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How Getting Organized Can Help You Lose Weight

4/28/2020

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Being healthy has never been more important!
If there ever was a time when getting healthy was important this is it!! Although still little is known about this new coronavirus, a fact that seems common to most doctors & scientists is that healthy people are not as affected. The common consensus is that being overweight is what seems to put the most strain on your overall health. With all this time sitting around the house losing weight might be a little difficult or....with some accountability and a system maybe not... 

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Now is the time!
While your nutrition and exercise are essential to staying healthy, your environment also plays a key role in helping you slim down and is often disregarded. Considering most of us are home right now, there cannot be a more perfect moment! You have plenty of time to get organized and get yourself used to being into a healthy routine. My Virtual Organizing services make it possible no matter where you are and is social distancing approved.

The science behind it:
Clutter around your home, especially your kitchen, creates a distracting, stressful environment that could stop your efforts to stick to your weight-loss plan.  A study from 2016 has found that “stressful and chaotic food environments” (meaning the kitchen and pantry)  influence people to reach for high-calorie snacks. Peter Walsh’s in Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? have preached to dieters for years: Tidying up and planning ahead might be just as important to weight loss as committing to exercise and a reduced-calorie diet. It seems that people with untidy homes often struggle to stick to their weight-loss plans. And in my professional experience as a Professional Organizer I have vitnessed this almost every time. 

Dietician Dafna Chazin expalined that “If you’re constantly trying to catch up, organize, and declutter, you’re stressed. When people are chronically stressed, the body responds with a surge of hormones that increase cravings and hunger throughout the day,”  She also added that stressful environments erode our ability to create plans we can commit to. Our discipline to eat better and exercise more is diminished by the visual noise and the distraction of piles of stuff all around us. “If you can’t control a mess, you begin to doubt your ability to control your eating. It gives you mental permission to overeat and eat mindlessly. You end up reaching for foods you don’t really want to eat, like chips, and then feel ashamed and demotivated.”

This is the reason I have created this new program Healthy Lifestyle Organizing  A lot more than tidying a kitchen and getting on a diet. Check it out!!
 www.bentonorganizing/services

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing and household management in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com
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Don't have resolutions, have SMART Goals!

1/17/2019

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New Year Resolutions versus Goals:
When the new year comes around, we all make a list of resolutions even if its just in our heads. But comes February most of us fall off the wagon already and give up on the idea of becoming better. Did you know that just 8% of people achieve their New Year Resolution? I know, you are not alone...  But don't you wish you could be in that 8%? So what's the difference between resolutions and goals:
- Resolutions are only a way to express a desire. I call it "wishful thinking'. I'm going to lose weight. I'm going to exercise, I'm going to be more organized.
- Goals on the other hand are more like results you want achieve with an end result. I want to lose 10 lb.  I'm going to organize my desk. They are already more specific.
But still it does not plan how you are going to achieve this. There's been no thinking on how you can implement this in your life and if its possible. It remains an idea with no plans. So even though having a goal is important and a great first step, only people who commit to them and think about them are the ones who achieve results.

Goals is what create results only if you make them SMART!! But What does it mean? It means your goals need to be:
- Specific: State what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. If it's to lose 10 lb., say how you're planning on doing that. (Stop drinking sodas, see a nutritional coach, go to the gym)
- Measurable: Track your progress. You'll get motivated by the results when it gets tough. 
- Achievable: This is a reality check, It has to be a reasonable goal. Is it something that you can actually achieve? It is better to have smaller goals that you reach than big ones that you don't.
​- Relevant/ 
Realistic: Why is this important? Will this make an impact to your life? How will this fit in your real life? 
- Timely: When are you starting? Write it on your calendar and start! When do you want this to be done by? Set a dead line and write it down. Stick to it. 


Put this in practice, one small goal at a time. Take the first step. You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Right?
So what ARE your intentions for this New Year? Write them down and start planning!
Be SMART!!

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com

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If saying 'yes' has been your default mode… Remember this: “NO” is a full sentence!

12/14/2018

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If saying 'yes' has been your default mode…
 
Being organized is not just about knowing where your stuff is, it is also about time management and making priorities which at this time of year with all the extra demands, extra work and extra parties can be hard for some people to make. So are you okay saying this little 2 letter word “NO”?
 
Science is showing that if you are a people-pleaser you may have a lower life expectancy. And while I don’t really feel like checking the science behind this, it did get me thinking…

For far too long, I’ve been happy to saying "YES" when someone is asking for help and I’ve very often prioritized other people and their needs over my own, often putting myself at the bottom of my to-do list. I knew the problem wasn’t saying “yes” and feel happy about it, it was saying “no” and feel bad about it or saying “yes” and doing it grudgingly. Saying “yes” was also for me a way to procrastinate/avoid doing things I did not want to do at home or for work and forget about my own life. But I still had to do them so it only took time away that I needed for myself.

Facts:
 a) “NO” is a full sentence
 b) Saying “NO” to something is really saying “YES” to something else, usually me or a project or cause that I’m truly invested in.
 c) You don't owe anything to anyone. And doing something out of obligation is sometimes worse than not doing it at all.

I was sent an article by Shine app that really made me think about how to know where to invest my time… they talk about the “YES” test. And this may sound harsh at first but I thought about it and summarized it to this.  To ask myself those 3 questions:
  1. Does “It” bring me closer to where I want to be tomorrow?
Is it in line with my goals? The old saying “time is money” is true. I could be using the time to work on an article or build up my side-hustle as a Health and Wealth coach. Because it also takes me away from spending time with my family and friends, so it’d better be worth it.
That’s not to say pro bono work doesn’t have its place, but you’ve got to determine what is your own set of core values? When are you’re willing to work for free?  For me, if it aligns with your own personal mission of helping children or woman in need or whatever you believe in then I’m all about it. What are the exceptions you’re willing to make?

  1. Does It Make Me Better?
Another exception is personal and professional development.
When you’re trying something new, saying “yes” to opportunities to hone your craft will only help you in the long run.

  1. Does It Make Me Happy?
For me this is the most important question. If my immediate response upon receiving an invitation or request isn’t “HELL YES!,” then I reply, “let me think about it” or “I’ll get back to you on that”.  Life is too short to do things you really don’t want to do.
Now, of course, there are things you have to do. But if you don’t really want to attend your second cousin you barely know bachelor’s party, all the way across the country, send a gift and call it a day.
Maybe your Yes test is different but you can create your own “yes”. Maybe it’s “Does it make me stronger?” or “Does it help me grow?” or “Does it make me feel creative?” or “Does it challenge me in a good way?” or even “Does it involve tacos?” Seriously—your yes test is yours to own, and so is your time.
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Time is a non-renewable resource and our most precious currency. Spend it wisely!!

Wishing you all a happy Holiday season, a Merry Christmas and of course most importantly; Happy Organizing!

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com 

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Back to school tips

7/30/2018

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Tackling your kids’ closets
If you haven’t already done so over the summer, now is the time to do it! Let’s face it, when it comes to back to school organization, getting the kids out the door in the morning is key, right? And it all starts with getting dressed. So start off this season by purging old clothes and shoes in their closets. Whether it's too old, too small, or out of season, these clothes can be donated to charity or given to younger siblings. Go through their closet with them, it will solve the “Mom what did you do with...?” screams and will teach them to keep up with their own belongings. Organize clothes by school functions, sports and other activities to ease the time in finding outfits to wear in the morning. Put some music on and have fun together! You might want to tackle your own closet too ;-) Happy Organizing!

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com 

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The secrets of Time Management

5/22/2018

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If we are not to multitask (multitasking makes us stupid) to improve our productivity, how do we manage our time so that we are at our most productive? We all face decisions and choices throughout the day on how we are to spend our time. Time will go on whether we’re doing something or not, but our choices, we can change. It’s all about planning and focusing.

1- Plan: Optimize your schedule
  • When you plan your tasks for the day, plan according to the way you feel. When are you at your most tired, when do you work your best. Make sure to plan your priority work at a time you work at your best. The best return on time invested comes from that 20% of your day really focusing on your priority work.
  • Minimize distractions. Lock your door or have a sign on it, go somewhere else to work if it helps. Do whatever it takes to not get distracted by others. Turn off your phone or put it on silent.
  • Manage interruptions by scheduling a time for them. Plan a time for phone calls or to answer questions for example or a time to play with the kids.
  • Be aware of your choices. We all tend to procrastinate on tasks that we either don’t like doing or are hard to do. Do those first and concentrate on how you’ll feel once those are accomplished.
  • Don’t over-commit yourself at the expense of your priority work or well being, you will do a disservice to yourself and to the person you are commiting to. The key is finding balance. You don’t actually need a reason to say no. Set boundaries and be clear on what your priorities are.
2- We need to learn to Focus.
Focusing on something means doing something and thinking about it at the same time and doing just one thing at a time. To do that we need to put ourselves in the best conditions possible.
  • Turn off your phone’s notifications
  • Don’t check your emails every 5 min
  • Limit social media interaction to only every 4-6h
  • Take 5 min breaks every 25 min with a timer and move around and breathe.
  • Make sure you’re eating and drinking and have a good night sleep

Time management starts with good habits that you do consistently. Manage your time and you will become more productive, feel less stress and anxiety, have less wasted time and ultimately experience a better life/work balance.  

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com 

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Did you know? “Multitasking makes you stupid”

5/14/2018

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I know that most of us multitask some of the time. I’m guilty of that although I have been proven many times that I am not good at it and can’t remember what people are actually saying to me. Debbie Rosemont, CPO, in her session on multitasking at NAPO Chicago, demonstrated how multitasking makes us stupid with a simple 2nd grade math test and asking us to retain the information she was reading to us. Needless to say I failed with flying colors! Only 2.5% of people are supertaskers and obviously I am not one of them.

What is multitasking? It is trying to do 2 things or more at once or in quick succession, like talking on the phone and checking emails, reading a book while watching TV. Things you need to concentrate on or think about. So if you think that multitasking is a skill that helps you, think again.   


Studies have shown that to multitask our brain has to rapid fire switch with going from one thread of thought to another and it slows us down. Our speed decreases and we have higher chances of making mistakes. We decrease our accuracy and it actually also increases our stress. It also decreases our ability to remember new things or learning new things. Multitasking reduces our efficiency and performance because our brain can only focus on one thing at a time.

The research conducted at Stanford University showed that multitaskers actually took 40% more time than if focussed on one task at a time! 40%. The research also showed that those who multitask a lot and feel that it boost their performance performed worse because they had trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering irrelevant information and they were slower at switching from one task to another. Ouch. Another research at the University of London also shows that on top of slowing you down, multitasking also lowers your IQ by  about 10pt same as when losing a night's sleep or smoking marijuana. IQ drops of 15pts for multitasking men lowered their scores to the average range of an 8 year old child.

Still want to multitask? Well as a mom of 2, I know that there’s no way not to ever do several things at once, but we’re kidding ourselves if we think we can do so without cost. As Albert Einstein said “ A man who drives while kissing a pretty girl does not give the kiss the attention it deserves” ;-)

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com 

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Part 2- De-cluttering your Head.

5/7/2018

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Studies have proven that clutter is de-energizing, distracting, depressing and causes extra work.
But what about the clutter we carry in our head? 

Do you ever get the overwhelming feeling that you have so much to do and so little time and you've got so much on your mind? All those unfinished projects, or future projects mingled with the everyday projects and things to do or buy, people to call or emails to answer back. It makes your head spin. You've captured some on your to do lists, but still, it's all too overwhelming? So, you just do as much as you can some days, and sometimes you even feel like you're on top of things, but little seems clear for very long anymore.
In order for us to deal with all of that clearly and effectively we require the implementation of some basic habits. We were never taught that we have to think in a concentrated manner about our work before we can do it. 
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1- If it's on your mind, your mind isn't clear. Capture it!
David Allen in "Getting things Done" calls his master to do list: "A collection bucket" and for him it is "a way for us to capture all the things that need to be done; now, later, someday, big, little or in between, into a logical and trusted system outside of your head". Ziegler calls it a "Master List". Anything that you consider unfinished in any way or form needs to be on it. You can use a notebook, an app, just make sure there's enough space in between each entry or a space for note taking. 
Your mind will remind you of things when there's nothing you can do about it. So have a pad of paper or a recording app everywhere you go.


2- Think! Clarify! 
Writing down a task on your "to do" list is not necessarily enough for you to have it off your mind. 
What is your commitment and what do you have to do to go forwards? Have you clarified what would need to happen for you to check this off your list. Describe in a simple sentence your successful outcome for this problem or project, what would need to happen for you to check this project as done. So what is the next action? Write it down.

3-  Plan! 
Once you have decided on the actions that are needed to be accomplished, you must put reminders in place for the actions that are needed to be taken. Plan your week accordingly. 

And don't forget to empty your "Collection Bucket" or Master list often and rewrite/refill a new one. You can do that every week so that you can plan for the week ahead...
Happy Organizing! :-) 

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com 

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De-Cluttering Your Home: 9 essential tips to getting rid of clutter

4/17/2018

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  • When de-cluttering you should create 3 piles
          -Throw away
          - Donate/sell
          - Move to another room
  • You goal should be to get rid of clutter first, not create more storage spots. If you think you’re disorganized don’t run and start buying containers or baskets. Sort through your stuff first then you’ll know where to put it and what kind of container you’ll need.
  • Create Rules on what to keep and what to give away. For clothes you can discard
          Any clothing that is not size x
          Anything that is stained
          Anything that wasn’t worn in the last year or anything not comfortable
       Don’t keep clothes because they were expensive. It does not matter how much you spent what matters is whether you wear it or not. If you keep choosing something else to wear, it’s time to part with the item.
          For magazines anything that is more than 6 months old.
  • Be aware that it will take you 5 times more time to sort through a box of personal papers than you  think.
  • Organizing should be simple and logical. If it takes little time to put something away, chances are you’ll keep up with your system more easily. So:
          Keep like items together.
          Store items where you use them.
          Containerize them to keep control of the space.
        Keep it simple with as little steps as possible to put away. Avoid lids on boxes, unless you need to stack objects like craft items. They just make things hard to put away. Clear boxes are always better to see through what’s in the box
  • You need to have a place for everything and everything needs to be in its place.  
  • Memorabilia: Are you keeping some items for sentimental reasons that don’t fit in your home or life style? Grandma’s chandelier, and aunt Jenny’s paperweight collection. Recognize that it is the memory you cherish not the item. Take a picture and either sell it or give it to someone who will enjoy it and appreciate it. Wouldn’t you want your own collection to be enjoyed or stored away for nobody to see? Don’t let it go all moldy or rusty because you can’t make the decision.
  • Anything that needs to go somewhere, needs to go in the car not in the house!
  • Don’t procrastinate! If it takes you less than a minute to do something do it NOW!
​​Happy Organizing!

Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com 

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IT'S A BALANCING ACT

4/5/2018

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Finding the right life/work balance can be difficult and we all struggle through it at times. So learning to identify what’s important to you and what your priorities are is fundamental to achieving that.
What/who are your priorities? 
We’ve all watched videos on YouTube showing how a jar representing our lives gets filled with golf balls, then stones, then pebbles, then sand, then water, as an illustration of how to prioritize the things in our life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqGRnlXplx0
So here are some tips on how to get back on track: 

Your health is the most important:
Join a gym or an exercise program, eat healthy, sleep enough, and reduce stress. Your health is irreplaceable, so manage it well and carefully!
Plan ahead
I have 2 lists, my Master list and my daily list. My master list has all the things, activities that I need to do that week. It is a diary of random thoughts as they occur that I write down. It mostly makes sure it is out of my head and caught on paper or electronic. My daily list only concentrates on today.  
Weekly planning
I can’t stress enough the importance of planning your week. At the beginning of each week or the weekend before, take your planner and start planning your week around the appointments you have, the activities, the errands you have to run, your master list. What are the things that really need to be done that week?  What errands can we group together? Any kids activities that might require more planning for meals? Anything with a time constraint? Consider things like: How much time do you have? How much energy do you have at that time? What is the best use of your time at that moment? Don’t forget to schedule free times, fun times and times with family or friends.  
Stick to your goals or priorities; It’s okay to say NO
You’ve got to learn to say no and not feel guilty about it if you have no time to spare. Learn to say, “Let me get back to you on that” and think about it looking at your planner. Is that something that you can add or will it take precious time away from more important things or people?  Saying yes will take time from your list of things to do, so make sure what you say yes to, does not hurt any of your priorities.
Delegate
Sometimes no matter how much we planned, there is not enough time. It’s okay to delegate. Maybe there’s someone in your family that would be thrilled to help pick up the kids, or hiring a cleaning service would be a better use of your time, order a take out, ask a co-worker. You don't have to do it all yourself! Give responsibilities to others, it might not get done exactly the way you like it but it will get done. 

Mostly remember: Life is short, time is fast. There's no replay and no rewinds. So make the most of today  create memories and enjoy every moments as it comes.
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Author

Sophie Bent is a Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant @Bent On Organizing, LLC. She is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in South Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com 

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"EITHER RUN THE DAY OR THE DAY RUNS YOU"

3/26/2018

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Feel like you were so busy all day long and never stopped? You're exhausted but when you looked on your list you discovered you still had the majority of your important work to complete? Then this is for you!

​1- In Kenneth Ziegler's “Organizing for success” the key to figuring out what you want to improve is by figuring out what’s going wrong. After all how do you know where you want to go unless you know where you’re starting from? So if time management is your issue, figuring out what you spend your time on is key.  His advice is to keep a journal, and fill in the time slots with all the different activities. Try to be as accurate as possible and don’t wait till the end of the day to fill it in, keep your diary with you at all times. At the end of the day add how many tasks got completed. You can download his journal at http://www.kztraining.com/timekeepingjournal/pdf/Timekeeping%20Journal.pdf
Print and follow his instructions.

2- PLAN: Start your day with a realistic plan. Plan your calls. Plan your email before you start typing. (What are you trying to say? What's the most important point?) Be prepared. Batch like activities together.

3. Slow down and stop multitasking! Focus on one thing at a time so you can keep your focus to completion of what you're trying to achieve.
Happy Organizing! :-)
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    Sophie Bent

    "Helping people get organized and transforming their lives has been one of my life's greatest enjoyments. Thank You!"
    ​
    Sophie Bent has been a professional organizer and productivity consultant since 2008 and is a member of NAPO and a member of the South Florida Association of Professional Organizer.

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