Category: Productivity

It’s The “Grab Your Clipboard” Time of Year Again!

Last week, I presented to a lovely group of women and made them laugh by expressing my love for clipboards.

I do love clipboards.

They are so useful!  They keep our important papers corralled and are easy to find in a crowded briefcase.  They provide a sturdy surface for writing, are inexpensive and are available in lots of snazzy colors.

I love more than just their physical attributes, though.  People feel empowered when holding a clipboard, and that power shows on the outside.  Imagine –  a crowded room with people milling about and one is carrying a clipboard.  If you need direction or information, you will go and ask the clipboard carrier.

What’s not to love?

In my Clear the Clutter presentations, I suggest that folks grab a clipboard to start their organizing plan.  With Spring here and lots of projects to tackle, it’s the “Grab Your Clipboard” time of year again!

Here’s what you do:

(Updated, Spring 2022:  You can achieve the benefits of the “Clipboard” by using technology, as well, or even just an extra notepad! Most of my “clipboard” notes go into Evernote and then into my Master To-Do list, but the thought process and the results are the same!)

Grab your clipboard, paper and a pen.  Walk from room to room in your home and note the projects, organizing and otherwise, that you would like to accomplish in each space. For example:

  • Master Bathroom:  clean out under sink, find new wall art, buy new shower curtain
  • Dining Room: clean out coat closet, paint trim, wash windows
  • Hall closet: talk to electrician about updating the light fixture
  • Home Office: organize book cases, clean out bottom file cabinet drawer, recycle old printer

You may find that some of your rooms are just fine as is.  If so, congratulations!   Pat yourself on the back, and move on to the next room!  Keep this process up, taking notes but not action, until you’ve addressed all the areas of your home, inside and out.

Review the room-by-room list on your clipboard.  You may realize that the solution to a couple of projects may be the same step.  For example,  “update light fixture” in the closet and “add security light to garage” would require just one call to your electrician.  Or if you want to get rid of an old family room couch and bedroom dresser, you might arrange one charitable donation pick-up to take care of both.

Glancing at the list,  you may also notice recurring themes.  Let’s say “Move the pile of books” is on the list for every room.  It seems a house-wide book review and purge may be in order!

Right now, this clipboard activity generated a wish list instead of an Action Plan. So now you need an ACTION PLAN!

Pick one project to start.  Just one, not all of them at once!  Pick one.

  • Your #1 Priority may be clear.  For example, a client who is having surgery needs the main floor bedroom organized before her surgery date.  Obviously, she knows where to start! However, if you’re not sure…
  • Start with the hardest project, since that may take the longest overall;
  • Line up an assistant for the project requiring heavy lifting or two people;
  • Start with the project that will help you right away and every day, like the kitchen cabinets or your closet; or
  • Just pick the one that seems like the most fun, to boost your motivation!
  • The most important step is to JUST START!

Pick your project, set aside some time on the calendar to get it done (either a big block of time on a weekend or evening, or in a handful of shorter sessions), and get going!

Keep your clipboard and list handy, and once the first project is complete, refer back to the clipboard list and tackle the next most important project.  Happy Organizing and Happy Spring!

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Nat’l Organize Your Home Office Day: Your Papers Need a Home

The second Tuesday of March is National Organize Your Home Office Day.

I have posted dozens of articles about paper management and office organizing.  Just last week, I was reminded of the importance of having a Home for Your Papers, and wanted to share!

Think about the idea of “Home”.  If a person has a home, you can typically find them there.  They start and end their day there.  If you need to send them something, you send it to their home so it’s waiting for them when they arrive.  A person’s home is their default, their normal resting place.

Our important papers need the same thing. Our papers need a home so we can find them again, pair them with related papers, and keep them safe.

(A word about technology:  Any of these suggestions also work if you keep only digital records of your information instead of actual paper!)

There are three main categories of important papers.

  1. Active papers:  Papers that require a further action soon.  Bills to pay, coupons for an upcoming purchase, forms to complete and return.  The most important thing about Active Papers is to take action on them, so their HOME needs to be convenient and close at hand.
    For example, when I finished opening mail with a client recently, we had just a few small piles of papers to deal with.  After I filed some passive papers, we set up her bills to pay, and she tucked into her purse the village vehicle sticker info and some coupons for her errands later in the day.
  2. Passive Papers: Passive papers are papers we need to keep for a certain amount of time, like paid bills or bank statements or tax returns.  We need to keep them  for a certain amount of time, and then we need to make sure we purge / recycle / shred them once in a while, so they don’t pile up and we end up with 20 years of paid utility bills in a file drawer, or grocery receipts from 6 years ago in a shoebox.  The most important thing to remember about Passive Papers is to put them away instead of leaving them pile here and there, and to regularly purge them, like once a month or once a year, so that they don’t accumulate.
    For example, today I went through bank statements with a client to prepare to do her taxes.  It was easy to find the necessary statements since ONLY 2017 and a few 2018 statements were in the file – all the others are bundled up with previous year taxes and cleared out of the drawer!
  3. Archival Papers are Papers that we need to keep for the long term.  Birth / marriage / sacramental certificates, social security cards and pass ports, house purchase papers, car or boat titles, wills, etc.  The most important thing to remember about Archival Papers is to protect them, so their HOME needs to offer protection (a safe or a bank safety deposit box) and may be a little less convenient to access.  But that’s OK, since we don’t need to access Archival Papers often.  For example, I registered my youngest for high school last Saturday and his birth certificate and social security number were both required.  Grabbing both took all of 10 seconds, since we have one and only one very safe and specific place for such vital documents.  And of course, I PUT THEM BACK when I was done with them!
  4. There are probably more than 3 types of papers, if we add in memorabilia or photos, but those will be a discussion for another day!

So, as we think about organizing our Home Office on National Organize Your Home Office Day, make sure to have HOMES for these three types of papers.

  • Active work space and open storage for tackling your to-do pile, and time set aside in your schedule to take care of business.
  • Closed storage, perhaps a file cabinet drawer or a desk drawer, for your passive papers.  Plus, a regular habit to regularly (weekly or monthly) file passive papers, and every month or year to purge your outdated passive papers.  And
  • Safe storage, perhaps a portable safe or a locking file cabinet drawer, for your important archival records and vital documents, so you can always find them when you need them.
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National procrastination week (No, you don’t get to procrastinate)

Did you know? The first full week of March is National Procrastination Week, supposedly an entire week dedicated to putting things off.   

Um… you know that is NOT what I’m going to recommend, right?  Instead, let’s look at how to get things done, even when the path is difficult!

I am a solo entrepreneur, which is a fancy term for a small-business owner who does EVERYTHING.  In the midst of delivering organizing services, coaching and offering presentations, I also need to plan and grow my business for the long term with new ideas and products.

 Lately, I’ve been wrapping my head around a remarkably daunting project (hosting webinars), and last week, I mentioned to a fellow business owner that if I was an employee in charge of this particular project, I would have fired me by now!

Sometimes, we just need to do what needs done!  Can you relate?  Either professionally or personally?   Got a project you’ve been dragging your feet about?

If you’re procrastinating, it’s time to figure out what exactly the problem is.  You need to do something, but:

You… Don’t know how.

  • Call in your experts.  Years ago, I spent time and energy worrying if I should become an LLC or an S or C Corporation.  What a waste of time.  I didn’t need to figure out, I just need to contact a trusted friend, my attorney Eileen Kerlin Walsh. She knew exactly what I needed and made it happen with a minimum of fuss.  The same strategy worked when I needed to update my website.  I didn’t need to learn how to build a new one, I called my expert, my webdesigner Claire at Aplify7,  and she made me look great with no hassle!
  • You don’t need to know everything, you just need to reach out.

You… Worry about the cost, monetary or otherwise, of working on a project.

  • Is this project worthwhile?  Explain out loud why you need to do this thing or meet this goal,  and perhaps that will help motivate you to act.
  • Sometimes action costs money or time or other resources, true.  But if you’re procrastinating around a business venture, or health care issue that you can’t seem to make the appointment for, or house repair that you’ve been avoiding, the better question is “Can you afford to NOT do this?”
  • While I wrote this, a friend reached out to me about trademark and copyright laws for protecting their business brand.  I don’t know the answers, so I asked my experts and of course, they stepped up! But this was a great example for weighing the potential high price of working with a knowledgeable attorney vs. the even higher cost of NOT acting and having your brand damaged.

You … Don’t want to, it may be uncomfortable.

  • Have you ever noticed?  We spend far more time dreading the unknown task than it usually takes to complete it.  I missed an article deadline recently for another publication, and I dreaded (and avoided) for days fessing up and letting the publisher down.  And they were kind and not bothered at all.  I spent far more time being uncomfortable about NOT doing something than actually doing something about it. Seems rather silly now.
  • Know yourself. We like to be comfortable, right?  So agree to be just A LITTLE uncomfortable, try just a small new thing, in the interest of progress.  Once you try something, it’s not new anymore.

You… Don’t want to start when there isn’t time to finish. 

  • Do you hear yourself when you say these things?  We tell ourselves we only want the finished project, but we never start?  That, my friend, is what we call a Contradiction.
  • Set a timer, focus on time dedicated and not completion of the task.  Some progress towards a goal is still progress, even if you don’t complete the project this time.
  • Acknowledge that Perfectionism and Procrastination often go hand in hand, and may be working against the actual completion of your project.

You… Don’t know how long it will take.

  • Yup, this one terrifies me. For example, I procrastinate about making phone calls.  Not logical or wise, I know. But my very real fear is getting stuck on the phone and not knowing how long the call may last.  But I can decide how much time to dedicate to a task.  Even if I won’t complete the task, I can still start.

You… Are just not feeling it right now.  

  • We’ve all been there.
  • Long ago, a client said she was waiting to wake up one morning and be suddenly motivated to exercise, keep her house clean, get a job, etc. And because she was paying me to, I asked the tough question “Has that EVER actually happened?”  And the answer was… uh, no.  So, we fake it until we make it.
  • Intentionally procrastinate for a few (JUST A FEW!)  minutes.  Set a 10 minute timer, step back, change your scenery, get up and grab a cup of coffee or tea.  Then get back to work!
 Rest assured, I am saying these things to ME right now, too!  Observe National Procrastination Week by actually getting over some procrastination!
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Tips For Chasing Those Elusive Zzzzzz’s! (Yes, Sleep Hygiene is really a thing)

A few times a year, I have the privilege of teaching the Time Management Component for a Career readiness program at a local community college.  I LOVE teaching this group!

Tomorrow is the day, and today I finished crafting a Sleep Hygiene handout for these hardworking and often sleep-deprived folks!  So, since I am sharing the info with them tomorrow, I want to share it with you today!

TIPS FOR A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP

  • Sleep is essential for optimal performance and health.  It gives our bodies time to rebuild, and our minds time to process stimuli.
  • We may all struggle at different times in our lives to get enough sleep or good sleep.
  • What happens if we don’t sleep?
    • In the short term, simple things like feeling tired, lack of focus, irritability and lethargy.
  • Long term sleep loss can lead to
    • job loss, decreased cognitive function, physical ailments (high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, inflammation, decreased metabolism, skewed hormones) and psychological issues (depression, anxiety).
  • Sleep cycle (Harvard.edu): Nightly, we alternate between REM (lighter, Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and Non-REM sleep (deeper, more restorative sleep).  We need both for optimal physical and mental recuperation, and memory consolidation.
  • I’m not a sleep expert, but as an organizer, I recognize logical, objective ways to improve routines and physical space to live better.

How does our home environment impact sleep?

  • The National Sleep Foundation states that people who make their beds daily are more likely to sleep well every night, and 71 percent of us sleep better in a fresh-smelling bedroom.  A cluttered room reminds us of unfinished tasks, whereas an uncluttered room helps us relax.  Closing closet doors and dresser drawers further soothes us.  In addition, 75% of people sleep better when they have clean sheets.
  • According to The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, depression can cause clutter, and clutter can cause people to feel tired and more depressed!
  • Individuals who live in clean homes are generally healthier than their counterparts living in clutter, according to research conducted at Indiana University

Take Care of Your Sleep Environment:

  • Not too loud: Soothing music is nice, if you need it, but set a timer for it to turn off and don’t sleep with ear phones in your ears.
  • Not too quiet:  Silence can be even more distracting than noise. A white noise machine may help, or a cool vaporizer like the one we run all winter helps drown out nighttime noise.
  • A cool room is best for sleeping, and some prefer a fan to move air around.  Sleep with blankets in layers, not just one really heavy one, so you can shed or add covers as needed.
  • An actual bed (get off the couch!) and the right pillow – not too soft or hard, or too many.
  • Bedrooms are Bed Rooms. Limit your bedroom to sleep and relaxation.  No computer, TV, treadmill or workout equipment, no unfinished work or unfolded laundry. Sleep and relaxation!
  • And, sorry to say this, but if you’re having trouble sleeping, have your pets sleep elsewhere.

Clean up your Sleep Hygiene for better sleep.

  • Your “sleep hygiene” is your daily routine for getting a good night’s sleep.
  • Determine how much sleep you actually need.  We don’t all need exactly 8 hours a night to live our best lives. Some folks need less and some need more, based on age, physical demands, individual rhythms and a host of other variables.  Fix your wake-up time, and work back from there for your bedtime, first with 8 hours, then 7.5, then 7.
  • You may be getting more sleep than you think.  It may feel like you’re awake, since your sleep may be shallow and not restorative.  And obviously, intentionally napping or even nodding off while watching TV counts as sleep and can undermine your overnight sleep.
  • How to adjust your daily routine for better sleep:
    • Set a consistent sleep schedule. Keep your bed-time and wake-time the same, even on weekends.  Wake-time should vary no more an hour from weekday to weekend.
    • During the day, exercise, but not close to bedtime.
    • Avoid caffeine after lunch, and check your medications, foods and beverages for hidden caffeine, sugar or other stimulants.  You would be amazed all the places caffeine hides, or how medicines like steroids can keep you awake at night!
    • Avoid overhead and fluorescent lighting as much as possible.  Turn down all your lights after dinner, to tell your brain it is time to start shutting down for the night.
    • Start winding down a little before bedtime. Choose the same 3 or 4 soothing activities before bed nightly, like yoga, wash your face, warm beverage, a warm shower, quiet TV viewing or reading (with soft lighting or a clip light) in a darkened room.
    • Screen Time: turn off anything with a screen (TV, computer, phone) half an hour before bed time, and keep computers and TVs out of the bedroom completely if you are having sleep issues.  The electronic fields can interfere with good sleep.  Set your device screens for “night time” and lower the brightness, with less blue light to keep you awake.
    • Keep a notebook and pen at your bedside, to jot down random thoughts that might keep you awake.

And now, stop reading and go to sleep!  G’Night!

A Great Morning Starts the Night Before, 2.0 Edition (Not Just For Kids!)

Back in 2011, I wrote “A GREAT MORNING STARTS THE NIGHT BEFORE!” for a Back-to-School newsletter.   The original article, found here, is still pertinent and useful for kids and families!

I’ve learned a lot since I published that article!  And I still find myself re-considering how to tweak my routines.  Our days are complicated lately!  While I work on un-complicating them,  I still have to get to bed at a reasonable hour, get up and out of bed in the morning, and complete a handful of tasks before I leave the house every day!

I am older and wiser (as are my kids!), so today, let’s take another look at “A Great Morning Starts the Night Before”!

  • Look Ahead. 
    • In my original article, this was a solitary step for me as Mom to take. These days, the teenagers and I all need to check in with each other and with the upcoming calendar.
    • Part of parenting is to foster planning and self-management skills in our young adults (and working on that for ourselves, too!). Some days, there are scheduling challenges or car usage juggling!
    • I look at the calendar for the next few hours, days and weeks, and ask the important questions of myself and my sons to move us forward.  I may jot down those questions on a dry erase board, in case our schedules don’t synchronize.  (For example, “Where is the grade report from last Friday”, “Does your tux jacket need dry cleaned after last week’s concert?”, etc.)  They can start working on answering these questions in my absence!

  • Meal Planning:  I’m the only person who packs a lunch anymore, so lunch making isn’t as important as it used to be.
    • However, ensuring we have portable breakfast foods on hand has become more important, as has dinner meal planning to make sure I have a meal planned that works with the next day’s schedule.
    • Instead of assigning a specific meal to every day, I may list 5-7 quick and favorite meals on a note near the fridge, and make sure we have the ingredients on hand for each.
    • Then I can choose a really quick meal on days we’re strapped for time, or a more involved meal if I have a little extra time.

  • “Lay out clothes for tomorrow, for you and your children” was the statement in the original article.  However, as we and our kids grow and evolve, we know this gets a little tougher!
    • Laundry maintenance.  The success of this step relies on maintaining the laundry process (and yes, I have started a load of laundry as I’ve been writing this).  By “maintaining the process”, I mean – keep the laundry moving along and don’t let your wardrobe options pile up! For example, start a load every evening, and toss it in the dryer every morning while you get ready for your day.
    • Another key to success in this area is to have a standard ensemble to wear for your typical day.  I am NOT the person to give fashion advice, but I am the person to offer suggestions that will save you time and aggravation.  Spend an hour some evening, and put together a handful of outfits you can easily use when you’re strapped for time.

  • “Pack Your Bag the Night Before”.  This piece of advice never grows old.  I had an early morning breakfast meeting today, so last night, I made sure my notes were in my bag.  We still stumble, as the completed forms I laid on the middle-schooler’s backpack for him to take back to school today are still laying on his dresser…  but tomorrow is another opportunity to turn stuff in!

  • Go to bed.  Good sleep hygiene is vital to success, for all of us.  A reasonable and consistent bedtime and calming night-time routines, including planning and prep for the next day, help ensure good sleep and a better morning tomorrow!
To:

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Change The Habit or Change The House?

Working with a client this morning, I was reminded  of an article I recently read on ApartmentTherapy.com similar to this one (edited and updated, July 2020).

In the comments for an article about creating an entry way in a small space, a reader asked if the solution to the problem was to “Change the habit or the house?”.

This is a powerful and useful question as we get organized!  And… what does that mean?

Let’s say I notice that, when I walk in the door every day, I consistently put my keys on the same side table and toss my coat over the same chair or the back of the sofa.

Leaving my keys and coat exactly there makes the space look cluttered or disorganized, so I could elect to try and change my HABIT and come in a different door, or walk down the hallway and hang things up in a closet, etc.   However, since I am consistent about where these items fall, I can find them in an instant and be out the door efficiently.

So the HABIT is a good one, but the entry way of the HOUSE doesn’t support the HABIT well.   I could change the house to support the habit by adding a decorative bowl in the entry way for keys and phone, setting a chair in the entry way for our coat and bag, or perhaps adding a coat tree or some wall hooks.

Another example.  This morning’s client has 2 school aged daughters, and they both consistently drop their school backpacks and sport bags in the same places in the living room / dining room.  This can drive a parent crazy, let me tell you!

Yes, the piles in these living spaces are unsightly.  However, these students have good and consistent habits that helps them keep track of their school work and team uniforms.  So, the question we asked this morning was “Is it easier to change the habit or the house?”

My client didn’t actually mind the location of the piles, merely the appearance of them.  So, de- cluttering the pile contents and adding attractive large wicker baskets to hold the bags and gear in the habitual drop zones seems a better solution than trying to establish new habits and drop zones elsewhere.

Years ago, I organized with a real estate agent who had a lovely home office, but she didn’t really like to work in there.  She preferred to work in her kitchen – it was warm and cozy, had great light plus coffee!  So, instead of trying to change her preferred habit of working happily in the kitchen, we instead set up a work space in the kitchen and reserved the home office for meetings with clients, and file and supply storage.  We helped her home better fit her good work habit.

Again, the question: Do I need to change my house or change my habit?

Is there is a space in your home or office that regularly causes you frustration?  A place that has just never seemed to “work” right for you?

If your habit is a problem – you drop stuff where it becomes unsafe, you neglect client files, you are inconsistent with your stuff and the habits around it – then consider changing your habits.

If, however, your habits are sound but the space doesn’t support the habit, consider what you can do to Support the Good Habit and Change the house around it!

Thanks for reading!

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Organized People… Don’t Pay Late Fees! 4 Tips to Organize Your Bill Paying

Organizing Your Bill Paying Process ensures successful and consistent Bill Paying!  Try these 4 tips to Streamline Your Process!

Set An Appointment.  

Client Study:  A client I first met many years ago admitted that deadlines and due dates would often slip past her and her husband, costing lots of money in late fees, not to mention frustration! She did not have a set time to regularly sit down and pay her bills, so as life got busy, they would both forget to pay bills.

Tip: Set aside time every week or every other week to pay your bills.  For example, if you get paid every other Friday, make an appointment with your computer / check book for every other Thursday evening to pay your bills and manage your money.  If it’s on the calendar, it’s more likely to happen!

 

Do the Job Until It’s Done.   

Client Study:  I worked with a couple, and I could tell that the husband was very nervous about having an organizer in the house! He was very happy when I told him I wanted him to spend LESS time on his papers every week!

Here is the rest of that statement: “Carve out an hour every week (they chose Saturday morning) to open all the mail, pay all the bills, respond to any other correspondence and shred / recycle whatever needed to go.”  They agreed an hour should be enough. They could worry less throughout the week, but they had to tackle all their money management tasks, start to finish, when they DID work on their bills.

Tip: Spend less time on your bill paying, but complete the job from start to finish when you sit down.

 

Dedicate Space for Paying Bills.

Client Study: I worked with a lovely couple just last week.  They took turns explaining how they used their shared work space.  One person had a place to always tuck the bills to be paid. The other person had no idea that was the system in place!

Just that one piece of information, a dedicated place to put the Bills-To-Pay, made a huge difference in how each uses the space!

If you pay bills on line, consider creating an email subfolder or maybe even an email account just for bill-paying and financial information, and make sure everyone who needs to know about it has access!

In addition, set yourself up to succeed with your necessary supplies in that space (pens, notepad, post its, computer if you pay on-line, envelopes and stamps, etc.).

Tip: Dedicate Space for bill-paying, and let all involved parties know the plan!

 

Make  Filing Easier, Too!

Client Study: Me.  For both our personal and my business bill paying, we have done away with individual vendor files and just have monthly folders for all income and banking info.  Any paid bills, receipts, bank statements, etc., get added to those monthly files.  Finding info is so easy, as is filing!

Tip: Create Monthly Folders for all things Income / Banking related and make filing easy!  And if you like this idea, apply it to your on-line bill paying as well!  Same idea around your directories on your computer or google drive!

Pick a Tip, and Give it a Try!
To:

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Create Productive Work-From-Home Space: National Clean Off Your Desk Day

Last week, I heard from a newly minted college graduate.  She is very excited to start her first  professional position with a national company, working from home.

Hmmm… “Working From Home”.   A quick glance at wikipedia revealed related terms like “telecommuting”, “remote work” or “teleworking”.  This is a growing trend, with many of us working at least some of the time from non-traditional work space.

According to this recent New York Times article,  “More American employees are working remotely, and they are doing so for longer periods… Last year, 43 percent of employed Americans said they spent at least some time working remotely, according to the survey of more than 15,000 adults.”

With this conversation in mind and National Clean Off Your Desk Day (second Monday of January) here again, let’s talk about Organizing Your Work Space for Working-From-Home.  Let’s look at solutions to common Work-From-Home Challenges!

Be Professional and Productive While Working From Home

There are habits we can create to feel professional and productive, no matter where we work.

  • Create a morning routine – get up, work out, eat a healthy breakfast, get clean, etc. – even if your commute is the 10 feet between your living room and office.

    My Company Wellness Program 🙂

  • We all benefit from the clear definition of a start and end to our work day.  If you need separation in your day between personal time and work, go for a run, for Mass, for coffee, or to drop off the kids at school.  Then, come home and boot up!
  • Dress professionally, even if you don’t see another person all day.  No PJs for productivity!
  • We need to minimize distractions (more on this later) working from home, but the opposite is also true.  Remember to walk around and take breaks!

My Company Cafeteria (a.k.a. my kitchen counter!)

Stay Connected:

  • A common challenge of working from home is feeling isolated.  Remember, Community comes in many forms.
  • Check with your company!  If your company has teleworking opportunities, they probably also have strategies in place to help employees stay connected.
  • Find a mentor or accountability partner within your company.   You can also ask the professional association attached to your industry, or even just someone you really respect.
  • Join networking or FB groups within your chosen field or geographical community. My FB and networking groups are amazing resources for me as I navigate my day!

Physical Workspace:

  • If you are clear on the Work of your Work, you can probably work from anywhere!
  • No one needs to know where you work!  Some days saying “working from home” doesn’t feel professional, so I might say I’m working “remotely” or “virtually”, whether I’m at a client’s office, my own home office or Starbucks!
  • Your Actual Work Space:
    • If you skype, or have video conference calls, invest in a back drop or standing screen that looks more professional than your family room or basement!
    • Organize your work space, especially if you need to switch from student focus to work focus, like my young friend.  A clean desk helps you focus.  My accountability partner mentioned just last week how much more creative she feels when her work space is organized and clutter free.
  • Need Professional Space for a change of pace or a group project?  Perhaps your team is coming into town for training?  Many communities have available shared professional spaces or  business centers.  For a fee, these centers may offer work spaces, office services such as copiers or fax machines, conference rooms to rent by the hour or day, and even administrative help.   For example, I am a member of BAPA here on the South Side of Chicago, and their business center offers office equipment and conference room space free to paid members.

The “Home” part of Working-From-Home

  • Be clear with your house-mates what your tele-working will mean.  You may be home but still on the clock!  (The same goes for pets – one client closes the door and curtains to the back yard, to signal to her faithful furry companions that play time is over!)
  • A closed door can be an arranged signal that quiet time is needed, or that a conference call is in progress!

Consider these ideas when creating your productive work-from-home space!

Got Resolutions? Perhaps We Just Need to Get Back To Normal!

On New Year’s Eve, I was thinking about positive changes to make in the new year.

I found myself saying “Know what? Change is hard.”

Saying it out loud, though, I immediately realized that I was wrong.

No, change isn’t hard.

Sometimes, change is extremely easy.  For example, just a few weeks ago, I was exercising daily and making healthy food choices.  And … then… the holidays happened.  And it is -2 degrees as I type this.  So there are still too many cookies in the house, and our daily walks are on hold until the weather breaks or I get on the treadmill.

While it’s easy to believe the self defeating statement “Change is Hard”, that is all it is – a self-defeating statement lacking truth.

We convince ourselves that “Change is Hard”, and then we set ourselves up for failure by:

  • setting unrealistic Resolutions;
  • starting a new journey without a map or plan;
  • setting the bar too high; 
  • pursuing goals that are not right for us right now;
  • not asking for help; or
  • expecting big change overnight.

But here is the good news – Change doesn’t have to be hard.  And for the New Year, just getting  back to what you are supposed to be doing can be a big step in the right direction.

Start with just getting back on track, whatever that looks like to you.  Let’s leave the bad holiday habits behind.  It’s time to:

  • Get to bed on time;
  • Clear that kitchen counter, and put the snacks out of sight;
  • Take that January list I suggested you make, and add action dates to it; 
  • Curb or stop spending money;
  • Unsubscribe from advertising emails;
  • Stop running around like a crazy person; or
  • Conversely, start moving again and be productive;
  • Clear holiday / all other clutter from surfaces;
  • Log into your on-line banking, and pay those bills;
  • Re-boot your morning meditation / routine / reading hours, etc.;
  • And From My Friends:
    • Use my little elliptical stepper in the evening (SM);
    • Go to the gym with my neighbor / Work out (JM/JH/LB);
    • Eat better (PB/LB);
    • Reduce sugar intake, decrease sugar / artificial sweeteners (LZ / MC);
    • Finding a planner I like and actually use it (LR);
    • Write 3 gratitudes each day, focusing on the positive; (PM)
    • Refocus on work, the Holidays allow a lot of distractions (LB);
    • Start running again! It is just 30 minutes out of my entire day, so no excuses (MO);
    • Spend time regularly to tidy/organize my papers & desk so that it STAYS tidy & organized (MTO);
    • Have fun – so often, I fall in the trap of pursuing accomplishment of various items in my ‘to do’ list that I neglect to devote time to things that are purely enjoyable (SRC).

I am so happy for us!  Know why?

WE KNOW HOW TO DO THIS!  We know what to do.

We know what healthy habits are, and how to re-establish them.

We know how to be productive, we just need to get back to it!

We know how to be good to ourselves, so let’s be good!

This year, let’s start the year with returning to what we know.  How about we review our good habits that may have gotten a little lax over the last month?  Let’s start the year strong, with realistic expectations to build a strong foundation, and then climb from there!

To:

Receive more ideas and suggestions like these;
Book time with me in person or virtually;
Arrange a presentation for your upcoming event; or
Discover the benefits of Organizational Coaching;

Please contact me.

Call / text 708.790.1940
Online at  http://peaceofmindpo.com
www.Facebook.com/MColleenKlimczakCPO
Via Twitter, @ColleenCPO

Save Time and $$: Stop Running Errands (Over and over and over…)

Perhaps you love running errands.  Maybe you love shopping.  I love neither.

I detest errands and shopping.  The expense, hassle and time spent.  But, of course, there are items  – food, clothing, supplies, etc. – that I need for my family, our home and my business.  Errands and shopping are a necessary evil.

I have been pondering how to spend less time, money and hassle on running errands and shopping.  I’ve talked to a lot of people also working on the same challenge, and we’ve learned a lot from each other!

Why Change Your Shopping and Errand Running Ways?  Here are a few examples of why:

  • I want to make more client time available in my schedule which means streamlining some recurring errands and tasks.
  • A friend travels for work, and is looking to streamline the household errands and shopping to spend more time together with family on weekends.
  • A client has chronic health problems that make shopping or running errands difficult, and lugging supplies into the house nearly impossible.

How to Change Your Ways:

  1. Answer the questions:  What tasks / errands do you regularly run?
    Grocery or groceries, cleaners, coffee, bakery, post office, bank, pharmacy?
  2. Pay Attention:  For a week, take note of Where Your time Goes.
    Are you running off to the same place multiple times in a week?  A couple of grocery runs, dropping off cleaning, a handful to trips to the ATM or bank?
  3. Which of those tasks / errands / places could you complete less often?  Just once weekly, or even monthly?
  4. If you HAVE to run errands, bundle what you can.  I bundle the Errands I absolutely have to run onto one morning per week. I don’t need to run them more than once a week.  These may include: the cleaners to drop off and pick up; gas up my van; drop off donations for myself or for clients; or in-person banking if necessary.

More Importantly, what Errands could you eliminate entirely?  This week, I asked my FB community: “What is one regular errand you have been able to outsource or delete?”

 

Groceries / Household Supplies:

  • Scan-n-Go app for Sam’s club has been a major game changer. My husband and kids even come with me now that I don’t have to wait in that line! (KB)
  • Mariano’s click list I order my groceries online call them from the parking lot and they load my groceries in the trunk. They even give me 2 free cookies. (ND)
  • Love Peapod! Use them almost exclusively because I do not like grocery shopping. (KK)
  • InstaCart app (favorite groceries will deliver!) (BK/CK)
  • Amazon Fresh for groceries when I don’t have time to go. (MK, KB)
  • Amazon Prime Pantry for cleaning supplies, toiletries and paper products delivered monthly (NR, DCD, MK, LB)
  • Amazon for lots of little purchases, saving time, gas, and most importantly, aggravation. (LB)
  • Melaleuca.com, my first foray into home delivered household supplies!  (Me!!)

Gifts / Cards:

  • Gift giving. Sending an electronic gift card to out-of-town family saves me 1.) having to go to the store to search for a gift, and 2.) having to wrap and make a trip to the USPS to mail said gift. (JB)
  • Send out cards for sending g thank you cards and such. You can even attach gifts. (MK)

Errands:

  • I reserve my library books online. That way, despite having to go pick it up my reads at the library, they are at least waiting for me at the circulation desk, and I don’t need to search for them in the stacks. I guess true outsourcing for this would be using an e-book for reading on a Kindle or Nook. 
  • Mail-order prescriptions in 3-month supplies. No more long lines at the pharmacy! (MJS)
  • I have Chewy.com deliver my 30 lb bag of dog food every 5 weeks and I get great reminder emails when they are ready to ship the next box. I can move the auto ship out another week if they still have food or ship immediately if they are almost out. No more trips to the pet store to break my back on dog food. (AB)
  • Mobile banking is a big timesaver.  (LB) 
  • Chase quick pay and deposit (BO)
  • Auto pay for bills. (MK)
  • Stitch Fix (Me!!!):  I just received my third monthly Stitch Fix. This is an on-line styling and shopping website that sends me an great outfit every month based on my own preferences.  I can choose to keep as many of the items they send or none at all.  For this self-proclaimed non-shopper, this is GOLD!!
  • Target.com (Me!!) I shop at Target every other week for household items like paper goods, toiletries and cleaning supplies.  Amazon Pantry doesn’t carry a few of the items we regularly buy, so recently, I set up my on-line account at Target.com, paid with my Target Red Card credit card for free shipping, and received my first shipment.  They were delivered to my door.  It was beautiful.

So, in the interest of saving time, money and hassle, what errands are you willing to outsource or delete entirely?!  Let’s Go!