A Dynamic Duo For Storage
As with a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, two storage items that are good separately are great together. The two items I am focusing on today may seem pretty familiar individually and perhaps you use the combination already. I would go so far as to say that for a quick, easy, inexpensive, and optimally efficient solution, there is nothing better.
How To Unpack Fast
Ever notice how the relaxing effects of a vacation often go sour on the trip home? While I may not have advice for the stressful return flight or traffic, I can offer some tips for streamlining the unpacking process. Let’s face it, you may feel compelled to attend to your pet, quench your thirst, filter through the mail, or just take a nap, but no one wants to dive in to unpacking, when you first return home. However,
Savor, Not Save
If you find yourself struggling with HOW to get organized, it might make all the difference in the world to step back and ask, WHY get organized? You will find it easier to stay organized, if the reason why has more to do with savoring than with saving. When you’re saving, it’s either stuff that ties you the past or prepares you for the future. Some of both is necessary, but too much can compromise your enjoyment of the present. ...
Safety In Numbers?
When it comes to finding what you want, when you want it, I have come to believe that the security that come from “safety in numbers” is a false sense of security. Let’s look at pens, for example. In my parent’s household, there was always a basket full of writing implements next to the telephone. Or so I thought. For it seems that every time I reached for a simple ballpoint pen to write a message with, I would ...
Bon Voy-organizing!
Just got back from a two week vacation, but I haven’t taken a vacation from thoughts on organizing. Here are a few organizing tips that can make your travels easier. Traveling light means choosing right. With the airlines charging for extra luggage checks these days, traveling light makes more sense than ever. To get everything into one bag, you have to make some really tough choices. For instance,
OrGOnized
To understand what it takes to stay organized, it might be helpful to change the spelling of the word itself. The word “go” needs to be at the heart “organized.” To be truly organized, you need to be or-GO-nized. I know the definition of organizing, but I haven’t found a satisfying word origin. 1375-1425, late Middle English from the Medieval Latin organizare- to contrive, arrange— is not doing it for me.
Organizing Isn’t Fitting
Do you tend to put things where they belong or where they fit? If you put them where they belong, then you are using dedicated zones, even if that’s not what you call them. If you just put things where they fit, it can be very difficult to stay organized. Seven words I dread hearing from a client, upon gaining a clear drawer or shelf, are “what can we put in here now?” It means I haven’t done my job of explaining how being organized works.
One, Two, Four-get It!
I have a simple little theory that explains why it is so hard to stay organized. While I have never tested it scientifically, I have observed it throughout my life and in almost every home I have organized. I call it the One, Two, Four-get it! theory. It begins with two other organizing beliefs of mine. First, I believe that a clear work surface is your number one organizing tool. Second, I believe that limitations breed freedom. For example, if you limit the
The Path To Paperless
Clients, who are frustrated by all their paper, often ask me “What about scanning it all and going paperless?” I usually recommend “Let’s learn to walk before we can run.” Why waste time and money scanning in the paper that is worthless? I have never made the jump to 100% paperless myself, but recently I discovered I knew someone who has. I’m always learning surprising facts about my manager, Marlie Reid. One of those facts is that Marlie is 100% paperless.
Teeing It Up
A golf ball is placed on a tee, so that the ball is in a position that it can be struck cleanly. Teeing up is a step that is taken so the next step is easier. Effective organizing systems need to be, not only a series of stages, but a series of stages that are each “teed up” for each subsequent stage. For example, if your system for organizing the ugly mail is hiding it in a pretty basket, you have not teed up the next stage well.
Product Review: The Sticky Pad
I guess I’m kind of late to come around to the virtues of the Sticky Pad, but I have to say I’m a fan. I first saw this product in use, as I do with so many products, by one of my brilliant clients. It's so simple. Just place the Sticky Pad anywhere on your dashboard and simply rest your cell phone (or whatever) on top of it. The pad will hold stop it from slipping off, no matter what. Really!
Top 10 Dedicated Zones
Establishing and maintaining dedicated zones are essential to staying organized. Here are the top 10Read More
Product Review: Neat Desk for Mac
I have to admit that when I took the Neat Desk One Month trial offer, I was planning on returning it. I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong. The Neat Desk is not without its problems, it’s not cheap, and it’s not for everybody, but I have concluded that for me it is worth the investment.
Post Post
The other day I rushed home from work and jumped straight on the computer. My wife walked by my office and said “Take off your coat and stay a while!” You might wonder what this fascinating story has to do with organizing. A while back I wrote a post called “Envel-nope”, about why un-shed envelopes have no place in the home.
The Barrier of Perfection
Several clients have told me, “I’d like to see your house. I’ll bet it’s perfect.” Read More
