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.

Are You Too Busy For Your Own Good?

Everybody's busy. Who do you know that is not busy?  It's the new normal. Just ask anyone, "how are you?" and I'll bet they'll reply with a "good," and add a boastful "busy." It has become an aspired status that implies heightened productivity and success. But we must pay attention to our individual capacities and be mindful when we reach our max. Too busy can be counterproductive and unhealthy.

Especially this time of year, we all have so much on our plates. As if we had any extra time, the holidays just wring us dry of whatever spare time we might have. But take note...there is good busy and bad busy.

The good busy is immersing yourself in the holiday festivities in a healthy way. Work hard, play hard, shop smart. Finding the balance between the every day and the added holiday to do's, and finding the joy in the busy. Embracing the spirit of the holiday and not getting caught up in the consumer mania is easier for some more than others. The good busy people are able to resist the romance of over -acquiring. Staying focused helps them buy practical, buy less, and reduce the overwhelming holiday stress. They are enjoying the holiday frenzy.

Now for the bad busy. We all are busy with our jobs and/or just normal daily responsibilities. No need to drown yourself in work commitment, holiday shopping, and operate in full throttle 24/7. We are fragile. Indeed, we are stressed, pressed for time, and overwhelmed, but we cannot be our best selves if we are constantly pushing the envelope. In truth, being a workaholic and a shopaholic can prove to be fruitless, exhausting, and lead to burn-out. With the additional holiday pressure to get everything on your list done, you can easily drown in overwhelm and get caught up in a bad busy cycle.

What if I told you that if you stopped being so busy for a minute and relinquished a bit more more time to organize and manage your lifestyle better, you'd actually have MORE time? 

Here's some helpful tips to reduce the bad busy;

• Simply make a list of all the things you have to do, but then review the list again. Now check off the things that only YOU have to do and delegate the rest. Figure out how to cut out a step. Do those things you love to do, and get help with the things you hate to do.
• No need to spend the time or money on expensive wrapping paper. Have the store wrap for you, or use shopping bags and stuff them with tissue paper. Use stick-on labels instead of attaching gift cards. A huge time saver.
• Simplify the complicated. If possible, stay out of the stores and shop on-line. Avoid the long lines.They only add anxiety.
• Don't struggle with the "perfect" gift. Buy gift cards. They are always appreciated and they eliminate returns.
• Buy clutter free gifts. They are the most precious of all. Give the gift of time. Buy concert tickets, dinners, dance lessons, or spa treatments. Be creative with your "love" gifts. They need not be expensive, just thoughtful.
• Buy baked goods this year or store bought food, if this is too stressful for you. Don't feel guilty about it, your holidays will not be less happy. Focus on the celebration with family and friends.
• Forgive yourself if you didn't have the time to send out holiday cards. Don't stress about it, let it go. It's not the worse thing in the world. Maybe next year.

These are all small changes you can make to free up some more time to have fun!  Remember, "done is better than perfect!"

If you can't enjoy this festive time, what's the point? Now that you've  got a minute...Come join the conversation.  Are you good busy or bad busy?