Category: Organized Family

Plot Twist: Start With The Big Project!

Leave a comment

I had a massage recently with a new therapist. It went very well. I greatly appreciate professionals and their skills. This person is new to my chiropractor’s office. If you live near me and need a referral for chiropractic or massage or nutritional supplements, this office does it all! DM if you want to know more!

Not surprisingly, if you know me, this new-to-me massage therapist and I chatted during my massage. I wanted to get to know more about her and her philosophy and skill set. And she used some strategies I had not experienced with other massage therapists, some stretching and activation. It was really amazing. I asked a lot of questions, because what else am I going to do while I lay there? As we discussed what she was doing, she mentioned that she starts with the biggest muscles in the muscle group and then moves on down to the smallest.

For her purposes, starting with the biggest muscle in the group means everything gets progressively easier after that. All the other smaller ones that come after, in the same area, start to relax as well before she even gets to them because they’re attached to the biggest.

I am not a medical person, but this perspective made me think, as things often do, where else could I apply this nugget? And surely, “Start with the Biggest” sometimes applies to coaching, organizing, professional and personal development. And this shift in perspective challenges me to suggest that sometimes we need to Start With the Big Project!

Why that is noteworthy is because very often, “Start with the Big Project” is not my typical advice to give or my own route to take. I will often offer the advice to start with the easiest or quickest challenge to solve.

Let’s say, for example, that I have five projects in front of me. Some are going to take a really long time and have multiple steps and some can be accomplished and completed quite quickly. So I might reommend and also prioritize for myself to start working on the ones that will come with the boost, the dopamine rush, of quick completion. We go with the quickest because we get that feeling of accomplishment and cross something off the list sooner. We prioritize short duration instead of long.

Another way to prioritize our projects is easy versus hard. A project can be easy even if it’s complex and that might be where you want to start, because even though there’s a lot of steps, they’re really simple or familiar to you. Nothing new, no new skills to learn. Easy projects are straightforward with familiar steps to take, requiring little extra resources or are not physically or mentally taxing.

Prioritizing easy over hard, quick over slow. And there’s big versus small. Right? What makes a big project Big? Perhaps you or I have to learn new things or dedicate resources like money and time and people power to the Project. Maybe they are physically or mentally or emotionally taxing, or they are not typical, or they require more input from others or more decision making. And therefore, we don’t sart with “big” and I won’t always start with big with my clients.

But this new massage therapist challenged me to shift and realize or remember the benefits to starting Big!

Because… starting with the Big Projects makes the small projects go more smoothly.

Because… Big projects have often waited the longest.

Because… Big Projects sometimes has the biggest ROI, too, or yield the biggest positive results!

And I can remind myself that even if I start the Big Project today, I don’t have to also expect to finish the Big Project today. But at least I started it!

I am being intentionally vague as I talk about Our Big Projects, yours and mine, because maybe it’s a professional project, or maybe a personal project or a home project. That is up to you!

A personal example, though, to show the point:

The other day, we were discussing a house project for this summer. My husband, one of my son’s who is home between contracts for another week, and myself. It’s going to be a big project. AND it is going to open up a lot of opportunities when it is completed.

We are going to shuffle ownership of two bedrooms. That means moving people’s things around, purging a few pieces of furniture and purchasing a few others. Do we need to paint? Don’t know. There will definitely be taking things off some walls and hanging things on other walls. There will be a lot of moving pieces, metaphorically and literally, and the end result will be a major improvement. This project has been needed for a long time. And the longer we wait, the more complicated it becomes. Once this project is squared away, many other things will fall into place. Completing this big project makes the smaller projects afterwards much easier.

Kind of like my massage therapist mentioned, right? Releasing the biggest muscle in the muscle group makes the smaller muscles easier to work with. Tackling the big project first provides dedicated workspace that I don’t have to move in and out of anymore. I can set up a permanent recording space for videos and social media. And maybe even a permanent yoga space, which will help personally. We will move beds around and purchase another queen size bed which provides more space for guests.

And I will remind you and me, I did not say we will immediately complete the Big Projects. Starting the big project is the first part of the process. It can make everything behind it go faster, but we don’t have to expect to complete it immediately as well. Back to the analogy of my massage therapist, she tackles the big muscles first so that other muscles feel relieve and things go more smoothly. I don’t expect to both start and finish Big Projects immediately, but I need to get it started. Why? Because it’s Big. It’s going to take a while! And somtimes that reason and others makes us stop or avoid or procrastinate, but those strategies keep us from growing and succeeding.

As in massage, Those big muscles hurt more because they are big, but everything is better after.

Three ideas to helps us Start with the Big Project!

First, let’s remember that every big project is a series of small projects. Remembering that makes those big projects less scary. It doesn’t necessarily make them any smaller, but it definitely shifts our perspective and makes them feel more doable. Which will help us to start and also to keep going!

Second, as we think about tackling our big projects, let’s remember our Wins! Big Projects may be a lot of work, but there are often a lot of benefits that come along with them! Imagining the Wins keeps us motivated when the work gets hard or requires time and energy and resources.

Maybe your internal script sounds like this: When I am overwhelmed, because it is overwhelming, I can remind myself that even though there’s chaos in the midst of the project, once it is done, I will be able to do X, Y and Z better, faster, quicker, easier. And that will make my life better in this way and this way and this way and this way.

So, let’s indentify those Big Projects! And, if it is time, Let’s Start With The Big Project! Because, and here is the third point, because we have waited long enough. Because everything after will be a little easier and the payoff will be worth it. Because we have to start the project if we ever hope to finish it, and at least we can say we Started!

And thanks to Simona for the perspective shift and great massage. See you again in a few weeks.

“Good Enough” Is Better Than Not At All

Good enough destinations, inspired by and with thanks to my client P.

We want to be right, right? But we can also be right enough, close enough, good enough. That is my premise for today.

These days, I don’t always write or record conversations about clutter. But a client conversation and a recent Downsizing Presentation reminded me of some points that I want to share this week!

Clutter exists in our physical space, and also our mental space, our emotional space. Perhaps we are making progress towards clearing that clutter, but sometimes that progress slows down, or gets hung up or halted for some reason. Often, that slowdown or hangup is because of decision making and perfectionsim. So let’s look at that.

Clutter in our lives is often a reflection of other things in our lives. A symptom of other challenges, perhaps. And we can delve deeper to examine those other challenges another time, but we can also still make progress without examining the deeper work because let’s face it – we likely all agree, clutter negatively impacts our thoughts, emotions, frame of mind and more.

I have shared before how our physical environments influence our wellness and health. How having clutter can negatively impact our mental and physical health. Having clutter increases symptoms of depression, anxiety, bipolal disorder, ADHD, heart disease, diabetes, and the list goes on. And, that in addition to impacting our mental and physical health, clutter can lead to unsafe or unsanitary situtations. Clutter harbors mold, mildew, dust and other allergens, and it can physically be unsafe if it causes us to stumble or it falls on us, or increases fire risks in extreme sitations.

And, turning all of that around, Clearing Clutter decreases depression, anxiety, symptoms of bipolar disorder and ADHD, improves symptoms of heart disease and diabetes, improves air quality in our homes, sleep quality and overall safety.

Without needing to delve into trauma or personality or neurodiversity, those deeper challenges, we can still clear SOME clutter almost any day. Because we know that having less clutter improves our quality of life in these ways and more.

And yet.

Here’s the thing. I know amazing people and you are one of them! And very often I have conversations with my clients, neighbors, friends or family members, and they all want to part with their clutter to reap the beneifts and live better. But we get stuck on wanting to part with clutter but only in the Right Way or a perfect way, whatever that means. And we delay the positive benefits by waiting around for or puzzling over that one perfect solution, and waiting around for perfect keeps us from taking ANY steps to declutter, which keeps us mired in our clutter and its negative effects.

We focus on finding the perfect solution for parting with our clutter; making lots of money; finding someone who will value this item greatly, like we did when we first bought it 20 years ago; finding the MOST WORTHY cause to donate our items. And we still live in clutter and chaos because these unicorns, these perfect solutions, might not actually exist. Choosing to live with clutter is not logical, when we know the benefits, so let’s look at decision making logically.

I was coaching with a client in December, discussing her work and progress in clearing clutter in the different areas of her home. She wants to live in a cleaner and safer space, and also wants to enjoy her home more. And improve air quality to help with her asthma. And clear some spaces for some home imprements like electrical or plumbing work, or painting.

And as we were talking through her spaces, she metioned some very specific items that she wanted to part with. As soon as she mentioned them, I had three very specific ideas of non-profit organizations that we could donate the items to, but each would require a phone call or an appointment or renting a truck to drop things off, etc. But – let’s recall – we were seeking solutions and I did not want to add to my client’s burdens. So as we discussed possible solutions, I also suggested that we seek some combination of the perfect solutions for some things and also “Good enough” solutions. To help her make the progress she desires while also seeking perfect solutions, if we happen to find them.

Yes, for truly meaninful items, we may continue to seek a perfect destination for our stuff. But most of our stuff isn’t truly meaningful. So what this client and I discussed was creating a rubric, path or process for deciding “Good Enough” solutions to clearing her clutter as she works through the different storage spaces in her home. A decision-making matrix.

Here are some of the questions we came up with, for her and the rest of us, when we determine we no longer want an item, or an item in our home needs to leave.

I like money, money’s nice. Question 1 then, Is the item returnable? And if it is, is the hassle worth it? Meaning, the amount of money we would receive for returning the items is more that the time and effort it takes to return in. (For example, if an item is returnable but requires special shipping or transportation, and the cost of those eats up the money we woud have received in return).

Question 2, Is the item sellable? And is the hassle worth it? Like returning an item, will the amount of money for selling an item be more than the time and effort it takes to sell it? For example, Beanie Babies or bobble heads or beer steins. I’ve had many difficult conversations with clients and loved ones regarding collectibles and their believed worth. Unfortunately, items that we believe are sellable and worth lots of money sometimes… are not.

And, there are other organizers and experts out there that can help you determine if an item has worth and is sellable. I am not that organizer or expert.

Check out my permanent Blog Post regarding resources and destinations for parting with your items.

Organizing Resources to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Next, Question #3, If we can’t get money for the item, is it sharable? Can we give it away? Is there someone that we know personally that can use this item? A friend, a loved one, a neighbor, co-worker, someone on our community? Could I take it somewhere in my community, like to church or the library or the local food pantry, depending on what it is? I also consider sharing items on my community’s Free Box Facebook Page. My Sister-In-Law downsized her mother’s apartment and share many things in her local Buy Nothing group.

And having parameters on those types of groups is helpful, too. For example, “I will post an item on the FB group or groups, check back if there is no response after 1 or 3 or 7 days, and then delete the entry from the page and donate the item (depending on the terms of the group).”

Which leads us to the next question, Is it donatable? Is there a specific person or group or organization that would take this item as a donation? I will take an item down off the Facebook pages, bag it up and drop it off at Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, AmVets Purple Hearts, Epilepsy Foundation, Savers, Neat Repeats (a local second hand store), etc. And because I do this for some of my clients, I stop by donation destinations once a week.

For my clients, having this decision making process is helpful, and more importantly, deciding at the beginning of the process that clearing clutter is more important than finding perfect solutions and destinations encourages progress.

I believe most people are truly good people. We want to do the right thing. But perfectionism can trip us up. We can avoid getting stuck if we can get better at decision making. Decision making, getting better at deciding that something is clutter, and then how to part with it is so important for continued progress on the organizational process.

We don’t want to end up with boxes of things by our back door, in our garage, by the front door. We know we want to part with our clutter, and getting good at “Good Enough” keeps your brain from stumbling on the where, what or why. Determine how long you really want to spend on the redistribution of items, and what you will also be okay with if you just need to drop them off somewhere or donate them. I’m not saying all the items, but many!

I also commend you for wanting to do the right thing with those items. And so let’s figure out what the right thing is for ourselves. And then barring the right and perfect destination for your items, let’s decide what good enough looks like and then be ready to make that happen. Clutter cleared is more important than clutter put into the perfect situation. Because, you know, perfect is kind of hard to attain. But good enough – well, I’m all about “good enough” most days!

Wellness Check-In, Because That Is The Point.

Let me say – I am not a health care professional, and I don’t even play one on TV. I’m just sharing information, in the hope of encouraging others. In the interest of living our best organized life, of finding Peace of Mind, let’s manage our wellness.

And you should know – to be fully authentic – I had a major cold that turned into an upper respiratory infection when I first started working on this article about My Wellness Check-In, One Year Later. Ironic? Yes, I know.

But here we are. And actually I had a cold last February, too, so perhaps that’s fitting!

Last January, I shared this article because sometimes we need to talk about the things that we don’t always talk about.

Who’s On The Team? (Wellness Edition)

This week, I wanted to do a health and wellness check in a follow-up one year out from my experiences this Month last year. Let’s take another walk back in time:

In November of 2023, I went to a dermatologist and had them look at a spot that I had considered troublesome for a while but didn’t want to get checked. In transparency, it worried me for about 6 months, but my son and daughter-in-law got married in September of 2023, and I was vain, concerned that the doctor would want to do surgery on my nose so I didn’t get it checked out before the wedding. Yes, I delayed, out of vanity. Not great logic, I know, but I called the Monday after the wedding to make an appointment, and a month later, had a biopsy. The spot was determined to be basal cell carcinoma, which, it turns out, since I’ve learned a lot about it since then, is completely treatable and very common, especially with folks like me with my pale Irish skin.

Also, in transparency, I was frustrated! I was frustrated that this happened because Hey! I have worn daily sunscreen for over 20 years! I know it has been over 20 years because I started wearing in when I had a darkening of skin that comes with pregnancy called melasma with my second pregnancy. Since my middle son is 24, I’ve been wearing sunscreen daily for 24 years now! No fair, right?!

I learned that my skin damage was more likely from when I was, let’s say, 10, when we didn’t know about sunscreen and didn’t worry about skin cancer. And I can be as frustrated as I want to be, but that doesn’t change the current situation.

First lesson? Yes, probably.

So, it’s more likely that the damage was done when I was 10. The fact that I’ve been wearing sunscreen for the last 24 years in an investment in future me. I will continue to wear it daily so that 20 more years down the road, I won’t have more damage to undo.

Second lesson? Yes.

Yes, I had the surgery in February. It was far more invasive than I expected, really, than anybody expected. To not be dramatic, “more invasive” means a 12 hour day instead of 6 hour day. Still no crisis. Yes, for a few days after, I looked like I lost a fight. I did not expect two black eyes and all the swelling. But I healed well and appropriately, the way I was supposed to. This update is informational, no drama or cliffhanger here.

And, most of us will – heal well and appropriately, that is. We will go to the doctor without incident, follow-up with specialists without incident, heal as expected. I spoke with a friend today who had hip replacement surgery 6 weeks ago. I remember we talked about it the week before his surgery, and I reminded him then that too often we only hear the crazy stories of things that happen, and those crazy things are very unlikely for most of us. He’s doing well 6 weeks out.

Third Lesson. Most of us will have “unremarkable findings” as our progress notes, and NOT anything unexpected. Just statistically speaking.

But I digress.

At my final follow-up in June for the February procedure, I asked my dermatologist to take another biopsy from another questionable spot because I had a feeling it was the same. And I was right. So, that Mohs Procedure to remove a spot on my tragus near my ear happened in August, and that was straightforward and unremarkable, thankfully.

More importantly, and the point of today’s podcast and article, because of my story last year, people I know have gone to the dermatologist because I talked about it. I can’t take the credit for them being brave. Because, let’s face it, stuff is scary sometimes.

Lesson 4: But, let’s de-mystify the scary. Let’s dispel the unfounded misconceptions or beliefs. Let’s have clear, specific, concise conversations about health care and wellness. Because those conversations inform others and may encourage them to take the big steps and do the right thing.

Which brings me to this February, 2025.

I don’t remember if I talked about it, but I had diverticulitis back in October, which I would wish on no one, it was terrible for a few weeks! And I healed and am fine. And between that episode for me and a family member’s recent related diagnosis, I knew that I needed to take the adulting step and schedule a colonoscopy.

Yep, I said it. A colonoscopy. My primary care physician advised me to schedule a Colonoscopy after I was pain free for a few months. I did a mail-in screening for colon cancer in December 2023 with clear results, but I knew that I needed to schedule one for real, considering my age, my issues in October and my updated family history. That was the first week in Feburary. It was a non issue. I made the consultation appointment six weeks prior for the end of January, they had openings to schedule within a week or two. Prep was fine, procedure was the blink of an eye, and we were driving home and I was drinking a Dunkin midnight coffee and eating a bagel by 10 am.

I’m really glad I did it. For my own peace of mind, I needed to. Because I’m trying to model good behavior to my family, my kids. I want to be able to be honest with them and let them know that I am being responsible with my health for myself, for my husband, for them. I want to set that good example. And, I yes, I just needed to know I’m ok. And I am.

Lesson 5: Because worry and concern drain our energy and our joy and our focus. And some worry and concern is avoidable if we just follow-up on what we’re supposed to follow-up on.

Lesson 6: I have a list.

Of course I have a list. Have you met me? And, you should have a list, too. And at least one loved one should know where it is.

Last week, I had an eye appointment to pick up my new contacts, and set another appointment for 6 months out, and scheduled other routine screenings for later in the summer.

I reached out to my dermatologist office to see if I should go in for my annual screening at the office I went to first or with the dermatologist who did my Mohs procedures who is at a different office.

I updated my personal wellness task list with dates for appointments I need to schedule, like a repeat CT of my abdomen six months after my diverticulitis, repeat labs for levels we are tracking, regular screenings appropriate to my age, and a follow up colonoscopy for 3-5 years.

Also on the list are the current precriptions I take, and the re-order dates for those.

Hooray for adulting. I stopped being bothered by having to do it, and I just do it. And if we keep up on the maintenance of our health care and wellness, we have the peace of mind that comes from knowing where we are and how we’re doing with up-to-date and relevant information.

My health is not perfect. My body is not perfect. I can state both of those facts out loud. But I have assembled a team of people to help me. I have baseline levels or experiences for most of my routine screenings. I have notes in my master to-do list of when my appointments are and what I need to scheduled next. I have links and logins and apps for my various patient portals with various offices and health care systems.

Let’s review today’s lessons, however many I ended up with:

  1. Being frustrated or concerend happens, but that doesn’t change the current situation.
  2. Yes, you likely carry damage from your life leading up to today, and we can’t change that, but we can change our path going forward.
  3. Statistically speaking, most of us will have “unremarkable findings” as our progress notes, and NOT anything unexpected.
  4. De-mystify the scary stuff with clear, specific, concise conversations about health care and wellness.
  5. Because worry and concern drain our energy and our joy and our focus. And some worry and concern is avoidable if we just follow-up on what we’re supposed to follow-up on.
  6. Have a list. (Of course!)

We don’t have to like it, but we have to do it. Because I care for all of you, I encourage you to do these things, too.

Please do. Please know that it’s important. Please automate everything you can. It’s only February. Please put items on your to-do list to contact your healthcare providers that you need to check in with during the course of the year. That may be making the appointments, but also make an appointment to make the appointments to ensure that those regular screenings and follow ups happen.

Peace of Mind is invaluable.

A Routine’s Last Steps Are The Most Important

Recently, a client asked me how I schedule things. And since that means different things to different people, I delved a little deeper and asked a few more questions while we worked.

We were working through a pile of The Smalls in her home office. Do you know The Smalls? Imagine the things that come out of your pocket, like a pocket full of change or receipts or sunglasses or cough drops. It’s the bowl of weird things that ends up on our dresser or by the bathroom sink or in a heap on the table by the door. Safety pins, charging cords, random pens from the bank, tags from a sweater. The odd little small stuff that can drive us crazy. The Smalls.

As we were working through The Smalls, what she really wanted to know about was How to Create Routines. Routines in general, but in this case, a routine for maintenance, for example, better managing and eliminating The Smalls.

So, she was asking how to create routines? And specifically, the Maintenance Part of routines.

I love this question, we should all ask this question. And this particular client asked the question that day, but I have worked with dozens of clients answering the same question for themselves.

And as a refresher – What are routines? Using a morning routine as an example, a routine is a short list of 5-7 tasks that we must complete every morning (or afternoon or evening or when we go to a certain place or do certain things) to survive (sleep, eat, bathe, drink water) and also maintain a basic level of functionality in our life (start laundry, pay bills, buy groceries, exercise).

How do I know she was asking about maintenance? I see this client once a month. When I arrive in the morning, she is always awake, showered and dressed. The cat and dogs have been fed, dogs have been out, and she usually has some laundry started. There are many parts of her routine that are solid. I know she has mastered survival tasks in her routine. If this sounds familiar, I would guess you, also, have conquered survival, the basics, the essentials. So what is missing?

For this client, she was asking about a routine to take care of The Smalls and other clutter in her house before it got to the troublesome level.

Next level, then, is getting good at our routine maintenance tasks. After survival tasks are complete, what are those maintenance tasks we must complete every day, again, to maintain a basic level of functionality in our life?

Unfortunately, since maintenance is often less urgent than survival, we can sometimes let those tasks slide in the rush of our day to day. The danger, of course, is that since routine tasks are tasks we must complete over and over again, we can get lax in the execution and completion of them. And as we relax our standards, we stop maintaining our maintenance. The switch, then, the point is, we need to understand the vital importance of “done” or “complete” in our routine maintenance tasks, and commit to “done” and “complete”.

We need to define for ourselves what done is, what done looks like.

I worked with an adult client many years ago who said that no one had ever explained to him what “clean your room” or “organize your desk” meant, even as a child. And if that is not something that you are used to, or, like this fellow, if it doesn’t come naturally for you, or if that is not the way your brain works, then being told to clean your room or organize your stuff is meaningless.

When my sons were little, instead of just saying go clean your room or go organize your dresser, I talked with them about what steps to actually take. When they were really little, pre-readers, I made a sign with pictures, like a picture of a bed to remind them to tidy up their bed, a picture of a laundry basket to remind them to put their dirty clothes in the hamper, a picture of a hanger to put their clean laundry away, put their books away, make sure the floor was relatively clear before they went to sleep (because who wants to step on a Lego in the dark, am I right?!). When it was clean, we would stand in the doorway and I asked them to take a mental picture of what “done” looked like, so they could get back to “done” on their own some day.

First, we need to know what “done” and “complete” look like and entail.

Another example: We get up and get ready for our day. Great. If we turn around, though, what does our home look like behind us? You know Pigpen from Peanuts, who always had the little cloud of dust behind him? What does it look like behind us? We got up, but did we take 30 seconds and make the bed? We took a shower, but did we take 11 seconds to hang up our towel or put it in the hamper?

What does the bathroom look like when we’re done? “Ready to leave” is one thing, and it is all about us as a body, and it’s very important, but is your space ready for you to leave? Truly “done” or “complete” requires the extra 30 seconds that we spend in the bathroom before we finish in there in the morning, where we hang up our towel and we straighten the shower curtain and we wipe the fingerprints and the dirt or anything off the sink, and we have put all of our stuff away that we use every day. Those last few steps are what maintains that minimal functionality in our spaces.

Because we’re going to have to do it all over again tomorrow.

Those last steps are also part of the routine tasks. We have routines around times and events to make them run more smoothly, and to set ourselves up to succeed next time, too. And those last steps are vital to that end.

In my presentations, I talk about my routine around taking my supplements every morning. I mention that I used to forget to take my supplements, but I anchored the supplement habit to my morning coffee habit and now I always remember to take my supplements. Adding a few details here, I take a few supplements that need to be on an empty stomach, and as I start my coffee, I take those right away. Then I leave the other batch, the later with food batch, on the counter so seeing them will help remind me to take them. Later, when I am headed out the door for my day, a glance at the counter while I grab my second cup of coffee will remind me to take the rest if I haven’t already. “Done” and “complete” look like a clear counter. Maintaining the maintenance, and also leaving a clean slate for the rest of my day. Because I am going to have to do it all over again tomorrow.

Another global example: Bill-paying. Your bills are paid – awesome! Hopefully, you have a routine around paying bills on time, a date in the calendar to take care of those! Again, awesome! And yes, that is an achievement we can celebrate! And… did we file the papers that were left after the bills were paid? Or empty the overflowing paper recycling bin in the office, or run the handful of papers that need shredded through the shredder? Or look ahead at when we are set to pay bills again and put that on the calendar, too? These final steps of the routine task of Paying Bills often get overlooked, and then their neglect adds to our mess or disorganization going forward.

Other places we can put this idea into practice:

Managing The Smalls by identifying them as smalls and setting our space up for maintenance. Add a garbage can nearby to toss everything you can, keep a jar there for loose change or an envelope for receipts. And take the 5 seconds to toss the trash and file the receipts.

Your work space at the end of the day? Set a timer for the last 5 minutes of your work day and set yourself up to succeed tomorrow. Done looks like cleared and waiting for us and tomorrow’s work.

After traveling, unpack completely and put the suitcase away. AWAY. Complete.

Making dinner and eating dinner, sure, but also cleaning up after dinner. Because tomorrow morning, we’re going to need to start the cycle again and a clean kitchen is a better place to start our day.

I worked with a different client the other day, and the timer on her phone went off when we still had 15 minutes of our appointment left. Because … she is wise and she knows we need to put stuff away. We made a few last labels with my label maker, put the bins of clothes in the closet, took out the trash, loaded the bags of donation into the back of my car, talked about what her next steps are to continue to making progress. We do the work, and then we have our routine around maintaining maintenance. Taking those last few moments to set ourselves up to succeed next time.

Consider your routines this week, and determine what Done and Complete look like for you, and then commit to maintaining the maintenance and setting ourselves up to succeed next time!

This Week, Clear Clutter and Prepare for Cold Weather!

The day this episode comes out, the day this article and newsletter drop, I am hosting a free “Clear the Clutter Webinar” via zoom, check my website, socials or newsletter for the link!

I want to talk about clearing clutter today.

Clearing clutter reaps benefits beyond a clearer surface. We live lighter, we’re less distracted visually, we are safer in our homes without things in our way as we walk and without clutter gathering dust, mold or mildew, germs and small critters. Taking positive action to improve our physical spaces provides positive boosts to our mood and energy level as well.

I feel like it’s time to clear some clutter. We don’t need a reason, but there are good reasons to clear clutter this time of year!

Yes, it is the change of seasons.

Yes, the clocks have changed, and the evenings are getting darker and darker earlier. And we’re nesting, as we spend more time inside our homes.

Yes, the holidays are approaching, but I am not going to focus on those today!

So, for cooler weather, for wellness, for the holidays, because it’s the right thing to do! Sometimes, we need to move physical clutter to create movement in our brains and calendars and energy, and now is as good a time as any!

As though in support of this topic today, I received an email from an author I follow (Jon Acuff, if you know you know!) that a great year in January starts in November. (I am paraphrasing, but it resonated with me!)

Let’s do this!

I started writing this article on November 1.

That morning, I put away the Halloween Decorations and washed my front door, because – ew. Lots of little finger prints and such from our visitors the night before. I also sent a bag of candy in to Greg’s office for the communal candy jar because we DO NOT need all of that candy in the house because we will just eat it. I intentionally enjoy the clear and undecorated look of November before adding Christmas decor on December 1, so after all the surfaces were clear again, I smiled and took a couple deep breaths.

So, de-decorate from Halloween if you haven’t yet.

Next up, the kitchen cabinets. Shelf by shelf, category by category, review the food in your cabinets for expiration dates. Toss anything that is expired or stale, then put stuff back grouped by category so you can find it again when you’re looking for it.

Now do some Pantry shopping. What is Pantry shopping? It is what it sounds like. It is intentionally using up what you have on hand, in the pantry, before going to the grocery. As you review your items in the cabinet, take note of items you already own that you can use in your menu plan for the next few weeks. Clear some cabinet space and save money by using foods you already own. In addition, with a few thoughts ahead for your holiday cooking, use this as an opportunity to inventory and plan your holiday food shopping.

Next stop – your refrigerator and freezer! Did you know, November 15th is National Clean Your Refrigerator Day? Let’s tackle the fridge and freezer like we tackled the cabinets! Start with the easy and obvious. Review your food, and toss anything that is expired or even questionable. Make note of any prepared food that you need to use up, and add the foods in your fridge and freezer to your menu plan for the next week to make some space and save some money. And, make note of what you might need to replace or stock up on.

Now that the kitchen is looking better, we can turn our attention elsewhere.

Let’s get clothes and shoes ready for the Cold.

Have you switched your clothes and closet for the season yet? Sadly, it is time to put away those summer items and bring out the sweaters. If your dresser and closet are crowded, the easiest way to make some space is to pull out strictly summer items and store them until Spring. For storage, tap underutilized storage space like the closet top shelf or under your bed.

It is also a great time to do a final check – clean your summer bedding, if you have it, and pack it all away until Spring. Or, take items to the drycleaner and set a reminder in a few weeks to pick them up.

How about your landing and launch pad spaces, front or back door? I just checked out the baskets by our back door. In warm weather, the baskets contain baseball caps, rain ponchos and umbrellas. I tossed anything that needed to go, brought out the hats and gloves and scarves, and put away the baseball caps and ponchos. The door where we come and go from is now ready for cooler temperatures.

Also, as you swap out the warm weather shoes and outerwear at those landing and launch spaces, or in your closet for colder weather items, now is a great time to collect any summer shoes or sandals, in my case, check them over and take them in for repairs now so they will be ready for you in 6 months!

Whew. Kitchen is looking better, areas where you come and go look better, your bedroom and closet is looking better, too. And… moving on…

Get your house ready for the colder weather:

  • It’s time to switch all the ceiling fans to clockwise for colder weather. Clockwise pushes the warm air back down.
  • By the time this episode drops, we will have checked the smoke detectors because we change the clocks this weekend.
  • We, or I will say, my hubby put away the patio furniture, rain barrels and gardening paraphernalia weeks ago. And the air conditioning unit got tarped until spring.
  • Now is the time to clear the outdoor walkways, and get your sidewalk salt ready!
  • Get your car ready for the cold, too – find that snow brush and ice scraper, and add some granola bars and a blanket to your car!

A few final words about recycling! In addition to Clean Your Refrigerator Day, November 15th is also America Recycles Day!

Cardboard – can we just talk for a minute about recycling your cardboard? We had boxes stashed on two different shelves, saving them for “later”. We had WAY too many and almost all of them went into the recycling bin. My typical answer about the question of cardboard is that more will always come. We can confidently break down and recycle what we have, because more will always come.

Anything else easy and obvious? Return items that need to be returned, drop off those bags of donations.

Spend some focused and dedicated time this week clearing clutter in important spaces, either in small bursts or one or two longer sessions, and reap the benefits for weeks to come!

Get Good At Transitions: Intros & Outros

I am going to start this article with the end in mind.

The last line is: “Get good at transitions with clear and consistent communications, a plan and focus, respect to timelines and occasional flexibility as needed.” And you will soon see why.

In addition to being an organizational coach and certified professional organizer, I am a liturgical musician. I have the supreme honor of enhancing worship with and for my community. In addition to enhancing worship, I also have the supreme honor of supporting my community in times of transitions, experiencing joys and sorrows at weddings, funerals, sacraments and holy days.

Recently, I had the true joy and privilege to sing at a wedding. The bride and groom were happy, the families were happy, the weather was perfect, there was a lovely feeling of celebration in the church. It was great. The benefit to planning for and singing for a wedding, as opposed to other sorts of liturgy, is that we have a lot of time to plan. I sat down with the bride and groom 7 months ago to review the order of the ceremony and fill in items like the readings. We also reviewed where in the ceremony there are opportunities for music, either instrumental or vocal or both, and discussed if they or their family members have specific requests and favorites. Since then, we texted, emailed and spoke, checking in again with the couple, their families and the deacon performing the ceremony.

Communication happened, everything was smooth sailing. The few hiccups that did occur were quickly managed.

Then it was the Saturday morning of the 2:30 pm Wedding. And everything was still fine, and continued to be – there is no cliff hanger here. I am not leading up to some big blow up. Everything was still sailing smoothly. But what occurred to me that day was, with months of planning for a 45 minute ceremony, that we needed to get VERY CLEAR on the 10 minutes before the ceremony began.

All the planning, all the rehearsing – and oh yes, I did rehearse – if my neighbors weren’t also singing the songs in their sleep after listening to me rehearse for the 2 weeks prior, I would be surprised. All the planning and all the rehearsing were for the ceremony itself, and we were super prepared. But success is often measured for such things as the ceremony, of course, but also how smoothly it begins and also ends.

It comes down to a few minutes, and then the moment. And… But?… And… we were ready. We had a clearly defined goal, laser focus on the goal, clear and consistent communications around the goal, and everyone did their part to prepare for the event. We were ready, AND I needed to nail those 10 minute leading up to the moment the bridal party stepped off.

It’s funny, because your perspective absolutely changes from six months out, reviewing the time line and checklists, hiring an accompanist, purchasing the sheet music, rehearsing, etc. Down to those last 600 seconds.

Shall we start playing the three minute and 47 second song at 2:24 as a prelude? But we have to make sure that the bride can hear it, because that was the one request she made to me via text the morning of the wedding. Or, as I thought about my chat that afternoon half an hour before the wedding with my friend, the mother of the bride, and how she mentioned that the only song that was specifically her choice was the song we were playing as the Mothers are seated. I had considered cutting it short (it also is 4 minutes), but she loves it, it was her only request, so guess what – yes, we played the entire song.

So, we had a goal and deadline and parameters, but the whole point of the day was to love and support the bride and groom and their families, so we made it all happen in that very short amount of time. We nailed that transition so the rest of the event could flow smoothly.

Similar thought process – soon after, my choir and I were warming up to sing at Mass and for whatever reason our Sunday morning rehearsal started late. We usually try to run through every song once in that Sunday morning rehearsal, but that day, we didn’t have as much time as we usually do. And when that happens, we focus on rehearsing the intros and outros. I don’t actually know if outro is a word, but if you talk to a musician, they know what intros and outros are. An intro is, for example, the first four measures of a song before the vocals begin. And the outro is how you plan to end the song – you vocally end with a whole note, then the instruments do another couple of measures, for example.

We know how the songs go, we aren’t worried about the middle. We just need to know we will start and end the same. Clear communications, a goal and focus, a clear plan. We need those intros and outros to be clean. If there is going to be a mistake, it is likely at those transition points and not in the middle of a verse. If we start messy, sometimes it throws us off and we miss other things in the song. And no one wants to finish rough because often, no matter how amazing the song was, people are going to remember the last 10 seconds and how you finished.

We focus on transitions, whether it is the few minutes before or after an event, or the first or last few seconds of a song, because those matter. Those are the most likely places to stumble, so we practice those even more than the rest.

This is not a music lesson, though it may sound like one. It’s a life lesson, with musical examples because I am me. Let’s look at how to apply solid intros and outros to life.

Our work or school days are predictable, for the most part. We know how to do our work and we know how to go to school. Our commute to and from work or school is relatively predictable, though sometimes we hit traffic or some other complication.

The more likely places we are to stumble in our day, the places that might stress us out or make us late, are the intros and outros, the transition for sleep to awake, from home to travel, the “leaving the house in a timely manner and well prepared” part.

Driving our car to school or work, and even doing our work isn’t where we stumble. Getting out of the house to drive, or leaving work on time to be ready for the rest of our day – that is where we stumble.

So the actual trip is no big deal, but if we don’t get our acts together, and so therefore don’t make it out the door in a timely manner and therefore we’re late for the rest of it, that is where we’re going to stumble. Right. Transitions. Transitions. Transitions are where we have the greatest opportunity and greatest incidents to stumble.

Let’s get really good at transitions.

Last week, I prepared to present at an event at a local community college. I love these events, it is great to go out and meet people! And I started my planning a few days before to make sure my transitions were solid. I made handouts ahead of time just in case my printer got cranky and I needed a Plan B. I purchased my promo materials months ago, and it’s all packed with my gear. I loaded everything into the car a day or two before, to make my day easier for the actual event. Anticipating the actual work, I had no worries about presenting or networking – those are easy. The potential transition that could slow down or mess up my day was changing out of client appointment clothes and into more snazzy presentation clothes, so I packed that bag ahead of time as well. And I knew how long the commute from my client appointment to the event should be, and allowing some cushion, I knew my hard stop time to get me where I needed to go.

Get good at transitions. We want to make sure we are as prepared as possible for those transitions. I’m never worried about my client appointments, but sometimes I’m worried about the commute, getting there, ending on time to get to my next appointment, and home again.

Let’s consider how we can practice those intros and outros even more. Keeping the analogy, when we practice intros and outros, we communicate ALOT beforehand about how we are going to start and finish, we imagine the song in our head, we set a tempo, we take a deep breath and then we begin.

“Get good at transitions with clear and consistent communications, a plan and focus, respect to timelines and occasional flexibility as needed.”

PSA: It’s Time To Organize Your Medicine Cabinet

Public Service Announcement this week!

In the past few years, I have moved away from writing and sharing specifically organizing articles and topics, but three different reminders came to me recently, and I feel like this is a great topic for this time of year. And I will be sharing a video, too, probably on my you-tube channel, as a trial run.

Let’s talk about… your medicine cabinet. Maybe your linen closet. Your kitchen cabinet. Your dresser or bedside table. What do all of these areas have in common? These are the likely places in most homes where medications, supplements, toiletries, etc., build up. And settle. And slowly expire while no one is watching.

To clarify, I am going to talk about bathroom medicine cabinets today, but also more globally about medications in general. Because not everyone stores their medications in the medicine cabinet.

In my presentations, I share the definition of clutter as “Clutter is anything you don’t need, use or love, and isn’t loving you back.” And seeking the proper reference for that quote sent me down a google rabbit hole, so if you know who said it, please tell me and I will share the proper credit!

Barbara Hemphill, considered one of the originators of the professional organizing industry, says “Clutter is Postponed Decisions”, which is also so true!

We can see that clutter is in itself annoying and troublesome. Having clutter, seeing clutter. But next level, clutter also covers up what we DO need and DO use and DO love. We need to check in on our medication and clean out our medicine cabinet, so as the weather gets colder, we can find what we need when we need it!

My three recent reminders were a conversation with an accountability partner, a client medicine cabinet project, and a reminder about Covid 19 home tests!

On my biweekly call with one of my accountability partners, she mentioned she is participating in a clutter challenge where they tackle one area a day for 5 minutes. And the recent area was the medicine cabinet!

Then… I worked with a client and spent 2.5 hours getting through and organizing her medicine cabinet, under the bathroom sink and a bathroom cabinet – three garbage bags and done!

And then, I received an email that we can again order Covid Tests free through the USPS, and I know, without even checking, that we don’t have any. I filled out the online form and my free tests are on their way. When they arrive, I will put them away in a specific place in the hall linen closet where that type of item lives.

Obviously, I am meant to talk about Medicine Cabinets, etc. this week!

Let’s get to it!

Clear Some Work Space:

Clean off the bathroom counter, reviewing all the items first and purging anything that can go.

Collect some garbage bags, a note pad or grocery list and a freezer bag or two.

Open the medicine cabinet, and take note of where things are now. As in, where do you always reach for your toothbrush, or where do you always keep the first aid items so you can find a band-aid in a flash?

Take it all out. Yes, take it all out. Wipe down all the surfaces. Yes, all the surfaces. It is likely you have not cleaned out the medicine cabinet in a while, or ever, and the surfaces could be sticky and dusty from years of neglect.

Collect All The Things:

Collect all the medication from those different areas, or tackle them individually. Your choice. But please consider the different areas as part of a larger theme, and tackle them all within a short amount of time because there is typically SO MUCH OVERLAP.

Too many spaces for storing our medications can lead to duplicates, a forest of partially used products, and items that expire before they can be fully used up. And with many storage spaces, we still can’t always find what we need when we need it!

Purge, and Take Notes of What You Purge:

Review, review, review. Pick up and look at each item. Item by item, review expiration dates, intended use, and just how it looks.

If a medication is expired, you likely need to let it go. Into the trash if it is an OTC item, and into a baggie to be dropped off at a hazardous waste collection site or event if it is a prescription medication.

And If a medication doesn’t look right, doesn’t seem like the right color, isn’t the consistency you expected – it likely needs to go, too. Better safe than sorry. Sometimes an item expires to you, too. For example, a client had bottles of Infant Tylenol and teething gel, and her “baby” is 6 years old.

Make a note of what you purge. If it is an item you still need to have on hand, add it to your shopping list. There are some items that you likely NEED to have on hand. Cooler weather is coming, and with it, a higher possibility of illness.

Location and Containers Matter:

Once you have reviewed your items, it is time to put them away. Consider how and where you want to put things back. Consider who is using the medications, or if the medications need to be kept out of the reach of children or pets.

Keep in mind, too, that often medicine cabinet shelves are adjustable. On the recent client project, I took out one shelf and adjusted the other shelf to better accommodate tall items that she was struggling to store. I have a very short shelf in my medicine cabinet for combs and toothbrushes, which leaves more room on other shelves for taller things.

Another idea, years ago I worked with a client who was a nurse and suggested she sort her medicine in her cabinet into two baskets, one for chronic issues like daily medications and supplements, and one for acute issues like “I have a cold, I have an upset stomach”. This idea resonated with her, and we put the daily basket on the lower shelf because it was easier to access and right at eye level!

As you assign a home for your medications and supplements, please consider that warm damp areas are THE WORST place to keep your medications and supplements. Extreme heat or damp can negatively impact the quality and efficacy of a medication. And bathrooms and kitchens tend to be warm and damp. If you need to store medications or supplements in the bathroom or kitchen, make sure they are out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources like your stovetop or oven.

I rarely tell people to buy containers, but medication needs to be easily identified, within code, readily accessible and within reach. With these qualifications in mind, we can see that medications and supplements can benefit from storage in specific containers. I love these containers, clear storage containers, for storing and accessing medications. Measure your space and order accordingly. My favorite source is Amazon, but you can find similar items at your big box home good stores or The Container Store.

I am sorry to say: wicker is gross, at least for medications and toiletries. It harbors dust and moisture. Wicker doesn’t contain leaks, wicker baskets are typically not a standard size and they are impossible to deep clean. Please consider clear containers for storage.

Next steps!

Now, how to responsibly dispose of medications that you need to part with? Over the counter medications are typically safe to put in the trash. DO NOT flush any medications as they should NOT be in our water supply.

October 26, 2024 is a National Take Back Day. National Take Back Days happen in April and October, and are national initiatives to help the public properly and safely dispose of unused and unwanted medications. Check out the DEA website or google Take Back Day October 2024 for locations and events in your community. In addition, many municipalities have permanent drop-off containers for every day. For example, I can drop off unwanted prescription medications at my local police department.

The other important next step is to re-stock any medications that you needed to purge, so that you have the items on hand when you need them. You know you and your household the best, but there are also some medications that we are all recommended to have in hand, such as an antihistamine for allergic reactions, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) for fevers, etc. Check out this article from the Cleveland Clinic for recommendations, including the above suggestions and also cold and flu remedies, gastrointestinal relief and first aid supplies, etc., or google the question for yourself.

This is a great project to work on, in general, as it improves your health and also saves money by helping you focus on what you have and what you need and purging the rest. And who doesn’t like clearer spaces in your bathroom or kitchen?! Give it a try!

Getting Specific With Quarterly Planning

A client asked recently:

“I’ve been thinking about your recommendation to do quarterly planning. I’m consolidating my to-do lists and thinking about how to restructure my categories. And I like the concept of quarterly planning. If you haven’t written a blog yet about your process, I’d really like to learn the specifics of how YOU go about planning quarterly.”

I just love this. Thank you, dear client, for asking the question. You know who you are.

I wrote about quarterly planning back in January, check out the article here. I have other articles on planning, as well, if you’d like to know more, head over to PeaceofMindpo.com, click on the Blog tab and add Planning in the search bar.

I don’t always get too specific about me in my articles and podcast episodes, but this is one topic that probably should be specific! And a reminder, as in all things, I am sharing what I do as AN example, of one way of doing something. It is not a requirement or demand – EVER. Just an example, and perhaps a suggestion!

I like setting quarterly goals because, for me, setting a yearly goal sometimes seems too big or too long, and anything less than a month seems too short. Let me rephrase – I do set annual goals, but I like to break those broad goals down into more manageable pieces, and an every three month planning cycle with 6 week to three month goals works for me.

Conveniently, this client asked this question as I plan my fourth quarter of 2024, my Q4. For me personally, at least, planning in Q4 is a great illustration of the importance of quarterly planning.

Q4 starts with October and ends in December. I am in shorts and a t-shirt as I write this. My window is open, the breeze is blowing in. My birthday is at the beginning of Q4, and the next holiday on my horizon is Halloween. (note to self, put up Autumn decorations)

But, as a certified professional organizer, board of education member, planner of family functions and Catholic liturgical musician and human being, I know that the calendar for the next three months is going to fill up FAST, and the to-do list will as well! Soon and very soon (a song reference!), the focus will shift to Autumn, to Thanksgiving, to Advent and to Christmas. Just this morning at Mass, my music director mentioned that she would like to put together an Advent Concert the first week of December. And I, of course, said “Sure!”

All things seem possible when you start planning them months in advance!

Back to the original question: How do I actually quarterly plan? Let’s do this.

Grab your calendar, digital or paper.

  • Me personally, I am sitting here at my laptop as I use Google calendar, and I have my bullet journal, my phone, my to-do list and a cold beverage.

Check out what is already on your calendar for the next three months, personally and professionally.

  • For Q4, I already have many recurring events on my calendar in my many Focus areas, and I bet you do, too.
  • I have regular client appointments, meetings and coaching calls.
  • My choir has our rehearsal and Mass schedule set.
  • The Board of Education has monthly meetings and committee work on the calendar.
  • I also have non-recurring events in my calendar already like presentations, concerts, doctor appointments, etc.

Reflect on your Focus Areas:

I talked recently about Focus Areas, and we need to have them in mind as we do our quarterly planning, or any planning, for that matter. As reported, mine are my business and my different income streams, my family, my home and wellness, Board of Education work and church ministry.

What are yours? Make sure you keep them in mind as you plan!

The next step is to weave in the set plans.

And this step is why I said Q4 is a great illustration of quarterly planning.

Because, as an example, every year in Q4, we have many set plans around our holidays with our families.

I have a planning list that I pull out and activate on October 1 regarding the holidays. According to the list, in the next week, I will check in with my side of the family regarding when we want to celebrate our Christmas together. I will check in, too, with my sister-in-law for dates for my young niece and nephew’s Christmas concert for school. (Typically a Thursday evening in early December). I will check in with my college student around when he wants to come home for Thanksgiving and what day in December he will likely be done with finals and need a ride home from college. All of those tasks are already on my to-do list as I fill in those big flexible events and make sure they are on the calendar.

You may not personally be thinking December thoughts right now, but a whole lot of people are! For example, here in Chicago, in late September I received the email from a local news agency that reservations are now open for The Walnut Room, a holiday tradition for many! Yes, it is time to plan!

Work in some flexibility and grace.

I am getting better at weaving in prep time ahead of and re-entry after the big events. For example, my husband’s company throws quite the holiday event every year. And, every year, I seem to scramble to get ready and downtown in a timely manner. This year, I blocked the afternoon before the event from client appointments so I don’t have to rush. Similarly, I have my annual Illinois Association of School Boards conference mid November. It is already on my calendar for November 21-24. AND, there are a lot of other things that go into that conference, before and after. So I just blocked time the day before and the day after for some flexibility and rest.

Now, let’s talk Goal Setting. Any incomplete goals to roll forward from last quarter? Now is the time!

Check in around your Goals from the last quarter, how did they work out? If you need to roll something forward, now is the time! A reminder, way back in January when I talked about quarterly planning, I recommended that you dole out your achievements over the whole year. So you may have goals for 2024 that you haven’t completed yet, and that is ok. We can still get a lot done while also respecting the fun and festivities of the holidays – we just need to plan ahead and that is why we set quarterly goals!

Planning and Goal Setting go no further if we don’t attach the necessary actions.

As you work on your plan for your fourth quarter, plan the actions and steps associated to your quarterly goals.

I will use Thanksgiving as an example. We know Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 28. (action) My family and I will figure out the menu and who is bringing what dishes via text over the next few weeks. And then, as other examples of actions, I will start adding shelf-stable grocery items to my weekly shopping list for the foods I am assigned to bring, I will start a bag of things to take with me and I will block some time on the calendar that week for shopping / packing / prep.

What if, in addition to work and life, you are also a crafty person and want to make holiday gifts this year by hand? Commendable, and I love it. AND you have to put all of those tasks and time and actions on the calendar and to-do list NOW so you aren’t caught unprepared in a few months.

Make sure to leave time and energy for the actions attached to your Q4 plan! And put them on the calendar and to-do list now!

Honor your own season and cycles.

Be reasonable, and adjust your expectations.

Yes, Q4 is here. Fall, holidays, travel, school events, yes – I get it. AND, that means different things to different people. In transparency, my birthday is in early October. So this time of year, in addition to Q4 planning, I am always thinking big strategic planning ideas for MY next year, MY next 12 months towards my next birthday. I think in cycles like that and I find it helpful.

I love Fall. Perhaps you don’t. Perhaps you struggle with less and less daylight this time of year, and you need to factor in more rest or adjust your to-do list expectations down a bit. Honor your own season.

A final note – you may be listening to this in October of 2024, or maybe you’re listening some other time in the future. You are not late to the party. ANY day is a good day to plan. And then ACT, of course, but first plan. Let this day be whatever you need it to be, but be intentional and do your day on your terms!

Bullet Journal: Ever Present and Indexing

Okay, next up on the list, let’s talk about Bullet Journal. Bullet Journaling. My bullet journal.

Now, this is a big deal for a lot of reasons, and I’m going to tell you why.

It’s September, and September is National Preparedness Month. I have shared a lot of information over the years about National Preparedness Month. We all benefit from that reminder that we need to have our ducks in a row, or at least know what and where are our ducks are. We need to be ready for life. And I will talk about National Preparedness Month in a couple of weeks, but that is not today’s topic.

One of the ways that I stay in a state of Ready, how I manage all the things that I manage – and there are a lot of those things – is using something called a Bullet Journal. I am going to reference now Ryder Carroll who created Bullet Journal, and also bulletjournal.com if you would like to know more.

And to give credit where credit is due, I need to give a nod to my dear friend Mark who introduced me to the idea many years ago. Mark has since passed, unfortunately, but I think of him kindly when I am working in my Bullet Journal.

I just started a new journal last week. Starting fresh is such a good feeling. A Bullet Journal is a tool. That’s all. It’s a very personalizeable tool. Mark and I taught Bullet Journaling classes over the years and it was good for us to teach it together because Bullet Journaling is so personal and individualized, it’s good to have two different people’s input.

There are many facets of a Bullet Journal that I love. Honestly, it’s a notebook. That’s it. It’s a notebook. How you use that notebook makes it a Bullet Journal. If you’d like to go to the Bullet Journal website and spend a lot of money on a very snazzy notebook – they are very pretty – Go for it. But before I get ahead of myself, let me tell you why I love my Bullet Journal.

A Bullet Journal is a tool, and the concept comes with rules and suggestions, a technique, with ways of doing things, and you can choose to use it or not, and you can choose to abide by the rules and suggestions or not. I find it very helpful, and there are two facets of Bullet Journaling that I will talk about today that can be applied to any other notebook or note taking device, as well.

One aspect I love about my Bullet Journal is that it is ever present, ever ready. As I am writing this article, it is physically at my right hand on my desk. And when I get ready to go in a few minutes, I will slip it into my backpack which is twelve inches away from it at present, and it will go with me and be ever present as I go about my day as well.

I love technology, I am a tech girl. I use my phone and iPad and laptop ALL DAY. But there are also times in my day that I that I need to write something down as opposed to entering it into my phone or laptop somehow. Maybe I need to scratch a 2 word reminder to run an errand while I sit at a stoplight, right? So I do. Because my Bullet Journal is ever present. And I don’t necessarily want to pick up my phone because well, it’s illegal and ill advised.

Whenever a thought strikes me, I can quickly jot it down, and I recognize there are many opportunities in my day where those thoughts to strike!

And this is why I am sharing. I know many people, clients and colleagues, who write down notes on whatever is handy. The back of mail envelopes, shopping bags, the margins of a book, on a newspaper, on their hands. (Yes, their hands, 25 years ago – I worked for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Illinois, Chicago and yes, our residents would sometimes jot down lab results on their hands because that’s what was available when they took a call from the lab about a patient.)

If I am already on a call, sometimes it’s just easier to write the customer service reference number or my family member’s hospital room number. And sometimes, I don’t want to get distracted by my screen so I will make a note to “look up jar salad recipes”, or write a really cool quote that I read in a devotion this morning.

One client in particular asks as we discover notes on note paper, receipts, envelopes, whatever – “What is wrong with me!?” Nothing’s wrong with her. But her notes and therefore her thoughts end up a hodgepodge, which makes it difficult to retain or review that information or get to what is really important. Whenever we’re working on her papers, we find notes all over the place but without context, they are difficult to process.

Which leads me to the second thing that I love most about my Bullet Journal and that is the Index. Which is just what it sounds like. Read any published material and it likely has an index. So you can find what you need when you need it.

On my Bullet Journal next to me, I have today’s date listed, and some notes below. Later today, I have a doctor’s appointment and I’m going to have some notes from that in my Bullet Journal. Later still, I will run a rehearsal for my choir and I will surely add more thoughts and tasks to the page.

In a couple of weeks, if I want to refer back to what we talked about today with my doctor, I’m going to be able to check the index and flip to the page from today.

My index pages, the first 4 pages of a Bullet Journal, will have three columns for page number, dates and then topics per page. So I can readily find information again if I need it.

And – you can do this with any notebook you already have, too! (I rocked a client’s world a few weeks ago with this concept – she was so excited to add an index to existing note books to make them make sense!!)

Yes, you can take an existing notebook, number the pages and if it is too late to add an index to the front, add it to the last 4 pages instead. Three columns for page number, date and topic. Sometimes my topic is “Life”, and sometimes it is “Dr. Appt, School Board Meeting regarding Finances, blog article ideas, etc.” Let’s say, on pages 13 and 14 are notes from the special board meeting regarding finances and in a month or two, I want to go back and look at that, I can flip to the index, see pages 13 and 14, and can flip to those pages with consistency, confidence.

I usually fill up a Bullet Journal in 4-5 months, but the notes and index still exist, so I can always go back and look for things if I need to.

A real life example, I had a client who was moving cross country. She called about apartments on the west coast and she had a notebook full of notes. But when it came time to actually travel, she was worried about being able to find the specific places and people that she had talked to, to reference while she sat in the office with the people. She had a notebook full of information, but it wasn’t as useful as it could be. I suggested she go back, and number the pages of the notebook, determine what date (approximately) she spoke with people at each apartment complex, and add that info to an index at the back of the notebook. She spoke to so and so on this date regarding these apartments, and this is how much a 1 bedroom costs, or a 2 bedroom, square footage, amenities, if there is a garage, how long is the waiting list, etc. And then, when she sat in the office on the west coast in-person, she could easily flip to that page easily and say, when we spoke on this day, you mentioned x, y and z” that conversation would be that much more fruitful. It really helped with the home search to be able to find that information again.

Another real world example, inspired by a conversation with my college student son. My son is taking a philosophy class this semester and his professor does not allow electronic note taking. I wish I had known about indexing when I was still a student, because, um, it’s so helpful. So, you know, on the back page of his notebook, on the first page, if he’s thinking of it, but definitely on the last couple pages, he could absolutely, you know, again, number the bottom of the notebook pages, and then pages one and two, or pages, you know, page one was first day of class. Page three, two, three and four were second day. And we talked broadly about this and this, right. And, uh, pages five through eight, we’re studying for the first quiz, um, on such and such a date regarding, um, such and such a topic, right. So you can index anything, and it’s so helpful.

Bullet Journaling for goal setting, time management and productivity!

This is definitely an article about my love for Bullet Journaling but I suggest that you consider how you could apply the idea of one ever present notebook and the idea of indexing to your current methods of note taking, if you have them. These ideas are specific to Bullet Journals, sure, but the two ideas that I’ve mentioned today can be used independently of bullet journaling as well. Give these ideas a try, and let me know what you think!

Peace-mck

How To Arrive On Time

August is a great time to recommit (or finally commit?) to getting places on-time! I have written often on this topic, so if you want to hear more, head over to my blog and search for time management strategies, or check out my past episodes.

Over the summer, a community member asked me to write about how to get places on time.

And I recall a client and friend asking me very early on in our working relationship very earnestly “How Do You Get Places On Time?” And then she looked at me and said “No, really – HOW do YOU get places on time?” She shifted it from asking for broad global tips for time management down to how did I, Colleen, actually get to her house on time that morning. She and I were both working moms with small children at the time and she wanted specifics! So, we worked on that together!

Relatedly, we were having a conversation about this at a family event recently, about how different family members or even sides of a family can have much different views on what is “on time”. And we discussed which family members will arrive early (yes, I have those family members) and which family members we need to tell that the party starts half an hour earlier than it does, so the rest of us can eat before the food gets cold! (I have those family members, too.)

Let’s get to it!

To get us started, I will use me as a case study because then I don’t have to ask permission! Here is how we do this. For a timed event over the weekend, my husband and I confirmed with each other and checking the text from the host as to the official start time of the event, and we decided we wanted to be there as it began, so let’s say 2 pm. We looked at the rest of the agenda for the day which was pretty light because it was a Saturday. We debated running the errands we needed to take care of on our way to the event or knocking them out first thing in the morning instead. And then, knowing how long it typically takes us to get to the event location, we agreed upon the time we needed to leave by to get there when the event started (On-Time).

Let’s break that down into simple steps. And as I wrote this, I realized it could be a top 10 list! So here we go!

Tip #1: To Get Places On-Time, we first need to discuss, what is “on time”, for you?

Because here’s the thing, that is not up to me. I can’t tell you want your own policies should be. But I can tell you that if you want to get better about Getting Places On Time, these are the questions you need to ask yourself. A long ago little league coach taught my oldest son that early was on time and on time was late. That verbalized a guiding principle for me!

Tip #2: Check your notes!

We need to know the event details, like start-time, and determine what time we want to arrive. Different activities require different strategies. For example, you may want to arrive…

  • 15 Minutes early for a doctor appointment when you know there will be forms to fill out;
  • 15 minutes early, at least, or as arranged, for a speaking engagement, for example, where I am presenting, to assure the event coordinators that their speaker will be ready at the agreed upon time;
  • Fashionably late (half an hour after start-time) for a graduation open house;
  • 5 minutes early for dinner reservations;
  • Exactly on time, like me for a client appointment. Arriving too early to a client appointment where the client struggles with time management can cause the client undue anxiety, as can arriving late for the appointment and for the same reasons.
  • And very specifically, early for events we must be on time for, like flights or trains that will not wait of us!

These are examples of when we need to answer the question of “When Do I Want To Arrive?” Get in the habit of asking yourself that question.

Tip #3: Understand and determine your Leave Time

Do you leave your door and you’re on your way? Or do you leave your door, wait for the elevator, take it down 11 stories, go to the parking garage, wait in line to get out and …. THEN you’re on your way? That seems an extreme example, I know. But it highlights how different our concept of time can be! I know for myself, I have a 2-3 minute process between leaving my back door and leaving my garage. So if I want to be on time, I need to factor in those invisible 3 minutes to my total travel time. And, if there is even one more person in the Leave Time equation, either at home or at work, it is likely the invisible minutes will increase.

Tip #4: Know your usual travel time, and then add 5 minutes. Or more.

Tip #5: Use GPS

Use GPS on your phone to navigate to even your usual destinations. This may sound silly, but if getting places on time is a challenge for you, perhaps it is time to try new strategies! I use GPS on work days all the time, especially if my drive is anything over 15 minutes, because my GPS will alert me to any snags, slow downs or trouble on my route. I have a client I visit one morning a month, and due to tollway construction, my travel time to her home varies widely and occasionally doubles from trip to trip! I always check the GPS early that monthly morning, to factor in any changes in my commute. If I am just out and about, running errands and not on the clock, so to speak, then I don’t need to use my GPS.

Tip #6: Have a plan for putting gas in your car.

Again, seems simple, I know. But hear me out – have a schedule or routine around filling your tank and not just when you need it. And not in the morning. Because, no you will not remember to leave early and instead you will hop in your car to get to work or your next appointment and realize that you do not have enough gas to get you there, or there and home. So dedicate a few minutes on a weekly errand day, or pick a favorite station near your house and make a habit of checking your gauge as you drive by and make a stop if you have a quarter tank or less.

Tip # 7: Consider the time needed upon arrival.

Imagine with me – your GPS has guided you to your location with ease, and you arrive a few minutes early – way to go! And… then you realize that there is only street parking (welcome to Chicago) and you have to drive around the neighborhood for 20 minutes. Or there is a parking garage, or a line for security, or any number of invisible minutes ticking away. Remember to factor in the extra wait time when you arrive, or the additional 5 minutes of walking or waiting for the elevator, etc. to your Get Places On Time formula.

Tip #8 Use a bag.

Again, hear me out. I remember sitting in the high school drop -off line with my youngest son and we would watch the kids in the cars in front of us slowly get out of the car with a shoe – just one – in one hand, a breakfast bar in the other, and 4 or 5 other loose items like a binder or chromebook, coat, the other shoe, etc., tucked in the crook of their arm. Which of course could (and occasionally did) all fall to the ground at any moment, especially when they reached back in the car for a few more loose items. More than once, we sighed with impatience, and discussed how much smoother the process would be if the kid had a backpack and actually used it. The tip, then, is to corral loose items and put them in the bag before you arrive at your destination.

Tip #9 Get Where You’re Going and THEN Relax

There are days when I could stay in my office and send off one more email, or text one more client, or read one more article. OR… I can leave now and take care of those tasks when I have arrived at my destination. My habit is to get out the door, and then take a few minutes when I have arrived at my destination to take care of those tasks. And if my travel takes longer than expected, I can tackle those tasks another time today.

Tip #10 Have a back-up plan.

All the time. We went to the White Sox game last Monday and we took the Metra. We factored in start event details and when we were meeting our friends, and planned for the train but could also have driven if the Metra idea fell through. Public transportation, car-pools, alternate routes, Uber, etc.

Give one or all of these tips a try!