TIP OF THE DAY

Want to make de-cluttering easier?

Want to save a step when organizing your home?

GO lidless where you can. By removing lids you save a step which will help you want to put things away. I have a big blue tub for office supplies and i keep the lid underneath the tub. It fits what I need and I don’t have to worry about taking the lid on and off!

Anything that saves you a step or time will help you stick to being on top of clutter!

Throwing Stuff Away is Hard to Do

Sung to the tune of Breaking Up is Hard to Do….

Most of my clients are able to pitch stuff that they know is not worth saving, like torn or stained clothing, electronics that don’t work and rusted items. But other items prove to be more challenging.

I have found with a lot of my women clients it is clothing. (I include myself in that statement and as many of you know I always state organizing and being an organizer is not about perfection!)

“When I lose those last ten pounds” or “But I might need that outfit for a funeral some day” or “Get rid of the sweater that I was wearing when I was asked out on my very first date?”  Peter Walsh offers some really great advice.

1. Those clothes that don’t fit you now are just taunting you every time you open the door! Why would you want clothing that doesn’t fit you or flatter you to take up your space? When you get to the weight you want to be, reward yourself with clothing that you love and makes you feel attractive!

2. When you hold onto items because you are worried you might need them someday you are not living in the present. You are looking to the future. Don’t most of us have dreams and wishes for the future? Do you really want to hold onto something shabby or ill suited to represent your hopes and dreams? Is the money, space and energy you are using to keep everything the best way to try and create your future?

3. Holding on to the sweater is an emotional reason for not wanting to pitch it. But the memories are never going to go away. If you value an item, then you need to show it the honor and respect it deserves. If you aren’t doing that now what makes you think you will start?

By clearing your clutter you are able to open space and open your life to possibilities. You want to change your life? Change your clutter!

Battered women’s shelters and Dress for Success are two charities where women would really benefit from clothes you no longer wear.

Here’s to a healing rest of the week!

Can you put a price tag on organizing?

Several times in my life I have misplaced my keys. That has made me late for meetings, started me off on the wrong foot that day and gotten me really frustrated.

So, I put my keys in their home every time I come in the house. Always the same place so I know in the morning where they are and they are the last thing I grab while heading out the door. This has saved me much headache.

Last Thanksgiving I was in West Virginia visiting my family. Since it is an eight hour drive from Raleigh to Wheeling, I rarely drove when I was home; the rest of the family was fortunate enough to be allowed to drive me around!

Near the end of the stay I went to look for my keys. Because I was on vacation, they did not have a home. The half of the time home I chose for them was a table behind the couch between the kitchen and living room. Bad idea.

Unfortunately this area is heavily traveled by everyone, including my niece Clare and Max. Clare was about 3 1/2 last Thanksgiving and Max around 2 1/2.

I didn’t worry about it first. I figured I had left them in what used to be my room growing up. Nope. I then enlisted my mother, then my father, then all the visiting relatives. No luck. I then thought I’d ask Clare and Max. If you have ever tried to find something from a toddler you can imagine how it went.

So, I had to call the local Toyota dealer to see if I could get keys made. First, my car was towed to the dealership. Now I was lucky that it only cost me $12 for two keys. Had they had a computer chip it would have been more like $100.

My house keys, alarm fob and other keys were also on the chain. Once I got car keys I had to now worry how I would get in my home in Raleigh.

To top it off, I had the flu. I had to stay an extra day and then drive sick 8 hours and where I could get phone coverage find a locksmith. That cost an additional $75. Now, in the big scheme of things $85 is not a big deal.

But that wasn’t the only cost. I spent a few hours looking for the keys, another hour waiting for the tow, 45 minutes at the car shop, 90 minutes for the locksmith. I was sick and tired and this was the last thing I wanted to deal with. If I had only remembered to give my keys a home away from home I would have been alright.

I know people don’t want to pay for an organizer, but you have to ask yourself: what is it costing me?

The keys did have a happy ending. My mother found them in April. They were in a basket in the basement. We suspect Clare or Max were playing and put them in the basket and it got carried downstairs. Clare and Max, however, are remaining mum on the subject!

ANXIETY AND CLUTTER

A friend sent me an article and it talked about how being disorganized can create anxiety, especially for highly sensitive people. I have pasted the article as well as provided the link below.

So, if you are feeling anxious it might be worth it to spend that half an hour getting organized, or at least putting everything into piles to help you remain calm.

Disorganized heaps of paper in your cube or on the kitchen counter can make you anxious. For some, “clutter is a reminder of things that should be getting done but aren’t,” says Elaine Aron, Ph.D., author of The Highly Sensitive Person. “It can make you feel like a failure.” For a quick fix, straighten up a few surfaces in your office or in the areas of the house where you spend the most time. “It’s when every bit of space is messy that it’s most disturbing,” says Aron. Don’t bother to organize unless you have a chunk of time. Instead, arrange papers, books, and other detritus of daily living in neat piles or store them in baskets. “Just the illusion of order is enough to ease the mind,” she says.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100241379&imageindex=6

Packing for Vacation

Found a cool site that allows you to create a packing list for all of your trips.
Warning: you must have a google account to access!

http://www.packwhiz.com/

Perfection and Organizing

I belong to the National Association of Professional Organizers and over the last couple of days there has been an interesting discussion on the new members list serve.

It started with a member saying she got a client because he looked into the backyard of his neighbor (their backyards butted up against one another) and saw she had a bunch of boxes piled there. He thought as a home organizer she wasn’t walking the talk and went somewhere else.

We don’t know what the circumstances were; maybe she was getting her garage painted. Who knows? People often ask me if I am organized. I say I am, but I am not perfect. One, it’s impossible! Secondly, it’s no fun.

I tell people if there were a fire I could get my important papers and be out of the house in a second. If a client calls I can get their file immediately. I know what’s in my closet so I don’t make duplicate purchases. When I come home I feel at peace because my everything is orderly and I can enjoy things that I truly cherish, such as paintings.

So, remember that organizing isn’t about perfection. It’s about being able to find what you need and saving time and money.

Healing Organization

A few people have asked me recently why the name Healing through Organization. They say that they expect me to do some type of healing or be in health care.

It was very important for me when I left my last job that whatever I did in the future, it would have some positive effect on people.

I view every job I do as an opportunity to help someone and hopefully help them “heal” whether it is to bring them peace, tranquility, perhaps face a problem, recognize something in themselves….

While the main objective is to get people organized, it is my intent that they feel better, inspired, and happy after every meeting with me.