Harmony At Last, LLC

Alphabet Soup Part 1… I achieved my Certified Professional Organizer® (CPO®) designation in January 2008 from the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO^SM). This required me to have completed over 1,500 hours of paid work experience and pass a written exam. I was excited to be one of the first to receive certification in the organizing field.

Alphabet Soup Part 2… In April 2008, I achieved my Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization® (CPO-CD®) through the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). This achievement culminated 80 hours of specialized study, training, and directed coaching in addition to passing a peer review board over an 18 month period of time.

Right about now you may be asking… so what?!?!?

I am now one of less than 10 individuals in the United States to have achieved both certifications (and I’m the only one in the state of Vermont). More importantly to my clients, though, is my continued desired to learn and develop myself professionally. I’m passionate about helping people say goodbye to chaos and hello to calm in their work, home, and life. Continuing to develop my skills adds value to my clients every day as I can share new learning and ways to approach challenges.

My clients are my inspiration and I’m thankful for each of you in allowing me to support you on your journey. Thanks!

Julie Cubino was recently featured in a Lowe’s For Pros article by Dennis McCafferty entitle “For the Record, Yes, You Should Consider Hiring a Professional Bookkeeper.”

Check it out to get tips on when to hire a bookkeeper and how to utilize them effectively!

I had the pleasure of attending the 2008 National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Conference in early April. One of the highlights of this conference was being able to participate in Peter Walsh’s “Visionaries for Change” workshop.

In this presentation, Peter spent some time discussing consumerism in our society. There is one point in particular that I want to share with you. He said, “People buy products but invest in the promises.”

What does that statement mean to you?

Whether you are purchasing a pair of jeans, new kitchen cookware, or the latest technology gadget, you are buying more than just the product. As a society, myself included, we are so captured by the marketing messages that go with the product. (It makes sense that the marketing works too. Companies spend a lot of money to hire intelligent marketing people to craft the message that is going to entice us to actually buy the product.)

We believe that the jeans we buy will make our butt look better, the cookware will allow our family to eat meals in harmony like the Cleaver family in the show “Leave It to Beaver”, and that the technology gadget will allow us to accomplish 15hours of work in half the time. We invest in the promises of the products.

What happens when we buy too much? We bring more stuff into our lives than we can utilize, our homes become overfilled, and we cease to have space to breathe, think, or be. As Peter Walsh went on to say in his presentation, “Our homes are filled with products and littered with promises.”

Take a close look at how you are spending your money. What promises have you invested in? Is it at a manageable level or has it become excessive? Are you ready to recognize the marketing influence on your purchasing decisions and release yourself from the need to buy when you don’t really need the particular item?

Picture the ideal balance for yourself as a boat smoothly sailing in the water. The breeze is comfortable, the boat is steady, you are making meaningful progress, and enjoying each moment of the day. The term “smooth sailing” really fits when the balance is ideal. Now think of that same boat sailing in a storm. It’s teetering in every direction and taking on water. You are focused on keeping the boat from capsizing. The term “rough waters” now applies—your overbooked, overwhelmed, overtired, and you are certainly not in harmony with each moment. Complaining about this situation is not enough! When you sense that you are in the “rough waters” place, take a step back to assess what needs to be changed and then actually make these changes.

“Fuzzy goals, fuzzy results.”- Julie Cubino

I really like this quote because too often we meander about, not sure of what we really want and yet somehow we seem surprised when we get random results.

To really achieve your goals, you need to know what you want. Some questions that can help you to refine your vision are:

* What do you want?

* Why do you want it? (ie What’s motivating you?)

* How important is it to you to achieve it?

* What actions are you willing to take to achieve it?

Planning a move? I just discovered one of the most comprehensive moving checklists ever. Its on the U-Pack Moving site. Check it out!