O.C.D. Experience Blog

justin klosky

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2 May 2013

OCD Entertainment in a Digital World

We live in an increasingly digitized era. Tasks that used to be performed on paper are now done using smart devices such as your computer, iPad, or phone; no more are the days of filing cabinets filled with paperwork, or shoeboxes pilled high with family photos. Technological advancements have allowed us to unclutter our offices and homes, but how do we make sure that we aren’t just transferring the clutter to a different platform? Here are some tips on organizing your digital world.

One of the areas that people struggle with the most when it comes to digital organization is email. We all know the deal: Monday morning, open up your mailbox – a hundred, two hundred, sometimes three hundred emails cluttering up your path to productivity. This is a slippery slope, if you let it build, important emails might get lost amongst the junk! The trick is to work smarter and not longer. Take an hour or two to organize your email and follow these three easy steps:

1)            Unsubscribe to anything that you don’t read. We all have weekly emails that we think we’ll get around to and never do. Unsubscribe. Just click it.

2)            Create folders. Come up with categories such as: work, personal, bills, school. Then file past e-mails away. Your inbox should only be filled with current emails that you need to take care of or haven’t yet replied to. This will help you be more efficient in knowing what you’ve done and have yet to do as well as if you’re ever looking for something in the future.

3)            Don’t Use Your Inbox to Store Email. Your inbox should act as a tangible “mailbox”. Just like you grab your everyday mail from your mailbox and bring it inside your home or office, your digital box should function the same way. Read a message, deal with it and get it out of your inbox. The only reason it should sit there is if you are waiting for a response from someone or you just haven’t dealt with it yet.

Another area that can easily get cluttered is your documents folder. Word documents, excel sheets, and PDF’s can slowly increase to the point that you don’t know where anything is. Come up with a system to categorize them. Create a folder structure that is catered to you and your work and life. Typical folders would be Business, Creative, Family, Health, Insurance, Money & Taxes, Receipts, Resumes. You might create folders by semester and class if you are a student, by department for work, by project or deadline if you are working on several things at once. If you have monthly documents such as electronic bills, make separate folders for each company and make sure to date them with the month and year and keep them in your Money folder.

PICTURE folders can often benefit from organizing. When it comes to photos the best thing to do is CREATE FOLDERS in your main pictures folder and then break them own by category. Break the folders down by the EVENT and always make sure to add the year to the folder and the pictures. You can have a folder for all your FAMILY PHOTOS and then break these down by event as well. If you spend time travelling, create a TRAVEL folder and then create folders in your travel folder for your trips. For those of us with extensive photo collections, you might consider downloading Picassa which will allow you to photo tag names and locations to each photo, so that if you’re looking for a picture of you in a certain location with a certain friend you can type in that location and person’s name and find the photo instantly. You can also use the BATCH EDIT function to create custom names for a large group of photos.

MUSIC is everywhere these days! If you still have CD’s piled up all over your home, it is time to DIGITZE them and import the ones you want portable to your computer. Most digital music programs such as Windows Media Player and iTunes do a pretty good job of organizing your music for you, but some CD’s won’t be found in the database online. In cases like this make sure to label your music correctly to ensure proper organization. Think about sending all of your music to the CLOUD and use services like Google Play which will stream your music to you anywhere you have a data or internet connection. This will save you tons of space on your computer. If you decide to keep your music locally make sure that it is being backed up as you won’t want your entire music library to disappear one day!

In the process of uncluttering, make sure you delete files that you don’t need and back up those that you want to save. Once you’ve organized your computer, why don’t you take it a step further and implement your strategy on your other smart devices. Organize your text messages or contact list on your smart phone; manage your e-mails on your iPad. Better yet, sync all your devices together so that all the information on each of your platforms is accurate and up to date.

If these methods don’t work for you, come up with some that do! You can alphabetize, use colors, shapes, or pictures to create structure. However you choose to organize your digital space, make sure you come up with a comprehensive strategy and stick to it! Once you’ve set up a system, you want to file as you go, so don’t make things too complicated; your system should be easy to remember and simple to navigate; the idea is to simplify your life and save time!

If you have good tips on organizing your digital world, share them with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Photos by:
Pörrö / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Gary Simmons / Music Photos / CC BY-NC-SA
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25 Feb 2013

Living with a Roommate- Communicate

Living with a roommate can be great…most of the time! It means having an in home friend, someone to talk to and more importantly, someone to share the financial and tangible responsibilities with. Sometimes, regardless of your friendship, there are issues you can’t agree on – like cleanliness and organization structure. We know that there is nothing more frustrating than coming home to a messy & dirty apartment – that you didn’t mess up yourself. So here are some tips on how to keep your home clean and keep the peace with your roomie.

STEP 1- COMMUNICATE

Contribute to each other’s understanding. Communication with your roommate is the most important thing you can establish. From the beginning establish rules for your home and explain to them the things you need to function at your best. Help them to understand why keeping the apartment clean and organized is important to you and come up with a language that works between you. Nothing will ever be solved by breathy comments and passive aggressive behavior.

STEP 2- SET DUTIES TOGETHER

Once you have come to an understanding, come up with a list of duties together. List every chore that goes into keeping the apartment clean such as: vacuum rugs, clean kitchen floor, dust living room furniture, clean windows, wipe counters, take out the trash, empty dishwasher, etc. Once you’ve done that decide who will do what based off of who likes specific tasks. There are tasks that no one truly likes so alternate those tasks. Once your chores are assigned and agreed upon set them in your calendar so you are accountable for them.

STEP 3- ESTABLISH GROUND RULES

When you have come up with a schedule that works for the both of you and you have cleaned the apartment, set some ground rules. These rules should be little reminders like when you’re done cooking, clean the pots and pans so that the next person can use them and find them clean and in the cupboard the way you did; or when you’ve finished eating, don’t leave your plate on the dinning room table, or in the sink – put it in the dishwasher. Organize & Create Discipline establishes that once something is done being used it gets put back immediately. Don’t wait to do something later that you can do now.

Living with a roommate, let alone anyone, can be stressful and unnecessarily complicated if you aren’t communicating and following through with your promises. Take accountability for your space, team up with anyone living in your home and make it the most clean and efficient living space possible. You will feel better for it!

Let us know if these tips worked for you or if you have other ways of creating discipline by getting in touch with our Facebook page or tweet us at @JustinKloskyOCD and get involved with your ideas and thoughts!
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post
18 Feb 2013

Keeping Your Car Clean and Organized
We all have that friend whose car your afraid to step into. You know, that one girlfriend who keeps shoes, bras, dirty laundry, makeup, and all sorts of suspect useless items in her car; or one of the guys who has bags of fast food piled in the backseat so you can’t get a ride without coming out smelling like a cheeseburger and fries. Believe it or not, your car is one of the hardest spots to keep clean and sooner or later you might find yourself in this position! Here’s how you can battle your inner hoarder and keep your car clean and organized.

It’s easy to start keeping belongings in your car because it is an extension of yourself and your home, however remember that the main function of your car is to get you from point A to point B – and not for living in or housing your entire to-do list! That being said, because you don’t live in it, once you’ve made a mess, it’s easier to avoid it – especially if you’re used to taking short trips. So if your car is messy or dirty the first thing you need to do is empty it completely, clean it out and start fresh! Make sure to get rid of everything that isn’t absolutely essential to have on the road and replenish on things that you might have run out of.

We recommend that you always have the following necessities: a flashlight and first aid kit in case of emergency; a change of clothes with a $20 bill and an extra business card; baby wipes, tissues, mini deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash and similar toiletries; water and a sealed pack of crackers; an umbrella and a blanket. Also, organize any necessary documents in an easy to get to place; we recommend you keep a labeled envelope with your registration and insurance information in case of an accident or an encounter with the police.

So now, your car is clean, you have the bare necessities. How do you keep it that way? Simple. Follow these 3 steps:
- Don’t eat in your car. Eating leads to crumbs, smells, garbage, and the possibility of stains! If you’re on a long trip and you have to eat, keep a trash bag to contain the mess and make sure to throw it out as soon as your trip is over.
- Take everything out of your car every time you get out. Don’t leave clothes, shoes, paperwork or any items laying around your car unless they are part of your bare necessities!
- Wipe it down. Make a habit of cleaning out your interior every two to three weeks. Vacuum the inside out, baby wipe the dashboard, steering wheel, door handles, and any other spots that need cleaning.
Remind yourself that you need to be disciplined in order to maintain organization and efficiency. Mess in your life, whether it is in your car, your home or your office, bogs you down. And remember, it’s okay if these tips don’t work for you, find a system that does and work with it!

Let us know if this worked for you or if you have other ways of creating discipline by getting in touch with our Facebook page or tweet us at @JustinKloskyOCD and get involved with your ideas and thoughts!
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3 Feb 2013

Get Organized & Create Discipline for School!

Along with the New Year, comes the desire to do things differently – for some of us that may mean academically. School has been back in session for a week or two and if you want to get organized and create discipline in your scholarly affairs so you don’t fall behind, now is the time to do it, and this is how.

Remember that organization is the key to success! So the first thing you need to do to be well organized is USE A PLANNER. We recommend that you setup your phone, ipad, computer and then customize your settings so that your planner and calendar are tailored for you and your habits and schedule – different ways work for different people.Set the default view and make sure that the view allows you to comprehend the kind of week ahead in a glance. Personally, we like the weekly view default – these allow you to see everything that is due for the week at a glance and therefore plan when you are going to get things done accordingly. If you don’t want to buy a planner, well you are going to have some issues with managing your time and respecting others.

Once you have your planner, KEEP IT UP-TO-DATE. Get all of your syllabi from each class, look at the due dates for homework, tests and projects and add them in as appointments. Don’t forget to set adequate reminders, not 1 hour before important assignments are due but weeks before! Don’t limit yourself to classes; write down meetings, gym time, events and all other time commitments. Don’t be afraid to get creative – use different colors for different classes. Do whatever you need to in order to come up with a system that allows you to look at your planner quickly and with one glance know exactly what needs to be done. Conformity is key and discipline is necessary.

SCHEDULE your weeks ahead of time. Choose a day to look at your schedule for the following week – usually a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Look at your assignments for that week, think of how long it will take you to complete them and dedicate a day and time in your planner to getting it done. So for example if on Friday you look at your planner for next week and see that you I have two chapters of reading due Wednesday; you must make an estimate on how many hours your reading will take you, and schedule at least that amount of time to complete it on Monday or early Tuesday. Planning by adding them to your SCHEDULE makes it a lot harder to ignore or forget about!

Once you’ve set up your weeks, make sure to stay disciplined and don’t procrastinate. There is no point in taking the time to organize and plan if when the time comes to do your work you just put it off until later. Of course if something valid comes up, you can push the appointment– but the idea is to get into the habit of doing things when you plan to do them. This way, you will know exactly what’s due, when it’s due and when you’re going to do it – which will keep you from falling behind! And once you’ve completed something, don’t forget to cross it off!

You may try this system and realize that it doesn’t work for you – and that’s okay! The idea is to come up with a structure that will help you be disciplined and stay organized in order to help you succeed! Let us know if this worked for you or if you have other methods of staying organized for school on our Facebook page or tweet us at @JustinKloskyOCD and get involved with your ideas and thoughts!

Remember Organize & Create Discipline!
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14 Jan 2013

Is Your Home Office Ergonomic? Six Solutions to Ensure Your Comfort

In a home office, you’re free to choose your own equipment, but for most home-based businesses there’s no calling in sick. You may even have useless organization you don’t even know about. Here are six ways to be O.C.D about your office space to avoid the repetitive stress injuries that result from poor office lay-outs.

1. Sweet Swivel Chair

Before everyone became his own administrative assistant, swivel chairs were called “secretary’s chairs.” Secretary or not, every office worker needs a well-designed chair that supports the back.

Adjustable lumbar support is a crucial feature. It should fit the small of the back. The seat width should fully accommodate the hips. A swivel chair will keep you from twisting your spine every time you retrieve a document from a side drawer. Swivel chairs also ease access to and from the work station.

When shopping for swivel chairs, make sure the chair fits you comfortably. When you sit down, with your butt all the way back on the chair, the seat’s edge should be two fingers’ width from the back of your knees. The seat should be deep enough to support your thighs, but not so deep to cut off circulation where the knee bends.

The height of swivel chairs should be adjustable. The goal is a 90-degree knee angle, when your feet are on the floor. This ensures even weight distribution.

2. Break It Up

No matter how important or fascinating your work may be, break away from it regularly. UCLA Ergonomics recommends a one-minute time-out every 20-30 minutes. Stretch your arms, back, legs. Swivel your head. Focus on distant objects. And every few hours, get up and move around. You’ll prevent stiff muscles, ensure proper blood flow, minimize eye fatigue — and clear your head for your next fascinating work idea. If you need something to get your mind focused on something else, watch some funny videos to help your day go by faster and be more enjoyable.

3. Adjust Your View

Once you have the right chair, at the right height, can you see the computer monitor comfortably? To achieve position neutral, the screen should be directly ahead of you. The top should be level with your (seated) line of sight, to avoid an upward or downward neck tilt. This may mean elevating the screen, especially if you’re using a laptop.

Your ergonomic chair will do you little good if you’re hunching forward to make out the letters on the screen. Adjust font and contrast settings so you can read comfortably, while sitting all the way back on the chair, with your spine fully supported.

4. The Key to an Ergonomic Keyboard

If you’re working off a laptop, hook it up to a full-sized keyboard. The narrow configuration of most laptop keyboards strains the wrists.

As you type, aim for a 90 degree angle between forearm and upper arm. Adjust the height of the keyboard accordingly. To avoid carpal tunnel syndrome, keep your wrists straight and floating above the keyboard. If you need a wrist-rest, use it only when pausing in your typing.

5. Dock Your Documents

You have the spine-supporting swivel chair, the monitor at eye level and the keyboard at elbow height. And then you ruin it all by twisting neck and shoulders to eyeball the document over there on the left. If you’re constantly referring to printed reference material find a way to keep it in view without adjusting your posture or purchase a digital document holder. Scan all of your documents and file them accordingly. Use an online server to keep all of your documents safe from the inevitable coffee spill, accidental trash can or any other possible disaster that can happen from keeping paper documents. This also keeps your desk paper free.

6. Phone Etiquette

Whether you have a desk phone or rely on a cell phone for voice communications be sure to use a headset for long conversations. A neck crick is guaranteed if you cradle the phone between ear and shoulder. Mind your office manners by keeping your phone on vibrate so it doesn’t disrupt everything going on around you with every email and text you receive.
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