You've Got It In The Bag 04/01/2011
Yesterday we wrote about scheduling errands… but errands don’t just involve time. There’s all that stuff that goes along for the ride: the merchandise you need to return, and the half off coupon you don’t want to forget (again!). Where does it all live between now and your next Errand Block?
In your Errand Bag, of course! Use a sturdy, oversized tote bag – one that zips closed so nothing falls out, and place all of those “Gotta take this with me” items right inside. When your regularly scheduled Errand Block is coming up, take a look through the bag as part of planning your route.
You may find it most helpful to keep the bag in the trunk of your car – provided that you are able to access it easily. Another great option is to hang it on a hook near the door that you usually use to exit the house.
To find an Errand Bag that has function and style visit our sister site SimpleSexyStyle!
In your Errand Bag, of course! Use a sturdy, oversized tote bag – one that zips closed so nothing falls out, and place all of those “Gotta take this with me” items right inside. When your regularly scheduled Errand Block is coming up, take a look through the bag as part of planning your route.
You may find it most helpful to keep the bag in the trunk of your car – provided that you are able to access it easily. Another great option is to hang it on a hook near the door that you usually use to exit the house.
To find an Errand Bag that has function and style visit our sister site SimpleSexyStyle!
Image: selectism.com
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Death, Taxes and...Errands 03/31/2011
Does this sound familiar? You have regular trips in the car (commute, carpool, scheduled appointments) and you have urgent errands (like getting that prescription someone needs right away). You know those things are going to get done, and they almost always do. But then there’s that whole other mixed bag of errands (the items to return, the gift card to redeem, the birthday gift you need to pick up) that all tend to get left to chance as you try to randomly fit them in to your busy life.
Our solution? A scheduled weekly "Errand Block." The key word here is scheduled. Set up a regularly-recurring appointment in your calendar where you will handle as many of those stops in one go as you can. Knowing you have a designated time to get those books back to the library and those shoes to the repair shop allows your mind to relax and let go of trying to address each thing on an individual basis because it knows it already has time for that booked. If you use an electronic calendar, you can use the notes section of that week's appointment to keep a running list of the particular errands for that week's block, and if not, an old fashioned pen and paper list does the trick just fine.
Remember that “scheduled” does NOT have to mean rigid. As with any other appointment, an Errand Block can be moved or cancelled as appropriate. One week you may decide to move your regular Errand Block to a different day when a visit to the dentist will have you out and about anyway. Another week it may work to skip it altogether and wait until the next one rolls around (like I do on weeks when when I'm traveling). The point is, having an appointment not only means that you can move it around, but it also ensures those errands are clearly accounted for as part of the rhythm of your life.
They're a consistent part of living, so let's handle them in a consistent way, too. Check back again tomorrow for Part Two of our great “errand" organizing adventure!
Our solution? A scheduled weekly "Errand Block." The key word here is scheduled. Set up a regularly-recurring appointment in your calendar where you will handle as many of those stops in one go as you can. Knowing you have a designated time to get those books back to the library and those shoes to the repair shop allows your mind to relax and let go of trying to address each thing on an individual basis because it knows it already has time for that booked. If you use an electronic calendar, you can use the notes section of that week's appointment to keep a running list of the particular errands for that week's block, and if not, an old fashioned pen and paper list does the trick just fine.
Remember that “scheduled” does NOT have to mean rigid. As with any other appointment, an Errand Block can be moved or cancelled as appropriate. One week you may decide to move your regular Errand Block to a different day when a visit to the dentist will have you out and about anyway. Another week it may work to skip it altogether and wait until the next one rolls around (like I do on weeks when when I'm traveling). The point is, having an appointment not only means that you can move it around, but it also ensures those errands are clearly accounted for as part of the rhythm of your life.
They're a consistent part of living, so let's handle them in a consistent way, too. Check back again tomorrow for Part Two of our great “errand" organizing adventure!
Back to Zero 03/30/2011
Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “A place for everything, and everything in its place”? Our mothers preached it, and probably yours did, too. At OFL we have our own take on that concept, which we like to call “Back to Zero.”
It’s BACK to zero because our lives aren’t static: we’re living in our spaces, using our stuff, pulling everything out of its place while we work, play and create. But then what? For most people, it's on to the next thing. We would suggest adopting the standard that an activity isn’t considered done until everything is put back into place for the next time. When spaces are routinely brought “Back to Zero” there's no need to clear your kitchen counter before you can start dinner, or rearrange piles of papers so the kids have a space to do homework. And you can skip that frantic rush to prepare for guests, too.
Going forward, we’ll have lots of tips and ideas to share to help you and the whole family return your spaces to zero with minimal effort. But it all starts with defining what “Zero” looks like in any (and every) space in your home. What is your baseline, so to speak – your version of “everything in its place”? (Hint: it's probably what you were aiming for during that frantic rush before the guests arrived!).
When everyone is clear what Zero means, then “Back to Zero” can start to become a reality.
It’s BACK to zero because our lives aren’t static: we’re living in our spaces, using our stuff, pulling everything out of its place while we work, play and create. But then what? For most people, it's on to the next thing. We would suggest adopting the standard that an activity isn’t considered done until everything is put back into place for the next time. When spaces are routinely brought “Back to Zero” there's no need to clear your kitchen counter before you can start dinner, or rearrange piles of papers so the kids have a space to do homework. And you can skip that frantic rush to prepare for guests, too.
Going forward, we’ll have lots of tips and ideas to share to help you and the whole family return your spaces to zero with minimal effort. But it all starts with defining what “Zero” looks like in any (and every) space in your home. What is your baseline, so to speak – your version of “everything in its place”? (Hint: it's probably what you were aiming for during that frantic rush before the guests arrived!).
When everyone is clear what Zero means, then “Back to Zero” can start to become a reality.
Hold the Door 03/29/2011
Two years ago, at my parents’ house, I was observing the day-to-day flow of activity in their home and I noticed they used the door leading from the garage to the house ALL THE TIME. It's one of those heavy doors that slams shut every time you walk through it, and as you can imagine, there was a lot of jostling and balancing going on with hands full, carrying in groceries while trying to open the door and get through it in the nick of time before it slammed shut again.
The solution?
An investment of approximately $5 worth of hardware and 30 minutes of labor. (For a handy person, I know you're laughing because it really should have been 5 minutes of labor, but I happen to be the most UN-handy person on the planet, so it took me 1/2 hour - first learning how to use an cordless drill and THEN installing said hardware).
Today, think about the flow of how you live. Where are the irritants-- those inconveniences and annoyances that may seem minor but, when encountered over and over in the course of a typical day or week, add up to a sizable energy drain?
Think small. There may just be a $5 doorway to a better life!
The solution?
An investment of approximately $5 worth of hardware and 30 minutes of labor. (For a handy person, I know you're laughing because it really should have been 5 minutes of labor, but I happen to be the most UN-handy person on the planet, so it took me 1/2 hour - first learning how to use an cordless drill and THEN installing said hardware).
Today, think about the flow of how you live. Where are the irritants-- those inconveniences and annoyances that may seem minor but, when encountered over and over in the course of a typical day or week, add up to a sizable energy drain?
Think small. There may just be a $5 doorway to a better life!
Getting in the Zone 03/28/2011
If you’re at all familiar with Feng Shui, you’re sure to have seen a Bagua map: the 9-square grid you lay over a floor plan to divide it into sections which correspond to specific areas of your life (your "Relationship Corner", "Wealth Corner", etc). Organizing - like Feng Shui - is also about managing the energy and flow of your space, so we created our own organizing "positioning" Bagua, which you can lay over the floor plan of any given room or area to help you establish the most effective and efficient placement (homes) for your belongings.
To explain the model, let's start at the red circle in the center of the bullseye.
No doubt you've heard the popular organizing adage "keep only things you use and love." Indeed. And the things you use most often (think Red Hot in terms of use) and love the most (think Red for Love) should be positioned in the Heart of the space - at the center of the map, which we call the "Hot Zone." The Hot Zone is where the primary activity(ies) take place in each room, whether fixing a meal, doing dishes, handling paperwork, playing with the kids, sleeping, or parking your car (in the case of a garage). That's what the prime real estate of any given room should be used for - frequently used things that relate to the primary activity(ies) done there, and those items should be placed within arms reach of the center of the activity zone.
Next, radiating out from the center Hot Zone is the green circle (we call it “Green Space”). Creation takes space and needs room for things to grow and be free to move about (think lush green, open meadows with lots of fresh air breezing through). Your Hot Zone is a hive of activity, and as such it needs plenty of Green Space around it to allow for creative action to take place freely – for people to spread out, get messy, and take projects to completion without having to work around excess stuff. Fight the urge to fill it, and keep the space OPEN.
Outward from that is the yellow circle, or the “Warm Zone” (think warm Yellow glow of embers - cooler than Red Hot fire). This area is for those things that you don’t use as often (perhaps on a monthly basis). They’re not part of everyday action, hence not kept in the Hot Zone, but still an active part of life in that space, so kept within a couple of steps or an easy stretch from the main activity zone.
Finally, the blue outer circle is what we call the “Cold Zone” (think Blue for Ice Cold/Freezing from lack of use; items like tax returns, or the Christmas platter that comes out once a year, or off-season clothing that won't be needed for months, etc.). In the outermost areas of a room - furthest from the high vibration energy of the Hot Zone - is where you would position those items that are rarely used. If you have the luxury of lots of space, you may wish to keep your archive items right in the same room as the activity zone where they will be used (but in the most difficult to access areas of the space, where you might have to get up on a chair or down on the floor to get at them). If you're short on space, however, it would be ideal to keep all of your Cold Items in a storage room or on shelves in the garage labeled by room, where you know exactly where they are and can access them, but where the dead energy of those slow-moving items won't contaminate the precious energy in the rest of the space. Regardless of what room they end up in, remember to place heavier things low to the ground, and lighter things high up.
An example of what an office area might look like using this model:
No doubt you've heard the popular organizing adage "keep only things you use and love." Indeed. And the things you use most often (think Red Hot in terms of use) and love the most (think Red for Love) should be positioned in the Heart of the space - at the center of the map, which we call the "Hot Zone." The Hot Zone is where the primary activity(ies) take place in each room, whether fixing a meal, doing dishes, handling paperwork, playing with the kids, sleeping, or parking your car (in the case of a garage). That's what the prime real estate of any given room should be used for - frequently used things that relate to the primary activity(ies) done there, and those items should be placed within arms reach of the center of the activity zone.
Next, radiating out from the center Hot Zone is the green circle (we call it “Green Space”). Creation takes space and needs room for things to grow and be free to move about (think lush green, open meadows with lots of fresh air breezing through). Your Hot Zone is a hive of activity, and as such it needs plenty of Green Space around it to allow for creative action to take place freely – for people to spread out, get messy, and take projects to completion without having to work around excess stuff. Fight the urge to fill it, and keep the space OPEN.
Outward from that is the yellow circle, or the “Warm Zone” (think warm Yellow glow of embers - cooler than Red Hot fire). This area is for those things that you don’t use as often (perhaps on a monthly basis). They’re not part of everyday action, hence not kept in the Hot Zone, but still an active part of life in that space, so kept within a couple of steps or an easy stretch from the main activity zone.
Finally, the blue outer circle is what we call the “Cold Zone” (think Blue for Ice Cold/Freezing from lack of use; items like tax returns, or the Christmas platter that comes out once a year, or off-season clothing that won't be needed for months, etc.). In the outermost areas of a room - furthest from the high vibration energy of the Hot Zone - is where you would position those items that are rarely used. If you have the luxury of lots of space, you may wish to keep your archive items right in the same room as the activity zone where they will be used (but in the most difficult to access areas of the space, where you might have to get up on a chair or down on the floor to get at them). If you're short on space, however, it would be ideal to keep all of your Cold Items in a storage room or on shelves in the garage labeled by room, where you know exactly where they are and can access them, but where the dead energy of those slow-moving items won't contaminate the precious energy in the rest of the space. Regardless of what room they end up in, remember to place heavier things low to the ground, and lighter things high up.
An example of what an office area might look like using this model:
You can start putting this simple concept to work in just a few seconds by going to the Hot Zone of your busiest room and starting to remove anything that doesn’t belong there. Go slow, take one item at a time, and start rearranging things into the proper Zone they belong in, based only on whether an item is Hot, Warm, or Cold (and don't forget to leave lots of Green Space!).
You'll be surprised at the instant energy boost it gives you AND the amazing amount of progress you can make in a very short amount of time!
You'll be surprised at the instant energy boost it gives you AND the amazing amount of progress you can make in a very short amount of time!
Saved by the Bell (or Beep!) 03/25/2011
This classic kitchen tool is good for so much more than making perfect boiled eggs! If, like me, you are not good at estimating how long a task will take, a timer will give you that much-needed reality check. You can then plan routine tasks realistically, using actual data instead of guesswork, AND get a heads up when it's time to stop if you're also like me and get absorbed into a task to the point of losing sight of all else.
Those of you with young children will find countless ways to finish this sentence: “When the timer goes off, it’s time to…” (put the toys away, kiss grandma goodbye, get into your PJs). There’s something sort of magical about how seriously little ones take that beep, beep, beep that means “time's up!”.
And we all know that when it comes to those tasks we wish we didn't have to do, if we commit to as little as 10 or 15 minutes - knowing we get to stop when that timer goes off - we're much more likely to go ahead and get started.
There are many places to find timers, but this one from Pampered Chef has lots of nifty features: you can hang it up on any metal surface, stand it up or clip it to your clothing. It will count up OR down, and, if you can't get to it when the buzzer goes off, it will start to count up from zero so you know exactly how much time elapsed since.
Those of you with young children will find countless ways to finish this sentence: “When the timer goes off, it’s time to…” (put the toys away, kiss grandma goodbye, get into your PJs). There’s something sort of magical about how seriously little ones take that beep, beep, beep that means “time's up!”.
And we all know that when it comes to those tasks we wish we didn't have to do, if we commit to as little as 10 or 15 minutes - knowing we get to stop when that timer goes off - we're much more likely to go ahead and get started.
There are many places to find timers, but this one from Pampered Chef has lots of nifty features: you can hang it up on any metal surface, stand it up or clip it to your clothing. It will count up OR down, and, if you can't get to it when the buzzer goes off, it will start to count up from zero so you know exactly how much time elapsed since.
Busting Through 03/24/2011
Yesterday’s post offered a challenge: letting go of one item for each year of your life that no longer represents your authentic self. Whether you want to totally dive into that challenge, or you want to approach “letting go” very gently, you'll find a wealth of inspiration and support in the book Clutter Busting – Letting Go Of What’s Holding You Back by Brooks Palmer.
This unique read isn't a “how to” manual: there aren't any guidelines for which things to keep and which to toss, and no recommendations about storage. This book is all about tuning in to your true wants and needs, and recognizing when anything in your environment is not supporting them.
Brooks Palmer (who is not an organizer, btw) defines clutter as “Anything that no longer serves you.” And he means anything. You may well find yourself pitching things you had previously considered “sacred”, and feeling better than you have in years. And you may just as easily find yourself keeping and enjoying stuff that anyone else might consider junk. Regardless, if your reaction is anything like ours was when we first read it, it will get you out of your chair, bursting at the seams to tackle the toughest drawers and areas that previously had you running the other direction rather than deal with them.
This thought-provoking book includes innovative exercises and fascinating stories, and will help guide you from overwhelm to clarity about what really belongs in your space, and in your life.
It's a unanimous favorite here at Organized for Life, and we hope you'll love it as much as we do!
This unique read isn't a “how to” manual: there aren't any guidelines for which things to keep and which to toss, and no recommendations about storage. This book is all about tuning in to your true wants and needs, and recognizing when anything in your environment is not supporting them.
Brooks Palmer (who is not an organizer, btw) defines clutter as “Anything that no longer serves you.” And he means anything. You may well find yourself pitching things you had previously considered “sacred”, and feeling better than you have in years. And you may just as easily find yourself keeping and enjoying stuff that anyone else might consider junk. Regardless, if your reaction is anything like ours was when we first read it, it will get you out of your chair, bursting at the seams to tackle the toughest drawers and areas that previously had you running the other direction rather than deal with them.
This thought-provoking book includes innovative exercises and fascinating stories, and will help guide you from overwhelm to clarity about what really belongs in your space, and in your life.
It's a unanimous favorite here at Organized for Life, and we hope you'll love it as much as we do!
Blowing Out Candles (and Clutter) 03/23/2011
It’s the first week of spring, and I don’t think any self-respecting organizing blogger could let the week pass without at least ONE post about spring cleaning.
My own spring cleaning starts early – on my birthday – as part of an annual ritual I started years ago. Here’s how it goes: each year I “let go” of one item for each year of my life that no longer represents my authentic self (either who I am, or who I'm becoming). So, this February it was 36 years, and 36 things to discard (from an already pared down base).
This ritual definitely kick-starts the spring cleaning process every year, and gets me in the spirit of releasing. But more than that, living with only those things that truly reflect my authentic self is a way of accepting and honoring the person I want - and choose - to be, now.
Sound like a challenge you’d like to take on? We'd love to hear from you about what types of things you let go of, and how you felt as a result!
My own spring cleaning starts early – on my birthday – as part of an annual ritual I started years ago. Here’s how it goes: each year I “let go” of one item for each year of my life that no longer represents my authentic self (either who I am, or who I'm becoming). So, this February it was 36 years, and 36 things to discard (from an already pared down base).
This ritual definitely kick-starts the spring cleaning process every year, and gets me in the spirit of releasing. But more than that, living with only those things that truly reflect my authentic self is a way of accepting and honoring the person I want - and choose - to be, now.
Sound like a challenge you’d like to take on? We'd love to hear from you about what types of things you let go of, and how you felt as a result!
Thanks for the Memories 03/22/2011
We journey through life creating experiences and collecting memories... as well as collecting all kinds of memorabilia! What to do with those precious baby blankies, grade school report cards and souvenirs of special occasions? Give them all a safe and secure home in a personal memorabilia tote.
We recommend something like this sturdy Rubbermaid Storage Tote in the 50 quart size. It'll give you lots of room to grow, will protect the contents from dust, moisture and critters of all kinds, and even if stored somewhere cold, the plastic won't crack or shatter.
Start by purchasing one tote for each family member. Take the tote into that person’s room and do a quick pass through, picking out everything that is sentimental that you want to keep, but that has lost its "buzz". When an item goes from being fun to have around to just another thing to dust, it's time to transfer it into the tote for long term safekeeping. Depending upon the space you have, each tote may remain in the bedroom of its owner, or they may all live together in a garage, hall closet, or storage area. Wherever they end up being stored, make sure it's accessible so you can keep adding to them regularly.
No more guessing where to put the next special memento or where to find those treasures again when you feel like a stroll down memory lane... and... if disaster should strike, those irreplaceable items are all together for a quick, grab-and-go escape.
We recommend something like this sturdy Rubbermaid Storage Tote in the 50 quart size. It'll give you lots of room to grow, will protect the contents from dust, moisture and critters of all kinds, and even if stored somewhere cold, the plastic won't crack or shatter.
Start by purchasing one tote for each family member. Take the tote into that person’s room and do a quick pass through, picking out everything that is sentimental that you want to keep, but that has lost its "buzz". When an item goes from being fun to have around to just another thing to dust, it's time to transfer it into the tote for long term safekeeping. Depending upon the space you have, each tote may remain in the bedroom of its owner, or they may all live together in a garage, hall closet, or storage area. Wherever they end up being stored, make sure it's accessible so you can keep adding to them regularly.
No more guessing where to put the next special memento or where to find those treasures again when you feel like a stroll down memory lane... and... if disaster should strike, those irreplaceable items are all together for a quick, grab-and-go escape.
The Beginning of Being 03/21/2011
Given that our name is Organized for Life, would it surprise you to learn that this blog is NOT going to be about getting organized? Yep, you heard right. Instead, we’re blogging about something much more powerful: BEING organized!
Hear the difference? "Getting" organized implies a one-time event or a final destination – do A, B, and C to get organized and then you’re done. But we all know how that goes…you devote your weekend to finally setting up a filing system for your paper, then end up berating yourself a month or two later because the piles have reappeared.
Being organized is a lifestyle, a mind set, a way of operating in your world on a daily basis. Being organized goes beyond just having a home for all your stuff (and we can help you with that!) to following the simplest methods for making sure the stuff makes it back to that home. It’s not just managing your calendar, but thinking strategically about what deserves to be there in the first place.
We here at OFL believe that life is for living, and that time is to be spent with the people you love most, doing what you love most. Being organized means that you are able to do just that, without getting tripped up by the logistical details.
So, with that in mind, we are thrilled to be sharing our very best principles, strategies, tips and products to support you in being Organized... for Life!
