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Browse published articles attributed to Carmen Coker, with full-archive search.
It's back-to-school time! No doubt, if you're a parent, you're ready for a little break after a fun-filled and jam-packed summer. That's because kids will be kids, as the saying goes. Which is one reason that it may seem like organizing kids requires a super-sized miracle! Reese Witherspoon once said that she constantly organized her sock drawer as a child.
When it comes to organization, getting started is half the battle. If you're procrastinating on an organizing project, the key to pushing past the procrastination is to find out what motivates you. If you know your motivators before a wave of procrastination hits, then you'll be prepared to deal with it - head on - as soon as it arrives. So ask yourself, "What makes me want to get things done? To get organized?" In Part 1, we discussed free time, money, and positive energy as catalysts for getting you up and moving.
There are many reasons why people may have trouble purging things, and attachment is one of the most common reasons of all. It's also one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome, especially if that attachment makes us feel good or feel loved. If you are feeling this way, don't be alarmed - this is a completely normal reaction!
I find that, when it comes to organization, getting started is half the battle. If you're procrastinating on an organizing project, the key to pushing past the procrastination is to find out what motivates you. Know your motivators before a wave of procrastination hits, and you'll be prepared to deal with it - head-on - as soon as it arrives. So ask yourself, "What makes me want to get things done?
As we prepare for the New Year, it's a sure bet that somewhere along the way you'll be thinking about goals and resolutions to get your life more organized. To help you get a jump start, I've put together a list of 51 easy and quick ways to get organized and feel more balanced today. Please don't let this number overwhelm you - you don't have to do all 51 at once! Read through the list, prioritize the ones that will give you the best benefit and tackle a handful of those to begin with.
There is an old proverb called “For Want of a Nail” that goes like this: For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of a rider the battle was lost. For want of a battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a nail.
I have to confess, I have a new favorite spot to go shopping. It’s open 24-7, everyone is always friendly and the prices are rock-bottom. Sometimes I even get some pretty great stuff for free! Yes, I’m a big fan of shopping at the app store. This store is an amazingly useful place for those who are looking to make the most of their time.
Are you a Downton Abbey fan? I must admit, I’m a sucker for a good British period drama. There’s something about the architecture, the politics, the fashion, the formalities, the romance, and … the organizing. Yes, you read that right! Although discreet, there are organizing, time management, and productivity themes all throughout the ever-popular television show. Whether you are an avid Downton fan, a fan in passing, or anywhere in between, here are three ways that watching Downton Abbey helps you get organized: 1) Everyone has a job to do.
If you are trying to get organized, close your eyes for just a minute and imagine the moments that make you disorganized. Think through the last day, week, month, or even year(s) of your life … and you’ll see them there, as obvious as the big pile of clutter on your desk. While it’s true that you should set goals to get organized – and stay motivated to see these goals through – it is often easier said than done. It’s almost as if human nature dictates you’ll be enthusiastic to start, but then quick to drop interest as time goes by.
When it comes to tidying up your home, organizing and decluttering aimlessly isn’t enough. It’s essential to organize with one goal in mind, and that is to create a sanctuary where you and your family can easily live, work, and play for years to come. Here are the top five residential “trouble spots” for clutter, and what you can do to organize them. 1) The home office The problem: Overcrowded libraries with books, magazines, and files as well as big electronics like computers, printers, and shredders mean little extra, useable space.
In January of this year, A-list celebrity Hillary Swank announced: “My New Year's resolution is to get rid of some stuff because I bring it in and I can't get rid of it.” If you were like Hillary Swank and you also placed organization on your list of New Year’s resolutions, then you were not alone. “To get organized” was one of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions for 2007, according to about.com and myGoals.com.
"Perfectionism is a paralytic. It’s a powerful venom that causes productivity to die a slow, painful death.” ~ Carmen Coker When tackling a cluttered lifestyle, sometimes it’s not what you need to get that will help, it’s what you need to get rid of. Today we’re going to talk about three common time-wasters – and actions steps that will help you to get them out of your daily routine so that you can enjoy a clutter-free, stress-free life.
Sophie set on the sofa at her friend Maria’s apartment, surveying the surroundings. Everything was so organized! The DVDs were categorized by type and were alphabetized by title. Books were on the shelf by order of height. The coffee table was ado ed with just the right amount of décor, not enough to be considered minimalist and not enough to be cluttered. Sophie sighed aloud. She thought, “I would love to be as organized as Maria! But this looks like too much effort to keep it together.
An old Chinese proverb declares that “the palest ink is better than the best memory.” And there’s a good reason for it! Relying on your memory can be tricky business. When you think about the fact that: You get exposed to more information in one day than a well-educated individual living in the 18th century encountered in a lifetime. You have up to 80,000 thoughts a day. You are bombarded with 4,000 messages daily in your environment. It’s no wonder that you forget things!
Sometimes, it’s the simplest of things that can have the biggest impact on our lives. I know in my own life, in this fast-paced world we live in, it seems like there is never a time when something isn’t disorganized and out of place. Our homes, our cars, our offices, even our computers – they all have stacks, piles, bags and bits sitting around and cluttering things up with stuff that doesn’t belong.
You’re sure to find a perfectly organized home when you open up any magazine. And those pictures make you think: Man, I wish my house looked like that! Of course, the ideal home doesn’t have to be in a book, in a magazine, or on TV. You may need to look no further than your next door neighbor or your own family to find the poster child for neat freak-i-ness. And that person makes you think: Man, I wish my house looked like theirs!
"Email is a system that delivers other people’s priorities to your attention. It’s up to you to decide when that priority should be managed into your world. It’s not the other way around.” ~ Chris Brogan There was a time when I would sit down in the morning to open my email and I would cringe a little, afraid to look at all the new messages piling into my Inbox already crammed full of messages I hadn’t yet had the time, or courage, to get to.
Can you imagine the holidays without either throwing a party or attending one? It seems that this time of year just wouldn’t be complete without several get-togethers – or more! Which is why it’s only appropriate to discuss how you can host your own holiday bash in an oh-so organized fashion: I’ve taken a good look at the do’s and don’ts of party planning and broken it down into the few essentials you need to master for a super soiree. And included easy organizing tips to ensure your party is declared the event of the year!
Every single year, getting organized holds a solid place of honor among most people's top 10 New Year's resolutions. At the start of every January, millions of people around the world resolve that this year is the year that they will finally get organized. But by the end of that month, many of those same people are running out of steam as they give up hope of reaching their organizing goals.
So you recently made a New Year's Resolution "to get organized." Well, you're in good company! Organization is always a popular top 10 resolution every year. But now that you've set the organizing goal, how do you successfully negotiate the ins and outs of accomplishing it? Sometimes getting started is the hardest part but all you really need is motivation and a plan. Here are 4 tips to do just that. (1) Have a plan. Don't say: My goal is to get organized. Do say: I want to better manage my time. -Or- I want to tidy up my closet. -Or- I want to organize my estate.