Each year getting organized and being more productive top the lists of New Year’s Resolutions. It’s exciting to imagine your life without paper piles and clutter consuming your office. And it certainly would feel great to accomplish your goals each day. Time after time I hear the same complaint. You started off great then something happened and the system fell apart. Often people give up at this point calling their systems and themselves failures.

They key to getting organized is first and foremost not to give up after the first little mishap. We all get overwhelmed, have a big project, or life circumstance that causes us to get off track. Rather than give up just start again! It’s really that easy.

Sometimes the systems that we try don’t really work for us and it’s important to be able to identify what went wrong. Starting over with a system gives you the opportunity to really observe what the problem is and to make adjustments as necessary. You may find that you really don’t like the folders you used to set up your action system. Or maybe your desk isn’t set up in a functional way. Look at your system with a critical eye rather than just throwing your hands up and declaring it a disaster!

Here are some things to look for when evaluating your system:

1) Do I have all the tools I need?

2) Do I like the tools I am using?

3) Can I find the documents and files I need when I need them?

4) Are things I use often readily available and accessible?

5) Can I easily reset the system when needed?

Remember, systems only work when you use them! Very few organizing systems work without some effort on the user’s part. Set up maintenance routines to be sure that you are keeping up with filing and other similar tasks.

What challenges do you face when trying to get organized or trying to keep up with your systems? I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Organizing!

“Waste Time Faster.” This is a phrase on a billboard advertising high speed internet. I laugh each time I see it, but it also makes me think about how much time we do waste on the internet. Playing around online is just one of many activities we use to avoid getting things done. Of course, the things we are avoiding are usually things that may be difficult or not so pleasant.

Avoidance behavior is a component of procrastination. Some causes of procrastination are task related anxiety, fear of failure, perfectionism, and lack of knowledge. When you think about that it’s no wonder we find such creative ways to avoid tackling those tasks. Imagine that you have agreed to take on a new project at work. You are pretty excited because you know that the success of this event will have a positive impact on your career. Once the excitement wears off a little, you realize there are some pieces of this project that you aren’t quite sure how to get complete. Each time you sit down to get started on the project, you feel overwhelmed or don’t really know where to begin. So, what do you do? Maybe you start some project related research on the internet. Then you remember that you really wanted to check out the scores from Sunday’s football games. Ladies, your example might be a little different, but I think you know where I’m going with this. As you check out the football scores, you see a link to a video of a spectacular play. You proceed to watch the video and see some other videos that look interesting. An hour later, you’ve caught up on all the football scores, watched some re-plays, and maybe a few hilarious videos of kids dancing to “booty” music. It’s time for lunch so you head out the door having accomplished nothing related to the project.

Does that sound remotely familiar to anyone? I will be the first to admit that I do this very thing when I am doing something new or something that might push me a little outside my comfort zone. But we also use these techniques to avoid everyday tasks. Here are three steps to help minimize your task avoidance time wasters.

Three steps to curbing avoidance behavior

1) Awareness is the first step in changing any behavior. If you recognized yourself in the example and you want to change this behavior, pay attention to what avoidance behaviors you are engaging. Surfing the internet is just one form of avoidance behavior. Some other examples are watching television, reading magazines, hallway conversations with colleagues, checking email. To be clear, none of things is necessarily bad, but when used to avoid other, more important tasks, they will kill your productivity. Identify your avoidance techniques.

2) Minimize distractions. Once you have identified your avoidance behaviors, it’s important that you come up with strategies to reduce the likelihood that you will engage them. My top two avoidance behaviors are checking email and internet surfing. When I need to work on important project it’s best that I am in an environment where the internet is not available. Or the connection is so slow that it’s annoying! I have also discovered that I work best away from my home office and in a place with something pleasing to look at. Those of us working from home have so many potential distractions. Laundry, dishes, kids, spouses, and pets. It’s really helpful to find a place that allows you to concentrate. So, what can you do to minimize your distractions?

3) Get things done. Finally, get it done! Sometimes tasks seem a lot more difficult that they really are. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you will get done when you minimize your distractions and truly focus on the task at hand.

I hope this information helps you to get more done this week! Remember that the objective is not to cram your life with “things to do”, but to get things done in less time so that you can spend more time enjoying your life!

Happy Organizing!

My phone rings.  It’s a potential client who would like help being more productive in her office.  I ask what’s going on in her office, and she tells me there is paper everywhere.  She is looking at stacks of paper, binders, magazines, and other things that are visually cluttering her space.

Obviously, all this stuff is certainly a problem, but what’s really going on here?  When I probe about her work habits and daily routines, the real issues begin to arise.  She has no plan for the day.  She routinely allows phone calls and email coming in to distract her from her priorities.  The real issue here is not the stuff.  It’s her behavior.

The clutter in her office is a product of a lack of systems and routines.  Now that the clutter has taken over it certainly is a problem, but if we just clear up the paper, it’s highly likely that it will be back in short order.  The key to getting organized is changing the behavior that has gotten you into the situation in the first place.

So, how do we change behavior?  There is no easy answer to this question, but here are some ideas to help you get started:

1. Create self awareness.  While coaching my clients, I help them to begin noticing phrases they are using or things they are doing that could be contributing to the problem.  You can do this by simply noticing some of your thought patterns as you work.  Do you think things like “I’ll just put this here for now” or ???  Do you do things like answer the phone every single time it rings or check email each time a notification comes in?  Once you begin to notice some patterns that are causing the clutter and lack of productivity you can begin to develop new habits that will help you to break the cycle of your past behaviors.




2. Work with your natural tendencies.  As you are noticing your behavior, it’s also a good idea to pay attention to what is going on when you’re at your best.  What I mean is that all of us are different.  We all have different times of day that we are most productive.  We have different work styles and personalities.  The idea behind getting organized and being more productive is to find what works best for you and incorporate that into all you do.  For example, if you discover that the best time for writing is early morning, your new routine may be to begin hard scheduled appointments a little later in the day.  This will allow you the time in the morning to be creative and get that writing done.




3. Identify your motivation.  Why do you want to be more organized and productive?  Do you want to be able to find documents when you need them?  Do you want to grow your business?  Is someone else pressuring you to change?  Answering the question “Why do I really want to be more organized and productive” is one of the most important first steps in the organizing process.  Without that ultimate goal, or vision, you have no motivation for real change.

There are so many factors that can influence your success.  If you truly want to get organized so that you can have a better life, at home or in the office, you can do it!  Just remember that you must be willing to change both your environment and, most importantly, your habits.  Have an ultimate goal in mind and go for it!

Happy Organizing!

Ellen Martin

PS – If you are struggling with an overflowing inbox, email that just won’t stop, and unproductive days, the Conquer Chaos Strategy Session will help you get clear on why you really want to get organized and develop a plan to make it happen and stay that way.  Together we’ll determine why you really want to be organized and what’s standing in your way. During our strategy session, we’ll review your assessment, quickly break down your barriers to being organized and develop a personalized organizing plan that works for you.  To find out more visit http://anewleafpo.com/conquer-chaos-strategy-session/

While working with a client a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that she was repeatedly saying that she would never be able to do this organizing work without me. Now, I had heard this before, but this time I had some new information that made me stop to think what this really meant for her.

A couple of months ago I was introduced to a program called “The Winner’s Image” produced by Bob Proctor. In the program Bob equates our self-image to the auto pilot feature of an airplane. The auto pilot is set to a certain course and corrects should the plane veer off course. Now, think about self-image for a moment. Your behavior patterns are a direct reflection of what you believe about yourself. If you believe that you are a successful person and bring in lots of money each month, then you probably do just that. However, if you don’t truly believe that you are that successful, wealthy person, what happens when you do experience some success? You have a fabulous month bringing in more money that you ever have. Then self-doubt sets in and your self-image auto pilot begins to bring you back to your old course.

Getting and staying organized is no different from the success example. Hearing my client saying that she would never be able to do this without me and thinking back to other clients who I’d heard say the same thing, made me realize that their self-image is dictating the situation. No, they won’t be able to do this without me, if that’s what they truly believe. Their self-image is telling them that they can’t be organized or stay organized because they haven’t been able to do it before. Or because so many people have told them how messy and disorganized they are and they believe that about themselves. If you don’t truly believe that you can get and stay organized, you will not get and stay organized. If we move a little outside of our belief about ourselves, the self-image autopilot will bring us back to its original course.

So, how do we conquer this? Change your self-image. This is no easy task, but is guaranteed to get those behavior changes to stick. Create the fantasy or vision of what you want your life to be like. Are there people you can model? Write your new vision out in detail. One of the most important questions to ask in the self-image changing process is “Am I Willing.” Are you really willing to do what is necessary to make the changes you are seeking? Really think about this. If you really aren’t willing to make the changes necessary to be successful at getting and staying organized, maybe it really isn’t as important to you as you once thought it was. Once you have written out your new self-image it’s important to focus on the changes you must make and reviewing your goal regularly. As I said, this is no small or easy task, but one that is well worth the effort.

As you consider your goal to be more organized and productive, pay attention to the things you are telling yourself. Is your self-image dictating that you can’t be organized? If so, consider a self-image overhaul! It will be one of the best investments you ever make.

Happy Organizing!

Imagine for a moment that you are sitting at your desk filled with anxiety and stress. You stare at the telephone knowing that eventually you have to pick it up and dial. You start to wonder why on Earth you agreed to take this sales position. You don’t like making these phone calls and you don’t like networking events. You are procrastinating to the point that you must make the calls now or risk losing your job.

This is the story of an introvert. Truth be told, it’s my story. Now, I don’t have a sales job, but sales are very much a part of my business. So, when it’s time to sit down to make phone calls, I go through the anxiety and stress described in the previous paragraph. I wonder if running my own business was really the right decision. I wonder if I can really be successful if I can’t bring myself to make phone calls. Pretty crazy, right!

The good news is that I don’t let this stand in my way. I am aware of the problem, but I push through anyway. It’s not easy, but my desire to be self-employed outweighs the other bad feelings.

So, what does this have to do with organization and productivity? Personality traits can affect an individual’s ability to perform certain tasks. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to identify personality traits that may impact a person’s suitability for a job or task. Matching employees, both current and potential, with appropriate jobs is a key factor in increasing productivity at work. For entrepreneurs, understanding your personality factors can help determine tasks and projects that can be outsourced.

Introverts generally are drained by social interaction. They will procrastinate on making sales calls and may avoid networking opportunities. Introverts are perfectly happy alone most of the time. Extroverts on the other hand derive great energy from social interaction and thrive in positions requiring this. They will happy make calls, attend social functions and don’t do well in situations which require they work in solitude for long periods.

A highly structured person in an environment that requires a high degree of spontaneity will probably not be successful. In the same way a very spontaneous person will not do well in a highly structured environment.

There is no right or wrong in personality traits. The most important thing is awareness. Once you are aware that you possess certain personality traits you are more equipped to make any necessary changes to compensate for any negative effects the trait may be causing.

Great insight can be made into the affects that behavior traits have on your work and personal life. You may discover the cause of your procrastination or why you react in certain ways to certain situations. A behavior assessment tool, such as DiSC, can be very helpful in creating awareness. Not only will you identify your own style, but when completed in a team environment communication among team members will be improved.

If you would like to learn more about how personality and behavior styles affect productivity, consider signing up for my Conquer Chaos Strategy Session. You will gain insight into how your personality traits may be impacting your productivity and get recommendations for improving your ability to get and stay organized. Click here for more information.

Happy Organizing,

Perfectionism is defined by American Heritage dictionary as a propensity for being displeased with anything that is not perfect or does not meet extremely high standards.  Perfectionism is a self-defeating behavior that is often disguised as a virtue.  In fact, many non-perfectionists often wish they were more like those they see with “perfect” lives.  The unfortunate thing is that dysfunctional perfectionists often live a tortured life in which nothing is ever good enough.

One thing to keep in mind while reading this is that a little bit of perfectionism is a good thing at times.  The desire to produce high quality work is certainly acceptable.  The line is crossed when perfectionism is a persistent issue that negatively affects a person’s life and the lives of those around them.

Perfectionism is a self-defeating behavior that causes anxiety and procrastination.  In some cases perfectionism can be paralyzing.  Perfectionists often feel that they can’t begin a project or task unless they can do it perfectly.  Until they have the right tools and the right knowledge they can’t begin.  Often when they do begin they are unable to finish projects because they constantly refine their work to be sure that it is perfect.

In an office environment the perfectionist may have a desk covered with stacks of paper.  He can’t do anything with the stacks because he hasn’t figured out the perfect system for filing the papers away or handling the tasks associated with the paper.  So the stacks remain and day after day the perfectionist beats himself up over his imperfect office conditions.

Perfectionism is debilitating for the business owner.  Imagine the opportunities squandered as the business owner struggles with simple decisions involving very basic business functions.  Fussing over the perfect wording for each letter or email sent, constantly refining business materials, and never happy with anything.  This is the life of the perfectionist.

Perfectionists often don’t reserve their high standards only for themselves.  They expect above average results from everyone they come in contact with.  When they don’t receive those results they can be abusive and abrupt.  Working with a perfectionist can be a tough job.

For those of you who identify with some of what you’ve read here, there is hope!  If you know someone struggling with this issue, pass this along.

1. Self-talk is your worst enemy. Listen to what your inner critic is saying about you.  Counter those statements with statements of your own.  For example, if your inner critic says that you can’t do anything right, challenge that statement by thinking of things that you have done right.  What evidence does your inner critic have to support the statements that it makes about you?  Most often the statements are wrong and completely false.
2. Recognize that your value as a person does not come from your performance in the various roles you play in daily life.  Consider that when something is wrong in your life or you make a mistake that it doesn’t mean that you are an idiot or can’t do anything right (or whatever your inner critic says to you).  It may mean that you need some training or improvement in that area of your life.  If feedback is coming from external sources, the problem may not be yours at all. Perhaps the person giving the feedback is having a bad day.
3. Realize that perfection is an unattainable goal. Realign your goal to pursuit of excellence or mastery.  You will find much more satisfaction.
4. Make mistakes intentionally. Since mistakes are extremely dangerous for perfectionists, this is an experiment that may cause a lot of stress initially.  Try “forgetting” to sign in at a meeting or class.  Most likely, the person in charge will simply remind you to sign in.  Let yourself experience the feeling.  You won’t die and no one will think you are an idiot. Mistakes are actually great opportunities for learning.  If you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t growing.

So, what about you?  Is perfectionism sabotaging your success?

I was on a conference call today with a client. We recently implemented a piece of software to help with task management. He was feeling very frustrated because he felt that it was taking too long to get his tasks organized into the system.

This happens often when people begin the organizing process. Whether they are organizing tasks or paper, it always seems that the process takes a little longer than they had hoped. When you factor in years of piling papers and avoiding tasks it’s no wonder it might take a while to get all of that straightened out.

Getting an organizing system set up takes time, but the payoff is that you will be able to work smarter, find things when you need them, and put them away when you are done. Remember the payoff…when you are finished sifting through the papers or tasks or stuff in the attic you will probably not have to do such an extensive organizing job again. If you set up the organizing system, the work will go faster even if you do fall off the wagon a few times.

Unfortunately, this is a barrier to people starting the organizing process in the first place. They think that they don’t have time to get organized. Let’s imagine what you might be able to do if you invested a few hours in organizing your office….you can find files the moment you need them…You can easily handle disruptions and distractions…You know exactly where things are and can find them in a snap!

Happy Organizing!

When I think about exercise and dieting, I always come up with grand plans. These plans usually involve a few hours of exercise each day and eating fabulous foods that are healthy. Of course, it would be wonderful if I actually did these things, but I never do. The fact is that I set myself up for failure from the start.

My diet and exercise plans in the past have been way too ambitious for someone with my schedule. Taking into account that I hate to shop and cook, the idea that I would have fresh food in the house that I would then prepare is pretty silly when I look back on it. So, what went wrong?

I made these plans based on what I thought I should be doing, not what I knew I would actually do. Of course, I have to make some changes in my behavior if I want to have fabulous arms and killer abs, but it’s helpful to be realistic about what you will do when faced with the choice of laying in bed until 7:00 or getting up to do a workout.

In organizing projects this happens frequently. We have so many images of what organized means in various situations. Perfectly clear desktops, doing everything the moment you think to do it, scanning all of your paper so you never have to deal with it again. Not to mention all of the books out there touting the definitive solution to organizing problems. The reality is that much of what is published in books and articles probably won’t work for you.

Here’s my beef with most of the information out there on organizing. Solutions are presented as though they are great for everyone. If you just put enough effort into it, this extremely complex system can work for you. No way! Your organizing systems must be based on your own logic and realistic assessment of your behavior.

I was recently asked by a workshop participant if scanning paper was a good solution for paper clutter. I asked if the person liked dealing with paper. She cringed and said “No way! I hate paper!” So, my answer is that scanning probably won’t be a good solution for her. If she hates paper so much that she won’t deal with it to get it filed, what are the chances that she will want to sit around scanning paper for hours. Now, I’m not saying that scanning is not a good option for dealing with paper clutter. I’m simply pointing out that realistically, she will probably not keep up with scanning paper if she doesn’t like dealing with paper to begin with.

Here are three things to consider when setting up a system or routine for organizing:

1) Is there anything wrong with your current system? Don’t change for the sake of changing. If your systems work, leave them alone.

2) Ask the question, “What will I really do?” Will you really scan all that paper or is it better to come up with some strategies to keep the paper from coming in at all. Will you really put all of those articles you’ve been saving into alphabetized binders? Or is it better to put them into a few research folders and call it a day? Better yet, you probably won’t ever look at them again so maybe you could just toss them.

3) Keep things simple. Complicated systems are typically difficult to maintain. The best organizing systems and routines are very simple. No need to color code your file system or calendar…unless you really believe that you will keep it up. As you develop your systems, continually ask yourself how it could be made easier.

So, my new diet plan is to exercise as many times as I can each week and to cut out eating so much ice cream. I’ve also recruited my brother to be my accountability partner as we tackle P90X. Yikes, that is a rough program! I could still use some work keeping up my new routine, but I am being more realistic and not beating myself up.

Happy Organizing!

Life can be overwhelming.  Going through your day at a hundred miles an hour doesn’t leave much time for thought.  When you are not thinking you are simply reacting to what happens around you.  This anxiety causing cycle will cause you to feel as though you’ve lost control.

When you feel yourself spiraling out of control, you must stop.  Stop, take a deep breath, and think about what you are doing.  Stop to really think about the pieces and parts.  What is the next step you must take? Are you doing things in an efficient order?  How can you get control of the situation to avoid future anxiety-filled days?

Get it all out of your head and down on paper. Make yourself a list of tasks and then prioritize them.  You might use a pad of paper or you could use index cards for each task.  Then you can move the index cards around and prioritize them easily.  Now when you get started again, you will be working on purpose.  If you get out of control again, you know that you can stop, re-group, and get started again.

Break projects down into smaller pieces. Big picture thinking can lead to feelings of overwhelm.  Often when thinking about projects, we think about the whole project.  For example, you need to revamp your website.  Well, break that project down into smaller pieces.  Figure out what your very next step is and focus on that one piece.  The first step may be to hire a website strategy coach.  Contact someone and move on to the next step.  Take one step at a time, one decision at a time.

Take frequent breaks or get away for awhile. There is only so much doing and decision making we can take.  Give yourself some rest – even if you just drive around or take a walk around the block – it will help to clear your mind.  Make sure that you are getting enough sleep.  Sleep deprivation can do serious damage to your ability to think straight and function properly.  Get the amount of sleep appropriate for you and encourage your employees and family members to do the same.

Regaining control of the way you are spending time will give you a tremendous sense of peace.  Remember, when you feel like speeding up, stop.  Give yourself a breather and begin again refreshed and with purpose.

Happy Organizing!

We have all felt that our environment was driving us crazy at one time or another.  There is “stuff” everywhere and no hope in sight.  Whether it’s paper piling up in your office or toys all over the living room, these situations and things can drive us crazy.

Decisions to get rid of things can be so difficult because many of us attach emotion to our things.  It is an interesting phenomenon that we allow things to overcome us in this way.  How inanimate objects take on such meaning that we almost feel the object may be hurt if we set it free.

To take back your life, you must relinquish the past.  Clutter is often composed of past lives.  You know…all of the supplies from that time you decided to learn cake decorating, or the old weight bench you bought 6 years ago and used once.   Projects started, but never finished and books purchased, but never read.  All of these things are not only remnants of the past, they also are sources of guilt.

When you look around your home or office and see remnants of projects started and never completed it is very emotionally draining.  The first step to reclaiming your space is getting rid of all of those past lives.

Look at the present and decide what belongs here now.  What serves you in your present life?  You may have to deal with some emotional aspect of freeing yourself from the past, but how liberated you will feel once you have done it!

If you are ready to start clearing the clutter from your life and your business but are having a hard time getting started, you will benefit from a Conquer Chaos Strategy Session.  Check out the details here.

Happy Organizing!

Ellen