NAPO WDC Blog

Changing Where You Live On The Routine Spectrum

Jill Katz

One to Zen Organizing

May 1, 2022

The Story

Part of my job as a Professional Organizer is to help people create habits and routines, and then stick to them. And I am great at doing that! In fact, my own life is filled with habits and routines that keep me on track throughout the day and week.

But while I love my routine-filled day, I always marvel at those who take an hour to have coffee with a friend or even an occasional spa day. I want to introduce more flexibility into my schedule but my routines are what keep me tethered to a sense of normalcy. Without them, what would happen? 

The Routine Spectrum

My thinking led me to approach “Routine” as a spectrum. On one side of the spectrum is Flexibility and on the other side is Structure. There is a tendency for different neurodiverse brains to fall on different ends of the spectrum For example, when I organize with people who have ADHD, I often find they fall on the flexiblililty end of the spectrum. Because those with ADHD struggle with executive functioning, they need help creating structure and order.  On the other hand, when I work with people who live with OCD or Aspergers, I often find the opposite phenomenon. In their need to exert control, those clients tend to have highly routinized days and fall on the structure end of the spectrum.

The Strategies

So what do you do if your schedule is completely flexible and you want to create more structure? Or if, like me, your days are full of structure and you want to create more flexibility?

Here are some strategies I created for those of you who would like to change where you lie on the spectrum:

1. Mindfulness in your goals

Yes, changing your behavior always starts and ends with mindfulness. In order to change, you first need to decide where you want to lie on the spectrum. What bothers you about your day? Which routines do you need and which ones are getting in the way? For example, perhaps you would like to have 2 days a month where you upend your work routines and make a playdate. Or maybe you would like to establish a morning routine because you feel your morning “gets away from you.”

1. Ask “why” 5 times 

The “5 Whys” techniqueis a problem-solving technique that gets to the core of your motivation. If you truly want to add more rigidity or more flexibility to your schedule, you need to drill down a bit. You can do this by asking a question, answering it, and then taking that answer and turning it into the next “Why” question. Here is an example of how it works:

Why #1: Why do I want to establish a morning routine? Because I want to get something done in the morning.

Why #2: Why do I want to get something done in the morning? Because I want to feel more productive.

Why # 3: Why do I want to feel more productive? Because I feel bad when I don’t get things done by the end of the day.

Why #4: Why do I feel bad when I don’t get things done by the end of the day? Because then I feel I am a failure as a parent.

Why #5: Why do I feel I am a failure as a parent? Because I want to do more for my children.

Motivation for a morning routine: I want to do more for my children

1. Practice

Look for small opportunities to implement change. Start small in order to create success that you can build on. For example, if you want to create more flexibility in your schedule, think about one fun thing you can do that month. Then the next month, aim for two fun things.

1. Play to your strengths

People can be hard on themselves. We tend to hyperfocus on our deficits with harsh judgment. For example, one person might say, “There is something wrong with me. I can never stick to a routine.” Another might say, “I am so boring. I never do anything spontaneous.” Turn that script around! For example, you can say “I am a caring person” and use your strength of caring to build a workout routine – go walking with a friend who can use the company. Or say “I am a great planner” and use your planning abilities to plan a fun day if you need time to adjust to a change in schedule.

1. Be curious

Lean into the “Power of the Pause” by reflecting on your attempts at changing your place on the Routine Spectrum. When reflecting, consider your goals, what happened when you tried something new, and how you felt about it. If it worked, consider the reason for your success and don’t forget to celebrate! If your attempt fails, consider why and tweak as needed. But keep trying! 

In Conclusion

Where do you lie on the Routine Spectrum? Where do you want to be? Which strategies resonate with you? Please share in the comments.

For more information, contact Jill Katz.

Jill Katz

One to Zen Organizing

November 9, 2021

The History

I missed my September Blog.

I created my Organizing & Mindfulness Blog in March 2020 right before Covid hit. Every month since then, I have been faithfully publishing one blog at the end of each month. But when this September rolled around, insanity hit. I had so much happening - celebrating five Jewish holidays in a row (In order: Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret & Simchat Torah), preparing for guests, getting my two kids settled in school at home and abroad, and carrying my regular client load. So September came and went without a blog. And even though I preach self compassion to my clients, boy did I beat myself up about it.

And it’s not just me who has this self-flagellating tendency. Countless times, I have shown up to a client session only to hear the client berate him or herself. Here are some common phrases that I hear:

I am so embarrassed by this mess.

I didn’t get to your homework. I am terrible.

How could I let this room get so out of control?

The Research

Why are we so hard on ourselves? Psychologist Kristin Neff explains that we carry around these common misconceptions surrounding self-compassion and self-criticism:

• We think that being kind to ourselves will stifle our drive to do better.

• We think harsh criticism will push us to improve.

• Our brain perpetuates the myth that “Perfection can be a reality.”

However, in truth:

• Self-criticism serves as a barrier to self-improvement

• Harsh criticism is similar to corporal punishment: It will work in the short term but produce harmful long-term effects

• We are by nature imperfect

  The Strategies

So how can we break through these brain barriers and improve our practice of self-compassion? Here are some tips:

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the first step in assessing your feelings and needs, an important part of any kind of compassion. How are you feeling at the moment? Are you hurting? Disappointed? Those feelings signal the need for self compassion.

Connectivity

We all make mistakes - attempting and failing is a universal struggle. Recognizing this imperfection in ourselves allows us to be more compassionate with others. For example, if I give myself a break when I am late to an appointment, I am more likely to treat others with compassion when they turn up late to our meeting. The next time you treat someone harshly consider: Are you perhaps intolerant in this area because you don’t allow yourself some leverage? Perhaps this is more about you and your feelings and needs.

Practice

 Give yourself a hug

 We all know that “Practice Makes  Better.” (Remember, there is no such  thing as Perfection). But how do we  practice self-compassion?

•  The next time you fail to live up to your  own expectations, say out loud. “It’s  OK, insert your name, everybody  makes mistakes” or “That’s OK, you will  do better next time.”

•  Use soothing gestures such as a pat on  your own back or a self-hug, even a  shoulder kiss.

• Speak as though you are talking to a friend or loved one instead of in first person (“You” or your name in third person instead of “I”). Studies have shown that we can think more clearly when regarding others over ourselves. Why? Learn more about the Solomon Paradox.

In Conclusion

In her Happier podcast, Gretchen Rubin shares that many teachers dub the first week of school, “Mercy Week”. During that week, teachers extend a free pass to any late students as they adjust to their school schedule. I have decided that September is my “Mercy Month” and am giving myself a free pass. “It’s OK, Jill - you deserve it!,” I am now telling myself. And don’t forget that YOU deserve self-compassion when you fall short of your own expectations.

For more information, contact Jill Katz.

Samara Goodman

Samara Interiors LLC

Fall 2021

As we head into the fall with daylight decreasing each day, this is a good time to make sure that our homes have great lighting to keep our spirits bright year-round. Lighting is a critical decorating layer to consider in all aspects of home design. Whether you're lighting for mood, function, style, or safety, there are more options than ever to choose from. This article will look at the layers of lighting (general, accent, and task), as well as safety lighting and a brief overview of light bulb lingo.

GENERAL 

Most often, people think of CHANDELIERS as light fixtures for the dining room. But they aren't just for dining rooms! Consider installing chandeliers in a bedroom, walk-in closet, and over a freestanding bathtub. For more information on size, style, and placement of a chandelier, please see this Samara Interiors Decor Guide. PENDANT lights are sometimes used for task lighting, but often, they are used as a primary overhead light source. For that function, at Samara Interiors we prefer using clear glass to maximize the light output, as was done in the client's kitchen below. Other common overhead light fixture types are SEMI-FLUSH MOUNT and flush mount. These are typically used in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms. In both foyers below, we coordinated the style of the semi-flush mount fixture to complement the other fixtures throughout the home.

Samara Interiors; Arlington, VA 

          Samara Interiors; Arlington, VA 

TASK

A critical lighting layer is FUNCTIONAL task lighting. Lights such as desk lamps, under-cabinet lighting, picture lights, and reading lamps provide directional illumination that will spotlight the task while causing minimal discomfort to the eyes. Good lighting is also critical for both security and for aging in place. Too much light is not visually comfortable and too little light causes eye strain and can be a safety hazard. For SAFETY lighting, consider lighting all staircases and steps, both inside and outside the home. Amber night lights provide safety lighting that does not interfere with circadian rhythms and sleep patterns. 

                                          Samara Interiors; Bethesda, MD & Arlington and Falls Church, VA

In many of the photographs seen throughout this newsletter, one can see examples of ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING – lighting that is integrated into the rooms structure and is hard-wired as opposed to plug-in. This type of lighting is seen in many forms, such as recessed, spotlights, and cove. Architectural lighting can be used to create mood, to highlight artwork, or to function as the primary overhead light source. In the example below, we have used an LED puck light to illuminate the client's beautifully reframed artwork in the built-in niche.

                                                                             Samara Interiors; Fairfax, VA 

For more information, contact Samara Goodman.

Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

November 2021

What do you do when you are ready for the next stage of life, but need help getting there?

Moving on to a new phase in life can be hard. No, let me change that – For most people it’s extremely hard. Even if it’s a happy “new phase”, like a new home or addition to the family (baby or puppy). With change comes upheaval. You have to adapt schedules and routines and reimagine parts of your life. When I started organizing I didn’t realize that I’d be part of the support people need when moving to the next stage of life.

Sometimes making a change requires getting support

It may take a while to get yourself moving to the next stage. Have you wanted to look for a new job for a while? Or maybe you’ve wanted to move, but just can’t find the motivation to get out and look for a new place. This is often the case when people hire a coach, to help them move on. Sometimes the Basic Organization organizers find themselves in a “coaching role” when a client is ready to move to the next stage in life but needs some support to do so.

Today I’d like to tell you the story of how we helped one client move on to the next stage in her life. I’ll tell you now, it’s not all about organizing.

The Beginning

At our first meeting, I found “Jane” to be a delightful, motivated, and focused individual. This is not always the case with organizing clients. Jane showed me her detailed, written plan of what she wanted to do. I think if someone can get to the point of a written plan they don’t need the help of an organizer. I learned so much from Jane. She knew when she wanted to work (around her work schedule) and she knew where she wanted to start (in the storage room). Jane wanted to review and declutter her entire house, but like a lot of our clients, she wanted to see how it went. I understand. If you’ve never hired a professional organizer, it is not easy to give over to the process right away.

Jane had spent the pandemic working from home. I think having this extra time in the space had her rethinking how she was using it. Jane had become a widow 5 years earlier.  Since then she had not made big changes in her home. Spending all this extra time had her re-examining how she wanted to live in the space – for herself and no one else.

The assessment went stunningly well. I toured the home with her. She showed me every room. We talked about what she wanted to do in each space. I asked Jane about her goals in each room. How she wants to use the space in the future is important to have a good outcome with an organizing project. Most of the house was lovely, albeit a bit cluttered. The exceptions (in my opinion) were her kitchen and her storage room.  Jane wanted to start in her storage room. Awesome! In my experience, your storage room is a great place to start, because when your storage space is disorganized, pockets of clutter grow in your living spaces.

We scheduled 4 days to declutter and organize the storage room. I can hear you say “WOW! 4 days!”. Let me tell you, this storage room was big and had a lifetime of items inside. The biggest challenge (I knew from experience) was going to be Jane’s deceased husband’s things. His things took up about half the space. Also included in the storage room were a few of her adult daughter’s things, holiday decor, the laundry room, and some storage for cleaning and kitchen items. The typical storage room really. Jane’s daughter came home for the first two scheduled appointments to help out. We scheduled 3 organizers for the first 4 appointments.

We always try to use the materials that our clients already own while organizing a space. Jane had all the shelving and storage bins that were needed to complete this space, so she didn’t have to purchase anything to get started.

The Middle

I was lucky enough to be part of the team for the first appointment. As the story goes, we spent most of the first two days sorting through what was in the storage room. Jane had a lot of items that she wanted to sell. So as we worked, we separated those items out, into another room and took photos so we could post them on her neighborhood Facebook sell page.

Jane chose a lot of items to go to the curb. GO TO THE CURB means “good for someone else” items that the client does want any longer, but is willing to give away for free. These items are usually not good enough to donate, like well-used furniture or a pile of wood. We posted these immediately on the Facebook marketplace for free, each day that we were there and by the end of the day (always) everything was gone, saving Jane a junk removal fee. Jane also identified what was trash, which was bag up to go out in her regular pickup. We also loaded our cars with donations each day. This alleviates Jane from taking multiple trips to her local charity drop-off location or making an appointment for a pickup.

Jane and her daughter made quick decisions on items . . . until they didn’t. We learn that Jane had lost a child many years ago when we uncovered some items that had memories attached to their lost loved one.  At times like these, we give the client space. Things tend to slow down and we step well into a supporting role. These are emotional times for clients and we want to honor their emotions and wishes. Jane and her daughter worked through these memories at their pace and did the hard work making decisions on what the Next Stage was for these things. We were honored to help them through the process.

Moving on, we tackled the storage room and left Jane with an organized, half-empty space. Now she can find and move easily get to what she needs. Jane can also now re-imagine and use the empty space for something that supports her present-day interests.

The End

Jane was so happy with her newly organized storage room, that she made more appointments to tackle other spaces in her home. Next came the kitchen reorganization. Jane sorted and let go of many items that no longer fit her present-day lifestyle since she’s now living alone and does cook those big meals that she used to. Eventually, we worked in her office, linen closet, and bedroom.

Oh and by the way, we were quite successful in selling many items for Jane on Facebook, so she recouped a bit of our fee as well.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

November 9, 2021

I love to organize and know the benefits I reap from the exercise. If you are not the same, focus on the benefits of those unlikeable tasks to get them done.

1. Gain energy. Clutter isn’t just ugly, it’s exhausting. It’s just a reminder of things to do. Eliminate the tension by cleaning up the clutter.
2. Improve safety. You’ll feel better knowing that your house is cleared of clutter that could cause a fall or other injury.
3. Start your day happy. Above all, you’ll feel in control if you can start your day by getting dressed from a clutter-free closet and dresser.
4. Gain more time. By knowing where things are you won’t waste time looking for items.
5. Appreciate what you have. I often quote Peter Walsh to my clients, by saying “When everything is important, nothing is important.” Only keep items that mean a great deal to you.
6. Do less later. When you clean your home you usually start with decluttering. By being proactive you eliminate that first step in cleaning.
7. Enjoy more light. Cleaning the windows and lampshades can give you a new outlook on your space.
8. Get some exercise. Decluttering and organizing is hard work. Therefore you’ll burn some calories by clearing some space.
9. Be “company ready”. Eliminating clutter will go a long way to making your space ready for visitors.
10. Take a tax deduction. Take your unwanted items to a charity and take a deduction on your taxes.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

September 27, 2021

It’s that time of year again! School is in session. How is your student managing their time? Do you find yourself constantly nagging them to do their homework? Do they always end up doing a large project the night before it’s due? Managing their time and organizing the tasks they need to do is a common issue for today’s students.

So how can you help them?

First, ask yourself some questions. Do they have a good system in place to track all of their to-dos? Are they proactively planning and working ahead? Do they have a way to look at their extracurricular commitments AND their schoolwork in order to see possible future time crunches? Have you discussed the benefit of working ahead and not doing everything at the last moment? Is their desk space organized and uncluttered, with appropriate supplies and limited distractions? Do they have both a paper filing and electronic filing system (they should be similar) in place so they can easily find the information they need to do their work?

One of the most important things a parent can do to prepare a child for schooling at the next level (e.g., middle school, high school, college), is to make sure they have good time management and organization skills to manage their workload. Each year, the amount of work a student is expected to manage increases. The system they used previously needs to be continually improved to meet their additional workload.

Is your student learning time management?

I’m amazed that our schools don’t actively teach our students to do this as part of their education. If you’re lucky, they’ve had a teacher that made this a personal priority. I’ve seen so many capable students whose work suffered not because of their ability, but because of limited organizational and time management skills.

So, if you haven’t already, sit down with your student and have them show you the system they use. Ask the questions listed above. Ask what is working and what is not working.  Try not to be judgmental. Don’t try and impose your system on them. We all operate a bit differently and each individual needs his or her own system. Many students do well with a planner that includes both school and extracurricular activities managed together in a very visual, grid type format (the planners handed out by many schools DON’T work well for some students or would work better used in a modified way). Others can operate fine with a series of lists.    Some like to use paper and pencil and others prefer to use an automated tool or application.

Ask them how they are filing their schoolwork, both paper, and electronic files.

Encourage them to set up a paper-based filing system in a file drawer or file crate for this year’s schoolwork. (If they haven’t cleared out last year’s work, now is a good time to get that done!). Most students file papers and files by school subject, making subfolders as needed. Others prefer to file based on their block scheduling (odd day subjects vs. even day subjects).  The system should make sense to them and paper and electronic filing systems should be the same.

Finally, make sure they have a good place to work.

It should be comfortable and inviting. Ideally, they should have a hard surface, a comfortable reading chair, access to organized supplies, easy access to a computer and their electronic filing system, a file cabinet or crate for paper files (with extra folders and hanging files), and limited distractions. Some students need to be encouraged to leave their mobile devices in another room while working. Others work better with background music. Encourage your student to try a few different things. Many of them are surprised how productive they are when their phones AREN’T in the room with them.

Most students are using some system. However, many of them haven’t customized it to work well for THEM or are missing some of the important pieces discussed above.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

 

Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

September 27, 2021

Let’s talk about how to reduce paper clutter.

With the wide variety of paper that comes into your home every day, you need individual systems (a defined way) to deal with each kind of paper. Having a system will make it easier to determine what is necessary to keep and what should go.

1. Stop the junk mail and catalogs by signing up for Catalog Choice to remove yourself from mailing lists.

2. Manage your magazines from coming into your home by canceling subscriptions that you don’t read consistently. Rip out the articles that interest you and file them in categories in folders to eliminate the bulk of the magazines.

3. After reconciling your bank and credit card statements shred all receipts, except for large purchases, business expenses, and items under warranty. These need to be filed.

4. Post only needed paper on your bulletin board. This is where less is more. You’ll be able to see what you need without the clutter of unwanted or old paper.

5. Simplify your library by trading or giving away duplicate books. Consider purchasing an e-reader for future reading, so you don’t add to your collection.

6.. Manage business cards by scanning them into a contact management software program or organize them into a notebook made specifically for business cards.

7. Only keep your kid’s artwork that is display-worthy. Keep everything together in one box and take photos of the 3D projects that you want to keep as a memory.

8. Gather your new greeting cards into categories and store them in a card organizer. Evaluate the sentimental cards you have received and only keep the ones with a high value to you.

9. Keep coupons in an organizer that will allow you to use them. If you find that you are not taking them shopping with you, stop the practice of clipping them.

10. Curtail your printing. Save digital copies of bills, statements, and other documents on your computer or in the cloud instead of printing them.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl

Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

August 18, 2021

I love to read. Do you? But it can get away from me sometimes. Have you seen my nightstand or e-reader lately? At this time of year, I love a paper book (beach read anyone?) So to help you (and me) out today I’d like to list 10 ways you can manage your reading material. All these tips are for paper-based reading.

1. Don’t let magazines or newspapers pile up.  Clip out articles of interest and file them in manila folders that are labeled as to the topic.
2. If you’re in the habit of lending books to others, write your name on the inside cover, so they’ll be reminded to return it.
3. A quick way of identifying your books so you can keep books of one topic together is to place colored labels on the spines. Red for business, blue for health, green for psychology, etc.  If they get separated it’s easy to spot them.
4. It’s faster to browse through books on websites than in bookstores. The largest site is (of course) www.amazon.com. You can search by title, author, and subject.
5. When photocopying material from books that cannot be marred, write the source on a sticky note that can be removed after photocopying.
6. Stick a partial pad of sticky notes on the inside cover of any book you are reading so you can easily mark pages and make notes.
7. If you find you lose your place when reading books due to the bookmarker falling out, use an elastic band.  It keeps the read pages firmly in place and will definitely not fall out.
8. Keep a folder containing articles torn or photocopied from magazines so you can read while traveling, in waiting rooms, or in long lines.
9. Every few years, allow your magazine subscriptions to expire. Reinstate only those you have missed.
10. Read books and magazines with a highlighter in hand to mark relevant ideas and a pen with which to jot ideas in the margin.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

August 18, 2021

You want your kids to be organized. But you need it to be easy and fast and fun! It’s important for children to manage their own things. By giving them responsibility for their toys, clothes, and rooms you teach them essential life skills. This is a broad subject, so we’ll focus on tips you can use to make your life easier and your kid’s toys and books more organized.

1. Store small toys in see-through bins that are an appropriate size for your kids to carry.
2. Sort items of the same type into bins.
3. Communicate where things belong with labels.
4. Use container size as the limit for that type of item.
5. Apply the one-in-one-out rule to cull the number of toys.
6. Never keep the box from a toy separate from the toy itself.
7. Make it easy for preschoolers to put books away by housing them in bins.
8. Store books for older children on shelves.
9. Make putting things away as easy as taking them out.
10. Model the behavior that you want from your children.

You want your kids to be organized. But you need it to be easy and fast and fun! 

Hope you enjoyed these tips on organizing your kids, here are similar posts, with general kid’s organizing tips, and tips for organizing kid’s bedrooms.

For more information, contact Janet Schiesl.

Jill Katz

One to Zen Organizing

August 2, 2021

The Back Story

This past year, I started asking my clients a new question: 

“How do you think your space should look when it’s not in use?”

This question occurred to me when I was organizing a client’s new apartment. Each time I walked into her apartment, I noticed that the dining room table was cluttered. Although we were organizing another room, I took a moment one session to ask her how she would like it to look when she wasn’t using it. She thought for a moment and responded: She would like the table to have a few items in the center but, otherwise the table should be clear. 

So we started by moving everything off her table and arranging her napkins,salt, and pepper in the center. We took a step back and sighed contentedly. Then, we took an hour of the session to investigate and problem solve the other items that were accumulating on the table. Her puzzle could be moved to the coffee table and placed on a special puzzle mat. Her mail could be sorted on the coffee table and any bills or to dos could be placed in the storage space there. Her keys and wallet were set on a pretty bowl on the hall table. The Reset was born and it was revolutionary.

How the Reset Differs From Traditional Organizing

At first glance, The Reset doesn’t look much different than ordinary organizing. But I knew I was onto something. Here’s how the Reset differs from traditional organizing and why it is so effective:

• For the Reset to work, you must use a small space. (i.e. a table, counter, shelf or shelves, perhaps a small closet)

• The process is flipped in The Reset by jumping to the last step of traditional organizing and arranging items in the space the way you want it to look when everything is put away. This is super motivating. 

• The client needs to create a clear perspective of his or her space’s purpose upfront as well as a mental picture of the end result.

  
  

The Steps

Intrigued? Try it yourself! Here’s how you apply the reset to your space:

• Choose a small space that is accumulating clutter. Start with your own space. Not a shared space. We will discuss shared spaces real soon in another post. I promise!

• Ask yourself: What is the function of the space? Really challenge yourself to think about how you have used the space in the past and if you would like to use the space in the same way moving forward.  Don’t forget to ask yourself how you want the space to look when it is not in use.

  
  

Some examples: 

Kitchen counter:  Used for food prep

When not in use only items on counter are toaster oven and coffee maker

Office Desk: 

Used for work and paying bills and dealing with mail

When not in use only items on the desk are laptop, a vertical file holder and pens

• Now take everything out of that space and only put back what you want in that space when it is not in use

• Look at the items that you removed from that space and sort through them. What categories do you see? Where do they belong at the end of the day? How can you problem solve so that it’s easy to put them away?

This is a critical step or else these items will creep their way back into your space. Some items will be used to serve that space when “in use” and will be stored nearby. Other items don’t belong in that space and need to be stored in a different area. Don’t forget that some items don’t belong anywhere in your home and should be donated or thrown away.

In Conclusion

So next time you feel a heaviness descend on your soul as you walk past a cluttered counter or table in your home, consider pressing The Reset button. Were you able to transform that small space? Let me know how it goes….

For more information, contact Jill Katz.