It’s been a while since I’ve put together Seana’s Sampler, a roundup of tips, thoughts, and resources. This month I’m sharing a few terrific discoveries from people with whom I have recently crossed paths in the organizing and productivity industry. I hope you’ll enjoy perusing this content and come away with something you like!
Podcasts to Get Organized and Improve Productivity…
Do you listen to podcasts? I find they are an easy way to learn something new without much effort. If you want to improve your productivity, check out this wonderful podcast from fellow organizers and productivity experts Deb Lee and Cris Sgrott called “Productivity Lovers Podcast.” Recent episodes have covered “Hot Potato Productivity,” “Productivity Avoidance,” and “Productive, Not Perfect.” Couldn’t we all use a little help with getting things done in a way that doesn’t stress us out?
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Two other friends, Angie Hyche and Liana George, have just launched a podcast called “Uncluttered: Shaping Your Heart and Home for What Matters Most.”This podcast comes from a Christian viewpoint, and has recently addressed “Dirty Words of Organizing,” “Is Disorganization a Sin?” and “Clutter 101.” Each podcast is about 15-20 minutes long and is full of understanding and encouragement.
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Two Effective Organizing Tools…
Do you want to get organized but never seem to have a block of time you can dedicate to the task? Only have ten minutes? Two sweet friends have developed a powerhouse tool for decluttering and getting organized in small snippets of time. It is called “Organize Your Home 10 Minutes at a Time,” and comes in the form of a deck of cards. Each card suggests four to six simple steps you can take to organize a category or space in only ten minutes. They even note which cards are child friendly, so you can get the whole family involved.
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My friend and author Hazel Thornton is back with a new tool that will be a gem for anyone who struggles with decision-making. Entitled, “Go With the Flow!: The Clutter Flow Chart Workbook.” The beauty of Hazel’s approach is that she breaks down what might feel like large, overwhelming projects into bite-sized decisions, and then guides you through making each one. This book includes a flow chart for 17 rooms, including the kitchen, closet, garage, office paper, to-do, photo, ancestry, keepsake, holidays, kids’ paper, and more. She even has a chart to help you figure out where to start! If you’ve been feeling stuck, this might be the perfect way to jumpstart your progress.
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Help for Getting Laundry Done…
I had the pleasure of collaborating with a bunch of friends on “Mastering the Art of Laundry: How to Sort, Wash, and Organize Your Clothes for Optimal Care” over on Porch.com.This article is full of tips for various aspects of the laundry process, a chore that many struggle with on a daily basis. Why not pop over and see if there are any tips that might make doing laundry easier and more pleasant?
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A TEDx Talk to Boost Your Communication…
Part of living an organized and productive life stems from how well we communicate with others. For instance, we can have a great plan for keeping our home organized, but if no one else “folds in,” we can become quickly frustrated. Similarly, we might have a great strategy for a project, event, or assignment, but if we fail to communicate well with relevant parties, we may struggle to succeed.
The National Association for Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) recently launched a virtual leadership discussion group to help us successfully serve our clients. I particularly enjoyed listening to the TEDx Talk entitled, “How to Have a Good Conversation” with Celeste Headlee. I have found myself thinking about her advice ever since watching. Having tried out a few of the techniques she suggested, I think almost anyone can benefit from giving them a try. Can you think of a relationship where a different approach might be helpful?
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A Motivating Video…
This month my friends, fellow organizers, and organizing business partners from NAPO-CT were lucky enough to welcome speaker Larry Janesky, CEO and Founder, Contractor Nation, American businessman, entrepreneur, author and trainer. Larry shared lots of valuable information with us during the meeting, some of which I captured in my notes.
Prioritization is the master skill of high achievers. What is most important to you NOW? This changes all the time, so we need to keep asking the question. It is important to spend most of our time on what is most important now, not only what screams the loudest or appears to be urgent. Sometimes the right decision is to leave something undone so that you can do something else that is more important.
- Use your talent and contribute. All of us have unique abilities and gifts. Rather than envying the ones we perceive we lack, we will feel more satisfied and joyful if we focus on using and sharing our strengths.
- If you’re in a rut, bored, depressed, or feeling aimless, learn something new. Change your perspective. Keep it fresh. There is so much out there!
- Remember that dissatisfaction is most likely when your expectations don’t align with reality. Sometimes the quickest path to feeling good about our efforts starts by setting realistic expectations before we even begin.
- Be very clear about where you are and where you want to go. Nobody can be clearer about your life than you. What does your ideal life look like? Are you living it today?
- In many situations, it is not sufficient quantity of information that we struggle with, but rather execution of what we know. If you are having a hard time making progress, focus on what action you can take.
Larry has a compelling and inspiring personal story that we were invited to watch before the meeting. If you could use a dose of motivation, I encourage you to watch.
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What a joy for me to be surrounded by great people and wonderful resources. Did any of these resonate with you? I’d love to know!
