From Chaos to Clarity

By Heather
February 21, 2012

ScholarSmarts essay by Vallory:

As I sit gazing out upon the disaster area that I have come to know as my bedroom, a sense of anxiety and doom overtake me. I know that somewhere under the piles of books, bags and clothing, some clean, some not so clean, there is the room that I was inspired to meticulously paint and painstakingly decorate in a celestial theme not so long ago. It was a room that I was proud of, one that filled me with energy and enthusiasm to work in, to relax in and to entertain in. Now that same room has become a sad, anxiety-filled place, one that I often avoid altogether. My once inspirational refuge now evokes feelings of tension and dread.

Yes, I know all too well through my own experience the type of emotional stress a cluttered, disorganized space can create. The feelings of frustration when every work surface is covered by teetering stacks of paper and the sense of being overwhelmed and irritated when a key piece of information needed to complete a project cannot be located are unfortunately all too common. The stress caused by these conditions is not only emotionally upsetting, but also extremely counterproductive. I put off starting required projects because the negative energy brought on by the clutter makes me feel less capable of getting the projects done. This procrastination results in there being less time available to meet deadlines and consequently, a rushed, and maybe not as well prepared project. I find that I often can’t concentrate because I am distracted by the chaos. Creative thinking is aided by a clear mind and the clutter is not conducive to clarity. After all, how can I organize my thoughts necessary to complete a successful project when I can’t even seem to organize my desk?

I know now that I am not alone in my grief. Studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between clutter and productivity. Specifically, they have shown that productivity decreases when levels of clutter and the resulting chaos increase. The Small Business Administration has indicated that the biggest burden for small business is the inability to properly service customers due to mishandled paperwork. This results in lost time, lost customers and hence, lost profits. Studies have shown that the average person wastes over 4 hours per week searching for papers. Additionally, studies have shown that the average executive loses one hour of productivity per day just searching for missing information. The mountains of clutter do not merely cause aggravation and frustration in the workplace. The increased stress caused by the endless clutter causes lost productivity in the way of missed work time also. Statistics show that 75 percent or more of doctor visits are stress related. Stress has a negative physical impact on the immune system which can result in more frequent illnesses in addition to the mental and emotional effects.

My plan? I know that by organizing and de-cluttering my life with a Morgan Hill, CA self storage unit not only will I become more productive, I will also be potentially happier, healthier, less stressed and better able to take on the challenges that lay ahead for me in my college years.

Organization | Comments (0)

SpareFoot Finds a Sporting Way to Raise Funds

By Heather
February 21, 2012

The self storage industry as a whole prides itself on the long-standing relationships companies and facilities have formed in their communities with various charities and non-profit organizations. SpareFoot, an Austin-based startup company known in the self-storage industry for their leading web marketing solutions, is no exception to that trend.

Recently, SpareFoot employees participated in the Austin Startup Olympics. The first-ever (but soon to be annual) event of its kind in the Austin area, the Startup Olympics invited eight local startup companies to participate in a series of “sporting” events to help support a local charity of their choosing. The event was designed to promote not just community fundraising in the Austin area, but innovation as well.

In placing third overall, SpareFoot employees raised $250 for Kure It Cancer Research. The company then doubled that amount to increase the donation to $500.

“When I heard about what Kure It [was] doing, I wanted to find a way to help,” Mario Feghali, SpareFoot Co-Founder and COO, said. “They’ve kept a focused effort on a big problem. For those who have lost a loved one to renal cell carcinoma or any type of cancer, it’s easy to feel helpless and lose hope. But I know that our contribution to Kure It will help those families and individuals dealing with kidney disease.”

The five-hour competition included fun-filled games/activities like Foosball, Flip Cup, Ping Pong, Connect Four, Darts, Shuffleboard and Pop-a-Shot as well as featuring an obstacle course; making the day fun for all while raising much needed funds for Kure It to continue its research in kidney cancer and other under recognized (and underfunded) malignancies.

“We’re excited to share Kure It’s mission with a new audience, and grateful to SpareFoot for including us in such a unique fundraiser,” said Kure It Founder Barry Hoeven.

“The support Kure It receives through our self-storage partnerships plays a key role in our efforts to fund research,” added Kure It Director Karen Jones. “We hope this event will not only get the word out about Kure It’s mission, but inspires other companies and industries to participate in similar clever fundraising efforts.”

About Kure It

Kure It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise money for research specialists conducting innovative projects to better treat and ultimately cure kidney and other cancers. Founded by self-storage industry veteran Barry Hoeven after his diagnosis with kidney cancer, Kure It has raised over $1 million, and currently supports research being done at Cedars-Sinai and City of Hope.

About SpareFoot

SpareFoot　is the world’s largest search engine for consumers to find, compare and reserve self-storage units online. The company also offer a suite of web marketing tools to help storage facility operators effectively reach modern customers. These include effective advertising network listings, a local SEO solution and a complete website builder.

Self Storage News | Comments (0)

Organization Procrastination

By Heather
February 20, 2012

StorageMart ScholarSmarts Scholarship essay by Gabriel :

True story: students procrastinate…a lot. In day to day life, not just school, many people succumb to procrastination. Along with the typical reasons of being too busy or tired, there are other factors to consider that lead to putting of what needs to be done. Once a student is immersed in the environment of higher education, a whole new world is opened up to them. There is so much going on at this stage of learning that sometimes it can be overwhelming to the point of collapse. So it’s only natural to take a different approach to dealing with adversity. Students’ academic achievements will lose out to their more prestigious endeavors: partying.

To be fair, factors like personality traits, self-consciousness, identity, anxiety all contribute to the likelihood of success. It is impossible to label each individual, due to a wide range of reasons. Each student will have different levels of motivation and fears of failing. This is where things like time management, organizational skills and prioritizing come into play. I understand for the need to be involved and to experience a campus setting but some decisions should be weighed better. Example: “Should I drink these ten beers then go to Taco Bell at 2:00 a.m. or study for this exam that I have tomorrow?”

Luckily, I don’t have to worry about these problems. Being a married man of 31 years old, my obstacles come from things like working full time and coaching, preparing dinner and lunches or doing yard work. Having a wonderful wife is a big advantage in getting through my schooling and paying the bills. So instead of the normal “youngster” college experience, I am living the “old man” experience. Going back to school and being at least ten years older than most of the students, is an obstacle in itself.

Over the years, the things I have heard come from the mouths of typical college students are a shining example of today’s education: “Like, I will, like totally fail this class” and “OMG, that beer pong game was like, so epic.” Don’t get me wrong, I like to have fun to, just not at the expense of squandering away the money spent on education. I also don’t mean to bash the typical college student. I realize there are many fine young minds out there and I have had the pleasure of working with them in some classes. Not every student is out for work avoidance and doing as little as possible.

As far as my experience goes, in life and school, having less clutter leads to better productivity. My wife and I find that when we are in serious work mode, we will clean and organize our home and work space. Then the productiveness just flows better. When your study area is organized and free of distractions, it is much easier for your mind to concentrate on the task at hand. I am also fortunate enough to be able to have time at work to do homework and when my desk gets overwhelmed with papers or books it kind of bogs down my studying. Then I remove the clutter, file papers, and complete the projects at hand. But just like a student, I admittedly procrastinate. With the proper planning and de-cluttering I am able to produce and keep on keeping on with education…and life.

Organization | Comments (0)

Self-Storage Adds Ease, Happiness to Life

By Heather
February 17, 2012

ScholarSmarts essay by Blaire:

When hearing the word “Aurora, IL Self Storage”, the first thing that comes to mind is my first-ever counter with the unit in which my family used to store our antique wooden boat. This storage allowed my family to keep our boat in a warm place during the chilly Illinois winters. Not only did the utilization of storage keep our boat in pristine condition, but it preserved many memories in the process. Without self-storage, my family likely could not have spent valuable time together boating. At a young age, I also learned that there is a high correlation between keeping something safe and your own happiness. Therefore, it could be said that storage ultimately translates to happiness.

As I got older, I experienced the benefits of self-storage when I was learning about independence while away at school. I am a student at the University of Illinois majoring in Health Administration and Planning with never-ending stress, so self-storage truly helps simplify my life. As I move from dorm room to house to apartment it is wonderful to not worry about storing my possessions at home. After all, my parents are much happier to see me (and a mountain of laundry) when I am not hauling a ton of stuff behind me.

No quantitative support is necessary to validate that self-storage “helps keep people more organized”. It is very difficult for any person to quantify exactly how well self-storage makes their life better, but I believe that any person who has benefited from self-storage will attest to the ease of mind that it provides. As a student, stowing away my possessions in self-storage is much safer than my friends who store beloved items at a boyfriend’s fraternity house—only to have a beloved blouse ruined by the boys’ raucous evening events. These friends are definitely missing out on the value of self-storage. What price can be put on happiness and peace of mind? Appealing to parents as well, one source said “Using a self-storage unit to keep items close to school (and out of your house!) is a great way to save your own home’s organization, while allowing your student to keep his/her belongings and save the effort of lugging all that stuff home.”

Self-storage is also amazingly convenient and flexible because there are many items that I do not need year-round. My apartment is small enough without adding a bicycle into the mix. As the website says, self-storage is helpful because “that way you won’t have it cluttering up the house the whole time. And that can do wonders for your state of mind.  ” As a full time-student also balancing two jobs and a myriad of extracurricular involvements—anything that can add calm and ease to life is very-much appreciated! Self-storage provides peace of mind and allows my obsessive tendencies to be calmed knowing that my possessions are safely tucked away until I need them again.

Self Storage Units | Comments (0)

Dreaming Of Organization

By Heather
February 16, 2012

StorageMart ScholarSmarts Scholarship essay by Kathryn:

Beep, Beep, Beep… SNOOZE.  Beep, Beep, SLAM!. I roll over in my oh-so-cozy bed and pull myself in the direction of my alarm clock.  SNAP! OUCH! “Oh no, not my glasses!” As I’m trying to see how badly I clumsily damaged my favorite pair of Ray Ban Glasses, I walk towards the bathroom and… CLINK, SPLASH! Ugh, I forgot I set that glass of water on the floor.  I grab a towel as I fumble over the piles of clothes and books layering my bedroom floor.  I quickly rummage through the laundry bin, quick sniff test, and throw on clean “ish” clothes. I grab a granola bar, only to be subject to the puppy eyes of Stella my “Spuds Mackenzie” Pitbull. I grab her bag of dog food, dump it in her dish, spilling more kibbles around her bowl than made it in, decide I’ll pick them up later, and run out the door.

I finally make it to my office, 8:09 AM, almost on time.  I rummage through my purse trying to locate my office keys.  I have to pull one of those embarrassing moments where I set my purse on the ground, pull out all of my items, while attempting to hide the embarrassing articles. FINALLY, keys found. I unlock the door, hang up my jacket, turn on my desktop and am logged into my Outlook by 8:16 AM.I immediately rummage through my Outlook calendar, making note of what I need to do today, including that annual review meeting in 15 minutes.  Ugh, I don’t remember where I put that report.  I fumble through the stacks of papers and dirty coffee cups.  Found! And, I’m late to the meeting.

My boss steps into my office…” Katie, we need to talk. You’re FIRED!”

(Picture whimsical music playing as the story just read above rewinds and stops right at BEEP… )

Beep… SLAM! I sit up in bed, stretch, roll over, reach toward my night stand and put on my Ray Ban Glasses.  I walk towards the bathroom and fill the glass on the counter with water, and take a sip. I grab my neatly pressed outfit that I laid out the evening before and I’m greeted by the “sigh” of my Pitbull Stella carrying her leash.  “Alright-Stel, we have time for a long walk today.” After our walk I make a delicious and healthy breakfast catch a glimpse of “Good Morning America.”  I walk out the door to work and just know it is going to be a great day!

I make it to my office by 7:50 AM, early!  I run into my boss who greets me and says “Katie, do you happen to have the annual report for the meeting today” We’re moving it up to 8:00AM.” “Sure do, boss!”  With keys in hand, I open my file cabinet with the report placed neatly in the first file.”

My boss turns to me and says, “Katie, we need to talk. I think you deserve a promotion!”

Organization | Comments (0)