

Organize 365 Podcast
Lisa Woodruff
Lisa Woodruff is a home organization expert, productivity specialist, and author of multiple books including The Paper Solution.
Lisa's research-based teaching shines a light on the invisible work being done at home and in the workplace. Lisa's sensible and doable organizing tasks appeal to multiple generations. Her candor and relatable style make you feel she is right there beside you, helping you get organized as you laugh and cry together.
Lisa believes organization is not a skill you are born with. It is a skill that is developed over time and changes with each season of life. Lisa has helped thousands of women reclaim their homes and finally get organized with her practical tips, encouragement, and humor through her blog and podcast at Organize365.com.
Lisa's research-based teaching shines a light on the invisible work being done at home and in the workplace. Lisa's sensible and doable organizing tasks appeal to multiple generations. Her candor and relatable style make you feel she is right there beside you, helping you get organized as you laugh and cry together.
Lisa believes organization is not a skill you are born with. It is a skill that is developed over time and changes with each season of life. Lisa has helped thousands of women reclaim their homes and finally get organized with her practical tips, encouragement, and humor through her blog and podcast at Organize365.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 3, 2023 • 48min
335 - The Lisa Glossary Part 3: From Overwhelm to a Plan
See the full blog post at: overwhelm-to-plan-organize-365-story-part3 This is part three of a series sharing the Organize 365® Story. This week, I want to talk with you about what happens as we move from one phase to the next. Typically, we get overwhelmed, feel like we are living in chaos, and struggle to have a plan. We struggle to keep pace with the new change while we are trying to learn a new level of organization, and the transition takes longer than we expect. As things get moving faster and you begin to feel overwhelmed, the way to regain clarity and be able to adjust from being reactive to productivity is the Sunday Basket®. This week, I want to share the details of the Sunday Basket® to help the Organize 365® community to have a shared vocabulary and foundational language. No matter when you begin your transformational journey (or when you need to reset or restart), this information will be here as a reference for you. Listen in as I teach you about how I think about how we get our homes organized. These ideas are at the core of everything I teach and how I approach organizing and will help you take those first steps towards learning the skills of organization. This episode is a part of the Organize 365® Glossary Playlist. Listen to other episodes on the Glossary Playlist here.

Jan 2, 2023 • 39min
334 - The Lisa Glossary Part 2: Discovering Cycles & Seasons of Organizing
Check out the blog post at organize365.com/cycles-seasons-organize-365-story-part2 This is part two of a series sharing the Organize 365® Story. This week, I want to share the cycles and seasons you will experience along your transformational journey to an organized life. This podcast and our new glossary will help the Organize 365® community to have a shared vocabulary and foundational language. No matter when you begin your transformational journey (or when you need to reset or restart), this information will be here as a reference for you. Listen in as I teach you about the cycles and seasons that influence your organizing journey and that are at the core of everything I teach and how I approach organizing. This episode is a part of the Organize 365® Glossary Playlist. Listen to other episodes on the Glossary Playlist here.

Jan 1, 2023 • 36min
333 - The Lisa Glossary Part 1: Organizing Foundation
Check out the blog post and more details here: organize365.com/organizing-foundation-organize-365-story-part1 This week on the blog, I am starting a series sharing the foundation of Organize 365®. I share the five foundational principles that are the bedrock of everything I teach inside of Organize 365®. I want to ensure that we have a common vocabulary and you know what the foundational principles are. No matter when you being your transformational journey (or when you need to reset or restart), this information will be here as a reference for you. This episode is a part of the Organize 365® Glossary Playlist. Listen to other episodes on the Glossary Playlist here.

Dec 31, 2022 • 1h 28min
Bonus - Organization is for Me in 2023
Has your New Year's energy kicked in yet? It's time to capitalize on that energy! We know you have goals and we have the tools you need to get you there! One of the things that I have learned over the last decade is that life is work. There's unpaid work at home and paid work at work and sometimes there's unpaid work at work and sometimes there's paid work at home. It's all work. In order for me to be the best me I can be I need to plan for both the unpaid and the paid work that is my privilege and responsibility as a contributing member of society. We have heard from many of you that you are trying to decide or pick what your focus will be in 2023 and I say we should just have it all. An organized person unlocks their time, allowing them to pursue what they are uniquely created to do! The start of the new year feels like the turning of a page, a clean slate to make lasting organizational change in our lives - at home and at work. Organization is a learnable skill. One that will take you wherever you want to go. Follow your renewed energy that the new year brings and use it to maximize your progress! Half the battle in learning the skill of organization is deciding what to do next. The "Organization Is For ME 2023" Bundle can make those decisions for you. This bundle will assist you with getting organized and making consistent progress towards your goals at HOME and at WORK. Why can't we have it all? Why can't you be organized with your paid work and your unpaid (but oh so fulfilling) unpaid work? That's why we've put together the Organization is for Me in 2023 Bundle - to help you do just that. You don't have to choose between work and home. This bundle is going to give you the courses and tools you need to excel at both. In this bundle you'll get The Productive Home Solution™ with Planning Day. As well as The Friday Workbox® system with the Goal Planner and Planning Day for your work. Imagine how amazing it will feel to unlock your time in 2023?! How it would feel to come home to an organized house and create a system and routine for managing your work, passion projects or business? This is your YEAR! Be all you can be with the Organization is for Me 2023 Bundle! Episode Resources: Watch the video Organization is for Me 2023 Bundle The Productive Home Solution™

Dec 30, 2022 • 28min
517 - Go!
Last week I shared with you that one of my weaknesses has been overcoming the fact that I usually "ready, fire, aim" as opposed to "ready, set, go." Learning to do the SET step in Ready, Set, Go has been my weakness. What I have found from nearly 11 years of working with the Organize 365® community is that GO is the area that tends to trip you up. Being able to GO - actually getting started or keep moving on your goals and overcome your self-limiting doubt - can paralyze us. I used to be where you are. I used to worry about what others would think of me. Will Greg (my husband) judge me? Can I meet or exceed my own goals? What if I can't do what I want to do? What if I can't live up to my own expectations? What if I invest time or money and fail? The what ifs would paralyze me and keep me from starting. It allowed me to stay stuck. Stuck in my reactive and negative life. I would start a cycle of getting ready and set but never going. Ready, Set, repeat. There was no risk with ready and set. I didn't have to step too far out on a limb or too far out of my comfort zone. Then one day I asked myself - what if everything happened for me? What if everything was easy? What if I did achieve these goals? What if I was able to achieve a bigger impact on my family, community and ultimately the world? And I ask you - What if I had never started Organize 365®? What if I stopped podcasting tomorrow because I worry about looking silly or foolish? What if all of the Organize 365® products went away and were no longer resources to you? How did that make you feel? I don't know what it is that you have to offer the world. I don't know what a more organized life with less stress and more time will do for your family, your community and your work - but I bet it is more than you even realize now. And ultimately the only way we will know is if you GO. If you actually get started. Stop holding onto that branch of self-limiting beliefs and negative what-ifs. It's time to take the next step in your organizing journey - it's time for you to go. What great timing! We are headed into a new year - clear out your house, clear out the cobwebs in your mind. Get ready, set, and let's GOOOOO. I believe in you. You can do this, you have what it takes, and the time is now. Please join me. We are going to do this together. If your goal is to reclaim your home and your time - I have the solution for you. The Productive Home Solution™ is a new way of thinking about your space and time! Half of the battle with anything we are ready and set to do is deciding what the next step is (and then the next step after that). Avoid decision fatigue and use The Productive Home Solution™ as your roadmap to guide you through the journey of getting organized. Organization will carry you through so many of your goals; and was the first step for me getting to where I am today. EPISODE RESOURCES: The Productive Home Solution™ Organize 365® Year End Bundle The Productive Home Solution™ Planning Day - December 31, 2022 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!

Dec 28, 2022 • 58min
The Process of Organizing your Storage Space with Michelle Paradice
Meet Michelle. She's the voice behind the mailbag introductions on the podcast and the Customer Service Team lead here at Organize 365®. Michelle is SO loved by the Organize 365® team and customers! She got quite the surprise when I asked if I could come and organize her storage area and video it for The Productive Home Solution™! You guys…my home is already SO organized, including my storage area. I've already shown everyone in The Productive Home Solution™ my storage area too many times. It was time for me to tackle someone else's storage room. The progress we made in ONE DAY may seem unbelievable; but it is all very doable when you know the order of the tasks you need to complete to get organized! Michelle picked me up at the airport and we got to work. Thank goodness we had a dumpster. We started by focusing on what could go in that dumpster. We were able to tackle a tucked away storage area with old shelving and her garage. Michelle, who described the experience as "humbling", almost had us pass on that tucked away storage area. But looking back, that was the most rewarding space to get organized. We really forced Michelle to focus on what we could get rid of first by repeatedly saying "You have the dumpster, we are here, what can go?". Then we focused on cleaning and reloading the storage area by zones. Michelle said it felt like a 40 year old weight had been lifted off her shoulders at the end of the day. Her mom (who also lives in the home) was so pleased at what we accomplished in one day. When you listen to this episode, I want you to be inspired and know that you too can learn how to get an organized storage area and then go do it. Once you have it organized properly, it should stay organized for a very long time…if not forever. EPISODE RESOURCES: Limited Time - watch the video of Lisa Organizing Michelle's Storage Room (only available through 12/31/22). Shelving Units Bins The Productive Home Solution™ 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!

Dec 23, 2022 • 45min
516- Set...
In part two of this three part Ready, Set, Go series, we are going to discuss the middle child of the Ready, Set, Go family - SET. What does it mean to get SET and to be SET? The running joke for visionary entrepreneurs like myself is the quote, "Ready, Fire, Aim!" And boy have I lived that quote in the past! At first, in my 20s, it was because I didn't know what I was doing - at home, at work, or as a parent. I learned the hard way - every time! But later in my 30s, it wasn't really my fault anymore. There wasn't enough time to prepare or aim. Life was moving so fast that I was missing important things while running at Mach 1 speed! It wasn't my fault. And it's not yours either. The last time we had "preparation time" in our calendars was in grade school where our teachers carefully planned our assignments and workload so we had time to complete things. By the time high school arrived: extra-curricular activities, part-time jobs and sleep filled in all the cracks and then some. No one has enough time. And no one is going to give us more time. #truth Work colleagues, parents, children, partners, neighbors and friends all want our time. Some demand, some plead, some expect it without question. And we give it…gladly, lovingly, freely. We get up earlier, stay up later, eliminate hobbies and rearrange our days. Eve Rodsky compares our time this way, "Men's time is worth diamonds, and women's time is like sand." Ouch. You can't unhear that. But, it's true for me. Greg has a golf night. He goes on fishing and golf trips. I haven't had a hobby night or gone on a trip with friends since having children (22 years ago)! After work, Greg makes dinner and then watches TV. Now, I do the dishes (sometimes), take a bath and do a puzzle. But I feel weird about it. Until a few years ago, my after-work activities involved driving kids, cleaning the kitchen, laundry, straightening up, etc. until I felt it was an acceptable time for me to stop "working" and take my bath. When are we going to give ourselves the permission to take back a little of our time? Last week we talked about being ready. The truth is you and I are OVER ready. We have been for decades. But we don't make the plan and run the race to a different end. Why is this? SET is all about saying your time is not more important, but AS important as everyone else's. For me, in this season, it means I am going to start my Ph.D program and travel - A LOT. For work, for pleasure, and for me. Let me be clear. My family is not happy about it. They intellectually support it, but in words and actions, they are not pleased with the change. Am I being selfish? Maybe. Would I want it for every single one of them? Absolutely! When one of my family members wants to…further their education, move out, have a baby, take a trip, find a new doctor, pursue a new passion…I facilitate the how, when, where, and payments. I am happy for the sacrifices of time and self-focus I have devoted to my family over the last 25 years, and for the ability to grow Organize 365® around my family. But now I want to pour more of my time and talent into my unique gifting. So, how do we get SET to do the things we want and need to do in life? We know how to help others in our lives get set. We set our kids up for school, set-up their school supplies, bookbags, dorm rooms, etc. We set our partners up for their endeavors and trips. We know how to get set-up; we just don't often look at doing it for ourselves the way we do for others. How do we SET ourselves up for success? Getting SET comes after getting ready because when you are getting SET you are already ready. You are doing the final steps before you GO (more on that next week). What do you need to GO? Get that together now. How can you get SET for a productive and proactive new year? If your goal is to reclaim your home and your time - I have the solution for you. The Productive Home Solution™ is a new way of thinking about your space and time! Half of the battle with anything we are ready and set to do is deciding what the next step is (and then the next step after that). Avoid decision fatigue and use The Productive Home Solution™ as your roadmap to guide you through the journey of getting organized. Organization will carry you through so many of your goals and was the first step for me getting to where I am today. EPISODE RESOURCES: The Productive Home Solution™ Organize 365® Year End Bundle The Productive Home Solution™ Planning Day - December 31, 2022 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!

Dec 21, 2022 • 43min
Transformation with Amber N.
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. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU learn the skill of organization, too! Amber N. shared her transformation with me! She's the mom of two children who are a senior in high school and 14 years old, and she has a Greg of her own! Amber had always been inspired to be organized; but at some point life just got in her way. She was no longer organized but desperately wanted to be. Amber had tried other organization systems, including hiring a professional organizer. The funny part is, once she got through some of the Organize 365® resources, she no longer needed that professional organizer to come back in for a "refresh". She had learned the skill of organization and now she can do it on her own! I keep telling you, organization is a learnable skill people! Amber had to come to terms with what "being organized" actually means. Did it mean mimicking the pictures from Pinterest; or was it more important for it to be done? Picture vs. Reality. Cute vs. Organized. We put so much pressure on ourselves to give our children these picture perfect parties or bedrooms. Honestly, our kids aren't on social media and do not see the pictures we see. They are not on Pinterest. They are not looking for these tiny details. They are just happy to spend time with us, and to celebrate their birthday. Give yourself some grace. Amber had to start with baby steps…but ultimately she ended in a sprint. She started with her mail and the Sunday Basket® despite all the paper in her house. She was so excited with the results that she wanted more and wanted it more quickly. Now she's The Paper Solution Certified and can help people on their own organizational journeys! I encourage everyone to evaluate what your energy level is during each season, and what area you want to focus on - such as the house, school & work, or maybe it's being a more intentional mom. Then set the expectation at the beginning that 'something is better than nothing' when it comes to getting organized. Amber has learned so much from Organize 365®. Her major takeaway is to extend herself grace. Her other biggest takeaways are: If you put a process in place, you can move through it Good is good enough and focus on macro not micro Don't get bogged down Now that she is organized, she has time to spend with her family and on her business too. She also has more money because she isn't paying late fees and more grace that she gives to herself! EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Paper Solution® Certification I am grateful that you are reaching out to share your stories and progress with me and with the Organize 365® community. 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!

Dec 16, 2022 • 30min
515 - Ready...
Are you READY to think differently? Are you READY to evaluate your past new years goals and productivity? Are you READY to put in the work and reap the rewards of your focus & labor? Are you physically READY? Mentally READY? Emotionally READY? Today's episode is about readiness. And I'm so excited to share my ideas for what it means to be READY. My favorite activity is to think about my thinking. It is a habit that I have cultivated into an art form and can no longer do without. It's my habit. And that is the thing about habits. Bad ones are easy to fall into and hard to break. Good ones take thought, planning, discipline and determination to establish. Yet, habits are the ONE thing that separates the life you have today and the future you envision for yourself. You cannot fall into productivity (it doesn't just happen) Your house will not magically clean and organize itself As I get ready for the new year, I want to share with you how I think about this coming season. As the December days quickly pass by, I look forward to the new year. This is the official day I start running my race for a productive 2023 - when new opportunities like starting college for my Ph.D program begin. I am getting ahead of myself. Today. Today is about being READY. Readiness is a state of being. You will never be 100% ready. And that's 100% okay! You don't have to be 100% ready in order to start! Readiness is an understanding of the strengths and limitations you are experiencing in THIS phase of your life. What unique seasons are you experiencing right now that you can leverage to move forward in your home organization goals? Are you in a season where you are home more? Do you have more energy at a certain time of day, or day of the week? Is there a big event coming up that will motivate you to work faster? Do you have a companion who is motivated to pace with you? Is this a season where you have money in the budget to add to your efforts? Would selling unused past purchases help you fund your new years goals? You may not be in a season where you are READY to devote more time and energy to your personal home. And that is OK. However, what I have found to be true more often is that there is always a seed of readiness in each season, but we miss it. I mentioned that I think about my thinking - constantly. I love sharing my unique thinking with you - to motivate you to do the same! Think about where you are right now and what you are ready for! Change is normal. Most people spend their whole life trying to avoid change. But change is where transformation comes from. Change unlocks the future. And it starts with READINESS. READINESS is fragile READINESS is fleeting READINESS holds all the potential for the future Next week I will share with you my thoughts on SET, but this week focus on your READINESS. READINESS is the first step in your new year. Don't miss it! EPISODE RESOURCES: The Productive Home Solution™ Organize 365® Year End Bundle The Productive Home Solution™ Planning Day - December 31, 2022 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!

Dec 14, 2022 • 46min
Organize 365® Reality KIDS TV Show with Maura
Welcome to the newest Wednesday Podcast! On Wednesdays, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps, and triumphs along their organizing journey. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU get Organized! Today I am so excited for you to meet Maura. Over the summer I put out a social media post requesting a family that would allow me to get their kid's rooms organized and FILM IT ALL for a movie about Kids Organization. Maura was jumping up and down saying "pick me"! Maura is a mom of four - Bode (12), Lucy Belle (10), Finley (7) and Blaise (4). She runs a bakery out of her house (oh my goodness - she makes the BEST cookies) and her husband also works from home. As Maura put it, "the spigot never stops." Which leads us to talking about OVERWHELM as a parent. The overwhelm is beautiful and messy all at the same time. And I'm so glad I was welcomed into Maura's house to put into action the principles of Organize 365®'s Kids Program. I LOVE ORGANIZING CHILDREN. I LOVE IT. I was able to come one day early, meet these kiddos, and look at the task ahead of me. I spent a total of 2-3 hours with each child individually and we focused on the oldest three. We are all looking for ways to connect with and spend quality time with our children. Did you know that time spent teaching kids the skills of organization while organizing their room with them can be the BEST quality time? Get the kids involved! Working with your kid to organize their room is quality time you can spend with them. They love the one on one time. They love talking about their stuff. They love getting to make decisions. They love the result and the process. You are teaching them the valuable skill of organizing while spending time with them. Make it an enjoyable process for both of you! Listen to their stories. Everything in their room has a story for them. These are their little treasures! Now when Maura tucks her kids in at night, she can actually go into their rooms and not get filled with so much frustration over the mess. Listen for the update since my visit. I can't come to everyone's house but trust me - you can do this! The Organize 365® Kids Program is like I am there with you and we go through all the areas. Harness your kids excitement to your benefit NOW is just as good a time as any. Since the kids are out of school and there's anticipation building for the holidays…declutter and organize. Make room for all the new stuff that will be coming into your home. I also shared some tips you may want to use for other ideal times that you want to declutter and organize. EPISODE RESOURCES: Watch the Kids Organization Movie featuring Maura's lovely family LIVE this Friday with me at 7 pm ET. Want to get organized as a family? The Limited Time Year Bundle is the perfect resource to get yourself and kids organized in 2023. Sign-up for the Kids Program Orientation on December 27 at 11 am ET The Kids Program The Launch Program Maura's Cookies 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! I look forward to helping YOU get Organized!


