If you find yourself in this role as Executor of an estate, I want to make sure to support you best during this time by providing a little food for thought. How do you want this time to look? It’s not easy losing a loved one and hopefully this episode provides emotional support in the form of considering your mindset during this time. And we found it is best practice to have ONE executor! Emily and I were both executors but needed to be present for every singing of all the papers and Emily bowed out. She said you do it, I trust you! It’s so much easier with ONE executor!! Here are the things we did to save time, money, and spare our relationships.

Protect Your Relationships

We had about a 9 month heads up that my dad was terminally ill. I lived 3 ½ hours South of my dad but I made a conscious decision that while my dad was alive I would prioritize taking care of him. My sister would call and I would get in the car and head North. On those long drives I would think about the memories I wanted to create with my dad, the moments I wanted to share still, and burning questions I wanted to ask. This would be the time to finish up that Financial Binder if it wasn’t completed. This way you know you are honoring their final wishes. But really? Complete it before this highly emotional time so you and/or your loved ones can focus on cherishing the final days. My Aunts and Uncles were so good to counsel us during this time in respect to what to expect in settling an estate and planning a funeral.

I also considered people I would be interacting with communicating things about dad’s health, his passing, and the funeral details. Out of respect, even though they were divorced, we communicated his passing with our mom first and loved ones from there. It is also ok during this time to set boundaries. I went through some scenarios to think through. How will you interact with your less than favorite relative respectfully? Keep harmony in mind.

Processing Loss

Based on my experience, it seems to be a female doing the bulk of the executor role. Her husband may be the actual Executor but in her supportive role she does most of the tasks. And so how do you, as a female, household manager, and maybe a parent, take time to process the passing of your loved one?You may need to cry it out in the shower. Maybe it becomes “long shower season.” I grieved my loss leading up to and weeks after his passing at my dad’s house. I found when I was home my family needed me. But when I got up to Akron that was a place I had time to grieve. But I encourage you to be selfish and take the time you need to process this loss.

How to Process the “Stuff”

I have this indulgent thing I do. I lay in bed half awake, half “asleep” and I think. Normally I rearrange my calendar and think through any projects. During this time I thought about my dad, my relationships, and all the stuff in his home. It was all going to be Emily and I’s. I didn’t want all of it but room by room I envisioned what I might want.

Then, I developed this elimination process for Emily and I. She didn’t have the bandwidth to sort through each room. I wanted to support her in this time and get the house content processed so we could move forward with selling his home. Each day, I’d tackle one room and set out all the items. We’d go through and claim the things we wanted. The rest would be offered to family and then to donations. This can be an emotionally charged tough season. Give yourself grace, keep harmony in mind, and for the love…finish your financial binders people!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• The Sunday Basket®

• Financial Binder

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

In this episode, I introduce you to Eve M who lives in Western Ireland with her rescue cat. Eve was first introduced to Organize 365® through listening to another podcast that was interviewing me about ADHD and Organize 365® solutions. Eve became obsessed about this idea of the slash pockets and organizing. She listened to the Sunday Basket® episodes repeatedly. She has a podcast too called Feel Better Everyday that she hosts, author of the book 365 Ways to Feel Better, owns her therapy practice, and is a freelance journalist.

We rabbit trailed about having a podcast. Eve has noticed with organization she’s gained mental capacity to batch record her podcast content. And we joked how funny it is that once you notice you’ve gained capacity you continue to push it to see how much more you can accomplish with such things as batch recording. We also talked about growing business. Once you see you have room for growth, that is a great time to get a VA. Eve has gotten a VA and is surprised by how much more she can do because she’s not focusing on the admin tasks or harvesting content from work she’s already completed. There is less on her plate due to delaying some things according to the Sunday Basket® practice, but it’s all getting done within time constraints. It’s like her safety net to not have things fall through the cracks. And knowing all of the work that needs to be done helps her ensure that she has work for her VA too.

Then we had a really fun conversation about deep dive work. I love my Thursdays when I get immersed in school studies. It allows me time to do productive deep thinking. When we get rid of some of the noise like admin tasks, meetings, delaying things till Sunday, and other distractions, we can really focus and get creative. Eve explained that this is also time to capture all of her pink thoughts. And described deep dive immersive time as being luxurious. It allows us to nourish our unique purpose and grow in it.

She wishes she’d known to build in time for rest. I explained what fun means to me, travel!! But Eve shared her she’s been resting, taking back up scuba diving, and scheduling fun. She said she spent so much time trying to catch up, she has so many ideas though, she has realized she never will “catch up” so she’s resting and having fun instead.

Eve’s advice is, “Keep checking in with yourself. Know that you know yourself best, you know your business best, you know your home best. Trust yourself and just keep asking yourself ‘What would be a kind thing for me to do for myself right now?’”

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• The Sunday Basket®

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

As we are having these necessary conversations on how to be prepared for unexpected medical events or natural disasters, I saw a friend of mine Sarah Hart Unger had one of her own. I asked her to come on the podcast so we could talk about what happened, how she handled it, what she learned from it, and how she may improve her preparedness.

I’m Healthy

Sarah shared how she was so excited to get back into running marathons. There she was in Miami in about mile 11 of her half marathon when all the sudden she heard her body say something wasn’t right. She bunked (marathon runner speak for running out of steam) and she was surprised and disappointed, why was this happening? Her friend took her to the medical tent and they told her all was well. She was so confused because she was a runner and she considered herself a very healthy person. Five steps into leaving the tent something told her no, and to go back. Moments later she was on her way to the hospital. She was pleading with them to just let her get to the hospital to be put under so they could shock her heart there, not that moment in the ambulance! Sarah has been diagnosed with a rare condition called Arrhythmic Cardio Myopathy.

What Systems were in place?

Thankfully Sarah was near where her in-laws live so they could support Sarah during her hospital stay and gave comfort to her daughters that someone was there comforting their mom. Sarah appreciated the medical team that took care of her, she felt heard, that they were honest with her, and was thankful for the way they cared for her. She wrote questions down because sometimes there wasn’t anyone to ask if it was like 2am. And she had realistic expectations of how long it may take to get a diagnosis.

She got images in hand for additional specialists she wanted to see for second opinions. She advises to always ask for the images and reports. I feel like digital records help us to be productive and physical records help us to look, analyze, and see patterns. We’re all under this false pretense that our records are digital. And they may be, but, do you want your doctor visit to consist of tracking results down or do you want it to be focused on the course of action for treatment? Remember the mini medical binder is available for free right now. If you even show up with that you are ahead of other people. You can just start putting the medical papers in a pile and bring them. Sarah is a Pediatric Endocrinologist and says that she’d rather have people show up with results and reports messy than not at all.

How to better prepare?

Sarah wishes she had her old labs and EKG’s for comparison sake. I remember being able to show my doctor my cholesterol history and I avoided being put on medicine. I showed that for years my normal is in the “yellow” zone. Sarah also wishes she would have headed the advice to get another EKG years ago but life got busy and she forgot. Sarah stressed that we have to take care of ourselves just like we do our children. She accredits their amazing nanny for being able to step in and fill in the gaps. However, because they always plan their week out and share it with the nanny, they nanny knew how to fill out the schedule for the family. Sarah suggested a family member maybe come observe a couple days at your house to see the day to day unfold and be aware of what they may need to do in your absence. It’s ok if the ship sinks a little like if someone has to miss soccer, that’s ok. Sarah warned “Don’t ever assume ‘I’m healthy, nothing can happen to me.”

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Mini Medical Binder

• Sunday Basket®

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media.

In this episode, I introduce you to Amy L. who is married with a son, daughter, a dog and some chickens. At the time she found Organize 365® she and her husband were working full time and raising cattle. Amy was lured to Organize 365® by the cozy pictures people were posting with a drink and their Sunday Baskets® on Instagram. I had forgotten all about that!! She had to check out what all the fuss was about. Organize 365® became the first podcast she intentionally listened to to learn about organization. Amy was in the middle of a remodel and had hit her tipping point. Paper had always been the bain of her existence but now she couldn’t locate important papers and she felt out of control and irresponsible.

So Amy is in the middle of remodeling her house and her husband planning to start a business, when she gets a call from her brother saying “Something's up with dad.” Turns out something had been up with dad for a while but her brother had been trying to handle it. I don’t talk about it much but it was very relatable to me when Amy shared that her dad had late-onset of bipolar and he was acting manic. Amy was smart enough to get her name on her dad’s bank accounts and she became power of attorney but needed someone to diagnose him incapacitated. Amy was burned out. She explained her life as unmanageable at that time.

Amy decided to quit her job in June of 2024. Her family needed her, especially her daughter with ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, and her son with autism and ADHD. She talked to her husband and they agreed to sell off their cattle. Amy’s dad ended up passing away in August of 2024 followed by her having a heart attack in November. She called for an ambulance after making arrangements for her kids and informing her husband. She kept saying she was under so much stress she felt like she was going to “stroke out.” She had a spontaneous coronary aortic dissection. We had quite a long conversation about that day and the day I drove an employee to the hospital who was having a heart attack. She accredits the Sunday Basket® for saving her butt because her short term memory had been affected by the heart attack.

And that brought us into a very real conversation about your attitude in your 40’s and 50’s. We aren’t trying to be crass and we love our families. But in your 40’s you stop caring about what others think and in your 50’s you save what energy you have for important things or yourself, blame it on the hormones or lack thereof. I gave the example of when Grayson has an allergic reaction, I don’t need to be at the hospital. I can simply get updates from his mom. I know I am supporting her and if she needs me I’ll be there but if not, I’ll stay and get homework done in the office.

Amy expressed gratitude for the grace I suggest women should give themselves with getting functionally organized not Pinterest organized. She loves that a person can get organized but it doesn’t have to look perfect in the end. Amy loved that it wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t cluttered anymore either during her renovation. She’d had the Sunday Basket® and listened to the podcast for 18 months before she put it all into action. She’d been gaining knowledge and learning how to give herself grace to get started and not need it to be perfect. She feels like the episodes are so relatable. And I added yes, you all are my friends and I want it to feel like we are just girlfriends talking. It’s nice to know that’s exactly how Amy hears it.

Amy’s advice is, “Start small, start somewhere, and listen to the podcast”

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• The Sunday Basket®

• The Paper Solution®

• The Productive Home Solution®

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.

Take Shelter! As I record this coffee chat, our office is under a tornado watch! How timely? If anyone in our community finds themselves dealing with a natural disaster or unexpected event, I have created a space for us to come together and give or get support! The community was able to help victims of Hurricane Helene and now I want for all of us to be able to help or get help in those circumstances. But not all hard seasons of life are because of a natural disaster. So I am calling this a relief group. I want you to be able to raise your hand and be vulnerable to say “I need some help!” It’s the Organize 365® Relief Group.

I also know the value of having medical information accessible on paper in the event you need to evacuate quickly or go take care of a loved one. In episode 651 - Productive Disaster Preparation and Relief, I went over an Emergency Go Bag and a packed overnight bag/suitcase plus additional ways to just be prepared for unexpected events. In that Emergency Bag, I want you to have your medical information so I am giving away the first half of the Medical Binder. This is a way I feel I can help. Go to www.organize365.com/relief and download your free copy.

You will also get access to our community where you can connect with others who have gone through what you are going through. It’s not through social media so you aren’t in the public fish bowl where someone may see a post you don’t want them to see, there aren’t ads, cookies, or bots spying on you either. And you can ask for items you may need. The way I see it, we all have enough stuff. If someone needs something you have in storage, you can simply ship it to them. You may not really want to throw that thing away, you’d rather donate it. And nothing feels better than giving to someone in need, knowing you helped in some way.

Upcoming Episodes that will give you additional ways to be prepare:

652 - Organizing Your Role as a Power of Health Care

654 - Organizing Your Role as a Power of Attorney

655 - Organizing Your Role as the Executor of an Estate

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• Get Your Mini Medical Binder and Join the Organize 365® Relief Group

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media.

While the world seems calm, in terms of natural disasters, I wanted to offer three levels of ways to be prepared. Natural disasters are unexpected events and I want you to be prepared for anything that may come your way. I used two filters to concoct these courses of action to be prepared; “What would be harder to do once the disaster has happened?” And “How can I invest in being more self-sufficient and less dependent?” Preparedness is not a necessity but a way for you to be part of the solution.

Level One - Go Bag!

You get news that you need to go see someone in the hospital or you need to evacuate, what do you take with you? I encourage everyone to have a Go Bag and fill it with items that would make you more comfortable. Think, if you were going to travel on an airplane, what would you want? I provided so many options of how to be prepared that this will become a reliable episode to share with anyone facing an unexpected event but hopefully everyone hears it before they are desperate for the information!

Level Two - Packed Suit Case

I understand this may seem a little next level for planning but when we get caught off guard and called away from home, our brains are scattered and it would be easy to forget things. I advise you to slowly build this packed suitcase. Maybe during Black Friday you pick up an extra curling iron so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to pack the one you use daily. Half of my suitcase is always ready with my toothbrush, brush, sound machine, curling iron, and so forth. In the event I needed to drop everything and go or simply to travel, I’d throw in some jammies and a few outfits, and out the door I’d fly. If you have fires creeping close to your house I want you to be prepared to be able to do the same!

Level Three - Information Management

When I used to organize people’s homes and paper, I would use their filing cabinets until one time I was forced to tell a client to leave them behind. That paperwork is so valuable and I never wanted to tell someone that again. That’s why Organize 365® switched to binders, paper needs to be portable. When fires are near your home and you need to get away quickly, there’s no need to worry, grab them and go! When I was settling my father’s estate, I never found myself near the filing cabinets that had all the information, when I was being asked for it. You need easy access and it’s not always due to a natural disaster or an emergency.

Prepare, Support, Cycle Preparedness

I asked the question: “Can a natural disaster be a Golden Window?” Sounded crazy as I said it but I thought of a few ways it could be viewed that way. I shared ways of how to be prepared with food, water, and power, in the event of a natural disaster. In the Organize 365® community there is a way to find support and give support. I never want people to be forgotten after these tragedies so we have the “Forget Me Not” Basket in Carolina Blue in effort to honor past events and future events. It’s also where you can go to download the mini medical binder to have in these go bags and suit cases. These natural disasters happen and we watch on tv helplessly. We now have a way to help anyone from 1 person to thousands going through the same thing in the community after the camera have gone home and the news coverage has stopped. And lastly, stay prepared by including updating these items each home planning day. I don’t want people to be caught off guard and unprepared so I wanted to share how you to can be in a constant state of preparedness too.

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• The Sunday Basket®

• The Paper Solution®

• The Productive Home Solution

• Organize 365 Relief Group

• Ep. 610 - Productive People's Mindset - Living a Prepared Life

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!