Organize 365® Podcast

This week’s podcast episode is number 200.

200 episodes. Can you believe it?!

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, last week the Organize 365 podcast surpassed 2 million downloads!

Thanks to each and every one of you who have listened to my podcast and who have supported me with Organize 365.

I thought a lot about what to cover on my 200th episode and decided that I wanted to talk about paper, one of my favorite topics.

Also, this week I have a few special announcements to make… all of them related to paper!

I’m launching a second podcast – The Sunday Basket® Podcast

In January 2018, I’m going to launch a second podcast called The Sunday Basket® Podcast.

Recently, I’ve been wanting to talk more and more about paper organizing, but I know that not everyone wants to hear about it. So I decided to create a separate podcast where I can talk about paper organizing to my heart’s content for anyone who wants to listen.

By having a separate podcast all about paper organization, I can focus the Organize 365 Podcast on my philosophy for home organization, mindset, other fun organizational predicaments, and productivity.

Every generation handles paper differently

Every generation looks at organization differently, and as such, they handle their paper differently.

When we understand our generation, we develop an understanding of how we handle paper.

Here’s an example of how we handle paper differently. The majority of people today do not use checkbooks anymore. However, I spend 30-40 minutes a week balancing my checkbook and reconciling our household transactions. I can’t comprehend how other people don’t do this! As a Gen X person, I was brought up with paper.

On the other hand, Millennials will tell me that they do not have any paper. It is not a "thing" for them at all. What is a checkbook?!

The paper tsunami is coming

The majority of paper is with the Silent Generation and the Baby Boomers.

These generations set up filing cabinets. They did not have computers so paper ruled.

Today, we tend to continue with the filing cabinets, but our habits have changed... rather, our filing cabinets have become a habit and not a resource.

We have all sorts of paper that we file away, but if we want to look something up, we don’t go to our paper files, we look things up online!

Realistically, 80% of the paper in our filing cabinets right now should be recycled or shredded.

The issue is that none of us want to shred all of that paper. But neither do Baby Boomers or the Silent Generation.

One of these days someone is going to have to go through all of this paper. Even if you don’t do this with your own files, you may end up doing it for your parents and your grandparents.

All of these files need to be sorted through, because while 80% of it most likely can be shredded, the other 20% is very important. For example, it could be an important part of your family history, or even lead to cold, hard cash. I have found both when sorting through my family paperwork!

I helped a client with her paperwork when her husband passed away and there were multiple 6-figure investments hidden in the piles of paperwork that, thankfully, we discovered. This happens more than you can imagine.

Almost always, when circumstances lead to you having to sell your parents’ home, paper is the one thing that gets boxed up to deal with "later." Your parents' generation has likely lived in their home for decades, and therefore, there is SO much to sort through. Paper always seems to be the thing that can be boxed up. The issue is that "later" can become decades. This can result in generations of paperwork boxed up in people’s basements. After all, who has time to sort through it all?

I’m writing a new book about paper organization!

I’m so excited to share with you that I’m writing a book on paper organization.

My book will help you handle the paper tsunami that is is coming – the tsunami consists of your own paperwork, plus your parents’ paperwork, and your grandparents’ paperwork.

We don’t need filing cabinets anymore. I call files little paper graveyards!

We need all of our information digital and scanned. My book will take you from the Sunday Basket® to online digital scanning.

My goal is to provide the road map that people need to help them tackle their paper and NOT keep it out of sight and out of mind in the basement anymore!

With all the natural disasters that have been happening lately, I am more inspired than ever to help people get their paper digitalized so that it’s always available to them.

There is a paper tsunami coming… and we need to be ready!

Please take the household paper survey

I would like to find out more about the paper in your house. I would love it if you would take my household paper survey. It will only take you 5 minutes to complete. The link to it is on the Organize365.com homepage.

Sunday Basket® Workshops

If you want to get started with sorting your paper, please consider signing up for a virtual SundayBasket® Workshop with me. I love delivering the virtual workshops. They are so much fun and I guarantee you will find it really helpful. Learn more here.

Or maybe you would prefer an in-person Sunday Basket® Workshop delivered by a SundayBasket® Workshop Licensee. That would be amazing! Click here to find your nearest in-person workshop provider.

Or maybe you’re interested in becoming a Sunday Basket® Workshop Licensed Provider! Registration is always open. Click here to learn more.

Creating a Schedule Printable

Finally, for the past couple of months, I have focused on productivity, looking at goal setting and routines. Many of you downloaded my Creating A Schedule printables. I hope you found them useful. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, what are you waiting for?!

One final note... In the podcast, you'll hear me mention adding a new front page to the printable that lists the 5 podcasts related to it... why you need a morning routineafternoon and evening routinehow to plan your week, and how to set goals. Well, I didn't do that after all so I've just linked to them here. Now that's productive!

Have a great week, and don't forget to take the paper organizing survey!

View the complete post here: https://organize365.com/200

Direct download: Org365-200.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

Did you know that I have a condo?

In this podcast episode, I share all about how I have preserved my sanity in my teenage years, 20s, 30s, and 40s by having my own condo.

Putting yourself first

I hope that by sharing how I use my condo, and how it’s evolved over time, will help give you the permission that you need to put yourself first.

I tend to talk about productivity in the fall because it’s a naturally productive time. It’s often a time when people set their goals and intentions for the next 12 months – certainly, I do.

Many people have been in touch with me regarding my recent podcast episodes on time management and productivity, and they have told me that they struggle with applying many of the concepts themselves because they are people pleasers (and with this, I can’t help but feel a little like that must mean that I appear not to be).

The funny thing is, I’ve ALWAYS been a people pleaser. It’s something that has been with me my whole life. It's only in recent years that I’ve started to learn how to put myself first. It has been really hard to do and has taken a lot of careful thought and proactivity on my behalf.

I have often thought that if I put myself first and share this with people, they will think that I am selfish, that I don’t care about others, or that I’m spoiled. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking this.

A little history about my condo

When I was young, I lived in a neighborhood without many children to play with my own age. I was not athletic so that ruled me out of pretty much all extra-curricular activities. So I spent my time playing "teacher" with my younger sister and "training" how to be a babysitter. I also helped my mom with her business, a direct sales clothing company.

I created a game to play with my sister called "Big Friend." My sister and I pretended to be 16, our bikes were cars, our kitchen was a café, and our bedrooms were our apartments. I LOVED my bedroom! When I got punished by my parents, I’d get sent to my room – which was never a punishment in my eyes! I would spend lots of time in there, and would love to reorganize and redecorate it.

My love of the private space and sanctuary of my bedroom continued into college in my dorm room, then on to when I lived in a shared house.

Even when Greg and I moved to the spacious house that we still live in today, I’ve always spent most of my time in one part of the house.

When my children developed separation anxiety at night, I stayed upstairs because they wanted me on the same floor as them.

Since I’m always looking at ways to be productive, I worked in my bedroom until they fell asleep. Because of this, I had started spending the whole evening upstairs – especially when Tivo was invented!

So when the kids go to bed, I stay upstairs, hang out in my bedroom, watch TV, take a bath…. I just spend a lot of time in there. It’s cozy and warm.

I have a TV, my office, and food in my bedroom. I break all of the bedroom rules. In fact, I have a fully functioning office in my bedroom – it's the Organize 365 headquarters!

Even though my kids are teenagers now, one of them still prefers that we’re on the same level in the house. Therefore, I still spend most of my evenings upstairs in my bedroom.

It’s nice to have a private space just for you

The whole point of getting organized is to help you find the time to do the things in life that you want to do.

When you do the 100 Day Home Organization Program, you will find that there is a clear method to the organizational approach that you’re taken through. It starts in the kitchen, which is where the majority of people spend their time in the home. The kitchen is most important for your family.

Next is the master bedroom and closet. They are most important for your soul! This is where you get dressed, where you sleep, where you regenerate yourself. It’s all about you (and a little about your spouse, of course!).

The rest of the house is for your family, but the bedroom is about you. It’s your condo!

My house is an apartment building

I like that our house is like our own apartment building.

Downstairs, the kitchen is like the café which is where we socialize and catch up. Upstairs, we all have the privacy of our own apartments. Our apartments are decorated to our own taste and style.

So in the same way that I encourage my kids to think of their bedroom as a mini-apartment, I treat my bedroom just the same.

The key is to have a space that is all yours

I know your bedroom isn’t all yours, but honestly, 99% of the time your spouse really doesn’t care what you do with the bedroom (if your spouse is anything like mine).

If they do, focus on your half of the bedroom! Use an imaginary piece of tape to divide it, if need be.

Do you put yourself first?

If you are feeling like you have to take care of your kids, your job, your spouse, your house, and you are at the end of the list... I want you to move yourself up to the top of the list. I’m not suggesting you do this all the time or even every day. But how about for just an hour a week?

I would love for you to pencil in an hour that is just for you on your calendar.

In addition, why not do an organizational task this week just on your stuff, on your area and no one else’s.

When you get yourself organized, your family follows suit. There is an energy that comes from that positive place.

For me, when I want to have "me time," I take great comfort hanging out in my condo!

View the complete post here: https://organize365.com/199

Direct download: Org365-199.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

On the podcast this week, I talk about goal setting.

Goal setting is one of my favorite things. I may even like it more than organizing!

The kind of goals that I love to set are BHAG – which stands for big, hairy, audacious goals.

To put this into context, when I was 16 my goals were: to be a stay-at-home mom, home-school my kids, and grow all my own food, own a business AND be the President of the United States!

I have always had really high expectations for myself and others around me.

When I was graduating from college, I was told I had "unrealistic expectations."

I think it’s fair to say that I do often have unrealistic expectations.

I usually don’t achieve my goals in the time frame that I originally set. But that is because they are so big that they require extra time, resources, and personal development in order to achieve them. But I DO achieve them!

Examples Of Big Goals That I Have Achieved

In summer 2016, one of my big goals was to create an Amazon number 1 bestseller by the fall… and I did! (The Mindset of Organization).

Then in the spring, I published my second book, How ADHD Affects Home Organization within 90 days. It also became an Amazon number 1 bestseller, sold over 5,000 copies and is currently featured as an Amazon book of the month.

I exceeded my own big, hairy, audacious goal!

I remember when I announced in May 2016 that I wanted to get published by August 2016, some concerned Organized 365 readers thought that I was setting myself up for a fall. I received emails saying “Do you think you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?,” and “Are you sure you can publish a quality book that fast?”

The fact is, we’re not used to people setting and achieving really, really big goals.

Entrepreneurs are well known for chasing the elusive goal. And as soon as they get close to the goal, they extend it and make it bigger. I sure can relate to that!

Introducing Good, Better, And Best Goals

I was listening to James Wedmore’s podcast recently and he discussed this idea of good, better, and best goals.

The basic idea is that the goal you want to achieve has 3 levels – a good goal, a better goal, and a best goal.

Good, Better, And Best Goals In Home Organization

I think this concept of good, better, and best goals relates to home organization as well.

I’m a functional organizer and not a "picture-perfect, Pinterest home" organizer.

What I’ll be teaching you is to set expectations that reach a good and better goal, but not necessarily a best goal. Let me explain.

You could say that to declutter a space would be a good goal.

A better goal is to functionally organize that space after it is decluttered.

The best goal would be for the room to be really well designed, have been designed by an interior designer, and have brand new containers that all match!

A laundry example would be as follows – Good... clean laundry. Better... clean and put away. Best... clean, put away, and organized.

In my 100 Day Home Organization Program, I have often said that it takes 3 times going through a space to really get it organized. Really, what we are doing there is getting to good, to better, then to best.

I talk through some more examples of good, better, and best goals on the podcast, ranging from organizing paper, to setting weight goals, to how far you got with creating a plan from last week’s podcast episode.

Don’t Get Too Attached To The Outcome Of Goals

Sometimes when we set goals, we get very attached to what an outcome will look like. This may be based on what has happened in the past, the results of others, or just an ideal that we carry around.

I would urge you not to get too attached to exactly what the outcome will look like. Because it may well be that you achieve a goal without even really realizing it.

I would love for you to consider the following in goal setting:

1. When you are setting a goal, think of what would be a good, better, or best goal.

Good means this has to happen. If this doesn't happen, then I didn’t meet this goal.

Better is what I really want to happen, what I’m striving for.

Best is if the sun, moon, and stars aligned and all your big goals are met!

2. Do not get attached to the outcome of the goal.

Sometimes, our goals can be achieved in ways that we didn’t envision.

Good luck at setting your good, better, and best goals! I’d love to hear how far you get with them over in my Facebook Group. If you’d like to join, click here.

View the complete post here: https://organize365.com/198

Direct download: Org365-198.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

On the podcast this week, I talk about time management and productivity.

I’ve finally figured out what is missing for women on this topic!

Everyone needs a schedule. You need a plan and you need to proactively tell yourself what you should be doing. Because if you don’t, you will just end up sidetracked and distracted.

I haven’t talked about time management and productivity very much in the past. That is because I think that you need to get physically organized first before you can get mentally organized.

This is a little different from what you’re used to hearing me say. I do think that change happens in your mind first and then in your physical reality – as far as getting physically organized and decluttered.

But when it comes to productivity and time management, we’re at a whole new level. Now we are visualizing what change will look like and mentally making the changes.

That is why I want to make this physical for you. I have created some AMAZING printables that I’m so happy to share with you. You can download them here and they go with this week’s podcast episode and next week’s episode as well.

They also go with episodes 192 and 193 on routines.

Making changes to our time management and how we manage our schedule does not happen overnight.

I have devised 4 steps for creating a plan for time management.

Steps 1 & 2: Morning and Afternoon & Evening Routines

I recently created two podcast episodes on my morning routine and my afternoon and evening routines.

Thank you for all the feedback that I’ve received on these episodes – I loved recording them and they’ve been really well received.

Many people talk about morning and evening routines, but for me my afternoon routine is my most important routine right now (between 2-5pm – after my productive work) .

In this week’s podcast episode, I talk you through exactly what I want you to do to creat your routines and my worksheet will help you formulate one – just add ONE new thing into your morning, afternoon and evening routine.

Step 3: Work out all of the roles that you are responsible for in the household

This step is going to overwhelm you!

I take you through the task of working out how many roles you are responsible for when it comes to running your household.

There are A LOT of roles and you will be surprised how many relate to you. For example, healthcare coordinator, taxi driver, vacation planner, etc.

On the worksheet, you are then asked to work out all of your ‘to-dos’ for each role. You may find this difficult, but give it your best shot!

To put this into context – a couple years ago, I completed a time study for me and Greg. We discovered we were spending 36 hours a week on household and childcare related tasks.

Step 4: Planning your time and creating a schedule

In this final step on my worksheet, you actually plan your time. You create a schedule.

The focus is on being PRODUCTIVE. When you plan your time in advance (right down to the minutes), you will find that you have more minutes. Yes, you get more time back in your day!

I can work with you on this task, if you'd like. I love helping people plan their schedules in order to be more productive. Just click here to book a coaching call with me.

You NEED a schedule – especially if you work from home.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, a work-from-home employee, a stay-at-home mom, or you have any other role that requires you to work from home, you NEED to have a schedule.

I consider "work" as your life purpose. That is how I define work. This could be paid or unpaid (i.e., stay-at-home mom). Whatever your work is, it’s your life purpose.

Time is so valuable and you can never get it back so you need to work out a schedule that ensures you do not fritter away your time.

Share your new schedules in the Organize 365 Facebook Group!

View the complete post here: https://organize365.com/197

Direct download: Org365-197.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

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