Image source www.kidzworld.com

With Halloween approaching this may be the time to ask yourself one of the scariest questions….What’s hiding in your closets?   We all throw things in and close the door hoping the stuff will miraculously organize itself.  The best way to fight closet clutter is to give the space a purpose (example: a home to sports equipment).  Pull out everything from the space.  Group the items in like categories (example: soccer, baseball, football, beach) and put back in the closet.  If the item does not fit in the ‘purpose’ of that closet, you will need to find a new space for it to call home.  Another idea for managing closets is to create an inventory list to post inside the closet.  This will allow you to quickly know if what you are looking for is in the closet.   Don't let your closets scare you this season.....organize them!

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If you need help getting organized in your office or home we can help.  Get your files in order, get systems set up to stay organized, see the top of your desk! Through the month of October we are offering 3 hours of organizing for just $100.  Don’t miss out on this deal!  Change the way you work so you have more time to do the things you love to do.

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Clients I work with often share with me that they don’t have time to be organized.  Looking at a large project can be overwhelming….and it can be paralyzing.  How do you start a project if you cant see how you will ever finish it or you cant do it perfectly?  Remind yourself it doesn’t have to be perfect and that in five minutes or less you can make a difference.

Think off all the chunks of 5 minutes you have throughout the day….When you are ready a bit early, waiting for an appointment, there is a commercial on TV, or waiting to check out in a store.  Why not make these minutes work for you on your quest to be more organized.

In 5 minutes you can

• Purge your briefcase or purse of unneeded items
• Sort through old receipts
• Toss expired coupons
• Declutter a table
• Start a load of laundry
• Make the bed (this always makes a room appear more organized)
• Empty the dishwasher
• Make a Doctor’s appointment
• Write a thank you note
• Organize the drawer that accumulates ‘stuff’
• Discard spoiled food from the refrigerator
• File 20 pieces of paper
• Sort through and read your mail
• Make a ‘to do’ list for the following day

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I recently got a catalog for ranch equipment.  How did they get my name?  We don’t own a ranch!  Junk mail can be overwhelming.  It ads to clutter.  Catalogs sit around the house waiting to browsed.  Christmas time there is an influx of unwanted catalogs.  If you want to minimize your junk mail the Direct Marketing Association has created an easy to use website.  Visit www.dma.org.  Create an account and in a few clicks you can put an end to credit card offers, unwanted catalogs (you can chose to keep the ones you like to look at) and magazine offers.

Take steps today to clear the clutter of your mailbox.

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File cabinets are often of a sea of information never to be found.  Make your file system a tool of reference with these tips”

1) Use different color files for different categories (green for money, red for health, blue for business)

2) Use full tab files to allow you to make as long of a title as you need.

3) Align labels on files to one side of the other , this makes it easy to search for information (without your eye running back and forth over labels in different areas)

4) Use hanging folders to define categories

5) Consider using Freedom Filer to make your home file system easy to maintain (click below for more information)

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In our home, we keep a sticky note on the refrigerator where everyone in the family can add things we need to pick up at the market. I found that occasionally I would have an unexpected opportunity to shop only to find that I didn’t have my shopping list with me. To make things easier I now take a picture of the list with my phone. Now the list is always with me and one less piece of paper to keep track of. if I don’t get to the market I can add to the list and simply take a new picture of the updated list.

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It happens to all of us and today it happened to me….I became unmotivated. My morning appointment canceled leaving me with a free morning. A sigh of relief escaped me as there were errands to run, blogs to update, laundry to do and you name it….I had so much to do. So I filled my coffee mug, added some cream and sat down in front of the computer….Facebook, yahoo, emails, blogs, promotions….ut oh an hour later….nothing accomplished. So back to the coffee maker for a refill. Hummmmm…kids homework strewn on the dining table, dryer full of clean clothes, a few messages on the answering machine to be answered, the garage always could use some straightening, oh and the dog needs to be brushed. Holy cow my head was spinning! Really where do I start? After all, I am the motivator of clients, the touch stone of family, the PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER. I slowly turned to ignore it all and retreat back into the black hole of the computer, when I saw my kitchen timer. Ah ha! The old timer trick. I set the timer for 20 minutes to see how much I could get done and I amazed even myself with how much I accomplished. That’s it, once started I am quickly checking things off my to do list! It is similar to the mentality I am using to run farther and faster. I tell myself it is okay to walk. Knowing that I will be able to walk allows me to push through the ‘I will never make it’ mindset. Having a deadline (the 20 minute timer) motivated me to work efficiently and quickly. My high energy likes to be busy and have a plan…..the cancellation today taught me a lesson to share with clients…..just get started, get the ball rolling and away you will go!

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