Sunday, September 1, 2019 marks 15 years since I officially opened for business as a professional organizer. In September 2004, I was doing business as Breathing Room. That is what I wanted my organizing to give people. However, it wasn’t long before I changed it to Matt Baier Organizing. That way, you never forget my name and what I do. …

Today’s blog is guest post from Haley Kieser. One of the best feelings is walking into a clean, organized home–and knowing you live there. But reaching this utopian-like state can seem impossible, or even downright irresponsible with the news of climate change and overflowing landfills trending on social media. You brought this stuff into your home, now it’s your job …

September 1, 2019 will mark 15 years since I started my professional organizing business. In those 15 years, I have learned a lot about how to get organized faster. Here are my top 6 tips to get organized fast. 1. Establish Exit Zones Organizing depends on prioritizing. That includes de-prioritizing. Before you can create sustainable systems, you must declutter the …

The best way to get your closet organizing all set is by striking the right balance. I’m talking about a balance of three organizing factors, represented by S, E, and T.  “S” stands for space and “T” stands for time. You might have guessed the organizing factors of space and time, so what does the “E” stand for? “E” stands …

Want a really simple rule to apply to all organizing? It’s this: REVEAL, DON’T CONCEAL. Sound obvious? If it is, odds are good that you are already organized. Even if you are not organized, you may be saying “Well, duh!” Still, I’d like to share some clients’ organizing practices, where they hide things from themselves. Opaque Containers You know those …

Does your kitchen always seem to be a mess? Does it cause you anxiety? I want to share some thoughts on how to love your kitchen space. My focus is on space because we tend to under-appreciate the role of space. Oh sure, most of us agree that it’s nice to have space. We look at it as what’s left …

Minimalism is a way of life that starts with a reexamination of priorities. This reexamination is a formidable project. You must get your possessions down to a manageable quantity and settle on intentional goals. Once you get to this point, you will need minimalist habits to maintain your goals. That said, these minimalist habits are also useful in guiding you …

There are many things to consider when you get organized for downsizing, including finding the right resources. Of all the other things to consider, there is an approach that I believe stands above the rest. That approach is always making decisions with next steps in mind. For every item that you review in your home you have several choices to …

Downsizing options in Fairfield can be like ordering from a menu: A la carte or prix fixe. Where you may spend more on individual services, you can save money by skipping unneeded services. If you do need a full service option then a move manager may be a better value. However, for help in just a few key areas, a …

A while back, I wrote a post on organizing keepsakes. It was really more focused on getting your keepsakes organized. This post focuses more on tips for storing keepsakes. Clarify keepsake category The first step to storing keepsakes is to recognize that you have them! As a reminder, we are talking about items that you are keeping strictly for sentimental …

There are a lot of of great garage storage products out there.  The MVP, however, might be something that you may think of as nothing. In my last post, I discussed when empty is golden. This certainly includes an empty garage floor. Here are three reasons why  your garage floor may be its greatest asset. Protect Your Car! Do you …

You know the song “Silence is Golden?” After a loud day, silence is golden. It’s a relief.  I wouldn’t quite say that empty is golden, not always. We certainly don’t want an emptybank account, for example, but sometimes empty is golden. Clients often asks, upon emptying a bin, “What am I going to use this for now?” This always strikes …

Attic organizing projects can be overwhelming, but you can overcome, by understanding the challenges and breaking them down.

While I’m not a parent, after almost 15 years of organizing the playroom, I understand the challenges. Mostly, I understand the limitations of just how organized a playroom can get. You just can’t hold it up to the same standards as rooms that you have more control of. I often have clients ask for a playroom where their children can …

Recognizing that basic division is the first step in how to get organized fast. Here are six more.

I often say that organizing is ultimately not about sorting out your stuff, your paper, or your time. Rather, it’s about sorting out your priorities. Financial advisors have similar advise for managing your finances. Don’t look for that magic stock. Start by looking at what your financial priorities are. It’s essential in both cases. Why? Because everybody has different priorities …