I know, I know....I've been neglecting my blog-writing duties! It's been busy around here!
If you read my last entry, you know that I moved. Although, things are unpacked and I'm settled in, moving always takes longer than most people expect. While busy unpacking and rearranging and measuring and building furniture, I was also working with my clients, giving presentations and trying to generally run a business efficiently and smoothly. How exhausting!!
So, I thought it worth mentioning that even a Certified Professional Organizer® can feel overwhelmed and fall behind sometimes. We are still human and not perfect. I can get overwhelmed unpacking a room and wander off to watch something mindless on TV for 20 minutes before I make myself go back to work. I can convince myself that I've done enough for the day and quit early. Just like everyone else.
The important part is that I don't give up. I got it all done. I made it work, and I made it fit. The reasons it was totally reasonable for me to take breaks and walk away? Because I needed to clear my head to start fresh on the next, and I didn't want to burn out only to stash some boxes in a corner or under the bed to find it in three years when I move again....having never opened it.
The moral of the story? Pace it out. And, be confident that the organizer you're working with knows what he/she is doing! They might get there in a round about way. They might not get there as quickly as you had hoped. But, trust that there is a method to the madness. They'll get you there. They won't let you burn out. And, they certainly won't let you forget the task at hand!
Oh - and I'm back to the land of the living!
How we Can All Ask for Help
I wrote this last week for the NAPO Chicago chapter newsletter encouraging colleagues to ask each other for help.
I'm often reminded how wonderful our group is. How "together we are better." I'm sure that in theory, we all know this is true. But, every now and then, I'm able to experience first hand.
I recently moved in to a new home. It's been a long, multi-step process. A good one, but a long one. As an organizer, I'm sure you can relate to wanting everything to be unpacked and settled in as soon as possible. Well, to make a long story short, my belongings would be at the new place 21 days before I actually would.
I can make do with my laptop and phone to make my business run wherever (another reason I'm thankful I have a paperless office!). But, how on Earth could I pack clothes for 20 days? In Chicago, in September, when the weather might feel like August or it might feel like October?
I tried to pack. And, I unpacked. And, then tried packing again.
I thought to myself, "This is silly. You need some help!" I went to my desk and emailed two colleagues with my conundrum. Before the night was out, I had a couple options for a solution and a well thought out packing list provided to me. What a relief! Needless to say, I finished packing that night. All has worked out as well as it sounded in the initial plan.
Perhaps others of us are having some roadblock in our own lives that are preventing us from moving on, moving in to or moving out of wherever we are now. Call another NAPO Chicago member. Maybe you need advice on what next steps to take for a client's project. Email another NAPO Chicago member. You've been asked to give a presentation, but really want to practice in front of someone who knows what you are (or should be) talking about. Ask another NAPO Chicago member at the next meeting.
Together we are better. It's because our members are helpful, knowledgeable and creative people. Who doesn't need more of that around?
I'm often reminded how wonderful our group is. How "together we are better." I'm sure that in theory, we all know this is true. But, every now and then, I'm able to experience first hand.
I recently moved in to a new home. It's been a long, multi-step process. A good one, but a long one. As an organizer, I'm sure you can relate to wanting everything to be unpacked and settled in as soon as possible. Well, to make a long story short, my belongings would be at the new place 21 days before I actually would.
I can make do with my laptop and phone to make my business run wherever (another reason I'm thankful I have a paperless office!). But, how on Earth could I pack clothes for 20 days? In Chicago, in September, when the weather might feel like August or it might feel like October?
I tried to pack. And, I unpacked. And, then tried packing again.
I thought to myself, "This is silly. You need some help!" I went to my desk and emailed two colleagues with my conundrum. Before the night was out, I had a couple options for a solution and a well thought out packing list provided to me. What a relief! Needless to say, I finished packing that night. All has worked out as well as it sounded in the initial plan.
Perhaps others of us are having some roadblock in our own lives that are preventing us from moving on, moving in to or moving out of wherever we are now. Call another NAPO Chicago member. Maybe you need advice on what next steps to take for a client's project. Email another NAPO Chicago member. You've been asked to give a presentation, but really want to practice in front of someone who knows what you are (or should be) talking about. Ask another NAPO Chicago member at the next meeting.
Together we are better. It's because our members are helpful, knowledgeable and creative people. Who doesn't need more of that around?
Holiday Prep Work
Throughout the year there are a variety of small holidays that many people decorate for and even throw celebratory parties. The Forth of July happens to be tomorrow and is one such holiday. Although some of us are prone to leaving up our winter decorations for a month or two, we tend not to leave the red, white and blue bunting up for that long. (Not that there's anything wrong with keeping your patriotism flying in the wind all year long!)
So, how to make it an easy set-up, celebrate and put-away holiday? Here are a handful of tips:
So, how to make it an easy set-up, celebrate and put-away holiday? Here are a handful of tips:
- Have a plan. Will you be entertaining this year? Or, going some place else to celebrate? Or, simply want to make the house festive?
- Be prepared. A week or so before the holiday dig out any decorations that you already own for the holiday. (Of course, that's assuming you know where they might be...). Take a look at what you have before you go buy more; save yourself some time and money. If there's something you have, but know you'll never display again, add it to your ongoing donations bag. Set aside an hour or two to get the decorations out, put things up and make a list of what to pick up on your next errands run.
- Whether entertaining or heading out for the day, know what you'll need. Will you need plates, cups, napkins and food for your guests? Will you need a dish to pass or sparklers for the kids? Make sure these things are written down so you can pick them up a day or two before the holiday.
- Day before or morning of: do whatever last minute things need doing! Prepare food, sweep the floor, wipe down the bathroom. And so on. Recruit anyone else who shares the space to help. The kids, spouse or roommate. And, because you've been preparing for a couple days, you should also have a good idea of how much time you'll need to do these tasks before you have to leave or people start arriving.
- Enjoy the celebration!
Have a great, safe Forth of July!
5 Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Easier Than Ever
Today, I was featured as a guest blog writer for 1-800-Junk-Relief! Check out my article, "5Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Easier Than Ever."
Why Professionalism Matters
As President of the NAPO-Chicago chapter, I quarterly write a piece for our newsletter. This week I've decided to share my last letter, as I think it relates to all professions.
I was recently brought in
on a large-scale project. The family was in dire need of a variety
of services that a third party was coordinating. The project head
had an assistant that was supposed to be my contact. In the weeks
leading up to the project, there were a lot of communication
problems. Information was missing; information was provided in an
untimely manner and so on. Not only was this frustrating, but it
hindered the success of the project as a whole.
Instead of placing blame
on who did or didn't do what they “should” have done, I'd rather
concentrate on the importance of why all of us should embrace our
professional side so that we can walk away from our clients knowing
we conducted ourselves appropriately.
Each of us has a vision as
to what kind of company and services we'd like to represent.
Regardless of the details of that vision, we probably can all agree
that we want our clients and our peers to agree that we are, in fact,
a professional. I conducted a bit of research
as to what most people agree makes a professional. Most sources
agree that there are some key areas that are important to creating
this image:
- Dress and speak the part
- Write well
- Be on time/Honor commitments
- Communicate early and often
- Have the infrastructure you need for the job at hand
- Mind your hygiene
- Don't make excuses or lie
- Don't talk about clients behind their backs
- Be positive
- Offer to help
- Don't air your dirty laundry
Even the best of us can
use a reminder. How often are you running just a few minutes late?
When have you agreed to tackle a project, thinking you'll figure it
out when the time comes (lacking the proper infrastructure)? When
did you walk in to a session already wanting to go home? We've all
fell below par on some of these at one time or another. And, we're
human; we're not going to be perfect. But, professional does not
mean perfect. It means we are respecting those we're working with.
We're respecting the problems we are there to help solve. We're
respecting emotions and attitudes. Most importantly, we're
respecting ourselves.
Reverse the list above:
- Dressing and speaking poorly
- Writing in a nonsensical manner
- Being late/Forgetting commitments
- Lacking communication
- Lacking infrastructure
- Ignoring hygiene needs
- Making excuses and lying
- Gossiping
- Being negative
- Only looking out for yourself
- Airing all your secrets
Just reading this list
over, we can all imagine how unreliable, uncomfortable and
undesirable that working situation has become – even if just one or
a couple of these are occurring. These characteristics have created
a counterproductive workplace
– for anyone involved. Productivity and job satisfaction will
fall. Not to mention your over all physical and mental well-being.
Having worked in a less
than professional situation, I'd rather not do so again. What does
that mean for me and my company? It means I will refer work I'm not
interested in or prepared for. I will do my best to stay positive
and timely. I won't give excuses. Primarily, I will respect myself
enough to let those working on projects with me know when they are
acting unprofessional.
De-Clutter Your Gift List
Now that the holiday season is upon us, we're all shopping around for gifts to give this winter. How often do you find yourself returning to stores because there's something you forgot to pick up? Are you constantly returning things because it was the wrong size, color or you'd already bought a gift for that person? Let's clean up that gift list!
The best place to start is by creating your shopping list. Write down whoever comes to mind first. Then, sit down with the list and your address book and fill in any gaps. You might have three categories of gifts to give: 1) give a gift, 2) give homemade treats (baked goods or crafts) and 3) just a holiday card. Some people may fall into multiple categories - that's okay. Make your list as expansive as possible.
Count how many cards you'd like to send. Will they be for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or just the holiday season? How many will you need of each kind? Write that down!
How many people are you making something for? Figure out what you're planning on making and how much supplies are needed for one batch or completed craft. Multiply it by how many you'd like to make.
If you're one of the many, many homes that has a stash in a closet somewhere of "gifts to give," we'll visit there next. Take your list to that stash. Is there anything in there that's appropriate to give to anyone on your list? Pull it out and place it near where ever you'll be putting the gifts once they're all in the house (preferably near the gift wrap!).
Who's left? Have an idea of what you'd like to spend on each person/couple/family. Write that down near their name. Also, mark down any ideas you have for a gift or sizes you might need.
Check your coupons! Now is the time to grab the store coupons or discount cards you've been shoving in an envelope or the car door for the past few months. Check expiration dates.
Your list will look something like this:
- 30 Holiday cards
Baked goods for 5 people:
- 1 bag flour
- 2 boxes sugar
- 3 packs butter
- sprinkles
Gifts for:
- John: $35 books
- Rebbecca: $35 size medium
- Morris: $50 Toys 'R Us
- 6 gifts cards to Target for $15 for co-workers
- Mom and Dad: $75 flowers
- Tanya: $20 Disney movies - have in the gift closet already!
Now, which stores will you visit to get these items? Know where they are and the hours they're open. Map out your route ahead of time, based on how many of the stores you'd like to go to in this trip.
No more doubling back because you forgot something, didn't have the discount card or weren't thinking about how to get from store to store!
The best place to start is by creating your shopping list. Write down whoever comes to mind first. Then, sit down with the list and your address book and fill in any gaps. You might have three categories of gifts to give: 1) give a gift, 2) give homemade treats (baked goods or crafts) and 3) just a holiday card. Some people may fall into multiple categories - that's okay. Make your list as expansive as possible.
Count how many cards you'd like to send. Will they be for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or just the holiday season? How many will you need of each kind? Write that down!
How many people are you making something for? Figure out what you're planning on making and how much supplies are needed for one batch or completed craft. Multiply it by how many you'd like to make.
If you're one of the many, many homes that has a stash in a closet somewhere of "gifts to give," we'll visit there next. Take your list to that stash. Is there anything in there that's appropriate to give to anyone on your list? Pull it out and place it near where ever you'll be putting the gifts once they're all in the house (preferably near the gift wrap!).
Who's left? Have an idea of what you'd like to spend on each person/couple/family. Write that down near their name. Also, mark down any ideas you have for a gift or sizes you might need.
Check your coupons! Now is the time to grab the store coupons or discount cards you've been shoving in an envelope or the car door for the past few months. Check expiration dates.
Your list will look something like this:
- 30 Holiday cards
Baked goods for 5 people:
- 1 bag flour
- 2 boxes sugar
- 3 packs butter
- sprinkles
Gifts for:
- John: $35 books
- Rebbecca: $35 size medium
- Morris: $50 Toys 'R Us
- 6 gifts cards to Target for $15 for co-workers
- Mom and Dad: $75 flowers
- Tanya: $20 Disney movies - have in the gift closet already!
Now, which stores will you visit to get these items? Know where they are and the hours they're open. Map out your route ahead of time, based on how many of the stores you'd like to go to in this trip.
No more doubling back because you forgot something, didn't have the discount card or weren't thinking about how to get from store to store!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)