It’s my 13th ‘blogiversary!’ Lucky number 13!

And on top of that, this summer I celebrated twenty years in business. I’m not sure which milestone is more mind-blowing???

I started this blog the day I dropped my son off at his first day of preschool. Other parents may have driven to work, headed to a supermarket or the gym after drop-off but I hightailed it back to my home office so I could write my first Organized Artistry blog post. When I started my business in 2002, I was writing helpful organizing articles and posting them on my website. A few years in, I discovered the Blogger platform and started blogging my organizing tips and ideas there. Shortly afterward, I went through a total logo/website redesign and merged my Blogger blog with my new WordPress website.

Since writing my first anniversary post, I’ve set goals for my blog and last year was no different.

In 2021-22 I decided that I would set out to…

• Create a round-up blog post
• Create downloadable printables in Canva for my most popular blog posts
• Invite guest bloggers to share their posts

Of the three goals, I only accomplished one this past year. I did not invite any guest bloggers, and I didn’t coordinate a round-up blog post but I did create those printables! As a former graphic designer, I guess of the three goals, this was the one I would have had the most fun executing.

My Tales of a Town-Wide Garage Sale post was blowing up on Pinterest (and continues to do so) so I decided to create a free download/printable to go with it. It’s called, 5 Tips for a Successful Garage Sale and can be found at the end of the post. After creating and uploading the garage sale printable, I gave myself a pat on the back for reaching one of my goals and created a few more downloadable printables for some of my other popular blog posts.

Inviting guest bloggers and curating a round-up post are two ideas that may still happen in my blog’s future. I’m not taking them off the table yet. But for now, I’m having fun designing those downloadable printables…

In earlier anniversary posts, I’ve stated that my goal was to blog 1x a month. It’s not such a far-fetched concept considering in the past I used to blog 2x a month, But, for now and the not-so-distant future, I have given up on the idea of trying to blog 1x a month. It hasn’t happened the past few years and I often remind myself that it’s OK. I have an ongoing list of blog post ideas but lately, not an ongoing amount of time or brain-power. Instead, I’ve been slowly going back to older blog posts, updating the content, and adding a Canva graphic to make them ‘pinnable’ and visually appealing to post and share.

This year, for 2022-23 my blog goals are:

• Create a second Ted Talk blog post
• Continue to create downloadable printables for my popular blog posts
• Only have two goals for my blog this year.

The idea of the second Ted Talk blog post comes from my 2020-2021 goal list.

At a time when Ted Talks were gaining mainstream popularity, I decided to write a blog post featuring organizing-related TedTalks I thought people would find inspiring. Well, it seems that they did find them inspiring because it’s one of my most popular blog posts!

In early 2022, I revisited my goal from 2020-2021 and went looking for more organizing-related Ted Talks. For a variety of reasons, I just didn’t find what I was looking for. My 2022-2023 goal is to identify three to four Ted Talks that focus on organizing and write that second Ted Talk blog post. Could lightning strike twice? Are readers of my blog looking for more organizing-inspired Ted Talks? You’ll have to wait until 2023 to find out!

The child I took to preschool the day I started this blog has just started going on college tours. That, plus work, family life, and anything else I can fit in a day will make for a very busy year ahead. But, my blog goals are set for the year. In order to accomplish my goals, I’m going to give myself the same advice I’d give one of my clients: Take out your calendar and make an appointment with yourself to take the steps necessary to reach your goals!

Want to stay current and connected to Organized Artistry? Follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Goodreads!

Happy blogging anniversary to me! As of this October, I have been blogging for ten years.

I. Can’t. Believe. It.

Even though I’ve been a Professional Organizer for seventeen years (which I find astounding) it’s equally as astounding to me that I have been blogging about organizing for a decade. That’s a loooong time.

In the past, I have started off these Blogging Anniversary Posts with a few lines on how I started blogging. The short story is that I took a blogging workshop at the NAPO Conference in 2009 and started my blog a few months later after dropping my then three year old off at preschool. That kid is now thirteen.

A few days ago, he walked into my home office as I was writing this post. He asked me what I was doing so I told him what I was writing about and how I started the Organized Artistry blog. He laughed when I said that I waited until he was in preschool to compose my first blog post in silence!

Besides talking out ‘how it all began,’ I use this post to hold myself accountable for the goals I set for myself and my blog. This year, it was challenging to keep up with my blog. I had some major family obligations to put my energy towards and I had made the decision to start a YouTube channel. The learning curve that came along with it ate up much of the time and brain power I often allotted to blogging.

My 2018-2019 goals were to blog 1x a month, use the blog template I created for myself, and add Canva generated/Pinterest worthy images to blog posts. How did I do?

Goals for 2018-2019

Blog 1x a Month
OK, I dropped the ball on this one.  Family obligations kept me from blogging this summer. Family first! My goal was to get back to blogging this Fall (and here I am blogging!).  Also, in the beginning of 2019, I was putting most of my writing abilities into scripting my YouTube videos and had little left ‘in the tank’ for blogging. I did though, use the blog template. It focused me and saved me hours of ‘thinking time’ when I had a rare moment to turn my ideas into a blog post.

Keep Using Canva to Update Images on Already Existing Blog Posts
Did it! And I’m continuing to do it. I created a list of blog posts that need a Canva generated/Pinterest worthy image and every few weeks I design one and upload it. This has allowed and will continue to allow me to generate traffic to my website via Pinterest.

Goals for 2019-2020

Blog 1x a month
I created a YouTube video script template for myself (much like my blogging template) and the writing of my video scripts are now more streamlined, leaving me more brain power for blogging. I’ll continue to use the blog post template I created for myself last year–it enables me to concentrate on the task and saves me time. Besides composing a monthly newsletter, I’m going to try my best to make sure I compose a monthly blog post.

Tweak and Update Existing Posts
When you’ve been blogging for ten years–that’s a whole lotta content to keep track of! Not all of it is as up to date and evergreen as I’d like. So, I’ll be going back in to those posts to create Canva generated/Pinterest worthy images, update the text, check links, and delete any that no longer serve my readers.

Consider a Pin Scheduler such as Tailwind.
Using Tailwind is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. My blog gets a ton of traffic from Pinterest. There are only so many hours in a day for me to be pinning to my boards. Believe me, if I could spend a few hours a day pinning, I’d be a happy girl but I have clients to organize and dinner to cook! I’ll be putting more thought into using Tailwind this year.

Create New and Relevant Content
Even after ten years of blogging, there are still a ton of topics that haven’t been written about! I keep a running list in Evernote (one of my favorite productivity apps) of organizing topics I’d like to blog about. I’ll be consulting that list as I jump back into blogging.

And guess what happened this past year?

Look on the right side of this blog page under the ‘Categories’ list. In January, I became a Superstar Blogger of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for taking part in 25+ Blog Carnivals!  Big shout-out to Janet Barclay of Your Organizing Business who created the the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival as well as a space for us ‘Blogging Organizers’ on Facebook. 🙂

Ten years of blogging. Still. Can’t. Believe. It.

Happy 10th blogging anniversary to me!

This is my first official blog post on WordPress. I think it took me longer to format it than to write it! I’m getting used to living in my new WordPress home but I’m still bumping into walls and I haven’t unpacked all the boxes yet…

It’s been a while since I’ve written for my blog. I’ve been a little busy moving my business forward in some exciting ways.

1) My new logo. Since you’re reading this you’ve probably already seen my new logo designed by the talented Kate McMillan of Outbox Online Design. Look up–it’s at the top of the page. I just love that squiggle…

2) My new business cards. If you have a new logo, you have to have new business cards!

3) My first promotional item. Shortly after my logo was designed, I was asked to sit on a panel made up of women who had started their own business. I was going to have a table and answer participants’ questions about being in and starting their own business. I felt like I needed some kind of product as a giveaway but in twelve years of business, I had never created one! I thought about what people would use most and thought the pen was a perfect first promotional item

Here’s my Organized Artistry pen!

4) My new website. Also designed by Kate McMillan of Outbox Online Design. My old website was first designed in 2002 and boy did it need a makeover! Now it is a beautiful and modern showcase of my writing and how I help people get and stay organized. I’m thrilled that my blog is now part of the site.

Speaking of writing, this is BIG news…

5) My book. Long story short, I’ve been writing this book on and off since 2002. The manuscript went in and out of the file cabinet many times over almost a decade until I decided one day, ‘Publish or Bust.’ Here is a sneak peek of the cover, designed by the talented Peri Poloni-Gabriel of Knockout Design (she’ll be designing the interior, too). I love it–and no, I didn’t ask the designer to make the background purple to match my website–total coincidence…

Coming Summer 2014 in e-book and paperback:

The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook: Let Systems and 101 Modern Sample Thank You Notes Take You From Overwhelmed to Organized

If you know anyone who just got engaged or is about to walk down the aisle, please ‘Pin’ or share this photo with them!

It has been a VERY busy 2013-14 for Organized Artistry. I’ve met many of the goals I set for my business–still a few more to go. Nothing happened overnight. Each step took time and sometimes the steps took a few wrong turns. But, I am grateful for the journey and all the people who have helped me get this far.

It doesn’t seem that long ago that I dropped my three year old off at preschool, came back to my office and wrote my first blog post. I had so many ideas swirling around in my head–I couldn’t wait to start blogging!

That three year old is now in second grade and it’s the fourth anniversary of my blog! The four years have flown by quickly. I can’t believe I’ve written close to two hundred posts in that time.

In reviewing my posts, I saw that the most popular post I’ve written over the past four years is Best Products for Organizing Your Car. I’m thinking of writing a Part 2. Or maybe a series of posts titled, ‘Best Products for Organizing Your ________.’ Gotta go with what works!

I’m always thinking about what I’ll write next. Sometimes it will be about something I’ve seen, learned or experienced. Sometimes I’ll write about a product or helpful resource. What I do try to keep in mind as I write is that a blog post should do at least one of five things for their readers:

• Educate
• Entertain
• Inform
• Inspire
• Empower

I keep this list handy when I’m gathering ideas for my blog. I write for my own enjoyment and to keep up my skills as a writer but for the most part, I write for YOU–my reader. I hope over the past four years of blogging I have educated, entertained, informed, inspired and empowered you to lead a more organized life.

I also have exciting news! All being well and good, this time next year, my blog will be part of a WordPress website–no more separate blog. I am in the process of hiring a designer to merge my existing website and blog into one WordPress site. I can’t wait–my website has needed a makeover for a while and there are things about my blog I’d love to change (larger writing and photo area, different fonts/colors). I’ll be keeping you posted throughout the process and I look forward to celebrating my fifth anniversary with you and my new, improved WordPress site.

Another exciting development–my book. Although I’ve said in past anniversary posts that I would post updates about the book I was writing, I’ve been pretty quiet. I promise to blog about it more often in the future. I completed the manuscript at the end of 2012 and hired a book coach this summer to help me navigate the sometimes bumpy road to self-publishing. One of the many details she helped me with was a title. The working title is: The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook: Let Systems and 101 Modern Sample Thank You Notes Take You From Overwhelmed to Organized. The peer review stage is almost complete and the manuscript will be reviewed by an editor by the end of the year.

With all of these exciting projects come extra work. And extra work means sometimes I don’t have ample time to write a blog post (kids home on school vacations take away from writing time, too). So, I have been hosting guest bloggers to bring you new ideas and fresh perspectives when I am unable to fill that space. I hope you have learned from them–I know I’ve picked up a few great organizing ideas from my guest bloggers, too.

Image from beedivinedesigns.com

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my posts. Your support, kind comments and words of encouragement motivate me to keep writing and bringing you the best of the world of organizing. Onward to year five of blogging!

Back in April, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the annual conference for the National Association of Professional Organizers in Orlando, Florida. I was especially excited to attend because I was signed up for workshops in Social Media and Blogging. I learned so much and came away with a ton of new and fresh ideas–I couldn’t wait to start expanding my online presence!