Your Life. Organized.

Today's Note From The Universe

Don't Be a Whiny Baby

"The true joy in life is to be a force of fortune instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy."

— George Bernard Shaw

 

 

 

 

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Today's Note From The Universe

5 Compelling Reasons To Organize Your Home Today

Quote of the Week: Public Glories

"Whenever you see a successful person, you only see the public glories, never the private sacrifices to reach them." 

Vaibhav Shah

 

 

 

 

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Evernote Tidbit #6: Keep Vital Info at Your Fingertips

In my work with clients to help them get their paperwork and information in order, we always create a hard copy folder called "Vital Documents." Inside this folder, we store physical originals or copies of important items such as birth certificates, drivers licenses, passports, Social Security cards, insurance policies and so on. This practice helps give my clients peace of mind that they can find this vital information if they ever need it. 

Holy moly we're six weeks into my Evernote Basics series already! We've covered the introduction, how to capture information within Evernote, how to annotate images and how to use Evernote to capture and share your favorite recipes. This week I want to share how easy it is to capture and store vital information and find it in an instant. 

Have you ever been on vacation and gotten a call that all was NOT well at home? Flood. Fire. Break-In. Emergency vet visit. Things can happen when you're away from home and although you may have hard copies of your vital documents and information in a fire safe in your house, they do you no good when you're away.

This is where Evernote saves the day.

Create a notebook called Vital Documents where you drop all the above-mentioned pieces of information, along with countless others that you'd want to have access to in a crisis. These could include hand written notes with bank account numbers and contact information, photos of your credit cards, scanned copies of powers of attorney, wills, trusts, business cards with doctors names and contact info, and your financial adviser's contact info just to name a few. If you have a spouse or kids, you can share the notebook (or only certain notes in it) with them too.

For additional security for your personal information, I recommend encrypting the text in these highly confidential notes as well as adding a passcode lock to your Evernote mobile app. Encrypting is EASY as pie too! On the desktop version of Evernote, simply highlight the text you wish to encrypt, right click it and select "Encrypt Selected Text." You'll be prompted to create a passphrase, and then type it a second time to confirm. NOTE: This is a special passphrase you'll use only for encrypting. This is not your Evernote password. If you ever forget your encryption passphrase, you're SOL, because Evernote CANNOT access it.

Having all your important information stored in Evernote will give you peace of mind that even if something should happen to your hard copies AND your computer hard drive, that you'll be able to access the information immediately via the web, your mobile app or your desktop client. 

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PPS: Links in the above post are affiliate links. I'll make a few cents if you click through and subscribe to a paid version of Evernote. There is a free option for everyone though!  :)

Evernote Tidbit #5: Create a Shared Task List

We're five weeks into my Evernote Basics series and you've learned a lot already! This week I want to tell you how you and your family, professional team or clients can use Evernote as a way to easily share and manage a common task or project list. 

Step One: Create a new note in Evernote by hitting the plus sign at the top of the page, and title the note Shared Task List. Or you could call it Stuff To Do. Heck you could call it Jimmy Stewart for all I care, but it needs a title.

Step Two: Begin typing a list of tasks, breaking up the tasks by person or by category, as in the example below.

 

Step Three: Highlight all the items on your list with your mouse or trackpad, as below.

 

Step Four: Click on the "Checklist" icon in the formatting toolbar at the top of the page. 

 

Step Five: POOF your text list becomes an interactive checklist!

Step Six: Share your note with other Evernote users using the "SHARE" button at the upper right. Now you will all be able to add things to the list and check things OFF the list as they get done.

Shared task lists are handy when you're collaborating with others on a project of any kind. What ways would creating shared notes be helpful to you and your personal or professional team? 

 

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PPS: Links in the above post are affiliate links. I'll make a few cents if you click through and subscribe to a paid version of Evernote. There is a free option for everyone though!  :)

Evernote Tidbit #4: Saving and Sharing Recipes

Who loves food, raise your hand! Wherever you may be, I bet you can see that I have both my hands in the air like I just don't care! For me, enjoying good food is truly one of life's greatest pleasures and cooking for others is a very close second. Whether you're a passionate foodie like I am, or a busy mom or dad who just wants to keep healthy, non-boring meals on your table every night, Evernote is one of your best resources! 

Remember how in Evernote Tidbit #2 I told you all the various ways to get information into Evernote? All the ways I listed are how you get your recipes into Evernote. 

"But wait!!" you exclaim. "Many of my recipes are just pages I've torn out of magazines!"

Oh yes grasshopper, I know. That's the beauty of Evernote. No matter what form your recipes start out in, you can drop them into Evernote and POOF they're digital and searchable! For realz, playah. 

Magazine clipping? Take a photo of the page with the app Evernote will make the text searchable.

Hand-written recipe? Take a photo of it with the app and if your writing is legible, Evernote will make it searchable.

Emailed recipe? Drag and drop the document into Evernote.

Epicurious or Food Network recipe online? Use the Evernote Web Clipper to nab the entire thing and save it to Evernote.

The contents of your recipes being searchable is the first great part about dropping them into Evernote. But the second great part is that you can share them with anyone who has an Evernote account! Whaaaat? Yep!

Let's say you and your closest group of friends all want to create a shared recipe collection. You just create a notebook called Recipes (clever name, I know) and share the notebook with your friends, who will get an invitation to join the notebook. They will be able to see your recipes and depending on the type of Evernote account they own, they may or may not be able to add recipes to the notebook but they'll certainly be able to view all the notes inside it.

As I've mentioned before, there are four tiers of Evernote to choose from. Evernote Basic is free and is of course the most limited in function. You can absolutely get by with it, but if you want to unleash the true power of Evernote, it pays to get one of the pay versions. I recommend starting at the PLUS version and then evaluating to see whether you need to upgrade to Premium. The good news is that it's crazy affordable, with Evernote Plus at just $35 a year in the United States.

If you'd like a one-on-one phone coaching session on how to use Evernote or you know someone who would, just give me a holler!

 

PS: Follow me on Twitter and Facebook and if you like this information, share it by clicking the social bookmarking links above and below the post. Thanks for sharing!

PPS: Links in the above post are affiliate links. I'll make a few cents if you click through and subscribe to a paid version of Evernote. There is a free option for everyone though!  :)

Evernote Tidbit #3: Annotating Images and Screen Shots! Woot!

Have you ever tried to explain to a friend (ummm or your parents) how to navigate a website or app? Perhaps you need to explain measurements to a contractor over email. Or maybe you just want to create a cute Internet meme. Describing something visual without using visual aids can be a challenge, so this week we're talking about one of my all-time favorite ways to use Evernote: Annotating Images!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, an annotated picture is worth ten times that in its efficiency of communication. For example, if I were to send you email instructions trying to explain how to upload a photo to Facebook, it would take several lines of text explaining where on the page to look for certain buttons and in what order to do things, and you still might not quite get it. But if were to send you an annotated photograph I don't even need an explanation in the body of the email for you to understand exactly what to do.

This is just one example of how annotating images makes life and business easier. I've used Evernote to annotate images for use in Powerpoint presentations, to illustrate training steps in an employee procedures manual, to create before and after photos of client projects for social media, to sell items online and a host of other things. Here are a few others I've created.

 

This item is one of many that a client was selling online. I took a photo of each piece of furniture, pulled it into Evernote, and added annotation to each one so those looking at the images didn't have to click to get complete information.

 

 

The image below I sent to a fellow who was interested in renting our mountain house for a weekend. He was concerned about whether he would have enough room to maneuver his boat trailer in our driveway. So I took a screen shot from Google Maps, pulled it into Evernote, annotated it and emailed it to him. (Yes I tend to use pink text but there are a lot of other colors too!) 

 

Ok, this next one I just wanted to make to send to my husband because he's a sucker for cute baby animals. What's not to love about that??

I could go on and on but I'm sure you can think of some great uses for image annotation using Evernote that will make your personal and business life easier! If so leave your ideas in the comments section!

 

Success & Simplicity,

 

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PPS: Links in the above post are affiliate links. I'll make a few cents if you click through and subscribe to a paid version of Evernote. There is a free option for everyone though!  :)

Evernote for Productivity: Tidbit Two - Capturing Information

Last week I introduced you to Evernote which is a powerful app for capturing, storing and searching all types of information from documents and images to spreadsheets, audio notes and even hand-written notes. Last week's post was a basic overview and this week I'll show you how to get things INTO the app. 

Evernote is like many apps, in that there are two components: 

1. The web-based component, which lives at a "dot com" address online.
You go there like you would to any other website. You sign in, and you can view all your notes and notebooks. From there, you can upload information to your notebooks, create new notes and notebooks, as well as view notes, edit, share with others, and so on. 

2. The resident component, which lives on your computer.
This component is like any other piece of software in that you can access it even while you're offline because your data actually resides ON your hard drive. If you add or edit any notes or notebooks while you're offline, the resident Evernote app will SYNC ITSELF to the cloud version as soon as it gets an Internet connection. 

The first thing to learn is how to get information into your powerful new productivity assistant. Whether you prefer to use the resident app or the online version, (I work mostly on the resident app on my laptop), you can get information into Evernote in multiple ways.

 

1. Hit the PLUS sign in Evernote to create a new blank note. Then just start typing your content. (Screen shot below)

 

2. Drag and drop files from either Windows or Mac directly into Evernote. (Screen shot below)

 

3. Use the File > Attach Files command to attach a document to a new note. (Screen shot below)

 

4. Open a document, select Print, then select "Send PDF to Evernote." (Screen shot below)

 

5. Take a photo on your phone using the Evernote app. Poof! It's in Evernote!

 

6. Scan a document on your phone using the Evernote app. Poof! It's in Evernote!

 

7. Clip an article, image or entire web page directly from your web browser using the Evernote Web Clipper which is a little elephant icon that you embed in your browser bar. When you're on a website you want to save all or a portion of, just click the elephant and a window opens up. It asks you exactly what portion of the site you'd like to save, into which notebook and you can also add tags right then. (Screen shot below)

 

 

8. Send an email direct to your Evernote default notebook using your unique Evernote email address. (This feature is only available in the Plus and Premium versions.) (Screen shot below)

9. Select File > New Audio Note and record your voice using your computer or phone's microphone. (Screen shot below)

 

10. Select File > New FaceTime Camera Note (this is only on a Mac - Windows users can create a Webcam note.) (Screen shot below)

 

WHEW! There you go, TEN easy ways to get information into Evernote. Practice each one a few times so you can really get your head around it. Don't worry about what information you're capturing, just practice the navigation until it's easy to remember. Next week we'll delve into another aspect of Evernote, your personal and workplace productivity assistant!  

 

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PPS: Links in the above post are affiliate links. I'll make a few cents if you click through and subscribe to a paid version of Evernote. There is a free option for everyone though!  :)

Evernote For Productivity: Tidbit One - The Introduction

Do you have a mental notebook?

I don't. Oh sure I used to years ago, but I learned that I couldn't trust it and Lord knows I could never find it when I needed it. My own truth is this... if I don't capture a thought, an idea, a task or appointment it's as if it doesn't exist. Maybe that sounds silly to you but I don't see the point in wasting valuable head space and my amazing brain thingy keeping track of things. Heck, a thirty-eight cent pencil and paper can do that. I'd rather keep my mental bandwidth free for important things like creativity, problem-solving, and coming up with great new ways to use basil. 

To that end, I've made Evernote my mental notebook and over the next several weeks I'll be sharing with you a whole bunch of ways to use it so you too can free up YOUR amazing brain thingy!

I can't tell you how many times I've mentioned Evernote in passing and the reaction from colleagues and clients is something like, "Oh yeah I've heard of that but I've never used it" or "I downloaded that a while back but I don't know what to do with it" or "Oh Evernote used to date my sister but they broke up last year." 

Ok, maybe nobody ever said that last thing.

But it does seem as if there are lots of people who have heard of Evernote but aren't quite sure what to do with it. I get it. It's like having an entire amusement park to yourself and all day to hang out. What do you do first? Cotton candy? Roller coasters? Carousel? Log flume?? OH THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES!! 

To keep things simple and high level this week, I'll begin by saying that Evernote really is like a mental notebook in the cloud. Think of it as your own personal search engine. Except instead of searching the entire Internet, you're only searching information you've saved because presumably something about it warranted saving. 

The structure of Evernote's information management comprises notebooks, notes, and tags. That's it!

Think of a NOTEBOOK as a physical notebook. Spiral or three-ring doesn't matter. It's a big container for storing information.

Think of a NOTE as a page within a notebook. Again, pretty simple. You can have an empty notebook in Evernote just like you can in real life. As soon as you start writing on the pages of a physical notebook, you've made a note. In Evernote, as soon as you add ANYTHING to a notebook, you've made a note. Tags we'll cover later. 

As for what kind of notes you can create, Evernote accepts information in pretty much every format except vapor. And liquid. Outside of that, you should be good to go. 

You like to free-form type text directly into the Evernote app? Go for it!
Snap a pic of a hand-written page? Go for it!
Digital images? Drag 'em over.
Digital documents? Drag 'em over.
PDFs? Drag 'em over.
Spreadsheets? Drag 'em over.
Videos? Drag 'em over.
Audio notes? Record away!

Evernote's ability to accept virtually any format of information is in itself one of the features that makes Evernote such a powerful tool. It's like a giant cyber-bucket where you save anything and everything that's even remotely important to you.

And that friends, is a good stopping place for today. Next post we'll discuss the all important topic of HOW THE HECK DO I FIND MY STUFF once it's in Evernote and what to keep there? 

Good questions. Stay tuned! 

 

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PPS: Links in the above post are affiliate links. I'll make a few cents if you click through and subscribe to a paid version of Evernote. There is a free option for everyone though.  :)

How's Your Poker Face?

 

Christmas Boy and I both play poker, but he's great at it and I struggle. It reminds me of when I work with clients and they have a hard time understanding why I'm good at organizing and they struggle with it. Organization is a bit like poker in that the concepts of poker are very simple, but mastery can be a real challenge.

To be great at poker, you need to possess specific skill sets and put in lots of practice. Getting organized and staying that way over time is similar. The concepts are simple but the actual implementation and maintenance can be a challenge.

The concepts include 

• Being mindful and aware of how much you have and your own behaviors
• Clearing excess from your life on a regular basis
• Grouping items into categories that make sense to you
• Creating a home for everything you own
• Completing the circle of use by putting things away after you use them

The most important item on the list is the only one that isn't a physical action. Being mindful and aware of what you own and what's occupying your physical and mental space is purely intangible, but without it, no action can happen and positive change is impossible. 

Once you're in the habit of mindful awareness of your space and your own habits, the physical aspects of organization are very simple but they require practice to become second-nature. Whether it's cleaning out your closet twice a year, or simply remembering to clean up after every meal, creating new habits is the best practice and the only way to change the chaos into organization. 

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I Finally Became a Grown-Up

What's the old adage, "The cobbler's children have no shoes" or something like that? Well for years at my house, the organizer's office had no shoes either. And by "shoes" I mean my office was a thrown-together mishmash of whatever furniture I had brought from the last house and pieces I picked up used or had given to me by someone else. Until recently, I really didn't care much about how my office looked, as long as it was organized and supported my needs. I guess I just favored function over form. But something unexpected happened recently. 

I grew up. 

Much like the year I turned forty, when I said to myself, "Self, you're a grown damn woman. You deserve to buy a decent set of kitchen knives!" which was just before I took myself to Cook's Warehouse and did just that. 

Several months ago I was chosen by The Container Store to become one of their Contained Home Consultants. Now, I don't know if it was the trip to Container Store Intergalactic Headquarters in Texas or the full day training at the new Alpharetta location in Georgia, but like Bruce Dickinson, I HAD A FEVAH! And the only prescription (along with more cowbell) was an office makeover.

The old bulky desk? Gone.
The old bookcase? Gone.
The wooden TV tray (yeah I said it) that was holding my NeatDesk? Gone
The black plastic letter trays and desk accessories? Gone.

My grown up self wanted an office that looked and felt intentionally planned and pretty. I made over my space using mostly products from The Container Store (elfa driftwood desktop on platinum legs, three elfa 7-runner drawer units, an orange & driftwood Vario modular shelving unit, an aqua C-Table, an aqua Poppin storage cube and some aqua Poppin desk accessories). Two white Crate and Barrel leaning shelves hold books, photos and personal memorabilia and my Roost laptop stand plus an external keyboard keeps me ergonomically in line. 

Now I LOVE being in my office, which is a welcome change and further validates my long-held belief that your surroundings do have an effect on your mood and productivity. What have you done lately to change your surroundings for the better?

  

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Less Resolution and More Revolution

Guest Post provided by Tina O'Keefe

 

One thing I always tell my clients when they are about to start working with me as an organizer is that it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets a lot better. They think I’m joking until we are about two hours into a session and there is a gigantic pile of belongings that used to reside inside a closet sitting in the middle of their bedroom floor. I am usually standing somewhere on the other side sorting and taking inventory of what needs to be done while the client is getting a good look at all their private “treasures” and feeling very anxious. 

 

I don’t set out to create anxiety but it is part of the process. The mess has always existed only now it exists on the bedroom floor instead of inside the closet. Facing the disorder, seeing the chaos, can be alarming.  But we need to be alarmed to take action sometimes. We need to really see the problem so that we can face it and, eventually, solve it. We need to make the mess in order to clean it up.

 

So in January of a new year, we make resolutions and we say that we will “get organized.” But it will take more than a resolution. It will mean a revolution because in order to truly get rid of clutter, we need to embrace change. It requires resolve, determination and of course, a plan:

 

1. Set your goal. Be specific. Give yourself a deadline. 

2. Don’t be afraid to make a mess. You need to know what you are facing in order to deal with it.

3. Stick with it. If it has to be a little every day or once a week, don’t get disheartened. 

4. Get support. Ask a friend to help you out. Encourage your family to get involved. Call a professional                 if you really get stuck. 

5. Maintain. Once the work is done and the area is cleaned out, don’t start filling it up again. Enjoy and embrace the space you’ve made. 

 

So let’s not just resolve to get organized this year - let’s promise ourselves something more. How about real change. Let’s promise ourselves a bit of freedom from the embarrassment of a cluttered home. Let’s promise ourselves a relaxing space to sit and read without clutter. Let’s promise ourselves a healthier home free of dust and allergens. We will not be victims to our possessions. We will fight back and win!  

 

Vive la révolution!

 

 

 

Marie Kondo's New Clothes

Recently I've had new clients call me after becoming inspired by Marie Kondo's book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I've also had long-time clients ask me what I think of it. Inspired by my friend and colleague Hazel Thorton's blog post about Marie Kondo and her organizing philosophies, I'll share my own thoughts with you.

From the first time I learned about Marie Kondo, her books, philosophies and methods, I had a feeling about it that I couldn't quite articulate. Finally, after reading more and witnessing the social phenomenon around it, I realized what that feeling was.

Emperor's New Clothes.

At the considerable risk of sounding like an unprofessional and envious shrew, there is nothing new under the sun, as they say, in the world of organizing except perhaps calling it "tidying up."

Marie Kondo brings her own voice to the same concepts and practices that I and my esteemed colleagues have been doing with clients for decades. She chooses different words to say the same thing we've all been saying, and these "new" words combined with a killer PR team have garnered her amazing results. Good for her.

Are the principles sound? Many of them are! They've been tried and tested over many years. However many of them are also not sound for every person in every culture or situation. Although there may be only one Steve Jobs, one Elvis, and there can be only one Highlander, there is not only one "correct" way to organize, grasshopper.    

Sparking Joy

"Does this spark joy?" is a recurring theme of Marie Kondo's book(s) and philosophy. I totally get it and I wholeheartedly agree that asking the right questions is an effective way to help our clients (and ourselves) release things we've been holding onto unnecessarily. We all ask our clients equivalent questions and we combine the joy questions with similar and relevant inquiries such as, "What would have to happen for you to need this again?" and "Are there legal or other real reasons to keep this?" Sometimes it's just about asking, "Did you know you still had this?" or "What does this item make you think of?"

I've been helping people declutter, organize and simplify their lives for the better part of twenty years and I know from experience that you truly can't base the answer to "Should I keep this" solely on whether it sparks joy or not. Some things do spark joy but just don't make sense to keep (high school cheerleading outfit, anyone?) And conversely, my mortgage payoff documents, divorce papers, medical records and tax returns don't exactly spark joy. Far from it, in fact but sister, you better believe I'm keeping all of 'em. Forevah. 

Don't Tidy Every Day

Marie is into "tidying marathons" rather than doing a little every day. Again, I get it! A focused period of organizing can absolutely create momentum which propels you into continued action that you've been lacking. But is it realistic to EMPTY an entire room all at once and "tidy" it in one fell swoop? Sure, maybe if your entire living space is one room. Maybe for her. Maybe for her clients. But not for everyone. This advice may work in certain instances, but it would also be fair to note that it goes directly against another tried-and-true organizing concept. We often recommend starting in an area that will make a big impact and only delve into as much as you can do without becoming overwhelmed and therefore paralyzed.

So yes, as much as some of Kondo's philosophies and methodologies are sound and realistic, some are not. And frankly, I think some are just plain loonytoons.

There, I said it.



Give Every Item Undue Attention

Empty my purse each night, individually thank each thing, then put the items in ANOTHER SPOT to sleep until replacing them all back into my purse in the morning? Not only NO but HELL NO. Good grief woman, I have work to finish and exercise to do and dinner to make and cat puke to clean up. I'm not emptying my purse every night. My fully loaded, 10-pound Butler Bag is content sitting on the floor next to my bed and in the morning it's just as full as it was the night before.

Take my shampoo bottle out of the shower every day, dry off the bottle and put it away UNDER THE BATHROOM SINK? Are you out of your mind? That goes directly against the concept of another tried-and-true organizing concept of making things easy to access and use. My shampoo bottle and all the other things in my shower LIVE IN THERE for my convenience and it's gonna stay that way.

Fold my underwear? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ummmm, lemme think... NO. I'm not folding my underwear. Ever. You wanna know what the ROI is on underwear folding? It's ZERO. Besides, you can't fold a thong in any meaningful way, so don't be a hero.

As for the KonMari Method of t-shirt folding, I'm not even going to pretend that's new. Do I like it? Yep! Do I use it myself? Sometimes when I bother to fold at all and definitely yes when I'm packing for travel. But half the planet has been folding shirts this way for 872 years (give or take a few hundred). Listen, if Marie Kondo invented that fold, then I invented wine. Just sayin'... 

 

Emperor's New Clothes

I'm not a mean girl. And I really don't mean to be nasty because there are some good ideas in her books. Granted, they also show up in every other organizing book, and that's part of where it gets a little bit Emperor's New Clothes-y. It feels as if people are so enamored of this smart, adorable Japanese girl and her fabulous "new organizing clothes" that nobody wants to be the witch who says, "HEY Y'ALL, SHE'S NAKED! IT'S NOT NEW. IT'S NOT REVOLUTIONARY. AND THAT FOLD ISN'T EVEN HER IDEA!"

Good For Her

All that being said, I harbor no ill will toward Marie as a person. Heck I'm a capitalist, so I say good for her! She has an amazing PR team and she should enjoy her success for as long as she can. I acknowledge that because of her books, more people are coming into the conversation and taking action that they may have never felt inspired to take before. Yahoo! For all that I'm grateful and happy. The pie is indeed plenty big for all of us and she's made it even bigger, which is good for the public and for our profession. But I hope you'll excuse me if I prefer not to call it new or magical. 

 

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Death To The Open Plan Office

Imagine this... you've just build a brand new house and your bedroom is a glass-walled enclosure without a ceiling, in the center of the house, surrounded by the kitchen and living areas. At first that might sound cool and different! But unless you live alone, it's not a great idea if you ever actually intend to sleep.

For most people, the state called SLEEP requires some environmental conditions -- namely darkness and quiet -- which are nearly impossible to achieve in the floor plan we're discussing. Glass walls allow light from the other rooms into the space. The open ceiling means you can hear people talking in other rooms. This complete lack of privacy would make even the most easy-going person uneasy. But hey, it looks cool! Such is the case in too many open plan workplaces. 

I started my organizing and productivity business in 1998 -- which by the way, is the turn of the LAST century -- so I'm no spring chicken. I've seen workplace trends evolve from private offices to perimeter executive offices surrounding a center cube-farm, to modern "pods" to large open tables that accommodate several work stations.

More than once I've been called in to a modern, fabulous looking office to help the employees actually get things done. The operative words in this scenario are "fabulous LOOKING" because there's not much else fabulous about an open plan office other than how it looks to the casual observer. It's like the glossy pages of a home interiors magazine. It looks pretty but you sure couldn't live there.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against offices looking cool, but the workplace has a very specific purpose. Unfortunately the open plan office most often doesn't support productive work, and in many cases it actually inhibits it.

How can you possibly carry on a conversation with a customer, prospect, or colleague when there are no walls to constrain your words? How can you make a phone call when you're in a room with seven other people who are also on the phone? How can you be expected to crank out your best work when you have to wear earbuds with white noise just to have a slim chance of staying mentally focused among the myriad visual and auditory distractions in an open office? And Heaven forbid you're an introvert whose very sanity requires being alone for large chunks of the day but you're forced to sit in the buzz of the crowd at work.  

Yeah yeah I know, I'm old. I'm a dinosaur, I'm against "progress" and I walked ten miles to school uphill in the snow, both ways. But hear me out. I believe there are ways to have your office look cool and trendy, to facilitate collaboration and employee "collision" (as one Samsung exec advocates) and still create space for your staff to be focused and productive.

If I were designing an office, I'd make it an environmental buffet where people could choose the space that fit their personal work-style, task and project-driven needs and everyday work functions.

Customer service or sales people who spend the majority of their day on the phone would get more private spaces where they don't feel they have to whisper. Creative types would be able to choose either a high-walled or low-walled cube to work in, or an open table, depending on whether their work that day requires solitary focus or collaboration.

I'd include ample group seating areas (that aren't TOO close to quiet zones) where impromptu meetings can happen, or where a person could come if their creative process requires external stimuli. For purely paperless digital workers, I would plan clusters of standing or adjustable workstations each surrounded by glass with a semi-sheer curtain to offer a bit of privacy when they need it. Sure, my plan isn't a detailed, but a big-picture example of how form should always follow function when designing a workplace that fosters worker productivity and contentment.

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What Does Your Book Say?

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its chapter is New Year’s day."

~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

 

 

 

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New House Organizing Tip #9!

We're almost into a brand new year and what better time to review your successes of the past and make plans to do things a bit differently going forward. For the past few months I've been showing you all the simple (and mostly inexpensive) organizing solutions I've been putting in place in our new home. So far we've ventured into the cabinets, the pantry, the coat closet, the fridge and under the sink.

In the last post, I showed you how I'm using the insides of cabinet doors beneath the kitchen sink. They hold a bunch of small stuff that would otherwise get lost in the cabinet or perhaps not fit into a drawer. Today I'll show you how I used the same idea in the master bathroom.

First of all, I don't believe in dragging cleaning products from downstairs to upstairs and back down again, plus I like to clean my bathroom sink and mirror every day or two just to keep it from getting really gross. This frequent spot-cleaning routine requires the items I need be close by and easy to access.

Secondly, I wash and dry my hair nearly every day and most days I'll touch it up with a curling iron or flat iron. In order for me to keep my bathroom neat and organized, my hair tools need to be close at hand and easy to get out and put away. 

Because I have cabinets under my bathroom sink, I used the same tactic as I did in the kitchen. I found three over-the-cabinet-door organizers that are designed for bathroom items and they're perfect for not only keeping the things I want close by, but I have extra space inside the cabinets now too. Easy, inexpensive and effective. 

  

 Hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a rockin' 2016!! 

 

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New Home Organizing Tip #8!

Before the holidays I started a series of posts sharing the various simple organizing solutions I've been implementing in our new home. It's surprising how long it takes to figure out just the right solution when you're faced with living in an entirely new space. Today's organizing tip might be the last one from the kitchen and it's one of my faves.

One of the most overlooked storage spots in homes and offices is the inside surface of a cabinet door. There are so many ways you can use this space to augment your storage capacity. I love these little bins that I attached on the inside of the left side cabinet below my kitchen sink. On the right, I opted for hooks for my strainer, wine glass cleaner and fly swatter. These easily accessible spaces are so handy for storing small items that might otherwise clutter the sink and for things I either don't want to keep in a drawer or that don't fit well in a drawer. 

  

You can see that even with all these items on the doors, I still have a little more available space if I decide to add more hooks or bins down the road. 

What are your favorite simple and inexpensive organizing tricks?

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The Magic of Christmas

"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas."

 


~ W. C. Jones

 

 

 

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