NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING with Ariane Benefit, Organizing Coach

My Summer of Seeking Simplified Sustainable Success! : )

Dear Readers,

I'm just dropping in with a brief update to let you know why you haven't heard from me for quite some time and what's in the works.  Since I started this blog about 3 years ago my personal life and health has become the victim of serious "scope creep"!  In my passion and enthusiasm for helping people I found myself saying "YES" to so many new clients and new ventures like guest blogging, pursuing coaching training and the very intensive Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization program, press interviews, writing a column, joint ventures, group coaching programs and much more that I found myself working 12-18 hour days, 7 days a week for the last 6 months since I got back from our Thanksgiving vacation.  I didn't even take holidays off.  The results have not been pleasant to say the least.

Not only have I exhausted myself and my husband, we also have several family events that are requiring a lot of attention.  In addition, a storm blew threw our town early this week and took down over 200 trees including 4 on either side of our house.  We have a huge cleanup job in front of us.

As a result of all this chaos, I've had to step back and take a long hard look at my commitments and see how I can carve out the time I need to not only fulfill my most important commitments but also work on a plan to get my life back in balance.  This past month has required much soul searching and making many VERY painful decisions to say "NO" to activities that I REALLY LOVE, but have to stop for a while so that I can "sharpen the saw" as Stephen Covey says.

Since this is a blog about keeping life NEAT & SIMPLE, I thought I'd share with you my current plan taking a "Summer of Seeking Simple Sustainable Success".  After all, it's not success when everyday becomes painful to get through. I'm using a model suggested by my friend Dwayne Melancon of "Genuine Curiousity" :  It's called Stop, Start, Continue.

I have made a list of Activities that I will stop or finish up, some that I will start, and some will continue.

STOP (Some may restart again in September or October)

• Cannot accept any new clients until probably September or October.
• Cannot accept or initiate any New work-related Projects until a current project is completed or unless I delete a  current project.  This is going to be REALLY HARD!!!!
• Put a hold on all "non-paid" writing activities like blogging and my monthly column (I already miss this)
• Stop reading all blogs for the summer at least
• Stop doing in-home residential organizing work and also will no longer have any organizers working for me.  Instead I will refer all residential work to others.

START

• I will be refocusing my business to individual and group coaching, teaching, blogging and other writing.  This transition should be completed by October and I hope to start blogging regularly by then.
• Create a master time schedule with time blocks that ensure I make time for family, social life and friends, volunteer work, home, self-care, professional development, and time off.
• Simplifying home maintenance and garden to take up less time and energy.
• Focusing more on my health this summer.

CONTINUE

• Working on NSGCD certification program assignments and complete all the Book analyses and other time consuming assignments this summer.
• Reading and studying for my ADD specialist exam in September
• Preparing for NSCGD Conference in September.
• Working with current residential organizing, coaching, and business consulting clients until I reduce my client hours to 16 per week and phase out all residential clients or transition them to coaching for maintenance. 
• Complete 5 major projects I committed to work on for clients that have been suffering and dragging out due to my overcommitment.
• Working on a sustainable master plan and calendar to take my blogging to a whole new level and to continue the AWESOME joint ventures underway, and the new group coaching work I've been doing.  I can't wait to tell you more about the new vision for Neat & Simple and for me.  

As much as I love everything I do, there is a point when even doing things you love can run you into the ground.  Letting oneself become exhausted and melting down is NOT a sustainable life strategy.  Periodic reviews like this are what help keep me sane.   

So for now, I'm putting this blog and all other online life on hold, but I look forward to returning in the fall with a renewed spirit and the capacity to focus on the coaching and writing work that allows me to serve more people and that gives me a sense of meaning and purpose that I can't even begin to describe.

Thank you all for reading this.  I hope you will continue to subscribe to this blog and stay tuned to see how my "Summer of Seeking Simplified  Sustainable Success" turns out : ) 

I wish you all a wonderfully simple and satisfying summer that renews your spirit!

Yours in seeking the simple life,

Ariane : )

Is it ADD or Personality Type? My findings - Part 1

Before I begin this paost, I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU to a few great friends whose support and encouragement mean the world to me!  They also inspired me to write this post which I've been working on for WEEKS! 

1) To Terry Matlen, M.S.W., of www.ADDconsults.com for featuring me in an article called The Many Faces of ADHD - Ariane's Profile at www.ADDCentral.com! Terry is the author of the excellent Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD: Beyond Piles, Palms, & Post-its and puts out a great ADD newsletter called, ADDitional News.    She is a leader in the field of Adult AD/HD, a former member of the board of directors of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, and a wonderful and compassionate friend.  She has been so supportive of me I can't even begin to thank her enough.

2) To Liz Strauss of www.successful-blog.com who wrote this post in support of my "coming out" about having ADD:  Do You Think You Have ADD? Should You Tell Anyone?  I was so touched by her caring, compassion, and complete support of not only me, and not only ADD, but for anyone who feels "different" from everyone around them.  Liz was one of first bloggers to ever give sincere recognition to my blog and made me feel that the effort I put into this blog might be worth it after all.  She writes about all kinds of cool stuff and stuns me with how much great stuff she is capable of writing so often and so well! Thank you Liz!

3) To Dwayne Melancon of "Genuine Curiousity" for his incredibly insightful and compassionate article "GOT ATTENTION?" referencing my experience with getting a diagnosis of ADD and wondering if I really do have ADD.  I was so surprised that even my friend Dwayne often wonders if his tendency to "get bored easily" and "flit from one interesting thing to another" is ADD or not.  And so do other people I would never have suspected in a million years!  Like my friend and organizing guru Monica Ricci.  She wonders about it, too! 

I think it's because many ADD traits are also those of people with "creative personality types" - like myself, Dwayne and Monica.  We aren't "artists", but we ARE creative types who love to write, explore, take risks, try new things, and get bored with anything that is too repetitive or that stays the same for too long. 

I frequently wonder how my ENTP creative personality type and ADD are connected - because when you compare the traits of both, it's striking how similar they are. The main differences seem to be in the degree, frequency, and impact these "traits" have on our lives. Both ADD and the Creative Types share many characteristics.  Below is a list of ADD traits that I've culled from my reading of many ADD books.

COMMON ADD TRAIT DESCRIPTIONS INCLUDE:

• High energy and restless / Hyperactivity
• Impulsivity
• Takes on too many projects
• Loses interest easily
• High impatience
• May fail to follow through, forget appointments
• Tendency to hyperfocus and not be able to easily break out of it
• Tendency to see everything at once, to think "globally" and see many possibilities at once, making it difficult to make certain kinds of decisions
• Higher than average tolerance for chaos and change
• Often exhibit high risk taking, high stimulation seeking
• Often hyperREACTIVE - High reaction to thoughts, noise, people talking, everything in their environment, sometimes hypersensitive
• Tend to criticize themselves
• Tend to always be scanning or hunting
• High intuitive thinking
• Inconsistency of attention, mood

Now compare that list with the list I made from the descriptions of MBTI "creative personality types" which have both an "iNtuitive" and a "Perceiving" preference.   I have never seen anyone group the "NP" preferences as an archetype or temperament the way Keirsey and Bates identified four temperaments in  "Please Understand Me", but in my work with hundreds of people who have been labeled as disorganized for most of their lives, or as ADD, I am seeing undeniable patterns that are helping me better understand the roots of painful chronic disorganization, and more importantly, how to help people best overcome disorganization forever - not just organize "for" them and then hope they can maintain it after I leave.   

The four "iNtuitive" + Perceiving personality types are: ENTP (5%), INTP(1%), ENSP (5%), and INSP(1%)

The percentages indicate what percent of the population has each personality type.  As you can see, these types are CLEARLY a minority.   Combined they are found in only about 12% of the population and 4-6% of women. (Source: "Please Understand Me" by Keirsey and Bates)   

Interestingly, ADD is thought to occur in 6 - 12% of the population.  It varies according to who you are reading.  But, regardless, it literally is so close that it BEGS for closer scrutiny. 

So now, take a look at the list of traits I summarized from Please Understand Me" by Keirsey and Bates with my notes in brackets about how this could impact organizing and/or look like ADD.

ENTP/ENFP TRAITS 

• Unusually Enthusiastic, [high energy and high enthusiasm is VERY characteristic of ADD)
• "Apt to express interest in everything" [this makes it very difficult to focus and make choices about how to use your time]
• Characteristically have an eye out for a better way [leads to constantly changing and not sticking to systems you create to organize yourself]
• Always on the lookout for new projects, new activities, new procedures [ a clear link to all those unfinished projects ADD is famous for]
• Always seem to be several jumps ahead  [Another hallmark of ADD brains that process informationally globally and often see patterns before others do. Many famous inventors and scientists who made significant discoveries are thought to have had ADD]

The list is stunning, for example, Alexander Graham Bell, Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Issac Newton, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, Galileo and many more.   

• Prefers to "improvise" rather than create a detailed plan  [Could look like impulsivity, being uprepared, etc.] 
• Tends to proceed into action without necessary preparation
• Can succeed in a variety of occupations as long as the job "does not involve humdrum routine"
• In a routine job "they become restless. If a project in which they are engaged is no longer challenging, they tend to lose interest and fail to follow through - often to the discomfort of colleagues"
• "Orderliness in the routines of daily living is not apt to inspire them." "Not likely to be interested in the routines of daily maintenance"
• "Life with ENTPs is likely to be a daring adventure: this could lead families into physical and economic danger"
• "Apt to react with delight at having an opportunity to improvise a solution to a crisis"
• "Likely to be inconsistent with their attention
• "May show undependable, fickle characteristics, and be easily discouraged"
• "Always berating themselves for being so conscious of self"
• "Can become bored rather quickly with situations and people, and resist repeating experiences"
• "Enjoy the process of creating "but not interested in follow-through"
• "Can have difficulty picking up on the ideas and projects initiated by others"
• "Extravagant generosity punctuated with periods of frugality"
• "Somewhat unpredictable"
• "Characteristic in their pursuit of novelty"
• "Outstanding intuitive powers"

INTP/INFP TRAITS

• "Can concentrate better than any other personality type" [Obviously similar to hyperfocusing]
• "Once caught up in a thought process, that thought process seems to have a will of its own for INTPS, and they perservere until the issue is comprehended"
• "Impatient with routine details" [Obviously impacts ability to "maintain" traditional organizing systems]
• "The INTP must be given an efficient support staff who can capture ideas as they emerge and before the INTP loses interest and turns to other ideas" [How I would LOVE this!  and How unrealistic this is.  The book is obviously old enough to remember when most managers had their own secretaries.  I had my own Exec Assistant once...it was AWESOME!!!]
• INTPS are often forgetful of appointments and the rituals of daily living unless they are reminded. [Need I say more?]

I think the links between creative personality types (not artistic creativity) and ADD are more than clear.  And the link between creativity and difficulty "MAINTAINING" organizing systems is also clear.  The key question for me is "how does my understanding of these specific personality traits help me help others become more organized by designing organizing solutions that they CAN MAINTAIN? 

That's what my FREE class on "The Link between Creativity and Disorganization" is about. 

Listen to the MP3 here

Living with Undiagnosed ADD

Bryan Hutchinson, author of "One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir - Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD" sent me his book to read a while ago and I finally got a chance to read it. Wow.  It was not easy for me to read this because any story of child abuse is painful for me to hear, but I'm glad I did.

His book gives a very heartfelt account of what it was like growing up with quite severe undiagnosed ADD that resulted in his being the victim of some very violent attacks by own father and other people as well. 

What It's Like to Have ADD

It's not easy to help people understand who don't have ADD understand what it is really like, but stories like Bryan's really help.  Whenever I hear someone talk about how frustrating it is to work with or live with someone who has ADD, I wish I could tell them how painful and frustrating it can be to actually have it! Those of us with ADD often feel so much worse about ourselves than you can imagine. We don't want to disappoint people, but it happens, in fact we really tend to dissappoint ourselves most of all.

Can you imagine what it would be like to get up one day and being able to walk just like everyone else, but then the next day you wake up and you can't.  People might think you are lying or doing it on purpose because they saw you walking yesterday and then saw you walking again the next day.  THAT IS WHAT IT IS LIKE to have ADD.  It's like you can't control when your brain is going to work with or against you.  It feels like sometimes your brain freezes or gets paralyzed and you can't control it.

It's like when you have too many windows open on your computer and it suddenly just CRASHES without warning.    If you can relate to having any kind of inconsistent problem, like back pain, or shoulder pain, or even having your computer crash on you, then you can better understand what it is like to have ADD. The agony of being able to function well sometimes, but not others truly destroys your sense of self-worth and self-confidence. 

Bryan's story is an incredibly touching and poignant account of what it's like to have ADD. What many people don't realize is how painful it is to the individual who WANTS so desperately to be able to be consistent and to meet the expectations of others AND of themselves but literally CAN'T. 

In his book, Bryan shares the struggles he experienced as a child and even now as an adult living life with undiagnosed ADD. His story is one that I and many others with ADD can relate to even if our symptoms weren't as severe and we weren't beaten up physically for them.  Once he was finally diagnosed and got treatment for ADD, his life dramatically changed and improved.  He became more able to accept who we was and design a life that worked for who he was instead of twisting himself into knots to fit into what he thought he "should" be. 

Importance of Treating ADD/ADHD 

Bryan’s story highlights the importance of understanding and treating ADD/ADHD as early in life as possible.  If you are feeling like you are the only one, hearing others stories is a great way to realize that you aren't and begin the process of accepting who you are and working with what you have.  It also helps you become more compassionate with yourself. 

Interview with Bryan

Tara McGillicuddy of ADDClasses.com recently interviewed Bryan on her Blog Talk radio show call Living with Adult ADD / ADHD.  They share their stories of how they found out they ADD, how their spouses deal with it, and much more.  Listen Here

Bryan's Book  "One Boy’s Struggle: A Memoir - Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD"

RELATED RESOURCES

• ADD & ADHD Resource List
• Posts I've written about ADD / ADHD
• I sometimes wonder if I have ADD...
• How I Survived My Life with Undiagnosed Adult ADD and Learned to THRIVE!
• Terry Matlen's recent article about me and my ADD Story on HealthCentral.com
• My Neat & Simple ADD / ADHD Store on Amazon

Keep track of your Donations and get money back on your taxes - It's Deductible is FREE now!

Tax Time has passed, but now is a great time to be clearing clutter and keeping track so you can get more money back on your taxes.  I've written about this before, but now you can use "It's Deductible" for FREE!

http://www.itsdeductibleonline.com/

RELATED POSTS:

• Donating Your Stuff Can Make You More Money Than Selling it! (If you do it right)
• Charitable Donations Get Stricter Tax Rules
• See all my posts on donating and recycling here.

Spring Cleaning Tips from me & The Fly Lady!

I was on NPR's Radio Show on Spring Cleaning today with the Fly Lady!  www.flylady.net

Here's the link to listen to the recording of the show!

http://www.wcpn.org/index.php/WCPN/soi/11815/

To make Spring Cleaning even easier - get my e-book with FREE organizing and clutter clearing tips

It also includes lots of clutter clearing & organizing tips from my brilliant fellow organizing and coaching professionals Marcia Francois, Beth Dargis and Suzanne Babb! 

Enjoy your spring!  : )

 

Innovative Time Mgt Strategies: Outsourcing, Email, Voice Mail and more

Check out my new page on Innovative Time Management Strategies! 

If you have a super unusual, creative and effective strategy for saving time, or a link to a great post or blog that gives great tips or online resources for any of the following:

EMAIL - Ways to really save time on EMAIL like using auto-reply templates

AUTOMATING Your Work Flow

OUTSOURCING

BUILDING A SUPPORT TEAM - Personal and Business

Please leave a comment below or on the page so I can add YOUR contribution to the list!

 

Cluttered house ignites, makes firefighting difficult

This article about a fire in Portland, Oregon really makes the point about how severe clutter is actually a life threatening safety hazard.    Here is a clip from the article

When fire crews arrived, they tried to get inside the home to see if anyone was there, but they had some trouble in their search because they found the house full of clutter.

"There were pathways through each of the rooms that was about waist-high - newspapers, t-shirts, magazines," said Lt. Allen Oswalt with the Portland Fire Bureau.  "And you just had these pathways to get through the rooms.  The doors that would open off the rooms were blocked with waist-high storage of things, so it made it really difficult.  Plus all that adds to the fire load - it's all paper and it burns really easily.  We didn't even get a primary search done for about 45 minutes, which is not the way we like to do it."

See photos and read the rest of the story here:

http://www.katu.com/news/17678414.html

If you are struggling with clutter, here are some help for hoarding resources.

Also, consider signing up for my 3 session Teleclass series:  GETTING UNSTUCK! Releasing the Emotional, Physical, and Belief Clutter Keeping You Stuck in a Pattern of Stress, Overwhelm and Frustration! 

HOARDERS ARE WELCOME

If you have ever wondered if you are a hoarder, or if you know you suffer from compulsive hoarding, you are welcome in this class.  One of the common traits of all hoarding behavior is that the idividual is very creative and can think of millions of reasons why any item is valuable.  If this describes you, we invite you to join us!  We will be focusing on addressing the underlying beliefs thoughts that cause people to experience anxiety in letting go of things. Learn More Here

GETTING UNSTUCK! Releasing the Emotional, Physical, and Belief Clutter Keeping You Stuck in a Pattern of Stress, Overwhelm and Frustration! 

 

FREE AUDIO CLASS! Learn how Having a Creative Personality Type Can Actually CAUSE Disorganization PLUS 8 Ways You Can Turn Overwhelm into SUCCESS!

Creativity has long been known to be associated with persistent Chronic Disorganization. Creative personality types are notorious for having a very difficult time maintaining traditional organizing methods like David Allen's GTD system which includes using a "tickler file", etc. (Just ask Gina Trapani of Lifehacker.com) It's not impossible, but it sure doesn't come easily and just doesn't work for many creative people or for people with ADD who naturally resist structure, schedules and routines like checking a tickler file every day. 

My first Teleclass - "The Link between Creativity and Disorganization"  delivered on March 27, 2008 explores why this is true and what you can do about it.  And I'm finally ready to share it with you and the rest of the world - FREE! 

What You Will Learn in This FREE Class

What chronic disorganization is and why you should care.
Why the creative personality type is so susceptible to painful chronic disorganization.
What kinds of underlying beliefs make us cling to "things"
Why creatives find it so difficult to successfully maintain conventional organizing systems.
The functions of the 3 major parts of the brain and how they work
Why your actions and behaviors ALWAYS have a positive intent NO MATTER HOW self-destructive they seem
Why automatic negative thinking, beliefs and habits are SO HARD TO CHANGE
Why some beliefs and habits are actually very EASY TO CHANGE
How to "make your brain your best friend" so that you can resolve inner conflicts more easily and get "activated" to do the things you really want to do - BUT DON'T.  Like let go of clutter
6 strategies that have really worked to help creatives triumph over disorganization.
8 creative personality characteristics and how they contribute to disorganization.
How you can translate these personality traits that make organizing difficult into criteria for creating your own ultra-simple successful organizing systems!

PLUS - You'll get a FREE 15 page Handout summarizing the class! 

I am so passionate about this topic now because in my research I was shocked to find so few resources to help creative people understand why organizing and letting go of clutter is SO PARTICULARLY difficult for us!   Sure lots of people talk about it, and give us tips that work for them, but how do we translate those tips to work in OUR lives.   For people who have had years of negative experiences with organizing, including being punished, fired, or even getting divorced over their difficulty organizing themselves, tips are not nearly enough to become more consistently organized.

That why I'm giving this work that I have spent over 40 hours preparing for FREE! My hope is to make it easier for all those people out there who are "NATURALLY ORGANIZED" and those who are "DISORGANIZED" to understand each other's perspective a little better and make working and living together a little easier.  Hopefully it will help "the majority" better understand how differently the 10 - 25% of the population that is labeled with the terms below actually experiences the world and daily life.

• "creative and prefers to keep options open"  (ENTP, ENFP, INTP, INFP)  If you read about these personality types in depth, you will find that the description of these personality types combined is EXTREMELY similar to that of ADD. 
• "highly sensitive"
• "ADD" 
• "Decisionally Challenged"
• "Chronically Disorganized"

People with these labels are in the minority and have a VERY difficult time living up to the expectations and values of the majority of people who: can make a plan and stick to it most of the time; really don't mind or even enjoy organizing; let go of things they no longer use with no emotional trauma; find comfort in routines: and can be on time most of the time without going through emotional agony.  For the rest of us, even reading that sentence can generate anxiety!  : )   

THANK YOU ELLEN!!!!

Even though I am a certified group facilitator and have presented at national conferences, I was very nervous at first because I didn't like the idea of not being able to see everyone.  But to my surprise I became comfortable almost immediately.  One of the major reasons I was at ease was that I wasn't alone! The call was hosted Ellen Shapiro, a very creative client who is now a treasured friend.  Ellen was so supportive and encouraging, she really demonstrated why she deserves the title of "Success and Prosperity Coach".   

Ellen has a fascinating array of skills she brings to her work.  She has a BA in Psychology, an MBA, AND is certified in a dozen other innovative methods for helping people achieve success.  As many creative people do, Ellen struggled with paper and keeping up with constantly changing stream of projects and ideas.  She was so happy with the home office and ultra simple systems we designed and organized for her that she invited me to present a session on Overcoming Disorganization to the Prosper Your Practice community she runs which features a monthly expert speaker.

p.s. (her office photos are in my Home Office Organizing Book but I won't tell you which ones)

Now that I've gotten past the hurdle of "the first time"  I'm on fire!  I LOVE the teleclass format because it allows so many people to have access to learning they otherwise would not have.  You don't have to travel AND you can listen to the recording again anytime you want!

WHY WE ARE DOING THIS

Preparing to deliver this class was a great motivator for me to finally pull together my thoughts and experiences on "The Link between Creativity and Disorganization"  and document the strategies that have been most successful in my work with hundred of creative clients to overcome disorganization - and not become "dependent" on me to help them stay organized. 

WHAT"S NEXT?  GETTING UNSTUCK!

The class went very well and people wanted more.  So, Ellen Shapiro and I have partnered to create PART 2 of "The Creative Person's Guide to Overcoming Chronic Disorganization" 

We are calling this program, GETTING UNSTUCK! Releasing the Emotional, Physical, and Belief Clutter Keeping You Stuck in a Pattern of Stress, Overwhelm and Frustration!  It combines my expertise in working with people to release physical, emotional and belief clutter so that they can overcome chronic disorganization, with Ellen's expertise in using a technique called "repatterning" designed to help you identify and clear negative automatic thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back. 

We have both had tremendous success with our approaches and now you can experience BOTH in one program thanks to the power of the teleclass!

STARTS APRIL 25!  So Don't Delay - Only 10 seats are available!

Listen to the FREE class, get the FREE handout
and learn more about our NEW PROGRAM here! 

http://www.neatandsimple.com/creativity.html

Wishing you much success as always,

NOTE: We reserve the right to remove the audio and handout at any time so this link many not work forever.

Creativity and Chronic Disorganization - How are they linked? What can you do about it? My first free teleclass

UPDATE :  4/1/08

To my readers via email - I apologize that this did not go out via email until today.  My feedblitz is set to deliver emails once a week because I got feedback that many people did not want to get emails in their inbox every time I posted. 

If you missed the teleclass - please stay tuned as I will be announcing where to get the handout and recording free ASAP.   

THANK YOU!!!

______________________________________________________

Creativity and Chronic Disorganization are often linked.  Why is that?   What can you do about it?  Tomorrow nite I'll be talking about this topic and answering questions in my very first free teleclass!

Thursday,  March 27th, at 8:45PM EST

Register here

I will be the guest speaker in the "PROSPER YOUR PRACTICE"  series of teleclasses for sef-employed people hosted by Ellen Shapiro!  Ellen generously and expertly hosts free monthly "teleclasses with guest experts who share their tips about running a successful business."  Learn more about Ellen Shapiro here

However you don't have to be a business owner to benefit from this presentation.  It's for anyone who is creative and:

• believes their creativity is the cause of their disorganization
• believes that disorganization is a "side affect" of creativity that can't be helped or improved
• believes that to become organized would be too difficult, too rigid, too time consuming or too expensive.

We'll be discussing what chronic disorganization is, why it affects so many creative people, and we'll also discuss some simple strategies & principles to help creative professionals become more organized using systems that are super easy and don't take a lot of time to maintain.   We won't solve all your problems in one session, but you will get a much deeper answer to the question "Why am I like this?"

_________________________________________________________

Here's what you to do if you don't want to miss this!

Head on over to Ellen's site to register for the Prosper Your Practice group so that you'll be sure to get the emails with the teleclass info and the follow up link to listen to the recorded session later.

You have to register to the get the link to the recording

That's all you have to do! This is an easy, no-cost, no-obligation, no-spammy sales pitches way to discover learn more about how to become more organized, even if you've never been able to do it before! 

Hope to "see" you there!

Organizing Your Desk & Paper - Video Clip Demonstration of Neat & Simple Office Organizing Tips From Bonnie Lee as featured on Ebru TV!

In December, Bonnie Lee, one of our top Neat & Simple Professional Organizers did a guest appearance on Daily Connections, a show kinda like Rachel Ray's on EBRU TV.  She demonstrated lots of our  "no time, no money" ideas for quickly organizing your desk, paper, and drawers using items and packaging you may already have in your home.

Bonnie did a fabulous job - we are so proud of her!   Enjoy this 10 minute clip and watch as they organize the host's desk several different ways in just minutes! Please leave a comment letting Bonnie know what you think - I know she'd be thrilled to hear from you.

P.S.  You can get LOTS more ideas on organizing your desk, paper, drawers, time, to dos, contacts and so much more in our  "Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Home Office!"

Get Home Office Organizing guide in FULL COLOR PRINT AT OUR COST with NO MARKUP at
Neat & Simple Organizing Success Bookstore on lulu.com!   

Thinking about hiring a professional organizer?

If you are thinking about hiring a a professsional organizer, this excellent article by Erin Doland, Editor-in-Chief of Unclutterer.com is a MUST READ.  Like me, she is a recovering packrat.  She is also an excellent writer and has interviewed many of the top professional organizers, like my friends Monica Ricci, owner of Atlanta-based Catalyst Organizing Solutions  and Geralin Thomas, owner of Cary, North Carolina-based Metropolitan Organizing.    There is also a lot of GREAT advice in the comments from my friends and colleagues Ilene Drexler based in NYC and Jeri Dansky author of the MUST READ blog Jeri's Organizing & Decluttering News.   (I also much give many thanks to my fabulous virtual assistant Janet Barclay, for bringing this article to my attention)

As an organizing coach who specializes in ADD and chronic disorganization I simply had to chime in with my thoughts as well and of course, mention that if you have tried to get organized many times in the past, and your quality of life has been seriously impaired by clutter and disorganization, look for a professional organizer who also belongs to www.NSGCD.org (the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization) which provides specialized training to organizers on how to help people overcome chronic disorganization (CD).  CD is not a medical condition but it is something that you will probably always have a tendency toward so overcoming it requires highly creative and customized organizing strategies.

A few points I added to consider in hiring a professional organizer include looking for someone who:

1)  Partners with you and doesn't tell you there is only one "best" way to do things. To get long lasting results, choose an organizer who listens to your needs, gives you options to choose from, incorporates your preferences in the solution, and takes your personal organizing and learning style into consideration. There is never just one right way to organize something.

2)  Seeks to understand your most deeply ingrained habits and work "with" them as much as possible.  i.e., if you "live" in your kitchen, you probably won't suddenly start sorting your mail in that cute office upstairs. With some creativity, there are many ways to continue to use your kitchen counter to sort and still keep your kitchen neat and organized. 

3) Understands backsliding.  Most people get excited about a new organizing system, but then something happens that causes them to to slip back into old habits from time to time, especially when stressed. The important thing is to LEARN as much as you can from these events and "recover" as soon as possible. Don't hide them from your organizer or be ashamed to have them come back and see that you haven't been perfect. Your organizer should help you learn from the events and prepare you to deal with backsliding. 

My article on "What to expect when working with a professional organizer" has several more tips like this.

Thanks again Erin for bringing up this very important topic!

P.S.  After getting many requests from people who wanted a print version of my book, I spent my entire weekend making it happen!  Not only that, I daresay 99% of the typos have been cleaned up by an awesome, multitalented friend of ours who gave the book a very thorough proofreading!  Thank you Cathy!!! I would tell you how to reach her, but she doesn't want me to.  : )

You can now order the "Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Home Office!"at the new
Neat & Simple Organizing Success Bookstore on lulu.com!   We are working on getting our other books available in print as well, so stay tuned!

I'm Celebrating the release of my new ebook!

I'm so excited that my new e-book called  "Take Charge of Your Paper! with Neat & Simple Essential Paper Organizing Systems is now available!  It has over 50 pages to help you take charge of your paper! Just in time to help you get organized for tax time.

To celebrate, I'm offering my loyal blog readers a special Office & Paper combo package which includes:

"Neat & Simple Guide to Organizing Your Home Office!"
(A 140+ page e-book sold separately for $19.95)
PLUS
"Take Charge of Your Paper!
(A 50 page e-booklet sold separately for $6.95)

PLUS Get 2 Free Bonuses!

BONUS # 1
Neat & Simple Personal Paper Retention Guide
What to Keep and For How Long, including tips for Shredding, Identity Protection, Managing Passwords (Sold separately for $4.95)

BONUS # 2
"101 Tips for Your Home Office" by Brandie Kajino
Including tips Productivity, Organizing, Home Office Design, Managing Computer & Home Office Equipment & more! (Sold separately for $4.77)

That's a value of $36.67
for just $21.95!  (You save $14.72!)

Happy Organizing!