As a Professional Organizer, I’m always game for chatting about the many strategies for success in organizing. So, it was a distinct pleasure to participate in a podcast with Mark Dillon, host of Organize Mindfully.
“Twice a week the Organize Mindfully Podcast brings you organizing professionals, designers, mindfulness teachers and people who are living an inspired and organized life. They share amazing insights, new ideas, tips & techniques so you can grow, gain inspiration and bring order to your life. From there you can accomplish anything. “
One thing I wanted to expand on from our interview was what helps me shake out of an organizing ‘slump’, or how I can get motivated to get my motivation back after periods of rest. After further reflection, I recalled that what really helps me the most is the use of lists and creating habits.
Utilizing task and to-do lists never fail to keep me on track. Creating habits around the use of these lists (a particular day or time to refer to the lists and / or the items on them) is a huge factor in getting / staying motivated.
This certainly goes with the theme of the rest of our conversation that featured the importance of writing things down. By having a list of things I need or want to accomplish daily / weekly / monthly, the list can become my ‘boss’ or ‘manager’ reminding me and prompting me of what important tasks need to be done. A habitual day or time to refer to these lists serves to either keep me on track, or gets me back on track.
Check out some FREE PRINTABLE CHECKLISTS that I created to help stay on track of recurring home management tasks.
Mark produced a great follow-up episode to our discussion, expanding on how to keep track of things in your life on Episode #59 as well.
If you enjoy expanding your knowledge on all things organizing or you’d like an outlet to hear from other organizational industry professionals, make sure to explore and subscribe to the Organize Mindfully Podcast!
Would you agree that sending personal notes in the mail is a lost art?
When was the last time you sent or received a greeting card in the mail?
If you DO send cards, who do you send them to?
If you receive cards, who most often sends them to you?
For what occasions?
If you’re like me, cards don’t get sent very often.
If you’re like me, you’ve slowly resorted to depending on facebook to tell you when it’s time to say ‘Happy Birthday’.
It’s really no wonder why this is the case when you find yourself in a season of life where extra time and energy is limited.
It takes time and planning to purchase both physical cards as well as postage in order to mail out.
It takes effort and intention to keep stock of and store a variety of cards for multiple occasions, not to mention finding a place to store them in the home so it’s easy to find when you need them. And, of course, you need to actually remember to SEND the card when the time comes as well.
However, if you’re like me, you still sincerely ENJOY receiving cards in the mail, right?
You still get a warm and fuzzy feeling reading appreciative or encouraging words chosen with you in mind, right? When you get a special note in the mail, it might even make you wish you had the extra time, energy, or resources to do the same once in a while.
Wouldn’t it be great to get back in the habit of showing appreciation and enriching the lives of important people in your life with a simple card in a more easy and affordable way (that will additionally prompt you to send the important greeting in a timely manner as well!) !?
I was recently re-introduced to a company that accomplishes ALL that in one!
With Send Out Cards, you simply choose or create a card from the comfort of your own home on line. Then, the company will print, address, stamp and send it out to your loved one the very next day!!
A physical card will soon arrive in the recipients mailbox that has the capability to use either custom fonts or your own handwriting as well!
There are over 18,000 cards to choose from.
You’re sure to find one to suit whatever occasion you’d like to honor.
Or, you can custom design your card.
My personal favorite feature is the ability to add your own photos!
It instantly personalizes your message and makes it even more memorable!
Another amazing feature is the capability to add a gift to be shipped with the card!!
Can you believe it gets even EASIER to send out
some love and appreciation to important people in your life?
You can create a card, attach photos already available on your phone immediately when you’re thinking about it!
Download the app for free and log in to access your already established account.
I recently visited and stayed with an out-of-state friend. It was a wonderful visit and my friend was the most generous and thoughtful hosetess. With the Send Out Cards App, it was so fun to send her a Thank You card with photos of our fun together the night BEFORE I even left!
There are several payment options to choose from depending on the type and quantity of cards you want to send.
Each type of card has a particular ‘point’ value and each specialized feature has an additional ‘point’ value. So, you begin by purchasing these ‘points’ to use as you choose. These purchased points are banked for an entire year from the time they are purchased.
Do you enjoy sending Photo Greeting Cards for the Holiday Season?
Send Out Cards currently has the best possible rate compared to other popular outlets particularly if you subscribe by the month and ‘save up’ the allotted points for special occasions.
If you have any more questions about Send Out Cards, please contact my friend, Kim Larson for more information:
678-877-0576
goforeeagles@gmail.com *Disclaimer* I was given a temporary complimentary account for the purposes of test driving this service. I only agree to review or endorse goods and services that I would consider using myself or suggest as a helpful solution to one of my valued clients. All opinions are my own. I’m now a BIG fan of Send Out Cards!
Have you ever wondered why you can’t seem to stay organized?
You read all the ‘organizing’ magazine articles, books and blogs.
You’ve got an amazing collection of fantastic organizing ideas and photos of beautifully organized spaces collected on your ‘get organized’ pinterest board.
Maybe you’ve even attempted to put some of the ideas and strategies you’ve read about into action?
Yet, even when you create a beautiful system using all the suggested materials and supplies intended to GET you organized…. it doesn’t seem to always STAY organized?
Or, maybe you observe that you once considered yourself to be fairly organized in a previous stage in life. But now, for some reason you can’t put your finger on – not so much.
I would challenge you to consider if you are putting enough energy and attention into the HABITS required to maintain the SYSTEM you have created.
The systems you create are only as effective as the habits you keep.
Identifying a useful and functional system to organize any area is certainly a great (and worthwhile!) first step – but I wonder if some may expect the system to magically solve all the clutter problems without putting the necessary planning and effort into the idenification and implementation of HABITS needed to make the system work?
That ‘Command Center‘ intended to keep your schedules and reference materials organized is only useful if you regularly update new information and purge the old.
The Paper Flow / Filing System you put into place will only actually limit and control paper build-up if you PLAN regular blocks of time each day / week / month to: 1) Filter the incoming paper into the correct categories, 2) Act or follow through on tasks represented on ‘To-Do’ related papers, 3) File documents into long-term filing system, 4) Purge files on a regular basis.
Toy Storage Solutions you create will only remain tidy when you 1) Teach children about the system and 2) Plan regular blocks of time to guide the children to put things back where they belong. Even 10 minutes at a time, a few times a day will work wonders!
It comes down to being consistent with the HABITS
required to maintain whatever system you create.
At the end of the day, the more STUFF you have aquired = more time and energy required to maintain the habits of keeping it all tidy. All the more reason to edit the amount of belongings and collections to only what you truly find useful and beautiful.
Today, I’ve invited a special guest to share some great tips on staying organized during a home renovation project. Caitlin Burgess is a former community journalist who now works in blogging and digital marketing, and is a guest writer for Highmark Builders. She loves to organize, craft, and try out new DIY projects she scouts out on Pinterest and local blogs.
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When I was 12 years old I gave my parents the worst scare of their lives—as well as one of the best presents. The scare? The oven caught fire when I was making an after-school pizza, and while it didn’t spread, the whole house was smoked. The present? I killed that horrid, brown range that was all the rage in the 1970s, and set in motion a major kitchen renovation. (Dad told me to make sure I got the fire a little closer to the garage the next time—we needed new siding.)
While your next renovation project will likely not come out of an unfortunate accident, it can still be daunting and scary. Finding ways to keep organized through it all can quell stress and help you make thoughtful decisions. Here are some of my top tips for staying organized during a home renovation:
Create a Plan If you’re itching to get that remodel going, please don’t just start knocking down walls. A little planning can go a long way. According to remodeling contractor Highmark Builders, these are some questions you should ask yourself:
What is the goal of your remodel? (To add value to your home? Make your living space more functional? Just need a change?)
What do I want the end result to look like? (More open concept? More living space? More light? More storage?)
What’s your budget?
What’s your desired timeline?
Will you be doing the work yourself, or are you hiring someone?
What tools or permits do you need to do the work yourself?
Are there plumbing or electrical elements to think about?
Does your homeowner’s insurance have any restrictions?
Once you’ve outlined your answers to all the above questions, then you can move forward with the design of your renovation, and then move on to all the little details. HouseLogic, which is run by the National Association of Realtors, has a great website section on planning your remodel. Hiring a Contractor If you elect to have a remodeling contractor do the renovation for you, take some time to do your research.
Ask friends and family members for recommendations, check out review sites like Angie’s List or Yelp, and then compile a list of contractors you’d like to interview. You want a trustworthy, experienced and flexible remodeler. You could ask to visit them at a current remodeling site to see how they work for yourself. Once you’re ready to commit to a contractor, make sure you review the contract thoroughly so there are no surprises later.
Get Organized
Now that the renovation is on the schedule, it’s time to get organized:
Create a special board on Pinterest to house all your design and decor ideas for the new room. If you’re not into the online thing, create a physical file folder to put all your samples and idea sheets in.
Set up a temporary space that can serve as a stand-in for the room that’s being renovated.
Pull out everything that you use on a regular basis, and neatly pack all the other things that can go into storage. If you have valuables or breakables that you want to protect, make sure those are pulled down and properly packed away.
Use labeled Ziplock bags or small clear lidded bins to organize everything you can–this is especially useful for a kitchen reno. You can see everything inside the bag / bin and everything will have a specific place to be stowed.
Again, if you’re doing a kitchen renovation, pack all foods by category so it is easy to find what you’re looking for later. In general, aim to keep like items together.
This is the perfect time to donate things you don’t use or don’t need. There are a number of Goodwill locations all over the state, and there’s also Promise Place, a nonprofit that helps victims of domestic violence, which is always looking for donations.
Keep an organized list of expenses so you know what you’ve paid, what you owe and whether you’re staying on budget.
Think about how the renovation will interrupt your schedule, and devise plans and workarounds that can help you avoid frustrations and delays.
Once the renovation is in full swing, resign yourself to the fact that something will probably go wrong. Having hotels, restaurants or laundromats in mind for the unexpected setback will help get through it.
Don’t delay decisions and don’t change your mind too much.
The bottom line? Plan for everything you can, and be ready to make decisions to keep things on track. (And teach your kids the difference between a plastic, pizza cutting board and baking stone. Because they all look the same to 12 years olds. This tip will certainly help minimize the risk of an unplanned remodel!) Need more organization help before, during or after your home renovation project? Connect with Heidi today. Thanks Caitlin!! Caitlin Burgess is a former community journalist who now works in blogging and digital marketing, and is a guest writer for Highmark Builders. She loves to organize, craft, and try out new DIY projects she scouts out on Pinterest and local blogs.
No one notices when you do it, but everyone notices it when you don’t.
Well, ain’t that the truth?!
While everyone enjoys living in a clean and tidy environment,
keeping up with Housekeeping chores can certainly feel overwhelming at times.
Using a checklist to guide you in your Housekeeping tasks will lessen the overwhelm and keep you motivated in a few ways:
1. Having a checklist will provide peace and assurance you’ve got a PLAN toward achieving all that you need to accomplish.
2. Checklists provide a strategic and organized approach to accomplish your various tasks by allowing you to focus on ONE task at a time.
3. Using a checklists provides an instant sense of success and accomplishment by having a visual ‘pat on the back’ as you mark off tasks as they’ve been completed.
Operation Organization by Heidi Home Management Checklists are now easier than ever to print and download!
CLICK HERE to get yours now and enjoy a more peaceful and organized approach to Housekeeping!
