How have you been touched by this tough economy?

Work Place Organization

It's always important to have an organized workspace.  But now with downsizing and job loss spreading throughout the work sector like a fever, being organized is a great insurance policy.  You can use your organizing skills to demonstrate to your employer how invaluable you are to the day-to-day operation of the business.  And, if you are the owner of the establishment, you can just as easily show your employees by example the kind of office space and productivity you hope to find throughout the organization. Are you looking for a job?  Being organized will not only help you organize your job search, it will be a skill you can present to your employer.  You see?  There isn’t a single down side to being organized!

If the world of organization has been an area of challenge for you, consider this: getting organized is a skill.  If you wanted to play a musical instrument like the piano, master a sport like tennis or learn how to dance, what would you do?  You’d read some good books, find a qualified teacher, practice and hope to reach your individual potential.  Getting organized requires the same steps.  It isn’t solely for those who seem to have been born with a natural proclivity for order.  Learning a new skill is one of the best ways to keep our brains active and stay youthful.  There’s no time like the present to begin the journey. And "One Year to an Organized Work Life" is the ideal companion. 

Farewell Mr. Bill....

Life is amazing, isn't it?  You never know when you're going to wake up and be given a gift.  Twenty-five years ago I was still a professional actress.  I was cast in a one act play (The Girls on the Porch) that went on to become part of a Festival of One Acts that played for several months.  I won a local award for my performance and I was given a special gift: a friendship with the playwright, Bill Derringer. My beautiful friend slipped into Eternity last week.  The landscape of my life will never be the same.


Bill was a gifted actor as well as a playwright.  He was also a great raconteur of stories from the theater. The thing I admired most about Bill is that his love of acting, theater and writing were as fresh and alive on the day he died as they were when he discovered his love for them at 13. No matter what life tossed Bill's way he remained a pure Soul.  He was never jaded or cynical.  He didn't care about riches and fame.  He was all about the craft. 


His life partner of 30 years Bob Bak is an extraordinary man who took care of the business of life so that Bill was free to be an artist.  I can't imagine one without the other.  If you have someone in your life who has contributed to the quality of your life, give them a call today.  You never know when you will hear that voice for the last time.


Mr. Bill, across time and space I send you my love. Your friendship made me a better person.  And your words as a playwright made me a much better actress than I dreamed I could be.  I love you for always.

The 'Stuff' of life and the chaos it creates

I've spent more than twenty years helping people eliminate the 'excess stuff' they've accumulated. But it isn't just 'stuff' that needs to go from the physical environment. From time to time it's also people, places or jobs.

We sometimes hold onto relationships for years after they have ended. We all know one sided friendships or marriages that are dead. We witness destructive relationships that seem to go on forever. What's the old saying? 'The devil you know is better than the one you don't.' This was no doubt stated by someone who was frozen with fear. After all, what if the devil got his walking papers and a bevy of angels was invited in to stay?

There's a law of physics that states that two objects can not occupy the same space at the same time. You won't have more nurturing friends, a better love relationship or a great workplace if you don't create the space. I'm not suggesting you wake up tomorrow and do a wholesale cleaning of your life. I am suggesting you take some time to examine every aspect of your life and see if something needs to be eliminated. You may discover what needs to be done is some serious nurturing of current relationships whether they be personal or professional.

I helped a client recently who had some plants. She adored them. She simply forgot to care for them on a regular basis. She found it heartwarming to see how quickly they could bounce back with a little water. I suggested she nurture them on a regular basis so that they didn't have to come back from the brink every few weeks. There's a metaphor for life in this story. Do you nurture your relationships on a regular basis? Do you nurture yourself by creating an environment that supports you on every level? Or are you the kind of person who senses distance in your friends and rushes in with last minute invitations to dinner? Does your home get so messy you have to tidy up every few weekends?  Do you wonder why the order you created never lasts? Only long term and consistent care will create the results you want whether it's people or places.

I had to walk away from a long term friendship recently. Something happened that hurt me deeply. When I examined the relationship I realized that for several years it had been falling apart. Had we been honest we would have seen the hand writing on the wall and parted years ago. My environment 'speaks' to me in much the same way. I look around and suddenly something I treasured and loved looks old or out of place. I realize I've outgrown the item. And then I have the fun of replacing it with something that reflects who I am in this moment. If the original object is still in great condition I can compound my fun by giving it to someone else. Now even the object has a fresh start.

I took a leap of faith when I created my organizing business. I took another when I decided to write my first book. Both have developed in ways I could never have imagined. These leaps of faith have given me experiences, friends and creative fulfillment beyond my wildest imagination. I never considered that my business would take off and I'd be organizing 21 years later. Nor could I possible have dreamed that I'd one day be writing my 8th book.

What can you eliminate that may open the door to greater possibilities?

Summer is here ... what are your plans?

Have you ever noticed that winter drags on forever but the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day is about 3 seconds? At least it feels that way to me ... I love all the seasons but summer has a special place in my heart. There is something about the lack of clothing for one thing that makes me feel free. Years ago I helped a client move from Los Angeles to New York City which is my hometown. We were leaving a lunch counter when she looked at me and said: "I feel like a beast of burden!" I had to laugh. I grew up in Brooklyn where my mom taught me to count to seven before I left a location. If I had my: hat, gloves, scarf, coat, purse, boots and shoes, I was good to go. If not, I had to start looking around for 'my parts.'

My home base now is Los Angeles. June is traditionally when we experience 'June gloom.' In the morning the sky is overcast. No reason to complain, however, as it will be in the triple digits soon enough. The hottest weather of the year is after Labor Day Weekend. It took my East coast Soul some time to adjust to that reality. It's really hard to work on getting organized when it's that hot. Thankfully most of us have AC. My sweet golden retrievers are gone now but when they were alive I had to have fans as well. Goldens run a little hotter than other breeds and my babies had to be comfortable! Writing a book without a dog at my feet is a sad experience. My female Katie seemed to know when I was working on a book. She would sit by my side for the entire process. Once the book was ready for press, she went about her business. How do they know these things? My old male golden whose name was Spirito Divino or Spirit for short was the Dalai Lama of dogs. He was close to 15 when I rescued him. Spirit just wanted to sleep, eat, love and float through the day without cares. I miss that guy. He taught me how to relax and 'hang out.'

How are you spending the summer? Are you going to take a trip or hang around the house working on projects? In the interest of balance, I hope you plan a combination of the two! I've just completed a new book and I'm waiting for editorial notes. This is my 8th book total and the 4th in the One Year to ... series. It's called One Year to an Organized Life with Baby. I wrote it with Meagan Francis who is the mother of five and a published author in her own right. We hit it off like gang busters! Even though our lives look different, we're wired very much the same. And we certainly share the same work ethic and many of the same beliefs. When this one is ready for press, I'm going to miss my daily chats via e-mail or phone with Meagan.

The book takes a pregnant woman from the start of month three through delivery and covers the first 5 months of baby's life. It was a joy to write and I hope it is embraced by readers. There is so much to get organized before a child enters the world. There are the things we remember (plan the nursery, get a diaper bag, stock up on supplies et al) but there are also important items that can easily slip through the cracks like updating your will, discussing with your partner how emergencies will be handled and setting up a college account ... just to name a few! You know me ... I like to plan and have all my ducks in a row.

Let me know what you have planned this summer. I promise to post here more often.

Food for (money) thought...

"Your relationship with money is like any relationship: it needs to be tended like a garden."

Regina Leeds

What is your relationship like with money on this day?

What about the relationship you have with your home? Is it a nurturing sanctuary?

And what about the relationship you have with your work space? Does your set-up enhance your ability to do your best work or are you sabotaging yourself at every turn?

Spend a few minutes in honest communication with these aspects of your life this weekend. Let me know what improvements you put into place.

Regina

What if....

... you blasted out of the New Year's starting gate with vigor and now find yourself embracing the eternal comfort of 'same old/same old.' Take heart: this is the human condition. Change is scary! Just remember that every midnight ushers in a fresh start. It is never too late to go after a more organized home, a well functioning office space or to have control over your finances.

The common denominators to achieve success are: dedication, determination and a willingness to expend good old fashioned elbow grease. Where do you want to be in life next year at this time? In order to get there, what are the step you have to take? Will the people in your life support you? Who are the voices of doom in your life? (We all have them.) Don't give them the power to hurt you.

It seems to me that love is at the heart of the matter. Do you love yourself enough to face your fears and give all you have to offer to the waiting world?

I came across a beautiful quote the other day. See if it inspires and touches you ...

Life does not accommodate you; it shatters you. Every seed destroys its container, or else there would be no fruition.

Florida Scott-Maxwell

The start of a New Year and a New Decade!

The reality of a New Decade didn't hit me until I got to the New Year's Eve party I attended this year. It was quite a delight to consciously leave behind not only the personal, emotional wounds of the past year but also the big challenges of the decade. In reality marking time is a man made concept but still these inner releases are powerful. What did you leave behind at the stroke of midnight? Have you decided to be on time for all of your appointments? Will you be paying your bills when they are due and avoiding late fees? Can your children count on your help with homework? Will you create/update a file system? Or have you resolved to be healthier, slimmer and free of stress? What is the personal transformation you wish to embrace in 2010? Life without new direction produces the 'same old/same old.' Step out on a limb this year. Let go of the past in some way. Make a joyful noise. Take a step to offering the world the unique gift only you can contribute.