Who Rules Your Home? You? or Your Stuff?

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in your home? Most of us have obviously have more things living in our homes than people, but when does it become too much?

For starters, it could be when you're continually tripping over your things; kid's toys, shoes, neglected clothing, magazine piles, or unopened delivery boxes. Or maybe it's when you can no longer sit down on the comfy couch because of all the random stuff strewn all over it?

Now that's an interesting rethink; if your stuff has a place but YOU don't, ask yourself, who's really the boss?"

How about the stuff that you no longer use and never got around to tossing or giving away? Many of us continue to accumulate new stuff without discarding the old. If this sounds like you, no need to be embarrassed, it's more common than you think.

So many of us are still living with a historical trail of our outdated technology. Old printers, TV's, computers, cameras and cell phones find their way more readily to basements, attics, and garages than they do out the door.  We invite new pieces of furniture, lamps, and bedding into our homes, but we have trouble letting go of the old things we don't even like anymore. We tend to hang onto things. Just in case.

So it begs the question. is your home for living or for storing?  Make your home your sanctuary by surrounding yourself with the things you use and enjoy. Above all, acknowledge the changes in your habits and  lifestyles through the years and make your home a reflection of who you are today.

If you're feeling crowded in your own home, something's gotta go, no? (hopefully, it's a thing and not a person, lol)  Take control. Step up and conquer the clutter. Do not be overthrown, it's time to reclaim your spaces. It's your home, after all.

Set limits on the incoming and create an outgoing. If you can donate your unwantables to charities, or recycle conscientiously, everyone benefits. The change will be noticeable and you will bring new meaning to "there's no place like home."  

Don't let the stuff take over any longer. Take charge today. After all, YOU do rule the roost, don't you?

On Life Balance: You Can’t Find it Unless You Feel It

So many of us are over-extended with both work and "life" schedules, we struggle to balance it all. We are often sleep deprived and so, fatigue, has become our natural state of mind. It is our new reality, and yet we continue to battle every day to catch up as if we think we actually can.  But we cannot. And when we realize that there are not enough hours in a day to accomplish all that we had hoped, we just let it spill into the next day, and on and on it goes. Yes indeed, we can lose our sense of self in this unravelling vicious cycle.

Present, guilty as charged. I write so often about time-management and how powerful it can be in order to reach our goals and maintain balance, but I neglected to include how important it is to carve out some self time.

I have always been an advocate of exercise, but lately it's been an activity that I dread, and more like something I have to do, not want to do. In the past, I would squeeze a quick work-out in just to feel like I accomplished something. Typically, I jump on the treadmill and trot along as random thoughts invade my head, but never really focus on anything in particular except how much longer I need to stay on it. A prime example of not being present or embracing the moment, but just worthy enough to cross it off my checklist. Just barely. Rushing to get my day going, I jump off that treadmill to just start running on essentially a different kind of treadmill; my work schedule. Truth be told, I have been kidding myself. I have never reaped the optimal benefit from the time I've set aside to find the balance. The experience was lacking purpose.

Recently, I decided to take up Pilates and I must admit, it has been life-altering. For me, that one invaluable hour of a day provides me with not only the physical balance I need, but the mental focus I require. Stepping away from my daily fast pace and taking time out just to breathe, is rejuvenating. Throughout this new workout, my core is fully engaged and strengthened, and when it's over, my mind is equally engaged to face the day with an incredible energy to succeed. It's my new life-balance.

Don't be too busy to live a healthy life. Prioritize. It's time to stop chasing your tail. Working until burnout is not at all productive.

At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter what exercise you prefer, albeit the gym, yoga, or a run. What is imperative is that you do something to exercise physically and allow the mental juices to flow. It's cathartic.  Exercise diffuses the stress. The more you do, the more you"ll want to do, and the better you will feel. My trainer always likes to say before a final stretch, "give yourself a hug," and I do. And it feels great.

Does your life often feel like a balancing act? What do you do to feel balanced?

Are All Your Ducks in a Row or Does it Just Look that Way?

If I were to judge a book by its cover, I would have to say that the "well-dressed" professional gives a distinctive impression of being profoundly organized. But I often wonder if that exterior appearance is merely a facade. Is it really who they are? I am unabashedly curious about their morning routine...

• Did they struggle to find appropriate and clean clothes that morning?
•  Did they just barely arrive on time for the business meeting because they didn't manage their time well?
• Did they race out of the house harried and stressed, leaving a trail of clutter behind?
•  Is their car an extension of their untidy office, and is yesterday's old coffee still in the cup holder?

The ironic truth is that even if the answer was YES to all of the above, at first glance no-one would ever really know. For starters, they look good and play the part well. Let's not underestimate the power of first impressions; they matter and are duly noted. People often make judgemental assessments just based upon one's outward appearance. It is a reflection of one's style, personality, and general attitude. So if you are impeccably dressed to impress, you can expect to pick up significant brownie points before you even open your mouth. Unfortunately, if all your ducks are not in a row, the ugly truth will eventually rear its ugly head.

Certainly, not everyone is inherently organized. We all have individual core competencies and it just may not include an acute organizational skill set. The executive function part of our brain is so individually unique and therefore the way we think about organization varies from person to person.

And so, it begs the question, do you think you are as organized as you could be? I am not suggesting that you should consider crossing every T and dotting every I, nor advocating taking an mandatory Organizing 101 course tomorrow. But it is important to work with what you've got to the best of your abilities.

Here's a general tip... neat and tidy does not necessarily mean organized. There is a huge difference between aesthetic organization and functional organization. You can purchase beautiful decorative containers and still be searching for things. Likewise, there are many successful executives who can operate very efficiently with piles of seemingly unruly papers, because they know exactly where to access each one. This is what we can refer to as organized chaos. It's more about creating systems and sometimes they can be somewhat unconventional. As long as you can access your things, clothes, and files, etc. whenever you need them, consider yourself organized enough. If it's systematic and works for you, then it's working!

But perhaps you love the idea of being organized and so you aim to portray that trait in the way you look. Check the mirror. If your outward appearance is exuding a pleasing polished professional image, chances are it just might be speaking subliminally about what you aspire to be. It undoubtedly reflects a measure of success and confidence. It makes you feel good, for sure. You are sending out a strong message of balance and control. Whether strolling down the street or entering a room, you are commanding attention, well-knowing that others must be thinking you've got all your ducks in a row.

So pay attention to what that says about you. If you can be fastidious about how you look on the outside and it's working in your favor, perhaps you can transfer that behavior to other components of your life. Work on having your insides match your outsides. Follow through with the same attention to detail and appearance with your home, office, and car. Don't stop at the surface. Dig deeper. Align yourself inside. When you feel more harmonized, you will be more synchronized. Inside and out.

Don't just look organized, be organized. Walk the walk and all the ducks will follow.

The Rise of Home-Based Business Could Be The Demise Of Home-Life Organization

Did you know that a new home- business is born every 11 seconds? Recent polls reveal that there are more people working from home than ever before.  It is the indeed the face of the new economy. The landscape has been altered by tighter budgets, down-sizing both professionally and personally, and more role reversals within families in decades.

Even more astonishing, it was reported that 24% of people who work outside their home do 8o% of their work at home. The ramifications of this new dynamic can be daunting and turn the average household into a more unruly one, at best.

Life, for all of us, has changed dramatically. The "stay at home" mom may be a working mom as well, and the dad/husband perhaps now needs to create a new workplace for himself within the home. Dual income families are rising, and adapting to these multiple roles can be problematic if not organized and managed well. It is increasingly harder to draw the line and separate work-life from home- life. Home-based businesses can impede on family balance.

Creating the optimum workplace within the home (if not already designated) poses significant trouble.The influx of mail can potentially double, and sorting it can be overwhelming, time consuming, or maybe even unmanageable.  If not attended to in a timely fashion, the paper piles can take over, invade many more horizontal surfaces and clutter the home. The home"worker" could become the new home "wrecker."

The need to organize is critical. Juggling and managing the responsibilities of working at home, and parenting simultaneously, can present a multitude of challenges. Time-management is paramount and essential for the family's healthy functionality. Having one or more family members working from home demands a heightened sense of organization. The prior spousal roles may be irrelevant and may need to be re-defined. Setting parameters, finite scheduling, cooperation, and sharing responsibilities are key components for succeeding in this effort. Mealtimes can be a nightmare. It is complicated for sure, stressful, and maybe even messy.

The luxury of being home and surrounded by your family can be arguably both a good and bad temptation. Can you escape into a work zone when you can hear the kids screaming, playing or laughing in the background?  How does this affect one's ultimate productivity? Is it possible to create an isolated professional environment within the home? Can you enforce and maintain a virtual "DO NOT DISTURB" sign all day amidst the household chaos?  My guess is, no.

Moreover, it is more likely to get distracted with other non-work related tasks. Since you are home 24/7, you might be inclined to multi-task and engage in other things that need your attention around the house, and impose a respite from a tough work day. To be invisible in your own home while working, is difficult, if not impossible. And how about knowing you are only steps away from the kitchen, you find yourself wandering there and glaring into the fridge multiple times of the day? Snacking throughout the day is an appealing distraction, although there are detrimental consequences if abused, but that's for another blog.

Whatever the case, it's an opportunity to balance your work, family and lifestyle with a keener sense of  time-management. Prioritizing is the first step, and then you can implement a well-oiled system that works for you and your family.

For some of us, working out of the home is a welcomed escape, but  for others, it's not always a choice. In light of the economic climate, you are lucky to be just working anywhere at all, albeit your home. Those who have always done this, no biggie. But for the demographic which has since returned back home to their new workplace....this is clearly a new America.

On the brighter side, the increasing trend of home-base businesses' may impede on the overall home-life organization, but if the worst interference means a gentle hug, a kiss, or a passing smile in the middle of a hectic day, it's not too shabby. Find the happy in that.

Why Am I Still In My Robe?

For some of us that have the luxury of running our businesses from home, sticking to a set schedule can be challenging.  I'm not proud, but sometimes while working at home (on an open- scheduled day) with a sincere effort to catch-up with my inbox, and face glued to my computer screen, I look up (or really down) and realize that I'm still in my robe!  I haven't showered, dressed or left the house, and it's 2:00 in the afternoon! (sometimes it's even later, but please don't judge) I'm guessing that some of you out there, whether stay-at-home Moms, unemployed, or just regular people often have these same quandaries. OK, so it's a little embarrassing as a Professional Organizer, but it's not every day. So it begs the question, "how well are you managing your time"?  If you are in your robe or pj's til after noon every day, I don't care what your role is in life, NEWS FLASH......not OK.

Time for that Time-management chat. If you are the person that gets so immersed in an activity that you lose all track of  time, then invest in an actual timer. Hey, it works. Set parameters for the day's activities and limit the time that you participate in them. Without a start and stop time in your day, there will be no end to the work you can potentially do. Most of all, consider stop doing things that no longer give you returns. Time is incalculably valuable so evaluate how you use it, and manage it conscientiously. Prioritize. Attend to the most important tasks that cannot be postponed and then...hop in the shower, get dressed, and get the heck out of the house and get your day going!  At least promise yourself to lose the robe by dinner. Goal- setting at its finest.

The Sustaining Rewards of Being Organized

Let's face it, daily life is stressful enough, and being disorganized can only exacerbate the anxiety when you can't find what you're looking for when you need it. Add on the paper pile-up on the counter that has morphed into a diversified tower of  bills, magazines and catalogs, peppered with unwanted  junk mail. Unfinished projects that you genuinely intend to get to are easily placed on the back burner because your inbox is too full. You're probably rushing to get out the door to get to work on time or show up for an appointment promptly.

Think about it. Why is this happening? Are you leaving yourself ample time? If you find that your are consistently repeating behaviors that don't bring you a positive or efficient result,STOP doing those things. It is counterproductive and should alert you to change your system.

Identify your time wasters and implement time savers. So when you realize that every day you are searching for the car keys, your glasses, etc.(probably because they are dropped in a different place every time), it would be ideal to place them in a designated landing place so retrieving them would be a breeze. Likewise, if you are reaching for something you use often (from articles of clothing to a kitchen frying pan) and it is not in the most accessible place, move it.

More importantly, while being disorganized is an obvious time waster, it can also be costly. Missed appointments can hinder a business relationship, or can have a negative impact on your personal relationships.   Pay attention to what is not working before it becomes manic. Misplaced coupons and gift certificates once eventually found are typically passed their expiration dates. When I work with my clients and we discover a treasure, how often do I hear, "I was looking for that!"  If something is that important to you, separate it from the general clutter and create a special folder and mark it as a priority. Take the extra time and create a place to organize your redeemable rewards and don't take a chance that it will be misplaced or lost forever.

And loose change? Just like clutter, it grows but the difference is, it has exponential value...it's MONEY!  Grab a cup, jar, or Tupperware container and empty your pockets everyday. This kind of clutter you CAN ignore, it's fun to just watch it accumulate.

Organizing  your closets to correlate how you wear your clothes and how you need to access them is yet another great motivator to save time. These are not revolutionary techniques but you must take the time to fine tune your daily routines to make it easier to get dressed..

Today, with the acquiring of so much more stuff, and challenges of work, social, and home-life, there is an increasing need to be organized in order to function.

Use organization as a powerful tool to tackle your time-management challenges.If you added up all the tiny bits of time wasted on ordinary things, you would be amazed as how much extra time you would have to spend time doing those things you enjoy to do.These little adjustments can reduce great amounts of stress.

There are so many benefits of being organized, and making conscious efforts to change can only improve the quality of your life. Indeed, life is so much "sweeter" when you are organized, and better yet, it is calorie-free.

Beyond Home Organization: The 2 Forgotten Zones

Your spaces, and how you organize them, are a reflection of yourself. Let's talk about two very personal spaces (outside the home), that may be a daily challenge.

Your Handbag/Wallet:

• Is your wallet bulging with miscellaneous papers and receipts?
• Are you struggling to find the appropriate credit card when making a purchase?
• Can you find the proper medical papers to present to the Dr. for an appt?
• Is there a ton of loose change on the bottom of your handbag?
• Can you find the gift cards for the store you are shopping in?
• Have you walked into Bed, Bath, and Beyond, countless times, and forgotten to take the coupons?

When your wallet is bursting, and all those crumpled receipts and dollar bills have no order to them, it's time to clean out. In fact, it is a great habit to weed on a schedule. If every day is not realistic, then try to weed weekly.  Control the chaos. Pick a day, any day, and empty out the entire wallet. Know what stuff you have in there. It shouldn't be a mystery, it's yours. 

Put your currency in order, place the loose change in a designated jar, and most importantly label your receipts.  Most stores have a computer print out with the description of  the item on it, but often there are some that have an ambiguous cryptic code, or secret department number, and you have no clue what you have just purchased.

Tip #1:  On top of every receipt, jot down the item or for whom you purchased for, so if you should need to return or exchange, you will avoid frantically pulling out wads of paper and having to search and read each and every one. Make life easier for yourself. It's good to be organized.

Tip #2: Corral store gift cards and coupons in a labeled Ziploc or use (a zippered pencil case works too) and keep them in your purse, or leave them in your car in a designated place. This way, whenever you shop the stores, you will have them when you need them and know where to access them.

Solution: You can opt to purchase this purse organizer below that can be transferred from bag to bag.

http://www.purseperfector.com/

Your Car:

Does your car look like a bomb hit it?  'Fess up;

• Is yesterday's coffee still in the cup holder?
• Are their clothes, paper, toys, snacks, used tissues, and random things scattered all about?
• Is there adequate room for passengers?
• Would you be embarrassed to give a friend a lift?
• Is your outside of your car clean? How often do you wash it?

It doesn't matter whether you have a luxury car or a jalopy; whether you're working or just busy; Messy is messy.

Tip#1: Try to empty the car at the end of every day. Avoid looking like it's another home on wheels.

Tip #2:  Keep a small trash bag in the car to maintain the unwanted paper, food, drink, tissues.

Tip #3:  Organize the glove compartment and center console with essentials you continually search for; hand cream, glasses, loose change, and keep emergency items handy.

Solutions:

  Floor organizer

           

Cargo pockets for kid's toys and crafts

  

Handy Organizer for sunglasses and cell phone

"On the go" does not have to mean "disorganized." Organize your personal spaces and be ready for multiple activities and incoming receipts.

It's not your entire house, it's just 2 zones...you can manage it, right? Need to talk about it? I am here, let's have a conversation.