A Guest Post from Arline Melzer I’ve seen firsthand how Matt Baier Organizing works to create calm from chaos. He helped a client sort through a desk piled with papers, notes, wires, calculators, and bills, some that were time critical to get her children into summer camp.
It’s hard to know the right day to put summer clothes into storage and bring out the winter clothes. For me, I thought that day was today. Turns out, it’s gorgeous! Still I don’t think I’ll need my sandals and shorts tomorrow. As a professional organizer, who finds himself inside many people’s homes, I know this is a task that tends to get put off, sometimes all season! Part of the problem is, that this seems like a task that will take a long time, maybe half a day. Here are some tips for getting through the seasonal switch FAST.
The modern definition of clutter is a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass, which I find woefully inadequate. It doesn’t address the value of these “things.” The origin of the word clutter, is from the Middle English, clotter, which means to clot. I actually like that better.
Actually I have no idea what’s missing from your organizing system, but today I want to talk about a couple of likely candidates: a shopping file and a pending file.
Being organized makes even the worst events in life better. It just requires a shift in thinking. In fact, it is quite possible to find organizing easier, when there is true adversity. I’m always surprised how often clients greet me with apologies that they haven’t been able to stay organized because of emergencies that come up.
A guest post by Stephanie Hyde from Monkey Bars Garage Storage System To many people organizing seems like a daunting task that they’ll never get around to. If this is you, here’s a little push, simple steps like adding cabinets, shelving, overhead storage, and floor coatings can affect your home price by as much as 14 percent! (According to a Florida State University Study) Not only does this makeover give your wallet a boost, but it also helps increase the space in your home as well.
Ever been on the receiving end of a loved one saying “What are you holding on to that thing for? Just throw it out!”? As unwelcome as this statement might be, it tends to come out of frustration, over a noble effort: clearing a cluttered area. The problem is, the focus is simply on making you throw everything out, when it’s not all junk. A more effective approach is to divide-and-conquer, or more accurately, ask-why-and-conquer.
A guest post from Brian Bish Moving is never fun. I mean, sure… it’s exciting and everything is new. But fun? Not so much.
The opposite of out of sight, out of mind is in sight and in mind, but that’s often seen as a bad thing for organizing. If all your floors and surfaces are covered in clutter, it’s overwhelming and stressful, but the exact opposite is not a good thing either. Good organizing is about striking the right balance between what is hidden and what is seen.
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!
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.
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