169 – How When You Have Babies Affects Your Organizational Phase of Life

169 - How When You Have Babies Affects Your Organizational Phase of Life Lisa Woodruff 43:13

I’m super excited to share with you my next series of 3 podcasts which are all about the different phases of life and how they overlap.

Most people are living in overlapping phases of life. I really want to address this topic and explore what it means for you.

This is something of a storytelling podcast – there’s not a lot of direct action for you to take, but lots of learning!

I’ve actually been wanting to record this podcast series for about 9 months, but it’s a topic that is best approached when the timing is just right! January is all about organizational projects, March is about decluttering… May is the perfect time to reflect!

It’s all centered around what I consider to be the 4 phases of a woman’s life.

The Childhood Phase (birth to around 18 years old) – Limited organizational requirements and heavily influenced by parents.

The Accumulation Phase (around 18-39 years old) – A period of learning and accumulating. You accumulate more and more belongings! Usually in this phase, you accumulate a spouse and family, too!

The Survival Phase (around 40-54 years old) – A mindset shift takes place at this stage. Most people are working during this phase and, in addition to that, they’re looking after their family and running the household. And if you’re anything like me, you’re in your car all the time!

The Downsizing & Legacy Phase (age 55+) – The big clear out! Kids are Moving out and you naturally start to reduce the amount of items in your house. You also begin to consider your legacy – what will you save and why?

There are three big life events that affect these phases of life – having children, becoming a caretaker for someone, and when someone close to you passes away.

This week’s focus is on having children.

When we have kids, we go into full blown accumulation mode. Even the most minimalist of people can’t resist accumulation when it comes to babies!

As more and more millennials are tending towards having children in their early 40’s, what does this mean in terms of the stages in life?

Having a baby in your 40’s = an overlap of the accumulation and the survival stage.

Next week, I look at how becoming a caretaker for someone can affect your phase of life.

Have a great week!

Lisa Woodruff Founder & CEO of Organize 365®

Lisa Woodruff is the founder & CEO of Organize 365®.

Lisa, along with 87% of America, believes organization is a learnable skill. Yet less than 18% of those same Americans feel they are organized. Through The Productive Home Solution course, Lisa aims to teach Americans young and old the skill of organizing and unlocking their time for what they are uniquely created to do.

As the host of the top-rated Organize 365® Podcast (which has 17 million downloads and counting) Lisa shares strategies for reducing the overwhelm, clearing the mental clutter, and living a productive and organized life. Her sensible and doable organizing tasks appeal to multiple generations. Her candor and relatable personality make you feel as though she is right there beside you; helping you get organized as you laugh and cry together.

Under Lisa’s direction, Organize 365® has conducted academic research establishing the definitions of housework, home organization and the weight of paper in the American home. This ongoing research is making the invisible work at home visible to all. The goal is to eliminate it and free people from the monotonous tasks of daily living; and unlock their time for what they are uniquely created to bring forth in the world.

She is the author of four books including: How ADHD Affects Home Organization and The Paper Solution. Lisa’s understanding of the lived female American experience has helped her to create products & courses like the Sunday Basket®. These products and courses externalize the routine tasks that take up the executive functioning capacity of our brains; freeing us up to think and create again!