Your Organizing Coach

What Do I Do, Really?

It’s never a bad thing to remind folks about what I do as a clutter coach, but I forget to do it because it’s too obvious (to me, anyway). Naomi Dunford reminded me on Friday what a good idea it is and I’m happy to take her advice. 

 What’s your game? What do you do?

I help people get back in control of their lives when circumstances have made their old systems stop working. Say you had a baby and your elegant, finely tuned organizing methods have been annihilated. Say you started a business at home and you're realizing how much productive structure you left behind at your crappy old job. Say you want to do some major downsizing and what you thought would be a few boxes to go through turns out to be a tidal wave of mysterious stuff.

When people call me it's because something big went wrong. Or something went right but it caused a bunch of unexpected changes. Occasionally something went wrong a long time ago and they've finally decided they can't take it anymore. 

When circumstances change, the way you deal with them needs to change too. Often, this can be really simple change, but it's hard to see when you're in the middle of it. Also, it's hard to pay attention to making those little changes when it seems like everything is out of control. So I do both those things: 

identify the simple changes and 
 keep your focus on them till they make things better.

Why do you do it? Do you love it, or do you just have one of those creepy knacks?

I don't have a creepy knack for organizing. What I do have is a keen interest in why people do what they do and an ardent curiosity about how things could be different. I am my own guinea pig. What I noticed years ago is that I felt distracted and burdened by a lot of the stuff in my life. I had to pare it down, or drown. And then I had to be attentive to make sure it didn't all come back. I learned how to be a nosy observer my own life.

And I love it because I know how incredibly satisfying and powerful it is to be able to impartially explore your own behavior and make changes that will make you happy. More than happy; changes that give you sovereignty* over your own life. I do have a knack for asking really basic questions to help that process along, ones that people overlook because they're too simple.   

Who are your customers? What kind of people would need or want what you offer?

I work with people like me, who run their own businesses and also want to have a life. I also work with individuals who had a life but then things got busy and complicated somehow and it’s not fun anymore.

What’s your marketing USP? Why should I buy from you instead of the other losers?

I don't believe you would necessarily be happier with less stuff. How would I know that? I won't make you to get rid of clothes you haven't worn in two years. I'm not going to tell you to use an iPhone calendar because it's better than paper. I don't care what you do, as long as it works for you and makes you happy.

I like quick and dirty solutions. I like outside the box ideas. I want to know the reason behind something before I do it. That means I won't make you buy a set of fancy desk trays if you've already got some other container we can repurpose (but if you think a fancy desk tray would make you happy and more productive, go for it).

The techniques I come up with for my clients are the shortest distance between two points. Not the one from Martha Stuart Living. Not the one from that best selling organizing book. You have an objective and you need a solution and you need it now because things are out of control. I can do that. 

What’s next for you? What’s the big plan?

I want to create products (Hi, Amy!). I have an ebook and two info products (one is 99% done but not out yet because I can't figure out what to call it. Ouch!). I want to reach more people than I can with one-on-one coaching (although I love doing that). I’m considering a phone group coaching group too. 

* A concept borrowed from coach Hiro Boga.

Question mark from Stefan Baudy's photostream.

Must You Keep a Gift?

It's book chapter Wednesday. Here you go! Like it? You can buy the ebook here.

Simple Way #7

Unwanted Gifts

Don’t hang onto gifts you’ve received just because they were gifts. Anything that does not please you or have an important use to you is not worth keeping in your life. Of course, it’s important to be tactful and not hurt the giver’s feelings. However, there’s no point to feeling guilty about not wanting a gift.

What is a gift? Ideally, it’s an expression of gratitude or friendship. That’s the most important part. When the giver and receiver participate in this exchange, they both win. Once you accept a gift and give thanks, you are free to do whatever you want with it. The same goes for gifts you give.

Try to avoid getting stuck in believing that it’s your responsibility to find a good home for an unwanted gift. That’s what recycling centers and thrift stores are for. Your job is to get it out of the house as fast as possible.

Right now:

Find a gift in your closet that you’ve been saving because you feel guilty getting rid of it. Put it in your donation bag or pass it on to someone you know will appreciate it.

 

Don't Sort Things Unless Absolutely Necessary

Here's Chapter 6 of my book. Not exactly keeping to the Every Wednesday plan. I may have to spend some time automating this procedure (make it happen automagically!). You can read right now, or buy the ebook here. Note: if you're going to read right now, why not take the action step too? Just sayin'.

Simple Way #6

Avoid Sorting

Don’t sort paper unnecessarily. For instance, If you do not claim bills on your taxes, don’t waste time filing them into separate folders for electricity, phone, garbage, etc. In the unlikely event you need to look at an old bill, you’ll have to thumb through a large bill folder. But that will take you less time than filing each one individually every month.

When you do need to look at those old bills, you’ll know where to go; that one folder. As soon as you finish paying bills, file them. When people have a folder for each company, they often put off the filing and stack them somewhere for later, which means they often can’t find them when they need them.

Right now:

Label a new folder “Paid Bills.” Find those unsorted, paid statements on your desk and put them in there.

 

What I Learned at Burning Man about Time

I was at Burning Man for about three months. Okay, not really, but it felt that way. I'd talk with my camp mates about something that had happened a few days before and we'd joke that it was six weeks ago.

And it was a good thing! How did it happen? Because I was in the present. Pretty much the whole time.

I did get pretty overstimulated initially by the weather, the constant music, all the new people and not being able to sleep enough. At that point, I really wanted time to speed up, for it to be over.

But I adjusted, with the help of some fantastic camp mates. And then I got into the flow. Time went away. There was day and night still, but nothing had to happen at a particular time. Only a few things had to happen at all: eating, drinking water, putting on sunblock, sleeping (not optional for me ;)).

Everything else was extra, a wonderful bonus. Time never ran out. It didn't feel slow, it just was always plentiful. Conversations flowed. Great ideas for excursions bubbled up. Everywhere we went was just the right place, until we went somewhere else. It was a magical feeling.

Wouldn't it be great to feel that way now, at home (in the "default world")? Here are some ways you can:

• Keep your to do list short and do-able. Yes, you have too much to do, but putting it all on today's list isn't going to get it done. It will just make you crazy.
• Do things well enough. Forget about making hospital corners on your bed in the morning when just pulling up the duvet will suffice. Overdoing it is usually not about making it better anyway. It's about being afraid of doing it wrong. Well enough is not wrong.
• Let things be. Most of the time, you don't have any control over how things play out. You've done your part well (see above). Now stop.

Welcome to the present. Pull up a chair and stay awhile.

Hammock swinging from Meagan's photostream.

Give Your Belongings a Home

Time for a new book chapter. I've been posting them every Wednesday but yesterday, well, I forgot. So, herewith, Chapter 5, or buy the ebook here.

Simple Way #5

Assign Homes

It’s much easier to put things away when you know where they go. How do you know? You just decide. Base your decision on how much there is, whether you need it to be handy and what size and shape container makes sense. For example, paper can go in stacking trays, wall mounted slots, cute baskets, paperboard magazine holders; etc. Use what appeals to you and what is logical to you.

To improve their effectiveness, label your containers. You may think it’s obvious but your brain will recognize a labeled container much faster than an unlabelled one, which makes putting things away easier.

Right now:

If you don’t have containers yet, start by labeling your piles with Post-It Notes. Note: try to resist buying containers until you know what size you need.

 

What I'm Really Up To

I want to dig a little deeper. I often read and hear from people that productivity is just about doing a lot more, a lot faster. That it’s contributing to the out-of-control speediness of modern life. That what we really need is less of everything so that we can appreciate life, and so on.

I realize I need to be perfectly clear here that despite all my helpful and groovy how-to posts, I am certainly not advocating that you just do more stuff faster. What underlies all my work, here on the blog and with my clients, is guiding folks over the humps that are preventing them from doing what they actually want to do.

Here in my particular corner of the world, what I see is that people don’t get around to doing the things they really want to for reasons that have to do with time and stuff (i.e. “productivity” and “organization”). That’s my approach, my whatever-colored lenses; other approaches are equally valid. 

What I’m really about is how you can have a life that makes you happy (your personal brand of happiness) and feel good about yourself (and how you are in the world). Questions? Ask away, in the comments section below. Comments are also very welcome.

Happy balloon photo by me.

Hi, glad you're here! Come on in.

There's a ton of info in my posts about overcoming procrastination, getting things done and reducing clutter. All the things that get in the way of you living the life you truly want to live. Because that's really what it's all about.

Start with my free ecourse that will take you through the seven steps to getting organized at home or at work. The ecourse begins at the beginning, defining why you want to get organized, so that you'll have the motivation to see it through.

Or check out some of these "best of" posts:

• 30 Minutes to Less Clutter
• Tips for To Do Lists
• Quick Tips for Beating Procrastination
• Conquering Perfectionism
• The Smallest Step
• A Conversation about Clutter with Nicolette Toussaint
• The Four Poxes Upon Productivity

Daily Practice for Those Little Messes

It's Wednesday! That means time for a new chapter. You can read them here every week, or buy the ebook here.

Simple Way #4

Tidy Up

Daily living involves getting stuff out, using it, moving it around and combining it with other stuff. No one stays organized at every moment because life creates little messes. So make it a daily practice to clean up those little messes. Just as it’s better to wipe up a spill right away, the ten minute tidy up will keep your space organized with much less effort than spending half of Saturday on it. If you do this daily, ten minutes should be plenty.

Schedule your tidy ups for transition times, for example, when you get home from work, right after dinner or right before bed. Visit your clutter spots and put things away. This way you aren’t interrupting another activity. As with Simple Way #15, these mini sessions help you segue mentally to the next thing.

Right now:


Make a list of three spots to tidy before you go to bed tonight.

 

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!

 

30 Minutes to Less Clutter

Want less clutter on your desk? Can you spare half an hour? What if it would make the following half hour twice as productive? And the hour after that too? Spending time on organizing is a great investment because it always gives you a high return (unlike many investments these days).

Starting

Figuring out how to start is often the hardest part of decluttering. The big secret is that it really doesn’t matter, just make a decision and do it. I’m going to suggest one of many possible approaches to structure your half hour, and that’s triage. Triage is all about decision making. It provides a simple structure to guide you and it depends on quick, resolute judgments that you act on right away.

In the medical world, triage is used when there are many patients and limited resources. Care is denied to those who will probably not live, so that those resources can help more patients who probably will live. I can guarantee you that you don’t have enough resources to manage all the stuff that’s currently in your life. Becoming skilled at triage (AKA, ruthless decision making) means more of your time and energy goes to the important stuff.

Triage breaks down into three categories, according to our friends at Wikipedia.

1) Those who are likely to live, regardless of what care they receive;
2) Those who are likely to die, regardless of what care they receive;
3) Those for whom immediate care might make a positive difference in outcome.

On your desk, this means

Category 1. Stuff you like and need that will be put away;
Category 2. Stuff you don’t like or need that you can immediately decide to ditch;
Category 3. Stuff that you need to deal with right now.

Let’s do half an hour of desk triage. Remember, triage is speedy because lives are at stake. The more quickly you make decisions, the clearer your desk will stay. You may not get through your whole desk in half an hour, but you’ll complete a section rather than just rearranging the piles.

If you have a lot of paper, choose a small area, perhaps just a section of your desk. Triage will get you through the purging and decision making. I’ve added some post-30 minute clean-up suggestions if you want to keep going.

In a hospital, triage patients are sent to different areas depending on their category. On the battlefield, they are simply marked with colored tags. On your desk, use Post Its to mark your piles. Allow enough room for sorted piles. A card table is great, but the floor will work too.

Phase One

This is the gross sort. You’re deciding whether papers belong to category 1, 2 or 3. You’ll need a timer, 2 piling spots, and containers for recycling and shredding.

Set your timer for 15 minutes. Start with the pile on the left side of your desk and move across to the right without skipping over anything. Don’t let your eyes wander. Each time your gaze passes over the desk, your mind starts to run in different directions and you get distracted. Focus on one thing at a time. Take a pile to your sorting area with your back to your desk so you can’t see the other piles.

Pick up the first item in the first pile. Is it category 1, 2 or 3? Don’t read or think too much about an item; you only need to identify it for now. Quickly define each: Need it? Want it? Ditch it? Too late? If you can’t decide, choose category 1. Put it into the correct pile or bag. Repeat until the timer goes off.

Phase Two


Set the timer for ten minutes. Sort the paper in category 1 by topic. If a topic does not come to mind, ask yourself why you are keeping the item. When you go look for it again, you’ll think, “where is that information about ______?” If someone asked you, “do you know where the ______________ is?” Use that word.

Choose broad topics; it’s easier to look for a particular item in five possible folders rather than 50. Right now, you’ll just create separate piles for each topic. Label the piles with Post-Its. If you run out of room, stack the piles alternating horizontal and vertical to keep them separated.

Post triage

File! If your file cabinet is a disaster area, consider getting a temporary file box to use until you can revamp it. That way your newly sorted papers won’t get lost again. Note: you’ll probably have a stack of keepers that you want to read; those don’t get filed, but they need to go somewhere where you’ll see them and read them.

Phase Three


Set the timer for five minutes. Now we’ve come to category 3. These papers were out on the desk because you’re using them to remind you to do something. This is not an effective strategy. You need a list. A list allows you to see at a glance what all those to-do’s are. When they are piled up or spread out, you can’t get the whole picture.

Your to-do list can be in a notebook, on a pad of paper, in your PDA, a whiteboard, on your phone; wherever you will be most likely to look at it. For each reminder, create a to-do. To do for stack of marketing letters: address envelopes, stuff them (including business cards), stamp and take to mailbox. To do for event flyer: Add event to calendar and make a note to RSVP (if necessary) on calendar several days before. To do for pile of business cards: enter into computer contacts list or put into alphabetized card box. To do for information about you frequent flyer program: read it right now to see if there’s a time limited offer you want or throw it out, knowing you can get the information from their website.

Now, you may be thinking your to-do list will get unmanageably long. Yes, it will. But it’s not any longer than it was in your head, or spread out around the house. Before all these things were on the list, you were by turns overwhelmed and in denial about how much you had to do. Now you can see it in black and white. This is your current reality. When it’s all in one place you can make informed decisions about what you will and will not do.

Post triage

Make looking at your to-do list a habit. Send yourself email reminders if necessary. Where you keep your list is up to you. The important part is having one place to look for your tasks.

If you have years of backlog, the whittling down may go slowly. Use triage as often as you need it. Set a timer to help you stay focused and speedy and not find yourself deep in reading an hour later. A timer is also good to reassure you that you’ll be free of this tedium soon.

Make sure to keep up with current paper so it doesn’t become part of the backlog. That is, don’t stack new paper on top of old piles. Spend the first five minutes of triage taking care of the new stuff.
An unexpected benefit to this method is that you may be inspired to keep less stuff once you realize how much work it is to keep it all organized!

Remember: it’s your stuff, you’re in charge.