Archive for April 2023

colourful food bowls stacked on two shelves.

Excuses for Disorganization

Posted by Carolyn on
 April 24, 2023
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Have you got Excuses for YOUR Disorganization?

disorganization around woman holding telephone in an office with piles of files and crumpled paper around

Always needing excuses for your disorganization can be exhausting. Maybe this isn’t you, but perhaps someone you know.  Are you chronically disorganized, overwhelmed and frustrated? Realizing that you are forever holding everyone else up.  You know you cause deadlines to be missed and you shrug off offers to help. You work hard to ignore complaints from colleagues but then go home discouraged yet again. Some people suggested you work with a professional organizer .  But this is just too scary. Chronic disorganization in an office is no laughing matter and no one knows it like you.

Whether your work is virtual or you are physically present in an office setting, being on time, on task and on target is key. Here are the most common excuses I’ve heard over the past 18 years and some solutions to help get beyond the chaos. My hope is there is a solution in here that speaks to your most common excuse so you can banish the overwhelm and exhaustion once and for all.

5 Most Common Excuses

1 “I don’t have time to worry about tidy piles of paper“.

Maybe it feels that way but meanwhile you don’t mind asking everyone else to wait while to try and find the report, letter or document that is now past due. In most business environments, and in the personal world, timing is important if not critical. So being on time is essential. 

Solution

In today’s world, most documents are digital. As a result our clutter tends to be on our computers. Computers file either by number of by letter. They don’t know any other way. Try to keep projects together in a file with the project name. It will be easy to find that report when you need it.

2 “I don’t need to be more organized; I can find anything I want in my office“.

Except that it takes you half an hour to find a file while everyone else is left waiting. Can you REALLY find anything in less than 30 seconds? If not, you need to find a solution. 

Solution

If it is digital, try filing by project as identified in #1 above. Another solution is to file by date. People think in different contexts. If you think by date, start each file name with the date you wrote it or the date it is due or the date of the event. If its paper and you need to see your paper out and about, try just labelling your piles.  Some people are pilers, some are filers.

3 “I’m not disorganized, I just like to keep things in case I might need them, someday“.Piles of paper and filed on a desk top.

Meanwhile you keep insisting you need twice as much filing space as everyone else, your office is a stack of boxes covered in dust, untouched in 5 years. Regular purging is an important part of being organized. try spending 15 minutes each day, at the beginning of the day while your mind is fresh, to purge and recycle or share unnecessary documents. Significant progress can be made in just 15 minutes and when done consistently every day for several weeks, magic can happen. Make it a habit and your world will transform. Literally.

Solution

4.”I am actually very organized. I know exactly where everything is“.

Have you noticed you are chronically late for meetings, supper dates, meeting the guys for pickup hockey? Do you find yourself rushing for completion of tasks at the last minute. You think you’re organized? Have you asked your friends and colleagues recently? 

Solution

You may think you are organized but the reality is that your friends and colleagues may think differently. Ever noticed that the time they give you to be together is half an hour earlier than everyone else? Time can not be managed. However, we can manage ourselves. Try using a timer or time-specific  playlist to keep yourself on task. Give yourself a false deadline – before the REAL deadline – and then play a game to see how close you can get to it.  Reward yourself as you get closer and closer to the deadline you set.

5 “I have my own style of organization. No one else would understand it“.

Keep your small business organized with these 5 key strategies.

You are absolutely correct that everyone has their own organizing personality. However, if you didn’t show up for work tomorrow no one else would be able to find any of your relevant work and your contributions to the company may be dismissed as meaningless. Still, your friends are frustrated waiting for you and partner is tired of the clutter hanging around.

Solution

Check out my blog post on organizing personality and see if you can figure out what your unique personality is.  Matching your organizing personality to specific strategies, tools and processes can make a world of difference.  Your boss and your friends will thank you. When we work for someone else, the work they pay us to do generally belongs to that company: files, paper, reports etc. Show them how important you are by creating organizing systems, processes and strategies that support you and your contributions to the world.

The world needs your unique talents. Find an organizing system that works for you and show us what you can do.  No more need for excuses for disorganization!

Declutter Office Organizing Organizing Challenges Organizing Strategies

Are you managing Chronic Disorganization?

Posted by Carolyn on
 April 18, 2023
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 What is Chronic Disorganization?books

You many be managing chronic disorganization if you have been disorganized for awhile, tried to fix things and failed and are frustrated you can’t get stuff done in your life. While the term is not a medical diagnosis, it is a very real experience that many people are trying to manage.

Someone who is chronically disorganized has three defining features as identified by Judith Kolberg in Conquering Chronic Disorganization:

  1. They have been disorganized all or most of their adult life;
  2. Being disorganized negatively effects their quality of life in some way everyday; and
  3. Previous attempts to be organized have not been successful.

A significant amount of knowledge and understanding about chronic disorganization has been gained since Judith Kolberg first identified the concept in the early 1990′. The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) was established later that same decade. It’s mission is specifically to “provide education, research and strategies to benefit people affected by chronic disorganization, and the professionals who work with them.”

Why Am I Chronically Disorganized?

There are many factors associated with chronic disorganization.  This  fact sheet from ICD provides a comprehensive chart of all factors. The most common factor associated with my clients’ inability to get and stay organized is a brain based condition, usually Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder.  Most of my clients do not exhibit hyperactivity but do struggle to maintain the correct level of focus for the task at hand. Another common reason is my clients have simply never learned.  Organization may not have been a priority for their parents.  As a result, they have never learned how to organize and don’t have any intuitive skill or talent. In addition, they tend to acquire easily and shed with difficulty.

Is Chronic Disorganization the same as Hoarding?

The simple answer is No, it is not.  Hoarding disorder is a mental health diagnosis.  Individuals with hoarding disorder are a subset of the larger population of individuals managing chronic disorganization. 

What Works?

People managing chronic disorganization do not respond to conventional organizing practices and strategies.  I frequently hear from clients that they have tried all the tricks and tips and still can’t make them work. These individuals think, learn and organize in ways that are unconventional or just more creative.  Their brains don’t think in a typical logical, linear fashion. The solution is to use more creative, innovative organizing solutions that work specifically for the chronically disorganized individual.

Where can I get Help?

purple, orange and green boxes. Institute of challenging disorganization logo.

If this sounds familiar, either to you or someone you know, reach out for help.  ICD has a professional organizer directory which can help you find someone in your area. It is important to work with someone trained in supporting chronic disorganization to ward off further frustration. Some professional organizers such as myself have made a commitment to this area of organizing by achieving the Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization credential.  And since I work almost exclusively virtually, I work with clients all over the world.

There is hope.  There is help.  You don’t have to live and work this way.

Declutter Organizing Challenges Productivity
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garden shed with clear glass ceiling, a table, pots and potting supplies

Organize the Garden Shed

Posted by Carolyn on
 April 17, 2023
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It’s Spring – A great time to Organize the Garden Shed

With the warmer weather comes a great chance to head outside and enjoy then garden. With the snow gone and tulips and daffodils popping up from the once frozen earth, this is a great time to organize the garden shed and get ready for some digging, planting and blooming oil your garden. An organized shed avoids wasted time looking for trowels and gloves. You will also save money as you get organized; you won’t be repurchasing items that you can’t find.

Uninvited Guests

If your garden is anything like mine, there is a pretty good chance that you have had a few critters decide to bunk in for the winter. Despite our repeated attempts to keep them out, wildlife finds a way in. We’ve had squirrels, skunks, mice and rats over the years. Keep this in mind as you open the latch and get started.

Here are ten tips to help with your project to organize the garden shed.

1 Plan for critters.brown squirrel sitting on post.

Unless you know with absolute certainty there isn’t a critter in the place, assume that there is. Keep yourself safe. Keep the young children away until the critters are gone. Wear gloves and possibly a mask while you figure out if you have had winter guests bunked in.

2 Empty the entire shed.

If at all possible start start by emptying the entire shed. Use a mask and gloves to protect from animal scat, dust and mold. With the shed empty, you will be able to check pots, bins and barrels for those unwelcome guests and plan eviction.

3 Sweep and inspect up and down.

This is a great way to check out the status of the building. Check the floor, corner and side supports while sweeping the floor. Overhead sweep out the cobwebs and check the roof.

4 Review all your tools, shovels, rakes and hoes.

Are there any that are broken, rusted or beyond repair? Throw out the unrepairable and fix what’s needed.

5 Store vertically.shovels, spades, rakes hanging on side of shed

Think vertical and you will find fresh storage space that you may not have realized existed. The rakes, hoes, shovels can be stored on hooks or nails on the walls. Then they will be out of the way and readily available when you are ready to rake. Most hardware stores carry a wide selection of hooks that will suit the purpose. Nails are also good.

6 Contain small tools.

Hang one shopping bag on another hook or nail to hold your digging and planting tools and a separate one for your garden gloves. The cloth recycled plastic bags readily available in stores are a great storage tool. Label with a permanent marker.

7 Store seeds in a rodent safe box.

Store seeds in a plastic or metal box so they are unavailable to rodents. For example, grass and bird seed are major attractions for mice. 

8 Check bottles of liquids for leaks.

Review your solution bottles and know your pesticide by-laws. Many jurisdictions have outlawed the use of pesticides. Check with your municipality to see where you can take the pesticides for disposal. Find an environmentally friendly alternative at your local garden centre.

9 Review pots for breakscolourful ceramic flower pots

Older pots may not have withstood the cold as well as others. Check through your collection for breaks and damage and discard any you don’t use, don’t like or just don’t want. Break damaged clay pots into pieces for use in the bottom of containers and pots. This helps with drainage and avoids water pooling in plant roots.

10 Set up a potting bench.

Now the shed is decluttered and organized, set up a potting bench at one end or side of the shed. You can repot and replant containers even on a rainy spring day. And you and the soil stay dry.

An hour or two spent organizing the garden shed can save time and money later in the spring and summer. Your gardening will be more effective and efficient. All of which adds up to more time to enjoy your blooms and greenery and less time frustrated with garden shed clutter.

 

Declutter Organizing Challenges Organizing Strategies

Spring Organizing

Posted by Carolyn on
 April 12, 2023
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Time for Spring Organizingmany colourful tulips bunched together in a bouquet

The tulips or budding, the birds are singing, the snow has melted and spring has arrived.  Here’s to warm weather and bright colourful flowers and a chance for some spring organizing.

Cleaning vs. Organizing

Many people welcome spring with a fresh and vigorous intention to spring clean their home.  How about some spring organizing instead? Cleaning is for getting rid of dirt. Organizing is about managing space, time and stuff so that you can find what you want, when you want and use it to enjoy your life.

Here are 5 tips to help you get started with a spring organizing project and guarantee success.

1. Pick one small area to tackle on at a time

Also limit the time you commit to a spring organizing project. Unless you have help and a whole weekend, start with an hour or two. Organizing requires decision making and decision fatigue can hijack a project.  Start all to avoid feelings of overwhelm.  If you end up interrupted, you won’t have a big project left unfinished. Try a drawer, closet, cupboard and maybe one or two of those boxes in the corner of your basement.

dishes

2. Focus on reducing volume

Getting rid of things that we don’t need, like, want or use is a good goal for spring organizing. Shedding doesn’t have to mean throwing into the garbage. Shedding it about giving items a life beyond your front door.  Worn towels and other linen can go to an animal shelter. Books can be donated to a Little Free Library. Clothes can be sold or donated to charity. By decreasing volume, you will have less items to manage and more free space in which to live.

3. Give items a home

Everything you own needs a home. A common complaint I hear from clients is that their belongings don’t have a home. As a result, they never put them away. Items used frequently and consistently need a home that is easy for you to both take the item out and put it back in.  We call that storage and retrieval. Items are more likely to end up back in their homes when storage and retrieval are easy. Items that are used seasonally or only occasionally can be stored in less accessible locations.

4. Take away, right away

Take shed items out of your home as quickly as possible. You will see the impact of your hard work and tough decisions. Less items means you can enjoy the clear space. A stack of donations and recycling at the front or back door can be discouraging. It can also tempt you to second guess your decisions. Take those items away, right away.

5. Have fun and reward yourself

Organizing takes emotional and physical energy. Make it fun to make it easier. Play your favourite music. Invite a friend who might like some of the clothes you are shedding. Involve the children and make a game out of sorting old toys.

Spring organizing will also be more successful if you have decided on a reward for yourself when you are finished.  This is a great self-coaching technique for reinforcing the value of your work. It also makes the organizing work seem less onerous which means you are more likely to do it again. Maybe some fresh flowers for a table? Take yourself out to a movie? Arrange to meet a friend for an expensive and fun coffee? An ice cream for you and the kids? You get the picture.

Spring is a time of renewal and fresh starts. It is a great time for spring organizing to make space, out with the old, unused or unneeded. Good luck and remember to have fun.

Action Declutter Organizing Strategies
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the lower legs and feet of two people running on a dirt path. Taking small steps

The Magic of Action

Posted by Carolyn on
 April 3, 2023
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What is the Magic of Taking Action?

Taking action creates magic in the most wonderful and unexpected of ways.  For example, I’ve been working with a new accountability partner.  JJ, a colleague, reached out for assistance with a procrastination business issue, and I realized I had my person. I was having the same issue. While our businesses are unique, the struggles to overcome resistance as a solo entrepreneur are sometimes more than we can tackle alone. We made a pact for 90 days.

Curiously, the minute I asked about working together, and he said yes, the magic started to happen. Suddenly I was creating crystal clear, 90 day goals.  Soon, I had them broken down into three sets of 30 day goals. We both agreed we needed a clear, written vision for what we wanted to accomplish by the end of the 90 days. So I wrote a vision statement. Then I remembered I had started a vision movie a year ago. The movie was dusted off and updated and dropped to my desktop. Before I knew it I was in full-on action mode and the magic was everywhere. Things were getting done.

Action Creates Energy

Action is like its own feeding station. Once you make the first move in the direction of your goals, energy is created and the next move gets easier. And then the next one and the next one.  It’s like swimming; with just one small stroke you start moving through the water. Another stroke and you move faster. Put the two together and suddenly you’re moving through the water like a fish.

Nothing is more stagnating than stagnation itself.  Standing still is inertia and inertia is the hardest state to shake out of.

Action Reveals a Pathway

Have you ever renovated a room in your house or apartment? Then you know the expression “one thing leads to another”. Action is like that. Much like walking in the forest and following a path. One step, then another, then another and like magic the path reveals itself between the trees.

Often we just don’t know what the path looks like.  Procrastination reinforces the unknown like “I just don’t know how to do this” or “I just don’t know how to make this happen or get it done”.

Taking just one small step forward can change all that.

Action is the Solution to Fear

Nothing feeds fear like fear itself. Fear makes us freeze or run away. Neither is helpful to managing clutter or trying to accomplish our goals and dreams.

Action is the antidote to fear, is a quote from Amy Porterfield course creator, podcaster, online content industry leader, author and speaker. We think our challenge looks like this rock climber. We think we will be hanging from the cliff edge with a few ropes and carabiners.

Often the reality is quite different than our fear-based perspective. Often the reality is more like that walk in the forest where a simple step forward reveals the next section of pathway.

How to Break out of Inertia

Earlier last year I wrote about self coaching your mindset when mindset is the reason for not taking action. Let’s look at three specific activities you can use to propel yourself in the direction of success.

  1. Review the outcome of what it is you are trying to do or accomplish.  Get a really clear view in your mind of what the accomplishment will look like. Athletes who use visualization to support their success all know how strong this tool can be. Our brain doesn’t distinguish between what we actually did and what we think we did.  When an Alpine downhill ski racer visualizes in minute detail streaking down the hill in perfect formation to successfully cross the finish line in 1st place, the brain believes this is what actually happened. Get clear on the outcome – in colour detail.
  2. Identify the smallest step forward – the smallest action – you could take in the direction of your goal you know you are guaranteed to be successful. It doesn’t matter how small the step is.  Remember, just taking the step forward will generate energy, show you the path and help overcome fear.
  3. Celebrate your success when that first step has been accomplished. Reward yourself for facing your fear, tackling the inertia and getting a step done. Then immediately identify the next, small, guarantee-to-be-successful step.  Commit to a date on when that next step will be taken. Repeat.

You got this. Go for it.

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