Category: Podcast

Sorting Strategies.  We are going in depth with each of the 7 Steps to Organizing (almost) Anything. In this episode, we are focusing on Step 2, which is the Sorting Step in an organizing and productivity project. 

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

• Why learning how to sorting is an important skill 
• The importance of categorizing items in a way that isn’t too complicated
• The effort you put into sorting items now, will pay off later when searching for items
• Examples of Main Sorting Categories and Subcategories

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 1: 7 Steps to Organizing (almost) Anything

https://theorganizedflamingo.com/7-steps-to-organizing/

Episode 8: Step 1: Assess. The Power of Planning Ahead

https://theorganizedflamingo.com/8-step-1-assess-the-power-of-planning-ahead/

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger.  For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

I think many of you will relate to this. It's easy to accumulate a lot of stuff over the years, and not even be aware that it has piled up. One day, you just look around and realize how much stuff you really have. Whether it's digital stuff or physical stuff, it doesn't matter what day you look under your bed, or you opened up your digital files and realized, oh, my gosh, I have a lot of stuff. Okay, now what, all right, you're ready to start decluttering, maybe you're ready to engage in an organizing journey, like, become more organized? Well, that's great. But before you do that, you need to sort through the items that you want to keep that you want to let go of that you want to donate or sell, and you need to figure that out, you most likely are not going to be throwing everything away. That's a topic for another day. That's a different type of organizing and situation. So for most of us, it's when one day you're just done, you're over it, or you need to downsize and you know, you have to let go of stuff. But before you start letting go of stuff, you do need to declutter, and you do need to sort through the items. So that is what we're talking about today. Welcome to today's episode, where we are talking all about sorting, some strategies, and some tips that I have for you about the importance of knowing how to sort through your things, and some practical tips that I think will help you along the way. Welcome to the organized and productive Podcast with your organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go. Okay, so before we dig too deep into the sorting conversation, let me just give a quick reminder and disclaimer for anybody that may be listening to the podcast and just joined us during this particular episode. And also a reminder for our community, that sorting is part of our seven steps to organizing almost anything process. So here at the organized Flamingo, we have a seven step process. And we do outline it in an overview episode, which is episode one of this podcast. And so we will put it down in the show notes for you to quickly access that, I would recommend that you listen to that really quick episode first, and then come back to this one. And or go to step one after that one. And then step two, which is this one. So in our seven steps of organizing almost anything, we outlined seven different steps that get you to an organized and sustainable organized system. And we the seven steps are not necessarily all new on their own. But the way we framed them is particular to us because we do it kind of in three phases. Step one is its own phase, you should always start with step one, which is the assess phase. And there's a whole podcast episode devoted to that. So feel free to listen to that steps two through five, can be interchanged, depending on what your end goal is. So for example, if your end goal is to have an aesthetically pleasing space, then you might be starting with the container step first, which we will talk about later in another episode, instead of the sorting stuff, which we're talking about today. Because for you, the most important thing is for it to look pretty to be visually appealing. But for other people, there may be downsizing, they're moving, they don't need it to look pretty, they just quickly need to let go of stuff because they're downsizing or they're moving and go through that process. So for them. And for you that then you want to start with the decluttering phase, which is the next step that we will talk about now. So it really depends on what your end goal is. And that's why this second phase of the seven steps are there seven steps, three phases, we're on phase two, the four steps within phase two can be interchanged. We just happen to talk about Saudi next because it's the natural, the most natural part most people have when they're trying to get organized. They're trying to figure out okay, what do they have first, before they start decluttering before they start buying the bins and the baskets and the system and, and getting new shelving like that usually comes in that order. And that's why we did we're talking about it this way. But just so you know, steps two through five can be interchanged. If you're more of a visual learner and this podcast, this particular episode is just becoming more overwhelming, head over to our shop, which is the organized Flamingo dot shop. We do have guides there. And we outline all of this for you for all of you who are visual learners, you can just quickly download our guides and then that will outline the phases there because we all learn a little bit differently right? And but if you're an auditory learner, like a lot of you are, then this podcast episodes, just take notes. And hopefully this will help you visualize the entire process. Okay, so now that we've got that out of the way, we're in step two. And because these can be interchanged, I am just talking about how, for most people, sorting comes next. Okay, and the reasons why sorting comes next. And so let's talk about the importance of sorting. When you categorize your items, you can see how much of each item you have, and make, say, a lot easier to decide what you want to keep up with what you want to let go of. So that's why categorizing your items, which is another word for sorting is so important. And a very important skill to have, which I'm going to do a quick sidebar, but a very important one about categorizing and sorting and the importance of this skill. There is a book by an author named Anna Crowley reading, and the book is called Google it a history of Google, how to students his mission, to organize the internet changed the world. If you have not read this book, and you're into organizing and productivity on your personal time as well, not just because you're trying to get more organized than this book is for you. It's a really good book, it talks about really, obviously, the founders of Google it, how it came about, but how important it is to learn the skill of organizing and more particular sorting, because when you know how to sword, then naturally, you will also learn how to look for things in time. So eventually, when you start practicing and creating that habit, it becomes easier and easier. So let me read to you a short part of the summary of the book, Larry Page and Sergey Brin started out as to Stanford through college students with a wild idea. They were going to organize the world's information. From that one deceptively simple goal, they created one of the most influential and innovative companies in the world. I mean, how cool is that? And although you may be at this point, thinking, Stephanie, why are we talking about Google, I just want to organize my pantry or my closet, or my digital files, I get it. But that's just for me to outline and highlight how important and how useful the skill of categorizing, of sorting of organizing is to your organizing project and mission and journey as a whole. I mean, yes, you can take it all the way to creating a tool that will help the masses to find things, like information like Google, yes, you can take it to that level. But this is my way of just saying that it's very important skill. So don't miss out on this particular step. Okay, so now let's bring it back to real life, to the everyday person like you and me. And let's talk about sorting in your own personal life. So we talked about the importance of sorting. Now let's talk about examples of how we can go about this. In the sorting step, you will identify the items you have, and grouped them together based on your desired outcome and ease of finding it when you need it. So in this exercise, again, we do have our guides that you can download, if it's easier for you to just quickly download it and do the exercise that way. But write this down. So this is a part where you're going to need to figure out okay, why do I normally need to look for things like what do I need normally? What do I normally need. So you'll start kind of, you know, writing those things down. This makes it easier for you to find what you need quickly when you need it. And it'll keep your space clutter free and save time, of course, in the long run. Okay, so some quick practical how tos when you do this step. And remember, we talk about both digital items and physical items. So from your closet, like your clothing, to your shoes, to your pantry, to your digital files. So this can be utilized for either types of things. So first things first, we like to empty, empty space. I know this part can be very tedious for a lot of people overwhelming, because you don't really want to necessarily, like take everything out. But it's really important that you do because when you take everything out, you start with a clean slate in the space, but also, all the items will be in one space, some of the stress, excuse me, some of the systems out there like the Konmari method. There.

She's really big on that. There's a couple other systems out there that are really big like that, you know, you have to do this step. I don't necessarily think you have to do this step, but it really, really help hopes, okay, so for the purposes of what I would recommend is that yes, you should empty this space out. So if you're organizing your closet, take all of the clothing all of the items from the closet out and put them in your prep station. And we also talked about PrEP stations over in step one, which is the assess phase, and how to do that, the power of planning a little bit. So a prep station is just where you have a space that is open, it's your project area, it's open, it's available to you, as you work through your project. So if you're emptying your pantry, your closet, then your prep area is where you're emptying it all out. So it's not all over the house, or all over space, or your office and the digital space, you're going to do the same thing, you're going to empty all of your folders out and put them in one central space, I would recommend a holding folder where you put everything in, so that everything again is in one space. Okay, now that we are getting into the actual sorting, the sorting into piles will depend in category piles or categories will depend on what you're trying to achieve here, I would pick one main category, I would recommend that you pick one main category, that's general general enough, and then sub sub subcategories after that, and do that exercise after. So if you really want to be quick about it, I would just do some very main cuts of some general categories. And some examples of that are, for instance, in your closet, it would be by color, by weather type. Those are very main general categories. So these are the greens. Here's the yellows, the whites, the blacks, the patterns, very general categories in your kitchen. Some examples are, these are where the utensils are, like eating food storage, very general, we're not getting into the baking, we're not getting into the spices yet. It's just Is it food? Like Is it edible? Is it you tent? Dishware? Is it storage containers out very general categories. Same thing in your digital area, same thing we're going to do a general category is it if you're a photographer, you know, all like digital media, like pictures, movies, etc, you know, all a very general category. And then we then go to subcategories after you finish that whole process. So as soon as you you know, you maybe do a timer, you know, do it quickly get your general category over with. And then we can start with our subcategory. subcategories are the categories that go under the main category, right, but they are in the family of the main category. So in your closet, if you organized it by color, and you have all the greens that maybe you do, like green, dark green, maybe you do it the subcategory could be by fabric type, you know, do you just choose different subcategories. We don't recommend going more than three, maybe up to five subcategories, because it starts to get overwhelming to retrieve because now we're starting to think about the retrieval process. You can go 20 subcategories in. But if you don't remember subcategory, 19, because let's say in your kitchen, let's go back to the kitchen example. You did it by food, and then spices but and then you did after spices you did for baking and for baking Italian and for baking like different types of you know, Mexican food. And then now it's like another subcategory. And it's when you make enchiladas and it's like Sub Sub Sub Sub Sub, whenever you need that one particular spice for something else, you won't be able to retrieve it because you're so in the nitty gritty, that is you just forgot that it's there and you just buy double doubles and duplicates. Okay, so that's why we don't really go too deep. We just go deep enough for you to remember next time you need it, and it's general enough, but also contained into subcategories that are just not too deep, if that makes sense. Okay, so now we've gone through our category sorting, everything's in categories. Now. This is a really good time before the next phase, which is normally the declutter phase, which is what we're we will talk about next in the next episode of this series. Step three decluttering. Again, these can be interchanged. For some of you, you will do decluttering first that you won't even go through sorting because you just need to get rid of stuff like right now, because you're moving downsizing or whatever it may be so for some of you this will be you know, first or second, but to get ready for the decluttering and regardless of what the next step is for you and your needs. This is a great opportunity to quickly go through any items that are visibly broken and expired are no longer needed. This is like a quick, quick visual, this is not the actual decluttering phase, this is not the actual go through everything. This is just if you held something, you can visually see it and see that it's broken expired or it's no longer needed, then go ahead and let that go. And that's it. This particular step to me is one of the most fun, I love sorting. It's really fun for me. But I also know that a lot of people struggle with what system what categories to go into some of you like for your craft room, right? You have, do I put scissors under, you know, cutting or, or for if you're a quilter, or sower like do I put it in, like there's just so many categories that that some of these rooms and spaces can have that it gets overwhelming. And this is where you either hire a professional to help you decipher what best system works for you. Or you talk to a friend or you just kind of start to really do a trial and error. But again, you know, of course, a professional will be able to ask you the right questions and all that. And because it's the sorting category, sorting and categories, step can be overwhelming for some of you. But for like for people like me, and for anybody that's listening, sorting is really fun. I enjoy finding that the stacks and the where it should go in the category phase, I just find it super fun. Okay, and last thing is clean the surface the area after you're done with the sorting step, what that means is just kind of clean around, I really am a big advocate advocate that after every step, you do a quick little cleanup, it encourages you and motivates you for the next step, because it's like starting a new phase. It's exciting, it's nice and tidy and clean, and prepares you for the next phase and holds the momentum to continue. Because you still have a couple more phases, right? The decluttering the contained finding the container and then finding a home. So you still have a couple more steps left. So you know clean up after like after every phase, and I find that it helps clients people that community continue that momentum. Okay, well, that's it for the sorting step. If you have any questions, we are always here to help. So just send us a message tag us over on Instagram at the organized Flamingo or just email us you'll find all of our information down in the show notes. But the next the next part of the steps is step three, which we identify as Declutter. And then after that we will do designate and then contain. So look out for those episodes in the series. And if again, if you're more of a visual learner, you'd rather just read it and kind of read through it, you can either go to our show notes, which will take you to the blog post that is associated with this episode. So if you're more of a reader, or you can head over to our online shop, which is the organized Flamingo dot shop, and download any of our guides, so that you can just quickly print be done and work through the exercises on your own that way, and as you sort through your physical and digital items. Keep in mind that the effort you put in now will pay off later when you are looking for something specific so your future self will thank you for it, I promise you. And until next time, happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing.

As we transition more and more into the digital age, it's important to have tools that can help us stay organized and efficient.  In this episode, we are celebrating the 4th anniversary of The Organized Flamingo and discussing seven essential tools for staying organized in the digital age. If you're looking to start incorporating technology to help manage your life, these tools are a great place to start. 

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

• Digital Photo Tools
• Digital Calendar Tools
• File Manager Tools
• Project Management Tools
• Password Manager Tools 
• Note-Taking Tool
• Communication Tools

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger.  For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

Hello friends and welcome to a celebratory episode of the organized and productive podcast. It is a celebration because the organized Flamingo turns for this month. And if you're wondering, Wait, didn't you just start the podcast in January? Well, yes, I did. But the podcast that you're listening to right now is an extension of my company, which is the organized Flamingo. And the organized Flamingo, as it stands now started four years ago, and I've been organizing for the last 20 years. But the organized Flamingo as it stands today did not get started until 2019. And that is what we were celebrating now we're celebrating four years of being the organized Flamingo and being in existence in the digital world, and also in the in person world, which is really exciting. So to celebrate, I thought that I could bring a list of some of my favorite things, but not too much products. What I'm going to do today is going to focus on the productivity side and more specifically on the digital productivity side, because in today's world, we are going digital more and more, you know, we don't have as much paper as we used to, or at least communicate or absorb as much paper as we used to. But we do have a lot of documents and data in our digital space. And that is equally as important as our in person and tangible items.

So I talked about that in an earlier episode. So if you want to learn more about that, go ahead and listen to that episode, which I will put in the show notes. So what I thought I would do as we're celebrating four years, and as we are starting to embrace the digital world a lot more is bring to you my seven things that I think an organized person should have in this new age of digital space. One other quick note that I want to make about this list is that this list is not about product recommendations, per se, but tools recommendation. So if you're looking for specific products that I would recommend under each of these seven things, then head on over to our website or our Instagram, where I do name specific products that I would recommend, or platforms or apps or tools. So for this particular episode, we're just coined more generic, but specific enough so that we can have some examples. But for more specific products and head on over to those platforms. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well then let's go.

Okay, let's start off with our number one. And this is not in an order of importance, this just happens to be their first on the list is a cloud based photo system. Now, when we talk about cloud based, we talk about easily accessible from anywhere. In today's digital age, it happens to be that the cloud based system is the one that you can access from anywhere in the world almost. But if cloud based doesn't work for you, if you just rather have it more like a VPN, or in other ways that you can easily access, then use that system instead. So we just kind of clump or cloud, the cloud based photo system into this one category. So a cloud based photo system is the type of system that when you take a picture on any camera, whether it's your phone camera, or if maybe your actual camera, then you can easily download it, and it will go into a system that you can access from wherever, either from a computer or from your phone. The reason I would recommend this is because in today's age with us taking so many pictures on our digital devices, you want to be able to edit quickly send receive print, delete, when you don't have easy access to your photos and they get lost you can't really edit them as quickly.

And so I would recommend a cloud based photo system for your pictures and also for security purposes. And so that also you can share it with other people when you take a picture you can send it to them when you you can share a folder or a photo folder and etc. So a cloud based photo system number two on our list is a calendar a digital calendar that you can easily edit, share and view from anywhere in the world. The reason I say that at least even if you're a paper and pencil type of calendar person you know you love your planners that are paper and the stickers and the colors. I get it I have one too, but for your main calendars that you're sharing with other people, it should be a calendar that you can easily access from anywhere in the world. If in case your paper calendar gets ruined, ruined, damaged, forgotten. And so a digital calendar that is cloud based or just easily accessible, and shareable will help you get organized in today's age. Also, so many companies, external companies like doctor offices, services, companies, and etc. When you schedule something like a meeting, or you, you know, whatever it may be like at a conference appointment, they will send you a calendar invite. And how easy is how much easier is it for you to just simply say, add to my calendar, versus remembering where your did your planner is going to go get it, writing it down, and then hoping that you don't forget. Okay, so I understand that some of you that are listening are more of a paper pencil, paper, pen pencil marker, sticker type of person, I do get it. Like I said, I have one. But in today's age, it is just so much more convenient when you're getting those reminders via email.

Also, products like Google like Google workspaces, and whatnot, and many of the other digital like outlook in the digital inboxes. and stuff, they make it really easy to set a reminder when you're getting an email communication about something that's up and coming. So a digital and or cloud based calendar is going to help you get in stay organized long term in today's age. Number three on our list is a cloud based file system. Similar to the other two cloud based here just means that you can easily access edit, get to, you know, in share file systems in today's age, we I talked about I talked about this in one of our earlier episodes, like I mentioned, where I talked about digital spaces versus in person spaces. And a lot of you still print your documents, that's fine, that's great. But when you have a file system that is digitized, it is going to be so much easier to access, delete, look through because it's searchable. So I really would recommend starting to migrate over to a digital and or cloud based file system that you can easily access, edit, search and share when you need to same as before with the calendar.

Also, when people are sending you documents for you to download and sign, you can then quickly add it to your file system versus printing it putting it in the drawer. And then if you need it when you're not at home or in your home office or your office and you're away, then you have to wait until you get to wherever the paper document is. And when you have it in a digital format, you just can quickly access it, get to it, send it, share it, edit it, get it over with and not have something lingering on your to do list because you can't easily access it. Number four on our list is a password keeper. Now, there is controversies over password keepers nowadays because a password keeper is supposed to keep your password safe, right. But if they're compromised, that defeats the purpose. So right now in the 2023 era, they're still you know, questions about which password keeper digital password keeper is safe. I understand the worry over that. So just make sure you're a an informed consumer when you're searching for your favorite password keeper.

A lot of you like to have it have a digitized one, where whenever you log into a certain website, or certain platforms that you're either your browser or your digital password keeper site has it easily accessible to you just be an informed consumer, just do your research, see which ones have gotten the best reviews, maybe ask friends, which ones have not gotten compromised in the last, you know, years, couple months, and use that one. But due to some kind of password keeper that you feel comfortable with, instead of writing your passwords on little pieces of paper all over the house, because that does not work for anybody. It doesn't help you, it becomes overwhelming, then you can't get into things. So just whatever way you decide is best for you. That's fine. This is one of those tools that I am 5050 whether it's digital, like a digital tool, or if it's a paper type of tool, because if you're just writing them down, that's fine. But write him down in like a place that you can easily find that it's not like all over the house and then you forget where those very secret spaces are. So just make sure that the password keeper is safe, and that it works for you. Number five on our seven things an organized person should have in this new age of the digital world is a project management tool. Now, even if you don't have a project quote unquote, that's coming up or you think you don't or even if you you don't, you're not a solopreneur entrepreneur and you're like I don't really need a project management tool like what is that? What does that do?

For me, listen, okay, project management tools are not just if for the workspace per se, you could have a project, maybe like a house project, an organizing project, maybe you're remodeling your house, maybe you have a special project of organizing your garage, or you know, a project where you're on mission, my in laws are coming to visit over the summer, and you want to get all these things done. That's what a project entail. So it doesn't have to be work related. It could just be a project or tackling something that has a beginning, a middle and an end. And project management tools are amazing to keep you on track. And also remind you of the milestones that you're trying to hit in make. So a project management tool, sometimes your email, and calendar, workspace, like Google workspaces, they will also have a project management tool. Sometimes it's a standalone. So like, some popular ones out there right now or Asana. And it's, you know, the list can go on. But a project management tool of some sort will help you get your project on track, and may give you reminders digitally. So that when you're trying to remember all the things, there is one place that you have it in instead of have it in on a piece of paper that you forgot at home. And then when you get to the where, like, maybe you're at the store and you're like oh man, if I only had my project tool list, or by project calendar, or my to do list for that project, I could get the stuff right now, instead, I have to wait until I get home, go get the piece of paper and then come back to the store. So a project management tool is really handy, especially one that you can access from your phone or from anywhere in the world. The sixth one on our list is a cloud based note taking system. The note taking system or some kind of tool or system is super important to have, it's the place that you go to to write your notes.

I know a lot of you have your amazing notebook where you write notes. And I love that I have one too. But after years of me writing all these notes, and then on a piece of paper, you know, my notebook, a beautiful notebook and all my chicken scratches. After years and years of realizing that I really could never get to those notes when I needed them. Or I couldn't easily search for them when I needed them. That made me realize that that wasn't going to be working for me, like I needed a cloud based note taking app or system or tool, one that I could take a note whenever I needed it. And by notes. I mean, sometimes it's verbal notes, where I just talked to my notes. And it dictates what I just said, sometimes it's a voice memo type of note, but something that I can quickly grab, take notes, and then access when I need it. And digital note taking apps and tools are amazing because they can search your notes whenever you need it. So if you need to refer back to a certain idea or concept or Word, you can easily look for it. And then the app or tool will bring all of your notes up on the search and give you what you need. instead of you going and shuffling through all the pieces of paper and notes that you wrote down. This type of tool can also be merged with your calendar inbox or file based systems. Sometimes those come with note taking platforms. So don't think that you have to get an individual type of tool or platform and buy something else. Sometimes it's already comes with your inbox or your workspace. So you know, see if what you're using now has some kind of digital note taking app or system or tool and then use that.

And the last one on our list is a communication tool. And what I mean by a communication tool is a tool platform app that helps you communicate with nonfamily in emergencies. So you've got probably your text messaging for family, and maybe phone calls, of course, and those those types of platforms for your emergencies, and like people that you're daily you're talking to daily, but I'm talking more about friends, maybe and I'll give some examples like Voxer, Facebook, messenger, WhatsApp, all of those are communication tools that help you stay connected with clients, customers, friends that you don't normally message on an everyday basis. And the reason I added this to the list is because communicating with your Emergency Contacts and families should be very straightforward and you should keep that separate. Now some of you are using your text messaging for everything for communicating with anyone and everyone and I'm not necessarily opposed to that as your professional organizing friend. But if you cannot get easily to those text messaging those text messages from clients and friends and emergencies and family and if you can't separate those conversations easily on your text messaging platform, then that is going to become very overwhelming over time. So, pick a place where you can organize and segment these communication excuse me communicating communication groups, so that you know where to go when you need to communicate with like your Emergency Contacts, people, friends, family, where do you go when you communicate with your clients? With your you know, if you have a coach or maybe your you know, people that are helping you in your in life? Where do you go when you need to communicate with the friends that you only see every couple of times a year or so make sure that whatever communication tool, again, is easy, easily accessible, and you can quickly organize and segment so it doesn't just get lost in the shuffle of all in one and has no rhyme or reason and it gets you overwhelmed.

Okay, so what do you think? So these are my seven things that I think as your professional organizing and productivity experts think that are very important in today's new age of the digital world. I mean, this digital world is nothing new. But now it is full force, especially since 2020, where many of us, especially in the world had to work and live from home and remotely and go to school remotely and access things remotely. I mean it expedited the need to be able to access and store and have a digital space that is just as organized as your in person space. So I hope that these seven things helped you understand what is needed, especially if you haven't quite embrace the digital world. I hope that this list helps you find some tools, and start the search to finding the seven things that I think an organized person should have in today's age that will help you with your overwhelm and help you feel at peace will help you get more organized and find things easily. Let me know what you think about the conversation, tag us over on Instagram at the organized Flamingo or send us a message at Hello at the organized flamingo.com. I'd love to cheer you on and let me know what tools you're picking out as you either start your set your transition over to the digital world or if you're trying to enhance it and make it even a better, easy streamline experience. So I'd love to hear from you. And as always, Happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here are full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing

In this episode, we delve into the mental hurdle of procrastination and its relation to imposter syndrome. As a podcast focused on productivity and organization, we explore the root causes of procrastination and offer solutions to break the cycle, helping you to live your best life without repeating the same patterns. Join us as we uncover the secrets to overcoming procrastination and achieving your goals.

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

Susie Castellanos Hansley, PhD. is an Anxiety & Imposter Syndrome Coach, holds a Ph.D., is a Master Certified Coach, a Speaker & Educator and Trauma Informed.  

Where to find Susie Castellanos Hansley online:

https://www.lifecoachsusie.com/

Mentioned in this Episode:

Link to procrastination freebie:

https://www.lifecoachsusie.com/the-procrastination-solution

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

Stephanie
Hello friends and welcome to another episode of the organized and productive Podcast. Today we are talking all about procrastinating. So I'm so glad that you did not put off listening to this episode, see what I did there? Okay, so how many times have you put something off that you actually wanted to do, but couldn't seem to get the motivation to do it. So like, this is the stuff that you actually want to do like goal setting big, audacious goals that you're excited about. But for some reason, you just keep putting it off. This is also those tasks that you know, are simple to get through. But for some reason, you just put them off and instead, go and do anything and everything except actually complete the task. And when you do notice that you're putting it off, you don't know what is holding you back, you can't quite put your finger on it, you know that there's something there that stopping you from doing the task? And do you have no idea what it is? Well, it may be something that you can work through and not as big of a deal as you think it is. So for our episode, today, we're digging even deeper into one of the mental hurdles that stops us from living our best life, which is the action of procrastination, what causes it and how it relates to imposter syndrome. And because this is a podcast devoted to helping you find organizing and productivity solutions, part of finding a solution is figuring out what caused the problem to begin with. So you don't repeat the same cycles over and over. So today we are focusing on procrastination, which is the root of a lot of the problems and what causes it. And because this is a subject matter that has to do with neuroscience, and more of the mental health sector, I wanted to invite a professional that studies this area. So I invited our guests Susie Kassianos, Hensley to come talk to us about procrastination and impostor syndrome, which is her area of expertise. As usual, we go right into the conversation with our guest. So let me introduce Suzy to you really quick and share why I wanted to bring her in. So Suzy has an anxiety impostor syndrome coach, she holds a PhD, is a master certified coach, a speaker and educator and trauma informed. I met Susie a couple of years ago through clubhouse and other social media platforms. And I absolutely loved how she would communicate about this very important subject matter in a simplified way that US commoners, could understand and relate to. I mean, her accolades are all very impressive. But what's really special about her is that she's gone through her own impostor syndrome journey. And the coaching she went through, was so impactful to her that she decided to become a coach, and then help other people like her. So not only did she have the background, but she also dug even deeper within her own self. And now she brings in the expertise of having gone through it. But then, of course, the educational background, she digs deep into the neuroscience and the nervous system to understand how anxiety, fear and stress responses occur biologically, and physiologically, so she gets it, she understands, like I said, the background, but she also has gone through it herself. And I don't know about you, but when we you talk about the mental health sector, sometimes it's really nice to know that someone that you're talking to gets it, and maybe has gone through their own journey, and can give you examples on how they were able to overcome whatever hurdle it was. So I love that she has a balance of both. And so I'm so excited about our conversation. So let's just get right into the conversation. This is pretty much where I start asking her the questions. No time wasted. And I really hope that you enjoy today's podcast episode. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well then let's go. All right. Hello, Susie, welcome to our podcast. I'm so happy that you are here. I'm really excited about today's conversation. I did not want to put it off any longer. So I'm so excited. Alright, so let's get started with the concept of imposter syndrome. So we're, we're digging right in? What is impostor syndrome? What is it all about? And how is it related to procrastination?

Susie Castellanos Hansley
Awesome questions? Well, so thanks for inviting me. So imposter syndrome is what happens when somebody who is striving to achieve something that maybe is a little more challenging, they start to feel like they might not be good enough they might feel so there's going to be a pattern of thinking a pattern of emotions and a pattern of actions and an actions that they take. Oh, You might have thoughts like I'm not good enough to be here, I'm gonna get found out. I don't belong, I have to get it right the first time. The emotions that you end up feeling are anxiety, fear, panic and shame. And then a lot of the actions and inactions are going to be, it is going to have like an attitude of perfectionism because of that fear. So some of the actions that come out of perfectionism, or going to be procrastination, or overwork is typically what happens one or the other. Sometimes you go between them. And the other things that you do is because you're feeling all that anxiety, and because you feel shame, you don't tell people how you're feeling. So you kind of keep it hidden because you feel shame. And when it gets to be too much, you start to numb out your emotions, because it's just too stressful. So you might do food, alcohol, scrolling, etc. The one thing I wanted to say, though, that's interesting is that each of those thoughts and emotions and actions and inactions don't necessarily mean you have impostor syndrome. It's more when you cycle through it, and you keep doing it. Because what'll happen is that for a lot of us, say you get assigned something new, that can be a little bit challenging, you're gonna probably have some of that, but if at the end, you're like, oh, yeah, I did it. I figured it out. I was procrastinating and feeling anxious, and I was worried about it. But I got it done and I feel good, yay, then you don't have imposter syndrome. The imposter syndrome is when you're done with the thing and the whole time and you don't and you just feel shame, because you're like, Oh, I barely made it. I didn't get it. So. And that's really important. Because those thoughts and emotions and actions that I mentioned happen all the time when you have self doubt or anything like there's healthy self doubt and stuff, but it's when you when you don't ever feel like yay, proud of myself for figuring it out. And then you shame yourself that creates the imposter syndrome cycle.

Stephanie
super interested in I think a lot of us can relate to that where, you know, balancing what is the healthy emotions that come with that, that are associated to imposter syndrome are associated, but not directly linked? So what is a good way for someone to know? Okay, you mentioned that it's not always impostor syndrome, but like, at what point? Should they ask for help? Or what what point like? What are some of those symptoms that people should be looking out for? So that they don't keep repeating the circle? Like, at what point can? Should they say like, Okay, I need to stop even though I'm in it. How do they know,

Susie Castellanos Hansley
it's gonna have to do with how burned out and how anxious they're feeling? So so most of the time it is it is incredibly normal and healthy for us, as human beings and as animals to, you know, be worried that something may not go well, when it's kind of the first time you're doing it. Especially when it's something that matters to you, where you want to show up? Well, because it matters that you're part of the group, I don't know, it could be baking that cake for your family, you might be worried about it or doing that project at work, whatever that is, you're gonna know what's a problem if you are burning yourself out, either by avoiding it and then doing it the last minute and then beating yourself up. Or you're burning yourself out, because you're overworking and then you do it. And then you're still beating yourself up. And with

Stephanie
that, what are some of the common? When is it come up? Most commonly at work personal both? Like what are some of those common places where imposter syndrome shows up? And therefore, procrastination.

Susie Castellanos Hansley
So what's interesting is that it has come up in the popular culture and people talking about it, they talk about it more in terms of work situations where you feel like you don't belong, it is definitely something that is seen in minorities, women, things like that, where there's not like a lot of people like them, or like us since I happen to be a woman in a minority. But, but what it but the reality is that it's not limited to that, like it actually can come up with anyone, right? And what'll happen is that it will come up at work, if there's sort of this feeling of I need to prove myself. So it when there's a feeling of I need to prove myself, they're gonna find out I'm not really good enough, it's going to come up at work. And that's something that a lot of people talk about. But the reality is that what our brains do in one area of life, they do everywhere. And so what was very fascinating for me is that when I discovered my imposter syndrome, you know, I was thinking about it in terms of work. And then it turned out that i There were things that I wasn't saying or doing even in my marriage, I had a great marriage, love my husband, and then I realized I was acting like an imposter, even at home in certain ways. So where I was like not saying certain things, because I'm thinking, Oh, that will make me a bad wife, or that would make me a bad stepmother. Or that will you know, I mean, like that was still unconscious that it was showing up there too. So most people talk about it in work stuff, but you're gonna see it everywhere because we do the same thing everywhere with our brain. Oh, that's

Stephanie
so good. That's a great reminder. So let's circle back to procrastination which is kind of the main bigger theme here, you know, that we're talking about today. They're related but for procrastination coming back to it, okay, let's say you you think GRANT whether it is imposter syndrome or not, but you're still you're procrastinate, the action of procrastination is still happening. What are like you said it transfers from business to personal. So what are some ways that people can? What are some methods or ways that people can bite? procrastinate, procrastination, so that it doesn't become this bigger thing like impostor syndrome eventually, like, can they identify it before it becomes the bigger thing? Yeah. Well, I

Susie Castellanos Hansley
will tell you that procrastination can be one of the symptoms of impostor syndrome. And that that was, you know, for me, before I knew what imposter syndrome or anxiety were, I didn't really know that I had anxiety or that I experienced impostor syndrome till about 2021. But my whole life before that, when I was in academia, etc, I procrastinated a lot. And it was because I was feeling anxiety and impostor syndrome. So it can be part of that. But the main thing is going to be, you want to kind of just look to see, if you're shaming yourself, if you want to pay attention to your self talk and how you're feeling. If you're beating yourself up, and you're saying, See, I suck, oh, I should be able to clean the house, or I shouldn't be able to deal with those papers. Oh, no, I can't believe I haven't done my taxes, et cetera, et cetera, you know, I can't ask anybody for help on this, because they're gonna think there's something wrong with me, that's sort of where you start to recognize that it's becoming more of a problem. Because it's honestly the shaming of ourselves, for not doing those things that locks it in place, and makes it a problem. And that's important to know, because the one thing that I tell that is crucial for anyone who want to feel empowered in their lives, is you want to stop shaming it, in part, because the big thing is it keeps you stuck. But the big thing is that when you it doesn't allow you to recognize why we even have these tendencies, like why do we worry about not being good enough? Why do we have anxiety and fear? Why might we avoid something, and the reality is like, that's actually how we're designing things to evolution. So we beat ourselves up for something that is not within our conscious control. Because because our whole experience as animals evolutionary is that we are supposed to survive. And when you're a pack animal, if you get kicked out of the of the club, or the cave, or you know, a tribe, the tribe, you're gonna die like that literally would happen. So you know, the caveman ancestor horse, who, you know, didn't get along with people in his cave, if you got kicked out, he's gonna get eaten by the tiger. And same thing for the one that's out hunting, if he doesn't get along with everybody, they're gonna leave him behind. So we have things to hundreds of millions of years of evolution, we are designed to fear that we're not good enough, and we're going to get kicked out. And for us that, you know, having somebody tell us, we did something wrong to our primitive brain and to our nervous system, it's just the threatening as somebody putting a gun to your head, our nervous system cannot tell the difference. So when you understand that, there's no reason to be ashamed, it's just knowing like, Oh, it's my nervous system trying to protect me. And when you can drop that, then you can, then you can calm down, and then use your brain to figure out what you want to do. But it has to do with like, you want to really just get that it's not about you, you're not lazy, there's not something wrong with you. It's your nervous system. And it's evolution,

Stephanie
the mantras that you just meant, I feel like some of what you just said was like a mantra like these are, if you're listening to this, you know, write them maybe not mantras, but just reminders, like write them down and almost repeat them. This really comes into play with in the organizing and productivity space, when you're trying to better your life. And you feel like it's because I need a new journal, or I need to be more organized, or I can't remember anything, and I'm getting so frustrated. I must, you know, I must suck, I must. And then you start showing me like you said, and now it's this perpetual feeling that that has nothing to do with that. It's just your defense mechanism, your body telling you, you just have to find figure out a way that does work for you. With that in mind, since since I've seen that in the organizing productivity space, which is why we're having this conversation, like I hope that people understand that, that it can be very normal, very normal, and that with just a little help, not me just a little, maybe a big help, but with just a little push that it could be okay. So what would you tell people, if they're experiencing the shame, the perpetual shame, and they are putting things off? And so now it's becoming a problem because you know, figuratively and literally speaking, it's piling up, whether it's physical, mental, whatever, everything's piling up and you're just procrastinating and delaying the inevitable. What how would you say that somebody can go ask for help? Should they talk to somebody like how did they begin the process of making it better for making that better or

Susie Castellanos Hansley
Sure. So, at that point, if you're really pretty spiraling and shame and you're feeling stuck, you definitely want to talk to somebody because you when you're there, you're deaf, you're in fight flight and freeze. And procrastination is actually a freeze response. It's like, okay, I'm gonna hide and not do it, as opposed to overwork is more of a fight response. It's using the sympathetic nervous system, the energy to be like, Okay, I'm doing it, I'm doing, I'm doing I'm doing it, and then we click and we go, oh, no, no, I'm not gonna do it, I'm gonna hide. And that can happen, right? A deadline is great to put us into fight and get the thing done, the thing we've been avoiding the, what you want to think is, you know, it really depends where you're at, if you can hear what I am saying, now I can tell you how to do it. But if you're very stuck, you do want to get help, because it's very hard when you're stuck in fight, flight and freeze, to get yourself out without having somebody else there. Who can tell you no, really, it's not you, it's your nervous system. It's not you, what you're feeling is absolutely normal. And a lot of it for me, you know, I had trauma in my early childhood. And there was also, you know, just kind of like growing up in our society, there's always a lot of pressure to be successful, et cetera. So it's very easy for us to find ways to shame ourselves for not being smart enough, good enough making enough money, you know, all of that, right? So we are surrounded by that. And so much of that is being able to have somebody, so it could be a therapist, it could be somebody like me, as a coach, who understands what's happening with you, the first thing is to and shame it to be able to help you be witnessed and heard. And this isn't just like, nice, you know, kind of woowoo stuff, this is actually science, the way animals

Stephanie
not just not just your friend talking to like a for Hi,

Susie Castellanos Hansley
you know, because a lot of people are like, Oh, you have to find somebody. But the reality is like neuroscience, the way this works is like say when animals get triggered and freaked out, the way they create safety is they go back to the pack, and the pack invites them back in the pack, you know, somebody gives them a lick somebody, it's like that kind of thing. And the animal shakes it out. And as human beings a lot of the time, unlike other animals, we shame ourselves and we tell each other Oh, you should suck it up and stop crying or you know, you're being lazy or whatever. So it is super important. If you want to like interrupt that find somebody you can trust who can really hold space. So a lot of the time that is going to be a coach or a therapist, because a lot of times our friends can't help us. Our friends will try to say, Oh, don't be like that. Just change how you think or no, here just calendar better. That's what people are going to tell you when you procrastinate, oh, you just need more discipline. So what that does is it totally dis regards the fact that you are feeling and fight flight or freeze. And no animal can get out of that without another animal, helping them see that they're safe. And the only way to create safety is for you to tell yourself or if somebody else can tell you. You know what it makes sense that you feel this way? Of course it makes sense. You're not weird. It's totally makes sense. Of course, you're scared of this thing. It's a new project. Let's let you feel that. Because when you can feel the emotion, it will pass within 90 seconds. And it's then that when you can feel the emotion. And that passes through your system because it's cortisol and adrenaline, then you feel safe. And then you're like, Okay, now how do I want to solve this issue? But it's because we don't ever release that because we don't feel safe to just acknowledge, yeah, I'm feeling overwhelmed by this. And I feel like maybe I'm dumb. And then, you know, you want to be able to tell yourself or have somebody else tell you, you know what that makes sense that you feel that way? It's so normal. It's because you're human animal

Stephanie
that I love the way that you explain this. Okay, so let's talk we just talked about talking to a friend. And obviously, we just use that very loosely as an example of one thing that maybe you wouldn't want to necessarily do. And I don't want to push, like, do a big push of don't do this. Because hey, there sometimes you

Susie Castellanos Hansley
just have to know who the right people are. Like, if you if you know, like certain people will be like, Oh, why don't you know, that's not a big deal, just get over it. Or if they try to fix it for you. That's another thing. You don't want a friend that's trying to fix things for you. You want to find the friend or the person who could simply hold space. And what that means to hold space is to hear what you have to say. And I tried to fix it and I tried to tell you you're wrong or anything and who will just be understanding and be like, Yes, that makes perfect sense. I totally get it. So it takes a certain amount of emotional maturity to find people like that and that's why sometimes it's just easier to find a coach or a therapist. If you have somebody like that. latch on to that friend

Stephanie
And they also have to be willing to be that person for you, once they realize that that that is it. Okay, so we talked about, and again, like if you find that person great, but what are some other mistakes? Or what are some common mistakes that people make outside of latching on to the wrong wrong person, right? That when making when dealing with procrastination and impostor syndrome, like what are some of the mistakes, you see that just you see them perpetually happen, you're like, let me warn you about these things. A lot

Susie Castellanos Hansley
of it has to do with certain thoughts that trigger the fear, the anxiety, etc. Probably the worst thought that human beings have is that I have to do this, or I should do this or it needs to be done. Because think of how terrible that feels, and it feels very disempowering. It's also not even true. Because the reality is that there's nothing that you think you have to do or should do that has to or should be done. You think you need to pick up your kids from school? No, there's plenty of people who don't pick up their kids or feed them or even house them. There's plenty of people who don't pay their taxes. There's plenty of people who don't clean their house, there's plenty of people who don't even own a house. So you want to really question the the probably the one mistake is that we tell ourselves, we have to do it. And that triggers a lot of anxiety and fear. It's also not useful, because what happens is when you say I have to or I should you have no, it's like in order for you to be able to say yes to something, you have to know that you can say no. And when you can say no, then you can really choose Yes, I want to do this, I choose to do this, I get to do this, I choose to clean my cat boxes, even though I don't want to, because I want the outcomes of it. But I certainly don't have to, I could just let the poor cat to do that. And then they're going to do whatever they want. So that's kind of an important thing is to be able to stop telling yourself that you have to you need to you should, you must just know that there's always consequences to your choices. But when you can release that you have to that's where you get your power. And then you can decide if you really want to or not. And then if you decide that you want to like you're you're gonna choose to do it because you want the consequences of doing it versus if not, now you have your real wine that it will motivate you to do it. Because your real Why is like, I'm choosing to do the cat boxes, because I like how my house smells. It's so much better. And then my cats won't pee on my clothing that I left on the floor. Right? That's a strong why and I'm more likely to do it. Then I'm like, oh my god, I'm so filthy. I can't believe I'm disgusting. I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be doing this. I'm not gonna do it. Because I'm shaming myself. And I'm gonna spiral.

Stephanie
Oh, my guest Yes. Yes to all of the above. And for all of you could see me. So we're recording this via zoom. And if you could see me, I'm just like, yes, yes, yes. Okay, so I know that the listeners are going to find that incredibly helpful. So thank you for giving that. So if so, as we start to kind of wrap up here. What are some tools or methods people can try right now if they feel like this is a problem? So I think we talked about a couple already, which you know, which was find the right person to talk to or about it, look for the signs, the warning signs, and or the that it's already happening, like Shamy, that you're in this perpetual circle, but what are some other methods tools that you would recommend to a listener that they could do and take take action on right now?

Susie Castellanos Hansley
Okay, so I do I offer this a lot like I actually have a freebie a free procrastination protocol, like how to break procrastination, I can give the link to people, but I'll briefly describe what that is. The key thing is, there's two steps to this. The first thing is that when you are triggered you, you want to stop the anxiety and the fear. So in order to do that, you have to have awareness that you are procrastinating or that you're spiraling. So you just want to begin to start having awareness of what that looks like. It's going to be again, some of those thoughts like oh my god, I'm afraid to get this wrong. If you're feeling anxiety, if you're avoiding the stuff, those are all going to be good signs. One of my signs is I'm really short with my husband, and then he starts pointing it out and then it's like, Oh, I must be avoiding something or I start eating. So the first thing is in order to be able to notice a name that it's happening you want to just get really good get you know beyond to yourself what are the signs that I know that I'm spiraling into this procrastination? So when you know that sign the thing is after you notice that you want to name it, why do you want to name it? You want to name it because that creates disassociation between yourself and the thing it takes you out of it you're now the observer you can be like, huh, I just realized that I am avoiding doing that thing by eating this or by doing that. I am avoiding that thing that is already going to drop your anxiety level a bit, because you just named it. And then the next thing, once you've noticed and named it, you want to create some release of the cortisol in there. Because that's what animals do when when, when they noticed they're there. They're safe, they're unsafe, they get all triggered, and they get cortisol and adrenaline, they freak out. But once they go to safety, they shake it off, you could literally shake it off, like you could literally just like kind of shake your body once you noticed it. There's a there's other methods that I teach that, you know, if you follow me, I can teach you all sorts of things. Some of it if you know, EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, or tapping, that'll release it, you just tap your way through it and be like, Oh, I'm releasing this anxiety over that thing that I feel like I need to do. So once you've released that, then then you can start asking yourself the question, that first question is like, Do I even want to do this? Because it's not a shooter? I have to? Once you've decided yes or no, it's very useful to just ask yourself, why do I want to do it? And why don't I and then make a decision? And then if you decide you're Yes, then you're going to ask yourself the questions to get your brain answering smart things. And that's going to be what do I already know about this thing? And then you're gonna ask it again, what else do I already know about this thing? And what else do I already know about this thing? If you're thinking about Texas, for example, what else what I already know about taxes? What else do I know about it? What else do I know you're going to write them all down? If you've decided, yes, I want to do my taxes, I choose to do my taxes, your next step would be write down all the things you already know. And in the process of doing that, you're priming your brain to look for how smart you are, that creates safety. And then it will become obvious the next step, which is what's the next smallest step I can do. Now, that will take me five minutes to start working on that thing. Whatever your brain tells you, you go and do it. And then it's rinse and repeat. You keep consulting your brain, if you get triggered again, you notice the name it you tap, you do whatever. And that's all it is. It's like constantly you were just going to interrupt the anxiety, notice the name it and then ask your brain a smart question, decide and then do it.

Stephanie
I love that. And one of the things that has always attracted me about you and your methods is that you simplify it. And you have different ways of dealing with you know, depending on what it what it is that you're talking about. But you have different ways for people to work through it. And so if you haven't gotten to know Susie, you definitely want to because I mean, that's the entire podcast here, right? It's doing things differently, trying it differently, because there's always a way, there's always a way. And most importantly, there's always a way for you to make it better, like it has to work for you. And that's something that I've always loved about when you talk about, okay, let's simplify it, identify it, and then work through it in small bites. And not just over, not just oversimplify it, but actually, like simplify it for people. So it's easy to digest and do and understand which I really, I'm glad you

Susie Castellanos Hansley
feel that way because I do it. And that's the thing that this is all based in science, the things that haven't worked for you in the past haven't worked, because they don't take into account the nervous system. And once you take into account the nervous system, you're golden, because you will never be interrupted or stuck again, you will always know how to get out of it. And that's the promise I make. And that's what I help all my clients with. So I really love this work because I think it's gonna make a difference for so many people who have so much stress and, you know, they spiral into shame, and they blame this house. And it's just because they don't know that that's their brain and their nervous system is just trying to protect them when it tells them to hide, because it matters for us as animals to fit into the cave. And once you understand that, and you know, you learn how to you notice name it, interrupt it, so that your brain and your body knows there's not a real tiger at the door. It's just my taxes. Use your brain and figure out the best solution for you.

Stephanie
No more shaving no more. Save me. I love it. Okay. All right. So something we asked about with all of our guests is what is your favorite magazine to read? For either business and or pleasure and why? And of course, where can people reach you? Okay,

Susie Castellanos Hansley
so my favorite magazine is whatever crashing magazine happens to be at the newsstand when I'm gonna fly on a plane. So, you know, I used to love people, but it's a little too trashy now. Like, just you know, although I won't lie, I will read it on my Apple phone, you know, on the Apple app. So I tend to tend to read Vanity Fair articles. I will tend to read people if there's something good on the cover, and it's just in general, something that strikes my fancy about somebody that I like or something interesting to me. But, but I I used to have a subscription to Runner's World back when I used to run but I don't anymore. That helped answer the question.

Stephanie
Absolutely. It's whatever. Yeah. Whatever piques your interest. Okay, and where can people find you?

Susie Castellanos Hansley
You can find me at www dot Life Coach susie.com. And that's life coach. And then my name is S. U. S. I e.com. And love to connect with people on social media. You know, if we go to the website, you will see all my social media icons on the top right.

Stephanie
Oh, wonderful. Well, thank you so much as it was a pleasure having you here. I'm grateful that you were able to share your you know, your wisdom with us and some of your tactics and I hope that our listeners found it just as helpful. And thank you again for your time.

Susie Castellanos Hansley
Thank you for having me, Stephanie. Bye, everyone.

Stephanie
Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Have you organizing

Discover the importance of note-taking and how it can help you retain, recall, and pass on information for later use. Did you know that we forget 33% of what we don't review within 24 hours? Learn how taking notes can help you avoid this and reinforce key points. Plus, discover how note-taking can help you cite sources, share information with others, and remember who said what.  

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

• Why Note taking is important
• How it can help you gain more clarify
• Information organizing
• Cornell Note Taking Method 
• Chart Note Taking 
• Outlining Method
• Lists Method
• Mapping/Mind Mapping/Concept Maps 
• Box and Bullet  
• SQ4R
• Shorthand 
• Flow writing (brain dup) & highlight method

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger.  For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

Hello friends, and welcome to another episode of organized and productive. I am so excited for today's episode, this is one of my most favorite topics of all time. And that is learning to take good notes. But more than that, it's not just learning how to take the notes. But knowing that you have options of note taking, and then figuring out which one calls out to you which ones you prefer, which ones are the best depending on the project and the outcome you're looking for. Because once you figure out how many different notetaking strategies are out there, and which one works for you, in which one gravitates with your own system, the result of that is that your brain starts to adjust when it's acquiring information. And it makes it so much easier to process and do something with the information you're receiving. And in today's age, where information is so easily accessible through social media, and the internet, and television and podcast, eat and et cetera, and the list goes on, we are being introduced to new information every second of the day. And that can be very overwhelming.

So when you learn about note taking, your brain then starts to weed out what you really truly need from the information you're receiving all the time, and let go of information that is not useful to you and your goals. And that way you're not overwhelming your brain and just yourself with everything that's coming in all at once. So I love notetaking conversations, and figuring out which style would work best for you, because it makes you a more organized and productive person in the long run. So let's get right into it. And let's talk about why Note taking is important. And then I will list out some of the most common strategies and note taking methods for you to look more into and see which one works best for you. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with me organized Flamingo I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well then let's go. So what is note taking. So Note taking is a process of recording information with a purpose of retaining, recalling or passing on that information for later use. Note Taking involves listening or reading. So we're talking about both and it's listening or reading the information. So basically acquiring information, identifying the key points and main ideas of the information acquired, and then recording them in a structured and organized manner.

Now, notice how I said organized manner. Yes, good note taking requires you to have the organizing skill, which is why I'm talking about it. And this organizing skill can be learned, you know, if you're not organized by nature, or you just don't feel like that's your zone of genius. That's okay, you can learn it. And that's why I'm outlining different strategies so that you can study them and see which one works for you. Now let's talk about why taking notes is important. So it's almost impossible to remember everything you read or listen to right. So the fun fact here is we forget about 33% of what we don't review within the 24 hours that we acquired. So you are forgetting a lot. And that's okay, some of the stuff you don't even need. But there comes a point where you start feeling guilty over the things you're not remembering. And it may be the case that you didn't even need that information. But that guilt is something you're carrying. And so I want you to have a method of acquiring the information so that you know, you have captured what you needed and letting go of some of this information you're acquiring is okay, and it's actually very productive in the long run. Now, remembering isn't the only reason why we take notes, we take notes to pass the information on over to others and so that they can easily read what it is that you're trying to perceive and to give them right.

We also take notes to cite what was being said especially for you scholars out there, or when we want to reinforce a point by noting who said it and where it was from So note taking allows us to remote remember and recall all of that information and then pass it on. And Note taking is not just for lectures at school or work meetings. Note Taking takes place in our everyday life. I mean you you probably right now many of you are taking notes, I bet you there is at least one or two of you who is taking notes right now with the purpose of retaining information for later use.

Note Taking also comes in the form of you doing your grocery list. That's a list that's you taking note when you walk around and take notes over what it is that you need to go buy at the store. Or maybe you're taking notes. When you're preparing for your meal planning or preparing for a special location type of meal. You're taking notes right when you're walking around your kitchen, you're Taking notes when you are at the doctor's office and you're giving, and they're giving you their you know your information that you need to retain or instructions on what to do for a procedure. That's note taking. You take notes when someone is giving you directions, and the list goes on, no pun intended with lists, but you are taking notes, whether you think you're a note taker or not, or whether you think that Note taking is important or not, you are actually doing it on an everyday basis. So if you're going to be doing it that much, let's learn some good ways to retain the information as we continue with this conversation. So like I mentioned earlier, the action of taking notes can be done in various techniques, which we will talk about today, I'll give you a list of a few. I'll give you some tools that have proven to be useful and work well. But most importantly, my hope with this episode is that you can be mindful of how you mentally take notes and physically take notes. And make sure that you're using the technique that you like and works well with your way of living and acquire information naturally. This way, it can help you stay organized and productive.

And in a way that is easy to do and functional for your lifestyle. Before I get to the fun part where I name all the different types of note taking styles and methods, let me say that I would recommend that you explore the different methods, a few of them that I'm about to talk about and experiment before making the decision to go with one or the other. Each of these methods serves a purpose and learning what they are and what they are best for and used for will help. But ultimately, you have to actually use the method or else it's just another skill that you have learned that is in very beneficial to you. So learning about them isn't enough like you actually have to go and do it and try it out and see which one works for you. So before you go spending hours learning one of these methods and changing your entire note taking system, buying the journal and going all in, learn about him, try a few of them before you commit. And then second important note I want to mention is considered what is your natural way of capturing information.

So are you a digital planner, person or paper planner or note taking person or maybe a hybrid of both now, that will help you pick something that is all that that you're already doing. And that way you aren't changing what is already working entirely, you're just enhancing it. Now that I've given you my warnings, let's get right into it. So first, let's start off with the Cornell note taking method. This one is very widely known, especially if you went to a university or something like that, because it's very common to be used there. It was popularized by Cornell University Professor Walter puck. And this method is meant to take fast notes by planning out where each of the information you're about to receive goes on the page. So ahead of time, you actually will divide the piece of paper into the two columns. And the way it works, you can look it up and you can see the visual of what it looks like. But basically, there's two columns on a page. The left column though, it's not like an even 5050, the left column is about a third of the page with the other column, the one on the right takes the majority of the space about two thirds of the page. And then the bottom is for the summary of the notes that you just took. And the thought process here is the left is like the quick thought and or the piece of information that you were given. And then on the right you give your explanation, or your notes that is related to the information that you that was just given. Let's talk about chart note taking. So chart notetaking is meant to be for comparing things.

This is like the pros and cons, you ahead of time will determine how you want to divide the information that is about to be given to you. So divide the page into two or more columns. And then each column has the comparison title. So let's say you do want to do pros and cons, maybe you are going into trying to figure out which tile works best for you when you're redoing your bathroom. So you will then put the pros and the cons of the white tile and then or the black tile or the green tile and then the left column. And you know, you start writing down the pros and the cons. I mean, this is a really overly simplified example. But that's what the chart note taking type of note taking is. This is helpful for when multiple subjects are being discussed at once. And you need to group the ideas. So you can then put it into like one column. And another like I said, especially for projects, when you're doing renovating or big projects like that. You're talking to different contractors and you just need to get all those thoughts organized. A chart note taking method works great. The next one on our list is outlining and outlining is another very common way of note taking, especially in schools. This is the one that has the Roman numerals. You know if you're familiar with it, this is one of the most common ways of note taking. It's right Being down the thoughts in a hierarchy, and in the order in which it was talked about. So with the main point at the very top with the sub points at the bottom, you probably did this in school in some way, shape or form.

And so this is a very popular type of note taking, and your brain probably works this way to, you know, with the big heading. And then the subheadings, right under it closely related to outlining is lists. And a list is a sequential listing of ideas as they are presented. So this is like a list that you make maybe in your to do list, right, that's what it is. And so when you're presented with ideas, or maybe you are at a conference, or you read something, you're listening to a podcast right now you're just like listing all the different ideas that are coming to you, as they're being presented with no sub headings with no sub conversation at the bottom, it's just lining them up in the list. Now different than outlining, the outline has a hierarchy, like I mentioned. And so here with lists, it's just going to be a run on list. And it's one idea after another without the hierarchy. So this is great when you're trying to take very quick note taking. But with list, you do have to definitely come back and make sure that you categorize or you clump the ideas together at some point or else, it's just going to be a run on list that may or may not make sense to the person you're giving it to. Or if you come back to that list later on, it may not make sense because all of the ideas are all over the place.

The next type of note taking method is called mapping or some some of you may know it by mind mapping and or a concept map. And this is more for visual thinkers. This one is basically a spider of thoughts, where the big circle in the middle of each spider, you know, the big body is the primary thought, and then it branches from there. And so you then start to link each thought visually with a line or a branch to follow its lineage. This is a really helpful way of taking notes when you're trying to tie thoughts together. And some of you very visual thinkers already think this way, and you note take this way. So sometimes, especially when you're on social media, maybe or online platforms, you read an article or you read a post, and then you scroll down and you're reading a couple others. And now they're all starting to kind of link together, especially if you follow very similar people. And then you as a visual thinker, you start acquiring information by linking it together in this way. So if you're naturally that that type of note taker anyway and a visual thinker, then this method is great for you. Because you're you're making the correlations very quickly in your mind as you're reading it.

The next one on our list is box and bullet. And the box and bullet method is a newer type of note taking strategy. And it's more for a digitized or digital type of note taking. And I'll tell you why in just a second. But the box and bullet is basically like mind mapping and outlining but a very simple way of looking at those two. So basically, the main thought process, or the main thought that comes up goes at the very top, and then the sub thoughts or notes go right underneath it. And then you outline it with the big box to clump the idea together. So it clusters concepts together. The reason it's more of a modern way of Note taking is because if you're more of a pen and pencil type of person, this method is going to have a lot of Whiteout, or a lot of weight scratching like scratching, because the thought process is that you're taking these concepts or thoughts. And then you're moving them around to the box that it pertains to. So the box and bullet method was primarily made for iPad users or tablet users. So if you have a tablet, and you're able to lasso around a thought, and you can move it around than the box and bullet type of note taking is perfect for you.

The next one on our list is S key for AR I never know if I'm saying it right, but it's S Q, the number for AR and this one's mainly used for taking notes when you're reading. So this includes social media internet, like more just reading and not so much when you're listening to somebody talking. And it stands for survey questions read recite related review. That's the four R's. In the paper, you'll divide it into the six sections. And basically, it starts off with you asking, you know, you survey the information that you just read, and then you write questions you have about what you just read. Then you read your questions, and then you recite it to make sure you're understanding what you just read and then you relate it and then you review it. And so this method is more for when you're acquiring information that you aren't having made sense of it yet. So the SQ for our method is very good for that, especially if you're a big reader, they ask you for our method might work really well for you. And then for the last two, the first is a shorthand method. Now, the Oxford Dictionary defines shorthand as a method of rapid writing by means of abbreviations and symbols. Now, there are different systems of shorthand, and some maybe you have heard of from relatives or teachers, when technology wasn't as advanced, sometimes we call it like old school note taking.

And it is kind of an old school way of taking notes. But it can still apply now, especially with the tablets. But basically, when you're writing things down, you are abbreviating it into a code. And there are so if you look up shorthand codes, there are some that are have become popularized, or have, you know, been around for a very long time. But you can also create your own if you really want to. But of course, the trick here is that you have to remember what those abbreviations and symbols stand for. And if you're listening, this is great. Like, if you go to a lot of conferences, and they're talking very fast, or you, you're getting tired of writing down all the notes, then shorthand might be for you. This can apply if you're taking the digital version, like I said, if you have a tablet, a tablet, and a tablet, or if you have paper if you prefer paper and pen. So shorthand can work really well, for both types of methods if you just learn and remember what the abbreviations and symbols will stand for. And the last type of note taking method is the flow writing, which is a brain dump, essentially, that's what we call a brain dump, and the highlight method. So flow writing is where you just basically take everything, you just acquired all the information you just acquired, and you dump it in a piece of paper, or you type it out very quickly.

This type of note taking strategy is the kind that you probably will use when you don't have a writing utensil or a way of taking notes. In the moment, a lot of presentations, or maybe you were in a place where you didn't even know you were going to acquire great information, you didn't have a way of capturing the information in the moment. So now you have to Brain Dump it as soon as you get to a place where you can do all that writing. And so the flow writing is going to work great for that, just to get it all out of your head and into into a platform. And then the highlight method goes with the flow writing, because what you will do is then after your brain dump, you will come back and make sure you highlight or underline or make sure that you clump and cluster the thoughts together. So that they make sense, if you don't which and then you can start throwing away what you don't need, what information you gathered, but isn't really useful. And that way you can start prioritizing what information you actually need from that moment in time that you did not have a way to capture the information.

So those are some of the most popular systems. If over on the show notes page of our of our podcast, we will have them outlined. And so that way, if you would like to learn more about each and every single one of them, you know how to where to look, look, look it up and do your own research, I would highly like I said at the beginning, I would highly recommend that you pick a couple that speak out to you learn more about them, try them out, and then decide if it's for you. Because ultimately you do have to actually put them into practice before you make the decision over whether it works for you. Because you may think that the visual, you're a visual thinker, and that that mind mapping is beautiful and cool and fun. But in practice, it may not make any sense for you, it may actually backfire and overwhelm you. So definitely test these out a few of third tips that I would recommend you try regardless of what method you end up going with is learning about abbreviation symbols and shortcuts that just learning how to shorten words or ways of saying things even if you don't go all in into the shorthand method can be very beneficial using a notetaking application where you can view it wherever you go.

So if you are a paper and pencil, just make sure that you have your notebook available to you when you need it. Because in nowadays, especially if you're on the go all the time, and you forget your notebook, then you know, then you you won't have access to it in the moment. So just have a way to always have access to a note taking method. I personally like Apple notes because I use apple. But I also use Google Keep and OneNote and all three of them play very nice with my Mac with my apple all have my Apple ecosystem. So I really like those three. And each of those note taking systems works for very different things for me, but pick the ones that you can take with you wherever you Go. And once you take notes have a dedicated way to go over the notes. So taking the notes, retaining the information, organizing the information is all great. But what are you going to do with it?

I'm a highlight method person. So I kind of I'm a color coded person. So I highlight, and then I ended up, I have five different subject matters. And then I have action items associated with each color. So that's how I do it. But basically, it's a way for you to come back to those notes, there is no use of you putting the information somewhere, if you're not going to do something with it. So have a way to come back to it, maybe have a dedicated day, every month, where you go back to your notes, and revisit them and make sure that they're still serving a purpose in your ecosystem. So that is our episode for today. What do you think? Is there a particular note taking system that you prefer that is calling out to you, we'd love to hear it. Share with us over on social media, I'd love to see if there was a particular one that really resonated with you or that you really want to try or your success stories like, is there something that you tried, and that worked really well. We'd love to hear it as well and cheer you on a good note taking skills can help you in both your personal and professional life. And it increases your memory retention, it improves your focus, it increases your productivity.

You can have better communication when you can organize that information that you're acquiring, and it enhances your learning and it helps you with achieving your goal. So definitely good Note taking is a skill that will serve you in the long run. I promise you your future self will thank you for it. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing.

You can have BOTH, a stylish and tidy home and space.  If you are tired of boring decor in your organized home or you are trying to organize your home without compromising style, then this episode is for you! In this episode, we talked to Magdalena Mendez, Interior Decorator and owner of Experimenting with Decor, LLC about ways you can keep your space tidy and stylish no matter your budget or creativity level. 

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

• How to find your design style
• How finding your style will keep you organized long term
• Maximizing storage space without sacrificing style
• Common mistakes people make when organizing their space and how to avoid them

Where to find Magdalena Mendez online:

instagram.com/experimentingwithdecor

Mentioned in this Episode:

Laundry Room DIY Project

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfwkX4-Djop/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Bathroom Shelving with Style DIY Project

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CdbPEnPjj_L/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

Stephanie
Did you know that finding your Decor Style and maintaining an organized space are not mutually exclusive, you know, they can coexist. So in this episode, we will be exploring the intersection between interior decorating and organizing a space. We'll be talking to Manila Mendez, an interior decorator and owner of experimenting with decor, who will be sharing her tips and insights on how to create a space that is both beautiful and functional. So I came across some of that a lads videos when I was trying to find shelving ideas for a laundry room. And then I quickly became a huge fan of hers and all of her home decor tutorials, and DIY project videos. She is such a smart and creative creator. And I think you're going to really enjoy her videos as well, which I have put a link to her Instagram and social media channels over in shownotes. But then, when I saw her make a video about how you don't have to compromise style for functionality, I immediately sent her a message asking her to be on the podcast because I knew she wouldn't be the perfect guest for all of you. This is a big hurdle for our community where you want to be organized and stay organized, but you feel like it's really boring. You don't just want a boring space. And so you don't keep going because you get stuck on the creative side. And so I really hope that my conversation with Bethenny law gives you a little bit of inspiration and creativity and relief to know that you can help both you can have functionality and the style to make your space a lot more welcoming, and that it's a reflection of who you are. So enjoy the episode. And we'll get straight to it. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. I'm your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well then let's go. All right.

Stephanie
Hi, Magdalena. Hello, hello, I am so glad that you are here with us today. I'm so excited. I have been such a big fan of yours. for a really long time I follow your Instagram and all of your ideas. And you're such an inspiration. And so we are I'm thrilled to have you here, but also very lucky that our listeners get to pick your brain a little bit and then ask you some of these really important questions that have become a hurdle for some when they're trying to get more organized. So I'm so glad and so thankful that you accepted our invitation to be here today. Well,

Magdalena Mendez
thank you for inviting me, honestly. It's a pleasure.

Stephanie
I did. Okay, so what we're gonna do, as everyone knows, our community knows, we just get straight to the nitty gritty like we tried to be as productive and straight to the point as possible. So what we're going to do is just get right, right into it. And with their first question. So as I introduced on vanilla before, she's an interior decorator. So today's conversation is all about design, all about decorating, and really finding that happy medium. So the first is, how does somebody know that it's a design hurdle? And how can someone find their style, if they've never explored this? So you know, somebody's like, I keep organizing, I keep organizing, I keep decluttering and I keep doing all the things that the pros say, but and I keep finding the things that bring me joy. But every time I enter my room and my space, it still gives me the feeling.

Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, well, I feel like if your space doesn't make you happy, then we need to change it right? I'm always on my page. That's what my main thing is, if it's not making you happy, then we can make some changes. And a lot of times people don't understand how, how big of an importance design really is to a space because like you were saying like they're just don't feel like it's just right. And so whenever that happens, bring in that design, which does make a difference. So let's just say that you're, you know, you're organized and everything but you're it's not that fitting right? I always recommend people to go on Pinterest go check what you like, you know, if you'd like if you'd like a certain style, let's just say that you like colorful everything really come for furniture. It's kind of like Mitch match or whatever you might like an eclectic style, like that rustic, you know, chipped paint kind of thing to vintage stuff you know, you might like that rustic design you know you like clean lines, neutral style neutral colors, and you might like the modern style so it all just plays into the fact that where what we do in our home like what we like

Stephanie
so first so you would go okay, go somewhere like Pinterest or magazine or wherever go and explore on pot explore compile like a list, like a good idea book for you. And then should people identify what that style is? Especially if like you're a beginning, beginner, right? And you're starting to gravitate towards a certain type of picture imagery. Okay, so you put it in your book, you put it in your Pinterest, then what would you suggest? Like, figuring out what the common denominator is? Is there one style or piece of something that holds it together? So that you can go from there?

Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, well, it's honestly, there's one, when we talk about design, it expands. It's a vast, right? It's so many things. Because if you like, let's just say you like farmhouse. Now there's like modern farmhouse, or industrial farmhouse. And so there's so many things that you can do, but like, once you kind of get the gist of what you like, then you can kind of modify from there, you know, you can kind of explore what you like, because at the end of the day, yes, designers and, you know, interior decorators, and all of that stuff, they, they have what, you know, ideas and all that stuff, but You're your own person, I used to like my clients, like, I can recommend something, but you're living in this house. So if you don't like something, you know, you're the one I'm not gonna live there. I might like you, but you might not, you know, so it's like, you're gonna have to try to eat but exactly how you're saying you have to find that common denominator, right? You have to find that style first. So if you like that, follow, you know, stuff, you know, then you gotta address see what's common when you go, when you make that list. When you go to that Pinterest, you start cleaning up the stuff that you like, or even the magazines or start cutting out the things that you'd like to see what's common on all of these. And then once you figure that out, then you can kind of go into Google, or, you know, I tried on my page, I tried to, like, show people different styles so that they can know like, what I really, really like this, I really like this first one I really like, you know, so that you can kind of figure out okay, well, I kind of like the eclectic design, I've kind of like the farmhouse style, you know, and so then it's easier for you to kind of make everything a home in your in your space.

Stephanie
Yeah, and something that I've admired about you, with what you just said is that you've always, you've always said, whether your video or your content, you can always customize it like to use so you could find something that yes, you know, is the trendy word of the day or the year or whatever. But you customize a lot of your pieces, which is one of your signature messages, like, hey, figure out what you like, and it all works together. And then let's work on customizing it for you. So that it looks like it belongs. It's not just, you know, cookie cutter trend or something like that. Right?

Magdalena Mendez
Right. And I feel like not a lot of people. I mean, I've been in this line of work, maybe like two, three years, right. And, and not a lot of people can afford an interior designer or interior decorator. So what I do on my page is I show people like, it doesn't matter. Like you don't have to hire somebody, and this is coming from me that I get hired for the job. You don't have to hire somebody so that, you know, to get your style, like, you can modify things, you don't have to have a big budget, you don't have to, like do all these, you know, extravagant things, so that to get your style. I mean, sometimes people and a lot of times people hire me because they're just lost. And they just need that they just want the help, you know, and so I'm always there to help. But like they should say, when I was doing my laundry room, which, if you know my laundry will went super viral. And every time I posted it just like gets millions and millions of views. But at the time when I first started when I was first doing that room, I was here at my house if you didn't notice my ID and I don't I didn't go to school for this or anything like that. I just, I just started you know, doing my home. So I started in 2018 Just trying to explore, like, what my style is what I like what I don't like, you know, all of that stuff. And so I just kind of explored a little bit and then people really started liking what I did you know, so I when I did my laundry room, I didn't have a lot of money. So I said let me just figure something out. Right my head scene was real popular that hexagon it was really popular and so what I did was I just I didn't have money to toilet so I just did it you know I did it with my with the with a pen and a paint you know so but at the end of the day is just sometimes you just have to just explore you might not like it like I did that with paint so it's easy. Just paint over it is easy just to like, you know, do something like that so that it does it. You know you don't like it then you could just

Stephanie
I mean it's your will. It's your gift, it is your gift and you do get to share it with the rest of us but for those They don't necessarily either they don't feel like they have the gift. Or they don't, you know, some of us just, we just have to admit it at some point, like, I tried. And it's just I guess, that's where you know, you your inspiration comes in where they get to hire somebody like you that can help them along the way. So to either get them started, or just to do it all for us.

Magdalena Mendez
Honestly, like, what I do a lot of times is also some people just hire me as a consultation. So I'll go in, I'll do a consultation, we walked through the space, and I give them all my ideas, I give them what I think will look best in their home. And then from there, they can take the ideas and do it themselves, or they can hire me, and then I'll do it for them. So it's just like, sometimes you just need that little push, like, wait. You know, a lot of times when I do this consultation, sometimes they're like, We didn't even see that, like, I didn't even realize that I could happen, you know. And so then they start, like, they'll get inspiration, like, you know what I can I can do this, you know, and so that's what I want people to, they come to my page, I want them to stiffen inspiration to actually do something, so they can love where they

Stephanie
live. And we do oh, here, we totally do. Okay, so let's talk, let's transition over to those that feel like they don't need to start over completely, or they don't want to start over completely or just starting over completely is overwhelming. So we have a big part of our community that gets very overwhelmed with the thought of having to empty an entire space and just start over, like, that's just too much, no, they're more, they'd like to do it little by little, and then gain momentum from there. So what is some advice that you would give listeners that are not ready to gut the entire space, out room, the paint, you know, like, do the whole thing from scratch, just kind of start dabbling into it, but make a big impact.

Magdalena Mendez
Right. Um, so I know, this is cliche, but paint does a really, really big difference. I mean, even if it's just a beach wall, you know, we do a feature wall, it's just something that, you know, you don't have to paint all of them was just try negatives, just say you're doing a bedroom, do one behind your bed, or, you know, something like that, and then just make that your focal point so that you can feel like, hey, there's actually a change. And then from there, you can move on to bedding or you can move on to a rug, you know, move on like that, you know, at some sconces or whatever. And just like little by little, I've noticed this and you know, if you do something smaller space, people tend to like, Wait, let me let me explore a little bit more, let me explain. So and then paint is very inexpensive. You don't like it, you can always paint over it, you know? And so I feel like that's like a it's a small detail, but it does make a big difference.

Stephanie
Yeah, yeah, I, I'm so afraid of paint. But you're right. You are, you have inspired me. I don't know why I feel like this, this, this overwhelming this, like, if I do it, I can't go back. But you right, you can

Magdalena Mendez
just paint over it, paint over it. And honestly, just try one wall. Yeah, sure, if Did you want even half a wall? You know, let's try

Stephanie
the nurse. If you're like me, she's helping us through this part of our trauma and PTSD that we once had.

Magdalena Mendez
There's people that I've seen, they just do like a, you know, half circle behind the bed, it's just what like, the walls are all the same. They're just like one half circle behind their bed, if that just gonna bring you that little bit of, you know, inspiration just to go in and just do a little bit, you know, push you out of your limitedness.

Stephanie
I like that. I love that. Okay, so let's go into so we talked about design, let's talk a little bit about the merge between design and organizing. So, of course, you know, that's, that's what I do. That's what we do. And we mainly talk about, but the podcast is really about the merge between two fields. And their commonalities. And design and organizing are like married, you know, they're really, really tight. They also work separately. But at the end of the day, what happens is a lot of people will look at their space, and they don't like it and they feel like they have to declutter in New York or organize. But in reality, it's really a design issue or a design hurdle. So let's talk about that merge. So what would you recommend to people that have tried everything? And okay, their place is organized now, but now it needs to be, you know, like I said, juiced up a little like, spiced up a little bit. What are some elements that you would recommend? Like, what are some ways that they can maximize their space? So it could be organized, but also, you know, functional organized, but also have the elements of design? So what are some go to tips that you would give people to look out for so that their space is functional? It works as a home but also it's designed friendly and beautiful, and not so square?

Magdalena Mendez
Okay, so I feel like lately, there's so many brands that came out with some gorgeous storage units storage like so many things that credenzas you know, now they have like A sofas with extra storage. Now they have Ottomans with extra extra storage baskets. Like there's so many things that you can still use in design, but use it for both storage and are functional, and, you know, aesthetically beautiful. So there's so many things out now, I mean, before, when I first started this, there was, there wasn't a lot of things that came on. And on top of that, it's now kind of not that expensive anymore. And so I feel like now you can find, you can go to target, you can go to Walmart, and find some stuff that you can go you can go to, like a Ross or like a burden 10 or something like that, and still find that storage that you need. But it still looks beautiful.

Stephanie
And something that you've really taught me is that again, we go back to the customizable that some of these pieces can just be the base to the bigger picture, the bigger pie, you had like that credenza, I think it was a credenza, or in your living room where it is an organizing space where you put the stuff or you know, family stuff in there. When you close it. It's this beautiful, beautiful staple piece, but you customized it. I mean, it didn't come out of the box that way. And so I think that, so talk to us a little bit about that part of customizing, do you? Would you recommend a newbie get into customization of like a unit, like let's say storage unit, you know, they're trying to do more of a gap or something that will be functional? And but it's, it's not great. It's not cute. But to make it customizable? Would you like what? What would you recommend for those newbies that wants to go go all in? Would you be like start slow? Like, where should they start?

Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, well, look, when I first started, I didn't have a lot of money. So I just tried, you know, I just tried something about some inspiration, I said, Let's just see if I can do it. And time after time after time, it just came out better and better and better. You know, I didn't, when I first started these things, when I first started dry, it wasn't like, came up perfect. You know, I did a bunch of fail fails. And you know, some sometimes it came out good. Sometimes it didn't. So I just recommend just try, just try it, you never know, you might like it, you know, just try something new. And if you don't, then hopefully it wasn't that expensive. But a lot of times, I don't, because you're organizing and stuff, like I don't want you to hold on to stuff I tell my my audience this, don't hold on to stuff, if you know that you might eventually years down the line gonna go gonna do something. So if you have a piece of furniture that you say, Okay, I'm going to, I'm going to, you know, make this revamp this or whatever. If you're not going to do it right then and there. If you're not going to do within, you know, it's not going to happen within the next month or so. And they don't try like, don't have that extra storage there that you don't need either. For me my peace of mind is having my house decluttered than it had been full of stuff that I eventually will use or eventually will, you know, get into do something with it. So yeah, for me, it's just, if you're gonna do it, go for it. I'll support you. 100%. But if you're just gonna be staying there and just going to just buy a brand new.

Stephanie
Yeah, yeah. Because it Yeah. And then it doesn't do anybody any justice. It's not even you're not using it. It's yeah, collecting dust. So Oh, yes. Love, love. Okay, let's talk, let's start transitioning into the common mistakes. What are some common mistakes that you would add that you've noticed? So I think you just mentioned one, which is a big one, like, if you're not, if you're not, if you don't have a direct plan, like a soon plan, then it's probably don't. But what if you can give us a couple more tips on common mistakes that you see people making when they're trying to incorporate design incorporate design into the organizing systems.

Magdalena Mendez
Okay, so measuring, you have to measure, even if it's design, let's just say furniture, you if you buy a piece, and you it doesn't fit, you think it fits in your home, but you didn't measure and then you bring it home and it's like not then you have the whole thing of like, Oh, I gotta return it. Or, and then some people don't even return they'll just keep it they're just like, Ah, just use it for another space, but it just built clutter, and just a headache. So, measure, measure, measure, even if you're doing organization, measure your shelves before you buy anything before you buy baskets before you buy bins to go into your drawers, you know I have, I have an entryway where I bring in some baskets. I have to measure the spacing between to see if something's going to fit in there because if not, then again, we have the whole process of returning everything or it's not fitting all this stuff. It's more of a heading so always Always, always measure before you buy anything, especially, especially decor because the decor is expensive, you know, of all the sofa, hoe table chairs, all that stuff, it's not gonna fit, then let's measure first before you buy it.

Stephanie
That is so true. And again, we go back two hurdles, that is the number one thing that we have found people don't return or they it starts to accumulate that you bought to that's clothing. So why No, we're not talking about clothing but right. It's decorations like things that you want to try them never go and and, and return it because it's just more of a hassle. So

Magdalena Mendez
like my I have a my sister, she, she always lived in apartments, and she moved into a new apartment and it was like a bigger and better apartment. And so she bought shower curtains for her shower. And the showers were a lot higher than their regular showers. And so she had went to Target to go get the shower curtain and it didn't fit it was like have hit the bottom or the top of the tub. So she's like, What the heck. And so like all of those things, you have to measure like even though you think, Oh yeah, it's gonna fit. It's just like a regular job. Like just measure you just

Stephanie
do something right now that your future self will thank you for because right now shower curtain now you have to fold down, you have to take it down. Now you have to fold it back into that tiny little container and flat. Are you gonna

Magdalena Mendez
put in the third Sunday?

Stephanie
Like, what would you rather that or just measures

Magdalena Mendez
measure?

Stephanie
Yeah. Great tip. Okay, so let's start finishing off with a couple of like a big, big tick of the big tip, I guess our take what is something that you would want listeners to know about finding their style and how it will help them get and stay organized? Like how the benefits of finding your style and finding a place that is visually pleasing to you so that you can sustain that organizing style long term to

Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, it's beneficial to know your salad just because I feel like once people know what they like, they can go into a store and just be like, okay, that I don't I'm not going to buy that. Because that's not it doesn't go in my home, Greg, it doesn't belong there. You know, versus when you don't, you're just like trying, like, Oh, let me buy this. Let me see if it goes. Anyway, let me see if it goes let me buy this Missy the guns, right, knowing your style, just really make it makes your life easier. So that you know, when you go into a store, you go into a place because people change their decor seasonal, right? Sometimes it's for spring or for Christmas or whatever. Like, knowing your style really helps you get those things that you need. So that you're you feel happy in the home, sometimes, because it's not as easy as just for some people I know there's not as easy as just like, I'm just not going to, you know, um, just that, um, you know, they want to, they're trying something, they want to buy something because they feel like, I want to make my home happier. I want to make it so that it's more my style. So knowing that style just really makes it that much easier to like, Okay, well yeah, let me transition this. Let me transition from winter to spring from spring to fall for you know, like, all from spot from spring to summer from summer to fall. You know, all of those things are even even just like everyday things, the pillows on your on your sofa, right that you're bringing your sofa is a mid century modern sofa, and you're bringing some farmhouse pillows, you know, which I know that I People tell me all the time you you talk different. It's like, I don't understand those. Why do you talk about it? What does that mean? But when you know those styles, you know the difference between like, that's Mid Century Modern, and that's farmhouse, like, you know, and you don't necessarily have to know these things you just need to know like what you like, right? You know, you watch what you like, once again, going through Pinterest going through all these things, narrowing down to what you like. And then you know, like, well, that one doesn't go, I'm gonna get this one instead of that one,

Stephanie
especially in a day in an age of visual overwhelmed visuals like that everywhere. And so when you know what you'd like, you could just focus there and you're not like, all over the place.

Magdalena Mendez
Right? And I've gone to some stores I don't know, it's everywhere, but at home, the store at home. I mean, if you walk into that store, there is every single kind of ACE, every single kind of card in every single kind of rug every single kind of whatever right plant or whatever. And so when I tell people whenever you're going to a store like that, let's just say you're going for pillows, just look at the pillows. Don't look at anything else. Just look at pillows, because then it gets overwhelming and then you're like, wait, wait, I heard so many Stories. People walk into the store. They're like, Nope, I was overwhelmed. I just left, I will go, I will come home and nothing I just met. So just like, take it easy. Take one thing at a time if you need to. If you feel like hey, I've got my salad and I know this, this and this go together, then go for it. Go for it. Just don't overwhelm yourself.

Stephanie
Yes, I always tell people, the store will be there tomorrow. Don't you worry, where their goal admission is for you to buy. So don't you worry, they will be there. You'll be focused. It's true. It's true. All right, so let's talk a little bit about you. Okay, so first, I'd love to hear we ask this of all of our awesome guests. Okay, a magazine, your favorite magazine that either you'd like to read? You like to look at it could be business pleasure. And then why?

Magdalena Mendez
Okay, well, oh, the HGTV. I love you just because sometimes it just brings inspiration like even me, the interior decorator like it, sometimes they their inspiration. So you know, and so that we're not looking at the same thing. You know, for me, most of the time. It's like stores and stuff like that. But like when you go to magazines, and you see designers that are discoid are pushing the boundaries of what you know, design is you know, and so I like seeing all of that and just gives me inspiration to maybe for myself, push the boundaries a little bit for my clients.

Stephanie
Yeah, yeah. I love that. Okay, so let's talk about you and where people can reach you.

Magdalena Mendez
Okay, so my name is Magdalena Mendez, I am from San Antonio, Texas. And you can find me all across social media, Tik Tok, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and I'm under experimenting with decor.

Stephanie
I yeah, I love it. Okay, well, thank you again for your time. And I hope that our listeners got to get a little more inspiration and can finally you know, get out there and just start experimenting and doing their thing and not being so afraid about the boundaries that sometimes brain so thank you.

Magdalena Mendez
Yeah, my pleasure. My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Stephanie
Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing.

Planning for success.  We are going in depth with each of the 7 Steps to Organizing (almost) Anything. In this episode, we are focusing on Step 1, which is the Assess Step of an organizing and productivity project.

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

• Planning your organizing and productivity project
• Questions to ask yourself when preparing to organize
• Reasons that planning reduces stress
• Avoiding overwhelm when organizing

Mentioned in this Episode:

Episode 1: 7 Steps to Organizing (almost) Anything

https://theorganizedflamingo.com/7-steps-to-organizing/

Episode 6: Should You Do It Yourself or Outsource It (M.A.P.S)

https://theorganizedflamingo.com/6-should-you-do-it-yourself-or-outsource-it/

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger.  For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Review full show notes and resources at https://theorganizedflamingo.com/podcast

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

There is a famous quote by Dale Carnegie that goes something like this, an hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing it is one of my most favorite quotes of all time, because it gives you the visualization of how much time you can save. When you have a plan. When you're organized, and you're new, you're productive, but most importantly, when you have a plan, and so that is what we are going to focus on today. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go.

In today's episode, we are going in depth with one of the seven steps of organizing almost anything. What we're going to do is go deeper and more in detail with each of the seven steps in each of these episodes. So today's episode is all about assessing, which is the planning phase of an organizing and productivity project. If you're not familiar with our seven steps of organizing almost anything, you can head on over to one of the earlier episodes, which I will link in the show notes and get the big overview of what this is and how it helps you simplify your organizing and productivity projects. The concept is this, there are seven steps that we have identified and we being the organized Flamingo, the brand and our company that are critical for long lasting organizing and productivity efforts. After 20 years of being in this industry, I narrowed it down to the seven steps. And each step has its own sub steps that give you more detail and guidance. So this way, you have context over why each step is important. And that is why we are going to be outlining each one and giving you more details, because I do think that explanations help people understand steps in theories a little bit more. So that's what we're doing with these episodes. I'll give you examples and solutions on how to get through each particular step. And you can also find the guide over on our podcast page, which you can download for free. And that way, if you're more of a visual, you need a workbook or you're a note taker, that way, you can download the free guide and follow along with all of these episodes. Let's start with the first step. And the first step is the assessed step. There's a total of seven steps with smaller sub steps within each of them. And this format will give you flexibility with which order you go first and which one you do first, so there's seven of them. But steps two, through six, they can be interchanged with the order in which you do them in. So they don't have to go exactly 23456 They can go in any order. But this first step is really important. This one does come first. This one is all about setting you up for success in setting up the process. And so what we're going to do is we're going to start with step one. And then when I talk about the other steps, I'll give you options of how which one should be step two, but like I said, this particular episode, and this step is actually the first step you should be taking. So why do we call it assess instead of planning? When I was looking for the perfect word for this step,

I kept coming back to assess because it's the action of stepping back for a moment and thinking through what you want to do. Yes, I could have called a planning. But assessing is more than that. This is where you're thoughtful and less reactionary. Which is what you get when you're feeling when you get overwhelmed and disorganized and feeling like it's a hot mess Express like those feelings. That's usually tied to being reactionary, like you just go all in without thinking anything through. And although that's a great concept to have, maybe in life and other parts of your adventure as ways when it comes to organizing and planning, the last thing you want to do is be reactionary, because then that is when burnout happens. That is when you start a project and you're so excited, you've got the momentum going. And then because there was no plan midway through, it just becomes overwhelming, and then come back right where you started. Or you just don't even want to finish the project and you get disillusioned. So we want to avoid that. So the goal is to stand back and assess the project and your space. Ask yourself what your end goal is and work backwards from there. Here are some questions that I would suggest you ask yourself in this first step, your Why? Why do you want to get organized? Why are you trying to find a better productivity system? And the reason you should ask yourself this question is because you may find out that you are about to empty that closet or delete all of those files. Because somebody is made Can you do it, because you're feeling frustrated in the moment, but then months from now you go right back to your old habits. If you don't have a strong reason why you are trying to get organized, what's going to happen is that instead of a solution being presented, it will be a hindrance and their chore, and then you can start resenting the process. And we're trying to avoid that, we want a positive correlation to organize it and productivity, so that you're not looking at, I want to get organized because you have to, but because you want to. Some examples of this are, when you ask yourself, I want to get organized, because I hate being, you know, late for work all the time. Like that's a really strong emotion to have, I hate being late all the time to work, and I'm over it, I need to find a better solution that is strong, and very specific, which is what we want. Let me give you another example. So maybe you really aren't too worried about being fashionably late, like, that's something that doesn't pertain to you. But what you don't like about being late is that when you do get to your destination, or even if you're there early, you don't feel good about what you're wearing. And why because you couldn't find anything to wear. Because you don't have any organizing or system or way of finding the things that you do want to wear and feel good in. And that is really frustrating. So let's talk a little bit about digital organizing. So that side, right, an example of a really strong why is I never know what is due. And when I have a deadline, and I was told about it. And I'm always missing the opportunity because I don't open up the emails on time. I didn't maybe I opened it, maybe I opened it, but then didn't read it later forgot that I you know, to set the date on my calendar, or I only check emails whenever you know, once a week, and then I forget that there's something important there something to that effect. And that is frustrating me. That is a very specific, why that is you tie in an emotion that you don't like about an action that you keep doing repetitively, but you want to fix after you write down your why, which is very personal to you define the project plan, and its boundaries. So when you're assessing a project, when you're about to start a project, and you're stepping back, and you're you know, you wrote down your why, and you kind of know what you want to do, you want to organize this, you want to declutter this or you want to be more productive in this part of your life, you need to have a clearer understanding of what the project is supposed to accomplish, you will ask yourself what your goal is. But you also will set boundaries to it. And boundaries can look like this, they can look like putting in a budget. So making sure you have a budget. So I want to organize this part of my house by drawer, my closet in my garage, but I don't want to spend any more money, or I have a million dollars or I have 1000 or 100 devoted to this project. This will allow you to set some clear boundaries for yourself and for the project so that you can measure the progress along the way. Another example of this is setting time boundaries, which is really important. When you start a project, you should have at least an idea of when you would like to have this done by when would you like to accomplish this by you know the next by the end of the day, or in a week or a month, or maybe before the holidays, maybe before your next birthday, whatever it may be have a clear deadline. Because when you do, then you set yourself up for success with some boundaries and avoid the overwhelm that comes when projects start to run a little too long. Now that you have a plan, think about the realistic side and if it's doable, so what this means is okay, you have your why and you have a plan. But let's talk about how realistic it is to do. And if it's doable. And as you're answering these questions like you know what, this is a really big goal. This is a very aggressive goal. You know, I want to get all this done in a week. Wow, this is a lot now that I step back and look at it. This will help you determine what kind of help and resources you need to complete the project. And this is the part where you start to figure out okay, do I do it all myself? Do I outsource it which we have a framework called maps that you can utilize? We also did an episode about this, which I will link in the show notes. And it gives you four questions to ask yourself if you're trying to figure out if you should do it yourself or if you should outsource it. It's a great handy set of questions that will help you determine which way to go. But this is the part where you're starting need to figure out okay, I have a plan. But I just need to know what kind of resources I need. Is it realistic, and or do I need to change parts of the plan so that it does become doable and realistic for me. And I set myself up for success. Along the lines of setting yourself up for success and figuring out if it's doable or realistic. The roadblocks, this is a really good time for you ident to identify risks and challenges. Don't overthink it, this is not one step that you should be going too much in depth in. assess the potential risks and challenges that the project may have. So for instance, if you're organizing your garage, what are some of the risks? Well, I it could rain, so if I put everything out, it could rain. So just have some kind of like a backup a plan B. This also includes financial, technical and people related issues and roadblocks. So if you're relying on other people to help you with this project, if they're no no longer able to help you, that's going to be a roadblock, that's going to be a risk. And that's the time, this is the time for you to address that to kind of let it out to get it out of your system. So that you're not worried too worried about it later. So that you can kind of get it out side of your body in your mind. And you can at least have a little bit of a plan B, here is where you will figure out how these risks could affect the project's success and identify measures to mitigate them. So if it does rain, or if your computer did crash, what's the worst that will happen? You know, and then this is where you write those things down. So you can just get them like I said, get them out of your system. And last, figure out a way of how you're going to monitor the process and do some check ins. Maybe it's calling a friend or accountability partner and asking them to call you in the mornings to check in on you. Maybe you're doing a co working session. Coaching and accountability programs are great for this. Because you know, you can set a specific time when you will work on this project, and you will have accountability at the end. But accountability is really important. You don't necessarily have to have somebody else like another human being to do it for you, you can do timers. Another type of accountability is if you have like a reminder or reward system. So check. If you're more of a reward system type of person, then maybe you know, after two or three hours of working on your project, you will get up and go for a walk or have a treat or have your favorite beverage. Reward yourself in that way if that is your reward language. But there's all kinds of ways that you can monitor your progress. If you're more of a visual person and you like checking off boxes, a planner or something that is visually pleasing that you can you know, cross off like a checklist or something like that, that will be your preferred reward system, but figure out a way that you can monitor the process progress and actually see the needle moving forward every time you hit one of your milestones that you've identified in your plan. So now that we have a detailed look at step one, assessing your organizing and productivity project, how are you feeling? Does this feel a little less overwhelming and knowing that stepping back and planning for a moment, just a moment isn't that bad, just stepping back for just a second.

Just remember that planning ahead it can help you reduce uncertainty prevents last minute overwhelm, helps you prioritize gives you the momentum that you may need. But it also allows for flexibility because it's a plan, not a rule set in stone. This is a plan that you're making for yourself. So let us know what organizing and productivity plan that you've got planned next, we'd love to cheer you on. So tag us over on social media and happy organizing. We will be back in a couple of episodes to talk about step two through six in further detail. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here are full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing!

They say that the kitchen is the heart of our home.  It is the place where you eat, where you hang out, where you get a drink and many times, where you start and end your day.  So it is no wonder that this area plays a big part of your life. For our guest today, we brought in an expert, Tomesha Campbell, who is an experienced and certified health coach to share how an organized kitchen can help you improve your quality of life. 

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

Where to find Tomesha Campbell online:

https://ebwh.substack.com/

https://www.instagram.com/enhanceblackwomenshealth

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

Stephanie
They say that the kitchen is the heart of our home. It is the place where you eat, where you hang out where you get a drink, and many times where you start and end your day before going to bed. So it's no wonder that this area plays a big part of our lives, right. So that's why I brought in an expert Tanisha Campbell, who's an experienced and certified health coach to share how an organized kitchen can help you improve the quality of your life. The visuals are important in the kitchen. Yes, but so is the functionality of how you use your kitchen, especially if you're trying to meet certain health goals. But just in general, right, just having an organized kitchen will give you the inspiration to want to spend more time there to cook more, or maybe just to enjoy your time when you're in your kitchen. So I thought Tanisha was the perfect person because she makes living a healthier lifestyle so accessible, and gives you great actionable quick tips that will help you with your healthy lifestyle, but especially in the kitchen. So when I met Tanisha back in the day and clubhouse, which is a social audio app, I quickly realized how smart and powerful she was. And she has a wealth of knowledge, especially in the fields of healthy living. So like I said she was just the perfect person to have this conversation with on how you can organize your kitchen Yes, but also how to organize your kitchen so it can lead to a healthier lifestyle. Tanisha is a certified nutrition coach, a precision nutrition level one certified coach, and autoimmune paleo certified coach. He is currently based in Watertown, Massachusetts with her rescue dog, Penny Deena. So let's get started with our conversation with Tanisha. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. I'm your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go. Hey, Tanisha Hello, Hello, friends. Thank you for joining us today on this very important episode on the importance of having an organized kitchen, that it's much more than the bins and just having it be pretty and having it be like a magazine cover. Because our kitchens are the most one of the most important rooms in our home. Our kitchens are the heart of our home, if I if I say so myself, it's where your day begins where you eat, or you hang out. It is a social hub of the whole family. And it's a go to place. So that is such an important place for of your everyday living. And so today, I really wanted to talk to you. Because you understand the what people have to go through when it comes to daily living like it's the kitchen, it's the everyday use, but also the importance of it being organized for an everyday person, not just for a person who's trying to style it like having it be organized, or just art of a common folk like me, who wants to lead a healthier lifestyle. And so I'm super excited for this conversation. So let's talk about why it's even important to have an organized kitchen, when you're trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Tomesha
I love this question. And first, thank you so much, Stephanie, for having me on the show. I'm really excited to be here. And I will say one of the things that I learned early on when I actually made the decision to start focusing more on my nutrition and eating is organizing my kitchen. And the reason why is because it's the one thing that if you do this step, it will actually make it more difficult to come up with an excuse of why you can't, you know, cook meals or why you can't grab different things that are easily accessible. It's like when you organize your kitchen, it actually takes off away the stress of what in the world am I going to eat? And we can talk a little bit more about some other things you can do. But really, when you think about organizing, I look at it like how can you walk into your kitchen and not get anxiety and start thinking well, I don't have this or I don't have that. It's like when you know exactly what you have on hand. It takes away that those excuses that we happen to have, it's too difficult or it's so much easier just to order out.

Stephanie
That is so true about the anxiety of entering any room but especially the kitchen because you go in and you don't even know where to start, like where do I start and so I'm assuming that can lead to grabbing things that may not be part of the your health journey or healthy lifestyle you're trying to leave because it's just easy. So let's talk about easy easiness because I think that's the part that causes that anxiety right for a lot of people what are some tips that you would give people to ease into organizing their kitchen so that it doesn't become this overwhelming project?

Tomesha
I love the fact that you talked about ease because I remember when when I first started like organizing my kitchen because I always have to tell people like I've lived in an apartment for many, many years as an adult you know, obviously as a child to live in a house But the reason why I want to start here too is because one of the things that you can easily do is figure out what's the one area that you struggle with the most. So for me, it always used to be like cooking. So one of the things I did was I was like, I organized my spices, which may seem so simple and so easy, but the reason why you want to do something like that, because now I know, I have my basil, I have my garlic powder, I have my honey powder. And I chose different spices that I know that I like to use a lot. So even if you're someone like me, who's maybe not the biggest fan of cooking, but if there's certain things that you can easily grab and start creating different meals, or maybe if you're someone who's like not into cooking, you'd be like, well, how can I organize my fridge? So how can you make sure that you have your cold cuts, or your cheeses are different, or your Manage your little condiments, they're easily accessible for like you and your family. So it takes away that frustration or that sometimes overwhelm that we experience because you can look at it and say, if nothing else, if my brain doesn't have the capacity to do anything else, I can grab a couple spices, maybe some ground beef and make something or I can grab some bread some lunch me and make a sandwich. So like how can you make it easy for yourself just to start?

Stephanie
Yeah, grab those comfort foods and taste and flavor. So that yeah, you can just start from there. Okay, so let's talk about. So that's the comfort of it. Let's start there. But then, how would you recommend somebody to do like a big audit of their kitchen? Like a big take everything out? Or would you say ease into it? Like, what are some easy tips that you would give people that are trying to declutter and organize the kitchen.

Tomesha
So I'll give people two sides of it, because there's those who can do the kitchen clean out. And that actually doesn't make you feel overwhelmed. So if that's you, what I would recommend is when you think about like cleaning out your kitchen, before you think about purchasing anything, kind of go through your your refrigerator, your freezer and do these steps and pull out the things that are actually expired. That's like the first and foremost thing because spices do expire people. So it's like, pull out all that stuff that expires and what I like to have as a notebook next to me, so let's just say I pull out, oh, I have garlic, I have onion powder, I have you know, basil that expired. And I know that these are products I want to use again, I'll just write them down just in my little grocery list to sit there and say I'm gonna buy more of this. And then you can do the same thing with your pantry, you can do the same thing with your fridge. And then there's also enlisted with that one of just like, in and of itself, kind of figuring out what you no longer need. And then write down like, Oh, these are the things that I want. So that's kind of first date is thinking about the expiry things. Then the second kind of thing I like to help people do is think about the stuff that you don't ever use. Because I have this habit too of like finding a little recipe, and then I grab it, and I have too much of something. And it's been years and I never use it. Those are some things that you like, it's not expired, but you're never going to use it. So you might as well just toss it or if it's something that's unopened, you can definitely give it away, maybe if you're close to a neighbor, and you know, they like to use something like, you know, bread crumbs, maybe you can get, you know, pass it along to them. So that's kind of like the first thing of people who can just go to the kitchen, clean out, clean out everything in your kitchen, create a list of different things you want to buy, and then start putting that into your kitchen. And this is kind of before you've been thinking about like, well, do I want to buy organic versus like traditional, that's a different conversation, but just kind of the basics, then for other people who that can be very overwhelming for, you can do more of a step by step process and say what are the things that you kind of use often, and it make it more slower. So obviously, I would still recommend going through pulling out all the expired things. But rather than jumping forward into buying a whole bunch of new stuff, what you would do is buy by recipe. So let's just say I know next week, I want to plant eat three different recipes. So then I would just buy whatever products or I need for that recipe, whether it's stable shelf stable things are obviously things that aren't shelf stable. So those and then you'd slowly build up your pantry, you slowly build up your fridge or kitchen. So those are just the two you have the one side who's like getting rid of everything completely cleaning. And then you have the one side that needs to do a slow and steady approach. There's nothing wrong one is not better than the other.

Stephanie
I absolutely love this. Okay, I'm gonna dive in a little more because I love Okay, so the podcast as a whole is made for, for people to know that there's different ways to achieve the same results, depending on your personality type, depending on where you're at in life. And so that's like the whole theme of the podcast. And so you mentioning how there's those two super easy ways that you can approach it is just awesome and brilliant. So, everyone if you're listening, you can definitely do this. You can you can achieve it in different ways. Okay, so now Alright, so let's say somebody chose this okay? They're like okay, this one sounds a little bit but this path of let me just buy as I need, and then start decluttering to start the decluttering process like after right let's let's say we go down that path. What happens if they're living with people that aren't on the same path as they are? Because these both options are easy peasy for maybe the person who was ready. But what happens when The individuals that you live with that may not be ready.

Tomesha
This is a good question because I actually have dealt with this too, because there's been times where I've lived alone most of the time. But there's also times where I've had roommates who live with different family members. And this is kind of one where it's a little tricky if it's family. But one way to navigate it is you can select one person who's going to in the family, whether that's you or someone else who's going to be the designated, this is how everything gets organized in the kitchen. And I know it kind of make up some of us who are like me type A like that. That's not where it should go. But it's just the decision, you make that decision that that one person however they choose to organize it, that's how everybody in the house is going to organize it because it, it leaves out the overwhelm. For my family, my stepmother was the organizer. So in her words, like get off the kitchen, I'm going to put at when we go grocery shopping, I put everything up and where it is, is where it is. Now I didn't always agree with him, I didn't always agree my brother were like this is you should put this someplace else. But because we just chose her as the one person that organizes. Now if you have somebody like a roommate situation, it's gonna be a little trickier because obviously you don't can't really, it's a different situation to navigate. So one way that I did this in the past is like, my roommate had her cabinets, and I had my cabinets. And we didn't touch. Now we shared the fridge, she had her side of the fridge, and I had my side of the fridge. So we navigated in that way of like mine was a nice little organized side, hers was the hot mess. But it helped us be able to kind of get through the house and know there's certain things we had to do the same with like, anything that was like cookware, you know, whatever she decided it was where we put it just because it was actually like her apartment and I was moving in. But that's kind of where you can navigate is like, one having that conversation with people. Because sometimes you'll be surprised is when you designate one person, no one else wants to kind of do that anyway. So they may actually in a family be like good, you could be the person to organize it because I don't care, you know, or you could be in a situation where maybe there's one person who really like you, it's really important to you. And you can say Well, the reason why it's important to me is because this makes it easier for me to grab different things or I'm not able to reach it because I'm not you know, I'm I'm shorter than your whatever the different reasons are. So those are kind of two ways to kind of navigate those.

Stephanie
That is so true. Especially we don't always think about the access of the individual. Actually, my husband and I are going through this right now. He wanted to put stuff in one particular cabinet and I go, he you know, he's like 656 fours. So and I'm not I'm five, six. And so I go, it makes sense to you. And yes, normally, typically, that could be a great place. But I have to go get myself a stool every time to get it. And this is like an everyday cabinet, right, where I keep my vitamins and stuff. So you're so so right, like, not just thinking about the things that we eat and the customs that we all how we cook, but also the access to the items when you're living with other people. Yeah. Okay, so let's talk about what if you're not a cook? Okay, so we've been talking a lot about the recipes and the shopping and like having the things where they need to be when you're cooking. But what happens when you're not necessarily a cook, but you are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle when it comes to your food and eating habits. What are some tips you would give to people and how they can navigate and organize their kitchen, when they're not necessarily cooks and buying all the spices and buying all the things.

Tomesha
I like this question too. Because if you're somebody who either you're not a huge fan of cooking, or maybe some people just don't have the space or the appliances to do this, one of the things that's important, you still want to have some type of calendar system I would say so that you have an idea of the different foods you're going to be eating per week. And the reason I say this is I know some people aren't into leftovers. So if you're one of those people who's like, I don't really have to worry about that too much. Because I'm not big into leftovers, you have less you don't have to necessarily worry about like fridge base, our you know freezer space. But if you are someone who maybe you eat out a lot more, maybe you might want to actually invest in like actual Tupperware, or different food storage containers so that instead of just keeping it in a container that it comes in, because those are all different shapes and sizes, sometimes they spill, I like actually moving things to my own food storage containers, and then I'm able to kind of see, when it comes to leftovers, I noticed that things tend to not go bad as much because you're actually paying attention to how much you're consuming throughout the week. So you know, like, oh, I have this much chicken leftover at this much rice leftover. So that's something to kind of think about. And then there's also you might be a person who leverages more freezer space. So you know, if you are in a home that allows you to have a deep freezer and you can actually because my dad was really big on this as well like he liked a lot of freezer meals and he there's still and there's lots of actually lots of healthy freezer meals you can buy or if you're someone I also actually like doing food delivery sometimes. So sometimes I'll have you know the the food delivery service where they prepare all the food for you. And then I'll just stack it in my freezer and say like, okay, these are going to be my meals for this week, or these are my main meals for next week. So that's something to think about too. If you don't like to cook you still want to have some type of organized organization system so that you can still grab it and go because because that's probably even more of a reason for you to want to eat out if it's like oh, I don't I don't cook so I don't have anything like no, you can still get packaged. Things You can still get, you know, things that you can either make really quickly microwave or even put in the oven, or toaster oven.

Stephanie
Yeah, and I love the the part where you said, putting things in your own containers, transferring it over, I know that's one extra step. But if you are more of a takeout person that buys kind of in bulk for a couple of days, so that you can eat them for two, three days, they don't have to stay in the same container and came in maybe you something that would make sense to you. You actually like grab, put it in, reheat it, wherever you're going to reheat it, it's just much easier. So yeah. Okay, so let's talk about what happens for those dietary needs. So we're kind of transitioning into, you know, more specifics, but it happens, and it happens often. So what happens if you have dietary needs, whatever those may be, and you feel overwhelmed with having to remember all the things like having, especially if you're living with it, different individuals who may have different dietary needs. But what are some ways that people can get organized when they have, they have to grab different things for different family members, including themselves because of their dietary needs. This is

Tomesha
really a good one to one of the things that I found helpful. And this doesn't work for everybody. But one of the things that this actually does work for everybody that I'll say something that doesn't. So what what gets really helpful is I have gotten into the habit because I am person who has different dietary needs, for instance, like corn, and now I realize I have like an egg allergy. So I have to be really careful about different products. So I'm very big on when I'm in a store, I actually do read the ingredients list. Now, obviously, there gonna be some ingredients that are going to be more you know, scientific, but for the most part, I try to get more natural ingredients when I can. And I say that because what you can also pay attention when you're looking at whatever brand is there's certain brands that I'll go for more often than others, I can't always remember the names in it. So I'm like, I'm not going to name different ones. But if there's certain products that you notice, like work really well for you, or your family, or our chin to be something, something that falls within those dietary needs. That's something that I kind of go to certain types of brands. And then this is where I'm going to mention the thing that isn't necessarily applicable to everybody. But there are different online retailers that I like to go to, you probably heard of different ones. And they specialize in certain type of dietary needs. For instance, maybe you're someone who follows who's lactose intolerant. So they'll you'll be able to search on the internet and be like lactose free products when you're gluten free, or you're or you're vegan or vegetarian. And that's something that I like to do too, because then the online makes it a little bit easier. Obviously, there's shipping costs that come with that. So it may not necessarily be accessible to everybody, depending on your economic situation. But it is something that you might want to look into is sometimes going to that online retailer, and then seeing if your local store actually buys offers that too, because sometimes they do sometimes the price, I'm actually amazed at some products I used to buy online and like oh, they actually have it in my local store now, so I'll buy them more often.

Stephanie
We had an episode, I think it was episode two, but we talked about digital organizing versus its space organizing. But the point of this is that in today's world, that digital world, like your grocery list, like your online grocery store, you can go ahead and like pre plan your list, like you said, and just look up the ingredients ahead of time, so you're not out the store or you don't or you know where to put them when you get home. And you can kind of pre plan ahead of time. I know that's an extra step. But especially if you have a dietary needs, that way you can kind of work, work that in into your system, like use online tools that are already available for these retailers. And then use that for your advantage when you bring your groceries and all of your food home. Okay, so let's talk a little bit just kind of the last hour, I know we didn't talk, touch a lot about groceries and whatnot. But let's talk about some of those tools that you like to use to stay organized within your kitchen, whether they're to get your groceries and food or once you're in the kitchen, like what are some of your favorite tools or apps, or actually physical items that you can't live without in your kitchen in your pantry to stay organized. Yes, there's

Tomesha
so many different ideas. So I'll probably start with an I cannot remember the name of this app because I don't currently use it. But I used to when I was getting building this habit is there's this organization app where you can actually write down everything and your fridge or your pantry and I used to do that every single week. So that could be a lot for some people but it's helpful in the instance of when you kind of see it and you know I have this many spices or I have this much meat or I have this this much vegetables it can be helpful so that you know when you're making your grocery lists each week that you you don't have to or if you go out and you're like oh do I have this or not you can have something on hand because I don't always remember, you know how many things of onions I have. So that can be helpful too is if you could find an app that lets you create your actual pantry digitally that way you're able to have it with you at all times. But for more practical for most people, I actually just like to alphabetize things. I start kind of like with my spices but I also have a height thing just because there are some cabinets are taller than Other ones, we were talking about that earlier. So I do like to kind of say I have a shelf on my cabinet, that's all baking goods. And I like to actually put it by height. So that I can see this is I have this much flour, I have this much, you know, nutritional yeast or whatever different things this much baking soda, and then I have a shelf, that's just all snacks. So whenever I need my teas, or I want some nuts, and I can easily grab those snacks, that's my snack shelf. And then I have a shelf that separate for my dog, she has her own snacks too. So I have her own little snacks shelf as well, so that when I need to grab her different dog treats or grab her medicine, I'm able to easily do that too, which, you know, for some people that could be relevant, maybe you have different things that you like to give your kids, you know, at different hours of the day, like maybe the sugary stuff you put at the higher shelf, because you're like, you're not going to get that at the end of the day. But maybe you want to have something a little bit less sugar during the afternoon. And then tools wise, there's actually one thing that I got this and I forget it's a cart actually, it's a rolling cart because one of my friends, I didn't know that you could, I'm forgetting the name of an island, she bought an island but I didn't want to have to buy a huge island to put in time my kitchen. So instead I just got a rolling shelf. And what I liked about it is that's where I put some of my canned goods that I go to because I use a lot of coconut milk in my mini my recipes, I like to make my own sauce. So I have my rolling carts because it's easily accessible, I can roll it to me and I put all my little basket of vegetables and stuff on there. And that's predominantly like the one area I use mostly in the kitchen. And then when it comes to my drawers, I actually have a drawer that I have for all my cooking gear. So different cooking utensils that go too often are on top of my kitchen counter. So like my with my spoons, but then things that I might use less often. I put inside two different drawers one is like my drawer where I have like different things if I want to make shish kebab randomly one day or then I have another drawer where you know all my forks and knives. So hopefully that answer your question.

Stephanie
Yeah, no, brilliant, I mean, it gives you options to wear it especially if you have a tighter space that gives you the Grab and Go concept that we really love that that's easy. And you can switch it out as needed. If you're in a baking month, you know, especially during the holidays, little people make a little bit more, that's that grab and go items, which I think is always super genius, especially if you have a tighter kitchen that doesn't allow you as much space to display everything all the time. So I think that's awesome. Okay. All right. So with that being said, I hope everybody enjoyed this episode to Misha is full of tips, especially with healthy lifestyle, healthy eating, and bracing your body and all those wonderful things. So to be sure, I'm going to ask you one more question. And then we'd love to hear where we can find you. But my question for you is if you had to choose one magazine, like what is your favorite magazine of all time, the one that was a go to is a go to that you that inspires you that you really like to read? This is a

Tomesha
good question I've ever think about a magazine, I probably it might be self or help one of the two like I'm in between both of them because they do have like recipes, they have workouts and articles. So I'm like, those are my two strong ones that I like bounce between.

Stephanie
They're inspirational love. Yes. Okay, and where can people find you? Well, you can actually find

Tomesha
me at Tisha Campbell on Instagram. That's where I mostly hang out. Definitely my story. So probably what I am cooking, that's probably will you'll find any recipe or, you know, sometimes recipe failures, things happen. The kitchen is definitely going to be over there.

Stephanie
Awesome. We'll go find to Misha over on Instagram for more inspiration, more tips, and all that good stuff. It was so good to see you. And have you on at the today's episode. Thank you so much, Misha, and until next time. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive Podcast with your organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing

Have you ever taken on a project that you had no business doing yourself? Or maybe the exact opposite happened.  You were so glad you did it yourself because it saved you money and you discovered something you were really good at?  This episode discusses what you should consider and what you should be asking yourself when thinking about doing something yourself versus outsourcing it.  

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

• Questions to ask your self when you are second guess your outsourcing and DIYing decisions.  
• Simplify your decision on whether you should do it yourself or hire someone to do the task. 
• MAPS (Do you have the Money, Availability, Passion and Specialty to do it yourself?)

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Connect with Stephanie

https://www.instagram.com/theorganizedflamingo/

Review the Transcript:

Have you ever taken on a project that you had no business doing yourself? Or maybe the exact opposite happened? You were so glad you did it yourself because it saved you money, and you discovered something you were really good at. Alright, well, in today's episode, we are discussing, you know, what you should consider and what you should be asking yourself when thinking about doing something yourself versus outsourcing it. This episode is for those of you that second guess your outsourcing, and DIY and decisions.

For those of you who by the time you decide the project has gotten way bigger and more complicated, and now you kind of don't have a choice, or it's just become overwhelming. Maybe you leave things in limbo, because you can never make a decision. So let me help you simplify your decision on whether you should do it yourself, or hire someone to do the task. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. I'm your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go. Hey, friends. All right. So first thing is first, if you're wondering why I'm talking about this topic, and if it feels out of place, it really isn't. Our if you're wondering if I'm trying to convince you to hire us? Well, it's not quite the case. Yes, we do offer both DIY and done for you organizing services and solutions.

And those are always there for you. But this episode is my way of helping you get through the complications that come with decision paralysis, which is a big obstacle in the organizing and productivity space. Also, outsourcing doesn't just mean hiring someone for your business. In our episode, we are defining outsourcing as having someone else do it that is better suited for the task. This could be a business, some other business that does a task for you. But it can also be a spouse or a friend that you're swapping resources with. I have witnessed decision paralysis with my community and clients for years when they think they can do it themselves. But in the end, they end up overwhelmed and it ends up costing them more money, frustration and time. And as a professional organizer that focuses on giving you maximum efficiency and productivity in life, so you can have more peace. My goal is to help you think through some questions that are neutral and essential and will hopefully make it easier to decide which way to go so that the decision paralysis isn't what a standing in the way of going forward with your organizing project. We have an acronym at the organized Flamingo, that helps us quickly determine if something is worth doing it yourself, or if outsourcing is a better option for you.

So grab a piece of paper and pen or your favorite note taking tool, because you will want to write this down and take the quiz or at least write down the question so that you can ask yourself this a couple of times the acronym is maps, capital M A P S, and I will explain what map stands for in a second. But first, pick a project that you have been wanting to finish. So I'm sure there's something like your garage, maybe a pantry, maybe a business project that you've been wanting to organize like your files, but you haven't done it because you don't know if you should do it yourself or outsource it, or it just feels really overwhelming. Okay, so did you write it down? Alright, so put that aside for just a minute. But we will come back to this project to this question over and over. So keep it handy. So maps asks these four questions, there are, it stands for four of the resources that are crucial and completing a task or a project. B M, stands for money. The A stands for availability, the P stands for passion, the S stands for specialty. So when you're asking yourself, should I do this? Or should I do it myself? You're going to ask it in this way. Do you have the money the M to complete the tasks yourself? A Do you have? Do I so this is my actually the question is towards you. Do I have the availability or the time to complete this task this project? P Do I have the passion to even complete this task? Meaning do I even like to do this?

And then S is for specialty which is do you have? Do I have the specialty to complete this task? Am I good at this? Am I specialized in this area? For me in order for me to complete this task? So the way that you measure it is in this way? If you answered yes, I have three or four of the resources in the maps acronym. Then di wine could be worth it. So if you have three of the four so the money the availability, the passion In this specialty, if you have three or four of them, then it could be worth it because you have enough resources to make it worth your effort in time. But if you answered yes to only one or two of the resources outlined in the maps acronym, then it may not be enough to make it worth it. So doing it yourself, and outsourcing could save you money in the long run. Let me give you an example of how to apply this. Let's say you are wondering if it's worth doing your own grocery shopping? Or maybe you should, or should you be outsourcing it, you know, those digital apps now that you can order your groceries from, and they'll either deliver it to your doorstep, or you can go pick it up. So you will ask yourself the following questions? Do I have the money to do it on my own? So take into account money means do I have the money for gas? Do I have money for a car for those of you who live in bigger cities, and maybe don't have a car of your own, because you're constantly taxing or Oberyn? Or whatever it may be car sharing? Those types of questions are important to you. Not everybody has a vehicle right?

To go get the groceries for example. So do I have the money to do this? On my own? Do I have the money to go grocery shopping on my own? The second is, do I have the availability the A? or the time to do it? Do I even have the time to do it? Are you always traveling? Are you constantly on the go? Do you even have the time to do it? The third is Do I have the passion to do? Or do you even like to do it yourself? I'll give you a great example. I am not a big fan of shopping for groceries. I don't mind going to the grocery store. But I don't particularly love going grocery shopping. So those that that's the passion? Do you even like to do it? And then the s under maps is? Do I have a specialty? Like, am I good at it? When I do do this task when I go grocery shopping? Am I even good at it. Some of you may be thinking that you like doing it. But when you're there, you don't even have a shopping list or you spend a lot more time or money. You go in thinking you're going to spend you know $5 And you come out with $105 Because you had no plan and now it's just back fired on you. So that's the specialty or you've been good at it. For my business folks and community that is listening to this an example for you could be should I create and do my own website? Should I be doing this myself? And so you will ask yourself the same questions in that same order?

Do I have the money to do it on my own? Because doing it on your own by yourself means that you have to buy the hosting, you know the the software and you know, etc? Wherever you go down the list of that? Do I have the time to do it? Okay, great. You have all the money in the world to do it. But do you have the time? Do I have the passion to do it? Do I even like to do this? Am I? Do I get excited when I do my own website? Not really well, then that's that is an example of? Do I even like to do it myself? Are you good at it? You can like something you can like to do something. But that doesn't mean you're good at it. And for the specialty the acids and maps, it means are you good at it by nature, like naturally you were just gifted with that special skill that is especially true for creatives and artists. But it could also be by trade or by education. So are you good at it because you went to school for this. Or maybe you're good at it because you have learned you have learned through the years to be good at this task. But eventually you became good at it right? So those are all falling under the specialty. Like these examples, there are many more, and this episode could go on forever with examples. So instead, ask yourself the questions and tag us so we can cheer you on and help you move forward in an efficient and productive manner. And we're more than happy to help you with asking the right questions so that you can come out with the results that will be helpful to you in the long run. So just remember maps, do you have the money, availability, passion and specialty to do this on your own? These resources are precious, these four resources are super precious to you.

So why do things you could be getting help to complete with less stress and maybe even better done than if you would have tried to do it yourself? But how awesome also on the opposite of that? How awesome is it to confirm that you made the right decision of doing something yourself? Like when you go through the steps and you ask yourself these four questions. How awesome is it going to be when you realize that wait, I actually really liked to do this and it is worth the time. Even if I don't have one of those four resources. I have three others and that will make it worth it and will hopefully give you the reassurance you need to move forward to do it yourself. And as you get your results and you're finalizing whether to do it yourself or have someone else do it for you. Feel free to download our FREE seven Steps to organizing almost anything that is in our podcast page. It is full of information that will guide you through your organizing journey whether you decide to outsource or do it yourself. We are here to help and help your organizing journey so we are signing off for now I am signing up for now and remember to do something today that your future self will thank you for. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing.

A capsule wardrobe is the great way to get your closet and life organized. Learn more about what a capsule is from Stylist for moms and founder of The Bluebird Collective, Caroline Bower.  If you're looking to get your closet organized once and for all, the capsule wardrobe might be the perfect solution for you. 

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

In this episode we talk about:

What is a Capsule Wardrobe?

Who is a good candidate for this type of wardrobe organizing & planning?

What is the investment?

What happens when life changes, like having a new baby, marriages, divorce, tragedies, etc? 

Favorite tools for capsule wardrobes

Where to find Caroline Bower online:

https://thebluebirdcollective.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thebluebirdcollective_/

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Review the Transcript:

Stephanie
Well, hello friends and welcome to our episode about capsule wardrobes. Today we are talking with our guests, Caroline Bauer, who is a style mentor for moms. And we're going to give you the rundown over what a capsule wardrobe is, who's the right candidate for it? How can you use this type of system methodology of organizing your closet to simplify to minimize and become more intentional about your closet what you wear, and ultimately give you greater joy, ease into your life. So I'm so excited about this conversation with Caroline. If you don't know what Caroline is, she's a style mentor for moms. She is the founder of the bluebird collective. And she is amazing. She is so passionate about empowering women to use clothing as a tool to become the best version of themselves. I mean, that's pretty cool. So let's get right into the conversation with Caroline. Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with organized grooming go, I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go. Alright, Caroline, well, thank you so much for joining us today, we are here to talk about capsule wardrobes and what it is, who's a good candidate for this type of organizing this type of system, this type of methodology when it comes to organizing their clothing. So we're just gonna get right into it right, we're just going to start talking about it for all this episode is for both seasoned capsule wardrobe knowledge, knowledge people, the people who already practice it, because you will be giving some tips for those individuals. But if you don't know what this is, but it's intriguing to you to have less, less and having more of an impact in your closet in life, then we're going to just talk about the one on ones just to get a start the conversation started. And then from there, we'll we'll give some tips. So can you tell us a little bit about what is a capsule wardrobe? What does it entail? What is it all about?

Caroline Bower
Yes, absolutely. I love capsule wardrobes. The very short and sweet answer is a capsule wardrobe is a small selection of very thoughtfully chosen flows of gem are rotated quarterly or based on the season. So you may put away for example, your warm weather clothes and just have a winter capsule, and then you'll swap it out when the seasons change. But it allows for easier decision making and just more simplicity in your life when you're not one at a time creating outfits every day. And you're just choosing from a much smaller selection of clothes that you've put a lot of thought integrating.

Stephanie
I love this. And when I came across this concept, years and years and years ago, I remember thinking how, how overwhelming it was, you know, for individuals to pick up their clothing at the very beginning of their especially at the beginning of the day, like what am I going to wear for the day, right? And I remember when I saw this whole methodology, I thought, oh my gosh, this is genius. This is amazing. This is great. But the one thing that stopped me in my tracks, because you mentioned small selection, right like that, that part stopped me in my tracks. And I thought oh my gosh, I can't imagine how individuals are going to go from their, their wardrobe now to that small selection. So can we talk a little bit about who was a good candidate for this type of wardrobe for organizing and planning and, you know, their their wardrobe? Who's like a good candidate for this? And then who is not? Because, you know, you mentioned it's a small selection. It's a very well curated and thoughtful type of closet, and wardrobe capsule. But what happens if individuals can't downsize that quickly? Or like what is a good process that people should follow if they think that they want to do this, but they're not ready? Like who let's talk about who can do this? Who can't? Who shouldn't? And what are some good ways to get started?

Caroline Bower
Sure. So I think a capsule or I kind of personally have coined the term capsule ish word of a, be a really good fit for many people. The first type of person that I think can benefit from my capsule wardrobe is someone that a lot of us identify at least as an in our life and this person who has a closet full of clothes, but not to wear. This is a really, really common experience and it happened we bring our clothes in piecemeal. I used to be the clearance shopper, just go straight to the clearance, buy whatever was on sale and kind of fit without any strategy. And so that ended up with this closet just jam packed with clothes, but nothing made sense together. And so curing a much more intentional closet. For me, it's a capsule closet. I don't have a set number of clothes that I wear each season. But I have a small variable selection, I was eliminated problem of nevermind what to wear because I have clothes that I love and feel great and know how to make outfits. So if you identify with that a closet clothes, but nothing to wear, then a capsule wardrobe or a capsule ish wardrobe might be a really, really good solution for you. If you love organizing and just kind of lean towards minimalism or sustainability capsule wardrobe, it's also really good fit for people in those kinds of camps. Not a good fit. There's, I think the only type of people that it's not a good fit that comes mind are people who just love maximalism, if you just love a closet full of options, and that is are you thrive, and you don't feel the need to kind of simplify. And a capsule wardrobe might feel really stifling and limiting, you may still like the idea of kind of a foundational wardrobe, where you pare back. And the pieces in the front and center are are the pieces that you build off of. And so you're simplifying that part. But if you just love bright and bold and light colors, and you want a ton of sense, then maybe a capsule wardrobe isn't going to bring you a lot of joy and simplicity in your life.

Stephanie
Oh, I love that. And you know, one of the reasons that I really connected with you is because you gave and give people options, you know that based on your social media and just the conversations that I have had with you in different ways. It was it was the notion that you know, it has to be well has to fit your lifestyle, which is a big mission for us and a big tagline for us if you will, but you you give people options, you know that you understand that people have different lives and different schedules of lives and seasons of life. And this may not work for you and I loved it because capsule I feel like a lot of people think that once you go into the capsule wardrobe system, that you're you're stuck there that that is now your life like that is your identity and that your lifestyle and it doesn't have to be that way. So I so thank you for sharing that. And I love the font, the foundational wardrobe. That is a genius. I love that like that having it's a mixture of both right? And I'm sure I bet I don't know if you have clients like this or people you work with, but I'm sure once they see that, okay, yeah, you know, they want to keep all their clothes, so they keep them. But once they see that the only you truly wear those fundamental items, maybe in time they become capsule wardrobe enthusiasts just by by doing it little by little, so I don't know, maybe like that's a good transitional moment for some people. Okay, so let's talk about the investment of, of this, all of it all of transitioning into a capsule wardrobe. If somebody decides that this is for them, like you know what, it's time for me to be intentional about what I wear, what I buy, I have, I do have a closet full of clothes, and I always come up short with what I want to wear, I am always saying I have nothing to wear. But I've spent a lot of money on this closet and under all this wardrobe. So what it what are some what is the investment to go in transition? What are some tips that you would give people that are feeling overwhelmed about the money they've spent on their clothing? And then what is the time and monetary investment they probably will need to make to transition?

Caroline Bower
That is a good question. And the answer is going to be really personal to each person, I think I do recommend if you're transitioning to a capsule wardrobe, one of the caps, one's kind of pillars of my business's sustainability. And one of the most sustainable or the most sustainable way to to use our clothes is to wear what we all have. So for that reason, I don't recommend just ditching everything you have and starting fresh, I recommend a more kind of gradual approach or like we talked about before kind of selecting a foundational wardrobe from what you already own, which can help you kind of identify the gaps, I have resources that I that guide you through the process. So if you feel totally overwhelmed, I have a free like wardrobe I identify the gaps in your word guide. But you can also go to Pinterest and find like a capsule wardrobe template and kind of use that as your your pattern to in a sense go shop your closet and pull out just kind of the basics from what you already own. So you're not spending any money yet. And then just dress from that basic little foundation for a while and I As you're doing that, pay attention to what you're pulling from the rest of your closet, and what you're wishing that you had, that's not in your closet, maybe you'll make a list. So from there, you can start to go and shop. And like I said, this is gonna be really, really personal, you can go and, and she has a lot of times, capsule wardrobe, people, users will decide to spend a lot more on a higher quality item. So if you decide that you really need a pair of jeans, you might choose rather than spending $30 at a big box store on a pair of jeans that might stretch out and not feel good after several wears, you might go and spend a lot more on a pair of jeans that you love and feel really good in and that are going to last in your closet for a lot longer. So investment is going to be a decision that you have to kind of decide I honestly, I can't say like it's going to be $700 I don't know. But from a sustainability standpoint, I love secondhand clothes, not only are they a way to save money, but they're also a way to choose a more sustainable option rather than clothes that are being new produce, you're choosing clothes that are already in circulation. So that's a kind of a long winded answer, say I have a short answer to the investment question. It's just there's so many factors, but I do recommend choosing a first and, and using what you already own.

Stephanie
And I remember you mentioning the part about you know, if people have budgets, you know, if they have something like in mind a budget in mind, obviously that that would also help. So I know that that's something that you if someone decides to work with someone like you and they don't do the DIY version of it, I know that that's part of the conversation, right? Like what, what is your budget? Is there something that you know, you have a budget to just kind of get you started and then we can go from there. So I know that's so for anyone listening, just know that there's different ways that you can approach it, especially with the investment piece, but I know that most people like yourself they do they they will work with what you have, and your financial and your financial budget. So speaking of money in sustainability, which I love, use what you have huge YouTube admission on that, yes, I just use what you have. And then you know, go from there. But what happens when there's life changes? So this is actually a question from our community that they wanted to ask you. What happens when life changes, like there's a new baby maybe marriages, divorces, tragedies, etc, are aware that clothing that capsule is no longer either it's no longer relevant, also like weight gain, weight loss and things like that, that it's no longer relevant. Or if you need to pause that capsule and bring in a new one. Because you know, there's changes in life. So what what would be a tip that you would give individuals that feel like they don't want to do this because, you know, life changes, and they don't want to get rid of their clothes quite yet, or they don't want to be limited to what they bought during a time when you know, it was different?

Caroline Bower
That's a really good question. And it touches on kind of the emotional side of clothes that we don't always realize is there. So I will start with in a life changes were the clothes that we had maybe don't fit us anymore. I work with a lot of like postpartum mamas who are in a season of transit, where their pre baby clothes work anymore, but they aren't ready for they don't know what size they are. And so in that case, I recommend kind of a transitional capsule, I didn't recommend just like throwing out all of the big clothes, yeah, but putting them in a box in the closet, so that they're not occupying physical space so that they're not in front of you. And you're not having to look past them to find what actually fits. I always recommend only being the clothes that you love and are serving you in your current season visible and then putting everything else whether you push it back to the back of the closet, whether you put it in a box up in the closet or under the bed or whatever, just clear up your physic base so that it's not adding to your mental burden. So that would be true for like a physical change. If it's a health transition, or you're gaining or you're losing weight, keep the the size up in the size down. But put them away with them out of sight so that you don't have to feel like there's a lot of just mental burden of why I wish that those clothes work for me. But if they're front and center and you're not seeing them, you don't have to have that kind of mental burden each day. So for physical change, something like that. That's what I recommend other like lifestyle changes. I also work with a lot of women who are transitioning, a lot of women are going Back to work in the office right now. And so I would recommend using some really kind of heavy hitting items, great pair of blacks that you feel good, and maybe a couple of blazers that really feel great. So choose kind of items that you get a lot of mileage out of initially, and then see what you can pull from your closet already. And then for like a a major life change, where you just have a lot of maybe emotional baggage tied to those in your closet. Now, that's kind of a whole different ballgame, I would say. And that may be where you you take those clothes, either donate them somewhere where they'd be used in perhaps the woman's home or something like that. Or you take them to a consignment store where you can reinvest the the money that you get into clothes that serve you now, or you maybe sell them on Poshmark. So again, you kind of use money to reinvest into clothes for your current season. But I always recommend just kind of starting with the heavy hitters, the maybe jeans that fit great, or some layers that can kind of dress up a t shirt or a button down to give you a lot of options when you're kind of in a in a season of transition.

Stephanie
Oh, I love that. And if anyone's listening, thinking, I just couldn't do this myself. This is why people like Caroline exist. By the way, there is always a different way to do things, you can do it yourself. So I hope that this episode is helping you have some of those aha moments like you know what, I can do this, I can do this, I love these tips, and I'm going to implement them. But if you're feeling overwhelmed about everything that she said, You just know that you have someone like her that can help you and encourage you to make these decisions together so that it becomes easier as the time progresses. So speaking of you named a couple tools in the conversation, so I'd love to kind of end with two questions I have for you first is what are some of your favorite tools that you'd like to give a shout out to either items in the closet in the capsule wardrobe, closet system apps, tools, things that have been really helpful for your own journey and or client's journey that you'd like to shout out. And then the second is, what is your favorite magazine to read for either business and our pleasure? And why we asked this of all our guests and I always love to hear what is people's favorite magazine. So let's get right to it. So first, like your tips, your products, your shout outs, tools that you've used. And then favorite magazine.

Caroline Bower
Okay, it's the spine tools I am ended the list. So I I don't I don't have a whole lot I don't have or anything. Heard of ones that I don't even know the name of offhand, I won't, I won't there. I will say this, I love matching hangers, I love the velvet hangers, the low profile ones because your clothes don't spin off of them. So if you're looking to have to invest in something physical to improve your closet, that's not just the clothes, I would say, matching hangers, they're not they're not a big investment, you can get a pack of like 50 of the velvet hangers from amazon for like $25 That's, that brings me so much joy in my closet when all the hangers match and and the clothes don't slip off them. And they're just easy. So that would be kind of my tool, I do have some resources that I've created. I tried to use like the Pinterest tights are if you Google or if you go to Pinterest and You for capsule wardrobe or capsule wardrobe inspiration or or templates, you will find so many so for me that became really overwhelming. And I created my own template that helps me kind of creational wardrobe that I talked about. And so that's free can find it in my Instagram, I think we'll talk about Instagram and a little bit. But that's a tool that I needed. And I didn't see it anywhere in my searches. Just kind of like breaking down is the foundational wardrobe. And how do I know what the gaps are in my closet? So I know what to fill in. And so that's available for free from me. Those are kind of my top tools I would say and then to go answer the magazine. I am not a big magazine reader. So I had to think on this for a minute. Like I've read recently is the Magnolia magazine. I don't know they love it. Joanna Gaines magazine. And she does such a beautiful job of curating an experience in her magazine. I think that's why I love it that it just feels feels a little bit indulgent feels almost like self care just to sit and read her magazine. And I come away just feeling like my cup is filled and not like I've just read a tabloid a free gossip or stuff that makes me feel yucky about myself. So I think that's that one's my favorite magazine.

Stephanie
Oh, I love that. I love that and when it makes you feel, I also love that hurt her magazine. Are the magazine for them? Well, thank you so much for your time and Caroline and thank you for helping us set our closet and close up for success. The words and the emphasis on reinvesting in yourself and your time that you have given us today. I hope that that was an inspiration for people to to help them along their journey when they're feeling overwhelmed with their clothing, their items that are just starting to be really overwhelmed in that area like if they're home of your space. So thank you so much for setting us up like this up for success. And if you think you're listening and you think that a capsule wardrobe is right for you, where can people reach you find you and follow you and get more tips from you.

Caroline Bower
You can find me I hang out the most on Instagram I am the bluebird collective underscore that's the best way place to find me that's where you can find my free resources and that's where you can find the waitlist I'll be opening enrollment soon forks it's actually called katholische. And it does the kind of deep dive into the closet audit. What do you need? What do you already have what to fill in what to do with what you're getting rid of. And then it kind of even dives into the mental side of of our relationship with our clothes and how to cultivate a closet that serves us and brings us joy and Sophia ease and serves our right now body. That is my heart is to to serve women and help them feel comfortable and confident in their right now body. But is there a best place to find me at the bluebird collective underscore?

Stephanie
Awesome, wonderful and what a brilliant workshop in sessions that you're going to be hosting. I love that. All right, well thank you again for your time and everybody. Happy organizing. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing.

Little by little, becomes a lot—that is what seasonal decluttering is.  In this episode, we're talking about what this type of organizing system can do for you and four tips to seasonal decluttering! Listen in as I share how seasonal decluttering allows you to work smarter in your decluttering process and save time in the long-term!

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

What is season decluttering?

Seasonal decluttering the action of letting go, discarding, or finding a new home for items in your space during the season that they are utilized the most! For example, a good time to let go of your winter clothing that you don't need, don't use, or doesn't fit and occupying space would be during the winter. 

Who Season Decluttering for?

If you're considering seasonal decluttering, but aren't sure if it's right for you, here's how you can find out. Seasonal decluttering is for someone who has already done a big declutter or has a year to get through a full cycle of this declutter method. This shouldn't be treated as a decluttering system for someone who hasn't already started the decluttering process, but this method is rather a maintenance method. If you take a look at the 7 steps to organizing, this system falls under steps 6 & 7.

Still curious, here are three scenarios that it won't work. Season decluttering is not for:

• Anyone in a time crunch or deadline, because the process takes at least a year to complete. 
• Someone going through a hoarding situation. I would not do this process because it delays your decision making and takes more time.
• A person who is moving.

Seasonal decluttering works best for those of you who are in space where you will be staying for a longer period of time and want to take their time to intentionally declutter

X Tips for Your Seasonal Decluttering Session

If you've determined that seasonal decluttering is right for you, here are X tips for you as you approach your decluttering sessions.

1. If you are working with a professional organizer and you like this system, mention it to them and ask if this could work for you. 
2. If you plan on selling any of your items, sell them as soon as the season starts.
3. If you are donating your items, start making phone calls to the donation centers as soon as the season starts and ask what they are taking. 
4. If you get on the season decluttering method, it pairs really well with the Capsule Wardrobe method of organizing your closet, which we will focus on in a later episode.  

Seasonal decluttering allows you to let go as you take your items out for the season—use that time to evaluate what you haven’t used or doesn't serve you and find a new home for it! This type of system makes organizing your home much more manageable and dare I say, fun! 

If you need organizing guides, workbooks and templates so you don't have to recreate the wheel, just head on over to theorganizedflamingo.shop for all of our organizing tools. Happy Organizing!

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

Review the Transcript:

It is said that little by little becomes a lot. And that is what seasonal declutter unis. So let's talk about what this type of organizing system can do for you, shall we? Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized grooming go. I'm your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go.

Hello, friends. So for today, we are focusing on one of the many organizing systems out there. As a reminder, though, these episodes are meant to get you need to start thinking about what organizing systems are out there. And if they're right for you. So as you listen to this episode, take note about how you're feeling about this system and method, you may immediately start gravitating towards this and think that this is perfect for you. And some of you may listen and completely be off put by the system. My intention is for you to at least know what's out there. And then figure out what works and what doesn't work for you. So my recommendation is for you to listen to the entire episode, and then make the call once you're done. These are super short episodes, so they get straight to the point right away. And that way, it can be a fast Listen, give you some aha moments, and then you can determine if this is a system for you. So let's get straight to it. So what is seasonal decluttering. So this type of decluttering system, it's the action of letting go and discarding, finding a new home for items in your space during the season that they are utilized the most. So for example, a good time to let go of your winter clothing that you don't need, they don't fit anymore, you don't use it in there occupying space would be during the wintertime.

So basically, think about it this way, when you're getting your items out of the box out of the attic, the basement the closet, during the season that you're utilizing them, that is the time for you to go through it and determine what you're keeping what you should be letting go of what you're not going to fix anymore. And so that is seasonal decluttering. So who is seasonal decluttering for so this type of decluttering method is for someone who has already done the big declutter like the big big project where you've already kind of done a big decluttering job. And this is a good maintenance method. And or you have about a good year to devote to this type of system. So even if you haven't gone through the decluttering journey, like a really big project, that's okay. But you do need a full cycle of this decluttering method, which is the four seasons, which is a full year, at least, because this is a maintenance method. So it is meant for this to be a way for you to maintain your organizing journey. So that is why I would recommend if you haven't done a big declutter of your space, then just make sure you have enough time to devote to this type of system. This is the type of system that you use under Step Six and seven of your organizing journey. If you're familiar with our seven steps of organizing almost anything I mentioned in one of our earlier episodes, but step six, and seven is the evaluate and maintain sections.

And those are the sections of the method where you just kind of see what's working for you what isn't, now you're just in maintenance mode, you're not going through the big big projects, right, like having to declutter and sort and just start from scratch. Okay, so now let's talk about who this is not for. So this type of system is not for anyone under a time crunch. Or it may be you're on a deadline, because the process does take at least a full year to complete. Because it's you're supposed to do it during each season, right. So if you're moving pretty soon, this probably won't be for you, this type of method won't be for you. If you need to do a big decluttering project, you know, before in the next couple of months, a couple of weeks, it's just not really going to work because you will feel really pressured. And this is supposed to be a more of a thoughtful, methodical type of method and system. Also, if you're going through a hoarding situation, I would not do this process because it delays that decision making.

So if you're working with a hoarding specialist, or maybe neurodivergent, where you're working with a coach that's helping you make decisions a little bit quicker, then this method won't be for you. Because this is one of those systems where you can start overthinking very quickly and then not take any action. So ultimately, this is the type of system and method that really works best for those of you who are staying in one space for a long period of time, and you have the time to devote to this intentional type of Declutter. Okay, so now for the really fun part. Let's get to the tips on how to have a seasonal decluttering session of your own. And if you're working with a professional organizer or somebody that's helping you through this, and you like the system you are like getting what you're hearing, mentioned it to them and ask them if this could work for you. Okay, so some of my tips are, if you plan on selling any of the items, while you're going through this system, I would start selling them as soon as the season starts. So think if, again, we talked about the winter items, right? Think about starting to sell them and take pictures, right at the beginning of the season versus the end, because for obvious reasons, people are probably looking for these items at the beginning of the season, and not so much at the end. And if they are looking for an end of the season item, they're probably looking for a good deal, which could work as well.

But if you want to get the optimal value of the item, I would sell it at the beginning of the season. If you are donating the items, if you're thinking you know what, I don't really have the time to be selling these things, taking pictures of them, I just really want to get them out. But you don't want to throw them away yet, you know, you're thinking, these are the type of items that have a little bit more life to them, you'd like to give them away in a meaningful way to a place that could potentially use them, you're just not ready to throw them away yet. And you'd like to see if you could donate them. If you're donating them, I would start making phone calls to the donation centers at the beginning of the season as well. And then asking them what kind of items they take in, let me tell you why not all donation centers will accept everything right, because they're also at capacity, they may not be able to handle all the things that are coming in. So at the beginning of the season, they usually have a list of the things that they're accepting during that season. And that way, you have the list printed out, write it down. And as you're going through your items, as you're doing the seasonal decluttering, you're taking your items out, then you can see if you have any of the items on that list ahead of time. So maybe there's an item in your like, let's say a jacket, like you weren't really thinking about giving it away. But now that you know that your favorite charity or your favorite nonprofit is accepting these items, you may look at that item, that jacket and say, Hey, I haven't worn it or it doesn't fit anymore. They're asking for this item, they need this item, they have someone in mind for this item.

So then it really kind of triggers you. And it kind of gives you that little push to maybe let go of something that you're otherwise holding. But it's not even being used. Another tip, if you will be using this method is for the items that you do decide to keep. So you're going through the bins, right the bins, the closet, the pantry, whatever it may be, and you're going through it and you're not ready to let it go yet. So it's not going in the in the let go pile quite yet. But you are wondering when the last time you used it, go ahead and put a sticker so get, you know, colorful stickers or something and then put it under the item or somewhere on the item. So that you know that as of last year, you know the last time that you use that sticker it hasn't been used. And so when you do use it, take the sticker off. And then that way you know that these items have been used and utilized more recently. So if you come across an item that has a sticker, you know, and it's been there for like year after year, because every year you're going to add a new sticker to it. And so if that item has five stickers, you know that for five seasons, it has been put back in the bin, and maybe it is time to let it go.

So one additional advantage of seasonal decluttering is that you can let go as you take the items out. So you are really taking advantage of the action you already would be making. Right. So if you're taking the items out for the season, why not also quickly Declutter. Also, one bonus tip out of this is use a timer, right so that you don't have to, it doesn't have to be overwhelming. So maybe devote an hour of the time that you're taking stuff out to look through the stuff and see what it is that you're using what's broken, what you're no longer using what doesn't fit. So it really works with the action you're already making, which is taking stuff out of the band out of the pantry during that season. And now you're evaluating what you haven't used or doesn't serve you and find a new home for it. This type of system is making organizing your home much more manageable. And dare I say a little bit of fun. So this is perfect for those of you who also get really overwhelmed quickly, or have a short attention span. Seasonal decluttering is just a fun way for you to organize your house without it being overwhelming, which is why I love this type of system. But again, it's not for everyone. But this is one of my favorite types of systems to maintain your organizing journey.

So what do you think? Does this type of methods sound manageable for you? I'd love to hear your feedback. So connect I put us on Instagram or Facebook or the social media apps out there at the organized Flamingo and share your thoughts. And if you do decide to use this system, I'd love to see your results or how your progress is going and cheer you on. And don't forget if you need organizing guides, workbooks and templates, so you don't have to recreate the wheel. just head on over to organize Flamingo dot shop for all of our organizing tools. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here are full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Have you organizing

Is there something holding you back from getting organized that you can't quite pinpoint? For some of us, it may be our mental health. Licensed therapist Suzanne Orlando joins us in this episode to share about the relationship between mental health and organization, plus resources to finding help based on your needs!

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

The Relationship Between Mental Health & Organization

When it comes to organization, what we have on the outside is a reflection of what is happening on the inside. If we are able to be organized and fully understand what's going on internally with us emotionally, that presents a better opportunity to be organized on the outside or vice versa.

Sometimes your mental health is what is effecting your ability to get organized. A lot of it comes down to control, what you can control and what you can't.

Finding Control in Your Organization

It's easy to set unrealistic expectations for ourselves when it comes to organization. It's usually a big goal or dream of what these expectations should be, yet we're limiting ourselves by not focusing on something within our control—typically a smaller detail.

Consider focusing on a small task in front of you; when you complete that task, that's a huge accomplishment in the direction of your bigger dreams. When you do this, you begin understanding that there are things in life that you have absolutely no control over and you can start focusing on the things that you can control.

Finding Help with Your Mental Health

You may have tried to find control in your organization, but simply can't—that's okay. There may be more and deeper things you need to focus on, like your mental health. One approach is through traditional therapy.

Traditional Therapy is a form of talk therapy where you are processing what you're going through with a licensed professional who is a neutral perspective with an empathetic ear. Additionally, they have the capacity to refer you out to other resources.

A few types of therapists include licensed clinical social workers, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, etc. Each of these therapists will also approach their patients with different modalities (like cognitive behavioral therapy or psychodynamic therapy) based on what they're presenting.

If you're looking for someone to talk to, call around, ask your practitioner, and get referrals for someone you're comfortable with. You can connect with the referrals, interview them, ask them how they approach therapy, and try them out.

Therapy is a Journey

Therapy is a journey and you may not find the right fit immediately or even feel better after the first session. Each and every patient has a different process and experience—when you're committing to therapy, you may not be able to put a time stamp on it.

There is an expectation that new patients have that when they will leave their therapist that they will feel better, yet the reality is that you're unpacking a lot of things in your sessions that may get uncomfortable. When that happens, you're making progress.

It's so easy to oversimplify mental health and organization, but this podcast was created as a resource to help you. We'll be bringing on guest experts in the coming episodes, so make sure you're subscribed and tuned in on your favorite podcast app!

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

Happy Organizing!

Connect with Suzanne:

https://www.instagram.com/anxiety_alchemist/

https://www.suzanneorlando.com/

https://changealgorithm.com/

Review the Transcript:

Stephanie
Welcome to another episode of organized and productive. For today's episode, we have another first milestone for us. And that is our very first guest. I am thrilled to have Suzanne Orlando, who's a psychotherapist, licensed clinical social worker, anxiety strategy Coach and an amazing person to talk about mental health and understanding how mental health affects our ability, or maybe the inability to get and stay organized and productive. I really thought long and hard about who our first guest was going to be. And I always knew that mental health was going to be a very important part of our podcast. Mental health is a crucial part of organizing. And when I met Suzanne, a few years ago, I knew she would be the perfect person for our first episode, and for this particular episode, to give us an overview of mental health and how it affects the organizing and productivity journey, and also where you can get resources that are easily accessible. So let's get right into our discussion with Suzanne Orlando.

Stephanie
Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. I'm your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go.

Stephanie
Hi, Suzanne, I'm so glad that you are here. So first and foremost, we'd like to talk about mental health in general speak. And that is right now there is a big movement insane that when you do these things like when you organize, it's really good for your mental health, and it'll help your mental health. But I can't help but think how important the statement the wrote the reversal of that statement is. So let's talk a little bit about what your thoughts are when people don't talk about okay, well, maybe you can't get organized or more productive? Because the mental health part is just not there. So what are your thoughts about that?

Suzanne
I think I love this question. And I'm glad that this is the first one because I think when it comes to organization, I really do believe that what we have on the outside in terms of organization, whether that it's a closet or a drawer, or are just knowing where things are is, is a very big reflection on what's happening internally. And I think it's very much a chicken and egg situation here. Because if we are able to be organized and fully understand what's going on internally with us emotionally in mental health wise, I think that presents a better opportunity to be organized on the outside or vice versa. If our life is complete chaos on the outside, it's probably a reflection of what's really going on on the inside. I don't think that those two things are ever a coincidence. I think they're certainly aligned and connected. Yeah,

Stephanie
100%. In this is where will you and I when we met, that was one of the things that I absolutely loved about you is how you never took one or the two, one of the two statements as more important than the others, you know, it was the mental health could come first. But for some people, it comes after you know, the realization after they start to want to get more organized and start to want to get more productive, like they have this, this need. And they understand that that could help. And then in the process of, of going on their organizing journey, they realize that there's more to the story that there's more to their story for so many people, their mental health is what is affecting their inability to get organized to begin with. And you don't really find that out until you're actually doing it. And then that's when you realize, okay, there's something happening here. I've tried different, I've read different books, I've tried different methods. I've talked to many people, I follow all the social media accounts, I fold the way that they told me to fold, I have the planner that they told me to buy, and it's still not working. So what let's talk a little bit about that. What are some of the factors that have mental health that we can control and that we cannot control? So let's kind of kind of go back a little bit to the very, you know, one on one of what when you're feeling so distraught, and trying to be more organized, and more productive and nothing is working? What would you say to somebody like, Okay, we like these are the things you can control and you can control? And then let's go from there, like what are some of those factors?

Suzanne
This is a great question, because again, I think completely aligned with the organizational piece, right. So I think when we're taking on something, and this can be applied to a lot of facets in our life, a lot of time I think most of the time as human beings, we have a tendency to feel overwhelmed with so many things and what we do, and we also not only do we have a tendency to feel overwhelmed with a lot of things that life presents us, but we also have these grandiose expectations of ourselves and what we're able to do or what we should be able to do, and most of the time the expectations that we hold of ourselves are completely unrealistic. For what we are actually capable love doing. So if I break that down a little bit more when it comes to organization or mental health is if we just focus on a small detail of something that we are able to control. So if we just focus on a task at hand that's in front of us that might not feel like it might feel like a little bit of a spec compared to the mountain of stuff that we have in front of us. But if we just focus on that spec, and we're able to accomplish that spec, whatever that looks like, instead of looking at it as Oh, great, well, I just did that spec of whatever, and but I still have all this stuff to accomplish, and I feel like such a loser, and I feel like I'm never gonna get it done. That's, that is where that mental health that that negative mental health snowball starts to spiral. But if we are able to condition ourselves and relearn how to just focus on a speck that we've just accomplished, and give ourselves the credit for focusing and planning, and I actually accomplished this small task, and I feel really good about that time, what was it like for me to accomplish that I finally was able to do it, it felt really difficult to get into headspace to do it. But I finally did it. And you know what, I feel really good that even though it's just this spec, that I accomplished something. So because I've accomplished that now, what can I layer on top of that, and this is just an example that can be applied globally to everything that we do. So really cutting down on those expectations, and really getting clear with yourself on what you expect yourself to be able to do versus what you're actually capable of doing in the moment. And understanding that there are things in life that we have absolutely no control over and focusing on those things that we can control. What can I do something about how can I make a plan to do something about that? And really making getting a little bit more clear on that, if that makes sense?

Stephanie
Yeah, it makes absolute sense. It's starting. It's that starting with what you can see what you can feel the the reward system of the right now versus of the you know, what's to come? What, you know, what, what you can't control? Yeah, absolutely. And I see that a lot with, especially with physical items that people have collected over the years that all of a sudden, it's this regret, it's like, if I should have done this, and you know, in the past, but it's like, well, you can't control that any longer. It's already happened. The in now right now is what will propel you going forward and save you the sanity of, of not being able to control all those things like that, I think, gets people a lot of times into the trouble spots of of the what ifs and all that, you know, you and I have talked about this, what I've said you just can't control. So absolutely,

Suzanne
I was gonna say to just to add on a little bit to that is that that's a good point with the, with the regret or the what can I control? Or what if I should have done this? I could have done that. And kind of taking a step back when you get into that spiral and asking yourself, How is focusing on that right now helping me to move forward? How is sitting in that place of regret helping me to move forward with what I am able to do right now? And and getting clear about that? Because most of the time when you sit with that question, most of the time, you're gonna come up with the answer of it's not, it's not helping me, it's just pulling me backwards. And I want to be projecting myself forwards. So always getting crystal clear on your thoughts. And recognizing that your thoughts are just that they're just thoughts. You don't have to agree with them. You don't have to condition yourself to align with them or fall into that space where those thoughts lay, you can just observe them for what they are and choose how to how to navigate through them.

Stephanie
Oh, I love that. I love that. Okay, so speaking of the thoughts, this is, I think, a hurdle for many of our community and many people that this is all great, this is all great advice. And they love it, and they're here for it. But they can't help but they can't help it, you know, the feeling of I understand that those are just my thoughts like okay, so So what next? What are some options for people that are just so lost in the thoughts that they understand that are just thoughts, but they just don't know how to what to do from them. And this is this episode is also devoted to showcase that there's more than one way to get help to do things to get to the end result that you're looking for. Some people take this path, a path a path B, and there could be several and I think sometimes we don't know what we don't know. So let's talk a little bit about what kind of help people can get where they can get help, like what kinds of help are out there for someone who you know, is just would like to, to get a little a little more help from a professional in this field.

Suzanne
Yeah, so I think now with everything that we have, in terms of technology and things like like that there's so many options. And there are there is certainly something in terms of a form of therapy or coaching or support for every buddy for everybody's walk of life for everybody's schedule and for everybody in terms of what they can and can't invest into something like this. So I think the first, the first thing that I'll say is, you know, a traditional therapy. So I do traditional psychotherapy in New Jersey and traditional therapy, when I talk about that, it's really, it's really talk therapy, it's it's processing, what you're going through, going to talk to someone, and having having a very, very neutral perspective on what you're going through somebody who has the capacity and ability a licensed mental health professional, who has the capacity and ability to hear you with an empathetic ear and give you that safe space where you can be heard, and also help you navigate through and figure out how to move forward from all of those things that are that are blocking you that that person also has the capacity to refer out to other resources, if they see that there's something that's going on that might be bigger than just a thought process, right? If there's something that requires another set of professional eyes, they can certainly refer you out. There are so many different types of of therapists, since psycho therapists out there too, which always is a big question that people have. So there are, you know, licensed clinical social workers, there's psychologists, there's licensed professional counselors, all of these people, you know, the most important thing is, when you recognize that you want to take that step, and you want to work with a mental health professional, my strong advice is to call around and get on the phone, ask people for referrals, ask friends for referrals, ask your general practitioners for referrals, and get on the phone and interview people. Because if you are going to take that step, with your time and with your finances, and with your energy to want to get that extra help, you need to feel connected to that person. And there is nothing wrong with picking up the phone and saying hey, can I can I can we have a complimentary conversation for 10 minutes? Or can I come in or even going in and having an initial session and seeing and feeling out the energy and asking them questions about how they work with clients, because it's not only about you know, it's about you finding the therapist, it's going to be the fit for you. And you can find somebody who is the most world renowned, credentialed person, but if you don't connect with them, or you don't feel like there's a good energy between you two, the therapy probably isn't going to work. So that's probably the best piece of advice I could get anybody. And then of course, with that said, there are, I don't know how much you want me to go into this. But there's, there's different kinds of, you know, therapist, so I'm the type of therapist where I will, I will switch and change how I'm going to work with a client based on what the client is presenting to me. So if I have somebody that's coming in and talking about, you know, wanting to process childhood trauma, and they're an adult, I'm going to have a very different approach than somebody who's coming in and saying, you know, I have, I have all of these goals in mind, but I just can't get past this one obstacle, I will work very differently with that person, I won't work with them the same way I'd work with somebody who wants to process childhood trauma. So there's all different kinds of modalities, there are things out there called, there's treatment forms called cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, just to give a quick synopsis on what that is, it's really understanding your thought process, and gaining and working with a therapist who can teach you skills and strategies to work through those thoughts that you're having, and how to switch and change those thought patterns into a more productive space. That's a very brief description or loose description of that. But that's basically what you're doing, it's more of an action based type of therapy. Whereas processing childhood trauma might be more what we call psychodynamic therapy, where we're going to really talk about childhood and how these things impact your adult world. So and there's all different kinds of therapies in between, it really is just a matter of, I think, interviewing somebody, when you decide that you want to go see somebody and asking them what their treatment approaches and how they would treat you based on what you're presenting with. Oh, that

Stephanie
that was so helpful. And I know our community is going to love that because I think that it these are the topics that come up when when you're trying to you know, better you know better yourself better your life, which is really what organizing and productivity is right you're trying to like better your space and and find that peace within you and your surroundings. And I think that when you go through some of these motions and some of these exercises of the typical, very popular enough decluttering or we talked about sorting, or we talk about the bins, there are traumas that start to come up that you didn't even know you had maybe you why you haven't been able to let go of something that is in the bucket more of that family childhood trauma therapy for says, Okay, I just I realized that I have may have something else that's more neurodivergent geared towards that, you know, my learning processes is just different than then if you had that the necessary trauma. So I think and hope that what you have have said at least gives our listeners some understanding that everyone's different. The trial and error, error and everything, but especially when it comes to mental health is really important. You are your own your biggest advocate, your biggest cheerleader, but that trial and error is, is kind of it's okay, like, not, you know, figuring out if this therapy, this type of therapy works over another is part of the process. So I absolutely love it. I had a friend who recently told me that they were trying to balance between the oversimplification of getting help, you know, of therapy of like, self help, and balancing that and understanding that therapy is a journey. It's not supposed to fix all your problems in one sitting. Yes. You no pun intended, no pun intended. Yeah. But that that balance and, and I hope that more and more people understand that it is a journey to go through and, and hope that Yeah, yeah, I understand that a little more. Can you talk about that? And a little bit about like that balancing of, yeah, that journey for somebody?

Suzanne
Yeah, I think and I think that's a great, that's a great point to bring up that it's when we go to when we are going to something like a therapy especially, I'm imagining that most of these, most of the listeners are adults. And we haven't been in a therapy, or maybe we were in therapy a long time ago, there, there is a lot that we have to unpack in that therapists office. And there might be a lot of goals or, or reasons for us going to therapy, because we want to change things in our life. And like anything, we have to align with the fact that it is a process that we're not, we're not necessarily going to walk out of the office, the first time or the second time, we might feel good because we've unleashed or unloaded or finally started talking about the things that have been difficult for us. But we're not going to see drastic, huge changes in in a short period of time. And most therapies. I have people ask me this all the time, when they when they have an initial phone call with me to see if you know, they want to work with me. And a lot of times I'll have people ask me, Well, how many sessions do I need? And that is a completely being completely transparent. That is something that I can never answer. Because therapy is a process. And I can't say it would be remiss of me to say to somebody, well, I can see you for eight sessions. And because you're presenting with this, we're going to have everything fixed. And you'll be okay in eight sessions. That would be negligent on my part, because it is a process. So when you're committing to go to therapy, which is a very big decision, and you want to start doing that work on yourself for whatever reason, the other piece of it is to understand that this is going to be something that we might not be able to put a time stamp on necessarily, I'm going to have to jump in and commit to this for however long this takes. But that doesn't mean that I can't see shifts and changes and transitions. Also along the way. And that's the therapists job is to help you recognize what is different about where you were the third session versus where you were the first session, because that's part of the process as well. So being able to, again, have that expectation that when I start to do this process, it is going to be it's not going to be speedy, it's going to take some time for me to get to where I want to get to. And I would say this as well. If you have an initial phone call with somebody or you get on you know, you have a first session with somebody and they say that they can change it, you will be okay in 10 sessions or an eight sessions or in six sessions, you might really want to ask a lot of questions about that, because I don't know, depending on what their modality is, I don't know that that is going to be effective for most people, right? I think the majority of people, it's going to take a long, a longer time. And just really quick, one more thing I want to say about that is there are people who start therapy, and everything is going great. And there's also an expectation of when I leave my therapist office, I'm supposed to feel great, I'm supposed to feel really good I'm supposed to write. But most of the time, what happens here is when we start to unpack the things that we've been holding on to think about it as things of like are stuck in this like dark room. And this dark room hasn't been touched for months or years. And it's so dusty and there's cobwebs and just think about that, right? And as I start to talk about this, the things in the room start to shift and when this thing is in the room start to shift, it starts to get dusty and it starts to get uncomfortable and I'm coughing and I can't really say in the depth. So I start to feel uncomfortable. And I figured if I walked into this room and I started shifting things around when I left the room, I would be totally I'd feel totally good and fresh. But in reality when I leave the room I have all this dust and soot on over me. So that's the process of therapy, when I start to unpack the hard things and talk about the hard things, I might leave the office feeling like garbage, I might not feel that great when I leave the office. But that is a key component to your work, because that means that you are getting uncomfortable, you are making these shifts to allow the change to start to come forward for you. And that is also a lot of times where most people choose to drop out of therapy, because the expectation I have is they're supposed to feel good every single time they leave the office. Sometimes when you start talking about the hard things, you don't really feel that good when you leave the office. And this isn't to discourage anybody. This is what anything that's uncomfortable, right? We have to get uncomfortable with something before the change starts to happen. And that's just something that I think is really important to to talk about and for people to conceptualize.

Stephanie
That's it. I mean, that's exactly why this podcast, came to fruition to be quite honest, it's to talk about the realism behind what goes behind all of these topics that we that are parallel to the goals of becoming more organized and being more productive. Like there are other elements and parts that go into it, that we don't talk about that we against, oversimplify we party it up, whether it's because of a magazine or in social media, so, so no, I think that this is what we should be talking about. And I'm very grateful that you brought it up in this way and those that are like, hey, it's going to be you know, it's okay to feel this way. Because it's normal, you know, in talking about like it that may or may not happen for you, you might leave on the Zoom, maybe there's people that leave therapy, you know, fine all the time, I don't know, but but just know that that is that is unique to you. And that could happen and to not, you know, to fear unnecessarily, like the bad and the ugly, that is part of the journey, which I think is beautiful to have and to have those options.

Suzanne
Absolutely.

Stephanie
So okay, so here just to quickly wrap up in if our listeners just so they know, you know, this is a very, like mental health one on one overview. You know, Suzanne has an amazing social media account on different channels that she in, she goes into more details with some of these topics. So she'll share where you can definitely find her. But just know that this subject matter is just to get us started with this conversation, we'll dig a little deeper into some of the niche of kind of mental health and the different paths that the people could take or be discovering but but just know that you have options you have people that you can see that you can work with alongside in your organizing and productivity journey that if something comes up that you didn't do as well as you did last year, when you're creating new habits and something is not sticking something doesn't feel right, or it's not looking the way that you want it to no matter how hard you try, just know that it may not be you, it just might be that you need a little bit extra help or somebody or some other mechanism for your for your solution here are for your journey as you go forward. So just don't we have options. Okay. All right, Suzanne, so let us know where can we find you because she's has amazing content out there that I think everybody should be listening to. But where can people find you?

Suzanne
The best place to find me is Instagram. So it's it's at anxiety underscore Alchemist is on Instagram and I have the same handle on Tik Tok as well. And just to throw it out there to another place, you can find me which isn't necessarily social media, but it's a free resource for anybody that's looking to get their feet wet and mental health. It's a free resource that offers free mental health classes. And the classes are conducted by mental health professionals. So I host a class on there as do others, mental health professionals across the country, and it's called Change your algorithm. You can find that on Instagram and the website is actually change algorithm. That's how you find it. But there are free classes. It's 100%, free 100% Anonymous, and it's a wonderful resource for those who are looking to get their feet wet a little bit and learn a little bit more about some mental health stuff.

Stephanie
Okay, well, Suzanne, thank you so much for your time today. It was it was very educational for me, I got some great new resources as well. Appreciate your time. And everybody go check out Suzanne wherever you can find her on all the social media platforms. And thank you again and have a wonderful day CYNTHIA And thanks again. Thank you think thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the digital organizing solution that is supposed to make life easier, but now you are doing double work to keep it organized digitally and physically? If so, you are not alone! This episode will introduce you to why you may be feeling this way and what to do to avoid the double work.

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

Digital Space vs. Physical Space Organizing

It's important to understand the difference in digital organizing and physical organizing in order to create a foundation for an organized and productive life. Let's take a look at the two:

• Digital Organizing: when you find solutions that will help you with your digital stuff, or a digital resource that helps you with your physical things.
• Physical Organizing: solutions to get you organized with your physical items.

For example, let's look at getting organized with your groceries:

• Digital: Apps that track your grocery list for shopping.
• Physical: Purchased items that live in your pantry.

The Impact of Technology on Organizing

Not too long ago, digital and physical organizing were very separate—but with the shifts, accessibility, and changes in technology, we're seeing a lot of overlap.

This means we have tools that will help us stay organized in both areas of life, yet you might be doubling your work if you're not using the tools seamlessly between the spaces. For example, have you stored digital files on your computer, yet still printed it for your records? That's duplicating the system and the work.

5 Time Saving Tips for Your Digital & Physical Organizing Solutions

Now, let's walk through five tips on how to save time by using both digital and physical organizing solutions, so you don't have to duplicate the efforts!

1. Pick a planner, calendar, or agenda that you can access both physically and digitally.
2. Pick a planner or calendar that you can share easily (Google Cal, Microsoft, Etc)
3. Organize your receipts; you may have boxes and folders and drawers full of these receipts that you don't even know if you need or not. If possible, start asking for the digital receipt and file it away in a folder. (For the non-digitals, take a picture and file it away.)
4. Create a digital inventory list of what you have so you can know what you need (groceries, gifts, etc).
5. When picking your digital solutions, ensure that you can easily download it if you needed to, so that you can move it to another solution if you needed to.

As you begin your journey to organizing or even start to improve the journey you're already on, this podcast will become a resource for you! We'll be bringing on guest experts in the coming episodes, so make sure you're subscribed and tuned in on your favorite podcast app!

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

Happy Organizing!

Review the Transcript:

Welcome to the organized and productive podcast with organized grooming go. I am your host, Stephanie, a professional organizer and productivity expert, ready to explore the right organizing and productivity solutions for you. Yeah, well, then let's go.

Here's a question for you. Do you ever feel overwhelmed with the digital organizing solution that is supposed to make life easier, but now you are doing double work to keep it organized digitally and physically? If so, you are not alone. And this episode will introduce you to why you may be feeling this way, and what to do to avoid the double work. Hi, friends, and welcome to our organized and productive podcast based. For today's episode, I am talking about digital organizing versus physical organizing. What is it? What am I talking about the definition of them, and what are some solutions for both types of organizing laid out the groundwork for a subject that we will later dig a little deeper on.

But I wanted this particular episode to just be the groundwork like the type of conversation we have that we can always refer back to, before we dig into the details and the nitty gritty of the two types of organizing. So let's go ahead and start off with the definitions of what digital organizing is, and what physical organizing is, and how this relates to your life, and all that good stuff. So digital organizing is when you find solutions that will help you with your digital stuff. Or it's a digital resource that helps you with your physical things, then physical organizing, is solutions to get you organized with your physical items. So to use an example, less use getting organized with your groceries, maybe your pantry. So you've got digital note taking apps that help you with your inventory of your pantry, your food, it helps you make grocery lists, if you're on a health and wellness journey, you may be trying to keep track of your food and your items in your refrigerator. So you keep those things digitally.

And then you go in order them maybe digitally, but then you go and pick them up. And now it becomes physical things. So that's the difference between that's like you ordered it, you planned it digitally. But then you went and got the items that are physical items. And now they will be living in your physical space, which is your pantry. So that's just one example, we can use many other such as photos, especially in a world, the world we live in today, we still have physical photographs, pictures from either our that were inherited by our parents, or grandparents or family or friends, or you still like to print pictures. So now you have digital photos that live on your phone or your digital camera. And then you've got physical pictures that were printed. And so that right there is a merge of the two. So that's what I mean about digital organizing versus physical organizing. And up until now, we have tended to talk about organizing and productivity into segments, the organizing for physical spaces segment like the home, the office, the garage, etc, like a physical space, and then organizing for the digital spaces. So you've got your computer or your digital fire files, your digital photos, etc, your phone, your camera, that's all the digital world. It used to be that the two were very different ways of organizing.

And the solutions for those organizing solutions were also very different. But in today's world, they are now merging, and they have a lot of overlap. The main reason now they're overlapping is because technology has come such a long way. So it's much faster, it's easier, more accessible to the masses. And so now we are both using and living in both the digital world and in the physical space world. And how this affects your organizing and productivity journey is that now we have tools that can help with helping you get organized in both areas of your life. But we're still in a world where sometimes we're using a solution for each and we're doubling the work. And that's what I'm trying to help you avoid. So in future episodes, what we're going to do is we're going to break down physical organizing, and some of the solutions that will help you with your physical organizing, like your spaces and then we will also have the digital type of organizing so people will that can help you with how did how can I better organize my digital files. And then we can we will continue to march both. So we will always talk about Okay, so if I have this document on my computer, do I need to print it? And if I do now that it lives in my physical space, how can I not duplicate the work? How do How does one know that the other one exists? So I don't continue to make duplicates and quadruplets of things. And then now it just becomes a big pile of things for on both your digital space and your physical space.

So that is my goal to help you avoid all of that. So here are five tips on how to save time by using both digital and physical organizing solutions. So you don't have to duplicate the efforts of all the At the time that you're creating these things. So these five tips are five tips that I would suggest when you were trying to pick a system that supposed to help you with both your digital and physical spaces. Let's go with tip number one is pick a planner, or a calendar or agenda that you can access both physically and digitally. So what I mean by that is that it has the ability to print if you needed it, it but you have access to it online, so that way you can access it from your desktop, your phone, but also the ability to download it and print it if you are more of a paper to pen type of person. And having those options will allow you to know that you have them both available to you. And now you're not trying to keep two different planners that are going on at the same time.

Tip number two, pick a planner or calendar that you can share easily. So this is kind of the problem with physical type of planners and physical types of documents that you're supposed to be able to share with other people. So if you're trying to share maybe a family calendar or with coworkers, or with work or whatever it may be, when you have a physical planner, it makes it a little bit hard. So pick something that you can share easily. For some people, if you're if you're still a paper and a pen type of person, agenda planner, individual. So what some people do is at the end of the day, they take a picture and they send it to the people that are in there that they need to share it with. So that's a quick and easy way, right. You also, of course have the great tools such as Google Calendars, and I mean, there's outlook and Microsoft, and there's so many out there. But basically, it's it's one solution that you can share easily with others, so that you don't have to duplicate the work.

Tip number three is all about receipts, those pesky little things that just pile up and pile up. And then before you know it, you have boxes and folders and drawers full of these receipts that you don't even know if you need or not right like the receipts, the physical receipts that get printed at the store. So in today's world, there's so many other vendors and stores now have the ability to just email you or text you the receipt, in my opinion, and in my suggestion is pick that version instead. And then put it in a folder if you don't have that option. The other option is when it gets printed, you just take a picture of the receipt in on your phone, and then you put it in a folder that's labeled receipts. If you want to get nitty gritty, if you're you have the time, inability or that or you need to separate them then go ahead and create different folders in your photo app. But basically take a picture and then go ahead and put them in a folder. What's really cool about today's technology is that most cameras do read the receipt. So it's texts, it's able to read the images and the text that's within the image, which is really cool because then you can do a search for the vendor for the store, maybe you know if you needed it in to get easy access for it later. So pick the email or text option as much as possible when you have that option from the vendors. But if you don't have that option, then go ahead and just take a picture of the receipt and then put it in a folder.

Tip number four is create a digital inventory list. So when that when you're out and about like a store, you know what you have, there are some really fancy schmancy appliances now like refrigerators that will send you a picture of what's in your fridge. So if you have that read, that's really cool. But most of us don't write and especially in today's age. So before you leave, or maybe at the end of the day, take a picture of what you have in your pantry and before you go out to the grocery store, etc. So that's a form of digital inventory. Another form of digital inventory is great and list so especially true for things that not so much I probably wouldn't say so much your pantry or maybe your closet maybe other items that you want to keep inventory of Christmas holiday birthday, you're an entertainer type of person you're always entertaining at your house. A lot of realtors have a lot of items that they give away to their clients and for events and things like that. So keep keep inventory of what you have. But digitally so that when you're out and about you're not double buying things that you already have back at your house back at your storage back in your office. Another version of that is taking pictures of what you have and putting them in the folder in your in your photos folder. So you can always refer back to that. So that's kind of like the receipts suggestion I made made in tip number three. And that just would be take a picture of the items, put them in a folder that maybe say you know holiday decor and so now you have a folder of the pictures of all of your holiday decor that you can always look back into. This is also a really good tip for those of you who are collectors or you have items that you inherited or have purchased and you think that they need may be worth something because when you take a picture of your collections now that you have them so that if you need to get them appraised, or you just need like quick reference point, like, Hey, I think I have something like this, you go to a store or something, you're like, hey, that I didn't know that was a collectible. I think I have this, well, now you just have to go back to your inventory, list your digital inventory list, and then bring that into your physical world in the moment, right, you can easily access it. And for tip number five, it's very important that so whatever digital solution that you have, you can easily download it if you needed to, so that you can move it to another solution if you needed to. So what I mean by that is, in today's world, you know, if your digital solution is not working for you, if the company shuts down, if you don't want to use them anymore, and you want to try something new, that data should be yours.

So make sure that you own the data that you're inputting in your digital solution. And or you can easily transfer it from place to place as part of tip number five, but also a warning overall, don't overthink the fact that digital solutions may own your data or that you're going to lose your data. And that's why you're printing it and you want double and duplicates, I get the fear, I really do. And we're actually going to be talking about this with a mental health expert about that. But as long as you have it in, you know two different plates, like a backup somewhere else, and you don't keep information that's super important, like very important documents like trust in financial statements that you need, as long as you do have a backup for that somewhere else, everything else can pretty much be replicated very easily. And so yes, when I say make sure that you own your data, make sure you have a backup like that is important. That is tip number five, but also don't overthink it. If you haven't done that if you haven't done a backup, that's okay, start now and go from there. And just remember to make sure you're not duplicating the work or wasting energy doing the work twice. When you pick a system that works for you for both your physical and digital needs. It should add value, save you time and in the long run, be something that is making your life easier, not creating more work. And as I mentioned earlier in the episode, this is just the start of the conversation, we will have some experts talking about how to pick the right digital solutions for you. We will also have experts that talk about physical solutions for you.

And then we will also talk about merging the two especially in some fields like the finance field like accounting and finance paperwork that has to do with the numbers. medical documents like what should you keep physically versus what should you keep digitally? What should you keep in both formats and so we will also talk to experts that can guide you towards making the right decisions over those things. I hope you found this subject matter helpful and if you have any questions, feel free to send us a message over at Instagram at the organized Flamingo. Thank you for listening to the organized and productive podcast with the organized Flamingo. If you enjoyed today's episode, I would love it if you'd leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It helps with letting people know that we're here. For full show notes and resources head on over to the organized flamingo.com/podcast Happy organizing.

When you understand the steps to organizing, it makes the process so much easier, more enjoyable, and actually fun! In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the 7 steps to organizing and how you can approach these steps in any order while still seeing results!

The Organized & Productive podcast is brought to you by The Organized Flamingo and hosted by Stephanie Y. Deininger! For those of you who love the thought of organizing & being more productive, but don’t know where to start or constantly up against hurdles that don’t let you advance the way you want to, this podcast is for you!

Apple Podcast App | Spotify

7 Steps to Organizing

There are 7 traditional steps to organizing, but before we dive into those, let’s disclaim a few things. While they are the most traditional for long-term change, you’ll find that different organizers approach them differently—as I share them, you’ll see that I put them in my own order, yet explain that they are interchangeable.

If you find that you need a little more support, I’m here to help guide you! You can always reach out to me for help!

Step 1: Assess

You can approach organizing from so many perspectives, but most organizers will teach you to step back and assess the situation. How much stuff is there and what is the plan? You can easily assess by determining what your end goal is, then working backwards.

The next four steps are interchangeable, yet presented in order of the most common approach.

Step 2: Sort It

When you get to the sorting step, you should be categorizing based on a common feature. Many of us have a natural ability to do this, yet many of us overthink this step with sub-categories. That’s where you can easily get overwhelmed. To avoid this, we encourage generic categories that allow for flexibility.

Step 3: Declutter

The declutter step is also known as the “Let It Go” step. Letting go does not mean it has to be thrown away. It is the action of taking things out of your space that no longer serve you. To remove something completely from your space, you can declutter through donating, selling, or throwing away. Find ways that are fun to you—make the process fast and effective.

Step 4: Designate a Home

To stay organized, your items need a home that they can live in. This doesn’t mean it has to be perfect or pretty, but each item you have needs a place it can be put away in; ex: shelf, bin, etc. This is the fun step of the process where you can get creative!

Step 5: Contain It

While we’re on step 5, many people often start here with contain it: picking what you’ll store items in. Most of the time, you need to know what you need to store before you start purchasing organizers. In this step, you’ll also need to set clear boundaries on the space of the item (and no more).

Similarly to the last 4 steps, the next 2 steps are also interchangeable. 

Step 6: Evaluate

About a week or to after you’ve nailed down your system and let it work for you, it’s time to evaluate! Ask yourself the following:

Did you achieve the original goal you set out to accomplish?

Is it working?
Do I like how it works?

Step 7: Maintain

Once you have a system that works for you, you need to maintain it! This includes check-ins to make sure it is working for you! This helps with habit-building in your organization! If it’s not working, head back to step 1 and access!

Don’t skip any of these steps to get the most out of your organizing process! Happy organizing!