The Home Office Organizer

Have you seen Neat Receipts yet?  You have gotta check it out!  I just reviewed it for Sparkplugging (click to read the full article), and it’s also posted in Reviews section of the Neat Receipts website HERE.  (Between PC World & Fortune Small Business I might add!!)

A portable little piece of technology that cuts down on data entry.  Gotta love that!

Today I thought it would be fun to take a look around at some great posts I’ve come across. So, here’s my link roundup. Enjoy!

Improve Your Home & Office Productivity: Jennifer on declutterit.com gives some pointers on using a timer and a clock to get stuff done.

10 Misconceptions of Working From Home: Working from home isn’t for wimps, but it has it’s perks. But, you knew that already.

Build Your Own Kooky Cardboard Box Desk: Talk about a desk on a budget!

WHY Online Magazine: Check out this magazine just for those of us who work from home. They have a great article this month about organization tips.

Sunday Home Office Roundup: Chief Home Officer has a great roundup of home office links

Alltop Small Business: Alltop’s collection of Small Business. If you haven’t checked out Alltop yet, this is your chance. What is it? Think of it like a magazine rack for the web. Great articles, sites and information all pulled together by subject. Ahhhh yes, productivity and getting the goods all in one place.

Undress4Success Telecommuting News Summary: A great collection of links and news relevant to telecommuters  

Looking out my window I see that my cherry tree has lost its blossoms and is now covered in deep red leaves. Winter has made way for spring and will eventually lead to summer and fall. Seasons are a very visual sign that time is marching on. I’d like to share this video with you:

I love this song. You don’t have to understand the words to feel how powerful it is. It gives me chills every time I listen to it. A little background: it’s a Japanese song, written and performed by Angela Aki. The song is called Sakura Iro (roughly translated: The Color Cherry Blossoms). In Japan, graduation happens in March, which coincides with the arrival of the cherry blossoms. The blossoms themselves and the fluttering “showers” the create represent the beginning of a new season. For many, this comes with closing a chapter, departure, etc.

It can be hard for us to put things behind us and move onto the next chapter. There is nothing wrong with remembering good times, as long as they don’t stop us from moving forward. I was engaged in a conversation with a group recently, and a one person was struggling with their business. She really wanted to move forward but was a little stuck and needed some advice. The leader of the group (in her infinite wisdom) said, “Are you more attached to the way it was, or the way you want it to be?” I don’t remember anything more about that conversation, because I kept replaying that question over in my mind.

Are you more attached to the way it was, or the way you want it to be?

There are times I get some resistance from clients, audience members and people I meet about making a change in their home office and life. Things like:

“My husband/wife is so disorganized”

“I’m not sure I could ever ‘be organized’”

“I’ve tried it all before”

“I don’t have enough time/money/energy to _______________”

Organization is a tool for life that’s useful for personal and professional reasons. It streamlines your life and your work so you can be as effective as humanly possible. It’s not an easy process, and a lot of “head stuff” comes into play that needs to be dealt with at some point. That whole “story” we have been living out in the office (or life for that matter) can be powerful. It dictates what we buy, how we work, how we live and ultimately the journey we take in this life.

“The home office is a reflection of your soul”, a friend of mine recently said. It doesn’t matter what you use your home office for: family business, creativity, making a living or making a life. Look around. Does your home office speak to you? If so, what does it say? Is a reflection of your past? Are you having a hard time letting go? Is it a subconscious stumbling block for you, preventing you from being everything you could be and accomplishing what you want to in this life? What’s the worst that could happen if you decided to take a step forward to make a change so you could create a life you love? Is it time to close a chapter so you can be open to a new one? Remember and honor the past, but don’t make it an excuse to procrastinate and stand still. So, again I ask,

Are you more attached to the way it was, or the way you want it to be?

Do you …

… work from home?
… want less stress?
… want to get more things done in less time?
… want to organize your home office not sure where to start?

If you’re ready to spend your time doing the work you want or need to do rather than looking for things you need, this teleclass is for you!  Kick your home office into high gear and make this your best year yet!

To register for this FREE Teleclass: www.thehomeofficeorganizer.com/teleclasses

The Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers put on an award show in Feb. 2008. At the NAPO Conference in Reno, the LA chapter was awarded the President’s Award, and three of it’s members were awarded a Shining Star Award. Well done NAPO LA!

I was honored to contribute to the “Year in Review” video. I thought it would be fun to share with you! Check it out:

Thanks to the NAPO LA team for all their hard work! The show awarded excellence in the organizing industry and celebrated in style! Here is a glimpse into this night of celebration and red carpet style!

It’s Earth Day!

Do you want to “go green” in your home office, but not sure where to start? Here’s a few links to get you going:

Here on The Home Office Organizer.com: The Green, Eco-Friendly Office, Greener everyday…, and Eco-Organizing, Eco-Friendly Life

Out on the web:

• Ikea.com: I was surprised when I read how environmentally conscious they really are. Check out their policy here.
• HGTV: They did an entire special on 20 ways you can “green” your home. Check out their blog.
• The Green Office. Green, eco-conscious office products and supplies.
• Treehugger.com’s article: “How to Green Your Work”
• Office Depot’s selection of green products
• Co-op America’s “Green Your Office in Ten Easy Steps”
• Time Magazine: “Going Green at the Office”
• Office Stuffer’s “35 Green Office Tips for Earth Day”
• Undress4Success makes a great case for working from home, and how it can make a significant impact on the environment.

Have a resource for greener living? Share a comment below, and let us know where it is!

Happy Earth Day… make it everyday.

Announcement #1: The Home Office Organizer is now also blogging at SparkPlugging.com!

It is my pleasure to announce that I have joined a stellar list of authors at SparkPlugging.com. You may know this outstanding site by it’s former name, eMomsAtHome.com (go ahead, Google it). Wendy Piersall is the CEO, cheerleader, visionary and inspirational leader of this site. When she contacted me about writing for her site, I was honored (and a little star struck!). I started with this series about organizing paper, and then Wendy asked if I would consider writing a blog about home office organization. Gee, let me think….. Wendy recently decided to go thru a rebranding, and I’m happy to say the site has re-launched as of this week. The site is packed with information, and each week will launch two new blogs. (There is seriously TONS of information that I’m still trying to wrap my head around, and I’ve been reading eMoms for a year now!)

What is SparkPlugging.com?

SparkPlugging.com is a site dedicated to “Thinking Big In The New Work-At-Home Generation”. So, you might ask, what the heck does that mean? Well, you’re in the New Work-At-Home Generation if “…you use technology to free yourself from a 9 to 5, to do work that you love, to get more time with your family, or just want to make money in your socks, then you’re in the right place.”

Sound like your cup of tea? Come, join in on the fun! Start here with my blog, “Home Office Organizer” and take a look around at the other outstanding blogs and articles in the two channels: Business & Lifestyle. Make a living around your life, that’s what SparkPlugging is all about. *

Announcement #2: Productivity 501: Group Interview, “Dealing With Paper”

I was also recently asked to participate in a group interview at Productivity 501, with a great group of organizers and bloggers. It was an honor to be asked to be a part of such a dynamic group of people!

Paper organizing is a big enigma for a lot of people, so it’s a timely (and useful) topic. We were each asked the same questions about deal with paper and staying organized. Check out the first of three in the series here.

What’s Productivity 501?

Mark Shead is the man behind the curtain (or keyboard in this case) at Productivity 501. He is a “consultant using technology to solve business problems”. His site, Productivity 501 is “a site dedicated to bringing you regular tips and tricks to help increase your personal productivity.”

Thanks for including me Mark!

On Thursdays I share a quote that I hope will inspire, make you think or just make you smile. Here is this week’s quote:

(I usually give a quote of a line or two, but I ran across this video and had to share!)

I love love love CNBC’s show, The Big Idea. Donny Deutsch showcasing and helping entreprenuers… what’s not to love? In this video, Joe Vitale talks about visualizing success. I heard Jack Canfield say recently that the last part of the word “attraction” is “action”. Without action, you can visualize all you want, but that makes it a wish (my paraphrase). Get your inner dialogue working out, and then put yourself out there and make it happen!

As you may know, I spend the better part of last week in Reno, Nevada with a wild and crazy group of organizers. I also got to meet many of the bloggers I had virtually “met” in person (that made so much more sense in my head…). That’s all of us above.

So, I thought I would give you a taste of what some of these lovely and inspiring people write about. This is my no means an exhaustive list of bloggers or their fantastic body of knowledge. It’s a growing group! Go check out their posts, subscribe to their feeds, explore their blogrolls and let them know how fabulous they are.

Without further adieu, the Organizer Link Round Roundup…

Aby Garvey did this sweet post on how she uses buckets around her house. So fun!

Megan Spears gives her tips on how to get back on schedule after some time off (I used these tips myself today!)

Wendy Davie discusses how you can get a whole lotta decluttering done in just a couple hours.

Krista Colvin tells her Peter Walsh story, with photos…

Lissanne Oliver gives her perspective on wants and needs.

Monica Ricci serves up her weekly quote of the week on doubt (GREAT quote btw!)

Lorie Marrero asks, “Are you faffing right now?” (No, but I was earlier… )

John Trosko posted this video on how to fold a t-shirt. Seriously, it’s a jaw dropper… as in, why can I not DO that?

Jeri Dansky shows us how to keep stuff from falling thru the wires on wire shelving (I didn’t make it to this booth - dang!) (Update: See Jeri’s post about this event, and some more great posts she links to!)

Beth Ziegler shares a cool planning technique called “blocking”

Lauren Halagarda shares a fun “Periodic Table For Cleaning”

On a personal note: It was a pleasure meeting all of you in person! Let’s change the world!