Why the Only-Touch-a-Piece-of-Paper-Once Rule Isn’t Working For You
Are you familiar with the only touch/handle a piece of paper once rule? Many professional organizers and time management experts recommend it. I don't. Their thinking is that, you don’t get anywhere by shuffling papers from one pile to another. True enough. Their answer is to make a decision on one piece of paper at a time before moving on to the next piece. You may decide to read, act, file, delegate, or toss, but you MUST decide!
Product Review: See Jane Work
This is the first time I have ever reviewed a line of product, but the good folks at See Jane Work have sent along several samples. Jane is actually Holly Bonn-Weiss, a successful entrepreneur who believes there is no reason organizing products can’t be stylish. I agree. I have combined them in the photos, but I shall review them one at a time.
How To Take Charge of Awkward Garage Storage
It’s pretty easy to run out and buy some shelves and bins for storage in the garage, but so many of the items in the garage are what I would classify as “awkwards.” Your beautifully shelved bins can be sabotaged by items like fishing poles, bicycles, and garden tools. To take charge of your garage storage, accommodate these awkwards before you shelve the items that play nicely with others. Here’s how.
Product Review: 3M 1.5 X 2 Post-Its
I know what you’re thinking. “Really? Those nasty little notes that litter my husband’s computer monitor and desk?” No worries. I don’t like that look either and I don’t like what it represents: inaction. What I do like, no, LOVE about the mini Post-Its is when they are used well. They are used best when they facilitate flexibility.
The Shocking Truth About Getting Organized
To get organized effectively, the focus should not be on getting rid of stuff, but on what's being kept. Really. That focus needs to be on what you are keeping, why you are keeping, how much you are keeping, and where is all going to be kept?
Why Your To-Do List Isn’t Working
Your to-do list isn’t working for you because you are trying to reduce 3 steps to just one. To get your to-do’s to done, requires three essential action steps:
Product Review: Cablox™ Cable Management
The Cablox Cable Organizer definitely taps into the whole minimalist aesthetic. Their one page website sells it’s experience as the “art of cable management.” It makes a feature of the fact that is designed in Denmark. For some reason, that makes me think of Brut, by Faberge, like that somehow makes it more special. It is, infact, about as easy a cable management system as I have found.
Why Most Organizing Products Don’t Work
If it feels like you’ve tried every organizing product and nothing seems to work, don’t blame yourself. Most organizing products are inherently flawed. Why? Disregard of context.
Product Review: Wall Mates® dry erase boards
There’s a lot of dry erase boards out there, so what makes the Wall Mates® from At-A-Glance® so much better? It’s the hanging technology.
The Secret to the 10 Minute Purge
You know those magazine articles or online features that offer “Great Organizing Tips!”? They almost always include a tip that says something to the effect of: "Spend just 10 minutes throwing out unwanted items." Often they advise to “just start with the junk drawer!” A ten minute purge can be very unsatisfying without three key guidelines. So the secret to the 10 minute purge is actually 3 secrets:
Product Review: The Car Seat Cooler
The Car Seat Cooler is made by the Talus Corporation, based in Portland, Maine. In full disclosure, both my Vice President, Ben Soreff and I are sons of the great state of Maine, so it’s hard not to be biased for a Maine business like Talus, but we will try.
The Best Answer for the Worst Clutter
This past weekend an article came out in Minnesota’s Star Tribune that featured an interview with organizing guru, Peter Walsh. In it, Walsh states "Clutter isn’t really about stuff at all. Rather, it’s about our relationship to stuff. Clutter becomes a problem when people look for meaning, support and affirmation from their belongings, instead of from other people." I couldn’t agree more. I’d like to describe an approach I take, to illustrate this point.
July 2013, Stamford Advocate
When Peggy and Dayton Ogden decided to sell their New Canaan house, they realized they needed help to get it ready to be shown to prospective buyers.
Product Review: The Doxie 1 Scanner
This is my third scanner review and for a very good reason. People hate paper! If I had a dollar for every time a client asked about ditching the paper and scanning everything, I would have about $34. (I’m not prone to hyperbole.)
Steps Up, Not Stones Across
It’s not uncommon for clients to ask us to work our organizing magic in several rooms in their home—in one day. Our magic doesn’t come from jumping from one stepping-stone to the next, across the house. It comes from building steps and climbing up to the next level.
