Is organizing in your head?  That’ depends on what you think “organizing” is about.  What a lot of people don’t realize about organizing is its relationship to what’s in your head and the systems you use to keep your space in order.  ”Stuff shifting” is only part of the deal.

Magazine articles, online websites, tips from the news – all these can help you do it yourself.  What helps you stay that way?  It’s that lovely thing between your ears…. your mind.  All the “stuff shifting”, labeling and containers are fantastic, but they are part of the solution.  Long term change comes from addressing what’s going on in your head and changing your actions.  So, what does it take to get organized?  It’s really a simple process:

1. A plan. Where will things go, how will you use your space?  This is before you lift a single piece of paper or clean out one cabinet.
2. Sort it out.  This is the organizing piece – the “stuff shifting”.  Once you have a plan in mind, it’s time to sort out the important things.
3. Keeping it that way. Maintenance is the key to staying organized long term.  That happens in your head, your calendar and in daily life.  It’s like taking a shower – it’s a great idea, but you’ve got to do it everyday (we hope!).

Only one third of those things up there is what most people think of when it comes to organizing: sorting it out.  It’s part of the process, but not all of it by itself.  You can do the sorting it out yourself – I’d be willing to bet you’ve done it at least once!

Many times we have to address the physical space first, followed by changing our minds and habits.  A friend, confidante, mentor or Professional Organizer can help the process along – from the plan through to strategies to keep things in order.

Do you have some sorting out to do between your ears?

Ready to get organized? Want an alternative to the traditional in-person organizing or live outside the area?  Learn how we can work together to get you and keep you organized.  Learn more about my Virtual Organizing service here.

Resolutions: we’ve all made them and broken them.  Is there a tool we can use to make them stick?  Perhaps.

Last year I did a series on small steps for organizing your office.  This year, I’m bringing the series back, with a little different flavor….

What’s your resolution?

We’ve all made resolutions, and we’ve all fallen off the wagon at one point or another.   One of the most popular New Year Resolutions is “Get Organized”.  Did you know organization can help you accomplish your resolution throughout this coming year, no matter what it is?  Ok, so we’ll leave off the “Quit Smoking” & “Quit Drinking” ones, but the others are fair game.

Organization is a powerful tool for change.

This is my case for making organizing a priority this year, and how if you pair it with another resolution, it can certainly happen for you.  The key here is action, so I offer up some quick tips to get you moving in the right direction this year.

(Check back here often, links will be added as the posts go live over the new 8 days.)

Be sure to share YOUR resolution or theme for the new year too!

8 Days of Resolutions

1.  Get Organized

2.  Get Fit

3.  Managing Money

4.  Reduce Stress

5.  Enjoy Life More

6.  More Quality Time with Loved Ones

7.  Make the World a Better Place

8.  Learn Something New

I happen to love antiquing and vintage inspired office solutions.  I also love to find original, budget friendly storage projects.  So, I thought I would share three great resources I found on the Better Homes & Gardens website.   So inspiring!

Vintage Home Office Ideas

This great series, Recipe for Vintage Home Office has some truly original vintage ideas.  I especially love the tea cup storage, pin board idea and the repurposed drawer pulls.  The thing I love most about using vintage items is their slight mystery – they all have a story, whether or not we know exactly what that story is.  And really, isn’t a little mystery intriguing to work in?

Budget Friendly Home Office Storage

I fell in LOVE with this picture!  It’s bright, happy and brilliantly laid out!  I love the lunch pail and the three tiered basket re-purposed as office storage.  Kitchen & bathroom storage items are great tools to get organized in a home office.  They look and function like a dream, and are very affordable.  If your home office organizing budget is tight, check out this Home Office Storage on a Dime series.  Love it!

A Little Bit Country

I grew up in a small town away from the big city.  Well, now that I live in a big city, I miss that relaxed style.  Over the last few years, I’ve fell in love with antiques and the casual cottage, country style.

When I saw the above picture, it made me sigh heavily.  Why?  Because I saw a yardstick exactly like this at a local antique show, and fell in love with it.  However, I couldn’t think of something to use it for, so I left it there.  You can BET next time I go, I’ll be on the hunt for one of these!

If you like casual country or cottage style like I do, you’re going to love this Country-Inspired Home Office Idea series!

What inspires you?

How do you track projects?  There are a gazillion ways to keep track of tasks, but how do you know you are getting projects done?

I love, love, love technology – especially the “helps me be productive” kind (i.e. PDAs, etc.).  However, sometimes there is a really steep learning curve, not to mention crashes and other annoyances.  So, I think a simple solution can be a great thing when you just want to get things done.  Like, now.

Know where you’re at.

I happen to love pencil and paper for working on projects.  I’m also very visual, and learn things by doing (check out this audio if you want to learn more about that).  Having whatever I’m working on right in front of me is crucial – otherwise it fades into the ether!  I also like simple solutions.  Know what I mean?  Ok then.

It’s easy.  I promise.

I started using the Todoodlist system for tracking projects a couple months ago, and I’m loving it!  It’s similar to a simple mindmap to track your projects and their associated tasks.  Also, since I can’t leave well enough alone, I adapted it by using a task list to the side of little things like making phone calls, errands and emails I need to send on a separate piece of paper.  That way, when I think of little things I need to do which aren’t associated with projects, they don’t get forgotten either.  Since I use a small notebook, everything’s in front of me and completely portable – love that!

Go check it out.

The Todoodlist ebook (yes, it’s ironic, since he advocates using paper) is a really quick read.  I read it in one night.  It helps me know where I’m at on the things which are important to me in business and life.

Let me know what you think!

Click here to view more details on Todoodlist

Have you ever felt like you could never “be organized”? An audience member talked with me about this after a presentation recently. She said, “I just don’t think I can BE organized.” I was saddened by her comment, because she clearly felt a great deal of shame about it. Unfortunately, society has a very strict interpretation of what “organized” means, and it’s not really working for a lot of people.

First of all, organization and perfection have nothing in common (besides the “-tion” part of the word). Secondly, “being organized” just means you can find most anything you need in 5 minutes or less. Organization is about systems for life and success. What organization looks like is different for everyone. Thirdly, organization is a skill, or a state of mind. There are a few simple things that can guide you to organization success in your own life.

Here’s a few tips when deciding what to do in your situation:

1. Keep it simple. There’s no need for color coding and decimal systems, unless you’re into that. You can always step things up later, but keep it simple in the beginning. A notebook and a pen can be a great place to start on a task (or “To Do”) list.

2. Be honest with yourself. Do you like technology of feel sick when you head the term, “PDA”? Do you prefer to write things out long hand, instead of typing? If you feel overwhelmed when looking at an organzation tool, it might not be the right one for you.

3. Be true to yourself. Even if you don’t “feel” organized, I bet there is something in your life that you are proud of. Search your heart and mind, and find that one thing that felt successful at. Look at why you are proud of it, and I bet there is something you can glean from that experience that can apply to other areas of your life.

“Being organized” is a state of mind, and it doesn’t always come in a box. You are unique and intelligent, so take it easy and do what works for you.

Got resolutions?

Have you ever made a resolution (New Year’s or otherwise)?  You might say to yourself, “This time I am really going to organize my home office.  No, really. ” However, as time & good intentions march on, you’re  not sure where to start, and somehow paralyzed by so many project choices and paper piles.

How about starting with smaller steps?

What you might need are some smaller steps, and a series of them you can work through. That’s what this series is all about.  You can start at the beginning or the end, it’s your choice.  But, no matter when you start this series, 31 days from now, you’ll be amazed at the changes you can make in just one month’s time.  You just might surprise yourself.

Share whatcha know…

This isn’t just a one-sided conversation, either.  Have a tip, question or comment?  Be sure to leave it!   Come on, I know you’ve got a good one. 

(Oh, and if you like this series and just have to have more tips, you can pick up my ebooklet, “101 Tips for Your Home Office” HERE.)

31 Days = 31 Home Office Tips

1. Computer & Paper Files: Match Them Up
2. Label & Find What You Need
3. Sliding Drawers, Maximum Storage, Minimum Space
4. Grab & Go Tote
5. Put It Where It Belongs
6. Group “Like” Items Together
7. Floor Plans Matter: Rearranging Your Home Office
8. And There Was Light!
9. Office Chair: Get One You Like To Sit In
10. “Hey Good Lookin’”, or Use Attractive Storage
11. Inspiration: Remind Yourself of Your Wins
12. Build Up: Using Built-Ins
13. Need More Space? A Large Desk
14. Think Outside The Box
15. “Thinking Chair”: A Place to Unplug
16. What Happens In Your Home Office?
17. End Each Day With A Clean Desk
18. Wall Pockets: Maximize Desktop Space
19. Using Hooks: Keep Things Handy
20. Phone Log: Remembering What You Said
21. Organize CDs in Binders
22. Bind Them Together: Tame Your Home Office Cords
23. Pay It Forward: Donate Your Extras
24. Backup What You Want To Keep
25. Tracking Projects: Keep a Running List
26. Keep Email In Check
27. Use a Shredder: Protect Yourself
28. Set Up An “Action Paper” File
29. Thinking Green
30. Organized = Finding What You Need In 5 Minutes or Less
31. What’s Your Best Organizing Tip?

Are you a creative person? Do you have more ideas than you can handle? What do you do with them all?

I’m the type of person that has a zillion ideas running around in my head.  So many, that it’s a challenge to keep up and make sure I capture the good ones in some way.  So, I’ve worked out ways to keep track of ideas and inspiration as they come along:

• Capture them at bedtime. I’m a night person, and if I don’t get horizontal before a certain time at night, my brain turns on.  Sleep then evades me for quite a while.  So, I keep a small notebook at my bedside to write down the good stuff, and other random thoughts that pop up in my brain.  This calms my fears that I won’t remember important things in the morning.
• “Morning pages”. I use a large journal and write three pages first thing in the morning.  I keep it at my bedside so I can roll over and grab it.  It’s a great way to clear out my head in a stream of consciousness kind of way.  I’ve discovered and processed some really interesting stuff this way!
• Traveling journal. I have a small notebook I keep with me at all times.  It has a specific section in it for “Ideas”.  Whenever something strikes me, I write it down.  I also use this same notebook for meeting notes (with people, organizations, lectures, whatever.)  Sometimes I get a brilliant idea in the middle of something, so I write it down!
• Record it. I have a small recorder on my smartphone so I can capture ideas if I somehow don’t have paper and pen.  (This also works well while driving.)
• Put them on the calendar. Ideas are great, but if they are just captured and never implemented, they don’t do much good.  So, I take the ones I feel strongly about and put them on a long or short term Project or Task list.  Dates will put those moments of brilliance in motion.  (One of the ideas I captured a year ago became my radio show, The O-Myth!)

That’s how I capture my ideas and inspiration.  How about you?

This guest post was written by Angela Todd of Angela Todd Designs.

Chances are good that your home office is one of the least esthetically pleasing rooms in your home. If you are like most homeowners, you probably spent as much time decorating your home office as your utility room. As a matter of fact, most people’s utility rooms and home offices have a lot in common:

• They tend to lack personality
• Disorder and clutter are a constant battle
• They are utilitarian in nature
• The color and décor of the room (or lack thereof) doesn’t support the room’s use

I don’t know about you, but I spend a lot more time working in my home office than I do in the laundry room. Halleluiah! Did you know your working environment has a large impact on your productivity, creativity and energy levels? For many of us it also effects our perception of our personal success and our confidence level. Clutter and an uninspiring space can wreck havoc on your business goals.

Convinced you need to do address your home office’s look? I hope so! Below are some design tips to get you started.

1. Clean up your clutter and get organized: If you can’t/won’t/or don’t want to/ do it yourself, stop feeling frustrated about it! Call an expert who will customize an organizational plan that is personalized to you and your workflow. You don’t have to be great at everything; you just need to know who to call.

2. Establish a floor plan that addresses function and flow: A home office floor plan gives you quick, easy access to items you need on a daily basis. A good floor plan is also compatible with your type of business. For example, my home studio includes a work area to layout floor plans, fabrics and surface materials. What is unique about your business and workflow? Your home office should address these needs. Here is a great, free tool for laying out your home office floor plan.

3. Start your home office interior design with something that inspires you: Begin with a piece of artwork, an area rug, a lamp, an accessory or an upholstered chair that speaks to you. Then build the room’s style and palette based on what you love and what you already have.

• Blues are said to be imaginative and progressive
• Yellow is cheerful and stimulating
• Red is powerful and daring
• Orange is adventurous and unique
• Green is soothing and is said to help you think
• Purple is ambitious and associated with royalty

(Here is a great link about color psychology.)

4. Choosing wall colors for a home office : Please trust this experienced opinion: It is easier to find a wall color to match an item than find items to match a wall color. Pick your inspiration piece and general style before you paint the walls! Next, follow these tips for selecting a great wall color.

• Just because they place a color on a swatch doesn’t mean it should ever be on a wall.
• If you want something in your office to “pop”, don’t match the walls to that item.
• Use a tint, tone or shade of a color in your palette, instead of an exact match.
• Unless you are experienced with wall colors, know that colors are more intense than they seem on a small color chip. You might want to move down the color card a shade or two lighter than your first choice.
• Complex neutrals with a touch of color are very vogue these days and are here to stay for some time. A room can be interesting without the walls screaming color. It will also have longer staying power before you grow tired of it.
• Although painting is inexpensive, it is time consuming and painful to re-do! If you aren’t sure of your choice, hire a designer for a color consultation.

5. Establish a focal point for your home office: A focal point is the first thing you see when you enter a space. It is necessary in all design, and many home offices don’t have a natural focal point like a fireplace, or a large bank of windows with a view. If your focal point is your desk (most of the time it is), give it visual impact by hanging grouped artwork, placing a bookshelf behind it, or installing a specialized wall treatment made of wallpaper, fabric or a decorative mural. You can also add an area rug or drop a chandelier to ground the space.

6. Include sufficient lighting in your floor plan: Lighting is the most overlooked area of designing a room and it has a large impact on the finished project. At a minimum you need at least two sources of light – most designers would argue three. In addition to your overhead light, consider a desk lamp. If you have extra seating, try a floor lamp or a table lamp next to the chair. If you have a bookshelf, installing lighting inside will give a great effect. Use an uplight for large trees and watch the leaf pattern dance on your walls and ceiling. Express your personality and style in your lighting. If a banker’s desk lamp isn’t your style, pick something that is you.

7. Encourage yourself every day: This suggestion looks different in visual form for everyone, but it is important for you to consider what inspires you. For some, a piece of artwork of an exotic place they vacation is a motivator. For others, it’s a whiteboard or corkboard with goals, client thank you notes, and a mission statement. Some of us are motivated by family photos or fresh flowers each week. I have also found some like to declare their business with their logo or business name. You can also place an inspirational quote that speaks to you. Vendors like Wallwords can customize a decal for you inexpensively. You can place your creation on glass, mirrors, and painted walls. Visual encouragement helps remind you of your accomplishments and goals on a daily basis.

Follow these easy tips to transform your utilitarian home office into a personalized space that inspires you every time you enter!

About the author:

Angela Todd creates exceptional, personalized spaces for homeowners and small business professionals. For more information on how Angela can help you create an exceptional space, visit her website or her blog.

I was having a conversation with a teacher the other day, and she asked me about what I do. When we got to the part where I told her I worked from home, she mentioned that she was not the type who could work from home. She then explained how the laundry, cleaning and other errands and tasks would call her name from other rooms while she tried to work.

I must admit I don’t have this problem (several years of practice and lack of a housekeeper), but I do get this question a lot. So, how can you stay focused in your home office and get stuff done? Here’s a few tips:

1. Use your distractions as breaks: If you were in a cubicle or office outside your home, no doubt you would take a trip to the water cooler or a break outside. So, do the same in your home office. Put in a load of laundry, change the sheets, talk to a neighbor (maybe they work from home too), check the mail or go pull some weeds. You might think of your multi-million dollar idea while washing your socks!
2. Set a time limit: If you choose to do something around the house, be sure you are accountable. Setting a timer or scheduling a conference call will keep you accountable and less likely to get completely off track.
3. Hire help: If you simply don’t have the time (or patience) to do your household chores, consider hiring someone to come in a vacuum or do the laundry for you. If it nags on your brain, you will know it’s getting done and you concentrate on other things.
4. Talk a walk: Talk a walk and clear your head. Did you know that Ralph Waldo Emerson and some other great authors and thinkers were walkers? So, strap on your walking shoes and get some fresh air. I’ll bet that little “fold the laundry” voice will be harder to hear two blocks away.

Do you have a way you stay focused and get things done in your office? Do share!

This blog is was originally titled “Organize.Simplify.Transform”. Why did I choose this name? It’s how it all started for me, and how it can start for you too. This is my story.
Six years ago, I was burning the candle at both ends. You know what I’m talking about: working 8-5 in Cubicle Nation at a job that wasn’t all that fulfilling (although I liked the people there, and still do) as well as volunteering for a start-up project (with my husband) and spending most of our free time there. I was exhausted, and about to find out what sleep deprivation was really all about – we were going to be parents. But, that’s another story…

Where it all began…

I came home on maternity leave and was sitting in my living room. I even remember I was wearing a red shirt and khakis, and I looked up as I leaned my head back to rest. I looked at my ceiling fan and there was a ridiculous amount of dust on it. This bothered me. A LOT. Why? Who knows. People swore I was “nesting”. Ok, maybe. But I started by not only cleaning that fan (not really a good idea in retrospect I grant you, being that it was 11 feet off the ground and my 9 month pregnant body was not exactly balanced) but then I took off around the house. That’s where my life began to change – under the microscope of sorting through most everything I owned.

Level One: Going through nearly everything you have in your possession has a very interesting effect on your mind. You start by asking yourself things like: Why do I have this? What possessed me to buy this? Is this really valuable? Whoa, that is one interesting shade of green….. and the list goes on. This is what I call Level One. This is where you get rid of stuff that you really don’t use but couldn’t seem to part with because you simply hadn’t stopped to ask yourself “Do I use it, and do I love it?” The answer for this level comes easily once you do it.

Level Two: This is when you stop and think about the “Do I use it and love it?” question. Normally if you are doing this yourself (as I did), you have more storage space after Level One, and you have been assigning new homes for things. But, you are feeling that you still have too much “stuff”. These things are useful and you have needed them at some point. Some of them are outdated, but may have cost a fair amount of money when you bought them. The cost of something can really inhibit parting with it, and answering the “use it/love it” question requires more thought. This is the level where things that were given to you by a family member or friend (who is no longer in your life) are called into question. You can wrestle with some really potent guilt at this stage – whether it’s self-imposed or from someone else. This is where you ask yourself some hard questions: Do I really need this? Can I find this elsewhere? Are the memories associated with this important to me? Does the person I’m “saving” this for really want it? Am I ok with letting it go to someone who can use it more regularly than I do? This was a gift, but is it really something I need in my life? The answers sometimes won’t come overnight, and the process can sometimes be tearful. Level Two is challenges preconceived beliefs – many times learned from a very early age. It takes courage to challenge them and go to the next deeper level…

Level Three: This is the tough stuff. Honestly, I don’t say that lightly. For me, the room where this came into play was my Home Office. At the time, it was where our important family paperwork, resources and general “life leftovers” were kept. Some people call this the “dumping room”. It was where the paperwork of life resides and comes to die. Typical things which came up here:

• Unfinished commitments
• Incomplete projects
• Memorabilia of things (and people) I didn’t want to remember
• Learning and reference materials that weren’t applicable anymore
• Learning “tools” that promised a lot and lead to nowhere
• Paths I had chosen that didn’t lead much of anywhere (most chosen unconsciously)

This level prompted me to change how I thought about my life. Why? This room represented much of who I was, and some of it wasn’t pretty. It’s interesting what had congregated in this room. One theme kept repeating itself here: “What was my role in this, do I like where it lead and what are my beliefs about it still valid?” This wasn’t easy – not by a long shot. This process challenged me to take a hard look at my life and the beliefs I held about living it – past and present. Some might call this an “existential crisis” or a “coming of age” moment. For me, it sparked a seriously dark two years of tears, anger, confusing and depression. I also discovered who I was, who I wanted to be and how I had to reframe my mind no matter what other (well-intentioned) people said.

So, why should you care? Here’s my point: you CAN change your life by sorting through your stuff. “Organization can change your life” isn’t some flippant saying. For me, it started in my Home Office. For you, it might start with a photo album or a t-shirt. Organizing and simplifying your life are so much more than sorting things, it’s about re-discovering yourself. Things represent so much of who we are. Sorting through your stuff can change your life, if you let it. The first step is to start.

What room could change your life?

Come on, you know you want to – break the rules. Just because a bread basket was designed for bread, doesn’t mean you have to use it for that. Make your home office more interesting and personal with items from around the house or found objects from a flea market (like the milk crate above).

Here’s a few things you can use in your home office for something other than it’s intended use:

• Bread basket = desktop file holder
• Wooden serving tray = in-box
• Valet = desktop office supply organizer
• Decorative candle holder = business card holder
• Decorative serving plate = desktop organizer
• Apple box = rustic file box
• Shaving cup = pen and pencil holder
• Milk crate = office supply organizer

Got any bright ideas?