Box52 Coaching & Consulting Services - Blog #organizingBox52 Coaching & Consulting Services - Blog #organizinghttps://www.box52coaching.com/blogs/tag/organizingFri, 08 May 2026 04:45:49 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[2 Steps to Clear Office Clutter When You Are Exhausted]]>https://www.box52coaching.com/blogs/post/2-steps-to-clear-office-clutter-when-you-are-exhaustedYour health and work satisfaction are at risk if those piles and inboxes stay clogged and ignored. Use two simple steps to deal with stuff in your space and reduce the impact of decision-fatigue.]]>

Too Much Stuff: A Symptom of Decision Fatigue and Stress

        Do you end each work day exhausted and mentally drained? Wishing a magic wand could wave away unmade decisions with the flick of the wrist? 


More often it feels like a spell gone wrong - stacks of papers, backlogs of emails and  to-do lists growing like bewitched pumpkins. 

Impact of Decision Fatigue

    Maybe you are numb to your situation and have zero mental energy to take action on physical and digital clutter in your space. It gets pushed off again and again, while guilt, despair and frustration compound the situation.


    According to WebMD, all of the “stuff” in your work environment is likely impacting your physical and mental health, and possibly your work-related well-being. 


    Decision- and emotional-fatigue experienced in fast-paced, demanding roles depletes the ability to make seemingly simple decisions. As Dao and Ferrari documented in their research, “...the presence of [office] clutter positively predicted a person’s level of emotional exhaustion and stress”. Leaving your job may appear to be the only way to resolve your extreme fatigue. But changing positions without any modifications to your behaviors might land you in the same situation, just with a different employer. 

Clutter-busting Action Steps 

    Take control of your work environment one area at a time. Make a choice to shed the extra and unnecessary piles of papers, old emails and binders of who-knows-what from the shelves.  Yes, it can be overwhelming to declutter. Especially after the pandemic-induced disruptions to the world of work, but that makes it even more critical to steady yourself by assessing what you actually need and purging the rest! Evanesco!


    Here are some tips to simplify the process.


    Step One: Start Small  

  1.     Set a timer for three to five minutes MAX (or play two of your favorite songs)    
  2.    Identify a pile, file drawer or shelf in your work space that needs attention. 
  3.     Ruthlessly eliminate waste by asking - If I leave my role, will anyone need this item?  NOPE = junk it. YES = decide who needs it and how to store it.
  4.     BUZZ! Time’s up. Pat on the back.
  5.     Do this a few times throughout the day, and practice self-control by stopping when the timer goes off or song ends. 


    Step Two: Capture Straying Thoughts

  1. Keep a notepad (paper or electronic) and record all those other ideas that come up while you are sorting and selecting what to remove from your space. When that conference badge reminds you of the Broadway show you saw in NYC and your favorite tune, which sparks a memory of the CD pile in your basement collecting dust alongside the bins of holiday decorations that need to come out and the wrapping paper stash in the closet next to the pile of kid shoes that are too small and need to be donated - AHHH!! 

  2. STOP! Exit the rabbit hole.

  3. Jot down the items, and go back to your current task. 


Ask for Help

If these simple actions seem impossible to implement, you are not alone. Adult ADHD, which is underdiagnosed in women, anxiety or depression may be contributing factors.  Seek support from your supervisor, HR department or outside professionals if your workload is causing extreme emotional and mental fatigue. Or, hire a coach who will support your desire to be productive, healthy and clear-minded in life and at work. 

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]]>Thu, 16 Dec 2021 11:04:53 -0500<![CDATA[6 Tips to Wrap-up 2020 Better Than it Started]]>https://www.box52coaching.com/blogs/post/6-Tips-to-Wrap-up-2020-Better-Than-it-StartedUse September to refocus. Gain a sense of direction. Fill your plan with purpose. Build on that momentum, and let it carry you forward into 2021 with these easy-to-implement tips.]]>


Planning a journey

In a year when the bedrock of American living was jack-hammered to bits by the pandemic, politics off the rails, racial injustice and more natural disasters, creating a sense of normalcy seems, at best, daunting and often impossible. However, putting in time now to set a plan can provide a road map for ending this year (Woohoo!) in something other than a fiery dead end crash. And, maybe more importantly, it will position you to start 2021 off in a better place. 


Use September to refocus and gain a sense of direction. Build on that momentum, and let it carry you forward. 


First things first.


1. There is a Future!

The world is still turning; the sun sets and the moon rises each day.  Time may feel warped lately, but a future is out there for you. It is easy to get sucked into the mentality that the “world is ending” and “nothing really matters”. Those beliefs only perpetuate a bleak existence. Push on the accelerator and skip that exit on the highway!! It leads to the land of wasted days and swamp of self-doubt. Take back your sense of control and stay in the driver’s seat. Self-efficacy is key to actualizing the wishes and goals you want to achieve. 


2. Recognize What You Need

 Are you feeling fatigued? Stress consuming your energy? Mind racing but not getting things done? Feeling alone? Lacking alone time? Work bursting into every aspect of your life? No work at all? Breaking your needs down into physical,emotional, and mental categories allows you to find the right fix to get you back on the road. You don’t pour windshield wiper fluid into your empty gas tank to fuel up, so don’t do it to yourself! If you are tired and sleepy, find ways to get more and better rest. Acknowledge and share your feelings of anger, anxiety or fear. Capture and release your thoughts by journaling or other mindfulness practice.


3. Keep it Simple

Focus on getting the basics of your plan down on “paper”. Eliminate visual distractions around you so it is easier to be clear and concise as you define your goals, intentions or problems to solve. Use existing resources rather than trying to create everything yourself. For example, this is National Preparedness Month and you can use this guide to plan for emergencies and disasters. It is okay to follow a map that someone else made. Just remember that it is your journey! 


4. Identify Your Obstacles

Often we compare our starting point to other people’s finished product. It is fantastic to find inspiration in others for what you would like to accomplish. Just keep in mind that you are where you are. Don’t let your perception of someone else stop you from starting. Figure out what is getting in your way. Is it something internal or external to you? Knowing the difference allows you to create strategies and use tools that specifically address your unique challenges. Like any travel adventure, sometimes you see the road signs, sometimes you miss them and other times they aren’t there at all. Regardless, the response is up to the driver, and that is YOU!


5. Tap Your Strengths

Regardless of where Industry, Diligence and Perseverance falls on your VIA Survey of Character Strengths, draw on them to create and implement your plan. It does take hard work to achieve intentions and goals that really matter. Discomfort and uncertainty will be present. Be careful and persistent as you persevere to find ways under, over and through the obstacles in your way. Navigation tools make a trip infinitely easier, and matching strengths to circumstances allows for a more authentic journey. Grit will get you there, but not on its own.


6. Get Help

When traveling, and in life, stop and ask for directions and “local” tips. No one gets anywhere alone. No one. Plus, the journey is so much better when you connect with others.  Asking for help is a strength. Recognizing what is and isn’t available in your current environment is essential to moving beyond your perceived existence. Expand your network. Seek out friends, mentors, coaches and other professionals who will provide the expertise you need to fill in the details on your plan. Allow yourself to be vulnerable.


Parting Postcard

  • Think in a courageous way. 

  • Nourish your feeling of confidence. 

  • Make action your top priority.

  • Start now.


@box52coaching


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]]>Mon, 14 Sep 2020 16:38:54 -0500<![CDATA[Chaos. Clarity. Action.]]>https://www.box52coaching.com/blogs/post/chaos.-clarity.-action.Getting clarity about what is needed, loved and useful to us can be a challenging process. Bringing the decisiveness of a seven-year-old to it can help. Find ways to reduce your sense of overwhelm and chaos.]]>

Week 3: Decide and Be Done.

“The Pirate”, who is rarely agreeable to any initial request, willingly threw away their toddler tub toys this week. They are going to be seven very soon, and these toys were clearly perceived as “babyish”.  Many mothers might experience a sense of sadness; the loss of a period of time that will be missed. Not me. In fact, I am sometimes shocked that I love parenting considering how little interest I had in babies. What did stand out to me was the ease with which “The Pirate” let go of the plastic turtles and toy fishing net. With a simple question, “Which of these toys do you want to keep?”, a clear, concise “None.” came back. “Okay, go put them in the garbage can.” And that is what happened. No discussion, no arguing, persuading or cajoling. It was just done and over in less than a minute. 


That sense of clarity and decisiveness is often missing from our adult world. We hem and haw, imagine all the what-ifs and just-in-case scenarios that cause us to hang on way too long. Maybe we are clinging to objects, people, jobs and roles that fit our life at one stage, and we fail to admit we have outgrown or matured beyond them. It’s hard to let it go - (sorry if the soundtrack just started playing in your head!) Maybe we are afraid of what is coming next. Maybe we don’t believe there is anything better than what was in the past. Maybe we lie to ourselves and still believe those things are fulfilling us. Our lives are happening now, and finding ways to quell the overwhelm, decision-fatigue and chaos around us is key to reducing the distractions that keep us from being present.


My view is that “organized” is often in the eye of the beholder. Regardless of how it looks, a system and structure are critical, so that we use less energy finding what we need or making a choice. Knowing what you have, and the ability to access it quickly reduces the amount of time used to locate and use said object. This prevents the inevitable racing heart, frazzled mind and tense muscles when we can’t find what we need. Cortisol levels increase and cause our bodies to go into an agitated state. This is great if you need to run away from a predator, but not so great when you are just trying to find your cell phone or keys for the fourth time today. Giving every possession a “home”, lets us make fewer decisions about where to put it, how and when to use it, and determining if we need to repair or replace it. Simplification of the mundane allows us to create space to tackle the meaningful choices in our lives.


In the weeks leading up to the decision to leave my Senior VP role, I started clearing my office of clutter. There were papers, files, binders and lots of odds and ends that I had accumulated over the years. Through this process, I was trying to create a sense of visual order that allowed me to see the best next steps. It was hard to throw out over a decade of work (I kept the most recent years), but the reality was none of it mattered in that moment. It did give me the opportunity to remember people and experiences that came and went over the years. It all made me who I am now, and gave me the strength to recognize I wanted to be more than who I was then. It took awhile longer to really choose a new path, and write my resignation notice, but sorting through all the “stuff” was as figurative as it was literal. 


A year later, I am doing a similar process in my house - going room by room, closet by closet and shelf by shelf to find and keep those possessions that bring us comfort, serve a clear purpose and add joy to our home. It is a process that will take much longer than the 31 days this month holds. We will continue to implement the exercise of keeping only what we need, use and love. There is a lot of competing research about happiness, joy and contentment, as it relates to a person’s organized environment. There is more to be done in this area, with broader groups of humans, however, knowing what you like, dislike and love is a critical skill to hone. Eliminating the excess, pointless and extraneous that distracts you from living a life defined by-you for-you is essential. Just get clear about who you are and what you need. If “The Pirate” can do it, we all can too.

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