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5 Building Blocks to Build Momentum When Getting Focused, Organized, and Productive


5 Building Blocks to Build Momentum When Getting Focused, Organized, and Productive


Are you an outie? Or an Innie?


I am an outie, later we will talk about what that means and how it pertains to organization.

This week on the podcast we have a Certified Professional Organizer®, and Productivity Coach Barbara Trapp on to talk about how organization, focus and productivity work together and how to get started improving all of them.


In 2016, Barbara quit a well-paying job in a toxic environment, packed her car and drove around the country for three months, listening to many top business and personal development books. 22 states and 52 books later, she was ready to start her own business. Barbara is the owner of Zen Your Den and Zen Your Biz and offers nonjudgmental organization and productivity help to busy and overwhelmed people.


Barbara graduated from Florida State University with a B.S. in Leisure (yes, you heard that right). She has over 15 years’ experience in Human Resources, Training and Development, and Process Improvement, and holds specialist certificates in Residential Organizing, Life Transitions, and Workplace Productivity. She is also a Certified DISC & Driving Forces Facilitator. I thought it was interesting how all of these elements came into play during our conversation.


Also, Barbara and I have way too much fun in this conversation so get ready to laugh! If you want to listen to the whole conversation listen HERE.


During our conversation there were 5 things that really stood out to me. Note, don’t try to tackle your entire house at once, take it slow, one space at a time. Most likely, no one is coming over to inspect your progress so the only person this matters to is you! (And potentially the other people inside your home).


1. Get real with yourself. Ask yourself the following questions:


A. How do you like your space? What things bother you? How do you prefer your space to look, feel, smell, sound and what energy do you like to convey?


For example:


I like to office to be bright, energetic, no smell with soft music in the background.


I like my kitchen to be bright, clean, smell like lemons, (or food) with music and full of people.


I like my bedroom to be calm, quiet, dark, relaxing and smell like lavender.


Each room can be different according to it’s intended purpose. Your office should spark creativity, joy, focus, productivity and passion. The mudroom has a different purpose, different feel, function and look and so it should!


B. Are you an Innie, or an outie? Are you messes, piles, and clutter out where you can see it, or hidden away in an unsuspecting closet? Both are fine, but don’t try to fool yourself by thinking that since everything is behind closed doors you don’t have any work to do.


C. How do you prefer things? And how does that compare to the other people inside your home?

All of the questions in this section will be addressed later, don’t worry, you are just getting to know yourself a little better.


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2. How and where to get started??


Start tidying up (and even redecorating if you need to) the entrance point that you enter your home.


If you pull into a cluttered, messy, overstuffed and downright frustrating garage, how do you expect to come home and feel relaxed and calm?


For me, I walk into a utility room that is full of coats and shoes and you come face to face with an old, ugly, humming furnace; knowing that, how can I expect to feel like a creative culinary genius when I come home at dinnertime?


After you get your entry point organized and looking the way you want it to, move to your bedroom. Barbara explains that if your bedroom isn’t clean and organized then it can be difficult to sleep at night. So, organize your bedroom first.


PAY ATTENTION: This is me, officially giving you permission to have an extra laundry basket for the “in between” clothes. You know the ones that you wore once, and aren’t really dirty but you also don’t put away in your closet because you aren’t a psychopath (just kidding). Barbara explains that if you have a pile like this, it is okay and normal. Just get an extra basket specifically for those “in between” clothes so they have a place to go.


Next, tackle the biggest problem areas. After your entry point is cleared up and your bedroom is clutter free and peaceful, you have built up a little momentum. Use that momentum to clean up the big problem areas.


If that seems overwhelming set a timer and start out with 20 minutes. Then take a break or come back another day. Eventually your home will be cleaner and organized. A clean and organized home is easier to keep clean and organized.


Barbara also explains that it’s important to focus on your area first (don’t tackle your significant other’s closet like a sneak attack). The de-clutter bug can be contagious and before you know it the other people in your home might start to clean up their spaces too.


3. Remember in part 1 how we talked about having each space have a certain feel, sound, smell, light, look, or energy? Now that that area is clean and de-cluttered create the other elements that convey that look and feel.


Include things you want to see, smell, touch, taste, hear, not to mention lighting, color schemes and overall theme or feel.


One thing that was a real breakthrough for me is making my office into more of a creative and productive zone. Not only does this help with my creativity and productivity but it also helps me to focus faster because that space itself triggers my brain to get into the zone.


4. Now it’s time to get to work. Use timers, Pomodoro’s (20 minute increments, or time blocking to set up your task list and timeline for the day.


Choose your 3 most important tasks or needle movers for my killer mourning routine framework followers (Want the free guide to a killer morning routine? Download the free guide HERE for what I do every day to start my day out right, get more done, and actually feel accomplished and aligned every day)


Staying focused for long periods of time can be tough for me! 20 minutes is a good starting point because I say to myself “I can do anything for 20 minutes” but I often complete my 20 minutes and continue on because I am almost done with that task.


It’s important to give yourself regular breaks, both our brain and our bodies need breaks often and by setting a timer, you won’t forget. It is good to take a 20 second break every 20 minutes. You can get a drink of water, stretch and look out a window if you want bonus points.


5. Lastly, set boundaries for your physical workspace, your work hours, your family time and your “me-time” this will allow for creativity and fun to coexist with productivity.


Stop making excuses, seriously setting boundaries gives you so much freedom.


Need help setting boundaries? Download the free printable “15 Ways to Set Boundaries and Say NO” HERE


You can get organized, get focused and be productive! Don’t let self-doubt or obstacles discourage you. Also, don’t compare your home with the all-white farmhouse inspiration that you see on Social media. Progress is progress and it’s all about learning what works for you and your family.


Want to really spark the productivity and joy? You need some vitamin D, this Light Therapy Lamp is my favorite! This Taotronics light therapy lamp is UV free and works to make your body produce more vitamin D. Kiss SAD or the winter blues goodbye because this little light will help you to feel happier, more focuses, and it even helps you sleep better. Want to know the best part? It’s only $37 and Amazon Prime will deliver it tomorrow!


Sponsored by Light Therapy Lamp Click HERE.


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