ARoundTuit Organizing & Productivity

There’s a story of two travelers cruising on the highway:

The passenger says, “I think we’re lost.”

The driver replies, “We are lost, but we’re making great time!”

Productivity is not about doing things faster.  It’s about choosing the right actions (or inactions, sometimes!) to get you where you want to go.  Obviously, the first step is trip planning is to know your destination.

I love helping people get clear on their big picture, by asking how they can be most effective in the different roles they play, at work and at home.  By … Continue Reading

I’ve been inspired by a long-term relationship into which I have fallen head-first – with an unmerciful winter cold.  Since the start of the month, there has hardly been a night where I haven’t felt like I’m not suffocating from congestion or that I could not actually cough up my toes.  I’ve tried medication, soup, tea, vaporizers and “rest” (but who can rest like this?).  I’m just plain weary.  You get the point – I know you’ve been there yourself.

All this is not enough to cancel everything and stay in bed, yet … Continue Reading

I was recently asked to contribute to Stephanie Callahan’s amazing Productive and Organized blog topic “106 Thoughts on Overcoming Overwhelm in a Freaked Out World”"

Many people occasionally experience overwhelm from changes that occur throughout our lives.  However, feeling chronically overwhelmed over personal or professional issues can cause productivity to take a nose-dive.  This is because one major side-effect of being overwhelmed is that we become unable to keep our commitments to ourselves and others. Knowing how to step out of the storm, and put things in perspective is so essential to regaining ground.

Many warm thanks to Stephanie Callahan of … Continue Reading

Last Sunday morning, I woke up fine, but my laptop did not.  It would start, then crash.  Start, crash.  After a day of troubleshooting, I realized I would have to face the facts: time to reset the monster to factory settings.  My trusted laptop repair specialist Sam Sato, of Leading Technology Micro, Inc. confirmed (thanks for the freebie, Sam!).

I tell you now I have neither shed tears nor lost a moment’s sleep over this crash.  Even during the relatively long file restoration process (in the Age of Immediate, 7 hours is an … Continue Reading

There is no shortage of information available on procrastination.  Amazon.com lists 50 titles of self-help books addressing different aspects of procrastination.  Now, if I’m late on a project deadline, the last thing I need is to snuggle in with a book.

I’d like to empower you by telling you that not procrastinating is entirely a matter of decision.  That is to say, procrastination is a result of indecision, more than anything else. Fear, fatigue, perfectionism, disorganization, poor time management, discomfort, and distractions make decision making even harder, but the … Continue Reading

Organizing is to productivity as the heart is to the body: a driving force when efficiently maintained, or a source of anxiety and pain when neglected.  Be that what it is, a person isn’t a just a heart.  There is a system of organs, muscles and bones that make vital contributions to a person’s sickness or health.

A good professional organizer looks at the organizing project as part of a whole system, including other areas, tasks, people, and dynamics.

Without knowing this, it’s understandable why clients ask organizers for a quick fix – grant it, sometimes that’s all it takes.  Now … Continue Reading

This ability to stay above the emotion allows me to give clients a fresh, empowering perspective.  One that only comes from the outside in.  Many people can not do this on their own when under stress.

Many of my clients are not naturally disorganized or scattered people.   They can feel in charge of their lives, and manage their time and space with intention.  However, it’s an understatement to say they are “busy”.  Some live like a circus contortionist, spinning 10 plates on sticks while riding a bicycle backwards on a tightrope. Raise your hand if … Continue Reading

“Of course I don’t look busy.  I did it right the first time.”

One of easiest ways to improve your time management in a group context is to become a pro at expectations management.   It’s exactly what it sounds like: everyone is clear on what to expect from the other, and what the other expects from them.

After all, time management boils down to prioritizing and planning.  We may take for granted that our team knows exactly what we mean, or that they will figure it out for themselves (after all, that’s what they are paid for, right?).  Some people want their staff to … Continue Reading

There’s no discussion that the most viable way to backup your computer is online, or on a remote server.  Why?  Because the fewer steps seperating you from what you need to accomplish, the more likely you are to get it done.  In the age of technology, that means automating as many routine tasks as possible.

So, last week when my laptop went belly-up, all I had to do after a system restore was log onto MOZY.com and restore my files.  What a wonderful feeling knowing that my files were … Continue Reading

If you’ve been following my blogging launch in 2008, you may have noticed a sudden nose-dive in posts. It’s disappointing, to say the least, to feel “left hanging”. I’m here today to tell you that I’M BACK! and to let you in some personal experiences I’ve grown through recently. Keep reading – this is to your advantage!

We all know someone who thinks the world would be a better place if only we (or they) could “fix” our weaknesses. True, in theory.  In reality, trying to “fix” ourselves or someone else often leads to disappointment at best, conflict, low self-esteem and  dissolved relationships at worst.

The hallmark of my organizing and … Continue Reading