2010 June | Take Control Organizing

How Committed Are You?

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Nikki in Getting Started

Last week, I was watching a segment on the Today show about the top 4 reasons why diets fail for people trying to lose weight. The number one reason - They are Not Fully Committed. This got to me to thinking not about losing weight but about organizing of course.

I have told my clients in the past that getting organized is like losing weight… There is no quick fix or magic pill that will automatically get you to your goal weight. You have to do the work by exercising and eating right, all of the time, well at least most of the time.. You are making choices, deciding to live a different lifestyle than in the past.

So what happens if you are not fully committed to this new lifestyle? You start to go back to old habits, habits that are not very healthy for you. You may make poor choices that go against what you are trying to achieve.

The same thing goes for getting organized. If you are not fully committed to the process, you will not succeed. If you don’t see getting your life organized as a lifestyle change, you most likely will not succeed in the long run. You have to want to make these changes for you and only you. If you are only doing it to please someone else, it won’t work. You must be committed to yourself first!

The tips on the Today Show to be fully committed included; to have daily and weekly goals set. Do not expect miracles and realize when you are getting impatient. This stuff takes time and again there is no quick fix! Lastly, forgive yourself for any slip ups. We all have them, whether we ignore the ” Touch it Once” Rule in organizing or decide to the eat donut. Move on and don’t dwell on the mishaps.

We always have a chance to make better choices next time. Remember all of the time and energy you have already put into this journey. Revisit why this is important to you and keep going.

Stay committed and succeed!

Happy Organizing!

Ep 10: The Habits that Affect your Organization at Home

Posted on June 28, 2010 by admin in Taking Control: The Organizing Podcast

We all come to the table with a full basket of habits — some good, some bad — and getting control of the habits that affect your ability to get organized is a major step in getting off on the right foot. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about the habits that make for good organization, and those that get in your way time and again.

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Making Your Time Count!

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Nikki in Getting Started, Productivity, Time Management

We live in a busy world! There are days in my week where every hour is accounted for, and trying to get anything extra done, is almost impossible! We all wish we had more than 24 hours in the day. I wish I could function on less than 8 hours of sleep, I would get more done, but I can’t! And I can’t make the day have more hours, I am stuck with 24!

Often times when I am working with clients, they say the reason they have not gotten organized in the past, is because they just do not have the time. I can understand this statement, however I go on to tell them, once they put the time in to get organized and set up the right systems, in the long run, they will actually save time! Let’s be honest, no matter what it is, if it’s a priority to you, you will make the time to get it done.

So how we can make better use of our time?

If getting organized is a priority and you are ready to make some progress, then follow these steps to making your time count!

Schedule and plan your organizing sessions. Take this a step further than just writing the appointment, actually put on a piece of paper everything you need to accomplish during the session. Don’t make your list so elaborate you get disappointed. Be realistic, pick your top 3 realistic tasks and write it down. Check off as you go!

Work when you feel your very best. If you are a morning person, then be sure to schedule your appointments in the morning. You will get more done, when you feel good and most alert.

What has distracted you in the past? If it’s the phone, turn off the ringer, if it’s the computer, shut it off, if it’s your kids, hire a babysitter for the afternoon. Be aware of your distractions and then take care of them.

Make the easy decisions first. If you have a limited amount of time, don’t waste it on deciding what to do, leave the hard decisions for later.

Delegate – Find out what decisions you have to make and delegate the others. If you live with other people, delegate and work together. You shouldn’t have to carry all of the load on your shoulders.

Set a timer - If you have decided to work for one hour, set the timer. As you see the time ticking, speed up the process. Make a game out of it, see how much you can get done in the last 5 minutes. You may actually surprise yourself!

Write down the results – Don’t waste time in your next organizing session trying to remember what you accomplished before, write down what you accomplished and what your next goals and priorities are for the next session.

Happy Organizing!

“I Just Need to Get Organized!” – Is this statement holding you back?

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Nikki in Getting Started

My life could be so much better if I was just more organized!

What’s wrong with this statement?

Have you ever made “Getting Organized” a new years resolution before and not succeeded? Maybe not just at New Years but have you have ever felt getting more organized would somehow make a difference in your life?

Getting organized is a great goal. If you do it right, it can and will make your life better.

Even with this said, what is still wrong with the statement above? It’s too broad!

This statement by itself is much bigger than anyone can or should take on! It often results in overwhelming feelings of frustration and stress. To just say you are going to get organized, can really be confusing.

Where to start, how to start, and what to do? It becomes too much, so what happens? It gets put on next years list, because for right now, you just don’t have the time or energy!

Here are a few tips to encourage you towards your goal of ”getting organized” rather than you running away from it!

Write down and define the specific areas where you need better organization. This could include specific areas in your home as well as time management. Where ever you see a better system could benefit you.

Prioritize your list. What is the most frustrating for you right now?

Once you have decided what you are going to do, break that space down even further. If your first choice is your kitchen, decide to work on the cabinets then the counters.

Finish one task before moving on to the next. This will help you stay focus and see progress much faster than trying to do too much all at once.

BONUS TIP: When deciding what areas in your life you would like to get organized, think about the why? Why does one area in your home get filled up with the clutter? Why does the mail stay unopened? In order for you to really make a difference and change, you need to understand what is holding you back in the first place!

So before you start to “Get Organized” , take time to see what needs to get organized, and then ask those questions of why it needs to be fixed! Once you understand the problem it will be much easier to fix and not so overwhelming!

Happy Organizing!

Ep 9: Making the Time to Organize

Posted on June 21, 2010 by admin in Getting Started, Taking Control: The Organizing Podcast

Making the time to get organized is making the difference between success and failure in your own organizing system. But it’s not as easy as it sounds! This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about how you can make the time to get organized and put the systems in place to stay that way for good!