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Showing posts with label SPACE ORGANIZATION. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPACE ORGANIZATION. Show all posts

Friday, January 21, 2022

Organization Saves You Time and Money

Getting Organized for the New Year is one of the biggest New Years Resolutions that people make.

Unfortunately, it usually falls into the same fate as "getting in shape or losing weight". It doesn't happen.

Everyone has good intentions but there is always an excuse:

  • I don't have the time
  • I don't know where to start
  • It's too overwhelming
  • No one in the family really cares - so why bother
  • I have other things I would rather do.....

But being organized is not only about organization - it's about reducing your stress, getting to work or school on time, being able to find things, saving time and money....and so much more.

If you aren't organized you might spend time looking for things because you have no idea where you put your keys, purse, checkbook....therefore you might be late for work or school.

You can't find your keys, purse, checkbook....and you are now late....so you become frazzled, stressed and start yelling at everyone.

You might buy multiple sets of (insert whatever you keep buying over and over again....) because you didn't realize you already had it - or you can't find it. So you are losing money buying something that you already had.

Disorganization causes stress and a lot of tension in a family - especially if everyone is not on the same page as to how organized your home should be. Everyone has different organization styles and different levels of tolerance for disorganization.

Getting on the same page with your family about organizing style is really important.

So - have a meeting to decide what you want your home to look like. Break down who is in charge of what area of the home. Give everyone a detailed list of how the organizing project is going to be put into action. Set a realistic deadline of when you think the project will be completed. Set up a schedule of when your project will start and when it will be worked on.

That is a very simplified outline - but it's a start. Having the rest of the families input and participation is half the battle. The other half is actually getting everyone to do their part. 

What - you expected a miracle? 😊

Not everyone has organizational skills. Everyone has their own talents. And not everyone has the patience to organize.

Sometimes - the quickest way to get things done - is to hire a Professional Organizer! They have the expertise to look at a space and determine the best options for your space. They are efficient and will work without complaining! Professional Organizers love organizing - probably unlike your family.

And some Professional Organizers will even work with you remotely and give you all of their expertise and advice in a virtual session that is a fraction of the time and expense of an in-home session. They give you a plan and you can implement it yourself - saving you money. 

In person - or virtual - a Professional Organizer is a great investment in your home and life!

Happy Organizing!

  

Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
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Monday, October 2, 2017

Junk Drawers - Everyone Has One - Organize It!



You know that we all have junk drawers!  Someplace there is a space, a drawer, that has a lot of "stuff"!  

All kinds of stuff!  Pens, pencils, paper clips, rubber bands, batteries, scissors, flash light, bits and pieces of ....whatever. 

It's the place where we throw everything that we don't know what to do with!

That's O.K. !   Really it is!

But you can have an "organized" junk drawer.  Yes, you can!

Instead of just throwing everything into one drawer and never being able to find something when you need to - get some drawer dividers.  They don't need to be expensive or fancy. Anything will do.

You can find inexpensive dividers at the Dollar Store or WalMart.

You can be creative and use old check boxes. Or business card boxes.

Any small box will do. As long as you have something to divide up the space so that everything doesn't roll around.

Once things are contained (and like items with like items) - your junk drawer will look much better and function much better.

So - get creative and clean out your junk drawer. What else are you going to do in the next 20 minutes anyway?


Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

I Don't Have Enough Space!

"Help - I don't have enough space!!!!".   

Have you ever uttered those words?  I think that most people have - at one time or another. But - the problem is not space - but the accumulation of stuff - and clutter!

Having more space is not an invitation to just spread your clutter out more.

Space and clutter really have nothing to do with each other. You can have a small space that is clutter free and you can have a small space that is organized and holds everything that you need.

The key is......... you guessed it - good organization and good utilization of the space!

First, you have to decide what you want the space to be. What use will it have?

Then, you have to have the right ingredients, such as the right piece of furniture, bookshelf, containers, bins ....

Next, you need to add in the other ingredients such as all of your bath products (in one bin), all of your cleaning products (in one bin), all of your craft products (in one bin)....... 

Get the idea?   Sort like with like...  By keeping all like products together you can easily find them, plus they are all contained in one central spot - instead of being spread out all over the house.

This will save you time when you need them and you will not have to search the entire house!

Once you start containing like items together you will notice that all of a sudden you actually have more space!

Another tip is to fold everything the same way - so that things are consistent - and they will stack better and give you more room.

By using only one type of container - that is easily stackable - you will save space.

There are a lot of things that you can do to create more space. So - before you buy more stuff or another house to store your stuff - try rearranging your belongs to fit into the space you already have.

In an organized manner of course!


Less Clutter = Less Stress SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

More Space - Less Clutter ?


A lot of people say "I don't have enough space - that's why my house is cluttered - if I had more closet space my house would be clean".

Well - I hate to burst anyones bubble - but space, clutter and clean have nothing to do with each other.

The amount of space that you have and the clutter all around you are two separate issues.  Just because you have a big house does not mean that you have an uncluttered house.  Or a clean house.  It just means that you have a big house.

The way that you use your space is the important issue. If you have things in a room that don't belong there - such as all of your bathroom products in your kitchen, brushes, makeup, hairdryer..... instead of in the bathroom where they belong... you will have clutter.

Oh - you don't have room in your bathroom?  Well - make some!  I know - sometimes it's not easy to find the space and sometimes you really don't have the space.  But more often than not I find that clients are not using their space effectively.  By adding some inexpensive shelving or bins you can contain all of your belongs where they belong and all of a sudden - you have space! 

"Like with like"  ..... that's an Organizers motto!  By keeping like products with like products you have solved one organizing issue.

By keeping all of the things that don't belong in a room out of the room - you have solved another organizing issue.

By neatly folding and putting things in a designated spot - instead of just shoving it in anywhere - you have solved another organizing issue.

It's not about space - it's about clutter.

And then there's "clean".   Having more space does not mean that you will have a clean house. It just means that you will have more space to mess up. Clean is a matter of degree - but that's a whole other topic.

If you can declutter your home or office first - then you can really see what needs to be cleaned and you can make all of the dust bunnies disappear. But if your home is so cluttered that you can't see the floor or any surfaces - chances are that you can't get to them to clean them.

So - the bottom line is - more space does not make a less cluttered or clean house.

So don't envy your neighbor with the big house.  They just have a lot more work to do!

Now - go and GET ORGANIZED !



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com 

Monday, March 19, 2012

Too Much Stuff !!!

How much "stuff" does one person really need? Do you really need 25 pairs of jeans? Or 50 pairs of shoes? Maybe the celebrities do but "everyday, ordinary people" who aren't millionaires really don't. Let's be honest!

"Stuff" overwhelms people. "Stuff" controls people. "Stuff" smothers people.

Don't get me wrong. I like to have nice things. I have things that I collect. But there is a difference between a collection and going overboard and having too much "stuff" clutter up your home and your life.

If you can't find things easily and continually buy the same things over and over again your space is too cluttered. You need some organizational help to get things under control.

But having too much "stuff" and continually buying more is not just a "space" issue but a deeper issue. An issue that is hard for some people to acknowledge and sometimes to understand.

Constantly buying things that you don't need might be fulfilling some emptiness inside yourself. Or it might be a way that you cope because of some things that are happening in your life. It can be an "escape".

Whatever the reason, stuff needs space. And if you don't have the space to properly store your stuff then you end up with clutter everywhere.

Sit down and be honest with yourself and try and figure out why you have the need to continually buys things that you really don't need, don't have room for or can't really afford.

It's not just about the "stuff".


Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Monday, August 15, 2011

Organizing Your Junk Drawer

Admit it. You have a junk drawer. Don't be embarrassed. Everyone has one. Some are just more messy than others.

But today is the day to clean it out. Yes, you have to clean out that drawer. Come on, you can do it.

I know that you are thinking "how did this drawer get like this" or "why is this stuff in here and what is it?". Well, we all keep things. "Because we might need it". Bits and pieces of stuff.

Start by getting a garbage can and putting it next to the drawer. Take out each item and if you can't identify it or it's use, throw it right into the garbage can.

Anything that you think you might really have a use for (be honest) should be placed into a pile on the floor. If you can't remember why you kept the item, get rid of it because you probably don't need it. Next, try to place like items together.

The reason that most "junk drawers" look "junky" is that everything is usually just in one big drawer, all jumbled together. Depending on what you have in the drawer and the sizes of things you will want to get some dividers to keep things more organized.

There are numerous inexpensive options such as small plastic trays or ice cube trays that will do the trick. Any container will do. I have used the boxes that my checks came in as divider trays for my desk. Be creative. You don't need to spend a lot of money for this drawer.

By keeping things confined in smaller spaces within the drawer it will look less "junky".

And try to break the habit of just throwing things into the drawer because you don't want to find a place for it. Your junk drawer should be confined to a drawer, not the entire house.


Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Monday, September 27, 2010

More Efficient Use of Your Space

A lot of my clients say “I don’t have enough storage space”. And I say to them “yes, you do, you just aren’t utilitizing your space efficiently”.

Another problem is not the “space” but the “stuff”. “Too much stuff”.

How much stuff can one person or one family use ?

The first phase of “finding enough space” is de-cluttering. That means going through all of your stuff and getting rid of things that you no longer use, wear or need. Then there are the things that are broken or too small. Purge these things out of your life.

You have already created more “space” !!!

Now look at your closets. Most closets are designed with only one rod across the top. Very inefficient. By adding another rod you have doubled your space without doubling the size of the closet.

For your closets or pantries that have shelves you can add more space by adding shelf dividers. Again, you have just doubled your space.

If your closets have movable shelves you can change the height of the shelves depending on what you are storing on the shelves. This would also allow you to add more shelves for smaller items.

Under the bed storage is a great way to make use of seldom used space. There are great containers that have wheels that are easy to slide under the bed. You can store extra blankets, sweaters, shoes or any number of things.

Put shelves on walls and make use of wall space. A great idea for books or displaying collectibles so that they don’t take up floor or counter space.

Make use of those “nooks and crannies”. If you really looked you could find all types of small or thin shelving units that can be placed in between things.

Use decorative boxes that can sit out and double as storage.

There are lots of ways to add extra “space” to a small room.

You just have to let your imagination run wild and “think outside the box”.


Remember …… LESS CLUTTER = LESS STRESS SM


Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/