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Knowing What You Really Want is Key to Success

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Book Review: Write It Down, Make It Happen

In December, my sister and I met to exchange Christmas presents and to just BE together. That doesn’t happen nearly often enough.

I told her, ”I’m not sure what I really want!” She said, “I’ll send you a copy of the book I’m reading,” and gave me a notebook to write my thoughts in. The funny part: the book’s tag line is Knowing What You Want – and Getting It!

Author, Henriette Ann Klauser, has a PhD in English Literature and teaches writing techniques in U.S. and Canadian universities.  As she taught her students how to practice “rapidwriting, writing fast, lickety-split, past the Critic”, her students began to share with her the positive, life-changing results they experienced. Those stories became the catalyst for her book, Write It Down, Make It Happen.

Write It Down, Make It Happen

Klauser uses illustrations from real people who found once they wrote dreams down, the resources and contacts came to them, rather than their having to seek out either. Well known examples are Lou Holtz, Notre Dame coach and Jim Carrey, comedian.

As a Christian believer, I don’t ascribe to “name it, claim it” type thinking.  I see something else at work here. Once you and I identify what we really want, we will see opportunities that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Marian’s story of building a state-of-the-art retirement home in a small Nevada town inspires me. Not only did writing clarify her thoughts, but she states,

That’s another benefit of writing  – it helps me to recognize what is happening and to appreciate it. When I don’t write it down, sometimes I overlook… small victories and forget to be grateful.

What is it you really want? Start to keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings in 2011. From organizing, to losing weight, to getting finances in order… it is key to know what you want as an end result. You may be surprised at the strange “coincidences” that help you along the way.

Better yet, find someone with whom to share your goals and desires, and who will cheer you on/hold you up during tough times. That is exactly the role my wonderful sister fills for me. I am grateful.

Great Ideas on How to Focus… Now!

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Don’t critique the job you’re doing until you’ve completed it.

Christine Adamec, author of “Moms with ADD”
Adult ADD

Adult ADD

This is just one of the “8 Ways to Focus at Work & Home” from the article in ADDitude Magazine online.

If you are distracted by bright and shiny objects, are a raving perfectionist,  or simply have to move NOW or you will die, you will find hope in these simple tips from ADHD experts.

While you are there, sign up to have the newsletter delivered to your in box. We all can use the additional nudge to simplify desktops, write lists, and ask for help from a friend. Common sense? Yes! Do we do it? No!

Organize with Friends: More Fun, More Accountability

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Organizing your cluttered space can be lonely and downright depressing! Who wants to spend a couple hours looking at the clothes you could fit into two years ago, the mementos you saved from your now-grown children’s early years, or the projects from work that you poured your life into and have now been replaced by newer, better?

The solution: make a party of it! Invite a bunch of friends, promise to feed them, and divide the organizing among the lot of you.If you only have one friend kind enough to help, make it a reciprocal agreement. He/she comes to your place first (of course) and you go to to help at the friend’s place the next week. To quote English playwright and poet, John Heywood, “Many hands make light work.”

Take these steps to ensure your organizing party is both fun and productive:

  1. Choose a date that works for you and your friend(s).
  2. Dream and plan your ideal layout for the space.You can always make a course correction later.
  3. Purchase any large storage pieces you know you will need:  bookshelves, end tables, storage ottomans. Wait to purchase smaller organizing systems until you know what they will contain and the dimensions of the drawer/shelf to hold them.
  4. Gather supplies: black trash bags, cardboard boxes or plastic bins for sorting, felt tip pens, sticky notes or 3×5 cards, masking tape.
  5. Use an proven organizing method like Julie Morgenstern’s S.P.A.C.E.  Explain how it works to your guest(s)
  6. Feed the workers before you start, and take water breaks.
  7. De-clutter and organize for a set time, say 1-2 hours, stop and straighten up.
  8. Celebrate the great progress you made and make another date to complete the task!

In addition to the extra hands and brainpower, this method works well because once committed, you can’t back out. We may break appointments with ourselves on a daily basis, but hesitate to let our friends down.

Just think… if you and a friend did this trade once a month for a year, you could organize your whole house or apartment! An added side benefit is the relationship building time together. How fun!

Use an organizing method like S.P.A.C.E.

Jill’s Story, Behind the Scenes Coaching on De-Cluttering

Friday, March 12th, 2010

You want to soar, stuff gets in the way

You want to soar, stuff gets in the way (neoliminal/Flickr)

Over the last month or so, Jill and I have been emailing back and forth. She shared that she is finally motivated to let go of all the paper she has been storing with her business.  I hope you will be encouraged by her story. I asked Jill if I could share our email correspondence. She was surprised that I thought she could be of help to someone else, but agreed graciously.  I will post her “Before” pictures soon. Jill has promised to show us her “After” pictures when she gets more work done. I think she has come a very long way already!

Hello Martha:

I have enjoyed reading your 60 tips.  Nice to know that I am on the right track and not as bad as I thought!!!

I have my own business as a graphic designer/marketer/printier and I am a paper hoarder.  I save samples of my work, sayings, books, reference materials, magazines, business journals, catalogs, postcards, etc. I have the thought of “just in case”

In my office, I have 5 file cabinets with 15 drawers, book shelves, cabinets, etc.  with these items stored.  I even have the paper piles on the floor in my office which I can’t seem to get through and is driving me crazy….I know it is a bit of OCD. …but I am trying to plow through.

Here is my Serious question:  How do you deal with samples, catalogs, etc.?  I have had them on file for their information and use as photos of an item, like a magnet, shirt, signage, etc.  Do I input all of the info about the catalog/company in a database and pitch the catalogs?  Keep them?  ETC?  I was just trying to make room in my files for other info and to reduce the weight on my floor!

Help!  I could really use your advice.  Thank you so much.

Jill


Hi Jill!

I am so glad you found the report helpful.  Yay! You have systems in place already!

It sounds like you have a filing system for your work-related papers. Before I answer your question of  “How do you deal with samples, catalogs, etc?” I want to get a little clarification:

  1. How often do you use what is in the files in your present projects?
  2. Are you able to find what you need when you go to look for it?
  3. Do you replace the old catalogs with the latest version when it comes?

In principle, you probably use only 20% of what you have.  The only trick will be to figure out what that percentage represents in your mix.

I may be able to get some hints from your answers to the questions.

You are brave to ask the questions, Jill.  Kudos!

Martha Clouse
Professional Organizer and Speaker

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How Do You Get Kids to Take Their Stuff?

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

This is the question I was asked at a recent GO Month presentation. The topic was Downsizing BEFORE You Have to Move.

The short answer – Set a Deadline! I give anyone reading this permission to make me the bad guy. Say, “My professional organizer is making me do it!”

Watch this short video for a true story about kids and their stuff from premier New Zealand organizer, Wendy Davie.

My mom saved stuff for her four children in her basement for 30+ years. When she was ready to move into a retirement center, she set the deadline for us to take our stuff or else.  Clothes from the 70′s were mildewed.  Hundreds of science fiction paperbacks were carted off (and pitched later.) There was no reason for her to have stored those things all that time.

Be tough! Set a deadline. If the stuff is important, children will take it.  If not, donate the things so someone else can use it.

How to Find Your Time Leak

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Do you feel like you were busy all day long, but at the end of the day can’t point to one specific task that you completed?

One way to quantify how you spend your time is to keep track of your activities for one week.  An easy way to do this is with a timer you can set for a fifteen minute interval. A kitchen timer will do.  Draw three columns on a sheet of paper and title these “Activity”, “Time Blocks”, and “Notes”.  Activities should be general categories like – eating, exercising, writing, on phone, marketing, networking, data entry, housework, playing, watching TV, etc.kitchen timer

Beginning with the time you wake up, continually set the timer, note the activity and put an X  in the next column for  each 15 minute block you spend doing that.  In the Notes column, you can remind yourself of the particular project or reason for extended period of time spent. The timer is essential because reconstructing your day after the fact is not always a true picture.  At the end of the day, add up the time spent on each activity.  After your 7 days or work week ends, evaluate where you spent the major portion of your days.

Two things happen while you are doing this exercise.  First, you are more conscious of the passage of time when you find yourself doing mindless activities.  Checking your e-mail can stretch into a three hour marathon of web surfing otherwise.  Second, you will discern how much time you are actually spending on those activities you claim as  priorities personally or on the job.  Will you readjust your priorities or purpose to honor those decisions with a time commitment?

Finding the leak is helpful only if you make an attempt to stop the leak and take preventative measures to avoid puncture scenarios in the future.

Do organizers fall down?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Yes. As I am writing this, there is a place in my home that is bugging me – my closet. The main problem is that I hoard fabric for quilting. You know the saying, “Whoever has the largest fabric collection when she dies WINS!”

I even have adequate containers to hold it all. I just never returned the rejected pieces that I auditioned for my sister’s quilt several months ago. My excuse is that I don’t have that big chunk of time that I know it will take. After all, I am a sole proprietor of my own business. I don’t have a lot of spare time these days.

Isn’t it enough that my spices are neatly arranged in a drawer and my make-up is right at hand when I need it? Nope! Every time I am in my closet, I can feel the frustration mounting. I’m going to take care of those piles… soon.

The only thing that will make me accountable is to bring in a friend. I will be helping my sister organize her clothes closet. I hereby purpose to ask her to do the same for me. The task will get done in less time and we can chat while doing the work. You know, I am starting to look forward to this. Thanks for listening…