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.