Friday, April 23, 2010

Genius little grippers for hangers

 
I love these little sticky gel pads you put on hangers to keep things from slipping off. Genius! I got them for a client and I am using them too.   
Slip Grip...only about $3.00 for 20 grips which will be good for 10 hangers. I bought mine at Organize.com. http://www.organize.com/clear-slip-grip-self-adhesive-shoulder-holders.html

Sunday, April 11, 2010

But don't expect procrastination to pay!

After my last post,  I attended the NSGCD teleclass "Why don't we just do it? - Managing Procrastination" presented by Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D.

It was a wonderful class and I highly recommend reading his blog.

But he DID talk about that whole thing about sometimes procrastination paying....yes, once in awhile it can pay, but 99% of the time is doesn't, and it usually causes us pain, guilt, anxiety and sometimes even money!

So, yes, the fact that I did procrastinate in signing up for the class (actually it was more like I got distracted every time I went to the site to sign up...someone in my house suddenly needed my attention it seemed!) and I posted that fact on Facebook...and got quoted for it...it truly was one of the few times that it paid off. Being open and honest about it is what really paid off, since I think it came to the attention of the NSGCD that there was a problem in the registration process for that class. I wonder how many other organizers were just too embarrassed to say something when they thought the class was full and that's why they couldn't get in? I, however, just loved the irony of it too much not to mention it!

Saturday, April 03, 2010

When procrastination pays...!

Whoo-hoo, I got quoted in a colleague's blog post (from my FaceBook post on procrastination–I had waited too long to sign up for a teleclass on procrastination!). Another organizer named Margaret...Margaret Lukens of New Leaf Organizing.

Margaret wrote a nice essay about how organizers might be perceived as being "perfectly organized" yet we, are indeed, human!

Friday, April 02, 2010

What have I finished?

There's nothing wrong with not having finished, with being "mid-process" on your way to completing something. There's even nothing wrong with not knowing what you are going to end up with in the end. of letting the process guide you to what you'll end up with. Trusting in the process and trusting in yourself are the key.

Here are a couple of examples around this idea.

Often, when I first visit a client, I have no idea how I will help them! But I have learned to trust in the process of the questions I ask and trust in myself that I do have the skills necessary to help. Things start unfolding as I get to know the client and how he or she thinks and her likes and dislikes. Ideas start to come, and not usually just from me. The best ideas often come from the client--I am often just a catalyst to help them see how they would like to proceed. We have a vague idea of what the end result is--a more organized home, better time management, etc. But it is through trial and error (and close examination of those success and challenges) that we arrive on what works. Each step is a completion of sorts, along the "mid-process" route.

In another metaphor, think about the college student. Many young adults start college without being sure of what kind of a degree they want. They just start by attending required courses, then trying on some they think they like and making decisions from there. No one thinks less of them because they don't have a degree yet--they are "mid-process." The degree comes at the end. The experience comes the whole time! And how many people do we know who actually completed college in only four years, without taking longer or changing their major? I know a few exist, but I don't think they are the majority. What students have "finished" all along the way are hundreds of assignments, and dozens of papers, books and classes. Let's not forget to enjoy that "completion chemistry" with all the "little" completions along the way. (Good to remember whether you are a college student or not!)

And even when we've "finished" getting a degree, we are never finished learning or deciding we can take a few more courses, whether a new "course" at a college or a new "course" in life.