Ideal teamwork and the concepts of SCRUM

January 10, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work Big project ideas, Changing habits, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, tips to be more productive, working on big projects

I’ve talked to a number of companies about changing corporate habits. In the midst of one discussion, a friend and former colleague at L.L.Bean recommended a book about SCRUM. SCRUM business concepts started in silicon valley and are now crossing over into all sorts of new thinking.

Picture your next group project and…

Imagine redefining the concept of “team”

Each team is cross-functional, autonomous, empowered, and has a transcendent purpose.
Team members know their work is important to the company and is personally meaningful.
Each team has the necessary skills and mix of experience and thinking they need to solve issues they’re tasked with solving.
Hand-offs are limited or eliminated; keep the work with this one group rather than have separate teams develop individual parts and pass their work along, group to group.
Teams work without titles and no one is limited to one type of work on a team; you contribute anywhere you have strengths.
Each team has the direction, freedom, respect and authority to do things without asking permission.

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The possibilities of tomorrow

January 5, 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, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, figuring out my life work, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, How do I use a planner?, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, Using a planner

History is filled with facts which makes it really solid. When we look back, it seems like what happened was the only possibility, that what happened was inevitable.

But then there’s “today”. You look ahead. You wonder what will happen. And you know it’s not pre-ordained because there are so many potential threads. Tomorrow could take you south, or west, or north. It could be wild or calm. Big things could happen. Or nothing special could happen. Continue reading →

Make one New Year’s resolution

January 1, 2017December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Changing habits, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Tips on using a planner, Tips on using a planning calendar Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, how to get organized, losing weight, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Using a planner, working on big projects

Here are the top four New Year’s resolutions. How many of these have been on your make-and-break list?

Lose weight
Get organized
Spend less/save more
Enjoy life to the fullest

I’m not big on making New Year’s resolutions because I don’t like to waste time. Statistics say that only 8% of us stick to New Year’s resolutions. Why spend time wishing for something that doesn’t happen most of the time for most people?

But these are great goals! So what can you do to make a resolution stick this year? Continue reading →

Lessons from “Creative Week”

December 29, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Decision making, Organizational Exercises, Staying focused, Tips on using a planner, Working with your guides Big project ideas, Decision making, getting things done, Getting work done, How do I use a planner?, How to stay focused, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive, Using a planner, Working with your guides

The week between Christmas and New Year’s tends to be quiet for business, so I decided to christen this “Creative Week”. I have a number of projects I love to do that I don’t make a top priority – so they don’t get done. I thought this week could be rich for creative production – layered in with just two hours of work-work each day.

Normally, I set an intent for what I want to carry out, plan in time, and track what gets done – but that didn’t feel right for Creative Week. However, working on a complete whim was too big a challenge for a planner/tracker, so I brainstormed a list of creative stuff I wanted to get done. This included everything from running and meditation, to practicing the guitar, to making beaded bags, to reading, to writing for long periods of time. Continue reading →

The gift of presence

December 24, 2016December 24, 2016 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Working with your guides How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips for being kind, Working with your guides

I worked as a volunteer at the Center for Grieving Children for about five years. The Center is a place families go to help express their grief in a safe and kind setting. Families go on a specific night each week and each member of the family meets with an age-appropriate group. Families attend for as long as they want – which is sometimes a few weeks, and sometimes over a year.

One adult who was in my group for a long time told me her time at the Center was the only time all week she was herself – the rest of the time she was faking it, even with her kids, trying to seem happy and “get over” the death of her husband.

Some weeks at the Center she had no words. Other weeks she was depressed. Sometimes her issues were the loss. Other times she needed to talk about how hard it was to suddenly be a single parent. And some weeks she was happy and didn’t feel guilty about expressing that. Continue reading →

Organizational Tips for Kids

December 20, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Helping kids get organized, Organizational Exercises, Tips on decluttering Changing habits, decluttering your life, getting organized, how to get organized, organizational tips, organizational tips for kids, tips to be more productive

When I give talks on Organizational Zen, I’m often asked by frazzled parents if I have tips for helping kids stay organized. My best advice is to lead by example. If your stuff isn’t in order, your kids see it, so why should they get their own stuff in order? Right?

If you’ve got that down, then I’d add these seven guidelines to help your kids create their own Organizational Zen. Continue reading →

9 tips to be more productive

December 18, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Changing habits, Organizational Exercises, Productivity tips for work, Setting organizational priorities, Staying focused, Tips on using a planner Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, decluttering your life, forming a new habit, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive

You’d like to be more productive.

You want to get more done
You want more control over your time
You want to be dependable
You feel edgy about things that aren’t getting done
You want to look back on 2017 and realize it was your best year yet

So how do you get there? There are lots of right ways. The trick is to make your own rules and to give yourself time to form new habits.

You can put this off. Or you can get started. Here are a few thoughts to get your energy flowing in a new direction.

Continue reading →

Finding balance in crazy times

December 15, 2016December 9, 2019 organizationalhabits Baby steps to start getting organized, Big project ideas, Changing habits, Decision making, Getting started, Organizational Exercises, Setting organizational priorities Big project ideas, Decision making, getting organized, getting things done, Getting work done, how to get organized, How to stay focused, Organizational Exercises, organizational tips, Prioritizing tasks, tips to be more productive

It’s easy to feel out of balance in crazy, hectic times (post-election, holiday, end-of-year). But as crazy as the world feels, balance comes from within you. It’s not what’s going on around you; it’s what you do and how you react to things. Balance is something you have control over.

Not convinced? Try this.

Sit quietly for five minutes (set a timer) and think about what the most important things are in your life that help you feel balanced. Five minutes isn’t long and that’s intentional. You don’t need deep thinking on this. You know what’s important to you.

Jot your ideas down as you go. Your list could be three things or twenty things. What matters is that this is your list of whatever comes up in five minutes. Continue reading →

Drawing inspiration from Lisa Congdon

December 13, 2016December 13, 2016 organizationalhabits Big project ideas, Building your personal brand, Business tips, Finding your "why", Setting organizational priorities, Working with your guides Big project ideas, forming a new habit, getting things done, organizational tips, organizing big projects, tips to be more productive

If you’re looking for inspiration for starting a new life pursuit, go no further than Lisa Congdon.

Last summer, I had the privilege of meeting Lisa, a prolific artist, illustrator, and writer from Portland Oregon. Lisa works for clients around the world including the MoMA, Harvard University, Martha Stewart Living, Chronicle Books, Simon & Schuster, and Random House Publishing.

She’s the author of six books, including the starving-artist-myth-smashing Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist, and illustrated books The Joy of Swimming, Fortune Favors the Brave, Whatever You Are, Be a Good One, Twenty Ways to Draw a Tulip and A Collection a Day. Her seventh book, A Glorious Freedom: On Being a Woman, Getting Older, and Living an Extraordinary Life will be released by Chronicle Books in 2017. Continue reading →