Write It Down

I’m always surprised when I meet with clients who don’t have a calendar or any form of to-do list – I would be lost without mine. Now I know not everyone is as fond of lists as say, a professional organizer, but today I’m going to try to sell you on the benefits of writing things down.

Time-Saving Tip #3: Write it down!

Keep a calendar and task list - whether electronic or good old pen(cil) and paper. It's next impossible to remember all the places you need to be and things you need to do. Worse - trying to do so wastes mental energy and time. Write a task or appointment down when it first comes up so you don't have sticky notes floating around you head!

I currently use Google Calendar to keep track of my schedule. I have more than one job in addition to personal calendar items and the beauty of Google is that you can share multiple calendars – so I can see all of my appointments in one place. The two small companies I work for also use Google Calendars for scheduling. To take it a step further, my husband and I use it to keep track of evening and weekend things that come up as well as major events, such as business trips. It’s so convenient to be able to capture everything that’s going on in one place.

As for to-do lists, I use a combination of the task list that’s part of Google Calendar and paper. I have a notebook for each job – I write down tasks that come up when I’m out and about and then transfer them to Google when I’m back in the office, which seems to work pretty well for me. For household tasks, we are starting to get some good routines in place – routines are great for stuff that has be done regularly because once they’re in place, you shouldn’t need to put that item on your to-do list.

That’s another tip about lists – don’t clutter up your to-do list with routine tasks that you will remember to do anyway (like check your email or eat lunch) – to-do lists are meant for things that you might otherwise forget.

Admittedly, there is an overwhelming array of information management systems (planners, calendars, notebooks, smart phones, online tools) out there. Pick the one you are drawn to, whether it’s a pretty planner or fancy phone, and stick with it. I see people run into trouble, myself included, when they don’t commit to system or don’t put things in one place. If you’re a note person who like to ‘jot things down,’ I recommend getting a spiral bound notebook (or whatever you like) and using that as home base for things you want to remember – there’s nothing worse than piles of scrap paper or partially filled notebooks or pads.

The bottom line is that having a system of some sort for keeping track of your appointments and tasks is better than trying to keep track of all of it in your head. If you’re stuck and don’t know where to begin, a session with a professional organizer could give you the boost you need.

Keys Please

Last week, we launched our Time-Saving Tips series because it seems that most of us never have enough of it! As Peter Walsh points out in his book, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?, everyone is busy and some people have just figured out and learned to accept what he calls the ‘time paradox’:

"There's never enough time, and there's always more time."

And as my colleague adds, “there’s always next time.” Time is funny and in many ways, just accepting this paradox helps me feel better about the hectic pace of life, but I also refuse to believe that we don’t have control over our own time and schedule – at least to some extent. One thing we can do is do our best to control unnecessary time-wasters. Hence the time-saving tips! Enough paradox talk, here’s the next tip…

Time-Saving Tip: Put your keys in the same place...always! It's amazing how many minutes a day are lost looking for misplaced keys. A simple hook or bowl near the door is all you need. In the photo you will see that I also have a Post-It Pocket that I got as a free sample to hold mail that’s ready to go out the door. Ladies - keep your keys in the same pocket of your bag to avoid frantic digging. And keep spare copies of all your keys somewhere useful (i.e. don't keep your only spare house key in your house).

Trust me, I speak from experience on this one – I once dropped my keys in a storm drain – yes, really (being organized doesn’t mean clumsiness and accidents don’t happen). I was thrilled to have a spare copy of my condo key in my wallet. And in our condo I had copies of most of the rest of the keys on my key chain. We now have multiple copies of all keys – I have moved the house key from my wallet to a better spot that can be accessed without any possessions and a trusted neighbor also has a basic set. If you lose a key, be sure to get new copies made right away. Let us know your key tips or stories – I hope I’m not the only one who’s had a key disaster. Happy Monday!

Summer Used to Be a Slower Time of Year

I can't tell you how many times I've recently heard someone say, "Summer used to be a slower time of year." It seems that for many people, summer is busier than ever. That's why we thought we'd start a series of time-saving tips to help you stay calm, cool and collected this summer and all year-round. Please share your tips and challenges too!

Time-Saving Tip #1: Automate your to-do's when possible.

This might be anything from setting up automatic bill-paying or membership renewal to using pre-printed grocery lists and email reminders for recurring or infrequent tasks. Doing so helps you avoid re-inventing the wheel and also relieves the stress of needing to remember to take care of these tasks.

If you're worried about putting things like bill-paying on auto-pilot, a few simple steps can help keep this time and worry-saver from back-firing:

1. Maintain an account balance that's high enough to handle your automatic payments. If you're not able to establish a cushion, automatic payments may not be the best idea for you at this time.
2. Know how to log into your account on-line. This means saving your username and password (or a hint) in a safe place.
3. Sign up for email notifications when your monthly statement is ready. This email should be your trigger to log-in and review your statement. This might mean checking each transaction against your receipts (which you can save in a small accordion file or envelope) or simply doing a quick review for unfamiliar transactions.

Automating your to-do's can be a great way to reduce stress, save time and eliminate late fees from your life!

Getting Back On Track

With any luck, you spent the 4^th of July holiday weekend having fun with friends and family…perhaps at the beach or watching fireworks or a family cookout or maybe a little bit of everything. Most of us were not tackling our home project lists (but good for you if you did). While spending time relaxing and having fun is absolutely wonderful and worthwhile, it can be tough to hit the ground running and get back on track the following work week . Here are five things you can do to keep your weekends or vacations from setting you back when it comes to keeping on top of your home and schedule.

1. Unpack! I have to say this one first because for some reason, I am not a big fan of unpacking. But I force myself to just get it done – put the laundry in the hamper, put away the bags, unpack the cooler, hang the towels out to try. The longer it all sits there, the less fun it will be to deal with. And the worst danger is leaving it to be dealt with once your work week gets into high gear again – this is where overnight bags turn into full-blown, pile-starting clutter.
2. Open and process the mail. Mail is one of those things that needs to be dealt with on a very regular basis. If you’ve been away, it’s had a chance to build up for a few days. Do yourself a favor and get to it. Recycle or toss what you don’t need and take action on the rest – either put follow up items in your ‘in box’ or better yet, tackle them right away if they’ll only take a few minutes. Set aside any catalogs to browse while you catch up on the evening news or your favorite TV show – be sure to recycle them as soon as you’re done.
3. Schedule time for chores and errands. Chances are, your weekend fun may have bumped some of your regular chores and routine errands that keep life moving along smoothly. Don’t just assume you’ll fit them in somewhere, schedule them in to your upcoming week. Sure, you’ll be playing catch up and may feel a bit busier than usual, but planning when you’re going to take care of laundry, groceries, and the rest is the best way to avoid any last minute ‘emergencies.’
4. Upload your pictures right away. This is another one that I’m sometimes guilty of neglecting. But dealing with your digital photos regularly keeps them from building up to an insurmountable task. Transfer them to your computer, delete the less-than-great shots, and share them with family and friends. This can be a great way to remember the fun, thank your hosts and keep your camera clear and ready for the next event. Doing it right away while the details are fresh will also help you better file and label your photos.
5. Last but not least, get back to your healthy habits. Vacations and even weekends are notorious for relaxing your eating and exercise routine (if you even have one). But don’t waste time feeling guilty about the hot dogs or 48 hours of lounging, just get back into your better habits right away – you’ll feel better in a day or two. Weekends and vacations can also mean eating out more often – give your wallet and your waist a break by making healthy meals at home for the week.

Try out the tips above to make your transition back to the real world calm and chaos-free!

Strategies for a Stress-free Summer

With warm temperatures, no school, and family vacations, summer can be a wonderful chance to unwind and spend quality time with friends and family. But summer also has its organizational challenges thanks to less structured or at least different schedules. Here are some simple ideas for enjoying a less-stressed, more fun summer for the whole family.

Wrap Up the School Year in Style - Before you get too far into summer, be sure to wrap up the previous school year so you're not tripping over it all season long. Empty the school bags, get rid of stuff that's seen better days and store school supplies you can use again. Work with your child to review school and art work from the year - pick out the special stuff and store it in a flat box or a fun binder with plastic sleeves. Last but not least, take a rainy afternoon to review your digital photos from the year - clean them up by deleting less-than-great shots and labeling what's left. You can also take this a step further by creating a photo book with the highlights from the year.

Stay Organized with a Summer Fun Binder - While summer schedules are different, there's still a lot going on. Make your life easier by stowing all the reference materials you need such as camp schedules, babysitter contact info, party invitations, tickets and trip itineraries in a fun binder with plastic sheet protectors. If you have lots going on, you might want to use dividers to separate items by person or type of activity. This is also a great place to store ideas for fun rain or shine outings.

Gear Up for Fun in the Sun - If you haven't done so already, make sure your children's summer clothes are now front and center in their closets and drawers. Take stock of any additional items they need and be sure to donate what no longer fits. Stow warmer weather clothing in clear, labeled bins under the bed or other storage space in your home. Do yourself a favor and donate items that aren't likely to be used next season.

Warning: Summer Fun Zone – Summer comes with lots of gear - outdoor toys, beach supplies and camp equipment. To make things easy, clear the off-season gear out and set up a summer fun zone in your entry way, garage or other easy in-and-out location. Use large tubs or baskets to store items like balls and frisbees. A set of drawers or a bench with baskets can be good for smaller items like sunscreen, bug repellent, and flip-flops. Keep must-haves like helmets on easy-to-reach hooks. Get a head-start on packing for upcoming trips or camp by keeping a tote bag or bin to collect items you know you'll need or want.

Rainy Day Fun Indoors - Keeping your indoor toys and spaces under control can keep a rainy day inside from turning into chaos. Check out our Organizing Tips for Kids for a little help in this department. If you need to get out of the house, check your summer fun binder for indoor activity ideas and schedules.

Would you strip down for a better life?

A couple of weeks ago, I caught an episode of Oprah during which famed organizing expert Peter Walsh guided a ‘plugged in’ family of four through his Stripped Down program in hopes of leading them from disconnected (from each other) and disorganized to calm, cool and connected.

In order to strip down, the family agreed to the following rules for one week:

1. No cell phones or texting
2. No electronics
3. Prepare and eat healthy meals together
4. Clean and organize their home (previously covered in laundry and clutter)
5. Hug and tell each family member something they love about them (every day)

While the first two may seem extreme, the point of the above rules was to get the family’s home and routines back into shape and more importantly to re-connect with each other rather than simply living together like ships in the night. I was immediately intrigued by the program and the obvious results. With Peter by their side to help them dig out from their piles and dig into the family dynamics, it was very clear that everyone, from the parents to the 5 year old and even the fifteen year old son benefited individually and as a family. At the end of the process, they tweaked the extreme rules to be slightly more manageable in the long term, while still effective. The revised rules looked something like this:

1. No cell phones or texting between 6:00 and 9:00 pm
2. No TV before school or during meals
3. Sunday breakfast and 3 dinners together, plus a weekly meal plan
4. Saturday morning clean up and family help with the laundry
5. Keeping up with the daily sentiments, plus a weekly family night and regular date night for the parents

Would you be willing to make similar stripped down changes if it would improve your family relationships, decrease stress, and keep your home in better shape? Sign me up!

Of course, the connection between a clean, organized home and a healthy, happy family life is no surprise to me and probably not to you. As Peter and Oprah pointed out, if your home is a place you love, that will carry through to your relationships – not to mention alleviating mess and chore-related tension. Whip your home into shape one space at a time, starting with the hot spots that cause the most stress. Make it a family affair so everyone is invested in the process and the results. If you’re overwhelmed, you can always call in the professionals to help you put a plan in place and see it all the way through – we’re here to help!

Scenes From a Professional Organizer's Home: My Office

Things have been busy in Organizing Boston land, but I’m happy to report that I’m back to blogging and thought I’d jump back in with another ‘scene’ from my home. I’ll admit, I’d been avoiding showing you my office, mainly because I don’t see it as ‘finished.’ Since transitioning to working from home, I’ve made do with office stuff we already owned, rather than doing a complete office makeover, both for time and financial reasons. But the reality is, I’m using it, there are many things I like about it, and bottom line, it doesn’t have to be perfect. I can always make aesthetic and functional upgrades along the way, which I plan to do. Hopefully this inspires you to ditch the all or nothing attitude when it comes to organizing too! Here are some of my office keys to success:

Location, location, location! My office is actually a corner of the main room in our house right next to the sliding doors to our balcony. It is a space I like to be in, which is really important if you plan on getting anything done. If you don’t like your home office space, get creative and see where else you could set up shop. Otherwise, you will just do your work elsewhere (or not at all), creating extra work in shifting supplies back and forth.

A place for everything. While I’ve had to get creative (i.e. using the keyboard trays of the desks as shelves to store things), for the most part, everything as a home. This is essential to preventing the dreaded piles from growing on your desk, which then makes work challenging and uninviting. Also key to preventing pile-ups is taking 5 minutes to clear your desk top and put everything away at the end of the day. Mornings are much better when there’s a clear space to put your cup of coffee!

Form and function. Another office key to success is a comfortable chair and technology set-up. If you aren’t comfortable or there are barriers to efficiency, you’re going to be much less productive and probably won’t enjoy spending time in your office (and yes, this is possible!). While I didn’t embark on an office overhaul, I did invest in a new chair that I love – the Bungee Office Chair available at The Container Store. I also bought a wireless mouse to complement my laptop. If I end up spending more time at my computer than I currently do, I may consider a monitor and full keyboard, but this is working for now.

While I’m happily working away in my current set-up, there are definitely some improvements I plan to make. I think a new desk is in my future – for aesthetic and functional reasons - along with some wall shelving and/or additional free-standing shelves (I don’t have too many books, but I am at max capacity now, so I’d like to have a little room to grow). I also plan to get rid of my older laptop (still sitting on my desk). Let me know if you have any ideas for me and I will keep you posted on my progress this summer!