Giving in to organization

August 17, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive

If you resist getting organized, feeling like organization might box you in or make you less creative, consider this: Continue reading →

Decluttering with a mission

August 14, 2017 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Helping kids get organized, Organizational Exercises, Tips for organizing your house, Tips on decluttering Changing habits, Decision making, decluttering your life, getting organized, getting things done, how to get organized, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, organizational tips for kids, Tips on decluttering, tips to be more productive, tips to organize a closet

I get more questions about decluttering than any other organizational issue. What to me is great fun is, apparently, quite a chore to most people. If you’ve got a drawer, closet, room, or HOUSE to declutter, it helps to have motivation and a deadline.

I had two brilliant motivators descend on me this week: a theater where I work is holding a garage sale and is looking for items to sell, including clothing items. And our library asked for art supply donations for an upcoming project.

My house is mostly decluttered but two areas where things seem to stick are my potential-costume rack, and my art closet. The potential-costume rack includes things I’ve worn in past shows, dress-ups for the kiddos, and clothes I “demote” until I’m ready to part with them. The art closet includes bits and pieces of recent and past craft and sewing projects. Continue reading →

Get happy = get healthy

June 5, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused Changing habits, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, tips to stay healthy

I’m traveling in Virginia this week, and a good friend told me about a study out of UCLA that explains four ways to make you to feel happier. The Dalai Lama worries that Americans don’t feel they have a right to be happy and that being happy shouldn’t be a goal. He says that’s nonsense, and if the Dalai Lama says “Go for it – it’s okay,” who are we to argue?

Here’s what’s important about happiness as explained by UCLA neuroscience researcher Alex Korb:

Continue reading →

The Creamer Dinners

May 25, 2017 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Tips on decluttering Changing habits, Decision making, Defining who you are, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Tips on decluttering

A few years ago, it occurred to me that I had said the same phrase several times without taking action on it: “We should get together sometime.” Mostly this came up in the theater where I met folks in a show, got to know them, and then didn’t spend time with them again until I worked with them on another show and would once again hear myself saying, “We should get together sometime.”

As much fun as theater is, you don’t get a lot of time to talk and I was hungry for a good conversation with many folks I had met.

And I got to thinking about other friends and family I saw often but always in big groups. Big groups are fun but aren’t always great for conversation. Continue reading →

100 Days of Wellness

May 20, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Planning impacts on your health, Productivity tips for work, Tips for organizing your house, Tips on decluttering Changing habits, decluttering your life, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get more sleep, how to get organized, how to lose and sustain weight loss, how to save time, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Tips on decluttering, tips to be more productive, ways to get more sleep

I’ve been looking for a local meditation class and stumbled on this site with 100 wellness exercises. The videos are short, 4-6 minutes each, and focus on different aspects of feeling better – by being more grateful, clearing clutter, getting more sleep, beating sugar, and… you get the idea. It’s a great list.

Being a “get it done” kind of girl, I was like, “I’ll do all of these today,” and started to click through one to the next. But I decided instead to stop and spend a day on each one. I’ve tried to remind myself lately that I have time. I don’t have to get everything done right away. It’s a huge temptation for me to think, “Yes. Check. Got it done. Move on.” And rarer for me to take the time to deeply contemplate a thought or idea – especially if it’s a challenge or something negative about who I am or how I think. Continue reading →

7 steps to create a nice mess

May 14, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Finding your "why", Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Tips for organizing your house, Tips on decluttering, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, decluttering your life, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, Tips on decluttering, tips to be more productive, working on big projects

If you’re serious about cleaning a room, make it messier before you clean it up. Pull things out of drawers. Empty closets and shelves. And clear off the tops of every horizontal surface.

Then sort out what you have by putting similar items together, looking at each item to decide if you want to keep it (because you really love it), pitch it, or give it away.

Then clean all the surfaces, reassemble putting everything in a thoughtful place, and throw out the trash.

Easy peasy – the room is decluttered and all is well.

Except if you still have an edgy feeling that you aren’t doing something, or that you’ve missed something big. Now the issue isn’t a room that needs to be decluttered – it’s your head and heart that need a cleanup. Continue reading →

How can you help?

April 26, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Decision making, Helping kids get organized, Productivity tips for work, Staying focused, Working with your guides Decision making, getting organized, Getting work done, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind, Working with your guides

When I talk to people about organizational issues, many ask me what they can do to help friends, family, or co-workers who are disorganized. My suggestion is that they get their own lives organized, lead by example, and not worry about others. When you’re organized and you’re getting things done, your energy is infectious which is a great way to raise the energy of others around you.

That being said, it’s also vitally important that you be helpful. That you mentor and coach when you’re asked. And that you reach out and lend a hand even when you’re not asked. Continue reading →

How much of your life do you choose with intent?

April 7, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, organizational tips for kids, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Working with your guides

How much of your life do you choose? And how much is you walking down a path you’re on?

Before you roll into weekend plans, I challenge you to pause and think about what your intent is for a myriad of aspects of your life.

Did you choose, or did you happen upon:

Where you live
Who you live with
What you eat
What you do for work
The people you hang out with
What you do with your free time
What you watch on TV/Netflix/Hulu, et al.
What you read – books, magazines, newspaper, and online sites
How you spend other time online and/or on your phone
What you do for volunteer work
How you present yourself – what you wear, how you hold yourself, when and how you speak; is your driver fashion, comfort, to make a statement, to blend in?
How you decorate and keep your home – precise, comfortable, colors, textures, style, messy, neat, etc.
How you tend to deal with others – speaking, listening, teaching, being directive, being kind, sharing knowledge, being funny, etc.
How you get around – walking, biking, in a car, using mass transit, running, etc.

Continue reading →

A 3-Step Declutter Plan

April 2, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Changing habits, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Tips for organizing your house, Tips on decluttering Changing habits, Decision making, decluttering your life, getting organized, getting things done, how to get organized, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Tips on decluttering, tips to organize a closet

Ready to do a little spring cleaning? How about doing some decluttering as you go?

Decluttering can be intimidating if you think about your whole house. So start small. What’s a single area of your house that’s been calling to you? The refrigerator? The cabinet under the TV? A bedroom closet?

When you have a target in mind, here are three steps to get going. Continue reading →