Building Your Organizing Skills!
Most likely if you are reading this blog, you are hoping to get some new idea or suggestions on becoming better organized. My business is about helping people build solid organizing systems around their home and work life. It’s about giving them direction and support on how to lead a more organized lifestyle. There are so many wonderful tips and products out there to get you where you want to be. Organization is a skill and if it doesn’t come natural to you, you have to some how learn this skill. With anything you learn, once you learn it, it can’t be taken away from you.. It’s the power of education!
I recently listened to an education podcast for Professional Organizers and the speaker said something that really stuck with me. So much so I have to write about it… She mentioned how the most important piece of what we do for our clients is teaching them new skills!
It’s not just about getting organized.
Being organized comes and goes.
We all have different events and things that happen to us unexpectedly. Even the most organized people will and can become disorganized. It’s the skills we have learned and practiced that help us get our homes and offices back into order. We have the skills to put it back together. It’s just like ridding a bike, once you learn, you never forget! The same is true for organizing.
There will be times of the month or year, where your office is going to look like a mess. If you are moving or in some kind of transition, there will be things that will slip by. If you are dealing with an unexpected life event, your organization will falter.
I think it’s easy for people to be too hard on themselves. Life happens and our priorities shift. Organization is not about perfection or how clean your home or office is. When you see the organization around you start to break, take a step back, look at the reasons, build off of your organizing skills, and make the changes you need to make at the time you need to make them!
Happy Organizing!
Paper Clutter – Pile after Pile!
In our podcast this week, Conquering the Clutter, we discuss a few different tricks and tips to control your clutter! If you were to look around your house right now, I am willing to bet a lot of the clutter you see is in the form of paper… Believe me you are not alone. Even as a Professional Organizer, there are times where my desk looks like a paper wind storm went through it! It happens!
Here is a quick tip to prevent the paper pile up….
Do everything you can not to place more than two pieces of paper on top of each other… I said it’s a quick tip, I never said it would be easy!
A small stack of paper can easily turn into a large mountain of paper, if you are not aware that you keep stacking and stacking… I go back to the organizing rule of “touch it once”.. it’s hard, but the more you are aware of it the better you will get at it.
Ask yourself to really identify what the paper is, can it be filed, does it need some kind of action? What better system can you build to prevent these pile ups? (If you don’t know, call a Professional! This is what we do!)
Think before you pile!
Happy Organizing!
Do You Trust Your Organizing System?
Do you trust your organizing system? 
How you answer this question, will most likely determine how organized you really are! If the answer is Yes… Well kudos to you my friend! My guess is for most people the answer is yes, sort of, maybe, sometimes, or no, not at all.
David Allen in Getting Things Done, talks about having clear edges between your reference files and action files. What does this mean? Having clear edges between your files means only reference paper goes into the reference file, and only action papers go into the action file. Clear edges means there is no grey area, it should be very clear what is in the file.
You are making a promise to yourself and making a commitment to maintain your system the way you set it up. You trust that when you are looking for a reference file, it will be in the reference file.
The files and therefore the system must be clear and well defined! You can not be sort of be organized or organized half of the time. When doing so, we are breaking the promise you made…. You are breaking the trust in the system.
What happens when we don’t trust our systems? We become numb to them! We say, they no longer work for us. We get frustrated and we can easily go back to our old habits and before we know it, the paper pile is back! We have to trust our systems in order to make them work! We have to keep the promise we made.
Here is an example of a trusted system, which is not about paper, but everyday items you would find in a home:
I was working with a client the other day and we were talking about underneath their bathroom sinks. Both sinks had a variety of different medicines, first aid, extra supplies etc, basically to the point where it was overflowing. They were buying duplicates of items because they thought they were out. So we created a new system… one they could trust! We decided to clear out the sinks and go through the organizing process by placing like items with like items. After deciding what was needed to stay under the sinks, we labeled a clear bin for the excess supplies. We placed the clear bin in their closet where there was plenty of room and easy access. So going forward, if they were out of something from under the sink, they would go to the extra bin, if it was not in the bin, then they knew they could trust it was no where else in the home and they could add it to their errand list. They now have a trusted system in place.
Do you trust your organizing system?
If the answer is no, what actions can you do to fix it?
In order to stay organized, in order to live an organized lifestyle, you must trust your systems!
Happy Organizing!
The Two Files To Avoid!
This week my blog posts and podcast have been inspired by David Allen, the author of “Getting Things Done”. His book was introduced to me a couple of years ago, but it wasn’t until recently that I really took the time to study the process. If you have issues with productivity, organizing paperwork, organizing your workflow, or any kind of project around the house or at work, then I highly recommend you read this book.
In the podcast this week, Pete and I talked about the process and the important key elements in making it work. I have started to implement some of the ideas into my own system and really have seen a difference in the way I look at my work.
For this post, I would like to share with you TWO FILES TO AVOID!
The Misc. File and The To File file….
The Misc. File: This is something I have talked about before in blog posts and with my clients. I am a big believer that the Misc. File is a dumping ground file! As David Allen would say it’s a place to put items where you do not want to make decisions. This is true. You don’t want to think about what to do with the paper, so it goes into the Misc. File, that’s the easy solution. If you have a lot of misc. files you may also have a lot of misc. paper piles around the office.
The best thing you can do is a make a decision right away when a piece of paper comes your way. If it really does not belong in an existing category you already have, then I suggest you make a new file just for this kind of paper, or better yet, really think about if the paper is worth saving!
On average, we only retrieve 20% of what we file, the other 80% is left in filing cabinets until we decide to purge them!
The To File file: I admit, I have one of these! I never really thought twice about it. I figure if I had items that needed to file, I would put them into this file and then later when I had time or the folder got to full, which was a visual reminder, I would do my filing. I started to think twice about my strategy after I started studying the GTD Method… (Getting Things Done!) David Allen actually recommends not to have a To File file. My take on this recommendation is because you should have a filing system set up which is easy enough to file any paper within a minute or so. There shouldn’t be a need to wait. If you are done with the paper, file it. It seems so simple, right?
The key is to have an easy system, one which you understand and one with easy access. If you have to get out of your chair to file, the likelihood of you doing it drops a significant amount. Which could be why you are having the paper pile up in the first place!
I admit, I still have my To File file, it is empty, but I still held on to it. I plan to practice the theory and see if it eliminates the filing paper pile. My guess is if I am committed to making this change, then the file really will become obsolete and will be taken out of my action files.
If your system is easy then you really are better off to just take care of the paper now and not later!
There are many great concepts I could share with you about this book, and you will see more posts this week on the ones that really stood out to me.
So for today, think about your Misc. and To File Files, and ask yourself, are they really necessary? Or are they adding more work and stress to your day?
If so, give it try and eliminate them all together!
Happy Organizing!
What it Means to be Organized!
As some of you may already know, I have the privilege every month to write a guest post for The Confident Mom. (Susan Heid with The Confident Mom is a parent / family coach and offers many coaching and teleseminar opportunities.) For this month, which posted on Monday, May 10th, I talk about the definition of organization.
What does it mean to be organized? Many people often assume that because I am a Professional Organizer my house must always look picture ready. They will say I wish I could be a fly on your wall. Well let me tell you… my house is not always organized or clean… I know I am probably being too honest… But it is true! I have two small kids, I work part time, I volunteer at my son’s school, I chauffeur my children to the many activities they are involved in and so much more. Just like many of you, many of my days, every hour is accounted for. Do you think my house gets messy… You bet! Life happens… and the dishes do not always get done and the toys tend to find there way all of over the house.. It’s reality right?… But what I have done is created enough solid systems within the house that when life gets out of control and often times that means the house does too…. it’s easier to clean up and get back to the order I am used too and crave to have in my life… This is what this post is really about, creating the systems and accepting your reality. It’s not perfect nor should it ever have to be….
Here is a copy of the post I wrote for The Confident Mom….
Do you think the picture of above is a good representation of being organized? I am going to guess at first glance you may think this closet is actually very messy.
Many people think organization has to look like beautiful baskets and bins neatly displayed and of course labeled… Not true! Organization is a process and I believe always a work in progress.
So what is organization suppose to look like?
If you were to ask me what my definition of being organized is, it would be this simple: If you are happy in your space and you can find your things when you need them, then you are well organized!
It really has nothing to do with the bins and the labels or the newest organizing product on the market. For some people the product can actually be more confusing than helpful.
Organization can be as simple as putting all your coats into one closet, rather than having them spread out in the house. For example see the picture above! Organization can be as simple as always putting your purse and keys in the same place everyday. The average American spends 55 minutes a day looking for items they know they have but cannot find. By putting a system in place for these everyday items we need, we can take back our time!
The basic principal of organization is…. for everything there is a place. Every item in your home has to have a place to live.
Being organized is about the system you put in place; it’s not about the product. Just because you may have the latest and greatest organizing bin does not mean you are organized. It’s how you use the bin that counts. Does it have a purpose?
Develop a good system and then you will be organized!
Above, I said it’s a work in progress, because it is… What works right now, may not work a year from now. As soon as your system starts breaking down, it’s time to reevaluate!
Happy Organizing!
Organizing Tip: Buy One Get Rid of One!
This rule does not say, Buy One Get One Free! As good as this may sound… Do you really need two? This rule is all about keeping your belongings at a minimum. This rule is about thinking before buying. It’s about making choices and deciding what is important and what is not. So when you buy something new into your home, it’s time to take something out. 
For example: You went shopping and bought a new shirt, now go into your closet and get rid of a piece of clothing you no longer need. You went shopping and bought a new kitchen utensil, now go through your drawer and get rid of one kitchen utensil you no longer need. It’s a simple concept, but you have to stick with it to make it work!
This rule is nothing new… but it’s important to remember! Especially if you are trying to downsize or organize your house this spring! This is also a very important rule when trying to maintain your organized home!
Whenever you are at the store and are getting ready to purchase, think about these three things:
1) Where is this item going to go in my home?
2) Can I get rid of something old to bring in this new item?
3) Do I really need this item or am I buying it on impulse?
Quick Tip: When you are organizing your belongings, make sure to put like items with like items. This way prior to going to the store you can see exactly what you have and see what it is you really need! This will save you time and money!
Happy Organizing!
A Week in Review!
Ok… so how many of you took the challenge from last week? If you tried it, I would love to hear about it… Share your stories!
I tried it and I must say this has to be one of the hardest rules in organizing! Even as a Professional Organizer, a person who likes to organize, lives with very little clutter with the exception of toys because remember I do live with children! This was hard! Now it’s very easy to lay something down and think “I will get to it later!” But that was not the challenge! 
I had two areas I was going to work on, one being the dishes- making sure to put them into the dishwasher right away and not into the sink. This worked well, if the dishwasher was not clean. If it was clean and still needed to be unloaded, well, I admit, there were dishes in the sink! If you were to look into my kitchen right now, unfortunately that is what you would see! I have give myself a little slack, it’s been a busy week!
The other area I worked on this week were the clothes in my closet, I wanted to make sure I either hung them back up or they made it to the hamper, no in between. I must say, this was much more of success than the dishes. If you were to look at my closet right now, you would see everything put away.
The biggest lesson I learned this week, was just being conscious of this rule. It made a difference because I was aware of the decision I was about to make. I had to think about where an item was going and was I following the rule? This is good… because if you are thinking about it, you actually end up doing more than what you would normally do. You are aware of your actions and aware of how clutter may be building up in your home. Your stopping it.
This is a tough rule. Is it a good rule? I think so, as long as you don’t beat yourself up when it doesn’t happen. Realize life happens, and messes are going to occur! I plan on unloading the dishwasher tonight, and by the end of the evening the dishes will be done!
Thinking before doing, can go a long way!
If you missed the challenge, click here to read: “Organizing Rule: Touch it Once” blog post!
Happy Organizing!
Organizing Rule: Touch it Once!
Touch it once… Is this possible, to actually only touch an item once before it is put back in it’s place? 
In theory, it makes perfect sense, you set up organizing systems in your home to make it more efficient. To succeed in your organizing plan it is important to keep in mind these organizing principles like, “Touch it Once”!
Before explaining what this rule means, let’s talk about what you are not doing to follow the rule?
Basically it is a delayed decision. Some people may call it procrastination of some sort. Instead of taking care of the mail right away, you make a pile for it instead. Instead of putting your clothes away, they get stacked on the dresser or on the back of a chair.
Why do we do this? Lack of time maybe, could it be just plain laziness, or we just don’t feel like taking care of it at the time…
Example of not using the rule: I have a mail system, and it does not include going through it everyday. I really do not like mail that much. So I have a mail basket, when I get my mail, which is not everyday, I put it in this basket. Then once a week, I go through it. I make sure all of the bills are paid, I make out the checks right then, and make piles of categories of mail. I have a to file pile, recycle pile, etc. After I am all done, I place the ready to be sent mail by the door for the next day, and file everything else. This system works for me. I am not using the touch it once rule in this system. And that is OK with me! The system still works.
So what does the Touch it Once Rule mean? I would explain it as doing the exact the opposite of what we talked about above. Instead of the stacking and piling, we just put things away. It seems so simple doesn’t it… It makes perfect sense.
I think this rule has real substance in a lot of areas in our home. Maybe not in my mail system, or a system you have created, but I can think of other areas where I could improve and by using this rule, it could cut the clutter down a considerable amount…
SO for the next week, I am going to try it. I am going to make an effort to only touch an item once, and put it away immediately. Join me and let’s see if this really does work. Can it cut the daily clutter out of our homes….
The areas I am going to work on most are: Not putting dishes in the sink- go straight to the dishwasher, clothes are either hung, folded back, or put in the laundry hamper immediately…
Challenge: What about you? What areas can you work on this week to implement this rule?
I’ll let you know how my experiment goes next Friday! I want to hear from you too…
Happy Organizing!
Easy Tip To Keep Your Clutter at Bay!
I often get asked, “How can I stay organized?” You have spent the time and energy to get to this point, but how do you keep it that way. There’s more to this process than just “getting organized”, you want to stay that way! In order to keep an organized system in place, there is no getting around it, you must clean up after yourself.
Here is a very simple tip on how to keep your clutter at bay: Corral It! 
Take a basket or a bag and every day, go around from room to room, and take out anything that does not belong in the room and put it back to it’s home… If you do not have a lot of time, set a timer for 10 min or whatever you have available and work quickly. You can get other family members involved by making a game out of it. You can do this anytime during the day, however, morning or nighttime usually works best.
The point is to do it everyday! If it’s done on a daily basis, you will not have accumulated too much clutter. Once you start adding days in between your quick clean ups take longer to accomplish.
Do it everyday and make it a part of your routine, and you will keep your clutter at bay!
Happy Organizing!
Myth: “I Only Have To Organize Once!”
We are going to talk this week about “Organizing Myths”! 
The first one is: “I only have to organize once.” In my e-book, “Getting Started“, I talk about what to expect when organizing. One of the key points is to evaluate your system. No one system is right for everyone. It takes time to see if something is going to work or not.
Working as a Professional Organizing Coach, I can guarantee, you will have to organize more than just once. We place new organizing systems based on a trial and error basis. Some systems will work flawlessly, others not so much. Just like we said we before, there is no right or wrong way to organize. You have to try it first and tweak it as you go along.
You must take into account your lifestyle at the time. If you have small children, your organizing systems will look different than if you have teenagers at home. Just because it worked for awhile does not guarantee it will work forever.
In order to maintain the systems that do work, you need to make sure you are periodically purging, getting rid of the old as the new is coming in. Straightening and picking up as you go along, make sure items get put back in there designated spots. This is an ongoing process that requires attention everyday.
If you do not update and maintain your systems, you run the risk of getting back into hold habits!
Happy Organizing!
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