Creative Changes Blog

For many people getting and staying organized seems next to impossible, and sometimes completely overwhelming. A cluttered home or workspace causes unnecessary stress with wasted time looking for lost items, late fees due to misplaced and forgotten bills, and what about all those piles in the garage just nagging to be dealt with.

Here is the good news - Anyone can learn organizing skills, and those basic skills will apply to any area or space that needs organizing.

I have a simple seven step process that I apply to almost any space that I am organizing.

1. Decide on your priorities - What is most important to you?

2. Visualize your ideal version of the space you want to organize. Keep that dream of the end results in your mind - not the job of getting there! This is also the time to consider what systems you might need to put in place to easily keep the space in order.

3. Empty - Whether it is a junk drawer, your closet, the garage, desk drawers - no matter what the space is, you need to start by emptying it so you can start with a clean slate. In some large projects you may have to work in sections, so you would empty only the section that you are working on for that day.

4. Sorting Stage 1 - Group like things together. This allows you to see what you have and makes the decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of easier.

5. Sorting Stage 2 - Now that you can see exactly what you have, create sub categories such as, Keep in this space, Keep somewhere else, Toss / Shred / Recycle, and Donate / Sell.

6. Return ONLY those items that belong in that particular space, keeping like things together. Now that you have the volume of stuff pared down, you can decide on what, if any storage accessories and/or containers you may need.

7. Dispose of the other piles right away. Find appropriate "homes" for the items that you want to keep, that belong somewhere else. If you have a large project that you are doing in sections, you may want to wait until the end to make the donations. Keep them all together in the garage, or somewhere out of the way, and have all of it picked up at the end of the project. Get the toss pile out to the garbage before it turns into another pile of clutter!


These steps tend to overlap each other a bit and, naturally, each job is a little different, but this basic process will help to clarify and simplify where to start, then what to do next.

Happy organizing!

Until next time,

Sandra

Labels: home organizing, organizing, organizing skills

'Tis the season for resolutions and goal setting. Not that I am against these good intentions, but lets face it, 90 percent of them are doomed to the point that many people don't even bother anymore because it is such a downer to fail yourself like that.

In an e-mail exchange recently with other small business owners I came across a very good summary of why our well intentioned goals and resolutions don't stick. In my own words, I would like to summarize here.

We make these proclamations for the wrong reasons. We make resolutions to improve or change because we think we should, instead of choosing goals that are personally meaningful and compelling. Just because you think you should get organized because your spouse is nagging you about it, does not necessarily make it a compelling goal to you. It will only be a meaningful goal to you when you have reached a level of discomfort or inconvenience that drives the desire to change.

We start with good intentions, instead of measurable goals. A resolution or goal is only a wish unless we develop a realistic plan to get to where we want to go. We need a road map to follow along the way that will convert that goal into daily action. Action steps should be small enough to be accomplished in a couple of hours so you can see and measure your progress towards your goal.

Again with the organizing example - Your resolution may be to get the garage organized. The next step to take is to decide exactly what you mean by that. What is your vision for the garage? When you can imagine exactly where you are going, the path to get there becomes more clear. Next step is to decide on your plan of action and when you want to be finished. Give yourself specific tasks to be completed before you move to the next step. With each action step you will see progress and be motivated to continue. The whole garage mess may seem too big and too vague to get beyond the overwhelmed stage, but when you break it down to specific and manageable tasks you will be much more likely to achieve your goal - and keep that resolution.

May 2008 be the year of the fulfillment of your own compelling resolutions and goals - starting NOW.

Until next time,

Sandra

Labels: Goal Setting, New Year's Resolutions