You gotta be in it, to win it!

I know, I know...that's the lottery's slogan, but it applies to getting organized too! So...with that said, by "in it", I am referring to making the decision to get organized and "win it", to reap the rewards of a more functional and organized home and/or workspace. The next time you're in doubt about getting organized, I want you to think about a lottery ticket -- if you don't buy one -- you can't win the reward...BUT...if you do buy it (make an investment)-- you could win big! Here's my challenge to you today- make a small goal, set the timer for 15 minutes and see how you can win by investing just 15 minutes of your day. You CAN do it!

Baby steps...

One of my favorite movies is "What about Bob". Bob is a unique individual with many quirks and limitations. He seeks counseling from Richard Dreyfus' character and his therapist encourages him to take "baby steps" or in his words "baby stepping". What might this look like for getting organized you ask? One baby step in getting organized is to make a list of goals (I recommend 10 to start) you'd like to work on. For 1 week, select 1 of your goals and tackle it! Take a "baby step" in writing your goals and you will reap the benefits of encouragement, motivation and inspiration. As a dear friend would remind me, "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step".

Free at last!

What comes to mind when you hear, "free at last"? I know for me, it means, that I am free to pursue whatever opportunity presents itself. I want to encourage you to find 1-3 ways to gain "organizational freedom" in your life. For instance, maybe you've been meaning to do some "spring cleaning"...and now you can because SPRING has arrived! :) Or, maybe you've wanted to purge some old files or go through that staff of paper on your desk. Set aside just 15 minutes a day to start tackling your organizational goals. And...after you do this each day for 1 week...treat yourself! You deserve it!

"downsize", "minimize" and "de-clutter"

I've been hearing the words "downsize", "minimize" and "de-clutter" for the past few years and wanted to encourage you to make a date with yourself to do just that! Set aside 15-20 minutes each day to tackle a small project (e.g. go thru a stack of mail) or larger project (e.g. sorting through a kitchen drawer). Taking time out to tackle a "task" on your "to do list" will keep you encouraged and motivated to continue setting small organizational goals & accomplishing them! It's a win, win!

Tis the season....to get organized!

During the past few weeks, I've been hearing different conversations from people saying, "I want to get organized this year". My advice to them is, "you can"! You just need to take some time to make a plan for how to do this. For instance, if you're swamped in paperwork, here's a a possible "game" plan for you:

(1) Set the timer for 30 minutes
(2) Sort thru the first pile and make three "new piles": (1) to file (2) to shred and (3) take action.
(3) I recommend putting a date on the corner of the "take action" pile so that you can prioritize when you need to accomplish the task at hand. If it's paying a bill, allow a 1 week window so that you won't incur late charges.
(4) Once you have your piles, decide what you want to do first. If it's filing, get out your folders, pens, labels and go to town. If you already have a system in place, than filing will be as easy as 1-2-3.
(5) Follow the same plan for the 2nd and 3rd piles.
(6) If your timer goes off while you're still sorting, set it for another 30 minutes. Setting a timer helps one to say focused and on task. If you want to try for longer periods of time, go for it!
(7) By the end of 2 hrs, you should be well on your way to being more organized!

Happy New Year!

Seeing is believing...

Happy Fall!

Yesterday, I decided to buy a shelf @ Home Depot to hold all of my clear, plastic storage bins. What a significant difference it makes in saving time & space, having everything in 1 place. "Seeing...really is believing!"

My recommendation when storing away items, whether it be holiday decorations, clothing, or special keepsakes - make sure to label each storage box & keep an inventory of your items close by.

I haven't finished my project just yet, but when I do, I hope to see 6 clear, well organized & labeled storage boxes sitting neatly on my new shelf! I encourage you to create a storage system that will serve you and your needs too.

Enjoy the process...remember, persistence is key when you're beginning to get organized. Encourage yourself in the small tasks & the bigger ones will be easier to handle. You can do it!

Summertime Fun...Minus the Fuss!

Happy 1st Day of Summer! If you're like me, you've been counting down the days to Summer! In order to get ready for the many outdoor activities summer has in store, here's a quick list of things to do to prepare for a fun day at the beach:

-- Grab your beach bag & fill it with sunscreen, chapstick, tissues, beach towels, reading materials, hat and anything else that will make your beach experience more enjoyable.
-- Hose off the beach chairs & cooler(s)
-- Wash the beach blanket
-- Plan your beach day! (or day at the park, zoo, picnic, etc)

Hint: Load up your car the night before (minus the cooler)so that's one less thing you need to think about.

Being prepared ahead of time will cut down on unnecessary delays in getting yourself ready & out the door to enjoy the sunshine!

Enjoy!

O-R-G-A-N-I-Z-E

So, it's a lazy Friday afternoon and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to blog about...so I came up with an acroymn for you!

O is for choosing ONE item to tackle
R is for being REAL about the time it will take. Set a timer and/or figure 2 hrs to start.
G is for GROUP like tasks. If you're filing a stack of papers, make piles for related items (e.g. con edison bill, AMEX bill, etc)
A is for ASSESS along the way. If something isn't working, try a new way of tackling the task.
N is for NEVER quit. Find a way to motivate yourself to keep going!
I is for INCLUDE a reward. Just like a child, we adults like surprises too!
Z is for you can't get any Zzzzz's until you finish your task.
E is for feeling EMPOWERED!

Let me know if you come up with any others! Have a nice weekend!

You CAN do it!

This is a follow-up to my last blog entry regarding, "Clearing out the mental cobwebs". Sometimes we can get bogged down by life - pressures, circumstances, ideals, you name it. When you find yourself in the midst of "chaos", I recommend that you "disarm" the problem by breaking it down into tangible steps. By doing this, you take the pressure off of yourself to complete the task at hand all at once. Like any habit, it takes repetition and commitment to endure until it becomes a habit.

One example is controlling the accumulation of mail. What I do each day is get the mail, sort it over the recycling bag and toss anything that I don't need into it. I then sort through the the remaining mail and put any bills into my bill folder and any "action items" into my office. If something is time sensitive, I make a calendar reminder a few days before it needs to be completed. By taking just 2 minutes out of my day, I have controlled the "chaos" in a small, yet rewarding way.

I hope this quick tip has encouraged you...that YOU can do it!! Make a plan, create some tangible steps and see the chaos disappear!

Clearing out the "mental cobwebs"

After IM'ing a friend today on Facebook, I had one of Oprah's "Ah Ha Moments". Sometimes our biggest stumbling block to getting organized is our thoughts. Can I get organized? Will I stick to it? I'll never get this task done! And so on & so forth. What I am proposing today is to take time for yourself to clear out those "mental cobwebs" that prevent you from tackling projects, etc. Some suggestions include taking a walk on a sunny day, spending time with friends, journaling, getting a manicure, listening to some good music, exploring a new restaurant. We must first take care of ourselves on an emotional level & then be kind & gentle to ourselves as we make progress. The first step is to set a goal. The second is to develop smaller steps to keep on track & keep motivated. Third, begin the first task and reward yourself after you complete it. And fourth, set a plan to start the next task. With anything in life, it is important to stay motivated, encouraged and heading in the direction of your (organizational) dreams. Remember, YOU can DO it!

Declutter your wallet

I recently got pulled over for making an illegal U-turn (whoops!) and discovered that my insurance card was out-of-date. Thankfully, the police officer was very nice and only gave me a warning. Since this happened, I decided that it was high-time to declutter my wallet. This is the perfect 10-15 minute goal to tackle and here's what I recommend.

(1) Take out all your receipts, lose coupons, etc and put them in 1-3 piles

(2) Go thru the coupon pile and weed out any coupons that are no longer valid

(3) Go thru the receipt pile and attach them to your bank statement for future reconciliation purposes

(4) Take out any unused store/credit cards to free up space & lighten your load

(5) Take out money and sort from largest to smallest bills

(6) Take out loose change and put in a piggy bank or put in jar to take to the bank or CoinStar machine

Doing this simple task will cut down on unnecessary clutter and help you to retain only current information. While you're at it, check your driver's license to see when it needs to be renewed. That reminds me, I have to put that on my To Do list too!

After you complete this task, reward yourself!

Happy Decluttering!

Spring has sprung!

Greetings fellow organizers. Now that Spring has sprung, it's time to start those spring cleaning projects. One project that I'm getting ready to tackle is laundering my curtains. To help me stay on track, I break the project down into three parts:

(1) Take down curtains throughout apartment & separate them into 2-3 loads(per room)

(2) Wash with mild soap, in cold water, on the gentle cycle

(3) Hang to dry

This whole process takes about 3 hrs, but when I'm all done, I have clean curtains and a renewed sense of fulfillment.

Spring into action & reap the rewards!

A Place for Everything...

Hey there clutter-busters!

I was inspired over the weekend to start blogging again. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to work with a family of 6! Our goal was to tackle organizing the kitchen cabinets. It's important when starting a project to look at the "big picture", meaning, what do I hope to accomplish by completing this project?
Here's what we did to assess the situation:
Step #1: Open all the cabinets and look inside
Step #2: Begin identifying what is non-essential (e.g. if you only use a cooler in the summertime, you don't need to take up valuable "real estate" in your cabinet to store it in the fall/winter months).
Step #3: Weed out non-essential items and find a "new home" for them
Step #4: Begin organizing cabinets by purpose (e.g. plates/cups or baking items)
Step #5: Clean up space and organize the items
Step #6: Make a goal to tackle 1-2 cabinets in a 2 hr period. You can re-evaluate the project after the 2 hrs to set aside another day to accomplish more. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and help you to stay motivated.

So, as I tell my clients, there truly is "a place for everything" we want to keep, it just means finding an appropriate "home" for it.

Happy Spring! Happy De-cluttering!

Jen

Cabin Fever...

If you're like me, Cabin Fever can set in during the winter months. It's either too cold to go out and/or you don't feel like piling on all the layers of clothing. Well, do I have the solution for you! This is the time of year that you can stay in & tackle that project that you've been delaying/putting off. For instance, you have a stack of paper hanging out that you need to go through. Set the timer for 30 minutes and go through the stack. Make 3 piles: (1)Action (2) Recycle and/or Shred (3) File. Do yourself a favor and take another 30 minutes to tackle 1 of the 3 piles you just made. Let's say you choose #2. Bring the shredder into a comfortable area and shred to your hearts content. You will be able to see immediate results in an hours time. I also recommend that you take a photo of your "project" before you begin. For us "visual" people, actually seeing the stack removed from it's starting place spells SUCCESS! I will be rooting right along with you as you tackle these winter projects. You CAN do it!

That's a wrap!

Ok, it's 4 days until Christmas, so maybe you're like some lucky souls that already have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree. Or, perhaps you're a bit like me, you still have gifts to wrap and may even be a bit overwhelmed by all the various "to do"s to cross off your holiday checklist.

To help ease some of that anxiety, I would like to recommend that you create a "wrapping station". My "WS" is my ironing board (for height) with my gift wrap, tissue paper, boxes, tape, gift tags, a pen and some ribbons & bows.

In addition, I suggest that you place an envelope in your "WS" so that you can put all of your holiday receipts into it as you begin your wrapping marathon. That way, everything will be in 1 place and it will cut down the stress later on.

Here's wishing you a happy and stress-free holiday!

It's that's time of the year...

...to hang up your stockings, trim the tree & wrap the gifts! In the hussle & bussle of the holiday season, it's important to be as organized as possible. Gather up all your coupons and put them in 1 place, preferably a clear zip-lock bag. Remember that many online vendors are now accepting "promo codes" for holiday purchases, so go to Coupon Cabin or Coupon Sally (there are literally tons more to find!) for the best discounts! A friend just downloaded a $20 off coupon to Burlington Coat Factory...now we're talkin! As Santa would say, make a list (and check it twice) of the people you need to buy gifts for. You may even want to assign a monetary value to each to help keep your costs within budget. Afterall, it's not fun to go broke over the holidays, so plan, prepare & have fun while you're at it! Happy Holidays!

Fall foibles and handbag solutions...

Do you get annoyed when you can't find that one item you need and remember it's in your "other bag"?!? Well, do I have the solution for you. To combat this problem, I use a small zippered bag (you get to choose the size & style) that I keep my frequently used items in (e.g. Tylenol, tissues, chapstick, lip gloss, etc). Whenever I need to change my bag, I just remove the smaller bag and put it in the new one. Presto! It's that easy and it's a real time saver when you're in a hurry and need to pick up your bag & go. Try this out and let me know if it worked for you. Happy Fall!

15 minutes is all it takes...

...to complete a simple task. In order to reduce the overwhelming-ness (is that a word?) of de-cluttering/organizing, why not start with 15 minute segments. Identify a small task to tackle, set the timer and work at it for 15 minutes. For example, I sorted through a glass filled with loose change, picture hooks, paperclips and other random items the other night. It took me about 15 minutes to sort through the glass, put the change in a container and make a home for the paperclips. By accomplishing smaller tasks, you will empower yourself to work your way to tackling larger projects. You can do it!

Book recommendations...

Happy Spring!

I hope you're off to a great start to the season. I recently attended a prospective members meeting for NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). At this meeting, I learned of two books that may interest you:

"It's hard to make a difference when you can't find your keys" by Marilyn Paul

AND

"Organizing from the inside out" by Julie Morgenstern

As I continue to take steps in building my business, I would welcome any books you may know of as well.

Thank you!

Cutting down on junk mail...

As I was reading through Real Simple today, I came across two websites that I thought were great for cutting down on all that unwanted mail:

optoutprescreen.com (credit card offers)
catalogchoice.org (unsolicited catalogs)

I also wanted to recommend a great magazine/website that offers a lot of helpful organizing tips/hints, it's called Real Simple. They offer several "topical" e-newsletters which have different cycle options (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly)for you to choose from.

I subscribe to the "daily thought" and it is packed with lots of helpful info! To check it out, go to http://www.realsimple.com/. Also, in honor of their 10 yr anniversary, they are offering $10 subscriptions (snail mail) until supplies last...

Happy spring!
Jen