Category: Productivity

Is the Phone Really Dead?

Someone: “My phone is dead.”

Me:  “Is the phone really dead?”

Someone: “Yes, it won’t charge.  It doesn’t hold a charge.  The charging light doesn’t even go on.  Tried it a couple of times, the phone is dead.”

Me: “Let’s break it down.  The problem might not be the phone, that is just the part we see.  The problem could be the phone (the most expensive item to replace, of course!), but it could also be

  • the cord, 
  • the cube, 
  • the outlet, 
  • the connection between any of these components, or
  • in many cases sometimes, ‘user error’ (a nice way to say I or you may be the problem).”
  • And the problem was the charging cube, in case you were wondering.  The phone recharged and works fine.

I love a good challenge.  I love to solve mysteries and problems like this.  And yes, sometimes, the phone really is dead and the problem is exactly what it presents itself to be.

But sometimes it is not.

“Is the ceiling fan really dead?”

“… It doesn’t turn and the light won’t turn on.”

Yes, but is the ceiling fan the problem, or:

  • Is there something wrong with the wall switch?
  • Is the circuit tripped?
  • Is it the on-off switch on the fan?
  • Is it the connections in or out of any of these?
  • (turns out, it was the connections in the ceiling to the base unit).

My handy husband and son spent an hour and solved the mystery a few weeks ago instead of just going out and spending money on a new fan which wouldn’t have worked either, because the problem was in the connections in the ceiling.

This works on more subjective challenges, too. 

“Hmmm, This person and I don’t seem to be communicating well.”  Is the problem with

  • the message? (one of you doesn’t want to hear it or want to say it?); 
  • how it is being said? (the tone, the jargon)
  • the method of communication?  (you would prefer to text, the other person prefers to talk on the phone)
  • the timing? (the sender or receiver is distracted by something else more important or urgent)
  • something even more  personal or subjective with either the sender or receiver that has nothing to do with the process or method?

If you have a problem to solve, whether it is objective, like fixing a cell phone or ceiling fan, or more subjective like interpersonal communications, it pays to take a moment and break down the problem into smaller pieces that can be examined on their own.  Perhaps the solution is right in front of you!

Use Small Steps to Measure Your Organizational Success

On a zoom call yesterday, a class participant asked “How should we measure progress in our organizing?”

What a great question. I was so excited she asked, and in that moment I realized that question would also make a great blog article topic for this week!

The short and truthful answer is

“Incrementally.”

As in, please measure your organizing progress in small increments instead of broad and large sweeping content.

Just last week, I suggested in my blog that we should all craft our Done List in this Strange Time. And I absolutely still mean that!

But Done can look different from person to person, project to project and even day to day.

So let’s talk about Incremental Progress instead of only Completion.

If you break down a large organizing project, it becomes easy to see that large projects are made up of many smaller projects. For example, if my large goal is to “Organize My 15 Year-old’s Room With Him”, some of the smaller projects I can cross off my list might be:

  • Order new platform bed and risers (Done)
  • Clean out the old toys in containers under the bed (Done)
  • review and re-organize the bookshelves (Done)
  • Move empty bookshelves downstairs (Done)
  • Assemble new bed and risers when they arrive (Done)
  • Order chair and new comforter (in process)

We are making progress – actually, he is making progress, as he has done most of the work himself! – and crossed many tasks off the list. Are we DONE with the WHOLE PROJECT? No. Are we making really good and completely satisfactory progress? Yep.

In working with a virtual organizing client lately, she and I discuss the cascade effect of organizing projects. More truthfully, I refer to it as the “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” effect. Are you familiar with this children’s book series? The book tells the story of cascading tasks…

“If you give a mouse of cookie, he will want a glass of milk.
If you give him a glass of milk he will probably ask for a straw.
When he is finished, he will ask for a napkin.
Then he will ask for a mirror, to make sure he doesn’t have a milk moustache.” etc..

The point is this: often when we move through our organizing projects, we realize that the path is not straight. Given the example above, I had a few steps to complete before my son could move forward. Also on my task list was “make room in storage room on bookshelves for John’s children’s books that he wants to keep” which meant I needed to review my books and purge some, and while I was at it, organize the books by category, etc., etc.

All of these tasks are moving us towards a broad goal, but they don’t all happen at once. If we only celebrated completely finished big projects, we wouldn’t celebrate very often and our motivation might lag.

Then, there is the subject of Maintenance. (More on Maintenance Here) Usually, our projects don’t stay completed. We have to maintain our progress, and often tweak or update the progress we have made. Just because I went through my books last week and purged a bag doesn’t mean that I will never again have to review and purge my books. That doesn’t mean that I did it wrong or incompletely: more books may come, some books will get loaned out, my interests will change. The task is DONE, and done well, but it will someday need to be done again. Maintenance is part of the organizing process.

In this strange Pause time, it is even more important to measure our success incrementally. I have tackled MANY organizing projects in the last month but I also spend a whole lot of time on Maintenance. And I, like you, find more areas I want to organize as I work through my days. The cool part about this Pause time (yes, the Cool Part!) is that some days I have the time to tackle that new project when it pops up!

To finish answering my class participant’s question, Measure your progress in incremental steps. Celebrate progress towards a goal. Set your time and work for half an hour and see how much work you can get done in that time. Don’t worry about or get hung up on only completion or perfectionism. Just start, and celebrate when you can!

Create a “Done List”, In This Strange Pause Time.

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I want to talk again about lists! (see my article from 2 weeks ago, It’s Time to Make Your Some Day Soon list).

This week, I challenge you to start your Done List. In the past two days, I’ve had two conversations about Done Lists. I LOVE a good Done List. Not a To-Do list of what still needs to be accomplished, but a DONE List, of accomplished tasks and completed goals. (Woot Woot!!)

There are lots of benefits to creating and keeping a Done List. Every week I share a Done List with my accountability partner, where I get to share successes from the last week based on my goals. A mini-celebration, if you’d like, with imaginary confetti and fan fare in my head. I get to share my Done List, re-assess what still needs to get accomplished, and craft this week’s plan. But first I get to celebrate!

What are some benefits of the Done List?

  • Dopamine boost that comes with a sense of accomplishment;
  • acknowledgement of learning;
  • release and stress relief from met deadlines;
  • a clear conscience!

Have you noticed? Time is passing strangely – the hours pass slowly but the days pass quickly. As the days pass without acknowledgement, our efforts could also pass without notice.

I have been amazed, though, by what people are accomplishing during this Pause Time. Big things, little things. We are all finding new and interesting ways to do our regular stuff, and also new and interesting ways to do new and interesting things. People are growing beyond their comfort zones and stepping up to help as needs require. Way to go, everyone!

Here is a little piece of my own Social Isolation Done List so far (in no particular order)? I…

  • successfully made yeast bread after years of telling myself I didn’t know how;
  • caught up on my VIRTUS training modules (there were many!);
  • took LOTS of Zoom webinars to find out how to host Zoom Webinars;
  • presented my first and then many more presentations as Webinars on Zoom (has been on my to-do list for years!);
  • recorded and shared a newly created Webinar with a training center just this morning;
  • transitioned many in-person clients to virtual organizing and coaching (also on my list for years!);
  • cantored for two Masses that were recorded and / or live-streamed for Holy Week;
  • made progress on the back-log of my non-fiction reading pile;
  • started to learn to play the ukelele;
  • attended meetings virtually last week that I can never seem to find time for in a normal week; and
  • cleaned up the yard for Spring.

Maybe your Done List is simpler: “Worked, maybe a lot; served others; made it through today; found beauty where I could; reached out and made connections with loved ones.” All important and noteworthy.

The point is, tracking our accomplishments can help us to find positivity and hope in this strange unsettled time. Days are passing without our usual noteworthy experiences – how many birthdays have already been celebrated without the parties, how many events have been rescheduled or cancelled all together? Weekends look different now, and may look remarkably like any other day.

So, my friends, make a conscious decision to create and maintain your Done List this week. Appreciate your own efforts and applaud your own accomplishments, with a little (or a lot of) celebration!

It’s Time To Make A “Some Day Soon” List

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Friends, this, too, shall pass! Notes for Some Day Soon.

I’ve suggested before to create a Future To Do List. 

Most Decembers, for example, I suggest that folks make a “January List” for the things that we can put off until after the holidays.  We want to keep the ideas as they occur to us, but we might not need to act on them until the New Year, in that case.

Personally, I have a rolling Master To Do List for most facets of my life. 

What that means is that I have, in an online platform called Evernote, a Master To Do List that contains my tasks for family life, home maintenance and improvements, Ministries and Public Service, plus all facets of my business and my own self-improvement.   This makes it easy to move tasks around the Evernote document as I complete a task or need to move it to next week, etc.  

As I write all that, I realize it may sound nutty to keep all that info in one document, but this practice really helps me to track tasks and projects each day, week, month, etc..  And I’ve tried keeping separate lists for each area of interest, but then I forget to regularly check them.  This just works best for me.  

But here is the snag, friends.  While I typically complete a one-time task and then remove it, or move ahead a recurring task to a specific week or day in the future, I am facing a new and (admittedly) uncomfortable new category.  The “Some Day Soon When We Can Return to Normal” task category.

You know what I am talking about.  

  • The events that we have had to postpone due to social distancing. 
  • The appointments we need to set up once offices and service providers are open again.
  • For me, the in-person client appointments that I’ve had to cancel, and presentations that have been put on hold.
  • The actions that we have promised ourselves in these rougher times that we are ABSOLUTELY going to do when we can again!

But we don’t know yet when that will be. So I want to keep the ideas until me and the world are ready to take action on them again.

My challenge to you this week is to start and then add to  your Some Day Soon List.

  • Work or medical or personal appointments to reschedule.
  • People to meet up with (not just connect virtually).
  • Non-essential errands to run.   
  • Service people needed, like the tree I need planted in my front year, or having the plumber or electrician out.
  • Birthdays to celebrate in person!

Maybe it’s a wish list!  

  • That Some Day soon, I will drive to Michigan and hug my parents and siblings and families.
  • That Some Day soon, I will spontaneously hug friends at the grocery when I see them.
  • That Some Day soon, I will go to restaurants and sit and soak in the ambiance and linger over dessert.
  • That Some Day soon, I will go to a movie theater, or enjoy our Broadway in Chicago membership again.
  • That Some Day soon, I will go to church.  I will bask in the peace, I will thrive on the energy, I will sing and pray with others. 
  • That Some Day Soon, I will do something as simple as go to my favorite local bakery to virtually work from their booth while enjoying the people and the steady supply of hot coffee.

I think of this list as Hopeful and Happy, and I hope you feel the same.  This strange and awkward time will pass.  For my own sanity and outlook, I have to believe it will.  And when it does, we will emerge better and stronger and more grateful for what we have.  And we will be ready to take action on all these ideas and wishes we make now!


Preparing to Get Organized! (a.k.a., What To Do Before Your First Organizing Appointment)

I often hear from new or potential organizing clients, “What should I do to get ready for our first appointment?”

I am happy to answer and I’m even happier to say that these steps are for EVERYONE to take, these first steps to getting organized, and not just my new and potential clients!

So, whether you are organizing with a professional or tackling the projects solo, here are some simple steps to get you started!

Stop Shopping.  Working with a client recently, we discovered a healthy stash of toothpaste and deodorant. In this case, “healthy” means a dozen of each or so, unopened. Another client has dozens – yes, DOZENS – of paper towel rolls, taking up a LOT of space. If you want to get organized and clear clutter, start with NOT acquiring more stuff! For example, if we have an appointment set to organize your kitchen and pantry, Do NOT go out and stock up on groceries. Use up what you have on hand! Same goes for clothes or towels or office supplies.

Along that same line, assemble your supplies from your home inventory (please read that as DO NOT GO SHOPPING!). And do not purchase containers, unless we’ve talked about them!  Supplies might include garbage bags, sharpie markers and empty cardboard boxes.

Imagine the end result.   Why are you tackling this (these) project(s)? What do you imagine your spaces looking like when the projects are complete? How do you expect to feel? What do you expect to gain from the organizing process?


Purge the Easy.
Take out the trash and recycling;
move the dirty laundry to the laundry room;
break down cardboard boxes flat;
toss the expired food in your pantry and clean the fridge..

Check out my resources page, if you need destinations for your stuff. Send stuff on it’s way! That ugly couch in the basement, the extra dining room table in the garage to a recent grad with their first appt?  Yep, arrange that pick-up!

Run the errands:
drop off other donations to their destination;
return completed books to the library;
take your dry cleaning in;
return unwanted items to their retailers;
return borrowed items that you are done using to their original owners.

Wow, your space is looking better already! Way to go!

Hiking Wisdom, For Organizing and For Life

Earlier this month, I went on an adventure. It was amazing. I learned a lot about new and interesting topics, and also about myself.

If given the choice, I’ll choose hiking above other activities, and there was great hiking on this trip. Hiking provides time to think, and I realized that many lessons learned from hiking can be applied to life and to organizing, as well. Here are a few things I learned:

Many small steps often work better than fewer larger steps (especially for short people like me). My hiking guide was much taller than me (most folks are!) but still took the trail in small steps sometimes. Smaller steps help control your exertion, keep your muscles from over-stretching and allow for more certain foot placement. My habit is to take long strides. That works on flat Illinois and Michigan paths but not so well on rocky and uneven steep climbs. Expect to change up your stride, and you will go far.

The Right Pace makes all the difference. Recognize that in hiking and in life.

Don’t jump down onto loose gravel. I might even state, don’t Jump Down ever, since you don’t know if the trail is loose or not. Strategic foot placement keeps you from slipping (much!).

Even cloudy days hold their own beauty. (see right!)


Save enough energy for the hike back. Some of us start out moving really fast but then burn out our energy early. Better to keep moving, even slowly, than to have to stop or turn back. Slow and steady really does win the race.

Conversely, we are only hiking out for half the trip. The other half is hiking home. This was a very good reminder when UP the hills was getting tough. For every tough UP climb, there is a corresponding gentler DOWN climb.

Our own breathing sounds very loud to us. But our fellow hikers are only hearing their own breathing, as well. I felt very self conscious about how hard I was breathing, then I realized my fellow hikers couldn’t hear me over their own breathing. The point is for us to focus on improving ourselves, and let others focus on working on themselves.

Wear layers. Pack Enough but Pack Light.
My biggest hiking adventure was a half-day canyon hike. We started out at 9 am at an altitude of 3,000 feet. The sun warmed the canyon, we climbed above 4,000 feet and then a cold front rolled through. There were many layers shed and then put back on. Hiking wisdom says “Plan for Cold” if you want to Pack Enough, because you can always take off layers as you heat up. But no matter what you bring, you are stuck carrying it, either on your body or in your backpack, so pack light.

Pack Enough but Pack Light can be good advice for life, too. Carry and have what you need but not too much more.

Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. And always bring a snack.

The really great views require effort.
My hiking guide Kevin reminded me of this as we gazed out over the valley. If you want the really good views (aka, the tough and amazing outcomes), you have to be ready to work hard.

Recovery time is essential. Very often, in hiking and in life, I forget to factor in recovery time. Hard work, either physical or mental, is good work but it also uses our body’s resources, and those resources need replenished. I hiked A LOT on my trip, and by the third day, my legs reminded me they needed to slow down a little and take a break if I wanted them to continue to operate in good form. So day 4 was a slower day, a recovery day. And then I got back to it on day 5. The point? If you want you and your body to operate well, factor down-time and rest into your busy schedule.

Thanks for the opportunity to share my adventure and photos with you. I hope you learned a few things from my hikes, too!

Maintain Your Home Today to Avoid Emergencies Tomorrow

Earlier this year, I crafted this list of monthly, seasonal and annual household tasks for a client new to home ownership.   She wanted to keep up on regular maintenance tasks because she is smart, and realizes that regular maintenance is the best way to avoid emergencies down the road.

For example, every Fall:

  • Have your furnace and air conditioner looked at now, to avoid an emergency and costly repair or replacement in the dead of winter.
  • Turn off outdoor water faucets completely, to keep pipes from freezing (and bursting).
  • Take care of your lawnmower and snowblower at the change of seasons to keep them running well for many years to come.
  • And the list goes on and on…

Of course we can’t avoid emergencies or accidents completely, but we can invest some time and resources in keeping them away as much as possible!

This list is a start, a jumping-off point.  Feel free to copy and paste it to your own document and edit it to make it more personal and specific to your situation, such as if you have pets or a swimming pool,  or more than one home or just a condo or apartment, obviously tasks can be added or subtracted to fit your needs.

Annual Tasks:

  • HVAC system check
  • Clean rugs
  • License and license plate sticker renewal

Fall / Winter:

  • Winterize your lawnmower
  • Get your snowblower ready, turn it on and let it run a few minutes  (Get some gas, too)
  • Flush hot water heater and remove sediment
  • Turn off and flush outdoor water faucets
  • Test sump pump /  sump pump valve replacement
  • Outdoor greastrap
  • Rout the shower drain
  • Winterize air conditioning system
  • Clean duct work
  • Get heating system ready for winter
  • Clean / check fire place, get chimney cleaned
  • Check driveway/pavement for cracks
  • Buy winter gear and sidewalk salt
  • Bring deck furniture in
  • Check window screens
  • Wash mini blinds
  • Wash out and de-clutter cabinets and closets
  • De-grease top of cabinets if no soffit

Spring / Summer:

  • Check and repair screens
  • check and repair deck
  • move deck furniture to deck
  • clean and summer-ize snow blower

Twice a Year:

  • Windows inside and out
  • Clean curtains / draperies
  • Wash or dry clean comforters
  • Vacuum your fridge coils, pull fridge out and vacuum behind
  • Swap out reverse osmosis unit water filter
  • Check and clear dryer vents
  • Reverse ceiling Fans
  • Test smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and all ground-fault circuit interrupters.
  • Clean gutters and downspouts

Monthly:

  • Inspect and possibly change furnace filter
  • Vacuum heat registers and heat vents
  • Clean range hood filters and garbage disposal (grind ice cubes, then flush with hot water and baking soda)
  • Pour a tea pot full of boiling water down bathroom sink drains
  • Clean coffee maker

Weekly / Daily:

  • Clean dishwasher trap (weekly)
  • Errands and grocery shopping
  • Pet waste clean-up
  • Restock pet supplies
  • Rugs, towels and bedding
  • Daily laundry
  • Go through mail / shred stuff / pay bills

So, use a little time this week to take care of your home maintenance tasks, and get your home prepped for the next season!

Help Yourself Help Yourself! (Did you follow that?)

These last few weeks, a couple of readers have commented “Wow, you’re so organized!” Thanks for that, but I write these articles for inspiration, motivation and education (and never to show off!)  To shake things up and remind me why I write, lets start out with this week’s conclusions and suggestions:

“This week, look around and notice what tasks at home or work waste your time or make you tense, anxious or frustrated. Then ask yourself, ‘Is there something I can do about this task? Reschedule, outsource, do it less often, delegate it to someone else, automate it?’  If it is a challenge you are willing to talk about, ask others in your tribe (your people) how they have handled a similar challenge.  Then commit to change!”

We have a new schedule this Fall.  The sophomore has a 6:45 am zero hour class.  He likes it, I like it, it works.  Of course, we’ve only been at this for 2 weeks and I may change my mind when it’s -10 degrees and black as night at 6:45 am.

This earlier start makes me re-think some of my usual habits.

I have found the earlier start a challenge as I am not creative at 7 am even when that is the only  time I have to write my blog article for the week… ummmm… well… I got a lot of other things done, but not that…

I can’t text or call to check in with my clients at 6:45 as that’s just plain rude.  I could run errands with that extra early time, however:  I despise running errands any time and few things are open at 6:45 am.

I realized, however, as I’ve pondered how to run my errands at 7 am, that I have eliminated a number of weekly recurring tasks for home and business in the last few months.  For example:

  • Target Restock is magical.  OK, not magical, but really useful.  In the past, I would take a couple of days to create my Target list and then I still had to go and shop and put away.  Now, I add items to my list (my “Box”), hit send every couple of weeks, and our paper goods, toiletries and pantry items just show up on the door step.
  • Target Restock or Amazon.com is also helpful for stocking my work supplies – garbage bags, packing tape, etc. – so every other week, I check my supplies, place my order and poof! – stuff shows up a day later.
  • I eliminated the need to stop at Office Max / Office Depot once a week for myself and for clients – OfficeDepot.com.  I set up my customer and account information on-line and now enjoy their rewards program and free next day arrival.
  • I long ago automated our cleaning supplies with a once a month shipment from Melaleuca, and the same for my nutritional supplements from Isagenix.  (If you want more info about either, let me know.)
  • Around the house, laundry is more efficient by enlisting Alexa’s aid to tell me when to switch loads.  The Roomba runs every weekday morning, and while he doesn’t do a perfect job (yes my Roomba is a “He” and his name is Sonny, per the IRobot movie), he have been helpful in stretching time between cleanings.
  • I sampled a grocery delivery service this summer with mixed results.  I need to work on that!

“This week, look around and notice what tasks at home or work waste your time or make you tense, anxious or frustrated. Then ask yourself, ‘Is there something I can do about this task? Reschedule, outsource, do it less often, delegate it to someone else, automate it?’  If it is a challenge you are willing to talk about, ask others in your tribe how they have handled a similar challenge.  Then commit to change!”

I’ve Organized Others, Now It’s My Turn

My brain is busy this week.  I have spent time these last few weeks getting everyone else squared away and prepared for their next steps.  And now… I think it’s my turn!

August / Back-To-School time is my personal New Year celebration, instead of January.  So, what am I doing this week to celebrate my New Year?

(And, What Can YOU Do for YOU this week?!!)

Clearing Out:

  • The daily in-box is getting a little unruly again, so I will Unsubscribe daily from 5 retailers or mailing lists until I see some improvement.
  • Last weekend, I reviewed my kitchen and medicine cabinet contents and purged a few things.  I also committed to using up (really, using DOWN) our stock of food, toiletries and paper goods over the next few weeks without purchasing more.  This activity saves money and frees up space by clearing out extra inventory.
  • I also have a couple of bags of donations to drop off later in the week when I drive near my favorite charitable organization.

Personal Development and Self-Care:

  • 5 weeks ago, I set a handful of 6-week goals, so I will see some of those goals completed next week, just in time to set more! I use this form from Spark People for setting SMART goals.
  • I made appointments!  We parents always take care of our students, and now its my turn. I made an appointment for my annual physical.  The date isn’t for a month, but I feel relieved having made the call!
  • I tweaked my closet.  I know, it’s still August, but there were a few items to purge or put away, and a few others to pull forward for usage in the next few weeks!!

Take Care of Maintenance:

  • After I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets, I made my grocery list and stocked up on essentials.  I know, the goal stated above is to clear out some inventory, but we still needed a few things!
  • I made the Project list for Fall, and I’ll work those small projects into my weekly tasks for the next month or so.
  • I made even more appointments:  My minivan goes in for scheduled maintenance on Saturday, the carpet cleaners and HVAC fella come next Monday, and our EWaste Home Collection is scheduled for September.

WHAT CAN YOU DO THIS WEEK to get organized, pare down, clear clutter and build yourself up?!

Stick With Routines, Especially When You Don’t Want To!

Chatting with my accountability partner this morning, she stated (again) that Routines and Adventures don’t always play well together.

Let’s face it: sometimes, when life is getting just a little crazy, our routines may start to slip.  In the midst of the chaos, you might be tempted to…

  • skip your morning work out, or
  • grab a snack on the run instead of eating a healthy breakfast, or
  • skimp on sleep so you can fit more in to your day, or
  • exist on convenience foods instead of full meals, or
  • merely pile up papers instead of actually working on them, or
  • leave the dirty or clean (or both) laundry in a heap in (or near) the basket, instead of putting it away for Future You to use.

And there are certain times or life events that contribute to the crazy or chaotic life.  When are we most likely to abandon or forget our routines?  When we are :

  • tired;
  • sad;
  • sick (or someone around us is);
  • traveling;
  • super busy;
  • in a life transition, like new house or new job or new baby; or
  • nearing a deadline for work or personal projects.

Routines (at least the ones I talk about all the time) consist of tasks that need to be done daily or weekly to keep your life humming along, for example:

  • nutrition;
  • sleep hygiene;
  • personal hygiene;
  • staying hydrated;
  • maintaining the basics at home; or
  • paying bills.

Sticking with our routines helps us through those crazy times.  Our routines keep us healthy and strong and on track during the busy times, and then they help us get back to normal more quickly.    When you find yourself wanting to ditch those routines, or that you already have?  That’s when you probably need them the most!

Let me be the little voice in your head this week, urging you to make the good and healthy choices even when life gets hectic or when you’re on the road or adventuring.  That is when we need the consistency and self care the most.  Stick with those Routines, especially when you don’t want to!