2010 January | Take Control Organizing

Great Organizing Giveaway!

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Nikki in Home Organizing, Office Organizing, Productivity

Did you know January is “Get Organized Month”? To honor the Organizing Industry, Professional Organizers around the nation worked together to deliver the Great Organizing Giveaway!

What is the Great Organizing Giveaway? Organizers compiled a number of different items to be given away. This event is open to anyone who wants to be more organized! It doesn’t matter where you live, many of these gifts are downloadable from your computer. Participates are able to sign up to get FREE e-books, audio downloads, organizing tip sheets, complementary consultations, and much more!

There is great information for almost any aspect of organizing you may be looking for. Take Control Organizing has contributed an e-book, titled; ” Getting Started: 10 Key Principles You Need to Know Before Starting Your Organizing Journey!” This e-book is available on my website.

Here are just a few of the items to look for:

Getting Things Done- How to set up chores
9 strategies for Simplifying your Life today!
112 tips to Organize Your Workday
Mess is stress!
Finally Filing Made Easier
It’s Time… Stop Procrasinating Now!
Timely Tax Tips
51 Creative Organizing Solutions Found in Every Day Items
Getting Started: 10 Key Principles You Need to Know Before Starting Your Organizing Journey!
And Much, Much More!

Happy Organizing!

No Quick Fix in Organizing!

Posted on January 25, 2010 by Nikki in Getting Started

Last weekend I was reading an article about scams in regards to losing weight. And it got me to thinking about how, sometimes we wish there was such a thing as a “quick fix”. Well anyone who has tried to loose weight in their lifetime, understands there are no quick fixes! You can loose the weight, but if you do not maintain it through good diet and exercise, you gain it back.

There is not much difference in organizing. We all set out to be more organized. To have better time management, to have more control of our homes, our work life. Organization or lack of… effects us all. We set goals for ourselves to change the bad habits weighing us down. But just as a magic pill is not going to make the weight go away, a really good clean up in the garage is not going to make the clutter stay away, if we don’t have a plan on how to maintain the organization.

There are no quick fixes in losing weight and there are none in getting organized. It’s important to understand that organization does not have to look perfect. It’s not about the pretty boxes and labeled bins. It’s about the system you put into place to keep what is inside those boxes organized.

In my home, I have set up organizing systems that have failed. One area I have now is our linen closet. I organized it and had bins to put our towels, bins to put extra bathroom necessities, etc. Well soon the towels did not make it into the bins and the bathroom stuff was spilling out! It just isn’t working. I am now in the process of re-evaluating the space. Soon, I will come up with something that works. For now, I have towels in the bin and outside of the bin. But I do have all of the towels in one place! So that’s something!

The point is, there are no quick fixes when making lifestyle changes. And from time to time, we fail, but we keep working hard, we keep striving for our goals, and in the end we maintain what it was we were looking for!

Happy Organizing!

It’s Not Going to Be Perfect!

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Nikki in Getting Started

I am working on a project for my business. It is taking a lot of time and stress to get this project right. Mainly because I am a perfectionist and I want it done correctly. I want to give the best service and options to my clients. If I am going to do something, I want to do it 125%. It’s just the way I am.

This morning, I was reading Seth Godin’s blog post, “No, everything is not going to be okay”. I read this and then read it again. What perfect timing! This is exactly what I needed to read. All of the sudden I was able to let go of the anxiety of having this be exactly right. It’s good to change, it’s good to take a chance. We learn more about our clients needs when we are willing to change and take chances ourselves in our business. And not worry so much about how it’s accepted or packaged. We are creating important change.

The last sentence says..”Once you free yourself from the need for perfect acceptance, it’s a lot easier to launch work that matters.”

Wow, isn’t that what it’s really about… Providing a service to people that matters!

Hit Your Target Goal!

Posted on January 21, 2010 by Nikki in Getting Started

Did you know 1/3 of people who made new years resolutions will give up by the end of January? According to a Time Management Survey from Franklin Covey. The reason given was because people just didn’t have the time.

If getting your home in order was a goal for you in 2010, here are just a few simple organizing basics, to keep you on track!

1. Start small- don’t try to organize your whole home at once or think you can do it in a weekend. Multi-tasking and organizing do not get along. You’ll just get frustrated and overwhelm by trying to do it all once. Decide on what room to do first and break it into smaller pieces. For example; drawers, cupboards, shelves, closets. Do one space at a time.

2. Work when you at your best- you will get more done when you are feeling good and energized! I always achieve better results when I work in the morning. I am more effective and get so much more done!

3. Work in small time increments- Just work 15 minutes a day. Whatever fits into your schedule. But try to do something everyday, to keep up your motivation, when you see progress you want to do more.

4. Remember your goals- Review your resolutions. Why did you choose to get organized? What will it mean to you and your family to have your home in order? When you are starting to feel like giving up, remember why you started in the first place. Remember how it feels to accomplish just one space, and what a difference it made. Lifestyle changes are never easy and can be very time consuming. But in the end… they are worth it!

Happy Organizing!

the Confident Mom – Controlling Toy Chaos!

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Nikki in Home Organizing

Last November, I found a tele seminar series through Twitter about Parenting. It was through the Confident Mom. Susan Heid, the owner, is a Parenting/ Family Manager Coach in the Seattle area. The tele seminar is based on the book, Screamfree Parenting, Raising your kids by Keeping your Cool, by Hal Edward Runkel.

I highly recommend it for any parent, who is looking for tips and ideas from a real parenting coach who can specifically give you ideas on issues you are having in your home. Parenting is hard and at times can be very frustrating. I learned new techniques to use with my children that has kept the calm in our household. The best part of the series was being to able to talk to other moms. We all had stories to share and we all learned from each other. Click here for more information about upcoming tele seminars.

After the series was over, Susan asked if I would be a guest blogger for her blog. Of course I was honored and my first post came out this morning. Controlling the Toy Chaos! If you have kids, you have toys, which often means chaos. Here are some great tips on how to contain the chaos, it won’t ever go away, but we can make it easier to live with! Enjoy!

Happy Organizing!