Organize 365 Podcast

In this episode, I introduce you to Allie H. Allie is a busy lady being an Assistant Professor, pursuing her PhD, taking care of her four children (currently ages 9,7,5,2), and being married to her supportive husband. Allie wanted to change her negative self talk about her home and her life. She’d been following Sarah Hart Unger’s blog and she talked about me and Organize 365®. Allie first found Organize 365® through the podcast. What Allie found in listening to the podcast was organizational advice that was applicable in our busy lives, but also about how to have a positive mindset. She loved that when she finished each episode there was an actionable task. This was specifically helpful as Allie transitioned from young adult to her own, more mature, family.  Since she’d been listening to the podcast, when she got her Sunday Basket® she knew what the colored slash pockets were for. She used pink to dream and much to my suprise, after just having her 4th child and getting ready to return to work, she threw in “Learn Italian.” I guess leading by example I have taught you people well to dream! I shared that I love travel and looking back to 2015 it was a dream of mine then that is now starting to come true. And Allie knew it may not be right away, but she dreamed of learning Italian because she is Italian. Also, this goes to show the capacity that is in all of us. Allie pointed out that when we dream and then fulfill those dreams, we are filling up our cups to keep pouring into our families and careers.  Allie made a makeshift Financial Binder and put all the important papers in there. When she needed her son Henry’s birth certificate, she knew right where to look. She expressed how much time the products and systems save her as well as her cognitive load. And at work she uses her Friday Workbox® to keep all documentation of her accomplishments for the year because the university she teaches at requires that. It’s also a safe holding place for her CEU’s and other certificates. Her students know of it, too. When they finish a lab with results, they suggest placing it in the Friday Workbox® to have for the next time they do that lab or a similar one. Allie pointed out that due to the size of the Friday Workbox®, it’s easy to leave at work or bring home and it keeps her from retaining too much paper. With Allie being successful in her career, a thriving family, her lack of negative self talk, and two hours free most nights, it prompted a conversation about capacity. We are told this lie that you can’t have it all and do it all well. But we humans have so much capacity when systems are in place. Don’t feel bad for wanting more; we can do more than we think! Allie, being a teacher, is home for the summers. Allie shared that this summer she made a checklist of activities so next summer she’s not starting from scratch with ideas to entertain her four children. And I slipped in a couple of little tips. Once I complete taxes or fill out school paperwork for my children, I always ask myself, “Am I going to have to do this again?” If the answer is yes, I make copies of the filled in paperwork or I make a checklist for ease next time. Also for ease, I make a note to myself when running errands or traveling if I need to put more diapers in the diaper bag or fill up the shampoo. That way when I get home, I fill up whatever it was and then I’m set for the next time I travel.  Allie’s advice is, “Listen to the podcast, take it in, and decide what are a few things you can implement. Also progress over perfection. We don’t need to be perfect, but nice and good people that are happy.” Often times we get to see the after but we don’t see the “doing.”  It’s in the doing part we get to functional organization, not picture perfect, which results in confidence and happiness. EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Paper Solution® Friday Workbox® Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Explore the journey to achieving 110% in household organization! Discover how to refine your systems and optimize spaces for efficiency. The importance of creating cadences for paperwork management shines a light on organization techniques like binders and Sunday baskets. Tips for meal prepping to support health goals are shared, alongside the benefits of hiring help for deep cleaning. Embrace progress over perfection as you tackle summer projects with renewed energy and systematic ease!

In this episode, I introduce you to Mechelle, married and mother of two. Mechelle found Organize 365® in 2019 through the podcast. One day while on a walk with her friends, she asked “Do any of you know someone who talks about running their home like a business?” She’d been looking for a podcast and then she fell in love with yours truly. She loves all the support and positivity. Mechelle said she starts almost everyday listening to something from our social media or the podcast. She listened for a while and then started investing in products. She nailed down which products she wanted to purchase after a call with Emily. Mechelle has systems in place that are helping her to run her home like a business. So it doesn’t throw her off to have unexpected company - she’s comfortable with the functionality of her home, she knows it does not need to look “showing ready” at all times. Mechelle appreciates the podcast so much because she said her husband Aaron is very much like me. One day on a cruise ship he got an idea. Hours off of the boat he’s showing a mock up drawing of the tool. And days later he had a physical product in his hands. It wasn’t in the marketplace so he made sure it was.  Stop dusting and start inventing! As women we are told we can’t have it all - you can’t have work life balance. Yes, you can! We need to refocus the priorities. You don’t actually need to dust every week! We are also told we need to have our houses kept to unrealistic standards. With the right systems in place you can increase capacity to get more done. And when you are getting more done, you just may realize new products that you’d like to have that aren’t in the marketplace. That’s the time to invent it! We laughed over Organize 365® and the requests we have made to software designers, eyebrows we have raised, and products that have been invented to aid in these systems that make us so productive. We, the Organize 365® community, are almost collaboratively working towards this handbook for the home.  It took Mechelle about 2-3 years to effectively be using the systems. The first round was like a baby walking. When they fall down, we laugh with them and encourage them to keep going. She gave herself grace and just kept going. The second round she was able to put planning day into action. She kept listening to the podcast and growing. She’s put effort into areas of her life like health, creativity, spirituality, relationships and currency. She’s gained the perspective of spending her time like her money which has resulted in capacity, energy, and freedom. The dailiness of our homes is a never ending story with responsibilities shifting due to our phase of life. Remember I. in S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S. is (I)terative. You just have to keep each space functional for the phase of life you are in. And Mechelle has been doing that. Mechelle’s advice is, “Listen to the podcast and see what speaks to your heart, then reach out to customer service and discuss goals, and then start with the Sunday Basket® (out of head and onto paper). ”  EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Productive Home Solution® Home Planning Day The Paper Solution® Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Discover the power of keeping momentum in household organization tasks with practical tips and personal anecdotes. Learn how to define 'smarty goals' that focus on functionality over mere aesthetics. Explore strategies for transitioning from reactive to proactive organization, especially in personal and kitchen spaces. Gain insights on managing paperwork efficiently and revamping your pantry for better health. Small, consistent efforts lead to significant changes, making your life more organized and intentional.

In this episode, we are joined once again by the fabulous Rhonda H. You may remember Rhonda from last year on the podcast; she has been part of the community for a long time. Rhonda will be working with us in the fall with the Homeschool Friday Workbox®. Rhonda has every Organize 365® product you can imagine and recently she decided to do Embrace again.  The first time Rhonda did Embrace was in 2022. Due to life circumstances, she couldn’t take action on much and her family still very much needed her. She would watch the videos before bed and write a few things down. It was at this time that she decided to get The Paper Solution® Certification. She went on a feeling of knowing that’s what she wanted to do, but didn’t know the “how” yet. It was a small step she could take in the direction she wanted to go. It was important for Rhonda not to be discouraged by the stage of life she was in, rather to take small steps towards who she wanted to become.  THIS time though…Rhonda has been able to take a much deeper dive!  She’s attentively listening, taking notes, reflecting, and collaborating with other women from the community. It started with her and two other ladies that got certified at the same time as Rhonda. When others in the Organize 365® community heard what they were doing, they asked to join. Of course, Rhonda and the other ladies were happy to invite them in. As women, the complexities of our lives are constantly changing. Embrace gives you a chance to stop and think about where you are now and where you want to go. Be in community and learn from each other who may have faced the same challenges or phases of life and encourage one another as we all figure out our next steps. The Embrace experience is like middle school camp. There’s costumes, music, but most importantly, a lesson wrapped into each video. There are thought-provoking ideas for you to think about and explore. What roles can you not be replaced in? What do you want? What are the skills you have acquired over life? What are you uniquely created to do? Who do you want to be? It’s a progressive program that helps you to dream and then reel it back based on real life limitations. It continues to stretch you to dream and realize how that could all play out in the long run. It’s healthy empowerment, dreaming with a little tough love and reality. And if this is the meaty project you took on this summer or if you do Embrace, go listen to the playlist on Spotify. Keep it top of mind while you are driving and ponder that question of “What do you want?” This is a perfect reason to get a hotel room for a night or two and really take time for you; undistracted time to think and reflect and really dig into you can make a plan for your next chapter. Rhonda’s advice is, “Do Embrace even if you are repeating it. Get the fun add on’s and get a group together. You will get more out of it because you are in a different phase of life than you were the last time you did it!”  EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® Embrace Self-Guided Retreat The Paper Solution® Certification Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Visualize your household projects before starting, like organizing paper and optimizing your health journey. Get tips on managing projects effectively at home, from setting priorities to minimizing interruptions. Learn practical household organization tips, budgeting advice, and time management strategies.

Now that you know all about Annie, it’s time to learn about her Teacher Pilot. Annie was part of the Teacher Friday Workbox® Mastermind. And she had lots of ideas. So when I put feelers out to see who wanted to run a pilot, Annie raised her hand high. Annie had been using the Teacher Friday Workbox® and she wasn’t shy about it. When Annie’s school hosted a “choose your own adventure” personal development day, Annie offered to teach about organization and the Teacher Friday Workbox®. From there, interest grew and we were able to narrow down our pilot participants.  I think everyone is in agreement that while massages are nice, to give yourself peace of mind and ease at work feels more like self care! I went on a little sidebar about self care. Self care is such a buzz word among Annie and her peers. But what actually provides long lasting self care? You know, child care and elder care is noted because someone else has to administer that care. But self care, you are the one administering it and it too needs to be done daily. But it’s invisible. Self care is not “in addition to,” but it should be baseline - like we all need daily self care! The lucky kindergarten and 5th grade teachers would be the grades piloting implementing the Teacher Friday Workbox®. And one of Annie’s 4th grade teachers got to sneak into the program too. At the beginning of the pilot, Annie asked each participant to give 10 sentences about how they felt about their current organization and hopes of the program. They got training on how to set up the box and systems. Annie offered additional training throughout the year and during one of their personal development days, she offered for them to see how she had her Teacher Friday Workbox® set up. Annie asked for feedback in February too so she could see their progress. They all said that was extremely helpful. As we saw in Jayme’s pilot, each teacher implemented the Teacher Friday Workbox® in different ways. The teachers all want to stay in the pilot and continue to report their wins. Annie noticed it took her three years to hit that sweet spot and she assumes it will for her colleagues too. The overall feedback though was gratitude for this solution. They are excited, even asking for training over summer. Annie agreed and reminded them they also get to attend Teacher Camp coming up in July!!  Let’s face it: Teachers are not digital and we need to offer non-digital solutions to promote teacher retention. I know this is a big ask. But at the end of the day when we meet the needs of our teachers, they will meet the needs of our students. When you move forward with the Teacher Friday Workbox® for your teachers, make sure to provide time for them to effectively learn how to use the Teacher Friday Workbox® and customize it for their classrooms. EPISODE RESOURCES: Teacher Friday Workbox® Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

In this podcast, they discuss decluttering and preparing for household projects, including tips on donating unwanted items, buying supplies in advance, and setting aside time on your calendar. They also touch on organizing classrooms for teachers and the importance of strategic planning for successful projects.

I’m so excited to share another educator that is helping other teachers learn about organization for retention and enjoyment in their educational careers. Annie discovered Organize 365® in 2019 through the podcast. Annie comes from a long line of paper pilers. She prides herself on how organized she was in college but once she got married and settled an estate, she too started paper piles everywhere. She loved the idea of the Sunday Basket® and made one of her own; that lasted 8 weeks. And 2 short weeks later, she was all access! What we noted from her listening to the podcast before having the products, it’s like you have the time to let the information sink in. You build the habit before making any purchases. This is so common with our podcast listeners. Annie and I agreed how the paper can get out of control when you add others into your life. She spoke to the passing of her mom. Her mom knew where stuff was, but once she had passed her father did not. And the great man that her father was, he too was a fan of paper. He never owned a computer during the time of running his business so you can imagine all the paper Annie got to organize! Annie spoke to the benefits of the Financial Binder and while we agree it’s a little morbid to put together, it’s an act of love you can give to someone who may have to settle your affairs once you are gone. If you too struggle with asking, you can use my famous line “100 years from now, If I needed this…” Annie is thankful for the time she has gotten to focus on her side career. She is a professional organizer, too. A lot of times people learn to organize for themselves and can’t help but to want to share it with others. Annie was perfectly content in her teaching career and life but couldn’t help organizing people on the side. She is so rewarded seeing other adults gain confidence through organization.  She can also see how all the small changes she’s made over the years have added up to big changes in her marriage and home. She can remember when she got down to just one junk drawer and got rid of bags of her clothes. Now when she goes into her closet, all of her clothes feel good to her. That was when she realized she was organized! She wishes she would have implemented progress over perfection from the beginning. Annie likes things to be perfect, but she now has an appreciation for moving forward instead of being stuck in analysis paralysis.  We talked about what seems to be 3 year blocks of time; about 3 years to get organized, about 3 years to focus on your health, and about 3 years to set goals and understand how to tackle them. And then watch out world - they become unstoppable! Organization and your next project are waiting for you, too. If you are hesitant, I want you to ask yourself, “If not me, then who?” And “If not now, then when?” EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Paper Solution® Financial Binder The Paper Solution® Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Discover innovative goal-setting with the new SMARTIES method, designed for home projects. Learn how to navigate emotional clutter, especially in children's rooms, while helping them prioritize belongings. The importance of creating functional spaces for kids is discussed, emphasizing enjoyable summer projects. The episode also tackles reimagining communal spaces to reflect family dynamics, ensuring that organizing efforts lead to lasting changes. Get inspired to tackle meaty summer projects that truly enhance your home!