Archive for Goals

small plant growing out of jar with pennies showing earning a living

Learning to Earn a Living

Posted by Carolyn on
 June 5, 2023

small plant with few green leaves grown out of glass jars with coins in it, learning to earn a living Service & Livelihood as an Entrepreneur

Learning to earn a living as an entrepreneur is not as easy as it sounds. Some people think all entrepreneurs are good at attracting money. Not the case. Some entrepreneurs are just creative folks with great business ideas. This is such an important topic I spend a whole session on it in my Mentored for Momentum Course for professional organizers. This past weekend, I was reminded myself of the importance of earning a living.

Service & Marketing

Modern marketing teaches us about speaking to the pain points of our ideal client. What is the transformation your ideal client seeks that your service or product can provide? To make marketing feel not so icky, not quite so “I hate to promote myself” kind of feeling, today’s marketing gurus teach us to speak directly to our client. Focus on the transformation your service can provide and not on selling.

That sure sounded good to me and that direction has had an impact on the way I market. I was bitten hook, line and sinker many years ago when first introduced to the “provide service and the money will come” concept. At the time I was already a seasoned entrepreneur and struggling to market my business in way that didn’t feel like I was always trying to sell something. I felt like I was. So I switched up my strategy and started to focus on resolving my clients’ head ache and heart ache. The head ache is what makes them angry and frustrated.  The heart ache was what made them sad.

The Need to Earn a Livingsmall plant with few leaves growing from pile of pennies

Even teachers can need a lesson reminder from time to time. This past weekend my lesson was “even the most creative and service oriented amongst us still need to earn a living”. It came from one of my favourite YouTube influencer couples Boho Beautiful.  This is a couple who filled up their YouTube channel with hundreds of free logo classed and guided meditations. I followed them for years from their free material before it occurred to me to buy a program or their membership.  In addition to their YouTube free content, they fundraise for animal shelters when on the road with their business and provided support to ailing dogs while travelling in Nepal.

In their June 2023 monthly member checkin, Mark Spicoluk asked the question “Why do we do all this?” His answer was “to provide service and support the family”. Hmmm, support the family.  That’s right; even the super successful, millions of follower types on YouTube still have to remember at the end of the day, they have to earn a living.

The Balance

As with so much in life, balance is necessary. Modern marketing is about providing service. We are looking for the know, like and trust factor that we can resolve the headache and heartache of our ideal clients. AND it is about earning a living and supporting ourselves and our families. It’s good to be reminded to provide service and focus on the transformation our clients need. There is  also nothing wrong with making money while we are at it.  “The last time I checked, we all pay the same price for milk” is one of my favourite expressions with my mentoring students.

So, if you are an up and coming entrepreneur, focus on providing great service. And, remember, it ok to earn a living.

If you are one of my idea clients, you ought to expect to receive great service from us entrepreneurs.

Gratitude Mentored for Momentum Coaching
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image of valley seen through a crystal ball on a rock ledge

Mindful Reflection

Posted by Carolyn on
 May 29, 2023

image of valley seen through a crystal ball on a rock ledgeWhile mindfulness is designed to create awareness in the moment, mindful reflection gives us an opportunity to develop awareness of the past. That awareness give us the chance to look at something from a distance; to examine it from different angles.  And just maybe, we can see things from a different perspective.

Reflection

I was hunting for photos on Unsplash.com and Pixabay.com, my two favourite royalty free photography sites. My goal was to find a photo to illustrate the notion of paradigm for my Instagram account @caldwell_evolution (shameless plug for more followers). The photo of a crystal ball reflection caught by eye. While it was perfect for Instagram post I was working on, it also made me think of reflection.

Mindfulness instruction schools us to be aware, on purpose, in the moment without judgement. What if we could also be aware, on purpose, of the past without judgement? How is it that through mindfulness we allow ourselves to suspend judgement of our thoughts, habit or behaviours as they are happening and not in reflection? What’s wrong with looking back a little farther and seeing what cold be learned?

Mindfulness and Awareness and Reflection

So I wondered if Mindfulness could be applied to gain awareness and insight into things that had already happened.  Wouldn’t it be great to suspend judgement for things we realize from the past along with the here and now. And like the crystal ball reflection, could we use the reflection to turn things upside down and see them from a different angle.

Perspectivelooking at the upside down reflection through a crystal ball of a beach and water

So much of the productivity coaching I do is supporting clients to see how their perspective may be influencing their ability to move forward on their goals and dreams. A perspective of success, opportunity, positive thinking, excitement and anticipation usually leads to moving forward with the same eagerness. More negative thinking usually leads forward with frustration, failure and limited accomplishment.

Using mindful reflection to look back on a situation, without judgement, help us develop awareness without criticizing ourselves. That lack of judgement makes for a better chance to learn. What if our paradigm needed a shift? Is there a different way to look at the situation? Could turning the picture upside down and give us a different angle? What was there to see?

The Crystal Ball Reflection

Maybe I ought to have titled this post The Crystal Ball reflection. That special reflective dynamic automatically turns things upside down.  What looks the same or different? Does something feel the same or different? What would you do more of? What would you do differently? That awareness without judgement is key to creating meaningful change.

Clarity I AM Evolution Coaching Productivity
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plan time to get important things done

Minutes to Plan – Time Tamer Tuesday

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 1, 2016
plan time to get important things done

We can’t manage time, but we can plan to get important things done.

You are busy.  Learning how to better manage time is high on your To Do list.  You just never seem to get there.

Time Can’t be Managed

The reality is you can’t manage time.  It ticks away at the same pace whether you are prepared for that meeting, unprepared for that exam or running early or late to your client’s home.  Time moves at the same pace.

Plan Time

Being even just slightly more prepared for the day will help you achieve more focus and purpose.  And with that, you can accomplish much more.

15 Minutes to Plan

At the end of the day, spend 15 minutes writing down the top 3 things you want to accomplish tomorrow.  You’ll wake up with purpose and focus.

Organizing Time Time Tamer Tuesday
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Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed with Getting Organized?

Posted by Carolyn on
 January 6, 2016
Overwhelmed

Have attempts to get organized in the new year got you overwhelmed?

Welcome to 2016.  I’m overwhelmed.  How about you?

The way I feel right now, I could do without a new year ever again.  I’m bombarded with email, tweets, FB group posts, Instagram pictures and LinkedIn comments telling me how to plan, schedule, set goals, accomplish goals, managed resolutions and be successful in 2016.  Since most of us would like to be more successful at whatever we do, that seems like a good start to the year, right?

Wrong.

Too much.

I was feeling so optimistic as 2015 came to a close and now with the bombardment of direction and cheers from well meaning social media, I’m hiding here at my desk wondering how to manage the overwhelm in my head.  Ideas, thoughts, plans, goals, schedules, resolutions;  it’s all there in a big foggy, swirl.  Remember that picture of electrons swirling in circles from high school science?  Put that in a vat of swirling cotton candy and that’s how my brain feels. It hurts.

Anyone else on the same page or am I out here alone on planet Overwhelm?

As a professional organizer, I’m not immune to being overwhelmed.  And like everyone else, I have to get organizing whether I’m overwhelmed or not.  The only difference is I’ve coached and supported clients back from planet Overwhelm and I have strategies I know will help.  I’m going to use them.  A few simple steps to get rid of that overwhelmed feeling when trying to get organized.

Get Moving

Go for a walk.  Moving large muscle groups helps to dissipate stress.  If all else fails, just walk around your house, apartment, room or office.  Head to the water cooler.  Or better still…

Get Some Fresh Air

Walk outside.  The clear, cooler air will help blow away the cotton candy from your brain.  The smell of wood stoves always takes me back to my days working on a reserve on the Canadian pacific coast where life was relatively simple.  The fresh air is almost as good as a RESET button.

Write it Down

Just writing down the swirl of thoughts and confusion can sometimes provide clarity.  Even if the thoughts are randomly written, your brain will start to put them into order.  Grab a pen or pencil and just start writing.  Don’t worry about anything making sense.

Make a List – or Two

Take the random written thoughts and group the ideas together.   Try groups like stuff to do, calls to make, decisions to make, long term plans, next week’s party, business goals, vacation plans.  You have your own stuff going on that will provide natural groups.

Take a Break

Organizing and being overwhelmed will require more breaks than organizing at other times.  Decision fatigued sets in faster when an individual is overwhelmed – if they are able to make decisions at all.  Give yourself lots of breaks to refresh your grey matter.

Take a Social Media/Technology Break

Our cell phones, computers, tablets and television bombard us with direction and instructions.  Take a break and get away from everyone else telling you how to start your new year.  For some, even just a few hours without the device will make a difference to help get you back from planet Overwhelm.

Getting organized in new year is a great thing.  Being overwhelmed is not.  Using these few easy steps I got back from planet Overwhelm and was able to get this blog post written.  You’ll get your stuff done too.

Organizing Challenges
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We can organize using our eyes if we are competent in our visual processing modality.

Organizing with our Eyes – Visual Processing Modality

Posted by Carolyn on
 October 14, 2015
Organizing with our eyes allows us to use our visual strength to get and stay organized.

Organizing with our Eyes – Visual Processing Modality

Organizing with our Eyes is the first in a series on organizing using one’s processing modalities.  In 2010, Denslow Brown of Coach Approach for Organizers and Organizer Coach published The Processing Modalities Guide.  This is the first of nine modalities that Denslow addresses in the guide.

Organizing with our Eyes – Strength & Sensitivity

We can have little or lots of strength in how we perceive the world with our eyes.   Lots of strength would make us gifted while little strength is referred to as weak.  If we are strong, organizing with our eyes would be natural, easy and help make staying organized easier.  We can also be hypo or hyper sensitive in using our eyes.  Sensitive means we are bothered by, perhaps agitated and likely exhausted by too much or the wrong visual stimulation.

Organizing with your Eyes – Organizing Strategies

Professional organizers and coaches with training in processing modalities understand that the degree of strength and the degree of sensitivity can be used to help a client get organized and stay organized.

If you are visually sensitive then lots of colour might be irritating while one or minimal colour might be soothing.  Try these strategies:

  • Use storage containers that are all one colour, size or shape if they will be used in one place.  Even just one colour will make a difference.
  • Use containers of similar, complementary or minimal colour to contain items that might otherwise look messy or haphazard.
  • Place things in an orderly fashion by size, shape or colour to minimize visual stimulation.

If you are visually strong you remember items by sight.  You can easily identify the visual difference in items.  Try these organizing techniques to take advantage of this strength:

  • use clear containers to help identify their contents
  • label storage containers to identify their contents
  • use colour on file labels or the files themselves to distinguish between different groups of subjects.  For example, client files might be green while marketing files might be red.
  • use visual cues such as symbols, single words or a sketch to remind yourself to do a particular task.

Use your natural and existing strengths to help you get organized.  Organizing with your eyes is just one way.  Organizing with our ears is next.

Organizing Challenges Organizing Strategies
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Keep Small Business Organized: 5 Strategies

Posted by Carolyn on
 September 23, 2015
5 Strategies to keep a small business organized

Stay clutter free to keep a small business organized

Is Your Small Business Organized?

We live in a changing world where small businesses must stay nimble of foot and focused on their goals.  Sometimes those imperatives seem to contradict each other.  How can we stay flexible, nimble and organized as a small business while staying focused on goals and strategies for business growth.

Its probably easier than you think.  There is, however, no room for clutter in a successful small business; no room for extra stuff, tasks or costs.  Here are 5 strategies to help keep that business clutter to a minimum and your small business organized for success.

  1. Make “clutter free” a priority for the business.  By letting employees know this is important, you set the performance expectations for your staff.
  2. Be clear how you define clutter.  Unnecessary paper is one thing but unnecessary emails is equally distracting clutter.  The same goes for unnecessary meetings.
  3. Be a role model and set the standard for your employees.  If your office is a pile of disorganized papers, your employees will believe that’s an ok standard for your business organization.
  4. Give staff the tools they need to be organized.  Include shelves for vertical storage and  immediate access to a blue box for recycling.  If you aren’t sure what is missing or why an employee is so disorganized, consider having a professional organizer conduct an assessment of the work environment. There may be more complex organizational issues that the employee is struggling with.
  5. Schedule a semi-annual clear out day. The rules for the time are simple. Everyone participates in a clear out of their work space on this day. Order lunch.
Office Organizing Organizing Challenges Uncategorized
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Office Annual Review

Posted by Carolyn on
 December 8, 2010

Before working as a professional organizer, I spent several decades in a corporate environment.  Those of us who have ever worked for someone are familiar with the annual review process.  But have you ever considered applying this concept to the organization of your office?  If you were giving your office an annual review, how would it fare?

  • Are the position description and expectations clear and understood?
  • Are there annual goals and objectives that are in line with the company’s (yours) strategic objectives for the year?
  • Do the annual goals and objectives meet the SMART criteria (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time limited)?
  • Did your office meet all its performance targets for the year?
  • Did you office meet all its goals and objectives for the year?
  • What recommendations do you have to offer?

Try this out on your office space whether your run a home office or a corporate environment.  And remember – there should be no surprises at performance review time.  Regular feedback on adjustment to performance of your office will ensure that those goals are met by the end of the year.

Office Organizing
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Getting the To Do’s to Done

Posted by Carolyn on
 September 16, 2009

Third quarter is over and your heading into the final stretch of your financial year. How are you doing on those business goals for your (your choice) a) portfolio b) directorate c) division d) company e) small business?

Getting things done, the old to do list, and making goals are all activities with which we are very familiar. Many of you have even been on courses to try and figure out how to get those goals accomplished so you can meet your targets.

One of the most powerful tools is merely the language that we use to tell ourselves what to do. Try rewriting that list of To Do’s using action verbs that clearly lead to a result rather than vague sentencing of outstanding items to be done. For example:

“Follow up with Jill regarding Great Project implementation” becomes
“Talk to Jill – Confirm implementation and target dates for Great Project have been met.”


Put some power into your To Do’s and watch the Got it Done’s add up.

Organizing Strategies
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First Quarter Review

Posted by Carolyn on
 April 1, 2009

How it happened I hardly know but here we are at the beginning of April. That means first quarter is over. How are those goals coming?

Have you checked your progress recently?
Do you know where you filed them?
Are they still valid?
Are they still realistic?
Did you implement the tools to measure them?
Were they measurable to begin with?
Are you happy with the progress?
Are you ready to celebrate your successes?

Where are your targets and goals for second quarter?
Are they specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time limited? (SMART)
Have you set up the tools to measure your progress?
Have you set up a review date?
Have you planned your celebration?
Have you shared the goals and your progress with your staff?
Is everyone focusing on the same organizational goals?

See you next quarter!

Office Organizing
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Organizing to Maintain your Sanity – 5 Ignore Criticism and Enjoy Bonus

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 23, 2009

You’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. We all know what it sounds like.

“Getting a little anal aren’t you? Turning into the next Martha S. here at the office?”

Here comes the criticism from those people, usually one person in particular, who can’t stand to let you reach a higher level of organization in your work. It might even be your boss. Who knows, maybe that person is jealous, envious or afraid that you might be more productive, more effective and receive the accompanying accolades that eludes them due to their disorganization.

They have every reason to be very, very afraid. Clutter gone, priorities shift and here you come with productivity in hand. Using the 15 to 45 minutes of routine, organizing maintenance that I have outlined in items 1 through 4 of this series, you will have freed up your mind away from the clutter and what you “should” be doing about it, to whatever your boss, organization or business really wants you to focus on.

If the naysayers want to focus on criticising you, let them do whatever. You’ve got product to sell, clients to support and staff to lead. You rock!

Home Organizing Office Organizing
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