The Home Office Organizer

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:

“Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.”
- John petit-senn

(photo by Savannah Grandfather, on flickr)

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:

“He who does not get fun and enjoyment out of every day… needs to reorganize his life.”
-George M. Adams

(photo by Joyseph on flickr)

Are you ready for your moment to shine?

I was watching the local Rose Festival Parade last night. One of the bands reminded me of the movie, Drumline. I pulled it out and watched this scene. (If you haven’t yet seen this movie, I highly recommend it!)

Amazing, right? It got me thinking about some things…

“One band, one sound.”

The main character in the movie has to learn some lessons any young, talented and smart person has to learn about success. The group is all involved in making one sound: many drums together producing one sound that one snare could never duplicate alone. The conductor in the movie says over and over, “One band, one sound”. It’s the mantra of the movie, and a great life lesson. (He also had a great time management tip: If you’re five minutes early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.) In order to participate in that sound, the main character and his peers have to be prepared, dressed, rehearsed and ready to go with their instrument. How much could he contribute without drum sticks or his drum?

Many great and significant changes in history have been made by organized efforts. It takes talent, dedication and systems to win a regional band contest, accomplish social change, elect a president or help those affected by a natural disaster. It takes people prepared and ready to go when the time comes.

“Success happens when preparation meets opportunity”

That’s how the saying goes. If you had an incredible opportunity knock on your door, would you be ready to answer? Could you find your best work and bring it to the table? If not, how long would it take you to find it, and would the opportunity still be there when you did?

Are you ready for your perfect opportunity to come knocking?

If not, what can you do about that now so you are ready if and when it comes?

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:

We do not keep the outward form of order, where there is deep disorder in the mind.

- William Shakespeare

(photo by alexthebig on flickr)

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?

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!

(photo by kk+)

I’m nice, really I am. But there are times when I hide. I just don’t want to engage… know what I mean? As I was sitting here in my office, a friend came online and I changed my Yahoo messenger to “invisible” and shrugged off the twinge of guilt I felt. It’s not that I didn’t want to chat, because ohhhh I do. It’s not even that I didn’t like this friend, because I do. It was that I was in the middle of something and I just didn’t want to be interrupted.

Have you felt this way? That move title, “Girl Interrupted” comes to mind (note: I’ve not seen the move, just like the title). In this age of digital convenience, “crackberries” and instant messenging you can feel slightly overwhelmed and want to get away from it all. It’s no secret that these conveniences can make life more complicated and wreak havoc on your productivity. No fun. No fun at all. So, how can you boost your productivity using avoidance? Here’s a few tips:

1. Step away from the IM: You know who you are, you are a voracious IM’er (and you just might be on my buddy list). You have a buddy list as long as your arm… not that there is anything wrong with that. But when you are on a deadline or trying to get stuff done, IM is a distraction so turn it off for a short while.
2. Put your phone on silent mode. There’s this great invention we have, it’s called “voice mail”. It will be your friend and your assistant while you are getting work done.
3. Your calendar is your friend. Be real about how much you can do in one day. Can you really get 37 tasks done in one day and still be sane at dinner time? Use your calendar, spread things out a bit and be sure you create some white space in there so you aren’t overwhelmed and want to hide away from the world.
4. Don’t feel guilty. If you avoid people in the grocery store, use your caller ID to screen your calls or simply don’t pick up a call - you are not a bad person. You don’t have to be available 24 hours a day or 7 days a week. Save some time for yourself or you’ll be headed for disaster and then you won’t have anything to give anyone.

Now, I gotta go because I’ve got work to do!

(photo by toshihiko2001)

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

I was just reading Wendy’s post on secrets of her success. SO inspiring. I love this part:

“…I want to inspire people to pursue their dreams and follow their hearts, no matter if they do it in a home office or not…”

I feel that exact same way. If you work from home, and your home office is driving you crazy, who are you helping? Are you achieving your dreams or accomplishing all you are capable of? Think of all the creative energy you waste by looking for your… stuff. What could you be doing with all that time? Check out these statistics from “Organizing For Your Brain Type“:

1. Americans spend the equivalent of 4 days every year looking for things
2. Forty-three million Americans work at home

Some simple math:

If 4 days = 96 hours, then…

96 hours x 43 million (people who work from home) = 4,128,000,000 wasted hours (!!!)

What could we be doing with all that time? Could we take it all back? Some of it? Even half? What if we banded that time together? We could do one heck of a movement for change.

What if you kept that time for yourself? If you had even two more days added to your productive time, what would it do to your business? Your relationships? Your sanity? Can you even imagine?

Organizing is so much more than just putting stuff in boxes. It’s about taking your time back, and OWNING it. Master of your paper, your desk, your calendar… whatever it is for you. Streamlining your home office can change your business and even your life.

Are you unintentionally using the state of your home office as a roadblock to success? (If so, read this post.) Look yourself in the mirror and decide what you stand for, and where you are going. Then, look at your office and decide if it’s helping or hurting you. If not, get your home office where it needs to be, and blaze that trail baby.

I KNOW you can do it!

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 running/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!

(Photo by plindberg)

Have you ever had an incredible opportunity land in your lap? Have you been faced with moving to another town or another big life change? How do you keep your sanity with all this change? Life changes, and sometimes in wonderful big ways. It’s all in how we look at handling it. So, how can you prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed? I’ve got three suggestions to help you simplify your life when something grand rolls your way:

1. Is it a great opportunity for you: So, that big promotion or business opportunity comes your way. It’s a big one, and you know it’s great. The question is, does this opportunity make sense for you? Many people get into situations or “force it” . Things like buying a bigger house or car than they can really afford. Down the line these things can bite you in the the you-know-where, so make sure this opportunity feels right and makes sense for you and your situation.
2. Balance: So, you’ve decided to take the offer, and you know it’s right for you. However, your plate full. Time to think about some elimination. Do you need to downsize in some other areas of your life to make room? Balance means whatever you take it to mean, and you know when you don’t have balance.
3. Sometimes, sacrifice comes with great opportunity. With the presidential race this year, I am fascinated by it all. What a thrill it is to run in that race, actually get elected and reach the seat or Mr. or Ms. President! I also think about the family of the candidates. They are also giving a considerable sacrifice of privacy and one crazy schedule. Inevitably, something will have to go so you can maintain balance and peace of mind. Make sure you’re taking on what you can actually handle, or your great opportunity can end up a great stresser instead of an opportunity of a lifetime.

Take some time to think things through, and make the best decision with the information you are given. If you go into it with your eyes wide open, you’re sure to get farther. One thing about life is certain, and that’s change. Doors close in one area and open in another. Keep a look out for the ones that have your name on it.

(photo by by Sergio Alvare Pelaez)