Ellen's Blog, Professional Organizing for Kingwood & Houston

Organizing your Aging Parents

April 16, 2015/0 Comments/in Family Organizing/by Ellen

Suddenly the roles are reversed for you and your parents. They need your help with their mail, paper work and medical care. It can be a difficult and emotional time too as you as your family find new ways to support each other. Your aging parents need your patience, help and support in ways you may not have imagined.

As with all transitions, having a family meeting is a great first step. Learn from your parents what is most difficult for them. Learn their wishes on how to get started transitioning what must be done. If possible, sit with them while you get started on the tasks. Their input shows your respect for them. They may be resistant to ask for or use your help or those around them. Start with small steps and work together.

Legal and other documents

Start with their important papers. Just like for your own family, you want to keep a copy too of your parents’ papers. Your parents will need a durable power of attorney if you want to help them with financial decisions. A living will helps them share their wishes for medical treatment.

Medical needs

A first step for meeting your parents medical needs is a list of doctors and prescriptions. You will also need their medicare, secondary benefits and prescription benefits numbers as well. A complete medical history will help when emergencies arise.

Once you type these lists, you can print them, save them to Evernote or Dropbox, or take a picture of this list with your smart phone. It’s best to have these with you at all times.

One of my clients created lists that included the pictures of each doctor. It was easy for all family to take his parents to see the doctor and recognize that person.

Financial assistance

You may want to ask your parents if they would like help with bill paying and money matters. You can be added to their checking account to be able to pay bills online for them. Be sure to have a record of all account numbers, banks, and financial advisors just in case these are needed later.

Passwords and other details

Not always thought of, but very important, are passwords and other account access information. You can help them by creating a password book using an address book. That way all the passwords are kept together for them.

A list including their insurance information, credit card accounts and other account numbers helps you when you need to contact vendors. Your list should include a contact number and website.

Resources

Getting started may be the hardest part. Here are some resources to review.

Life.doc binder

Suze Orman system

Federal and National Elder Care Organizations

Making Organizing Manageable

April 9, 2015/1 Comment/in ADD and ADHD, Organizing Skills, Productivity/by Ellen

How do you eat an elephant? …….One bite at a time!

Making organizing manageable is all about breaking the tasks into manageable pieces. When we see a big project it’s often overwhelming. We think about organizing our entire home, storage or an office and it seems to be an impossible tasks. There are several ways to chunk down the project and create a manageable plan.

Work in time increments

I am a huge fan of using a timer to work on any project. Even just 15 minutes on any project will help you reach your goal. But I also like the idea of percolation time and working an hour at a time. Other ways to use time increments include two or three hour segments with an alarm set for 30 minutes before the end of the time. If you are unsure about how long the project will take, using time increments helps you get started and work in measured units.

Use Quadrants

Think about dividing the space you are working in into quadrants of work. It could be floor space, left wall, center wall, and right wall. It could be dividing the space into 4 quadrants entirely. Creating a physical delineation of what areas you are working on helps you see change. There’s hoola hoop organizing. Drop a hoola hoop on the floor and work on that area to eliminate and organize. As more space evolves, you are feeling more capable and less overwhelmed.

Use Numbers

Flylady refers to her 27 fling bogie. Flylady suggests eliminating 27 items a day. White House Black Shutters recommends 40 bags in 40 days. Use numbers to help you break through your feeling of being overwhelmed. You can choose your own number, no matter how large or small. Whatever your numbers, use these wisely to make your project easy to accomplish.

Work with a team

It’s much easier to work together to achieve more. Make organizing manageable by adding a partner or triad of workers. Not only does having many hands help, you have lots of ideas to get your organizing done.

Whatever strategy you use, make organizing manageable in a way that fits your strengths and style. Choose one of these ideas in order to get started and complete a project.

Monthly organizing tips and tweaks. Join here!

Asking for Help

April 2, 2015/10 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Organizing Skills, Productivity/by Ellen

Is it not in your nature to ask for help?

Have you asked for help and you heard crickets?

Is it easier to procrastinate about something rather than ask for help?

Let’s admit it, asking for help is hard. It may seem like it’s a signal about deficiency or weakness. It may be about fear and vulnerability. It may be a lack of a skill or an undeveloped skill. It could even be about being stubborn. A lot plays into asking for help. It’s time to acknowledge we are all not good at everything and play to our strengths.

It’s the best way to conquer a tough project though. It helps you move forward when you are stuck. It saves you time when you are struggling with a task or technology. Bringing together more hands and ideas can improve your project too. Is it time for you to assess asking for help?

Start small

The best way to start anything new is to start small. Ask for help with a small time commitment or piece of the project. Isolate just one thing that is holding you back on a project. Ask a trusted resource to help you with that one small task. If you are not sure what that one small thing is, ask a trusted resource to process the steps in the project to create the series of actions for completing the task.

Asking for help at work

Collaboration is a great strategy for asking for help at work. Create a team that works well together who create energy and more together. Find resources for a variety of needs that you have, whether tech, writing, calculations or other needs. Sweeten the pot with an offer to assist with a strength you have.

Email is your best tool for asking for help. Be sure to include a specific request with a deadline. Think of potential solutions as options that your resource can help you with, especially the small simple solutions. Think about additional resources like coaches, professional organizers, and productivity consultants who can also provide support and increase your productivity.

Asking for help at home

We often think our family is an unreliable source for help. However, asking for help at home is an important part of family cohesiveness. Even if you think it’s easier to do whatever yourself, teaching how to help others and team work is worth the extra energy and time.

It’s easiest to ask by starting with a family meeting. Even if there is a lot of eye rolling, your family will be happy to help with simple, small tasks that can be done quickly. Use a family chart to keep everyone on track. Set a time and date for your helpers to complete their work. If someone is already doing that task, count that. Find tasks everyone can do at the same time together to get a big job done too.

Finding resources

Have an array of resources at your disposal.

My first go to is google and find online resources. Finding answers can be as simple as a few keyboard clicks. It takes a few minutes and already I know new tricks.
My next step is to find someone in my inner circle who can respect my request. There are many colleagues, family and friends who have skills that compliment mine. I return the favor by offering something to help them as well.
Finding resources in your community are a great collaboration as well. In my arena I love having interior decorators who work on color and space design, handymen who repair and hang pictures, and tech people who help make my computer and smart phone work well.
Who would be a bonus to you as a resource?

Not matter the challenge, there is help there for the asking! Remember to share your gratitude for their help. It’s not only about how to ask for help, it’s also how to appreciate those helping out too.

Tricks and tips for any organizing or productivity challenge here!

Perfectionism, Procrastination and Organizing

March 19, 2015/3 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

Perfectionism and procrastination sound like opposites but are they really? Do you set incredibly high standards for a project including lots of planning and then don’t get started because it won’t be completed to your satisfaction? Do you put off a project, thinking you will have more time or energy to do it later? More often than you think, perfectionism can be immobilizing you. Here are some points to think about with perfectionism, procrastination and organizing.

Are you a perfectionist?

Begin by becoming aware of perfectionism in your life. Many people do not realize that they are perfectionists. A home with clutter or incomplete projects can be the home of a perfectionist! Having incredibly high standards that are impossible to reach, whether in taking care of your home, completing a project, or in any thought process, indicate perfectionism. By having the realization of perfectionism, you can begin to evaluate what this is costing you and what’s next.

Focus on balanced goals and completion

Because perfectionism is stopping us from starting, we need to focus on the goals of balance and completion. Simply put, it is that old saying, “If I can’t do it right I am not going to do it at all.” Start by asking yourself, what is “right” to you? A realistic goal balances your personal energy, time and importance of the task. You can do it well and get it done. Donna Smallin, author of Organizing Plain and Simple, notes that “done is perfect.” You can start by using Donna’s saying to help you put things in perspective, create the balance for yourself and get the job done.

Empowering self talk

Another aspect of perfectionism is rigid, black and white thinking. Either a project is perfect or a disaster! Using acknowledging, empowering self talk, including kudos of accomplishment throughout the project, leads to satisfaction with the outcome and completion. Seeing productivity, you will feel successful and feel more like completing the project. It is definitely a circle of work and success that stands out then.

Making projects manageable

We may think that a project is going to take hours and we may not have hours to work on it. It may surprise you how much less time a project takes than we imagined. We may not start a project until everything else is perfect around it. Break the tasks into manageable parts. Make it manageable with one or two hour time slots, only taking out a part of the project, or adding in additional resources. As you work through your project, commit by writing in your calendar slots that take advantage of your best energy times. You will feel successful as you move forward, instead of putting off and procrastinating.

Standards of excellence instead of perfection make a difference in starting and completing a project. Whether organizing a space or any other task, start with baby steps and practice your imperfection. Work at a comfortable pace, allow for changes as needed and review your work consistently. When others offer to assist, welcome their help and disregard their imperfections as they help you complete a project. With this process, you will be excited by the excellence you created!

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Small Business Technology and Organization

March 12, 2015/1 Comment/in Small Business Organizing, Technology and Organizing/by Ellen

As a business owner, we all want to find simple technology improvements that can make life and work easier. We see the value in using technology to its fullest. We seek out new technology options. Not long ago, wireless technology was a thing of the future and now two-thirds of small businesses use it unfailingly. Just a few small tweaks to our small business technology helps us in a big way.

Do you take advantage of the cloud?

A major trend is the use of the cloud. Did you know that 92% of all small businesses have adopted one cloud based solution? Options like Google drive, Dropbox and Box are used to store and retrieve files. The ability to store, sync and retrieve files across many platforms is a simple, smart way to efficiently run a business.

Are you using a scanner?

Take this to the next level using a scanner. Think about using a cloud based solution combination like Neat Connect to scan and store documents. You are on the way to a paperless office. There are fewer hassles finding and filing important documents. There is less manual entry and more automation. You feel less stress about shuffling documents between co-workers.

Do you market with social media?

Social media sites like hootsuite and klout make it easy to reach your audience. You can post to Facebook and twitter by scheduling your posts. Klout recommends articles of interest to your audience. Take your social media marketing to the next step using these tools.

What apps apply for your small biz?

Using programs and apps that are available on smart phone, tablet and computer make powerful use of technology . Apps like Evernote and Notes help us increase efficiency with task management. Using social media across platforms helps us leverage our marketing. Apps can help with simple small tasks too. Expense reports and taking payments can be easily managed with Expensify and Square. Neat combines the power of your desktop, your tablet, and your smartphone creating a system that helps with accounting, contacts and documents. We all have favorite apps. Add your’s below.

Finding the right combination of apps for your small business makes small business work more manageable. Seek out new technology with an eye for automation. Keep open to find solutions to challenges you are facing through finding solutions within technology improvements.

Ideas for your small biz on Pinterest.

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5 Tried and True Techniques for Productivity

March 5, 2015/6 Comments/in Productivity/by Ellen

When we have tried and true tools and techniques, we trust these won’t fail us. When it’s crunch time it’s easier to be more productive. There are so many different tools, tips and remixes for each of us to use. I have learned to trust these 5 techniques for making sure I am efficient and effective, especially when it’s down to the wire.

I always trust my planner

My first instinct as an organizer is to run to my planner and write stuff down. In just seconds I won’t remember an appointment, a task for a client, or to return a call. Writing stuff down means I don’t have to remember it and I can trust my planner with all dates and details.

I rely on percolation time.

I have learned that working on projects when they are broken down into smaller units works for me. I think and work hard for an hour, then I leave the project for a few days. In the days between, I have new thoughts and additional energy. The time between the work periods is what I call percolation time. It’s the time things “percolate” to the top. I can continue and complete the project feeling I have done my best.

I do my best work early in the day.

You’re either a morning person or an evening person. For me my best work is done earliest in the day. Thoughts flow easily and content comes together. I take a walk-run early and then head immediately into work time. Do you know when is your best work time?

I start each day with a list and knowing my 3 Most Important Tasks (MITs)

Without my Maps app, I won’t be heading anywhere in my car. Without my 3 MITs, I am not heading in the right direction either. My Most Important Tasks usually revolve around calendar (Note: it was first on this list) and client responsiveness. Know your goals and set these up for success by prioritizing the day’s tasks.

I love and trust routine and use it wisely.

If you looked in my planner, you could easily see my daily routine. Client appointments are scheduled in 3 hour units, parallel times each day. I especially love my bedtime routine. I am a person of great routines and consistency. Each of us has some routine already existing. It’s in adding in what will benefit you, rather than rein you in, that routines do us the most good.

What are your tried and true tricks for productivity?

More ideas on Powerful Productivity.

More tricks and techniques each month!

15 Favorite Organizing Products

February 19, 2015/7 Comments/in Organizing products/by Ellen

There are so many organizing products available everywhere. It can be confusing and overwhelming. It’s about size, proportion, color, clear and so many more choices. In addition you probably have a lot of organizing products at your home that you can reuse like baskets, bins or even shoe boxes. I put together this list of favorite organizing products to share some basic products that I love and that make a difference for you!

shoe grid

This shoe organizing grid works wonders under your short hang items. You can put this at the back door to create a faux mud room. It’s great for kids shoes in their closets too.

slim line hangers

Not a luxury anymore, these slim line hangers are a necessity to organize your closet. Your clothes all hang at the same height. It makes your closet look like Neiman Marcus!

three drawer cart or drawers

Some times a little extra drawer space or a cart can add storage in an area. Three drawer carts give you space to categorize too. This cart can be used in the kitchen to store kids’ art supplies. It can be used in your kids’ toy area to store dollies, dolly dresses and dolly accessories. It can be used in your kid’s closet for undies, jammies and leggings.

command hooks

Need an extra hook for a backpack or purse? Want to add a hooks on a bathroom door? Here are command hooks to the organizing rescue!

plastic portable shelving

Portable plastic shelving helps you take advantage of vertical space. You can use this in an attic, basement, garage or under the stairs closet. It can be 3 to 5 shelves tall. You can use several side by side. It takes organizing to new heights.

IKEA Expedit or Kallax

Inexpensive cube storage from IKEA makes it easy to organize. Using this product, you have ample storage that can be used creatively and functionally. It can be used in an office, kid’s room, toy room, or any space that needs additional storage. Check out the many different uses here on my pinterest page.

shelf helper

We never have enough kitchen storage. It’s great to add this shelf helper to store dishes in your cabinets where it’s not adjustable.

plastic shoe box

This versatile product can be used over and over in your home. It can store floppy spice packets in the pantry, toys in the play room, school supplies in the office and more. Be sure to label the top and 2 sides to maintain your organization.

label maker

Our lives are better with a label maker! You can use these throughout your home and office to be sure everyone, including you, knows where things belong.

file cart

It’s easiest to file when you have your files nearby. Add great file organization with a cart.

office media storage

We have fewer and fewer cds or disks to store, however offfice media storage makes an attractive. You can use this for music, photos or operations disks.

paper command center

A desk top sorter is the best paper command center. These attractive organizing products make it easy to drop in papers and retrieve when you need them, keeping your desk clear and functional.

paper organizing tote

Taking your work on the road? This paper organizing tote (from Office Candy) makes it easy to stay organized on the go.

Evernote

This elephant makes your life more productive. Evernote is an online tool to keep lists, tag websites, and more. It’s an app for all your devices.

Notes

Simple to use, this Note on your smart phone gives you a post it note wherever your phone is!

Planner Pad

Planner pad is a designed to consolidate your lists and your planner. This planner helps you keep your life organized with slots for your lists, slots for your daily list and slots for your appointments. It’s unusual features make it a favorite for those with ADHD.

That’s a wrap up of my favorites! Here’s more!

What are your favorite organizing products?

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Organizing a “Texas Basement”

February 15, 2015/4 Comments/in Home Organizing/by Ellen

It’s quite funny but in southeast Texas we have no underground basements. The same applies to southeast Louisiana. Due to the water table in Houston, our “Texas basement” is storage above the garage. (In other parts of the country this is called the attic!) It can be accessed by a pull down ladder or through a door. No matter where your basement is located, Texas or not, some of the same organizing strategies apply! Organizing a Texas basement is the same as other basements.

Partner up, partner.

It’s always best to work in a partnership with a big space. Your Texas basement can be overwhelming otherwise. Choose a partner that helps you make good decisions about your stuff. Your partner could be the owner of some of the stuff or just help you reflect on whether it can be donated. Have a conversation ahead of time about priorities and what help you need to make decisions. It’s also great to have another set of hands to help move your boxes and bins together. It helps offset accidental injury. Set a date on the calendar that can’t be changed, no matter what. Get your partner and get going partner!

Use vertical space wisely.

There’s always lots of wall space in our Texas basements. Use this vertical space well by adding storage with shelves.

5 tier shelving

Using these inexpensive, 4 or 5 shelf units in your basement or attic gives you loads of additional storage. You can stack bins on them, store luggage on them, or even place large holiday decorations on them. Line up 3 or 4 shelving units for maximum storage. Since these are light weight and portable these are a great asset for your space.

Use plastic bins to contain your goods.

Here in Texas we have a lot of big insects! We like to protect our goods by keeping them stored in plastic bins, rather than cardboard boxes. Cardboard attracts bugs and we want to be sure our items are secured away from bug stuff.

These 66 quart bins with a latch make it easy to carry your stuff up those stairs to your Texas basement. It’s not too big or heavy. It’s best to label two sides and the top of your bin to know what you are storing.

Choose wisely what you store

Because we have limited storage, we need to make good decisions about what to store. In Texas the heat is definitely a factor in what to store in our Texas basements. With temperatures in the 90s during the summer, you want to store only items that can withstand that heat.

Typical storage includes:

Holiday decorations make of wood, metal, or fabric
Archived tax preparation papers

Typical storage should not include:

Photos
Technology

Our Texas basements make it especially hard to store furniture. But that can be a blessing in disguise. Your furniture can be donated to a local furniture bank or homeless shelter where families are setting up their new homes. It helps us make good decisions on what to keep and helps us bless others with our donations.

Whether it’s your basement or attic, be sure to check regularly for “unwanted guests”. Pests can get into your space and ruin what you are storing.

Remember that this storage, like all other spaces in your home, needs a regular review of what’s being stored here. Date your boxes and bins so that you can check in a year or two whether you need the items. Treat your storage space like all other valuable space in your home.

What do you store in your attic or basement?

Celebrating 15 year of Organizing

February 10, 2015/6 Comments/in Organizing Quotes and Inspiration, Organizing Skills/by Ellen

It’s hard to believe that Professional-Organizer.com is celebrating 15 years of making a difference with individuals, families, students, professionals and stay at home people. In 2000 when Professional-Organizer.com started:

Hoarders and Clean Sweep were not on TV
Professional organizers and productivity consultants were just beginning to be recognized as resources to help you at home and work.
Clutter was not recognized as one of the top 3 resolutions for making change in our lives each year.

What I love about my work is the mutual trust, respect and joy of my work with my clients. My clients are brilliant people who organizing has eluded their lives. I have learned so much from my clients over the last 15 years. Here’s what we have shared over the years.

Our work together has many emotions.

There’s tears and laughter and anxiety and hope. There are many emotions in our work. Working together it’s more than the stuff. It’s how we feel as we approach organizing and where we are in our lives too.

What’s most powerful about our work is the positivity that comes from it. When we work together, clients feel empowered and positive about organizing and productivity. It starts with feeling successful and trickles over to all parts of their lives.

There’s always a hug at the end!

There’s lots to talk about.

More than anything, there’s lots to communicate about when organizing. Every item has a story behind it. Our stuff is linked to experiences, people, and feelings. Our stories help us let go of or value our stuff. We do a lot of talking and processing about our stuff to let it go.

Many of my clients are verbal processors. As they talk through a situation, it becomes clearer to them. In their heads there was a lot of clutter too. Verbalizing and talking helps them focus and find clarity.

Talking through a decision helps my clients. When they are paralyzed by indecision, we work together to bring about clarity.

We work best with a partner.

Organizing can be isolating, scary and sad. Working with a partner brings energy and positivity to the work. A second set of eyes, hands and feet make the work load much easier. When we are sitting together going through paper, having another person there to help with decisions makes it easier.

Having a partner makes every situation less stressful and less of a work load. When I arrive, we are committed to our work that day. It lifts the burden for my clients. It brings energy to our work to have add a partner.

Different situations cause disorder.

Many of my clients were highly organized and then “life happened.” There are many complicated situations that brought about disorder. Taking time to catch up can restore confidence and peace of mind.

We have high expectations of ourselves. It’s hard to stay organized during a health crisis, a family crisis, or a combination. We often think we can do more in the time we have or with the energy left after a crisis. I often hear from my clients that they were organized and then they lost a parent they cared for in their home. I also learn that they are managing the paper work and possessions of several family members. With my being a part of the team, they are able to restore order to their lives. They feel capable and competent going forward.

Everyone has a different organizing style.

Many of my clients have never been organized. It was never their strength. It was never how they thought. I love helping them create their own style of organization by our work together. There is no one “right” way to be organized. There are many levels of organization, from minimalist to Martha. What works for you is what’s most valuable.

I am planning on another 15 years of organizing and productivity consulting. It’s remarkable to work as a team and I am excited to be a witness to the transformations I see every day. You can see them too by checking out Hugs and Happy Organizing, true stories and pictures of my work with clients. I always sign off with hugs and happy organizing too!

Small Business Computer Clean Up

February 10, 2015/1 Comment/in Technology and Organizing/by Ellen

Our small businesses require 24/7 computer access. There’s nothing more troubling than computer challenges. Check out these tips in collaboration with Lisa Margetis. She is sharing about keeping your computer cleaned up and ready at all times.

What’s the best way to get started “cleaning up your computer” for a small business?

The best way to start getting business files organized is to create and implement a style of folder organization that is easy-to-follow for both you and your employees. If you can create an accompanying training guide as well, this will be very helpful in keeping all of your organization’s files consistent across the company. It’s also important to enable network sharing settings for employees who may need to access files that don’t live on their hard drive. However, an alternative option would be to use a collaborative document system that lives in the cloud (such as Google Drive) so that all employees can access any documents at any time from anywhere. Google Drive is great because it also allows you to share documents with individuals both inside and outside of your organization at your discretion.

What steps do you take to organize information on your computer?

Personally, I use an organization system that organizes by project I am working on. For example, when creating this calendar, I have my files organized with the prefix CCC (for Clean Computer Calendar) followed by a bar symbol (|) and then whatever the document is about. Some example file names are: ‘CCC | Calendar Draft’, ‘CCC | Calendar Copy FINAL’, ‘CCC | Finished JPG’, etc. This way, all items from a given project are grouped together which makes it easier to find items in the long run. I often create a folder for a given project once it is complete so that my ‘Documents’ folder only contains items that I am currently working on. Likely in a few months’ time I will create a folder labeled “Clean Computer Calendar” and put all of my items labeled with ‘CCC’ into it. My folder system words so that it would be located in Documents>Projects>Clean Computer Calendar. I try to use a system that any coworker could understand if they were looking for something on my computer.

What’s one thing that all small business owners should do to maintain security on their computer?

The best way to maintain security is to do two things.
• Make sure to always be updating your system, as well as any antivirus or firewall software you have installed. Although it can be tedious and annoying when an alert pops up that your computer needs updating, it is extremely important to take the time to install these updates, as they are often being released to help combat some sort of security feature that will help protect your system.
• Make sure to use unique passwords and update them regularly. Personally, I try to rotate my passwords every two months. Again, this probably seems tedious and annoying, but it helps safeguard your system. It’s important to note that these passwords shouldn’t just change incrementally (ex: ilovemydog1, ilovemydog2, ilovemydog3, etc.) and instead are completely different each time they are changed (ex: ilovemydog1, catsrule23, mynameislisa14, etc). If you can avoid using dictionary words, that’s even better, as the more difficult you make your password, the less likely it is that a robot could crack the code.

What suggestions do you have for backing up computers for small business?

It is so important in today’s technology age to be backing up all the time and in different locations. For small businesses, I would definitely recommend backing up to a dedicated cloud server for your business, and doing so in a location that isn’t close to where you are headquartered. This is called co-location, which is the practice of backing up your data in multiple locations. This way, if a disaster happens (fire, flood, etc.) at your headquarters, your data is safely housed somewhere else. It also helps with business downtime, so that if your hosting company is affected you can still access files and your site can still run off of its backup servers located elsewhere.

Use this month calendar to get the job done.

Great tips from Lisa!