Busy Bodies Will Appreciate This Organizer

Another featured product for January, the BusyBodyBook Schedule Organizer for 2009-2010 will help you manage your time and save you money. Receive 10% off this month!

With our BusyBodyBook planner, time management is a breeze! Each family member has their own column to organize and track schedules and activities while coordinating with each other side by side.

The unique layout provides the clearest view of your daily & weekly schedules and activities, helping you stay organized, focused and on track. You’ll easily view overlapping schedules and avoid double-booking.

BusyBodyBook organizers are versatile it can be used to manage more than just family schedule. Here are some things to manage with your 2010 BusyBodyBook organizer:

• household projects
• meal planning
• personal goals
• holiday or vacation preparation
• important clients
• school subjects: homework, test and projects
• employees and/or projects

We especially love the perforated pages for creating handy grocery or gift lists. You can either stash your list in your purse, or hand it over to someone else and let them do the shopping!

Create Your Own Tickler System

We’re just 2 weeks into January, so it’s not too late to implement a new system to organize paperwork, bills, invitations, appointments, and other important items. I suggest creating your own tickler system, and we have several products that might help you.

A Tickler System helps you manage your “active papers”. Anything that comes in from school, work or the mail that needs action should be filed in your Tickler System. Each day, you can pull the items from your daily folder and instantly know what needs to get done today! It’s a great way to stay on top of your “To Do” list.

Our recommendation:

Try our Get Things Done Tickler File solution. Documents, notes, and reminders of all sorts can be directly filed in this file set of 43 folders to automatically trigger action and/or review when needed, without loading up daily planners or getting lost in miscellaneous storage. If you want to be reminded to handle something in the future, but don’t want or need to think about it until then, it can be “tickled” to show up exactly on the day or month you’d like to see it again.

Not sure how this might fit into your life? Here are a few ideas:

1. Regular reports and activities, from payroll taxes and performance reviews to computer back ups.
2. Reminder of bill paying on a specific day to maximize your cash flow.
3. Review of “Maybe” actions in catalogs, direct mail or deferred items
4. Follow-ups including delegated actions
5. Tickets of all kinds
6. Travel directions needed for a specific appointment.
7. Warranty expirations, and “Last date to…”
8. Car care, kids events
9. Birthday and anniversary cards to mail

Absolutely Organized!

Moms – celebrate the back-to-school season with a little gift for yourself!

I’m happy to announce that Organized A to Z is carrying Absolutely Organized by Debbie Lillard!

With school starting soon, you may soon find yourself running non-stop (if you’re not already) shuttling kids to after school activities, pushing to get them out the door in time for school, struggling to get them to wind down at night and in bed at the proper time, and squeezing in all the other daily errands and work in between.

You may feel like never you accomplish anything. You might feel stressed out just walking in the door or waking up in the morning. Ever dream about doing things that you never get around to doing? Wish you had extra hours in your day? Well, here’s something even better!

Absolutely Organized is “a book full of tips and hope” for overworked, time-crunched, clutter-crushed moms. It’s brimming with practical, proven and, in many cases, very simple solutions for keeping order in every corner of your life, from your refrigerator to your file drawers, from keeping a newborn on a set schedule to getting kids to willingly pitch in on household chores.

Debbie Lillard, professional organizer and mother of three, shares her easy-to-use “Absolutes of Organizing” tips to help you gain and maintain order in the three key areas of your family’s life:

YOUR TIME: Learn the tricks for streamlining cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping and other everyday duties. Get more done and have more time left over to spend on your kids, your spouse, projects around the house, and even yourself!

YOUR BELONGINGS: Use Debbie’s simple but effective C.P.R. method (Categorize, Purge and Rearrange) to organize paperwork, photos, collections, toys, clothes, children’s artwork and more.

YOUR HOME: Take it room by room–home office, kitchen, bathroom, family room and even (gulp!) the kids’ rooms. Rid your house of clutter, make the most of your space, and make home feel more comfortable, functional and relaxing.

Follow Absolutely Organized from start to finish for a complete, full-life makeover. Or dip in here and there for help on one problem area at a time, such as that ever-growing mountain of paperwork, your collection of children’s memorabilia, or that disaster area called a closet. Tried-and-true advice for every mom, Absolutely Organized will help you simplify your life so you can enjoy more and stress less.

Get the school year started off right with more organization, less stress, and a more comfortable and relaxing living space!

5 Ways ADD and Organizing Can Go Together

Thanks to Organized A to Z partner Samantha Naeyaert of Muddle Management for contributing today’s blog post!

I am diagnosed with ADD and my darling 14 year old daughter is diagnosed with ADD, but my husband isn’t! How do we Find Peace Through Organizing?

Well, some days are better than others and good days show our strengths as a family in focusing on each other’s strengths instead of our weaknesses and/or differences.

Organization and focus on priorities is the key to success. Just as organizers help their clients by setting up:

1. Central Calendars,
2. Visual Cues,
3. Auditory Cues,
4. Routines, and
5. Chore Charts.

This article by Keath Low, ADD/ADHD Guide, gives a few ideas to consider when trying to organize a home with ADD family members:

Organizing a household can help a person with ADD or ADHD function more effectively from day to day. It can also help relieve some of the responsibilities that family members without ADD/ADHD take on. David W. Goodman, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, provides some ideas on how you can better organize your home if someone you love has ADD/ADHD.

Central Calendars

A family calendar organizes all of the information for the household in one centralized location. Social engagements, doctor appointments, school events, birthdays — all of these important dates can be written down on the calendar.

The calendar is like a “the memory bank” for the ADHD individual — a place to consult about upcoming events or appointments. The calendar relieves non-ADHD family members of having to be the source of this information. This ultimately reduces feelings of exhaustion, frustration and resentment that can arise from having to be consulted about every coming and going. If questions continue after consulting the central calendar, then the individual can go to a family member for clarification.

Visual Cues

Visual cues include any visual prompts, such as lists or colorful notes, that remind the ADHD individual about important things to do. Visual prompts may include taping a colored index card with a written message (such as directions to take a morning dose of medicine) to the mirror. Even better, says Goodman, “Velcro the medicine bottle to the mirror!” That is a prompt that is hard to miss.

For many people, routines are simply an integral part of the day, often performed mechanically and without much thought. Individuals with ADHD don’t have these automatic routines. Each day is a new experience for those with ADHD. That is why lists, order, and prompts are so vital.

Auditory Cues

Audible alarms can be set to go off to remind an individual to do something. Watches, cell phones, digital organizers, and computers –these items have alarms that can be set.

All of these types of reminders can be incorporated into an individual’s life. It is very difficult for ADHD individuals to remain consistent; however, this is where a non-ADHD family member can provide oversight and additional support.

Routines

Doing things in the same sequence, at the same time day after day — these are routines. Routines are regular and unvarying. They follow a repeated course of procedure, and are often common tasks or chores.

One simple routine that is extremely effective for organization is for the ADHD individual to empty his/her pockets in a central place immediately upon entering the door when returning home at the end of the day. The identified location may be as simple as a wicker basket that will hold keys, a wallet, glasses, etc. The main point is that the location contains all these necessary items, and that the routine of putting these items in place is repeated day after day after day. This strategy keeps things from getting scattered throughout the house, making the morning rush a little easier.

Divvy Up Household Responsibilities

Another way to relieve some of the burden off those without ADHD is to systematically divide up household responsibilities. This makes it clear who is responsible for which tasks. It may be that a non-ADHD family member is better at the details that come along with paying the bills. Perhaps the ADHD partner enjoys the creativity that comes along with cooking. Spouses can get together and identify who is going to do what. This helps to ensure equity in the relationship.

Consider each of these options and customize them as needed for yourself or your family.  As an organizer, I am in many homes and most dealing with ADD have books on ADD and books on organizing. The  key is to take everyone’s ideas and customize them to fit your needs; none of us are characters in a book, but we are all complicated, falable humans with a need for peace through organization.

Six Steps to Happy, Healthy Living

Thanks to Organized A to Z partner Diana Fletcher, a stress-reducing expert, for contributing this week’s series – Six Steps to Happy, Healthy Living.

We have been in a “hurry-up” mode for so long that it is difficult for many people to figure out how to slow down. One great way to begin is to look at how you spend your days.  Honestly look at how you spend each minute of everyday.  Often we have developed habits that no longer have any purpose.   Look at your activities and ask yourself, does this activity benefit me anymore?  Does this benefit anyone else?  If you are honest with yourself, you will discover many of these things are unnecessary or could be done by someone else. Eliminating just a few of these unnecessary activities can create extra space in your day.  The purpose of this is not to immediately fill those moments with more work. The purpose is to create space to take care of your health. Once you have eliminated some time wasters, you can use these ideas to empower you on your journey toward healthier, happier living:

1) One of the keys to good health is getting enough sleep. It is possible to make this a priority.  Turn off the television set.  Leave the work.  It can wait. Not getting enough sleep can affect our decision making, our moods, our creative thinking, and even make us weigh more. Studies have shown that lack of sleep decreases regulation of hormones that  control our appetites. Think of times you have felt unusually hungry and craved carbohydrates. Many times this is after a night of too little sleep. Set a reasonable time to go to sleep and stick to it. Your reward will be fresher thinking, fresher skin and more energy.

2) Take the time to drink plenty of water.  This is so simple but so important. Keep hydrated to flush out toxins, have healthier looking skin and boost your metabolic rate.  Often we mistake thirst for hunger, so drinking enough water can help you control the amount you eat.

3) Take a multivitamin.  Along with the water and the right amount of sleep, you will be amazed at the change in your energy levels.

4) Every hour, no matter what you are doing, take a few moments to stand up, stretch and move around.  We were not meant to sit at desks and computers or anywhere else for long periods of time.  Stretch, move, breathe.

5) Everyday show gratitude. Saying thank you is a de-stressor that makes you feel good.  Negative thoughts cause stress.  It is hard to have negative thoughts and thoughts of gratitude in our mind simultaneously.

6) Make time for friends.  Healthy relationships help us stay healthy.  This does not mean you have to accept every invitation that comes this time of year.  Give yourself time to think about your response to the invitation.  Is this something you truly want to do?  Will you be sorry you gave up sleep or time with your family or spouse?  Sometimes, holiday gatherings are not where we truly want to be.  We overindulge in food and drink, then regret the time, calories and lack of sleep the next day.

How you spend the minutes of each day add up to how you spend your life. The way you live your life and the choices you make determine how healthy and strong you will be.  Are you making choices that strengthen you or weaken you? If you are making the choices that are making you happy and healthy, that is fantastic and I say, keep up the good work!  If not, you have the power to choose a different way.  A happy, healthy way.

How do you truly want to live your life?

Happy Healthy Living

Thanks to Organized A to Z partner Diana Fletcher, a stress-reducing expert, for contributing this week’s series – Six Steps to Happy, Healthy Living.

You want it all.  You want to look great, feel great, be great–and why not?  That would be wonderful!  But when you don’t feel good or accomplish everything you set out to do, it’s discouraging and stress-inducing.

I believe we have reached a saturation point.  We live in a busy world where things move very quickly.  In our multi-tasking madness, we have exhausted ourselves. The time has come to slow down.  We have to stop the constant moving, doing, and striving to be everything to everyone. We need to stop giving attention to everything and everyone that demands it.

Stop and Breathe. That’s right.  Right now, stop and breathe. Put your right hand on your abdomen and take a deep breath.  Breathe deep enough to see your hand rise.  This is how you want to breathe. But most of the time, we don’t breathe this way.  Some of us never breathe this way. When you are under stress, your breathing gets shallower.  Not enough oxygen gets to your brain and organs and you get tired or sick.  Is this how you want to live your life?

I believe it is time to create space in our lives for what is truly important. We have so much to do, and we want to do so much, that it is inevitable that all of it won’t get done.  So let’s stop driving ourselves crazy, and focus on what is truly important.

The most important step in your journey toward living a happy life lies in taking care of your health.  It doesn’t matter how much money you have because without good health, you cannot enjoy yourself or take care of the people and things that are most important to you.

We are meant to live happy, healthy lives. Take a few seconds to visualize that.  You are meant to move easily and breathe easily. You are meant to nourish yourself with healthy foods and healthy activities. You are meant to feel good and rested and healthy everyday. And no matter where you are on the continuum, you can get started today on living a happy, healthier life. Empower yourself.  Take control.  Make the decision that you are important and from now on, you are going to take care of yourself and your health before anything else. Your life and those lives you touch everyday will benefit from your good health.

Did you Need to be Rescued From Your Clutter?

Clutter Rescue Course

One of Organized A to Z’s newest products is professional oganizer Diane Hatcher’s organizing tool, the Clutter Rescue Course. If you have clutter, you owe it to yourself to take this course!

This course offers a comprehensive approach to taking back control of your home and your life. You’ll develop a state of mind that produces results, not upset. Peace, not craziness. And power, not powerlessness. Pretty soon, you’ll find that the clutter will actually begin to take care of itself.

The Clutter Rescue Course™ is made up of two 10-week segments (and a 5-week bonus course) that cover personal and work clutter, organization and time management issues. Here’s how it works:

• Lessons are delivered by e-mail weekly beginning immediately after you register.
• Inside each email, there’ll be a link to a short video that I created to introduce you to the week’s topic and activities.
• Each lesson has an exercise that should take no more than a half-hour a week.

The 148-page companion workbook provides you with tons of more instruction and information! If you have Internet access, an e-mail account and a half hour each week, then you have the right stuff to be organized and simplify your life!

The Clutter Rescue Course is perfect for you if:

• you want the best, time-tested information that will have you be organized once and for all
• you want to know what clutter really is, because it’s not the sign of a cluttered, disorganized or creative mind!
• you like to learn things a little at a time, because you’ll have an easier time implementing the material
• you like a support system, because you want to stay on track
• you have problems focusing on things for too long, because your lessons will be short and to the point
• you want a simpler, much more enjoyable life, because you and the people around you deserve it!

Clutter Rescue Course creator Patty Kreamer is a Certified Professional Organizer and author of “…But I Might Need It Someday” and The Power of Simplicity. Since 1999, she has been involved in hands-on organizing every day to help her clients live an organized, clutter-free life. She’s also worked with corporate clients all across North America to help them become more productive and perform at an optimum level. Patty is also a consultant, coach, professional speaker, and media subject matter expert, and has served as President of the National Association of Professional Organizers – Pittsburgh chapter and of the National Speakers Association – Pittsburgh chapter.

Keep Your Organizing Resolution – Start Small

Organizing can seem overwhelming, but it’s all worth it in the end. Keep your ultimate goal in mind and use that for motivation to get started and keep going. No matter the space, start small and work your way up. There is a saying “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time”. You tackle organizing the same way! Break your project into small manageable tasks. Assess what you need to do and then list the steps. You will feel a sense of accomplishment with every task you complete.

Decide how much time you will work on organizing. If it is not your strong point, then I suggest you start small. Set a timer for 15 and work till you hear the ding. If you feel up to it, reset it and work some more, otherwise save it for your next 15 minute block. As you become more comfortable, you can ditch the timer in favor of your favorite CD.

Take breaks when you feel overwhelmed or just plain tired. Organizing can be not only physically draining, but emotionally as well. Therefore give yourself permission to take a break when you feel frustrated or exhausted – watch TV, read a book, have a cup of coffee. When you come back to the project you will be refreshed and ready to tackle the next task of your project.

Keep Your Organizing Resolution – Enlist Help!

Should old acquaintance be forgot… no – and neither should your New Year’s resolution to get organized. Resolutions are so easy to make as you sip champagne and kiss your loved one, but then the harsh reality of a fast-paced life hits you. But don’t give up on those resolutions so fast. Try to remember the reason for making it in the first place. And start by enlisting help from the people who share your space.

First and foremost, let your spouse, significant other, family or roommate know that you are going to begin to take the necessary steps to getting and staying organized. Ask for their support and cooperation as you point out the many benefits to being organized (saving money, saving time and less stress). But remember even if you don’t get their buy-in immediately you should press forward and lead by example.

It may not be easy at first, working around the other people in your life. You’ll probably feel like you’re always picking up after them and spending more time organizing their stuff when you’d rather be doing something else. But helping them get on track and giving them an “organized” place to start will ultimately make it easier for them to participate and help you out.

It will take some time, but by incorporating some simply systems and procedures, you’ll soon reap the benefits. If you keep up the good work, you family or roommate will soon recognize and respect your efforts and perhaps even find the inspiration to take some of the organizing responsibility upon themselves.

Of course, there’s always the option of working with a professional organizer! If you are in the Richmond, Virginia, area, I’d love to work with you to implement some great organizing systems into your life. If your not in my area, check out the Organized A to Z Partners. You’re sure to find one that will support you in your organizing efforts.

Good luck!