Finish It Friday #3

It's Friday and Finish It Friday is back! (Can you believe it's already Friday again? Whew, that was a fast one!)

Did you make a list of little nagging projects this week? Care to check one off the list this weekend? If so, just say "I'm in!" in the comments and then, plan to share your victory (or victories!) on Monday! I know lots of you have travel plans and other celebrations in the works due to the holiday weekend...so feel free to pick something simple and easy or even take the week off. I'll be back here next week finishing up some more stuff...so feel free to join me then. I have a few things to choose from this week for my "finish it" project...so I'll just surprise you on Monday! 

Happy finishing! And have a great weekend.

Finish It Friday #2

Its Friday…hooray! For me, the week has simply flown by. Looking forward to a weekend filled with a bit of getting things done, a bit of relaxing, and a bit of hanging out with my family. Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend?

So…if you joined me two weeks ago for Finish It Friday, you know first-hand how freeing it can be to get a nagging to-do (or two or three!) checked off your to-do list. Want to join me again? This time I haven’t pre-finished anything…so you’ll just have to check and see what I come up with. I have a nagging to-do on my to-do list that I must address today. (Scheduling a mammogram!) So I will finish that for sure…but I don’t think that will give me my fill of finishing. We’ll just have to see what else I come up with.

I’m going on record to say that today, as part of Finish It Friday, I will call and schedule a mammogram. There. I've said it. Now I have to do it!

How about you? Want to join in the fun and get a nagging to-do checked off your list? You can read all about Finish It Friday here, and then post in the comments what you will finish by Sunday evening at 9 PM Central. Sound like a plan? Can’t wait to hear what you’re going to do!! Have a terrific weekend!

travel checklist + other travel ramblings

Tomorrow I’m heading out of town for a weekend getaway with my sister and my Dad. We’re going to Alabama—a place I don’t think I’ve been to since I was in 2nd Grade. (And that, my friends, was a long time ago.)

My Dad and sister are driving down from Michigan, and we’re meeting in Nashville where we’ll spend the night tomorrow night. Then, we’ll continue on to Alabama to visit my Dad’s brother and his family. Should be fun…definitely looking forward to spending time with my family.

This may surprise you…but I haven’t started packing yet. I did, however, update and print out my travel checklist, which is a key reason I can pack late without stress. I love this checklist because, well, I’ve got a thing for checklists. It helps make it simple to be more organized while traveling, without being stressed out about forgetting to bring something or do something before I go.

I’ve been adding to it and tweaking it over the years (and deleting things, too, like Pull-Ups for my kids…it has been a long time since we’ve needed those.) Anyway, here’s a copy download travel-checklist if you’d like to use mine for your next trip, or feel free to use it to create your own checklist for personal use. You may not feel compelled to take a wine bottle opener with you when you go away, for example, so tweak it to suit your needs. And then, sit back, relax and enjoy your travels!

Before I sign of…here’s the “other travel ramblings” part of the post. Just a few things I’m looking forward to:

• Sleeping in. This 5 AM summer schedule needs a tweak or two (or three.) Extra quiet time is good, but feeling tired and grouchy (which could be a kind way to describe my mood this past week) has significantly reduced my personal productivity, making the whole getting up early thing counter productive. So, aside from sleeping more while I’m away, I will be pondering Plan B for the summer schedule. (Keep this in mind—when you try something new and if it doesn’t work, try something else. Figuring out what doesn’t work is a terrific learning process and not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve learned a lot the past 2 ½ weeks and look forward to figuring out how to tweak my schedule so that my mood and productivity stay in tact, too.)

  Taking photos. Looking forward to playing with my camera. I’ll be taking along the notes from my photography class and digging into those again, too. But, being a better photographer isn’t about reading a book or taking a class…it’s about taking more photos. Just as getting organized isn’t about taking a class or reading a book, it’s about taking action and organizing something—do something to move you closer to your goal.

• Exploring new places. We’ll be spending a bit of time in Nashville tomorrow evening (probably just enough time for dinner) and then again on Monday. I’ve never been there, so it will be fun to check it out a bit. If you have been there, live there, know the area well…I’d love any recommendations of things to do and places to eat.

Hope you have a great weekend...and remember tomorrow is Friday, and this week that means Freebie Friday. And it’s a good one—so be sure to check it out. (Finish it Friday will be back next week!)

get your fill of organizing ideas + inspiration…

Just wanted to share what’s on the “organizing ideas + inspiration agenda” this week...so you don’t miss any of the fun!

Tuesday:  Registration closes for the current session of Organizing 101 this Tuesday! There’s still time to get in on the action, but time is running out…so sign up today! It’s a super-inspiring group of participants in this session, sure to inspire you to tackle your summer organizing projects.

Tuesday:  Sending out weekly quick tip about using mini zones to stay organized this summer.

Thursday:  Monthly organizing newsletter will be going out, including my brand new article: “Get Organized. Save Money.”

***If you don’t yet get my Monthly Newsletter or my Weekly Quick Tip, sign up here.

Friday: Keep your eyes open for a really exciting Freebie Friday that's in the works for this Friday…you won’t want to miss it!

Here’s to an organized week!

Did you finish?

So, for all you who joined me in the first ever Finish It Friday—first a big “woohoo!” It sure does feel good to check things off that to-do list, doesn’t it? A check mark always feels good, but when that check mark is next to something that was lingering…oh, wow, that feels really good!

So, I got the finish it bug this weekend, and finished up a few other lingering projects, such as:

• I finished painting the window trim on our front door windows. This has been on my mental to-do list for a really long time (probably over a year.) It has been on my real project list for the entire spring. Last weekend I started the project (with Jay’s help) and this weekend, finished her up! Yippee.

• I finished up my butterfly mobile! Hooray—I’m so happy to have that one done!

• I put the bed skirt on Collin’s bed. Why I dreaded that so much, I haven’t a clue. But now it’s finished!

• I made reservations for my trip to Nashville / Alabama next weekend. I have needed to coordinate details with my Dad and sister for over a week…and now it’s done! Hooray!

So, how about you? Did you finish what you set out to complete on Friday? I can’t wait to hear! If you didn’t play along this time…there will be more chances! Oh, and next Friday, keep your eyes open for a really great Freebie Friday!!

Finish It Friday!

I’m starting something new today, and you’re invited to play along! What is this something new? It’s called Finish It Friday, an idea inspired by a forum discussion from inside the current session of Organizing 101. I will do this from time to time on Fridays, so keep your eyes open for more Finish It Fridays. (It won’t be every week because then what would happen to our friend “Freebie Friday?” Not to worry…we’re not going there.)

So, what’s it all about? Well, Finish It Friday is all about getting a nagging to-do off of your to-do list before the end of the weekend. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to decide to finish something that has been lingering on your to-do list for way longer than you ever anticipated or wanted.

Why should you get in on the fun? Well…because lingering to-dos feel icky and completion feels good. Started but not yet complete to-dos are draining; checking them off your list is energizing! Plus, it will be loads of fun! You’ll know that while you’re busily working toward a well-deserved check mark, others will be, too! You’ll get to experience how saying your going to do something makes you accountable for actually doing it—and this is very empowering! (I’ve gotten up at 5 AM five days straight due to this type of accountability. It really does work.)

What kind of to-do counts? Anything! (As long as it is an in-process project or should-have-been-take-care-of-a-long-time-ago to-do and finishing it would be particularly freeing for you.)

Here’s mine for the week.

This clipboard has been a work-in-process for quite some while—since our very first online workshop, in fact, when I put together this project download. At the time I wasn’t sure what to use it for, since it was put together part way, just for taking the step-by-step photos for the handout. Last weekend, upon doing some reorganizing in Kailea’s room…I found a use for a clipboard—holding sheet music for the current song she is learning in guitar. The best part is…this took me under 30 minutes to completely finish up (sanding, adding the rub-ons and decoupaging.) And now…no more nagging clipboard that isn’t done! 

So…do you have any lingering projects on your to-do list? Like I mentioned, this doesn’t have to be anything big (mine certainly wasn’t) just something that for one reason or another you haven’t gotten around to finishing. Your Finish It Friday project can be any of the following:

• Any incomplete craft project such as half-finished scrapbook pages or mini albums that just need a few more bits added to make it done! Or, a home décor crafting project that has been stalled for some reason.
• An almost finished organizing project. Maybe you intend to add labels to your organized pantry—but haven’t gotten around to it yet. (Wouldn’t it feel good to have that d-o-n-e?) Or perhaps you have that left over little pile of stuff you haven’t quite yet decided what to do with when you organized your closet. This could be your Finish It Friday project. Simply decide that you’re going to decide about the items lingering in that little pile…and then go decide! 
• A nearly complete decorating project. Hang up those pictures! Or wrap up any other last-minute details so you can call that project done.
• A simple item on your to-do list that you’ve been procrastinating on…because it seems unpleasant, feels like it will take too long, or just because you haven’t made the time for it as of yet. Sew that button on the shirt! Write that thank you note. Make *that one* phone call. 
• In a nut shell, any little project or to-do that has been lingering for longer than you’d like that you can finish up by the end of the weekend!

To play along with Finish It Friday, simply:

1. Choose a project. Don’t over-think this…just pick something that has been living on your to-do list (written or mental!) for too long. It doesn’t have to be anything big…just something incomplete and annoying!

2. Post your plan in the comments.

3. Complete your to-do by the end of the weekend. That’s right, simply check this item off your list before you go to bed on Sunday (and be sure to let us know you did it in the comments section!)!

4. Enjoy the power of completion!

Sound like fun? I can’t wait to hear what you finish this weekend!

organizing is an ongoing process…

Last night was Wednesday night which means cleaning night at my house. (“Woohoo!” right? Well…yes, “woohoo” on Thursday morning, but not so much on Wednesday night. But that’s a different blog post.)

Anyway, as I was vacuuming it occurred to me that no one expects to clean their house just once and have it stay that way forever. Instinctively we know that cleaning is an ongoing process. If we want to enjoy a clean house, we have to clean it over and over and over again. While you may not enjoy the process of cleaning (oh, wait, that’s me) you don’t expect your home to stay clean forever without any intervention or action from yourself. Right?

For many people, however, organizing is a different story. An obstacle that I often hear when working with my organizing coaching clients is that they fear they won’t be able to keep their home organized after organizing it. This fear previously prevented them from getting started in the first place. If you’ve organized your home before only to see it return to disorder, you may relate to this thought and it may be a roadblock for you, too.

My thought last night while vacuuming was that expecting our homes to stay organized after organizing it is like expecting our home to stay clean after cleaning it. Both cleaning and organizing are ongoing processes—processes which require time and attention on an ongoing basis.

The good news is that with both cleaning and organizing, there are simple ways to make the ongoing process easier. Keeping up with it a little bit at a time, works for both cleaning and organizing. The more often I do light cleaning on my home, for example, the less time overall I spend cleaning. If I scrub my shower once a week, it takes less time to clean it than if I clean it less frequently. (And believe me I have tested this theory many times…I’d rather do most things than scrub my shower.)

Organizing is the same way. Once you get a space organized, the more often you do simple, routine maintenance on it—decluttering unnecessary items, putting things away when you’re done using them, and so on—the easier it is to keep a space organized.

So if you’re resisting organizing your home out of fear that you won’t keep it that way, consider letting this idea go. Just as with cleaning a home, it won’t simply stay that way. But just as with cleaning a home, keeping a home organized is doable with the right strategies in place.

My house doesn’t just stay clean (oh, how I wish it would!) just because I clean it once, and my house doesn’t stay organized just because I organize it once. My home is clean when I clean it regularly, and my home is organized when I organize and declutter it on an ongoing basis.

Why I love what I do...

As I mentioned, yesterday I woke up with a renewed sense of energy. I love new beginnings and fresh starts. With summer now just two days away, and the month of June still in its infancy, I’m feeling the burst of energy I always get with new beginnings. I love the possibilities that come with beginnings.

I’ve decided to channel this energy in some projects around my house, and I decided the best way to keep my enthusiasm going is to join Organizing 101 as not just as the instructor but also as a student.

Now, you may be wondering why I would do this. I already know how to organize, so why would I participate in an online organizing workshop? Well, there’s so much more that goes on inside workshops like Organizing 101 than simply learning how to get organized. I recently realized that the two workshops I have enjoyed teaching most, were Get Organized for the Holidays (which will be back in November) and my Goals workshop (which will be back in January.) Why were these my favorites? Because I participated as a student as well as the instructor.

During the goals workshop, I set goals and shared them with my classmates, and I reported every single day on my progress. Since this workshop closed, I have noticed that while I’m still making progress on my goals, they aren’t as top of mind as they were when the goals workshop was in session. I love the accountability of the online workshops, as well as the camaraderie—everyone in the workshop community wants the same thing:  to improve their homes and lives.

The bottom line is this:  even though I know how to get organized and I know how to set and achieve goals, it is more fun, focused and effective when I embark on these projects as part of the simplify 101 online workshop community. Truth is, if simplify 101 weren’t mine and Jay’s third baby; I would want to sign up for these workshops, I would want to be a part of this community, and I would want to create change in my home and life in this way.

For me, it really is more fun working on my own projects and goals with friends there to share and brainstorm with along the way. There’s also the extra sense of motivation that comes from reading other people’s success stories. When a fellow classmate posts that even though they were exhausted after working all day and running kids around they still spent fifteen minutes decluttering tonight…well, suddenly you just know “I can do that, too!” And then you do. And all of these little daily choices add up to big changes by the end of the workshop!

Plus, it’s just more fun with friends along for the ride. I remember when I was in high school and college, my friend Liz and I would do errands together all the time. She would ride along when I needed to go to the bank, or return something at the mall. She was there when I needed to decide on which pillows would look best with the comforter for my dorm room, and should I go with this poster or that one? When I moved to St. Louis and became an “official adult,” all of that changed. I ran my errands alone and I had to make decisions about decorating and other projects on my own. I missed the sharing and camaraderie I had before. And now I have that back again. With our workshops, I have a way to share my day to day life, the big projects and even the little ones, with a group of supportive friends. And the best part of all—they’re doing the same thing in their lives. It’s really very cool.

I share this for a few reasons. First of all, it is straight from my heart. I truly believe in our online workshops and how much they are helping people—including me. It often isn’t a case of knowing how to do something (thought that is a great first step!) It is creating the conditions that help you stay motivated and keep taking action on your projects, while having fun along the way, too! Second, if you’ve dismissed the idea of an organizing workshop because you already know how to get organized…you may be missing out on something that you would truly love. I’ve always loved to organize and I’ve always instinctively known how to organize, though I’ve certainly learned how to be more efficient and purposeful about it throughout the years. I’ve also always immersed myself in the topic of organizing and personal development. So, if I weren’t doing this for a living, I know I’d be a doing this as a student. It’s just my kind of thing.

OK…so the sappy part of this post is over. Now a few quick workshop updates:

* If you are taking part in “Help! I don’t know where to begin!” remember that the workshop closes tonight at midnight central time. This workshop cannot be reopened…so if you haven’t downloaded and saved the materials, stop reading, log in to the workshop system, and do this now! I don’t want you to be disappointed!

* For the session of Organizing 101 that starts today, I incorporated the content from “Help! I don’t know where to begin!” into the first lesson. So if you didn’t get “Help! I don’t know where to begin” and you’re taking Organizing 101—you’ll have instant access to the content. (Which means, you can start decluttering your home today!) It was really fun to see all the progress people made during this workshop. I took five bags of stuff to Goodwill on Sunday as a result of this workshop!  

* As far as if or when we’ll run “Help! I don’t know where to begin!” again…the jury is still out.

Thanks for letting me share. Hope you have a great day.

Organize Your Paper with the New [IN]PLACE System

In my current session of my Organize Your Paper Clutter workshop, several students asked me about Peter Walsh’s new [IN]PLACE^TM system. So I just had to check it out. Have you seen it? It’s sold through Office Max…

and I have to tell you, this is one attractive, adaptable, and very well-thought out system.

Here are some of my favorite pieces from the line.

Clip tabs. OK, first and foremost—brilliant idea! I love how you can clip these tabs to file folders, stacks of paper, and even hanging file folders in your desk drawer or file cabinet. Better yet, the colors are simply yummy.

Photo courtesy Office Max.

Erasable marker. How cool is this? The line includes an erasable marker, which means, you can reuse your clip tabs over and over and over again. Why is this important? Well, I find people tend to avoid creating file folders for short term projects. Who wants to waste a file folder for a project you’ll be working on for just a short time? Now you can have the best of both worlds—organized (and labeled!) project folders without any waste! I love that.

File folders with fabulous features. The file folders in this line are made out of a nice, milky (in color) plastic. They’re durable and attractive…and check out this clever feature...

Photo courtesy Office Max.

The file folders contain a slot for binder clips. So you can clip your documents securely in place, and still open up the file folders. Or, you could use your clip tabs and store your documents portrait instead of landscape…which after all, is the way most documents are printed! (Love that!)

And since the file folders are opaque, you can see what’s inside. This is extremely helpful for you visual people out there who need to see something to remember you have it. With these folders your paper can be put away and yet still in sight! How do you love that?

Post-it® tabs with easy access. So just two weeks ago, before investigating the [IN]PLACE line, I needed some new Post-it notes. I purchased a little cube of brightly colored Post-it notes…and I thought I was happy.

Actually, I was happy until I saw the very clever Post-its that are part of the [IN]PLACE line. Why would the [IN]PLACE Post-its have made me even happier? Well, first off, they’re shaped like file tabs and I use a fair share of my sticky notes for file tabs. But, even better, Peter made it possible to access a blue Post-it (or any other color for that matter!) any time you want. How did they do it? Well they made a Foldable Cube which you can unfold to access any color you want. And the Sticky Note Wallet (shown above) stores all the sticky notes in a strip—again making it possible (and simple) to access any color Post-it any time you want. Do you know what this means my friends? Suddenly color coding is simple! You don’t have to keep five different colored file folders on hand…just one little foldable cube of sticky notes. Yay! (Thank you, Peter!!)

Desktop Sorter. I haven’t seen this item in person, but I really like the looks of it. I’m a huge fan of keeping important and often used documents in sight and in arm’s reach. This file sorter allows just that, but it also allows you to adjust the size of the sections to meet your needs. So, if you have a project with lots of reference paper (think fat file folder) simply remove a divider plate and you have a compartment big enough for your thick file folder. But that’s not all. The divider plates also pivot forward, making it easy to review files and access them. Very. Smart.

So…let’s just sum it all up as follows:  brilliant.

I’m just scratching the surface on the benefits of this great new line. It really is (as I said above) very attractive, adaptable and well thought out. So, next time you’re shopping for paper organizing solutions, give the [IN]PLACE system a look. You'll be glad you did. Here's a link to check out the product line and more of its features.

Photo courtesy Office Max.

Have you tried this product line yet? What do you think of it?
 

a new labeler to love

If you’ve been around the Creative Organizing blog for a while, you probably know that I’m a fan of labels. (Shhh…don’t tell anyone, but I even have labels in my fridge. I know it’s a bit crazy, but it does make me happy and helps keep my refrigerator organized. As does boycotting the grocery store, but that’s another story altogether.)

Now just when I thought labeling from a label maker couldn’t get any more fun, Brother comes out with the P-touch PT-1230PC .

This cute, little labeler plugs right into the USB port in your computer and instantly a screen pops up where you can type in your labels. It’s that simple. You plug it in. You type. You click print. And out comes your label! 

So why’s that so great? Well, if you’re a fan of fun fonts, (and I know you fun font lovers are out there,) this labeler allows you to use any font on your computer to make your labels. That’s right:  any font installed on your computer is now fair game for labeling! (I know, just think of the possibilities…) But it doesn’t end there. You can also add small graphics, wing dings or swirls, if that makes you happy. (Which if it does, believe me, I get it. I have labels on my fridge, remember?)

So if you’re on the market for a labeler, the brother P-touch PT-1230PC could be your new labeler love, too. (And if you don’t have a labeler, you really should consider being on the market for a labeler. Seriously. You don’t know how much organizing fun you’re missing out on.)

Oh, and because I bet someone will ask...the file folder is "greenroom" from Target.

OK…gotta’ go make some more labels. I’ll be back soon...