personality

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Are You Getting The Right Things Done?

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Yes, this is the first Monday of the New Year 2011. Did you jump right back into your life and work with gusto? Do you know where you are headed and how to get there?

One of the hardest things about a TO DO list is choosing which task to do first. That choice is difficult to make unless you have a known destination in mind. Then, do you tend to see one task completed, or do you like to dabble with 3-4 in progress at a time?

To find out your productivity quotient, try taking David Allen’s GTD-Q test. This is a “less than 2 minute” activity, so you can do it now. Find out what your strengths and weaknesses are in the “getting things done” arena.

Are you proactive or reactive? Do you have more creative ideas than you ever follow up with? How are you at taking care of details?

Suggested reading after you see your detailed results:

Getting Things Done by David Allen
Time Management from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Are You Resilient?

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Have you felt like your life was out of control and looked for who or what to blame? Then, in time, you got past that crisis and felt pretty good about simply surviving in the midst of great difficulty! I (Martha) have been in both situations. I think that is why I identified so strongly with Patsy Deerhake’s article in her wellness coaching newsletter Wellness Within Reach.

On Resilience by Guest Blogger Patsy Deerhake:

My husband tells me that the term “stress” is an old and tired concept. I agree that people may be tired  of hearing about stress. I know I get tired of hearing how stressed people are when it appears they are stuck and unwilling to move forward. It seems to me when people complain of stressors; they are in “victim” mode. They often just accept their plight without taking action.

Even those who cope well with stress are often in “survivor” mode. They’re just muddling through the situation and feel little control. I like to suggest to people who are experiencing stress that they choose the “thrive” mode. In this mode an unfortunate turn of events becomes a challenge, not a calamity.

Resilience is a concept that can move us beyond playing victim or even just surviving. Resilience is the ability to rebound from a difficult situation. When we are resilient, we are able to bend without breaking. Resilience may be developed and strengthened with practice.

Highly resilient people have been described as having stress‐resistant personalities and are able to learn from their experiences. Some qualities that increase resilience include healthy relationships, adaptability, emotional maturity, sense of humor, acceptance of others, creative problem‐solving, resourcefulness, openness and optimism.

Resilience is demonstrated by those who are able to rebound from difficult experiences, often by taking a unique perspective that allows them to see the opportunities a change in circumstances creates. It’s the ability to reject the victim mentality or even the role of survivor and discover ways to thrive in spite of a setback.

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Patsy Deerhake of Wellness Within Reach is passionate about empowering women who are juggling career, household and family to create the time and energy to get the lives they want and deserve.  She sees moms and caregivers trying to do it all – to be Superwoman. “I am a recovering Superwoman,” Patsy admits. Patsy works with clients to give up their frazzled, harried lifestyles and achieve greater quality of life.

To find out how to succeed without the cape, request The Superwoman’s Guide to Getting What You Want Without Losing What’s Important, a FREE report that outlines a six step process to help women assess what they want in their lives and take an initial step forward.

Clear the Clutter! Part 3 – Keeping Stuff Contained

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

This past Monday I was giving a presentation at a local Senior Center. I met Terry who found me online and had several printed copies of my blog in her hand. Then she asked, “I found your blogs Clear the Clutter Parts 1 and 2, but not Part 3, did you write Part 3 yet?”

I was embarrassed to have to answer, “No, I have not.”

So, you know what’s coming… by golly, this is Part 3! Maintenance doesn’t have to be a bad word. Use these tips to keep your newly organized space contained and going strong.

Room to live

7 Keep it Organized Tips to making “main-tain” more than two rhyming four-letter words:

  1. Store items by categories. Name the category so you and everyone else know what goes in there. Label, if necessary. Sample categories: first aid kit, cold weather accessories (hats, gloves, scarves), everyday office supplies, Stationery/Bill paying supplies, hair care.
  2. Keep items close to where they are used so you don’t have to travel very far to put them away.
  3. Use containers that fit the item to be stored in size, convenience of access, quality of décor. Ask, “Does this container make me want to put things in it, or is it too hard?”
  4. Set limits on how many you truly need. You are the manager here. Too many extraneous things make it hard to find what you really use and love! How many margarine tubs can you use in a month? That’s enough.
  5. Commit to putting things in their homes that you have designated.  Think “There’s no place like home…there’s no place like home.” Click your ruby slippers and let that object go home.
  6. Gather things that have escaped, or are on permanent vacation from their homes into a “Move” box. Then walk around your house delivering them to the doorstep of the room where they belong. Put each one in its home the next time you enter that room.
  7. If you have kids, make a family play date to do some straightening. In each child’s room let him/her be the manager and tell the “employees” where things go. Hold your tongue, mom or dad. Any headway you make is an improvement on what was before. Other children may make some good suggestions that can better be heard by their sibling.

Maintenance issues often are solved in the organizing process.  When systems are put into place in deference to personality and present habits, the odds become much greater that we can “keep it up.” If you are having lots of difficulties maintaining your organized space, it could be that the system itself needs tweaking.

Organization doesn’t have to be boring. Use color and style to ratchet up your desire to keep your space appealing to the eye and inviting as a fun place to hang out.

Final thoughts:

  • Enjoy your space as you currently have it arranged.
  • Be present in NOW.
  • When you leave an area, look for something that you can deliver to the room you are headed to.
  • Try to spend 10 minutes a day putting things away.
  • Devote a concentrated 2 hours per month working on one area in particular.

Living and working in an organized space is more a process than a destination. Over time as you find systems that work for you and are committed to keeping it up, you will see the gradual change. If you need more support, find a professional organizer in your area on the National Association of Professional Organizers webpage. We are a diverse group but all have a passion to help others live balanced and productive lives.

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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Jerry Seinfeld Had a System

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

In the organizing profession, we are always talking about systems for managing paper, reducing clutter, and making use of time efficiently.  In following up, an organizer will make sure the systems put in place are compementing the client’s personality and lifestyle.

What exactly do we mean by a system? One dictionary definition for system is “orderliness, the use or result of careful planning and organization.” Orderliness is definitely a desired result, but a better description of the system an organizer means is “a way of proceeding, a method or set of procedures for achieving something.”

Jerry Seinfeld had a system. His neighbor, Kramer, found he was spending too much time in the shower and asked for Jerry’s advice.  Jerry said he could take a shower in 10 minutes flat. He had found a procedure that worked for him.

Think about it for a minute… do you reinvent the order that you wash body parts each time you shower, or do you proceed on autopilot?Are you pretty sure that when you are done, you have achieved the desired result? Is dirt and bad smell gone? CHECK! Is skin clean and good smell back? CHECK!

You just followed a system, a certain way of proceeding to get the job done.

The beauty of a workable system is:

1. The system can be documented and repeated.

2. One planning session yields desired results over and over, saving time over all.

3. A  system followed consistently becomes easier as skill increases and habit kicks in.

Kramer did not have a system that was working for him, he questioned the amount of time he was taking and could have used the advice of a professional (Jerry) to become more efficient. If you saw the episode, you know that didn’t happen.  I think Kramer could have used a professional organizer.

“Organization Can be Messy”, Charlotte Adams Mysteries

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

These books just went on my “to read” list. How fun to see how an uptight, driven organizer solve mysteries! Each book includes organizing tips and tricks.

Organize Your Corpses, reprinted May 2007

August 22, 2009 review by bookeeBD

Maffini entertains with a delightful mystery that involves cleaning up a cluttered, aging mansion. When Charlotte is commissioned by Helen Henley to clean out a mansion she has just inherited, Charlotte gets more than she bargained for and ends up being the number one suspect when Helen is found dead at the mansion and Charlotte’s favorite pen is found at the scene.

The Cluttered Corpse, released April 2008

Synopsis

Organization can be messy. When Charlotte Adams agrees to help Emmy Lou Rheinbeck organize her stuffed animal collection, she never imagines she’ll find herself fending off pranksters whose shenanigans lead to murder.

Death Loves a Messy Desk, released May 2009

April 24, 2009 review by BikerLibrarian13:

Charlotte Adams is a control freak, a busybody, and a compulsive organizer who likes to neaten up everything she can get her hands on. While these qualities may make her somewhat irritating to her friends, they also make her a stellar professional organizer and de-clutterer. They also get her in over her head when she is hired by the office manager of Quovadicon to clean up the desk of an employee whose messiness is leading the rest of the office into chaos.

Mary Jane Maffini continues to entertain readers in her third mystery featuring Charlotte Adams. This is a mystery full of quirky, humorous, and engaging characters, many of whom are as frustrated with Charlotte’s investigative compulsion as she is with it herself.

I will get started reading these three so I am ready for the next book in the series. If Ms. Maffini remains true to form, we will have the continuation this summer.

The Odd Couple: Do You Resemble Felix or Oscar?

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

When two people share a living space, there will inevitably be one who values order and neat surroundings more than the other.  The play-turned-sit-com, The Odd Couple, made us laugh at the extreme case of roommates having to adjust to each other’s idiosyncrasies.

Who do you relate to more:  Felix the neat fanatic or Oscar the easygoing slob?  Each character had his strengths and weaknesses.  Oscar could more readily enjoy life and relate to people.  On the other hand, Felix was uber-responsible and made sure that Oscar did not starve or drown in his trash.

Felix was never able to get Oscar to pick up after himself.  Oscar couldn’t convince Felix to get over his cleanliness fetish enough to make room for the humanity and imperfections of others.  Yet, in each episode one partner grew a little by learning from the other.

Often I hear the question, “How can you motivate someone else to get organized?” The two-word answer is a resounding, “YOU can’t!”

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