So a couple of weeks ago I talked about being a Time Optimist and I'd like to stay with that theme and talk this week about being a Space Optimist. Are you nodding your head already?
Do you save things for the bigger home you'll live in some day? Thinking your living arrangement is only temporary?
Or are you saving things for someone else that may need them in the future? Are you saving the old bed and sofa for your daughter when she moves out on her own?
Do you hesitate to rid your home of items that you no longer are using because "maybe I'll need that some day."?
Keeping things that you inherited from relatives but the items aren't really your style?
Sound familiar? Then maybe you're a Space Optimist - keeping more stuff than you have room for in the home you are living in right now. You've probably heard the expression "living in the moment" or "live in the now". Instead of trying to decorate for a home that doesn't even exist today, try filling your life with the most important things for you right now. I use this often, I like it, it brings me joy. If you can say that about the things surrounding you, then you're on the right track.
Saving for a rainy day has it's advantages when it comes to finances or health insurance, but I'm talking about STUFF. It could become very overwhelming to save for every situation that you may encounter. Or saving things for years in the future, like that big home you dream of living in but meanwhile you've been in a small apartment for 15 years and don't see that changing any time soon. Or saving those pieces of furniture for your daughter when she moves out and she's only 10.
And I'll try not to go on a rant about "personal storage units". A personal storage unit should be used on a temporary basis ONLY!! Like when re-modeling your home and you need to remove furniture to allow for the construction. Or you're traveling for an extended period of time but are not keeping your current home. So often the stuff that goes into the storage unit is forgotten the moment it's locked. Think about the cost of saving the items versus the price to repurchase when and if you ever really need it.
Envision your life as you want it right now. Keep what works for you right now. Keep the truly useful and important objects. Keep the things that bring you joy. And please don't hang onto anything under obligation or guilt. Those negative emotions are some of the worst types of clutter. Out it goes!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Are you a Time Optimist?
I heard a great expression the other day in regards to someone who is always running late. She was referred to as a "Time Optimist". What a positive spin on something that is usually thought of as a negative?
As an efficiency expert, time is usually quite a challenge for most of my clients. The two key components to being unorganized is usually not making the time or putting off the decisions. Think about that stack of clutter on your desk or kitchen counter. Why is it there? Possibly you thought you would get to it in your free time. Or you couldn't decide what to do with some of the stuff, so you left it there "just for now". Which turned into a few weeks or months, again because you didn't make the time to deal with the stuff.
This can actually be quite an ah-ha! moment, as Oprah says. So many people throw their arms up in frustration as they exclaim, "I'm disorganized. I just don't know how to be organized." But what if it all came down to time?
What if you could be organized if you just put in the time? Now I know I'm over-simplifying things to make my point, but stick with me. What if you scheduled the time on a regular basis (that means daily or weekly) to do those tasks that you've been avoiding? Put the task on your to-do list, put it on your schedule and honor the commitment.
The mind set of all or nothing is getting in your way. Just take baby steps towards getting organized. Really 10-15 minutes a day can make a difference very soon. Conquering an entire cluttered room all at once is paralyzing. But spending a few minutes a day taking bite size pieces out of the clutter can be so much more manageable.
Take the first step towards organization: Take the top 5 pieces of paper in a pile of clutter and deal with those TODAY! File them, shred them, or take the necessary action to complete that task, such as make a call, mail it, or pay a bill. Don't be anxious over the bigger pile remaining on your desk. Focus on your accomplishment!! That will feed your motivation to continue each day. You can do it!
As an efficiency expert, time is usually quite a challenge for most of my clients. The two key components to being unorganized is usually not making the time or putting off the decisions. Think about that stack of clutter on your desk or kitchen counter. Why is it there? Possibly you thought you would get to it in your free time. Or you couldn't decide what to do with some of the stuff, so you left it there "just for now". Which turned into a few weeks or months, again because you didn't make the time to deal with the stuff.
This can actually be quite an ah-ha! moment, as Oprah says. So many people throw their arms up in frustration as they exclaim, "I'm disorganized. I just don't know how to be organized." But what if it all came down to time?
What if you could be organized if you just put in the time? Now I know I'm over-simplifying things to make my point, but stick with me. What if you scheduled the time on a regular basis (that means daily or weekly) to do those tasks that you've been avoiding? Put the task on your to-do list, put it on your schedule and honor the commitment.
The mind set of all or nothing is getting in your way. Just take baby steps towards getting organized. Really 10-15 minutes a day can make a difference very soon. Conquering an entire cluttered room all at once is paralyzing. But spending a few minutes a day taking bite size pieces out of the clutter can be so much more manageable.
Take the first step towards organization: Take the top 5 pieces of paper in a pile of clutter and deal with those TODAY! File them, shred them, or take the necessary action to complete that task, such as make a call, mail it, or pay a bill. Don't be anxious over the bigger pile remaining on your desk. Focus on your accomplishment!! That will feed your motivation to continue each day. You can do it!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Email Control
As I was enjoying lunch with friends today, one admitted to saving lots of emails, just in case she may want them later. My first reaction was to reach for my phone to schedule an organizing session with her. This inspired me for today's blog.
So let me give you some tips on managing your emails:
1. Schedule specific time each day for emails rather than reading them the second they pop into your mailbox. This is where many of us waste huge amounts of time each day. If you don't take the appropriate time to read and answer your emails, you will waste time reading a message once, twice, three times, even more before you act on it. Just read it once, reply, do whatever action is needed and file or delete the email. Complete the task and then move on.
2. Create folders for various topics or people and file only the emails that you will truly refer back to again. Keeping all of your emails in one mailbox, will again cause you to waste time searching for it amongst the thousands.
3. If you need to take more time to find an answer for someone's request in an email, then quickly reply to them that you are working on this and when you plan to have their answer. Then flag the email, so that you remember to follow through. And put it on your calendar so that you make time to complete the task
4. Delete! Delete! Delete!
Delete emails that you will no longer need. Clutter comes in lots of forms - paper, digital, stuff - and none of it is good for you.
5. If you receive emails that you no longer want, then simply unsubscribe. One or two clicks is all it usually takes.
I hope this helps you. Please let me know how you control your emails.
So let me give you some tips on managing your emails:
1. Schedule specific time each day for emails rather than reading them the second they pop into your mailbox. This is where many of us waste huge amounts of time each day. If you don't take the appropriate time to read and answer your emails, you will waste time reading a message once, twice, three times, even more before you act on it. Just read it once, reply, do whatever action is needed and file or delete the email. Complete the task and then move on.
2. Create folders for various topics or people and file only the emails that you will truly refer back to again. Keeping all of your emails in one mailbox, will again cause you to waste time searching for it amongst the thousands.
3. If you need to take more time to find an answer for someone's request in an email, then quickly reply to them that you are working on this and when you plan to have their answer. Then flag the email, so that you remember to follow through. And put it on your calendar so that you make time to complete the task
4. Delete! Delete! Delete!
Delete emails that you will no longer need. Clutter comes in lots of forms - paper, digital, stuff - and none of it is good for you.
5. If you receive emails that you no longer want, then simply unsubscribe. One or two clicks is all it usually takes.
I hope this helps you. Please let me know how you control your emails.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Organizing Myths
Have you ever heard yourself say, "I'll get to these papers when I have some free time." Seriously?
How much free time do you have in a day? Maybe you have a few minutes a day totaling maybe an hour or two a week. Most of you probably have even less spare time.
So, in that free time you would like to...File? I'm guessing that was not the first thing that came to mind. No, sorting and filing papers is not usually thought of as America's number one past time.
So this brings me to a very big misconception that many people have about organizing: They'll get to it in their free time. In order to be organized, you'll want to make time, and yes that means scheduling it. Schedule organizing daily or at the minimum once a week. Work it into your daily routine starting Today!
Disorganization's best friend is procrastination.
So now you're asking what do I do with all these papers?
1. Take a pile of papers and sort them into these categories:
shred (most of the papers will be in this category)
file (only if you will truly refer to it in the future)
action (needs some type of action such as reading, phone call, fill-out and mail, payment, etc)
relocate (belongs elsewhere in the home or office)
2. Each day for the rest of this week, spend a few minutes accomplishing these tasks. Tuesday do the shredding, Wednesday do the filing, Thursday complete the necessary actions, and Friday relocate any papers that belong elsewhere.
3. Now as papers come into your home or office try practicing the rule of handling it only once. Put it where it belongs now. And if it needs action, put a post-it note on it to remind you what is needed and set it in a specific inbox or basket for you to do.
Try this for a couple of weeks and let me know how's it going.
How much free time do you have in a day? Maybe you have a few minutes a day totaling maybe an hour or two a week. Most of you probably have even less spare time.
So, in that free time you would like to...File? I'm guessing that was not the first thing that came to mind. No, sorting and filing papers is not usually thought of as America's number one past time.
So this brings me to a very big misconception that many people have about organizing: They'll get to it in their free time. In order to be organized, you'll want to make time, and yes that means scheduling it. Schedule organizing daily or at the minimum once a week. Work it into your daily routine starting Today!
Disorganization's best friend is procrastination.
So now you're asking what do I do with all these papers?
1. Take a pile of papers and sort them into these categories:
shred (most of the papers will be in this category)
file (only if you will truly refer to it in the future)
action (needs some type of action such as reading, phone call, fill-out and mail, payment, etc)
relocate (belongs elsewhere in the home or office)
2. Each day for the rest of this week, spend a few minutes accomplishing these tasks. Tuesday do the shredding, Wednesday do the filing, Thursday complete the necessary actions, and Friday relocate any papers that belong elsewhere.
3. Now as papers come into your home or office try practicing the rule of handling it only once. Put it where it belongs now. And if it needs action, put a post-it note on it to remind you what is needed and set it in a specific inbox or basket for you to do.
Try this for a couple of weeks and let me know how's it going.
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