Your Organizing Coach

New Year's Resolution Ideas for Getting Organized

Getting organized, along with losing weight and quitting smoking, is on most people's list of new year's resolutions. Here are some ideas for resolutions, and three rules for increasing your success at keeping those resolutions.

First rule for any resolution: keep it small enough to be do-able. You want a goal that's reachable soon, even if it seems insignificant. You're setting the stage for the next, bigger goal. Success breeds success.

Second rule: It's all about you. Don't compare yourself to others, especially that more organized neighbor or relative. You have your own unique skills, talents, desires and motives. Work with them, not against them. Start where you are now.

Okay, here are some suggestions. Scale them up or down as needed.

• I will sort my mail every day
• I will spend 30 minutes a week decluttering (use a timer!)
• I will give away magazines before the next issue arrives even if I haven't gotten around to reading them
• I will keep a shopping bag in my closet to put clothes I'm donating in
• I will keep my to-do list small and manageable (put it on a Post-It)

The challenge:
How do you remember to do all these wonderful things? Despite your best intentions, you may find it hard to work these new behaviors into your life. Make it easier with reminders that work for you. Use Post-Its on the bathroom mirror; a classic. Programmed, regular email reminders are my favorite. Find a partner to trade reminders with on the phone every week.

Third rule: don't beat yourself up if you get behind. Just start again. Remember when you learned to ride a bike? How often did you fall off before you were able to fly down the street on that thing? Once you were flying, you probably didn't think about the falling part anymore. So, get on the bike.

Can You Be Too Organized?

You're too organized if doing the work of organizing starts taking up half your day. The organizing you do should be at the service of the rest of your life and your work, not the other way around.

People shy away from organizing because they think it's a huge project or it will be enormously time consuming. Now, if they want to organize their entire homes top to bottom and they've been collecting stuff since the dawn of time, this is a realistic fear. For everyone else, it's not.

Organizing can be a few simple things you do to make your life run more smoothly. Things like putting your bag in a place where you can find it again or jotting an event onto your calendar so you don't rely on (cursed) memory.

To find your perfect organizing level, observe what's working and what's not. What bothers you and what's fine the way it is. If what's not working is being able to get out of the house on time in the mornings, figure out what the specific obstacles are. Can't find the keys? Forgot some important information? Trying to squish too many tasks into the morning?

Now you've got something to work with. If you're really bugged by running around the house searching for keys, you'll be motivated to find a special place to stash them when you come in the door. You might not do it every time. Even if you do it half the time, you're ahead of the game.

Analyze what is working for you. Maybe you've got a "don't forget" list on the wall right next to the front door that you see when you leave the house. You always look at it and it helps. How can you use that technique in other ways? You might make a list of morning routine tasks and attach it to the fridge or the bathroom mirror.

It's the little things, people. Small things that help your life work better.

Found keys from Otacon_85's photostream

Don't Put Off Shredding

Here's chapter three of my new book. Every Wednesday there's a new chapter. You can read them here, or buy the ebook here.

Simple Way #3

Shred
Almost every day you get mail that’s got sensitive information in it that should be shredded. Don’t stack it up somewhere to shred later! Shred it right away. Otherwise, you end up with a shopping bag full and the idea of sitting next to the shredder for an hour is not very attractive (it’ll be too loud for you to watch TV at the same time). Get a quality shredder (one that won’t jam or freak out over staples) and put it where you usually sort mail and paper. Then you can shred as you go.

What you shred depends on your personal comfort level. Some people like to shred anything with their name and address on it, but that’s a lot of work and will not do much to protect your identity. The important items to shred are ones with your signature, social security number or any account number (this includes credit card offers). Additionally, anything with legal or medical information about you should be shredded.

Right now:

If you haven’t gone through today’s mail, look at it now and see if you can find something that needs shredding. Then shred it!

 

Five Ways to Seriously Get Things Done

Do you make notes and lists of all you have to do but still end up falling down rabbit holes of activity that weren’t on any lists? Have you got so much to do that you feel overwhelmed and defeated before you even start? In a world where things are moving and changing constantly, we all need help with this one. I’ve just created a an audio program called Five Ways to Seriously Get Things Done to do just that.

You may think you lack that focusing gene or that you’re just naturally distractible and you may be right. But most of the folks you see around you who don’t seem to have those problems have learned to be productive and they use tools to help them. You too can learn.

The five ways I talk about relate to using a to-do list. This can be a powerful tool, but you need to construct it correctly and use it right. It’s a focusing tool, not a dumping ground. It’s for making progress on your projects, not to list every little daily task. Here’s what I’ll talk about in this audio program:

• Why you need a to-do list
• Keep it short
• Projects are not to-dos
• The trick to prioritizing
• Know where your time goes

You’ll also get worksheets to help you define and clarify your projects and correctly write your to-do lists. The worksheet for tracking your time will give you a clear picture of where your time now goes. The review checklists help you analyze and troubleshoot your to-do list and make sure you’re moving forward with your projects. There’s also a worksheet for you to create a “Not To Do” list.

If you keep unearthing old to-do lists that got lost and forgotten, there’s hope. You can start getting things done today and feel that sense of accomplishment. The worksheets will get you back on track until being productive becomes a habit. The program costs $7 and you can purchase it through with the link below. The program is sold through E-junkie and can be purchase with Paypal or credit card.

My Video about Using Your Inbox

I finally did it! I made a video and slapped it up on YouTube. For my first one, I think it turned out pretty well. There are lots of things I'll do differently next time (put the camera higher so I'm not talking down to people, project more, wear brighter clothes and make up), but I decided it was worth posting. Having the "play" arrow right over my nose makes me look a bit like Minnie Mouse!

I'd love to hear your comments! Is the material helpful? Are you eager to see the next installment? What topics should I cover? Thanks!!!

Shoe Storage Ideas

When you’re not wearing them, take care of them. That means putting them away. These boots may be made for walking, but they don’t do it on their own. The three keys to good shoe storage are: Easy to use, accessible and spacious.

Habits create ease. When a task is a habit, it’s automatically easier because you don’t have to think about it. Make putting your shoes away part of your current routine. When you come inside, you put your jacket and bag somewhere, right? And I don’t mean on the back of the sofa. Include shoe stowing in that routine. For example, jacket in front closet, bag on foyer table, shoes in bedroom closet.

If that’s too much work, create a daily dumping spot for your shoes; under the foyer table, under the coffee table, floor of the front closet, etc. The only way this works, though, is if you’re willing to do a daily or semi-weekly tidy up when you put the shoes back in your clothes closet. To keep them looking nice, select a spot where there’s room for a few pairs so shoes won’t get jumbled together and damaged.

The amount of work you have to do to put something away is inversely proportionate to the likelihood of you doing it. Clear plastic shoe boxes are orderly and keep your shoes clean and safe, but they are a pain in the neck to use, in my opinion. Taking a box off the shelf and opening it is two movements already! You want storage that’s accessible without reaching, bending, opening, shoving aside, etc.

Uncrowded space is key to putting away almost anything. Just as your file drawers should never get more than 2/3 full, so you don’t have to use muscle power to wedge things in there, your shoe shelves, cubbies, etc., should be roomy enough so you can access them easily.

Roominess also helps prevent damage to your shoes. If you store 50 pairs of shoes in a space where only 30 will really fit, they’re going to be squashed together and get crushed and scratched. If this is your situation, you’ll have to get creative and realistic about your storage options.

Here are some ideas: 

• Move your shoes to the front hall closet if that’s where you hang your jackets.
• Use shelves at the front door, Asian style.
• Clear the floor of your clothes closet and let it be only for shoes. Then you can almost just kick them off!
• Store off-season shoes away from those currently in use.
• Double up or stack flip flops, slippers and other sturdy, compact shoes.
• Keep special occasion shoes in boxes on a shelf and put a big photo of the shoes on the end of the box to remind you of what’s in there (this is a good trick if you’re worried you’ll forget shoes that you can’t see).

If you buy containers, make sure they will fit your shoes and your closet space

• Chunky heels, boots and platforms won’t fit into shoe pockets
• Over the rail cubbies are great, if you can spare the rail space
• Wire shelving not so good for stilettos; the heel sinks through and the shoes can get scraped
• Baskets are only good for casual shoes that can be bashed up a bit. Best for canvas, plastic and very sturdy leather

My favorite shoe containers:

• Over the door shoe pockets for low profile shoes
• Over the rail cubbies for bulkier shoes and for doubling up flip flops and slippers
• Three-shelf unit under my short hanging items for any size shoe and floppy boots
• Floor space for rigid boots

Figure out what works for you!

Christine Arylo on self love, success and clutter

Creating an organized space makes it easier for you to lay your hands on the things you need and helps you be more effective because you now have time for the important stuff. It's also an essential part of taking care of the most valuable person in your life, yourself. Christine Arylo, coach and author of the new book, Choosing ME Before WE, graciously took some time from her book promotion schedule (you can hear her speak on June 2nd at 7pm in Oakland at Great Good Place for Books) to do an interview for my blog.

Christine is also an inspirational catalyst who uses the power of self-love to help people liberate themselves into the life they really want… or as she likes to say “Dare to Live and Love YOU!” 

Clutter Coach:
Sometimes clutter results from not deciding where to put things, or just not spending the time to put them away. It's a common problem. But what if you're using clutter as an excuse not to move forward in your life, or to insulate you from discomfort?

Christine:
The clutter we surround ourselves with is the symptom, it’s not the disease itself. The clutter is the outcome of something deeper going on within ourselves, and often times it’s protecting us from something we don’t want to be with… or it’s slowing us down from actually getting what we really want in life. If you have a clutter filled life, you have to stop and ask yourself, “What is behind this clutter? What is it a symptom of? What inside of me am I not willing to be with or look at?” And then attack that problem. The clutter will clear itself up from there. If you only attack the clutter without addressing the underlying issue, the clutter will just keep coming back.

Clutter Coach:
It can be scary to commit to a goal like getting organized if it's a big shift from where you are now. Who will you be once you're organized? Will you lose your creativity? How do you deal with the identity issues that come up with any major change, no matter how positive?

Christine:
One simple fact: structure actually creates more freedom not less. When you have form and structure in your life – such as getting organized – you create more space and that creates more freedom, not less. And within freedom, you are inherently more yourself, not less.  This lifetime is about letting go of all the ‘stuff’ that isn’t really who we are – fears, society expectations, bad training, ego, obligations, etc. – so that we can be free to be who we really are. If you can keep that perspective, that your life is a series of steps that brings you closer to your truest essence, it’s a lot easier to take each change one step at a time, stopping to integrate what you’ve learned about yourself along the way.

Clutter Coach:
Habits can be ruts we get into that prevent us from seeing what's really going on, or they can be welcome time-savers that allow us to focus on the important stuff. How can we become aware of our habits so we can evaluate them clearly and choose the positive ones?

Christine:
Notice what continually works well and what doesn't. Then look for the patterns that cause those results. That is where you will find your habits. Obviously, if your habits are producing good results, keep doing them. For the habits that create unpleasant or unwanted results, it’s time to create a new habit, so you need to cut a new internal rut. Literally, you have to retrain your brain to act differently, to follow a different pathway. It takes time but if you treat it like building a new muscle, it can be a lot of fun. The following four step process is one that I use with all my clients and with myself:

1. Awareness:  You see the truth of your behavior and the outcome it produces. You take responsibility and commit to change.
2. Reflection:  You still do the habit, but afterwards, you look back and say, “Oh, I did that again. Here is what happened. Next time, I would like to do …”
3. Change in the Moment:  You notice the habit while you are doing it and you interrupt it, choosing instead to do something new.
4. Integration: The old habit has been replaced with a new habit, and you no longer have to think about it.

Clutter Coach:
How can becoming accepting and loving of ourselves help us battle that sneaky little demon, perfectionism?

Christine:
Success begets success, so when you feel good about yourself you will naturally create more things that result in you feeling good about yourself.  Perfectionism never leads to success, only distress, so it’s a habit you want to give up for sure! You can do that by doing two things. 1. Set realistic expectations for yourself that you can meet. 2. When you meet them, celebrate! The more you acknowledge your small wins the more they will add up to big wins. Before I go to bed each night I actually say out loud at least 5 successes I had that day. It sounds so simple, and it really does make a difference.

Clutter Coach:
What's your personal favorite organizing trick?

Christine:
If it doesn't have a place to go, find it a home. I notice that whether it’s my email box or my desk, what causes clutter more than anything are those things that are homeless. So I immediately create a place for them to go – whether it’s a new email folder on my computer or in my filing cabinet.

If you find yourself living among clutter, working harder not smarter, or running around like an energizer bunny gone mad, your life is running you, instead of you living it. Don't feel bad, you’re not alone – we’ve been conditioned to live that way. But do be smart and realize that you need to learn some new habits, skills and super powers to deal with the realities of the 21st century. Also be smart enough to find people and resources that can guide you – none of us can do it alone!

About Christine Arylo
A new kind of self-love expert, Christine Arylo, inspirational catalyst, traded in twelve years of creating powerful images for brands like Visa and Gap, to inspire people to bust through their limiting self-images and self-expectations. As an author, speaker, and coach, Arylo is an expert at helping people to get the success and happiness they want by living and loving their most real and wise selves first. She is the author of Choosing ME Before WE, Every Woman’s Guide to Life and Love, and the founder of the international Madly in Love with ME™ movement. She has appeared on national television and syndicated radio shows across the country, and her opinions have been featured in places like the San Francisco Chronicle, Glam.com and Daily Om.

Criteria for Decluttering

It's simple. Whenever you're torn about getting rid of something or keeping it, ask yourself these two questions:

1. Do I need it?
2. Do I love it?

If the answer is yes to either one, you keep it.

Changing Habits Requires Motivation

Changing habits is hard. It's easier the more motivated you are to do it. Tip: be honest about what motivates you.

I was riding in my friend's car the other day and she mentioned that she was trying to keep her speed down to 55 mph to maximize fuel efficiency. Her car is a Prius, so she's really into that kind of thing. I immediately thought, is the speed the same for all cars? How much could I save? What if I went 5 miles over that? I was planning to research it online when I got home.

But then I remembered that I like to drive fast. I know myself well enough that I might try the 55 mph thing for 15 minutes or so, but then I'd start to feel antsy. Then I'd feel deprived. Then I'd start ratiionalizing and making deals with myself so I could resume my previous habit. And resume it I would.

The point is that I am not motivated enough by saving money to reduce my driving speed. I'm just not. This isn't about what's right or wrong or black or white or green. It shouldn't be about guilt or pleasing others either. If you are sincerely gratified by doing your part to save the earth by driving more slowly, by all means do it. Make sure you feel good about it, though.

Trying to change a habit without sufficient motivation that works for you is a recipe for failure. What have you been trying to change that isn't happening? See if you can discover a real, honest way to motivate yourself to do it, rather than "I should."

FYI, you can find out more about fuel efficiency here.

Yes, You Need an In Box

What's the quickest way to clear off your desk? Stuff everything into your in box. That's where it should have gone first anyway.

Don't fool yourself that having everything out where you can see it is helping you get things done faster. Stop setting things down on the counter, or the edge of the desk, or on top of the printer until you can get to them. Use one spot, your in box, to collect everything and then go through it every day, or more often if need be.

The beloved Wikipedia has an entry on David Allen that succinctly describes how to use an in box. I don't think it's verboten to put things back into the in box, however, if you aren't ready to decide on them. Such a rule is likely to encourage you to make a separate pile and that would mess up the system. The point is that everything you need to do something about is in that box until you do something about it.

Here are some more in box benefits:

• You know where things are. If there's an important piece of paper you haven't dealt with yet, it's in there.
• You desk will be free of clutter. If you routinely have non-paper items in transit on your desk, get a big enough in box to hold them (computer peripherals, books, stray socks, whatever)
• You'll be able to find things that often get hidden under the piles, such as your planner, address book and calculator.

Try it for a few weeks. You can start out with a cardboard paper box. Practice putting everything that's on the desk and in your hands when you come in the door into the in box. When you sit at the desk, go through the box as described in the Allen article. Even if you don't do this religiously, you'll still gain the three benefits mentioned above.

Your in box need not be cheesy black plastic. The Container Store has a nice looking wooden box. This rattan basket is from Ikea. An in box need not come from an office supply store, but it needs to come from somewhere, so go get one!