Did You Remember To Pack The…

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This summer will find my family in multiple states and destinations.  And so begins the summer travel season!  Preparing for Travel can be a mixed bag, though, excited at the prospect of your adventures yet overwhelmed with the details of packing and unpacking.   One of the most organized and well- traveled people I know admits to having the “What did I forget to pack/bring” fear “every.single.trip”.   And I can empathize!

Vacation is about getting away, even getting away from our stuff, but some stuff really needs to come along.  How do you ensure it makes the trip?  Read on….

Standardized Packing Lists:

  1. Standardized packing lists are great tools to help you focus your packing efforts.  Looking for inspiration?  Do a google search for “Packing List”.  Here are some of my favorites:
  2. Over time, I’ve made a Klimczak Family Packing List.  I update it in the computer, and print it for family member use.  We’ve even laminated it, and used dry erase markers to chart our packing progress.
  3. Our packing list includes clothes and toiletries, of course, but also items like baseball mitts, game systems and chargers for the kids, travel snacks and work stuff for me.
  4. The boys have a packing list posted in their room, too, so when I tell them where we are going and for how long, they look at the list and bring the right things for the right number of days.
  5. Use a standardized toiletry packing list, too, and post it on the inside of the medicine cabinet door and in your toiletry bag closet, to ensure you don’t forget the small items!

Set Aside Things as you remember them, or at least Add Them To The List:

  1. Keeping your list in the computer allows for edits as you learn from every travel experience.  Tweak your standardized list as your travel needs change, your kids get older, etc.
  2. Keep a Trip Bag set aside for upcoming trips, and a folder for the same, either on your computer or in hard copy.  As you purchase or remember something for that trip (Father’s Day cards, gifts, beach towels, etc), or receive travel brochures or itineraries, put  them in the bag.  That way, all that is left to pack on travel day is clothes and toiletries.   We may have a couple of Trip Bags on the shelf, if we have more than one Trip coming up.
  3. You can also re-pack commonly used items as soon as you come home.  For example,
  4. Keep a set of toiletries just for travel, if you travel often.  The time saved is worth the extra expense.  We also always carry: An eyeglass repair kit, a  small sewing kit, a small first aid kit and 2 night lights.  I  used to pack an alarm clock, but now I just set  my smart phone alarm
  5. Carry one toiletry bag or shave kit for the whole family.  A friend suggested this one, and I have to agree with her.   If each family member packs their own kit, we end up lugging around duplicates of everything.  There are some items we can all share, like lotion, shampoo and conditioner.

Finally, Take a breath.  Don’t let fear or the need to be perfect keep you from enjoying your trip.

Ask yourself “What is the worse that can happen?”

  1. If the answer is “I might have to stop by a store once I reach my destination for sunscreen or tooth paste”, is that really so bad?  No.
  2. If the answer is “I forget my airline boarding passes or passport or the wedding gift or my notes for my speech”, then make sure to write those items down on your check list, and put them aside as you get them!

So, my challenge to you this week, whether you are traveling soon or not, is to check out the on-line packing lists or start creating your own.  In addition, pick a spot for your Trip Bag (ours is in the coat closet) and remember to toss things in the Trip Bag for upcoming travels.  And relax and enjoy your summer vacation!!

“Going Away” Checklist

Ask yourself:

What do you do every time you leave the house?  Run around like a crazy person, hoping you remembered to do everything….

What do you wish you had done, an hour into your trip?  Unplug the iron, set the DVR, water the grass, check the faucets….

What are some tasks that would make your getting-out-the-door go more smoothly? (insert your list here!)

What would make your coming-home more pleasant?  and Wouldn’t a standardized list of this stuff make the whole process a lot easier?

Of course it would!

One of my most often used and beloved organizing tools is a simple hand-written index card with a dozen or so task items written on it.  It is a standardized list of what I need to do to get the house ready for us to leave.  I laminated it early on, so that I could cross off the tasks as I accomplished them with a dry-erase marker and re-use the card.  And I have. Over and over again!

Whenever it is time to close up the house for a while and leave, for either a quick over-night trip or a 2 week vacation, the list remains the same. The tasks take an hour (uninterrupted) to complete, and then I can leave the house with a clear conscience.    The biggest motivators for creating the “Going Away” checklist were:

1. Clarity of thought, just in case I am leaving in a rush or for an emergency;
2. Safety, above all;
3. Energy and resource economy; and
4. Avoiding pests like ants, gnats or mice.

Here is the List: “Going Away”:

Kitchen:

  • Clear the fridge, toss left overs, Freeze what can be frozen
  • Refrigerate what can be refrigerated (fruit bowl or bread on the counter)
  • Wipe down surfaces
  • Lock stove door, make sure burners are off
  • Turn off the coffee maker timer
  • Wrap up the dishes, start the dishwasher and run the garbage disposal to clear it

Pets and Plants:

  • Dog: Plan or Pack up her stuff (when we had a dog)
  • Fish: Vacation Feeder pellet, or a plan for someone to watch them
  • Gerbil: Check water and food levels, or have a plan for someone to watch them
  • Plants: Water all, including the garden

House

  • Bedrooms: make beds, laundry to hamper
  • Close and lock all windows, pull shades in bedrooms and family room
  • Vacuum all
  • Turn up / down thermostat
  • Turn off / unplug computers
  • Take out the trash
  • Final walk through for safety and water check, making sure things are turned off or unplugged

So, my challenge to you this week is to Make Your Own “Going Away” check list.

  • Sit down with a pen and paper, and note all the tasks you tend to do to get ready to go.
  • Be an objective observer the next time you are getting ready to travel, and figure out if anything needs to be added to your Going Away Checklist, or subtracted, if it is not really important.
  • Most of the tasks on my list can be shared or delegated to my kids, too, and help is always welcome!
  • The order of my tasks is important, too, leading from one to another in a logical fashion, the path I walk through my house.

So, spend a little time now to make your next departure go smoothly and your next homecoming more pleasant.  What does your list look like?  Please share!  And safe travels!

Organize your (insert here) this Summer!

Take advantage of lighter schedules and brighter days and use the Summer time to make progress on your organizing projects.  Summer projects should be short and easy, especially if you want your family to lend a hand.  And any project goes smoother if you reward yourself and family with a fun summer pay-off like a trip to the park or for ice-cream!

First, get together and make your wish list, see Balance Your Summer Time blog from last year.

Don’t know where to start organizing?  Walk around your house with a clipboard (it helps you look at your home objectively) and note areas of concern.  Also, pat yourself on the back when you see an idea or space you really love.

So what are your projects?  An informal FB poll about summer organizing projects tells me the most popular projects were toys and photos.  I was stymied, trying to figure out how to address both in one blog article and under 1,000 words. 

But the great thing about organizing is that the process is the same, no matter what type of item we are trying to organize!  You can learn from these tips – just swap out “books” or “Clothes” for toys, and yes, it really is that easy!  Also, before you get start any project: 

1. Break big projects into little pieces – don’t try to organize all the toys or photos in one day. Tackle a room or even an area of a room (like the toy box or the book shelves) first.  Spend an hour, take a break, and come back tomorrow.

2.  Assign a destination for your clutter.  Old DVDs and book clutter will be donated to our local library for their book sale, Nintendo games will be sold or swapped, clothes will be donated to charity, etc.  Knowing where things are going helps us let them go. 

To Organize, Per Julie Morgenstern, We Sort, Purge, Assign a Home, Containerize and Equalize.  So, toys:

  • SORT toys by type (outdoor, indoor, books, games, size, shape, color, by child or developmental age, or in whatever other way that makes sense to you and your kids).
  • Clutter is anything we don’t Need, Use or Love.  PURGE all the things you don’t need, use or love.  Duplicate toys, broken toys, baby toys or toys we just don’t play with any more.  PURGE can mean donate, sell, trash, recycle, share with friends, or put away for a rainy day.
  • ASSIGN A HOME and CONTAINERIZE (these two are very closely linked):  Figure out where to store the toys and how, based on where and how the kids play with them. For example:
    • Last summer, to make space for 2 growing boys, we moved all the toys out of my older sons’ bedroom and into the basement play room.  Once we chose where to store toys, then we decided how to store them.
    • We have Legos, good golly do we have Legos, in every color and size and shape imaginable.  We store them in a couple of ways, though, based on how we use them.  
    • Assembled kits like monsters and space ships and castles have book shelves dedicated for display.
    • The big table is for active play and assembly. 
    • And we have large shallow see-through bins (think under-bed storage bins) beneath the table for the extra pieces.  I assembled a lego sorter for a client’s son, a neat item with shallow pull-out drawers for each color.  If your kids build based on color, perhaps the sorter idea would appeal to you.  My guys like things all jumbled up, so that’s how we store them.
  • And EQUALIZE means Maintenance.  Once we sort our toys, clear out the clutter, and determine where and how to store the items we keep, we just need to put things away once in a while (I know, easier said than done).  But consider how much easier it will be for everyone to put stuff away now that there is less clutter, and an official home and storage options for the toys. 
  • Photos:
    • There are organizers that specialize just in photo organizing and they are not me.  I admire my scrapbooking friends for their creativity and tenacity, but it is not a hobby of mine. BUT, the same organizing rules apply.
    • Sort:  First things first, bring all your pictures together.  Data cards and keys, camera cards, hard drives, boxes and envelopes.  When you are sorting photos, sorting chronologically is the most meaningful.  You can also sort photos by subject matter, but sorting first by date really helps, especially with digital pictures. 
    • Purge:  Purging is tough with photos, but you can start with duplicates, bad photos of you or others and photos that just don’t matter anymore. 
    • Assign a Home / Containerize:
      • I need to mention data retention and back up.  With digital photos, I recommend at least one back up (external hard drive, disc, flash drive, etc), or perhaps on-line storage.
      • How do you want to use your photos? Are you just storing them for some day, or do you need to print them for distribution or craft projects?  The answers to these questions will determine how and where to store them. 
      • And Equalizing, or Maintenance, is critical for success.  In all things.  Once you have your photos organized, make sure to download and save your photos regularly, say, once a month or after every vacation, and make sure to back them up.  Print photos if you want to use them.  Just do something with them!
  • So  my challenge for you this week is to look around and see what projects you might have, and decide when and how you want to address them.  Take advantage of the summer time for long-term and outdoor projects, or projects you want your family to help with!  Happy Summer, and Happy Organizing!

No, Really, Balancing Work and Life

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A reader requested information on organizing time and space as we work from home.  I’ve written this response over two days, between baseball games and dinners with friends, mulch and laundry, so SZ, you are not alone in this struggle!   

The Act of Balancing
I hear the term “Work-Life Balance”, and it puzzles me.  “Balance” is a tenuous and fleeting moment as a thing tips one way to the other.  “Balancing”, on the other hand, is active.  It is the movement of a thing back and forth between two sides, and seems a more attainable goal.  Judge the big picture and determine how your day or week went, instead of momentary balance.  Here are ways to make Balancing simpler:

Know your self and your family.
I am not very useful after 8 pm, as my brain is tired.  However, as crazy as it sounds, I find inspiration at 6 am (and my house is quiet!).  Early mornings rock!   That is how my body and brain work, and I have learned to embrace it.

 S.Z., you asked “Do I work now or run to Target?”  The answer is “Both, just not right now”.  In my case: 

  1. I can go to Target….
    1. Alone right now, while my kids are in school;
    2. With them after school; or  
    3. Alone after school, if my oldest child or hubby are home. 
  2. I can Work….
    1. Now, while I am alone in my quiet house. 
  3. Once everyone is home, it is much more difficult to focus or make calls uninterrupted.  Personally, I protect early morning, school time or nap time for work, and leave the errands and house tasks for family time.  Work now, errands later.
  4. Work is an “external motivator” (I’ll write more on this topic some day!).  An external influence (employer, publisher) requires accountability from you, to get your work done.  The laundry doesn’t require accountability, at least most days, and it also does not pay well!  So sometimes work wins. 

Focus & ReFocus:
Make a list of 3 things that absolutely have to get done today, regardless of whether they are work related or personal.  Do these three things first, in case your day does not go as planned.  

Re-assess at 2 pm.  I don’t know about you, but mid-afternoon, my concentration and energy fade.  It is a good time to take a breath, take a break and look at my list for the day.   I check my 3 important items and make sure they are done or in progress.  If they are not, I re-focus on getting them done, so I don’t lose my day to distractions.

I use timers.  All the time.  I’ll dial in 20 minutes and focus just on clearing my in-box, then move on.  I use one while I do home tasks, too, setting it for every 30 minutes or so as a reminder to re-focus and move on, if I have gotten off-track. 

Ditch perfectionism, and accept that you may not start and finish a big project in one day.   For those of you, like me, who work in 2 or 3 hours blocks, here is an example:  Day 1: Plan and start your project; Day 2-3: Write or work on it in blocks, for 2 or 3 days; Day 4: Edit; Day 5: Publish or complete.  Again, this buys you time if things don’t go as planned.

Open for Business:
Make a Clean Break between work and family life.  I have a friend who leaves the house every morning at 8, buys a coffee and comes back home through a different door to help with the transition to his work day.

A successful start today relies heavily on how you ended yesterday.  At the end of each work session, leave yourself notes or a task list for tomorrow.   Here is a recent blog on this very topic, The Last 10 Minutes.  

Dedicate your first 10 minutes to routine tasks,  to set the stage for getting things done.  A friend suggests starting the day with a couple of short and easy tasks, to ease into the work day.   Having a routine for your work time is invaluable, too.  I have lots of ideas for my business, so many in fact that sometimes it is difficult to concentrate on just one.  Starting with mundane tasks like a quick email check, Facebook post, and update of my work hour spreadsheet helps me settle into my rhythm and transition into a more complicated task.

Other blogs on Time Management:  168 Hours A Week, 1440 Minutes a Day  and Taking Care of Business Tuesdays

A few words about Space:
I love my office space when I am home alone.  however, my lovely work space is in our family room, and once everyone is home, I feel a little crowded.  I love my family, but my focus disappears as my family appears.  

We need to choose our work spaces wisely.  I work best with lots of light and a pretty work space.  We have space in the basement or in my bedroom, but I don’t want to work underground or where I sleep.  I recently lobbied for desk space for me and my laptop on my hubby’s desk in the quiet living room, away from the TV, door, etc.   He said yes because he is a kind and generous person, and even cleaned it up for me.  And if I still have too much background noise from my people, earphones and my IPod are very handy (SRC, thanks for the reminder.  I’ve got Tracy Chapman on right now!)

We’re part of a global community of workers, providing each other with inspiration and ideas – Please share your comments regarding the Work/Life Balancing Act.  Meet you in the break room later!

The Day the Bags Come Home

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Summer relaxes our daily routine, and brings opportunities to work on organizing projects.  Paper is always an issue, but working on kid and school papers in the summer offers the rare opportunity of cleaning papers off the desk or kitchen counter, and having them stay gone for a few months!  Yeah!!

     In less than 2 weeks, it will happen.  You know, IT.  That Day, the one where the contents of your child(ren)’s desk and classroom comes home in bags from school.  Ugh.  But we can handle this, I promise!  When the bags arrive, take half an hour and WITH YOUR CHILD’S ASSISTANCE:  

  1. Purge garbage immediately. 
  2. Review school supplies, set aside those items that can be used all summer or next year, and trash the rest (knowing you all will want some new things for Back-To-School. 
  3. Set aside the rest in a bin or bag, and put a date on the calendar for another hour with your child to review it.  If you are feeling really inspired, tackle this step right now, but we often want to go play on the first day of summer.

In a few weeks, when that scheduled hour arrives and you have both gained distance and perspective on the school year, decide what papers stay and what papers go.  The school papers fall into 4 or 5 categories:

  1. Tests and assessments: SAVE A FEW, especially the official reports from state testing.  And you can keep really big and meaningful projects, like book reports or essays. 
  2. Achievements, awards and progress reports: SAVE MOST, and just the last progress report if it is cumulative.  And there probably won’t be more than 10 or 15 of these.
  3. Daily school work and home work:  TOSS!
  4. Art and craft projects: TAKE PICTURES of big ones THEN PURGE the projects; save a few small ones.  If you struggle with all the Art, try: Creating a gallery on a clothes line strung across the bedroom with clips for papers; Creating a magnet wall with magnetic paint and a border, and clean it off once a month; buying a grouping of inexpensive frames, and swap out pictures every week or month.  Your little Picasso is wonderful, of course, but not every piece is a masterpiece.
  5. Other business of school (unless it is about the next Academic School Year): TOSS!

ACADEMIC BINDER:

     The important stuff in the first 2 categories goes into the Academic Binder.  Each child has an Academic Binder begun in preschool, with testing assessments (MAPS and ISATS), end-of-year grade reports, class pictures, award certificates, event programs for band and choir, special notes from teachers, etc.  My oldest recently completed an application for entrance into National Junior Honor Society.  He had to list awards and service projects from the current and past school years.  All the information he needed was in the Binder and it was huge help in putting together his application.  He enjoyed flipping through it, too.  When we start applying for high school honors and scholarships next year, we’ll be ready to go!

(Click here for a past blog on creating Binders)   and (Click here for past blogs on more Paper Management Topics)

Daily School Work and Art:

     My middle son would keep every paper he ever touched if I let him (But I don’t).  Some rainy summer day, we will go through this year’s school papers and whittle the big pile down to his true treasures:  reports or essays, big projects, math tests that earned him his math medal, etc.  We’ll wrap the keepers with a rubber band, or in a 9×13 envelope labeled with name, date and grade.  We’ll take pictures of any large or 3D art projects, and keep just the pictures.  We have a plastic box on the shelf with past years bundled in it already, and this year will be added to the top.  We have yet to review any past years, but he likes to know we kept some stuff and I respect his wishes (with limits).

Stuff as Treasures:

     Boundaries and limits are needed in the amount of papers and treasures you keep for your child.  With babies, we want to keep favorite outfits or toys or books, and keepsakes like greeting cards and growth records of course.  As the kids get older, they start to generate more keepsakes, like handmade mother’s day cards or pre-school papers, and they start to value stuff on their own, like event tickets or “treasures” like toys or balloons, etc.  Now that my boys are older, they choose to keep or toss their own stuff, in addition to stuff I deem necessary to keep, like grade reports and programs from their shows and concerts, and things.

            So, try for a sweater box size of keepsakes per year (OR LESS), regardless of what is in the box.  We keep less and less these days as keepsakes, but my boys accumulate their own “stuff” now.   Are you keeping things for you to review in 20 years, or for your child to review in 20 years?  There is no wrong answer, but if you think you are keeping things from them, ask yourself what you would want to keep from your own childhood (tip: NOT piles of old homework papers).

      As you keep papers or other treasures, WRITE A NOTE about the paper or item and leave it in the box for your child to read when he or she gets older, so you both remember in 20 years why you kept an item.  We like to see some things from our childhood, but we don’t want to be burdened with an attic full of things we don’t remember.  And always remember that activities and time spent together will be more important to your child than any stuff you may keep.

So, block out a little time in the next month to review those kid papers, purge most of them, and set some aside as to keep and treat as treasure.  And enjoy a few months with a clear kitchen counter or in-basket!

Emergencies Happen. How to Offer and Ask for Help.

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     Even an organized life can get complicated sometimes, and emergencies happen.  Not just big emergencies, like towns getting washed or blown away recently by tornadoes or flood waters, God bless those people, or major life altering events.  Even life’s little emergencies can rock our worlds. 

     Sometimes these events happen to us and sometimes to people we know.  And I am always moved and humbled by how people persevere in the face of adversity, and how others lend a hand to those in need. 

      The best time to think about “What to do in an emergency” is when you are not actually in an emergency.  In times of trouble, you and your loved ones are most important.  But clarity, focus and perspective are some of the first things to go when life get complicated.  I have a hard time asking for help, but I also struggle with how to help others in their rough times.  What does Help look like?  Here are some suggestions:

Have A Go-To Plan, for you and to help others:

  • I use checklists because in crunch times, stress goes up and my focus goes out the window.
  • We have Packing check lists for travel for the kids, the adults, air-travel, car travel, etc. 
  • One of my favorite tools is a 3×5 laminated index card with Going Out Of Town tasks on it (wash dishes, close all windows, water the plants, etc.).  I walk through the tasks every time I leave town, so I never wonder if I unplugged the coffee pot or closed the windows.   I use a dry erase marker to check things off (and I will share this more fully in a June blog!).
  • Make sure someone else has a key to your house.
  • Have a standard Drop Off meal:
    • I have a pasta casserole that I have dropped off to dozens of houses over the years for friends and family who could use a meal.  I will call ahead and ask not “if” they would like the meal, but when.  As in – I am bringing over dinner at 5 pm, do you want it hot and ready to eat, or ready to chill and eat tomorrow?
    • During a family tragedy a few years ago, my sister-in-law stopped by with breakfast – bagels, cream cheese and fruit.  Great idea, and so appreciated. 
  • Trip to Jewel for Basics:  This list is on an envelope with cash in it, waiting in the drawer:  Skim Milk, Wheat Bread, 10 bananas, 1 3 lb bag red gala apples, cookies and snacks for lunches.
  • Remember Phone Trees?  Some communication can happen via email, or Facebook if the info is not too personal.  But the most important part is creating the contact list ahead of time, of who should be contacted in an emergency.   Just like the ICE contact in your cell phone, also have a ICE email list in your address book.

Know your strengths and weaknesses, and be specific in your Request or Offer.

  • Families with kids:  Request or Offer to
    • Take over car-pool duties this week
    • Have younger kids over for a play date
    • Ask for or offer day care services
    • If you have older children:  Send them over to help a friend to fold laundry, mow the grass, walk the dog, take out the trash, etc.
    • Your emergency:
      • Know what only you can do and what can be done by someone else or not at all.  What can only you do, and what can be delegated?
    • Someone else’s emergency:
      • If you need me, I will offer you skills I possess.  Organizing, cooking, transportation, kid and pet care, prayer and music.  Please don’t ask me to paint your house or organize your photos.

Focus on Survival and Maintenance. 

  • Let Progress go, at least for right now.  When I prioritize most days, I make sure survival is covered (food/clothing/shelter), then move on to Maintenance. 
  • When we are in emergencies, or helping others with their emergencies, we have to go back to Survival.  Click here for a related blog from 2010:  Quick – Where are your Keys?  Your Cell Phone?
  • The second level priorities are for Maintenance:
    • Laundry, scheduling, school, transportation, etc.  
    • What is necessary to maintain your current life should you be called away or knocked flat with an illness, etc.?  What are your roles?  What do you specifically do at home?  Keep those “Bills To Pay” in one location, known to you and at least one other person.  Share enough info to maintain your bills and banking, food prep and management, laundry, home maintenance, etc. 
    • Keep up to date with your contacts and address info, in one central location.  I carry my phone, but it is synchronized with my laptop daily, and my hubby has access to the laptop and our schedule if I am gone.

       So in a quiet moment this week, say a prayer for those facing emergencies right now and be grateful for all the good things in your life.  Then, grab a notebook or sit down at your computer and think through some of these questions and jot down ways you can ask for help next time you need it, or offer help to someone in your life.  

      Here is a great link to Real Simple, some handy check lists / sheets to print up and keep, for you and for others to use.

National Small Business Week: Your Efforts Deserve Respect

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Did you know?  This week is National Small Business Week.

Don’t let the title of “Small” Business denote lack of power or importance, or small successes.  These days, there are more people employed in small businesses than there are in big businesses.

I started my business 8 years ago, working from my home office and from client’s homes and offices, too.  I was ahead of the curve though, because what I have been doing for a long time is becoming commonplace for more and more workers.  Big offices are downsizing, and many people are moving their professional lives to home offices.

The growth in the trend of working-from-home should make doing so more socially acceptable, but sometimes I still struggle with finding the right answer to some tough questions. 

I am a Certified Professional Organizer, a writer, an entrepreneur, an independent contractor.  I am lots of big and great things, but I am also occasionally working from my dining room table.  However, no one needs to know that little detail.

I am not, by any means, suggesting dishonest communications.  What I am suggesting is that the work that you do warrants respect, no matter where you choose to do it, or if you happen to blend aspects of your life, like I do.   

Realize that advertising can help you.  Spin your phrases in new and different ways.  Let me walk you through some of the vocabulary that has helped me along the way.  

“I have a non-traditional work week” explains how I answer emails and write blogs at 6 am, run errands during the week, teach classes in the evenings and see clients on the weekends.  And I often break for field trips or to toss laundry in the dryer.  

“I am not sure if my technology can support xxxx.  I’ll ask the IT department when they get in at 4 pm, and give you the answer tomorrow”.  What this means is that I have to ask my tech consultant (my patient spouse) technological questions.  He is much better at answering them than I am.  And I really will follow-up tomorrow.

“I need a hard stop on this meeting at 2 pm” (per MM) may mean I have a client coaching call at 2:15, or it may mean that I have to be at school by 2:45 to drive the Beginning Band carpool.

“I am working remotely today” may mean I need a change of scenery and I am working from Starbucks.  “Working virtually” is similar to working remotely, but it likely means I am working from home via the internet.  (thanks MM!) 

“I am available after 9 am” either means I have an early morning networking meeting or I drop off my sons at school at 8:30, and won’t be back home until 9.  

“I spent yesterday laying groundwork / creating infrastructure” is what a friend and client refers to as “Sitting on the Couch” (thanks D).  Perhaps you spent your time connecting with clients, building relationships, creating tracking spreadsheets or thinking through your processes.  It just happened to occur from the comfort of your couch.  

“Let me run that past the finance / accounting department, and I will follow-up with you tomorrow”.  Again, my ever patient accountant husband.

“Let me run that past the Board / Focus Group”  means I need to ask a question of my trusted circle of network partners and friends, or perhaps post a question to my Facebook community.  They all rock!

For the record, I don’t use my dad’s idea of “Planning Sessions” (a.k.a. A Nap after he got off shift at the Firehouse).  Though my own Strategic Planning Sessions often occur during my solitary inter-state travels. 

I occasionally have “interns” (my sons) help me with projects, and I tried to call a trip to our favorite local breakfast spot for Chocolate Chip pancakes a “Holiday Office Party”.  My accounting department is known for attention to rules and details, though, so that did not fly…

So, no matter what you call them, or where you complete them, your work and efforts are impressive and deserve respectable titles.  So far today, I attended an on-line Continuing Education Class, confirmed my clients for this week, completed client correspondence, logged my weekly hours in my tracking spreadsheet; wrote my blog and newsletter, and checked-in with my on-line community.  Now I need to get “some work done remotely” (a.k.a. go to the post office, bank and Target).

Take Care of Yourself, Today and Tomorrow

OK, everyone, raise your right hand (Yes, I mean it.).  Now reach around and pat yourself on the back. 

Because…. you are doing okay today.  You deserve it.  And because no one else may pat you on the back today.

I meet people every day who have self-critical internal sound tracks (a.k.a., the voices in your head).  And I, too, sometimes have to pause and realize when I have lost perspective and my own soundtrack has gotten crabby, critical or harsh.  I am pretty kind and forgiving with others, but very hard on myself.  Sound familiar?

Some client appointments start out with us giving ourselves a pat on the back for all the good we do.  We can’t all be good at everything, and I am happy to help my clients if they feel they are lacking the time, skills or motivation in the organizing department.  As I mentioned last week, though, we all have skills and good things about us, so keep those positive things in mind when re-writing that critical internal soundtrack!

Pat Today’s You on the back.  And be nice to Tomorrow’s You, too, with these ideas:     

Nurture positive relationships with your loved ones. 
As a teenager, I worked at a Hallmark Store in my hometown.  I bought and sent cards for everyone for everything!  I lost that habit for a while, but I have re-embraced the “personal note”, even if via email.  If you are thinking of someone, tell them.  If you are feeling grateful for someone, tell them that, too.  I have a stash of greeting cards in my desk, and I regularly send Thank-you notes and encourage (ok, require) my sons to send them, too.  A wonderful and crafty friend makes me hand-stamped note cards for the “Thinking of You” times.  It is always a good time to reach out to others.  

Invest in your Health. 
Take care of the health you were given.  I admit to having a lovely bakery Molasses cookie sitting next to me as I type this, but please don’t consider me a hypocrite.  It’s Mother’s Day as I write this, so the calories don’t count, right?

I hope the Future Me thanks Today’s Me for the sunscreen I apply every morning, the vitamin supplements I take, the good nutrition choices (aside from the cookie!) I make today.  I hope the 60 year-old Me smiles when she remembers the regularly scheduled doctors appointments and screenings I make time for today, and the exercise I try to fit in my busy schedule.  I know tomorrow’s Me is worth the time and effort today.

Don’t hold grudges.
Perhaps I am lazy, but I can’t seem to hold grudges.   They require too much effort and score keeping, and really, I have better things to do with my time.  I’m not suggesting we forgive and forget immediately, and or become a doormat.  Trust me, I am also not always the kind and loving person God calls me to be.  But sitting here, I can’t remember why the 20 year-old Me broke up with boyfriends long ago, nor can I muster negative feelings for friends and enemies from yesteryear.  I may feel indifference, perhaps, but not animosity.   I assume any wrong-doers from my past have evolved, as I think I have.  And if they haven’t, well, they still aren’t worth my time.  

By all means, learn from life experiences.  Then move on.

Pay attention to our Youth.
Our future lies in the hands of our young people.  Cliché?  Yes.  But still true.  Find out what kids are doing and why, and perhaps it is a really good idea you should try, too!   In a recent conversation, a parent said he would never bother to learn to text, that his daughter would just have to communicate to him as he chose.  This made me cringe, as I want to embrace any and all ways my kids have to communicate with me, so they will continue to do so!  Music, technology, books, ideas, style, I learn all sorts of things from my kids and their friends!

Nurture independence in your children, too, so that you will have something to learn from them, just as they learn from you. 

If you are a parent, recognize the importance of what you do today with your kids.  We can’t control who they will become, or what they may be when they grow up.  But we can control our choices today and how our relationship with them will thrive and evolve.

Get Organized.
You knew I would have to work that in to the conversation, right?  It is both Who I Am and What I Do, after all.  Lend Tomorrow’s You a hand, and Organize today.

I was called out-of-town last week, to help a family member with a house crisis (things are clearing up well, thanks.).  As I hopped on the expressway, I was so glad that Yesterday’s Me had:

  • Maintained client and personal contact information in my smart phone for making calls from another state;
  • Gassed up the car while running errands;
  • Set up the coffee maker on a timer for 6 am (a lovely way to wake up!);
  • Packed a nutritious, weight watchers friendly portable breakfast and travel snack bag;
  • Stopped at the library and picked up a book-on-tape for the ride;
  • Charged my electronics (cell phone and blue tooth piece, IPod); and
  • Laid out little league uniforms and baseball bags for the games.  
  • Last week, she also stocked the cabinets and freezer with food and set up a menu plan to make things run more smoothly.
  • Long term, yesterday’s Me also taught my boys to make breakfast, load and unload the dishwasher, and take care of things even though teaching takes more time than just doing it myself.  God bless the Me of yesterday!

Spend a little time today taking care of yourself and organizing your world, and you will thank yourself tomorrow!

“If I Had A Nickel…” Getting Buy-In From Your Family

       If I had a nickel for every time I was asked “How do I get my family to get and stay organized?” I’d be rich.  Perhaps you want to get organized, but you feel challenged with young children, your spouse, maybe even aging parents or grown-up children who are still / again living at home. 

     Remember, please, I am an organizer, not a parenting expert or marriage counselor (as my husband and kids will attest).

     We love our family members.  No one is broken, and No one needs fixed.   Each of us has strengths and skill sets.   And sometimes, a family member’s strength is NOT organizing.  Or maintaining systems, or even seeing how their actions or inactions affect others.   BUT, we need to be able to live together in shared space.   So, here are ways to gain cooperation or “Buy-In” from family members (or co-workers, employees, etc):

Determine Your Needs.  Not Wants, but Needs.  We need clothing and shelter, we want nice clothing and a big house.  Stating “Needs” instead of “wants” creates urgency.  For example, I want things to be pretty, but I need things to be organized.  So I am willing to spend effort and money on organizing first, and “pretty” later.  And I live in a house with all men and “pretty” is not a want for them.  So I stick with needs. 

Solve a Problem.  Identify specific problems in your household, and how organizing can solve each.  If the problem is “We’re always late”, organizing your time and Launch Pad better could help you be on time.  Focus on one specific challenge.  Resist trying and failing to change everything at once.

Get Clear in Your Own Vision so that you can communicate it to others. 

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” (Mahatma Gandhi)  Set the example.  This helps us to Speak From Experience, which lends us believability.  Be willing to step up and organize yourself if you are expecting others to get organized, too. 

Keep it Simple.  Keep your ideas and message simple, dispassionate and to the point.

Keep it Realistic.  Keep participant ages, skill levels, attention spans, etc. in mind when you ask for assistance.  Strive for little steps in the right direction instead of big global changes.  Also, don’t make organizing look so easy that no one will ever offer to help; or so difficult that no one will ever want to help.

Don’t Tell, Teach.   Remember Organizing is a process, and we often need to teach the process.  No one reads minds.  Lay out each person’s part of the process for them.   I learn more every day, and I do this for a living.  Understand there is a learning curve for all family members.  

Use Marketing to sell the Organizing Process:

  1. Make a statement, how every one is going to try this new idea.
  2. Make it a Team Effort.  And let everyone know they are needed.   
  3. Express the “Why”:  Why and how everyone will benefit.
  4. State the expectations for everyone.  (And mention that you are only human, and you, too, are feeling your way through these changes).
  5. Offer assistance and resources for your projects and to help others.

Find a Motivator.  Point to something personal, specific or tangible: More money?  Less stress?  Different stuff?   With kids, the motivators could be:

  • A better morning routine will get us out the door and on to activities sooner. 
  • Purge and sell your extra toys and games and use the money for a new game system.
  • If we clean out the basement, we can gain a play / recreation room.
  • If we get more organized, we can stop driving Mom crazy. (maybe that is just me…..)
  • If we prove we are responsible in one area, we can get xx or yy privilege. 
  • If we plan the menu and put stuff on the shopping list, we get foods we like, and the cabinets are full.
  • Use life transitions, like a new school year or moving from tween to teenager, to motivate change. 
  • My boys are growing, as is their understanding of the world around them. We try to do things because sometimes they are just “the right thing to do”.  Recognize motivators can change as people grow.
  • Take advantage of Summer Vacation.  Plan an organizing project per week, and offer a reward upon completion.  E.g., Clean out the garage this morning, play this afternoon.  Work on a new habit or behavior for a week, with a trip to Rainbow Cone at the end. 

If you can’t achieve Buy-In, create boundaries.  If a family member is unwilling to participate in the organizing efforts, allow chaos in their own room but not in common space.  And if they can’t keep common space organized, then limit access to that space (this works for kids, not so much for adults!!).

     So, be specific about your organizing projects, be a good advertiser for the process, and find creative ways to get your family members involved in the process.  You will gain assistance in the short-term, and a more organized family in the future!

Organize Your Kitchen: Tips from the Waffle Experts

     I was on vacation down South last month, and we had a great time!  We took the kids to a Waffle House Restaurant  on National Waffle Day (March 21, according to my son) for breakfast.  Are you familiar with Waffle Houses?   Ubiquitous and delicious along the highways and byways on the road-trips of my childhood. 

     Looking at the Waffle House now, though, as a mom and Professional Organizer, I admire them as a model of efficiency!   My experience in food service is limited to a summer job when I was 16, and, well, the 3 meals a day every day I have made and served for my family over the last 15 years.  But I love looking at restaurant kitchens, and at a Waffle House, there are not interior walls, so it is all out there for everyone to see.

      Spatially speaking, all the seating and tables are on one side of a half wall, and are accessible from the service / kitchen area by just reaching across the wall.  The staff can clean the table, re-set it, take orders and serve orders all without ever leaving the service / kitchen area. 

      The use of vertical space in the kitchen was great.  There was a cook space and counter space.  There was also a clever shelf above the counter and toasters, sloped inwardly towards the wall, to line up the various loaves of bread for easy access to pop slices into toasters. 

      Spices, seasonings and additions were in labeled bins above the cook surface.  Any cook working the current shift can see what is available, and what needs re-stocked.  The beverage center had a soda fountain with flavored syrups on a shelf above, coffee and a stand-up glass fronted cooler for the rest, all grouped together.

      The menu is not a broad menu, though you can get any menu item 24/7.  The Waffle House has figured out what it does well, and sticks with making just that.  My youngest son asked for a grilled cheese (why not?) and fries. The waitress said yes to the grilled cheese, but said “No Fries – how about hash browns?”  He was dubious, but turns out he loves hash browns!  The kitchen has a grill surface but no fry oil or oven.  So, hash browns it is!

      So, the morals of this story:

  1. Being organized lets you make the best use of what you have. 
  2. Use your vertical space.  Flat space is often at a premium, so use your vertical space to greatly increase your usable work space.
  3. Label things, especially if you want people to be able to help you and to put things away.
  4. Specialize, and stick with doing what you are really good at doing.
  5. You can learn from any experience, if you just pay attention.
  6. Waffles are good any day, not just on National Waffle Day.  Grilled cheese is good any time.

     And the last thing I learned?  If you order an egg white omelet in a Waffle House, you have to expect a kind smile and the label of “Yankee”.