Declutter Quickies

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stuff at home or at work, it’s time to declutter. Decluttering is not neatening up, sorting, or organizing, it’s actually getting rid of stuff and that’s tough for many. The cool thing about decluttering is that if you do it right, you have a very clear idea of what you own. And when you put things again in their own place, you also know where to find them.

And remember: The goal is Organizational Zen which is the peace of knowing you’ve got a handle on your life. You don’t have to organize the entire world – just your world 🙂 Continue reading

Complaining is not a strategy

If you find yourself complaining a lot, it’s time to stop. Complaining is a waste of your time and other people’s time. If you don’t like something, try to fix it.

If you don’t know how to fix it, that’s awesome. That’s your challenge! Study the stuff that bugs you to see if you’re complaining about things that really matter to you. Or is complaining just a bad habit?

A few things of note: If you’re complaining about a person and you’re doing it behind their back you’re not going to change anything. Continue reading

What’s your personal brand?

Businesses build or chip away at their brand with every customer interaction. Brands like Nike, L.L.Bean, and Coca-Cola are known for specific and calculated brand elements – like style, functionality, innovation, customer service, reputation, price, or comfort.

Brands are designed to make customers feel good about them and companies spend millions making sure they do! The payback is that best customers stay with them – sometimes for a lifetime – because they feel they know and trust them.

You are also a brand that you build or chip away at every day. The goal of creating Organizational Zen in your life is to help you make time to do your best work – to help you focus on the big stuff by getting the small stuff taken care of. And that’s a huge part of what your personal brand is.

Think about your personal brand
If you asked three members of your family, three friends, and three co-workers to describe you, what would they say? Be honest. No one is reading this but you. And remember this isn’t what you’d like to be – it’s how people see you in your everyday interactions. Make three columns and write down as many adjectives as you can that describe your personal brand for each group. Continue reading

Getting started

Getting started animal artStarting something new is never easy, and if you aren’t already a little organized, I know the idea can be daunting. What helps me is to have a goal in mind. “I want to get organized so I have time to do (blank).” Your (blank) could be anything, but it should be juicy enough to entice you to stick with a new organized habit.

If you don’t have something in mind, try this. Block out about an hour of time. Find a pad of paper and a pen. Get yourself situated somewhere where you won’t be interrupted. And take a deep breath. Continue reading