Category Archives: Getting Organized

Are you the only one? NO!

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Many times I speak with clients who believe they are the only ones who have a “messy” home.

Uh, NO!

Just this week I explained to a new client the difference between messy and disorganized.  So here it is for you too!

My Definitions:

Messy:  Messy occurs when you don’t take the time to put things where they belong, when you leave the dishes for a couple of days in the sink or in the living room.  Messy is when the laundry sits around the house when it needs to either be in a hamper or be in the wash.  Messy is when there is no system for junk mail and it ends up being in every room of the house.

Now, I am not speaking about one individual, so please don’t think this is in anyway about you!

What is Disorganized then?

Disorganized is not being able to find what you want, when you want it.  If it takes you more than a few minutes to find something (like keys for instance) then you may need to take a look at how often you misplace things.  Are they ever in their rightful “home”?

I am including here some pictures to give you an idea of what I am speaking about, so take a look.

 

Life is not always what it seems.

Suppose for instance this was your kitchen.  Yes, I know it is beautiful, but if you’d take a look inside their cabinets they may have some of the same issues that you have.  Dead space that isn’t usable in any way, shape or form.

 

We, as Americans, have a tendency to move from place to place several times over the course of our lives.  I, personally, have moved six times over the last twenty eight years.

Overwhelming garage overflow So, if you are like everyone else in America, you probably take everything with you from place to place.  Unfortunately, this picture is a measurement of just that practice.

I have a few simple rules for this:

1.  Before moving sort through your belongings and pare them down to manageable levels.  If that printer that you see above doesn’t work for you anymore, then donate it!

Does this picture make you cringe?  I would have to take a deep breath and stare at it for a while before being able to categorize what I see and deciding what needs to be done.  If you’re with me, we could do this together!!

We all have some stored items in our homes.  Things that mean something to us, usually from someone who has died or love.  The rule for this:

2.  If you love the person, but not the item; donate the item and send the person a thank you note.

3.  If you can’t do that, then you have already made the decision that it will live with you for a while.  Understanding this will relieve some of your angst over storing it.

So, how does being messy or disorganized affect your body and mind and even possibly your spirit?

Your body can show obvious signs of stress.

High blood pressure

Anxiety attacks

Overeating from stress

Your mind (your brain) fires off more synapses in attempting to deal with the overload, causing some of the symptoms above.  Think about that one.

Your soul or spirit may be dampened by the overload of messy and disorganized because it wants to feel loved and lightened.

We’ll talk more about these three in a later post.

For now, consider these and if you are going to comment, make it relevant to the post please.  I’ve been getting a lot of spam.

Denise

 

Top Ten Organizing Tips for January 2011

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Grab a pencil, pen or turn on your printer!

This year is your best year for the last several.  Things are turning around financially (yes all over the country) and you need to be organized to take part in what the revival is going to bring your way!

So, let’s begin:

1.  Use your tools!  Your Planner, calendar, PDA, Blackberry or Android, etc. are an absolute necessity in tracking what is happening in your life.  Stay on top of those appointments, job interviews, and meetings by tracking them with your latest and greatest electronics or planner.

So of all of these which do I recommend?

a.  If you are using a planner/calendar then I recommend Planner Pads http://www.plannerpads.com.  Planner pads come in 3 convenient sizes, with accompanying items.

b.  If you, however, are using an electronic method, such as a PDA or iPod, then make sure you download the applications that you have researched thoroughly.  What you don’t want to do is to get started with one system, then 3 months down the road switch to another, then another as you search for the ONE that fits your personality and your needs.  i.e.  If you are constantly breaking your phone, iPod, PDA, but can always find your calendar, then use paper!  Okay, just take a break.  I’ll be back, computer issues.




Whose Space Is It Anyway?

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I can hear it now!  That’s not me!  I don’t keep stuff like that…

Well, no one said you did.  But if you look at the items in the picture I could almost ‘swear’ you are keeping some of those things somewhere in your garage or home as you read this post.

An extra printer, an old office chair, a garden hose that you think you’ll use one day (even though you bought a new one last summer).

Think how wonderful it would feel, not to have to look at those extra items sitting there gathering dust.

What would you give to achieve a garage that you could actually park in?  Or perhaps turn a room into an actual guest room, instead of an overflow room!

Many of us (yes even organizers) have overflow in their homes, their cars, or closets/drawers.  If you could, and many of you could…would you bring someone in (an organizer) to help you see the vision of a beautiful home or functional garage?

That is just one of the things that I do.  Helping you to see the results you are looking for.

Think about that one for a few minutes, then send me an email!  denise@progressiveorganizingsolutions.com

Sleep and You; Myths vs Facts

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Do you have trouble sleeping?

Is lack of sleep affecting your ability to focus at work?

You don’t have insomnia if you don’t have trouble falling asleep.

Difficulty falling asleep is but one of four symptoms associated with insomnia. The others include waking up too early and not being able to fall back asleep, frequent awakenings, and waking up feeling unrefreshed. Any of these types of insomnia may be a symptom of a sleep disorder or of another medical problem.

Health problems such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and depression are genetic or lifestyle issues, not related to sleep.To the contrary, scientific studies have found a link between sleep and many health problems. For example, insufficient sleep affects the production of growth hormones related to weight maintenance. Cardiovascular problems, the potential for developing diabetes, and other disease states appear to be connected to poor sleep.
When you get older, you need less sleep.It is the sleep pattern that seems to change as we get older, not the amount of sleep we need. Older people may wake more frequently through the night, but they tend to take more daytime naps.
Sleep is the time for your brain to rest.In fact a great deal of mental activity takes place during certain stages of sleep. There are multiple stages in each 90-minute sleep cycle. Even in the deepest part of each cycle, the brain is processing information or dreaming. Scientists are still not sure why we dream, but it is known that the periods of brain activity serve a vital restorative function.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, try to count sheep or use some other way to get back to sleep.If you’ve ever awakened and told yourself you have to get back to sleep, you know how impossible this is. If you’re waiting to fall asleep and it doesn’t happen after about 15 minutes, you may want to get out of bed and find something relaxing to do. This may help you feel sleepy again, and then you can go back to bed.

Source: National Sleep Foundation

The dangers of poor sleep: the numbers

Based on research and surveys conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, National Institutes of Health, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  • Average amount that Americans sleep per night on weekdays: 6.9 hours
  • Average amount that Americans sleep per night on weekends: 7.5 hours
  • Number of people in the United States affected by a sleep problem: 70 million
  • Number for whom the problem is chronic and/or frequent: 40 million

Financial losses in the US due to sleep deprivation/disorders: $100 billion per year

  • Direct healthcare costs of insomnia, including treatment: $14 billion per year
  • Indirect costs (missed work, property damage, etc.): $28 billion per year
  • Proportion of Americans who report sleep problems: approximately 70%
  • Proportion of children who report frequent sleep problems: 69%
  • Proportion of older adults who report frequent sleep problems: 67%
  • Number of automobile accidents caused by drowsy drivers: 100,000 per year
  • Number of fatalities and injuries in these accidents: 72,500 per year
  • Proportion of Americans who admit to have driven while drowsy: 51%
  • Proportion who admit to have dozed off while driving: 17%

Source: National Sleep Foundation

Sleeping is essential to your health.    Take this quiz and see how you are sleeping!

How well do you sleep?
Take this test.

Do you sometimes have trouble falling asleep?

During the night, do you toss and turn?

In the morning, are you tired, instead of refreshed and ready to go?

In the afternoon, do you feel tired, sleepy or have low energy?

Do you feel sometimes that your sleep was not enough to help you meet the demands of the day?

Do you ever take medication to help you sleep?

Do you ever take medication or caffeine to help you stay awake?

Do you sometimes wish your mattress were less soft or less firm?

Is the firmness you chose a compromise between you and your sleep partner?

Do you ever feel hot or cold while you are trying to sleep?

If you answered “yes” to some of these questions, you’re ready to sleep better.

Visit http://www.nikken.com/russos to learn more about how you can sleep better!