Productivity Archives

Practice makes progress

January 10, 2026 by Heather Filed Under: Creative process, Planning & Goals 2 Comments

I’ve been reflecting on my word for 2025, Courage. Courage is a value, and living our values takes practice.

Practice has been on my mind for about a month now. Ever since a young lady (11 years old) shouted out, Practice makes Progress, during a community discussion about a creative film I’d just seen. I felt so encouraged and inspired to learn that this is the message she had learned from one of her teachers. Out with the adage that practice makes perfect, because we all know that is just not true!

So, as I danced with discovering my word for 2026, practice was at the top of my list of possibilities. In past years, I’ve explored quite a few methods for finding my word of the year (WOTY). This year, after over a decade of this practice, it’s become more intuitive. That is a perfectly cyclical example of practice making progress.

As I do when I am considering words that I want to focus my intentions and attention on, I look at how they are connected to other words. So I explored the visual thesaurus (below) and kept digging. Yes, some of these words are synonyms, some reflect aspects of practice and I’m sure I’ll dance around with all of them over the coming year.

More than any of the anything above, I realized that giving myself permission to practice means exploring failure, doing things imperfectly and allowing whatever will be to come to the surface. In this, I realized that ALLOW was also a word I wanted to explore this year. Carrying over from my exploration of courage, which sometimes felt heavy, as if I was lifting or pushing things, I am opening myself to something softer in practicing and allowing.

Finally, one additional word came to me as a gift. Generosity landed with me through a spontaneous and intuitive process of writing down words (values/intentions) and releasing them until only one remained. Generosity remained.

And so, this year I find myself working with a word sandwich, or salad of three: PRACTICE, ALLOW, GENEROSITY. I am excited to discover what I will learn about myself and the world around me through an exploration and application of these three words in 2026. Each word remains a part of me when I choose them. I explore them with curiosity, deep intentionality and intensity.

My previous words over the past DECADE of selecting a WOTY.

2011: CLARITY
2012: SOAR
2013: RADIANT
2014: PLAY
2015: CHOICE
2016: HARMONY
2017: ACCEPTANCE
2018: FEARLESS
2019: INTENTION
2020: INTEGRATION
2021: POSSIBILITY
2022: HOPE
2023: DELIGHT
2024: COMPASSION
2025: COURAGE

I would love your thoughts on the Word of the Year (WOTY) process. Please comment on this post to let me know your word (s).

Get Organized in ’26 with these posts from ’16

January 9, 2026 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

As we ease into the first month of 2026 otherwise known (for some) as GO (get organized) month, I want to share a review of some favorite posts from 2016. Yes, you read that right! I have been in business for over a decade (celebrating 15 years in MAY! and so much of the content I have written and shared is evergreen and as applicable today as it was when I wrote these posts, ten years ago!

It’s always helpful to review where you have been and close the door as you step into new directions!

2016 Artist Studio Round Up

Creative Posts

The In The Studio Artist Interview Series has introduced to a spectrum of creatives in Charleston, Gatlinburg, New York and NC. These 15 artists work in a range of media from ceramics artists, painters, jewelry makers, and taxidermists to name only a handful. I consider every one of my artist interviews a favorite so if you want to find them all in one spot check out this post.
Learn how to create a Capsule wardrobe for yourself or your kids. Proportion, drape, body shape, size, lifestyle, profession and personal expression, social responsibility and seasonal attire are all factors to consider when creating your own Capsule Wardrobe.
The Three C’s of Getting Organized. It takes a bit of Curiosity, a bit of Creativity and a Commitment to make lasting changes. Want to be let in on a little secret, wink, wink…? Click here

Capsule Wardrobe

Productivity Posts

People often ask me what productivity Apps I use and recommend. It’s been a while since I’ve included a roundup on the blog so as requested, here are some useful Apps with a focus on Personal and Business Productivity. Check out these great Apps for business and personal Productivity.
Essential Documents everyone needs to have and be able to locate. Being prepared for the unexpected means having essential documents (and copies of them) in order and easy to find. Some people call these their Vital Documents. Whatever you call them they are really important!
A Quick tip on The Art of List making. I find that a lot of people’s idea of list making is to just keep one big ongoing “To Do”. Do you think about every single thing on your list as a “problem”? This seems to be the normal mindset around items that need to be done.

Organized Home (& Car) Posts

Helping Family members downsize with ease. We value our lives and those of others, including family members, especially as they age. Anyone at a crossroads in life facing the prospect of estate planning knows how stressful it can be. It can be emotionally and physically exhausting to face your legacy and the perceived value of your life.
Maintaining order when saving sentimental items. Sentimental Saving can feel like a way to capture time in a bottle.
On the Go-On the Go-Car Organizing. Having a system for In Car Organizing means you’re more likely to keep your sanity on the road. This is especially true when you spend a ton of time in your car, to and from work, carpool, errands or before you head out for a road trip vacation! Before you hit the road, give your car a quick clean out with these In Car Organizing Tips.

I’m looking forward to sharing lots of great new organizing, appraisal and collections management ideas and tips this year! Is there a subject you would like to see me cover this year? Leave me a comment below and I’ll do my best to cover it in an upcoming post!

Fast and Slow Organizing

September 18, 2025 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Wellness & Mindset Leave a Comment

What does fast and slow organizing mean, and how can our approach improve our outcome?

This post has its roots in the systems thinking I became curious about when I read the book Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. It’s a great book, but somewhat technical. There are numerous excellent summaries available, a TED talk, and interviews with the author, Daniel, a Psychologist and Nobel Prize winner in economics.

First, I’ll provide a summary to serve as a starting point for exploring Fast and Slow Organizing. To preface this summary, I will share in the author’s own words that the origin of this book “…presents my current understanding of judgement and decision making…” (Kahneman, pg. 8). This is important to keep in mind because a lot of organizing involves decision-making. Understanding how we make decisions will give us greater insight into how successfully we get and stay organized.

System 1 Thinking=Fast Thinking

The premise behind this kind of thinking is that it’s automatic, intuitive, and effortless. It relies on skills or knowledge built over long periods of time. This allows us to make quick judgments based on skills, instincts, or easy-to-recognize patterns.

System 2 Thinking=Slow Thinking

The premise behind this kind of thinking is that it is deliberate, analytical, and requires effort. It kicks in when problems are complex, require logic, reasoning, or close calculations.

Many decision-making processes and everyday tasks are governed by fast thinking. If we had to slow way down to think about how to make a cup of coffee, tie our shoes, or think about changing car lanes, we would not be very productive; it could even be dangerous. If we know (or think we know) something about a subject, chances are that System 1 thinking will kick in quickly and give us an answer.

System 2 thinking is what we rely on when we are learning new skills, making significant and complex decisions, or are faced with anything that makes us vulnerable. It can be delightful to revel in this kind of ‘beginner’s mindset,’ where being curious and exploring topics from a range of perspectives is welcome.

From Thinking to Organizing-Fast and Slow

Since we use both systems of thinking for our day-to-day activities, it’s clear that we probably default to one system or the other based on our understanding of how to organize. Have you ever just gone about doing a task on autopilot, not really thinking about it, and doing it the way you have always done it? We all have.

When it comes to organizing, we all fall into these thinking habits. We continue to do the same thing, even though it no longer works for us. This is when fast thinking can become a hindrance or trap. We become so reliant on it that we don’t stop to question the impulsive but perhaps not efficient method behind our process.

Until we slow down and allow our slow-thinking system to kick in, we can become stuck in the system one rut.

Curiosity or frustration might be equal motivators that lead us to slow down and look at things more deliberately. This is one of the leading factors I see when I begin to work with someone who has become stuck with organizing. The process I employ involves helping people become more curious by asking questions and slowing down the ‘automatic’ processes so we can find the best solution, which might not be the quick solution.

Slow organizing might feel like a massive waste of time, a big headache, and a never-ending task, but I promise that is not the case. Slowing down and being deliberate allows us to identify what aspects of our organizing systems are already working effectively. With these, we can continue to employ our quick thinking responses. But it’s the things that are not working that involve more cognitive awareness so that we can navigate our path to a better solution.

The great news is that over time, and with practice, even solutions that are new to us will become routine, and eventually our fast thinking system one mind can take them over too.

It can be helpful for all of us to step back and pay attention to where we are relying on each system in our day-to-day lives. Sometimes, specific systems and solutions may require a bit of evaluation and tuning to run more efficiently.

A Household Binder can be a portable command center

August 8, 2025 by Heather Filed Under: Kids & Family Organizing, Organize, Organizing Projects, Paper management, Productivity, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources 1 Comment

Using a household binder is a great way to keep lots of miscellaneous and commonly referenced loose papers in one place. It can be used anywhere you need, taken with you from room to room (or when you leave home), and is an easy way to share information with babysitters, family members, etc. It can be digital or physical, and can include as much or as little information as you find helpful.

What to Include in Your Household Binder

Emergency contacts such as doctors, family members, and neighbors.
Vital household information- Wi-Fi code, alarm, and utility company info, etc.
Important personal and medical information, such as allergies and medications
Schedules including school year, holidays, sports, and after-school activities, etc.
Invitations
Takeout food menus
Meal Planning
Grocery lists
To Do list
Action items-bills to be paid
Chore charts/Goal Charts, etc.
Pet Info
House Rules (for guests, etc.)

How to Set up your household binder

Gather physical or digital supplies including binder or digital word processor, clear sheet protectors, section dividers with tabs, labels (label maker) & markers, pens or pencils
Print blank forms for any of the information above, if you don’t have a source for this, contact me and see below.
Type out or hand write contact info, personal /household info
Gather menu’s, mail, lists, invitations and schedules
Create sections for Contact &/or Emergency Information, household member, Schedules, Chore charts, pet info. meals, To-Do etc.

This image is from the Table of Contents for my “Creatively Organized Everything” binder, which is more comprehensive and in-depth than a household binder. If you are a client and need access to this file, I have created a Comprehensive 50 page template for you to use for all your household and legacy planning needs. Contact me to learn more.

A household binder is a great system for households that don’t’ have a lot of space for a command center. It can also be used along with a more “Visual” command center.

The Benefits of Personality Testing

July 23, 2025 by Heather Filed Under: Creative process, Health, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Planning & Goals, Productivity, Tips & Resources, Wellness & Mindset 1 Comment

We are all born unique and with different personalities. Are you curious to know more about your personality and how it can affect your day-to-day life? If so, the benefits of Personality testing include giving insight into how we think, handle stress, how we process information and make decisions.

Personality tests are very popular, with many employers requesting a candidate take a personality assessment during the job application process. If you were to Google ‘Personality Test’ you would be flooded with many claiming to be the best. I will showcase a few here that I believe are the most accurate and helpful when we want to learn more about ourselves. No personality test is the same, just as no person is the same.

Myers Briggs

The most popular and well-known Personality Test is Myers Briggs. It gives you insight into many different personality traits and identifies the 16 most distinctive personality types. It is a 15-20 minute assessment that asks you about the way that you think, how you process information, how you make decisions, how extroverted (or introverted) you are, and how you perceive information.

Once you have taken the assessment and receive your result you will also be given information on your personality type and how understandings your type can benefit you in your daily life. You can further research your personality type to help you connect you with like-minded individuals or understand those with strikingly different personalities.

Enneagram

You may have heard people toss around their enneagram ‘type’ as a number, similar to how people talk about their MB above as a series of letters. The test for your enneagram personality type is

done by a simple multiple choice quiz (which some might describe as pseudoscientific), which takes about 10 minutes.

There are nine types of enneagram personalities. Like many other personality typing systems, there are overlaps between types, and you will see/recognize characteristics of yourself in each. The premise behind the enneagram is that you are ‘born’ with a specific dominant personality type, which predisposes you to learning styles and relationship orientations. This premise helps us understand how to apply aspects of the enneagram to both learning and interpersonal skills. There is much more to say and learn about this personality type tool, and the institute (linked above), as well as many books, can help you understand how to use this as a tool to refine your understanding of your personality and how you interact with others with different personality types.

Predictive Index – PI Learning Indicator

The Predictive Index, better known as the PI Learning Indicator is the go-to personality test for employers. It gives a fairly accurate insight into your personality and working style focusing on four main elements; dominance, extraversion, patience, and formality.

The PI takes anywhere from 5-25 minutes depending on how thorough you are with the test. The results might look a bit confusing at first but there are always professionals for you to speak with and a detailed breakdown on their website.

While the PI is very accurate, it is also important to take it every 6 months to a year, depending on the personal changes you are experiencing in your life. Everyone’s personality changes throughout their lifetime and it is good to recognize these changes and adapt to them.

Kolbe

Kolbe offers a variety of different tests for their users including a youth test, finance test, and a relationship test. It is unique as they don’t measure your intelligence or your personality but how you naturally do things in your life.

Kolbe focuses on your motive, goals and what drives you to achieve your goals. It is a great test to help you recognize what motivates you, and how to achieve your goals.

This test is also very beneficial for business owner’s or managers who have lost motivation, direction or are looking for ways to keep their success going. The test dives into your creative instincts and showcases how best to utilize your personality.

This tests take 20 minutes and it gives you an in-depth look at your personality and driving factors to your success. Kolbe offers a lot of information and a clear breakdown of their methods and results on their website.

Different Personalities

There are often misconceptions among people that take personality tests. On the surface, it may seem that if we don’t have the correct personality for a job, relationship or friendship that it will never work. On the contrary, personality tests can be taken to learn more about yourself, your strengths and challenges and how to better relate to others in work and personal life. They should never be considered negative. After all, it’s better to know best to have these helpful insights into future challenges before you begin new relationships or ventures!

There are many criteria that personality tests don’t measure specifically including; work ethic, kindness, interests, and ability to learning style (more on this soon!).

I recommend that everyone take at least one personality test in their lifetime. The Benefits of Personality Testing include not only knowing more about your personality but to learning how you can use it to create success in your life. It takes so little time, less time than a favorite TV show, yet can supply both new and reinforced information about yourself. Please share what personality tests you have tried over in our Facebook group.