Say you have 30 minutes to spare.  (I know you don’t but let’s just pretend.)
How do you spend that precious time? 
Do you:

    (a) work on plans for an upcoming project?

    (b) get a cup of coffee and today’s paper to catch up on your reading?

    (c) clean up the mess on the kitchen island, start a load of laundry, pick up stray items on the floor on your way to the laundry room, check your email, plan dinners for a week, pay bills on line and take the dog for a walk?

    (d) sit there paralyzed because you are just so unaccustomed to having time to yourself that you don’t know what to do first?

If you are living in a busy household with a spouse, kids, pets and plenty of things going on, the novelty of some time to spare probably just overwhelms you.

If you have been struggling with getting organized and suddenly find yourself with some extra time, that’s usually when many people will try and start a project.  But when you dive into it and half way through you get interrupted, or you don’t have the right tools to complete the project, that’s when you become discouraged and give up.

Here are some tips to use so you will be “ready” the next time you have some free time and want to start an organizing project somewhere in your home or office. 

Weed Constantly
Just like a gardener has to constantly weed the garden to be sure beautiful flowers can be seen, you have to keep your stuff under control so you can take pleasure in your space, your things, and create more of that free time you want to enjoy.  Set aside 15 minutes every evening to pick up and put away.  Just 15 minutes!  You don’t have to spend hours and hours before you go to bed.  That will just add to your stress level anyway. Remember it will all be there waiting for you in the morning.  Doing just a little all the time will make a difference in the long run.

Decide to Decide
Are you a procrastinator?  Are you a procrastinating packrat? Are you a procrastinating, perfectionist packrat?   Those P’s just keep you stuck, don’t they. Make the decision to decide!  Don’t put it off, just make a choice. Move on with what you’ve decided and then if it’s not right you can always change your mind. Don’t let those decisions pile up or you’ll just get buried and paralyzed even more.  

Stay Flexible
Change your systems as life evolves around you so you can stay as effective and productive as possible. Just because you set up the filing system a certain way doesn’t mean you can’t make changes to it if it isn’t working. It may need just one small change that can make a big difference. Look around at your office, is it set up efficiently?
Think about repositioning your desk. That may make a huge difference in how you function in your office environment.

Use the Right Containers and Tools
Many people go about getting organized in the wrong order. I’m sure this has happened to some of you. You start an organizing project and get half way through and then you discover you don’t have enough containers or you have the wrong containers. Always be sure you know what you want to keep first before you spend the money on the organizing products you think you need.

Keep It Simple!
Since I’m known as the Expert in Simplicity, I always try to keep things as simple as possible.   The fewer steps it takes to do something the more likely you are to do it.  If your filing cabinet is buried behind stacks of papers, your filing never gets done.  Simplify the processes and systems in your life.  Make things easier, not harder, for yourself.   Simplicity is the key to better efficiency and productivity.

Try any one of these five tips and see if they can make a difference in your next organizing project.   Make your goal to bring order to your home or office and peace of mind to you.  Take it from the Expert in Simplicity, simple is better!

Please send any questions you have on your own personal organizing problems to www.organizeclutter.com.  I’d be happy to help.

Please check the calendar at www.organizeclutter.com for classes in the area and information on the clutter support group as well as the next scheduled Simply Organized 3 hour seminar.

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Eileen Stevie
Stevie Organizing Services
www.organizeclutter.com
help@organizeclutter.com
919-345-2846