Entries Tagged 'Home Organization' ↓

Home organization doesn’t have to happen overnight and it doesn’t have to happen all on your own.  Phew!  This winter we have had the most incredible weather in Seattle, sunny and warm, and we are loving life!  So today after a great 5 mile run/walk  (getting back into the swing of things), I felt obligated to mow the front lawn after seeing my neighbors on each side do so.  And it was bad.  Patches of clover.  Bald spots.  Edging that needs to be done.  Weeds that need to be pulled.  Beauty bark that needs to be brought in.  Mowing the grass was really just a drop in the bucket.  So much work to do, so little time.  I felt a little overwhelmed.  But I thought about it and realized I can do this a little at a time.  Just like I preach with organizing.  I can work on nice days for even just 15-20 minutes and it will make a difference.    I don’t HAVE to produce a perfectly manicured yard overnight.  Especially if I want to get anything else done around here such as laundry, exercising, working and on & on. 

But I also realized that there are some areas I just may need help with.  And that’s when I sent my handyman a handy message to let him know I may need some help kicking off the yard.  I looked around at what I could do myself and what I could have Kory do and what I could help Kory with to ease the budget.  Sometimes you just have to bring on someone that can help you do the work that you can’t do as well as help make your project easier for you. 

So whether your current project is for home organization or some other task, break it down so it’s not so daunting and bring in the troops if you need them!

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To stay on top of home organization, you really have to keep small issues from becoming big ones.   How do you do that you say?  Why, let me tell you and thank you for asking! 

• Make sure that when you bring something new into your home, you give it a home too.  Give it a space on a shelf, give it a basket or a storage bin to live in.  And if you can go one step further, label that home with a label machine so everyone knows where it goes!
• If you see an area that naturally starts to be a dumping zone, work with it not against it.  If you seem to always come home and drop your mail on the kitchen counter, then set up a system at the kitchen counter that works for you and is visually appealing.
• Containerize belongings that belong together so you can find them as well as put a cap on them.  For example, place all your art supplies in a caddy or storage bin.  When it’s time to create, you will know right where to go to get started.  When items are stored together, you can really see how much you have and this will help you curb the urge to buy more.
• Let go of items regularly.  See that photo above?  Well, there were a lot more games when we got started on that project.  But with a donation bag at hand, a lot went out the door and the family was down to a manageable number of games that they really wanted which gave them more space and less visual clutter.

Stay on top of home organization by l0oking at problem areas and putting on the brakes before they get out of control-you can do it!

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Home organization requires that you keep a balance between how much stuff you have in your home vs. how much space you have available to accommodate it.  It’s not about getting rid of everything in sight, especially if it has a clear home and it’s not causing any problems.  Problems could be that your stuff is causing stress, a tripping hazard or financial issues. 

Well, we have to think along the same lines with our time too, we have to be very careful to keep a balance between what we have on our schedules vs. the time we have available to accommodate those tasks.  It’s critical that we don’t overschedule, leaving ourselves stressed, tired, cranky and out of balance with our self-care.  Right now the challenge I have is to be on top of my organizing business as well as taking care of my home and self.

So the other day, even though I had plenty of stuff to do, I stopped everything and went running.  Ok, run/walking.  We are having amazing, sunny weather here in Seattle in February and I am able to leave my house and run to a local lake.  I was out on the road, run/walking along the lake and the sun was shining, the lake had little ripples and sparkles from the sun shining down on it.  There were people out in boats, there were dogs out in boats and it was wonderful.  I would have missed it all if I would have stayed hunkered down in my office knocking out to-do’s!

So, make sure that you continually work to organize your home & organize your work, while continuing to strike a balance that keeps you happy and healthy!

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When it comes to home organization, setting up new systems and actually using them, you definitely have to be open to change.  Change in the way of using products that are new to you.  Change in the way of creating new habits by using your new system every day.  Change by having the self-discipline to keep up and maintain your system.  But something else you have to consider, you should even be open to making changes to your ‘new & improved’ system. 

When you first create a new system you have to be sure to give yourself plenty of time to get used to by using it regularly.  You have to give it a fair shake.  It’s not unusual, as time passes,  to realize you may need to make some tweaks here and there to make the system work better for you.  And that’s ok.  It’s better than having to start from scratch, at least you already have a functioning system and now you can just make it better!

The system above worked great for me for my daily “active” business files for a really long time.  I was using poly files that don’t get beat up on the edges, they were colorful and labeled and I could find what I needed.  But over time, I started adding more files which took away the benefit of being ’stepped’ because now files were blocking other files.  Some of my files started getting thicker, which was making them flop over as well.  So, I decided to give a system a try that my colleague uses-photo below.  It is working great for me and I was even able to find colored poly hanging file folders-whoohoo!  Ok, that sounds a little professional organizer geeky now.  What can I say?

So, embrace change in new home organization systems and know that it’s OK to make more changes as your needs evolve!

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I really believe that a huge part of home organization boils down to being prepared.  This little ink cartridge saved the day for me recently!   I was working away in my office, doing some printing, when suddenly I was getting the error message from my printer to add magenta if I would like to continue printing in color.  Oh shoot.  But then it hit me to open my drawer in my office.  There it sat-just the color I needed!  I realized that I had thought ahead the last time I went to Staples and purchased the two colors that were showing signs of being low on my printer.  Had I waited until the ink actually ran out, I would have been stuck in my office that day-either forced to leave my work to go purchase the ink or forced to finish my printing project on another day.  Once I’m in the swing of things, I like to keep going! 

There are so many areas where we can just think ahead a bit so we can be prepared and keep ourselves on track and organized.  Here are a few right off the top of my head:

• Purchase all birthday and special occasion cards at the beginning of the month for the people in your life so you can send them out on time throughout the month
• Keep stamps on hand at all times
• Look at your calendar on Sunday so you can purchase or prepare anything you may need for events during the week
• Have kids load up backbacks for school at night so you don’t have to rush around looking for something in the morning
• Write down what you need to bring with you to events that are on your calendar so nothing gets left behind

There are countless ways to be organized by being prepared, hopefully this just gets you doing a little brainstorming of your own!

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I imagine that when people think about home organization and professional organizers, many people think about decluttering and parting with items more than adding items to the home.   Being organized is really all about balance.  Usually by the time a professional organizer comes in, yes, there are items that need to be gone through and parted with.  Of course it’s not about just making a blanket sweep and getting rid of everything we see on the floor, tables and in the closets.  It’s really all about having our clients look at what has piled up and start making decisions regarding how useful and important each item  is to them.  So, part of the balance sometimes means there are things going out the door that don’t really belong anymore.  And it can mean some new things are going to the enter the home that have more meaning, help stretch space or create more efficient storage solutions.

 Now, when I bring something new into my home, I am always very careful to:

1. Make sure I really like it
2. Make sure I can afford it
3. Make sure I need it
4. Make sure I know where I will put it

OF COURSE, I don’t want my home overrun with clutter, but I also don’t want it to be devoid of comfort, personality or warmth.  Balance.  The above table is a new addition in my hallway under family photos.  I even put it together all by myself!  And it met the criteria:  I really like it. I can swing for a $50 table from Target.  Maybe it was a want more than a need-but I had what felt like a bare spot.  And of course I knew exactly where I was going to put it.

 My home is organized, a little prettier and I feel happy every time I walk by the table with a warm candle burning!

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A big part of creating a new system of home organization involves making changes, making decisions and that scares people sometimes.  I believe that when things get out of control, people are coming from a place of stress, feeling overwhelmed and they are afraid they will make a mistake.  Afraid of parting with something that they might need someday or afraid that they may regret parting with an item.  Afraid they won’t be able to make their space just right, afraid of not being perfect.  I’ve seen people who were afraid to add paint color in their home.  They avoided making a mistake by not adding some color to their home, but they also didn’t enjoy their space. 

But if you play it safe and stay status quo, you will remain in a home that is cluttered and brings you stress instead of providing a comfortable haven from the outside world.  Don’t we all just want to feel good when we come home at the end of a long day?  So make those decisions that you have been putting off.  It’s time to create a home that you love and to do that means taking a chance that you may make a mistake.  But I really believe that the awesome feeling you will have in an unclutter home, surrounded by belongings you love and use, will far outweigh any potential mistakes you could make.  Plus, what’s really the worst thing that could happen?  Most items you can replace if you really do find a need for them down the road.

So, push yourself outside of your comfort zone so you can create the organized home you’ve been dreaming of!

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Just recently I was walking through Staples when I had an Ah Ha moment hit me!  Now keep in mind, as a professional organizer a trip to Staples is very exciting for me!  Right or wrong.  But as I looked around at the great variety and colors of folders, files and other organizing products, I realized why it is that so many people that I help already have products on hand.   They looked great in the store, they purchased them but they  just didn’t know what to do with them.  As a matter of fact, it’s very common for professional organizers to come across unused organizing products and books on how to get organized as we help people declutter and organize their spaces.  We know the effort and good intentions were there. 

I started thinking about why this happens.  The stuff looks great on the shelves (and it is great), but it’s a matter of taking your own work styles and habits into consideration.  Just because you purchase an organizing product doesn’t mean you will be and will stay organized.  Why is that?  Because not every product works for every person.  As an organizer, it’s my job to ask questions when I am working with someone.  I can give them the best system that works for me, but if it doesn’t work for them then what good is it really? 

So take into account how visual you are.  Take into account whether or not you feel your files will be lost if unseen in a filing cabinet.  Take into consideration if you are a piler or a filer.  Think about whether you want your files to be all one color or a fun rainbow when you open your filing cabinet.  There’s not just one way to be organized.  But there is the right way for you!

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Since the kitchen is such a vital center of the home, I look at my kitchen as an important area for home organization, which also means keeping it clean-multiple times a day.  Ug.  Did I mention that the worst chore to me is cleaning out the dishwasher?  But, since staying on top of the kitchen is a necessary evil, I love it when I find shortcuts and easy fixes!  So, here is one that I love for keeping your flat stove top clean:

Take a bottle of the spray oven cleaner that you would use to clean the inside of your oven, spray it on the burners and then turn them all on for a few seconds.  Turn them back off, let the stove top cool a bit and then just wipe clean! 

Super easy and it really works to clean quickly!

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Did you know that January is national “Get Organized” month with NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers)?  Yep, that’s right, a whole month for office and home organization!  A new year, a new month, a time for new year’s resolutions with “getting organized” at the top of many people’s lists. 

So, the definition of ‘resolution’ according to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:

 the act or process of resolving: as a : the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones

I find that very fitting in relation to organizing.  When I go in to help people get organized it is because they are overwhelmed, stressed and don’t know where to begin.  It’s all too much.  But decluttering and organizing really is all about breaking things down into processes, steps so it won’t be so overwhelming.  That’s what I am there for, to break things down, provide support and show people the steps that are needed to reach their goals.

Important steps:

• Create a goal
• Set up supplies
• Sort belongings
• Make decisions on what to part with and what to keep
• Give belongings a home
• Remove the items you are parting from the home
• Maintenance

Think about your home organization goals and remember to break things down into steps so you aren’t overwhelmed!

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