by Marla Dee
Everything is more FUN done with a friend – even organizing!
Let’s face it – most things are more fun when done with a friend – shopping, movies, dining, hiking, travel, and hobbies. What is it about organizing that makes us think we have to suffer? We have to force ourselves to get it done. It is always on the list but typically the last thing we want to do on the weekend, right? There seems to be shame around letting our friends see our chaos. And yet inviting someone to help is the solution!
This is one of the powerful secrets to make organizing FUN! Invite a friend to do it with you. Let go of the fear and shame of your friends seeing the chaos and open up to a powerful experience. As a professional organizer for 15 years I have seen hundreds of people be set free when they let themselves receive help from an organizer, a friend or family member. The important elements are:
- Pick someone safe who won’t judge you.
- Do the project in small pieces of 2-3 hours
- Make it fun by playing music or having snacks
- Try taking turns and helping each other
- Choose someone that supports you making a change
(more…)
by Marla Dee
It takes curiosity and courage to ask the question – What if I were free?
What if I was free from the stuff, people and expectations that drag me down? Often I buy into the idea that I am trapped by my schedule, my business, my family, others expectations, and then there’s the physical stuff that keeps coming at me. Yikes, how could I possibly be free? We live in an abundant world with its own form of trappings.
Here is what I have to say – If I were free…
- I would take it easy today.
- I would let myself just enjoy what I am doing right now.
- I would be softer and more open.
- I would see magic more in sweet moments.
- I would feel gratitude for the variety of things that come my way.
(more…)
by Kate Fehr
You’ve got all the pieces, now let’s put the puzzle together!
Are you starting to feel like you’re getting this R.A.F.T© thing?! We are going to walk through the process in its entirety again to help with that. As I mentioned in “Contain the Piles,” the very first thing you do is gather all of your incoming paper each day and put it in a vertical holding container.
From there, schedule some time in your week that you can R.A.F.T© through it…
- R = Read. All items that are leisurely reading go into one container…or two containers, but they are specifically for Reading.
(more…)
by Kate Fehr
Get it outta your life!
The final step of R.A.F.T.© is TOSS. It is a simple step, but offers a noticeable difference in your paper load. Once a week, as you process papers from your incoming container, simply toss papers into a recycle container or send through a shredder. Pay attention to what happens as you go through this process.
Common results are…
- Feeling accomplished clearing out all of that weight.
- You and your space feeling lighter.
- It sets a standard in your space that for all the incoming there has to be outgoing as well.
Send it off before it takes up residence!
(more…)
by Kate Fehr
Are you ready to love your filing cabinet and the papers inside?!
Okay, maybe that is a little extreme, but the reality is that you CAN have a filing system in place that will change your relationship with paper. You CAN enjoy handling, filing and retrieving papers. Thanks to the magnificent Seth Odam and his brilliant creation FreedomFiler. FreedomFiler is the only all-encompassing, self-purging filing system. Do you need even more reason than that?!
Okay…
- It contains everything from your daily action file labels, to your monthly files, your taxes, your vital records, your contracts and your reference information.
(more…)
