Organizing Blogs by Professional Organizers
Discover organizing tips and simple creative solutions
to help you get organized.
Posted by: Tamara Meyer in Untagged on
Aug 28, 2009
I have decided to change the content in my blog posts to be about tips and techniques for using 3 productivity tools that I recommend to my clients. If you are not familiar with them now, you will be. Some of these tools have been around for a long time, but are under-utilized, and some of these tools are brand new. While I do not work for the companies that make these tools...I highly recommend them to all of my clients. I have evaluated a lot of personal productivity tools, and these are the BEST! So, if you use these tools already, or if you think you might use them in the future, please subscribe to the updates on this blog. I am not planning to post on a particular schedule, but expect that I will post whenever I have a great tip to share. Here is a quick overview of each tool. You can learn more about them on my website as well. iPEP - Interactive Productive Environment Platform is a brand new tool from PBworks (formerly PBwiki) and the Productive Environment Institute. It allow you to manage the physical files in your office along with the electronic information in your life, and the ideas you have floating around in your head. It is an tool combining the best of Web 2.0 technologies with proven office organizing methodology. The best thing about it is that your information is stored online and can be accessed from any device on the Internet, including your smart phone. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to access your entire knowledge-base from your phone? I think that is VERY COOL! There is a project management version of the tool that is perfect for people who need to collaborate on projects. Check out more information on my website at http://www.meyerorganizing.com/index.php/ipep-productivity-tool. Orla - Orla is an innovative email and time management program that makes life easier for people using Microsoft Outlook. Orla Express is the ideal product for those people who are tired of experiencing their inbox as a kind of never-ending, rolling To Do list offering no sense of order or priority to the work that is contained in their collection of emails. To be successful with Orla, you need to be ready to consider that email is not just about sending, receiving, and filing information. It is also about planning the work you have to complete as a result of all of your emailing activity. You can learn more about Orla at http://www.meyerorganizing.com/index.php/orla. SwiftFile - The SwiftFile Desktop Filing System is also known as a Daily Tickler. The concept of this simple tool has been around for a long time. It is a simple tool, but one of the most powerful tool that I use for personal productivity. It consists of 31 individual file folders for the days of the month, and 12 file folders for the months of the year. You put items that you need to take action on, in the folder for the day you plan to take action. It is very simple to learn and use, but very powerful for keeping track of the work you need to do. Unfortunately you cannot find these in the office supply stores, but they are available online and I offer them on my website. http://www.meyerorganizing.com/index.php/paper-management.
Posted by: Tamara Meyer in iPEP on
Aug 11, 2009
Over the last few months I have been exploring the new iPEP web-based information management tool. The more I use it, the more I find new uses for it. I have the Project edition which allows me to create multiple workspaces and invite unlimited guests to collaborate with me. I am not going to go into all of the details on the tool in this article, but I am going to share an interesting use for iPEP that I just discovered. My newest workspace is called "What to do when I die". I am not being morbid, just prepared. I got this idea while talking to a friend whose brother-in-law was diagnosed with a terminal illness. There are so many details to be shared with family. While I have taken care of the legal matters after my death, I started thinking about all of the other details that the Executor of my estate would need to know. Because the iPEP is web-based, it can be access by any device with an Internet connection. My Executor, who lives out of state, can access all of the critical details of my life, my home, my possessions, and my children. By giving the key people access to the workspace, they can begin accessing the information from their computer in their home office. For now, all they need to keep track of is their username and password. In the event of my death, they will know just where to go to find all of the information they need. Who are the guests in my workspace? * My spouse
* Our Executor
* Appointed Guardian of our Children Types of information included in this workspace. Of course, this is just a starting place. I'm sure I will have more ideas for information in this workspace.
Posted by: Maggie McCauley in Untagged on
Aug 1, 2009
Have you been feeling stuck around your organizing projects? When you walk by the project-or the door that's hiding the project-do you feel a little twinge? Then a moment later in pops the vision of you in a heap on the floor surrounded by paper piles, old magazines, books and unwanted stuff, tearing your hair out! You have quite an imagination! So here's an idea-instead of imagining that awful scene, use the power of your imagination to your advantage because what you imagine becomes real. Put your imagination to work for you! From this day forth every time you walk by an unfinished project imagine that you are joyously and effortlessly completing it and realizing your dream. The best part of this process is that you don't have to commit to anything except to imagine. You fully accept where you are in the moment and live from your imagination knowing deep down that your dream of having an organized space is possible. This might sound a little unorthodox, but your nightmarish vision hasn't worked to create your dream room yet, has it? Try it for twenty one days and let me know what happens! Be persistent and live from your faith and trust. Believe you can and you will! Love To You, Maggie
Posted by: Gail Gray in time management, organizing tips, organizing life, organizing homes, managing time, life priorities, life organization, how to organize, home organizing, home organization, disorganized, disorganization, de-clutter, Clutter Control, clearing the clutter on
Jul 24, 2009
How would you like to clear your mind from all the little distractions that get in your way? These everyday distractions can wreak havoc on your productivity. Wouldn't you love to have a machine that automatically made your life easier? Well, I have a little secret for you. You already own it! It is that thing in your head that weighs about 3 pounds. Your brain!
Wikipedia defines automatic as "Capable of operating without external control or intervention. Done out of habit or without conscious thought." There are certain things we can't avoid in life. We must wake, sleep, eat, bathe and dress everyday (now don't try and tell me you don't do at least three of these every day). There are also things that must take place on a weekly or monthly basis, like laundry, cleaning your home, personal grooming,
Creating a routine for your regular to do's will not only make your life easier, but will free space in that crazy brain of yours to actually think of more important things. I have so many clients feel they are ADD, regardless of whether they were every diagnosed or not. It is the crazy way we run through the day, feeling like we are spinning our wheels and not getting anything done. We are so distracted by what we have to do that we simply don't focus easily.
Create regular routines for your Home
- Laundry
- Changing sheets
- Dust
- Vacuum
- Bathrooms (yes the dreaded bathrooms)
- Empty Trash Cans
For your Errands
- Grocery Shopping
- Dry cleaning
- Bank
- Gas
- Library
- Discount Stores
For your Personal Grooming (whether you are a do it your selfer or you visit a spa/salon)
Posted by: Alexandra Penkalskyj in Untagged on
Jul 17, 2009
If you have school-aged children, you are probably starting to plan for the coming school year. Maybe you were not happy with the organization of scheduling, homework, equipment, papers, work-spaces, or anything else that, when running smoothly, makes life less hectic. What if you are now working more to try and make ends meet in this difficult economy?
This is the time to plan for creating a more organized environment at home, so that the new school year may be successful and enlightening for your children, and positive for the whole family. If you can create a plan, and have the family’s cooperation, then your entire life can benefit, and you can concentrate on things other than trying to keep life organized.
What you should try to examine first is the greatest stressors from the previous school year. Then, look deeper to determine the reason for the stressors. That is what needs to get fixed.
Let’s say your child did not do his/her studying or homework without constant prodding, and even then, you know things did not get done to their full potential. That is the stressor. But the causes could be numerous. Of course, there are the serious reasons that could be causing difficulties, including learning difficulties that should be addressed through professionals. But, there are things that could be causing disorganization that are easy to fix, and could even help in improving learning difficulties.
Questions to ask yourself:
1) Does my child have a formal place to study, that is set up away from all kinds of distractions, but that can have parental/guardian supervision? This supervision can be simply seeing that the child is studying, or being able to notice when he is getting sidetracked. It also can be as simple as the child’s knowing an adult is aware of what he is doing, to keep himself on track.
2) Is my child surrounded by electronic distractions? Maybe you need to come up with a way to formally disengage the student from the cell-phone, i-pod, computer, and whatever else they can think to play with, during the specific time that studying should be happening.
3) Maybe creating a specific schedule of study and break needs to be delineated.
4) What kind of input is my child offering to help himself stay on-track, and be the best learner he can be? Maybe his studying style is different from yours, but also maybe he is deceiving himself. There is no one right answer necessarily, but definitely if you know something was not working well last year, a new plan needs to be explored and tried.
The longer I help clients organize, the more I see that staying organized is not just about setting up a dynamic system, but it is about changing behaviors. I can set up the most wonderful system for a client, but if they don't work it, they will not see the desired results. I often encounter clients who have tried in vain to keep themselves organized. Usually that is when they hire me. My approach, after a few years of organizing, has changed. I now focus on the client's behavior in addition to a great organizing system. The following steps will help you maintain the organizing you have done. Your continued commitment to staying organized will reduce stress and give you a feeling of control over your environment. If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get what you've always gotten. Let that become an organized space.
Do you seem busier than ever, but feel like you can't get anything accomplished?This problem seems exaggerated by all of these high tech communication tools we use every day. Personally, I struggle with getting my "real work" accomplished while I respond to emails, phone calls, Internet research, and now social media. Even though I know how to manage it, I find it hard to have the discipline needed to spend time working on the "real work" instead of spending time on the "fun stuff". Getting real about the time you spend on all of your daily activities helps you understand how to better manage your time. How to "Get Real" * Track the time time you spend each day on ALL of your activities. I recommend an online stopwatch tool (www.online-stopwatch.com). Start and stop the clock when you switch activities. Since it runs in your web browser, keep it open throughout the day.
* Write each activity down in your calendar or on a sheet of paper. At this point, do not change your normal behavior. You need to have a realistic picture of actual time spent, not what you think you should be spending.
* Track how many times you go in and out of email.
 There is no doubt I am a Country Music Fanatic. I love the concept of a country life, plain and simple. Now, in saying My Life is Like a Country Song (to give credit where credit is due, this is a play on Chris Cagel's My Life's Been a Country Song), I don't mean the country song about how the wife has left him, the dog dies, and he has been drinking to no end. I mean the concept of family, good values and simplicity! The front porch swinging, slow paced living kind of song.
When you live in a busy area (like Orange County, CA) you somewhat feel the need to stay busy like all the others. There is a feeling you are missing something if you don't do it all. Whether you are a stay at home mom, with a crowded activity/volunteer schedule, or the high powered executive who needs to close just one more deal, it seems as if we are wearing ourselves out. Personally, the fast paced life can beat me up. Some days I dream of sitting on a wrap around porch, sipping tea, rocking in a swing and staring out at a field of grass. (Of course I would be listening to some old Kenny Rogers and the sound track to Urban Cowboy). I guess I just wish the world would slow down, at least for a day or two.
For most, to slow down we dream of relaxing vacations. We go on vacations with the idea we are going to relax, but come home more exhausted then we left because we crammed in so much on vacation we never had the opportunity to relax. Not to mention the amount of money we spend on vacations that make us feel we need to work more to pay off what we spent! It is like a vicious cycle that never ends.
I keep myself, home, and family organized so I feel a little less crazed in my daily life. There is rarely a time where we are stressing out looking for something. We are efficient as we can be in a busy life. This allows us to have time to hang out and just be. But for some reason, I still feel the need to do more. My brain can be on overdrive, while my surroundings are not. On my lists: write a book, update my website, send out a mailer, work on my presentations, PDF downloads on my website...the list goes on and on. I want to try and squeeze in so much I don't allow myself to have the down time I need. I am always thinking of the next project.
This summer, I am making a vow to allow myself at least one day to just do nothing. Well, not really, I am a mom and that requires full time work, but to really not work on the house or my business. Just to be with my family and just BE! We have Adirondack chairs on our front porch and this summer I will be planting my bum on those while I watch my kids play. I will read, I will relax, and I will know that my work will still be there when I get back to reality. With my organizational skills, having a systems and procedures in place, I know I can allow myself to have the quite happiness I am looking for! Now if only the asphalt street I look out to on my front porch could turn into a field of wild flowers...
Organizing is my passion - I've been doing it all my life. I think that may be true of many of my professional organizer colleagues - I know it's definately true about me. I was always the child held up as an example by my friends mothers as the one they would like their little girl to emulate. This didn't really cause a problem for me because my friends seemed to agree with the wisdom of their mom's desires. Also I was pretty affable and I actually seemed to enjoy cleaning up all of our toys after play time. As time went on, I developed a minimalist philosphy which manifested itself by not purchasing "things" I didn't need or saving (and thus having to store) items that had outlived their usefulness. I taught myself certain tricks that helped to weed out the extraneous in my life and found I could simplify my world considerably by actually owning less. I called it "creating breathing room" and so it was.
Posted by: Alexandra Penkalskyj in Untagged on
Jun 21, 2009
Is this the first question on your mind when you hear about professional organizers? Hiring a professional organizer does not mean that you are necessarily totally lost about strategizing a clean-up project or de-cluttering job. You might have the greatest organizational skills, but your major project might be easier to start, or more realistic to complete, if you have the help of an unbiased person who is not a relative or friend.
First of all, asking a professional to help you with your project gives you the advantage of an objective perspective. This person can ask you the right questions to lead you in your decisions about keeping things, donating items, or throwing out useless materials.
Hiring a professional will also force you to move forward with your project. It is often easy to get sidetracked with other activities, especially if you have internal barriers about attacking certain organizational disasters. But, if you have someone coming on a schedule to help you, you force yourself into a commitment to the job.
When economic times were great, many of us liked to use shopping as a pastime, hobby, or way to perk ourselves up. This did not stop at window-shopping, but a lot of things were bought that were not really needed. Although this was good for the merchants, so many people are looking at all of the things that they have accumulated with a different eye. Now that there is less money to spend, not only are folks stopping the shopping sprees, but the trend is to rid ourselves of unnecessary things, clear out the space around us, and surround ourselves only with what is beautiful and essential.
In trying to embrace this new philosophy, working with a professional organizer is helpful, because he or she generally has a collection of ideas for determining how to pare down, contacts for donating items, and resources for organizing tools.
And, last but not least, a professional is non-judgmental and loves organizing. The more chaotic something seems, the more fun a professional will see in the work. This way, you can share the work without worrying what the other person thinks.
Posted by: Tamara Meyer in Untagged on
Jun 11, 2009
Well here it is, summer again. If you are travelling this summer, do you have your travel plans organized? I use a desktop filing system (called a SwiftFile) that contains individual folders for the 12 months and 31 days of the month. As I make reservations and receive confirmations, I place all of the documentation into my filing system in the folder for my departure date. If you don't use a system like this, make a hanging folder and label it "Upcoming Travel". You can put your documentation in that folder until it is time to go. When travelling I create a simple travel folder. I take a manila file folder (I recycle these and use them over and over) and I staple the following documents on the right side of the folder. - Airline receipts, itinerary and electronic boarding passes.
- Hotel confirmation
- Rental car confirmation
- Any other reservation/confirmations
On the other side of the folder I staple an envelope to hold receipts. I slip some cash in small bills into the envelope to use for tips and tolls. If you have other important information that relates to your health, you can include that in the folder as well. I used to carry a list of important phone numbers, but now that I have my cell phone, I usually don't print them out. If you do not keep contact information in your phone, I would suggest making a simple list of neighbors, friends, family, etc. that you might need while you are away from home. If you plan to send postcards to friends and family, make sure you have their mailing addresses and some stamps. You can put the stamps into your receipt envelope.
What image comes to mind when you think of spending time with family? Is it interaction and conversation? Is it fun activities or relaxing vacations? What we think of and what actually takes place can be so very different. We are so busy with technology, work, school and activities that we actually could be in the same house, yet we don't spend any time together. No wonder families feel so disconnected!
I am so excited about a new productivity tool called the Productive Environment Platform or iPEP. It was created by the Productive Environment Institute and PBWorks (formerly PBWiki). The Productive Environment Institute (formerly Paper Tiger Productivity Institute), founded by the "Paper Tiger Lady" Barbara Hemphill, has developed many systems and strategies for office organizing and personal productivity over the years. This collaboration with PBWorks will revolutionize how we store and share information that relates to our physical filing system and our electronic information. I foresee people relying on iPEPs just like they do cell phones. Personally, I no longer memorize phone numbers because they are all on my cell phone and are searchable in so many different ways. If I was without my phone for even a day, I would feel completely lost. Now that I am putting more and more data into my iPEP, I am relying on it to hold all of the information that passes through my life every day. Eventually, I will be lost without it as well. What is an iPEP? An iPEP is a completely customizable, web-based information management system. Using Web 2.0 technologies, it becomes a collaboration tool as you can share your information with other people. Because it is web-based, you have access to your information from any device that has an Internet connection. This includes smart phones such as iPhone and Blackberries. I am finding that the more information I put into my iPEP, the less dependent I am on my laptop. Because I carry my Blackberry with me all of the time, I can pull up my iPEP anytime, anywhere. Here is how I am using it for my information management.
Posted by: Donna Maddox in Untagged on
May 12, 2009
One of the issues that I had with having a large family, was in the bathroom. I would always stumble upon a towel on the floor , and of course when asked "whose, towel is this I always got the same reply, not me. " To solve this I went ahead and took my kids favorite color went out and bought that color towel and had paid a friend to embroider their names on them. Also to be able to track down the bathroom culprits they got matching colored toothbrushes. Example: Child that has orange towel has orange Handle toothbrush, Pink towel, pink Handle toothbrush Etc. This has helped keep them accountable cause now I know who the culprit is. Hope this information with help keep yours at bay also .
Donna ~Declutterbuddy
The other day I was watching Oprah and she had the adorable Nate Berkus and the clutter cutter Peter Walsh on. They were showing neighbors swapping furniture in order to recreate new looks in their homes. The point behind the show was to open our eyes to how, in hard times with limited budgets, we can be creative in our design to get the best out of our space. Now of course having a fabulous designer makes a huge difference when you are decoratively challenged (I think I just created a new word), but the point was easy to get. The "one man's trash is another man's treasure" was spoken loud and clear here.
Posted by: Alexandra Penkalskyj in Untagged on
May 5, 2009
Getting rid of clutter – by the time you finally have had enough of things collecting around you, these things probably have been accumulating for many years. Deciding to rid yourself of too many possessions is one thing, but actually going through the process can be a very traumatic some other thing.
There are many reasons we hold on to things: they bring back good memories, we might need them, we might miss them, they’re still good…
Posted by: Barbara Boone in Untagged on
May 5, 2009
I was working with a client in her home office. We were surveying what we had already accomplished and deciding what to do next when I picked up an object from the top shelf of her bookcase. I said, "What are you going to do with this?" She looked at me and smiled, knowing that her answer was important to our organizing tasks. She said, "I really like the colors, they are so bright and cheery." "But do you use it?" I asked. I knew the answer before she did.
That conversation prompted me to show her a guide for making decisions as you are organizing. See the article below to find out how to make decisions.
Last week I attended the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers! If you can imagine a conference that is run more smoothly and organized, let me know!!! We had a blast in Orlando discovering new products, new services, new books, new ideas (yes, I am rambling) and rekindling friendships from all over the world. Who knew there is a need for organizing in areas like Bermuda, Japan, New Zealand and France? It just goes to show how everyone is looking for a little more order in their lives, no matter where they live.
You may think as we all meet that we are learning new ways to put items in a pretty container, but it was so much more. As organizers, our goal is to help you discover why you are disorganized and ways to help you create new habits to overcome disorganization.
Greetings from Santa Cruz! I'm back in the office and my head is spinning with all of the new ideas I have from attending the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) annual conference. I was sad to have the conference end, but it is exciting to be back to work on building and improving my consulting business.
Here is the recap of my final day at conference...
My day started with a break out session on creating a lifestyle business. The concepts were based on the Timothy Ferriss book "The 4-Hour Workweek". http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/ One concept that I took away from this session was to consider decreasing the amount of information that comes into my world. I know that I can find the information when I need it, so why do I want to clutter my mind with it constantly. In fact Tim Ferriss says that "a wealthy of information creates a poverty of attention." I left the session with some thought provoking homework. If I had a heart attack and could only work 2 hours per day, what would I work on?. If I had another heart attack and could only work 2 hours per week, what would I work on? That is a big concept if you spend a lot of time working on tasks that keep you busy, but they are not urgent or important. Definitely something to think about.
Greetings from Orlando! Today was the 2nd day of the National Association of Professional Organizers annual conference. It is so exciting to be with 700 other professional organizers! This is the largest organizing conference in the world and all types of organizers come from all over the world.
After the morning general session on how veteran organizers turned their business dreams into reality, I attended 2 technical sessions. The first was on time management and the presenter was Harold Taylor, (http://www.taylorintime.com ) He gave me some new insight on the subject. He talked a lot about the overload that we are experiencing and the speed in which we work and live. He offered several ways to slow down time by adding variety to life, being present in what we do, and creating more meaningful experiences in our lives. I like that advice. It makes so much sense. We are more likely to remember and cherish memorable events than the mundane activities we do day after day.
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