How I do it! Organizing Coach for New Organizers, Geralin Thomas, shares how she stays organized

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I love the concept of sharing our inside secrets as organizers. Throughout the month of May I have asked my colleagues to share what works for them.  I know you will enjoy this guest post from Geralin Thomas, owner of Metropolitan Organizing.

 

Geralin Thomas

For me staying organized is an organic process. At different times in my life, different tools and techniques have been helpful. There have been several things that worked for awhile, but no longer work due to changes in my lifestyle. For example, before having children my filing system looked much different than it did after my sons were born. Now, as they finish high school and head off for college, again, my system has been revised and updated as I have increasing grown to use more technology and less paper. After all, even report cards are now electronic as are SAT and ACT test scores; that means fewer papers to file.

One organizing gizmo that has been with me for at least a decade and used non-stop is my metal collator. It’s definitely one of my very favorite tools to use. I’ve used it to sort writing projects, family photos, homework assignments, tax papers, recipes, gardening ideas and almost anything else you can think of. When not in use, it collapses and sits in a drawer. And, best of all, to dust under hundreds of sheets of paper, I simply lift the collator up and relocate it. I don’t think I’ll ever be completely paper-free, nor do I want to be. So, for me the collator is one tool that helps keep me organized and I’ll continue using it on a daily basis.

 

A Tarheel fan and graduate from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Geralin Thomas, owner of Metropolitan Organizing, lives in Cary, North Carolina.  She’s a Past President of the North Carolina Chapter of NAPO and if she looks (sounds) vaguely familiar, perhaps you know her from A&E TV’s Emmy-nominated show, Hoarders where she’s appeared in over 20 episodes. She enjoys coaching new professional organizers and socializing on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and her own website, http://www.metropolitanorganizing.com 

How I do it! Organizing Tips from Leslie McKee, CPO, COC

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I love the concept of sharing our inside secrets as organizers. Throughout the month of May I have asked my colleagues to share what works for them.  I know you will enjoy this guest post from Leslie McKee, owner of McKee Organizing Services.

 

leslie mckee

My colleague and close friend Ellen Delap asked I write a short blog piece on how I stay organized.  I thought it was a great idea and it really made me think.

When you do what I do for a living, you often hear “Your house must be perfect!” and I simply smile and say that it’s really not, but it works!  I think that might be how I do it.  My goal in organizing is to make room for FUN and to get things DONE.  I keep things streamlined because it is just easier and helps my brain work.  The motivation is to go do something else.  My mind seeks order in everything I do and when things get complicated I lose energy.  This forces me to keep things simple and deal with less.

I notice when something seems like its just taking too much time and not giving me a big return on my efforts.  That defines frustration for me and I do one of three things immediately.

1. I decide whether it is worth doing.

2. I try to simplify my approach

3. I get help.

I have an easy time letting myself off the hook when I feel stuck and don’t spend a lot of time torturing myself.  I just keep moving.

So, my tricks and tips aren’t about how to fold your socks or organize your files.  For me, it’s more how to keep it simple and get on with it!  How to let yourself be free of the burden of being perfect and not to make organizing become a job in itself.

 

Certified Professional Organizer and Coach, Leslie McKee began her professional organizing career in 2000. Her business www.mckeeos.com is comprised of hands-on organizing, personal assisting and coaching.  Leslie inspires clients to live more simply and with purpose.  In her coaching she specializes in helping people identify their strengths and work more efficiently to build a life that fits.  Leslie has been featured in the New York Times, WSJ and on NPR, and she appears locally on Pittsburgh Today Live and KDKA Talk Radio.  For more information contact Leslie at 412-341-8754 or via email at leslie@mckeeos.com.

 

How I do it! 10 Organizing Tips by Janice Simon, MA, CPO

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 I love the concept of sharing our inside secrets as organizers. Throughout the month of May I have asked my colleagues to share what works for them.  I know you will enjoy this post from Janice Simon, in house organizer at M.D.Anderson.

 

Janice Marie Simon

I work as an in-house organizer at a Houston area hospital, and I also have a home I’m trying to renovate. Here are a few of the ways I organize myself.

  • Go digital whenever possible. I use Dropbox to house my documents and photos, Evernote to capture my ideas and things that catch my eye, Wunderlist keeps my action list handy, and the calendar with my email lets me know where I’m supposed to be. At work, I use a scanner to create PDF’s of anything that didn’t come to me electronically, and I’m starting the same process at home.
  • Write Stuff Down (WSD). I stumbled across this concept from a couple of bloggers, and it’s brilliant. I don’t keep things in my head, and I will readily admit that my head is not the best organizing tool. I write down everything I need to do or to buy on my calendar or action list. It doesn’t stay in my head, swirling around to wake me up at 3 a.m.
  • I have to be in love. If I don’t love something any longer or don’t use it, I donate it or give it to a friend who admired it. If something brings up bad feelings and bad mojo, it goes away.
  • Establish boundaries. I’ve learned to say no over the years, and I’ve set strong boundaries. When I go on vacation, I don’t look at work email. It can wait.
  • Take time off. And speaking of vacations, I take them. Since I work for a company, I practice what I preach to my colleagues. I don’t lose vacation time at the end of the fiscal year because I didn’t take enough time off.
  • Remember birthdays. Because I have 14 nieces, nephews, godchildren and other small fries who call me Auntie Janice, I keep all of their birthdays on my digital calendar. Since all but two live outside of Houston, I set the reminder to remind me a week ahead.
  • Everything in the closet must fit. If clothing doesn’t fit or I don’t like it or wear it, it goes. I only keep the items that I actually wear. I have a box in my closet where donated items go. Anything that is stained, torn, faded or otherwise unwearable goes in the trash. Charities spend millions of dollars sorting out trashed items in their donations, and I don’t want to be part of the problem.
  • Repurpose, reuse or recycle. I recycle all that I can recycle. If something can repurposed or reused in another manner, I’ll do that. It may take a little imagination, spray paint and creativity, but it’s nice to save money when you can reuse something.
  • The New Year Purge. The end of December is a great time to go through things at home to clear out anything I no longer love. I also go through digital and paper documents as well. At work, I clean out things at the end of the fiscal year and again at the end of the calendar year.
  • Pay bills online or automatically. All of my bills are either automatically withdrawn or paid online by going to their individual websites. I don’t go through my bank itself to do their bill pay, and this is because I don’t want to do it through them. Not that I’m bitter after the way they treated most of us during the recession. At least not much.
  • (BONUS TIP!) Reward yourself! When I make progress on a project, I reward myself with little things, such as dark chocolate or a pedicure. It’s important to remind yourself to take care of yourself and get plenty of rest.

  Janice Marie Simon, MA, CPO, is an in-house professional organizer at a Houston hospital and is  The Clutter Princess at www.theclutterprincess.com.

 

How I do it! 10 Organizing Tips from Certified Professional Organizer Ellen Delap

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09filessittingforinternet

I love to keep things simple.  I am a born organized person who wants to help others simplify, create order and help people live the life they imagined.  So I wanted to share some tips that I use to make each day a little more organized.

  • I love my planner! It helps me keep the big picture of my activities in a place where I can see them.  I am always going to be a paper type planner person, but I do back up recurring events on a technology calendar.  As soon as I commit to a date, I add it immediately to my planner.  I break tasks into small, baby steps to make sure I can accomplish them and add this to my planner too.
  • I seldom print out anything. If I have a paper, I only handle it once.  I know that I can find anything I need on the internet when I need it especially when I am looking for new information, a recipe, or even financial data.  I find what I need, when I need it.  (I recently made vegan cupcakes!)
  • I add partners or delegate when I need help on a task.  I work best on a team and my team members usually possess strengths I don’t have.
  • I keep my perfectionism under control.  I weigh the “Return On Investment” on whether to keep plugging at a task or know when it is done.
  • My closet is organized by color and I keep a bag to drop donations in regularly. Some people find it more useful to organize by type of clothing, such as work, play,  or party.
  • Lists rock! I use them for every day tasks, shopping, and reminders.
  • I sync my iphone and outlook to keep both my personal and business contacts together.  Having all my connections together and easily accessible makes it easy to stay connected.  Its easy to do this with any email program.
  • My favorite apps are Reminders and Notes.  I set alarms in Reminders and keep lists in Notes.  These apps are free on any smartphone.
  • I am a woman of great consistency. I love having the same bedtime, adhering to my weekly planning and admin time, and knowing that these routines serve me well.
  • I keep in touch with my priorities.  We can have it all, but not all at the same time.  We have seasons in our life and I am enjoying my current season of working as a professional organizer and productivity consultant.

 Learn more on my pinterest board! http://pinterest.com/EllenDelap/how-i-do-it-organizing-tips-and-more/

 

Spring Organizing: Its the Little Things: Junk Drawer

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Get started on your spring organizing with the little things! Your junk drawer may be out of control! Spend just 5 minutes getting it back to organized!

Click and see this junk drawer!

How’s your junk drawer? 

Work at Home: Apps and More

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 Work at Home

Our world is filled with organizing automation and technology.  Work at home requires effectiveness and efficiency. These apps can help you make a difference.

Below are a few of my favorite apps for making life easier and more organized.

Evernote~ Use this app to consolidate ideas, makes notes to remember things like books or websites, and help keep infomation easy to access.

CardStar~ Use this app to keep up with all those store loyalty cards.

MomMaps~ Families want to know places to go and activities to do and this app finds them for you.

OurGroceries~ The nightmare of grocery shopping made easier with a list that multiple people can access and shop.

ScanBizCards~ This app is a great way to eliminate all those biz cards floating around your house and keeps them in your phone.

Shoeboxed~ This app is an easy way to keep up with receipts, either for your home or office.

Mint.com~ This app and computer accessed program helps you gather data for budgeting, keep a record of what you are spending your money on and even suggests improvements.

Aboutone.com~Consolidate your calendar, contacts, health information and home inventory in one spot!

List type apps including Ziplist, Wunderlist, Things, Toodledo.  No need for a paper list to lose! These apps help you stay up on what you need to do, buy, and more!

What apps are your favorites?

Work at Home: Organizing your technology

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Working from home is what we do! Whether it is a part time second income or an extension of what you do every day, we add on worktime through out the day.  Being organized to work at home makes a difference in productivity and efficiency.  To do both, we need great technology tools! Here are a few suggestions to make your work more successful.

  • Log Me In.  This is a service that logs you in to your base computer. Easy to use and free, you can do your work remotely on your base computer.
  • Dropbox.  This is a service that permits file sharing.  You create an account and save your files to Dropbox to use remotely, share with others while working on a project, or save as a backup for files in the cloud.
  • GoogleDrive.  This is one of the many free google products for you to use saving and sharing files.  It can be accessed by logging into google from anywhere.
  • Skype.  This free service is for free phone and video services between users.  Download it on your computer and choose the skype phone number to call and see others.
  • Task list.  There are many to choose from, including ziplist, toodle doo, wunderlist, and remember the milk.  A task list helps you prioritize and keep all your lists in one spot!
  • Evernote. This free app for computer and smart phone allows you to capture and organize notes, audio clips, photos, and more. 

What tech tools help you be more organized to work at home?

Work at Home: Organizing Your Home Office

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Working at home requires setting up a space that will work for you! It can be a challenge to carve out a spot to get your work done, just because there are lots of distractions. 

  • Decide on what works best for you! Some families relinquish the dining room to become an office, some families work well in the midst of the media area.  Decide if you need quiet or not, paper management and printing capability, and what tools you will use to work.  You are ready to set up your space after thinking this through.
  • Set up office hours.  With a start and end time, your time will be most productive. 
  • Paper and work go hand in hand.  For portability from the office, there are products suited just for this! You can also set up a command center for work at home and work at the office with the same tabs keeping paperwork consistently.  A file cart is a great option to slot papers in, keep them close by, and keep them organized.
  • Decide on a time you will shut down for the evening. Working at home can interfere with a good night’s sleep.  Sleep is the best way to work efficiently and effectively!

Check out my Work At Home pinterest board! http://pinterest.com/EllenDelap/work-at-home/

Plentiful Powerful Productivity= Success

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productivity

 

Powerful productivity come when we create an environment that works with our strengths.  Improve your effectiveness and efficiency with these tips.

  • Your planner is the visual guide to your productivity.  Use it like a map, writing in what your destination is for your day, your week and longer.  When you write tasks and projects into your planner, you are making yourself accountable and breaking the job into smaller, manageable pieces.
  • Use paper management skills to go from overwhelmed to in control.  Break down the flood of paper by eliminating first what is junk and recycle this.  Create a command center where you drop recycling in and separate the paper into actions. Your command center should be at the spot where paper comes to you and you drop it in a pile. Create a fun and inviting command center using color!  Not sure what decisions to make about paper?  Be brutal and just keep what you absolutely need to work on, not maybe, someday projects.
  • Turn overwhelming email into 10 in your inbox by taking time three times a day to sort and clear email. Color code  your email and important email stands out.  Designate a power period to work on email that needs lengthy responses and relates to projects.  Your paper and email folders should be named the same to keep consistent and find what you need.
  • Add routines to your week to consolidate activities. Even grocery shopping is less stressful if you tack it on to an existing weekly activity.
  • Too much to do and too much on the brain? Use a notebook to capture your lists, dating the top of the list.  Then choose 3 – 7 tasks to do that day.
  • Use technology to help you increase your productivity.  Turn off alarms, email, texting and more when you really want to focus on a project.

What success tips do you have for plentiful productivity?

 

More ideas on powerful productivity here!

Less IS more!

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Over and over we hear this phrase.  What does it really mean?

  • Less mail is less overwhelming. Take 5 minutes every day to recycle and review your mail. Keep what remains in your command center to work on during admin time.
  • Less to do means you are doing what you love. Our biggest burdens are our time commitments. We say yes and then feel completely overwhelmed.  Commit to less to do and feel the serenity.
  • Less stuff is less to take care of and more energy to do what we love.  Is your stuff becoming a burden? Its time to let it go and have less in your space.

For me I am using this mantra every week to decide how much time and energy I use in projects, with people and my own stuff.  It shapes how I think and what I do.  My goal this year is to do less and accomplish more. 

What do you want to do less of or have less of and feel more energy?