Your Workspace Checklist

During the quarantine months, I realized that I didn’t have a good setup for both myself and my son to work at home.   I started by getting him a desk and creating his own space for school at home.  I got rid of an area that had a keyboard because I really really wanted him to take piano lessons and it just never happened.  Luckily one of his electives at school during the lockdown months was beginning guitar and it made me realize that it better suited him anyway and a guitar is portable. 

As an Organizational Coach even I get stuck in not seeing the whole picture and having an objective view of a space. I had toyed with the idea of getting Asher a desk and finally one day woke up and realized, now is the time.

It was a game changer.  Asher having his own workspace helped him focus and be able to really do zoom school well.  Much better than trying to work at the kitchen table, when I was cooking, washing dishes or putting away groceries.

This experience inspired me to create this checklist and I thought it might be useful for you.  Here’s the link to my 10 Ways to Refresh Your Workspace.

If you’d like my checklist, click Here!

Why Everyone Needs a Cheerleader for Their Business

If you own your own business, you know that things don’t always go smoothly and come easily to you. In fact, Between 20-50% of small businesses fail in their first five years. This is a daunting fact.  So if you’re a business owner, don’t hesitate to find someone that encourages you and cheers you on.

It’s an amazing thing to have a cheerleader that roots for you and encourages you to keep going.  Someone that has your back and whispers in your ear that you’re doing an amazing job.

I have that in my Dad.  He’s been my biggest cheerleader from the very beginning.  Telling me how proud of me he is and that I’m doing a great job and usually it’s when I really need it the most.  Any time I send out a newsletter, he’s the first to respond that it’s thoughtfully written or full of great ideas.

It’s his 75th birthday this week and I’d like to honor him so that he knows how much I appreciate his love and encouragement.  He’s been a constant since the beginning and inspired me to always do my best work even when I may have not believed in myself.

I owe a big part of me being a great coach to the fact that I’ve learned how to be a great cheerleader from my dad.  My clients have told me that not only do I crack the whip but I also encourage and inspire them to keep up the great work.

If you’re ready to have a coach and a cheerleader for your business, give me a call!

What's Your Perfect Day?

What is your perfect day?  Like a really perfect day?  Maybe you think of being on vacation and waking up and having time to yourself.  While sipping your hot beverage of choice you catch up on news, meditate, or even get some movement in before the rest of the world wakes up.

Think about your non-negotiables.  The things you absolutely would not live without.  Maybe staying hydrated is top of the list, followed by eating a healthy breakfast.  Maybe it’s time to write each morning or move your body each day.

In our first coaching session, we start out by developing a schedule for you that incorporates aspects of your perfect day and your non-negotiables.  Now more than ever, as we work from home and may have a little more chaos in our house with kids in zoom school and having to share space, it’s even more applicable to create a schedule and have routine in our life.

When helping one of my clients create a schedule that included all her wants and needs she realized that she wasn’t fitting in time to write each day. We were able to shift things around so that first thing in the morning she took advantage of a quiet house before everyone else woke up to write.  It just meant going to bed a little earlier and sure enough that was all she needed to fit in her writing time.

My 6 Week Spring Refresh

You might have noticed with all that extra time at home, you really need to declutter and refresh your space! If you are ready to make a change, feeling stuck or heavy in your space, or particularly scattered, I’m here to help you. 

I’ve been working on the perfect online organizing program (pre-COVID) so that I could serve clients outside of the Santa Barbara area. Who knew that this would end up being a great option for my local clients, too? 

The Spring Refresh is a 6-Week Organizing Program for people who want to feel lighter and more grounded in their space. I’ll provide you with an outside set of eyes to help you streamline, simplify and refresh! This goes well beyond decluttering and into long term organizational habits that will serve you for years to come...but don’t worry we will declutter, too. I will give you the tools and techniques I’ve learned to help you get organized and stay organized. Hint: Being organized is not about stuff, it’s a mindset. So when we are done you can apply what you’ve learned to time, goals, and workflow. 

Here is what’s included in the program:  

• Kicks off the week of May 4th

• Includes 6 individual 45-minute coaching sessions 

• Set achievable organizational goals 

• Step by step advice and feedback

• Tailored plan from an organizational expert

• Accountability to make sure you follow through! 

If this sounds amazing, and you are ready to make a change - let’s talk. Click here to schedule a call or hit reply and let me know. 

3 Creative Ways to Help Local Businesses

I hope this finds you and your family healthy and happy during this time of settling in to the new normal.  If you’re wondering how to support local businesses in this time of economic uncertainty, I’ve made a list of a few ideas that you might not have thought of already. Of course it’s wonderful to buy and order from these businesses like buying gift cards, ordering takeout, and making sure you’re tipping well.  But, there are other ways you can help too.

• Leave positive reviews on yelp - this is a gift that keeps on giving. Pick 3 of your favorite local businesses and give them a review. Your reviews will be seen only if you’ve done other Yelp reviews. So picking 3 is important. 

• Give a shout out on social media - Post about a local business you love and tag them in it or repost a post from a local business. Remember that sharing and tagging are great FREE ways to support local business. 

• Consider using a small business before purchasing from Amazon Prime and shop local online - Look for local businesses that supply the items you are looking for online, you might be surprised at how many stock the items you want, will allow you to pay without ever getting out of your car, and offer curbside pick-up where they will place the items right in your trunk. Think flour from your local bakery, coffee beans from your local coffee shop, pet food from the local pet store, wine from the wine shop. There are no long lines or wait times. 

A lot of local businesses are getting creative in how they serve their customers. I’ve been offering virtual organizing sessions to help my clients, especially the ones that are now more aware of their need for organization than ever. We are meeting over Zoom and creating relaxing clutter free spaces for them to live and work in. If you would like that kind of help or want to gift a session to someone, you can contact me here. 

5 Simple Ways to Feel Lighter

I hope this finds you and your family healthy and happy.  With so much heaviness surrounding us at the moment, I thought I’d share some tips on how to feel lighter now.  It’s officially spring which means time for new beginnings and even though we may be under a stay at home order we can open all the windows, smell the jasmine and bring a little spring inside.

Here are my favorite tips for a spring refresh:

• Clear your workspace: Whether you’re working at home or just need a space for yourself, create and clear your workspace.  You’ll be able to think more clearly when you work, find things more easily and allow the creative juices to flow.

• Unsubscribe to unwanted emails:  You know the ones I mean.  The newsletters you signed up to get that you no longer read or the discount coupons from Michael’s that clog your inbox.  Unsubscribe now, you’ll be glad you did and your inbox will feel lighter.

• Sit up straighter:  Besides helping you strengthen your core and allowing your bones, ligaments and muscles to properly align themselves, sitting up straighter just feels better.

• Create a spring playlist to exercise or clean to:  Music inspires us and a great playlist is usually just the thing we need when we are feeling a little low.  

• Drink more water:  A fun way to infuse your water with spring is to chop up cucumber and lemon or strawberries and mint to make staying hydrated enjoyable.