Category: Motivation

Your Command Center: Knowledge is Power

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Every home needs a Command Center.  Your Command Center:

  1. Is one (and only one) centralized location to manage all information (paper and electronic) that enters and leaves your home or business.
  2. Is often a part of your Landing/Launch Pad (next blog topic!).  Command Centers are all about information, Landing / Launch Pads are all about stuff,

 Why do you need a Command Center?

  • Because life is complicated!  And lack of communication, resources or information complicates it further (“Houston, We Have A Problem”)!
  • Command Centers are all about information.  Knowledge is Power.
  • A Command Center makes life simpler, easier and better.  It
    • Keeps you informed and guides your actions.  Where to go, what to do, who is going, etc.
    • Keeps you informed as a family, with everyone working off the same information.
    • Keeps you prepared for whatever life may throw your way.
    • Helps you make good and informed decisions.
    • Enables you to act on your action items, like school papers, bills to pay, forms to complete, errands to run, etc.
    • Saves time, money and peace of mind by keeping vital info on your day-to-day life easy to find.

 What belongs on a Command Center? 

  • Communication or Message Boards:
    • Contact Lists, like soccer team rosters, phone trees and our permanent one with doctor’s numbers, neighbors, family members, poison control, school, etc. (I have all the info in my phone, but it is nice to have a reference for everyone else!).
    • Lists everyone’s use, like grocery lists, task or chore assignments, homework reminders.
    • Notes to each other:  “Band Practice After School”, “Late Meeting – be home by 7 pm”, etc, keeps things running smoothly around here!
  • Calendars
    • Menu plan for the week
    • Travel plans and itineraries
    • Schedules, like Band and sports teams
    • Reminders for upcoming events.  Our event reminders, like invitations or fliers from school, are clipped together in chronological order.  As soon as an event is completed, the reminder comes down and the next event reminder is now on top.
  • Paper (just some suggestions here!):
    • Shopping lists
    • Grocery lists
    • Receipts
    • Bills to pay
    • Errands to run (receipts for returns, mail to mail, papers to drop to other people)
    • Other to-dos, like calls to make
    • A folder for current house projects, to collect bids, contact information for contractors, etc.
  • Note: Many of my Command Center functions are on my smart phone and laptop in MS Outlook.  However, I want other family members to participate, so the same info is also available in my Command Center, accessible and visible to all family members.
    • There are great websites and apps out there, like www.Rememberthemilk.com, TaDalist.com and Todoist.com to manage tasks and schedules, and multiple members can have access.

What does a Command Center look like?

  • Let Function dictate your Command Center.  Make sure there is a place for communications, calendar and paper management, and perhaps an inbox or board for each family member.
  • Google “Command Center” and see what is available.  There are some ultra cool ideas out there, but resist the Racoon Response (don’t jump at something just because it is shiny and pretty!).
  • Surf around, grab some ideas and put together what works best for you.  Make sure your ideas work before investing $$.  Pre-fab or complicated Command Centers are not necessarily better tools, they are just more attractive.  Here are two cool examples, from Real Simple, easy to implement and not too pricey:
  • The kitchen or your family entrance are the most successful places to set up your Command Center.  It needs to be centralized and convenient or it won’t get used.
  • The refrigerator door seems an obvious place for a Command Center, but beware, magnetic clips can slide down the front if they get overloaded, and strongly shut doors can send everything flying (trust me on this one!).

So, spend a little time this week and think about what you want on your own Command Center, where you want it to be, and who should use it.  Then get creative!

Just A Bit More: Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers

       I “met” a great new idea for categorizing and organizing your wardrobe that I just have to share! 

       I really like what is in my closet and dress myself confidently.   Over the years, I have learned what I should and should not wear, which styles and colors and fabrics.  And last fall, around my birthday, I made a conscious decision to get dressed and ready every day, and then “Just a Little Bit More”.  A splash of flair, color, an accessory or scarf or something, to go just a bit further beyond the every-day. 

      I spend a lot of time in closets.  It sounds odd, but it is fun to say!  And however much I like my own wardrobe and style, I feel a twinge of concern when my organizing clients ask me for fashion advice in addition to organizational assistance.  I feel fashion and wardrobe are very personal decisions, and my specialty is organizing, not “What Not To Wear”.

     I have new language to use with my clients, though.  I took a great class with Darcey Howard , and in her words, everything in your closet should be either a Thriller, a Filler or a Spiller (this is a familiar approach to you gardeners out there, as well!). 

      Thrillers are the really great pieces that start an ensemble.  In my closet, the Thrillers are usually tops, like a well-fitting blouse or sweater in a really great color or pattern.  The Fillers in my closet tend to be the bottom halves of my ensembles.  My pants and skirts are relatively basic but fit nicely, lots of blacks and browns and dark blues, especially this time of year.  And the Spillers are the bling, the flair, the adornments and accessories that spill over and add drama.  So, in the interest of Just A Little Bit More, Organize your clothes with a thought to those Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers.

  1. As a starting point, in any closet project, you should make sure the current size and season are represented front and center.  Once that is done….
  2. Think about how you build your outfits.  Maybe you don’t think about this most days, so now is a great time to start!
  3. Move the really great stuff to the front of your closet, so that you are more likely to choose from the really great stuff, and not the same stuff every day.  Colors and styles should just leap out at you from this selection!  Pick your favorite 5 or 6 Thrillers, and make a plan to wear them this week. 
  4. Pair your Thrillers with your favorite Fillers.  Fillers don’t have to be boring, they just don’t generate the same strong feelings as your Thrillers and your Spillers.  Hang the paired Filler next to your favorite Thriller, and you have your outfits put together for the week! 
  5. Now that your outfits are almost done, choose the Spillers.  The belt, the shoes, the scarf or jewelry (sorry, men, the tie and accessories) that really pull the whole ensemble together and make it sing.   
  6. I moved the Spillers, those little items that add drama like my scarves and accessories to the hooks on my closet door, visible the first moment I open the door.
  7. And of course, if you have items that really don’t fit into any of the three categories, then it is unlikely it will ever get worn.  So let it go!!  Donate it or sell it at a consignment shop, but don’t waste your time or closet space on it any longer!

     Congratulations!  Your closet is now set up to help you shine.  Add some color or interest to your ensembles during these dark and cold days of winter.  A little goes a long way, “Just a Little Bit More”!

Let Your Brain Do Its Job! 5 Ways to Tame the Monkey Mind

(Original post 2011, edited in 2022!)

The tagline for my company is Organizing for Your Peace of Mind.  Early on, I realized that I am not just selling my time and expertise to my clients, I am providing Peace of Mind.  And I know this because I am constantly learning how to find it for myself, too. 

    I learned the term “Monkey Mind” years ago.  The term monkey mind comes from Buddhist monks to describe our racing thoughts, and it aptly describes my thought process some mornings!  (I like this mental image, too with the monkeys swinging from tree to tree.)   

    But our brain helps us survive and solve problems.  So, if given information, time and opportunity, our monkey mind / brain will come up with solutions for us.  Here are 5 Ways to Tame Your Monkey Mind, and Let Your Brain Do Its Job!

1.  Dump the Monkeys.  David Allen in Getting Things Done suggests writing down every idea running around your head on a piece of paper, a new piece for each idea. Then sort the papers (ideas) into categories –Kids, Work, Specific Work Projects, Personal achievements, Tasks, etc.  I like technology and achieve the same results with the Evernote where I keep my Daily Task List and also the specific ones, like Client Care, Classes or Tiger Scouts.  When the monkey mind overwhelms me, I dump all my ideas on one long un-edited list, then cut and paste the items into their various topic areas.  Next time I sit down to work, I open the Note topic I am looking for, and all those ideas are ready and waiting for me to take action.

2.  Take a Break:  If I lack focus and a clear next step to take, it is often because I need to take a break.  If I am with a client, we take a moment to talk and re-establish our goals for our appointment.  If I am at home, my favorite breaks are short and to the point, so I can get back to work in a timely manner.  I may water my plants, grab a cup of tea, eat an apple, get the mail, file or take out the trash.  I DO NOT check my email or Facebook in the middle of a work session, for if I do, I may never make it back to work!  But  5 minutes to walk around, take a breath, and re-direct are what I need to help me leave the frazzled behind and find new insights.

3.   Take A Nap:  My college roomies will attest, I made it through senior year with power naps.  Most of my upper level Management courses were evening classes, and I had a daytime job and responsibilities that kept me from sleeping in.  So 30 minutes at 4 pm helped me to stay alert and focused for those 3 hour classes!  A few weeks ago, I sent myself to my room for a 20 minute time-out, when my kids and my thoughts were all running around too fast to figure out what to do next.  I came back a calm, pleasant and focused person!

4.  Throw the monkeys off track, and do something completely unrelated.  My most relaxed times are while I am hiking, taking a shower, practicing my flute, or reading books with my youngest son.  During these activities the monkey mind moves to the back of my consciousness, and has a chance to solve pressing problems without my direct involvement.  Luckily, I keep a dry erase marker in the bathroom to jot notes on the mirror, or keep my smart phone with me to jot down task items or ideas as they come to me (except during reading time, that’s just for me and my little guy).  

5.  Do One Thing.  One thing, even if it is not the right or perfect thing, is still progress.  “We can’t do everything at once, but we can do something at once.”  – Calvin Coolidge

Please share any other suggestions for Calming the Monkey Mind, I would love to know what works for you!

Clutter’s Not Just Stuff, It’s Unmade Decisions

      Clutter is not stuff.  Did you know that?  Pretty bold statement for a professional organizer who gets paid to get rid of clutter, I know.  You and I have all sorts of stuff in our house that is completely needed, used and appreciated.  And we have clutter.  What makes one pile of stuff useful, and one pile of stuff clutter?

     Clutter is not just stuff, it is also decisions waiting to be made.  An item is clutter because we have not decided where to put it, when to put it there, or if it just needs to completely leave our lives.

     When I work with my clients, we make lots of decisions.  Some are new decisions, and some are the same decision, over and over again.  We stand side by side, look at every item, and decide where to put it, when to put it there, and what needs to leave the space forever.

     Good Decision Making requires having confidence in your decision, and we can learn how to make Decisions.  Here’s how: 

  1. Weigh your options.
    • Write a list of pros and cons.  Sometimes the visual of 2 lists, one much longer than the other, can lead us to the right decision.
    • Some pros or cons are more important than others, so you may need to add a scoring system with extra stars or circles around the really important ones, to give them their proper emphasis!
    • With a list, you are compelled to:   See both sides of the equation, a very important part of decision-making; and Support both sides of your own debate, which will help you focus on the things most important to you.
  2. Ask the experts:  consumer guides, customer reviews, message boards, all are great places to check out.  
    • When one client is looking for a new car, she gets input from 2 car-savvy friends.   The 2 friends recommend the best 4 or 5 cars among her type, based on price, safety, reliability, etc., and then my clients test drives those 4 or 5, and decides which one feels right. She goes with her gut, but only after she relies on the experts. 
    • Do the research (become more of an expert yourself)
  3. Go with your Intuition, but Be Self Aware – check your self:
    • Get to the heart of it.  If you are agonizing over 2 candidates for the position of assistant, are the candidates the problem, or is the fear of change or relinquishing of control?
    • If you are agonizing over a paint color for your child’s room, is the color really the problem?  Or is it the upheaval we feel when part of our house is disrupted for a time (like with construction or painting projects)?  Or the money it will cost to hire a painter? or not knowing anyone who is a painter? or even sadness that your child is growing up?
    • Acknowledge all the reasons for the delay, but get back to it as soon as possible.  You still have to decide, no matter how hard it is!
  4. Be someone else for a moment:   What would (insert name of someone you respect here) do?
  5. Ask yourself this question:
    • What is the worst thing that could happen if you make the wrong decision?   
    • If the answer is “Nothing much…”, then just make the decision, and get on with it.
    • If the answer is something huge, like “my child will get a poor education and not do well in life”, then that Decision gets a lot of time and effort and research.
  6. What is the worst thing that can happen if you don’t make any decision at all?  This question came up with a client just yesterday.  It’s very powerful!  My client was deciding between two medical alert systems.  If she prolonged the decision, she would continue to live without one of these systems, which could leave her unprotected.  The fear of not having anything in place motivated her to decide quickly, knowing she could always upgrade later.
  7. We can always change our mind later.  Avoid perfectionism – not every decision will be perfect, and that is OK.
  8. Sometimes we only need to make part of the decision “Yes, we will go on vacation this year, so I need to get the time off from work and start saving money”.  The “Where” part can wait.  
  9. Learn, learn, learn from the process.  Learn more about yourself with every tough decision.  Keep those lists of pros and cons, and review them when you faced with other difficult decisions. 

    What are some decisions you have agonized over?  And how did you make the decisions, in the end?  Make your decisions, and move your life forward.  Don’t let those unmade decisions clutter your life!

National Clean Off Your Desk Day!

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    The second Monday of January is National Clean Off Your Desk Day (Yes, it’s real, I am not just making that up!).  So embrace the day, and clean off that desk!  Set yourself up to succeed:

  1. Clear an hour on the schedule, grab a trash can, a couple of recycling bags and a shredder.
  2. Designate a box for old electronics that need to leave (check my recycling guide for destinations), and a bag for items that need to go to someone else.  
  3. This is not “Get Everything Done Day”.  The goal for today is to set up your Desk and space to succeed.  Stack work to be done to one side and note your To-Dos as they occur to you on a pad of paper at hand. 
  4. Set up some empty vertically held file folders, either in a hanging folder file drawer or in a holder on your desk.  Files standing up are ready to receive info, instead of piling them flat.  As soon as files fall flat, they start to pile up.

Getting It Done:

  1. If you have the space and time, clear everything off the desk and put back only what you really want to keep. 
  2. If time and space don’t permit clearing your desk top entirely, then Start at the Left side of your desk, and work to the right.  That way, if you get distracted, you can pick back up where you left off. 
  3. Clear clutter.  Work through each pile, deciding to “Keep” (for example, To-Do’s, file, long-term storage, keep but put in a different room or desk) or “Toss” (options may include recycle, shred, reference for other people, just plain garbage, donate).   And wipe off your desk at some point, it is amazing how dusty it gets!
  4. Do not get distracted by other tasks to be done, just jot down those other tasks, and focus on clearing clutter and restoring your work space.

 Things to Remember:

  1. Your desk top is prime and valuable real estate, like beach front property.  Dedicate your desk top to work, not to clutter. 
  2. Use Horizontal space for work space, and Vertical Space for storage.  The more you can store close at hand above your desk on shelves or in cabinets, the more desk top space you will free up for work space.
  3. Move electronics off your desktop, if possible.  Stack your printer or scanner on a shelf or stacker to open up desk space.  I have my All-In-One on a stacker, and store my project baskets beneath the stacker

 What Does and Does Not Belong on your Desk:

  1. Does:  Lap top / Computer
  2. Does Not:  Out-dated data storage, un-identifiable computer or accessory cords or connectors, non-functioning electronics of any kind.  Beach front property, remember?
  3. Does:  Papers / files / binders for projects you will work on today and this week
  4. Does Not: Books or reading materials you are not currently reading 
  5. Does: Today’s coffee cup or water bottle, in a tip / spill proof container (voice of experience here!)
  6. Does Not:  Any beverage or food item older than a few hours.  And certainly not a Candy Dish (mainly because it will be tempting to eat the whole thing!)
  7. Does:  Pens / Pencils / scissors / stapler / letter opener that you use regularly. 
  8. Does Not:  More than 10 of any type of pen, pencil or tool. 
  9. Does:   One useful container paper clips or binder clips.  Just one.  And it has to actually be functional, not just cute.   And maybe one useful container for spare change.   Just one.
  10. Does Not:
    1. Shoes, unless you are a cobbler (yes, I’ve really seen this)
    2. Houseplants.  Move them to a shelf or a table near by.  The water overflow and dirt dump potential make these bad desk-top choices.
    3. Candles.  Shifting piles of papers, open flame, yikes.
    4. Photos.  Hang these on the wall or on a shelf nearby.  Desk top space is at a premium, and I can see photos on the wall better, anyway.
    5. Legos, Matchbox Cars and Goldfish, living or crackers (or maybe this is just my desk)

Ways to Maintain that lovely clear desk space:

  1. Make it Easy for things to leave:
    1. Leave the garbage and recycling cans and shredder nearby.  Make an appointment with yourself to use them, and to empty all of those receptacles once a week (Thursday morning for me).
    2. Leave a Donate Bin (for example, for books or old and obsolete electronics) and an Errand folder (for mail to mail, bank deposits, etc.) nearby, to help things leave your office in a timely manner.
  2. Plan to convert subscriptions for professional journals or magazines to an on-line option, and purge all the old ones, since many are available on-line for free or as part of your subscription price
  3. Cut down on your paper consumption.  If you have a paper Filing System that you like, duplicate the system and file names on your computer hard drive (and back-up often, of course!!).  For example, instead of printing an email with a marketing idea and putting it in a folder for later, I can save the same email to a “Marketing Ideas” subfolder on my laptop.  This makes it easier to retrieve, convenient to cut and paste info as needed, and my desk stays neater. 

Here’s to a cleaner desk!  Have fun!

I’m Not Calling Them Resolutions.

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I get all fired up this time of year, but I just read a statistic that 44% of adult Americans make New Years Resolutions (original publication date 2011!) Hmmm.  Less than half.   So, odds are, if I write about resolutions, the information will resonate with less than half of you, and may actually irritate the others. In an informal poll of my household (ok, I asked my husband), my own research supports the 44% statistic, or close to half, as I set  them and my hubby does not.

So my challenge to you is not to Create Resolutions.  This will be the last time today I mention New Year and Resolutions.  Let’s just talk about Goals, Objectives and Outcomes. 

Objectives are small specific steps to reach a Goal.  Goals are larger, broader specific steps to achieve a desired Outcome.  Outcomes are the behavioral changes we want our goals to cause in us and in others.  In my time writing for a non-profit organization, I learned Outcomes are a more important and useful measurement of success than goals.  Outcomes get at the “Why” we should do something or work towards a certain goal. 

I am always a willing guinea pig, so let’s use my desired Outcome to “Stay Well and Get Strong” (it is).  My “Why” is to feel better, fit my clothes better, stay strong to live a long good life with my family, and others I don’t need to share.   

As examples, Specific Goals (broad statements) on the path to “Stay Well and Get Strong” are:

  1. Take my Nutritional Supplement Every Day
  2. Decrease my Caloric Intake
  3. Increase my activity level
  4. Add Strength Training to my exercise schedule
  5. Get Sleep

Objectives, or smaller and more specific steps, to help me achieve these goals include:

  1. Set up my nutritional supplement and vitamins for the week to make them more convenient to take (add a pill sorter to my grocery list).
  2. Fill and refrigerate reusable water bottles to make it more convenient, and therefore more likely, that I will drink more water and decrease my caloric intake (done).
  3. Rid fridge and cabinets of high calorie holiday food, and replace with healthier options (done).
  4. Add one more fresh fruit or vegetable option to every meal, to increase nutrition and decrease calories.
  5. Sign up for tennis lessons (done).
  6. Set up a viewing screen in front of the treadmill, to encourage use on these cold January days (I despise walking inside, but I can’t not work out until Spring comes to Chicago!).
  7. Add a weight lifting area, print information on proper form and exercises, and a grid for tracking time spent and number of reps.
  8. Get back to my 10 pm bed time / 10:30 lights out habit, now that the holidays are over.

So, Imagine your Outcomes, Set your Goals and Determine your Objectives.  Ways to make them work:

  1. Get all members involved in the planning if the goals and outcomes are for more than just you.
  2. Write them down and hang them up!  Writing them down makes our Goals real, and hanging them up keeps them right in front of us as we make decisions throughout the day.
  3. Be Realistic.  Unrealistic goals for me would be singing in a band (regrettably), playing for a woman’s basketball team, or quitting my real life and moving to Tibet.  As would losing 50 pounds or earning a million dollars this month.  Be realistic when imagining Outcomes and Goals.
  4. Be specific in your Objectives. “Work Better”:  not specific.  “Get through all new email by 10 am”, “write a book chapter every week” or “make one cold sales call every day”, much more specific. 
  5. Positive:  Make a positive statement with your Outcomes and Goal.  State what you will gain from making this behavioral change, not what you will lose.
  6. Imagine Outcomes and Set Goals that are meaningful to you, that you are passionate about.  You will be more likely to commit to them.  Make sure they are For You, and not for someone else’s dream of how you need to change and what you need to do.

     These are ideas for any time of year, not just these first few days.  Imagine your Outcomes, Set your Goals and get cracking on those Objectives!  Happy New Year!

1978’s Blue Velour Running Suit

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     I will admit to you, I still have Christmas Shopping to do.  I will finish later today, from the comfort of this very desk chair, after everyone is snug in their beds, settled down for a long winter’s nap, with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, etc.

    I boycotted all malls back in October, and have not (and will not) darkened the doors of one this holiday season.  So Amazon.com and the internet are my mall of choice, and I may invite Jim the UPS delivery guy to Christmas dinner, he’s been so important to my holiday happiness this year. 

     We employ the Amazon.com wish lists for all of us, and I installed the very useful Universal Wish List button on my browser a few weeks ago, for those items not found at Amazon.com but still centrally located on the amazon wish list.  I have items to purchase off-list and off-line, but I will be Keeping the Green in Evergreen (my village’s slogan) and shopping small local stores for these off-line items.  For shopping specifics, check out my November Blog about Shopping, Deals and Receipts.  I have been very happy to find that most on-line retailers I have been using are offering great promotions and / or free shipping. 

     Sometimes, it is the WHAT TO BUY Question that gets in the way this time of year.  I clearly remember receiving a dark blue velour (it was the 70’s) jogging suit from my Uncle John, and loving it.  He would buy everyone the same thing for Christmas, so 10 jogging suits in different colors and sizes, and he was done.  As a kid, I thought it was sort of funny, but today I recognize what a great idea that was!  So, if you are scratching your head for gift ideas, try a theme:

  • Charitable donations in a loved one’s name or to their favorite charity
  • One big Family gift, like a DVD player, Wii, ice cream maker, etc.
  • Family fun:  Board games, popcorn maker and bucket, hot cocoa ingredients
  • Events or Non-material gifts, such as Museum memberships, Theater or movie tickets, restaurant gift certificates, etc.
  • Sleep: Everyone gets new PJs, robe and slippers, books, blankets, alarm clocks or herbal tea
  • Reading:  Books or How-To Kits, book lights, Magazine subscriptions  
  • Photography:  Frames for some, cameras for others, digital picture key chains, digital picture frames, scrapbook kits, photography classes, you name it!
  • Vacation destination souvenirs
  • Electronics:  everyone really likes toys – no matter their age
  • Automotive:  Car Wash, driving gloves, car organizers, thermal coffee go-mugs, sunglasses
  • Movies:  DVD players (big or portable), movie tickets, DVDs, trivia games

     Tomorrow night, after everyone is in bed, I’ll put on my I-Pod with my Christmas mix,  set up the gift wrapping table and pull out my supplies; gift wrap or bags, tissue paper, tape, ribbons, scissors, tags and a pen.  I’ll open up the shipping boxes that have arrived and start wrapping their contents, then sort the wrapped gifts into large boxes per destination (Christmas eve at Grandma’s, Christmas Morning with my kids, Christmas Day with my in-laws, Day After Christmas with my family) and grab the box I need as the event nears.  Wrapping things now saves me in a number of ways:

  1. Everything will be done and ready by the end of the week, giving me more time to relax next week!
  2. If I need supplies for wrapping, I’ll find out now instead of 11 pm Christmas Eve, and I’ll add the supplies to my grocery list for this week.
  3. If I have any more gifts to purchase, batteries to add, etc., I’ll find that out now, too, while I still have time solve any problems. 

Have fun with your gift giving and wrapping, and Uncle John:  Merry Christmas and Thanks!

GPS for the Christmas Season

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I was introduced to a car GPS system this past week.  My hubby got one, and I also traveled around the Chicago area with some out-of-town guests who used one in their car, and Wow, what a handy gadget!  A smooth voice tells you exactly what turns to make and when, and what the steps are to successfully reach your destination.   This little tool does all this while simultaneously alerting you to traffic trouble or the next gas station / rest room / eatery.   

 That smooth voice is never without a suggestion.  She does not judge your driving, nor get angry when you ignore her instructions and go your own way for a while.  My favorite part of the GPS?  “Re-calculating”.    The smooth voice does not throw up her GPS hands or shake a finger at you in exasperation when things don’t go as planned, she just… Re-Calculates.

We have fun in the car, pretending what the voice would say if she was real: “LEFT!  I said take a LEFT!”, but instead she is always calm and soothing, and simply offers the next logical suggestion to help you reach your destination. 

At all times, I let my motto of “Service to God, Family and Community, in that Order” guide my decisions.  But this Christmas season, my internal Colleen-voice will also whisper “Re-calculating….”.  Often. 

Take a breath, clean up the mess, sing the Christmas carol, welcome the friend, care for the stranger, order the gift, and get it all done.  And when things don’t go as planned, and assuredly, sometimes they won’t, I’ll try not to get distracted or frustrated.  I will just… Re-Calculate.

Inspiration on the Indiana Toll Road

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A loved one asked me over the weekend if I had a trick for getting people over their procrastination.  I replied “If I did, I’d be rich!”  I wish it were as simple as a trick, but for most of us, conquering procrastination is any thing but simple. 

     In my role as an organizer, I can tell you what to do, how to do it, and why you should.  I can even stand next to you, and do it with you.  You know what you should do to Get Things Done, what you Need to do.  But YOU have to ACT.   There are resources available to help, but you have to act. 

     Pondering the question again later, I was reminded of two words, from high school physics and college Psych courses, Inertia and Insanity:

  • Inertia is “the name for the tendency of an object in motion to remain in motion, or an object at rest to remain at rest, unless acted upon by a force. This concept was quantified in Newton’s First Law of Motion” (from About.com). 
  • And a common definition of Insanity “is doing the same things over and over again, and expecting a different outcome.”
  • Hmmm… maybe they are both In- words because I was on the In-diana toll road?

     These two words were rolling around in my head as I rolled down the highway.  Inertia keeps us moving if we are moving, but also keeps us stopped if we are stopped.  And insanity keeps us trying (or avoiding) the same things over and over, expecting different results. 

       I think two parts of procrastination are

  1. Lack of Action, because that is our habit and we are used to it; and
  2. Not learning from our experience, doing things the same way all the time even with poor results. 

Find Your Motivator:
When starting a project or looking at a life change, look inside, and find your motivator – improving your health?  Saving or making Money?  An upcoming event or life change?  Desire for respect or admiration?  Your Self motivation?  Image?  These are all great motivators – find yours and use it (there can be more than one, of course)!

Acknowledge your Hurdles:
When the inertia of procrastination sets in, be ready to ask yourself “What is holding me back?”  Are you tired, hungry, bored, depressed, distracted, overwhelmed?  Then ask yourself, “Will I let any of these trivial and passing annoyances de-rail my plans or my progress?”  No way!  So, get cracking! 

Make Your Mantra:
Changing your internal soundtrack can go a long way to conquering procrastination.  Once you know your motivator, be ready to remind yourself –  a lot! – of what is motivating you, what you will gain from finishing your project, and how great you will feel when your project is complete.   Remind yourself, too, that reaching your goal in lots of little steps is still progress.  And often, little pieces are less overwhelming and more manageable than big chunks.  

Finally, remember, there are two parts of the definition of Inertia.  True, when we are stopped we tend to stay stopped, but once in motion, we tend to stay in motion.  I found Inspiration on the Indiana tollroad, to overcome the inertia and insanity of procrastination.

168 Hours A Week, 1440 Minutes a Day

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     If you and your calendar are feeling stretched thin or maxed out, maybe it is time to take a look at your Time Management practices.  There are three Questions to ask yourself:  What tasks can only I do?  and what can someone do for me?   Finally, what is the most important thing right now? 

If you need to make some breathing room in your schedule…

1.  Outsource whenever possible.

  • I love providing for my family, but I hate shopping.  Lately, the physical act of acquiring more stuff in a store drives me crazy.     
  • So I resolved to put the joy back in my holiday planning, and shop on-line as much as possible.  I am willing to pay a little more in shipping, just to save my sanity while finding the great gifts.
  • What Can Only You Do:
    • Be the family member to your kids, spouse, parents, siblings; 
    • Your professional life;
    • Mail / To Do List / Bill Paying
    • Decision Making / Big Picture (leaving implementation to outsourced person)
  • What Can someone else do?  There are always things that you can pay someone else to do.  Clean your yard or your house, shop for or wrap your gifts, cater your parties.  All of these things require an exchange of $$ for convenience and expertise, but that exchange may be worth it, if it helps you out.  You do not have to solve every problem yourself.  There are trained professionals and technological wonders that can solve problems for you!  
  • I am not a crafty person (at all).  My creative friend dropped off my lovely new hand crafted gift certificates to me today, just in time for the holidays.  The exchange of money for services is totally worth it!
  • Be ready to relinquish some control, in the interest of getting help / getting things done.

2.   This may sound crazy coming from a professional organizer, but don’t do a task just because it needs done. 

  • I just went out to check the mail, and I notice my yard needs raked.  The street department will come soon to clear the curb side, it looks messy to me, it just needs raked.  And I like to rake (don’t tell anyone).
  • But I, Colleen, also have a really important meeting in 2 hours that I need to prepare for, and I need to get dinner on the table before I leave.
  • So I tack “Rake” on to my kids’ to-do list for after school, and I get ready for my meeting.   I have more than one thing that needs done right now, so one task has to take priority.
  • Take care of tomorrow and this week before you worry about something in 2011!

3.  If there is a task on your To-Do list that is a gate to other things, get it done.

  • Putting my son’s Christmas Lists on Amazon.com will help my family members get started on their To-Do lists, so at some point today, that task will take top priority and it will get done.  
  • I have to send out an email query about an event coming up, so I can get final numbers and start preparing for it.  The numbers influence the final outcome, so I had better write that email!

4.  Why can’t we just get started?  

  • I am a perfectionist.  Honestly, you probably are, too.  I often struggle with not having the time I need to finish a task exactly the way I want it to be finished.  So, then it gets put aside again and again, waiting for that perfect opportunity. 
  • Let me be the first to tell you, Perfect is an illusion for we humans.  It is reserved for God, not us.  So perfect opportunities may never come.  And our tasks may never get done, if we keep waiting.
  • A very smart person at a meeting last week asked “Why can’t we get started on this great idea now, instead of waiting 4 weeks until our next meeting?”  Turns out, there was no reason why we could not get started.  So we did!
  • Just Do It.  Don’t wait for perfect, don’t wait at all.  Value “getting it done”! 

5.  Make things simpler.

  • Helped loved ones move out of their home over the weekend.  At one point, one of them walked back into the now empty, cleared-out house and asked if he could stay.  His garage had never been that spacious, his kitchen never that uncluttered!  Simple seemed very appealing.
  • It is never too late to clear clutter, either from your house, your schedule or your mind.  It is always a good idea!
  • Eliminate clutter, and don’t replace it (see last week’s Pantry Shopping blog article!).

I challenge you to look at your next 168 hours a little differently!  Have a great week.