Organizing Blogs by Professional Organizers
Discover organizing tips and simple creative solutions
to help you get organized.
Tag >> professional organizer
When you think about how much you accomplish, or don't accomplish every day how do you feel? There are so m any reasons (or excuses) for not accomplishing our To Do List, Intention List or whatever you want to actually call your daily list of things that you plan to do every day. Could your daily productivity be directly related to the habits that you have developed? Having a system to work through your day will help you along the path to productivity. When you go to a doctor and he prescribes you a new medication, taking the medication will become a daily routine. In order to feel better you'll follow the doctor's direction and take your medication whenever he recommends. You will find a way to work it into your daily habits in order to feel better. So why not manage your day with the same concept. Think about one of the most productive days that you have had recently. Why were you able to achieve your goals? What did you do differently that day that you didn't do today? Here are some of the daily habits that I have put into place. They have helped me increase efficiency, stay focused and reach my goals: 1. Read something positive every day. I don't even turn on the news - unless there is a hurricane or earthquake that I need to know about!! I find a book that will help me develop myself and become a better "me" and consistently read at least a chapter every morning. One book that I have found most helpful recently is Give From the Heart, Receive What You Are Worth by a good friend and colleague of mine, Melanie Yost. It can be purchased on Amazon, is an easy ready and full of motivating and inspiring thoughts that will make you say....Duh!
Do you Manage Time or Does Time Manage You? In the United States - and other parts of the world as well - we have gotten used to instant gratification. We see something and go and buy it (whether we need it or not). We send a text or email and if we don't get an answer (within what we feel is a reasonable amount of time) we begin to doubt ourselves or wonder what is wrong. We ask ourselves, "Did I do something to upset them, is that why they aren't answering me?" "Did I offend them somehow?" I may think differently than other Professional Organizers about the concept of Time Management. I believe that we are in charge of what we do with our time and how we choose to spend our time is a personal choice. For instance, I think it is very important for us to take time each day to get in touch with ourselves, to regenerate and keep our focus on reality and out of the drama that can engulf our lives - if we allow it. I have had to learn to release control of those things that really don't matter - at least don't matter to anyone else but me! Getting myself stressed out over things having to be done "my way" didn't serve a purpose, except to raise my blood pressure. This is one of the biggest reasons that I recommend that, as a business owner or a homeowner, you know what your week looks like, at least the big picture, at the very beginning of each week - either Sunday evening or early Monday morning. What does your calendar look like? Who has extra responsibilities for the week? Is there room for "life" to happen?
The Missing Piece I know that you really and truly do want to get organized but it seems that there is a piece of the puzzle that is missing to keeps you from reaching your goal. You haven't been able to really pinpoint what it is but maybe it is that: 1. Something is always coming up that keeps you from getting organized - that demands your attention. This is called Life and it will happen day in and day out, whether we welcome it or not! 2. You really just are wiped out...not feeling like getting it done. And things just keep piling and piling up and causing more and more stress. It is a cycle that you feel will never end. 3. You try and try but it just is taking too long - probably because it is too huge of a project. Getting organized just seems like it will never happen. Your business and home are suffering because of the lack of organization. But, there isn't time to make a change. How do you handle these road blocks that keep you from getting organized:
Change Your Mindset About Organizing This is a busy time of year for organizing. Vacations are wrapping up, school is right around the corner, the big holiday seasons are coming up on us quickly and you still haven't gotten around to doing that long list of "organizing". In your business and home, there are so many opportunities for you to increase productivity, reduce stress and work less. The problem is that it all takes time and energy, something that we all seem to struggle with. If you are looking for the real way to get your business or home organized, consider changing your mindset. There is a saying - Nothing happens until something happens - and this should be the basis of your mindset when it comes to getting organized. Continuing old habits will only allow your current situation to stay in control. Changing your mindset about getting organized will allow you to reach your goals. Getting organized requires the willingness to develop a plan and then stick to it. I have already started teaching my 3 year old to be organized. Even at 3 she has responsibilities. The habits that she is developing will be extremely helpful to all of us when she gets older. However, the only way that she will develop these habits - at this young of an age - is if we remind her. So far, her responsibilities are: put her clothes into the hamper; put her shoes in a certain place, by the kitchen door - so we don't have to look for them; pick up her toys after her bath; and say her prayers at each meal. Does all of this take time and energy on my part...you bet 'ya. But, it is going to pay off in the long run and I'll be happy that she has learned these habits, and many more, by the time she starts school. So how can you change your mindset about becoming organized? Here are some tips:
To stay organized requires good time management. But sometimes it seems like an impossible task to accomplish. I had a client project that exploded! In order for us to reach our ultimate goal (to have his merchandise put into three local Wal-Mart stores) included a major, major inspection that was going to cost quite a bit of money - with the hopes that he would pass. The project needed to be totally organized in order to meet some quick deadlines. We had 60 days to pull together what should have taken at least 6 months. But, I accepted the challenge and here are some tips from what I learned in the process. The guideline that I was given to follow was very vague. (7 pages of vagueness). Nothing was specific...some definite thinking "outside the box" was going to be required. My guidelines were not specific and I was not fully aware of the language that was used. It was generic to me but yet specific to what the inspector would be looking for. So, how was I going to manage my time to make this happen? I laid out my thought process on a roadmap. 1. Think logically - do research. Make a working log.
Organize Your Life So, half of the year is now gone. The official countdown until Christmas is 149 days as of the writing of this article. That's just crazy! How many things are still on your "To Do" list from last year that you still haven't gotten around to this year? I thought that I was going crazy when I saw an Back to School sale on the 4th of July! But, it's true. Life can get out of control and it's time to get organized so that we can enjoy life. You've heard over and over again: Chunk Things Down, Tackle one Space at a Time, Set a Kitchen Timer, Donate, Trash, Sell, Keep, etc. Well, these are your normal, everyday tips to organize. But I want to share with you my personal tips to Organize Your Life. They are definitely outside the box thinking and are generic in nature, but the sooner you implement them, the more organized you will be. Top 5 Tips to Organize Your Life and Keep Your Sanity
Pet Cancer Awareness MonthHave some quality time with your furry friends while checking your pal for lumps. We regularly organize family moves that include pets. And, because moving is just as stressful for your pet as it is for you, PHA suggests that the animal be crated during the packing and unpacking process. Photo courtesy of my good friend Cheryl November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month, and according to Dr. Post, a veterinary oncologist, cancer is one of the leading causes of death in pet dogs or cats. Like humans, the earlier the cancer is detected, the better your chance for receiving effective treatment. More information is available at http://www.acfoundation.org. In the meantime, take the time to hang out with your furry friend and give them a rub down. They will enjoy the attention, and you can determine if it's time to schedule an appointment with your vet.
An article came out this week in the New York Times detailing the author's experience working with a professional organizer to organize her home office. http://tinyurl.com/cqvykk Of course I love it when anything is published about the work of organizing consultants because it brings awareness to the type of work that we do. The important message in the article is that organizing your office, setting up systems, and making it an efficient and appealing space to be in, is a personal experience. What will work for one person, may not work for another. That is why trying to follow advice from books and television shows may work for some and not for others. Many people feel like they fail when they measure the results and compare themselves to others. (You must know that there are a lot of people behind the scenes making the dramatic room make-overs you see on popular organizing television shows.)
The following is a typical conversation I might have with someone who discovers that I am a professional organizer (PO): Friend: "You're an organizer?? Wow! I could really use you at my house!" Me: "I'm sure I could help you. What sort of issues are you dealing with?" Friend: "Oh, you know, the usual closet clutter, and my basement could really use some help." Me: "So, what's stopping you from getting it done?" Friend: "I never have the time. I work at it when I can, and I had my basement in really good shape last summer. But now it's a mess again." It's at this point in the conversation that I feel like people are apologizing to me for not being as organized as I am. They say they could really use the help, but seem to feel like hiring someone is an admission of failure or perhaps a lack of a basic skill. What I and all the other POs would like to tell you is, STOP BERATING YOURSELF! Accumulating clutter is natural at times. When it shows up to stay - that's when you need to take back control.
|
tags 
