Think More Storage, Not More Space

Long before I became a student of interior design, I've been an admirer and enthusiast of great design and architecture. I've always been drawn to places that were well laid out (otherwise known as good "space planning"), streamlined, warm, interesting, and cozy.

I have a collection of books and magazines I regularly pick up and reference that I call "design porn." :) As I started researching today for a school paper, I accessed my library for one of my favorite reads: The Not So Big House by Sarah Susanka. And couldn't find it! No, I'm not unorganized (wink) - I forgot that this was a book I'd borrowed from someone and don't actually own. Off to Amazon I go...this is a must-have book, in my opinion!

Ms. Susanka's books all focus on the topic of doing more with less. Most of us don't really need 2000+ square feet to live our lives; what we really need are better designed spaces that truly accommodate our lifestyles and our belongings. I'm a strong proponent of this philosophy. The hardest part for me being in design school is the idea that new is always better. It's not! Reuse what you have. Not only is it the "green" option, but it's also the more affordable way to go. And if/when you design or shop for a home or remodel your current place, think about storage, storage, storage. This is what most homes lack, even (and especially) the gigantic ones. And this is where Sarah Susanka excels: she uses concepts from boat and RV design to work storage into every place in a home, in a stylish and functional way. It's so cool! Check out her website if you have a chance and get inspired to streamline your home :)

Happy New Year!
-amy

Fantastic book on time & life management

I just finished reading, "The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management," by Hyrum W. Smith and highly recommend it. A bit dated since it was written in 1993, but some great advice and techniques for getting your life in order and feeling, as the author puts it, "inner peace." I especially appreciated that he focused on getting your values and beliefs in order first, and then using your values to guide your goal setting, and your goals to dictate your daily activities. It's not just about being busier or more efficient or more productive, it's about spending your time doing those things that matter most to you. Only then will you feel fulfilled.

This book really struck a chord with me. I have always had many "to do" lists going at once and managed to get a lot of stuff done...but there were many times when this still didn't leave me with a true sense of accomplishment. I'm excited to embark on this new adventure and try out the Franklin system for scheduling and task lists, tied to my values and goals (it's named as a tribute to Benjamin Franklin, by the way - because he lived his life by governing values). A side note: the book was a bit "sales-y" at times, with pushes to purchase his products like the Franklin Day Planner, but it doesn't overwhelm or take away from the book's very valuable messages.

If you're looking for some motivation and a refreshing way to look at time and life management, I suggest you give this book a read.

Cheers,
-amy

P.S. In an earlier post I included a list of time management books that my friends and colleagues recommended, of which "The 10 Natural Laws" was one of them.

Time for better time management

Many of us feel pulled in many directions at once with our busy schedules, but I've always managed to stay pretty on top of things. Or so I thought! After missing my self-imposed deadline for reorganizing our kitchen, I had to rethink that perception. I do tend to miss deadlines at times, especially those I assign to myself. And I seem to excel at procrastination, especially of unsavory tasks... So, I've decided that it's time for better time management!

I'm looking forward to improving my skills in this area, which will benefit me and my future clients. As I started looking for resources, I turned to my "social network" for book recommendations. Turns out I have quite a few friends that are just as geeky as I am about organizing and self-improvement! :)

Here are the books I've now added to my reading list, which can all be found on Amazon:

• The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management by Hyrum W. Smith
• The Luck Factor by Brian Tracy
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Managing Your Goals by Alec MacKenzie (audio book)
• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

I'll share my thoughts on these books in future posts. In the meantime, do have any time management or productivity books you've found inspiring? Please share!

Thanks for reading,

-amy