Get Organized Pittsburgh » simplicity

Thinking about the New Year!

Leslie McKee — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:27:55 +0000

What is going to make 2010 different? We are always striving to be faster, stronger and bigger, but what does that really look like. One of the most popular resolutions is to get organized and that doesn’t always translate into MORE. Efficiency is a great goal but prioritizing might be a better one. Knowing what is important in your time and stuff will make every day seem easier. That is a gift that only you can give yourself. So, how do you get there? What do you let go of? Here are three strategies that may help you.
Top 10 List
What are the all the things you are involved in? What are your roles? List them all; pick the Top Ten and let go of the rest, even temporarily so you get caught up on the issues that are bothering you. You may be surprised when you miss an activity that had been routine and not important, then find yourself secretly celebrating. This is a great strategy for getting on track when you are going through a major life transition. Step back and minimize while you get through it!
What is it that only I can do?
Another great tip that really works for entrupenuers is to really write down all the “jobs” you do and then highlight the jobs that only YOU can do. Go one step further and mark those that you actually like to do. For me this has really illuminated all kinds of little things that have kept me from the bigger things. It was easy to let go by finding people to do those very specific jobs that I no longer need to attend to. It is fun to think of the year ahead with out those items on my To Do List.
Know you 3 MIT’s Daily
MIT’s are your Most Important Things. If you could write just 3 MIT’s down for the next day when you are leaving your desk or at the end of each day, and were able to start each day ready to accomplish just those 3 things, I suspect it would be life changing. I know we all have HUGE To Do lists, and making a master list does help get it all down, but I am talking about having a top 3 every day that are non-negotiable! This will take away the feeling of overwhelm and will help you know what enough looks like. Knowing this can help you stop just working and working and working until you just “hit the wall”

So- see your New Year through the lens of doing what is important and knowing what “enough” is. This will bring simplicity and order to your 2010!

TO DO OR TO HAVE

Leslie — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:47:00 +0000

Distinguish between “to haves” and “to dos”. Most people are not going to be able to “have it all” and “do it all”, especially when they are just starting out in life! I drew a big red line down the middle of life and always asked myself, “Is it a “to have” or “to do”?” If it was a “to have” it could wait, if it was a “to do” it got priority! So we drove an old car and went heli skiing, we still have a used table from the Salvation Army (we got 16 years ago) as our kitchen table, but it looks nice and we make that and other things work so that we can take trips and do the things that will be great memories for us and for our children! Life is short; you have all the time in the world to accumulate “stuff” but not all the time to do things. So get out there and be a “do-er” not a “hav-er”

Knowing what ENOUGH is Creates Consistancy and Order

Leslie — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:52:00 +0000

How many Black pants are enough? Your answer could be 7 or 14. There is no right answer, but if you never decide what ENOUGH is how do you know you have gotten there? When do you pat yourself on the back and say “great job, I have enough”! Consider your cup full you just feel more peaceful and then you can use the “one in one out rule”. It also lets us use consistent systems for the stuff in your life because you can decide where to store different categories of items and they don’t need to be constantly re arranged because they are exploding out of the space you originally planned for them! Stuff becomes a burden and clutter definitely causes stress. So decide what is ENOUGH and where it will be stored and you will be on your way to an organized 2009!

Be Grateful

Leslie — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 12:09:00 +0000

Studies show that people who journal what they are grateful for are generally more healthy and successful in their lives. The trick is not to make this a “big deal”, just start jotting down what you’re grateful for or at the very least take a moment daily to consider the good things that surround you.

Turn Off the Negative Influences

Leslie — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:06:00 +0000

It is as easy as flicking a switch in most cases. Stop immersing yourself in 24 hour news that is geared to be shocking and often disturbing. Be well informed and selective on how you want to receive information. Be mindful about spending more time with people and things that energize you and less time with those that are draining you.

Plan Some Fun!

Leslie — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:48:00 +0000

Make sure to plan to do something FUN every day. Start your list or look over your week and make sure there are fun activities included. When you think about it, isn’t that what life is about! It simply works to insert MOTIVATION into your life.

The easiest way to do it is to simply start your daily to do list with the word FUN and don’t write another think until you fill in something beside that word that is fun! It works! Either you will add more fun to your life, or you will notice that you are already doing fun things and give yourself a pat on the back!

Rest and Restoration

Leslie — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:51:00 +0000

Hello from sunny Florida! I took a quick, spontaneous trip to visit my mom and aunt in St. Pete’s and really did not think I needed a break…but apparently I did! Leaving Saturday morning—I was exhausted, washed out and slightly sick. I spent days in the sun, ate great meals, laughed and did not accomplish ANYTHING for work! Look out world! I actually can’t wait to just get going tomorrow morning! I have a list of things to do and feel like I can just barrel through them! The point being that I was struggling before I left and now I am ready. So if you are stuck…give yourself a break and see what happens!

GREEN ORGANIZING

Leslie — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:06:00 +0000

OK-I am on a GREEN kick! I just think it is so important and I see it as something that will actually become mandatory in our lifetime! So I often think about what is my “green responsibility” as an organizer. Simplifying what clients bring into their homes and finding great resources for the items they no longer want are really at the core of what we do. Organizing is a very green profession overall! I want to formalize a green component to what i already do by adding a green piece to my initial consultation.

Clients I see are usually overwhelmed. They are either recycling already or so overwhelmed they feel like that can’t add one other thing to their to do list! If they are already doing it, I would like to praise their efforts and make sure they have all the local resources they need. i also want to make sure their system is as simple as possible so that they will be able to keep it up without turning their homes into recycling centers by collecting but not having routines in place to get the items out to the places that process them. If they are not recycling at all I want to address that and try to build that component into any organizational system I suggest or put in place. I want to address he all or nothing thinking and get started in some small way.

So if YOU are reading this and needed a little nudge to get started! It is time to take that little step!

RULES FOR BUYING-Green Shopping (not in the vegetable aisle)

Leslie — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 17:45:00 +0000

The idea of GREEN SHOPPING is really LESS SHOPPING! After putting your thinking through that “filter” if you still decide that you need to buy something-consider these rules of thumb. First, buy quality, lasting products that are not single use. Invest in a great mop or broom instead of a Swifter. Purchase things that are made to last. Consider how they are made and the materials used. I would much rather purchase salad serving pieces made from bamboo than plastic. Heghten your awareness of what is made from recycled materials and it the item can be recycled in the end as well. Look for items that use less packaging and bring your own bags to the store. Is the item biodregradable. A well made wooden toy always seems to be a better choice to me than a plastic one. It is well crafted, often unique and will biodegrade. Buying locally is also key to lessen the environmental costs of shipping and to infuse your local economy.

Again, awareness is key and all or nothing perfectionistic thinking will hold you back. Keep an open mind to green ideas and don’t become overwhelmed with doing too much. Take one step at a time towards lasting, powerful change!

RECYCLE: It’s NOT about Being PERFECT

Leslie — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:29:00 +0000

Awareness is the key here. Just tune into ways to recycle things in a simple way. I am in homes all the time that have phenomenal recycling programs yet they don’t recycle. These people are not lazy, they are stuck. They don’t have the perfect place to store items for the week. They don’t have a system in place so they become paralyzed. Ignorance is not bliss in this instance! It is time to be responsible for the items you bring into your home. This doesn’t mean PERFECT. It just means that you need to start somewhere. In my community it is pretty easy. All cans and bottles and glass go in the same container, so we keep one under the sink and take it outside as needed. Paper is a little harder. I have to admit that it took me awhile to get with the program. When I decided to start I simply put a basket under a table in the hall by my kitchen and we simply started with newspapers. We take the basket to a PAPER RETRIEVER when it gets full. YES, there are days that is looks a little sloppy-but for the most part we just take it on our way to other errands and it really feels good! Our trash is truly less than half of what it used to be.

So educate yourself and just start somewhere! You will be glad you did and you can rest easier know that you are doing your part to help the environment and ultimately our global economy.