Peace of Mind Organizing

Expressing gratitude this Thanksgiving

25 November 2021

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. What’s not to love about setting aside a day to give thanks?

While it’s a blissfully stress-free day for me (I don’t have to do anything but eat and enjoy the company of my friends-who-are-family), I know Thanksgiving can be stressful for some. And it’s the launch day for a potentially stressful holiday season.

Here’s what I want to suggest: Take some quiet time today and make a list of things you’re thankful for. We’ve been through a lot in the last couple of years and amidst the challenges and sorrows there are silver linings. Can you identify a few?

Reflecting on your blessings can help you reduce stress. And science shows that it makes you happier. “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships,” according to a Harvard health newsletter article on happiness research.

There’s no better time than now to take a quiet moment and reflect on all you have to be grateful. I hope you’ll take a few moments on November 25 (whether or not you’re in the U.S. celebrating Thanksgiving) and do just that.

Happy Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for you.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Paper vs electronic task management

22 November 2021

I made the switch from paper to electronic task management many years ago. I love that my tasks are always with me on my phone and that I can add to them with ease. As I blogged about last year, I created a Daily Task Management Trello board that was working really for me.

But then I started creeping back toward paper and pen. Since I’ve taken up hand lettering as a hobby, I enjoy hand writing things more and I enjoy looking at my handwriting. I find when I’m working at my desk (which is when I’m mostly using my task list) that it’s handy to have a paper list by my keyboard, rather than having switch to another program on my computer.

I turned off the automation for daily tasks in my Trello board, but I still use my Trello board for capturing tasks. I create a new hand-written task list every day, in consultation with my Trello list, either first thing in the morning or the night before.

A couple of weeks ago when we were recording our episode on Gamification for the Getting to Good Enough podcast, my co-host Shannon Wilkinson reminded me about To-Do List Bingo. I used to use this method regularly (and blogged about it quite a bit). But I had completely forgotten about it!

So I immediately started creating a hand-written Bingo board for my daily tasks. I have found it so effective and motivating. It takes a few minutes to create the board, which I don’t mind at all. I create it in the Rhodia Dotpad top-bound A5 spiral notebook where for the last six weeks or so I’ve been trying to capture everything I write down in chronological order (rather than on scraps of paper).

I use Mildliner dual-tip brush markers to create the grid and check off completed boxes (I switch up the colors every day for the fun of it) and a black Pixma Micron 01 Fineliner to write the tasks in the squares. If I need to change the contents of a square, I use Post-It® cover-up tape. If I want to highlight a task that’s especially important, I outline that box in a different Mildliner color. As the photo above reveals, it might look a bit messy but I prefer to think of it as beautifully imperfect.

This hybrid paper/electronic method is working well for me (for the moment anyway). It has the elements I look for in a system:

• I can add new tasks on the fly (in Trello)
• It motivates me to do tasks (who doesn’t want to get a Bingo?)
• I’m creating a new task list each day, which has me evaluating my daily tasks
• I can easily indicate the most important tasks
• I get satisfaction at the end of the day

Anything that helps me plow through tasks when I am at my desk is great. My Daily Task Management Trello board worked really well for me for a year a half but I’m okay with stepping away from it for awhile since it has stopped motivating me.

If you struggle with task management, I encourage you to find a way to make it fun! Perhaps a Bingo board is worth a try.

New mailing list for new + aspiring professional organizers!

18 November 2021

I’m very excited to announce my new newsletter for organizers in the early stages of their business and those contemplating starting an organizing business. I know there are so many questions that come up at the beginning of this remarkable journey, and I’d love for you join my New Organizer Insights mailing list. When you first sign up, I’ll send you a series of six daily emails, the first of which has a link to my free guide, Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Starting an Organizing Business. Then, every couple of weeks, I’ll be sending you a short email with insights and tips written especially for new and aspiring organizers.

It’s free and easy to sign up for my organizers mailing list! You can unsubscribe any time.

If you’d like to go more in-depth right away, you may also want to check out my New Organizer Bundle, which includes five guides that go into much more depth than my newsletter will. See what’s in the Bundle.

I’m really excited at the opportunity to share of the insights I’ve gleaned from 16 years as a professional organizer. If this appeals to you, I hope you’ll sign up! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.

Changing up holiday gifts this year

8 November 2021

I’m a big proponent of letting the holidays be easier by planning ahead. This year it’s more important than ever to plan ahead for holiday gift giving. That’s because supply-chain issues might make last-minute shopping even more stress-inducing than usual if the items you want to buy are not available. Plus, the postal service is slowing down delivery so you’ll need to get packages in the mail extra early.

So if you haven’t already, I encourage you to give some thought to what you want to give the people on your list and then buy the gifts now. If that doesn’t feel great, I have a radical idea.

Consider not giving gifts to everybody.

Take a look at the adults on your list. Are there any people you could propose not exchanging gifts with this year? It doesn’t have to be a permanent arrangement. You could use the weird time we’re in as an excuse to give it a try. (And if you’re like me, you’ll stick with it.)

If it feels too difficult to suggest no gifts, maybe you could propose sharing an experience with someone on your list, rather than exchanging physical gifts. A walk in the park together, for example. Or a long phone or Zoom call. Or play an online game together. (I’ve been playing online Scattergories with dear friends every week for a year and a half and it’s been amazing.) Another option, of course, would be to give a donation in the gift-recipient’s name to charity they support.

The 2021 holiday season has the potential to be extra stressful for last-minute shoppers. But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s my advice:

• Buy your gifts now or
• Decide not to buy gifts at all

To me, that feels so much easier. I exchange gifts with very few people and I have such an easy holiday season. If this resonates with you, I encourage you to give it a try!

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

Do you back up your computer regularly?

3 November 2021

You know you should back up your computer regularly (unless you already store everything in the cloud). But do you actually do it?

I was really happy on Friday that I had a firm, automatic back up routine in place when my computer (a 2018 MacBook Pro) stopped working. While I was using it, it turned itself off and refused to come back on. I called AppleCare (thankfully, it’s still under warranty) then went to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store where they spent two fruitless hours trying to revive it. So I sent it off to the Apple repair shop.

My husband has an iPad Pro that he’s letting me use. It has a keyboard case and I can also connect my Bluetooth mouse to it. I’m grateful for that, but the iPad has limitations. The whole thing is a giant hassle. But it’s nothing like the panic I would be experiencing if I did not have an automatic backup routine in place.

Since I back up to the cloud via BackBlaze, I can cherry pick files to download to the iPad. So I’m able to use key spreadsheets and documents to keep my business going. Everything’s just taking a little longer and is a little more difficult. (That’s why there’s no photo accompanying this post.) And I may be just a little grumpy.

The huge silver lining is that my backup routine has turned a potential calamity into a mere inconvenience. If you’re not backing up regularly, I hope this cautionary tale is enough to get you to start!

Edited to add: I received my computer back from Apple on Thursday (a day after I originally wrote this post). The logic board was replaced and an updated operating system installed, which meant that I had to restore all files from my back up. My Time Machine back up on my external hard drive made that so easy. I was able to initiate the transfer of those files with one click and they were installed overnight. The back up had been updated during the hour that my computer was plugged into the hard drive before it crashed, so I had an up-to-date backup to restore. My takeaway: Having both the Time Machine back up on an external hard drive and a cloud backup on BackBlaze allowed me to weather this situation without too much trauma or inconvenience.

Worth repeating (again): Working with a professional organizer

1 November 2021

Way back in 2011, I wrote a post aimed at helping readers who are interested in working with a professional organizer make the most of the experience. I asked other professional organizers to comment, which made the post even more valuable. I just re-read it and I’m thrilled that 10 years later it’s still valuable, so I decided to run it once again. To get the maximum benefit, I encourage you to go back to the original post and read those comments. And please feel free to add to the comments on that original post!

If you’re reading an organizing blog, chances are pretty good that you fall into one of three camps:

• You’re a professional organizer (or an aspiring one)
• You’d like to work with a professional organizer
• You’re a fairly organized DIYer looking for ideas

This post is for those of you who fall into the second category. If you’d like to work with a professional organizer, I’d love to provide you with some advice to optimize that experience, should it come to pass.

Choosing an organizer

• Check out your choices thoroughly. You can find professional organizers at the website of National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. If you’re in St. Louis, you can go to the NAPO-St. Louis website to see all the chapter members. (If you’re not in St. Louis, you can check here to see a list of NAPO chapters and their websites.) Choose some local organizers and read websites, look at testimonials and before and after pictures. Call any organizers you’re interested in who don’t have websites.
• Ask around. If you know folks who have worked with organizers, quiz them on their experience
• Know what you’re looking for. Do you want an organizer who tells you what to do (some people do)? Or one who involves you in the process of coming up with solutions?
• Trust your gut. If an organizer’s website or telephone manner resonates with you, that’s a good reason to pick her (or him).
• Don’t bargain shop. This is a field where fees are usually commensurate with training and experience. If you’re challenged by chronic disorganization, for example, you’d be wise to select an organizer with training and experience in working with chronically disorganized clients. And you may well pay more for that.

Working with an organizer

• Resist the temptation to clean up for your organizer. If your home is messy, you may feel embarrassed. Try to set that aside so that the organizer can see the natural state of your home in order to help you best. Mess and piles can provide clues.
• Be honest. Try not to anticipate what the organizer wants to hear. Instead, just answer all questions honestly, even if you’re a little embarrassed. Your organizer can help you best if you’re honest in everything you tell her.
• Be realistic. How long have you been dealing with disorder in your life? Probably quite some time. Unfortunately, organizers don’t have magic wands, so we can’t fix things instantly. Recognize that this is a process that might take awhile.
• Be prepared to learn new behaviors. If you’re dealing with a lot of clutter, the first step might be decluttering. But after that, you’re more than likely going to need to change your habits and create new routines to ensure that the clutter doesn’t come back. If you don’t change your behavior, the order that you and your organizer create might be temporary.
• Do your homework. If you and your organizer agree that you’ll do homework, try to accomplish it. If you don’t it’s usually not a big deal. But being honest and realistic about the prospect of what you can accomplish between appointments can help your organizer better plan the next session.
• Trust your gut (again). If you’re not clicking with your organizer, don’t be afraid to talk with her about it. This is intimate work and it’s essential that you have a trusting relationship and work well together. If you don’t feel it’s working with the organizer, perhaps the two of you can come up with a solution. If no solution is in sight, perhaps you can ask her for a referral.
• Keep your appointments. If you book an appointment with an organizer, try to keep that commitment. She’s set aside time for you and scheduled around that appointment. Last-minute cancellations can be costly for the organizer. And they’re costly for you, too, since you can’t get help if you don’t keep appointments.
• Expect backsliding. Most clients experience some backsliding, when life gets in the way and newly learned behaviors fall by the wayside. If you backslide, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed or your organizer isn’t effective. It just means you need to renew your efforts. Or perhaps tweak our systems.
• Be brave. It can be scary to let someone into your house for the first time in ages. It can also be scary to admit to your organizer that you haven’t done your homework or that you’ve not been able to maintain the order you created together. But organizers, by and large, are compassionate and non-judgmental people. Getting past the fear can help put you on the path to an orderly life.

When you hire a professional organizer, you’re making a time and financial commitment to getting organized. Often, you’re making an emotional commitment as well. That can be very powerful!

Do you have anything to add? I’d love to hear from POs or people who have worked with POs who would like to add to this list.

Create a checklist of travel cords

25 October 2021

Keeping your devices fully charged while traveling can be a challenge. I’m on a trip to visit family in Walla Walla, Washington, and I find that I did not pack all the right charging cables. I’ve had a good system for some years, involving a packing cube that I keep stocked with my travel cords, which are separated using labeled binder clips. That’s worked well because I can easily see that I have everything when I’m packing for a trip. It also allows me to see if any cables are missing when I pack up my hotel room to come home.

But here’s where things failed: I didn’t update my system when I got an iPhone 12 with MagSafe charger that has a USB-C charging cable. I also have a backup battery to charge my phone that charges with a USB-C cable. That means I need to bring extra cables and at least one USB-C brick. On this trip, I ended up having to play musical chairs with cables.

While it’s fresh in my mind, I created a checklist of cables, in Evernote, that I will need for future travel. I also created a task on my Trello task board to add a couple of labeled binder clips to the packing cube when I get home to my label maker. They will serve as a reminder, if I need it, to check my new Evernote checklist and make sure I have everything. I hope that I will be able to store all the cables in my packing cube, if I have enough cables for everyday use available to me.

I’ve managed to keep everything charged on this trip but it’s been a bit more challenging than necessary. I’m glad I thought to create the checklist, so I don’t have to rely on my memory. I look forward to updating the system when I get home to make future travel easier!