Peace of Mind Organizing

The edited life

7 October 2011

On the email list for the National Association of Professional Organizers, I saw a link to a TED talk by Graham Hill called Less stuff, more happiness.

In the talk, Hill extolls the virtues of living with less. Hill, who started a project called LifeEdited.org, makes a compelling argument. His main three guidelines are:

1. Edit ruthlessly
2. Think small
3. Make multifunctional.

He suggests that living with less gives you more freedom and time. That makes a lot of sense to me. I see how possessions tie people down and actually prevent them from living the life they want to lead.

Here’s the video. Enjoy!

Come and see me on Girls' Day Out

3 October 2011

I’m honored to be the luncheon speaker at Girls’ Day Out, the annual event at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Belleville, Illinois, on Saturday, November 19.

I’ll be talking about emergency decluttering—in other words what to do when you learn you’re having an unexpected guest. In addition to my short talk, there will be a quarter auction, which I don’t fully understand, but do know it’s about winning great stuff.

In addition to the luncheon (which costs $25), the event also includes five hours of shopping! Vendors from all around the area will have booths selling their wares. I’ll be there selling Freedom Filer kits and Time Timers. And my pal, Sally Brown of Roll Over Rover Threads will be selling her fabulous dog- and cat-related t-shirts and bags. (It’s a rare opportunity to buy straight from Sally.) In addition, there will be a multitude of jewelry and gift sellers, as well as a 31 booth. (I reviewed the 31 Organizing Utility Tote in August.)

The market is open from 10 to 3 and the luncheon is at 11:30. If you’re interested in attending the luncheon, you must make a reservation; seating is limited. Call Mary Agnes at 618-394-6292. Admission to the market is free (and you don’t have to attend the luncheon to attend the market).

If you do attend, please drop by my booth and say hi!

Being happy with less than perfect

30 September 2011

A week ago, I attended a time-management seminar offered by Harold Taylor. It was terrific. I’ve been inspired by Harold Taylor’s words of wisdom for going on 20 years now and he didn’t disappoint.

Much of the material was familiar to me, but he still offered some great stuff to chew on. One was a new take (for me) on perfectionism. I’ve long known how paralyzing perfectionism can be. I’ve seen the detrimental effects on my clients of feeling like everything has to be done perfectly.

But Harold had me thinking about it in a slightly different way. For example, he defined a perfectionist this way:

A perfectionist is someone who spends a greater amount of time on a task than it merits.

What a wonderfully simple definition and one that is really useful in my life.

Harold said that the amount of time you spend on something should be in proportion to its value. So no need to get nitpicky on a single email to a single person. However, if you’re writing an article to be read by thousands, that deserves a little more of your time.

He also mentioned the law of diminishing returns: The nearer you come to perfection on a task, the more time it takes. In other words, you don’t get a fair return for the extra time trying to make something that’s already good even better.

What I took away from this is that doing something well, but not perfectly well, is very smart. If I’m tempted to not send something I’ve written because I haven’t gone over it yet again with a fine-toothed comb, I can ask myself, as Harold suggests, “What’s the impact if this is the best I do with this?”

Harold suggests that if your value is tied up in what you do, rather than who you are, you’re more likely to get caught up in this perfectionist trap. That’s excellent food for thought.

I think this “good enough” mentality can really free up some time. I’m planning to experiment by embracing it whole heartedly in my work in the coming month and try to note whether (a) I actually do save time and (b) whether there are any negative consequences to it.

This is going to be my mantra in October, courtesy of Harold Taylor:

Just because we can do better doesn’t mean we have to.

That reminds me! My friend, Maryann Devine of Smarts and Culture has a brand-new program that can help you take a project from idea to reality in just two weeks. It’s called Why Not Now? and I think it fits right in with this idea of not letting perfectionism hold you back. Check it out!

New Organizing Guide (about bingo!) now available

28 September 2011

I am so enthusiastic about the concept of To-Do List Bingo that I created an Organizing Guide about it, called Making Tasks Fun with To-Do List Bingo. It expands on the blog post I wrote about the bingo concept when I first tried it. Included in the the guide are more about the concept, more detailed instructions on how to create a board, the types of tasks that are great for To-Do List Bingo and the rules I’ve set up for my own personal bingo playing.

I have found bingo to be an amazingly motivating force for accomplishing tasks that are beneficial (or even important) but not urgent. It helps me stay on top of social media and those little and often tasks like filing and entering data into Quickbooks.

I find myself doing things I wouldn’t have done otherwise on a given day just to get a bingo. For example, I drafted this blog post on Tuesday night, rather than waiting until Wednesday morning, just so I could cover the “blog” square and get a bingo.

Powerful (and fun!) stuff. If you want to learn more, the five-page Organizing Guide is available for download for $9.

Letting routines help me get my mojo back

26 September 2011

I’m a huge believer in the value of routines. They keep my life running smoothly. But right now, my routines are all messed up. I was away for a week, attending the ICD conference. Then I was home for four days and too busy to focus on my surroundings. Then I left home for a lovely, relaxing weekend in Nashville with friends.

I’m writing this from the hotel in Nashville, anticipating going home. Unfortunately, I left my office in such disarray that it looks like I need the help of a professional organizer. Serious, long-term help. The place is a wreck. I’d love to tackle it as soon as I get home. But I have some urgent items on my to-do list, like finalizing a talk I’m giving in two days. And finishing up a new Organizing Guide (on Bingo!) that I want to offer.

But I know the minute I step into the office it’s going to really bug me. Like many of my clients, I feel myself falling into the trap of feeling like I need to put aside a half day or more to do the job justice. But of course that’s not necessary. If I simply set my timer for 15, or perhaps 30, minutes, I’ll create enough order to give myself peace of mind. It’d be nice to do a thorough sprucing up. But all I need is a modicum of order to get my sanity back. I can always snatch pockets of time to keep working on it throughout the week.

The other key to recapturing and maintaining my sanity will be to get back in the groove of my routines. For me, that means clearing off my desk every night, as well as beating my email back into submission and maintaining inbox zero daily I also need to get back into my morning exercise routine. And daily litter-box and yard-scooping. Those habits are so ingrained that it should be easy to get back into them. And it’s amazing how much I miss them when I’m away (well, maybe not the poop scooping).

If you’re interested in learning more from me about the value of habits and routines, you can sign up for my online workshop at simplify 101, Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines, which starts October 4. It’s chock full of advice on creating good habits and routines and letting go of bad ones. The secret sauce of these workshops is the online forums for participants only. I’ll be there to answer questions and provide support. (And the other participants fulfill that role too!) At only $59, I think it’s a real bargain.

Taking time out for some fun

23 September 2011

I’ve been traveling and working hard these last couple of weeks. I was in Raleigh, N.C. to attend the Institute for Challenging Disorganization’s annual conference which was, in a word, fantastic. (If somewhat exhausting.)

I took a couple of days before that to hang out and shop with my friend, Geralin Thomas, which was amazing. (Thank you, Geralin, for your week-long hospitality!)

Then I came home and hit the ground running, working and trying to catch up. And today I’m leaving again.

After I attend Harold L. Taylor’s time-management seminar sponsored by NAPO St. Louis this morning, I head to the airport to travel to Nashville to have some more quality hanging out time.

I’ll be with three buddies from college. Two of us (and I’m not one of them) will be running a half marathon. Two of us will be at the finish line cheering them on. We have no other plans besides catching up and enjoying one another’s company.

Earlier this week, the fact that I was leaving again so soon felt like planning insanity. But this morning, in spite of the fact that I need to leave in an hour and haven’t showered or packed, I’m delighted.

Because it’s important to take time out for ourselves. It’s important to have the chance to catch up with long-standing friends. (At my age, I don’t say “old friends” anymore.) If I focused on all the work I have to get done and just kept on that hamster wheel, I wouldn’t be very happy. Or fun.

When I get back on Monday, I have a very full week. But I’ll be better for having taken some time off. I hope you have as great a weekend as I plan to have!

Free taste of a Simplify 101 workshop!

12 September 2011

As I announced a couple of weeks ago, I’m going to be teaching an online workshop for Simplify 101 called Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines. It’s going to be a terrific workshop that will help you learn how to create great habits and routines so that you can live the life you want to lead.

If you’re tempted to take my workshop but hesitant because you’ve never experienced an online workshop or you don’t know what Simplify 101’s online workshops are all about, I’ve got good news.

Simplify 101 is offering a free week of their Organize Your Paper Clutter workshop!

Simply sign up here by Wednesday and you’ll get the first week of the workshop free. The free week runs from Thursday, September 15 to Wednesday, September 21. If you want to continue with the workshop, you’ll need to register and pay for it. If you don’t, just do nothing and you’ll be automatically dropped.

This free taste will give you the chance to see the same great components of the Simplify 101 online workshop experience that you’ll get in my habits + routines workshop.

Aby Garvey, the organizing expert behind Simplify 101, has written a blog post about the free sample lesson. In it, she outlines what goes into a Simplify 101 workshop:

• Convenience: Learn valuable organization techniques from the comfort of your own home, at a schedule and pace that works for you and your family.

• Quality Content: Receive downloadable lessons with color photography, online materials, and high-quality audio to reinforce each exercise.

• Simplicity: Each concept is structured in small, straightforward steps that can be easily tackled.

• Value: Get the benefit of an in-home organizing expert at a fraction of the cost.

• Creativity: Incorporate your own personal style and ideas into your organizing solutions.

• Community: Receive inspiration from the ideas, support, and successes of other students in your class, and benefit from the expertise of a knowledgeable, results-oriented instructor.

• Satisfaction: Enjoy the gratification that comes from doing your own projects. You’ll take control of your life, add creative touches, and bring about positive, empowering change in your home and life.

Doesn’t that sound great? All that for only $59 for my workshop. Act quickly to get in on the free week. And if you like the experience, think about joining Simplify Your Life with Habits + Routines. I’d love to see you there!