End of Summer To Do’s!
"Charlie" - The Newest Addition to our Family!
What’s on your list of to do’s before summer ends?
I have a few projects around the house that need to get finished. The school supplies have been bought and as I mentioned in my last post, I am waiting to buy any new school clothes. Overall, I feel pretty organized for the upcoming year. I have systems in place to help with the incoming overflow of school papers and artwork! We will have our family meeting soon to explain the upcoming schedule changes, chores and responsibilities. The calendar and bulletin board are ready to be filled!
The most important item on my “To Do List”….. is to just enjoy these last couple of weeks of summer and live in the present!
I want to appreciate each day I have with my children. I know it’s easy to get wrapped up in the freedom we get when our kids are in school.. I get that… There are definitely pros on the kiddo’s going back to school!
But I must admit my heart is a little heavy!
My children are now reaching an age where their independence is getting stronger and I know as each summer passes, playing with mom and dad is not going to be their top priority! Time goes by so fast, and I just want to sit back and enjoy these last few moments we have this summer!
My to do is list for the rest of the summer is to hear my kids giggle, take a few trips to the park, get ice cream on spur of the moment, maybe have a few more camp out’s in the backyard and teaching them about our new puppy… Yes, we got a new puppy this summer! Charlie! And he has been a great addition and certainly has made this summer one not to forget!
In a couple of weeks, our lives will change and we will begin in a new chapter. I will have a second grader and a pre-k student in the house, both will be involved in sports and other activities, and these moments of just playing in the backyard will quickly be filled with game schedules and recitals.
Which are all great things too…
But for now, I am going to enjoy where we are right now, right at this moment!
Ep 10: The Habits that Affect your Organization at Home
We all come to the table with a full basket of habits — some good, some bad — and getting control of the habits that affect your ability to get organized is a major step in getting off on the right foot. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about the habits that make for good organization, and those that get in your way time and again.
Taking Control – The Home Organizing Podcast
TCO is going to iTunes!
I am so excited to announce, Taking Control- The Home Organizing Podcast! 
We have been working on this idea for some time now and it is finally a reality! In today’s busy world we don’t always have time to read a blog post or do the research necessary to do to tackle a project. Now there’s a different way to get the same great information! Subscribe to TCO’s podcast through iTunes and all you have to do is listen to your iPod! At your convenience, put on the ear phones and take a listen while your doing the dishes, the laundry, or when your stuck in traffic!
Every week you will get a new episode tackling some kind of project or question! The best news yet…. I want to gear these podcasts to what you need! So if you have an idea for a show, or need some tips on a project, email me, and let me know… Who knows, it may just be the next topic!
What to expect from Taking Control:
- A lively conversation with Pete Wright and myself… Who is Pete Wright? Pete is the Producer of the show and more importantly the face behind my website. I consider him a partner in my business and a huge influence in developing and telling the story of Take Control Organizing!
- Tips, tricks, and solutions to your everyday organizing issues
- One new episode per week
- Each episode will range anywhere from 10 minutes to 25 minutes (I know you don’t have a lot of time and I want to use it wisely)
- You get an insider look at how I work with clients and get to know me!
- A whole lot of fun mixed in with great education!
I hope you join me in my journey into podcast land! It should be a lot of fun and I look forward to tackling your issues. If you have an idea, send me a note on my contact page, or email – nikki@takecontrolorganizing.com.
You can catch the first episode now… The Office Closet!
Happy Organizing!
Myth: Getting Organized Costs Too Much Time and Money!
Myth: Getting organized costs too much time and money 
Truth: Think about how many minutes a day are you waste trying to find something you know you have but can’t find? How many times have you gone to replace an item only to find it later? The average American spends almost an hour a day looking for items they know they have but can not find! Where do you fall on this spectrum? If you fall on it at all, you are already spending too much time and money being disorganized….
Fact: It does take time to get your home organized. You have to be committed to following through with the process. It’s one thing to get organized, but staying organized means you are committed to making your process work, which means putting time in when needed. It means trading old habits in for new habits. I often tell my clients it’s like loosing weight. You have lost it but now what? You have to maintain.
But the end result means you save time. You are trading some hard work up front for a lifetime of minutes. Imagine saving an hour a day rather than wasting it. Imagine knowing exactly where an item is, when you need it. No more running around the house flipping things over looking for your keys! You have just eliminated the stress and chaos in your home and brought yourself peace of mind.
What about those repeat items, we mentioned earlier. Unfortunately it happens, you can’t find what you need, so you replace it and then a few months down the road, you find it, and now you have two or maybe even three! You can also waste money by buying something you didn’t think you had, and then come to find out you did.
Fact: You actually do not need to spend money to get organized. Buying organizing products is nice and can be helpful, however it’s not the product making you organized. It’s the systems you put into place and there are a lot of creative ways to do this.
I highly recommend you wait to buy organizing product until you know for sure what the purpose of the container will be and after you have taken measurements. No reason to be in a hurry to spend money on tubs that happen to be on sale that day!
Not being organized is costing you much more time and money than if you are organized. Break this myth and don’t let the time and money scare you…. You can’t afford not too!
Happy Organizing!
Myth: “I Only Have To Organize Once!”
We are going to talk this week about “Organizing Myths”! 
The first one is: “I only have to organize once.” In my e-book, “Getting Started“, I talk about what to expect when organizing. One of the key points is to evaluate your system. No one system is right for everyone. It takes time to see if something is going to work or not.
Working as a Professional Organizing Coach, I can guarantee, you will have to organize more than just once. We place new organizing systems based on a trial and error basis. Some systems will work flawlessly, others not so much. Just like we said we before, there is no right or wrong way to organize. You have to try it first and tweak it as you go along.
You must take into account your lifestyle at the time. If you have small children, your organizing systems will look different than if you have teenagers at home. Just because it worked for awhile does not guarantee it will work forever.
In order to maintain the systems that do work, you need to make sure you are periodically purging, getting rid of the old as the new is coming in. Straightening and picking up as you go along, make sure items get put back in there designated spots. This is an ongoing process that requires attention everyday.
If you do not update and maintain your systems, you run the risk of getting back into hold habits!
Happy Organizing!
“Getting Started”
I recently worked with a client who was feeling very overwelmed in her home that it paralyzed her. She was not able to get started on any kind of organizing project, no matter how big or how small it was, she just stopped. She was feeling frustrated and a bit defeated by the whole process. 
We start out motivated to make a change, we want things to be different. We know it’s important, but we get stuck. Maybe we don’t know where to start, we are tired, we have no energy and frankly there are about 10 other things we would rather do! It takes a lot more time to get organized than people realize and then to stay organized is whole other process people sometimes do not want to face.
I have felt this way many times with organizing projects in my own home. I know even as a Professional Organizer there are projects around my home that I dread doing. It’s different helping someone else do it vs. taking the time to do your own. And I like to organize! So what do we do when we feel this way?
I have been wanting to get out in my garage for months to get it organized. I finally did. It took one sunny afternoon and the thought of – I just need to do it. Once I got started, the motivation lead itself. I was seeing progress and remembering my goals and I was accomplishing it.
Remember the popular phrase from all of the NIKE ads in the 90′s…. Just do it! It’s so true. Sometimes to gain back our motivation, we need to just do it. We need to push ourselves and make it happen. You don’t have to do all of it at once, in fact I recommend you break your organizing projects into small tasks. If you only have a few minutes to spare, take those few minutes and just do it! Once you get started, you will see your progress. You will want to keep going. The fact is it won’t go away and unless you work on it.
If you haven’t yet downloaded my Free e-book on “getting started”… Well Just do it! It gives you 10 key principles to know before starting your organizing journey. It sets you up on what to expect and how to get started…
Happy Organizing!
“Home Sweet Home”
We are back from a busy fun filled Spring Break! We went swimming, we played at the bouncy house, played pickle ball for the first time, watched the Blind Side (great movie by the way) ate too much junk food, and had many laughs!
Some of my favorite memories will be of my 4 year old daughter declaring her love for Mrs. Buttercup, (Suppose to be Mrs.Butterworth – we had a lot of french toast over the break!) Hearing the laughs from the bedroom between her and her older brother, and listening to their intense discussion about dinosaurs! To see how excited each child was when getting new coloring books for the car ride.
We went to an arcade and my daughter wanted so badly to play the hook game where you pick up a stuff animal. She loves stuff animals! I let her a play a couple of times, and then told her no more, it was just a waste of money. After more begging, I said OK one more time… And yes, one more time, meant she actually got the stuff animal… I couldn’t believe it! She was so excited! And my whole theory of it being a waste of money is well basically non existent… Now what do I say the next time she wants to play?
I love vacation. There is peace and a sense of renewal when you are able to get away from your normal routine. I always come back home being more motivated and inspired to work on projects that maybe I have been neglecting.
But once I am home, I realize how much I love being at home. I love the routine and the structure of our lives.
Vacation is good… but there is nothing like being at home!
Excuses, Excuses!
Part of getting organized is going through your belongings and making decisions on what is staying and what is going. Some people find this process relevantly easy. They have no problems getting rid of something they have not used in the last year. Others, well not so easy. I have heard many excuses of why something is important. Sometimes those reasons are valid. Other times, well not so much! 
This week, we are going to explore the Top Three Excuses, of why you are not letting something go!
#1 Excuse: ”I might need it someday”
Oh I have heard this so many times, and honestly I have said it myself for my own stuff… If you are a planner, like me, you want to be prepared for what the future may bring. With in reason, this theory makes sense.
However, if you are really trying to make a decision on how much “stuff” you have, you have to be realistic. What do you really need? What do you need right now? Being prepared is not a bad thing, but having too many things you might need or projects you may finish someday can be a bad thing. It can slow you down from your present life. It can actually bring more stress and chaos just by sitting in a closet.
When I start to feel like I have too much, I start to feel suffocated. If this is how you feel, you need to make some hard decisions. What brings you joy? Don’t keep something because you feel you have too. Don’t keep something if your heart does not desire to finish it.
All we know for sure is where we are today. Live in the present. Many items can be borrowed, many items can be replaced if need be. Create the space you want to live in.
This is a difficult process, no doubt, but remember what your goals are, remember where you want to go, and the life you want to live.
“Happiness is not an accident. Nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design.” -Jim Rohn
Happy Organizing!
The Habit of Organization!
I recently read an excellent article, ” The One Deadly Sin of Changing Habits” by Zen Habits. This is a great article and I highly recommend it to anyone trying to change something in their life.
Change is hard. There is nothing about change that is easy. Even if you know it’s in your best interest, it’s still very difficult to get in the habit of doing something you have done forever in a new way! 
I read this article and couldn’t help but think about organizing. Organizing is something we all are looking to get better at. Even some of the most organized people I know, still have to work at keeping the organization a reality.
They have to do it.
Zen Habits explains this is the one deadly sin in changing your habits… you don’t do it. If you don’t do it, the bad habit never goes away and the new habit is never formed.
How many of you have started an organizing project and then never finished? What was the reason? No accountability? No timeline? No motivation? Life just happened.
The article goes on to give you different tips on how to avoid this deadly sin and avoid the trap of never getting started. Many of the tips I have personally shared with my clients.
To add, I would suggest:
1) Schedule your organizing sessions on your calendar- make it a priority by writing it down. Make the commitment to be there just like any other appointment you would make.
2) Start Small and Easy- Pick the tasks that are easy to do and can be finished quickly. You will see the results and often times, this is the motivator you need to keep going.
3) If you get stuck - review your motivation of why you wanted to change this habit. Make yourself accountable – hire a professional, work together with your family, make it happen.
4) Don’t give up – like we learned in the Olympics in the last 2 weeks, obstacles happen, life happens, it’s how you deal with those obstacles which will be the key to your success.
5) Just do it!
Click her to read the full article, “The One Deadly Sin of Changing Habits”, By Zen Habits.
Celebrate the Small Successes!
My last post was about creating change in our lives. It was about what can we do differently to make a difference in our lives, and the lives around us.
Many of you reading this blog may be on a journey to become more organized. Wanting to live a life of less stress with more order and control. Maybe there is something else in your life you are trying to do or be better at.
But you do not have to win a gold medal in the Olympics or in our case, organize your whole home in a day. No. What I think you should do is celebrate! Celebrate every success. Large or small.
Taking the first steps, the small steps to better ourselves. Sometimes just making the phone call to a Professional Organizer is the hardest step. You did it. Celebrate! You are reading this blog to get tips and ideas on how to better your home. Celebrate! You spent 15 minutes going through a cluttered closet. Celebrate!
Whatever your goal may be whether it’s to become more organized, stop smoking, whatever, it doesn’t matter.. Just don’t forget to celebrate the small successes!
“You have achieved success if you have lived well, laughed often and loved much.” - Anonymous
Happy Organizing!
-
Premiere Partners
