Being Organized ... A Work in Progress

Being Organized is not natural for everyone. Being organized is always a  "work in progress".

For some of us it does come naturally and we can't live or work in an unorganized setting. But for most people it's a struggle. So don't feel that you are alone. You're not.

Being organized takes work. It takes planning and commitment. It takes practice.

It is something that can be learned. But it's not easy for most people. As a Professional Organizer I am constantly teaching people ways to simplify and organize their life. But I am also teaching people that everyone has different styles and levels of organization that they need in order to be comfortable.

Not every space has to be perfect. But it has to function for each person. In families, each family member might have a different organizing style. And that's o.k.. In fact, it's quite common. What has to happen is that we have to find a way to organize the family so that everyone is comfortable with the process and that every member of the family can and will follow the plan.

By coming up with solutions for the family as a whole you have a better chance of actually being able to have an organized house. If you only created a system that works for one family member and the other could not or would not follow it then you will have accomplished nothing....because the system would fail within a short period of time.

Being organized is always a work in progress. It needs to be tweaked over time to make it work for your particular needs.

Relax and just go with it........


Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Moving - Ten Years From Now.....

You have a great house, a great job ... and you have no intention of moving. Ever. Fast forward ten years and all of a sudden your life has changed dramatically. You are offered the job of a lifetime and you are about to move.

Are you prepared?  Most people aren't.

Even if you think that you will never move you should have your household possessions documented with accompaning receipts. You do...don't you?

As an extremely organized person, who never thought I'd move, I wasn't prepared to hand over receipts for things that I had bought ten years earlier. For insurance purposes to the moving company who lost a lot of our possessions. Why keep receipts for furniture, decorations, things that could never be replaced?

The answer is .... because if you don't have them the moving company will not give you anywhere close to what the items are worth.... even if you have the highest insuranace coverage available.

Moving companies will do anything to avoid reimbursing you for things they lost or damaged. Our experience with Mayflower was beyond horrible. Even though we had witnesses to the abuse of our property by the movers they didn't care.

So even though you might not ever think you will move.... treat your possessions like you might move...someday. 

• DOCUMENT everything in your home.
• Keep receipts for your appliances and furniture until you get rid of them.
• Keep receipts for anything that you value.

One way to do this is to use a binder and divide it into things such as:

• Furniture
• Appliances
• Decorations
• Equipment

Whenver you buy something, put the receipt in the binder. When you get rid of the item you can get rid of the receipt....but not before.

By keeping all of your receipts you will be one step ahead.... if you ever need to prove the value of your possessions.

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/

Yes, There Are Good Lists

 I make a lot of lists and yes, my spouse just shakes his head. Making lists helps me to save time and brain power. Why keep re-inventing the wheel?

There are times when making lists makes sense. Like when you are going camping and don't want to forget anything. By having a "camping checklist" I can quickly pull everything together for an impromptu camping excursion. By using my list I don't have to wonder if I forgot anything. I have columns for camping gear, clothes, food and miscellaneous items.

If you have a family you can put each person's name on top of a column and they can check off all of the things that they need to bring. No more "Mom, I forgot my swimsuit".

The lists are on the computer and can easily be changed or updated as needed and printed off right before each trip. It takes the stress out of your "enjoyable" weekend.

Admit it, packing a family up for any trip is not easy and if you forget anything the whining will ruin your "enjoyment". So stop re-inventing the wheel and make a list for activities that you do a lot. Your life will be easier and so what if your spouse thinks you are "too organized".

Whatever makes our life easier will make our families life easier - whether they admit it or not.

Happy Organizing !




Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Getting Ready For School

 Summer vacation is not over yet and you want us to think about getting ready for school?

Yes, I do! Why wait until the week before school starts or for some people the day before school starts, to get organzied and ready for school?  Eliminate the stress by planning ahead!

The schools will probably have a supply list out already. School sales start early so take advantage of them. Avoid the crowds of last minute shoppers. Avoid the stress!

If you are just starting to send your kids to school forthe first time you should also think about the end of school - all of the pictures and projects that the kids will be bringing home over the next year. Think about how you want to organize everything and buy the appropriate tools now while you are buying everything else for school. This will save you a lot of time and money later.

There are many different options for organizing your kids papers and projects. A Pendaflex with space for each grade. A 3 ring binder, a file box.... Whatever works for you. By thinking about it ahead of time your year will be a lot smoother.

Clothes:  Your kids will probably have grown over the summer. Go through their closets (yes, again - and tell them to stop growing already!). Make a list of what clothes they have and what clothes you will need to buy. Keep an eye out for the sales, but please don't get carried away!  Buy only what's on your list.

Let the kids help. Tell them to keep an eye out for the sales ans teach them to shop responsibly. It's never too early to start teaching them how to be organized!

Have a great school year !



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Impromptu Picnics

Summer is here and one of the things we love to do is have "impromptu"  picnics. Whenever the mood strikes, a picnic makes you feel like you are on vacation - even if it's only for an hour.

It's easy to do if you have a "picnic basket" all ready to go at all times.

I usually keep a basket filled with paper plates, cups, plastic utensils, napkins, small trash bags and a few other things all ready to go and near my front door. I always have  a few water bottles half filled with water in the freezer and fill them up with water whenever we go on a picnic or hike. By having the water bottles half filled and in the freezer you never have to worry about having ice cubes. I usually have some fresh fruit available and some crackers or snacks  in the cupboard. You can quickly make a couple of sandwiches or pick some up on your way to the park or beach.

Keeping it simple is the key. Picnics are about getting out and enjoying nature and the people you are with.

Picnics should not be a one time only summer event. Have them often and feel your stress dissolve.

By being prepared and being organized you too can enjoy a spur of the moment picnic anytime!

Have a great summer !



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

The Paper Shuffle

 Organizing spaces is easy and fun (well, for some of us).  Paper - not so much. Getting your paperwork and files organized is time consuming and draining (both physically and emotionally). You have to make decisions about every single piece of paper. There can be hundreds of pieces of paper in an inch. Hundreds of decisions that have to be made about what to do with each piece of paper.

Is the piece of paper important?

Do we have to keep it or can we pitch it?

What do we do with it?  File it?  Where?

And so the paper shuffle begins. From one stack to the next. You can't make a decision so you move the paper from one pile to the  "I'll get to it later" pile.

But you never do. And the pile just continues to grow.

So what's the answer?  Well, it all depends on your "style" and the ability to adapt to a new "plan".  A Professional Organizer always takes the clients "style" into consideration when coming up with a solution. There is no "one size fits all" in organizing.

But no matter what the solution is - there is not getting around the fact that you have to "deal with the paper". Go through the process once, come up with a solution and hope that you will "stick with the program".

Coming up with an easy, yes, you will (not "CAN") do it plan is the first step.  By having a system in place the time spent filing your papers into the appropriate and meaningful files will be drastically reduced.

When a bill or some other important piece of paper comes into your home or office, you will immediately be able to put it into its appropriate place instead of just piling it on top of an already ignored "pile of things" to deal with.

By handling each piece of paper only once you will save a lot of time and your desk will be a pleasure to work at instead of somewhere you would rather not be.

Organizing paper takes a lot of  thought and organizational skills. Not everyone has it. So don't be concerned that you are the most disorganized person out there.

You aren't!



Happy Organizing!




Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

When You Are Ready

So you have decided that you are ready to "Get Organized".  GREAT !

Now what ?

A lot of clients will just start throwing things out at a frantic pace. Everything must go!

It seems to an outsider that they have gone from one extreme to another. Disorganized on Monday to a purging maniac on Tuesday. They go at a frantic pace until finally they crash from exhaustion.

Organization is great. I am all for it, obviously. But you have to have a plan. Any plan. And you have to pace yourself so that you don't get burned out. Otherwise your enthusiasm will go out the window along with your energy.

Slow down! You have waited this long. Step back and come up with a plan. What do you really want your "end result" to be?  Break your "plan" up into manageable sections (hours per day) so that you will want to continue the next day.

Do some things that will produce a "noticeable" result so that you feel like you have made some progress. This will fuel your motivation to continue.

It took you years to get "disorganized". It takes more than a few hours to get your home to look like the cover of a magazine (which is what clients expect).

Be realistic and you won't be disappointed.



Organizational Consulting Services


www.organizationalconsultingservices.com