The Spark! Blog by Suzanna Kaye
Am I a Hoarder?...
Do you think you might be a hoarder?
I get this question a lot. It’s a scary thought…. “Am I a hoarder?”
The good news - if you are a hoarder - there is help!
Let’s talk about this.
Hoarding issues, as you know, are very difficult. Though often we may think it’s hoarding, it’s actually severe or chronic disorganization. How you proceed will depend on if it’s clinical hoarding or severe disorganization.
The first step I would recommend is to research whether you truly have a hoarding issue, which is a clinical diagnosis and is a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD.) Check out https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hoarding-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20356056 Mayo Clinic’s information about Hoarding.
If you’re dealing with chronic or severe disorganization:
Such severe connection to items and disorganization can be debilitating, traumatic, and emotionally stressful. While this may...
When it literally all goes wrong....
(This is a Love Letter by Suzanna Kaye. Love Letters are more personal monthly emails from Suzanna shared exclusively with the subscribers on our email list. To get more Love Letters in your inbox click here.)
Did I ever tell you about my wedding day?
A missing best man, a very tardy groom and 30 people huddled under a bridge…. Not what I planned.
Many years ago on July 18 in Orlando, Florida two people (yep, me and my Moose Pie - Geoff) were all set to get married in an adorable little park. There were gorgeous flowers in bloom, a shade of dense twisting trees, little wooden bridges over a tiny trickling stream, 20 decorated folding chairs, a sound system and meticulously placed decorations around the stage.
BUT…… Mother Nature wanted to celebrate, too. About 30 minutes before start time, as I was driving to the park with my Dad and future Stepdaughter Kayla in tow (not easy with a massive dress shoved under the steering...
3 Easy Steps to Stay Organized During Tax Season
Learn how you can gather all your paperwork, track what you need, and keep it all organized so you can do your taxes with less stress!
Taxes. Yikes! They’re never fun to complete, right?
You can find yourself persevering throughout the process—until you realize that you don’t have some of the paperwork ready. (Those moments make us feel even worse!)
You see, how you gather and track all your paperwork can either make your process go smoothly OR fall apart!
So how do you keep track of all your paperwork during tax season without stressing yourself out too much?
By knowing the 3 Steps of Tax Season Organization! If you want to know more, keep reading.
Who knows? Once you start applying these steps, it might also give you a breath of fresh air (Like it did to me!)
There are 3 FOUNDATIONS in making tax time easy:
- FOUNDATION 1: Taking Your Brain Out of the System
...
3 Areas to Organize to Create a Fresh Start
Are you one of the people vowing to organize and make a fresh start this year?
I hear this all the time…..
“This year, I will finally get organized!”
That’s a HUGE goal - and it can be overwhelming unless we break it down into smaller steps. Let’s start with 3 CRUCIAL AREAS that you need to focus on FIRST to create that massive change (mentally and in your home) this year.
You ready? Read on!!
1. Expired Items
What better way to start a new chapter in your life than by clearing out the clutter in your home? Whether it’s food, medications or even your makeup—expired items in your house take up too much space AND energy.
Because hey, it happens - no matter how organized and “together” you have it, things expire. When they do, that emotional weight you feel when you open that medicine drawer or pantry drains your energy and leaves you with guilt and a ton of “shoulds.”
When you lessen the unnecessary stuff hiding in...
Your Work At Home Office
Right now we're in the middle of STAYING HOME. It's been game changing for many and we received an email from our friends at RedFin asking if we'd seen their tips for a home office.
Working from home has become pretty common, however, more people are working remotely than ever before because of COVID-19 (myself included). Over these last few weeks I’ve realized how important having the right home office set up is for staying productive -- it’s been so much easier to focus with a clean and tidy space.
That’s why I highlight using a cleaning or organizing service in my new article, “5 Essential Home Office Design Tips for Working Remotely.”
You can see the full post here: https://www.redfin.com/blog/
home-office-design-tips/
Their tips are good: 1. Use Feng Shui, 2. Add life with plants, 3.Use Natural Light, 4. Choose good furniture, 5. Maintain your space.
I'd like to add some Spark! Organizing bonus tips that work...
How to Identify Your Priorities
By Suzanna Kaye
Goals and values
Most of us are confident we could be amazing if we could just finish..... whatever it was that was so super important. However, just as many of us struggle with prioritizing what needs to be done and when. Ending up with nothing done because we never got started or we simply never finished.
Often times we start with what we believe is going to be doable instead of the thing that ultimately matters the most to our goals. I can't tell you how many times I've started the laundry but managed to completely forget that I needed to stay on top of that task. Clothes that were very important to a good next day were, as I'm sure you can imagine, neglected. Yet, I couldn't quite stay focused on that goal.
It's a simple example that proves even when we understand the need we don't always do what needs to be done most.
Yet, we do understand that we need to set priorities. Otherwise, we'd probably all find ways to Netflix and Chill more.
In order to...
How to Create a Simple Bullet Journal
Transcript
Come watch how I simply create a basic bullet journal. If you're new to the idea, it's a planner scheduler that you create around your needs and not a preprinted or digital system. Many of us prefer the act of writing things down and this is a way to collect your ideas, dates to remember, tasks and more.
In a nutshell, a bullet journal is a simple way to capture what you need to do.
Whether you're planning your entire year or simply brain dumping information a bullet journal allows you to come back to those thoughts. Many types of bullet journals have popped up on Pinterest and it's grown into a movement. However, don't let all the fancy stuff overwhelm you. The basic framework that I demonstrated is all you truly need.
Consider using a rocket book for your bullet journal. Check out my post on the magic of a rocket book here.
Also, like I mentioned last week, if it doesn't fit on a sticky note, it won't fit into a day. I purposely put on my day...
The heart of Spark! Organizing....
Suzanna Kaye
Organizer, Productivity Coach
