Holiday Time: The Cookie Matrix (The Time Element)

Last time, I wrote about getting physically organized for holiday cookie-baking: inventorying and enumerating ingredients, determining averages to figure in to distrubition, etc. Making all these plans helps save a lot of time. However, I reached a point where I was still finding myself baking cookies late into the night, when I really needed to be sleeping!

Having two kids and working a full time job, all on top of a normally busy holiday schedule, makes for a severe time crunch! I really felt I could be managing my baking time more efficiently.

I found that some cookies (like Peanut Butter) could be whipped up in no time, where some (Lemon Crisps) took forever, due to the rolling out & cutting with cutters. And some cookies required that the dough be pre-chilled, whereas some did not. I also knew that some days (Saturdays) I had more time than others (Thursdays, when my daughter has Girl Scouts).
So, how did I reconcile these two pieces of the puzzle?

First, I broke down the baking process into the following steps: mixing, shaping (whether it be rolling out & cutting or just dropping the dough), baking, decorating (like frosting once cool), and packaging. (I didn't count cooling time, since the cookies had cooled by the time I packed them up.) I also noted which doughs required chilling (which I counted as an overnight process).
Next, I started measuring--per cookie type--the amount of time it took to do each step. (And yes, this was a bit more time-consuming in the short-run.) I did this for about 2-3 years so I'd get a good average without wasting so much time in the measuring.

Next, I calculated the average time of the post dough-chilling steps for each cookie type. (Again, I wouldn't count the mixing for these cookies, since the dough had to chill overnight.)

Finally, I'd look at my schedule and fit in what kind of cookie to bake on what day, including times where I had to mix up dough for the next day's batch. Now that I have decent average times, I only need to repeat this particular step each year, since my schedule changes yearly.
I have to say, once I started doing this, my stress level has dropped immensely, and I'm actually able to get some sleep & enjoy the season more!

So there you have it: The Cookie Matrix. I'm sure my readers are thinking that I'm as nutty as my Cherry Delights, but rest assured, I'm one happy nut!

Holiday Time: The Cookie Matrix (The Physical Element)

You may wonder why I’ve dubbed this blog “The Efficient Matrix.” Yes, it’s obviously about efficiency. But why “Matrix?” It all started with my cookie matrix…

1987 was the first Christmas I was on my own and I wanted to revive my mom's tradition of cookie baking! She would bake a ton of different kinds of cookies & give them away as gifts. So I obtained some of her recipes, picked up some cookie ingredients & went at it!

It wasn't long before I had to hit the supermarket again...and again...and again. It occurred to me that this was not the most efficient way to go about baking such a large amount of cookies, especially with limited time. So I went into...

PROBLEM-SOLVING MODE

Problem: going to the store too often to get cookie ingredients.
Solution: need to buy all the ingredients I'll need in one trip (two, at most)
Strategy: identify how many cookies I'll need to bake, how much of what the ingredients are, how much I already have & how much I'll need to buy
Ultimate Solution: chart it out!

I had some graph paper, so I laid out my needs as such:
1 - Along the X-axis (on top), the kind of cookie being baked
2 - Along the Y-axis (on the side), units of each ingredient (i.e., cups of flour, tsps salt, # eggs)
3 - Along the right of the graph, I totaled up the ingredients, subtracted my inventory & determined the total needed (eventually using conversions like, X cups of flour per pound). This would turn into my shopping list.

(Note that these were the days before Microsoft Excel; I have tried the Matrix in Excel, but there's something gratifying about putting it on paper!)

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

I wanted to make sure that I had enough of each type of cookie so that there would be sufficient variety in each batch. I determined how many folks were getting a large tin, and how many a small tin. Then I figured out (based on a rough estimate) how many of each type of cookie per each type of batch. Multiply that times the number of each type of batch, and I'd know how many cookies I'd need, or if I'd have to adjust the number per batch.

Part of making sure I'd have enough or if I'd have to adjust was tracking the average per batch. As the cookies were cooling, I'd count them up & write down the total. The total would be used in the next year's planning as part of my average number of cookies per batch. Sometimes my yields would vary dramatically, so having an average kind of gives me a target and a baseline for planning.

Whew! Sounds like a lot of work, right? Actually, it's just a lot of planning. Once the plans are laid, I'm able to bake cookies like a machine!

Next up: The Time Element!

Efficiency vs. Control

"If you can't get something done, you've got to do it yourself!"

How many times have we said that, or found ourselves living by that adage? "I can just get it done faster if I do it myself," we say.

Some folks might say that I'm a control freak...Okay,sometimes I am a control freak! I like to be able to control my outcomes; if I do X, Y will happen. If I get someone else to do X, who knows what will happen!

Sometimes, however, control can be counter-productive. If we feel that we must have total control over a project or a process, one of two things can happen:
- we end up doing it all ourselves, leaving little time to do anything else, or
- we end up micro-managing others, thereby driving them crazy! Not to mention hurting the working relationship.

Can you see where over-controlling can be counterproductive? So how do we rein in our control and become more efficient?

There are a few ways to do this. One is to to train others to do the job. (The nice thing for us control freaks is: we have control on how the training will be administered!) One piece of mommy advice I once read was: show them how to do it, do it with them, then let them do it on their own. Yes, this takes time at first, but in the long run, think of how much time is saved once it's off your hands!

Another way is to lower expectations to a reasonable level. Remember, there is a big difference between perfection and "good enough". Does the job really need to be perfect? Most of the time, "good enough" will satisfy the world (exception: perhaps not surgery--please get that right!).

One final way is to realize whether or not you truly have control over what it is you're worrying about. There are some things that we have no control and perhaps not even an influence over. (Remember the Serenity Prayer?) In these cases, we are wasting time and energy. How efficient is that?

I just want to iterate that I'm not advocating abdicating control altogether. We just need to examine what we should control, what we can't control and what we can let go of control.

So, am I preaching to the choir? Or do I have fellow control freaks out there? What do you do to "let it go"?

My Second Brain

When I was a little girl and asked my mom various questions, she’s always reply with, “Look it up in the encyclopedia!” But those encyclopedias were getting old and out-of-date. There was just no way to answer my questions completely and with the most timely information.

Well, this past Christmas my husband bought me an iPhone. I’ve always marveled at them, but could never justify getting one for myself, since I was pretty content with my normal cell phone.

But now that I’m in the iPhone world, I couldn’t imagine myself without it! No, I haven’t played any games on it nor have I listened to any music through its iPod app. What I’ve found, however, is that it has become my second brain: a storehouse for all sorts of information!

Directions to a place? The Maps App.

What does that word mean? The Dictionary App.

Different translations of a Bible verse? The Bible App.

Who was in that movie? The IMDB App.

Current scores & bracket standings in the NCAA Basketball Tournament? The NCAA March Madness App.

What’s on TV tonight? The TV Guide App.

Want to learn more on a particular topic? Listen to a podcast!

The best part is, all these particular apps are free! There are plenty of other free & pay apps that help you get organized better (such as various to-do lists), but I haven’t been moved to try them…yet!

The closest thing to a drawback is that I continually need to sync my iPhone with my computer and download updates. But I can deal with that.

If you have any sort of smart phone, you have a powerful tool literally at your fingertips. Oh, yeah, and you can make phone calls with them too!

Does anyone else have some indispensable apps?

Optimize Me

You’ve heard of the Law of Diminishing Returns: there comes a point where your return becomes more disproportionate to your investment. This doesn’t just apply to money, but to our time and our organizational efforts as well.

To those who know me personally, this may come as a shock: yes, you can be too organized. When you are spending more time and effort to keep something organized than on the thing being organized, you are experiencing the Law of Diminishing Returns. So do we just stop organizing altogether? That’s going to the other extreme, I think.

Personally, my goal always has been to be as organized as I can. But trying to be a perfectionist was self-defeating. When I became a mom, trying to keep a perfectly clean house had great potential for taking my time away from my kids and myself! My new way of thinking had to be, “What is optimal?” In other words, what strikes the best balance between X (keeping the house clean) and Y (having enough free time)? Sometimes the balance between X and Y has to be reviewed daily!

Even at work I face choices of perfection vs. optimization. Should I fiddle with these margins anymore? Or are they close enough? How much time does the task I’m facing really require? How far am I going beyond what is required of me?

One mindset that has helped me optimize is assessing needs/requirements vs. wants. The baby with the wet diaper needs to be changed, whereas the toddler with the book wants to be read to. Change the diaper, then read the book, no matter how much the little guy whines—he will live! The application at work is required to go out by Federal Express tonight; the long-term project you’re working on (though it needs to be done eventually) can wait until tomorrow. Yes, there will be times where there are conflicting needs that are all happening at once, but for the most part, this is a good go-to plan.

The moral of the story: strike the balance—optimize! Get what you need to get done, add in what you can to do it well, but don’t let those things take away from everything else you have to do.

The Reset Button

Oh, it's been so long since I've posted here, and I apologize to anyone who was looking forward to how to get organized for the holidays. It seems that I was so busy following my pre-set infrastructure, on top of Christmas, on top of a reorganization at work, that there was no time for anything else!

So now that we're in the new year, it's time for me to hit the "reset" button; to clear out the old & if needed, put in something new.

What things need to be eliminated? For me, it's about 4 magazine gift subscriptions, taking computer surveys for cash, and emotional baggage! Sometimes we hold onto things we think we need, but then we find they are cluttering up our lives.

So I'll be doing that, then returning with a better focus!

When It’s Time to “Let It Go”

One of the goals of being organized is to have some sort of control in your life. I feel that when things are in order, all is right with the world. “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Ah!

I’m learning (especially after becoming a mom) that not everything can be organized, and not everything can be controlled. Sometimes just the thought of that brings on visions of chaos! You can’t truly control your kids’ behavior (we’ll come back to this!); you sure can’t control the weather; you can’t stop or slow the passage of time; you can’t “make” other people like you; you can’t sterilize the world.

What you can do, however, is manage these things, but only to an extent. You can punish/reward your child’s behavior; you can prepare for bad weather; you can make the most of the time you do have and not overschedule yourself; you can treat others the way you wish to be treated; you still can’t sterilize the world, but you can be reasonably responsible for your little part of it.

Even after managing your world, be aware that your affect on the outcome can only go so far. When it comes to influencing others, they have the final say on how they will act. When it comes to preparation, there are always exceptional circumstances that you just can’t anticipate. When it comes to cleanliness, there are only 24 hours in a day, and you have other things going on in your life. This is the time when you just have to say “let it go.”

I remember when my aunt was dying, and I was responsible for making long-distance decisions for her care. It was frustrating not being there and having a “hands-on” view of everything, even though I called every day to get the information I needed to make an informed decision. I felt that I had to fight for her life. There came a point, however, when one of the doctors told me that she was at the point where only comfort should be given. “You’ve done everything you could,” the doctor told me. That was exactly what I needed to hear to give me peace about my final decision to release my aunt to hospice care. And it turned out to be the right decision, as her best friend visited my aunt the night before she died, and the friend told me that my aunt looked relaxed, comfortable and at peace.

On a less traumatic note, there have been times where I’m going through the house thinking, “This needs to be cleaned,” or “that needs to be swept” and I’ve stopped myself, saying, “It can wait another day,” or “I can delegate that to the kids.” I just release the worry for the time being.

The whole point of letting something go is to reduce your worry to a healthy level, though it may not eliminate it. For example, you will always worry about your wayward child, but you will stop beating yourself up over it. In some cases, the less important things will not cause the worry that they once did.

What this all adds up to is not control of the external, but control of the internal: your approach and your attitude. I have to say, it’s no one-shot deal. It’s a work in progress!

Slot Management

Before I get started, let me just say that this will not be about slot machines and gambling! If I knew the secret to effective slot machine use, I probably wouldn’t be blogging!

This story started early in my career when I became an order administrator after a few years in credit and collections in the same office equipment company. It was a small department that I was transferring to, which gave the manager the ability to streamline the order entry process across the whole department. What he did, basically, was break down each step in the process. For each step (i.e., edit order, questions for the sales rep, input order, etc.), there was a labeled slot in our overhead shelves. As the order moved through the process, the paperwork for the order (which was in a folder) moved through the slots.

There were several advantages to this: 1) if you were out sick, someone else could easily pick up where you left off, 2) you can figure out where you left off!, and 3) you could streamline your work by doing it in batches (like all your edits in one shot, for example).

I was only in order administration for a year and a half, but the concept of slot management is with me to this day. It came in really handy when I worked part time at night as a biller—the day person and I easily would be able to pick up where the other left off, keeping the company’s invoicing running smoothly!

It’s especially helpful to keep things organized if you are multi-tasking. I have a desktop rack in my cubicle for processing department invoices to be paid. Many times other items landed on my desk that were a higher priority, so the invoices had to be put aside; I would just put them in whatever slot they belonged, to be addressed later.

If you feel that this process would work for you, I suggest the following:

· You need desktop or overhead space to set up slots or a desktop rack.
· With overhead slots, label each slot; but with a desktop rack, label file folders instead.
· There will be times when a new slot/folder needs to be created due to a revision in the process; be sure that your slots/folders are movable.

Back to School – Are you ready?

In less than a week, my kids will be back in school. Some folks out there have kids who have been back for weeks already!

When we think of “back to school”, we usually think of shopping for school supplies and new clothes. Surely, that is part of the process. As I ponder the question, however, “back to school” really starts after the end of the prior school year!

Think about it. Before your child (I’ll say “he”) starts the next grade, you need to:
- make sure he passed all his classes. If not, summer school may be the next step.
- throughout the summer, ensure he does his summer reading and any other summer work the school may have assigned.
- get back into a regular bedtime schedule if you don’t have one already. I’m finding this is critical yet hard to enforce for my teenagers!
- budget for school lunch money, if needed.
- find out if there are any changes in the bus schedules (I find that the school system is pretty good at communicating this).
- assess the clothing situation. Do they really need a whole new wardrobe? Between my two kids, it turned out that all that was needed was long-sleeved shirts for my daughter. Don’t forget sneakers for gym, as well! (Yes, she needed those.)
- in some cases (I find especially in elementary school), wait until after school starts to buy the school supplies. It seems that every teacher has a different list. The timing is unfortunate, since the sales seem to be well before school starts.
- make sure your child knows where to go and what to bring the first day. In the upper grades, you really can’t walk them to homeroom anymore! So let them know what room they’ll be in and be sure they’re armed with their summer reading reports, emergency forms (if given to you beforehand), etc.

Are there any other ways folks get ready for the Big Day? Let me know—I may need it!

Economy of Motion

As a business major in college, one of the things we studied was economy of motion. Our focus was mainly on a manufacturing setting; the premise being that the less movements a person has to make, the more efficient they are and therefore the more productive and profitable they are. Theoretically, this would involve time studies of different processes to determine which process was the most efficient.

Economy of motion figures into work process as well as work area design. Ergonomics naturally springs forth from this principal, with an emphasis on less strain and smooth movement.

As my life evolved into that of a working mother, I knew I needed economy of motion! Time was limited and I needed to make the most of it. I also needed some time just to “chill”, so time needed to be carved out for that as well. But I wasn’t about to do any time studies (after all, that required time!).

As I went about household chores, errand running, etc., I would ask myself, “What’s the best method of doing this thing?” and “How can I kill two birds with one stone?” For example, you can schedule your errand-running for one day (Saturday is usually mine) and decide, based on where each errand is located and if there are any time or perishability constraints, what order you’ll hit each place.

I could be following a certain process for years because “I’ve always done it that way.” Then one day, a new way of attacking the chore will hit me and turn out to be more efficient.

Has anyone out there changed their ways of doing things?

Before Anarchy and Chaos Take Over

Originally this post was going to be called “Anarchy and Chaos” and was going to be a stern warning about letting the administration of our lives get out of hand before our ultimate end. It was inspired by my aunt’s passing.

Being the closest to my aunt, I took it upon myself to gather her papers, work with probate, etc. I took a trip to where she lived and saw her apartment for the first time.

I was stunned.

There really wasn’t any kind of order, and there was no way I was going to be able to organize anything during my trip. Papers had to be shipped back to my house, to be sorted later. I wondered if I was ever going to figure everything out. And I wondered how anyone could let things get that much out of control.

As I went through her papers, I sorted them out between assets, liabilities and informational. I put papers in folders according to account name. Then I began to piece together the puzzle that was her life.

Last year, after being hospitalized for heart failure, my aunt had been in and out of hospitals many times. I wasn’t even aware of all the times she had been hospitalized; she liked to keep that information to herself. With each hospitalization, there were many bills and insurance claims. Thrown in with that were a change in health insurance provider and a move from one apartment to another. Top that all off with being on all sorts of medications to treat her maladies, and it was no wonder that the administration of her life got away from her.

Thus, anarchy and chaos.

As our population ages and health problems increase, it’s clear to me that taking care of ourselves physically is big, time-consuming business. When you’re already sickly and your mind is entering its senior stage, it can get simply overwhelming. So what steps can we take to manage it all?

Probably the first thing that needs to be done is swallow your pride. Realize that you’re at a point where you need outside help. (I know this is going to be a tough one for me.)

Next, think of who you might ask for help: your adult child, a good friend, a neighbor? Perhaps some of our health care agencies might know of some resources to assist seniors with their paperwork.

When you get that help, make sure to tell them to keep your paperwork handy to where you can get at it if you or anyone else might need it.

These are only the beginnings of ideas. I’ve got a ways to go before I hit this point in my life, but I’d welcome any ideas or considerations.

The Structured Day

Back in the prosperous ‘80’s, when Fortune 100 companies had money to blow on training, I was in a formal training class for my first job in credit & collections. Our little class learned the ins & outs of the mainframe computer system we used, the tedious processes we had to follow, and various tips on how to work our assignments most effectively.

One of those “tips” was The Structured Day. It wasn’t a micro-managed uber-structured use of our time; rather, it was more like, “When is the best time to do X?” A credit rep’s structured day was typically:
· review that day’s follow-up’s (what you had scheduled for that day)
· make phone calls during peak times (9:00 – 11:30, 2:00 – 4:30)
· do paperwork/computer work during off-peak times

To me, this made a lot of sense. Once I got used to the rhythm of my job, I learned to adjust the schedule to accommodate meetings, unassigned inquiries and even time to finish a full cup of coffee!

More than the actual schedule, the reasoning behind “when” certain tasks were done is what has stuck with me. With the various restrictions in my life (job, kids, etc.), I have to ask myself again, “When is the best time to do X?”

Take vacuuming for example. You usually can’t vacuum when the baby’s napping, so you wait till he’s awake. When the kid grows up, you may be working away from home, so perhaps the weekend is the best time, or maybe the kids could do it during the week.

Being a list-maker, I write down when I’m going to do the task. Once I think of all my tasks, the time I have to do them in, and then finally schedule them, pretty soon I’ve created my own structured days. Yes, there are times (oh, are there times!) when a monkey wrench is thrown in and the schedule goes out the window. But I haven’t found it difficult to get back on track. For me, having some framework is better than having no framework.

Does anyone else have a method of organizing their day? Let’s hear it!

Getting the Most Out of the Friendly Skies

Recently I went out of town on some urgent family business, which required me to make travel arrangements (flight, hotel, rental car). It’s been about six years since I’ve done that, but I managed to find really great deals on Travelocity.com and hotels.com.

What I was forgetting about in my emotional turmoil were many of the logistics of the meat of the trip. I did one Mapquest printout, but not the return trip, which would have been helpful. I could have used a few others for possible changes in plans as well. Also, since it had been so long since I flew and because I was not so intimate with the traffic patterns of the city I was in, I nearly missed my flight!

So I thought, “Next time I’ll…”

· review TSA’s security check-in rules (available on the airport’s website) & follow them to the letter. No matter what Airport A does, Airport B might be more strict. In my case, my netbook had to go in a completely separate bin from my other stuff; my things had to be re-scanned.

· print to and from directions to each destination. This may require planning the visiting order of your destinations. Also, it might help to double-check the websites (if available) of your destinations regarding where to park. This helps if you’re dealing with one-way streets.

· leave the hotel shampoos in the hotel. Unless you follow that “3-1-1” rule and have a one-quart zip-top bag to put them in, you will have security issues. I tossed mine in the garbage before scanning.

· leave the keys in the rental car, write down the mileage and, if needed, the fuel level. Normally, there are rental car peons everywhere to help you out. Sometimes there isn’t. I had to go to the Customer Service desk, who asked me all these questions. I didn’t have to go back to the car, but it would have cut a few minutes off check-out time.

· plan to be at the airport two hours ahead of take-off time. Because it was the weekend, I did not anticipate such heavy traffic on the way to the airport (you never know when there will be an accident to snarl things up).

To the degree your pre-flight schedule allows you, the above can save on some unnecessary headaches. Does anyone else have some valuable travel lessons learned? I could probably use those, too!

Organize While Driving

I’ve been getting into a little habit lately when I’ve been dropping my kids off to school. Mentally, I go over the things I need to do when I get home. Out loud, I list those things in the order I need to do them. Sometimes I revise the list as I remember, for example, that it’s garbage day or laundry day.

By the time I get home, my mental checklist is ready and I go into automatic pilot. This saves me some time (not wasted on, “Now, what was I going to do?”) and I have the comfort of knowing that everything that needs to get done does get done.

Does this always work 100% of the time? No; there are instances when I forget a routine item. But it does up my game.

One quick note, however: this is to be done mentally, not in writing or on your Blackberry! Remember, you’re driving your car; let’s stay safe!

Use this Tool/Trick/Tip!

There are tons of books, websites, articles and programs out there that promise to get you organized in X days. They offer checklists, products, processes! There are a lot of great ideas out there. I like to keep on top of the latest tips because I’m always looking for a better way of doing things.

Sometimes a friend might ask, “What should I do to be more organized with __________?” My first instinct is to reach into my mental file and pull out a tip or tool that can help them. Later on, however, I find that my friend is struggling with the same problem. They didn’t take my advice.

I used to think, “What is their problem? Why won’t they listen to me? I know my solution will work!” I couldn’t figure it out. There was one person who did this continually. I knew they didn’t hate me, so there had to be something else.

Over time, I watched this person and their lifestyle. And it turned out that the key word was “lifestyle.” The person was pretty unencumbered by “things”…never had an organizer, didn’t have one place to put the things they’d need every day. There was no way they were going to go out and buy an organizer, let alone use one. In other words, traditional organizational tools are lost on people like this.

Clearly, there are people (A) who are very compartmentalized and like their ducks in a row and (B) who live life by the seat of their pants and somehow it mostly seems to work out for them. Traditional tools and tips are made for people A. But what about people B, who say they want to be more organized, but whose minds simply aren’t wired that way?

I think some of the answer lies in my belief “Use the right tool for the job.” With a person B, you need to redefine what “the job” is – what does it look like from their perspective? For example, I often use my paper organizer to plan my week and schedule my appointments. Sometimes, though, I might forget to look at my organizer, especially early in the morning (pre-coffee!). That didn’t help me when I was supposed to pick up a co-worker on the way to work. Although it turned out that it worked out for her (long story), I was mortified! And I made sure it never happened again. After that, I used my cell phone’s alarm system to ring out just before pick-up time. When I heard the alarm, I didn’t even have to check my cell phone; I remembered what I was supposed to do.

Figuring out what a person B needs to be more organized takes more work, that’s for sure, and a little more creativity. For a person A like me, that can be a challenge! But who knows? Maybe the least obvious way of doing something may actually be better!

Any B people out there? Got some funky tips for us?

List Management

“I’m home all day long, but I don’t think I’m doing as much as I should,” a stay-at-home mom friend told me recently. She spoke of starting things, but not finishing them and of feeling that she had to stop everything when the phone rang. “After all, I’m not working, so I should have the time. But it ends up that I don’t get anything done!”

When I was pregnant with my son, I was laid off from my job due to the office re-locating. On the one hand, it solved my question about maternity leave. On the other hand, suddenly having all that free time was intimidating! I had spent 8 years in the working world at that point, and I didn’t want to lose my edge or have my brain turn to mush.

I decided that I would become a manager -- of my home! No, I wouldn’t have org charts or weekly meetings. But I knew that if I viewed home management as a business, I would feel more fulfilled as I went through those daily tasks. What I came up with is the advice I gave my friend.

“Take your organizer, or if you don’t use one, just a pad of paper. Each day, write down a list of what you want to accomplish that day. This helps you focus on what you want to do,” I told her.

I got a lot done during those months before my son was born, which helped that nesting instinct! And after he was born, the lists of course got shorter, but I was still able to cross things off. Once my daughter was born and again when I took a part-time night job, the lists came in handy as I decided my daily and later weekly priorities. Where I couldn’t accomplish everything in one day, I would break up tasks (like “clean the house”) over the course of the week.

Making a list makes you set a daily or weekly goal. Why not start today? What is one thing you want to accomplish today?

Welcome to the Grand Opening of The Efficient Matrix!

Lately, folks around me have asked for advice about organization, productivity and efficiency, and I’ve found that I actually have something to offer. I would discuss their situations and obstacles, suggest improvements, and offer advice. I also have always loved to write. As a child, I wrote stories; as a teen, poetry; and as a young adult, most of my writing would be for business. Now these two strengths have come together here.

I’ve always been kind of a “Felix Unger”. But when I became a mom, I learned that being organized and neat wasn’t good enough, nor would it work necessarily. I had to re-prioritize and discover optimization rather than perfection. Then I became a working mom and the ante was upped yet again. Not only did my stuff have to be organized, my time had to be organized –my family had to be organized!

I’d like to share what’s worked for me, ideas I’ve gotten from others and even a little organizational philosophy (after all, it’s a mindset, I believe). Do you have questions, good ideas, resources? I’d love to hear from any readers out there.