A Clear Path: Professional Organizing for Home, Work, and Life!

2010-08-14T09:46:00.001-07:00

A Clear Path: Top 10 Tips to De-Clutter and Organize your bathroom: http://ping.fm/CYQ00

2010-07-18T12:49:00.001-07:00

Top 10 Tips to De-clutter your email: (reposted by request): http://ping.fm/NJRuC

2010-07-06T17:00:00.001-07:00

Top 10 Tips to De-clutter and organize your email:
http://ping.fm/RfpSZ

2010-05-10T07:46:00.001-07:00

Regina Lark interview on "Color Your Life Happy" Blog Talk Radio show with host Flora Brown. Listen live May 10 at 11:00am PST (replay available after live show):

http://ping.fm/Um9dk

2010-05-08T17:28:00.001-07:00

LA organizer reports on recent Organizers' conference:
http://ping.fm/jvPBs

2010-04-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

Great Wall Street Journal (and Yahoo!) article about tackling clutter: http://ping.fm/2CBhy

2010-04-08T15:12:00.001-07:00

Regina Lark and A Clear Path in today's Wall Street Journal: http://ping.fm/GS0M1

2010-04-02T17:08:00.001-07:00

Timely tips for tax season: http://ping.fm/Hrj30

2010-04-02T14:34:00.001-07:00

Got Paper Clutter? http://ping.fm/nctHZ

2010-02-11T18:23:00.001-08:00

A clear path to a clear office: http://ping.fm/wULPC

2010-01-25T08:23:00.001-08:00

An amazing opportunity to de-clutter and organize for life!
http://ping.fm/pPYG5

Back to school in Los Angeles: How prepared are you?

2009-09-12T18:23:00.001-07:00

Back to school in Los Angeles: How prepared are you?

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The cost of Clutter, LA Style

2009-09-12T18:12:00.001-07:00

The cost of Clutter, LA Style

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Organize Your Life - WomenEntrepreneur.com

2009-07-18T10:00:00.001-07:00

Organize Your Life - WomenEntrepreneur.com

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I can’t afford the mess!: Boomer women and the price we pay when we clutter our lives

2009-07-01T10:39:00.001-07:00

I can’t afford the mess!:
Boomer women and the price we pay when we clutter our lives

The other day my pal Cindy said, “I am feeling so disorganized lately. I used to keep it all together but now I can’t find socks that match! My files at work are a mess and my kitchen is a disaster area! Don’t even ask about the closet where I am supposed to hang my clothes!”

I knew that I heard right about the place where she was “supposed” to hang her clothes. Last time I visited her house I had noticed that the coats in her downstairs hallway closet were sort of shoved in between layers of way too much stuff already on hangers. I guess the closets upstairs were equally scary.

I made the appropriate, I-feel-your-pain gestures – nodding and raising my eyes to the skies as though saying, “me too sister!” But she continued: “This week I spent way too much time looking for my property tax bill, and that little card from my doctor’s office with the date for my next appointment. And for the life of me I can’t find my calendar. So I don’t know if I’m supposed to be at my Pilates class tomorrow night or at the Chamber mixer.”

Wow. As she talked I felt my heart clench, my throat tighten, my pulse race. I was feeling what it must feel like to have lost that much control over her environment. And then I wondered wow – how much does it cost her to be this disorganized?

At age 55 Cindy is earning decent money. Her monthly take home is $7000 a money so her net is approximately $12,000. Breaking it down further, she’s earning about $75 per hour. If it takes her 2 hours to find socks that match (okay, no one will look for a matching sock for 2 hours. Okay, some people might), then how much does really cost her to find her socks, and calendar, and everything else. And if she decided at some point to stop looking for the socks, and instead go out and shop for more socks on her way home from her 40+hour per week job, how much is she now paying for a disorganized life? Finally, if she never made it to the Pilates class or the Chamber mixer, how much did she really lose by losing her calendar? Where the Pilates could have worked out her body, Mixers always have a way of energizing her mind.

I described my musings to Cindy. We calculated that if she were paying her own salary, it would cost her $35 for the 30 minutes it took to hunt for her doctor’s appointment card. This revelation led us to a conversation on the value of her time. It was a light-bulb moment.

“Nearly every day on my way home,” Cindy explained, “I always think about how great it would feel to slide into a hot bath with a good mystery.” Being single has it strong points. Divorced, and her daughter away at college, Cindy knows the value of a quiet, uninterrupted household. She is never able to reach this coveted goal however, because, as she tells me, “I always feel that there’s too much to do when I’m home.” Indeed.

Ironically, Cindy traces her daughter’s leaving for school as the starting point for her current state of disorganization. At a time when all she had to do was take care of and be responsible for only one person, Cindy became increasingly disorganized.

During this mini-emotional meltdown, Cindy was confiding in me as her friend, and also as her professional organizer. She knew the exact right person who could empathize with the mess that had taken over her life! And irony of ironies… the reason why it took her a while to call me, even as the clutter piled higher and deeper was because…wait, I’ll let her tell you: “Regina, the reason I didn’t call you was because I didn’t think I could afford you! HA! But really – I can’t afford the mess!”

Going beyond ‘Beyond the Secret’

2009-01-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

A panel discussion at UCLA’s Royce Hall on January 14, 2009 brought together life, dream and business coaches and motivational speakers featured in the new film “Beyond ‘The Secret’.” The brainchild of Holli Walker www.holliwalker.tv, the new film ostensibly takes the message of the relatively passive engagement of affirmation and visualization to a new level of action, activity, and movement.

I attended the discussion because I’m a sponge these days and look for the places to soak in the energy of positive and successful people. I am not a passive person – even my daily affirmations are written down 10-20 times/day. For me it is never enough to conceive and believe that something good will happen, I have to also act in order to achieve.

I heard powerful ideas that night that I intend to apply toward my personal and professional development. Important concepts like being in harmony with my purpose, and when doubt comes up, interview it! Or this – I cannot possibly know the gestation period when non-physical seeds are planted in my subconscious, although I trust these will grow at the pace in which they were meant.

More important –for me – was the taking note of the concepts I already put into practice. I heard confirmation that I am on the right path and that this is the right time for me to be on this path. The tools that experts suggest we put into practice are among those that I use today to build A Clear Path.

I understand that to dream means to risk. My dream of creating A Clear Path was certainly not without risk. Not the financial kind but the risk to my so-called reputation in my former world of being a well-paid administrator in higher education. Panelist Les Brown (www.lesbrown.com) suggested that when life feels too hard, I must hold my head up and stay close to what is happening inside me, rather than focus on what is around me, or happening to me. To risk means to trust – my personal power, the power of my intellect, the power of the universe.

Other panelists talked about working with good coaches, hanging around world class thinkers, asking for help, looking for results. Many of us don’t achieve our dreams because too many of us are surrounded by toxic relationships and negative thinking. Today I choose to surround myself with people whose values, integrity, and awareness are in line with my own. This is why I love social networking. There are so many smart people in my ever-expanding circle of colleagues and friends. Heather Milligan writes about getting a smart phone. Matt Skallerud described the “big 3” in terms of online marketing (blog, website, Face Book group). Delores Williams, my Tweeter guru who mentors newbies in the art of following/follower, and Ann Connor, a New Hampshire business coach, find value in what I do and believes that my goals are worth developing. While the income side of my business is making its way into my life the “start-up” advice I get all day, every day, stimulates me to keep moving.

Still, soaking up the good stuff is not enough to create personal and professional success. Perhaps more important is the giving away of what I have learned; to pay forward that which I gained from others. Like my clients who hoard bags and scraps of paper, my hoarding of the good stuff will do nothing to contribute to my growth.

A Clear Path benefits from the kindness and wisdom of my mentors, coaches, and friends. As a result of one of Matt’s pearls, I recently got an email from someone who saw my LinkedIn post from two months ago. Like the non-physical seeds, germination happens when it should.

Downsizing by choice: the road less traveled.

2009-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

Today I am thinking about the idea of downsizing. Not the corporate kind, although perhaps today’s dismal unemployment figures indicate that corporate America is downsizing like crazy.

The downsizing I’m thinking about is the kind that happens in the rooms we inhabit, the private spaces we walk through. Google the words “clutter and human footprint-” I’ll bet not one is surprised to see the link between what/how much we consume, and how we are leaving our planet. Many people I know have been educating themselves on how to leave this world a little better.

Baby boomers – my mom’s and my generation (and the generation between us) – are thinking about footprints. I’m listening to stories these days about people my age suddenly faced with downsizing the home of an elder parent or friend. I have a client who wants to start downsizing his personal footprint so that his kids don’t have to.

My mom has been thinking about that too. She has decided to go through her entire house, room by room, and for as long as it takes, to downsize and move her unwanted stuff forward to a greater good. She asked me to help.
She was glad when we got to her home office. That beautiful space no longer worked for her. She wanted a room where she could do yoga, paint, and read her email. But the bookcases were packed tight and papers were everywhere. We opened the door, rolled up our sleeves, and dug in.

I have a recommendation for you: if you get along well with your mom, or an older friend, help them to de-clutter and organize their space.

I spent 2 days with mom. We talked about many things as we cleared her office, filling up bags and boxes of stuff, picture frames and files and old magazines. While I sorted papers I watched her hands caress books she knew she would not read again. The memories of what lie between the covers made it hard to decide if she would keep it. And so it went. I watched her go though her language tapes (she’s got such a gift!), art books (what an eye!) and her father’s gardening tips (no one has a greener thumb). I learned a lot about her that day, like what she loves and what is important to her. And I realized that she gave all of that to me – the appreciation of art and books and gardening and so much more. The gift was truly mine.

A peace-filled New Year everyone!

The most wonderful time of year!?

2008-12-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

So the song says… But I think for a lot of us, the last 3 weeks of December may be challenging. There are so many expectations on our valuable time. If we lead stressful lives 11 months out of the year, the month of December can really put a crunch on our ability to enjoy the people that we love, or the downtime we are supposed to enjoy. Aside from all the usual holiday stress, this is the time of year when mess and clutter can pile up faster than the blink of an eye. And so before the most wonderful time of year even begins – you may already be dreading the clean-up.

Erin – a professional organizer in the Midwest - has some great ideas on her website for dealing with the chaos of ornaments and decorations. Her tips include putting all of your decorations in one room to pre-sort what you’ve got so that you can make decisions about what to keep, donate, and toss, Erin’s list concludes with suggestions for storing your decorations for next year. Check her website for more idea: http://www.homeorganizeit.com/organizeholidaydecorations.html

As you shop for others over the next few days, consider shopping for yourself, too. Check out the cool stuff at http://www.spacesavers.com/christmasbox.htmlspace.savers.com. Target carries Whitney products that store everything from stemware to ornaments. You can organize wrapping paper, ribbons and bows in one handy container and can get ideas from here: http://www.improvementscatalog.com/home/diy/wrapping-paper-storage-container

Wrapping-up the end of the year by organizing all of your holiday decorations will save you a lot of time next year when you bring everything out to start all over again! And smart people know that saving time will definitely save you money. Think of it this way: when all of your decorations are neatly stored in one area, it is easy to take stock of all of your stuff. Next year, you will be able to tell as glance if you need to add to your pile of decorations. Chances are you will see that you have all you need to get you through the season. If your decorating needs are met, you will be less inclined to purchase those items that you already have. One reason why we accumulate “too much stuff” is because we don’t always know what we already have and often end up duplicating (or tripling!) our holdings!

Next time... Getting you organized for the new year!!

Ideas to Market By….

2008-12-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

I have stopped telling people that I am unemployed. Whew. It’s a relief and a lot of pressure. Being self-employed means that I have to support myself, support my business, and support my ideas for my business.

I wrote earlier about how following every lead has brought me to this place of self-employment. Now it will be about marketing the business.Without a marketing background I have to rely upon my common sense, my understanding of people, and my very strong desire for success.
A friend gave me 200 “good” addresses for CPAs and attorneys. I designed and mailed a flyer describing my business, which has so far yielded 2 solid bookings. I understand that a 2% rate of return is a reasonable response. I am also following in the social networking scene. Matt Skallerud, founder of PinkBananaMedia.com, describes his social networking strategies in a July ’08 article at his website: http://www.pinkbananamedia.com/storydetail.cfm?storyid=6
Another technique is this Blog. And of course my website which has been upgraded with better photos, a link to A Clear Path blog, and a counter to see how many people are visiting my website.

I am now a vendor with UCLA (www.ucla.edu) because at the end of January, the campus will host a Resource Fair. The $250 fee to participate in the Fair provides me with a table to display my flyers, business cards, and small calendar magnets with my contact info. For my investment of approximately $500 I have the potential to reach 1500 fair-goers.

I also want to focus on the niche markets that I plan to target: CPAs and accountants, realtors and foreclosure experts, and baby-boomers. I have already begun to get calls from CPAs and I think word-of-mouth will help me to access this audience. I talked with a foreclosure expert who guided me in creating the text for a flyer to send to colleagues doing similar work.

Baby-boomers are an interesting group. Their elderly parents are making the transition to assisted living centers or they are reaching the end of their life. Adult children are dealing with the responsibility of clearing of the family home that is filled with history and clutter. Boomers themselves are also experiencing major life transitions. As they retire they downsize and move to warmer climes, or to active retirement communities.

There is no end to the need for a professional organizer. I believe that this is going to be a recession-proof business. Clutter, chaos, disorganization can often be unhealthful; order can lead to a longer life (who knew?) http://newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=1958
Consequently, disorganized people may feel they have no choice but to call me! I truly believe this and I also believe that it’s simply a matter of time before A Clear Path takes off in a big and wonderful way!

Next time… How about some organizing ideas?!

Market the business or find a real job?

2008-11-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

I have only known one kind of working life. However, the further I get from the 9-5 mode of gainful employment, the more I realize that this model never really worked for me. Even as I grew my career and had greater flexibility in how I structured my days, I still had a boss. And therein lays the primary reason why I do not fare well in the traditional structure of the workplace.

It turns out that I am not so much for authority. “Question Authority” stands among my favorite quotes listed on the syllabus for the history course I teach at a local community college. I’ve had this quote on my syllabus for as long as I have been teaching. This should have clued me in a long time ago about my relationship to the workplace. During my 3 years at my last job, I questioned authority on regular basis to the great annoyance of my supervisor.

My job layoff happened at an auspicious time in my life. Since June 2007 I have cleared a path away from a relationship that did not satisfy my heart, I moved for the first time in 15 years, my sweet dogs have all passed from old age, and I lost my job. It’s been a whirlwind of emotion, of change, of reflection. I feel very lucky for this opportunity.

My musings on authority are part of this reflection. I am coming to understand more about myself in relationship to the traditional workplace. Since August, when I deposited my final paycheck, I started my business and began looking for jobs in earnest. I was (and still am) willing to move to Dubai for the right opportunity. I applied for positions that made sense in light of previous jobs. Willing to a make a career change, I networked with professional fundraisers and development officers, and applied to those fields, too. I have been on the occasional interview; and there are no job offers in sight.

In between looking for and applying for traditional jobs, I build and market my business. And the more I build and market A Clear Path, the more I enjoy the process of building something from nothing, and the freedom that self-employment brings.

Pretty soon – heck I may even be there now – I believe that I will unsubscribe from the many employment list-serves that filter job notices to my in-box.

Doing that, will free me to continue to build and market my business. I can devote my energies to gainful self-employment, rather than going after a paycheck and health insurance. The beauty of self-employment is that I can tap into my own creative process and move A Clear Path into any direction that feels right and good.

I hesitate though. What if… the business doesn’t do well? What if… people think I’m a loser because I cannot seem to find a job in an academic environment?

What if…I became really successful as a sole business owner? It’s definitely a goal worth exploring!

Next time… ideas to market by.

Follow Every Lead

2008-11-24T15:49:00.001-08:00

I don’t know who taught me this axiom – follow every lead – but I am all over it these days.

I have to be. I started a new business this summer. I do wonder, of course, about my potential for success. While I refuse to believe that current conditions will gage my success, news agencies and economic gurus report with urgency that the U.S. is heading toward another great depression, or worse.

Just a few months ago I was not thinking about engaging in an entrepreneurial undertaking. I had a job; I’ve always had a job. And although I did not like my last “regular” job - it zapped my spirit – I have always had the next thing to go to. So I was not prepared for the layoff and quite honestly I thought that I would be the one to give two weeks’ notice, well before the Dean handed me the letter that said my position would be eliminated.

I am a trained historian with a PhD in the history of immigration, gender studies, and Asian American history. In graduate school I adapted, utilized, and otherwise made up techniques to keep my dissertation organized. Unbeknownst to me at the time, these new-found skills prepared me in part for what I am beginning to think will be my new career as a professional organizer.

In the 1990s I was a doctoral student gathering data on the history and the lives of Japanese women who married American GIs in the post WW2 occupation of Japan. My research included interviewing dozens of people, and pouring over legal, congressional, and National Archive records, biographies, and histories of Japan and the United States. The data moved from books, to index cards, to boxes. As it turned out – there were lots of boxes, one for each chapter. I became the uber-organized doctoral student. Little did I know these survival skills would give me some of the bonafides I might need to prove that I can organize the office of a campus professor like nobody’s business.

In many ways, a career as a Professional Organizer isn't so far off. I have been organizing all of my life. It is inborn, innate. It is what I do. I see a mess, I clean it up. If a friend complains her chaotic a garage, I hope her next breath is to invite me to help her make it work for her! Reorganizing jam-packed kitchen drawers and cupboards is just great fun! My family and friends are uncluttered beneficiaries of my desire for order.

So I am now the proud owner of my new business. I call it A Clear Path: Professional Organizing for Home, Office, Life. And everyone thinks it is a good name. To build this business, I follow every lead. Get a DBA? Done. City business license? Done. Join a professional organization? Wait, a professional organization for people who clean clutter? Done. Website, business cards, marketing tchotchkies , social networking… done, done, done. And now a blog.

I believe that I can be as successful as I want. I really, really believe this.

Next time… Marketing the business, or finding a real job