Review – Containers

Pros:

a way to keep like items together
can maximize space
can increase accessibility
useful for smaller items of similar category

Cons:

not a guaranteed solution for organizing struggles
contents within can “disappear”
can become more work to access and replace in its space

Review:

Here’s another somewhat nontraditional review – since it’s on containers in general, not a specific container. When I talk about containers I am referring to any object that has the ability to keep things grouped together. This means that a drawer, a filing cabinet, a bin, a bag, a basket, and so on are all containers – even your purse, if you use one. We all use some containers under this definition although how useful the containers we use will depend on who we are and how we use them. There are times that using containers can make things more challenging – even if you want to use them. With this broad definition of a container, you might consider when and how they work for you and when they’re actually counter-productive.

In many ways the world seems to assume that we all need containers – we’re “weird”, maybe “wrong” if we don’t want to or can’t use containers. The filing cabinet is a great example – many people believe they have to use a filing cabinet – “it’s what it is designed for.” This is one of the fallacies of containers – even when they are designed for a specific purpose it doesn’t make them function for everyone. Then it’s time to consider other options for keeping items contained. You can create systems for containing that doesn’t require containers.

Figuring out when and where containers will help you is the most important thing – for if they only complicate your process, that’s defeating the point. Therefore let’s cover a few situations that can make containers more useful.

Are there things that seem to get “lost” frequently? Small items in a bigger drawer can be one of these things getting lost. This can be a time to consider a container of some sort to keep those smaller items together and accessible. This is when it’s time to consider if you simply need a bin – in this example, something without a top to provide visibility and is easy to use – or if another solution needs to be found.
Here’s one of my pantry drawers – using containers to corral smaller items together
Are there areas that are harder for you to use – spaces that are less accessible for you? If you are shorter, high shelves can be a challenge to use – although if you put less frequently used items into a container, it provides easier access. As a short person, the lip of a container means that you can slide the things you need out without the hassle of getting the step stool. And it’s not just the lip of a container – it’s the handle, lid, whatever – having the items contained means you have access to hard to reach areas and the things you store there. This can apply equally to deeper areas and low areas if it’s a challenge to bend or sit on the floor – containers offer easier access to get and move the things to a more convenient area while you need the contents. The key to making this work is to limit the weight of the containers in the hard to access areas.
Both these shelves are hard for me to reach – yet by putting like items into containers, I can grab the handle, loop, edge to get easy access. This applies even to that box above.
Do you need (or want) to maximize the tall and/or deep shelves?A cabinet shelf – one of any style stand-alone shelf – can help make the most of tall shelves in closets and then you use containers on top and bottom of these, as they’re useful for you. One of the challenges of tall and deep shelves and using the cabinet shelf without containers is that loose things can topple off and things can disappear behind things – so the combination of tall and deep shelves and using containers means that you can make the most of the space. You can also stack containers in these spaces, though that can make it harder to get to all of them and then possible resistance to returning them to their spot. Containers used in the front of these types of closets can then be easily moved when you need access to the items further back, which hopefully are need infrequently.
Here’s a stand-alone shelf in one of our tall and deep closet shelves – where the containers on top and below provide greater storage. There are containers behind on both levels as well – helping to make the most of the space.

With all the variations of containers available to us, it is worth evaluating what features will assist you in getting and staying organized when a container is called for.

What size do you need?

Remember, wait to get a container until you have gathered and sorted all the like items you want to store together. By doing this, you will know your specific needs. It’s worth considering if the amount of items is typical too – are you likely to pick up more things that would need to be stored there too? Do you actually have more than you’d like to store normally, so in the future a smaller container would make more sense?

What is the container made of?

With all the options out there, we’re virtually unlimited in our choices – plastic, canvas, wicker and woven materials, metal, and so on. Yet, there are more than preferences for the material involved. For instance, wicker and other woven type containers can snag things unless they’re lined. Some people want to avoid using plastic, though that often means the contents aren’t visible from the side. Are solid sides important?

Will you forget what’s inside if it’s not transparent?

Some people are quite visual – if you can’t see it, it’s like it doesn’t exist. Sometimes this means that labels aren’t enough, so being able to see the contents becomes critical to the system working. Other people, who are visual in a different way, come to strongly associate a particular container with specific contents – where the orange bin is autumn decorations.

Does it need a top or will the top just get in the way (or get lost)?

Lids can be important when we are stacking containers on top of each other, or if you will need to tip the container and not have the contents spill out. They can help keep dust and dirt out of the contents too. Other times, it makes more sense to have open containers – it’s easier to put things in and pull things out. Inside a drawer is a prime place to avoid lids – you can see and access the contents easily.

Is there a shape that will work better for the stuff or the space?

Most of the time, a square or rectangular container is going to help maximize your spaces – since most spaces are designed with right angles. Yet, is this container going into such a space? If it’s a decorative hamper that you’re going to put in the corner of your living room to hold your yarn – it doesn’t need to have right angles for the space or the contents.

How much does it matter if it has a place for a label or is challenging to label?

One of the challenges with containers is the ability to label – or rather the inability to label them. Many adhesives don’t attach securely to canvas, metals, wicker and woven materials and so on. There are containers designed with a built in label while the bulk of them don’t provide this feature. Figuring out how valuable this is for your situation is important. Of course there are alternatives for hard to label containers – I’ve gotten attached to binder clips holding the label – as they can work with most containers.

Despite the perception that containers should work for everyone and are the solution for organizing challenges – it doesn’t make it true. We need to consider our situation, the space, and how we work. As much as I love containers, they do not function equally well for me – it depends on different factors. This means that to discover what will work for us, in whatever context, we need to evaluate our needs. Containers certainly help us contain our belongings, yet they are not the only way for us to keep our items together.

Going Shopping – In Your Home

We all have more things in our home than what we are currently using. We might even have a lot of things collected – things we bought when we couldn’t find the other ones and/or things we bought in bulk or when it was on sale. Our spaces might be significantly limited – so there’s only room for a few things close by where we use them. I am asked regularly whether I think people should get rid of these duplicates – “don’t I need to purge the excess stuff?”

Some people think that most things in excess are the very things to pass along – donate, recycle, even throw away. You’ve probably heard “experts” talking about how if you have clothes that don’t fit, get rid of them. If you have 10 bottles of shampoo – donate them to a shelter or something. The bottom line of the thinking seems to be to remove all those unnecessary things and free up the space in your home.

With much of what I talk about – I believe that there are no absolute answers for people. Yes, you can create more space by donating the clothes that do not fit. Yet, what are the factors that motivate you to keep those same clothes? Considering your own situation means that the solutions fit your life. Remember, there is no one right answer.

Therefore, consider that all those things you have “extra” of are the things that you can go shopping for – right in your home. And you won’t have to buy them – again.

This idea is familiar with those who have a root cellar – or simply keep some of their food in the basement. Yes, it can function as a food supply in case of an emergency, yet it is also hopefully food that you move upstairs when you run out of that particular item and then replenishing the supply. We can apply this idea to other things that we have more than what we’re actively using right now.

The key is to make it relatively easy to find what you’ll need – it is about making it more like going shopping. What are the broad categories of things you have? If you have beauty products – shampoos, toothpaste, lotion – get these all together. Initially it can be the general group of bathroom items and then you can make sure each division is together. That way when you run out of shampoo, you go to the place where the extras are and pick up another bottle to resupply your shower.

If you have more than one size of clothes, consider what it is like to grab one of them not knowing if it will fit you. Like with anything you are keeping “extra” of, getting them sorted can make all the difference down the road. Get all the clothes that are one size down from where you are right now and keep them together. Under the bed bins can be great for this – it keeps the clothes out of the way, maximizing your usable space, and allowing them to be accessible when you need them. Where you store clothes that don’t currently fit isn’t as important as keeping them out of your usable space and having groupings for each size. Then when it’s time to dig into another size – hopefully smaller – you know that what is there are all things that will fit you. You get a “new” wardrobe without spending any more money – all by going shopping in your own home.

Many of us already do this to a lesser degree, we have an extra shampoo and whatever – so we don’t have to rush to the store if we run out or forget to pick it up at the store. When we pull out that duplicate item to use, we add it to the list for the next shopping trip. Even when we don’t pick up another – whether the store is temporarily out or we simply forget despite the list – there’s enough time to get that thing on the next shopping trip before we’ll need it.

It feels less like shopping when you have only the single duplicate, yet it’s about using what you already have. If the things you have are things you are going to use eventually – then why not set things up so you can access and use them with minimal effort? The key is to make sure they are things you will use – want to use – and part with those things you won’t use.

We can apply this idea to various things:

any consumables i.e. food, cleaning products, beauty products, paper products, etc.
clothing
a supply of possible gifts
the décor you don’t have room for right now but want to switch out periodically or are simply not ready to part with

As you can see it is not necessarily about having to get rid of the things you are not currently using, it is about making sure you can use and appreciate the things you do have – even if it’s at some future point. Sometimes it even feels fun to “go shopping” in your home and rediscover the treasures you are now ready to use – some people have compared it to Christmas or a birthday, you have all these gifts you’d not quite remembered. This can happen even as you sort the things – preparing them for future use. If you will use those extra things in the future, you can create the systems to make it easy to find and then use them – to go shopping in your own home.

Review: Ampad Shot Note

4 out of 5 stars

Ampad ShotNote

Pros:

take written notes and turn them into digital notes
share notes with other people and programs
easy to use
pads of paper come in various sizes as well as blank, wide ruled, and dot graph
iPhone app is free
ability to make a multi-page note

Cons:

focus was quite variable
requires purchased paper to use
no control with sending to Dropbox

Review:

When I decide to write a review, I approach the product with as much of a blank slate as possible – keeping my mind open to see the benefits and drawbacks. Except with this one – the Ampad Shot Note (paper and iPhone app), I discovered I had high expectations. I’d been imagining how I could use it – even modifying it to suit other ideas. And I immediately began trying it out in these other ways – before exploring it in the way it was designed. As soon as I realized this, I took a step back and began testing it out exactly as they intended. Similar to my trying to use it with the variations, my experiences shifted and changed throughout my using it.

As with many of the products I review, it came from the NAPO conference where they shared some of the paper and gave us a demo on how it works. The paper has special symbols on the four corners, which the app uses. You take notes, sketch, doodle, or whatever on this paper and then use the app to take a picture of it. These images are limited to the paper – it uses those corner codes to eliminate anything else – so you won’t get distracting background. It also keeps the image straight. It’s easy to make your notes more than 1 page when needed, even when it’s an afterthought. After taking the pictures of your notes, the next step is to put in a title and if you want, a description and tags, which will help you find your digital notes later. That’s the process. If you want to share it, you have the option for different methods: camera roll, email, Evernote, Dropbox, and Twitter.

Once I slowed down, I wrote out things on their paper to use with the app. Although I wasn’t in the brightest of places, I could not get the app to capture an image of my notes that was crisp and clear. I need to add the caveat that I often have a tremble that can make taking focused pictures challenging.

First test of the Shot Note
-inside

I continued to experiment – testing out the same notes outside on a bright day in the shade and then out in the sun. It was surprising how blue the notes were in the shade.

Test 2 of Shot Note
-outside shade

The best has been the note that was taken outside in full sun.

Test 3 of Shot Note
– outside full sun

During this process it occurred to me that some of what this product is offering might be available from simply using the camera within the phone. Therefore, I tried using the iPhone camera to see how the images compared. Inside, the iPhone performed better and you have the option for flash with it. With your iPhone (maybe other smart phones?) you also have the same options for sharing with email and Twitter. It’s already on your camera roll.

Although neither of these pictures are truly good – the words are blurry – they show the (blown-up) differences between the Shot Note program and a general iPhone picture of the same note. Both of these were taken with the first batch, inside.

Zoomed in picture from Shot Note

Zoomed in image of same Shot Note with iPhone camera

As far as Evernote options – the Ampad Shot Note gives you the option for connecting the two programs, so all your captured notes with Shot Note will go into a specific Evernote folder. That specific Evernote folder is assigned within settings, so this isn’t something you decide with each specific note. Everyone who has an Evernote account also has a special Evernote email address where you can email anything directly into Evernote. You can also choose to send emails into specific folders in Evernote on a case-by-case basis. Evernote has handwriting recognition, so any note is then searchable – regardless of its original source. Both Shot Note and camera images with writing had the same recognition within Evernote, as long as the images were clear – the blurry though still readable to me images did not come up with the search.

With Dropbox, Ampad Shot Note creates a folder in your Dropbox where everything you share with it goes – you cannot define where each note goes (other apps are giving you the option for choosing it’s exact places, i.e. within other folders).

From the moment I was introduced to this product, I asked about using it without having to buy the paper. They explained that the 4 corner codes are critical since the program uses those in how it processes – the app has guides/boxes on screen that you center over the 4 corner codes – although they said otherwise, it should work. I had what I thought was a great idea… to use those 4 corners with other papers. I cut all 4 of them out and placed them on the 4 corners of another piece of paper and tried to use the app. It tried to take the picture and I received an error message, although it did save the image where you can share it. I then tried cutting off the top and bottom of the paper and placing the 2 strips on the top and bottom of another paper – the same thing happened. Somehow the app is smart. The program isn’t “complaining” when you place another piece of paper on top of the pad with the corners showing – and will treat that image just like it was your notes, sketches, or doodles.

The idea of this is wonderful – a way to unite the paper world with your digital realm. This means that first you are already comfortable with the technology, that you appreciate the digital aspects available to you. Second, it’s also designed for people who are largely limited to their phones (and computers) for their access – since you can more easily use an iPad for taking notes with your handwriting. Then the question is whether you have a need for the features of this product. It’s not often I take handwritten notes that need to be with me or that I want to share with someone else – or rather if I do, I use my iPad for that.

Can you think of how this can benefit you and your life?

Get the Help You Need

Smilingly I would comment to people when they called that if there weren’t lots of people struggling on their own, my profession wouldn’t even exist. This experience of feeling unable to handle things on their own elicits responses that vary widely – some people are nonchalant and comfortable while others are deeply ashamed and feel like they might be somehow broken. And if you fall into this latter group – read on as I discuss how understandable it is to be embarrassed and why it’s completely normal to have someone help you.

Anyone can be nervous about the state of his or her home and spaces. And I mean anyone – from the “hoarders” to those in an immaculate home, and everyone in-between. The self-described “hoarders” are often quite embarrassed – though by labeling themselves as such, they’re putting themselves in with the extreme situations shown on TV. Then there are plenty of people being labeled as “hoarders” by their families and don’t necessarily realize that having some (even a lot of) clutter doesn’t make you a “hoarder.”

Our loved ones can sometimes unintentionally make things more challenging (if we’re giving them the benefit of the doubt, and I like to give everyone that). There are people who seem to struggle to understand how anyone could get so behind, or not handle things more efficiently. As I’ve interacted with some people like this, it seems that they cannot conceptualize anything beyond how they “just do what needs to be done” so why can’t everyone else do that? Others are frustrated and hurt at how things have fallen apart and their emotions interfere with being helpful about getting things back on track. And that can lead to becoming hopeless about things ever improving – for everyone involved. These messages – whatever they might be – can then add to the embarrassment of both the situation as well as needing help at all.

I desperately wish there was a way I could shift everyone’s thinking to understand that we all need help. It doesn’t make us a failure nor does it mean that we are broken in any way. Although it is contrary to many people’s conceptions of a professional organizer, professional organizers will call in other professional organizer’s to help them with their own spaces. Why would they need someone to come in?

It’s easier to do things when you’re not alone. I cannot claim to know why this is so – yet many, many people talk to me about this. I feel this same way, and have asked friends over to simply keep me company while I work on something. We are social animals after all. Things seem less onerous and there is someone to bounce ideas off of. It can be amazing that simply having another person present can reduce how overwhelming things feel. Maybe it’s an implicit accountability – “I’ve invited them over to talk to me while I do x, I better do x.” When someone is right there with you, you’ve got a place to turn for support if you need it.

Some people are more likely to view things from “new eyes” when there’s someone with them. I’ve noticed that myself – when we had a small party, I suddenly saw all the cobwebs on the ceiling that I’d missed and how this and that spot felt a little cluttered. It’s like I was viewing my home from each guest’s eyes – at least possibly. And when you bring in a professional, they can go a step further than simply another set of eyes – they can recognize how things could be improved (though most of us aren’t going in looking for that randomly – just when someone hires us!).

It saddens me that any of us would be ashamed of needing help. If we think about it, there are lots of things we all need help with and have no embarrassment about – so why is there a double standard about needing help with some things (even within ourselves) that brings up shame? Maybe those who are comfortable are those who recognize that getting help is the next logical step – it’s not a big deal. Whatever you might be struggling with – I encourage you to lose the embarrassment or at least set it aside and find someone to help you through it.

Ready to Make a Change?

Yes? No? Maybe? Sometimes? I feel like a broken record as I reiterate that making any change can be hard. We all know that it can be more than worth the effort too. Some people are worn down by the “failures” of their prior efforts at change. Others are worried about what those changes will bring with them – besides the positives they’re looking for. And more are simply impatient for the changes to happen. This is why I encourage you, first and foremost, is to allow yourself to be exactly where you are in the process.

Simply wanting things to be different doesn’t magically make them happen. If only it were that simple. Likewise, knowing there’s a process to making successful changes also doesn’t solve the struggles. I’ve found that when I can remind myself that all of life – its up and downs – are part of the journey. Although apparently misattributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, we’ve probably all heard the sentence,

“Life is a journey, not a destination.”

I apply this idea to making changes. There are things you can learn along the way – those rocks that trip you up, the unexpected detour off your path, the storm that hides the trail you were following – all experiences, however difficult, can teach you things and help you down the road. If you’re engaged in the process, wherever you’re currently at – your patience and resilience will see you through.

Again often this is easier said than done. Regardless, please allow yourself to be exactly where you are – as I talked about in “Are You Ready?” You cannot hurry yourself into being ready, let alone be cajoled into changing. There are many factors that interfere with making changes and how you handle those can have a dramatic effect on your progress.

Recently I talked about “Listen to Understand” which was directed to our interactions with other people. The same approach and skills applied to an inner dialogue can provide insight into what is getting in our way to making the progress we want. Often this is when it becomes all the more challenging to remain nonjudgmental – to tell yourself that you’re just making excuses, or whining, or just stupid, lazy, or crazy, etc. Don’t – seriously stop yourself. Set backs are common, to be expected even – and we can take that opportunity to learn.

If you’re curious and questioning, you’re not making excuses – you’re searching, looking for what’s happening in your experience and how it impacts you. And it’s not necessarily all about the negative impact – it’s about your perspective, all of it. In our searching to understand, the solutions might elude us for a while. We gain an insight here or there – move forward some and hit a roadblock. “Rawr, I’m stuck (or back-sliding) again, why can’t I just do it right?”

We learn as we do. The challenges we each face aren’t laid out with all their facets in black and white like an assembly manual. We search and discover something a little deeper, hoping this will be the key to clear our path – which it likely will do for a little while. Then it’s time to dig again – uncover more of our tendencies to reveal the next steps.

Our state of mind when we reach that stage of readiness to change can be so inspiring – even exhilarating. The whole house needs organizing – I’ll do it all. Yet think about what your reaction would be if someone who’s not been exercising said, “I’m going to work out 5 days a week for an hour each time.” You’d probably cringe, worrying how they might hurt themselves, and maybe that they’re going to set themselves up for possible failure. It can be hard to take things slowly. To approach things methodically might feel counterintuitive to the energy and motivation. “Oh at long last I’m finally ready and need to take advantage right now.”

Although I can guide you along the path to making changes – and caution you about some common pitfalls – this is your path. Sometimes we need to have the experience for ourselves. There’s nothing wrong about that – as long as you continue to move through the stages of making those lasting changes you’re searching for. Try to keep the pessimism at bay, and encourage the curiosity – about yourself and what works for you. The changes you want can be achieved – with some time, effort, and patience (remember, patience comes to those who wait for it!) – I believe in you. 🙂

More Brief Overviews of Organizing Products

It’s a bit mind-boggling that it didn’t occur to me sooner to share these various products – whatever they might be. My thinking had been narrow, yet as I shared last time – just because I’m not prepared to write an independent review doesn’t mean these aren’t worth sharing. In this world where we can be overwhelmed with the choices available to us, there’s a line between being informed and being paralyzed by the options.

Without further ado let’s jump right into the products.

1. DoubleSeal Envelopes from Ampad – We’ve probably all known someone who moistens the envelope flap and then puts tape over the flap as well. Heck, there are times when the moistened seal doesn’t seem to be adhering well and we need the tape to keep the contents contained. Here’s a product that provides that tape right on the envelope itself – no running to retrieve the tape – and adds that extra level of security. This isn’t a product for everyone, though if this is something that would make your life easier – know that it’s available.

Double Seal Envelopes from Ampad

2. Packaways – This was a new product for me from this year’s 2013 NAPO conference and I really wished they had a miniature sample to bring home with me and let everyone play with it. These are reusable plastic storage boxes that come in translucent and 3 bright colors in all three styles they make: classic (3 sizes), under bed, and tote. There are a number of features which make them unique: they collapse and reassemble repeatedly without anything else required – no tape, they have wipe away panels for labeling on 2 sides of the box, corrugated plastic construction protects from water and humidity, and all styles are designed to have the same footprint which makes stacking them easy. This was certainly a product that surprised me this year – playing with pressing the opposing corners to make the bottom fold into place and then collapsing them – I was impressed with the apparent durability and ease. There’s a good chance I will purchase at least one of these eventually and if it’s as good as it seems, I will share my impressions with you.

Packaways green classic plastic storage box

Packaways Classic Plastic Storage Box

3. OrganizedUp Heavyweight Vertical File Folders from Smead – Here’s another organizing product that offers the vertical option, although it does have the option for using and labeling on both the vertical and horizontal to make it more versatile. I’m happy to see that the vertical options are growing – that approach makes it easier to identify the specific papers you are looking for since the title will be at the top of the opening. This style also makes organizing papers in backpacks and similarly designed bags easier. These are water resistant, closed on two sides, and designed to hold up to 25 pages. Each pack comes with 3 colors – either earth tones or bright tones.

Vertical File Folder, heavyweight, from Smead

4. Pliio – This product is a clothing filer – yes, a way for you to file your clothes (it just might help me shift my reaction to the idea of “filing”). The design makes it quick and easy to fold your clothes while keeping the shape uniform which then means it’s easier to find the clothes you are looking for. How intriguing that by using these you could line your clothes upright; no more toppling stacks of clothes as well as not needing to dig to the bottom of the pile to get the item you want. These help make the most of your storage space and when you are packing for a trip. Even better they are now available at Bed, Bath & Beyond so you can see them for yourself in person.

Pliio – clothing filer

5. HomeZada – This is online and mobile software for organizing your home with a free version and a paid, premium version ($59.00 a year or $5.95 a month). With the free version, Essentials, they offer: a home inventory where you can collect warranties, owner’s manuals, receipts, and pictures; property documents where you gather insurance and mortgage documents, plans, permits, and tax documents; contacts for your service providers and emergency contacts; and news & alerts which provide you with maintenance tips and seasonal checklists. With the premium version you get everything that Essentials include as well as many benefits relating to home maintenance and a section for home improvements projects: templates, financial planning for the projects, and shopping comparisons, and finally the option to manage up to 3 homes, which could be great for landlords.

Screenshot from Home Zada and home maintenance

Screenshot from HomeZada and its home maintenance section

As with any and all products it’s important that we evaluate what could help us and avoid the temptation to get simple because it’s neat. For me, the Pliio is the latter – it seems neat and could be fun, yet I already manage my clothes well, it wouldn’t help me simplify. We also need to be mindful for the time and energy we have to put into things – when it comes to programs, it’s easy to become enamored of the idea that it could make things easier except that we’ll need to learn it and use it – sometimes this easier said than done.

I’ve tried to include a variety of products that are out there which were developed to help us get and/or stay organized. These are not products I’ve used (and abused) to see how well the function – they are simply options that I know about. Would any of these meet your needs? Are there things that you need yet the products you know about don’t fill those needs? What products are you interested in knowing more about?

Limiting Your Collection Places – Including Technologically

You’ve heard me say this before: “I love containers” – all of them: any shape, material, size, etc. I absolutely drool over them. And fight the temptation to bring them all home. It can be a problem. I’ve ended up with large boxes just filled with empty containers – waiting for the perfect thing to use them for. You could say I have a tendency to “hoard” them. They are always useful – at least they have the potential for it. Yet, there’s the point – potential usefulness. Just because something is or can be useful does not make it worth using or keeping. Also, “useful” is subjective – is it actually useful for you and your life? This applies to technological solutions – programs and apps – as well.

How are containers and programs/apps alike?

They are designed to hold things within them.
They are there in essence to benefit us – make our lives easier.
It can be too easy to go overboard – collect different options.
With too many being used it’s all too easy to lose track of where things are.
It can be easy to get the “container” before you’ve identified your specific need.
Neither are the end-all, be-all answer for your stuff.

Recently in my newsletter I mentioned my “hoarding” of quotes and how I have a great program that contains them well. That didn’t stop me from drooling over programs that were designed for the organization of quotes. My husband cautioned me to avoid them; one of the reasons is that some software can become irrelevant quickly. Yet, there’s a more important reason to avoid collecting programs or apps – how much do you want to disperse the information you are saving?

Sure, there are programs designed for this exact type of information and getting it organized. Then there’s this program for that type of information. This can go on ad infinitum probably. And it might be tempting. Yet, then you have to keep track of where your specific information is as well as the data itself. It’s easier when just a few programs can help you maintain and organize various types of information.

The program I use to organize my quotes, NoteShare, is also used extensively for recipes, craft projects, and other lists. The features of the program fit my needs in more than one context, although I’m contemplating alternatives for my collection of quotes, i.e. EverNote. With NoteShare, between the ease of adding images and the wonderful ability to expand and collapse entries keeps the various files manageable, the program is quite versatile.

Just as with the extensive options for types of containers, we are now overloaded with choices for containing our information – both with the devices as well as the software. With all the capabilities of the various devices it can be tempting, as well as inexpensive, to collect software to handle each different types of information we need and want to keep. One of the obvious challenges though is that many programs can overlap in their ability and function – and then where did you actually store the information?

We need to be thoughtful about what we truly need and make sure it will help us. A container will become cumbersome when we have too much or too little to store within it – as well as any number of other factors that make them counterproductive to our lives. In fact containerizing isn’t even the right answer sometimes. The options for containing our digital stuff need to be equally deliberate about – what do you need? How will it help you? Sometimes that means using programs that are extremely versatile, while at other times you have specific needs – like a photographer using complex photo editing software that would exasperate the rest of us.

The solutions that will work for each of us will not always be obvious. Similar to setting up organizing systems that we think will work well for us that fall flat; finding the right containers – if containers are even needed for this or that – might well be a process. I liked EverNote when I started using it, yet didn’t appreciate how versatile it was. It wasn’t a “container” that I used much while now I’m using it more and more. Our solutions for containing our stuff – physical or digital – can evolve. We just want to make sure that we remain mindful about our choices, which will help us from getting overwhelmed with our stuff (again).

Herding Papers into the Filing Cabinet

I have a vision of trying to herd cats – with them flying in all directions! I’ve only met a few people who actually enjoy filing, and the rest of us try to manage it. This can be especially challenging if you have put off handling your papers once you’ve finished the action they needed – as well as if your filing system is over-full from lack of purging. When you are facing this situation you have a decision to make about what your first step will be – do you begin with thinning your filing system or by corralling all those loose papers?

First some questions: (familiar from my “Paper Pyramid”)

Do you currently have a system for your papers?
Is there room within your system for adding papers? (i.e. is your filing cabinet or whatever stuffed full or not)
Are you happy (relatively speaking) with your current system?
How many papers are waiting to be added to your system?

If you can answer yes to the first 3 questions, then your progress can move forward more easily – how much so will depend on your answer to the final question. (If you answered no, check out the link above to Paper Pyramid.)

The most satisfying first step regardless of your answers is typically to get all those loose papers together. Toss all those that you don’t need or want to keep – as long as it’s obvious quickly; otherwise wait to decide until you get farther along. There will be more opportunity for purging in the process.

Just like if your answers from above were no, the foremost consideration as you look at each piece of paper is whether you will need this in the short-term or not. Depending on the amount of papers, this might be all the distinction you need – 2 piles of papers: needs action and to file. It’s critical that you keep all papers that need your attention separate and together through this process – until they can be tossed or moved into a pile for organizing/filing.

Hopefully if you answered yes, you’ve already made the decisions about how long to keep papers that are exempt from governmental guidelines. If not, there’s still hope – you just need to think about and decide for yourself how far back you need to keep certain records. There are many opinions out there about how long to keep your papers (besides property and tax related) – which I talk about some in Paper Retention. Remember at this stage it’s fine to add all papers to their pile, the decisions can be delayed for the time being.

Depending on your answer to the last question, “How many papers are waiting to be added to your system?” the next probably step is to subdivide. For instance, get all your financial papers together, all the instruction manuals, everything that can fit into a category – make sure the pile of papers is relatively small so that the filing process can move along smoothly.

Since you answered yes to the first three questions, consider another question:

When was the last time you purged papers from your files, even if they are not overflowing?

If you don’t know or it’s been more than a year – as much as you might not want to hear it, this is the ideal time to organize your files. This is not about emptying the file drawer and surrounding yourself with piles of papers.

It is about taking the best opportunity to make sure only papers you need and want are taking up the valuable space in your system. Therefore, you have a pile of financial papers ready and waiting to go into their file. Pull out the file – completely out of the filing cabinet. Look through it, this doesn’t need to take much time once you’ve decided how long you’re keeping each type of paper – and remove all those papers that are older or no longer relevant. Then add the sorted papers you’ve gathered from around your house into their appropriate file. Continue with each file.

One of the things I’ve done to streamline the purging of older papers is to place a single tabbed divider between each year in every file. This means that at the beginning of the next year I pull out all papers in front of the first divider and shred them, and move the tabbed divider to the back of the file and add all current papers behind it. This makes regular purging a simple process that requires virtually no thought.

Remember that one of the things that can break a filing system down is having too many papers in one file. There’s a fine balance between too few and too many papers in one file. And to state the obvious, if we don’t purge the papers from our files, they will overflow – or more likely we’ll stop doing the filing to avoid dealing with that cramped file. Any way that you can make purging papers an easy part of the process will save you time, energy, and most importantly – your sanity throughout your life. Your files will no longer threaten to explode and any resistance to getting those papers into the filing cabinet will come more from just the dislike of the filing process than actual problems.

Getting papers from around the house into the filing cabinet should not at all be like herding cats. Ideally it’s not a chore, it’s something that can happen fairly easily. Although I admit, filing remains a chore for me. It’s still not like herding cats – I have an inbox designated for papers that need filing in a discrete place that also has limited room for growth – the paper corral. If my papers have moved past any necessary action, they go directly to the “inbox,” and this is where they stay until I manage to get them into the filing system. This means my papers are in one of three locations only: action needed, the “inbox,” or in the correct file. It’s only the last step that I can still struggle with – yet it’s completely organized as it is. It’s all about finding what works for you – so herd those papers into the filing cabinet and regain control of your space.

Review: NeatDesk Scanner

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Neat Company’s NeatDesk Scanner – desktop scanner I’ve used

Pros:

Eliminate paper
OCR (character recognition)
Searchable files (due to OCR)
Ability to edit PDFs, including copying parts of it elsewhere
Scans can live within program or not depending on your needs
Multiple pages into 1 document
Color or black and white
Double-sided scanning option
Scans papers, receipts, and business cards
- Can add business cards into your contact program
Create reports, including ones for taxes (from any or some of the receipts)
Versions for both PC and Mac
Desktop (NeatDesk) and portable (NeatReceipts) models

Cons:

Limited ability to scan to other programs (i.e. Evernote)
Occasional image problems
Cost
Document primarily – less suited for photos
PC and Mac models are not interchangeable

Review:

Three yeas ago I talked about the temptation of “Creating a Digital Filing Cabinet with a Scanner” – and that all the tools around us have both pros and cons. Getting and using a scanner in order to reduce paper is the answer for only some of us. Just as I knew I would eventually, I picked up the NeatDesk scanner from The Neat Company. It was a little more than a year ago now. My husband and I both used it independently – scanning papers in so that we could then recycle the paper out of our space.

I can be a bit of a control freak (about my own stuff) – I want to be able to make the decisions and to control where and how things are organized. NeatDesk allows me that freedom with one setting. Not everyone wants to make decision after decision about each scanned item – and they provide for that as well, containing everything you scan to the program – if you choose. I have less experience with this, although I know that you can export any files from the program to somewhere else when/if you need to. They also offer the ability to export data into spreadsheets and create reports for various expenses, including for taxes (US and Canada).

One of the most important considerations for me was the ability to copy part of a PDF into another program – the time saved by not having to type up a section of the paper. For instance, my mom sent me an article about the benefits of getting out into nature – I wanted to save the whole article, so I scanned it. Then I wanted to share just a paragraph in the bottom part of my newsletter, and I was able to open the scanned article and copy and paste just the part I wanted to share into the newsletter.

The cost can be a large factor: the desktop NeatDesk scanner is about $400- and the portable NeatReceipts scanner is about $180- though they do have sales periodically. Since cost is something to consider – wait to buy a scanner until you are prepared to use it. Just like any new tool, it takes time to get familiar with it – the learning curve. I found the NeatDesk to be fairly easy to learn and use; even remembering with gaps between using it.

The Neat Company’s NeatReceipts scanner – their mobile scanner

A regular challenge for me can be to obsess about using the new tools – the temptation to block out all other activities for doing it all. In this case, I knew part of me would want to sit down and scan everything in sight! I also know that this isn’t the best way to handle things. First, it leads to a strong possibility that I would scan things that were unnecessary. Second, life doesn’t stop simply because I have a new system. Third, like so much, it might never be done – I still get paper magazines with articles to save. These points mean that incorporating scanning into my life would be more helpful.

Therefore I set up a file in my small desktop filing box called “To Scan” and as I came across papers that I’d want to scan I put them in the file. Then about once a month I sit down and scan all the papers in that file – a focused time for only this purpose which also means I’m also saving time and energy from scanning one paper here and another there. This also gives me time and space to be clear about the decisions I’m making about what I’m scanning and then how and where to organize the scanned papers.

The versatility of the settings makes it valuable as well – being able to scan both sides, multiple pages into one document, color or black and white means that we as the consumer have less work – the scanner can more easily benefit us. As with any tool we use, one of the most important considerations is how it can assist us with our priorities and limit additional effort on our part – the NeatDesk scanner succeeds well in keeping things simplified.

In some ways The Neat Company products are designed for organization within their program. The ability of where you can direct your scanned documents to go is more limited than I would like. Since I continue to discover how helpful Evernote is, I’m a bit disappointed that I cannot scan directly into my Evernote account. On the other hand, I use Dropbox a lot as well and NeatDesk scans my papers there quite easily. Despite the Evernote limitation, I would not give up my NeatDesk scanner – the functionality of it meets my needs (and it’s not hard to add the documents to Evernote, it’s simply another step).

Some of the documents I scanned came out blurry, though it does seem to be a rare occurrence. This year I scanned many of the tax related documents for my husband – when there was grayed or colored areas those were barely legible. Except that when I repeated the scanning of them with a different setting, they scanned in beautifully. This isn’t always the case – I have a black and white printout from a presentation with the PowerPoint slides and its appearance leaves something to be desired – though part of that could easily be that the printout itself is less than ideal.

Since I waited until I was ready to get the NeatDesk and have used it regularly for over a year I can share with you that it’s a tool that I truly value. It offers me important options for getting papers into a digital format and makes it easy to do so. Being mindful of my own tendencies, I knew going in that I would need to establish systems with it that would benefit me. Just because I have found it to be a wonderful tool doesn’t mean you need to create a digital filing cabinet with your papers. What are your needs? What are you comfortable with?

The Neat Company’s Paper Monster
Isn’t it cute? 😉

Are You Ready?

“Ready for what” you might ask? At any given time you could be prepared for various things – the need to adjust or even make abrupt changes – those things that life inevitably demands. While there are times that any change, even minor adjustments, can be overwhelming. This is part of life – whether we like or accept it. A valuable skill to develop is to learn to recognize what we can and cannot handle – at least at certain points in time, since this too shifts with different variables.

Therefore for this moment – are you ready to work at getting organized? And it most definitely can be work. When we let things slide or we never learned the skills to develop and maintain an organized environment, it takes time and effort to bring your spaces into order. As FlyLady says, the state of your home didn’t happen overnight and it can’t be fixed overnight – whatever the actual state of things in your own spaces.

And to be blunt, just because you are frustrated and overwhelmed doesn’t automatically mean that you are “ready.” And equally, it doesn’t mean that you’re not “ready.” There are “Stages of Change” or “Stages of Readiness” people have identified that we all move through and among – along our individual paths. These apply to any changes we want or need to make in our life – from getting organized to any other changes we want to implement.

Pre-contemplation/ Initial Rumblings
Contemplation/ Identifying Possibilities
Preparation/ Reaching Out
Action/ Beyond Talking
Maintenance/ Life Jolts (increase in commitment)

– first items are taken from “A ‘Stages of Change’ Approach to Helping Patients Change Behavior”; second items taken from ICD’s fact sheet, “Readiness for Change – Revised” (pdf link FS-010, second from the bottom of page)

Remember I also said we move among these stages – the idea of relapse – where we falter in making the progress we want, is moving to an earlier stage in the process. It’s completely normal and simply means you’ve encountered some additional challenges and can move back toward the progress you want – when you are ready.

Being “ready” isn’t a solitary, concrete event. It is moving through the process at your own pace, influenced by your life and experiences. It’s all about you and where you are at within these stages. Making changes is challenging – even when we desperately want to make them – hence that it is “work.” Also it is rarely a straight line – making consistent, steady progress from the moment you begin to developing the skills in maintaining the change you’ve identified. If you think about any change you have made and even those you set out to change – what was that process like for you? Likely, it was challenging – it took time and effort – especially initially. It quite probably required learning new skills, or how to apply other skills in new ways.

One of the best things you can do for yourself – as you embark on making changes, even with getting organized – is to give yourself permission to be exactly where you are in the process. You will likely not be right where you are now as time passes – moving through the stages doesn’t necessarily require that you “work” those stages, they can happen naturally. Lasting change comes from within – your own motivation or where you are within the process of making changes you’ve personally identified – and being patient with the process.

Wherever you are in the process, whatever changes you want to make – you can begin anytime. Waiting until you are solidly in an “action” stage isn’t required. Although you can also wait until you are ready for taking action. There is no one right answer – it’s about you and what will work for you. And it never hurts to find support as you embark on the process of making changes – whatever that support looks like.

These Stages of Change can provide you with a framework for how we all process. This outline also doesn’t address other complicating factors, which I’ll talk about soon. It does illustrate what is typical for all of us – it’s not as simple as flipping a switch and presto things are fixed. If only it were that easy. Hopefully it will encourage you to be gentle with yourself as you strive to make changes – whether that’s getting organized or whatever other changes you want to make. Truly it is simply part of the process – even when it’s annoying – it’s still “normal.”

What changes do you want to make? Where are you in the process? Are you taking action?