Peace of Mind Organizing

Fall asleep to music with your iPhone

10 March 2017

I’m on my third iPhone and have loved it wholeheartedly since day one. I like to think I know a lot about its features, but I just learned something new that I thought I’d share.

Did you know that you can set your timer to stop the music you’re playing when the timer goes off? That means that if you like to fall asleep to music (or spoken word, I suppose), you can have the phone turn off the music automatically. Set a timer for an appropriate amount of time, set the sound for “When Timer Ends” to “Stop Playing” (all the way down at the bottom of the list of chime tones) and the music will stop after the designated amount of time, perhaps after you’ve fallen asleep.

I also use it just as an alternative to a chime when I am listening to music while doing chores. When the time is up, the music stops.

I’m sure there are a bazillion other features of my beloved iPhone that I don’t know about. Do you have any favorites you’d like to share?

What do you store on your desk?

1 March 2017

I see a lot of messy desks. And sometimes my own desk is messy. I’ve come to believe that the key to having a truly clear desk is to be really careful about what you actually store there. When you clean off your desk, you want to have plenty of clear space on which to work. For me, all that clear space gives me a sense of peace while simultaneously motivating me. When your desk is cleared off, how clear is it really?

A week ago I received a call from a local TV reporter asking if he could come to my home office the next day and shoot an interview about paper clutter. Of course I said yes. Then I looked around my office. There’s nothing like the prospect of a TV camera coming into your office to make you look at it with a critical eye.

I spent a little time that evening tidying up. Some items had migrated to my desk top and I removed them. Some papers and business cards and post-it notes had found their way to my monitor stand. Just focusing on the desk for 15 minutes or so allowed it to be TV ready. I bought some tulips and added them.

Here’s a photo taken just after the TV reporter left.

On my desk, I store:

• a letter tray to corral stray papers (I try not to let it get too full—there’s a book in I’m contemplating reviewing)
• a pen cup
• a stapler
• a container that holds my computer glasses upright so I can find them easily
• some device related to our home security system that for some reason has to live there
• a leather container from Levenger that hides my charging cords and ear buds
• a business card holder (for my business cards)
• a little dish of sea glass from my trip to Barbados that makes me happy
• a dish of straight pins for my bulletin board
• a container of push pins for my bulletin board

It’s funny. Now that I’m looking at this photo and listing all these things, I realize that some just live there because they always have, not because I use them regularly. I think I’ll remove the push pins and the straight pins, as well as the business card holder. And I definitely could take a bunch of pens out of the pen holder so it’s easier to use.

Maybe it’s time for you to take a critical look at your desk top. Does it contain only items that you use regularly or that make you really happy? For me, the clearer my desk top, the clearer my mind.

Worth repeating: Making mornings more productive

27 February 2017

I wrote this post in October 2014 and I think it’s worth posting again. Over the couple of years, I’ve really noticed that what I decide to do first in the morning is the thing that actually gets done. I’ll blog, if blogging is a priority. Sometimes I make sure to do family history research first (because sometimes that’s a priority). I’m happy to be posting this at 8 am, so I can move on to a great day!

I don’t know about you, but if my mornings don’t go well, the rest of the day usually follows suit. I’m a morning person and I typically can get a lot done in the morning. But if I don’t, it’s hard to reboot the day and make up for it in the afternoon.

So I got to thinking today about optimal ways for me to spend my valuable morning time. And I also thought about strategies for getting right to it in the morning.

I’m a huge believer in the value of established routines. I have a morning routine of small tasks that help me maintain order. I do those things without even thinking, and they happen before I’m at my desk. It’s the next step I need to think about. What should I do after I’ve sat down at my desk?

I think I know the answer. I need to blog first thing in the morning. I try to blog four times a week: Mondays and Fridays on this blog and Tuesdays and Thursdays on my other blog, Organize Your Family History. I know I could make life easier by blogging in advance and scheduling posts, but I’ve learned that’s not really the way I roll. Most of my blog posts are posted the day they’re written, and I’m okay with that.

I know that if I get my blog writing out of the way for the day, the rest of the day goes smoother. If I don’t, I might not blog that day, depending on my client load. And it bugs me when I don’t reach my blogging goals, which has a negative effect on my day. (I’m not happy that today is Wednesday and this is my first blog post of the week.)

So how can I ensure that I get my blogging done in the morning? I can think of two things that will make it much easier:

• Decide in advance what I’ll blog about. (Deciding what to write about is the hardest part for me.)
• Don’t do anything else at my computer before blogging. (I’m capable of wasting a lot of time first thing in the morning fooling around on the internet.)

If I do both of these things, I’ll get my blogging done straight off and I’ll have that omnipresent task taken off my mind, freeing myself to feel great about getting stuff done the rest of the day. I know that will enhance my productivity beyond just the blogging.

My evening routine comes into play here, because it sets me up for a successful morning. I try to do three things before closing up shop every day:

• Clear off my desktop
• Get my inbox down to zero
• Select a few priority tasks for the next day

One thing I could add to that evening routine is selecting my blog topic for the next day, if it’s not already planned.

This process seems very simple, yet I feel very excited that I’ve identified a way to get my blogging done and make my days go better. I’ll post again about how successful this strategy is!

Figuring out what to watch on TV

16 February 2017

I’ve learned over the years how easily overwhelmed I am when I have too many choices. I blogged a few years ago about how I prefer buying Apple computers because they limit your choices. I know that one of the reasons I love my tiny wardrobe is that I don’t have to choose from a lot of options when I get dressed.

My most recent struggle with too many choices is television. I love TV and usually watch some TV while I knit or color in the evening. But I find myself yearning for my childhood days when I had a choice of about four things to watch. I cut the cord on cable five years ago but now there’s more to watch than ever before.

With all the choices available to me on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, plus various other channels on my Roku, I can’t settle on anything! And it’s making me a little crazy. Last night I found myself killing an hour watching a new game show for heaven’s sake (The Wall, not worth my time)!

For some reason I’m turning TV watching, which I do to relax, into a source of stress. That’s ridiculous. I think I have to do something to narrow down the options, so I’m not stressed out by deciding what to watch. Here’s what I think I’ll do:

• Pick two shows (a comedy and a drama/action show) with the intention of watching each in its entirety, because I love doing that. I’m selecting two so I can choose depending on my mood.
• Give the shows on the current lineup at least three episodes each before abandoning.
• Keep a list in Evernote of shows I’ve tried watching, shows I’d like to check out, and shows I’ve seen before that I’d consider streaming again.

I just found this Rolling Stone article on the 100 best TV shows of all time. I’ve seen many of them (and would rewatch some) and it reminds me of some renowned shows that I’ve been meaning to watch. I think it will help me create a few lists to narrow things down so can get past this frustration.

How about you? How do you handle deciding what to watch on TV? Also, do you have any shows you think I should add to my short list?

The Breville Tea Maker: A Unitasker worth having

13 February 2017

I typically avoid buying appliances or gadgets that serve only one purpose. The wonderful blog Unclutterer calls those items Unitaskers and features them on Unitasker Wednesdays.

But last month I made an exception to that rule and purchased the Breville BTM800XL One-Touch Tea Maker. It’s an electric tea kettle and brewer. Two of my friends and colleagues, Amanda Rickers and Sheila DeHart each had one and raved about it. I found it irresistible.

My biggest hesitation was that I didn’t want to take up counter space in my new kitchen, which we’ve managed to keep free of clutter. But then I realized I could put it in my auxiliary kitchen (we live in a two-family house and have two kitchens), which is conveniently located next to my office. So now, instead of having to go upstairs for a cup of tea, I can brew one nearby while I work.

The way the Breville Tea Maker works is that you fill the basket with the appropriate amount of loose tea (it reminds me of an old fashioned percolator). Then you fill the glass jug with the appropriate amount of water. Put the basket in the jug, where it remains above the water until the water is boiled to the exact right temperature for the type of tea you’ve told the tea maker you’re brewing. When that temperature is reached, the basket is slowly lowered into the hot water where it stays briefly. It will go up and down to get the right strength. I think a magnet is involved.

After you press the On button, you can walk away and come back to a perfect cup of tea, brewed to the strength you’ve indicated. It’s wonderful.

I had to buy a few loose teas because I was accustomed to using tea bags. I purchased some tea tins from the Container Store and labeled them. (I used Washi tape to indicate those that are decaf, which is an important distinction for me, since I don’t like to drink much caffeine.)

Here’s my setup (that’s a photo of the beautiful Serenity Tea from the London Tea Room in St. Louis up at the top of this post), along with a couple of videos of the tea maker in action:

I don’t know how much use my tea maker will get in the summer, but while it’s still cold out, it’s a huge hit. I’ve enjoyed it practically every day since I received it a few weeks ago. A nice warm cup of tea is my part of my self-care regimen and this Unitasker makes it easy. What a great gift to myself.

Worth repeating: Five ways to make packing easy

9 February 2017

I left for Salt Lake City yesterday and packing was a breeze, thanks to my packing system that helps ensure I don’t overthink or overpack. Now that I’m doing Project 333 and have so few clothes from which to choose, it’s even easier! I shared my system in a post I originally wrote in 2014, and I thought I’d share it again.

I travel every month or two and over the years I’ve managed to make packing fairly stress free. There are five practices that I’ve adopted that have helped make packing a piece of cake.

• I put together my outfits before I pack. I detailed my method in this blog post on avoiding overpacking but the basic point is that I plan my outfits before I pack and I don’t bring any more clothes than those that are needed for the outfits. It makes it easier to get dressed during the trip, too, since the decisions have already been made.

• I limit my shoes. I know, I know. That’s tough. But shoes are heavy and space-consuming. I try hard to bring no more than one or two pairs of shoes or boots beyond the pair I’m wearing while traveling.

• I keep a travel set of toiletries. I have travel-sized version of almost all my toiletries and they live in my toiletries kit. This way I save time packing and I don’t have to stress about forgetting something.

• I take only the makeup I need. It’s not practical for me to keep a travel set of makeup (it would go bad before I could use it up), but I just pack it into a makeup kit as I put it on the day of travel. Unless I’m going to a super-fancy event on my trip, I just take along this everyday makeup, not a whole bunch of different shadows or potions to choose from when I’m at my destination.

• I use a travel jewelry case. The Clos-ette Too Travel Jewelry Case makes it easy for me to take along what I need (and no more) and to see what I have brought. It also prevents my necklaces from getting tangled.

There are plenty of things to stress out about when traveling. Packing needn’t be one of them. By making decisions in advance and limiting my choices when I’m traveling, I make the process easier—and my bag lighter.

Photo by Susana Fernandez via Flickr

No Excuses series (part 3): "It was a gift"

6 February 2017

This is the third in a three-part series of posts debunking the three excuses I hear most frequently from clients for wanting to keep items they no longer use or love. Click here to see the other articles in the series.

The third common excuse I hear for keeping an unloved or unused item is that it was a gift. This is a tough one. People tend to have a difficult time parting with items that were given to them. (As an aside, this has completely changed how I give gifts, knowing that my gift may some day become clutter for the recipient.)

What do I say to clients who tell me they can’t let go of something because it was a gift? The first question I ask is:

• Do you think the gift giver would really want you to keep something you don’t use, just because they gave it to you? If they knew you were investing time and money in paring down your belongings and getting organized, would they care if you let it go?

Usually that’s enough to help the client release it. If that doesn’t do the trick, I might ask:

• Is there another family member you can pass this on to who would love it?

That can be very helpful, especially when the gift giver has passed away. (I’m the thrilled recipient of some paintings that my grandmother created, given to me by her nieces when they were decluttering.)

Really, what I find is that the client just needs permission to let gifts go. So let me do that for you right now: You are not obligated to keep an item you don’t use or love just because it was a gift. I give you permission to re-gift it or donate it. Don’t stash it in a closet. And try not to worry that the giver will ever ask about it. Chances are they won’t.