Organizing and productivity

Aug 16

Gym Bag Essentials Checklist

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Checklists, Closet Organizing, Home Organizing, Time Management No Comments

Have you ever gone to the gym, worked out, showered and realized you forget to bring your towel? Ooops, that’s no fun trying to dry yourself off with your sweaty workout clothes or sweaty gym towel. Yuk! Or have you ever forgot to bring body wash, realize your shampoo bottle is empty, forgot your flip flops, hair brush, blow dryer or the one thing you hope never happens to you, undergarments (oh my that’s uncomfortable). A gym bag essentials checklist saves the day! I’m sure you can relate one way or the other. I know I can. “Been there, done that” as they saying goes!

Create a Checklist for Routine Tasks

Going to the gym at 5:30 am is very early for me and I’m hitting the snooze button a few times to squeeze every last minute of shut eye that I can possibly get before I need to jump out of bed, get dressed, brush my teeth, grab my gym bag and go. Just ask my husband. I know I’m not alone on this one. Maybe you can relate to this as well.

Use Checklists for Routine Tasks

Since going to the gym was a new routine and I didn’t like wasting time in the morning or having a really bad hair day, the logical side of me decided to create a gym bag essentials checklist. One of my top tips on how to organize your life is to create checklists for routine tasks you do on a regular basis, like packing your gym bag three times a week.

So I sat down at my computer and created my first gym bag essentials checklist and you can download it here and create your own. It’s super easy when you have something to look at and follow. So take my Gym Bag Essentials Checklist and make it your own.

Create Multiple Copies

Getting organized is easy when you know what to do and how to do it. This leads me to another one of my top organizing tips when using checklists. Create multiple copies and place them where you’ll see them. Place a copy of your checklist in your gym bag, by your toothbrush and in your toiletries bag. These are all logical places and great reminders to help jog your memory so you don’t forget to pack what you need in your gym bag.

Time-saving Workouts

Organizing your gym bag is one thing to accomplish, it’s another to actually go and work out! Driving to the gym, working out for an hour, then driving back home or to work can take 1.5 hours out of your day and frankly who has that kind of time when there is so much to get done today. Thankfully there are some very effective workouts that you can do at home or when you travel. My favorite workout is JJ Virgins 4×4 video’s that I can watch on my laptop, iPad or iPhone if I really wanted to. JJ’s Fit Clut 4×4 video’s pack a whole of of workout in 15 minutes and you can modify them when you’re travelling.

Gym Bag Essentials Checklist for Peace of Mind

The next time you forget to pack something, ask yourself “do I have a checklist for that?” And in case you’re one of those people who are always running late and dashing out the door wondering if you forgot something, take 15 minutes now to create a simple checklist for certain routine tasks. Checklists are one of the best ways to getting organized and will give you peace of mind that you’ll have what you need when you need it!

Apr 08

Love0

Ways to Help Your Teenager Get Organized

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Home Organizing, Time Management No Comments

The teenage years can be challenging – no doubt about that. How to help your teenager get organized for school, college or university requires asking questions and considering what works for them, what doesn’t work, when their high energy cycles are and understanding how they work best. For some teens dealing with all the change that are being thrown at them can be difficult, and if they don’t have the skills needed to keep things organized, they can get overwhelmed pretty quickly. If you’re a parent and looking to help your older child navigate the chaotic world, here are a few things that you can do.

It is important to remember that the teenage years is a time of discovery, self-growth and realization. In other words, your teen will push you away and will most likely refuse any help that you offer. It’s the nature of the beast. Just like you did, they are trying to figure out who they are, and what their place is in the world.

Be An Example for Getting Organized

Instead of telling them how to organize their busy schedule, as a parent you need to set an example and some basic boundaries. Make sure they know what is expected of them, and the consequences of their actions. Then take a step back and allow them to get things done in their own way. One example is to give your child a list of chores that need to be done by a certain day each week. Let him or her know that if the chores are not done in a timely manner, than something they enjoy will become temporarily unavailable – such as a particular video game, or access to the internet. Then take the difficult step of stepping back and allowing them to organize their time and efforts as they see fit. Could it end disastrously? Yes. Could things go undone? Of course they could. The important thing is to allow your teen to face the consequences of their action or lack thereof.

Create a Schedule

Of course, your teen is still watching you and seeing what you do even while they are pushing you away. Therefore it’s important to set a good example. Make a schedule, make it known, and keep to your deadlines. If you miss one – make sure there are consequences to your actions, one that your teenager can see and understand. For example, if one of your projects was to cut the grass by Friday and Sunday rolls around and the grass is still waist high, tell your teen to take your golf clubs. There will be no golfing for you until the grass it cut.

Every so often, your teen may ask for help, or accept an offer for help. Once you’ve gotten over your fainting spell, make sure you approach the situation practically and without blame. Again, give suggestions – things such as having a specific place on their desk for homework, or scheduling an hour each day for piano practice. The important thing here is to allow them to create their own techniques, to let them find what works best for them.

Mar 31

Love0

Organizing Your Family Room- Keeping Things Fun and Simple

By Sherry Borsheim Blog, Home Organizing, Quick Organizing Tips No Comments

Just about every parent has been there. It’s been a long day, and the last thing you want to see is your family room in total disarray. It can be exhausting, overwhelming, and yes, it can make you throw up your hands in frustration. One person can’t do everything alone. However, there are ways that you can convince your children to help you keep your family room somewhat organized. Make it fun.

Tip # 1: A Color per Child

If you have more than one child, you know how important it is to make sure that each one knows how unique and special they are. One of the easiest ways to do just that is to have different bins that is specially designated for each child – each one having their very own color. If the child has a specific place to put their toys and other treasured items, there is a chance that they’ll be more likely to place it there when they are finished using it with your encouragement. Make sure you let them truly make it their own – let them decorate it however they want.

Tip # 2: The Game’s Afoot

Of course, children will often surprise us in what they are willing to do, or not do. More often than not, picking up can turn into a boring chore. Why not try to make it fun? Turn it into a friendly competition. Perhaps a friendly race to get all the toys put away. Or if the family room is in a complete mess, perhaps a scavenger hunt is more applicable. If you get the entire family involved, chances are your messy family room will be cleaned up in no time. It’s up to you what the reward will be for the winner – but common ones might be the winner choosing what video to watch on TV, or perhaps they get to stay up ten minutes later at bedtime.

Tip # 3: Keep Your Entertainment Simple

Let’s face it—kids aren’t the only reason why your family room is often in chaos. The stacks of DVDs, video games, endless cords, and remotes also contribute to the problem. Remember the best way to stay organized is to keep things simple. Why not take the idea of having a bin for each of the child’s toys and extend it to your “toys” as well? Keep the items where you are most likely to use them. Maybe put a small basket on the table for the remotes. A media tower or small bookcase next to the DVD player can make it a lot easier to put them away when you’re done. As for the cords, simply take a cable velcro strap, a rubber band or buy a cable organizer to loop the like cords together. That way they won’t turn into trip hazards as easily. Take it one step further and label the cords so you know what they belong to.

These are just a few tips you can use to organize your family room. Try them out and tell me what you think!