Help Students Organize by Prioritizing

Clients and friends have approached me this week about their concerns for children leaving for college. They are understandably proud of their children’s achievements but worry that they won’t be able to handle the demands of college life.

“How do you tell them what they need to do, when they won’t listen?” one father asked.

I think the answer is you don’t tell them. You show them, and you give them the tools to handle stuff as it comes up. The basics of deciding what is most important and managing time are two of the most useful skills for college students-as a matter of fact, for anyone at anytime of life. Skill building can start as early as two-years-old, with parents offering choices and praising good decisions. The longer you have to practice the skill, the easier and more intuitive it becomes

Older folks can exercise some discipline and implement a few tricks to keep them on track. One of my favorites to impart to students (and clients) can be remembered by saying, “Let problems arise; I’m ready.” The first letter of each word reminds the student of the steps to take when trying to balance a lot of priorities or even when needing to complete a project.

The letter “L” stands for list. List everything you need to do.

The letter “P” stands for prioritize. Priorities are a very personal thing and reflect what is most important to the individual. They change with circumstances. New college students want to get settled in their living space, learn their way around campus, meet new friends, line up classes, get books and learning tools, before settling down to getting good grades and finding where they fit in. One of the most challenging things is finding the time to get things done while meeting schedules and deadlines. This step requires some deep thinking, so each person can set up a system that really reflects what he/she wants to accomplish. Most priority setting involves striking a balance between what I have to do and what I want to do.

The letter “A” stands for assign a priority number. Give each item on the list a number for importance. If dealing with a timeline, 1 might be “needs to get done this week.” 2 might be “needs to be done this month”, and 3 might be “needs to get done when I have time.” Priorities do not have to be time related, but this is one of the biggest challenges for students.

The letter “I” stands for integrate new tasks. It would be nice if nothing else came up from the time we set priorities until the time we accomplished them, but that is not the way it happens in the real world. New tasks get assigned, invitations are extended and neat opportunities arise. They should be added to the list and given a priority status.

The letter “R” stands for re-evaluate. This should be done at least weekly to make sure you are getting things done as you need to, and to see if your priorities have changed and need to be re-aligned.

Initial implementation of this system may take a couple of hours, but using it routinely takes only a few minutes a day. It fits nicely in a portable electronic device and it really does keep you on track. I haven’t been a student for a long time, but this worked for me through eighteen years of education and I still use it today to balance personal and business demands.

Maybe the entering college student could give the system a try as they get ready to leave home for the campus. That preparation is a great test for getting things done in a specific timeframe- and family is right there to help and support.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Faux Organizing

What do you do when you have just recovered from a bout of illness, clutter has gotten out of hand, AND you are expecting guests for dinner? How about some faux organizing accompanied by some light topical cleaning?

Faux organizing is the term we use for making a defined space look like it is not cluttered, even though there may be lots of chaos under the surface. The way to achieve it is to contain, cover and stow.

Contain those things that are scattered all over the place. For instance, mail my have accumulated on a counter and can be put in a basket on a shelf until after the party. Kids’ toys can be put in a plastic bin in the corner of the family room. Wayward plants can be grouped on a tray.

Cover by shutting all cabinet doors; place other loose items like cosmetics, jewelry, and other miscellaneous items in attractive stackable boxes.

Stow larger items in a closet or room that will not be seen by the guests. I have never met anyone who did not have a secret space they occasionally used for this purpose.

Then, do some basic cleaning. Make sure to dust surfaces and, if necessary, vacuum floors in the rooms that will be used for the gathering. Invest some time in thoroughly cleaning surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom. Sanitize the sinks and toilet bowls.

This routine takes about an hour to complete in an average house. The real trick is to recognize it for what it is—an emergency measure. When the guests leave and your energy returns, take the time to do it right, and find the right system to manage the mail, the toys and whatever else you had to hide.

A space that stays really organized is always easier to put back in order after brief lapses.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Manage Time

February is Time Management Month. Good grief! Where did the time go? I think it is fitting that time management is celebrated during the shortest month of the year. It is hard enough to get the bills paid and fit in everything that has to be done by the first of the next month when we have a full thirty-one days to do it. But February challenges us to get it done with fewer days--- and we usually squeak by.

Most of us do it by using time management tools. We use these things without even thinking about it. They have become ingrained in our everyday lives to such an extent that we do not even think of them as time management devices. Here are the most helpful time management tools as identified by 200 people in a national survey.

A monthly calendar. Most successful people use a manual or digital calendar that lists appointments and important things to accomplish.

A to-do list. Keeping a list of what is to be accomplished is a good way to keep things from slipping through the cracks. Highly successful people list a date to accomplish the task and often allocate time on their calendar.

Prioritizing. Life becomes overwhelming unless the most important tasks get handled first. Many people have trouble prioritizing. If you are one of them, try this 1-2-3 method. Ask yourself which of the items will result in a bad consequence if it is not handled today. Put a 1 next to those items. Which items will result in a bad consequence if it is not done in the next three days? Put a 2 next to those items. What items will result in a problem if not done in the next week? Put a 3 next to those items. Now tackle the items marked 1 first, 2 second and so on.

Most folks find using just these simple tools allows them to adequately manage time.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitons.net

Organize Mounds of Magazines and Collections of Catalogues

Magazines and catalogues are good things. They give me hours of pleasure. We actually use them in our work to show clients products that will help with organization. The challenge is to keep them from taking over the house.

Here are a few tip to help you keep magazines, catalogues and, (for you crafters) pattern books organized.

• Keep them close to where you use them. If you peruse catalogues while you watch television, keep them close to your viewing perch. If you use them in your work, store them on a shelf near your workstation. If you like to read them in the bathroom, spring for a bathroom magazine rack. This will minimize the opportunity to mislay them somewhere in route from where they are kept to where they are used.

• Keep them contained. You can choose a lot of different magazine racks, boxes and other containers. Some of our favorites are the ultra-clear magazine boxes at www.containerstore.com and the desk magazine files at www.ikea-usa.com. Ikea also has baskets that hook on underneath a shelf that are great for pattern books when you are working on a project. To get an idea of the variety of magazine holders available, log on to www.magazineracks.com. They have great ideas for wall-hanging, free standing and traditional varieties. One of the ways we organize the catalogues we use in our work is to gather them in large three-ring binders using 3 ring catalogue/magazine organizers. These handy tools snap into the binder and allow you to slide the magazines over them for easy access. Also consider using other containers like flat baskets, copper ham boilers or pretty wooden boxes you may have around the house.

• Keep them accessible. If you store your pretty box on a closet shelf, the catalogues and magazines will get old and probably unread. Keep them out, but keep them neat.

• Keep them current. When you get a new catalogue, throw out the old one. Magazines are a little harder to get rid of when they have a great article, suggestion or recipe you want to hold on to. Clip out the article and save it in a file or notebook and discard the magazine. If it is hard for you to get rid of perfectly good reading material, donate current magazines to nursing homes, clinics or prisons.
  
  Happy reading in an uncluttered house and office.
  
  Beverly & Kristen
  www.KeyTransitions.net

Changes and Choices

While still trying to cope with the change to Daylight Savings Time, Virginians elected a new governor. Maybe the poor voter turn out was due to the time change. Maybe it was apathy. Maybe it was a feeling that a single vote would not make a difference. Whatever the reason, individual choices about whether or not to go to the polls affected the choice of governor.

What does that have to do with organizing? Just like election results, slipping into a disorganized lifestyle is the results of a lot of little choices. Choices like:
I won’t go through the mail because I’m too tired.
I will leave the shoes in the middle of the hallway because I don’t want to go upstairs right now.
I will buy this blouse on sale even though it goes with nothing I have and won’t fit in my closet.
Enough of these choices and you have a cluttered space.

Getting organized is also a series of choices. Choices like:
I will set one day a week to go through my mail and stick to it.
I will put a shoe storage bench in the hallway so I don’t have to go upstairs every time I remove my shoes.
I will not buy an item of clothing unless I know what it goes with and when I am going to wear it.
Enough of these choices and you stop the cluttering behavior.

You still have to clean up the messes you made and put systems in place to keep things straight. But making that choice will bring about a change that will give you more time and a better outlook. Get help, if you need it, to get started. Call an organized friend or a professional organizer. That’s a choice that will bring change for a better life.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Personal Medical Information

October is “Organize Your Medical Information Month”. This is the month folks are encouraged to gather their medical histories and pertinent medical information into one comprehensive record that provides a basis for decision making for themselves, their family and the medical professionals who deliver care to them.

Years ago, the family doctor knew your medical history and the medicine you were taking because he (or she) had often treated your family members and certainly was aware of your care through his own practice or his careful coordination with specialists to whom he referred his patients.

Things have changed. A variety of medications are available over the counter, many people take dietary supplements and access specialty and preventive care without referral. Screenings offered in the community, flu shots offered at pharmacies and grocery stores sometimes do not make it to central medical files. Care gets further fragmented if hospital care or rehabilitation is required.

So, in October, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) suggests you pull all that information together. This non-profit group has a website at http://www.myphr.com/ that has a listing of common information and reports contained in a health record and step-by-step instructions for organizing your health information.

Having your information organized allows you to make better decisions about your continuing healthcare, avoid duplicate tests and get faster, more effective care in an emergency.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Sports Balls

Baseballs, soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs and just plain bouncy balls give hours of pleasure to children of all ages. They can also be a problem to store where they are easily accessible and do not pose a safety hazard to folks trying to walk through the garage, the playroom or wherever they are kept. Large plastic storage tubs and colorful trash cans will serve to corral the balls, but a more organized approach is to store the balls with other equipment necessary to play the game. Here are a few alternatives that may offer some inspiration for getting your sport balls in order.

The Rubbermaid Sportsgear Organizer measures 36”x38”x18” and can hold a variety of balls, mitts, gloves and shoes. The International Sports Organizer with Bench is 36” long, has a sturdy wire bottom that allows ventilation and a cushioned bench on top that allows the athlete to sit and adjust equipment. It is made just like a toy chest, so it accommodates a lot of items and works for kids who just throw everything into a pile.

One of my favorite products is the Ball Claw, available at Target’s. It is an adjustable plastic claw that will hold footballs, basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls. It comes in a wall-mountable style or with a strap so that it can be attached to a hook system or sport tote. This works well if you use a duffel bag to hold equipment for each sport your family members play. A particularly good organizing bag for baseball and bats is the Mizano Organizing bag with wheels. Specialty storage items for most sports can be found at http://www.ssw.com/.

If you would like to try your hand at building a sports ball and equipment storage center yourself, an excellent example can be found at http://www.diynetwork.com/.

Even if all your ball games do not end in victory, may you have fun playing them.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize a Car Trunk

I have not driven a car with a trunk for eighteen years. So last week, when I was forced to drive a loaner while I waited for my wheels, I again became acquainted with the challenges of transporting things in a car trunk. I had forgotten how limited the space is and how the interior is so rigidly defined. There is no way to stack a little higher or move a seat further up to accommodate items that need just a silly millimeter more room. That started me thinking about when I did have a car with a trunk, two children with lots of school activities and a full time job that required having information with me while I traveled to various locations. That is not to mention beach chairs, sports equipment and my husband’s photography equipment and various scouting projects. I recall a few tricks that helped me find what I needed and keep all the members of the family on speaking terms as we shared trunk space.

First make room for things that keep you safe. A good spare tire or driving ring and a roadside emergency kit are essentials. Many cars have special compartments for these items. No matter how tempted you are to put something else in these spaces, don’t. An acquaintance, who had a band, emptied everything out of his trunk to carry his music equipment and was a bit miffed when he broke down on his way to a gig and had no way to change a tire and no tire to change. Better to arrive safe and late than not at all.

When deciding what to keep in the trunk, categorize and separate. Use large zip-lock bags, cloth bags or plastic containers to hold like things and label them so they are easily identifiable.

Keep sports equipment and gym clothes in separate containers with odor eater charcoal bags.

Keep a couple of collapsible totes for special transport of things like groceries and school projects.

When carting beach chairs or beach toys, wrap them in a large sheet or blanket. Remove the whole packet from the car when you return home and shake out the covering. This will keep sand out of the trunk.

Fitting things in a trunk is often like putting a puzzle together. The pieces only fit one way, so put things back where they came from. Easier said than done, but something to which we can aspire.

I am no longer struggling with fitting things in a trunk, but with the trend leaning to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, I might have that challenge in my future. I remember what works and I think I’m ready…. Although hauling furniture from estate sales will still be a problem.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize an Emergency Pack

September 2009 is the sixth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) sponsored by the Ready Campaign. It is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage individuals, businesses and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies of all kinds. The campaign encourages folks to get a kit, make a plan and stay informed.

National agencies like the Red Cross and the Center for Disease Control, big companies like Wal-Mart and Target, and small businesses like Key Transitions join a coalition to promote national readiness in case of emergency. As coalition members we commit to establish preparedness in our own companies and to reach out to the community. Information about the coalition and detailed information about what you need to do in case of emergency can be found at www.ready.gov.

Last year our company worked with small businesses to get ready for emergencies. This year, we are working with senior adults in independent living situations. One of the concerns of this population is how to put together a “to go” emergency pack that meets their needs and is light enough for them to manage.

Here are a few things for everyone, especially older adults, to consider as they stock their “to go” emergency pack.

Choose a container for your kit that is lightweight and that you can manage. One of our favorites is a fabric insulated cooler on wheels with external pockets that we picked up in the sports section of Wal-Mart. It has a telescopic handle and rolls easily. Another alternative is to buy the ready-made backpack kit from www.redcross.org. It costs about $75 with shipping and weighs about 12 pounds.

Carry adequate water. Try creating water packs by putting water in a one-gallon bag and double sealing by putting it upside down in another plastic bag. Supplement the packs with individual serving bottles of water. Juice and other liquids also aid hydration.

Choose foods that are individually packed and are in lightweight containers. Peanut butter in individual plastic containers and tuna in foil pouches rather than cans are some examples. Remember to pay attention to dietary restrictions when selecting foods and choose products with extended expiration dates.

Pack tools to assist you in opening the containers you pack. If you cannot grip and operate a manual can opener consider packing a one-step battery operated model. Don’t forget to pack extra batteries. If necessary, include scissors for opening zip lock bags that won’t cooperate and include a marker to date the items when you open them.

Keep a list of important contacts in the pack. Include family and friends you want to notify as well as important providers like oxygen companies or transportation vendors.

Keep important documents ready to go. A list of important documents to consider can be found at www.ready.gov. If you scan documents to disc for easy transportation, remember to label it in ways that obscure its true content.

Remember your medications and dosing tools like syringes, medicine droppers and applicators. Also include things you need to keep your necessary medical supplies functioning-like batteries for hearing aids and repair kits for dentures and glasses.

The Red Cross (www.redcross.org) and other coalition sites have lists for emergency pack contents, outlines for communication plans and suggestions for staying informed. Have a look and make it a priority to “Get Ready Now”.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Car Interior

According to the Associated Press, 700,000 of us have new cars thanks to the “Cash for Clunkers” stimulus program. That’s really a small percentage of the sixty-two million registered cars in the United States. I wonder how neat the old cars are and how long the new models will remain in their pristine, uncluttered condition. It only takes a few hours of driving to trash the interior of a car, especially with a little help from family and friends.

If you have a new or uncluttered car, keep it that way by having a place for the things you use most frequently and a convenient place to dispose of trash.

If you have a car that could use a little cleaning up, here are some hints for organizing the interior.

Sort: Remove all the clutter from the car. Throw away the trash and then separate the contents into four piles: things I use all the time, things I use occasionally, things I use in an emergency, and things that do not belong in my car.

Identify a home for each category: Things you use all the time should be where you can easily reach them. If they are items that are frequently used by passengers, (like older children in the backseat) they should be where the passenger can access them easily without you being distracted from driving. Things that are used occasionally can be stored in the trunk or under the seat. Emergency gear requires some thought for placement. A multi-tool for slashing seatbelts and breaking glass needs to be readily accessible. Road flares and tire changing tools can reside in the trunk

Contain the items: Everything cannot fit in the glove compartment and the door pockets. Save those spaces for your maps, car information, registration and insurance documents. If you need some solutions for storing sun classes, work essentials and other items, look for containment aids at sites like www.solutions.com, www.ebags.com and www.drivingcomfort.com.

Keep non-essentials out of the car: That includes trash, so keep a receptacle for trash disposal in the front and back seat. Also keep a collapsible container or trash bag to routinely haul out those items that do not belong in the car. Once a week tidy up, empty the trash, and make sure you items are where you want them to be.

Follow these steps and your new car will stay uncluttered and your old car will look more like new.

Beverly & Kristen
www.keytransitions.net

Organize a First Aid Kit for Summer

It is officially summertime.

That means most of us will be spending more time in the great outdoors. In spite of our best efforts, it sometimes becomes the great Ouch!doors. Bumps, bruises, stings and scrapes happen.

Now is good time to review first aid supplies and update the first aid kit. Suggestions for a basic first aid kit can be found at www.redcross.org. Add an extra chemical ice bag, an insect bite remedy, and a soothing lotion for sunburn. Review the contents of the kit to make sure that the expiration dates on the products have not expired. It is a good idea to have a first aid kit in the house and in the car. That way supplies are close at hand when they are needed. When accidents happen it is comforting to know you are ready to handle them quickly.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organizing the Man Cave

Three guys showed me their man caves this week. One was in a finished room over the garage, one was in the garage and one was in the corner of an airplane hanger. These were three really different spaces that served very different purposes and each reflected the personality of its owner.

Two of the guys actually wanted some advice on how to better utilize the space and make room for their favorite past times. Even a man cave needs a sense of order and the tools to support having fun however the man cave dweller defines it.

One of my friends shared with me his belief that every man cave should start with used furniture and state of the art equipment. He does not want to be worried about putting his feet up on the coffee table or getting stains on the furniture. He does want cold drinks and snacks nearby as he watches sports with his friends on a wide screen television. His wife likes the idea that his friends are not cluttering up the family living space but she deplores the shabby and slovenly appearance of the room. Here is how we solved their differences and came up with a space that both of them love.

First, we took a good hard look at the dimensions of the room measuring twelve feet by fourteen feet with a garage door opening. Next we wrote down the activities the dweller planned for the room. Then we divided the space into zones that included media center, workbench and tools, cards and games, food and drink preparation and miscellaneous storage.

As we placed the contents of the room into these areas, we created storage space on the walls with the use of hangers and shelves. They bought inexpensive storage boxes and ottomans that double as extra seating and covered the mismatched furniture with stain-resistant coordinating slipcovers in masculine colors. Trashcans were placed in the food preparation area, the media area and the game area, and the workbench area. A plastic tub was included in the food prep area to place used dishes that need to be hauled to the kitchen. They even put a patio rug on the floor. The cave dweller promised to take it outside and hose it down occasionally.

The room looked so good the cave dweller warned his mate not to try to hold her book club in his space.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Essential Documents

The National Association of Professional Organizers reports that most people identify paper as their biggest organizing problem. The most daunting task is knowing where to start.

Consider dividing your paper problem into categories. Some suggested topics are current mail, bills, correspondence, essential documents. Then decide how you will separate each major category into smaller segments that will allow you to file the documents as they come in, act on them in a timely manner, then archive them for an appropriate amount of time.

Give special consideration to essential documents-those records that you might need for emergency, legal or financial consideration. These documents need to be safeguarded in a waterproof, fireproof safe that can be removed from the home if there is some type of emergency that requires evacuation. Some folks keep these documents in safety deposit boxes in banks. If that is your choice, you should consider keeping copies safeguarded at home so you can easily access them if, for some reason, the bank is not open to you. That scenario happened recently in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. With copies you can at least transact business and obtain substitute originals from the source if necessary.

Here are a few essential documents to include in your emergency file:

Documents that deal with identification like birth certificates, Social Security cards, adoption orders, citizenship papers, marriage certificates and divorce/separation papers.

Documents that deal with insurance like life and health insurance policies including dental and disability, home owners or renters insurance policies, automobile and boat insurance policies and umbrella insurance policies.

Documents that deal with personal and business finance including checking and savings account information, investment accounts, titles and deeds to real estate and other personal property such as cars and boats, stock and bond certificates, and loan agreements.

Estate planning documents including will and trust documents and durable power of attorney for health and finance.

Pulling these important documents together and filing them in a safe place is a good start to organizing paper.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net