ARE YOU A PERFECTIONIST-PLUS? Learn Your Organizing Style Series Time #2

Do you seem to lack the time to do all the things you want to do, as well as you think they should be done? If so, you’re a Perfectionist-Plus.

Do you have a difficult time acknowledging that your compulsively high standards are unrealistic and that doing everything perfectly isn’t necessary for every task?

Want to be sure? Take this Quiz:

As you answer Never (N), Occasionally (O) or Frequently (F), rate yourself according to the following scale.

Never 0 points     Occasionally 1 point          Frequently 2 points__N__O_  F      

1-      Few things bother me more than working with a person who is disorganized.

2-      I rewrite letters and reports numerous times to get them just right.

3-      I get so involved with details; I often don’t get projects done on time.

4-      When making a presentation, I feel it’s essential to mention every detail to support a point.

5-      I feel frustrated when I don’t get to every item on my To Do List.

6-      I rarely skim when I read because I don’t want to overlook any critical details or nuances.

7-      After completing a job, I’m seldom really satisfied with the results.

8-      I work a lot of overtime to complete things I can’t accomplish during normal work hours.

9-      I become upset when people don’t maintain a schedule we establish.

10-   When I assign work to someone, I like to map out my expectations and specify frequent checkpoints so I can be sure the person is handling the assignment the way I would.

                          TOTALS

0-6 points           You’re not really a Perfectionist-Plus.

7-13 points         You have strong Perfectionist-Plus tendencies.

14-20 points       You’re a full-fledged Perfectionist-Plus.

WHY PEOPLE HAVE A PERFECTIONIST-PLUS STYLE:

1-      You have a hard time distinguishing between high standards and superhuman expectations.

2-      You’re trying to please someone from your past.

3-      You believe you should be able to do everything yourself and do it all well.

WHEN PEOPLE HAVE A PERFECTIONIST-PLUS STYLE:

At certain times everyone is more likely to adopt a Perfectionist-Plus style when they’re nervous about the outcome of a project.

If you’re a Perfectionist-Plus you have difficulty acknowledging that your high expectations of yourself may be unrealistic or unnecessary. You may never accept that all of your standards should be lowered, you can learn to identify the ones that deserve your utmost effort.

Now I have offered you a basic outline of this organizing style but if it resonates with you and you want to learn strategies and ways to make this organizing tendency to work for you can find it all in the book:

HOW TO BE ORGANIZED IN SPITE OF YOURSELF   

At certain times everyone is likely to adopt a Perfectionist-Plus style, such as when you’re nervous or anxious about the outcome of a project. I would love to hear your thoughts as you read through the series.

We Have a Shoe Problem!

We have a shoe problem in my house. Let’s just say there are MANY more pairs owned than worn.

I’ll bet that sounds familiar to a lot of you.

But the real problem is not owning them – it’s storing them!

Some of you may be counted among those lucky people who have custom closets with space specifically allocated for shoes…but, sadly, many of us aren’t. So, what do we do with the growing number of pairs?

Right now, in my house, since we are settling into a new living situation there are shoes at the front and back doors, shoes in both closets and shoes in bins.

Of course, as an organizer, I bought racks to store the shoes neatly in the closets…but as of now they stand empty.

I’ve been struggling because I know some of the shoes will be given away (once we have time to really sort through them), but in the meantime what should we do?

I struggle at least once a week looking at them all!

Do we:

1.      Take all the shoes out of the bins and put them on the racks? If we do that, I’m afraid we will see them as taken care of and it will take even longer to sort through and donate.

2.      Leave them in the bins and stare at them guiltily until we sort them and put away only what we will use

.

What would you do?

It’s funny, we all know the shoes in those bins could probably ALL be donated. If they’ve been sitting there for months, they haven’t been worn and they haven’t been missed. RIGHT?

See…organizer or not, the psychology is still the same. It’s just hard to let go of things. 

Living Together in a Small Space Can Be Hard!

Relationships are hard.

Living with someone that has a different organizing style than you can make it much harder.

Living in a very small space with different organizing styles may just be a form of hell.

I know this from experience.

Recently my husband and I have had to share a small apartment. Not only is there very little storage space, but we store things in very different ways.

I prefer to have all my paperwork filed. He likes his in piles.

I enjoy having home décor exhibited. He likes most surfaces clear.

I love seeing shelves full of books. He would prefer them hidden behind doors.

I could go on and on…but I won’t.

There is no right or wrong in this scenario. The reality is that in this small area, we just must make do with what the space will allow. We grit our teeth, ignore the differences, and move on. It’s only temporary after all.

Not to mention, relationships are all about compromise…aren’t they?

I’d love to hear what you think!

Getting it All Done.

Many people ask me how do you juggle it all? or how do you get everything done?

I have my own business. I do work for a local TV station. I run my home and I manage to make time for myself and my loved ones.

I had never really stopped to think about it … I just DO.  That’s not to say I just do things willy-nilly. The key is to PRIORITIZE!  I have a process that I go through when deciding what needs to be done first and I’m going to share it with you.

Whether you’re a paper or digital person it is KEY to have a planner. When you write down your tasks you can then decide what order you should do them in. Really, write down everything – including the “me time” stuff like taking a bath, or exercising.

The first thing I do when I start my day with a cup of tea, is sit down and look through my daily “To Do” list. I look through my appointments and anything else I want to do that day to my schedule (ie back to exercising).  With that done, I can start prioritizing my tasks.

Here’s how I do it (I learned from Stephen Covey):

I number my tasks based on their importance.

1-      Whatever can make me some revenue that day (contacting clients, placing ads, doing PR)

2-      Whatever MUST be done that day.  Meaning there is a deadline to that task.

3-      Whatever I can complete from previous days (finish a blog or follow up on a quote)

4-      Whatever I can start new like scheduling social media posts.

Once I have completed that task, I put a check mark next to it.  MAN is that satisfying!

If the task has been started but not completed, I will put a dot next to it. If it is not completed by the end of the day, I move the task to the next day.

If I must move the task for whatever reason, I will put an arrow next to it and move it where it needs to go.

It may seem like a lot of work but it’s not. Once you get the hang of it, it’s fast and easy.

This way works for me…I’d love to know what works for you!

Do You Know How to Pack?

Here’s a serious question: Who out there knows how to pack? There must be a formula, right?

I always think I do. I think I’ve packed the perfect amount of clothing, everything is needed, everything will be worn and BOOM – I can’t close my suitcase and I must start eliminating.

As an organizer, this is embarrassing to admit. But nobody’s perfect.

I put a little more thought into it when I packed for my recent weeklong vacation in a hot climate and here’s what I started with:

7 pairs of underwear
4 pairs of socks
2 SS Tees
3 Tank Tops
2 Shorts
2 LS Tees
2 Leggings
2 Sun dresses
1 Sweat pant and Sweat shirt
1 Pair PJ’s
1 “Nicer” Outfit”
1 “Nicer” LS Top
1 “Nicer” Shoes
1 Flip Flops
1 Walking Shoe
2 Bathing suits with a cover up

Well, it seems reasonable to me…

I start with I pair of undies per day (because who wants to do laundry) and the the maybes start – maybe I’ll work out so I should pack some extra.

Then the other questions:

Will it really be hot at night? I’m always cold so I need more layers. Better safe than sorry right?
Will it be so hot that I’ll have to change during the day?
Will I have to dress more than once? I should bring extra outfits just in case…

What do you think happened?

Of course, I added much more stuff and took a bigger suitcase. And, you guessed correctly I never wore more than half of it!

I just can’t help myself!

Tell me how you do it. If you’ve discovered the formula, please share!

Fake It Till You Make It

You know that old saying “You can’t always get what you want”? We all have an image of what our dream closet should look like. What’s yours?

Fancy wood with traditional moldings? Modern, sleek and floating? Simple classic and functional?

No matter what it may be… sometimes we just can’t have it at this moment.  Never say never.

You know what you can do?

Fake it until you make it! (Another great expression) 

When you can’t build the custom closet of your dreams, you can work with accessories and organization to “fake it”. You may not get the aesthetic you dream about, but the organization can certainly be on its way!

Here are some ideas for you to get started:

• ADD A DOUBLE ROD to give you some extra hanging space.

• HANG BY HEIGHT to make the hanging sections look uniform and neat.

• HANG LIKE WITH LIKE to keep your categories of clothes together makes them accessible and easy to find 

• MATCHING HANGERS is an easy change to make the closet look less cluttered and more consistent.

• SHOE RACKS will keep pairs of shoes together and off the floor   

• RACKS for ties and belts will keep them hanging and in good shape

• STACKABLE STORAGE DRAWER will help contain things that can’t be folded easily like bathing suits or scarves

If you have any favorite accessories, PLEASE SHARE!

Can the things you hold on to hold you back?

Do you hold onto objects just to try to hold on to the feelings and memories you associate with those things? And are these objects creating clutter in your life?

Things are just objects. WE attach emotion and meaning to them.

If you toss out the object…do you believe the memories will go with it?

If this thing made you so happy during a certain period of time…are you still using it or is it shoved into a closet somewhere?

Let’s take a look at some common objects people hold on to and find some clutter free solutions for them:

• Photo albums: This one is easy breezy if you have the time.  Scan (or even take a photo) of the page of old photographs and create a file for them in your computer.  If that just seems like too much work, at least, empty the albums and put the important photos in a box. While you sort the photos, be discerning and keep only the photos that hold some meaning for you. If you can’t see someone’s face or you don’t remember who they are…say goodbye! 

• Old sweatshirts/jeans from boyfriends: First question is - are you still with this boyfriend? Second question is - do you wear the items?  If you do, OK, it’s a pass…go ahead and keep them as long as it’s the item you are coveting and no longer the person. If the items have you stuck in the past. Give Them Back.

• Stuffed animals: If you’re an adult holding on to a stuffed animal, there’s something in your past that is associated with it. See if you can find that source and move forward. Take a photo, maybe include a note with a memory or two and then say a sweet goodbye.

• Skinny jeans: OH YEAH! We all have these (or something equivalent). This is a tough one because getting rid of these feels like you’re giving up the fight. But, let’s face it, after a certain time in our lives, we may never fit into our “skinny” anything. Embrace who you are and find a new favorite thing to wear.

• Love letters: These are tough. Many people will say that if the letters are not from the person you’re with currently, then letters be gone! Well, sometimes that is easier said than done. But, if you insist on revisiting the past, you don’t need a physical copy taking up space. You can do the same thing as with your photos and scan them into your computer. 

• Wedding dresses: As a closet designer I see so many wedding dresses taking up way too much space in a Master Closet. It makes sense that you may want to keep it for your daughter, but does it have to be taking up prominent real estate? Either box it yourself or have it done professionally and put it out of the way until the future wedding.

May seem harsh, but the more we hold on to physically does affect what we hold on to mentally. It may be objects, memories or emotions.

I’m curious, what are some of the things you can’t let go of? 

Let's Entertain Neatening Things

It’s again that time of year when many people will give up some of their favorite things for Lent.  That is not something I practice but I often wonder what I would (or more specifically) could give up.

Then, as my mind always does, it started to wander onto how I could relate these thoughts to my work? And… it may be a stretch but I came up with this:

L.E.N.T. = Let’s Entertain Neatening Things   

This is something you can do for yourself at any time. Making things neater and tidier will help you feel more in control and grounded.

Here are ten ideas of places to begin:

1-      Junk drawer in your kitchen

2-      Medicine cabinet

3-      Home office drawers

4-      File drawers

5-      Pantry

6-      Bookshelves

7-      Toy boxes or shelves

8-      Garage cabinets

9-      Nightstand drawers

10-   Shed

Now, our main goal here is to tidy up, but while doing this you may take stock of everything in these areas.  If you don’t use them, need them or love them then give them up for your L.E.N.T.

I’d love to hear how it goes!

Do You Know Where Your Yearbooks Are?

It’s the year 2020. Do you know where your yearbooks are?

I’ve been thinking about this since I cleaned out my mother’s garage last summer. There they were, staring me in the face again: St. George’s High School Green Dragon Review 1981 through 1985.

Did I put them back in the box they came out of and put them back in storage?

YES.

Did I look through them and reminisce about the “good old days”?

HELL NO! I hated every minute of High School.

So why am I keeping my year books?

The truth is, I HAVE NO IDEA!

As I mentioned, it has been bothering me for about a year now, and during that time I have asked some friends if they know where their yearbooks are.  Here are some of their responses:

“On my living room bookshelves”.  As an organizer my mind went to: REALLY? Do you look at them? When asked, she admitted she does not.

“I have no idea”.  This response made much more sense to me.

“In a box somewhere. I’m not sure where since we moved”.  YUP, that sounds about right.

Like me, not one person had gotten rid of them and it made me wonder even more WHY NOT?

One friend said “I’m sentimental. It’s fun to take them out and look at them every once in awhile.”

Fair enough.

This is my graduating class picture. I am still close friends with exactly 3 of those people in real life. Of course, with social media I can be in contact with everyone I want to so I am still in touch with a few more. Horrifying pictures like these come back into circulation…what other reminders do I need?  What am I holding on to?

For some, their yearbooks may hold wonderful memories of their glory days, great GPA or accomplishments. Life only gets harder after school, so I understand wanting to hold on to that for awhile. For me, there was none of that. I got through high school with good grades and bad self-esteem.

The thing is the yearbooks are not what’s important - it’s the memories. If it were the books, we’d be looking through the pages for gratification more often. The books may even remind us of things we’d rather forget (like bad haircuts & hilarious outfits) while our memories can be more selective.

I honestly forgot my yearbooks were even there until I had to do a clean-up BUT, I remember what I choose to about school.

If you are keeping yours, please share your reasons…and if you can’t think of any, please join me in bidding them a fond farewell.

Freezer Frustration!

Last time I was visiting my sister I witnessed her go up and down the stairs over and over and over, to check what she had in the extra freezer. I was exhausted just watching her!

This is what it looked like inside:

This is what she has to do every time she opens the door. And every time she goes shopping….it’s like a black hole in there!

There must be a better way!

I did suggest to her that she get a whiteboard to list everything that’s in the freezer so she can cross it off as things get eaten. At least then she’ll avoid having to rummage through before a trip to the supermarket!

But folks, I’m at a loss as to how to better organize the inside!

I’M LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!