Organize 365® Podcast

Has your New Year’s energy kicked in yet? It’s time to capitalize on that energy! We know you have goals and we have the tools you need to get you there!

One of the things that I have learned over the last decade is that life is work. There’s unpaid work at home and paid work at work and sometimes there’s unpaid work at work and sometimes there’s paid work at home. It’s all work. In order for me to be the best me I can be I need to plan for both the unpaid and the paid work that is my privilege and responsibility as a contributing member of society.

We have heard from many of you that you are trying to decide or pick what your focus will be in 2023 and I say we should just have it all.

An organized person unlocks their time, allowing them to pursue what they are uniquely created to do! The start of the new year feels like the turning of a page, a clean slate to make lasting organizational change in our lives - at home and at work. Organization is a learnable skill. One that will take you wherever you want to go.

Follow your renewed energy that the new year brings and use it to maximize your progress! Half the battle in learning the skill of organization is deciding what to do next. The “Organization Is For ME 2023” Bundle can make those decisions for you. This bundle will assist you with getting organized and making consistent progress towards your goals at HOME and at WORK.

Why can’t we have it all? Why can’t you be organized with your paid work and your unpaid (but oh so fulfilling) unpaid work? 

That’s why we’ve put together the Organization is for Me in 2023 Bundle - to help you do just that. You don’t have to choose between work and home. This bundle is going to give you the courses and tools you need to excel at both. 

In this bundle you’ll get The Productive Home Solution™ with Planning Day. As well as The Friday Workbox® system with the Goal Planner and Planning Day for your work.

Imagine how amazing it will feel to unlock your time in 2023?! How it would feel to come home to an organized house and create a system and routine for managing your work, passion projects or business?

This is your YEAR! Be all you can be with the Organization is for Me 2023 Bundle!

Episode Resources:

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_-_Organization_is_for_Me_in_2023.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

Last week I shared with you that one of my weaknesses has been overcoming the fact that I usually "ready, fire, aim" as opposed to "ready, set, go."

Learning to do the SET step in Ready, Set, Go has been my weakness. What I have found from nearly 11 years of working with the Organize 365® community is that GO is the area that tends to trip you up.

Being able to GO - actually getting started or keep moving on your goals and overcome your self-limiting doubt - can paralyze us.

I used to be where you are. I used to worry about what others would think of me. Will Greg (my husband) judge me? Can I meet or exceed my own goals? What if I can't do what I want to do? What if I can't live up to my own expectations? What if I invest time or money and fail?

The what ifs would paralyze me and keep me from starting. It allowed me to stay stuck. Stuck in my reactive and negative life. I would start a cycle of getting ready and set but never going. 

Ready, Set, repeat. There was no risk with ready and set. I didn't have to step too far out on a limb or too far out of my comfort zone.

Then one day I asked myself - what if everything happened for me? What if everything was easy? What if I did achieve these goals? What if I was able to achieve a bigger impact on my family, community and ultimately the world?

And I ask you - What if I had never started Organize 365®? What if I stopped podcasting tomorrow because I worry about looking silly or foolish? What if all of the Organize 365® products went away and were no longer resources to you?

How did that make you feel?

I don't know what it is that you have to offer the world. I don't know what a more organized life with less stress and more time will do for your family, your community and your work - but I bet it is more than you even realize now. And ultimately the only way we will know is if you GO. If you actually get started. Stop holding onto that branch of self-limiting beliefs and negative what-ifs. It's time to take the next step in your organizing journey - it's time for you to go.

What great timing! We are headed into a new year - clear out your house, clear out the cobwebs in your mind. Get ready, set, and let's GOOOOO. I believe in you. You can do this, you have what it takes, and the time is now. Please join me. We are going to do this together.

If your goal is to reclaim your home and your time - I have the solution for you. The Productive Home Solution™ is a new way of thinking about your space and time! Half of the battle with anything we are ready and set to do is deciding what the next step is (and then the next step after that). Avoid decision fatigue and use The Productive Home Solution™ as your roadmap to guide you through the journey of getting organized. Organization will carry you through so many of your goals; and was the first step for me getting to where I am today.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: 517-_Go..._Final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

Today I will be giving you a full orientation on the Organize 365® Kids Program.

Children want to be helpful. They love to learn and want to please adults! And in a perfect world, we would all have plenty of time to work together to keep a home clean and tidy.

But we often don’t have the time or energy. Our time and patience gets consumed by after-school activities, homework, housework, and adult work.

Teaching your children the skill of organization is an absolute must. These skills will serve them well while they're living in your household and, one day, their own. The Organize 365® Kids Program is your solution. This is your “get organized'' class for kids.” Taught directly to them by me!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Direct download: Bonus_Episode_-_The_Kids_Program_Orientation_Final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

Meet Michelle. She’s the voice behind the mailbag introductions on the podcast and the Customer Service Team lead here at Organize 365®. Michelle is SO loved by the Organize 365® team and customers!

She got quite the surprise when I asked if I could come and organize her storage area and video it for The Productive Home Solution™!  You guys…my home is already SO organized, including my storage area.  I’ve already shown everyone in The Productive Home Solution™ my storage area too many times. It was time for me to tackle someone else’s storage room.

The progress we made in ONE DAY may seem unbelievable; but it is all very doable when you know the order of the tasks you need to complete to get organized! 

Michelle picked me up at the airport and we got to work. Thank goodness we had a dumpster. We started by focusing on what could go in that dumpster.  We were able to tackle a tucked away storage area with old shelving and her garage.  

Michelle, who described the experience as “humbling”, almost had us pass on that tucked away storage area. But looking back, that was the most rewarding space to get organized. We really forced Michelle to focus on what we could get rid of first by repeatedly saying “You have the dumpster, we are here, what can go?”. Then we focused on cleaning and reloading the storage area by zones. 

Michelle said it felt like a 40 year old weight had been lifted off her shoulders at the end of the day. Her mom (who also lives in the home) was so pleased at what we accomplished in one day.  

When you listen to this episode, I want you to be inspired and know that you too can learn how to get an organized storage area and then go do it. Once you have it organized properly, it should stay organized for a very long time…if not forever. 

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!


Wow, a lot can happen in a year! As you reflect on this year, go over your planner, see how much you did, what new things you tried, and how much you have grown and changed!

Let’s talk about how you want to grow in your business, in your unique gifting and in the impact you can have on others. Imagine if you could help them to get results faster?  

As you think about 2023 I want you to consider helping your clients even more than you do already!  

Listen in to hear about The Paper Solution® Certification. If this is something that has been on your mind or in your heart to do next year - schedule a call with Monique Horb (MHorb@organize365.com) to learn more!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: End_of_the_Year_Business_Tax_Prep__2023_Certification_Dates.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

In part two of this three part Ready, Set, Go series, we are going to discuss the middle child of the Ready, Set, Go family - SET. What does it mean to get SET and to be SET?

The running joke for visionary entrepreneurs like myself is the quote, “Ready, Fire, Aim!”

And boy have I lived that quote in the past! At first, in my 20s, it was because I didn’t know what I was doing - at home, at work, or as a parent. I learned the hard way - every time!

But later in my 30s, it wasn’t really my fault anymore. There wasn’t enough time to prepare or aim. Life was moving so fast that I was missing important things while running at Mach 1 speed!

It wasn’t my fault. And it’s not yours either.

The last time we had “preparation time” in our calendars was in grade school where our teachers carefully planned our assignments and workload so we had time to complete things.

By the time high school arrived: extra-curricular activities, part-time jobs and sleep filled in all the cracks and then some.

No one has enough time. And no one is going to give us more time. #truth

Work colleagues, parents, children, partners, neighbors and friends all want our time. Some demand, some plead, some expect it without question. And we give it…gladly, lovingly, freely.

We get up earlier, stay up later, eliminate hobbies and rearrange our days.

Eve Rodsky compares our time this way, “Men’s time is worth diamonds, and women’s time is like sand.”

Ouch. You can’t unhear that. But, it’s true for me.

Greg has a golf night. He goes on fishing and golf trips. I haven’t had a hobby night or gone on a trip with friends since having children (22 years ago)!

After work, Greg makes dinner and then watches TV. Now, I do the dishes (sometimes), take a bath and do a puzzle. But I feel weird about it.

Until a few years ago, my after-work activities involved driving kids, cleaning the kitchen, laundry, straightening up, etc. until I felt it was an acceptable time for me to stop “working” and take my bath.

When are we going to give ourselves the permission to take back a little of our time?

Last week we talked about being ready. The truth is you and I are OVER ready. We have been for decades. But we don’t make the plan and run the race to a different end. Why is this?

SET is all about saying your time is not more important, but AS important as everyone else’s.

For me, in this season, it means I am going to start my Ph.D program and travel - A LOT. For work, for pleasure, and for me.

Let me be clear. My family is not happy about it. They intellectually support it, but in words and actions, they are not pleased with the change.

Am I being selfish? Maybe.

Would I want it for every single one of them? Absolutely! When one of my family members wants to…further their education, move out, have a baby, take a trip, find a new doctor, pursue a new passion…I facilitate the how, when, where, and payments.

I am happy for the sacrifices of time and self-focus I have devoted to my family over the last 25 years, and for the ability to grow Organize 365® around my family.

But now I want to pour more of my time and talent into my unique gifting.

So, how do we get SET to do the things we want and need to do in life?

We know how to help others in our lives get set. We set our kids up for school, set-up their school supplies, bookbags, dorm rooms, etc. We set our partners up for their endeavors and trips. We know how to get set-up; we just don't often look at doing it for ourselves the way we do for others.

How do we SET ourselves up for success?

Getting SET comes after getting ready because when you are getting SET you are already ready. You are doing the final steps before you GO (more on that next week).

What do you need to GO? Get that together now.

How can you get SET for a productive and proactive new year?

If your goal is to reclaim your home and your time - I have the solution for you. The Productive Home Solution™ is a new way of thinking about your space and time! Half of the battle with anything we are ready and set to do is deciding what the next step is (and then the next step after that). Avoid decision fatigue and use The Productive Home Solution™ as your roadmap to guide you through the journey of getting organized. Organization will carry you through so many of your goals and was the first step for me getting to where I am today.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: 516_-_Set...Final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

On the Wednesday podcast, 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 learn the skill of organization, too!

Amber N. shared her transformation with me! She’s the mom of two children who are a senior in high school and 14 years old, and she has a Greg of her own! Amber had always been inspired to be organized; but at some point life just got in her way.  She was no longer organized but desperately wanted to be. Amber had tried other organization systems, including hiring a professional organizer.  The funny part is, once she got through some of the Organize 365® resources, she no longer needed that professional organizer to come back in for a “refresh”.  She had learned the skill of organization and now she can do it on her own! I keep telling you, organization is a learnable skill people!

Amber had to come to terms with what “being organized” actually means.  Did it mean mimicking the pictures from Pinterest; or was it more important for it to be done? Picture vs. Reality. Cute vs. Organized. We put so much pressure on ourselves to give our children these picture perfect parties or bedrooms. Honestly, our kids aren’t on social media and do not see the pictures we see. They are not on Pinterest. They are not looking for these tiny details. They are just happy to spend time with us, and to celebrate their birthday. Give yourself some grace. 

Amber had to start with baby steps…but ultimately she ended in a sprint.  She started with her mail and the Sunday Basket® despite all the paper in her house.  She was so excited with the results that she wanted more and wanted it more quickly. Now she’s The Paper Solution Certified and can help people on their own organizational journeys!

I encourage everyone to evaluate what your energy level is during each season, and what area you want to focus on - such as the house, school & work, or maybe it’s being a more intentional mom. Then set the expectation at the beginning that ‘something is better than nothing’ when it comes to getting organized. 

Amber has learned so much from Organize 365®.  Her major takeaway is to extend herself grace. Her other biggest takeaways are: 

  • If you put a process in place, you can move through it
  • Good is good enough and focus on macro not micro
  • Don’t get bogged down

Now that she is organized, she has time to spend with her family and on her business too. She also has more money because she isn’t paying late fees and more grace that she gives to herself!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

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.

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: Transformation_with_Amber_N._Final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

Are you READY to think differently? Are you READY to evaluate your past new years goals and productivity? Are you READY to put in the work and reap the rewards of your focus & labor? Are you physically READY? Mentally READY? Emotionally READY?

 

Today’s episode is about readiness. And I’m so excited to share my ideas for what it means to be READY.

 

My favorite activity is to think about my thinking. It is a habit that I have cultivated into an art form and can no longer do without. It’s my habit.

 

And that is the thing about habits. Bad ones are easy to fall into and hard to break. Good ones take thought, planning, discipline and determination to establish.

 

Yet, habits are the ONE thing that separates the life you have today and the future you envision for yourself.

 

  • You cannot fall into productivity (it doesn't just happen)
  • Your house will not magically clean and organize itself

 

As I get ready for the new year, I want to share with you how I think about this coming season. As the December days quickly pass by, I look forward to the new year. This is the official day I start running my race for a productive 2023 - when new opportunities like starting college for my Ph.D program begin.

 

I am getting ahead of myself. Today. Today is about being READY.

 

Readiness is a state of being.

 

You will never be 100% ready. And that's 100% okay! You don't have to be 100% ready in order to start!

 

Readiness is an understanding of the strengths and limitations you are experiencing in THIS phase of your life.

 

What unique seasons are you experiencing right now that you can leverage to move forward in your home organization goals?

 

  • Are you in a season where you are home more?
  • Do you have more energy at a certain time of day, or day of the week?
  • Is there a big event coming up that will motivate you to work faster?
  • Do you have a companion who is motivated to pace with you?
  • Is this a season where you have money in the budget to add to your efforts?
  • Would selling unused past purchases help you fund your new years goals? 

 

You may not be in a season where you are READY to devote more time and energy to your personal home. And that is OK.

 

However, what I have found to be true more often is that there is always a seed of readiness in each season, but we miss it.

 

I mentioned that I think about my thinking - constantly. I love sharing my unique thinking with you - to motivate you to do the same! Think about where you are right now and what you are ready for!

 

Change is normal. Most people spend their whole life trying to avoid change.

 

But change is where transformation comes from. Change unlocks the future. And it starts with READINESS.

  • READINESS is fragile
  • READINESS is fleeting
  • READINESS holds all the potential for the future

 

Next week I will share with you my thoughts on SET, but this week focus on your READINESS. READINESS is the first step in your new year. Don't miss it!

 

EPISODE RESOURCES:

 

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: 515_-_Ready....mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

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!

Today I am so excited for you to meet Maura. Over the summer I put out a social media post requesting a family that would allow me to get their kid’s rooms organized and FILM IT ALL for a movie about Kids Organization. Maura was jumping up and down saying “pick me”!

Maura is a mom of four - Bode (12), Lucy Belle (10), Finley (7) and Blaise (4). She runs a bakery out of her house (oh my goodness - she makes the BEST cookies) and her husband also works from home. 

As Maura put it, “the spigot never stops.” Which leads us to talking about OVERWHELM as a parent. The overwhelm is beautiful and messy all at the same time. And I’m so glad I was welcomed into Maura’s house to put into action the principles of Organize 365®’s Kids Program.

I LOVE ORGANIZING CHILDREN. I LOVE IT.

I was able to come one day early, meet these kiddos, and look at the task ahead of me.  I spent a total of 2-3 hours with each child individually and we focused on the oldest three. 

We are all looking for ways to connect with and spend quality time with our children. Did you know that time spent teaching kids the skills of organization while organizing their room with them can be the BEST quality time? 

Get the kids involved! Working with your kid to organize their room is quality time you can spend with them. They love the one on one time. They love talking about their stuff. They love getting to make decisions. They love the result and the process. You are teaching them the valuable skill of organizing while spending time with them.

Make it an enjoyable process for both of you! Listen to their stories. Everything in their room has a story for them. These are their little treasures!

Now when Maura tucks her kids in at night, she can actually go into their rooms and not get filled with so much frustration over the mess. Listen for the update since my visit. 

I can’t come to everyone’s house but trust me - you can do this!  The Organize 365® Kids Program is like I am there with you and we go through all the areas.  Harness your kids excitement to your benefit

NOW is just as good a time as any.  Since the kids are out of school and there’s anticipation building for the holidays…declutter and organize.  Make room for all the new stuff that will be coming into your home. I also shared some tips you may want to use for other ideal times that you want to declutter and organize.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

I look forward to helping YOU get Organized!

Direct download: Organize_365_Reality__KIDS_TV_Show_with_Maura_Final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

“In today’s podcast, I’m channeling my 30-something self. 

Once school let out for the holiday break, any shred of productivity or sanity that I was going to have for the last 10 days of the year were out the window and I was back to being camp counselor again.

If you are in your active parenting years, this podcast is a HUGE HUG from me. It’s all going to be alright. You’re going to be fine. Everyone is going to love everything that they get, everyone is going to appreciate the work that you are doing, all the invisible tasks are going to be well-rewarded. YOU ARE DOING A GREAT!

If your primary role and responsibility right now is raising humans…that is not a job. It’s a life’s calling. It is your legacy. It is your life. It is all consuming. I’ve been there. I’ve done it. 

I know you feel like you never have any time. And you may tell yourself that you will get organized when you have more time. But, the truth is...people in their 30’s are the BEST at getting organized. Because you need it SO much more. 

 

Learning the skill of organizing is not optional. If you opt-out, meaning you don’t want to learn the skill of organizing, then everything is going to be harder for you. Organization skills is where ease, capacity, time and sanity comes from! It is an essential skill.

The Organize 365® Year End Bundle includes the three essential things you are going to need in order to get optimally organized in 2023. This will ensure your whole entire life is organized so you can move even faster.

I know what you want…

  • More impact
  • More capacity
  • Do more. Be more places

You really don’t have to pick and choose. You need to be everywhere and doing everything in your 20s-40s.

You need to learn the skill of organizing AND your children need to learn the skill of organizing.

So here’s what we’ve put together for you:

  1. The Productive Home Solution™
  2. The Kids Program - like The Productive Home Solution™ for your kids
  3. The Sunday Basket® System

If you are wanting to get your WHOLE family organized; from the dog all the way to mom and dad, then listen to the end because we have a big event planned to help you AND your family

Direct download: Limited_Time_Family_Organization_Year_End_Bundle_Final.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

show notes

Direct download: 514_-_The_Productive_Home_Solution_with_Tanya_Blackburn.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

On the Wednesday podcast, 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 learn the skill of organization, too!

This week, I am sharing my interview with Ashley C. She lives with husband, three children and some fun pets! She shares her struggle with living up to the Pinterest perfect bar she set for herself when she had her first baby.  

Ashley has been a dedicated podcast listener for years.  The Organize 365® podcast gave her the permission to forgo the Pinterest perfect nursery rooms and scrapbooks and get things done a little less than perfect.  

We discuss how we have all these long to-do lists and so much pressure on ourselves but the funny thing is, no one is checking that list.  No one is disappointed that we didn’t accomplish something or accomplish it in the way we planned.  

Ashley is somewhat of a reformed perfectionist now.  In her business, she uses the phrase “experiments in imperfection.”  She joined The Productive Home Solution™ and got her new home organized. Only recently did she purchase the Sunday Basket®.  Why now?  Lisa helped her to unveil feelings of fear of failure. Ashley knew about all the resources Organize 365® has to offer but she subconsciously felt that maybe she wouldn’t do them justice. 

I encourage everyone to not sit on the sidelines due to fear of failure. Is it time for you to get off the sidelines and make the commitment with the Sunday Basket® system I am happy to say Ashley is organized and on her way to the next chapter of life. Her transformation story is ongoing as she is now working her way into business and just got started with the Friday Workbox®

EPISODE RESOURCES:

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.

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: Wednesday_Podcast_with_Ashley_C..mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

Great News!  We have two new locations for 2023!!  I hope to see you there!

 

Learn more and sign-up for a live, in-person Paper Organizing Retreat.

 

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: Coffee_Chat_2023_Paper_Orgnaization_Retreat_Locations.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

In today’s episode as we wrap up our series on my ADHD journey and exploration of executive functions, I am excited to introduce you to Keith Boswell, Vice President of Marketing at ADHD Online.

ADHD Online is transforming the diagnosis and treatment of people dealing with neurodiversity. Organize 365® and ADHD Online have partnered several times over the past year to present organizational solutions that I have found to work for others struggling with ADHD.

Keith brings a new level to this conversation we’ve been having - he is open about his diagnosis of ADHD and his own organization challenges and triumphs. We talk about his familys’ problem areas, the progression of aging children, and roles that will come with the organization of their house.

Find out how we met and how our partnership is evolving. Keith and ADHD Online are doing some important work for awareness and helping people function with ADHD. They are helping people to get a faster diagnosis and move on to finding solutions.  ADHD Online has medical professionals providing the diagnosis and from there you can choose to work with them or your primary doctors and pharmacies. And, they are proud to say that the solution is not always medicine!  They really work with their clients to help them succeed. Organize 365® is  excited to work with them to provide solutions that work for helping their clients live a more organized and proactive life.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Direct download: 513_-_Keith_Boswell_from_ADHD_Online.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EST

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