In 2014, our family made the decision to move to Delaware. Lumuli had been laid off work and the quickest job offered was from a company in Delaware. When he called me to tell me about the offer, I was excited at the opportunity to have a new adventure.

We only lasted 5 months.

Moving Makes You Question Your Mortality.

We missed Boise and wanted to come back home as soon as humanly possible. However, that meant that our dream home that we’d built just a couple of years before would still be rented out. It also meant that we would need to live an an apartment until our home became available again.

So, here we were, moving from our 3500+ square foot house in Meridian, to a 3000+ rental in Delaware, to a 1300 square foot apartment, back to our 3500+ square foot house. Wow. I’m exhausted just writing that!

We couldn’t keep everything we owned. We were going to have to get rid of a LOT of stuff, but I didn’t realize HOW MUCH stuff, until we figured out that we were going to have to move three times in a matter of months. That meant that for each move, we’d be getting rid of more and more stuff.

The other thing that caused us to continue to get rid of stuff is the mere fact that the “stuff” would not fit into our 26′ trailer. I was SUPER proud about how much we got rid of to fit all of our belongings into that trailer. You think that’s a big trailer, but it really isn’t when you factor in a toddler, two kiddos and two grown adults. You think you can do it? I double-dog dare you to – my bets are that you can’t.

I don’t think anything makes you more aware of your mortality than moving. You can’t take any of this stuff with you. And all the stuff you’re probably keeping for your kids? They don’t want it. Trust me.

So what in the world are we to do?

We donate. And donate, and donate and donate. We also take four weeks to catch our trash up to the number of times the garbage man visits. No matter how we do it, we MUST get rid of that crap!

Marie Kondo’s Influence

Over the years, I’ve learned not to hold onto stuff I don’t need/want, simply because they cost a lot to replace, or because I might use them some day. I’d read Marie Kondo’s book years ago and LOVED it and implemented many of her ideas. But the Netflix show she came out with motivated me to do it again. This time, with my business!

This is a whole different beast, Friends. Picture having samples (no pun intended) of photographs, frames, albums and marketing collateral from being in business over 10 years! You can imagine how much space that would take up! Not only that, but I’d gotten to the point of being so overwhelmed by the space, that I was afraid to try to tackle the job alone.

Do it With a Friend

My friend Kacie came over after she dropped her kids of at school to help me with that room. This was AMAZING. She was able to help me get out of organizational paralysis and into the mode of getting it done. It was still a tough road, but about 30 minutes ago, we finally put the donations in the car, the trash in the bin and the furniture back.

What Went Through My Head

There’s so much that went through my head when I was sorting out stuff:

1. Shoot. Those guys are divorced. I don’t want their divorce to sully my samples of beautiful images. I kept hearing Marie Kondo say (or rather her translator), “Does it bring you joy”. Nope. TOSS.
2. OMG. This was one of my VERY FIRST weddings! I can’t get rid of this – too many memories of how I started. But – they aren’t my favorite photographs and the Album Company isn’t even in business anymore. TOSS.
3. There are thousands of dollars invested in these samples. YIKES! How can I just throw this stuff away? Do I really need 20 album samples? I guess not. TOSS.
4. These samples are GINORMOUS. I can’t do anything with them. I don’t want people’s faces on random things in the landfill – but I certainly don’t want or need them. Slice through the images with a blade (ouch!) to break them down. TOSS.
5. I LOVED this couple. Their wedding was beautiful. I don’t need the sample any more, but they probably would like to have it. DONATE (to my client).
6. I want to use these frames at SOME POINT. After all, I’ve got a 3500 square foot house – surely there’s some wall space to use these well. But I may not ever get to them – at least not within a few years. Ugh! TOSS.
7. This item could be used by other photographers or people who are in need. But honestly, the amount of headache and effort it would take to get those things to new owners is just too much for me right this second. Although we may get $50 or so for it on Craigslist – let’s just call it good with a tax write-off. DONATE.
8. These Camera and Lens boxes. I’ve kept them through the years because I may end up selling some of my equipment. But have I done it yet in my 10+ years of business? No. TOSS.
9. I have client gifts, packaging materials, yearly receipts and welcome signs that I need to keep for future use. But they need to be easily accessed. And the receipts from 7 years ago or more? KEEP – TOSS.
10. Frame Samples that I’ve acquired throughout the years? I’ve NEVER sold a single frame other than those from my top two drawers. I guess they need to go. TOSS.

Do you see that I only had two of those 10 arguments come to the conclusion of keeping the crap? That’s a LOT to get rid of! It feels so good to Marie Kondo this room and gives me a renewed sense of love for my Ordering Room.

Lessons Learned

1. If you need to break glass in a frame, put it WHOLE in a bag and then break it. Do NOT break it on the bare ground and then attempt to sweep it up.
2. If you’re overwhelmed, do it with a friend who will help you stay on task.
3. Don’t keep things around “in case” you’ll need them.
4. When you break styrofoam, have a vacuum handy, because those little white things will literally fly off your broom and dustpan.
5. Have coffee handy. Lots and lots of coffee. And tissues. For when it gets too overwhelming.

I hope this helps either motivate you to tackling your own organizational project or teaches you to learn from my mistakes!

Now, onto the shooting room. This will be fun. Stay tuned.

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Getting Things Done (GTO)

One of the first things I did to try to start the New Year Organized, is read through the book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. Although I’d read it some years ago, it was just as relevant today as it was then! I remember being way more productive about 10 years ago, and now I know why! It was because I read this book. I am planning on reading it at least every 5 years or so – just so that I can keep on top of my productivity! If I could tell you one thing about this book, it’s this: DO A BRAIN DUMP. Not such a lovely phrase, but really great advice!

What is a Brain Dump?

Write down EVERYTHING that’s on your mind. I did that a few days ago and it has ROCKED MY WORLD! From the desire to completely redo our landscaping, to calling to make an appointment for my nails, I wrote it down. It didn’t matter if it was a far-distant goal or a short-term need, I wrote it down. It’s AMAZING what it does for the brain – hence, BRAIN DUMP. I had five pages of random thoughts that had consumed valuable real estate in my head. Now that those items are written down, I truly feel as though I can “release” those thoughts. It’s helpful in EVERY aspect of my life, but especially when it comes to getting down to business (literally and figuratively).

After I wrote everything down, I categorized the items. I had a TON of “to organize” items, some that ended up “on calendar”, quite a few that I wanted/needed to “purchase” amongst several other categories. This helps me to sort out the items by importance, but also “if I have a little extra time”. Say I have 20 minutes before my kiddos get home from school and I’m “done” with work for the day. I can quickly look at my “to organize” category and see which drawer/closet/cabinet I can organize in that amount of time. And BAM. Another checked item on my list!

I also looked on Pinterest for some different “Getting Things Done” worksheets/templates/ideas. There is a BOATLOAD of inspiration on there. I decided to take this particular chart and draw it out on my own. I love the simplicity of the diagram. It really helps me to remember the order of his method. Here’s my board of “GTO” from Pinterest – MY BOARD – maybe you’ll find some extra ideas there!

Planner(s)

Another thing I did, which I ALSO mentioned in a previous blog post, was purchase a planner. I purchased this planner from Plum Paper.

I just received it today and I couldn’t WAIT to start writing in it. I’ve already got the next couple of weeks planned and I can’t wait to write MORE!!!

Google Calendar

The final thing I did to begin the year off right was COLOR CODE my Google Calendar. Wow. I can’t believe I didn’t do this sooner. You may be thinking – “That’s ridiculous! Paper planner AND Google?” – well, I’m trying it for now. We’ll see how it goes!

This is what the Color Coding on my Calendar Looks Like.

In Conclusion

So this, along with other smaller changes, has helped to truly start out my year in an organized fashion! It feels so good to say that and even better to feel it!

What are you doing to stay organized this year?

The post Three Helpful Tips to Starting the New Year Organized appeared first on Watch Your Business Grow.