Taking Control: The Organizing Podcast

Trying to figure out what to keep and what to purge? Ask yourself this question: Do you use it? OK, that may sound glib, but with a bit of muscle you can work through a process that will help you rethink the value of your things in light of the value of your space, and consider carefully whether you’re keeping the things that really mean something in your life. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright share tips and strategies for when to keep, and when to purge!

Knowledge Bomb: One of the key defining characteristics of highly organized people is that they are adept and efficient decision makers. Challenge: If you’re struggling with ADHD tendencies, one of the key defining characteristics of your day is that you likely struggle terribly with making decisions. Behold: The ADHD Organizing Dilemma! It’s no wonder that organizing can be such a challenge for many of us. But to make change in your life, you have to build some awareness around why these behaviors are so difficult. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about the challenges of making decisions and offer concrete strategies for training yourself to be a more efficient organizer!

Like any habit, remembering to use technology to support your living systems takes work. The work comes in two forms: first, you have to learn how to use your digital tools to add to your systems in a new way. Second, you have to learn to trust. This week on the show, Pete Wright and Nikki Kinzer talk about how to use digital tools to support you day-to-day, and how to build the trust in your systems that when failure occurs, recovery is trusted and easy!

Building new habits takes time. The frustration that comes from not getting something right the very first time is ingrained in us a human creatures. Coping with this frustration, accepting the reality that we are not perfect, requires conditioning and daily reminders that if you are working, success will come. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright continue their discussion of building new habits with key tips on building patience through mindfulness to help you make the change you seek in your life.

Occasionally, we run across resources that are simply too good not to dig in and pass on. Such is the case this week, when we bring you part two of a conversation on “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg. As the research shows, there are some important principles foundational to building strong habits; the power of belief, and a strong sense of community can go a long way in helping new habits take hold. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright share their thoughts on belief, community, and the structures that build strong habits in part two of our conversation on “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.

Occasionally, we run across resources that are simply too good not to dig in and pass on. Such is the case this week, when we bring you a conversation on “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg. This book is a rich resource covering research that underpins the role habits play in our lives, and more importantly, what you need to know to take control of the habits that define your life. We absolutely recommend that you pick it up and read it in full. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright cover a few key gems from “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg in part one of our month-long series on the habits and routines that define our lives.

The Inbox Zero philosophy was lovingly crafted by a guy named Merlin Mann. This was back in the day when he believed in it more than he does now, but for those of us struggling with email overload, the concept is crucial. Finding a process that enables you to get your work done effectively and efficiently often comes down to limiting the distractions and noise of your inboxes. From email to voicemail to Facebook and Twitter, these distractions get in the way of working, processing, and delivering results. This week on the show, Pete Wright and Nikki Kinzer talk about "The Toolbox," and how important it can be to separate your inbox from the place where you organize the work to be done!

Even if you know exactly what you need to do, and when you need to do it, getting it done can be a minefield of buzzes, bells, and rings — distractions that keep us from truly achieving our goals. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright take on distractions, and share tips and tools for making sure you own every single minute of your productivity!

If you tend toward ADHD, then you know how challenging it can be to keep yourself on task when important deadlines loom. Whether you’re struggling with time management or attention, having a clear understanding of how to prioritize work to be done can be crucial in helping you overcome barriers to getting things done. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright offer a framework for setting priorities that help you to better understand the impact of your work on yourself and others!

Scared of technology? Don’t sweat it — you’re not alone. The massive growth of personal devices and crazy new interfaces has made getting over that fear even harder over last decade, and that means it’s getting in the way of us being able to get things done. This week on the show, Pete Wright and Nikki Kinzer share some thoughts about how we make ourselves scared of technology, and how we can approach new tech with an eye on productivity — and move the fear aside!

We humans are desperately communal. Whether you call yourself an introvert or extrovert, as a species, we work better when we work together — it’s how we’re wired. That’s why it’s so important to be open to outside support when you are working to achieve an audacious new goal. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about the nature of accountability, how to find a great accountability partner, and when you should step up and ask for help.

Perfectionism can be an incredible motivator. It can drive you to do high quality work, to achieve goals you never thought you’d accomplish, to see new personal and professional heights. But what happens when perfectionism gets in the way of living systems that are otherwise out there to help you? This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about the nature of perfectionism, determining your special brand of perfectionism, and offer insights for helping to see when perfectionism is in the way of your success.

It’s resolution season! And whether you jump into the fray and build a plan for your future this time of year or not, we’re going to take the opportunity to talk about what it means to change. This conversation is inspired by an article in Change Leader’s Network by Dean Anderson and Linda Ackerman Anderson (changeleadersnetwork.com/free-resourc…rd-to-manage), and while the original piece is focused on organizational transformation, the lessons are important for us individually, too. This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright share their thoughts on change, learning, and transformation as we get ready for a great 2014!

We’re getting ready for a great 2014 here at Taking Control, and we’re celebrating by giving you a tool to help you focus your vision and attention on your organizing projects. The TCO Project Planner has been a staple of our eBook, and now it’s time to put it to you for all your organizing resolutions! This week on the show, Nikki Kinzer and Pete Wright talk about the excitement around resolutions, planning your projects, and new courses for the New Year!

A little something different this week on Taking Control. As commerce slows down and we take time to reflect, we share thoughts from Deepak Chopra from his book, “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.” It’s a powerful read and one we encourage you to pick up. For now, we offer ideas for creating a spirit of giving around you.