Being organized involves many things. Even the most organized people need a little help. I know that I can't remember every single thing that needs to be done in my day, so I am constantly writing out lists.
This helps me remember what I need to accomplish during the day or week. But a "list" is not the "end all" of being organized.
If you constantly write things down, does that make you "organized"? The answer is "no". Writing things down, on your calendar or on a piece of paper (or electronically) does not make you organized.
Once you write things down you actually have to take the next step: do them! If you write things down but never actually follow through with completing your tasks you are no closer to being organized than if you never wrote it down in the first place.
After you make your list you need to take a good look at it and make sure that you can accomplish everything (or most things) on your list. If you can't, take it off the list.
Then you really want to "prioritize" the list by importance.
Next, you want to "schedule" the items on your list. Put it on your calendar. Set a date and time that you need/want to have the item accomplished. Be realistic. Allow yourself enough time to get the task done. Allow time for interruptions or traffic.
By scheduling your "to do" list you have taken the next step to accomplishing your goals.
Now follow your schedule and cross the item off of your list!
And don't forget to put "scheduling your week" on your "to do" list and schedule. Because if you don't schedule "planning" time you will have left out an important step.
Being organized in your life takes just as much work as in your job. Give it the same importance.
Have a great week!
Organizational Consulting Services
http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/
Showing posts with label ADD and Organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ADD and Organization. Show all posts
Monday, November 28, 2011
Monday, August 16, 2010
ORGANIZING FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE
Most people don’t understand that organizing isn’t a “one size fits all” type of business.
Each client is different… in what they want, how they want it done, what they need to have done and how we teach them to become organized.
As a “Professional Organizer” I belong to numerous organizations, including NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers and NGGCD (National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization). I take my job and my “organizing” passion very seriously.
Most people don’t realize that organizers have certification programs and attend numerous seminars on various topics.
I have a “Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization”. Which means that I passed an exam and am serious about my “profession” and learning everything that I can about the subject.
When most people think about “professional organizers” they think about “closets”. Or now they might think about “hoarders”. Both of which I do.
But organizing is more than that.
Let’s just talk about closets for a minute. Think about “kids” ….those short people. They can’t reach very high. So when we are organizing a closet for a child we need to think about them being “vertically challenged”. But we also need to think about the future and the fact that someday … they will be taller and can reach higher.
Now let’s think about “seniors”. . Maybe they can’t reach very high because of arthritis. So the closet rods should be lower. And they can’t do a lot of physical labor for long periods of time… so your organizing sessions might need to be shorter.
See how closets aren’t just “standard” ?
Or what about people with ADD ? They don’t see things the way the rest of the world does. They might not “learn” the same. They might be “visual” people. So if you are talking about filing or organizing…they might not “get” the logic behind what you say. Or their attention span might be a lot shorter.
So you have to think of “different” ways to get your point across to them.
Or people that are in a “life changing circumstance” ? It could be someone that just lost a spouse or someone that is going through a “life altering” experience. They might not be able to make those “organizing” decisions as easily as they did before their life changing circumstance.
Or “hoarders” …… they aren’t just “messy”. They have a whole lot of “psychological problems” that you need to deal with or at least acknowledge.
“Organizing” isn’t a cut and dried service.
Organizers use different techniques for each different type of client.
And as an organizer it’s important to be continuously learning about the varying needs of our clients.
And as a client you should be able to depend on your organizer to acknowledge your varying needs and come up with solutions for “you” …. Not their “last” client.
The world of “professional organizing” is ever evolving. And we have to keep up.
Not only do we teach our clients about being organized…. but they teach us about “life”.
Organizational Consulting Services
http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/
Each client is different… in what they want, how they want it done, what they need to have done and how we teach them to become organized.
As a “Professional Organizer” I belong to numerous organizations, including NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers and NGGCD (National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization). I take my job and my “organizing” passion very seriously.
Most people don’t realize that organizers have certification programs and attend numerous seminars on various topics.
I have a “Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization”. Which means that I passed an exam and am serious about my “profession” and learning everything that I can about the subject.
When most people think about “professional organizers” they think about “closets”. Or now they might think about “hoarders”. Both of which I do.
But organizing is more than that.
Let’s just talk about closets for a minute. Think about “kids” ….those short people. They can’t reach very high. So when we are organizing a closet for a child we need to think about them being “vertically challenged”. But we also need to think about the future and the fact that someday … they will be taller and can reach higher.
Now let’s think about “seniors”. . Maybe they can’t reach very high because of arthritis. So the closet rods should be lower. And they can’t do a lot of physical labor for long periods of time… so your organizing sessions might need to be shorter.
See how closets aren’t just “standard” ?
Or what about people with ADD ? They don’t see things the way the rest of the world does. They might not “learn” the same. They might be “visual” people. So if you are talking about filing or organizing…they might not “get” the logic behind what you say. Or their attention span might be a lot shorter.
So you have to think of “different” ways to get your point across to them.
Or people that are in a “life changing circumstance” ? It could be someone that just lost a spouse or someone that is going through a “life altering” experience. They might not be able to make those “organizing” decisions as easily as they did before their life changing circumstance.
Or “hoarders” …… they aren’t just “messy”. They have a whole lot of “psychological problems” that you need to deal with or at least acknowledge.
“Organizing” isn’t a cut and dried service.
Organizers use different techniques for each different type of client.
And as an organizer it’s important to be continuously learning about the varying needs of our clients.
And as a client you should be able to depend on your organizer to acknowledge your varying needs and come up with solutions for “you” …. Not their “last” client.
The world of “professional organizing” is ever evolving. And we have to keep up.
Not only do we teach our clients about being organized…. but they teach us about “life”.
Organizational Consulting Services
http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/
Monday, March 29, 2010
ADD and Organization
Children and adults with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) have a harder time trying to stay organized. They get easily distracted and have problems focusing and ignoring those distractions. Telling a child to “clean up their room” doesn’t really mean anything to a child with ADD. Parents are likely to get frustrated because the child is not “listening” and “doing what they were told”.
The problem is that the parent wasn’t more specific. Instead of saying “clean up your room” the parent needs to say “put away all the toys on the floor” or “put your laundry in the hamper”. Very specific tasks. With short task times.
There are many different theories on what causes ADD. One is that it is caused by “chemicals in the brain which coordinates and regulates function and behavior”. A “deficiency in these neurotransmitters can cause a lack of attention” which in turn can lead to clutter and disorganization.
Some people don’t believe that ADD is a “real physical” problem. They think that the child just doesn’t want to “listen” and do what they are told.
Some people believe that diet plays a major problem in ADD. Because of all of the chemicals in our food today they think that kids have been poisoned and their brain functions have been affected.
It’s not really too far fetched. With the huge “organic” movement people are starting to realize that if mother nature didn’t produce it…. it should not go into our bodies.
Some other reasons that people believe are behind ADD are: drugs, brain injury, genetics, sleep disorder and so on…
Children, especially teenagers have so many “normal teenage issues” and then throw in those “hormones” and it’s not easy to distinguish between “normal” childhood and ADD.
Some people aren’t diagnosed with ADD until they are adults. If a person is extremely intelligent or creative it takes longer to diagnosis ADD.
People with ADD have a short attention span. They are easily distracted and can’t stay focused on a task. They get bored easily and therefore avoid doing “boring thinks” like housework.
In order to make things more interesting a person with ADD might wait until the last minute to get things done and then be in “crisis mode”.
People with ADD also tend to be “impulsive” and sometimes make decisions too quickly, such as getting rid of something and then they “regret” it later. After that they might never make another decision again, which can lead to chronic disorganization, clutter and even hoarding.
A person with ADD gets bogged down with “details” and can’t see the big picture.
A Professional Organizer can help a client with ADD stay focused on a specific task and stay on target. Structure is very important with an ADD client. By helping the client make a plan and having a decision making process in place the ADD client can become organized and learn to function better.
Organizational Consulting Services
www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
The problem is that the parent wasn’t more specific. Instead of saying “clean up your room” the parent needs to say “put away all the toys on the floor” or “put your laundry in the hamper”. Very specific tasks. With short task times.
There are many different theories on what causes ADD. One is that it is caused by “chemicals in the brain which coordinates and regulates function and behavior”. A “deficiency in these neurotransmitters can cause a lack of attention” which in turn can lead to clutter and disorganization.
Some people don’t believe that ADD is a “real physical” problem. They think that the child just doesn’t want to “listen” and do what they are told.
Some people believe that diet plays a major problem in ADD. Because of all of the chemicals in our food today they think that kids have been poisoned and their brain functions have been affected.
It’s not really too far fetched. With the huge “organic” movement people are starting to realize that if mother nature didn’t produce it…. it should not go into our bodies.
Some other reasons that people believe are behind ADD are: drugs, brain injury, genetics, sleep disorder and so on…
Children, especially teenagers have so many “normal teenage issues” and then throw in those “hormones” and it’s not easy to distinguish between “normal” childhood and ADD.
Some people aren’t diagnosed with ADD until they are adults. If a person is extremely intelligent or creative it takes longer to diagnosis ADD.
People with ADD have a short attention span. They are easily distracted and can’t stay focused on a task. They get bored easily and therefore avoid doing “boring thinks” like housework.
In order to make things more interesting a person with ADD might wait until the last minute to get things done and then be in “crisis mode”.
People with ADD also tend to be “impulsive” and sometimes make decisions too quickly, such as getting rid of something and then they “regret” it later. After that they might never make another decision again, which can lead to chronic disorganization, clutter and even hoarding.
A person with ADD gets bogged down with “details” and can’t see the big picture.
A Professional Organizer can help a client with ADD stay focused on a specific task and stay on target. Structure is very important with an ADD client. By helping the client make a plan and having a decision making process in place the ADD client can become organized and learn to function better.
Organizational Consulting Services
www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
