School is About to Start - Get Organized!

Who wants to think about school starting in a few weeks?  No one - but if you go to the stores the school lists and school supplies are already lining the aisles. 

So - take advantage of the sales and get your school supplies out of the way now! You might also want to stock up on extra pencils and paper that will be needed during the school year. Avoid the crowds of last minute shoppers. Avoid the stress!

Why wait until the week before school starts or for some people the day before school starts, to get organized and ready for school?  Eliminate the stress by planning ahead!

If you are just starting to send your kids to school for the first time you should also think about the end of school - all of the pictures and projects that the kids will be bringing home over the next year. Think about how you want to organize everything and buy the appropriate tools now while you are buying everything else for school. This will save you a lot of time and money later.

There are many different options for organizing your kids papers and projects. A Pendaflex with space for each grade. A 3 ring binder, a file box.... Whatever works for you. By thinking about it ahead of time, your year will be a lot smoother.

Clothes:  Your kids will probably have grown over the summer. Go through their closets (yes, again - and tell them to stop growing already!). You might want to take the clothes they have outgrown to your favorite donation center (be sure to get a receipt for your taxes). Make a list of what clothes they have and what clothes you will need to buy. Keep an eye out for the sales, but please don't get carried away!  Buy only what's on your list.

Snacks for kids - you might also want to think about healthy snack options for the kids lunches and buy those while you are out shopping.

Get the shopping out of the way and enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

Now is also the time to think about new routines for the school season.

Adjusting the kids bedtimes so that they get all of the recommended amount of sleep and are awake during school! Start adjusting their bedtimes now so they are used to going to bed earlier and getting up earlier.

Think about homework stations for the kids. Where will they drop all of the papers and things that they bring home from school? Where will they be doing their homework?

Do you have a system in place for keeping their important papers - such as papers that need to be signed and returned to school?

During the summer, mealtimes were probably more lax. Now is also the time to start thinking about scheduling during the school year and making time for healthy family meals.

Lots to think about! Start by shifting your mindset to school days and school hours. It'll be here before you know it!



Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Organizational Consulting Services Earns Certificate of Study in Basic Mental Health Conditions and Challenges Affecting the CD Client

The Certificate of Study in Basic Mental Health Conditions and Challenges Affecting the CD Client presents some strategies, resources and collaboration techniques for professional organizers working with these clients.

Karin E. Fried of Organizational Consulting Services has earned a Certificate of Study in Basic Mental Health Conditions and Challenges Affecting the CD Client from the Institute of Challenging Disorganization (ICD). The purpose of ICD’s study series is to provide both basic and specialized topic education on issues, concepts, and challenges presented by client work with the chronically disorganized.

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) promotes continued learning in this highly specialized field. ICD’s mission is to provide education, research and strategies to benefit people challenged by chronic disorganization. ICD explores, develops and communicates information, organizing techniques and solutions to professional organizers, related professionals and the public.

This certificate focus on mental health conditions and challenges affecting people with chronic disorganization. To earn this certificate, Fried was required to attend numerous courses that explore topics such as organization and Autism, BiPolar Disorder, and PTSD; mental illness – organizing space to create balance, hoarding and compassion, and numerous other courses.

Prior to completing this coursework, Fried has also earned her Level II Chronic Disorganization (CD) Specialist Certificate, a Certificate in Basic Hoarding Issues with the CD Client, a Certificate of Study in Understanding the Needs of the Elderly CD Client, a Certificate of Study in Basic ADD Issues with the CD Client, a Certificate of Study in CD Client Administration, a Certificate of Study in Life Transitions, a Certificate of Study in Interpersonal Intelligence and a Certificate of Study in Certificate of Study in Time Management and Productivity.

The Specialist Certificate provides in-depth information on chronic disorganization and how to help CD clients manage more effectively in relation to getting and staying organized. 

“My ongoing education allows me to work with clients who are chronically disorganized in a very specific manner” said Fried. Increasing my knowledge will enable me to provide the highest quality individualized services to my clients”.

Organizational Consulting Services provides both business and residential organizing services. As a Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant, Fried works with a variety of clientele, from people who need just basic organizing help, people with chronic disorganization and hoarding issues, people with all types of issues such as TBI’s, Asperger’s, ADD; clients that need help with paper and time management, clients that need help with estate or life management and anything in between. Fried also provides virtual organizing to clients all over the world. 

For more information, please visit www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Clutter – Disorganization – and working with a Professional Organizer

Are you tired of being fed up with your clutter and disorganization?  

Do you want to be able to invite people over without having to do an emergency decluttering (also known as throwing everything into a box and hiding it somewhere else)?

Sit back and let a professional organizer show you a better way.

A Professional Organizer can:

·         Assess your situation

·         Analyze what didn’t work

·         Implement new, sustainable organizing solutions

Being organized reduces your stress, saves you time and money.

Assessing your situation can include just things as walking through your home or business and seeing what the spaces look like. Or it can involve looking at your filing system or computerized systems to see how you function.

Analyzing what didn’t work means going over the systems that you currently using and any systems that you have used in the past and figuring out why they are not working for you.  There are numerous ways to do things and there is no “right or wrong way”. There is “the way that works for you”.  

Implementing new, sustainable organizing solutions for you. Each person learns differently. Some people are very visual and need things to be out and displayed or they can’t find things. Some people can only handle things that have very few steps – or they won’t do them. Professional Organizers can create new systems that help you become more organized and more productive. Many systems are too complex and tend to overwhelm a client. Everyone learns differently and requires different solutions to be successful. If a system is too complex – even though it’s a great system – most people won’t follow it for long.  Organizing systems and processes need to work for you. And sometimes it’s a process of trying a system for a while and then tweaking it over time to make it function better.

Most people use professionals – whether it’s a doctor, mechanic, electrician or lawn service – because they don’t have the expertise – or they don’t have the time or energy to do the job themselves.  Or they have tried, sometimes with the help of family or friends to get themselves organized – but it just didn’t work.

A Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant can help you in many ways. If they belong to NAPO (National Organization of Professional Organizers) they are bound by a code of ethics and understand that letting a professional organizer into your home or business is somewhat invasive and a very personal experience.  They are trained to be empathetic and understanding and never judgmental.  A number of organizers also belong to the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) and work with clients that have chronic disorganization and/or hoarding disorder and also have a variety of other issues such as ADHD, Asperger's, Bipolar, OCD and more. They are also trained to work with seniors and the aging population, people in life transitions, time management and productivity; students and more.

 Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Certificate of Study in Time Management and Productivity

This certificate covers the principles of time management and productivity as they relate to working with the CD client. To earn this certificate, Fried was required to take attend numerous courses that explored topics such as how to deal with procrastination, managing priorities, working with clients with Autism and various other issues, time management techniques and more.

Karin E. Fried of Organizational Consulting Services has earned a Certificate of Study in Time Management and Productivity from the Institute of Challenging Disorganization (ICD). The purpose of ICD’s study series is to provide both basic and specialized topic education on issues, concepts, and challenges presented by client work with the chronically disorganized.

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) promotes continued learning in this highly specialized field. ICD’s mission is to provide education, research and strategies to benefit people challenged by chronic disorganization. ICD explores, develops and communicates information, organizing techniques and solutions to professional organizers, related professionals and the public. 

This certificate focus on time management and productivity issues faced by people with chronic disorganization. To earn this certificate, Fried was required to attend numerous courses that explore topics such as how to deal with procrastination, how to manage your priorities, how to work with clients with Autism and various other challenges, time management techniques and more.

Prior to completing this coursework, Fried has also earned her Level II Chronic Disorganization (CD) Specialist Certificate, a Certificate in Basic Hoarding Issues with the CD Client, a Certificate of Study in Understanding the Needs of the Elderly CD Client, a Certificate of Study in Basic ADD Issues with the CD Client, a Certificate of Study in CD Client Administration, a Certificate of Study in Life Transitions, a Certificate of Study in Interpersonal Intelligence and a Certificate of Study in Mental Health Conditions and Challenges Affecting the CD Client.

The Specialist Certificate provides in-depth information on chronic disorganization and how to help CD clients manage more effectively in relation to getting and staying organized. 

“My ongoing education allows me to work with clients who are chronically disorganized in a very specific manner” said Fried. Increasing my knowledge will enable me to provide the highest quality individualized services to my clients”.

Organizational Consulting Services provides both business and residential organizing services. As a Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant, Fried works with a variety of clientele, from people who need just basic organizing help, people with chronic disorganization and hoarding issues, people with all types of issues such as TBI’s, Asperger’s, ADD; clients that need help with paper and time management, clients that need help with estate or life management and anything in between. Fried also provides virtual organizing to clients all over the world. 

For more information, please visit www.organizationalconsultingservices.com