Welcome to the newest Wednesday Podcast! On Wednesdays, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365 community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps, and triumphs along their organizing journey. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU get Organized! This week’s Transformational Podcast features Sheri M. Sheri is a teacher and shares her home with her two college age sons. She shares how she started using Lisa's materials after having a procedure to repair a brain aneurysm caused by a car accident and how getting organized made life easier. I hope you enjoy her story and find her as inspiring as I do! I am grateful that you are reaching out to share your stories and progress with me and with the Organize 365 community. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.

This is a bonus episode recorded as a Facebook and Instagram LIVE on Friday March 24th, 2020.

Today, I want to share with you some thoughts on where we are in the midst of the COVID health crisis and our sheltering in place. I share some of the things I am finding inspiring, and I also share some inspiration for continuing to stay safe at home and finding our new normal.

Please forgive any sound abnormalities, but I wanted to be able to share this important message with you!

Learn more about the 100 Day Organization Program or try a FREE WEEK. 

For the April podcast episodes, I want to talk to you about how to plan a big project or work towards a big goal. Full disclosure, I generally record podcasts 6-8 weeks in advance. I recorded these in February and March, and I used the examples I was planning at the time. Today, the world looks very different, and many of my examples are not things we can do right now. I know many of these kinds of big projects, celebrations, and plans are all up in the air right now. We are all missing out on direct physical connection to keep our communities safe.

I made the decision to air these episodes anyway, because how you plan a big project did not change. How we are living right now has changed dramatically. But, the principles of organizing never change. You can still learn the skill of organizing. It takes learning and skill to develop organization and productivity. 

I am sharing my system for completing big projects. I break it down into smaller steps, and I am going to teach you these skills so you can follow along, and maybe even plan a project of your own. I am trying to provide as much encouragement, motivation, perspective, and love as possible during this time of uncertainty. We are in this together!

After you have been doing your Sunday Basket® for 6-8 weeks, you will find you have 2.0 slash pockets with projects that still need your attention. Today on the podcast, I want to share with you how to move beyond your Sunday Basket® to dos and weekly focus to actually completing big projects. I want to show you how I create bigger goals and accomplish bigger projects. I do this by using a consistent system for approaching my big projects and I want to teach you how to apply these same skills. 

For this podcast series, I am talking about three different example projects: a large party or celebration, summer planning for kids, and moving to a new home. This system is for a project that requires more than a single weekend to complete. Much of the time, you will collect ideas and papers for your project in a 2.0 slash pocket. When you are committed to taking action and completing the project, you will follow the steps in the podcasts.

Listen to Step 1 here. 

Listen to Step 2 here.

Listen to step 3 here.

Step 4 - Work Your Plan & Get it Done!

I put my slash pockets in the order they need to happen. For example, invitations need to go out before I can order food, so I put the pockets in that order. I also recommend putting “must do” items before “nice to do items.”

Look at your calendar carefully, and schedule time to get these tasks done. As you make your schedule, you may find out that you do not have enough time to do it all. That is normal - deferring or deleting portions of your project helps you to get to the goal without burning up all of your resources (time, money, energy). 

I always start by planning for what I need from other people - quotes for work I need done, outside help, information about what the kids want for summer, etc. I have also learned that I can work effectively for 90 minutes, but cannot typically sustain my focus for 4 hours, so I plan accordingly. Allow more margin or buffer to your plan if you are feeling stressed or pressed for time. It’s better to have too much time than too little.

Each evening, make an index card with the schedule for the next day. Do not make a vague to do list, but actually make a schedule of what will be done and when. Then, follow the schedule and do the things you have scheduled. The unexpected will happen so be sure to allow yourself margin, be flexible, and reduce your goal. Work ahead as much as you possibly can (ideally in order of priority), to reduce your stress when unexpected things show up. 

Click here to download these printables! :) 

Welcome to the newest Wednesday Podcast! On Wednesdays, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365 community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps, and triumphs along their organizing journey. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU get Organized!

This week’s Tranformational Podcast features Katherine Z. She lives with her husband, 2 kids, and (soon to be) 2 dogs. Katherine has worked with a professional organizer, but found success with All Access and choosing functional organization over perfection. I hope you enjoy her story and find her as inspiring as I do!

I am grateful that you are reaching out to share your stories and progress with me and with the Organize 365 community. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.

For more information about the programs and products mentioned in this podcast please check out these links:

Organize 365

The Sunday Basket ® 

100 Day Home Organization Program

All Access

Friday Workboxes

For the April podcast episodes, I want to talk to you about how to plan a big project or work towards a big goal. Full disclosure, I generally record podcasts 6-8 weeks in advance. I recorded these in February and March, and I used the examples I was planning at the time. Today, the world looks very different, and many of my examples are not things we can do right now. I know many of these kinds of big projects, celebrations, and plans are all up in the air right now. We are all missing out on direct physical connection to keep our communities safe.

I made the decision to air these episodes anyway, because how you plan a big project did not change. How we are living right now has changed dramatically. But, the principles of organizing never change. You can still learn the skill of organizing. It takes learning and skill to develop organization and productivity. 

I am sharing my system for completing big projects. I break it down into smaller steps, and I am going to teach you these skills so you can follow along, and maybe even plan a project of your own. I am trying to provide as much encouragement, motivation, perspective, and love as possible during this time of uncertainty. We are in this together!

After you have been doing your Sunday Basket® for 6-8 weeks, you will find you have 2.0 slash pockets with projects that still need your attention. Today on the podcast, I want to share with you how to move beyond your Sunday Basket® to dos and weekly focus to actually completing big projects. I want to show you how I create bigger goals and accomplish bigger projects. I do this by using a consistent system for approaching my big projects and I want to teach you how to apply these same skills. 

For this podcast series, I am talking about three different example projects: a large party or celebration, summer planning for kids, and moving to a new home. This system is for a project that requires more than a single weekend to complete. Much of the time, you will collect ideas and papers for your project in a 2.0 slash pocket. When you are committed to taking action and completing the project, you will follow the steps in the podcasts.

Listen to Step 1 here. 

Listen to Step 2 here.

Step 3 - Plan - Be on Target, on Time, & on Budget

The biggest gift you can give your brain is time. The more time you have, the better you will capture all of your ideas, refine them, and prioritize. Allow yourself to work on this project in several chunks over several weeks. 

Use your slash pockets to help you decide what to do. Time block and add to do items to your calendar. As you decide on your plan, work on the most important or time sensitive items first. Keep asking the question:

What is the one thing you could do - that makes everything else easier or unnecessary?

As you develop your plan, set your goal, and adjust as necessary. Consider your:

• Budget
• Time Available
• Scope (maybe you will paint, but not build a deck)
• Outside expertise or help available
• Energy

Having your plan laid out and working on your project over time is typically much more effective than trying to get these big projects done in one major chunk of work time. Building your slash pockets and plan over days to weeks gives your brain time to evaluate your choices and helps you be better, stronger, and more efficient. 

Click here to download these printables! :)

Welcome to the newest Wednesday Podcast! On Wednesdays, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365 community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps, and triumphs along their organizing journey. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU get Organized!

This week’s Tranformational Podcast features Sara B. She is a single mom of 3 kids from 5-19. She works full time and is in school part time. Her inspiration for getting organized was tackling her paper piles. She started with the Sunday Basket ® and has transformed her home and life. I hope you enjoy her story and find her as inspiring as I do!

I am grateful that you are reaching out to share your stories and progress with me and with the Organize 365 community. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.

For more information about the programs and products mentioned in this podcast please check out these links:

Organize 365

The Sunday Basket ® 

100 Day Home Organization Program

All Access

Friday Workboxes

Paper Organizing Retreats

For the April podcast episodes, I want to talk to you about how to plan a big project or work towards a big goal. Full disclosure, I generally record podcasts 6-8 weeks in advance. I recorded these in February and March, and I used the examples I was planning at the time. Today, the world looks very different, and many of my examples are not things we can do right now. I know many of these kinds of big projects, celebrations, and plans are all up in the air right now. We are all missing out on direct physical connection to keep our communities safe.

I made the decision to air these episodes anyway, because how you plan a big project did not change. How we are living right now has changed dramatically. But, the principles of organizing never change. You can still learn the skill of organizing. It takes learning and skill to develop organization and productivity. 

I am sharing my system for completing big projects. I break it down into smaller steps, and I am going to teach you these skills so you can follow along, and maybe even plan a project of your own. I am trying to provide as much encouragement, motivation, perspective, and love as possible during this time of uncertainty. We are in this together!

After you have been doing your Sunday Basket® for 6-8 weeks, you will find you have 2.0 slash pockets with projects that still need your attention. Today on the podcast, I want to share with you how to move beyond your Sunday Basket® to dos and weekly focus to actually completing big projects. I want to show you how I create bigger goals and accomplish bigger projects. I do this by using a consistent system for approaching my big projects and I want to teach you how to apply these same skills. 

For this podcast series, I am talking about three different example projects: a large party or celebration, summer planning for kids, and moving to a new home. This system is for a project that requires more than a single weekend to complete. Much of the time, you will collect ideas and papers for your project in a 2.0 slash pocket. When you are committed to taking action and completing the project, you will follow the steps in the podcasts.

Listen to Step 1 here. 

Step 2 - Chunk Tasks and Create Slash Pockets

Separate tasks into different topics, piles, and groups. Use slash pockets to hold different parts of the project together. For big projects like this, I do not worry about color coding, I just use what I have available. In order to help, I’m including a few typical slash pocket ideas for the different projects. I am giving you 5 slash pocket ideas, but use as many as makes sense for your project.

Reminder: ***For more assistance, ALL ACCESS members can consult the Household Operations Binder for summer and party planning and the 10 Steps to an Organized Move (Dashboard) for moving.***

Click here to download these printables! :)

Welcome to the newest Wednesday Podcast! On Wednesdays, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365 community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps, and triumphs along their organizing journey. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU get Organized!

This week’s Tranformational Podcast features Suzanne G. She is a minimalist, married to a maximalist. They got married in their 40’s and they share their home with her adult stepson. They have combined houses twice and she had to make space just to hang up her coat in the entryway.  I hope you enjoy her story and find her as inspiring as I do!

I am grateful that you are reaching out to share your stories and progress with me and with the Organize 365 community. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.

For more information about the programs and products mentioned in this podcast please check out these links:

Organize 365

The Sunday Basket ® 

100 Day Home Organization Program

All Access

Friday Workboxes

FREE Mini Medical Information Binder Download

There is nothing more frustrating than nervously watching a tragedy unfold before your eyes and feel like there is nothing you can do to help. The hours I have spent the last month reading articles, watching video clips, and following friends on social media is mind blowing. This nervous energy eats me alive. I want to DO something.

In general, emergencies are a guarantee in life. Someday you will need to have your medical and financial ducks in a row to facilitate your care or the care of a loved one.

You can download your FREE Mini Medical Information Binder Printables. These are selected pages from the full Medical Organizing Binder from Organize 365. I want to help you get organized now, so you can tackle what comes knowing your important papers are ready to go. Make time and get your medical information organized NOW. 

For the April podcast episodes, I want to talk to you about how to plan a big project or work towards a big goal. Full disclosure, I generally record podcasts 6-8 weeks in advance. I recorded these in February and March, and I used the examples I was planning at the time. Today, the world looks very different, and many of my examples are not things we can do right now. I know many of these kinds of big projects, celebrations, and plans are all up in the air right now. We are all missing out on direct physical connection to keep our communities safe.

I made the decision to air these episodes anyway, because how you plan a big project did not change. How we are living right now has changed dramatically. But, the principles of organizing never change. You can still learn the skill of organizing. It takes learning and skill to develop organization and productivity. 

I am sharing my system for completing big projects. I break it down into smaller steps, and I am going to teach you these skills so you can follow along, and maybe even plan a project of your own. I am trying to provide as much encouragement, motivation, perspective, and love as possible during this time of uncertainty. We are in this together!

After you have been doing your Sunday Basket® for 6-8 weeks, you will find you have 2.0 slash pockets with projects that still need your attention. Today on the podcast, I want to share with you how to move beyond your Sunday Basket® to dos and weekly focus to actually completing big projects. I want to show you how I create bigger goals and accomplish bigger projects. I do this by using a consistent system for approaching my big projects and I want to teach you how to apply these same skills. 

For this podcast series, I am talking about three different example projects: a large party or celebration, summer planning for kids, and moving to a new home. This system is for a project that requires more than a single weekend to complete. Much of the time, you will collect ideas and papers for your project in a 2.0 slash pocket. When you are committed to taking action and completing the project, you will follow the steps in the podcasts.

Step 1 - Identify your Project and Dedicate a Sunday Basket® or Workbox to the Project 

Once you have committed to your project or goal, dedicate a separate Sunday Basket®, portable Sunday Basket®, or Workbox to your project. You can purchase a plain Sunday Basket (no slash pockets) in the Organize 365 Shop. Having a separate box physically represents your resolve to reaching the goal, and helps your brain to focus on completing the project. The separate box is a temporary focal point - at the end of the project you will reuse the box for something else.

Then, empty your brain into the box. Write down every thought, idea, or plan you have about your project. Make sure you capture every thought your brain has, even if you end up with duplicates. Getting everything out of your head will resolve the feeling of overwhelm that you initially face. Drop physical items (invitations, photos, receipts, etc.) directly into the box.

Click here to download these printables! :)

Welcome to the newest Wednesday Podcast! On Wednesdays, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365 community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps, and triumphs along their organizing journey. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU get Organized!

On today's Transformational Podcast Elizabeth P and I talk about her organizing journey. Elizabeth is firmly in the sandwich generation. She initially was living in and traveling between two cities. I hope you enjoy her story and find her as inspiring as I do!

I am grateful that you are reaching out to share your stories and progress with me and with the Organize 365 community. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.

For more information about the programs and products mentioned in this podcast please check out these links:

Organize 365

The Sunday Basket ® 

100 Day Home Organization Program

All Access

Friday Workboxes