals, make positive changes and get back into planning mode so that our days are structured the way we want.<br /><br />Happy Spring!simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-7590109196490341282012-03-12T08:08:00.003-07:002012-03-12T08:12:46.739-07:00I Got My Counter Back!It has been really hard for me as the resident "neat freak" in our house to have cluttered kitchen counters these last few weeks. My daughter has been working on her 1st grade assignment to create a leprechaun trap since the assignment was given a few weeks back. Her quite large creation has been residing on our kitchen counter as she finessed it. Today was the day that her project was due so I excitedly helped her transport it to school! <br /><br />She also had a birthday party at the end of February so we have been working on her thank you notes at the kitchen table. Of course an active 7 year old can only do a few at a time, so the box of notes has remained on the counter to be available when inspiration struck. We finally sat down this weekend and she did a great job finishing them all. The box of notes is now put away! <br /><br />Other paper on the counter are current work and personal projects of mine that instead of being in my office, on another level of my home, are on the counter as I now tend to use my laptop instead of the desktop in my office. I went to the Container Store last week and got a small desktop file that holds all of my current files. I repositioned some kitchen serving bowls to another area so that I could hide my new kitchen file. And now, no more papers on the counter.<br /><br />Speaking of papers, awhile back I wrote about the paper reduction service, Catalog Choice (see my January 1st blog). Apparently now the company has <a href="http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/apps-to-stem-the-flood-of-catalogs-and-junk-mail/?ref=your-money">an app now </a>only available for the iphone which enables the user to take a picture of the unwanted mail and then request Catalog Choice to get them off of the mailing list. You may want to check this out and let me know what you think.<br /><br />So my paper is now tamed and off the counters, and I swear it has given me such a boost. Here's to a great productive week.simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-53981912666874071932012-02-17T07:15:00.000-08:002012-02-17T12:03:33.562-08:00More Time Management Tips<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnLLbXkCLqy147crF_j-Yjq3Fj4WQT1ijgUqsVVQd-6vO6Bu_h6fCQQfE1jpaMY5jmV5i66jXZkvsPOVVSMFt-54mPxyEcktOmLAOhyphenhyphenCmIiomgU876krZdf4yR_HJc_dFCH9v4SAZuag/s1600/clock+for+blog+article.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUnLLbXkCLqy147crF_j-Yjq3Fj4WQT1ijgUqsVVQd-6vO6Bu_h6fCQQfE1jpaMY5jmV5i66jXZkvsPOVVSMFt-54mPxyEcktOmLAOhyphenhyphenCmIiomgU876krZdf4yR_HJc_dFCH9v4SAZuag/s320/clock+for+blog+article.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5710196754325129554" /></a><br />I am looking forward to a relaxing, three day weekend and wish all of you a relaxing one too. Like most families,our weekends are very busy and although we strive to plan out some relaxing, down time sometimes it doesn't happen with sports, parties, activities and homework projects. Last weekend I helped my son focus on planning out his science project so that we all weren't rushing around at the last minute trying to finish it. I've realized that a fifth grader still needs a lot of guidance, support and overseeing to make sure work isn't left to the last minute. My husband and I have gotten burned a few times staying up late the night before something was due helping our son complete a week's worth of work in one night. <br /><br />Of course, I got a lot of pushback that he could do it himself, don't worry, etc. Of course, Mom persisted and after strongly encouraging him (okay forcing) him to read the project outline, together we came up with goals and a timeline. It didn't take long and at the end of the 30 minutes or so he had a huge smile on his face and he said, "that wasn't so bad. Thanks Mom!" <br /><br />As I've said before in other posts, a significant piece of time management is planning and also managing the procrastination demon that can influence all of us. We can all relate to how my son thought coming up with a timeline for his project was going to be hard and take too long. In most instances whatever we are dreading, once we start, we realize isn't as bad as we thought and also doesn't take as long as we think.<br /><br />So I go back to some tried and true time management strategies for success:<br /><br /><strong>Plan out tasks</strong>: with a big project, break down the tasks and set deadlines and then figure what needs to be done first to meet your short-term deadlines so that you can meet your overall project deadline. <br /><br /><strong>What is your best time</strong>: capitalize on it and do your hardest task then. <br /><br /><strong>Bundle like tasks.</strong> <br /><br /><strong>Get to know the 4 Ds: Decide, Delegate, Defer, and Delete. </strong>Decide what your priorities are now, delegate if you can, defer what can be done later, and delete what is no longer relevant or a priority. <br /><br />I do think planning in some relaxing down time during the week can be revitalizing and ultimately help increase productivity. Productivity equates to good time managment. <br /><br />What are some of your time management strategies?simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2714933564303717196.post-78977747628740453602012-02-13T08:17:00.000-08:002012-02-13T08:36:08.022-08:00New Year's Organizing Tip #3 - Managing TimeOkay, I realize it is mid-February now, but we are still in the first quarter of the new year. The number one reason why most people want to get organized is to do more with their 24 hours, and to live better. We all feel pressed for time and really the best, easiest and cheapest way to add more time in our day is to find it through getting organized. Do you know that the average person loses an hour a day looking for things, day dreaming, procrastinating and trying to figure out what they should do? I think this is a conservative estimate and really most of us waste more time daily. How can we stop this continual waste of time? If you do the math, an hour a day adds up to two weeks a year of wasted time.<br /><br />The following ideas can be applied to both our personal and work lives and these days the lines have blurred. I recommend keeping separate action lists for work and home, but one calendar. Use what makes sense for you, but maintain a calendar and if you have a family make sure that everyone is aware of the entire family schedule for the week.<br /><br />Here are some ideas to buy back time:<br />1. Plan out your day – if you don’t plan, you react and you have lost some control to your day. Of course, there are days when it is necessary to react and handle emergencies. However, strive to identify your weekly to dos and then put them as tasks to complete daily. Plan out your week and figure out your best days, based on other appointments you have going on, to complete your priority tasks. <br /> <br />2. Bundle Like Tasks – make calls together; check e-mail at certain time(s)…not all day, etc.<br /><br />3. Daily Wrap-up – plan to spend 15 minutes wrapping up your work day. Identify any e-mails that need to be answered, last minute calls to be made, neaten up your desk (put things away) and make sure your schedule for the next day is all set and still reflects your priorities.<br /><br />4. Know your Best Time – identify the time of day when you feel the sharpest – “most on” and that is the time to do your hardest task – the one you tend to put off. <br /><br />5. Use Productivity Tools – I love to use the timer on my iPhone and I make a game out of it trying to beat the clock. I find using a timer really helps when I have to do something that I find more challenging. Other tools are action lists (electronic or paper), Outlook, productivity apps, and electronic gadgets. Be careful to not let the very gadgets that are suppose to be helpful rob you of time. Know how to use them, use them wisely and don’t let them take over your life – have a shut off time.<br /><br />6. Templates and Systems – If you find yourself repeating a task regularly (answering similar e-mails, explaining something repeatedly, etc.), then create a shortcut document or template that you can tailor individually. Try to keep your systems as simple as possible so that you can maintain them easily. A system is a place to store like things and then forming a habit to process it and keep it up - i.e. mail – where you are going to put it and when/how it is processed.<br /><br />7. ORDER – Organize, Routines, Decide, Edit and Readiness (see my blog from Sept 2011). <br /><br />Please let me know some of your timesaving strategies. I am always looking for good productivity apps to recommend.simplifyithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02884006726671763286noreply@blogger.com0