4 Ways that Working with a Certified Professional Organizer Supports You and Your Goals

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4 ways that a certified professional organizer supports you and your goals

 

There are possible times you might have felt overwhelmed by clutter, decisions, and stress in your home or at work. That feeling of being overwhelmed can keep you from setting goals, starting your projects, and getting started on tasks. You might feel like you lack direction.  That’s when you benefit most from hiring a certified professional organizer.  A professional organizer helps you create and maintain systems and routines for home, work, and life.

 

Support for your organizing

Being organized saves you time, money, and stress. A certified professional organizer is a partner in helping you sort and declutter efficiently.  Immediately you know what you have and how to find it. There is no more purchase duplication because you can’t find what you have. You have not wasted time and energy looking for something because it has a home and you can find it. Being organized gives you confidence and control.

Support for your productivity

Being productive gives us back time to do what we love. Working with a certified professional organizer boosts your focus. By identifying distractions and causes of procrastination, and creating a workflow with effective tools, your output improves. Starting a workflow that includes breaking down tasks, projects, and goals into chunks creates manageable deadlines and deliverables. You feel more productive, creative, and in charge.

 

Support for your financial goals

The first step is to identify how to streamline your processes, eliminate waste, and evaluate resources. They can also help you set up systems for managing your bills, receipts, taxes, and budget so that you can avoid late fees, penalties, and stress. By saving time and money, you can free up more resources for your wellness and happiness goals.

 

Support for your well-being

As your other areas improve in life, your overall health, well-being, and emotional wellness improve. Your sense of work-life integration changes, as well as time to pursue what you love and spend time with those you cherish. Establishing healthy boundaries and self-care routines in your day improves your quality of life. With time blocking and Weekly Planning, you are able to prioritize what is most important and follow through consistently. A certified professional organizer can help you establish routines for healthy habits that support your rest, nutrition, and exercise.

 

  • Communication and connection improve your well-being. A certified professional organizer can help you find ways to easily connect through organizing events, finding time for volunteering, and creating space for family connection. Keeping connected is important to a thriving, empowered life.

 

  • Life transitions occur more frequently now. A certified professional organizer can help as you navigate these transitions by coaching and supporting you. Helping build a team, including a coach, therapist, or spiritual advisor, as well as other resources, support you and reduces your anxiety. Finding strategies for relaxation, mindfulness, and positive thinking are benefits.

 

Curious about how this might work for you? Reach out to connect! Together we celebrate your successes, accomplishments, and strengths, supporting you with acknowledgment and encouragement.

 

 

Back to School: Setting up and Organizing a Study Space

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Setting up and organizing a study space

 

Back-to-school success depends on a great home study space for your kiddos. With the best intention, families add a desk to their kids’ bedrooms for studying and homework. Adding a desk to their rooms might be the answer to students’ productivity, however, there are other options for families to consider. Here are some setups and strategies for back-to-school homework study spaces.

Prime real estate for studying

Decide on what space works best for you and your student. When we were in college, almost never did we get work done in our dorm room. We went to the library for quiet and desk space. Choose a location where your student can avoid distractions. Many students do best in the dining room. It is an uncluttered space with a big table. You can view how homework is progressing and also step in if help is needed.

Add interest by creating multiple locations for study. Your student could work in the family room, outside under a tree, or at the coffee shop nearby.  Each location gives your student the opportunity for tweaking what works best given the seating, internet access, and focus.

 

Dig in on details of ergonomics and lighting

Keep in mind that a good environment extends beyond location. A desk or table conveys that work is being done and keeps your student at work. Your student might like a standing desk or rolling table top. A chair that supports your student’s posture and good lighting are important parts of your study space. Some students prefer “spinning” chairs or yoga balls that help keep their interest while studying. Portable, battery-operated lamps can be added to any space to add light. Sit with your student as they begin their homework to experience the environment.

 

Consolidate resources and supplies

There’s stock and back stock. Elementary school and middle school students need supplies to complete their assignments. Take stock of what you have for school supplies and create a caddy or cart that can travel with them to that study space. They will likely need a supply of writing utensils, paper, scissors, and a stapler. You can organize this in plastic boxes and a plastic caddy. Stock your student’s backpack with a zipper case with what is needed at school.

Keep restocking supplies in your home office in well-labeled containers. Categorize the items by a group so you know what you have and where you are storing it.

 

What else might be helpful?

  • Cute counts! Add some splash to this spot with fun wall art. An inviting workspace adds fun to after-school assignments.
  • A dry-erase board in the study area helps as a visual reminder of due dates. It can also be used for processing and breaking projects into manageable pieces.
  • Remember to add storage for completed projects and papers. A display spot for art or a shelf for projects celebrates the success of a project in the short term. Create an archive spot for these with a file box for that year. Many families photograph the artwork and create digital photo albums each year.
  • There is always trash with your students whether it is empty drink bottles or crumpled papers. Consider adding a trash can to the area that is big enough for a week’s worth of trash.

 

Engage your student in the process of designing study spaces. This means that they have buy-in and will love the finished space.

Back to School: ADHD Friendly Family Routines

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Back to school is back to routines. Every fall we are getting back to routines have a less structured summer. Family routines create cohesiveness and support responsibility. These routines are the foundation of life at home. As well, it is a way to make life simpler and easier. Check out these tips on communication, laundry, meal prep and more.

 

 

 

 

Family Calendar

Post a paper family calendar where everyone can see the upcoming activities and tasks for your family. This month-at-a-glance calendar can be posted on the refrigerator or in a pathway everyone passes daily. During your family meeting and all week long, populate the calendar with activities that are coming up. Color-code your calendar to know who is doing what and when.

 

Meal prep

The meal prep goal is the nutritious meals eaten during a time together. Keep it simple with a dinner rotation every 2-3 weeks of the same easily prepared meals. Or use theme days for meal planning, like Meatless Monday and Taco Tuesday. Whatever your plan, rotate who is the chef and who is clean up.

 

Theme days

Assign a day of the week for specific tasks, especially grocery runs and laundry days.

 

Communication

Encourage responsibility and independence with a coaching conversation. Encourage some details, some deadlines, and some accountability.

 

 

 

Getting buy-in from your family is important.

  • Keep it simple! Less is more to keep routines going. When tasks are complex, look for ways to simplify to get these done.
  • Remember that as a family you are all in this together. Partner up to work as a team. Variety makes the tasks more interesting.
  • Write stuff down. With checklists, calendars, and notes, your family sees what to do and when to do it.
  • Self-care ensures you and your family have the energy needed to get stuff done. Self-care includes appropriate rest and bedtimes for everyone in the family. If you are feeling drained, your family will too!
  • Always have a deadline for family tasks. These deadlines keep you and your family accountable and happy.

What more ADHD-friendly family organizing ideas? Check out my youtube!

Back to School: Quick Tips to Thrive during Busy Family Times

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Back to school is when we all gear up and get organized. It’s back to structure and routines. Busy people are the most organized. Here are many organizing, productivity, and self-care tips from those who are in the trenches too.

Organization tips for busy people

 

  • Having a joint email with my husband that we use for ANYTHING related to the kids, the pets, the car, the home, vacations, digital tickets etc. Even if I’m the one who reads and answers 90% of them we both have access to entire conversations, booking numbers, dates and details.
  • It is ridiculously simple but I use the notes app on my phone. I’m able to scan documents and email them. Keep a running tab of my to-do list and groceries. I also have a notes page for gift ideas.
  • Color-coded calendar (each person has a color) including how they’re getting to/from the practice or game, etc… and review that at least weekly but ideally every 3 days to ensure we’re all on the same page
  • Personal: morning workouts before fam wakes up. Familial: shared family Google calendar. Marital: weekly marriage meeting.
  • Written and Google calendar for myself, dry-erase monthly for my daughter, and verbal communication with my husband
  • I meal plan every dinner and prep accordingly. I add all things to the phone calendar and “invite” whomever in my family needs to know. The kids have a daily chore schedule and also lay out their clothes for the week on Sunday so I can steam them in time. During the summer, I started “marvelous Monday’s” where we do all the chores on a Monday so we can forget about it. I also stopped folding laundry. I made them each a basket in the laundry room where clothes are sorted coming straight out of the dryer. They are responsible for putting away their own clothes. I love it!!!
  • Cozi Gold family organizer app. With 2 active teens, it really helps keep everyone informed and organized.
  • I have a cleaning service so I don’t resent every mess as a personal slight. Kids have a very large calendar on the wall for all things as my ADD DH doesn’t look at online calendars, emails, or text messages. He didn’t look at the wall calendar either but it modeled good organization for the kids at least, lol. Also, tell DH plans over dinner and remind him in the morning.
  • Use a digital family calendar, order the week’s groceries for pickup on Mondays, and once a month have someone come in to clean!

 

Summary

I am grateful to those who shared their wisdom.

  • Having a calendar that works for your family is important. Choose what you love, model this for your family, and collaborate with those who need extra support on this.
  • Build your best team with outside help and buy-in from your family. Set up systems in your home where kids can partner and everyone benefits. Make it fun!
  • Set up routines that reinforce and support your goals. Weekly meal planning and grocery delivery, as well as regular cleaning people, help everyone at home.

 

What works for you at your home or office?

Back to School Transitions

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back to school transitions

 

Summer is shorter than we like and soon we will be preparing for transitioning back to school. Everyone in your family might have many emotions about this transition, some being happy, sad, anxious, or fearful. You might be thinking about family routines and how to get back into the groove. Creating a smooth transition back to school can help you start the year strong.

 

Listen to everyone’s feelings

It might not feel so matter of fact to start back to school, end summer, and start routines. Gather as a family to chat about all the feelings of school. Hear about everyone’s feelings without judgment or application to your feelings. According to Dr. Becky Kennedy, one of our jobs as parents is to listen to our kids with empathy. When there is a transition, it is important to check in and be empathetic about feelings.

 

Work as a team

Show support for everyone by working as a team. Chat about what support everyone needs and how to work together on challenges.  Work together to see how to set up success for everyone. Practical examples of this are how to partner up for study time, meal prep, laundry, and other family responsibilities.

Establish support

One of my clients reminded me that everyone needs a different kind of support. Each of you and each of your children will need different support this year. Look around to establish a bigger team that includes a therapist, coach, cleaning service, concierge service, medical team, and more. It is well worth the investment for everyone to do their best during the school year.

Set boundaries

Good boundaries help us balance work and play.  Those boundaries include time blocks for work and self-care for adults and kids. Discuss with your family how to set up boundaries and why adhering makes a difference for everyone. Ensure that everyone has an opportunity to share a boundary that is important to them.

 

Reset routines

Routines of all types help us make life easier, simpler, and more peaceful. Get back into your routines by starting small. That might be starting a new bedtime routine like plugging in devices early in the evening. Start prepping back-to-school meals with your family to encourage dinner time together. Write out a chart of routines so that everyone can reference this.

 

Addressing transitions could be something new to your family. Take the opportunity during a family meeting to deepen conversations as the school year begins. Start these conversations two weeks out from the first day of school so that you have ample time to meet as a family.

 

 

 

 

7 Ways to Boost Summer Productivity

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Summer has many positive “distractions” like vacations, kids in and out of camp, and one national holiday every month. It may not seem like this is the most productive time of the year. There are ways to maximize your summer productivity by taking advantage of these opportunities.

 

Prioritize projects and tasks

Natural breaks in the summer give you natural time blocks for deadlines. Use the breaks as the beginning and end of projects. Know what must be completed before a vacation and use your project management tools for calendaring these dates.

 

Tackle administrative tasks

Make a list of all the administrative tasks that you have not been able to check off this year. With a short window of time to execute, time block tasks that can be finished within a week’s time.

 

Learn new skills

Use the opportunity for quick deadlines to learn a new skill and complete professional development requirements. Listen and learn by video, audio, or webinar. Always wanted to knit or learn a new sport? Vary your learning with both professional and recreational study.

 

Plan ahead

Plan and schedule for the upcoming quarters. When you are back from one break, use that creative energy to think big about life and work. Assess goals, deadlines, and responsibilities. Review your strategies, plan your next steps, and add in accountability. Take this opportunity to reflect on what you might change with the changing current times.

 

Prioritize self-care

Take advantage of the summer extended daylight for exercise and meditation. Wake up to daylight and use this time for journaling or a walk. Exercise has many benefits for wellness. Try a new sport you want to try like pickleball. Choose relaxing self-care with a nap, reading, listening to music, or sitting by the water.

 

Clear clutter

Set up for success with a digital or physical decluttering session. Knowing that you have a time frame before the next holiday, use a daily time block to organize paper and digital files, and then create a system to efficiently manage these. Clearing clutter reduces frustration and overwhelm and creates clarity for your work.

 

Connect

Connections are our most important resource for support and well-being. Reach out to friends, family, colleagues, and clients to engage before or after work. Use holidays as connection points to meet up. Connect with a simple text of “I am thinking of you and hope you are having a great summer.” No matter how small, an act of kindness makes a big difference for others. Use this summer to connect through kindness with small thoughtful gestures for others.

 

Productivity is when you use your time best for the projects you have. Use this Summer to relax and recharge as well as move projects forward. Enjoy your breaks as natural ways to boost your energy and productivity.

Summer Decluttering Checklist

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Summer Decluttering checklist

 

Summer is the time to let go of all that extra clutter that has built up during the school year. The kids are available to be extra helping hands while you bag up and donate items that you no longer need or use in your home. Declutter these items to be ready for summer fun!

 

Your decluttering plan

Start your Summer decluttering by setting goals and deadlines for your work. Establish which areas you will work on, when you will work, and when you want to be finished with decluttering. Having specific assignments with dates helps you stay on track and keep you accountable for editing and letting go. Start small with small spaces to declutter and small amounts of time like 30 minutes. You will keep moving forward without being overwhelmed. A simple system for sorting is to use clear garbage bags to move stuff to your car. Having a drop-off routine keeps your decluttering moving forward.

 

What to declutter

If the item is “good”, it can be donated. Items can be swapped online through neighborhood online groups. Define how many you want of certain items. Find a “home” to store the items for easy access and keep that category together in one spot.

Kids:

  • Swim toys, suits, and goggles
  • Kids outgrown clothes
  • Books for younger kids
  • Outgrown toys

Home:

  • Food from the pantry
  • Old magazines and school books
  • Patio, lawn, and garden equipment
  • Plants
  • Nightstands
  • Technology and extra cords

Personal:

  • Personal care and makeup, including sunscreen and bug spray
  • Hair accessories
  • Sunglasses
  • Summer hats and baseball caps
  • Swimwear and cover-ups
  • Travel gear and travel toiletries

 

Decluttering the hard stuff

Paper is the hardest stuff to declutter. Do your paper work when you are high energy!

  • Backpacks and school work that come home at the end of the school year.
    • Review your kids’ schoolwork and art projects together.
    • Together keep the best work and create a photo art book or add this to an archival bin for the year.
  • Mail and incoming papers
    • Recycle or shred advertisements
    • Set aside payments and action items

 

Getting started is the hardest part of decluttering. Put on an energizing playlist, grab bags for donation and get going.

 

To help you avoid the pitfalls of organizing, check out my ideas and those of my colleagues here.

 

ADHD Productivity Strategies For Getting Stuff Done

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Ask people with ADHD how to get stuff done and you will be excited to learn that there are many ways to be productive. These can be less traditional, more customized solutions to getting started and implementing project management. Here are a few possibilities that work for my clients.

 

Strategies for getting started

  • Incorporate your time for getting started into your work time block. Set a timer for 15 minutes to get started. In 15 minutes you can find the materials you need and transition to the tasks required. It is best to allocate longer time blocks for work to be able to incorporate getting started and move into deep thinking.
  • Body doubling is partnering with another person who is doing work in the same space but not necessarily on the same topic. You discuss what you want to accomplish, set a timer and get started working. You can find a body double in your office or on FocusMate.
  • Set a meeting with your team to begin a task or project. Before the end of the meeting, start the first step. Beginning during the meeting is a lot like starting homework during class time in school.
  • Match your energy to your project. Choose the right time to do the highest priority work. Use your time best with this strategy.
  • Create a buffer time. Lower your stress with extra time. Allocate transition time in your schedule to transition. Schedule three times the amount of time blocks to complete a project. A buffer day is helpful for wrapping up loose ends.

 

Strategies for a task list

  • Use a new surface for writing reminders, like a bathroom mirror or dry-erase board.  This unique list keeps your list actionable and easy to see.
  • No matter whether it is digital or paper, breaking your tasks into micro-steps makes it easier to get stuff done. That is when you take any task or project and write it out step by step. If it is a task or project that is repeated regularly, make a template to follow each time.
  • Work in intervals to maximize your productivity on a task. Think of the Pomodoro Method with intervals of work and reset. You work for a duration you set (typical 45 minutes) and then reset (typically for 15 minutes). If you exercise, you are already skilled at this method from interval work like HIIT or running.
  • Externalize your getting started with apps. Automation helps you start a task with knowing what is next. Give yourself a heads up by assigning a date and time block for that task. This removes make a decision.  A project management app also integrates the materials you need with built-in organization.

 

Struggling? Try one of these strategies. Once you implement, track your progress and see how your productivity increases.

Make the Most of Every Day for those with ADHD

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make the most of your day adhd

 

Organizing and productivity tips are everywhere online, on our devices, and in articles.  Having a productive, meaningful and balanced day can be difficult to accomplish. Choosing strategies and executing actions can be frustrating because of interruptions. Here are ways you can break through to feel accomplished at the end of the day.

 

Move from overwhelmed to in charge

  • It is easy to over plan and be overly optimistic about what can be accomplished in a day. Overplanning by packing every time block can be a cycle with no rewards. Start your planning with time blocks and allow for overflow options and time for last-minute changes. Overflow options include an end-of-day wrap-up section or designating Friday as a catch-up day.
  • Plan self-care every day. That time gives you the energy to be your most productive the rest of the day. That might be setting a boundary on starting and ending your day. A lunchtime walk or lunch with a friend can energize you.
  • Align your plan with your colleagues and boss through collaboration. When priorities are not aligned, or when others plan poorly, you have more interruptions to your day. A weekly project meeting and collaboration tools help you stay in charge of your day.
  • Know that your task list relates to the big picture and the meaning of your work. Reframing and destressing your task list, connecting to the reason behind each step, helps you feel like a contributor instead of a worker bee.

 

Use your calendar as your road map

  • Set up time blocks that work best for you. A time block can be 90 minutes or longer depending on how long you allocate and how you work best.
  • Keep your calendar where you can see it to be your guide daily. Set up a hybrid system with your calendar and your devices if an auditory reminder will keep you on track. Check your calendar routinely throughout the day to know what is next and what is planned for tomorrow.
  • Use transition time wisely. You may decide that you want fewer transitions in your day and assign themes to the day. That is when you assign specific related tasks to a specific day.
  • Meetings can be a valuable time to collaborate with productive strategies. Include time blocks to prepare, capture and complete tasks from meetings. Transition between meetings with a prep time to be prepared to contribute. Takes notes and add information to your collaboration tools during your meeting. End the meeting with a wrap-up of actions and assignments.

 

Minimize distractions that take time away from being productive

  • Be aware of your devices and the impact they have. Use airplane mode for your devices during time blocks. A five-minute scroll can turn into extended time away from work.
  • Be intentional about your use of social media. Determine when and how you will be online during the day.
  • Internet blockers help you stay on track. RescueTime assesses how much time you are being productive and on task.
  • For internal distractions, think about online body double help. For a virtual focused time, join Focusmate for virtual coworking.
  • Keep a specific task list, prioritized in the morning or night before, on your desk to remind you of your priorities for the day.

 

Get more done in less time

  • We all have a chronotype, where we are at our peak productivity time. Get more done by matching your best work time to the task requirements.
  • Batching your work helps you ramp up your productivity. Group similar activities together, such as bill paying, phone calls, email responses, or errands, to be more efficient.
  • Single task to get more done. Focus on one thing at a time to completion.
  • Use checklists to know all the steps in a process. This removes decision-making, giving you more time and taking less energy to complete a task or project.
  • Add routines to your week. Routines can be for both home and work, giving you the time pre-set and automated to get stuff done. Routines keep us happy and healthy.

 

Use lists wisely

  • Post-it notes, notebooks, and other writing devices are great to capture thoughts. Take this to the next step by consolidating your list on paper or in an easy-to-use app. The magic of a brain dump is that it clears your mind. The magic of consolidating is that you have a spot for all the tasks in one place.
  • Process and prioritize your list each day. You can be very optimistic about what you can accomplish. Specify the three Most Important Tasks (MITs) each day. Add three bonus MITs just in case you can accomplish more. Focus on these to feel accomplished at the end of the day. Make your MITs visual with a list on your desk.
  • Hold your own Weekly Planning meeting each with your list and your planner. Slot in tasks into time blocks that work with your energy and the task requirements.

 

There are many steps to have a productive day. Take away one of these strategies and work toward integration into your day.

The Power of the Pause to Support Your Goals

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I often write about the power of a pause. A pause is an intentional stop between any time frame. It can be helpful when an emotionally reactive situation is about to occur or when you feel overwhelmed. Here are other situations where a pause can help you find clarity and help you set your goals.

 

Pause between seasons

Seasons are a natural transition for us each year. As the environment changes temperature, external elements unfold to move us forward. Those seasonal transitions are also a good time to evaluate your goals. This is instead of an annual assessment, think about a 90-day pause and assessment. Questions you can ask yourself as you pause are:

  • What worked?
  • What happened to make this work?
  • What’s next?

These reflections give you an opportunity to course-correct or amplify your efforts.

Pause when there are life transitions

Life transitions, such as moving, job changes, or family losses can be happy or sad. We may want to barrel through and get to the other side of that transition. A pause can help all types of support. It can be with emotional support therapy or coaching. Addressing your emotions and finding additional support can offer clarity and move you forward. You can add to your team knowing the support you need. A bigger team might include a cleaning person at home,

Initiate a strategic pause

An intentional strategic pause helps you at home and at work. Strategic meetings offer clarity in all forms. A family board meeting or annual summit with time together, away from home, talking about family values, connects families with communication and cohesiveness. Your business hosts an annual strategic planning meeting to interpret data from last year and know the next steps.

 

Pause for self-care

More people are speaking about their needs for a pause. If you have been moving at warp speed or feeling out of sorts because of the speed of life, here is permission for you to speak what you need when you need it. “Slowing down before jumping to action can set you on a much more meaningful path to action.” You will be all the better for responding in a way that is authentic to you and your values.

 

Here is your first step to empowering your pause. That is knowing when a pause is valuable for you. I encourage you to take a few minutes now and jot a few ideas down.