You only have 24 hours a day. The only way to get more time is to eliminate tasks or get help doing them.

I know this is a hard concept for some to embrace. The idea of paying someone to do something you CAN do is a big mental mindset shift.

By PAYING for a task to be done by someone else you are saying.

1. I can't do it ALL.
2. This is important enough to me at this time to make sure it is done and done regularly.
3. I am going to use that time that is freed up to do.....

What is it that you REALLY what to be spending your time doing? 

This blog post is a meaty one. https://organize365.com/care/ I share the 10 steps I go through when hiring help. 

How to hire help

1. Make a job description. In your dream world what are ALL the things this person would do? When I hired babysitters for my daughter, I specifically looked for people who liked to cook and liked pets - 2 of my weaknesses and my daughter's strengths.
2. Invite 10-20 people to look at your job description. Many people will not respond, so reach out to between 10 -20 potential good matches. When you get a yes... The LESS hours you need, the more candidates you will go through.
3. Schedule an in person interview at your house on the day you want regular service. If you want a babysitter every Friday night, interview people on Friday night. If they can’t make the interview at that time... they won't be able to accept the job.
4. Be flexible. The best employee/ employer relationship is a win -win. You win by getting the task done. Know what you want done - no matter what - and what would be a great addition, but not a deal breaker if it can't be done.
5. Hire for a long time relationship not a one off task. Working in your home with your family is an intimate relationship. Trust your "gut feel" when interviewing and go for the candidate you feel most comfortable with.
6. Remember this is a job. Don't get too chummy too fast. Maintain your role as employer and have safe boundaries.
7. Negotiate. Be fair with what you are willing to pay. If you are wanting just a few hours or a specific day and time, be willing to pay a little for then to work around your schedule.
8. Start with a trial. When you have picked your winner - start with a 30 day trial. Having a trial period of time allows you both to get to know each other and the expectations of the job. At the end of 30 days you will be able to clarify any tasks that need to be changed, modify hours, and solidify the agreement going forward.
9. Be a good employer. I LOVE being an employer. Appreciate your hired help. Treat them like a valued member of your team. Remember important events in their lives. Pay them fairly and ethically. Pay the taxes you know you should.
10. Enjoy your new found time! 

I use and recommended Care.com for household employment needs. By using this link I will earn an affiliate commission at no additional expense to you. Thanks!

Save 20% on a Care.com membership here.

Boys have fewer categories of “toys” but more pieces and parts than girls. The key to having an organized boy’s room is to buy organizers specifically designed for each of their precious collections. Understanding how boys go from toys to collections will also shed some light on the husbands and fathers in your life.

The blog post is full of Amazon links of the exact products I use when organizing boys Legos, video games, and card collections.https://organize365.com/organizing-boys/

Next Wednesday I will tackle how to organize sporting equipment for all ages.

Our natural inclination is to want to organize someone else or dive deep into organizing our "passions."

Today’s podcast came from a reader's submission, “Now that I no longer have kids' schedules dictating my time, I have no clue how to start planning MY time.”

I find this is SO true. When I have very little time, I manage my time and tasks well. When I feel like I have “all the time in the world,” I waste almost all of it.

In this podcast, I am diving deep into how we look at the time we have and how to make our own goals and deadlines to live the life we want.

I’d love to walk you through how to set and start your home organization plan in motion. Please join me in an upcoming webinar.

https://organize365.com/mindset-webinar/

You can view all the productivity podcasts here: https://organize365.com/productivity/

Basements and storage areas are the easiest places to hide treasures we aren’t sure if we still want and items we don’t know how to properly get rid of.

Today, I am revisiting this space with more ideas to help you tackle your storage monster.

And with the winter holidays just around the corner, I have a challenge for you and some tips on scaling back and organizing your holiday decorations.

You can find more storage organizing posts and podcasts here: https://organize365.com/home-storage-and-organization-ideas/

This summer, I took the 10 Weeks To An Organized Move blog series and organized it into a free eBook resource.

Once you have your tasks divided out by type, then it’s time to find new pockets of time to accomplish your to-do list!

Here are 10 ways I have been able to find more time in the last 10 years:

1. Watch less TV.
2. Limit my time on social media.
3. Turn off my phone notifications.
4. Shorten the amount of time I spend straightening up in the morning.
5. Smoosh household tasks together.
6. Skip household tasks all together on one day each week.
7. Get up early or stay up late.
8. Hire help and use that time on your focused work.
9. Trade a day with a friend or use dates to knock out to-do's.
10. Work faster and accept that done is better than perfect.

Listen to this week’s podcast to hear how I did – or didn’t - use each of these strategies in different phases of my life.

For all links to all the posts in the productivity series go here: 

Once you have streamlined and moved most of your household tasks to large chunks of time in your calendar, you can now start to use 5 minute snippets of time to knock off some of the repetitive routine tasks on your list. This opens up more valuable chunks of time to get done bigger - and more valuable - projects. 

All work is NOT created equal. Before you listen to the podcast this week, make a giant list of all the tasks you want and need to get done. Then listen in to discover how to re-organize your to-do list to get the most done.

There are 4 kinds of tasks that end up on my to-do list.  Here is a brief synopsis of each one:

1. Ideas - Oh boy, do I have a BUNCH of ideas! Instead of putting my ideas on my to-do list, I jot the idea on a scrap of paper and toss it into my Sunday Basket. Then every 2-3 weeks, I read through my ideas and 80% end up getting tossed in the garbage.

2. Repetitive tasks I can be easily distracted from while doing them - Laundry, dishes, bill paying, cooking, grocery shopping, yard work, etc. These never-ending repetitive tasks can easily be done while listening to a podcast or beside my husband or kids while chatting with them. I save these tasks for Sundays and evenings when the family is home.

3. Focused work - These are the big things on your to-do list that would make a difference in your home, family, or career, but they require silence and focused work to get them done. Often, these are the items that move from list to list because we don't have the time to do them. NEWS FLASH, the time is never going to magically appear. Sorry.

To change your life and get big things done takes prioritization and time. Start by finding 30 minutes a day to put toward your focused work. Just ONE goal. Then work your way up to 2-4 hours a day. This is NOT easy, but SO worth it! It will feel weird pulling that time from other areas, but once you accomplish one goal you will be hooked!

4. Thinking time - This is not a to-do on your list, but I find if I do not have any time for my mind to wander - while I am driving, walking the dog, or doing the dishes - I get cranky. I need time to think and dream about possibilities and solutions. I am an entrepreneurial creative type and we need lots of time to think. You might need some planned thinking time, too!

For all the links to all the posts in the productivity series go here: www.organize365.com/productivity 

Checklists save time and sanity! In this podcast I am going over the checklists I use for monthly tasks and remembering one time yearly to do's.