NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING

Time Management - Is doing something better than doing nothing? Can you still make a difference?

John Trosko over at OrganizingLA Blog: made a particularly intriguing post last week inspired by the Ask Marilyn column.  John shares many great tips and ideas on getting organized, life, blogging & more.  But this post just stopped me in my tracks! I'm going to let you just read it for yourself : ) 

Here's the post followed by my response: 

The Ask Marilyn Column in last Sunday's Los Angeles Times Parade Magazine had an interesting question and we'd like to share it.  It has everything to do with organizing, and creating new habits.  We'll post the entire question and answer here, breaking every copyright law known in media.  But you can click here to check out Marilyn vos Savant's other archives and her new online headquarters

Question:

"Please settle an argument. My friend believes that if you take a single vitamin, you will be just a little healthier than if you never had taken one. Or if you park a car inside a garage only two or three times, its body will be in better condition than if you hadn’t, even if the difference is so small you can’t see it. His reasoning is that something is always better than nothing. I disagree. What do you think? —Gary Manata, Carlsbad, Calif."

Answer:

"I think he’s wrong. The difference must be large enough to matter in some way—any way—or nothing is “better.” Something has been lost: time. Whether your friend is taking a vitamin or parking his car, he is spending precious time—which is a limited resource—and maybe money. Too many people spend time and money pursuing lots of goals just a little. - Marilyn"

Are you wasting time in your daily life only getting your feet wet persuing your organizational goals?

http://organizingla.blogs.com/organizingla_blog/2006/07/time_management.html

MY RESPONSE:
What a thought provoking post!!!  But I have to disagree with Marilyn. For a genius her logic is rather faulty!

I believe that doing something is almost always better that doing nothing!  Especially when it comes to exercising and organizing! Doing "something" won't get you all the benefits of doing it perfectly, but it's better to tread water than to do nothing and drown.

Good habits can get started with small actions. Like putting your toes in the water, then your legs, etc. It may be "better" to dive in and get it over with, but some people can't take the stress of that and will never do it again if it's too painful.

Walking a little extra 2-3 times per week, to me is a great thing. After a couple weeks of that, the person may start to feel better enough to walk 4-5 times per week, etc. If they don't walk at all, their health will suffer even worse.

All or nothing thinking is often what keeps people from getting started organizing at all (as well as many other things) I think people have to try and do what they can towards a goal.

They don't have to organize the whole house at once. They could start with a drawer, or start letting go of one thing per day until it gets easier to let go of things.

Imagine if everyone said, "well, I can't recycle everything, so I won't recycle anything." I believe it's better to recycle what you can and not sweat being perfect.

To me, having too many goals and only doing all of them part way is a different issue. But even that is probably better than having no goals at all. : )

What do you think?

All the best,

Your Life. Organized - By Monica Ricci

Here's a neat blog discovery I made today.  Monica Ricci, one of the best professional organizers to appear on the HGTV show Mission Organization has a great blog sharing her wisdom, organizing tips, travels, and what it's like to be in the media! I saw her present at the NAPO 2006 conference in March as part of "Ask the Organizer Panel". She is great! I even bought the CD.  She is one of the organizers, along with Hellen Buttigieg from the show NEAT, that inspired me to become a professional organizer!   

Check Monica out at: Your Life. Organized. Motivational Speaker & Author Monica Ricci.

All the best,

Ariane

You can't make this stuff up! Egg-vertizing???

Here's a scary bit of news from the Organic Bytes e-newsletter.  On the one hand I can see a lot of people thinking this is really cool.  I know I would have loved when I was a kid and didn't understand the implications.

On the other hand, it's just one more example of how far corporations will go to get their advertising out there so you (and your children) can't avoid them in any way shape or form.  Before you know it, our street lights, traffic lights, street signs, and maybe even our front doors will all be sponsored and branded.  Why stop there?  We could brand our schools - how bout "Coca-Cola High" maybe? Each classroom door (Imagine "The Dow Chemical Science Class") and every chalkboard could have a different sponsor's logo.  Even the kid's desks could be a collage of logos and ads.  Now that would be truly "intrusive" advertising. Just so you know how flagrant they are about their methods, check out the quote in red below.  Okay enough of my ranting.  : )   Here's the clip from the article.

"In September, CBS plans to start using a new place to advertise its fall television lineup: your breakfast. Ads for CBS’s shows will be etched on eggs sold at some grocery stores.

The network plans to announce today that it will place laser imprints of its trademark eye insignia, as well as logos for some of its shows, on eggs — 35 million of them in September and October. CBS’s copywriters are referring to the medium as “egg-vertising,” hinting at the wordplay they have in store. Some of their planned slogans: “CSI” (“Crack the Case on CBS”); “The Amazing Race” (“Scramble to Win on CBS”); and “Shark” (“Hard-Boiled Drama.”). Variations on the ad for its Monday night lineup of comedy shows include “Shelling Out Laughs,” “Funny Side Up” and “Leave the Yolks to Us.”

George Schweitzer, president of the CBS marketing group, said he was hoping to generate some laughter in American kitchens. “We’ve gone through every possible sad takeoff on shelling and scrambling and frying,” he said, adding, “It’s a great way to reach people in an unexpected form.”

Newspapers, magazines and Web sites are so crowded with ads for entertainment programming that CBS was ready to try something different, Mr. Schweitzer said. The best thing about the egg concept was its intrusiveness.

“You can’t avoid it,” he said. He liked the idea so much that he arranged for CBS to be the only advertiser this fall to use the new etching technology. The CBS ads are the first to use imprinting technology developed by a company called EggFusion, based in Deerfield, Ill. Bradley Parker, who founded the company, wanted to reassure shoppers that egg producers were not placing old eggs in new cartons, so he developed a laser-etching technique to put the expiration date directly on an egg during the washing and grading process."

Read the whole article here:

http://alerts.organicconsumers.org/trk/click?ref=zqtbkk3um_0-29x365x3304311&>http://www.organicconsumers.org/2006/article_1112.cfm

Sending neat thoughts,

10 Tips for Reaching a Goal

Here's a neat nugget from an older post at the The Happiness Project. Gretchen Rubin quotes 10 tips from Émile Coué on Reaching a Goal.

Here are my Top 3 favorites.

• Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. It’s better to do something imperfectly than nothing perfectly. 
• Always think of what you have to do as easy and it will become so.
• Sometimes it helps to keep the stakes low at the beginning, so you feel less worried about making a mistake; sometimes it helps to keep the stakes high from the beginning, so you're not tempted to slack off.

                                                                    Émile Coué.

Read More at http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2006/03/this_wednesday_.html

I couldn't resist this goals grid, neat huh?

Goals Grid - Source = http://www.flickr.com/photos/legweak/65711109/

The Happiness Project - Now that's Neat Living!

Now here's a really neat way to spend a year of your life!  Gretchen Rubin is writing a book and an amazing blog called The Happiness Project. It's about spending a year testing every principle, tip, rule, theory, and scientific study about happiness and reporting on what works!  How cool is that????  She includes so much neat stuff that I'm going to have to do a series a posts about her.  This is definitely one of those must- see - "wish I'd thought of that, but I could not have said it better myself"  blogs!

I think the Happiness Project is a FABULOUS idea.  And it has inspired me share my thoughts on happiness here with you - because you really can't experience true happiness without learning to let go of emotional and physical clutter from the past and without establishing a peaceful order in your life.  Not perfection, but a sense of order.

 
Happiness for me, at least, was VERY hard won.  I grew up on welfare in a very violent, abusive home with angry alcoholic parents. My father finally left us alone (thankfully) when I was 8 and I haven't seen him since.  The violence didn't end there though. My next stepfather was almost as bad.  My mother took out her frustration on her kids, and on a succession of boyfriends and husbands.

Happiness Poster - Photo source:
http://flickr.com/photos/justinshattuck/198831800/

Without going into lots of gory detail on my life story, let's just say that I developed a very strong need to be responsible, especially for my younger siblings, a strong need for order to counteract the clutter and emotional chaos in my childhood, a strong need to please, to achieve, and to basically be perfect - perfect grades, perfect home, perfect work assignments, and to have perfectly happy bosses, students and clients.

I moved out of my mother's apt. (can't call it home) the first time when I was 12 to be a live-in babysitter and housekeeper for a single mom.  I got a job and my own small apartment when I was just 14 - so that I could help my 4 younger siblings get away from my mother.  I took on a lot of survivor's guilt for being the oldest and strongest of 5 kids and took on a lot of responsibility as well.  I also had a lot of distrust, fear and disappointment just under my perfectly responsible surface.  Even today I have a hard time sharing my imperfections, but I've gotten much better about it.  As you can imagine I was anything BUT happy.

I can actually vividly remember the first time I started to feel like I had found peace in the world.  The first time I felt truly deeply happy.  Not just the momentary earned happiness of getting good grades, getting a rave review from a client, or getting a good job or promotion.  I mean really feeling happy with my imperfect self and feeling just peaceful existing in the world.

It was just after I turned 40, the culminations of all my struggles, achievements, and learnings finally started to sink in. I remember a deep peaceful feeling of acceptance, forgiveness, faith, and of letting go - letting go of the past, letting go of failures, letting go of my expectations that I would be married and have children by the time I was 40.  Instead I had memories of 5 broken engagements and several abusive relationships.

I also had a lot of career successes that I had thought would make me happy - but didn't - I let go of that too. And I started to let go of physical stuff that was associated with a past I didn't want to carry around with me any longer.  It was incredibly freeing to release stuff I kept out of sentiment and fear of letting go. Something clicked and I finally let go of the parts of me that were on hold - waiting for someone else to join me in life.

Peace without Borders Photo Contest Entry
Photo Source: http://flickr.com/photos/cybercare/57049784/

I started to feel a deeper faith in the universe - faith that things would be okay  - even if they didn't turn out exactly the way I dreamed of as a kid hiding in my closet.  I stopped dating and stopped worrying about pleasing other people.  I started to create new dreams and fulfill them on my own.

For example, I traveled to Spain - alone!! Something I NEVER thought I would do.  I always thought I would go to my ancestral country and see where my grandmother was born and raised (Malaga and Marbella) on my honeymoon.  It turned to be the beginning of my honeymoon with myself.  Traveling alone for me was the ultimate expression of my faith that everything would be okay.  I finally became truly happy being alone in the world.

Oddly enough, a few months later I met my husband to be!   We never really dated though.  We were "just friends" right up until we realized we were in love.  Anyway, it boils down to this.  In my 46 years of living, I've finally found that my ultimate deep happiness comes from what I DO with my life, what I LET GO OF in my life, and what I BELIEVE about the world.  Whenever I do nothing, or whenever I hold on to unrealistic expectations, or attach too much importance to things, I become unhappy.

Happiness for me is a by-product of:

• Having faith and believing things will all work out even if I can't make it work out my way.
• Having goals and accomplishing them
• Taking care of myself & my family (Exercising, keeping my home organized and clean, my marriage and my pets)
• Helping other people overcome their life obstacles (This is the greatest high for me - and making a living doing it, helps me be able to do it more!  It's the best career move I ever made)
• Being actively grateful for all the good things in my life - every day
• Letting go - not only of physical stuff but of emotional baggage as well.  When I stopped expecting myself and other people to be a certain way and learned to forgive myself and others for human foibles and weaknesses, I became gradually more peaceful and happy

Learning to let go of most of the anger, fear and anxiety of my childhood; And, actively accepting the paradoxes of being human in an imperfect world that can be so cruel, violent, hypocritical and randomly horrifying, as well as stunningly beautiful and kind, was not easy, but it was essential to my happiness.   

For me, happiness was and is a by-product of loving, letting someone love me their way, trusting even while accepting that people will let me down, forgiving them when they do, keeping my life and home in reasonable order - not perfection, doing work I am deeply passionate about, and practicing being grateful everyday for what I have, and being kind to people.

It may sound hoaky or corny, but every day, my husband and I express something we are grateful about, something we appreciate about having the other in our lives.  It's so easy to take each other for granted.  Expressing to each other what we are thankful for really keeps love, respect, kindness and appreciation alive for us.

Kindness Graph Source:
http://flickr.com/photos/51453931@N00/73796459/

So that's my story - long - yet actually short!  After all, Gretchen Rubin is going to write a whole book about Happiness!  : )

If you got this far, thanks for reading my story! If you have a minute to share, I would to love to hear your answers to this question: 

Where does your happiness come from?

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances."
- Martha Washington (1732 - 1802) 

“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort”
- Franklin D Roosevelt

Source: http://quotes.wordpress.com/tag/happiness-quotes/

For more about The Happiness Project visit Gretchen's amazing Blog!

Sending Neat and Happy thoughts,

How to Have a Successful Garage Sale

I personally don't hold garage sales for several reasons. 

1. The extensive time and effort involved.
2. I don't like selling and haggling over the cost of items.  I'd end up giving it all away anyway! 
3. I don't have enough space in our small house to hold the amount of stuff it would take to have a successful garage sale!

But if you enjoy the whole process of planning and conducting garage sales, you can make money, and it's a great way to practice Green Organizing.  Garage and yard sales provide an opportunity to recycle and reuse perfectly good stuff instead of throwing it way.  To help you have a successful garage sale, the blog Garage Sale Professional - Successful tips for hunting and selling. provides advice and links to many resources. 

(FLICKR.com Photo Source Chaosatlanta)

For example, here is an excerpt providing tips from an NBC news article by KPVI posted on the blog.  Dean and Suri, 18- year veterans share tips on how to conduct a garage sale AND how to shop at garage sales.  Dena earned over a thousand dollars at her last garage sale so she knows what sh'e talking about!

Dena Ruffridge, garage sale shopper:

"Just be organized, have everything priced, clean. People will buy your stuff if it's been washed and cleaned and it looks like something you would want to buy at a store."

Garage sales can be a lot of work, so why should someone take the time of hosting their own garage sale?

Siri Kline, garage sale shopper:

"Money! It's a great way to make some money back. It's always great to donate too, but you spend a lot of money for your stuff so sometimes it's nice to just sell it for a dollar or something, you know, because you get a lot out of it."

When it comes to shopping, they say

"Don't get it just because it's cheap, and most importantly make sure it works."

"The standard is usually don't pay maybe more than a fourth of what that item was originally worth and look at what kind of condition it's in.

If it takes batteries or if it needs to be plugged in, you know, ask the person if you can plug it in or make sure it works before you take it."

Source: http://www.kpvi.com/index.cfm?page=nbcheadlines.cfm&ID=34689

This is good advice, but while making sure something works is important, I have to stress that the MOST IMPORTANT criteria in buying any item is that you:

• Know exactly how and why you will use it.
• Know exactly where you will store it and be able to find it!!! 

If you can't answer these questions, chances are 99% sure you will have just paid money to acquire someone else's clutter and add to your own clutter! Don't fall victim to buying something because "it's so cute!"  or "I'll find a way to use this someday"  Those are some of the most common thoughts that lead to clutter accumulation.   

That said, if you really need something, looking for it at garage sale is a treat way to save money.  Just make sure you have a list of what you need with you and stick to it.  There are always exceptions, but think 2 or 3 times before buying something not on your list and you will be more likely to truly save money.  As a bonus, you can help keep good stuff out of landfills by shopping garage sales.

Here are a few other neat links to on how to hold a successful garage or yard sale.

BEST GARAGE SALE TIPS ARTICLE
The best article I found is by Sara Noel, called "Holding a Successful Garage Sale."  Here's an excerpt.

First Things First
Before you start planning, phone your local authorities to inquire about any permits you may need and any provisions or ordinances they may have. Some communities may prohibit the sale of food items or used bedding.

Plan ahead what you'd like to do with remaining leftovers that don't sell. Donations are always welcome at thrift stores, some shelters, and even some nursing homes. Call ahead to these establishments and get information on any items they don't accept or how and when they accept drop-offs.

Decide if you want to include others. Maybe you have friends or family that would like to add some items to your sale. You may want to consider an entire neighborhood or block sale. This can cut your advertising costs down considerably.

Safety Tips

• Have a phone handy if possible.
• Post a sign on any entrance doors that states "Off Limits". You don't want anyone inside your home or wandering around the perimeter of your home.
• For safety reasons, consider sitting outside of your garage. Being inside the garage is often remote and not visible from roadside.
• Keep your cash box in a safe location.
• Don't permit any hanging sale items or tables to obstruct your view.
• Don't place items right next to the road where they could be easily stolen.
• If you have a pet, please make sure it's on a leash.
• While making change, always keep the money handed to you in plain view. This prevents anyone from claiming they gave you an amount they didn't.
• In many areas, it's illegal to post signs on utility poles because it's a potential hazard to workers. Check before placing your signs.
• Be sure the items you're selling have not been recalled or pose any potential hazards. You should avoid selling older cribs, strollers, helmets, playpens, carseats, and baby gates.
• Consider not posting your full address in your ads. You can share main cross streets and let visitors follow your signs.

Gathering the Goods
You can start at anytime to declutter and organize items you don't want to keep. You can start organizing your unwanted items into boxes. There are many practical items that are great sellers, so don't overlook...Read more at: http://www.sideroad.com/Home_Organizing/successful-garage-sale.html

WIKI-HOW

How to Hold a Successful Garage Sale

Looking for a great way to get rid of your clutter and make extra cash at the same time? Garage sales are popular, fun and easy to manage. Think how much neater your home will be and what you could do with the money you make. Depending on how many unwanted items you have, you can make upwards of $1000/weekend!

Steps

1. Gather items for sale by walking from room to room in your home, identifying what you no longer need. If you haven't used something for over a year, it's a good sign you won't miss it! Hot sellers are children's toys, old tools, books and simple kitchen items.
2. Inventory each item on a sheet of paper as you identify it for sale.
3. Review your completed inventory sheet and assign a price to each item. Remember, garage sale items have to be inexpensive. If you have an item worth more than you will get at a garage sale, consider selling it on Ebay.
4. Attach a CLEARLY written price label to each item. Using brightly colored labels will make it easier for your customers to find the price and will save you time on the day of the sale.

READ ALL 18 Tips Here:  http://www.wikihow.com/Hold-a-Successful-Garage-Sale

Happy Garage Saling!

How to have the "I want to quit my job" conversation with your spouse

If you are thinking about escaping from your corporate job and starting your own business, such as maybe becoming a professional organizer, you may need some advice on how to talk to your spouse about it. 

Here are some great tips from Pamela Slim's blog "Escape from Cubicle Nation" followed by a tip from me!

How can I tell my spouse that I want to quit my job without him/her getting scared and/or defensive?

I fondly call this "The Conversation" and pick up the same amount of anxiety as if they were telling their kids about the birds and the bees for the first time.

The short answer is that there is no way to predict or direct your spouse's reaction to your news since that is totally outside of your control.  But here are some ways to ensure that the conversation, or more likely series of conversations, goes well:

(Just to avoid endless s/he and him/her, I will use the male form of spouse in this article)

1. Choose a low-stress moment when you have time and energy for a long conversation.  It is not fair to drop a major bombshell when you won't have time to talk about it.  Don't talk about this right before bed or in the morning before heading off to work, as this will just stir up questions in your spouse's mind.
2. Choose a good place to talk.  I find it is a lot easier to have a deep, meaningful conversation with my husband when we are up and moving around.  We have had some of our best conversations on long walks or drives.  One of the Mars/Venus theorists (I don't remember who) said that men converse better while moving while women like to be sitting face-to-face, peering into the others eyes.  Because you should be concerned about your spouse's communication style, choose the place that he feels the most comfortable with. 
3. Minimize distractions.  Get your kids a sitter, turn off your cellphone and Blackberry and don't go somewhere like your favorite local cafe where you will be interrupted by lots of friends.  You want uninterrupted time.
4. Explain why you are so excited about starting your own business.  Make sure your spouse knows all about why this idea is so compelling to you and why you are excited about it.  Don't just talk about the business idea, talk about what it would mean to you personally to get enjoyment from your work.  Would you have more energy?  Would you watch less TV?  Want to help around the house more?  Become a 19-year old sex machine?  (OK, OK, now you are going overboard)
5. Explain the consequences of not following your dreams.  Everyone processes job stress differently.  Some people have a high tolerance for staying in an unhappy or stressful work situation if it means bringing home lots of money.  Others have very low tolerance and develop health problems including depression, high blood pressure, weight problems, anxiety disorders and low energy.  Make sure your spouse understands the consequences to you if you are unhappy with your work.
6. Expect a lot of resistance.  I have practiced change management long enough to know that even if someone perceives a change as a good thing (i.e. getting married, having a baby, getting a promotion and raise), he will still feel a certain amount of resistance.  It can be very, very scary for your spouse to think about losing his perception of stability (you know where I stand with the notion that jobs are more stable than self employment).  Don't get angry if he doesn't immediately support your idea. 
7. Ask lots of questions to understand the resistance.  Your spouse may say something like 

Read more at:  http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/2006/07/how_to_have_the.html

Okay, here's my tip.

When I had "the Conversation" with my husband, I used my home budget spreadsheet and created a couple versions showing best and worst case scenarios in meeting our monthly bills without income from me.  I also included a list of all the areas where we could cut our monthly expenses until the business became profitable.

Before discussing it with him, I knew exactly the minimum amount of money I needed to bring in monthly to keep us afloat and presented a back up plan for earning that money if my new business didn't produce a profit within 6 months. Thankfully, the business has become profitable enough to cover my minimum contribution plus a little extra and I haven't had to exercise the backup plan. But it was comforting to my husband to know I had one.

In terms of quality of life, we are both so much happier now and feeling like I'm doing something meaningful is priceless, so at least for now I feel like leaving "cubicle nation" was the best decision I ever made!

Best,

Does Competition Threaten You?

A few months ago I started advertising in a local paper.  This month another professional organizer started advertising in the same paper.  A friend of mine saw the ad and asked me if I was upset that another professional organizer was in the same paper I was in. At first I have to admit I was surprised, but then I thought about it and realized that I was actually really glad to see another organizer in the same paper!

Because organizing is one of the fastest growing home-based business opportunities, I imagine many established organizers may be feeling a sense of threat as new organizers enter their market space.  And conversely, many new organizers may feel nervous about starting their business in an area that already has several established organizers. I know I was a little nervous that other organizers would not be happy I was entering the field.  Most often, the well established organizers have welcomed new organizers into the field, and viewed the growth as an opportunity to expand their own businesses to include coaching new organizers or even hiring them into their businesses!  Overall, NJ organizers have been far more supportive of each other than I ever imagined possible, but there are those who seem to feel a bit threatened.

So I thought it might be helpful to talk about the issue of competition in an open forum and share my philosophy and point of view on why I believe competion is a really good thing for all organizers.

Why competion is a GOOD thing

1. First of all, it creates visibility for organizing as a valid and valuable service option for people.  Particularly for those for whom disorganization is part of their personality type or is a result of a very busy career.  It may also be a result of an illness, depression, major change in their lives, or perhaps even an injury. For some people having moved to a new area and not having family around as a support support system is an issue. For all these people, just knowing there are many choices of organizing services lets them know they are not alone and they need not be ashamed to call for help.
   
   So, seeing several organizers advertising may actually encourage people who might not have ever called an organizer to consider doing so. Eventually making people aware and educating them about organizing as a profession creates more business for all organizers.
2. Competition provides people who need organizing help with choices.  People aren't going to hire you to come into their homes and organize their lives and personal possessions just because you are the only game in town.  If they don't have chemistry with you and respect your skills, they just won't get the help they need.  When people are able to choose the right person for them, they are more likely to have a good experience and talk about it to other people.  For many people there is a stigma associated with getting hlep.  The more people talk about it, the more we help reduce those feelings of shame or embarassment about needing help with getting and staying organized. 
3. Having several organizers in an area also allows you to specialize in the kinds of projects you like best, and are best at. You can then refer people to the right organizer for their needs and further increase people's respect for the industry.  You can also then have more choices on how you wish to grow your business.  You can earn referral fees, or even hire and train organizers and specialize in marketing and managing your business vs. providing hands-on services.
4. Competition encourages us to continuously learn and improve so we can be the best we can be.  When there is no competition it's too easy to become complacent.  With other people in the same field, we have people to share issues and ideas with!

There is more I could say, but I think this is enough for now.  I hope other professional organizers out there, both new and experienced will share their views on competition.  I also want to give a shout out again to both the NY and NJ NAPO chapters for all the wonderful professional development and support I've received by attending meetings.

The generosity of the chapter members in sharing experiences and helping each other solve the tougher challenges is amazing. I've made a few friends too! If you are interested in learning more about chapter membership check out these sites.

NAPO-NY Chapter Meeting Calendar

NAPO Northern New Jersey Meeting Calendar

All the best,

How to always be able to find your keys!

Landing Area
Originally uploaded by Ariane NJ.

In the current Neat Living Poll, the number 1 item that people say goes missing is keys! Keys have got to be one of the most annoying things to not be able to find! It wastes so much time and energy and creates unnecessary stress.  It can even make you late for work or important appointments! The good news is that losing keys is actually one of the easiest organizing problems to solve.

One way is to create a landing and launching space near your most frequently used entry / exit door. In that space you can place a key hook, a decorative box or a basket without a lid to hold your keys. If you are like most people who like to just drop things, the basket is the one that is most likely to really get used.  Many people won't do the extra step it takes to open a box or hang it on a hook.

Make sure to place a key holder container for each person to place their set of keys.  An added bonus to using a basket is that you can also place other things there as well, for example, mail till you are ready to sort it.  Men can also use it to place their favorite baseball cap, wallet, change, and other things from their pockets.

For ladies, it's also critical to give your keys a home in your purse. Always put them in the same place and you'll never have to hunt for them again. If you don't have a pocket in your purse for your keys, find a small container, maybe a plastic cup, or a small box or anything that you can put in your purse so that you always drop your keys in it. I have a empty tissue box that I cut down in my purse where I keep my wallet, business card holder and a small pad of paper for notes. It works great!

The real trick to being able to find your keys is to change your habits. To help you make the change, you may need to set up a reminder system. Perhaps by placing a big sign that you will see when you enter the house. It could say something like:

"Did you put your keys where they belong????"

You can take the sign down once you start automatically putting your keys where they belong.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll reduce your stress, save time and it will go a long way to make you feel more in control of your life and your stuff!

Any one else have tips to share?  : )

The Ultimate Bartering Scheme - One Red Paper Clip for a HOUSE!!!

As Media Guru Marshall McLuhan predicted, getting attention in the age of media isn't easy. You have to come up ever more extreme and outrageous schemes.  One of the latest schemes I read recently is another of those that makes me wish I'd thought of it!  But my outrageous gene is just not extreme enough!  Anyway, you gotta love the ingenuity behind starting with a single red paperclip and after 14 very clever trades and one year - ending up with a house! 

 

Bartering and trading is one of the oldest and most effective strategies for success and this is a great example of how to make it work!  His story is hilarious and informative.

Bartering is a great way to live more simply and frugally and even as a strategy for growing yoru business. There is absolutely nothing illegal or unethical about bartering.

So how can you make bartering work for you?

If you are interested in how to use bartering legally and effectively in your business, or to enhance your simple and frugal living strategy, check out these resources.

IRS RULES AND INSTRUCTIONS http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=113437,00.html

WIKIPEDIA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartering

BARTERING EXCHANGES - Most of the USA Fortune 500 companies use barter to increase their market share and improve productivity. There are about 500 barter exchanges in North America and Latin America, and several hundred more throughout the rest of the world. Here are listed links to hundreds of the Web sites of the many barter exchanges which have developed internationally.
http://www.gigafree.com/barter.html

ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE - Bartering in Business
Barter is back in style and spanning the globe. Here's what you need to know to become the master of your exchange.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,321937,00.html

ABOUT.COM on the Rewards of Small Business Bartering and how to do it WISELY.

"Whether you are starting or growing a small business bartering can aid in preserving cash to help get your venture launched or expand. Bartering is a must have success tactic for operating your small business. Bartering can be defined as the exchange of goods or services for other goods or services. It is a transaction where no money changes hands. Bartering is estimated to exchange 8.25 billion a year in trade for 2004, according to the International Reciprocal Trade Association."

5 Things You Need To Know About Business Barter

1. Money Pit: Beware of troubled companies on a quick downward spiral to bankruptcy. If your barter partner is in financial trouble and seeks bankruptcy, you may never receive your share of the barter agreement.

2. Time and Money Equivalent: Attach a time or money value to the barter. For a win-win situation to exist in a barter agreement both parties involved need to sit down and compare the exchange of goods and services in a quantitative fashion.

3. Tax Issues: Bartering does not offer a tax loophole to avoid taxation. According to the IRS tax website, "Income from bartering is taxable in the year in which you receive the goods or services. Generally, you report this income on Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business Form 1040."

4. Business Barter Relationship: Any barter relation should be examined against the value added to your small business. A barter of 200 lbs of animal feed is going to be useless to a management consulting firm; but 3 months of free magazine advertising can greatly improve cash flow and aid your profits. If your services are not in high demand by your barter target, consider a barter exchange group.

5. Barter Exchanges: Hundreds of barter exchange groups operate in America, offering an efficient channel to barter for small business. Barter exchanges allow companies to have access to more goods and services in a quicker fashion. For instance, a graphic design firm may exchange its services with a pet food company for trade credits. The pet food company in turn can exchange its trade credits for another member`s service, such as tax preparation.

READ MORE AT:
http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/smallbizlearning/a/barter.htm

All the best,

Neat Quote of the Day - Detaching from your Stuff

“Forcing life to go down a particular path often leads to dissatisfaction and failure. The solution is detachment – letting go of specific outcomes — playing full out, not worrying or caring about how things turn out. The surest way to detach from one outcome is to reattach yourself to a more empowering outcome: serving others, replacing a bad habit with a good one, or focusing on the present.”

       - Stephen Shapiro, Author, Goal-Free Living

This is true with decluttering as well.  To help you detach from your stuff, it really helps to focus on the empowering results you will achieve. Here are some examples of the positive outcomes you gain from clearing clutter:

• A better family life with less fighting and stress
• More time to spend on things and people you really love
• Improved Relationships
• Able to invite people to your home without embarassment
• More energy
• More money
• Higher Self-esteem
• Less Stress
• Better health
• Easier to clean your home
• Eaiser to focus on your present and future goals

How would your life be better if you had less stuff?

p.s. Photo is one I took of the sunset at Cofresi Beach, Dominican Republic. 

How to Share Your Videos and Files Over the Web

I found a neat little statistic today on the P2P (Peer to Peer) File Sharing Blog. According to the latest Pew Internet survey, 48 million Americans now publish and share media on the Internet.  And I'm one of them!  We mostly use our website and blog, but I recommend  www.flickr.com  for sharing photos and for sharing all those little video clips you've been taking with your digital camera http://www.youtube.com/  and http://www.dropshots.com

WARNING:  Visiting these video sharing sites can be a lot of fun...and they can seriously waste your time!  : )   

If you want to learn more about all the latest technology, resources and issues related to sharing your videos, photos, music and other files on the web, check out this comprehensive blog by my fellow Linked-In blogger, Marc Freedman.

Ways to hide your cat's litter box!

This is a neat idea for a cat litter box!  The trouble is there is nothing to stop the cats from tracking litter outside the box.  And you really can't put it just anywhere because there is no mistaking the horrible smell when your cat uses the box - so I would never put it in a living room.  It would be neat in our 3-season sunroom though because we let the cats hang out there when it's not too cold or hot. But I'm not going to buy a new litter box when we already have a perfectly good one. But if you are getting a new cat and need to buy a litter box, it's worth considering. 

The litter box we recently bought to accomodate our 3 cats and keep the odors down is a new extra large dome clean step Booda Litter Box.  Shown below to the left. We love it and most importantly so do our cats. Of course no mere litter box can stop the odors from our male cat, Alex, when he makes a nuclear waste heap. I have to get up and immediately scoop and flush.  But with the dome and the little pathway built into the box, I don't have to look at it and it really does reduce the tracking - better than anything I've tried so far.  I was sure my cats would crawl through the tunnel to use the box, but they seem to really like the privacy of it.

The new Tidy Cats Small Spaces litter really helps too.  It smells nice and orange. And I don't smell the litter even when I scoop it out now. So I have a new favorite litter, too!

Here's my previous post with more info on organizing cats and pets.

http://blog.neatandsimple.com/blog/2005/12/q_a_how_to_orga.html

The Backlash on Consumerism Grows - The Compact

Can you imagine not buying anything new for a year?  That's part of the "Compact" this group is committing to. Here is an excerpt from the Compact's Yahoo Group, describing their goals and credo. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/

We are a group of individuals committed to a 12-month flight from the consumer grid (calendar year 2006).

The Compact has several aims (more or less prioritized below):

• To go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of disposable consumer culture and to support local businesses, farms, etc. -- a step that, we hope, inherits the revolutionary impulse of the Mayflower Compact.
• To reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-er).
• To simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact)

We've agreed to follow two principles (see exceptions etc. on our blog).

#1 Don't buy new products of any kind (from stores, web sites, etc.)
#2 Borrow, barter, or buy used.

I admire this group tremendously.  It's not easy to change your habits and give up your stuff.  It makes you really have to think about everything you buy, and why and how you are buying it. You can learn a lot about yourself, and what you truly value in an exercise like this.

For example, I have tried to shun all disposable products, but when I have to clean my cat box, I use paper towels or Clorox Wipes.  I'm addicted.  I just can't bring myself to use cloth that I would then have to launder with my other stuff. And washing the rags alone would waste water and electricity.  In the end, convenience and hygiene wins.

I also can't let go of my Swiffer wet-jet or dust wipes.  And I still use plastic zip-loc bags - but not often.  And I do wash them out and re-use them around the house until they are truly worn out.

But all in all I truly admire and respect what these people are trying to achieve.  Read more at their blog. http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/

Green Organizing - Code of Ethics

Green Organizers are also working on a set of voluntary Green Ethics to supplement the existing NAPO Code of Ethics.   Here are some examples:

As a Green Organizer, I will strive to:

• Limit the nature and volume of the products we and our clients consume and discard
• Purchase from Green product and service vendors.
• Support clients in teaching Green practices to their children.
• Set up effective and efficient recycling centers in the client’s space. 
• Find creative ways to store potentially useful items or give them away for future re-use instead of throwing them away.
• Purchase earth-friendly, second-hand, or locally-produced products.
• Follow Green disposal practices such as:
  • Using recycling centers
  • Finding individuals or organizations who need unusual items
  • Safely and legally disposing of toxic items.
• Attend educational events for Green Organizers and other interested organizers.
• Contribute to the knowledge base to support other Green Organizers.
• Encourage vendors to offer more earth-friendly products.

If you want to use a green approach to organizing your home or office, let your professional organizer know!  While NAPO.net does not yet have a referral service for Green organizers it is being discussed - so stay tuned!

"Green" Organizing - What is it?

"Green" Organizing is a growing trend which I'm excited to see developing in the professional organizing industry.  It ties in nicely with the "think-buying" approach which encourages thinking about the social and environmental impact of your purchases, as well as the ethics of the companies you buy from.

Green Organizing is an environmentally-friendly approach to professional organizing emphasizing the principles of “reduce—re-use—recycle”. 

Green Organizers promote:

• Using recycled and/or biodegradable products where possible and feasible
• Re-using products rather than buying new products
• Limiting the amount of unwanted items going to landfills by donating, free-cycling, selling and recycling as much as possible
• Purchasing organizing products from companies that adhere to environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices

I recently joined a new Yahoo group that provides an amazing network of resources for professional organizers who strive to practice simple, green and sustainable organizing. If you are interested in green organizing check it out at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simple_and_sustainable_organizers/

See you there!

Self-Directed Learning vs. Guided Learning - Which is Best?

Here's a headline that caught my attention today and made me do a double take.

"Why Minimally Guided Instruction Does Not Work"

I was in the education and training industry for over 25 years and have written and designed over 100 learning programs that were considered self-directed or minimally guided.  Mainly because classroom training was and is far more expensive to deliver, and also because so many companies did not use skilled instructors - so the live instruction was often very poorly executed. If you work in corporate America, you've probably attended many a "death by PowerPoint" session. 

This new research paper confirms what I've suspected for a long time. Self-directed learning is actually not more effective than guided instruction.

http://projects.ict.usc.edu/itw/gel/Constructivism_Kirschner_Sweller_Clark1.pdf

Well, at least for many topics and many people and certainly not in most corporate work environments.  Why are self-paced learning programs not as effective?  There are several reasons.  Here are just a few.

1. Because the training / learning writers usually can't put into writing the intricate details that make all the difference in real learning and being able to perform a new skill on one's own.  Nor can they truly take into account what learners already know and focus on only the points the learner needs to know.

2. The reality of the way things really get done usually can not be put in writing.  You know what I'm talking about - the real political truths about working in corporations.

3. Work environments that actually allow people to sit at their desks for hours just reading - are rare.

My experience in the world of training and learning showed me that the best learning occurs when someone is there to guide you and help you learn. Not necessarily in a classroom, but most people learn better if they can ask an expert questions, or at least share the learning experience with other people. If you don't have someone experienced around to help you learn and hold you accountable as you practice over time, you are not nearly as likely to make real lasting changes. 

So how is all this relevant to organizing?  This is a big part of the reason why changed my career from corporate instructional design and development. Coaching and working with people one-on-one in their homes and offices over time allows me to help people make really substantial and lasting changes in their lives and careers.  I get to help people learn and improve their whole lives with far greater success than any one-shot corporate training program ever achieved. 

That said, many people can and do learn in a self-directed way, especially when there is a problem to be solved - I'm one of them. That's why I continue to write and provide self-directed learning on organizing.  Because if someone can learn what they need to get their life in order by reading, they don't need me to come to their homes! They probably have a sufficient skill set to begin with. But for people who truly struggle with organizing, working side by side with a coach / guide to help you break old habits and learn new ones, you will learn much faster, retain your new skills far longer and be able to experience a true transformation. 

Books are great and useful, but for learning new skills, there is nothing like having a good teacher.  But in the end, whether a learning program is self-directed or led by a teacher, really learning won't happen unless the learner is truly motivated and really ready to change.  : ) 

Resource for Working Moms Running Businesses From Home

I found another neat blog this week. Wendy Piersall's "e-Moms at Home" blog shares the trials and tribulations of being a mom and running a business from home, too!  She also generously provides tips, ideas and other resources for helping to make your home-based business a success.

Even though I don’t have kids myself, I love kids and have a special interest in helping their Moms get organized and stress less so they have more time to have fun with their kids.  So I like to learn all I can about the issues moms working from home and running home based businesses face.

For example, in one post she shares her dilemma on what to do when school is out. To quote her post:

______________________________________________

“What can I do this summer to guarantee that I will accomplish everything I need, as well as create a fun and rewarding summer-break for my children?”

My Answers::

• Schedule time weekly for a fun outing we will all enjoy. I will commit to this by putting it on my work calendar, and by having them choose where we go. This way I have the time set aside, as well as the leverage I need to ensure I do what I say I will do
• Add small commitments to my weekly commitment lists to do little things with the kids to fill in the time between big outings
• Buy the kids a good sprinkler, sidewalk chalk, and other outdoor games to ensure they have the incentive to go outside and play rather than sitting in front of the TV
• Find another mom who needs some time away from the kids and swap weekly babysitting time so that we both have a set amount of hours every week that we can count on to take care of business tasks and errands
• Sign the kids up for swimming lessons and schedule my tasks during these times so that I can be productive while I don’t have internet access
• Get organized with the kids and their chores by putting together a chores chart. By doing this they will take more responsibility for their home, and I will get a little extra time to work

Wow. I still get surprised sometimes by the power of a good question.

Read More http://emomsathome.com/blog/2006/05/30/summer-a-new-business-and-3-kids/

____________________

Being a mom is challenging even if you aren't running a home-based business!  Wendy provides great insights and strategies - thanks for the great blog and for your generous sharing of ideas and tips!

All the best,

How to Recycle Practically Anything

Here's a neat article with lots of great ideas on recycling things you might not have even known could be recycled.  For example, I have often felt guilty throwing out packaging peanuts.  Now I know I can just take them to UPS!

Here are just a few excerpts from How to Recycle Practically Anything : Old Myths are Shattering and New Options Come Online (by Sally Deneen).

________________________

Batteries

Household single-use batteries: If your community hazardous waste program doesn’t take them or can’t refer you to a local business that does, then try a private firm such as mail-order Battery Solutions (800-852-8127, BatteryRecycling.com). It recycles them for a fee of 85 cents per pound. You may find alternatives near you at Earth911.org. In San Francisco, where it became illegal to dump batteries in the trash as of February, all Walgreens stores accept old batteries. Across the country, Batteries Plus stores accept all batteries for recycling (800-677-8278, www.batteriesplus.com).

Rechargeable batteries: RadioShack and Office Depot accept batteries from wireless phones, laptop computers, camcorders, cordless power tools, digital cameras and radio-controlled toys at no charge. These are Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion) and Small Sealed Lead Acid (Pb) batteries weighing less than two pounds. To find other nearby recyclers, try Earth911.org, Rbrc.com or 877-2-RECYCLE.

Carpet and Padding

Ask your carpet dealer if his or her company has access to a carpet recycling network, which is likeliest in California, says Bob Peoples, executive director of the carpet industry’s Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE). You may strike out. Trouble is, there is no routine system for recycling old carpet, says Peoples. The picture should begin to brighten by the end of 2007. “We’re trying to build the infrastructure for collection around the country,” says Paul Ashman, head of Environmental Recovery and Consolidation Services (866-873-2244). “It’s an industry that’s just beginning.”

If you’re in the commercial sector, Peoples’ organization advises calling your mill representative, who can work with you to get your carpet recycled for a fee. Find potential contacts and locations of carpet reclamers at CarpetRecovery.org.

Eyeglasses

Drop them off at LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, BJ’s Optical, the optical stores at Sears or Target, or your local Lions Club. Refurbished glasses are delivered to developing countries.

Packaging “Peanuts”

Most UPS Stores accept clean foam peanuts; find nearby stores via 800-789-4623. Alternatively, search LooseFillPackaging.com or call the Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214.

Printer Cartridges

First, save money by refilling inkjet cartridges a few times through ink-refill services offered by such providers as Printpal.com (888-772-1361), CarrotInk.com (877-322-7768), and Walgreens stores. Then take exhausted cartridges to OfficeMax or Office Depot, which will trade you certain models for a free ream of recycled paper. Staples trades them for a $3-off store coupon. Alternatively, Freerecycle.com promises to pay up to $3.60 apiece for nearly 80 types of ink cartridges.

Records

Sell your old records to an independent music store or at Gemm.com, the self-described “world’s largest music marketplace,” or donate them to a thrift store.

___________________________________

Read more tips on recycling things like iPods, Pots, Pans, Aerosol Cans, Aluminum Foil, Priority Mail (Tyvek) Envelopes, Smoke Detectors, Styrofoam, Videotapes, Floppy Disks, Zip Disks, DVDs, CDs, Jewel Cases at http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3172

All the best,

Recharged and ready to rock!

Although I loved being on vacation, it's great to be back. I'm recharged and ready to get back to work and help people master the art of letting go of clutter and getting organized.  We had a wonderful vacation at the Hacienda Resorts in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The resort was gorgeous.  We had to wait a Dominican hour (5 hours) for our room to be ready but it was beautiful.   The service people were incredibly friendly and warm.  The service so excellent all I could think was - "you can't train people to be like this, it must be the culture." 

The beach at Playa Cofresi was one of the most gorgeous, cleanest beaches I've ever seen. The color was amazing...I'm going to try to capture it as a wall color.  Here's a couple pictures I took of it. It's like a little cove where you are in your own little world. 

 

Although we loved our vacation, I was very disturbed by the extreme poverty we saw for miles and miles as we drove from the airport to our resort.  We learned that in DR, many people don't have electricity or even running water.  That the police earn about $100 a month in a country where the price of gas is $5.00 a gallon. Because of the high cost of gas most people drive scooters.  We saw whole families including young children squeezed onto a little scooter with no helmets and some with no shoes and shirts. We also learned that many people are killed every day on those scooters.

It broke my heart and I felt so powerless to help them. It gave me a whole new perspective on my problems and concerns. Now, when little thing goes wrong, I think about those people and am just grateful to have the problems I have - they just come with all the good things in my life.  And all those clothes and other things I've got hanging around the house that I don't really use or need?  They are going to charity.  I really can live without them.  Hopefully they'll find their way to people who have a lot less than I do. 

Getting out of your routine and getting a change in your perspective is amazingly therapeutic.  It had been 5 years since our last "real" vacation. We had no technology, no phones, no TV.  It was great!  And the world didn't end while we were out of touch.  When was the last time you disconnected and took time out?  If you haven't taken a vacation lately, what are you waiting for? 

All the best,

A Neat Blog on Organizing Your Stuff - Great Tips for Protecting Your Identity

Check out the latest neat blog on getting organized!   Catherine Anderson, creator of The JOYS™ household notebook and home filing system shares her perspective and lots of great organizing tips at http://justorganizeyourstuff.blogspot.com/ 

For example, here is an excerpt from her post providing some great tips and resources for protecting your identity and what to do if you are or suspect you might be a victim of identity theft:
_____________________________________________________________________

...

Fast action is the key to limiting the financial and emotional damages of identity theft. Don't wait until you see suspicious activities on your credit report. It can take months before you realize you are a victim.

01 Step.
Place a fraud alert on your credit account.
Contact one of the Credit Reporting Agencies by phone. (and don't be frustrated when you never get a real human.) You will need personal information including your social security number.

Equifax: 800-525-6285
Hearing impaired: Call 1-800-255-0056

Experian: 888-397-3742
TDD- 800-972-0322

TransUnion: 800-680-7289
TDD- 877-553-7803

Because it can be a hassle if you need to apply for credit, not everyone would advise a fraud alert in this situation. When an alert is placed on your account, a business must verify identity before issuing credit. This may cause some delays. It's your call. But, I wouldn't be taking chances with my financial future if I thought someone could have my name and social security number. Find out more details about Fraud Alerts from the FTC.

02 Step
Call each of the Credit Reporting Companies and request a copy of your credit report.

Equifax: 800-685-1111

Experian: 888-EXPERIAN

TransUnion: 800-888-4213

03 Step
When your credit reports arrive, review your credit reports carefully.

1. Highlight unfamiliar inquiries or accounts.
2. Highlight unusual charges on existing accounts.
3. Highlight errors in personal information such as Social Security number, name, address and employers.

04 Step
If any errors are found in the report, contact the credit reporting companies to correct

05 Step
If fraudulent accounts have been opened in your name or there are unusual charges on existing accounts, contact the creditors of the fraudulent accounts explain the situation and then follow up in writing. The contact information should be provided on the credit report.

If you aren't keeping good records, start now; good records are vital to clearing you name and credit.

JOYS has a few tips but The Identity Theft Resource Center has fantastic resources. Use them.

1. Templates for Letters to Creditor and Others.
2. A Detail Course of Action if you are a Victim.
3. Tips to Help You Organize Your Case.

Read the entire post