The audio book version of The Mindset of Organization is finally here!! I hope you enjoy these sample chapters today. You can get a free audible copy of The Mindset of Organization and start a free 30 day trial at Organize365.com/audible

Listen to how being organized, and living an organized life allows you to be more productive, and be able to handle those unexpected emergencies and events that come into every person's life. Change is inevitable. Unexpected events are going to happen. They are a guaranteed but they're unexpected.

A few weeks ago, I had a series of events happen in a matter of just two to three days that cost me 80 hours out of the next two weeks of my life. Some of these were good changes. Some of these were bad changes. And all of them were unexpected.

I'm going to walk you through that 16 days, how these events unfolded over that time, what ended up getting sacrificed out of my schedule, and how I got back on track.

So what did I do?

#1 - I managed my expectations.

#2 – My systems are rock solid.

#3 - I used my phone for almost everything!

#4 - I remained calm so that the kids and Greg remained calm too.

So this getting organized thing, it's a big deal. It's a really big deal. It has a huge impact, not only on your space and how your space looks, but your ability to drop everything and take care of your kids or the people that you work with so that they can go and grieve or do what they need to do, and you can pick up the pieces and not be a hot mess or all stressed out about it. It's important for your marriage if you're married. The more organized you are, the more time you have for those people that you love and for yourself.

The quickest way to get to a productive life is to get your home organized. Join me in the 100 Day home organization challenge and let’s do this!

I’m sharing what I like, don't like and why I think that this book doesn't work for American women.

Talk about a controversial statement, I know, but I think "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" does not work for the majority of American women. Marie and I approach organizing differently based on our ages and countries of origin./p>

There a few things that I do like about Marie's book.

1. I love that she has brought the discussion of clutter and organizing to the attention of the media and people around the world.
2. I like the idea behind her method of sparking joy. “If it doesn't spark joy that you should get rid of it.”
3. I also love that Marie champions that idea that organization is a teachable and learnable skill.

Yes, yes, YES! That is what I have been saying for years, that it doesn't matter if you're not organized now, you can learn to be organized.

{To really understand why this book doesn’t work for American women read the whole post or listen to the podcast where I dive deep into the differences between an American house and a Japanese house and our cultural differences.}

Immediately that rubbed me the wrong way, which is why I had such a hard time with her book. Having helped so many women organize their whole homes and organized my own I know, it took me three years to get organized. Knowing how hard American women try to be organized and the quantity of items to be organized I knew it was not that easy. You can't just wave a magic wand, do it once and it's all done.

#2 Marie consistently brings up this idea of perfectionism, the perfect system and that you can reach perfection.

I do not think that you can reach perfection. I'm not there, I actually get bored when I get anywhere close to being super productive. I create all these alternative projects I can do to make my life a little bit more cluttered. I don't want to live in a perfect minimalistic, 100% efficient life. I don't agree that you can actually even achieve a perfect life.  

#3 Is the topic of paper organization.

This is the hot button that originally rubbed me the wrong way when reading Marie’s book. The first time I read her book, I stopped reading after the one and a half pages about how to organize paper, which basically said just get rid of all of it.

I about had a heart failure.

So when I re-read the book last week, and I read all the way through I realized that towards the end of the book she does tell you how to organize paper, a little bit. But she still sticks with the idea that almost all paper should be thrown away and that there are only three files that you should have.

Files.

#4 Marie glosses over photos and memories.

Her suggestion to go through your photos one by one and make decisions, would take at least a year for most of the Americans that I know. It is definitely not something you can tidy all at once and be done in a day or two. Furthermore, most Americans have a hard time deciding which photos are good to keep and which ones can be let go.

Don’t believe me? What do you do with your school pictures after you put one in a family frame and hand them out to friends and family members? If you are like most Americans you store the rest in the school envelope and “save” them. Who know, we might “need” them. And they cost good money. See – we need help.

And lastly, #5 Marie explains how she empties her purse every single day.

Her wallet, train ticket, etc all come out of her purse and are stored in different places in her home. Then she puts the purse in a bag and puts it up on the shelf of her closet. There is no way that I could empty out my purse and refill my purse every day.

I am so grateful that the "Magic Art of Tidying Up" has become such a popular book and has brought this whole idea of organizing and decluttering to the forefront of the media. It has opened up the discussion for people around the world to really take a look at the stuff that they have saved and think about the kind of a life that they want to live.

When your family gathers together for the holidays this year, bring out your memory boxes!

Organizing old family memories, treasures, photos, and memorabilia is time-consuming and hard emotional work. Why not involve the whole family this year and conquer a few boxes at the same time.

1. Pull out all the photos.

Grab a few boxes of photos and let you family enjoy them, unorganized and all. Enjoy sharing stories and reminiscing about old times.

Use a photo-safe pen for family members to label who is in the picture on the back.

Let your family pitch duplicates, blurry pictures, pictures of landscapes, and other unnecessary photos.

Ask a teenager to scan the best photos and share them with the family.

Let your family members take the photos home!

2. Record the stories.

You can make a video or audio recording of your family’s memories, but I like good old fashioned oral tradition as well.

Share stories, let the grandchildren overhear, and laugh until you cry.

Hearing the stories of your family’s history is powerful.

3. Pull out childhood memories from the attic and storage room with your adult children.

Bring up a few boxes of your adult child’s childhood memories to reminisce and go through in the family room. Share the memories and either declutter the items or send them home with your child. J

If you are the child, go grab a few of those boxes on your next visit home.

4. Play old home movies on the TV.

Fire up the old VHS or movie reel player and enjoy watching past holidays, babies take their first steps and ride their bikes.

Memories are meant to be shared and enjoyed. Enjoy yours with your families this holiday!

You can view the full post here: https://organize365.com/137

Thank you to Swap.com for sponsoring this podcast series.

For many of us, it is relatively easy to let go of inexpensive items of clutter that we no longer love and need. As you progress through your home decluttering/organization journey, you will naturally start to question why you are keeping items of greater value.

For many of us, the act of collecting is fun. As children, we collected Beanie Babies, Happy Meal toys, and rocks. As we age, the desire to have complete collections can consume us beyond our actual desire for the items being collected. 

And once collected, collectibles have both a real and a perceived value. 

So what do we do when we look around our homes and see expensive clutter that we lovingly collected and purchased?

1. Does the collection still bring you joy? 
2. Have you documented the memory?
3. Look up the monetary value. 
4. Share your collections with family. 

You can view the full post here: https://organize365.com/135

Thank you to Swap.com for sponsoring this podcast series. 

I always thought that I divided my calendar into three separate years because I was a schoolteacher or because I had children. But the more I talk to women without children who work 9-to-5 jobs, the more I find that this way of looking at the calendar actually rings true for most women.

In this week’s post, I will walk you through how I organize my calendar three times a year, and how each time block starts out structured and organized and ends up chaotic and unstructured.

My 3 calendar seasons are September to December, January to May, and June to August.

Read the full post here: https://organize365.com/my-three-new-years/

Match your holiday gift to the recipients "love language" and give clutter free gifts this holiday season.

Have you heard of the 5 love languages? Understanding how we give and receive love helps us make more meaningful purchases and give gifts that will be used and appreciated.

The five love languages are:

1. Quality time
2. Acts of service
3. Touch
4. Gifts
5. Words of affirmation

In this week's blog post, I have ideas for clutter free gifts for each of the 5 love languages. Read it here: https://organize365.com/clutter-free-christmas-gifts/

It is so easy for us to start organizing ourselves and start making progress.

Then we look at our spouses and notice that they have not made the same progress we have made. We want them to be doing what we are doing. However, they need to see a few more things from us before they're ready to jump on board.

Here are the steps:

1. Husbands are looking for you to be consistent.
2. Your husband is looking for results that last.
3. Change is yucky.
4. He has to want it for himself.
5. Stop focusing on his passion projects.

Click here to read the whole post: https://organize365.com/organize-husbands/

Just as there are 4 phases of life that I identified in the Mindset Of Organization Book, these 3 phases of parenting all need different organization as well. The more you understand where you are in life, the more successful you will be at finding and implementing the organization you need to make your life function better.

Parenting Stage 1: 0-6 years old – You Do It All

The first stage of parenting is sheer survival! Under the age of 6 almost all daily duties with your children fall on your shoulders. The days are long and I’m not sure who said the years are short – they weren’t for me!

Organizing yourself and your family in this stage is like shoveling snow in a snow storm. Organization is unique to you and your family and likely will completely change every 3 months. My solution was to chunk my year into 3 month groupings. I would make a few goals for each of my kids, purge their clothes and toys and keep plugging away.

Parenting Stage 2: 7-12 years old – You Do It Together

The grade school years of parenting were the easiest for me. I loved the structure, the fact that my kids were still under my control and the great friends I made during those years. These are very social years where the kids and parents connect and enjoy activities together.

As your kids age through this stage their toys will go from being everywhere – to being only in their rooms. These are the years when your kids learn chores and establish their contributing roles to your family dynamics.

Parenting Stage 3: 13+ years old – Guidance & Support

This parenting stage is as time consuming as the first, except this time I am in my car all the time and not at home. Luckily for me I view that large quantity of driving time as the best quality time I get with my teens. Deep thoughts, but dreams and life lessons are often talked about in the hours and hours of time I spend with my teens in the car.

I find myself going from managing one family calendar to providing and supporting my teens as they take on their own calendar scheduling, activities and start making their big lifetime goals come to life.

Almost all sports involve special clothing, equipment and leaving the house. Even walking my dog!

Here are 8 steps to get your sporting equipment organized and have everything you need – when you need it!

1. Get a bag for EACH sport and each person.
2. Create a custom checklist for each bag.
3. Buy MORE of anything you can!
4. Keep the sports bags and uniforms in the car, garage or laundry room.
5. Stocked “Mom Bag”.
6. Stocked “Spectator Bag”.
7. Buy Garage Organizers.
8. Clean Out the Car!

For more ideas and further explanation view the whole post here: https://organize365.com/how-to-organize-sporting-equipment/

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.

The Mindset of Organization: Take Back Your House One Phase at a Time has launched on Amazon.

Step 2 in becoming more productive is to take your Sunday Basket to the next level. This is part two of Sunday Basket 2.0

Why do you want to be more productive? It is easier to find time when you know what you will do with it.

5 things I do to make vacation packing easier.

Every other week I will be recording podcasts on productivity to share with you what I do to get so much done. 

Organize 365 107 - Kid Bedroom Organization - Step 5 - The transition from childhood bedroom to living on your own

Learning the skills of organizing your bedroom is so much more important than just making your mom happy.

Bedroom organizing basics

The older you get, the more food and laundry you will have in your room. The younger you are, the more your toys will be all over the floor.

Each week, no matter what, start by doing these 3 things first:

1. Pick up ALL the trash and put anything food related back in the kitchen.

2. Pick up all the dirty clothes and put them in the hamper or laundry room.

3. Pick up and put away what is on your floor.

Every week and every time we talk, I am going to be encouraging you to get rid of stuff and declutter your bedroom. Here's why...

1. Your bedroom is not a house. You have limited space to store your treasures and you need to make sure they are STILL treasures and not just old stuff you don't know what to do with.

2. You are always getting NEW stuff which means you need to get rid of OLD stuff.

3. Things break, you lose pieces, and you just stop playing with stuff over time.

HOW do you do declutter your bedroom?

1. Decide what you no longer play with or want.

2. Take it to your mom and see if she or your siblings want it.

3. Help mom create a donation box or basket for you to put stuff in each week that you no longer want.

Where do I START organizing? That's the number one question I get asked as a professional organizer.

And while that is a loaded question with multiple "right" answers, I have decided to start all of my clients with a simple system I call The Sunday Basket.

It's not magic, and you don't have to use a basket... any bag or box will do.

You see, organization is a way of living and "being organized" is a way of thinking.

The Sunday Basket is a system for processing mail, kitchen counter "to do" papers, and ongoing household projects.

The weekly routine of collecting, processing and maintaining household to dos and papers is the perfect training ground for all your future home organization skills.

And, like it or not, the mail just keeps on coming... giving us plenty of practice to hone and refine our organizing skills.

I have complied all the best videos, podcasts, and posts from all over my website into one organized page to help you get your Sunday Basket started in 4 easy steps.

Sign up for the FREE 4 step Organization 101: The Sunday Basket here.

In the last 4 podcasts I shared how the executive functioning part of the brain affects home organization. Today I want to share 5 general tips for achieving home organization success if you have ADHD.

1. Simplify EVERY area of your home EXCEPT for your passions.
2. Box up past projects and put them in storage. {Keep them, but not in your work space.}
3. Clean up your craft/ project area every 1-3 weeks. 
4. Maintain and straighten you home every 2-3 days.
5. Reflect on what IS and is NOT working often.

View the post and podcast here: http://organize365.com/organizing-with-adhd/

Link to Alpha Brain: http://GetOnnit.com/365

I have been hedging my affinity for Goodwill due to the backlash in public sentiment. My goal is to help you declutter your house, not debate current news events.

However, when I received an email from the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities agency asking to help spread the word about the goodwill that Goodwill was doing in our community, I was excited to jump in.

In today's podcast, I go more in depth about my affinity for Goodwill over the last 20 years and how I have experienced excellent service and amazing opportunities in my community for the disabled because of the opportunities Goodwill provides.

By using the voucher in today’s post, the value of your Goodwill donation will NOT be sold. It will be given as a CREDIT to the less fortunate in our community to use as money in the Goodwill shops.

It has been my experience that Goodwill lives up to their mission, "Goodwill Easter Seals of Miami Valley and Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries provide vocational training to people with developmental disabilities. Goodwill’s core mission is to empower people with disabilities and other needs to achieve independence and to enhance their lives.  The local Goodwill organizations are a part of the world’s largest and most successful network providing employment and training services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment."

No matter where you donate, giving the items in your home which have become clutter to others in need is always a blessing!

View the post and voucher link here:

http://organize365.com/spring-cleaning-donations-goodwill-vouchers-people-butler-county/

This week, you will turn your clocks forward and lose an hour. Oh, how I hate to lose time! However, the changing of the clocks reminds me to do a few other semi-annual maintenance tasks!

Here are 12 things to do When you change the clocks this weekend.

I LOVE to sort paper! But I know even the strongest man will break out in a cold sweat at the thought of sorting a mountain of paperwork.

This week in the podcast, I am walking you through how I think about paper and where it all goes.

I don’t even think it is the sorting as much as the KEEP pile that will drive you bananas.

I keep paper in 3 places:

1. The Sunday Basket
2. Binders
3. Files/Or scanned

You can see pictures of the process and download a printable over on the blog post, but if you want to understand how I decide if a paper is a basket, binder, or file paper, you’ll want to listen to the podcast.

The days I can get both kids to school ALL day and actually be ABLE to work are a mini miracle.

After spending years and years wishing .... there were no snow days.... children didn't get sick.... my home didn't need maintenance... unexpected tasks wouldn't pop up... I gave in and realized that the only thing I can control is ME.

So I set out to streamline, systematize, and proactively take care of anything I needed to do for the week... in advance.

Did you know that for every hour you spend planning, 3-4 hours are saved from redundancy, waiting for information, and not being prepared. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take that trade any day!

In the podcast, I share a few more productivity stats and tricks.

I have set aside my Sundays as the day that I get done everything I possibly can.

Obviously that entails doing the Sunday Basket, but here are 10 more tasks I do each Sunday that save me HOURS and HOURS each week.

Today is all about YOU. Why do we save what we save, and how can we make the decision to get rid of it? 

This week’s podcast and post is week 2 of a 3 week series dealing with different types of MEMORIES.

For years I just "organized" my piles in cuter containers, better systems and a larger house. But organization is not about containers or beautiful systems. It is about keeping what you want and love so you can enjoy those items now and in the future.

So today I want to talk about the items you are saving for your kids. Specifically - kids artwork, clothing, school papers, old toys, pictures, cards, books, old sporting equipment, etc.

1. What do THEY want?

The first question you need to ask is what does your child want to keep? So often I and other mothers save everything "for our kids". But what I realized is I was having trouble letting go.

Letting go of memories, stages of life and opportunities to do more in their short years at home.

At first we save ALL their clothes in case we have another child. But when no more children come, we just say we are saving the clothes for grandchildren. REALLY?!

I DID like it when I had some of my baby clothes to reminisce with my mom about when I had my children. But none of them fit. The stains you can't see now - we glaring when I looked at those clothes 30 years later.

My kids are pretty good at getting rid of things when they are done with them. WE put them in the basement! :)

So really ask your kids - starting at the age of 4 - what THEY want to keep.

2. What do YOU want?

Honestly your kids do NOT want every. single. spelling test they ever did. But I know a mom who keeps them all. Her child's handwriting is so precious to her.

That is TOTALLY FINE. Just know you are saving the for YOU not them.

Think about it this way. What if your mom showed up today with 18 boxes of every single school paper you ever did?

Nostalgic? Would you like to see them? Sure of course! For a few hours.

Would you want those 18 boxes in your basement?

How about your baby clothes? 5 large tubs full?

Every single toy you played with?

3. WHEN do you each want it?

1. Collecting tax documents.

2. Purging all my files & creating a color coded filing system.

3. Systematizing my home based business income & expenses for 2016.

My goal as a professional organizer is to help people get rid of the stuff they don't want so they can breathe and enjoy the stuff they choose to keep.

Honestly, the quickest and easiest way to do this has been to donate everything that can be donated at Goodwill and trash the rest. 

However, as I have matured as an organizer and grown my Cincinnati team, I have started to see how the items you may no longer want or need will fit a need somewhere else in the community. As our team had moved in to organizing and cleaning out family homes for sale it has become more apparent that we should and could be sharing these treasures for good.

So, this fall our team set to work and researched who really wanted and needed the stuff our clients no longer used. I am so sad I had not taken the time to do this earlier. :( The items you and I no longer like or need -really do fit a need someone else in the community has.

This list is specific for Cincinnati, but it will get you thinking outside of the box no matter where you live. This list will continue to be updated and refined. Feel free to leave a comment or contact me with more current information and additional donation locations I have not found.

Click here to read the full post.

Congratulations!! You made the decision to GET organized. There is just one problem... where do you start? In today's podcast you will learn all about HOW to start, WHERE to start and be encouraged to just START!