52 to Fabulous

Feeling at all overwhelmed with organization?  Let’s get the family involved!

It doesn’t matter what the ages are of your kids, it’s about keeping your kids accountable too, and making them an integral part of the home life.

What? Seems like too much?

I know, mine are 16, 18, and 20 (but by the end of the week, they will be 16, 19 and 21!!)  So what is one challenge you have with them and organization?

• picking up after themselves?
• doing home chores such as dishes or taking out trash?
• keeping their school area neat and tidy?

Let’s concentrate on that this week. Maybe they can become more  inspired by your actions!

In the challenge, list the problem.

List a possible solution

Give us the results.  Even if they pick up their socks ONE DAY that’s gold.

Leave the post in the linky, and we’ll assess it at the end of the week.

Check back for some ideas on getting your kids to help with tasks.

It’s not new news that color coding can make organization easier.  For years we have used it in our file cabinet with different colored files….

Kids or family = YELLOW

House = BLUE

Finances = GREEN

and Other = RED

That way I know which section has which information and can refile faster and more efficiently.

What are some other ways you can use color to organize?

• Sharpie Pens – a different color for each task or category.  We use these for our calendar – each person with a different color…

• Sticker Dots – you can color white ones or find ones pre-colored.  These work not only for office organization, but work well for children’s books, boxes, food…whatever needs to be organized!

• Colored Tabs – can be premade or make your own.  Post it notes are great for this too.

How do you incorporate color coding into your organization?  Any tips you have for us?

And of course your challenge…try color coding something new…maybe a different color basket for each child to sort laundry or toys.  Or a different color paper on shelves in your pantry for each person or for certain types of foods.  Not only is color a great way to organize for you, but it’s easy for kids to follow, and therefore easy for them to pick up…

…and make a habit…oh we are still working on that right?  Making something a habit?  How is that going for you?

Post on the linky below and we can all read and gather ideas and inspiration!

I know, it’s organization month.  The month I have 2 conferences and 2 huge projects to complete.

Guess What?

I’m not being very organized.

I organized my walls and they were messed up the next day by kids and by kids I mean me too putting anything and everything there to get it our of their way.

I’m calling a do-over on that week.

While I’m doing over, I want to stress something that is the key to organization…repetition.

What is the one thing that drives you crazy in your quest to be more organized?  We are going to make that a habit…sound scary?   I know, it does to me too…

HABITS…not that habit, doing something enough that it becomes second nature…

Habits  can be formed in as little as 2 weeks.  Making a task a habit requires at least 2 preferably 4 weeks of doing something every day.  We are going to split the difference and do something until the end of the month.

Personally I need to get in the habit of running the dishwasher every night and changing it out every morning.  I end up with dishes to do in the morning and it drives me crazy.  This is something that is not recent either.  It’s been all my life.  I recognize that my hesitation comes from my mom who woke me up every morning by unloading the dishes, clanging them around and driving me crazy.  It’s no wonder I never slept past 7.

I digress…

That will be my one thing.

This week, no linky for this task.  Think…then leave a comment telling me what you will be working on.  Make it big or small, leave more than one thing…you know, just in case you decide one is not enough or that one is TOO MUCH… I like back up plans.

At the end of the month there will be an accountability post…and you can tell us how you did with this week’s challenge.

If you post on your own blog, we’d love to have you put the link in the comments.  I’ll select a few for the newsletter next week.

Oh and if you see me on twitter in the morning or at night?  I’d love a nudge…and happy to do the same!

If you participated in Week1 and Week2, you have a pretty good idea of the things you want to work on in the coming year.  We have contacted and spoken with so many experts in the field of improved productivity and life coaching and the one tip that kept coming up was making a Vision Board.

Now this may sound like your 5th grader’s project, but people have been creating their own versions of Vision Boards for a long time.  Putting that photo of the car we want on the fridge.  Keeping a journal of important words or phrases.   A physical reminder of what you are trying to achieve.

here is the google link for some images that might give you an idea of how and where to start.

I also found this link from Christine Kane that is a great resource for making your own vision board.

We got advice from DeAnna Radaj of  Bante Design (you should check out her blog talk radio show Feng Shui Fabulous and in aprticular the Vision Board episode.  But here is her advice for creating a fabulous Vision Board.  www.twitter.com/bantedesign.com.

Here are some tips to start off on making a “general” Vision Board. This is the type of VB that I teach in my creativity workshops & what I do between New Year & Chinese New Year to start year off:

• * First get a picture of yourself TRULY HAPPY. This can be from ANY TIME in your life, but you must be EXUDING JOY!!

• * On a piece of paper, can be any size, and place picture of self in the middle. Underneath write: This or something better, shall come to me with grace & goodness.

• * Put aside.

• * Start cutting up magazines, books, newspapers…whatever. DO NOT THINK about what you are cutting out. Place pics in 1 pile, words/phrases in another.

• * Start placing pictures you cut out, around picture of you. There is NO RIGHT or WRONG way to do this. I set mine up according to the Bagua Board used in Feng Shui (I’m incredibly Type A and need some sort of organization…yikes).

• * THEN start placing words/phrases. They WILL correspond with pictures…trust me!

• * You WILL start seeing a couple of themes develop as you do this.

• * Once satisfied with how looks, then can glue down.

• * Place in place of prominence where you will see daily.

These are some Vision Boards that she made with teenagers in a workshop.  This would be a great family project that you could use to motivate your kids.  Having teens I know this can be a challenge!

Follow DeAnna on twitter @bantedesign.  I’m sure she’d love to see your finished product! (remember to include the #52toFab.

Thanks DeAnna for this fabulous advice!

When I first sent out the list of weekly challenges for January, I didn’t know we’d have so many people participating. And new ones are signing up every day. I’m hoping everyone will jump in at some point and post! Even if you don’t post on your blog, we’d love it if you would comment and let us know your thoughts on the challenge! The list I sent out originally for all 4 weeks in January is going to change. a little. As I read your needs and wants, I felt it was smart to head in a little different direction.

We have a two week challenge that is creating a Vision Board.  More about it here….

Week 3 Challenge:

Now for this week alone, lets tackle something on our list that is weight or exercise related. This is the time of year that people set weight and exercise goals and typically by now they have blown it…just keeping it real here. So we are going to pick it up and roll with it. We can all benefit from some change in our habits.

Here’s a suggestion for a way to approach this…

1. List your weekly goal – could be….

* no sodas
* make all snacks healthy
* workout for 20 minutes at least 4 days

2 .List the barrier or barriers that might get in the way, be they mental or physical – could be….

* I have meetings every night this week
* I’m too tired after work
* I have to take care of kids all day
* I like chocolate way too much

3. List how you can overcome that even just for the week. I’ll leave that up to you, but come up with a real action plan for that particular objection or barrier
4. Then just do it. Make it work. Most of all make it realistic.

Tweet out your successes or frustrations and include the hashtag #52toFab. We’ll be watching for you. In fact, if you @me at Linda_Sellers with the #52toFab hashtag saying “add me to the list” I’ll put together a twitter list so we can provide support. Make sure to follow each other and let’s get the fabulousness started!

Again add the post to our weekly linky and check back so you can visit the others on the list.

Didn’t get here for Week 1? No problem.  This is something you can do at any point.  Start now or a month from now.  We are lining up experts to give advice on topics.  Look for those on the blog in the coming weeks.  Think you have a topic worth sharing?  Email us!

preface by saying I am no organizing expert and if you’ve seen my house you know *Marie nods head here*

Notes? meh...it's all about the LISTS

Besides sounding like a Chinese food additive, the M.S.N. Principal has benefits for organization.  Here we apply the method to lists.

Yes, the M.S.N. is my own idea, but it’s a great way to prioritize your thoughts.

M = Must, or what you must do

S = Should, or what you should do

N = Nice, or what would be nice to do

You can make each list seperately or put them all on one split page, setting up 3 columns.  I like to keep them near me, UNDER THE PILE OF MESS I NEED TO CLEAN UP, so I can easily access it.

That way I can mix the must in with the should and the nice and I think it relieves some stress.  You don’t have to attack all the must high stress items first or you can.  It’s up to you and how you feel at the moment.  Assign values like 1,2,3 for importance to every item on each of the 3 lists…and then you can sort the lists on a document.  LIKE THIS ONE…let me know if you can’t view this and I’ll add your email for viewing access.   Make your own in a google doc or on a pad of paper.

Priorities, sorting, distinguishing musts from shoulds and nices starts you on the way to organization.

Are you signed up for the weekly newsletter?  Join and receive the weekly challenges by email!

This is the time to think ahead.  Time to reflect on the possibilities…

What are some of your challenges?  Day to day, personal to professional… What do you really want to do this year? It can be big or small. This is your time to think realistically or outside the box, keep it real or not. No need to be detailed…maybe you want to go green, spend more time with your family, learn to be more diligent with exercise. This is for your WANTS, next week we’ll get into your NEEDS.  And they may be one in the same…

Maybe you want to learn to surf…maybe you want to clean your garage.  I know I do.  Maybe you want to become more green….it’s about what you want to do to feel more fabulous in your life.

Take the list of monthly Fabulous topics and think of at least one thing in each that you would LIKE to change, or something you would LIKE to see happen in your life.

You can choose to list them all or not, but at least list (or talk about)  your TOP 3 WANTS for these 52 weeks.

Link your post here for Week 1-What a Girl Wants

We’re just getting started…and it’s going to be FABULOUS!  If you haven’t signed up for the newsletter for more tips and previews…do that now!

Are you happy with the changes that you made last year?  Improvements?  Maybe you had some setbacks that kept you from feeling overly productive.  No matter what you experienced in 2009, we want you feel like you are on track to be successful in 2010!

That’s why it’s all about baby steps, taking it one week at a time and recognizing any successes that you achieve.  And to help you along we are providing topics each week so that you can play along!  If the topic for a particular week doesn’t resonate, think of something in your life – go rogue!….make any change that will make you feel like the rockstar that you are!  Not up for it every week?  We get that!  Participate in the weeks you want!  There will be a topic that is just right for you sometime in the 52.

We will be providing expert advice (from real experts, not us!) that can help you in your challenges and motivate you on the way.   We hope you will post on your site, make a video, whrrl, or facebook your ideas or successes.  There are no requirements for the challenges because it’s all about you and your journey. But we’d love to have you share, because we can learn from each other.

Each week in the month we will have a topic or challenge for you.  Have any ideas? We’d love your feedback.  We are jumping right in this January.  Here are your topics…they can be as broad or narrow as you want.  Post anytime during the week…the date given is a guideline.  Don’t feel like have to spill it or share all your dirty laundry.  We are all about the positive!  Make it about what you are and what you do, not what you aren’t and don’t.

We are glad you are taking this journey with us and hope to help you grow in the pursuit to a better you!