Organize 365 Podcast

I'm super excited to share with you my next series of 3 podcasts which are all about the different phases of life and how they overlap. Most people are living in overlapping phases of life. I really want to address this topic and explore what it means for you. This is something of a storytelling podcast - there's not a lot of direct action for you to take, but lots of learning! I've actually been wanting to record this podcast series for about 9 months, but it's a topic that is best approached when the timing is just right! January is all about organizational projects, March is about decluttering... May is the perfect time to reflect! It's all centered around what I consider to be the 4 phases of a woman's life. The Childhood Phase (birth to around 18 years old) - Limited organizational requirements and heavily influenced by parents. The Accumulation Phase (around 18-39 years old) - A period of learning and accumulating. You accumulate more and more belongings! Usually in this phase, you accumulate a spouse and family, too! The Survival Phase (around 40-54 years old) - A mindset shift takes place at this stage. Most people are working during this phase and, in addition to that, they're looking after their family and running the household. And if you're anything like me, you're in your car all the time! The Downsizing & Legacy Phase (age 55+) - The big clear out! Kids are moving out and you naturally start to reduce the amount of items in your house. You also begin to consider your legacy - what will you save and why? There are three big life events that affect these phases of life - having children, becoming a caretaker for someone, and when someone close to you passes away. This week's focus is on having children. When we have kids, we go into full blown accumulation mode. Even the most minimalist of people can't resist accumulation when it comes to babies! As more and more millennials are tending towards having children in their early 40's, what does this mean in terms of the stages in life? Having a baby in your 40's = an overlap of the accumulation and the survival stage. Next week, I look at how becoming a caretaker for someone can affect your phase of life. Have a great week!

This week on the podcast, I'm talking to you about all the different kinds of bags you have in your house. From backpacks to purses, I'm going through the different kinds of bags and how many we should have of each. And I am super excited about the next three podcasts. I'm creating a series of podcasts about what to do when the phases of life overlap. Thank you so much for being part of the Organize 365 community. My hope each day is that I can provide you with one new nugget of information that will help you make your home organization easier. Have a great week!

The book The Power of When will help you understand your body's natural chronotype and how to use that information to achieve your personal goals in organizing your home and living a more productive life. I used the information in this book to understand how and why the members of our family choose to do daily routine tasks at different times of day and how to best support my kids as they become adults. The Power of When

Clean out and back up the cars - because we are going to FILL them! Designate one car for donations and one for items that need to be delivered, returned or consigned. Next decide how long you have to work on this project at ONE time. If you have 2 hours or more - EMPTY the garage. You know it's true. Once the items are OUT of the garage it is as easy to donate them as it is to put them back in the garage. The garage houses all of the future projects we "think" we are going to do. The biggest work you are going to do is DECIDE if you really are going to do those ideas and projects. In the podcast I talk about how I no longer have flower gardens, why I easily donate items we have purchased and never used and how we need better tools. It's a funny listen. And will keep you going while you declutter guilt and expectations in the form of flower pots and old sporting equipment. Check your storage solutions. Now is the time to invest in a few plastic shelving units to organize what you have left and buy organizers specific to what YOU have in your garage. Keep going! You can do this! Keep decluttering all the way until March 31!! I want you to focus on decluttering and your Sunday Basket this month so… The 100 Day Home Organization Challenge registration is closed. Join the wait list here and you will be the first to be notified when it reopens.

No one wants to go down here. I know. If you haven't listened to the "How to Sort a Box" podcast. It is podcast #150 and goes along with today's podcast #159 Ok. The basement. In this space you need a leader who will direct the family. - Usually mom. The leader goes down and starts sorting boxes and items into family members' piles. And then each family member (one at a time) will come down, make decisions and carry the donations up. -HINT- Preparation is KEY here! The more the leader prepares, the quicker the decisions go and the more gets donated. There is no denying that basements, attics and storage rooms ZAP energy and are the HARDEST areas to organize! Everything is down there because you don't know what to do with it. ;) So pace yourself. Each bag and box donated is a HUGE win! Keep going. You can do this! Don't forget to download the family and individual brackets to play along. View the get started post for "rules". :) This is the LAST day to register for the Sunday Basket workshops. Start tackling that storage room… one box at a time. For the full show notes go to organize365.com/159

The first step in organizing the family room is to stop and think about what you really do in this space. Do you still watch DVDs or do you stream your entertainment? If your youngest child is in 2nd grade it is OK to move all the toys out of the family room. If your youngest child is in middle school all their toys can be in their room. For the full show notes go to organize365.com/157

Here are the 7 steps to decluttering your bedroom at any age. 1. Pick up all trash 2. Collect all food, dishes and dirty laundry. 3. Scan the room and fill a bag of any easily donateable items. 4. Go through ALL your clothes. Try on all your pants and tops. 5. Look at the items on your floor (including furniture) and make decisions about what can go. 6. Go through the books in your bedroom. 7. Stand and look at each wall of your room. For the full show notes go to organize365.com/156

Step 1 - Get ALL your photos in ONE place. Step 2 - Decide what you want. Step 3 - SORT by person and Project. Here are my favorite albums to make. Click here for my photo services and see videos of the most popular albums I make. Step 4 - Print your photos. :) TimeShel is the Apple App I am using to print 30 photos each month from my phone. Look at these beautiful pictures! TimeShel is super easy to use. Remember to use the code: ORG365 to get a free month 10 prints or 40% off your 30 monthly print subscription. Era is the Apple app I mentioned for having larger prints printed from your phone. Again, use the code ORG365 and get free shipping on your first order. :) Click here for all the links and show notes. Click here to join the 100 Day Home Organization Challenge.

The Procrastinate on Purpose By Rory Vaden is the book that explains how I am so ridiculously productive and it has NOTHING to do with time management. I had so much fun sharing about the significance calculation, the rule of 30 and how all this relates to getting your home organized! Rory's Focus Funnel: Can it be eliminated? Can it be automated? Can it be delegated? No? Then do it now or procrastinate it on purpose. Links mentioned in the podcast: My Weekly, Monthly and Yearly checklists. Rory's book on Kindle The audio book version of The Mindset of Organization is finally here!! I hope you enjoy the sample chapters in podcast 140. You can get a free audible copy of The Mindset of Organization and start a free 30 day trial of audible at Organize365.com/audible

I talk a LOT about saving your memories. And while I tell you to save your memories in blankets and photo albums, I have not given you a resource to do so. Until today. I am SO excited to introduce you to Once Upon A Time Creation. Jen Anderson has created a beautiful line of keepsakes that can be created from your storage room treasures. Check out my favorites in this week's blog post. What treasures will you create? Check out Once Upon a Time Creation here. Click here to join the 100 Day Home Organization Challenge.