The Problem
In most ways, Tzatzil Willebeek-LeMair
is a superwoman. She has completed more than 50 triathlons and runs a business
that teaches hundreds of women a year how to break into running, biking, and swimming. She also finds time to teach Spanish at an elementary school near her home in Austin, Texas, and serves as den leader for the local Cub Scouts, all while looking after three sons — Max, age three; Marco, five;
and Jacob, seven.
When it came to organizing her home office, however, Willebeek-LeMair, 35, could barely get out of the starting blocks. Her desk was so overloaded that she referred to it as “the abyss” and “the beast.” School reports, unpaid bills, and children’s artwork were piled in haphazard layers. And since mess has a way of inviting more mess, Willebeek-LeMair’s husband, Marc, and sons felt free to use her desk as a dumping ground for everything from junk mail to homework.
As a result, birthday-party invitations resurfaced days too late and car registrations expired without being renewed. “Anything that comes in the mail is a problem,” she says. To make matters worse, her office was set up in a former dining room, near the entrance of their home, so her disarray was on display to anyone coming or going.
What She Likes About the Office
The office is open, with high ceilings.It gets afternoon light.From her desk, she can see her kids playing in the family room.
What She Dislikes About the Office
No privacy.It doesn’t feel inviting.Not enough surface area for working.Her desk is always covered with piles.
The Revelation
A year ago, Willebeek-LeMair received an album of special class events from her son Marco’s teacher. In photos commemorating “cowboy day,” “pajama day,”
and “red-clothing day,” Marco was conspicuously and consistently wearing the wrong
outfit, because she had
either lost the school notice or found it
too late. “It was proof
in print of my lack of organization,” she says. “At that point, I decided
I had to do better.”
Sometimes even a coach can use some coaching. Real Simple volunteered to put Willebeek-LeMair’s office in order and set up a clear and simple system to ensure that
no school notice goes missing and every race record has its place. Now she can focus on fitness, not on finding missing files.
