Even though this post has nothing to do with technology, I felt the urge to share it here anyway.  So, I received my February issue of Real Simple yesterday and the article on pg. 140 titled “The Ultimate in Organizing: 4 Real-Life Systems” by Nicole Sforza just got me thinking… So much so, that I woke up thinking about it again this morning.

The article features lots of pretty images, as you may have guessed, and it highlights  four “brilliantly organized spaces”.  It’s nothing that Real Simple or Nicole said specifically that offends me, it’s just that the message the media sends time and time again about ‘organized = perfection’ that is so bothersome to me.

When I started out as an organizer 6 years ago, I definitely bought into the pretty pictures, colorful bins and perfectly ordered supplies but I knew then (and feel even more strongly now) that living organized is about so much more.

Many of the solutions featured are achievable to some degree, depending on your budget.  But what the article doesn’t highlight is what ‘real-life systems’ are about it.  Living organized is not about having your bookshelves sorted by color;  it’s not about having your system be so pristine that no one else is allowed (or wants) to use it; and it’s certainly not primarily about purchasing a product or hiring a contractor to automagically create the perfect system for you…which is really all you’ll read in magazines & see on TV.

You can create your own definition of what living organized is about! In general, I think you would agree that it should:

• Allow you to find what you need when you need it & have the ability to store it quickly and easily without frustrating you.
• Work for everyone who needs to use it.
• Ease your stress.
• Free up time for the things & people you love.
• Keep things simple…

And, finally, what it doesn’t have to be is PERFECT!

What do you think?

Lately, I have come to despise scheduling meetings via email- it’s especially challenging to do so with multiple attendees. Some of the annoyances include confusion about time zone, multiple emails going back and forth, having to gather all of the info, and it never fails that none of the times proposed work for the last participant to respond… If you have the pleasure of using an Exchange Server, than this is probably not a primary source of email clutter for you due to the enhanced availability view it provides. But for the rest of us, no matter how organized you are scheduling meetings via email are a real pain in the @#$!

I have been using services like Doodle.com or Moreganize.com. They definitely made the process less painful by allowing you to enter proposed days and times to forward to invitees. I still had challenges where attendees were in different time zones, flipping back and forth between my calendar and the browser, and entering each time range (i.e. 10am, 10:30am). The process was still too cumbersome and too many keystrokes for me.

I recently came across a service from Tungle.com on the TechCrunch blog. At a first glance, here is what I like about Tungle:

It provides the ability to sync my schedule and select my available times with a click. Plus, ease of correction via the erase feature, too!

Invitees don’t have to sign up for anything to use the service.

Tungle is smart enough to allow only one selection if scheduling a meeting between two people.  This prevents the additional back and forth to actually agree and confirm a time.

Not only does Tungle sync with your Outlook calendar but it will sync contacts and calendars with Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple iCal and Entourage.

It’s quick and easy to get up and running. First, you will need to create an account. Next, you can choose to sync your calendar and/or contacts. This is optional but it certainly will make the process more seamless. Now you are ready to schedule by clicking on the “Schedule a meeting” button. And if you install the Outlook Connector, Mac Connector or Google Quick Links plugin for Firefox these will provide you with additional features and scheduling convenience. Check out this brief video I recorded on how to schedule a meeting using Tungle.com.

The first thing you should do when you want to get organized is go shopping for containers, right? WRONG!!
If you begin with this step, you are definitely not alone.  However, it is most certainly one of the least effective methods for beginning most organizing projects.

Why?
1.  Most of the time you simply purchase large opaque tubs available in just about any store.  I guess the urge is to be able to dump your stuff into the big bin, throw on the lid and you instantly feel better because you don’t have to look at the clutter anymore.  OK, sounds good in theory.  But it certainly isn’t organized and many people often still FEEL cluttered and chaotic even though the stuff is contained.

2.  Until you know the quantity, volume and actual measurements of the stuff you need to contain you are unlikely to purchase the right size or type of container.

3.  They often compound the challenge because not only did they not solve your problem, now you have to find a place to store them and you will often spend more time digging through them trying to find what you need.

Here is a tip about using large plastic tubs:  They are useful for larger items in places like the basement, garage or attic.  They are great for seasonal supplies and decorations- as long as you separate smaller items in their own smaller container inside.  Make sure to store like with like, dumping lots of stuff is just containing not organizing.  Avoid purchasing opaque containers, clear containers will improve the storage and retrieval process.  And, finally, (I’m sure you are sick of hearing me say this) don’t forget to label clearly!!

Agree or disagree?

In the organizing profession, we often ask our clients what organization looks and feels like to them.  It helps to create a vision for the project and is a great motivator.  But what does it sound like?

Do you need an extra inspirational kick in the pants to get organized?  NAPSI recently posted this article on Music to Get Organized By.   Among the recommendations are classic titles such as “Come Together” by the Beatles along with more recent songs for getting in the groove like Sheryl Crow’s “A Change Would Do You Good” or “Throw It All Away” from Brandi Carlile. And, yes, even the Queen of Pop makes the list with “Express Yourself”.  My personal fave for getting started is “Feeling Good” by Michael Buble.

I’d love to hear what music gets you motivated…whether it’s for a getting organized, going for a run, working out, whatever.  What does inspiration sound like to you?

Can you believe it?  Thanksgiving is next week already.  Thought I would share an article I wrote a few years ago on holiday meal tips…

Here are some tips for preparing for the holiday meal to make the actual event considerably less stressful.

Don’t let your regular activities slip- like paying your bills, sorting the mail, doing the laundry, etc.  However, now is not the time to revamp your entire organizational system and start cleaning out all of your cabinets, or rearranging your closets, etc.

Make an effort to consume the food you have in your refrigerator instead of making huge shopping trips.  This will make room for the turkey and other fixings.

If you are having people over, plan in advance and ask your guests to bring a dish. Bringing one dish is considerably less work than hosting the meal, so I am sure they would be more than happy to do so.  And make sure to coordinate so you don’t end up having three people bringing sweet potatoes and no veggies!

Gather your recipes in advance. Not only will it eliminate last minute searches for grandma’s mashed potato recipe, it will also allow you to create a thorough shopping list be referring to all of the recipes at once.

Make sure you have plenty of containers for leftovers- my family has taken to using ½ and 1 gallon sized plastic sealable bags.  It eliminates the need to search for just the right sized container and it makes storing leftovers much easier because the bags are much more flexible than hard plastic containers.  And, of course, you can readily see what’s in the bag!

You may also be able to prepare some dishes in advance. This is where the plastic bags can be helpful, too.  They can be thrown in the microwave or purchase boiling bags so you can toss the whole thing into a pot of boiling water to easily reheat dishes and cut down on the massive amount of food preparation on the holiday.

Don’t forget to thaw the turkey! In case you don’t already know this (or forget every year at this time), it could take three or four days to thaw the turkey in the refrigerator.

If you have converted to frying your turkey, don’t forget to check if you have enough oil or make that purchase.  And start looking for the equipment now.  This will eliminate the stress of a last minute search craze for all of the parts.

Prepare your linens by pre-washing (and yes, that dreaded ironing), especially if they have been stored in the attic or musty space all year.  Or better yet, bring it to the dry-cleaner to press in advance.  Just make sure to remember to pick it up.  And make sure you have enough napkins.

Some families have chosen to go disposable. Is it really worth all of the stress to wash and re-wash dishes and utensils on this special holiday in order to make sure there are enough for every course?  Or would you rather spend that time enjoying the holiday with your family and friends?  There are so many options available that you can choose from to match your tastes.

Make sure to have games and activities set up for any children so they will be entertained while the adults spend time together.  There is nothing worse than a bored child- except maybe many bored children!

Create new traditions- try to plan a traditional event, particularly an active one.  During the holidays, the average American gains 1-3 pounds.  Encourage everyone to get up off the couch, go outside and play a game.  This could be a game of touch football, kickball, a ‘turkey trot’ fun run, a scavenger hunt.  The possibilities are endless.

Last, but not least, if you are traveling, keep in mind that Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Leave extra time and be realistic about your travel expectations.  Many times we are extra-stressed because we fool ourselves into thinking that it will take us the same amount of time as it always does.

Remember that this is a time of giving and sharing and time to be spent with those we care about.  If you know someone who is unable to spend the holiday with their friends and family, please consider inviting them to share in your meal.  You don’t have to go overboard here- inviting one or two additional guests is a gracious gesture.  And finally, don’t forget to cherish the time you spend with your loved ones.  The more you are able to plan in advance, the less stressed everyone will be.