We wait until the last minute to do anything, no matter how large or small the task.  Procrastination can come from doing a daily household task like loading the dishwasher… Have you ever waited so long to unload the dishwasher that by the time you did it, you had to immediately run it again. Or waited to put a report together and found yourself up all night just to get it turned in on time!

Some people work well under pressure, but for most of us it causes a lot of stress and anxiety.  Stress that could technically be prevented if we had just done what we needed to do, when we needed to do it!

If you find yourself in this situation and you know you are procrastinating….

• Do your least favorite task first and then follow it up with a more desirable task.  Better yet, set up a reward system!  This is a great way to motivate yourself. You will be more likely to do the task if you know something good will be waiting for you!  Maybe it’s a 15 minute break to call a friend or if it’s a big project, treat yourself to your favorite coffee.

• Think Small!  Sometimes what stops us from starting a project is we are looking at the project as a whole.  To organize your garage in a weekend is overwhelming, however just cleaning one shelf isn’t so bad.  Break your big projects down into smaller ones, it really makes a difference!

• Sometimes once you start a project you can gain enough momentum to keep going.  The point is to start.  Set a timer and work on a project for 15 minutes.  Pretty soon 15 minutes a day adds up and you just made substantial progress.  You want to keep moving forward and every little bit counts!

Happy Organizing!

I have put together a few ADD Friendly Tips to conquer your clutter…. You may not be able to implement all of them at once, and you may find some ideas work better for you than others.  That is OK… this is a work in progress… all I ask is you try!  If you want to change to happen, you have to be willing to try!

A few tips to consider when conquering your clutter:

Less is More – First thing’s first, when you are trying to clear clutter, you must first eliminate!  When you have less, it’s much easier to stay organized.  You don’t want to try and get organized without taking the time to go through your home and office and really evaluate what you need.  Keep only the things that have value to you. I suggest you tackle one small area at a time. You will see faster progress, which will motivate you to keep going.  It also takes away the overwhelm when you know you are only working one small space and not the whole house.

Purchase with Purpose – Think before you buy, and when you do buy, decide where the item will go in your home.  Every item needs to have a permanent home.  Place a note in your wallet as a reminder, place it in front of your debit or credit card.  Think before you buy. When bringing something new in the home, take something out.  This is often called the “In and Out” rule.  It will help eliminate accumulating too much stuff.

Make the Homes Convenient and Easy – If you make your filing system too complicated, you will never file. If your kitchen is set up in a way that it is inconvenient to put pots and pans away, it won’t happen, and if it does happen it will not have any order to it.  It’s important to organize your belongings the way you use them and in the easiest way.  Even if doesn’t make sense to the rest of the world, it needs to make sense to you.

Organize Just Enough – This is so important for the ADDer…. Don’t strive for perfection.  Set up a system that works good enough for you.  The goal is to be able to find what you need when you need it.  This can be in the form of a pile, it does not have to be in a perfect labeled box or bin.  When things get lost, which they will, take note of it, and build a system around it.  Awareness is the first step towards change!

Happy Organizing!

Definition of Organization:  

Notice, there is nothing said about baskets or organizing bins!  Being organized is about function.  Organization effects how you live in your home, how productive you are at work and well you manage your time. It effects your quality of life, but nowhere does it say it has to be perfect.

Trying to live  up to perfection is going to be a trap for you.  It will hold you back from success.  Especially if organization does not come easy to you in the first place, like so many of my ADD clients, this is a constant battle.

So instead of striving for perfection, strive for getting organized enough….

• Practice new tools and organizing techniques- Try something new and give yourself some time to see if it works.  Sometimes we give up too soon.  Sometimes being late because you lost your keys only one day a week is better than being late everyday. If a strategy does not work, then don’t be afraid to try a new one.

• Stay positive – If today didn’t work out so well, don’t worry, you always have tomorrow!

• Make organizing easy – Organize the way you think.  It doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else but you. Don’t make your systems too complicated otherwise you won’t use them.  Follow your natural habits. If you are a piler, pile your papers, just do it in a way that you know what’s in the pile. Prioritize them and make it work for you.

• Set up reminders – This is very important to the ADDers, place notes to remind you what you need to do, set alarms on your phone, do what you need to do to follow through.

Getting organized is a process.  By getting organized enough, you have decreased your stress and anxiety and increased your control of your space and time!

Happy Organizing!

“I feel so overwhelmed!

This is by far one of the most common statements I hear when working with the clients.  Sometimes the clutter around us feels so suffocating it just stops us, stops us from doing anything.  Mainly because people don’t really know what to do.

In our podcast this week we talk about how to make organizing a goal.  There are some great tips on how to turn an idea into action!  If you are dealing with overwhelm and want to make a change, I highly suggest you listen to this podcast.  It will give you the guidance you need to get started.

For this post, I want to focus on just getting around the overwhelming feelings you may have and how to break down theses barriers.

Tips on Dealing with the Overwhelm:

Look Forward – We all have different reasons why clutter accumulates.  Often times, there are circumstances in our lives and organization just simply got placed on the back burner.  You can’t change yesterday, but you do have control of your present and what you do today.  You allow yourself to move forward by setting goals and visualizing what the future has in store for you.

One Day at a Time – As much as we want to set timelines and visualize our future, I understand that this can also be overwhelming. It’s important to set goals but there is a fine line in not getting to carried away with the future.  Once your goals our in place, now think, one day at a time.  What can you do today to get you closer to your goals?  

Have a Support System in Place –  Getting organized and living an organized lifestyle is not easy.  It comes natural for some, but for others it is a constant struggle.  Having a support system in place makes a difference in getting through the bad days.  Sometimes all you need is a cheerleader and someone to help you through the process.  This support system can come from family, friends, a professional organizer, or an ADD Coach.  TCO’s mission is to offer this service to our clients who need extra help.

Don’t Give Up – As with any new habit or change in your life, there will be times where it won’t seem so worth it anymore.  I see many projects which get started but never get completed. Take the time you need to reflect and get your energy back, but I encourage you to keep trying.  Start again tomorrow.  Start in small steps, believe in yourself and never give up.

Happy Organizing!

I love this quote!  When I first read it, I thought to myself… simple steps, that is all it takes! It challenged me to think differently about my day and how productive I was in getting closer to what I wanted.

We all have goals and as we come up to the end of the year, many of us will use this time to reflect.  To reflect what went good and what was not so good.  You may decide to set new goals for 2012 and if you do, I hope you remember this quote.

Most goals do not happen over night, the most important thing is taking those small steps each day to get you closer to your goal!

Recently I read the difference between goals and dreams is a timeline.  Goals have a time line and action steps, which leads into accountability. You are more likely to achieve your goals if you are held accountable.  Dreams are great but if you want to turn those dreams into reality, you must act.

I challenge you to think about your goals and put a plan together.  Decide timeline, actions steps, and how you are going to be held accountable.

Remember this quote and think about what you can do each day to get you closer to reaching your goal… Eventually you will get there!

Happy Organizing!

Taking Advantage of the Organizing Bug! 

Deciding when to organize can be a struggle for many.  It’s not a lack of what needs to get done as much as when and how!  Even though finding the time can be a struggle it is not uncommon to actually be in the mood to organize! Some of you may think this is crazy, but others know exactly what I am talking about!

Have you ever been looking in a drawer for something, can not find it, and decide to do a quick sort and before you know it you have a clean drawer… Maybe you are waiting at the Doctors office and you decide to clean out your purse.  There was no plan to do these things, you just decided to do them because you were in the mood and the opportunity was there!

These are great moments, take full advantage of them!

For my ADD Clients, this is a great time to use hyper-focusing to your full advantage!  If you find yourself in the mood to organize, do it.. just make sure it’s the right time and set the timer to remind you when to stop!

There is great value to structure and scheduling the time when you are going to organize, however there is also great value in organizing when you feel like it. Maybe even more.  You can surprise yourself, which can turn into motivation to keep going!

We are not talking about re-organzizing an entire room, we are talking about those small bits of time where we can make a difference.  These small bits of time turn into living an organized lifestyle!

Happy Organizing! 

The average person spends 55 minutes a day looking for items they know they have but can not find!

I know for me personally that is a waste of time!  I have too many other demands in my life to be worried about where I left my keys or a piece of paper that needs to be returned to school.

In addition to the time being wasted there are other real costs to being disorganized. Think of the financial cost.  The actual money being wasted on buying repeat items, lost checks, expired coupons and gift certificates.  A huge loss of money is wasted on late fees, usually not because the money wasn’t available but the bill was lost or forgotten about.

When we have a lot of clutter in our homes and around us it also clutters our minds.  It takes away our energy and creativity.  It starts to affect how productive we are and how we feel about ourselves and our homes.  It adds constant stress to our lives.

These are very real and very high costs to being disorganized.  The holidays are coming and this is a great time to start your organizing projects. Recently I wrote an article for Trading Cradles on how to make money with organizing.  I encourage you to read it and start clearing out what is no longer needed or wanted.  Make room for the things that truly matter the most.  

There is something to be said about simplifying.

Clearing your clutter means clearing your mind, your space, and taking back control of your time!

Start today, pick an area that has been bothering you and spend 15 minutes sorting and organizing.  These are the first steps in moving forward!

Happy Organizing!

This particular client recently retired and he wanted to sort through his belongings to clear up space and time.  He wanted to start enjoying his retirement without the burden of what the disorganization was costing him now…A lot of stress and anxiety!

We discussed the issue of letting go and how difficult this actually was. We talked about specific items and he was doing his best to decide what to keep and what to let go of. These choices are difficult because what logically makes sense in the mind does not always make sense to the heart.

The client was explaining to me a particular item, it meant something to him at one time but not really anymore but he still wasn’t sure what to do with it.  As we continued our conversation, the subject came up of when he passes… I asked him, “Does this represent who you are?” Would his children look at this and think, yes, this is my Dad.

My client paused for a moment….  and I honestly can say I saw the shift happening before me… I could see it in his eyes, a new perspective, a new way of thinking about it.   He decided to let it go.  It was not a representation of who he was as a person, a father, a friend etc.

I hope you can take this experience and apply it somehow to your own.  The next time you get “stuck”, think about how this item represents you. The answer may actually give you permission to let it go.

Happy Organizing!

Getting Started!

You want to get organized, but you don’t know where to start!  This is a very common dilemma for many of us!  Projects in whole can seem too large at times to tackle.  Which is why many of us just don’t get started.  We settle.  We settle for the loss time and lack of space.

My business is built around not settling any more and taking control!

Instead of thinking of projects as whole think about what is bothering you most about your disorganization!  Start here! 

It may not even be an actual space or item, it could be that you are constantly late or unprepared for meetings.  For the next week or so, just concentrate on getting to places on time and not trying to organize everything at once.

If you are constantly stressed about your children’s papers from school, spend the time to organize a system in which these papers can be contained.  If your bulletin board is driving you crazy because of all the clutter, take a few minutes to recycle the outdated material.  Maybe it’s a junk drawer you can’t get into.  It doesn’t matter what it is, just take care of it.

Start with matters to you!  Starting with matters to you first will zap those pesky tolerations you have been living with!  You will feel immediate results and will want to continue to add more systems to make your life easier!

Challenge:  I challenge you to pick one toleration this week and fix it!  Don’t just stop there… Keep going!

Happy Organizing!

“Getting Organized” is not an easy task!  It’s take a lot of time and commitment on our part, especially when it doesn’t come naturally.  I have often said “getting organized” is not a one time event, but a lifestyle, built on our habits and routines!  However, we still get stuck!

How do you get out of your slump?  BELIEVE!

Believe that the rewards are worth the efforts!

Think of all the costs you endure when you are not organized… Stress, anxiety, guilt, shame, loss of time, frustration, and the list goes on!

Now think of all the benefits when you are organized…. You get back your time, space, piece of mind, creativity, increased productivity, and the list goes on!

Believe!

Happy Organizing! 

What do these statements have in common?

“I have changed my diet to include more fruits and vegetables.”

“I am no longer a smoker.”

“I now have an organized filing system.”

All of the statements above are stating a change that happened in someone’s life.  Each person had to make a personal decision.  They had to decide this is what they wanted in their life.  To make the change happen, they had to act!

It’s easy to say you want to be more organized, it’s not as easy to actually get it done.

Change is not easy!

But once you decide it’s in your best interest, you have taken the first step to making it happen! If getting organized is your mission, what can you do today to make it happen?

Now that you have decided… it’s time to act!

Happy Organizing!

However, I want to challenge this thinking!  Let’s take a problem and find a creative solution… Because I know you CAN do it!

Before getting started on a project, consider asking these very powerful questions… 

1)  What are the top items in my life that are most important?

2)  What are the top items I am constantly looking for?

3)  What can I do to make it easier for me to find ___________? 

4)  What am I forgetting?  What can I do to make it easier for me to remember _____________?

5) Who is my support system?  Who is going to help me meet my goals?

These questions will actually guide you on where to begin your organizing journey.  It doesn’t have to be so overwhelming after all!

Take the big thought of “I have to get organized” out of your head and break it down with these questions.  The answers will lead you to what to work on first and give you the start you need on your journey!  Don’t forget your support system… You are not alone!

Happy Organizing! 

Where should you start on your organizing journey?  

The best place to start is to think small!  If you try to take on too much, it becomes overwhelming and you can easily get stuck in your tracks!

Organizing your garage in a weekend can seem daunting and a little scary…. but organizing one shelf in your garage can feel much more realistic!

This journey is not a race, take your time and work through the process!  Once you have accomplished one success, you can keep moving forward to more and soon enough that whole garage will be finished!

Happy Organizing! 

When it’s comes to organizing, most of us have more than one area we would like to tackle! There are many places in my home that need attention!  I have little areas like the art and craft supplies for the kids or the junk drawer that really lives up to it’s name…. it’s full of junk!  Then there are the big areas, like the garage, the attic, going through the kids closets before school starts.  The list goes on!

It can feel very overwhelming!  Where to start and what should I do first?  

Getting organized is hard enough, but without a plan, it can nearly be impossible!  

One of the very first things I do with clients before we actually work together is goal set! When you set goals for yourself, you are setting up a plan.  With a plan, you know where you are and where you are heading!

Here are a few questions for you to consider when setting your goals:

1) What do you want to accomplish?

2) What are your priorities?

3) Where are you going to start first? (After setting your priorities)

4) What’s your time frame in getting the goal accomplished?

5) What extra resources do you need to accomplish your goal?

6) How will you know you achieved your goal?

7) How will you celebrate when you are finished?

Once you have your goals in place, put them on paper and post them somewhere you will not forget!  Some people find success by sharing their goals with someone, it provides them with a level of accountability they did not have before.

“The establishment of a clear, central purpose or goal in life is the starting point of all success.” -Brian Tracy

Happy Organizing!

The first step in living an organized lifestyle is thinking about it! However, how does a person go from just thinking about it to actually doing it?

First you have to understand that “getting organized” is a lifestyle change. Change is not easy for many of us.  This kind of change requires you to think and act differently than you are used too.  It requires making uncomfortable decisions and pushing yourself even when you would rather not. It takes time, commitment and practice!

How does one motivate themselves?  

That’s a good question, but only you know the answer!  A blog, a professional organizer, or an organizing book does not have this answer. As a Professional Organizer and Coach, I can support, guide and suggest ideas just as any book or blog may give you tips and tricks to try.  Working with someone like me gives you the advantage of having a custom plan that is made up just for you, but the motivation has to come from you!

What is your motivation in changing your lifestyle?  I have seen many reasons from wanting to live a more free life, freed from chaos and stress. I have seen people who want to organize to save money and time, to create more space.  To eliminate the overwhelm they feel when they see their clutter.  I have seen people who want to improve the relationships around them.  The list goes on..

What is your motivation? 

Organization effects almost every aspect of our lives, how we live in our homes, how we work, and we manage our time, and how productive we are. In our last post I talked about tolerations…. this is a good place to start looking for what motivates you for change.  What are you tolerating and what can you change?

When we start to lose our motivation, this is the place we want to go back too, why did we want this in the first place.

Start to take action! It could be as simple as cleaning out one drawer or tackling an area in your home that is bugging you the most. Instead of looking at one space or room as a whole, break it into zones, and start tackling it in smaller pieces.  I have said this before, try not to multi-task, work in one area from start to finish, look at your progress and celebrate! Often times it’s this progress that will keep you wanting to move forward!

If you need additional assistance on where to start, enlist a friend or family member to help you.  Call a Professional Organizer to help you through the process.  We are trained to guide you through the process and support you in anyway we can.

Change can happen and happens with you!

Happy Organizing! 

What are tolerations?  In simple terms, it’s those things we put up with on a daily basis.  These tolerations can be large or small.  Some tolerations are in our control to fix and some are not.  Some tolerations may have a domino effect, you take care of one toleration and all of the sudden 2 or 3 others can be managed.  Until you make your own list, you may have not even known you had tolerations or knew you had so many.  Some may feel like a big deal and some may not.  There are tolerations you will want to change right away and there are some which are fine just where they are.

Here are examples of common tolerations: (Some have to do with organizing and some do not)

• Excessive clutter in my home
• Messy closet
• House walls that need painting
• A crack in the front door
• A lock that doesn’t work
• A door which is hard to open and close
• A kitchen appliance that needs fixing
• Late bills
• Lack of money
• I don’t particularly like the leadership of my boss
• I don’t like my job
• I can’t find something that I need right now

Often in the classes I took, students would talk about organizing and how they would tolerate a messy closet or a pile of papers on their desk.  They would talk about zapping their toleration by taking the time to clean out the space and organize it to fit their lifestyle. Often times this resulted in freedom.  They felt free from the clutter and gained back control of their space.

Being aware of your tolerations is the first step in taking care of them.

What are your tolerations?

Are there any you could take care of right away?  

How does it make you feel?

These are questions for you to think about and ponder… What actions can you take to make a difference in your life?

Happy Organizing!

What motivates you?  

This is one of the first questions, I will ask clients when starting an organizing project.

Why do you want to get organized?  

Why now?

These are important questions to ask and the reasons often vary, but no matter what, this is what we go back to when a client gets stuck.

I suggest to clients to think about rewards they can give themselves when they finish projects, something to look forward too.  It can be as simple as buying your favorite coffee drink or maybe it’s extra time to do something you love to do!  The point is to celebrate your success, no matter how big or small the project, it all matters…

I would like to take this concept in a different direction and ask you to not only reward yourself for the finished project, but let’s reward ourselves for just getting started!

Work backwards for a moment, starting a project can be a very difficult thing to do.  We may not know where to start or just don’t feel the motivation in doing so, I often hear my clients tell me they feel paralyzed.

So when the process actually starts to happen, I ask you…. Celebrate!

Celebrate and recognize the change you are making in your life.

The first step can often be the hardest and you did it!

Happy Organizing!

When is the Best Time to Organize?  

Are there better times to organize than others?  You bet!

Here are three recommendations for when to organize:

• Organize when you feel your best – You want to start your organizing projects when you feel your best during the day.  For me, it’s in the morning, I am always more productive and get more done in the morning.  For others it may be at night.  The point is to know your peak times and take full advantage of them.

• When you are most motivated – There are days you are going to be really motivated to get this done, maybe you read or saw something on TV that really inspired you… Take full advantage of this motivation and get as much done as you can in one session.

• When you can limit your distractions – If you are planning an organizing session, if at all possible limit all of your distractions.  You will get more done in less amount of time, if you are focused and able to stay on task.  First, you must know what are your distractions?  If you have kids, hire a babysitter or plan a play date for the afternoon.  If it’s your phone, turn it off or leave it another room.  Be aware of what might take you away from your project, and then eliminate it if you can.

Clutter… For most of us… we all have it in some form or another!  It builds up in different places in our homes, some places tend to attract more clutter than others!

I can tell you by experience… You will be much more successful in building your organized lifestyle if you work with your clutter rather than against it!

You have to start by looking at these clutter hot spots in a different way, first by acknowledging they exist! Take a look around your home and identify where are they??

Ask yourself:

1)  What’s in these clutter hot spots?  What type of items?

2)  Where should these items go?  Do they have a home?

3)  Do I need to make up a new system?  Change an existing one?

4)  How do I control the clutter build up?

Once you have a clear idea of where your hot spots are and what’s in them, you can really start laying the ground work on creating better systems.

Work with your habits and daily routines, for example; if paper is an issue, instead of having several stacks of mail in different areas, designate one basket that ALL mail goes into.  When you are ready to sort it, you know where it will be… Place the basket where it’s convenient, maybe on a table right by the front door or on the wall by the door you come in..

The point is to make it easy!

Take a look around, what simple changes can you make right now, today!

Happy Organizing!

Do you have a list of projects that you want to get done this summer?

You may feel like you have all the time in the world, summer did just begin, however before you know it we’ll be seeing commercials for “Back to School”!  Then quickly realize you only got half of your list done!

How do you prevent this from happening? Plan!  Get out your calendar and schedule!

Here are a few steps on how to get things done:

1. Write everything down – Brainstorm all of the little and big projects you want to complete. It’s easy to think you have plenty of time to get everything done, but in reality time, you may not, which takes me to step 2…
2. Prioritize – What are the most important projects, the things that have to get done this summer – this is where you want to start!  Decide on the first project to work on and move to step 3…
3. Break it down into steps - Now you know your project, now you have to break the tasks down into baby steps.  What do you need to get your project done?  What resources do you need?  What do you have to buy? Do you need help?  What’s the process in getting this project done?
4. Now break up the baby steps into activities – Call your resources, go to home repair store -have a list what needs to be bought, etc.
5. Schedule the Activities - Get it on your calendar!  If you are committed to getting the project done, make it happen!  Schedule the time to make necessary calls, schedule the time to work on the project.  Be active!

Time has a way to fly by – fast!  Most projects take longer than what we expect, if we don’t plan for them, then the likelihood of project completion is very slim!  Be productive this summer and get some things done!

Happy Organizing!

Decision Making!

Making decisions is not always easy! In fact for some of us, it is a very drawn out process.  I work with many clients who have ADD/ ADHD, and one of the biggest obstacles for them is making the right decision.  They want the decision to be perfect, so often times this prevents them in making any kind of decision.  Not making a decision is making a decision. Whether we like it or not!

I am a big believer that we learn from each other and in a recent conversation I had with one of my ADD clients, they shared with me a technique they had learned on how to make decision making a little less painful!

The Process of Elimination!

This technique is very useful in project / task management and trying to decide your priorities.  It’s often hard to decide what should be worked on first!  You know you have to start somewhere, but where isn’t always clear!

This technique suggests eliminating everything on the list that you know will not get done.  Maybe there are items where you do not have everything you need or you are waiting on someone else, or you just don’t have the interest in doing it right now!

By eliminating what you know won’t get done, you can start to focus on what really needs to get done.

It eliminates your choices, if you have less to choose from, you have less anxiety about making the right choice.

It won’t take away all of the anxiety and you still have work to do, but it is a start to moving forward!

Happy Organizing!

In Monday’s Podcast we talked about the importance of setting a time frame around your goals.  This gives you a deadline and a way to track how you are doing…

But what if you are still not getting done what needs to get done?

If this is the case, you have to stop and ask yourself a few questions:

• Is the goal still important to you?

• What are the roadblocks getting in your way?

• Are you spending your time wisely?

If you have a set out a goal for yourself, it is your responsibility to get the goal accomplished.  Life will continue as is, if you do not take the necessary action steps to change it.  You get decide what’s important and what’s not.  If a goal continues to linger, reconsider the importance of the goal.

If you want something changed, spend the time to change it.

Happy Organizing!

The sorting stage of organizing is typically the hardest and longest step in getting organized!  It requires you to make decisions, and for some of us, this is just not an easy task!

My solution…. Start with the easy ones first!

Before you even get started, write down your clutter rules!  What are you willing to let go of without any thought?

Here are a few examples:

• Obvious trash – like food wrappers, crumbled paper, broken pieces, etc.
• Expired items - coupons, medications, old food.
• Outdated information – old flyers, newspapers, newsletters.
• Broken items not worth fixing- those items you have been holding on too but have really no intention in fixing.

You can add or delete from the list, as long as it’s an easy decision for you!  It’s a great way to start!

Now you just have to go from room to room, with checklist in hand, and get to work!

Happy Organizing!

Getting Organized is already difficult to do, without a plan it makes it almost impossible!

One of the first steps in “getting organized” is having a plan.  Just like any major change in your life, you must first know what it is you need to change!

If you don’t know what’s broken, how do you know to fix it?  Even worse, if something is not broken, why are you trying to change it?

Having a plan when you start your organizing journey will provide you clarity! When you have clarity you can then become more self aware and really start making long lasting changes!

So how do you plan when you feel overwhelmed and do not know where to start?

First look around at your home or office and ask yourself, what bothers me most about my disorganization? And really try to pinpoint the areas and circumstances in which you feel out of control.

It may not even be your physical items, it could be how you manage your time or how productive you are. By becoming aware and recognizing your main concerns, you are taking the first steps towards a plan on getting organized!

It is then and only then, can you really start to make a difference!

Happy Organizing!

Single-Tasking Vs. Multi-Tasking!

We have been taught that multi-tasking is this great skill to have, often times we feel compelled to even put it on our resumes.  We want people to know how productive we can be, how much we can get done in a certain period of time.  What pops into my mind as I am writing this, is there an argument between what is quality work vs. quantity of work?  That’s for another blog post… for now let’s concentrate on multi-tasking!

Let’s question this theory! Are you really more productive when you multi-task? Why?

There are exceptions to every rule.  I am sure there are times where multi-tasking is useful, needed, and maybe even productive.

However, I am believing more and more that single-tasking is the way to go!  This is why….

• When you single -task, you are more likely to finish! That’s right, when you are just focusing on one project at a time, you are less likely to get distracted, therefore you actually finish the project!

• You see results quicker - this is especially true in organizing!  If you complete one project from start to completion, you actually see your progress quicker, which can result in motivation to keep moving forward!

• Quality vs. Quantity – Ok, I decided to talk about this anyway… Do we do better work when we only concentrate on one project at a time.  It gets our full attention.  For me it gets my best work.  Something to ponder!

My challenge to you this week, is think about your projects and where you are multi-tasking and consider just working on one project at time… See if it makes a difference.  It’s worth the effort!

Happy Organizing!