Greetings, Readers. I hope all of you are well today. For those that have read my previous posts, you’ve seen that I’ve described the process I use to manage this elusive thing we call time. Today, I’ll share a few more simple tips that I try to adhere to. For me, such adherence brings the reward…when I adhere, that is…haha. In any event, here are a few more points of productivity for you.
1. Meals. I try to take lunch to work as often as I can, so instead of dealing with that during the morning rush, I make it the night before.
2. Clothing. There have been more mornings than I care to mention where I have disrespected the snooze button. It’s those mornings where I am glad I have ironed my clothes the night before, as well.
3. Calendar. Plan the next day’s activities as best you can. Do this not only before you go to bed, but before you leave the office for the day.
4. Dollars & Cents. For those who handle the finances, reconcile all of the day’s expenditures the night before. I have been guilty too many times of carrying ATM, gas, and debit card receipts in my wallet because I didn’t enter them into my budget spreadsheet the same day (still trying to break that habit of procrastination).
5. Communication. If at all possible, make phone calls as soon as you receive a voicemail (a habit I am trying to instill myself).
That’s it for now. As always, thanks for reading. Have a great day!
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Your children’s masterpieces are very important, especially to them. Once the frame-worthy ones have been selected, there may be some left over that your kids’ may are not ready to part with yet. Keep them all in one central location so that they don’t fly about your home.
Here are a couple storage options:
Schoolfolio
- Large: Holds 24″ x 18″ paper with 3.5″ capacity.
- Portable : Great for transporting to and from school.
- Acid-free and UV-resistant for maximum protection.
- Four colorful designs with 5″ x 7″ photo pocket to add your child’s photo.
- Opens flat for easy access.
Photo Books by Snapfish
- Custom hardcover: Photos and captions printed directly on the cover, spine, and back.
- Hardcover with dust jacket: Photos and captions printed directly on the front, spine, and back of dust jacket.
*Take a photo of each piece of art to submit to Snapfish.
Today’s post features an interview with Certified Professional Organizer®, Geralin Thomas. Geralin has been featured several times on the A&E program, “Hoarders,” and, in this interview, she explains what it’s like being a hoarding expert.
1. What is your area of expertise and how long have you been a professional organizer? Do 
you work only with hoarders?
My area of expertise is residential organizing. I particularly enjoy helping clients who are chronically disorganized or clients with mental health challenges, including hoarders.
2. You are one of the organizers featured on the A&E show, Hoarders. What is that experience like?
It’s interesting (in a good way). Before the show, a lot of people weren’t even aware of the term, “hoarding,” let alone recognizing it as a disorder. Bringing this disorder out into the open has ignited a lot of conversations about the impact on families, communities, landlords and, of course, the health of the hoarder. It has been a very rewarding experience.
3. Do you continue working with the people profiled on Hoarders after filming ends?
No, so far, I haven’t worked with anyone located in my home state of NC. I refer my TV clients to a qualified professional organizer who lives near them whenever possible. I do, however, stay in touch with many of the clients via phone and email. I even talk to some of their family members too, with their permission, of course.
4. Would you say the show accurately depicts the way you would normally work with a client? Do you often have a team of people that works with you?
Yes, when working with hoarding clients, I use a team of professional organizers and collaborate with a therapist. Nothing about what I’m doing, meaning the organizing process, is fabricated for TV. The producers encourage the “experts” to do what we normally do. The challenge for me, personally, is to do this with a team I’ve never met before and do it quickly. It’s been GREAT bonding with professional organizers and 1-800-GOT-JUNK teams all over the US. I’m fortunate to work with really incredible, capable, and caring people.
5. At times, it gets very emotional when a client’s friends or family members are involved in the clean up process. Do you discourage or encourage their participation? How do you keep everyone calm…and remain calm yourself?
Education is key! If family members insist on participating (in “real life,” not TV), I have a meeting where boundaries are established and rules are set. I gently request that family members read books and watch movies about hoarders/hoarding BEFORE coming to help.
Truthfully, it’s usually less tense if friends and family do not participate but it’s not always an option, especially when the client is on a tight budget. Friends and family always have the best intentions and want to help but they lack understanding and want to work at their pace, not the client’s.
6. In your experience, how likely is it that clients regress or stop responding positively to the help they get from you (and/or other professionals)?
In my experience, hoarding is treatable but not curable. I tell clients it’s very much like dieting—if you stop paying attention to what you are consuming/buying, you will most likely find yourself outgrowing your wardrobe/home. Hoarding is a mental disorder and it’s important to monitor what is being acquired and discarded. It’s complicated because many hoarding clients live with depression or another co-existing condition.
7. While keeping certain details confidential, can you describe the most difficult case/job you’ve worked on?
Frankly, every single hoarding case has many challenging moments; each and every job is emotionally and physically draining. The homes are often full of safety hazards so spending long days in that environment isn’t healthy, and once I walk out the door for the day, the day’s events remain in my mind.
8. How does your work impact your life personally? Does it take a toll on you and your family?
Yes, in addition to what I said earlier, about the environments being toxic, I’m much more mindful of my own spending/shopping/acquiring/saving habits.
For example, years ago, I enjoyed seasonal decorations, while now I think the amount of “holiday stuff’ on store shelves is ridiculous. The amount of energy used to manufacture those things and the space that all that stuff takes once we own them is terribly wasteful.
9. Are there books or resources that you would recommend if someone wanted to get more information on hoarding or chronic disorganization?
Here is a link (on my website) that has helpful resources:http://metropolitanorganizing.com/resources/hoarding.
Here is a link to buy “Hoarders: DVDs, but note you can watch them on line.
About Geralin Thomas
Geralin Thomas, CPO-CD®, and founder of Metropolitan Organizing®, LLC, (established in 2002) has helped professional athletes, politicians, artists, small business owners, and others live more productive and balanced lives. A chronic disorganization and ADHD specialist, she is also a Past President of the North Carolina chapter of NAPO®. Residing in Cary, North Carolina with her husband and 2 teenage boys, Geralin is a Tarheel fan and graduate from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She teaches new organizing courses for NAPO and enjoys working with clients and new organizers.
For casual conversation and organizing information, follow her on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
Related Articles
- “Hoarders” Snapshot: My Life as a Hoarding Expert by Dorothy Breininger(dallisonlee.com/blog)
- Interview With Dr. Marla Deibler, Therapist Featured on “Hoarders” (dallisonlee.com/blog)
- Lindsay Lohan: Celebrity Hoarder? (trueslant.com)
- How to handle the hoarding habit (vancouversun.com)
How diligent are business professionals about keeping a clutter-free workspace?
- Image of Office Depot
· 30% of respondents report having lost an important document due to a messy desk
· Food (32%), old newspapers (32%), coffee cups (31%) and spare shoes (12%) were cited as the most likely items to cause workspace clutter
· Disorganization commonly leads to lost time (47%), meeting tardiness (16%) and missed deadlines (14%)
[Small Business Trends · Campaign Launched to Help Business Professionals Get Organized · Office Depot Survey · December 2009]
Get Your Work Space Organized
Anyone who lives in a small space will appreciate today’s article by guest blogger, Sarita Peresada, Senior Designer at Vastu Home Furnishings & Design Services. She shares the top three things you should consider when selecting furniture for your small home so that it doesn’t look cluttered and cramped.
Furnishing a tiny apartment or house is no easy task. You need to think about how you want to live in the space and what your needs are for the different types of furniture, including seating, tables, storage pieces, etc. There are three essential rules to consider when choosing furniture for small spaces:
1. The first essential rule is FUNCTION. In a small space, there is literally no room for furniture that doesn’t serve a specific function. It is best to choose pieces that are functional for how you want to live and, if possible, serve more than one purpose.
For instance, in a studio apartment, your space would best be used if you choose a sofa that converts into a bed instead of trying to fit both a sofa and a bed in the space. There are plenty of cleverly designed, multi-functional pieces of furniture available on the market today.
Another example of a great multi-functional piece is a bedside or living room side table with a single file drawer for hanging files. I love that people without the space for a home office can stylishly incorporate a place to keep their important documents without sacrificing style.
2. Second on the list is SCALE. This one is pretty simple and the easiest to follow, I believe. It’s a simple rule of keeping the size of furniture appropriate for the space; and small spaces need smaller furniture. Too often I see that people have tried to make a giant, over-stuffed sectional sofa fit into a small apartment living room and have no space for anything else. Sure, a great big sofa that can seat all ten of your closest friends is ideal, but it just isn’t practical in a small space. In fact, too big furniture only makes a small room feel even smaller.
3. The third and final rule to keep in mind is VISUAL WEIGHT. This is another simple rule, and is closely related to scale. Basically, large or dark colored pieces of furniture are visually “heavy” and make a space feel smaller than it actually is.
One good way to take up less visual space in a small living room is to use a clear glass coffee table rather than a wood table. The eye can see right through the glass coffee table to the floor, and the more floor space that is visible in a room, the bigger the room feels.
Have you implemented any of the three essential rules? Leave a comment to tell us how things worked out and post your pics!
About the Author
Sarita Peresada is the Senior Designer at DC furniture retailer and design firm, Vastu. She began her professional career at a government contracting company, and it was in this job that Sarita realized her desire to express her creativity. She enrolled in an interior design program and landed a position as the Design Assistant at a remodeling firm.
After experiencing both the structural and furnishings side of interior design, Sarita knew that her passion was in furnishings and decorating. Her search for the ideal position led her to Vastu, where she was taken under the wings of owners/designers, Eric Kole & Jason Claire. Today, Sarita is a successful interior designer who has designed numerous spaces for clients in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Connect With Sarita: E-Mail | Web | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
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Greetings, everyone. It’s official, the vernal equinox is here. Spring is in the air. I’m ready for it, how about you?
I’ve been thinking about branching out beyond the usual Blackberry apps I use for time management, and thought I’d explore what’s out there for future use. Today, I’ll share my top five choices for further investigation. Maybe they’ll be helpful, in case you Blackberry users have been thinking the same. The descriptions below are from each app’s website.
1. SwooshAlarm lets you create as many alarms, timers, and world clocks as you want.I rely on alarms as reminders to let me know what, and more specifically when, something needs to be done. [Though an alarm is only as good after it's set, this is an app that looks pretty interesting.]
2. SlickTasks lets you easily organize your tasks and sub-tasks into a folder tree. You can set reminders for your tasks, so you never forget to complete a task again. With SlickTasks, you can stay focused and get things done. You can even create recurring tasks for your daily, weekly, monthly or yearly tasks. [Tasking is big with me, especially with a number of music projects thrown into the mix, not to mention home improvement tasks. While the Blackberry’s native Tasks app, coupled with Google Calendar works well, this app is worth a second look.]
3. Role Call Tasks is as close to a pen and paper list as you can get. With help from thousands of professionals using Role Call® every day, new version 1.0.8.0 features an unrivaled data entry system. A task with due time, notes, category, and reminders is created by typing a single line of text. Without ever leaving your screen, type task after task while watching your to do list grow.
4. HoneyDew Synchronized To Do List is a super simple, easy to use synchronized to do and task list that makes all your paper lists obsolete. It allows two BlackBerry® smartphone users to keep consolidated lists that are always up to date and always with you. [Ahh...a time management app that two Blackberry owners can use simultaneously! This would be GREAT for my wife and I to use, as we are always TALKING about tasks to be done. The first task, in this case, is to get her to start texting me :-)]
5. Prompt – GPS Calendar. The FREE version of multi-ward winning Prompt, the GPS calendar, tells your latest departure time and weather to expect at your destination. Because Prompt automatically predicts the start locations for each trip, it can effortlessly calculate the mileage for your expenses, saving you the trouble [and some time ;-)]
Well, that’s about it for now. Being an iPod Touch user, I’ll most likely do a review of similar apps for the iPod Touch/iPhone. Please feel free to suggest any of your favorites. Happy Wednesday!
Do you think it really takes 10 minutes to check your e-mail? Think you’ve been watching TV for only a short time? Have you looked at the clock and wondered where the time went? Sometimes what feels like just a couple minutes is really a couple of hours.
So, what to do? Use a timer. Any timer. Try the one on your phone or on your stove. Randomly set it for a 15 minutes to see what 15 minutes really feels like. Or, use it for something like a boiling a 10 minute egg. You’ll be surprised by how quickly those minutes fly by.
Then, on the next occasion you need to spend quality time with a very important project, set your timer again. It’s a great way to check your time management ROI. Try it out and tell me how it works for you.
Here’s great opportunity to lose a bit of paper weight! =)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred · Shred-It · PNC Bank · Northern Virginia Community College
Time: 8 am – 11 am
Where: Northern Virginia Community College · 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003 (703.323.3000)[Map]
Accepted Items:
- Up to 5 boxes of personal (non-business) papers
*DO NOT BRING *
- CD’s, DVD’s, Tapes
- Credit Cards
- Binders
- Hanging File Folders
- Batteries
- Flammables
- Combustibles
- Electronic Equipment (including hard drives)
Cost: FREE
“Why should I pay the same as someone else who throws away twice as much?” ~Ellis Burruss, Frederick County Solid Waste Advisory Council
How do you feel about the concept of paying for what you throw away? That means that the more you buy, consume, and discard, the more you pay for the garbage you throw away. Ellis Burruss of Frederick County, MD doesn’t believe he should have to pay for trash service because he recycles just about everything.
The idea is waste less and pay less, or in Mr. Burruss’ case, pay nothing. If you have more “re-usables,” then you’ll also have less to throw away. If you shop less, then you also have less to throw out (and theoretically, you’re likely to be living a more simple life). Less garbage = smaller landfills = good for the environment = everybody’s happy…right?
Hit people where it hurts the most – their pocket – and they’ll do almost anything, yes? What do you think? Is this the right course of action? Leave a comment with your thoughts and take the poll below.
Would you recycle more if you what you paid for trash pick up was based on the volume of your trash?
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“The more frequently your child files the less time it will take overall. If your child files once a week, it should take about five minutes to get the whole job done. If he files once every two weeks, it will take about fifteen minutes, and if he does the job only once a month, it will end up taking about forty-five minutes.” [The Organized Student: Teaching Children the Skills for Success in School and Beyond · Donna Gold berg · Fireside · 2005]
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