At Organize 365, we achieved a lot in 2017. And we have some exciting things planned for the new year, too. In this week’s podcast episode, I focus on The Sunday Basket® – the concept, how it has evolved into what it is today, and where I see it going in 2018.
You have all been a part of this journey and you know that when it comes to organizing, I always tell you to “just take the next step” and that is exactly what I did when I was creating, developing, and launching The Sunday Basket®.
What is The Sunday Basket®
Put simply, it is my way of corralling to-do’s, returns, orders, and mail into one place (my basket) which I then go through once a week… on a Sunday.
It is the one thing that keeps me organized and productive, it saves my sanity, and it makes sure my bills are paid on time.
The feedback I have received about The Sunday Basket® has been amazing, so I know it works. But over time, I realized that what comes naturally for me doesn’t always work for others. I realized that while I had communicated the concept of the Sunday Basket® in so many different ways (eBook, blog, my podcast, guest on other podcast shows, TV appearances, etc), people understood the concept, but still weren’t implementing it.
I have had to rethink how I teach The Sunday Basket®… not just how to fill it, but also to understand what is in other people’s baskets and to work with them to help them empty their baskets, too.
There are three kinds of people when it comes to learning:
- Those that can listen, implement, and require no personal interaction
- Those that hear the instructions, and understand them, but need further personal guidance
- Those that want someone else to do it for them
Creating A System
As a test, I decided to host online Sunday Basket® Workshops and they were popular. Within 15 minutes of the first workshop, I realized that they weren’t going to be what I had expected. I thought I’d be teaching what the Sunday Basket® is. Instead, everybody already had a Sunday Basket®, but their baskets were full. I realized that people needed help with the organization of their baskets.
I realized that I needed to create a complete system to help people go through their Sunday Basket®. Over the course of 2017, I took the next step (and then the next step) and I created the training for Certified Sunday Basket® Workshop Organizers to help people feel comfortable with their own baskets.
Over this last year, Organize 365 has added more than 32 Certified Sunday Basket® Workshop Organizers to our team and 3 Workshop Content Creators (who I have to admit are my lifeline!). This has required training, boot camps, and creating and sourcing tools and resources for The Sunday Basket® Workshop Organizers and for you.
In the podcast, you will hear me talk about the products that I have created for The Sunday Basket®. I created the first five slash pockets (plastic dividers that you place in a binder with little colored tabs on them to identify the contents), which we now called Sunday Basket® 1.0. I worked with manufacturers and designers to have my own created because it was just impossible to purchase what I wanted in a regular store.
I’ve since had a pack of 20 slash pockets manufactured for Sunday Basket® 2.0. I’ve also created printables to show you what goes into each slash pocket.
I also wanted to create my own Sunday Basket®. That was really exciting, but overwhelming, too! I overcame the feeling of being overwhelmed by taking one step at a time. I had design issues with the basket, patent and trademark complications, shipment issues, and I ran out of storage space in my garage!
Now I have an office (which is more like a shipping department). So much has changed in a year!
Just like when you are organizing your home, or dealing with your Sunday Basket®, it would have been easy for me to quickly become overwhelmed with everything that had to be done.
I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know if I was throwing away my money or even if anyone would want to buy what I was creating. But one thing I did know was I needed to take the next step to make progress.
As a result, we now have new binders coming in January and new Sunday Baskets® arriving in March. And my brand new Sunday Basket® Podcast launches in just two days! So please go check it out and subscribe to help you get organized going into 2018.
The Sunday Basket® Club
One of my 2018 goals was to launch the Sunday Basket® Club and it’s now opening in January. You have to have gone through The Sunday Basket® 1.0 and The Sunday Basket® 2.0 beforehand though, so be sure to take the next step and complete those workshops.
The organization is a 100% learnable skill. It does not come from buying things. It comes from learning the steps, understanding the thought process, and the mindset necessary to become organized.
The Productive Home Solution
The Productive Home Solution starts on January 1, 2018.
Today is December 29, 2017. Take a look around you and imagine how you would like your house to be on December 29, 2018. If you just take the next step and don’t get hung up on the process, I can guarantee that with your lifetime membership, you will be able to complete The Productive Home Solution three times throughout the year.
Don’t wait for the perfect time. There is wiggle room in the program. Life has a habit of getting in the way so you are unlikely to complete your whole house in 100 days. Just manage your expectations and start. Your house will not be fully organized by April 12th… mine isn’t.
Remember, we are not aiming for perfection, just excellence.
It is not all about taking the first step, but taking the next step after that, stopping, and then taking the next step again.
