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.  Merlin Mann of 43 Folders gives a talk at Google about managing email (and suggests some great options they could explore).  Enjoy!

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)

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:

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler.”
- Albert Einstein

(photo by Sarah Jane, on flickr)

Begins Friday, June 6th at 10am PST on Blog Talk Radio!

Yes, it’s true, I’m hittin’ the internet airwaves with my lovely co-host, Krista Colvin. The show is all about “Overcoming Organization Overwhelm”. We’re a little kooky and love to have a good time, but we also are ready to give you tips and inspiration you can use. We also have a fabulous group of guests lined up, so be sure to check out the schedule link below. In case you want a little taste of what the show will be like, here’s a sneak peak into our zany, fun and off-the-cuff style. To view the latest schedule, listen in on the show, bookmark it, get reminders about the show’s air dates and time or download audios of the show (coming soon) check out the show’s main page here:

The O Myth: it’s all about helping you overcome organization overwhelm and having fun doing it! We’re going to have a great time, so see you there!

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 adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex.”

- Oscar Wilde

(photo by laffy4k, 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:

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

- William Shakespeare

(photo by alexthebig 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:

“Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something.  It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.”

- Mary Lou Retton

(photo by peasap)

It’s been a while, and now, the quote of the week is back!  So, 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:

“Read, every day, something no one else is reading.  Think, every day, something no one else is thinking.  Do, every day something no one else is silly enough to do.  It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity.”

-Christopher Morley

(photo by moriza)

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?