I help people de-clutter their lives and get rid of the bad habits that led to the chaos in the first place. Sometimes, my professional advice seems a lot like something you might hear from a life-coach.

After all, my “Three P’s” — planning, process and procedures, which help people stay organized and have a good life balance are also keys to long-term success.

Recently, some of my friends in the coaching field have written advice about forming good habits and letting go of things. My colleague, Dr. Brian Walsh, who collaborated with me on the Self-Hypnosis CD Ending Procrastination, provides this advice on improving behavior:

Over 97 per cent of our behaviors are unconscious. These behaviors are the result of imprinted patterns. Most of these were created when we were very young, perhaps under the age of seven. Another term for these patterns is habits, and yes, procrastination is a habit. It was learned, so it can be unlearned.

Most people believe that it takes 30 days to establish a new habit. Recent research has found that anyone can establish a new habit in as little as five days. Now, there’s a catch to this. Even if you have planted a new habit, the old one is still hanging around and is fighting for survival. Old habits die hard.

Here’s the key to success. Be aware that every time you fall back into the old habit, it will gain strength, and the new pattern will begin to weaken. The converse is true: Every time you practice the new pattern, it will gain dominance over the old one. Eventually it will dissolve, and that might take 30 days. You’ve heard that “Practice makes perfect.” Actually: “Practice makes permanent.”

On the topic of how to make your habits work for you, Life Coach Julia James has written a great article with a list of steps to follow:

1. First, pick a habit to establish.
2. What would be the smallest action you could take to get started? Commit to doing this one small thing on a regular basis, ideally on a schedule.
3. Set up a reminder to help you remember your commitment.
4. When you feel ready, gradually increase your commitment – but no more than you can consistently do.
5. Share your commitment with someone. Accountability really helps.
6. Identify the personal values you are honoring with your action.
7. Notice how good you feel when you follow a healthy habit; give yourself kudos for taking this positive step.
8. Stick with your new habit for at least 30 days. Before long, this behaviour will feel automatic and you won’t have to think about it anymore.

I’ve written before about how to face down the challenge of letting go of stuff that we don’t need. But what happens when your identity is tied to the things you own? My friend, Living in Vision Coach Lynne Brisdon discusses how to get past your hesitation:

When we have a strong attachment with our stuff our identity can feel threatened if we let go of it. This also has to do with being afraid of change and needing to control our surroundings in order to feel secure. The antidote is to shift to a sense of self identity that is truly about being who you are and not associated with having stuff.

This can also be related to the mistaken assumption that material objects: cars, a new PDA, or outfit, will fulfill us or have us feel complete. We feel good for a little while after acquiring the object of our desire, but we soon end up feeling empty again. We mistakenly equate having stuff with being loved instead of feeling whole and complete regardless of our belongings.

Have you seen the Olympic ski jumpers doing those twisting jumps five storeys into the air and land perfectly on an angle I’d be scared to walk down? I’ve been captivated by the incredible achievements of the Olympic athletes. And when I see the interviews with them, they all seem so positive and grounded, whether they’ve just placed or actually won a gold medal. How do these people do what they do with such focus and balance as professionals and as real people?

The father and sometime coach of four-time Canadian Women’s Hockey Team athlete Jennifer Botterill, Dr Cal Botterill (sports psychologist for Olympic athletes and the NHL) recently helped create a study called “12 Key Questions for Young Athletes”. I thought the conclusions in the study could apply equally to my organizing and productivity clients as to athletes who want to stay focused and on top of their game:

• Be clear about why you do what you do – know what your goals are. “Wanting to perform for others can be a powerful motivator and focus… Perform with a clear mind and an unburdened heart. Don’t let guilt (unintentional or not) develop from privileges you have been provided.”
• Make rivalries positive – don’t compare yourself to others “Wayne Gretzky became Canada’s leader in hockey because he loved playing the best. As a player, captain, and now manager and leader, Wayne loves positive rivalries… He knew playing the best brought out the best in him.”
• Get to know yourself better. “Olympic Diving Gold Medalist Sylvia Bernier believe good psychology can help you develop in all the other areas. Game plans can help you focus and execute strategies. Psychology can help you to get to know yourself better and develop a strong perspective.”

Stay balanced and focused and good things happen. Learn from the people who are going for the gold.

In this latest “Organizing Tips from Successful People” segment, Managing Editor Timothy Renshaw of the award-winning weekly news source, Business in Vancouver explains below how we need to prepare as though we’re in a marathon – because in some ways, that’s what our lives are.

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to staying organized?
Staying in the here and now is a challenge. Also, focusing on one task at a time without being overwhelmed by major projects. You have to train the mind to prevent it from being distracted by worries about the future or regrets about the past.

How do you manage your schedule?
I start early. You have to execute the plan mapped out the night before. Deliver on commitments, but if you are unable to deliver on those commitments, inform everyone who will be affected by the situation and reschedule another delivery date. Break large projects into daily digestible pieces.

How do you define work-life balance?
It’s embracing work and play with equal enthusiasm, inspiration and energy.

Can you think of a time when being organized helped you seize an opportunity?
Meaningful and valued jobs, promotions and relationships have all resulted in some way from being prepared, paying attention and being interested.

Do you have a system for staying organized? If so, what is it?
I make lists and complete them every day. You need to structure a daily routine that includes some form of physical activity and mental meditation. This is a marathon: you have to be in top physical and mental shape to deliver good results.

Aside from that, you have to be candid and open in all your communications. Be clear and concise. Don’t waste people’s time. Be courteous. Be authentic.

Finally, take action. Don’t dither.

How do you manage and organize yourself on your computer or online?
(social networking, calendars, address books, email, etc).
I organize through calendars and e-mail.

Paper or digital organizer (daytime vs blackberry/iPhone) and why?
Paper. No batteries and no moving parts means no system failures.

I’m often asked, “As a professional organizer, is it easier for you to let things go? You must not have any junk or knick knacks because you’re the expert in getting rid of clutter.”

That’s mostly true, but not the whole story.

Often we hold onto things based on the emotional value they provide, which they spark in our memories. Sometimes the object reminds us of an intention to do something. Other times, we just don’t want to get rid of something we spent money on, whether or not it is actually useful in our lives.

My clients are asked to determine the value of the item they are keeping. Value is measured in two forms: Functional Usefulness and Emotional Attachment.

To illustrate, I’ll tell you a story about myself.

My Dad owned a Chinese/Western food restaurant. It was a small neighborhood eatery, visited by the locals. Think back to times of Pink Ladies, Fuzzy Navels, Shirley Temples and Rob Roys.

He had quite the following. There were line-ups out the door every weekend. The community where he was located has a strong Scottish clientele. Imagine, a Chinese food restaurant hosting Robby Burns Day ceremonies, turning out authentic Haggis and entertaining the sell-out crowds with Highland Dancers and full Robby Burns Day ceremonies.

Dad was presented with his own kilt, brought back from a loyal patron on a visit back to Scotland. He wore it every year during the ceremonies. When my Dad passed away, we buried him with his kilt. I remember George, a regular restaurant patron, playing the bagpipes as we followed his casket at the graveyard.

One thing that I did keep of my Dad’s was this statue, made by another loyal patron — complete with glasses cut out of black construction paper and the black marker scribble for Dad’s mustache. The base of the statute reads “Hamish McChu”.

Just think of me as Linda Chu from the McChu clan…

Dad looks over me each night from atop of my wardrobe in the bedroom. What value does this item bring to me, you ask? Emotional or usefulness? You decide. Contact me and let me know what you think. Best regards.

I provide my clients with systems for organizing their office and home spaces and managing work-life balance. A lot of the advice I provide comes from the inspiration and ideas I’ve gotten from successful people I’ve met here in BC and around the world. This issue of Chu On This… kicks off a new segment called Productivity Pointers from Top Business People, where I will share the organizing tips and advice many experts in various fields have used to achieve success.

Our first expert for this Q & A segment is sixty4media co-founder, Rebecca Bollwitt. Rebecca has been named one of the Top Ten Women in Vancouver Technology to Watch and one of Canada’s Top Ten Most Influential Individuals in Social Media.
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Great containers are only half the battle. Linda Chu of Vancouver’s Out of Chaos offers a series of tips in the Fall issue of Western Living Condo Magazine.

Divide and Conquer
Split your clothes into two seasons, winter and summer. Store any items (like heavy skiing sweaters) that you would never wear out of season.

Birds of a Feather
Put pants in one pile, T-shirts in another and so on. Subdivide the piles into casual and dressy items. Take it one step further and sort by colour or sleeve length – a great way to discover a glut of items. Do you really need a dozen black camisoles?

Tough Calls
If you’re waffling on an item, put it in what Chu calls the “not-sure box.” List what’s in the box with the current date and the contact information of a charity and attach it to the box. Make a note in your calendar a year from now. If you haven’t missed anything in the box by then, you can donate it to charity without opening the box (and risking a trip down memory lane).

Two Questions
Question each item using two principles of purging: When was the last time you used it? Were you surprised to find it?

Air Time
Clothes need to breathe, so don’t store them in plastic boxes. Be sure to label the containers.

Call for Help
If you feel overwhelmed by your closet, Chu recommends having someone support you in the process. Make a deal with a friend to work on your closets together, or hire a professional organizer for help restoring order to your space.

View full magazine spread.

More and more, social networking is being used to stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues and to boost business. But I barely have time to live my own life, much less to read what everyone else is up to. How do you manage your time and use social networking in an organized way? To answer these kinds of questions, I talked with WRITEIMAGE founder Jonathon Narvey, who helps organizations get their message out through social media.

Q. How is social media good for business when people are Tweeting, Facebooking and updating their status about what they just had for lunch? A. Filtering the information is the key to making it useful. You select the RSS streams, Twitter profiles and Facebook friends that you want to follow. If someone is always Tweeting about their lunch, the solution is simple – you would never follow that person in the first place. It’s the same idea as when you watch TV, in that you choose the channel you want to watch – except that you can probably get far more targeted information from scanning relevant status updates online for 10 minutes than from any TV show.

Q. Which tools do you use?

A. I manage several blogs to establish a presence in my chosen fields and build connections with others. I also guest blog on other websites. I use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. These are the big sites. All of my social networks include both personal and professional connections. Often, there’s overlap, as colleagues become friends.

Q. But which tools are better for business?

A. All of them can be used for business. For instance, anyone can have a Facebook fan page for their business. LinkedIn is handy for building professional connections and finding professional associations. And Twitter is a convenient tool for finding influencers, connecting with them and broadcasting your message.

Q. Maintaining all those networks must be a lot of work. How do you manage your time?

A. Especially for those using social networks for business, the amount of time you use them will depend largely on how you want to use them. For passive connection-list building, a few minutes a day is probably all you need. If you’re using social networks for marketing campaigns, keep a strict schedule.

Social networks often include tools that automate functions, reducing the amount of time you need to spend maintaining them. For instance, you can set up your blog RSS feed (a summary of your most recent posts) to auto-Tweet whenever you publish, and then use Ping.fm to update all of your social networks at once.

Q. How do I de-clutter my social networking profiles?

A. Facebook and LinkedIn both let you customize the look of your profiles. You can select the applications you want and get rid of the rest. For instance, I organize my Facebook profile to show very minimal contact information, some links to my business and articles I’ve written. I keep it minimal to make an easier scanning experience for myself and others.

Social networking, just like email, can get out of control and consume what little time you have. Set your priorities and make social networking a part of your marketing plan, just as you would a face to face meeting or networking event.

We are pleased to announce that Linda Chu, Principal of Out of Chaos has teamed up as an associate with Kwela Leadership & Talent Management to offer a time management workshop.

Kwela is a Vancouver-based consulting company dedicated to developing business leaders and the systems that will achieve their strategic goals. They believe that leadership and organizational excellence are interrelated. Kwela works with businesses in Leadership Development, Team Development, Talent Management and Training programs.

Their Time Management workshop is designed for the business person to “Get Organized”. Learn how to develop effective workflow practices and sustain them in the long term. Reduce workplace stress and burnout. Focus your time on what is important.

Register for the next Public Program of Get Organized Time Management, on September 17, 2009. Join Kwela’s Principal, Russel Horwitz in this inaugural public program. Linda will look forward to seeing you there.

With the downturn in the economy many are finding themselves doing the work of two or more people. Take for instance a recent Vancouver-based client of mine who was in the position of hiring for a short-term entry level position in their company. The vacancy created a flurry of over 100 applicant resumes applying for the position.

Out of Chaos was originally called in to assist this busy manager with managing her tasks and creating a prioritized action plan. It was very clear early in our process that activities relating to hiring personnel were not this manager’s expertise.

In consultation with Sandra Reder, Managing Partner of Vertical Bridge Corporate Consulting, the following steps in the hiring process can easily bog down the best of managers, especially if they are not in your area of expertise:

1. Placing the advertisement on various job boards, website and possibly in print media
2. Receiving resumes (these days it can be anywhere from 75 to 150 resumes for one position)
3. Screening resumes to the job description and short-listing the suitable candidates
4. Pre-qualifying calls to the short-listed candidates to see how they communicate, as well as to confirm some basic details about them
5. Possibly doing a more in-depth pre-screen on the phone to find out more about their past work experience before bringing them in for face-to-face interviews

“Overall this can take one person well over 20 hours of their time (this is based on 75 resumes if there’s more, then time will obviously go up).”

What is your time worth? Consider the value of outsourcing hiring related activities to the experts and free yourself up to focus on your core business.

We’ve all gone through those moments when the idea of tearing out our hair has sounded oddly soothing, when the hundreds of lists in our heads collide and the only left is to sit in the corner and (gently) bang our heads against the wall. So how do you do it?

We thought we would ask a few experts—people whose job it is to help others stay on track, stay focused, and accomplish their goals, whether those goals are about career, health or just plain being organized. We hope their thoughts and advice will inspire you to pick up where you left off, and take charge of your life—in all areas. Because you can do this.

The Time Factor
Busy working mothers juggle a lot of hats these days. Even stay-at-home moms seem to have too much going on. How can they get rid of the mental clutter and help themselves focus and relax, exercise occasionally, and maybe even carve out some personal time? How do they juggle work and family without sacrificing one or the other?

Linda Chu:

Focus is the key. When the mind is cluttered, it’s like a kid in the candy story, not knowing what to pick first. The time honoured to-do list is key. The only problem is not the list itself, but our lack of focus, prioritization, and follow-through. Jotting down all your to-do’s only de-clutters the mind. Prioritizing what to do next and when, is critical in helping to keep you on track and in focus.

Using a priority action system will keep you on track. Note: this system can be modified to suit individual needs. When you have a priority action system in place, you are able to plan your highest priority items each and every day, but most importantly when emergencies come up (and with kids, the unexpected does happen), you are able to re-shuffle your priorities, as long as you know in advance what they are.

If you want to start your own business, a business plan is key, where you spend time to determine what your goals are and how you will achieve these goals, including monetary & time goals. Without a map, you have no sense of direction.

Obviously family life is important, so this needs to be factored into your ultimate daily schedule. Do you want to only work weekends? Are you only available after your drop off your children and before you pick them up from school? Find a line of work that will give you the time you need, the income you want. If it is important enough, you will schedule the time to make things happen. Just like all those competing weekend birthday parties & multiple kids’ activities.

Patti Bishop:

“Not enough time!” is definitely the biggest obstacle I hear from my busy moms. Notice I said “obstacle” and not “barrier”—there are ways around it! Instead of having a workout be an hour—you can split up the time throughout the day in smaller blocks; 15 minutes in the morning, half an hour at lunch and 15 minutes after dinner. It is the cumulative time that counts but you have to make the best use of your time.

Try incorporating exercises into your morning routine: pushups at the kitchen counter, balance on one leg while getting lunches ready, step-ups while brushing your teeth, triceps dips at the edge of the bathtub, crunches on the floor and squats while waiting for the shower to warm up.

Stroller Stride type classes are fantastic for new moms, but once a baby starts to walk and move, workouts need to change. If finances are an issue, moms can get together and create a babysitting co-op where one mom baby-sits while the other two workout. Sharing the cost of a babysitter is another option or tag-teaming the babysitting between partners. While one partner works out, swims or goes for a jog, the other partner watches their child and then they switch after an hour!

Many gyms offer babysitting between set hours. If you can make it to these times, the actual cost can be quite reasonable. Once your children are able to play safely on the playground equipment, the playground can be your gym too! There are so many fun ways to turn an hour at the park into a workout for you. Try decline crunches on the slide, walking lunges, hamstring curls and knee tucks with the swings and of course pushups—you can always find a space to do pushups!

Christopher Flett:

The first step to a woman getting past the guilt around family/work balance is understanding that she can “have it all.” Being a good parent doesn’t mean you can’t have a career, nor does focusing on your career make you a bad mother. The secret is having separation in your life. When you are with your family, be with your family. When you are at work, focus on your work. Unless you are a neurosurgeon on call, turn the cell phone/blackberry off when you get home and on weekends. Work will always be there.When you are at work, work diligently to increase your professional value and find joy in the work that you are doing. Having success in both parts of your life comes from having systems and backup plans. Don’t just have one babysitter, have three. That way if one isn’t available, you have a backup. When you are taking time off to be with your family, find someone you trust to cover you in the event of an emergency at work or in your business. Train this person how to handle situations that can come up, and then let it go. Kids don’t like it when mom is continuously checking her blackberry and work doesn’t like it when a woman misses a meeting because she has to get her kids from school. Find resources to cover your transitions between work and family and your stress will go down.

One local resource for women looking for multiple babysitters is Lullaby League. This service allow parents to meet 10-20 babysitters at a mixer in under an hour. Another well known service is Nannies on Call.

Set personal, professional, and financial goals for yourself. Make sure that every goal has a measurable plan associated with it. Find an ‘accountability’ partner to share your goals with and to keep you on track. If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Women put their own goals behind those of their partners, their family, and their friends. Focus on yourself so that you can empower other women to do the same. It is women’s time to shine but you have to step out into the light.

The STUFF Factor

Children’s toys, books, homework, STUFF always seems to be a big issue for moms. How can they organize all the stuff and get their kids to maintain it? Is there a way to organize your

Linda Chu:

Less is more. In these economic times, gluttony is not a game to be playing. A serious purge session is in store for everyone. Get everyone involved. Start kids young by personally taking them down to transition homes & street youth centres, etc so that they can see for themselves those in need and less fortunate.

Create a box for each person of items that you know you have not used, but can not bear to let go of. List an inventory of items. Date the box. Identify the name & number of a charity for donation. Store the box away in your garage/ basement/storage locker. Mark a date on your calendar for 6 months or 1 year for this date (whatever is reasonable to you). If you have not touched these items in this period, your commitment will be to donate the contents of the box. Do not open the box, hence the inventory list. Touch/feel/smell will bring back memories & intentions making it harder to let go…

Regarding husbands…a family counsellor/therapist I am not! [laughing] I would recommend that communication is key. Just like when your got married and talked about children, your expectations and goals must be out in the open and talked about. Be clear in what each expects of each other. Who is responsible for what. Division of tasks is very important. Do not overlook that unpaid work (like being a stay-at-home mother) is still work, with all the emotional and physical demands of working outside for a paycheque.

If budget allows, you may want to look at leveraging off some tasks to auxiliary services like a housekeeper, lawn-mowing service, personal chef, professional organizer etc. What is your time worth? Is time better spent on family vs. the entire weekend on certain chores? You decide.

The Legal Factor

Most parents have RESPs and RRSPs in place, savings accounts and life insurance set up, all to protect their families. Is there anything else they should be doing?

Jacqueline Flett:

GET YOUR WILL DONE. This is item one, two and three on this list. In your Will, the following issues should be addressed:

1. Name a guardian. If either you or your spouse (who is your child’s biological parent or adoptive parent) pass away, the survivor would become the sole guardian. But if you both pass away, the court will appoint a guardian. The court will usually appoint the closest relative (next-of-kin). This is problematic if:

a. There are two equally related next-of-kin who both want to be guardian (i.e. your parents and your parents-in-law)

b. There are any relatives you do not want raising your children;

c. There are any relatives you expect may pursue a battle over guardianship;

d. There are no suitable relatives;

e. You want your child to remain with a step-parent.

2. Name one or more alternate guardians. If your named guardian is someone that you are close to, it is possible that you could be in a common disaster with that person. Have a back-up just in case.

3. Appoint an executor and an alternate executor of your Will. These people need to be capable of managing your children’s inheritances for the long-term. If your children are young, your executor will likely be handling their finances and dealing with the guardians until your children reach the age of majority.

If you are a single parent because of a breakdown in your relationship, your former spouse would likely be awarded guardianship of your children. If your children’s other biological parent is not in the picture at all, it is even more critical to have a guardian appointed in your Will because you do not have a second-parent safety net. If you are concerned about your children being returned to an unfit or abusive former spouse, you need to raise those issues with your lawyer to ensure that your reasons for wanting to exclude that person as a guardian are properly documented.

Some factors to consider when choosing a guardian are:

• Does the person like your kids?
• Do your kids like the person?
• Do you have similar parental values and parenting styles?
• Does the person have sufficient financial resources and, if not, do you have sufficient life insurance to provide that person with access to enough resources to care for your children until they reach adulthood?
• Is the person’s location satisfactory?
• Is the person young enough and in good health to take care of your kids until they reach adulthood?

The Work Factor

Women face a lot of choices in the workplace or when running their own business. How can they get ahead and stay on top? What should they avoid doing?

Christopher Flett:

Women give up their power and this can be challenging to get back. They need to be clear that business today is not gender specific. Their actions will either play into stereotypes, or will support them being seen as an exceptional professional. In the book, “What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business”, over 16 points are covered on how women inadvertently give up their power in business.

Here are some of the more common pitfalls:

• Make excuses
• Not getting to the point
• Taking things personally
• Declaring open war on others
• Gossiping
• Not understanding professional endorsement
• Accepting poor treatment
• Being selfless rather than selfish
• Not asking for what they want (instead asking for what they think they can get)
• Expecting that everyone will act fairly towards them
• Not having a Plan B (backup plan)
• Being too loyal

Get advice on how to build your business from other entrepreneurs who understand the challenges moms face. Beware of government resources online, most have been built by government employees, not business owners. Find someone who understands business and the dynamics of being a parent.

Know that women are leading the edge of self-employment based in the home. You aren’t alone in doing this. Find a good mentor who can help you through the challenging parts and you too can join the ranks of successful female entrepreneurs that can have it all.

The Health Factor

What’s the best way for busy moms to lose those post-baby pounds, get more energy and stay healthy and strong?

Patti Bishop:

When it comes to losing body fat, what you eat is number one! Getting back to or developing healthy eating habits are key to fat loss. Along with diet, comes strength training—they go hand in hand. If you dramatically change your diet but don’t start or maintain a strength training program, you can lose muscle mass. Your muscles are your fat burners. Thirdly, you want to add in cardio because you need to keep your heart and lungs strong too. Instead of doing steady state cardio for long periods of time, add in some high intensity bursts of speed to both challenge yourself and boost your metabolism.

The first year after birth is a challenging time for fat loss. You need to be kind to yourself—your body has gone through a lot—you just made a baby! Your body will hold onto body fat while you are breast feeding and if you are stressed out. Sleep deprivation is definitely a stress. Once your baby gets on a more regular sleep schedule and your sleep improves, your body will start to relax and let go of the extra pounds.

Watch out for the following common pitfalls that mothers are most prone to:

• Eating what their kids eat
• Eating their children’s leftovers
• Eating prepackaged food
• Not preparing ahead of time
• Skipping meals
• Eating late at night
• Waiting too long between meals
• Not drinking enough water
• Depending on coffee for “energy”

My favourite thing is to put a sticker on my kitchen calendar after I have completed a workout (walking, strength training, swimming, yoga, etc.) The more gold stars I see at the end of each week, the better I feel!

Download printable pdf

By Jennifer Fresher – WestCoast Families

Moving can very quickly become one of the biggest stresses in your life, if you are not prepared and organized. Following a recent pack and move at a 5700 square foot home, our Vancouver-based professional organizers have some moving and packing tips to share.

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Finding the right balance invariably comes into conversation when I work with clients. This month I’ll share with you a tip for your work, yourself, and your environment.

No Time to Open All Those Emails
Here’s a quick tip to put into practice immediately, to save precious time when managing your emails. EOM — End of Message. Use this in the subject line to signal the recipient of your emails that they don’t have to open up the email. All they need to know is in the subject line of your email.

This works nicely for things like. “See you Friday at 11:00 am. EOM”, “Congratulations on a great job!. EOM”. Forward this email tip and get organized.

When time is limited, every second, or in this case, every click counts.
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