7 Ways to Help You + Your Business Finish the Year Strong

As we wind down the year (where has the time gone?!),  I decided to put together a list of things you can do now to feel more organized as we go into the home stretch of 2021.

For Businesses:

If you want to finish this last quarter of the year on a strong note, here are a few things you can do now:

• Take some time to do a desk purge. Even 20 minutes can make a huge difference in your work space. Get rid of things that don't belong on your desk like empty coffee mugs. While you’re at it, make a list of the office supplies that have gone low. I’m always more excited to work when I have a fresh pad of sticky notes in a cool color.

• If you use paper calendars or planners, do you need to re-order the inserts for next year? If so, do it now so you’re not scrambling those first few weeks of January.

• How do you thank your clients? Do you send out holiday cards? If so, make sure you have a current list of clients to send to and order the cards before the rush.

• Make tax season less stressful by organizing your expenses now. Whether you have loose paper receipts or use an app for your mileage, even 20 minutes of filing like with like and making sure you’ve input the latest information will save you time in the long run.

For Home Organization:

The holidays will be here before you know it!  Here are a few things to do to help you prep and be more prepared for this time of year:

• Make sure you and other family members have your calendars synced. You don’t want to miss an event or holiday party because everyone is not on the same page. Better yet, have a weekly 15 minute meeting every Sunday to prep for the week. When everyone is aware and onboard with the schedule, things will run so much more smoothly.

• If your family brings gifts into the house during the holidays, why not do a mini-purge now? I like to think of it as less consumption when I can donate clothes, books and toys now to a good cause before more items are brought into the house.

• It’s not too early to at least make lists for holiday shopping. If your family decides not to do gifts, there are so many great causes to give to, especially local non-profits like See International and Direct Relief. Or maybe your family has decided to forgo gifts for a cool family trip together. Decide now where you’ll go and at least map out the rough itinerary.

I help my clients see the big picture, take the next steps and create systems for a clearer and more organized life and business.  Here is my calendly link if you’d like to schedule a call with me to find out more.  I'd love to hear from you.

50 Trips Around the Sun

I love the quote:

“There are two great days in a person’s life: the day we are born and the day we discover why.”

I know I’m still discovering my why.  I’m pretty certain it has to do with helping people feel more organized.  I know it is.

I turned 50 a few weeks ago and it was all that I thought it would be but so much more.  A few years ago, pre-covid I would have wanted to travel to some far flung place for a girls weekend or some fun international trip with my family but that wasn’t possible this year.  Instead, I hosted a few friends at the beach for a polar bear plunge. With coffee and cardamom buns from my friend who is an amazing baker, we chatted and caught up and new friendships were made.  Only two of us actually plunged in the frigid Pacific Ocean but the others vowed to next time.  It was just as refreshing and invigorating as I imagined it would be.  A great way to start my 50’s.

Now that I’m 50, a few things I’ve realized are:

• No one cares that I haven’t washed my hair in 3 days. Or can even tell.
  

• To make my bed every morning. It really does make me feel better.
  

• To drink as much water as I can.
  

• That forever friends are worth more than all the money in the world. Truly. And no matter how much time has passed between visits or chats, it’s easy to just pick up where we left off last.
  

Here’s to hoping that all your birthday wishes come true in 2021! And f you or someone you know would like to work with me on setting goals and working toward them give me a call.

My LinkedIn Course is Live

I have some big news to share with you and that is I’m so excited to be considered an author of a LinkedIn Course: Staying Organized while Working Remotely or On-Site.  The local Santa Barbara company, Madecraft, approached me to teach a course and I worked on it for quite a few months before the pandemic hit last year. I  wrote the scripts for 22 short videos that comprised the entire course.  I’d love to know what you think.

Here is the link to check it out.

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/staying-organized-while-working-remotely-or-on-site/getting-organized-and-taking-action

I’d love to give a shout out to the local company, Madecraft that filmed the video and was so instrumental in encouraging me and helping me write the course.

If you or anyone you know would like to feel more organized for work, give me a call!

What are your intentions for 2021?

Happy New Year!  Hoping you are off to a great start to the year.  Instead of making resolutions for the new year I’ve realized that I’d rather make intentions for the year ahead.  I used to set my resolutions and would break them by February.  Now I’m setting intentions on ways I’d like to show up in the world. 

For example,  I’d love to bring more adventure into my life this year. In the past, I’ve always defined adventure by international travel.  It was my happy place.  Now, I’ve had to pivot and realize that there’s just as much, if not more adventure waiting around the corner in my own backyard.  
I love this image above because it reminds me that California has so many mountain lakes to jump in.

On the flip side, I’d also love to eliminate and let go of some things.  Those of you who know me know that the “purge” is my favorite part of the organizing process. What are some of the things you’d like to eliminate and let go of?  The purge is my favorite part of the organizing process.  I’d love to let go of shame and mommy guilt.  It’s not serving me anymore. 

If 2020 taught me to be flexible and resilient, I’d like 2021 to teach me to be more grounded.  I want to live my truth and be my authentic self.  If one of your intentions you’d like to see come to fruition is being more organized:

A few simple things you can do right now to set your intentions for the year are:

• Put all your vacations on the calendar

• Give a bag of clothes and toys away to the thrift store if you brought in new things from the holidays

• Put reminders in your phone to intentionally take time for you. It could be as simple as a deep breath break for 5 minutes in the middle of your day

I’d love to hear about the intentions you are setting for yourself this year.  And if you or someone you know would like to work with me on setting goals and working toward them give me a call!
 

For extra inspiration follow me on Instagram @thoughtfulorganizing
 

Keeping calm and carrying on,

Amy

10 Days to a Tidy Holiday

What are your plans for the holidays?  Will you stay home and celebrate with your immediate family?  One thing is for sure things will look a little differently this holiday season.

Whether you’re hunkering down with your immediate household or spending the holidays by yourself, I put this list together because I knew I’d like reminders on how to keep my house tidy this holiday season.  

So set a timer for 20 minutes, put on fun holiday music and get started.

10 Days to a Tidy Holiday

Day 1: Decorate your home 

Day 2: Make your gift list 

Day 3: Mail your boxes

Day 4: Send holiday cards 

Day 5: Create your menu

Day 6: Take inventory of your gift wrapping supplies 

Day 7: Give away one bag of clothing or food

Day 8: Clean out your refrigerator  (bonus you will know what you need and what you already have and what you thought you had and it is expired!)

Day 9: Make your grocery list 

Day 10: Driving somewhere? Do you need to service your car? Schedule it.

For extra inspiration follow me on Instagram @thoughtfulorganizing

P.S. If you’d like to give friends or loved ones the gift of organization, I have beautiful gift certificates for working with me.

Giving Thanks Differently

As we roll into November, I’m thinking back on the last 7 months and realizing how thankful I am.  Thankful for the quiet.  Thankful for the cozy time spent with my son.  Thankful for all the Sunday zoom calls with my family in DC and Chicago.  We didn't have these pre-pandemic and because of them,  I’m feeling closer to my family more than ever.   

All this thankfulness is giving me the idea that I’d like to do this holiday season differently.  First of all, I’d like to give and receive less stuff.  I’ve always leaned in to giving experiences over things but this year I’d like to do that even more.  A friend just shared with me that they are going to include their kids (8 and 12) in helping make the decisions about where to give this year.  Will they sponsor a local family and help buy their xmas gifts?  Will they donate to a local animal shelter?  I love this idea and would love to incorporate more of this, and not just at the holidays.

 A few years back, my son’s dad and I gave everyone in our family a gift card for an animal we sponsored in their name from Heifer International and another year a person sponsored in their name for a vision surgery from See International. They loved these gifts. And they didn’t have to find a space in their house for them.

I think because we all have more time at home (without the social obligations) I’m also thinking about making a homemade gift.  It could be as simple as a few batches of zucchini muffins for neighbors who are alone and are separated from their family.  Or an easy batch of kahlua in cute bottles.  

What are you thankful for right now?