Archive for the Terry’s Blog Category

Transition Pitfall #10: Falling for the “Time on your hands” Factor

Transition Pitfall #10: Falling for the "Time on your hands" Factor

Remember when telling someone the phrase “You’ve got time on your hands” had only a mild, amusing meaning? Now they’re fighting words. We take it as an insult. We fear being perceived as unproductive. Sometimes, even when a transition offers the time to rest and reflect, we rush through the process and make poor decisions or no decisions and get to the other side thoughtlessly. One client had a husband whose approach to company coming was to take the clutter and shove it in corners and under surfaces.  Even if they had time to put things away properly, he would

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Transition Pitfall #9: The Gollum Effect

Transition Pitfall #9: The Gollum Effect

Most of us know Gollum from Lord of the Rings. He held onto something he considered precious, even to his own peril. The inability to release an object or objects can be self-defeating. One client, Cynthia, had a goal of simplifying her life. She recognized the need to set up systems in her mostly system-free home. Her house was small and stuff was everywhere. Getting herself and two young daughters out the door was a terrible struggle. She had three cabinets in her living and dining area filled with not only her china (that she never used) but also her

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Transition Pitfall #8: Waiting for Perfect

Transition Pitfall #8: Waiting for Perfect

I’ll use myself as an example for this one. At first, I avoided giving speeches due to the sheer fear of it. I didn’t want to go through it and I was content in my cowardice. But then, once I decided I wanted to change, I still put it off because I never believed I could be a great speaker. I thought I needed to join Toastmasters or get private lessons. I looked into lessons, but then it occurred to me that it was ok to give an average speech. I can write…I can read…that’ll do. It doesn’t have to

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Transition Pitfall #7: The Delegating Dilemma

Transition Pitfall #7: The Delegating Dilemma

One client, Julie, had taken great pride in the do-it-all reputation she acquired. She believed if she never stopped moving she’d get to achieve all of her goals. But the stress was taking its toll on her home life and marriage, and her health. She resisted delegating and hiring the help. Julie needed to balance her priorities with her finances and learn to do less, hire and delegate more, and also lower the bar a tad. TLC Home can help you sort through your responsibilities to find which ones are priorities for you to accomplish and which ones you can let

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Transition Pitfall #5: Excuses, Excuses

Transition Pitfall #5: Excuses, Excuses

On one of my earliest assessments, when I was still in a stage where I could be surprised by what I saw, I walked in to one of the hottest messes I had ever seen. Kelly told me that she moved into the house just two weeks before her second child was born. Soon after that, her husband got a job that kept him away much of the time. Well, those are both very difficult changes, but at the time of the assessment her youngest was three years old. If she had taken action 2 years earlier and not focused

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Transition Pitfall #6: Driving without Rest Stops

CANI (can I?) stands for Constant And Never-ending Improvement. That is so me, it should be my vanity tag. I consider CANI a good thing. It’s satisfying, even exciting, to strive to do better. But what you have to watch out for is Constant And Never-ending Transition or CANT. Notice how that spells can’t? Sometimes it feels we like we are constantly transitioning. But if you truly are, then you are in a Constant And Never-ending State Of Stress or CAN-S.O.S. Another way to think of this is The Do-it-all-’til-you-scream Syndrome I had a client, Jenny, who worked full time,

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Transition Pitfall #4: Debilitating Despair

Transition Pitfall #4: Debilitating Despair

Some transitions are choices and some simply happen, like death, divorce, or the loss of a job. The adjustment after a loss is a transition that can stagnate anyone. The path back to normal is the transition. So too is the acceptance that life is different. Sometimes we need a helping hand on the path back from loss.  TLC Home is familiar with helping people through this process.  We help people regain control. “The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You

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Memorial Day Mayhem

Memorial Day Mayhem

Ma’am…please…step away from the bargain! Memorial Day Weekend…Yea!! This marvelous way to kick off summertime allows for plenty of time for home, family, fun and…shopping! Commercials and advertisements are encouraging us to save money by spending it. How tempting!…and how easy it is to fill your home with unnecessary items. So, before you make a purchase you may regret, ask yourself: Do I have the space to store it? Will I be able to access it easily? Am I willing to get rid of something to make room? Does this add to the clutter? Is it a fantasy purchase? Does it have actual use

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Transition Pitfall #3: Ignoring Major Effects of Minor Transitions

Transition Pitfall #3: Ignoring Major Effects of Minor Transitions

Sometimes we prepare for the larger transitions, but don’t think to prepare for the smaller transitions like: a new pet an illness a vacation home improvement taking up a new hobby or sport, and disappointment or any emotional disturbance… anything that knocks you out of your rhythm. These smaller transitions can cause stress too!  It might be as small as a child starting a new sport, which disrupts the family schedule and results in arrivals to practice late and without necessary equipment.  I know someone who recently drove her daughter to a State championship meet, but got the address wrong.

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Transition Pitfall #2: Stranger Danger

While Failure to Plan or Prepare are time and task management issues, Stranger Danger is underestimating the changes ahead. It’s harder to recognize and gets us into trouble in different ways. So the recovery is a different process. Sue had a successful career for nearly twenty years, but after the birth of her second child, she decided to quit her job and just stay home with the kids. In her mind, she was retiring to a simpler life. She struggled for a few years before she called me. She believed she wasn’t cut out for staying home. Basically, Sue just didn’t

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10 Pitfalls of Transitions

My goal as an organizer is to help my client create maintainable systems. The key to success is to discover the root cause of the disorganization, the answer to the Why. The 10 Pitfalls of Transition are the hazards that I’ve recognized as patterns among many of my clients. They are the sources of struggle that lead someone to call an organizer. Transitions can be a result of consciously made decisions to change the status quo or they can be thrust upon us; as changes occurring beyond our control.  Some transitions are handled with grace and some are really overwhelming.

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Talk About Full

Full Definition-1. Filled to capacity  – holding as much or as many as possible (Encarta Dictionary) _____________________________ I’m feeling generous today. I am about to share with you a lesson, that if embraced, could put me out of business. Here goes: React to “Full.”  This super-secret systems-maintenance mantra can lead you to a life of organization only dreamed of through the pages of Real Simple magazine. Here’s how it works: 1. Define “Full”- Create a limit to what a container is to hold. A wastebasket is full when items reach the top. A dresser drawer is full at 2/3 of the way

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