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Achieve Results at Home, At Work, and In Life
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Hello, and welcome to the new subscribers!
Well, summer is really coming to an end. I hope all of you had a wonderful summer, and had a chance to enjoy the great outdoors. I had the opportunity to do some hiking (locally and in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire), swimming, catch a few movies at the local drive-in theater, and eat fresh ice cream at the Bellvale Farms Creamery, which is always a treat.
 The highlight of my summer business-wise was being interviewed by Marisa Miles and Tameeka Williams, co-hosts of the new public access television show, The Path: Positive People, Places & Things in the Hudson Valley. The show will air on Monday evenings from 10-11 p.m. on channel 23 of Time Warner Cable in the Newburgh, NY area, starting in September. For those of you that do not have access to this cable channel (that includes me!), I plan to upload the segment to my website as soon as it becomes available. On the show, I spoke about my business and offered organizing tips for back to school time.
I am thrilled to announce the launch of my DECIDE to be Organized Online Group Coaching Program, a 6-week teleclass series for those that want to achieve results at home, at work, and in life in a supportive and inspiring interactive group atmosphere. Many have asked me for a comprehensive organizing program that is affordable and accessible to all. Well, this is it! Keep on the lookout for an email announcement with full details and registration information in the next week!
I've been having a great time posting to my new DECIDE to be Organized Blog. If you missed any posts, you can catch up (and leave comments) by clicking here. This month's feature article is a blog post from the past month that generated the most interest and comments. I hope you find it motivating as you continue to become better organized!
Warm regards ~
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September 16, 2009 - Lisa will be exhibiting at the Orange County Chamber of Commerce Expo as part of the Consultants' Committee Booth. Stop by to say hi! For more information , visit the Chamber's Expo page.
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September 24-26, 2009 - Lisa will be presenting 3 Steps to Next Level Business Success at the Interior Redesign and Staging Industry Specialists Conference in Denver, CO. Lisa is also presenting a pre-conference session entitled, Branch Out: Grow and Expand Your Redesign/Staging Business by Adding Organizing Services. For more information, visit the IRIS website.
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October 6 - November 10, 2009 - Lisa will be conducting the first DECIDE to be Organized Online Group Coaching Program, a 6-week teleclass series for those that want to achieve results at home, at work, and in life in an interactive group setting. Stay tuned for details and registration!
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October 7, 2009 - Lisa will be a panel member presenting The Power of Social Media For Business for Leadership Orange in Middletown, NY.
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Ocober 23, 2009 - Lisa will be presenting DECIDE to be Organized for the Orange County Probation Department in Middletown, NY.
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November 11, 2009 - Back by popular demand, Lisa will be conducting professional development training for Northern Westchester/Putnam Boces in Yorktown, NY. Details and exact topic to be announced.
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December 6, 2009 - Lisa will be presenting a CLE program for Pace University Law School in White Plains, NY titled Decrease Stress, Increase Productivity: Organizing & Time Management for Lawyers. For more information or to register, visit Pace's CLE page.
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"Trust your own instincts. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's." ~ Billy Wilder
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When Organizing, Trust Your Instincts!
I was working with a client recently to organize her home papers. We were purging papers that were no longer needed, and sorting the keepers into categories so that we could put them into files for future retrieval. So far, so good. My client confided that she considers herself organized at work, and actually likes a fairly clutter-free environment. She shared that at home, however, she has a really hard time dealing with paper. This is not uncommon. Some clients can maintain organizing systems at work, and not at home, while others can keep it together at home, but things fall apart at work. There are many reasons for this organizing disparity, and I assumed that as I worked with this client, the reasons would surface.
 And surface they did. As soon as we started to set up the filing system, I noticed that my client lacked confidence in her decisions. When I would ask her what to name a certain file, she would get very nervous, mention a possible name, then second-guess herself almost immediately. She became visibly distressed, and started to lose steam. We took a break, and started discussing what she was feeling. She was feeling overwhelmed with choices, and was scared that she would make the wrong choice (her words) and not be able to find papers when she needed them later on. This, my friends, is what happens when someone does not trust his or her instincts when organizing.
It is not a surprise that my client became overwhelmed as soon as we got to the implementation phase. This is when you set up the organizing system in a way that makes sense to you, and can be integrated into your life (for more information on the stages of organizing, check out my unique approach to organizing, DECIDE). For many people, this is the toughest part, as it requires the person to make decisions and own them. If a person lacks confidence in his or her ability to set up a system or to maintain it, that lack of confidence usually manifests itself through indecision. For my client, this reared its ugly head more at home than at work. At work, often the systems are already in place and an employee merely has to follow them. For some, this makes it harder as the system may be far from what he or she would have created. However, for others, following a ready-made system is easier as it takes the decision-making part out of the equation.
So what to do? Use your instincts. Go with your gut.
 If you were unfortunate enough to have to sit for the SAT exam in high school, you may remember the common tip that people would give: do not change your first answer, as it is usually the right one. You can say the same thing when it comes to organizing systems. I often will say to a client when they are having a hard time choosing a name for a file, "Quick, what file name would you think to look for this paper under?" I am trying to make my clients use free association, and not over-think the naming process. File names are only important when it comes to retrieval, not storage. Most people get caught up in what to name a file because they are focusing on the front-end - the storage process. But filing is most important on the back-end, during the retrieval process, when you need to access something quickly after time has gone by and your memory is not as fresh.
I am amazed how often clients will fight their natural organizing habits and tendencies. For example, a client will explain that he is having a hard time with mail being everywhere in his home. He will advise that he has a mail slot system but is not using it. I ask why. He tells me it is hanging by the front door, but he uses the back door. I then suggest moving the mail slot to hang near the back door. My client will say, "Oh that makes sense, why didn't I ever think of that?" Sometimes the easiest solution is staring you right in the face, but you don't trust yourself to grab it. Organizing systems should be intuitive, not difficult.
Back to my recent client. She realized that she wanted to set up her filing system by using each family member's name and then using sub-categories within each person's file area. For example, let's say her son's name is Tom. She wanted to have a main category called Tom, and then file folders within that category for Tom-Auto, Tom-Education, Tom-Medical, Tom-Work, etc. The reason for this, she explained, is that she tends to think of each person as a universe unto him- or herself. Once she is within that universe, then she wants to break it down by subject matter category. Others set up their filing systems based on main subject matter categories of Auto, Education, Medical, Work, etc. and then use each family member's name as the sub-categories and file folders within.
 Which is right? Well, both, actually. It depends on the way your brain thinks about and processes paper. For my client, this system worked. As soon as we set up her filing system in this manner, I could see her confidence come back and her spirits rise. This felt "right" to her. She just lacked the confidence to try it before.
So, when organizing, trust your instincts. They usually guide you to a great solution.
Copyright 2009 © Lisa Montanaro
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you use this complete statement:
Copyright 2009. Lisa Montanaro, "The Solutions Expert," is Principal of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm created in 2002 that offers professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa publishes the monthly "DECIDE™ to be Organized" e-zine for the general public, and "Next Level Business Success" e-zine for professional organizers and entrepreneurs. Subscribe today at www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com. Lisa also publishes the Decide to be Organized Blog at www.DecideToBeOrganized.com. Through LMOS, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth. To explore how LMOS can improve your home or work environment, or help take your business to the next level, contact Lisa at (845) 988-0183 or by e-mail at Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com. |
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Teleclass Audio Recordings - An Easy Way to Learn
You can catch up on Lisa's teleclasses, even if you missed them the first time around! Pick up great tips, strategies, and solutions for your home or business. Audio recordings come with a bonus handout that you can download to follow along. Click on one of the titles below for full details and ordering information.
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Lisa Montanaro, "The Solutions Expert," is Principal of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm created in 2002 that offers professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa publishes the monthly "DECIDE™ to be Organized" e-zine for the general public, and "Next Level Business Success" e-zine for professional organizers and entrepreneurs. Lisa also publishes the DECIDE to be Organized Blog. Through LMOS, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth. To explore how LMOS can improve your home or work environment, or help take your business to the next level, contact Lisa at (845) 988-0183 or by e-mail at Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com. |
Contact Information
Lisa Montanaro, JD, CPO
Certified Professional Organizer®, Business & Life Coach, Motivational Speaker
LM Organizing Solutions, LLC ™
PO Box 113
Warwick, NY 10090
(845) 988-0183
www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com
Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com |
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Record Retention 101: Organize Your Paperwork