Harmonious Organizing with a Partner

It can be difficult to organize with a partner or spouse who shares the same office / business with you.  Oftentimes what I find is that one person wants to keep everything and the other wants to get rid of everything.  There is rarely a meeting of the minds and because the two (or more) people know each other very well they tend to criticize and judge each other assuming their WAY is the best.

I have worked with many, many couples and partners over the years and the trick to working with another person and finding harmonious ways to organize is to look for the strengths and non-negotiables within each of you. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Choose which tasks you will be responsible for based on those.

I'm sure there are parts of the office / business you each feel passionate about. If those parts are different make the choice to have the person who is most interested in that area decide the best way to organize or systematize it. All the while making sure the other person understands the system.

If there are areas that you both feel you are the best person to make the decision you will have to find a compromise.  Talk it out with open minds and realize you are on the same team, with the same objective. It is not a contest. When your office is a well run, efficient place to be you both win. There is often a way to split the project or task that will make you both happy.

I would suggest discussing and making the decisions that are the easiest or most obvious first. Don't start with the issues that will be the battles.  As you work through all of the areas and challenges you both face in your office / business you will begin to find your way through it and the battles might not loom so large as they would if that was the starting point.

You can do this! You will find your way!

If you have a sticking point feel free to schedule a Strategy Session with me. I am happy to help you both talk through any issues you can't get to the bottom of on your own.

4 Steps to Getting Unstuck

Today's blog post is courtesy of the Harvard Business Review Management Tip of the Day from an article by Peter Bregman. There are times of the year — or the week, or the day — when you simply have too much to do. You may buckle down and focus, or like many people, you may get overwhelmed and freeze up. Next time you are stressed out by how much you need to accomplish, take these four steps: Make a list. Write down everything you need to do on a piece of paper. Do the quick hits. Take 15 minutes, no more, to do the fastest things on your list: a quick email response, the 2-minute phone call. Use a timer to keep you focused. Turn off distractions. Now spend 35 minutes focused on the tougher things on the list with your phone and email alerts switched off. Take a break and repeat. Take a 10-minute break and start again. Before long, you'll have crossed enough off your list to restore your calm. I love this idea because it's simple and it can easily be applied to whatever tasks you may have on your list.

3 Tips for Your Daily To Do List

I always say that being productive and organized are never one size fits all. No matter how hard you try or want it to happen, the square peg will never fit correctly in the round hole. And that's okay. It only has to work for you!

I love it when someone finds a system that works for them!

Check out this video by my friend Elizabeth Potts Weinstein and then take a look at her site for more great tips about Living Your Truth.

If you have a great tip or system for being productive / organized that works for you I'd love to hear about it. Thanks Elizabeth for letting me share yours.

Organizing Is Not One Size Fits All

I come across clients all the time who read organizing books, go to organizing seminars or work with an organizer who wants them to do things the organizer's way. They think they've got the answer to all their frustrations and challenges. Then when the solution doesn't work they feel as if they've failed. The problem is you need to read 100s of books and go to tons of seminars and pick out just the little nuggets that will work for you. It is very important that the solution to your productivity issues are based on who you are and how you work. I work very closely with my clients to get to know them and find what will work for them so they succeed. My clients become more productive, more efficient and organized. I guarantee it! The solution only has to work for YOU! Not for anyone else. 

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You can, as long as you use it in its entirety and include this info: Beth Sharkey Flarida is the owner of Get It Together. She is a Productivity Consultant, Efficiency Expert and Professional Organizer for business. Being productive is not one size fits all! Beth has helped 1000s businesses find the systems that work for them and she can do the same for you! Visit http://www.GetBeth.com.