A Little Organization Goes a Long Way

One of the many reasons I love organization is because of how much easier it makes things in the long run. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve organized a room or space for a client and in the following days, weeks and months that initial organization effort pays off many times over the effort and time that it took to initially organize it. Not only is the space neater because everything has been organized, but it also makes it so much easier to move and find things when life or situations change.

I know that organization can be frustrating to people because it’s a process and you never go from unorganized to truly organized in one step, it’s always several steps and reorganizations before you get to something that you live with for a long time, and even then your life will change and things will need to move around and be reorganized again. I don’t find that frustrating, I enjoy the process because I know that with each step of the organization journey it becomes a little easier to do and you become more and more familiar with what you actually have which makes things go quicker.

As it relates to success, organization on many levels helps make your success journey smoother and less stressful. There’s no way for you to predict exactly how the journey will go or all the challenges that will pop up, but doing as much organization (aka planning) as possible at the beginning as you can helps you get at the very least an overview of the journey that you’ll go on, helps you prepare or anticipate some of the resources you’ll need, and helps you create a timeline of action so that you can finish the journey in a reasonable amount of time that means you not only finish it but do so in a way that is comfortable and sustainable for you. What organization helps you with your success journeys?

Organized for Success

I put a lot of stock in organization. Why? Because life, work and success are so much easier when you’re organized. It’s so much easier to manage your emails when you’ve got a system for processing and following up with them. It’s so much easier to follow up on people and projects if you’ve got all of their information organized and able to be easily found. It’s so much easier to keep all the things going on with your kids, your partner and yourself straight if you’ve got a calendar you update consistently. Life is so much easier when you’ve made a plan for dinners and other food needs for the week ahead and are able to do a single shop for all meals and needs rather than having to come up with everything last minute. It’s so much easier to achieve success when you’ve planned out a strategy and the steps on how you think you’ll achieve it.

There are two big challenges when it comes to organization: first that you have to set up your organization system in the first place. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort and decisions to get organized or set up your organization system initially. And you won’t always get it right the first time either, so you may set something up and try it out for a while and then either have to fine tune it or try a different organization system. Second, you have to keep up with the organization. Some people are pretty good at making that initial organization step, but then they never follow through on any of the upkeep that’s necessary to stay organized. Of course it’s a lot easier to stay organized if you make that first step to get organized, so don’t let that first step discourage you.

Can you do life without the organization? Yes, of course. But when you’re organized you don’t have to spend additional time regathering everything, researching everything again, finding all the information again, or trying to remember everything that happened or you did or didn’t agree on. Being organized means that you have extra minutes if not hours in your day that those who are disorganized don’t have. Being organized makes it easier for not only you but everyone else in your life because they’re not constantly waiting for you to put your pieces together. And being organized also means that when life is being distracting, difficult, stressful or you’re going through a period of being abnormally busy, you’re able to keep things moving at a relatively normal pace with less interruption than you would if you were disorganized. Being organized isn’t just about time though, it shows that you make an effort to plan things and anticipate what’s coming up in your life, it helps reduce clutter, and usually means you’ll be more productive and able to check off more on your to-do list.

What impact has organization had on your success or do you plan for it to have on your future success?

A Plan to Get Organized

Spring is here and it’s a great time to do a clean out and clean up. I love having organized shelves and tidying up because it does bring a big amount of satisfaction to your life, and shows how much you do care about the space that you live in. Having a tidy space is also about respecting the others who share that space with you, so that your stuff isn’t all over the space that they use too. I certainly don’t preach perfection and I do think you can spread out from time to time as the situation calls for it, but in general, it’s much easier to have a happy, peaceful, usable, enjoyable home when you have a place for everything.

And that’s really where it starts: with everything having a place. I love moving things in and out based on the season or need, freshening things up as needed. I’m not anti-boxes or long-term storage, as long as that stuff gets used from time to time. The biggest issue that most people face with organizing and keeping their spaces neat is not having enough storage and not taking advantage of the space they do have. I’m a huge supporter of vertical storage, of having storage up to the ceiling whenever possible. I have no issues with furniture that looks good or paintings and other decorations on the walls, but most homes and offices have plenty of space that isn’t covered with artwork and doesn’t need to be open, and you don’t even need to cover every space as long as you maximize a couple in the most important places.

When everything has a place it’s easier to clean up. Even better, if everything has a place, you don’t have to be the only one who tidies up because others can follow the existing system and help things get back where they go when they need to be put away. Even if it’s not perfectly back where it has to go because someone else was being helpful, it will be close enough that you’ll be able to quickly and easily slide things back into place. Also, there’s no need for the overflow closet or drawer where things get lost, so you won’t have to waste time in the future hunting for something, so it makes the effort of finding a place for everything and the time of putting things back where they belong definitely worth it. Everything having a place also means that it will be easier for you to sort through things and decide when it’s time to get rid of stuff what you’re going to get rid of.

I know it can be daunting to get your home or office organized, but all that you have to do is start in one place and keep going. Do one closet a week or one pile a day or one room a month, and even on that first day you’ll begin to see progress and the potential of what being organized could do for you. If you’re having trouble finding the motivation, you and your family or coworkers could make a game or contest out of it, sharing prizes or other forms of motivation to help each other stay accountable and make continued progress. Are you planning to get organized this spring?

A Clean Start to the New Year

This past week I went looking for a couple of papers that have some important lists on them and I couldn’t find them. I usually keep them in one spot and to not find them there was surprising. So I looked and looked for several days, finally fortunately finding them in the paper recycle before I took it out for the bi-weekly recycling day. The search helped me move through some of the papers and other stuff in my office and neaten it up for this new year as well as get the paperwork from last year moved out so that this year’s paperwork would have space.

The clean up was a good reminder of how good it feels to have your stuff in order, tidy and clean. I’m a fairly neat person and I do clean regularly, but life happens and over time stuff does build up. Usually we do this cleaning thing during the spring because we’re all feeling that push from nature to clear out the old and make the new, but the new year is also a good time to get it done as well.

Often for couples and families, it’s challenging to get anyone but one person to do the work around the house, whether it’s laundry or dishes or just picking up after themselves. One way to deal with this is to just assign everyone weekly or daily chores and rotate them around. It does give everyone practice at everything, and it’s not nearly as challenging to do the laundry or dishes these days with the little tabs you just have to put in the machine rather than having to measure out powder or liquid. Yes, there will be complaints, but at some point in time they’re probably going to have to deal with it themselves alone when they’re an adult, so it’s good practice.

However, you also could find out what they like best and have that be their chore or chores, in addition to having to tidy their bedroom or other space that only they really live in or use. For instance if one child really likes or doesn’t mind doing laundry, give them that chore. And if another really likes being in charge of garbage and recycling, they can do that. And if they get tired of it after several months, maybe someone else will want to trade with them.

So the point to share with them is two fold: first how good it can be to have a clean space and the difference that having a clean space makes over not having a space that’s ready for adventure and activity. The other is the importance of responsibility and contribution when you’re part of a group. It helps teach them that they do have to contribute, but sometimes they have a choice in how they contribute, and if they can contribute something they’re comfortable and/or good at, they should. Are you cleaning up as we start this new year?

Let’s Talk about Organization

One of the things that a lot of people do in the beginning of the year is get organized! The new year is a great time to evaluate what you’ve got and how what you got over the holidays works in with all of that.  It’s a great time to donate what you don’t use anymore and throw out what isn’t good anymore, donating to some of the needy communities who can really benefit from it during the winter months.

It’s also a great time to get organized and help your kids get organized.  Teaching your kids about organization at a young age is important because it helps them start thinking in ways of organization, which will benefit them in many ways throughout their adulthood. Organization also helps to keep the clutter down and make cleanup easier because everything has a home.

So how do you organize?  When you’re organizing think about what works for the people who are using it. Don’t forget to make lots of storage available at kid level for the kid’s daily use, and higher for more permanent/seasonal storage. Don’t force your partner into a storage system that doesn’t work for them (there are lots of storage options out there than can easily be changed around to accommodate lots of different needs and styles).

There are tons of great companies that have come up with lots of products that make it easier for us to be organized, but if you’re just looking for something simple that is versatile, just start with putting up shelves, shelves that can have their height adjusted so that they grow and move with all of you.

It doesn’t have to be a new year’s resolution, but I would encourage you to take the time to get organized this year because it will make your life easier and make everyone happier.

Organizing Your Business

Today I’m thinking about a really important topic for your business, something that often stands in the way of businesses being successful: getting organized. As I was thinking about things that are happening this month, Veteran’s Day (11th), Clean out your refrigerator day (15th), and Small Business Saturday (24th), I was reminded again and again the power and support that being organized can give to your business.

Being organized is about scheduling. One thing that veterans and active military personnel can tell you is that there’s something to be said for the structure and scheduling. Taking the time to write down the steps to doing anything that can be done by any employee or team member, scheduling (and keeping) regular meetings with employees or teams, scheduling in times to deal with emergencies and surprises that come up, really investing serious time in training employees consistently (both when they’re hired and throughout their employment), keeping track of and planning out all the marketing you’re doing, and planning out the products/services/programs you’re offering for the year ahead can ease a lot of the frustration, panic, annoyance and extra expenses that crop up for those who don’t plan ahead.

Second, being organized is about knowing when to get rid of stuff or release stuff to be more productive. For some business owners this is difficult because they’re, to put it bluntly, a control freak, and they have to have their hands in everything and nothing can be completed without their say-so. Business owners should be involved in their businesses, but there comes a time when the business owner can’t manage everything and certain, specified and discussed, things should be released to employees or team members, which allows the owner to focus on things only they can truly do.

Finally, being organized means you’re able to succeed whether you’re small or large. Being a small business you’ve got a lot more flexibility and ability to pivot than the big businesses do, but one of the biggest struggles to being a small business is that you’re small and fewer people are managing more. So having your ducks in a row, having a filing system that everyone can use and understand, scheduling your bills and invoicing, having a small but mighty team you can rely on, collaborating with other businesses, and planning ahead can all make a difference to your success or failure.

So what about your business? What most challenges you most about organizing your business?

Getting to Inbox Zero

Over the past few weeks something has happened that hasn’t happened in a long time: I’ve reached “Inbox Zero” on 3 of my email accounts. For someone who loves emails it’s a bit mind altering to sign into my email and see only that day’s emails and one or two others and that’s it, let alone get through that day’s email and see “you’re all caught up!” when there aren’t any emails left. It was also really rewarding too, finally getting these things taken care of as I’ve been meaning to.  I know this is something that is talked about as being a big success step, and as someone who enjoys organization and knowing where things are I thought we’d talk about how this can be possible for you and …?

There are a couple of very simple things you need to do if you want inbox zero to be something you see on a regular basis:
1-unsubscribe from emails you don’t want to receive anymore or manage your subscriptions so you’re getting fewer emails from those organizations.
2-go folder crazy. I have no problem with keeping emails, but keeping everything in the inbox isn’t helpful. Make sure everything has a place to go.
3-commit to reading emails consistently. It’s much easier to read through your emails if you’ve only got that days emails to go through.

Let’s unpack each of these a bit. First, let’s talk about folders. Folders are a way of sorting your mail so that it’s easier to find and keep, without necessarily typing in a search request. In some cases a general folder for a category is sufficient, but in many cases you’ll need a general folder and several specific sub folders. For example you may create a general family folder, with sub folders for your significant other, your kids (either individually or as one folder), one for each or all of your siblings, and folders for your parents or other family members as appropriate.

The one cheat I have with folders and inbox zero is that I’ve got a ‘to do’ folder in just about every category. It’s a folder with something I know I’ll want to review or will keep regardless of whether I read it now or in the future. I keep this folder as empty as possible, but find it’s helpful for getting stuff out of my inbox and keeping track of what I still need to read but didn’t have the current interest or time.

The second thing is that while unsubscribing from emails you don’t want is great, you shouldn’t feel shame deleting emails if you’re not in the mood to read them or the headline doesn’t speak to you, but you don’t want to unsubscribe completely. If you know that you want to get emails from the company only over the summer or only regarding to Black Friday, that’s fine, and you can stay subscribed for those times.

Finally, I think the thing to remember is that email is supposed to be a tool and support to you, rather than something that drags you down. But like many other relationships in our lives, it needs some time, attention and TLC too.  Yes, getting to inbox zero this time will take some work and time, but in the end I think it’s worth it.

A Refresh for Spring Success

With the official arrival of spring, I’m thinking about why many of us are so productive in the spring. I think it has to do with everything being fresh. We’re more likely to pick up the new shirt, spend time in the clean rooms, and even be with people who are more like sunshine than rain clouds. There’s something magical about going out in nature after a rainstorm, or seeing peices of history uncovered by a storm. There’s something refereshing about walking into a clean room or putting away clean clothes or finally getting things organized (that hands-on-the-hips, surveying the victory moment).

With that breath of fresh air also seems to come a burst of energy, a feeling of renewal, and a spark to the motivation that may have been missing for some time. So if you’ve been struggling with success, maybe it’s time to give yourself a little spring refresh. I get it, we’re pulled in many directions, given more to our piles rather than less, distracted by shiny things and trying to stay with the movement of life. Whether you get organized, hire help, delegate, or let go of stuff, spring is a great time to give yourself a fresh chance at success.

Spring would be beautiful if just the green stuff showed up or if we only had flowers come up, but true spring experiences are an explosion of activity, growth and new life. Spring isn’t just baby bunnies or crocuses, there are countless animals and flowers that come into bloom. It’s only when it’s all taken together that you can really see and appreciate what spring is all about. Don’t feel like you have to make “spring” happen in your life without help. Yes, you’ll have to make some potentially big decisions that you may have been avoiding, but passing on the cleaning to a cleaning crew, hiring a carpenter to build you shelving that actually works for you, deleting emails you’re never going to read, or saying no to some things you’re really not passionate about can give you the mental and physical freedom to get more done that only you can do, and only in the way that you can do it.

So on this fine spring day, what freshness will you commit to creating or welcoming in your life?

Time for Changes

In thinking about Daylight Savings Time that the US adjusted to this past weekend I thought we might talk about the idea of it being time to make changes. I never can quite remember which way the clocks are supposed to go when they switch, I’m very thankful for technology that does it by and large for us now. Sometimes change is like that: we just feel the need to make changes but we’re not really sure which changes to make. So today I thought we’d take a look at some changes you can make if you’re not sure what changes you’re in need of, and until you’re certain of what changes need to be made in your life.

Clean and organize: many of us are blessed to have lots of stuff and lead busy lives, but with lots of stuff and busy lives it doesn’t always leave a lot of time to clean and get organized. Many of us just do the minimal to get by each week and end up one day with a big pile of stuff that needs to be gone through and more dust bunnies than real ones hopping around. Cleaning and organizing is one way to clear out some of the old and make room for the new, a symbolic welcoming of whatever changes your life is bringing.

What you eat: there’s never a bad time to make a decision to eat healthier, and today is no exception. But you don’t just have to change to healthier food, you can choose to change and try new foods and recipes too. There’s nothing wrong with having some go-to foods that you love, but it’s often fun to try new foods and recipes and mix things up a bit. Maybe it will give you the chance to learn a new cooking technique or try an ingredient you’ve always wondered about but never really knew how to put it in a dish, and this would be the chance to do either or both.

Consideration for others: one of the biggest areas of our lives that could use some changes for most of us are the relationships we have and ways that we interact with others. Maybe you’ve gotten in the habit of being on your phone at the dinner table, you think or say really nasty things about the other drivers on the road, you talk with your mouth full, you don’t give your significant other much of your attention, you ignore employees under you or belittle them, or you haven’t made time for making new friends and relationships or learning about other cultures. It’s not about being best friends with everyone but about respect, learning to listen, being open to others being different than you, and doing better at sharing the space we all live in.

What changes are you feeling inspired to make in your life?

Secrets to Success: Schedule It

Today we’re continuing our look at little secrets to success with one of the things many find to be challenging: scheduling. The issue though isn’t really that we don’t like scheduling necessarily, but more often that our nice, neat schedules get messed up, adjusted, moved around and pre-empted. So it makes it understandably frustrating when we try to make schedules because they just don’t work out. Even though I have those same issues I still believe that having a schedule can be one thing that will help you be successful.

One of the things I think is noteworthy about schedules is that they reveal a lot about our priorities. If your schedule always has fitness and if something comes up during your regular time you don’t just skip it but move it to another space in your day, that says to me that fitness is very important to you. If your schedule includes a date night with your partner every week, that says to me that your relationship is something very important to you. If you consistently get up at a certain time every day so you can have a couple of minutes to look over the day ahead and have a cup of coffee so you’re somewhat sane by the time the kids are up, it tells me you’re a focused and organized person.

The lack of a schedule also reveals a lot about you as well. It’s not “wrong” to not have a schedule and to let the day take you as it will, but I think even those of us who consider ourselves free spirits probably do have some type of schedule, even if it’s just a list of things that we do at some point in time every day, or something like moving through the natural process of breakfast and getting ready for the day then work then lunch then work then dinner then bed, with some activities and engagements in between. You may be a very productive person with this type of free schedule, but today we’re kind of going on the assumption that you’re not as successful as you would like to be, and that having a schedule would help you be more successful.

So why should we use schedules? A schedule allows you to predictably and more consistently have the time you need to do things. It means you’re intentionally setting aside the time to do things that you think will bring you to success or bring you happiness or add value to your life.  Schedules also give you the opportunity to plan things out and make sure that you’ve got the time and resources in place for what you want to accomplish.

Not sure you’re ready to go full-blown scheduled life? Then start with writing a to-do list of everything you need to do over the next few days or weeks and setting up a chunk of time each day to work on that to do list. This will give you a way to get used to having a schedule in your life and see results very quickly because each day you’ll be crossign things off your list.

As far as how to schedule, you can of course use an app program on your phone or just the calendar app, write on a white board each day (and/or for the week), or have a paper planner or calendar that you use, or use a mix of all of them.

Do you use a schedule and what are the benefits you find in having one?