Getting Out The Door

I have a confession to make. I sometimes have a hard time getting out the door on time. Fortunately, I have figured out why.

I don't hit 'snooze.' I don't get too distracted by email or Facebook. What does happen is I try to get more things done than I have time to do before I should be putting on my coat and grabbing my bag. I'm not really dilly-dallying. I'm trying to be productive, but end up being unrealistic about how long things might take to accomplish.

For example, I might think responding to an email will take only a minute or two, but it really takes five. That doesn't seem like much until I sit down determined to write five emails. Twenty-five minutes is much different than five! That's the difference between being right on time and almost a half hour late.

What I've started to do is pay attention to how long these tasks take me. Personally, I'm not going so far as to chart my time to see where and how long I'm spending it. But, for some, that is helpful. Now I'll have a better idea of what I can get accomplished before heading to the car, instead of running out the door in a mad dash. Maybe I take the garbage out, and save the emails for later.

Organize This....Again??

I am often asked if I have repeat clients. Yes. Absolutely yes.

Doesn't that mean I'm not doing my job? If I have to come back? Well, no. Not necessarily.

Sometimes, we are adjusting a lot at one time. Over time, it can be a challenge to change all those details at once. We do what we can and may have a small refresher session later. There are also many things that can change over time that can, and will, effect a person's organizational systems. When those things change, we may have to revisit the space.

What could possibly change that much? Tons!

A birth, a death, a marriage, a divorce. Someone goes to college. Someone comes home from college. A new pet. Getting a new job. Losing an old job. Starting a new hobby. Getting injured or sick. Finally feeling better. Moving. Buying new furniture. Getting gifts. Giving things away.

You get the picture.

All of these are things that can physically effect your space. You are bringing new things in to your space or removing things from that area that may very well change the make up of that system. Maybe it can be a lot easier now. Or, maybe we have to accommodate a few more steps. Either way, we can change it to make it work.

Emotions and mental well-being might also change the space. Perhaps you are going through a tough time, and this system is too much to work on right now. Or, maybe you've moved past the difficult times and are ready to start new again. Perhaps if you were ill before, there was only so much you could do in a sitting, but now you can dedicate more time to your desk...your craft....your cooking...whatever it might be.

So, should the time come that a system or room needs to be tackled again, don't worry about it. Things change. The important thing is to recognize that things have changed, and it's time to rework your systems.