TEN ORGANIZING TIPS

There are a million different ways that you can be organized and more productive. Below are just a few. Not all of these tips will work for “you”. Each person has to find what works for “them” and what changes can enhance “their” life.

A Professional Organizer listens to you and gives you advice that is very specific for how you function. What works for one client doesn’t necessarily work for another.

So take what you can and try it for a while….. and see if it can make your life run smoother.

When are you most productive?:
One of the first things that a Professional Organizer will do is ask you about your work habits and go over your daily routine. One of the things they will learn from this is “when do you function your best?”.

If you are a morning person, that’s when you want to do most of your work. If afternoons work better for you then schedule most of your work in the afternoon. By scheduling your work around your most “productive” time you will obviously accomplish a lot more. Sounds simple, yet most people don’t follow this method.

Trying to start your day with a huge workload when you are definitely not a morning person will just make you miserable and you won’t get everything done anyway. By simply rearranging your day to best take advantage of your “optimum” work time you will not only accomplish your tasks but you will also be much happier!


Everything has a place:
Being organized means that everything has a place and everything has a function. Once you have established a place for everything you must then get into the habit of keeping it organized. Not an easy change for a lot of people. It takes weeks to change a habit.

Start with one thing and once it becomes second nature work on changing another habit. For example: designate a specific place for your purse, briefcase, keys, mail…

By having a designated spot for these items you will always know where they are and will always able to find them. No more wasted time searching for things.


Just fifteen (15) minutes a day:
Set aside just fifteen (15) minutes a day to clean / straighten up / organize one area in your home. It may not seem like a lot of time but if you do it every day you will see a dramatic change in your life. Set a timer so that you don’t need to be checking your watch every few minutes.

By setting aside just fifteen (15) minutes a day you will cut your cleaning / straightening up / organizing time significantly. Instead of dreading spending almost two (2) hours cleaning your house on a Saturday you might have more time to spend with your family doing something fun.

Try mopping the floors on Monday, dusting on Tuesday, vacuuming on Wednesday…and so on…. Whatever works for you.

In your office you can spend Monday paying bills, Tuesday updating your spreadsheets, Wednesday filing……

There are a lot of uses for those fifteen (15) minutes…..and once you get in the habit of using your time efficiently you will have more time for the things you like to do.


Efficient use of time:
With technology taking over we all seem to be tied to our computer, emails, phones…. Whenever we hear that “you got mail” sound we all jump to check our email or check voicemail….. But this is really not an efficient use of our time. If you stop what you are doing every time you get an email the project that you are working on gets behind. Then you have to remember where you left off on your project and get back up to speed. It wastes time.

Set aside blocks of time during the day when you read all of your email or check your voicemail messages. (Handling email efficiently is another topic).


Plan your outings:
With gas prices going up and the economy going down we need to look at the way we manage our time and our car usage. By planning your day and planning your outings you can save time and money. Instead of running up to the store to get milk in the morning and then running up to the store again later to get school supplies for your kids and then again later to go to your exercise class plan one car trip and do all of your errands at the same time.

The key is planning ahead. By jumping in your car every time you need something you are not only spending money on gas but also on the wear and tear of your car and the biggest part…..you are wasting your precious time. And if you have a family you are pulled in enough directions already and time is something you don’t have a lot of.

Plan ahead and save time and money.


Plan your meals:
Everyone knows that you never, ever go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. We’ve all done it. But what happens? We buy things we normally wouldn’t and don’t really need (both economically and on our waistline). By planning out your meals for the week ahead of time and having a list when you go to the grocery store you will save money. Make that list and stick to it.


Plan your organizing projects:
You’ve been inspired and now you want to organize your entire house in one day. There are dozens of projects that you have been ignoring and you want them all done at once. Well, that’s a nice thought, but not very practical.

Your house / office didn’t get cluttered and out of control in one day …so it’s going to take more than one day to get your clutter under control. You’ve wanted to paint the living room and dining room for the last few years and put all of your photos from the past ten years into albums and re-landscape the yard.

But unless you’ve taken a leave of absence from your job to get it all done or hired people to do it for you it’s going to take time. And if you try to do it all at once….you are going to be very tired and will probably never want to do it again.

Don’t over-do things. Start simply. Make a list of all the things you want to do. Then pick one project to start with. Get that done and feel proud of yourself. Take a rest before tackling another project.

Soon all of the projects will be checked off of your list.


Shopping:
If you are at the store and you have the sudden urge to buy something…force yourself to stop and ask yourself “do you really need this?”. Is there a place for this in my home?

For a lot of people shopping is therapy. It’s psychological. It makes you feel better. It’s also how some people get caught up in the “clutter cycle”.

If you don’t have a place for the item or if you already have a blender, do you really need another one? Yes, I know it makes great smoothies…but can’t your regular blender do that ?

Make a habit of “one in – one out”. You buy an item, you get rid of an item. You don’t need two blenders or three mixers or ten black dresses. Replace things when need but don’t buy things you don’t really need.

Remember, when you donate something be sure to log it into your donation spreadsheet. That way you can deduct it from your taxes.


Children and toys:
When your kids are small so are the toys. And they are usually everywhere. Your house can be organized even when you have children. Start by getting some containers for the toys. Have one box for books, one box for dolls & accessories, one box for cars & trucks, one box for puzzles….and so on.

When the children are as young as two you can start by having them help you put away their toys at the end of the day (or at the end of a play period). No, they are not too young. Believe me, if you start them young it will become a habit and your house will be clutter free. Two year olds might take a bit longer to put away their toys so you need to allow enough time for them to do it.

If you are of the mindset that it takes too long or you don’t have time for them to do it…and you don’t do it for them….toys will take over your house. And your children will learn that clutter is “normal and acceptable”.

Help your children develop good habits at an early age.


Children and mornings:
It seems that mornings are always chaotic. The kids oversleep and they can’t find their homework. They are late for the bus and they don’t have time to make their lunch.

Sound typical? Children do not understand (they choose not to) that if they go to bed at a decent hour they won’t be tired in the morning and they will wake up on time. They will have plenty of time for breakfast and time to make their lunch and time to find their homework. But that doesn’t always happen.

Figure out how long it takes your child to get up, dressed and ready for school and add 15 minutes to that time. Set their alarm (make sure it’s really loud!).

The night before have them make and pack their lunches. Don’t wait until morning. That’s just added stress for you. Even if the children are too young to make their own lunches include them in the decisions and reinforce good nutritional choices. If you only offer them food that is nutritious they will eat it. They won’t let themselves starve.

After their homework is done at night have them immediately put it into their backpack. That way they will always know where it is. Make it a habit. Ask them if their homework is done and if it’s been put into their backpack. By reinforcing this over and over again it will become a habit for them.

Have them set the table for breakfast before they go to bed. That way it’s one less thing to do in the morning.

By getting as much done the night before as you can, your mornings will be a bit more calm.


Being organized is a way of life. Start with small steps. Make it a habit.




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