I love routines

I love routines.  The feeling they give you like a warm hug.  And I don’t just mean the cozy routines near bedtime drinking my chamomile tea and doing my 3 minute stretching.  I actually love routines that don’t seem like they’d be very fun like taking vitamins, drinking water or doing my after dinner stroll to help with digestion.  Because if I forget to do them, I just feel out of sorts.  A little thrown off track.

I often coach my clients to create routines that help you continue to do the things that make it easier in your life to get things done all while feeling good in your body as well.

Routines get a bad rap for sounding boring, but they quietly do a lot for your life. They save you from decision fatigue — when your day is already mapped out, you're not burning mental energy on small choices like what to eat or when to work out, so that energy's free for things that actually need your brain. Routines also build momentum, since the hardest part of exercising or writing is usually just starting.  A routine skips that friction entirely because you're not deciding whether to do it, you're just doing it.

There's a stability side to them as well.  Routines give your nervous system a sense of predictability, which is genuinely calming, especially during stressful stretches of life.  Kids thrive on this, but adults do too, we just don't talk about it as much. And they compound over time: small consistent actions like reading a bit, taking a short walk, or tidying for a few minutes don't feel like much day to day, but stacked over months they add up to real changes in health, skills, or how your space feels.

Maybe the most underrated part, though, is that routines protect your good habits from your bad moods. On a day when you feel unmotivated, a routine carries you through anyway, since it doesn't rely on willpower or inspiration in the moment. The trick is holding them loosely enough that they help rather than trap you.  A good routine should feel like a supportive rhythm, not a rigid cage.

What routines help you feel grounded?

I’d love to teach you strategies for how to be more organized in work and life. Schedule a call with me and I’ll tell you more about how we can work together.

If you’d like to book a call with me to find out more, click here.  I'd love to connect!

Add me on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-fritz/
For extra inspiration follow me on Instagram: @thoughtfulorganizing

Keep up the good work!,

Amy  

How to manage that paper pile

Most people I know hate dealing with piles of paper. In fact, some people avoid it altogether and simply let the stacks grow around them. I've noticed that many professional organizers don't enjoy dealing with paper clutter either. For some reason, I see it differently. To me, a pile of paper is like a puzzle waiting to be solved. With a few simple steps, you can get that pile under control.

Paper clutter has a way of sneaking up on you. One day it's a few receipts and unopened envelopes, and the next thing you know, your desk, kitchen counter, or dining table has disappeared beneath a mountain of paperwork. The good news is that managing paper clutter doesn't require a complicated system. The key is to stop papers from lingering in random stacks by giving every document a clear destination as soon as it enters your home or office.

A simple sorting routine can make a huge difference. Create three categories:

• Action – Bills, forms, invitations, and anything that requires a response.

• File – Important documents you need to keep, such as tax records, warranties, and insurance paperwork.

• Recycle or Shred – Anything you no longer need to keep.

Spending just five to ten minutes a few times each week sorting incoming papers can prevent small piles from turning into overwhelming projects. Consistency is far more effective than occasional marathon organizing sessions.

To keep paper clutter under control long-term, focus on reducing the amount of paper you receive. Try these simple strategies:

• Sign up for electronic statements.

• Unsubscribe from unwanted mailings and catalogs.

• Scan documents that don't need to be stored physically.

• Process incoming paper regularly instead of letting it accumulate.

Most importantly, make paper management part of your regular routine instead of waiting until clutter becomes a problem. A few minutes of maintenance each week can keep your surfaces clear and make it much easier to find important documents when you need them.

How much fun are you having?

I think I received at least 5 things in my inbox this week that had to do with having more fun.  Maybe it’s a hint from the universe.  There were articles from the New York Times, webinars hosted and things posted on Instagram.  It really made me think more about what having fun really means to me.  Personally, I know that I need and want to have more fun in my life.  Laugh more.  Have more deep belly laughs.  I can’t remember the last time my face hurt from smiling too much.  I want that in my life.  Do you want to have more fun?

I especially loved this article from NPR that listed 5 easy ways to make sure you’re having more fun.

• Stop worrying about how happy you are.  In contrast, having fun is pretty easy to achieve.

• Find your FUN magnets. Are there activities that you’d like to try that sound fun?  It’s really what tickles your sense of delight.

• Put fun on the calendar.  Once you identify what’s fun to you, schedule more of it.  

• Unplug.  Technology can be the enemy of fun.  We’re always connected to our phone.  Checking that last email.  And that means we’re not present.  Real fun involves sensory experiences and often interactions with others.

• Share the fun and amplify it.  Try sharing what brings you delight with others. Send your friend a silly photo that makes you laugh.

  What fun will you schedule in this week?

I’d love to teach you strategies for how to be more organized in work and life. Schedule a call with me and I’ll tell you more about how we can work together.

If you’d like to book a call with me to find out more, click here.  I'd love to connect!

Add me on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-fritz/
For extra inspiration follow me on Instagram: @thoughtfulorganizing

Keep up the good work!,

Amy  

10 Forever Documents to Keep

I love lists.  Making them and reading them.  I came across this list of what documents to make sure you have and keep in a safe place and I thought I’d share it with you.  Where I live in California, people often keep a grab and go box in case you need to evacuate for a fire or mudslide. It doesn’t have to be fancy, mine was probably less than $10 from Office Max. Do you have your important documents in one place?

Certain papers should be kept in a safe location where they are protected from damage, loss and theft. Such original documents, which may be hard to obtain or costly to replace.  Here is the list:

• Birth certificates and adoption papers
  

• Death certificates
  

• Marriage and divorce records
  

• Social Security cards. Yes, you know the number, but there may be an occasion where you have to produce the actual card.
  

• Military service records, including discharge documents. An honorably discharged service member is eligible to receive funeral and burial benefits.
  

• Loan payoff statements. Here’s something important: If you negotiated to pay less than what you owed on a debt, keep the original agreement in perpetuity. Often when debt is sold to debt collectors for pennies on the dollar, the sale doesn’t include a lot of information, including documentation proving a payoff.
  

• Year-end pay stubs. If a company goes out of business you may not be able to track down the information should you need it later.
  

• Retirement or pension records. Be sure to keep the records from previous jobs.
  

• Estate documents
  

• Funeral programs. Although many funeral homes will post an obituary online, they are often shortened versions of the program you might receive at the service.
  

  If you need help getting started let me know, I’d love to help!

Osoji the Japanese Reset

There are so many people who subscribe to a new years cleaning regime, there are ones who end the year by purging things they don’t need before the holidays and others who love to do a big spring refresh by cleaning out their closets and garage come April.  I’d say I do a mix of all these.  Mostly because I’m a purger and love getting rid of things.  Yes, there are times I’ve regretted getting rid of things in haste but mostly I just love the feeling of a well curated space. I feel like I am always battling the piles around the house.  There’s nothing better when there’s a place for everything.

The Japanese have a yearly practice called Osoji and though it’s technically at the end of the year, we’re only into mid January so in my book, I think it still counts. 

Spring cleaning is a well-established seasonal reset, but in Japan, many people also engage in a similar practice at the end of the year: ōsōji. It literally means “great cleaning,” though it’s associated with Shinto beliefs, it can be viewed as a secular exercise or a more spiritual ritual.
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“Ōsōji, or the year-end deep cleaning, is similar in spirit to spring cleaning in that it’s an important opportunity to clear away a year’s worth of dirt and dust,” explained Marie Kondo, who has a chapter on ōsōji in her recent release, Letter From Japan. “What makes it different, however, is its timing and meaning. Since it’s done at the end of the year, it’s not only a chance to reflect on the past 12 months, but also a way to prepare for the arrival of Toshigami-sama ― the deity who visits at New Year’s to bring happiness for the year ahead.”
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It’s ok if you didn’t do some kind of big clean at the end of last year, in some calendars the New Year doesn’t start for a few weeks.  Chinese New Year is Tuesday February 17 this year.  You don’t have to drop all your plans and start scrubbing the baseboards — Kondo advised reflecting on how you can incorporate ōsōji in a way that’s best for you. “Even if you choose just one small area that’s been bothering you, cleaning it with a sense of gratitude for the past year can become both an expression of appreciation toward your home and a gentle opportunity for self-reflection,” she said. “It may also help you begin the new year with a fresh and renewed feeling.”

I started in my junk drawer. What corner of your house will you start to refresh?  

What would you do with an extra hour?

Imagine if you were given an extra hour in your day—just 60 more minutes to use however you like. What would you do with it? Would you finally dive into that book you've been meaning to read, take a walk outside, call a friend you haven’t caught up with in a while, or maybe just do absolutely nothing and enjoy the quiet? There’s no right answer—just a chance to pause and think about what really matters to you. So, what would you do with your extra hour?

We are all so scattered and pulled in so many directions how would it really feel to wake up and realize you have an extra hour.  Do you love that feeling when you have an appt and it gets cancelled and you can fill in that time with whatever you want? Maybe that’s a sign you need a little extra time to yourself.

Personally, if I had an extra hour to do whatever I want, I think I’d either lounge and do nothing or jump in the ocean. I always feel rejuvenated when I’ve taken this break and am more ready to get back to work. What would you do? 

When we take breaks we feel recharged and lighter.  So why don’t we take more breaks?  They don’t have to always be an hour maybe they can only be 15 minutes.  Like a snack break but for taking deep breaths, walking around the block or sitting for a 5 minute meditation.

If you would like help finding an extra hour in your day, I'm here for you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.  If you’d like to book a call with me to find out more, click here.  I'd love to connect!