A friend sent me the following ‘quiz’ with the warning that it was harder than it looks. And throughout there were warnings that it was hard. After you take the quiz’ read on below……..

The Eye Test
Can you find the B?
(There are 2 B’s)
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Once you’ve found the B

Find the 6

9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999699999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999
9999999999999999999999999999999999

Find the N (it’s hard!!)

MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMNMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMM

First of all when I saw the message it was hard I thought I won’t set myself up to think it is hard. The first thing I did was to tell myself it would be easy, I could do it. Then as I looked at each sequence I looked for what was different, or out of place. IE: to find the N I looked for it by searching for the line that was missing which made it different from the M. To find the 6 I looked ‘underneath’ the 9’s because the 6 would be round at the bottom whereas the 9 is round at the top.

As I organize a home or an office I look at the room or filing system and I look for what is out of place and then ask where does it need to be? Everything has a home and the it needs to live in its home. This cuts down on clutter and disorganization. Just as in the ‘quiz’ above we can make it hard or we can tell ourselves it is easy and approach our challenge from this vantage point. I found the ‘quiz’ fun and easy and by following this little tip organizing can be fun and easy too

I was coming home from a trip and in the airport and I saw someone who has been a friend for over 20 years but I haven’t seen her for about five years. (She got mad at me a few years ago because I decorated her cubicle at work when she turned 40 and she fancied herself as not getting older). So she cooled our friendship.

Anyway, Marilyn and I (yes we have the same first name and only one letter different in our last names) sat down together and had the nicest chat while I waited for my luggage to arrive. We arranged to get together for breakfast with another friend to catch up with each other’s lives.

I was excited about this until my very good friend Edna called and asked if we were still on for Monday, (the day I am meeting with the other Marilyn). I said what? What is this about Monday? Evidently we had arranged to get together for our annual Christmas get together on that day and I hadn’t written it in my day planner.

Have you ever done this? Double booked important things. I don’t do it very often but when I do Oh how I hate it. A few tips on how to avoid this. 1) Use a day planner—which I do, 2) then write every appointment in it—not on a scrap of paper thinking later you will put it in your calendar or planner—which I didn’t this time. 3) Look at your planner/calendar every evening to review the events of the following day. At the very least review the day each morning.

It all turned out just fine. I had brunch with my friend I had originally scheduled with and explained to Marilyn we would need to plan a different day. She was totally fine with this.

Oh, one last thing, if you have double booked don’t lie to the person or people you have to notify that you have double booked and will have to change the appointment you made with them. It usually comes back to bite you.

I have a friend with the sign Simplify above her kitchen sink. Another friend said she has signs all over her home that say Simplify. Her husband asked her, “What does Simplify mean to you?” We all laughed about that and the sign that used to say “Simplify, Simplify” with the second one crossed off.

As a professional home and office organizer I got to thinking what does Simplify mean to me? Does it mean only having as much food in the house as we eat in a week, does it mean only having only so many cleaning products on hand, does it mean only so many clothes, so many decorations for holidays or for the home? You get the idea.

No, that is not what it means to me. To me it is having a place for everything and everything living neatly in its place. Or having the right tool for the project we are working on and being able to access that readily. What got me to thinking about this is I had to reach up on a closet shelf and I got my stool to stand on. Later I needed to check an ingredient in the cupboard and I got my stool.

I am 5’3” and can’t reach very many high places without dragging up a chair or ‘stretching my gizzard’ as my mother used to say. (I know we don’t have gizzards). And grumping and growling on some days. I finally bought a small, very portable, sturdy stool to climb on, and then I got the bright idea of having one upstairs and one downstairs. I have to tell you it has made my life so much easier. To me that is what Simplify means.