Category: Productivity

“If I Don’t Write It Down, It Doesn’t Exist”

“If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t exist.”

After a conversation with a friend last week, “If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t exist.” was already the working title of this week’s article. Then, yesterday, a friend texted, and I quote, “seriously, If I don’t write it down, it’s gone!”

Maybe this statement resonates with you, too?

To be honest, I hesitated to write this article, worried that you might harshly judge your professional organizer who has to write things down to remember them.  But then I realized that to help us all get more organized, I needed to share the solution I have found to a common challenge!

“If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t exist.”

Our brains are always working.  My brain has a lot to do, and a lot of tasks to juggle.  Often my brain will supply a thought, idea or an answer to a question that I am not, at that moment, ready to process.

This happens all the time.  While I’m:

  • driving;
  • trying to fall asleep;
  • in the shower;
  • in Mass;
  • sitting at a soccer game;
  • working with a client, etc.
You get the picture.  Personal thoughts come while I’m working, and client/business thoughts come in the midst of personal time.  I want to capture those ideas for later, and then get back to what I was doing.
Appreciate your brain, and all it does for you.  And give it a little help.
Clear your Mental Clutter by getting those swirling thoughts out of your brain.
  1. Create the Habit of Writing Stuff Down (you can try voice recordings, too, if you prefer);
  2. Create the Habit of turning your notes in Actions;
  3. Act on the Ideas.  And then
  4. Give your brain another challenge to work on.
  • Write Stuff Down, as it comes.
    • Capture the idea.
    • I have a large Post-It pad in the car (orange), and a similar one next to me right now (pink).   The different colors help me to put them back in their proper homes, should they wander.
    • I also have a dry erase marker in the bathroom, for jotting notes down on the mirror; and
    • I even have a waterproof note pad and pencil in the shower (www.myaquanotes.com)  
    • What I use most to collect my thoughts is Evernote on my laptop, IPhone and IPad.
  • Make A Habit of Collecting / Compiling
    • Regularly (daily?), compile the little notes into an Action list.
    • Once a day, I collect all the little notes and put them into my master lists on Evernote.  Tasks, blog ideas, personal and professional development ideas, grocery lists, etc..
    • This keeps them from piling up or getting lost, and reminds me of the urgent issues I need to address.
  • Turn Your Ideas Into Actions.
    • Make your notes and ideas actionable, so you don’t just have a jumbled pile of papers in front of you to compete with the jumbled ideas in your brain.
    • My large orange Post-It note from a car trip yesterday (I jotted it all down while parked in a parking lot, very safe I promise) included:
      • Explore Bullet Journaling idea for workshop;
      • Send A theatre ticket info;
      • Send D Cub Scout info;
      • Send T the recipes;
      • Return client calls on Tuesday; and
      • remember to carry promotional materials to all your presentations.
    • So, last night, I made sure to add these ideas to my Project List and Daily Task Lists, and
      recycled the note.
  • Ask for reminders in the form that works for you.
    • If you prefer auditory reminders, ask folks to call you and leave you a voice mail.
    • I prefer written reminders.  For example, when my son asks me to buy something at the grocery, I refer him to the grocery list.  He can say the words to me, but if it’s not written down, I may not remember 4 days from now when I actually go to the grocery.
      • This is also the reason I prefer emails and texting to phone calls – I can refer back to the message, for details or contact info, etc.  I don’t remember entire conversations for more than a couple of days.

This week, give your brain a break and boost your productivity by creating the Write Stuff Down Habit!

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

Life’s Too Short For Crummy Pens (The Question of Duplicates)

If you’re reading this article, you probably have clutter.

Let’s be honest, if you have a pulse, you probably have clutter.  Every person has at least a little clutter. You certainly have stuff, as we all need at least some stuff – food, clothes, furniture, books, etc. – to survive.  And when we have stuff, stuff can build up and become clutter.

 

Clutter is anything we don’t need, use or love. (Barbara Hemphill)

 

A powerful questions, as asked by a FB friend just today, is “Duplicates: how much is enough, and how many is too many? ” This friend was asking about her sons’ clothes, but the question can be asked about pretty much ANYTHING.  TShirts, socks, cars, hammers, coffee mugs, writing implements. 

We need pens.  And we needs pens in many places around our homes and work spaces.  But with just 2 hands, we only need one pen at a time.  And it had better be a good pen. I have come to appreciate a really good pen (my favorite is a blue or black Pilot G2 0.38). Few things frustrate me more than reaching for a pen and coming away with a broken/dried-up/wrong color pen.  Life is just too short for crummy pens.

 
I talk about Duplicates in my Organized Kitchen and Clear the Clutter classes.  I mention Mug Math:
 
  • Ask (# of coffee drinkers  x  # of cups per day) x # of days we take to run the dishwasher.
  • So, in my house, that would be (1 x 2) x 2 = 4.
  • Now, that’s a need.  We NEED 4 coffee mugs.  OF course we have more than 4 coffee mugs. Because sometimes we have company, or more likely, we use the mugs for ice cream or cereal because mugs have handles, or I shake things up and have hot chocolate or tea, too.
  • So, I NEED 4.  But I don’t need 40.  There will never be 40 people drinking coffee in my house at once.  When I have more than 40 people over, we’re usually drinking beer, wine or soda, some of which conveniently come in their own containers.
And the Kid T-shirt question?  My client asked the question, and we used to, too, when the kids were little. Here’s how to think it through:
  • The child wears # of shirts a day x how often you do laundry (2 shirts a day x 7 days)
  • So, for the child, we NEED 14 shirts. And since we like options, we keep more than 14 t-shirts. But not 50 or even 40.  Now may be a good time to re-choose or re-shop the favorite 20 or 25, and let the rest go. But I digress.  I hope you see my point.  We need the find the happy medium for our items – enough mugs or socks or pens that our needs and wants are met, but not so many of something that it falls out of the cabinet or clutters our dresser drawers or drives us crazy.
 
There are some items we need in duplicate: 
  • Every room needs a garbage can, box of tissue and surge protector.
  • Most rooms need a pair of scissors, some band-aids and some pens, too.
  • Charging cords – at least a couple. Definitely one at home and one at work.
  • House keys – We always need extra house keys.
  • A class participant last week pointed out that we should have a hammer on each level of our homes – in the bedrooms, in the kitchen and in the basement, plus one in the garage – so she doesn’t have to run up and down the stairs all the time.  Fair enough.
  • And there are others.  So, some items we need in duplicate, but certainly not everything.
 
 
So, how can you figure out how much is  enough and how much is too much?  Ask yourself some questions:
  • What is the relative cost of the item?  Having duplicates of things like scissors, garbage cans or pens doesn’t cost too much, and definitely saves time and hassle.
  • How often do you need to use that type of item?  Have extras of those things you use ALL THE TIME.
  • Are there convenient alternatives?  For example, scissors have a very specific function that few other items can perform.  Anything can be a book mark, not anything can cut a piece of paper cleanly in half.
  • Perhaps we just need duplicate accessories?   For example, I only need one bullet blender, but I may have multiple cups for multiple smoothies, because I may make a smoothie both today and tomorrow, and not have a chance to run the dishwasher or wash the dishes between. OR… maybe other people in the house want a smoothie, too.
  • When we need an item, how quickly do we need it?  For example, we buy extra socks. Because when we need to leave the house, missing socks really slow us down.  So it is worth it to have extras, just to make our departures easier.  Not everything requires such immediacy, though.
 
So, how much is enough?  How much is too many?  That depends on who is asking, and what you’re asking about.  But these are great questions to ask as we get organized and purge our clutter!
 
 
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
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You’re Smart. And Smart People Make SMART Goals

Make goals ACHIEVABLE.
  • Make sure that the goal you set out to achieve is actually do able.  I can change the world, it’s true.  However… I probably can’t grow a foot taller, join a professional sports team or run a marathon in the next week.
  • Remember, too, that achievement requires action.  We can’t just sit there and expect things to happen.  Goals go nowhere without action.  Create an action plan to achieve your goals.
  • Let’s take a moment here to remember:  we can only make goals for ourselves; and we cannot force goals on others. Our goals may be in conjunction with another person’s goal, like a business plan with a business partner, or a healthy living plan for the whole family.
  • Break down your goals to make them achievable.  Big goals are a  series of small goals, or, broken down even further, a series of tasks or steps.  Set a big goal, then break it into bite-size actionable steps.
  • Make your goals achievable, but also use them to stretch you as a person! Don’t make your goals too small!

Make goals TIMELY.

  • Set a time frame for your goals.  A SMART Goal needs to be timely, time specific.  “I will achieve xyz goal by March 1st” or “next Tuesday.”
  • Every goal needs a deadline, or else its just a wish.  Set a deadline, and then make mid-goal benchmarks to check your progress.  Make the goal time-frame long enough but not too long!

National Clean Off Your Desk Day: Whadda YOU looking at?

No, really, what do you see?

This time every year, we have a chance to review, refresh and de-clutter our work space with National Clean Off Your Desk Day, celebrated annually on the second Monday in January.

I’ve published many articles about organizing your work surface, but today I suggest you lift your eyes, and organize your visual work space (your view).

Look up from your desk for this one.  What do you see? Look straight ahead, side to side. Order or chaos?  Positive messages or nagging responsibilities?  Simple beautiful things, or old and outdated things?  We are all influenced by our visual fields, but we can also become overwhelmed with visual clutter.

Let’s make it better!  Think about this statement:  “I want to see that which I want to attract.” For me, I want to look at a view that is simple, streamlined, functional and beautiful!

Spend some time cleaning off your desk space today (yes, you still need to do that!), and then Look Up! and apply the same steps (from Julie Morgenstern’s SPACE Method) to taking care of your view!

SORT your stuff into categories:
Clear the stuff off that message board or wall in front of you.   Yes, all of it.

Then, sort the stuff into categories, for example:  Photos, memos, messages, task reminders (bills on paperclips to send in or pay, post it notes with “call Bob”, or “order baby shower gift”), decor / tchotchke / kitsch, things to go elsewhere or to other people, etc.


PURGE:

Ok, friends. Time to get real.  Let’s go back to the statement “I want to see that which I want to attract.” Keep only the items that encourage, nourish and support your work.  Put away the rest, or purge it completely.

If you are not ready to part with all the stuff, consider a seasonal visual work space / view: swapping out your photos or inspirational messages every week / month or season.

(I like my Chrome extension Momentum: every day I’m provided a new beautiful photo, an inspirational quote and a space to jot down my intention for the day.  Then I see it whenever I sit down to work at my computer.)

A few words about… Post-It Notes.  I have a love/hate relationship with Post-It Notes. Post-Its are meant to be momentary reminders.  However, when we use Post-Its a lot, we start to look past them.  When I ask clients about the notes all over their work space, I’ll hear “Oh, they’ve been there so long, I don’t even see them anymore.”  Then WHY ARE THEY THERE?

So, jot a note on a Post-It Note, and then do something with it.  An event reminder?  Put it in your calendar.  A phone number?  Enter it into your contacts.  A task reminder or creative idea?  Add the task to your to do list, or the idea to your idea file.  AND THEN TOSS THE NOTE!!

ASSIGN A HOME, CONTAINERIZE and EQUALIZE:

When assigning a home and containerizing the stuff in our field of vision, consider keeping only those things that are useful and beautiful.  Keep pictures that make you smile (only a few), inspirational messages (only a few), and a handful of little items that evoke positive memories or creativity.  Add a plant, if you’d like!

Consider boundaries – limit your visual clutter to a small space in your line of sight or just one shelf or tray for kitschy items.

We want a nice view, but not too nice!  Have nice things to look at, but not so nice that they pull your focus from your work.  I love my vision board (thanks, MTO!), but if I look at it all the time, I take it for granted.  It’s more inspiring for me to intentionally look at it, and then set is aside and move on to my tasks.

Now, set a reminder to do this again every few months, to keep your View looking good!

OK, daylight’s wasting! Get on with cleaning off that Desk!

You Can Change the World in 17 Minutes (or less)

Big progress and big changes can be made in little pieces.

Too often, we believe that great progress towards a goal can only be made with a great investment of time and effort.   We get stuck in perfectionist thinking, believing that we can only make progress or work on a project if we have a bunch of uninterrupted hours all together (that doesn’t sound like my typical day or week, how about you?).

However, maintenance and progress towards goals really can happen in bits and pieces of time, in 5 or 10 or 15 minute increments, fit in around all the other tasks and responsibilities we take care of  on a regular basis.

For example, consider the 7th game of the 2016 World Series.  

I would love to know what was said to the Chicago Cubs team during the 17 minute rain delay in the 7th game of the World Series back in November.

If you were watching the game that night (as myself, my family and most of the cities of Chicago and Cleveland plus millions of others were), you may remember the rain delay.  

It was a late night with an extra inning, so when the rain delay was called, I decided to go to bed.  In those 17 minutes, I plugged in my phone to charge, brushed my teeth, put on my PJs and hit the pillow.

As I drifted off, I heard my husband and sons start to chat again and I figured (correctly) that the delay was over  and the game had resumed.  So Of Course I got up and watched the fantastic end.

17 minutes.  The team all said how important and pivotal the talk in the weight room was, how simple and moving words made the difference.

17 Minutes.

And here we are, in 2017.  Let’s appreciate that symmetry.  As we begin 2017, what can we learn from the 17 minute rain delay?

Do not underestimate the power and potential and progress that can be found in small bits of time.  5, 10, 15 minutes?  17 Minutes?  I’m just sayin’!

So, what can we do in 17 minutes (or less) that can help us have a better, healthier, kinder, more productive, more organized 2017?

  • Take our vitamins; 
  • Take a power nap; 
  • Take a shower; 
  • Make our bed; 
  • Run an errand; 
  • Text or call a friend when we think of them; 
  • Pay a bill, either in person or on-line; 
  • Pray; 
  • Respond to an email ( I just booked a presentation for April.  2 minutes.  done!); 
  • Delete a bunch of emails; 
  • Unsubscribe from a catalog or retailer; 
  • Steep a cup of tea; 
  • Clean out the fridge; or 
  • Fold a couple loads of laundry, and put it all away.

And per my awesome friends and readers:

  • Reorganize our purse or bag (receipts; discard or file, update or toss notes/ lists, change, bills in place;
  • Clean that pile of mail off the printer;
  • Clean out junk mail (both physical and email), as well as
  • Empty the recycling bin (virtual and physical);
  • Throw out the garbage in the car (No, C., no judgement here!);
  • 10 minute pick ups in each room;
  • Take 5 min when you use the bathroom to wipe it all down;
  • 10 min quick clean up of my desk;
  • Gather dishes(coffee cups!) from various reading spots and put in dishwasher;
  • Empty and reload dishwasher, makes a huge difference;
  • Go through the house, gather shoes, put in correct bedrooms;
  • Do a once thru the house to pick up items and put them where they BELONG; and
  • Stash a bag on every floor for donations, add to the bag as you come across things to purge!

Imagine with me, friends.  If we were open to taking little steps instead of waiting to take great strides to our goals.  We could feel the rush of accomplishment in a steady glow, stay motivated, makes changes mid-stride. Let’s think about 2017, and all the great progress we can make in 17 minute-or-less pieces!

Here’s to a great 2017!

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

Did You Start That Other List Yet? The After-Christmas List?

As I write this, I have tea and cinnamon muffins next to me and Christmas carols on the speaker.  We shopped today, went out to lunch and I even caught a short winter’s nap.

And I started my After-Christmas list.

This is not your “Resolutions List”, this is the “hey, here is a great idea but I won’t have time to act on it until after the Holidays” list.

You see, I have ideas all the time about new ways to do things or make things better, but I don’t always have time to act on those ideas.  And time is an even more scarce and precious commodity during the holiday season, especially this last week before Christmas.

So, as I deck the halls and wrap the gifts and do my daily tasks and work with clients, I also make notes of things I want to do but NOT RIGHT NOW.

For example, current tasks and projects on the After-Christmas List include but are not limited to:

  • Move all my personal emails from my old email address to the new gmail address (I expect this to take a while!!);
  • Unsubscribe from almost every retailer email campaign;
  • Send out my business New Years Cards (don’t have to go out until next week!);
  • Review and cull my reading pile;
  • Reorganize the laundry room, after all the Christmas gifts are out of it!;
  • Wrap the gifts for my side of our extended family (we’re celebrating with them the end of the month); and
  • Teach my teenager how to do his laundry.

All of these ideas are really good ideas.  Important ideas.  Ideas I want to implement.  But NOT THIS WEEK.   This week, there are parties to attend, cookies to bake (and eat), White Christmas waiting for me on the DVR (I’ve never seen it!!!), and more fun, friends and family to appreciate.

So, this week, I challenge you to:

  • Focus on Christmas and your holidays, and not get distracted!;
  • Take note of the new ideas that occur to you; but
  • Prioritize your activities, taking care of the tasks that need to be done this week, and putting the other ones on your After-Christmas List!

Merry Christmas to All, and to all a good night.

Right Now, What’s The Right Thing To Do? (a.k.a. Don’t aggravate your loved ones)

Last week in my newsletter, I stated:a755a998abbfc3e4597f01a9ba15e829

“Let me recommend – focus on the most used areas of your home.  For a Thanksgiving event, those areas would be:

  • the entryway / coat closet; 
  • kitchen; 
  • dining room; 
  • family rooms; and 
  • guest bathrooms. 

“Now is NOT the time to pull out everything from the attic, garage, or basement storage room.  Restore order and touch up those public spaces this week, and leave the other projects until after Thanksgiving!”

Apparently, this statement resonated with a number of my readers, thanks for your comments. One reader specifically asked if I had grown up in her home, as her dad would take the day off before Thanksgiving every year to “help”, and would instead start a huge and messy project , driving her mother crazy.

Every.

Year.

We all want to help.  We all want to act.
But we all need Priorities, Focus and Big-Picture planning and we don’t always have these!

My To-Do list is long.  I may never complete it,  since I add more tasks all the time.  But since I always have tasks and to-dos to complete, I have to decide “RIGHT NOW, What’s The Right Thing To Do?”

I think this happens to many of us, to some extent.  We have so many tasks and to-dos and ideas that we want to act upon, we could ACT all day but still not get to our important work.

So here’s how to figure out What’s The Right Thing to Do Right Now.

Write Things Down!  Write down, either on paper or digitally, ideas and tasks and to-dos.  Don’t edit them, just write them down.  Your busy brain will thank you.

Not All Actions Are Created Equal.  It’s often difficult to know what the next step is.  Sometimes we feel like we should be doing SOMETHING, but we don’t want to think through the process, so we just dive into a project or task and end up making a bigger mess.  THINK first, and Act Well.

Often, it’s the simplest thing.  We tend to over-think things.  Sometimes the best thing to do is take a shower, put some clothes on, get a drink of water, make a phone call, make dinner, leave the house, send the email.

Pick Today’s List.  Look at the  on-going To-Do list, and choose.  Last week, a client asked if we could come up with a plan for our 3 hours together and talk through the planning process.  So, on her dry erase board, we:

  • wrote down all the tasks that were on her mind to complete that day;
  • asked how long each task typically takes, and how long to allot for it (finish tagging files – 20 minutes; file receipts – 30 minutes; hang art in home office – 45 minutes, etc.);
  • determined if any of them were attached to a specific time (like a 3 o’clock conference call, or starting the crock pot to warm dinner 2 hours before dinner time);
  • and finally, ordered the list by attaching a number to each item (#1, #2, #3, etc.,), and moved a few things to the next day’s list.
  • This was an interesting exercise.  We ended up adding other tasks in, and we ran over a few time estimates, but we certainly learned a lot about the process and the client.


Group Similar Tasks.  A class participant explained how her home seemed to be full of distractions and asked me how to keep focus.  We talked about a couple of strategies, and she chose “set aside a half an hour for house tasks, then a half an hour for paying bills, a half an hour for cooking and cleaning up the kitchen” etc., instead of hopping from task to task without ever feeling like she had completed a project.


What tasks on your list only need elapsed time?  Start the laundry, start the crock pot, send out the emails and ask for responses by a certain day this week.  And then ignore the results until the next time you need to check in.


Ask.  Communicate with the folks around you, whether at home or at work.  You may feel some tasks and your part of the overall plan are high priority, but some one else may see other tasks and other parts as higher priority.  You both may be correct, but communication will help everyone get the right things done.


Make an “After Thanksgiving” or “January” list now.  Looking at all the tasks and to-dos on the Master list, determine which ones can wait.   Today, I was reminded that I need to make an annual doctor appointment for February or March, but I waiting until January to make that call. I wrote it down so I won’t forget, and will worry about it later.
Manage your time and yourself better by asking often “Right Now, What’s The Right Thing To Do?”.
To:

Receive more ideas and suggestions like these;
Book time with me in person or virtually;
Arrange a presentation for your upcoming event; or
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Please contact me.

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

It’s Your Turn to Choose. What’ll It Be?

This week, it’s your turn.

pink magic 8 ball

Labor Day / Back to School provides a re-start button, whether you sent yourself or kids back to  school or not.  We just started a new month, we’re in the last third of 2016. What will it hold for you?  It’s your turn to start fresh, make changes, clear mental or real clutter, set goals, dream big!

It’s your chance to choose.  Here are a handful of ideas, to jump-start the process:

Spend a  little time with your clothes and closet.
This morning, I refreshed my closet a bit.  I set aside items that I know I won’t wear again this season, even though it is 92 degrees today in Chicago!   I also thought about the other closets in the house, and added a few problem-solvers (a tie hanger for the teenager, over-sized Command Hooks ) to the Target shopping list.

What can you do this week to streamline your closet and clothes?

Plan your Menu for the next few weeks.

It may be warm today, but my thoughts (and taste buds) are turning to soups and stews!  Inventory your cabinets and freezer, check out your schedule for the next few weeks, and write down 7-10 dinners you have the ingredients for and want to make.  Leave the list where you can see it, and save yourself time and energy, while eating better and saving $$.  Win win win!  What’s for Dinner?

Strategize for for your house projects, inside and out.

Fall is a great time to complete those house projects!  It’s not too hot or too cold to work outside, and there are many community shred and recycle events to utilize, as people clean out for Fall.  Walk around your house, inside and out, this week with a clipboard and make notes for what needs to be accomplished.  Then, note some upcoming Saturday mornings for completing those projects.  You’ll be happy they’re done, with cold weather and the holidays coming sooner than we think!  What’s the first project to tackle?

Set Goals.

     I took this very simple step last week, with amazing results.  I decided to set Goals for the rest of 2016 for the business, to help me focus and measure success.  I stated I wanted to book 10 more presentations for 2017 in the next month.  And I booked 8 in a 24 hour period.  The POWER of Goal Setting!
The other side of Goal setting is determining what we DO NOT want to do.  We set our goals to achieve positive outcomes.  Once we know what we seek to achieve, we can look at our habits or obligations, and make sure that how we live and act supports our Goals (and can clean out habits and obligations that don’t support those positive outcomes!).  Make sure the How and Who you spend your time on is in sync with your goals.

Focus on your Health and Wellness this week.
This is a great time to schedule your health and wellness appointments for the rest of 2016 (for example, I need to have my cholesterol checked again and will need a flu shot in October).  Set up your appointments, or check out a local yoga class or gym membership (before the weather gets cold!).  A conversation with a family member over the weekend inspired me to think differently about health and wellness, and with my birthday coming up, I set some health goals this morning to work towards.  Goals order our steps, and illuminate our paths.

So, this week it’s your turn to start fresh, set goals and dream big.  What will it be?  It’s Your Turn, Take It!

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
Via LinkedIn, M. Colleen Klimczak, CPO

Summer Projects! Life Lessons in an Ikea Box.

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We spent some quality time at Ikea yesterday.

If you’ve ever been to Ikea, you know that you can’t rush through Ikea, or go in for just one thing. Ikea includes a restaurant on premises because, truly, shopping there can be an all-day adventure.  It can be overwhelming, but we were prepared and we did the conquering!

I will share the entire project (basement bathroom wardrobe / big closet re-set) once it is all done, but we went to Ikea to purchase a wardrobe / standing cabinet for our bathroom.

Have I mentioned?  I LOVE assembling furniture.  It’s gratifying, and because I have an amazing job, I get called upon to assemble furniture quite often!  Particularly gratifying is assembling my own furniture, which is how I spent the afternoon.  Since I have assembled so many of these furniture pieces, from Ikea and elsewhere, I thought I would share my wisdom to help you on your next project whether simple book shelves or something more complicated like our wardrobe!

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  1. This should go without saying, but I will say it anyway: Read the directions.  Read them ALL THE WAY TO THE END, before you do anything.  I realize that we can’t actually read Ikea instructions because, oh right, there are no words.  But you can still look at EVERY PICTURE in the provided booklet before you take anything else out of the box. Trust me on this one, and you can thank me later.
  2. Collect Your Tools.  The instruction booklet suggested only a hammer and Philips 6f489834-7ed2-4a5c-babf-497374e960a6_1000head screwdriver were needed for assembly of our particular unit, but my new power screwdriver could make the job go much easier.  Also, grab a cold beverage and put on some music (again, trust me on this one).
  3. 021Lay out all the hardware, sort it all into little piles, and count everything to make sure you have what you need.  I’ve had good experiences with Ikea kits, with the necessary pieces all intact. This is really good news since their customer service line left a bit to be desired when I actually had to call about something.  Reviewing everything first is better than having to call and wait on hold halfway through.
  4. Lay out all the big pieces, match them up with the instructions.   Imagine all the pieces fitting together in the finished projects.  Make sure the unfinished surfaces are the hidden sides of your item!
  5. Do Not Rush. Let me say it again.  DO NOT RUSH.  Review the directions, check your tools and supplies, turn on your tunes.  Estimate how long the assembly should take, then double it. Take  your time, check your directions, tighten down your screws and connections.
  6. Once your item is assembled, take a moment and appreciate your success.  Raise your right 004hand, reach around and pat yourself on the back.  Then … clean up your mess and put your tools away!
Hmmm… I am re-reading this, and realizing that these instructions about instructions apply to pretty much every project!!
Read your instructions.
Assemble your tools.
Lay out your pieces and supplies.
Grab a beverage.
Music makes the job go better.
Don’t rush, take your time.
Appreciate your successes and clean up your messes.Yep, sounds like sound advice for life, not just for furniture assembling!  Happy Building!

Tech and Back To School: Update your Home, Habits and Devices

c89201_usb_phone_pakGetting your Tech and Home organized for family productivity is a great idea any time,  but especially for Back To School! Read on for 11 tips for getting your Tech and Home in order!

Update Your Home for Tech.

  • Centralize your office supplies and printers.  Have you noticed?  As our capacity to work anywhere in the house has expanded, so has the spread of office supplies and clutter. Establish one printer space and a wireless network for printing.  Then, collect all the supplies stashed all over the house, and create office supply (pens, papers, post-its, etc.) storage near the printer.  This will: save time searching for items; save money when we can find what we need and don’t have to buy more (I found lots of new items that we can use for back-to-school); and cut stress when we don’t have cabinets in every room dedicated to half-used notebooks or derelict writing supplies.
  • Work Stations Are Good. Consider your favorite library or coffee house – flat work space, no storage.  Have specific spots available for family members to work – home office, kitchen counter, traditional desks –  and let folks be flexible and share the spaces.  At these specific spots, make sure there is good lighting, access to an outlet, a comfortable chair (or make it a standing work station, also awesome!).   Keeping specific work stations makes it easier to find that rogue charging cord or book left behind.51L838PvfDL._AC_US200_
  • Desks are Bad.  Have you also noticed? New desks have changed a lot.  New desks (more likely to be called a Work Station) don’t offer drawers these day, and that’s a good thing (see the centralized supplies idea above!).  Traditional desks with multiple drawers full of paper and supplies and clutter are just waiting to drive us crazy!
  • Establish a Charging Station.  Find a convenient-to-everyone counter or shelf, NOT on your surge protector with usbkitchen counter where you need to make dinner; add storage for cords not being used; and a surge protector (new ones include USB ports).  We mounted ours on the wall, to cut down on counter clutter.  And here’s an idea – if your cords “wander off” sometimes, like mine, label the chargers and cords with a sharpie or label maker, or choose a color per person (once I started buying pink earphones and cords, they stopped disappearing.  Go figure!).

 

 

Update your Habits.

  • Pick Your Battles.  In recent history, I have advocated for keeping tech and charging out of bedrooms.  The light of technology devices disrupts our sleep signals, texting and notifications can occur 24/7, and even the fields generated by electronics can disrupt sleep in some sensitive folks.
         However, slowly the chargers have moved into the bedrooms, which aggravates me, but my 16 and 18 year old offer solid arguments, and need to learn to manage themselves.  I am reminded often that the world they are growing up in looks a lot different than the one I grew up in.  So, I have stopped pushing so hard on that, though I still encourage screen-free time and getting enough sleep.
  • Using your cool new charging station, make charging your devices a habit, part of your routine.  We have extra charging cords stashed in the car and at work, just in case!
  • Use On-Line Portals for School. Most schools have on-line parent / student portals these days, and some teachers have websites for their classrooms, where students can access homework and educational resources.  Make checking on things part of your habits (for example, I have a item on my daily to-do list to remind me to check the on-line announcement page for the high school).
  • Passwords and Log-Ins. Keep a page for each child’s passwords and login info for their student portals and on-line resources (these often go missing in our house!).

 

Update your Devices.

  • Buy the warranty.  Since our tech devices go with us everywhere, chances increase that something bad may happen to them.
  • Stay up to date!  Automate your device or computer udpates, or add “check updates” etc. to your weekly routine.41DGbXhN5zL._AC_US160_
  • Keep the college laptop safe.  (Love these, thanks MJS!) College students should invest in and use a lock to tether a laptop to a desk at the library or in a dorm room.  Also, buy an extra long charging cord in case your student is on the top bunk.
Save yourself hassle later, and invest time a little time and energy this week getting your home, tech stuff and tech habits ready for Back-To-School.
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