Peace of Mind Organizing

Some tech tips - complete with video!

3 June 2009

Today I was exploring which websites link to mine, something I’m not sure I’ve done before. I’m going through the exercises in the really helpful workbook, 31 Days to Building a Better Blog by Darren Rowse of Problogger (incidentally, if you buy it through the link on this page your whole purchase price will be donated to charity). Today, via one of the exercises, I learned that if you google the following language:

link: www.blogurl.com

(where you replace www.blogurl.com with the URL of the website that you want to research), you get google search results of blogs that have links to yours. Very interesting.

While doing that, I discovered that a short video I did for Organizing Connection in 2008 is up on You Tube. (They were videotaping lots of organizers at the NAPO conference in Reno.) My video tips are about two internet-related services I love, Jott and Tiny URL. Neither of these are revelatory for you, I’m sure, but I still can’t resist sharing the video, particularly since You Tube makes it so easy.

For some strange editing reason, I actually repeat myself in the video (I did a couple of takes), but that only strengthens the message, right?

It’s always astounding to me how hard it is for me to hear my voice on a recording or what myself in a video. I don’t know how people on TV do it,

Email liberation

2 June 2009

Two months and a week ago, I blogged about how I was experimenting with inbox zero, that is keeping my email inbox pared down to just a few messages that required action. This represented a major changing in thinking for me. For more than a decade I typically had thousands of uncategorized emails in my inbox (and many more thousand filed in folders). I never found that to be a problem.

Well, I’m here to tell you that this new system is fantastic. I now make an effort to have no more than 15 emails in my inbox when I stop working for the day. And I’ve actually pared it down further. Right now I’m at five. It feels like a miracle. Now that I’m down to five, I’m going to change my goal to having no more than 10 emails in my inbox at the end of the day.

Once I’ve responded, I move the message to my “Archive (handled)” folder. And I’m finally developing the habit of moving those messages as I respond. (I wish I could find a way to ask the Mac to do that for me automatically.) Thanks to the miracle of Mac Mail’s “spotlight” feature, I can easily search for any email.

This new system has a number of advantages. Email is no longer overwhelming for me. It’s prompting me to respond immediately to messages and only wait on those things I simply can’t respond to. It’s easy for me to see what email-related tasks are outstanding. And, of course, it doesn’t tax my over-burdened memory since no longer have to remember action items that are hiding amongst the other messages in my inbox.

I think the reason I’ve been able to do this for a couple of months is that my pal Aby Garvey of simplify101 has been my accountability partner. I do the same for her. Each night we email one another our inbox status. It’s really motivating.

If you feel like you’re swimming in email, you might give it a try. Here’s an article from LifeHacker that explains a similar system. My new system eliminates the Follow Up and Hold folders…I just put everything into Archive if it doesn’t require action. And I leave it in inbox if it does (no need for the Follow Up or Hold folders).

Some ergonomic office tools

1 June 2009

The good folks at OXO®, who for years have made the Good Grips line of household tools (I love my OXO salad spinner!) have expanded into the office tools market. It’s pretty cool.

Available exclusively at Stapes, the OXO Good Grips line of office tools includes some real innovation. The collection was created (according to Staples’ website) “to make everyday work tasks easier, more efficient and more pleasant.”

More than just cushy handles (though there’s nothing wrong with cushy handles, particularly in a stapler), this line includes a very cool push-pin dispenser that has a magnetic telescoping wand in the center, attached to the lid. When you open the lid, out come a few push pins with it. No more digging around trying to grab push pins (and risking getting poked). The push pins themselves, eight of which come with the dispenser, are non-slip and soft. And they’re contoured. And they come in pretty, non-primary colors.

The tape dispenser doesn’t require you to laboriously insert the center tape holder into the middle of the roll of tape. Instead, there’s a trap door on the side that allows you to slide the tape roll inside and out.

The edge of the clipboard is contoured (and soft) so if you hold it to your waist, it doesn’t dig in. That’s genius!

And it comes with a built-in pen holder:

The line is more than tools, it also includes binder clips with soft handles, easy-to-handle push pins, retractable pens and markers and much more.

Next time I need a new stapler, hole punch, or other office staple (forgive the pun) this line will be the first place I look.

Seven ways to get organized while staying green

29 May 2009

So much of decluttering is about letting go. Disposing of things. Getting rid of excess.

But when you care about the environment, it can be difficult to let stuff go if it’s going to clutter up the environment. Sure, it’s easy to rent a dumpster and fill it up. Okay, not easy, but easier than caring where the stuff ends up. But if you’re committed to being kind to Mother Earth, then decluttering often involves extra steps.

I’ve been thinking about green organizing as I prepare the free talk I’m giving on the topic on June 9. Here are a few ideas for keeping your green cred while getting organized and letting go of excess.

1. Give away, don’t throw away. Find a favorite charity who will welcome your donations. If possible, schedule regular pick ups from them and keep a bag or box handy for storing your donations.
2. Sell your stuff the easy way. Sometimes having a yard sale or selling on ebay feels like more trouble than it’s worth. (For folks who have difficulty with organizing, a yard sale can be a nightmare.) But there are some easier methods for selling things. Craiglist is easy and free and it’s local, so it doesn’t involve shipping. (I’ve both sold and bought a car on Craiglist and have also sold lots of books.) Gazelle is a very easy way to sell used electronics. (I blogged about my experience with Gazelle a couple of months ago.) If you’re in St. Louis and you have a lot of stuff to sell, Charles Peper of Peper Auctions can come take it off your hands and sell it at auction for a cut of the proceeds. If you don’t live in St. Louis, perhaps you have a similar service in your area.
3. Sort your recycling as you use it. Sometimes the thought of having to sort old bottles, paper, cans and other recyclables is enough to make you just let it pile up. Unless you have a recycling service that doesn’t require sorting, set up individual bins for each type of recycling and sort into them as you’re disposing of things. Don’t forget to store those bins near where you use them—if you have to walk out to the garage put things in the recycling bin chances are pretty good they’ll hang around in the house for awhile first.
4. Use shreds for packing material. We all know how important it is to shred paper with identifying information in order to prevent identity theft. Certainly the shredded paper is recyclable. But you can go a step further and use those shreds as packing materials, rather than recycling them. It’s better for the environment than styrofoam peanuts, too.
5. Go paperless. Consider paying your bills online and viewing your statements online rather than receiving them in the mail. Not only is paper saved, but you don’t have to shred or file those statements after you’ve paid the bills.
6. Reuse and repurpose. Rather than throwing a potentially useful item away, think about you how might repurpose it in your home. This can be as simple as using old checkbook boxes as drawer dividers or perhaps turning an old door into a desk or other work surface. Use your imagination and think creatively about how you might reuse an item before you toss it or give it away. A note of caution: Don’t hang on to it “just in case.” If you can’t think of a use for it give it away (or sell it) so someone else can.
7. Think before bringing new things in. One way to avoid clutter (and cluttering up the environment by decluttering) is to reduce the amount of stuff you buy. If you think twice before making purchases, and avoid impulse purchases altogether, you’ll have less to get rid of. Consider living more simply.

If you live in St. Louis and would like to learn more about this topic, come to my free talk on June 9 at 11:30 a.m. in Kirkwood. Go to the events page of this website to learn more and to register. The talk is free, but registration is required.

Still loving the Wii Fit

28 May 2009

Back in April, I bought a Wii Fit. I was instantly enamored of it, which allows me to work out and have fun, without leaving my house. I worried a little that the infatuation would wear off and the thing would start gathering dust.

I’m here to tell you that almost two months later, that hasn’t happened. I’m still in love. Unless I’m out of town, I work out six days a week. I take Thursdays off, because that’s my knitting-group night and there’s alcohol served at my knitting group. Alcohol and Wii Fit don’t mix, I’ve discovered. (A girl’s got to have priorities.)

I try to work out for at least 30 minutes, doing a mixture of yoga, strength, aerobic, and balance exercises. Some days I don’t have that much time. Some days I’ll go as long as an hour. But the important thing is that I’m doing it consistently. Little and often, that’s my mantra.

In the spirit of my post on why I love my iPod Touch, here are seven reasons I adore my Wii Fit.

• It’s fun. I’m no athlete. Simulating keeping a Hula Hoop® spinning by rotating my hips (in the absence of an actual hoop) is my kind of aerobics. And it does get my heart pumping.

• I’m in the driver’s seat. There are dozens of different exercises in the Wii Fit and I get to choose each day which ones I want to do. Yesterday I was nursing a cold, so I didn’t include aerobics in the mix. Some days I’m all about the yoga. It’s up to me.

• I’m not embarrassed. Unless my husband happens to walk in the room and laugh at me, I don’t have to worry about looking silly. To be honest, I’ve felt very self-conscious in the few yoga classes I’ve taken, because I’m not exactly a flexible person. With the Wii Fit, I do my best and the balance board/console combo provides feedback. I don’t worry that anyone’s looking at me.

• I don’t have to leave the house. That’s huge for me. Things need to be easy in order for me to do them. All I have to do to prepare to work out with the Wii Fit is put on my yoga pants and yoga socks. Takes a minute. Then I turn it on and I’m working out.

• It keeps score. With Wii Fit, I get instant feedback on how well I’m completing the exercises and I get to compare it with past performance. If I do poorly, it usually spurs me on to try again. I’m only competing with myself, but I feel so good when I get a high (or highish) score.

• It stamps my calendar. Each day when I complete the exercises of the Body Test, I get to stamp my calendar. It gives me the same satisfaction and motivation I get with Don’t Break the Chain.

• It comes with dessert. For me, the balance exercises, which I always save for last, are so much fun they’re like play, not work. And I get to count them toward my half hour. You should see me slaloming down the ski slopes and whooping it up when I get a high score. (I’m glad you can’t actually see that.)

If you’ve been feeling like you should work out, but can’t work up the energy to sign up for a gym, or shudder at the idea of wearing work-out clothes in public, maybe Wii Fit would work for you. It’s reasonably priced — about $250 for the console and an additional $89 for the Wii Fit program and balance board — and, if you use it, is well worth the investment. Or at least it has been for me.

"Old" friends

27 May 2009

I spent Memorial Day weekend with some of my oldest and dearest friends. The occasion was our 25th college reunion. It seems impossible to me that it’s been 29 years since I met some of these women, in the ivy-covered halls of Mount Holyoke College. I’d traveled 3,000 miles from Walla Walla, Washington, to South Hadley, Massachusetts, showing up, alone, at a college I’d never seen, except in the lushly photographed pre-internet, pre-VHS print materials. I managed to connect with some wonderful kindred spirits right from the start.

We had four great years together at college. We graduated 25 years ago today, on a beautiful New England weekend. I like to brag that I graduated first in my class at Mount Holyoke, but that’s only because we graduated alphabetically.

It was so fun being back with my pals on the college campus last weekend. We all look great. We all (mostly) feel great. We’re dealing with different challenges but facing them with great spirit. We commiserated about aging parents, parenting teenagers, and the economy. We discussed how the college (mostly) seems to offer more amenities to students than we had in our day. We complained about the dorm they housed us in. But mostly we laughed, reminisced, and enjoyed being together again.

Though we’re spread out a bit geographically (from Maine to Missouri, with spots in Pennsylvania and New York in between) Ann, Dede, Denise, KC, and I manage to get together about once a year. But it’s always so special when we get together on the college’s gorgeous campus.

The thing I love most is that no matter how much time has elapsed since we last spoke, we always pick up as it if were yesterday. My Mount Holyoke education gave me many gifts. None is larger than the lifelong friendship of these women. I am so grateful.

Here’s a photo taken by Denise’s husband, Mike, just before we parted ways after our lovely weekend.

Top 10 Bodacious Ways to Be Nice to Yourself

21 May 2009

I love talking to clients about rewarding themselves. Today’s blog post is a by Christine Kane, a performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant. (I ran another post of hers, 9 Simple Solutions for Procrastinators, back in February.) Today’s post appeared in Christine’s great newsletter, Live Creative, and I’m reprinting it with permission.

—Janine

by Christine Kane

Just as there was a time when “google” was not a verb, there was also a time when “bodacious” was not a word. Bodacious is a blend of “bold” and “audacious” created in British English dialect late in the nineteenth century.

Still, I’m glad it was created! Some days we need to be bodacious! And some days, we need to remember to apply it to how kindly we treat ourselves. Trust me: You’ll thrive tomorrow because of today’s kindness.

Here are my top 10 bodacious ways to be nice to yourself:

1- Flowers!

This is so simple – and yet so powerful! Fresh flowers beautify any space. I always have an orchid on my coffee table. I see it the minute I walk in the door, and it reminds me to take a deep breath and cherish the beauty of my life. Have a Sunday practice of getting fresh flowers to get your week off to a bodacious start!

2 – Take a nap

Favorite thing: I climb into bed for a nap in the middle of the day. Within minutes comes the soft ploop of cat paws on the cover. I can hear the cat thoughts: Hmm. The human has decided to lie quietly. I’d like to take part. Then the paws walk all around me until they find the very best spot for settling.

Cats know the truth: Naps are bodacious!

3 – Pay full price

The amount of energy we waste on trying to get “deals” is often not worth it. If you see something you love, then get it. I’m convinced that we’d all be so much happier and wealthier if we just got exactly what we loved without looking at price tags and wasting time looking for sales. (We’d probably have much less stuff too!)

4 – Trampolines and swings.

I was at a cocktail party last year. The adults were up on the deck watching the kids jump on the trampoline. At one point, all the kids ran inside. I kicked off my shoes and ran for the trampoline. Three other women joined me. We laughed and jumped for about 15 minutes. It was the most fun I’d had that week.

Swings are fun, too. And they’re easy to find! Who cares if you look or feel stupid? Being an adult doesn’t have to mean being boring!

5 – Truncate your To-Do’s.

How many items are on your to-do list today?

32?

20?

67?

A day should have no more than two or three mission-critical priorities for completion. The rest are extra credit! Giving yourself the gift of completion is the ultimate self-kindness.

6 – Order out.

I love preparing meals. But some nights, it’s just necessary to let someone else do the cooking. We have a great delivery service in our town. I don’t mind the extra expense if it allows me a night of no clean up, and a little extra time to write or just be with my husband.

7 – Take a long walk with your dog.

Are you one of those people who gets home from work and marches your dog around the block with a grim look on your face? (Another to-do item checked off the list!)

Try this: Take your dog for a long happy walk. Revel in the delight and presence of your dog. It will absolutely lift your spirits.

8 – Go on a retreat.

Many of the women who come to my Unstoppable Power of Intention Retreats show up frazzled and nervous. They’ve never done something so bodacious in their lives! They leave refreshed and renewed. One woman hugged me as she was about to drive away from the March retreat and she said, “This was the best money I’ve ever spent on myself.”

It doesn’t have to be one of my retreats, of course. (Though they are pretty great! And the October retreat is already half-full!) You can search google for all kinds of bodacious retreat getaways in your area.

9 – Read for fun.

Do you relish your days on the beach because it’s the only time you’ll allow yourself the joy of a trashy novel or some “light” reading?

Why not get a little bodacious and bring the beach to your work-week? Curl up at night and get lost in some fun fiction.

10 – Step AWAY from the computer. (And the phone.)

Everyone needs a break from social media and blogs and email. (Yes, even this e-Zine!) Don’t include your computer in any of the above activities. And turn off your phone, too! I promise, your computer and phone won’t take it personally! (Neither will this e-Zine!)

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 4,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FREE subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.