Has someone ever told you that what you’re doing is “not good enough”, but you know in your heart you are doing your absolute best? These messages could be driving you to be successful or could be sabotaging your growth.

When I was growing up my father constantly criticized me. When I was in high school I loved listening to James Taylor and other sing-a-long type artists. I loved singing so much to those songs, I would sing out loud in my room and sometimes when I was riding my bicycle. However, one time my father heard me and he came into my room and his comment to me was that he was wondering what that terrible sound was. He insisted I turn off the record player and stop singing.

Another time I was cleaning the family dishes after dinner and apparently the water was not hot enough. My dad turned the water up so hot that I scalded my hands as he scolded me about how to wash dishes — that I was going to make everyone sick because I wasn’t cleaning the dishes well enough.

As I’ve gone through life, I’ve realized that these criticisms and disciplines are not normal and I’ve reflected on how these occurrences affected my life’s path. I never pursued anything with music and still hate cleaning dishes. I do however, think I’m a pretty darn good singer and am never afraid to sing out loud!

When people tell you that you are not good enough, you may brush it off or you may get stuck and start thinking something is wrong with you. If you feel the latter, you may see this affecting your productivity as you are not doing all you want to do in your life. I know a kitchen with dishes sitting in the sink for a couple of days is an inefficient way to enjoy your home. This behavior affirms that things don’t clutter, we clutter. And when we understand why we can make simple changes to improve the quality of our life.

If there are messages from your past that feel like old tapes going through your head, consider the source and realize that no one but you can make judgments on your value. Strive to do your best always and if it feels good to you, keep moving forward.

Last weekend, I had a blast.  It was the first time I experienced whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River!  As I was preparing for this day,  the group coordinator briefed me on what to bring and the survival pieces were pretty minimal. (Note: I’m the only one wearing a helmet!)   It’s amazing how you can enjoy a day without all the extras that we carry around.  Let’s keep that thought in mind as we plan our longer trips over these summer weeks ahead.

Keeping it simple when packing is critical — especially these days when airlines are charging for any overpacking.  I hope this brief article will help you in packing light!   Be safe and have fun!

Pack It Up

How- and how much — you pack can greatly impact your comfort level while on vacation. Follow these tips as you pack your bags.

• Pack light. When in doubt, leave it out! Adopt a European standard for fashion by wearing your favorite things multiple times while on vacation. You can hand-wash in the hotel sink if necessary. No one ever wishes they had brought more stuff on vacation! (But you might consider bringing an empty duffel bag or backpack to cart home souvenirs.)
• If you’re flying, consider taking only a carry-on to save time and frustration upon arrival. If you’re checking luggage, make sure to pack essentials (change of clothing, bathing suit, medications, toiletries, snacks) in a carry-on bag, just in case you’re separated from your checked bags.
• Invest in some handy travel accessories, such as a mini-clothesline, “compression sacs” to compress your clean or dirty clothes, sleep mask, ear plugs, and inflatable neck rest.
• Know the current airline carry-on restrictions by visiting www.faa.gov/ passengers before you go.
• Clean out your wallet before you leave. Take only the bare essentials, such as two major credit cards, ATM card, your driver’s license or state ID, passport (if traveling abroad), health and car insurance cards, and cash or traveler’s checks. Leave all other cards at home.(You can’t lose them if you don’t bring them!)
• Make a photocopy of the front and back of your wallet essentials and stash it in your suitcase or leave it with a trusted friend or relative back home. If you should lose your wallet, you can more easily get replacements. Also, leave a copy of your itinerary in your suitcase in case you misplace your original.

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Are you feeling in a state of overwhelm? Do this: quickly jot down what comes to your mind. Go there, grab a pen and paper and write the first issue, or names that come to your mind. Just saying those issues/people, you’ll know, almost in priority, where your stress is coming from. The answers usually are right there in us. It just takes a pen and paper to write down what comes to your mind immediately.

I know it is going to be hard, but you’ll need to know how to take care of yourself. With this exercise you can focus on where and what you need to address. If your health is feeling tired, take some action — maybe a yoga class, getting some fresh air, or taking a drive to the mountains or the beach will help.

Challenge your motives. Are you working to see how you are doing, or are you working to see if the work is going well?

Are you asking the question, “how does my life/my work look to others? Are you doing the work for the passion, or for being recognized? Focusing on doing it for the attention or fame will always cause a tremendous sense of lack.

So how do you make this work for you? Work with people you enjoy and do what you enjoy. Do what is true to your heart. Take actions that are genuine to your passion. As you are on the path to working on your passion, the times of overwhelm will go away.

Are you focused on the competition? If you focus on others, you will always feel less than; and the projects you work on will always feel less than. If it doesn’t work and it’s hard for you, will more opportunity come your way?  And if it does, is it worth the stress? Doing what is true to your own heart is what will be the best.

Are you trying to make it perfect and unique? It seems that every great idea seems to be a remake of something else. Even in music, you may hear a great song and realize someone else wrote it decades ago, but someone current brought it to the top of the charts. To realize that no work is original and that all creativity is inspired by others can actually be a relief.

Some people will doubt you, sometimes quietly, sometimes publicly, but don’t let that stop you from moving forward. The bottom line is that you do not need the critics in your life. They block your creativity. After all, you’re interpreting other’s experiences and weaving them in with your own, which is truly your own creativity.

I know for me if I don’t create, I feel in a funk. If I don’t feel positive people around me, I get in a funk. If I don’t have plans, I feel in a funk. I look forward to things so I can plan, otherwise, I feel rushed. I like the process of looking forward to things — it brings out the creativity in me to dream. Creativity can be in the process of getting ready. The theme of the clothes I’m going to wear, the excitment of the event. It’s not about the event; so much as it is about the process of getting there.

So are you feeling overwhelmed? Then you may ask yourself just a few questions… Are you doing what is true to yourself? Are you worrying about what other people think? Are you measuring your success to the success of others? And are you trying to live your life perfectly? I’m thinking if you’re true to yourself, your overwhelm with go away.

Last weekend I attended a high school commencement for Skylar. She is the daughter of my friend, Ann, whom I’ve known since 1981. As I drove to the campus, I was reflecting on the day Skylar was born. I received a call from Ann’s husband, Paul, in September 1992, with the news of Skylar’s birth. I rushed to the hospital to see Ann and Paul and be one of the first to welcome this new little girl into their lives. I was blessed to share a similar moment a couple years later with the birth of their second daughter, Hannah. So I was a bit emotional and nostalgic as I was facing Skylar’s graduation day. I felt really proud for the accomplishment of this young lady’s life.

When I arrived at the school, it was a beautiful spring day, not a typical Colorado spring morning. Although there was a chill in the air and a bit cloudy, you could smell the green grass and the sun was peeking through. The week’s rain and snow left the lawn soaking wet. This is a typical change of weather for us here in Colorado — snow, rain, shining skies — all in the same week.

Although there was only a small crowd, I was not able to find Ann and her family so I took a seat by myself to enjoy the ceremony. I slipped off my wet shoes and decided to just relax barefoot as I observed and enjoyed the ceremony.
I couldn’t help but be inspired by the energy of the crowd, the beautiful day and the speeches I heard. Among the graduation messages, there were several so inspiring; I’d like to share them with you.

Empowerment
A young lady got up to talk about her frustration with asking a teacher once over and over again about a problem, and the teacher would say, “What do you think the answer is?” The message was that the answers are within you.

Professionals challenge us to look at our potential. I know when I’m working with clients, this happens naturally as I’m working alongside my client to empower them to overcome their disorganization. The answers to how to process individual challenges are truly within us. Finding those answers within ourselves can be empowering -– even though they may be facilitated by someone else, it empowers us to move forward and finally learn the lesson.

Be a Leader
At one point, there was a scripture quote – “true leaders govern his people as the people don’t even know they’re being led”. What a humbling image for young graduates to consider in looking forward to new roles in their lives. What kind of leader do you want to be? What kind of leader do you want to lead you?

Girl Power
A faculty member addressed how the girls were coming from a community of “girl world”: smelling of fresh shampoo, shining from glittery makeup, blonde hair everywhere and high running emotions with shrieking voices echoing in hallways. What an acknowledgement of their individuality as women (by the way, I should mention the graduation was at a Catholic girl’s school). How I was reminded of my own femininity and how it took me to be into my forties before I realized it was okay to be a “girlie girl”. What a privilege for the youth today to be able to acknowledge their own personalities and uniqueness and be able to express the gifts in their beauty and voices of opinion and creativity.

Decisiveness
For those who are unsure, there was the question of decisiveness. Are you indecisive? Feeling like you need to go it alone? The recommendation was to look at what is in the environment that may be obvious. Are you working with those around you and being inclusive with those in your community? This message can apply to your work environment as well. Those around you are most likely there for you, your support systems. These are people who share your experiences, your history. When you need it, these people will be there to give to you when you ask for it. But remember that it goes both ways — you need to be willing to give as well. Don’t forget your history. Look back on it in times of need.

Attitudes
Attitude — it’s more about success as you can control your attitude. It’s a contagious magnet that attracts good. Mistakes can paralyze decisiveness, so make the most of what you have. This reminds me of the adage to make lemonade out of lemons.

Common Sense and Risk
I recall a message about common sense as being the norm, once you have it though, you can build on it with a beautiful opportunity to progress. Risk is not common sense. Go beyond your common sense and take risks… take time to create change as it is always a success. Fight for causes. Today we have the opportunity in business to be more socially responsible and take action towards being a sustainable company. Take risks – the rewards are worthwhile.

Lean into facing your fear and envision the life you want and then work towards that vision. Re-examine the status quo, and conformity and find what works for you. These were encouraging words for students of all ages.

There was a piano solo of Sonato in C Minor (Pathetique), First Movement, Beethoven. It immediately reminded me of my brother, Mark, as he was an admirer of Beethoven in his own music composition. The music had the intensity of banging on the piano, almost a darkness… a similar darkness to some of Mark’s work, with the contradiction of extreme delicacy of the piano notes mixed in the piece. The dual paths of rhythm were a bit like a light and delicate surface with a strong undertone of darkness lurking in the background. An interesting thought for a beautiful graduation ceremony. It made me think that life is a bit like that. As we often tiptoe and dance through life, even though there are many difficulties and struggles that we are processing. The music reminded me to keep moving forward and not to let the undertones bring you down.

During the presentation of the senior diplomas there were cheers from the crowd. In the cool Colorado morning I’m reminded of the opposite image of a closed off gym from my graduation — hot and stuffy, a bit on the rowdy side when we flipped our own tassels. It was not like the elegance of 69 lovely ladies that graduated this graduation day. The contrast to my high school graduation was what inspired me to share this event.

I finally met up with my friends and the new graduate at the end of the program.  I hope you have picked up some tidbits regarding empowerment, individuality, decisiveness and attitudes from my reflection.

On the Today Show, Ben Baldanza of Spirit Airlines was interviewed by Matt Lauer, talking about the new fee to charge $45 for carry on luggage at teh airport.  Here’s an example of where being a pioneer in the business is not necessarily good.

What’s going to happen if the traveller is going to pay even more for their luggage on flight.  We’ve been working hard enough to simplify our  wardrobes while travelling to a carry on, so all the more reason to really zero in on how to travel lighter.

Keep it light and simple.  The Europeans have been doing it for years by wearing their favorite things multiple times while on vacation.   It is often recommended to hand-wash in the hotel sink if necessary.  Lots of hotels offer laundry service, and yes for a rather high fee, but it is an option. 

I’m reminded of a trip I took to Milan years ago.  I was a buyer for a jewelry company.  Do you remember Impostors?  I was their buyer for all 30 stores.  I had been on the job about a month and went on my first trip to a jewelry show in Milan for a long weekend –leave Friday, return on Monday. 

Since I was new to international travel, I wanted to keep it as simple as possible, and that meant one suitcase.  The contents  were simple:

•  one awesome suit – jacket, skirt and pants. 
• a pair of jeans,
•  a cardigan,
• couple of tees,
• a dress blouse, and
• alternate pair of shoes (heels)

It was that simple and Iwas good to go.  All that and my cosmetics, accessories and some paperwork all fit into my Travel Pro carry-on.    I wore the pants from the suit, t shirt, cardigan and flats on the plane.  (I also wore my international favorite, an Hermes scarf for a little variety.) 

That was 10 years ago and i was thinking even then how to keep it as simple was possible.  Today with mu business i enjoy working with woman to help simplify their wardrobes and consult on what in their wardrobe is fabulous enough to wear .. everyday and anywhere.  We too often are saving our clothes, or go out and buy something new for a trip.  Chances are you have what you need and when you start crfeate systems even for your wardrobe you can make simple changes to improve your travel life. 

We’ll see how these new fees take off?  In the meantime, we can make changes to prepared if the idea really flies.

(c) Strategize & Organize. Anne McGurty 2010.

No it doesn’t mean making three times more money.  It’s about social responsibility, environmental initiative and yes economic accountability. According to Wikipedia, , triple bottom line accounting means expanding the traditional reporting framework to take into account ecological and social performance in addition to financial performance.

The phrase was coined by John Elkington in 1994.^[2] It was later expanded and articulated in his 1998 book Cannibals with Forks: the Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business.^[3][4] Sustainability, itself, was first defined by the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations in 1987.

The concept of TBL demands that a company’s responsibility be to stakeholders rather than shareholders. In this case, “stakeholders” refers to anyone who is influenced, either directly or indirectly, by the actions of the firm. According to the stakeholder theory, the business entity should be used as a vehicle for coordinating stakeholder interests, instead of maximizing shareholder (owner) profit

This evening I attended the first class of an eight week program to learn more about how I can incorporate sustainable and TBL strategies into the business practices of Strategize & Organize. The course is being instructed by Richard Eldin of The Progress Group.   Over this eight week period, I’ll be sharing with you what I learn.

In my class notes I saw a quote from Nelson Mandela, “You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself”.  How true that is also with people who want to get organized.  I’ve always said it’s like a 12-step program. Getting organized is not necessarily for those who need it, but for those who want it.  We all have to accept the first step that our lives our unmanageable in order to get organized.  Similarly with the environment, accept that our own habits may be unmanageable and we can change our own behaviors with how we treat our world as well.   We have to again take a first step and admit that our lives are unmanageable and that we can change ourselves and make a smaller ecological footprint. 

All this new information really is getting me to think about what impact can I make in the community running my business?  Initially, helping clients move from paper files to electronic files, teaching clients about resources to recycle old product, becoming an educator within the community, to name a few.  I’ll be working on these ideas and initiatives over the next few months and will report them and I’ll be updating my business plan.

© Strategize & Organize. 2010. Anne McGurty

Being organized is great, but sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming when you look at all the disposable stuff you now have lurking in a pile outside your newly organized space.  As I started working with a client this morning with one of my associates, Janine, we quickly saw how our client had lots of stuff that could be recycled.  The question has always been where and how? 

Environmentally, we all want to make more responsible decisions and there are places that can help us facilitate those decisions. 

A while back a client told me about the concept:  reduce, reuse, and recycle.  It took me a while to realize what that really looks like.  I’ll break it down here for you as I have interpreted it.

Reduce:  Look at the actual consumable and be responsible about what we purchase how it’s going to be disposed. 

Reuse:  Figure out new uses for old things.  Real Simple  magazine frequently has great tips on this topic.  For example, using old egg cartons for your craft box of buttons or screws and nails.  Re-gifting may fall into this category as well, instead of throwing away something that someone gave you, pass it along to someone else rather than storing it forever or throwing it out.  Re-use can also be bringing clothing and/or furniture into a consignment store.  What they don’t take, can always go to charity and you get a tax break as well.  You may also reuse by shopping these stores for your new purchases too! 

On Friday, I participated in a field trip with my local National Association of Professional Organizers Golden Circle Club.   

On a much more commercial level, we visited, Ellie’s Eco Home Store, a one-stop shop for healthy, sustainable, recycled and eco friendly products for the family or office environment.  We had a blast. It’s a  store in Boulder that is 100% about selling items that are from recycled products and/or environmentally friendly, i.e. plastic forks made out of post-compost materials, so that when you throw them away, they decompose rather than being a hard piece of indestructible plastic.  All the more reason to brown bag your lunch!   

One item that caught our attention was the Solargon.  It’s a home or cabin inspired by the Native American and Asian nomadic tribes that use the latest in green-building technology.    (We’re all in there getting a feel of what it would be like to live in such a compact space.   Oops, Lisa’s phone rang just as we were saying cheese!.)“Green-building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources: energy, water, and materials . . . while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and eventual removal — the complete building life cycle.”  Visit Ellie’s website to learn more about this concept. 

Recycle.  Also on our field trip , we visited www.eco-cycle.org, aka CHaRM, Center for Hard to Recycle Items, and that’s a great place to drop off what you can’t re-use.  They’ll figure it out and make sure it goes to the right place.  We’re all so baffled these days with where things go and who wants it.  Due to community awareness and demand, these facilities are popping up all over the country.  What I also learned yesterday is that every county has different regulations,… no wonder we’re a bit confused. Check their website to get an idea of their services and help facilitate finding a similar center in your area.   A fun article with ideas on how to recycle anything, go to this Real Simple link.  

Well keeping on the theme, this new knowledge has immediately come in handy.  As Janine finished up after 5 1/2 hours with our client in the client’s basement home office/storage area, we all have a more focused plan on what to do with everything!  Both Janine and I and our client are feeling great about about the day of organizing. Onward we go to the rest of the house!   What a great sense of purpose, another added benefit to getting organized.   

We are learning more daily, here we are professionals in the business of helping people be more efficient and we’re continuing to learn more.    Let’s all keep up our education of what we can do.  Feel free to post here any resources that you have and we’ll keep it going.  Your involvement will keep the world going around. In the meantime, be mindful of reduce, reuse and recycle. 

(C) Strategize & Organize. Anne McGurty. 2010.

People always ask for pictures of client projects as it’s so hard to visualize what a day of organization may look like.

This past week I worked with an individual and she was 3 weeks new on the job.  She was actually taking on the job of was previously handled by three individuals.  Yes, cutbacks are still everywhere. 

She is an extremely competent woman, yet had no idea had to get her arms around all the paperwork and files pertaining to her job.  she was just dealing with a cubicle where everything was essentially dumped on her.

My job was to set up a system for her so that she and others could find what she needed.    When the day started, the images here show what she was looking at each morning as she arrived into her office. 

Darn, I didn’t get pictures of the floor, but know that there were 4 file boxes overflowing with files and a bookcase jammed with files, boxes, and binders.    I do hope you’re getting the picture though.

What I did in just a few short hours, OK, seven.  We went through all the paperwork from all the boxes and identified what was actionable work that she knew she needed to learn or were going to be works in progress and put those files into the lateral files closets to her.  all other files went on the other side of her cubicle where there was a four drawer lateral file.  we inventoried all the files, yes, wrote them all down and ebtered them into The Paper Tiger file management system,  At the end of the day, I provided her with a file index that was filed with each section of files for a visual reference to what we had input.  After all, the problem people always challenge me with is that they can’t see what’s in the drawers.  however, with a file index you can see what you have… and better yet, you can make decisions on what you need, can archive and even toss!  No more mysteries of drawers full of stuff.

The end of the day, these are teh images of my client’s desk.  Her manager came in  to see our progress and I loved what her manager said…or did.. she disn’t react, she just asked my client, “Well what do you think?”  and the client I had been organizing all day said, “This is awesome, I actually have a system now where I can file things and know where they are!”. 

Wow!  I always feel as satisfied as my clients.  The end of a good day is to leave an office looking this organized…. every day!  Where I get my professional satisfaction additionally is that, the majority of my clients end of keeping their offices looking like this o a  daily basis.  If more responsibilities are added to their plate and need some additional help, no problem, they now have a system to get back on baord without feeling like they need to take a weekend or stay late every night for a week to catch up.  They now have a methodology to get control of their papers. 

Need help organizing your office but are too busy to do it yourself?   I can help you by coming to your office or work with you virtually over the phone!  

(C) Strategize & Organize.  Anne McGurty

I was working with a client this past week and one of the green initiatives they were taking as an organization was to change the scheduling of their supply ordering to one time a month.  this change from a semi monthly schedule not only saves in shipping costs, now 50% less since it’s half the orders, but also saves on the frequency of deliveries, which cuts down on shipping and transportation costs. 

Companies are all looking at how they can save time and money and have for years.  however, the new added value of relating the benefit to the environment is a great spin to feel more proactive about these efforts.

think about your office with something as simple as your supply ordering.  how many times, does someone run out to the Office Max to pick up something, or the random online orders from various vendors.  The former procurement executive in me is coming out here with my recommendations.  Try these simple ideas to be more efficient with your time and money and do your part to be eco-organized.

1. centralize your vendors
2. create a list of your needed items
3. create a budget based on your history
4. schedule one day a month to process orders
5. have shipments delivered

I always enjoyed the procurement process because it gives you lots of information to analyze your trends, pricing, and volume.  when you know that information, you can start to negotiate better pricing with your vendors.  Another benefit of centralizing a process and being focused on the task at hand. Being organized once again pays off.

(c) Strategize & Organize. 2010

I am powerless over my feelings and actions.  I think I can control the results and pain. 

But the truth is my actions create no feelings that support me with peace or spiritual gain.

I want to know what it feels like

Those people who say they don’t have these issues

I want to know what it feels like

Those people that life live with ambition.

Why my life is so unmanageable and I’m so powerless

the fear pops up and controls

But then I realize it’s only me who needs to let go and trust.

Lack of organization can be the initial stage of realization and the beginning of a road to recovery.  Once you recognize that your own life is unmanageable and that you can no longer maintain the façade, it may be time to get help.   Living in chaos is not a normal state, it’s actually dysfunctional.  I share this poem and experience with you to let you know I’ve seen it, understand it and can help   It’s not easy to ask for help… even though the behavior causes nothing but stress and pain and oftentimes has financial implications.  The final line in the poem of letting go and trust, says it all.  When we let go and trust a better life awaits.  I embrace you.

© Anne McGurty.  Strategize & Organize.