1 - Why A Basket And Why Sunday?

Why A Basket And Why Sunday?

I’m so happy launch my second podcast – The Sunday Basket® Podcast.

If you are brand new to my site, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Lisa Woodruff, a professional organizer and productivity expert. I have another podcast called Organize 365, and it’s been going strong for almost three years.

I decided to start a second podcast because, as a homeowner, you have two different and distinct things to organize – your home and your paper!

I LOVE to talk about paper organization. It’s one of my favorite topics. I could talk about paper organization all day long!

But I’m aware that not all of my listeners of the Organize 365 Podcast want to listen to me talk about paper organization… or at least not as much as I want to talk about it. And so, the birth of The Sunday Basket® Podcast!

The Sunday Basket® Podcast is an actionable podcast. I hope to inspire you to take action in order to get your household paperwork organized.

In my first podcast episode, and in this post, I’m going to explain to you what a Sunday Basket® is. Why a basket? Why Sunday? Let me explain...

Where The Sunday Basket® Idea Came From

Going back 15 years ago, when my kids were 2 and 3 years old, I was running a couple side businesses that equated to full-time jobs. I was a wife, mom, caretaker, homemaker, cook, laundress… sound familiar?

I had a lot of paper.

Plus, I had an addiction to these beautiful baskets made in Ohio called "Longaberger." You can already see where this is going!

One particular evening, I decided to tackle the 12-inch pile of paper on my kitchen counter. The paper stack was disorganized and there were a lot of actions for us to take within that stack of paper – including bills to pay, adoption paperwork, invoices to send out, orders to place, etc.

The first action that I took was to sort the paperwork into piles.

I had 40 different actionable kinds of piles.

I found I’d been paying bills late simply because I didn’t know where they were.

Being disorganized can be demoralizing and you start to question yourself. It can feel like your life is out of control. This is how I felt with my 40 piles of paper. I was overwhelmed, but I knew what I needed to do.

I created a plan to tackle each pile of paperwork one at a time.

Well, that was 15 years ago and that’s when I consider the Sunday Basket® System to have been created.

During the 15 past years of having a Sunday Basket®, I’ve gone from having just a few bits of paper in it, to having an overwhelming pile of paper. It ebbs and flows, but I always have one.

In essence, it was a basket that I sorted through on a Sunday. Sunday has always been the day of the week for me when I manage to get some time to myself and I have the most energy.

Your Paperwork Changes Throughout The Year

When people start having a Sunday Basket®, the same thing always happens.

Sometimes, their Sunday Basket® is overwhelming and full.

Sometimes, it’s down to a few pieces of paper and it seems as though you don’t need a Sunday Basket® anymore.

Do not be fooled! You always need to have one in my opinion. I find these things ebb and flow with the seasons.

On the Organize 365 Podcast, I often talk about how I divide my year into 3, and there is a different energy associated with each 3rd of the year.

Right now, it’s the beginning of 2018. I call this my "new year" – I set goals and work through my to-do list.

At the beginning of May, I switch to my "summer year" – it’s more laid back. I don’t get as much online work done, but I get more done around my house. I spend a lot of time with my family and I set parenting goals.

Then, from September to December, I have my "school year" – at this time I am at my most productive.

My Sunday Basket® becomes very full during the transitions between these three seasons.

What Is A Sunday Basket®?

The Sunday Basket® is a container that holds your actionable to-dos, your kitchen counter paperwork, and you go through it every single Sunday.

In the next 7 podcast episodes, I share with you exactly how you set up a Sunday Basket® and what you should be doing each time.

Action Steps: Get a basket (or box or bag) Pick a day (it doesn’t have to be Sunday)

My own Sunday Basket® will be released in February (very exciting… it’s going to be amazing). If you want that, please be patient.  In the meantime, grab the nearest bag or box that you have and use that!

In terms of sizes, try and make sure you basket is about the size of a big watermelon and about 9 inches tall so it could fit a binder or slash pockets (plastic binder inserts).

Your task for today is to find a basket, box, or bag to be your Sunday Basket® and decide on a day that you can do go through it every week.

Let Me Help You

I am a teacher by trade, a professional organizer, an Amazon no.1 bestseller, and I have taught thousands of women how to organize their homes online and in my local city of Cincinnati.

I am going to help you create a system in your household for organizing your paperwork so that it never has to be overwhelming again.

Get your Complete Sunday Basket with On Demand Workshop here!