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Organizing Doesn’t Have to be Scary

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Side Notes:

I’ve been in business 9 year, and for all those years I’ve been a  member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. However, they have recently changed their name and logo. They are now the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals.

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***  Have you ever heard of the Buy Nothing Project? It is an on-line community for giving, lending, and sharing. You can search your local area to see if there is one in your neighborhood. You do have to have a Facebook account.

***  Question:  Have you ever rented a storage unit? If so, how big and how long? Please share.
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Hi  ,

Isn’t it hard to believe that there are just two more months left in 2017? Fall is upon us. The colorful autumn leaves are finally sharing their splendor. The Halloween decorations are out, and costume preparations are under way. Now’s the time to  share,

How to Overcome Five 

SCARY

Thoughts About Organizing.

 1. I’m not ready to organize.
I understand that being in the right mindset when tackling a project can impact the success of the project. If that is the case, take your time and do some planing and preparing before jumping in. However, if this is a procrastination technique, you’re not helping yourself. Commit and get started.
2. It’s too hard to do.
Organizing can be difficult, especially deciding what to keep and not keep, but you can always ask for help. Ask for assistance from sincere friends, empathetic family members, or Professional Organizers. The project will get done faster, and it is much more pleasant to work with a supportive helper.
3. I’m no good at organizing.
The best way to get better at a skill we’re not good at, is to practice. The more you organize the better you’ll get at it. Organize for 10 minutes a day, every day, and see what happens after 3 weeks.
4. I don’t know where to start.
I recommend that you start any organizing project by sorting things into general categories. The idea is to put like items together first, and then make decisions about what to keep and for how long. For more information about the steps of organizing read my blog, 3 Step Organizing Process.
5. It will just be a mess again in a month.  
There is a natural flow to organizing, and it goes like this, there is order, natural disorder (work, life, mess), and then reclaiming order. In this way, organizing is like doing the laundry or dishes. You have to reclaim order for the mess to be controlled and contained, otherwise it creeps back.  

Recycle Resource
Finding new ways to reuse, recycle, and reduce for myself and my clients, makes me happy. Everyone is more motivated to get rid of something when they know it is going to someone who will really use it. At Household Goods in Acton, MA they take donations and give directly to those in need. They help people in a variety of situations make a home for themselves. This is a wonderful organization. Please check them out.
If you have a donation that they don’t accept, or if you’re not close to Acton, they provide a good list of other organizations to donate to.
From,

Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®
(508)-699-6652
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If you’ve worked with me in any capacity, I’d be grateful for a review.  Simply click on this link and answer 3 questions.  Thank you and happy organizing!
storage units

Storage Units – Good or Bad Solution

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Helpful Organizer BlogWould you consider your home to be an average American home? Do you think you have just as much stuff as your neighbors? Do you rent any storage units? Would you believe that there are 300,000 items in the average American home? (Becoming Minimalist) That’s a large number of possessions to have, store, maintain, and organize.

Where are people keeping all their stuff? Two of the most common options are in their own homes, or in a rented, off-site storage facility. Actually, the average American home has converted 3 or more spaces into make-shift storage units. (SpareFoot) On the other hand, the self storage industry is a booming business, reaching an annual revenue of 22 billion dollars in 2016. (Statistic Brain Research Institute)$22billion According to an LA Times article, there are 51,000 storage facilities in America, which is more than four times the number of McDonald’s.

Before considering another option, let’s ask the question, “Are storage units a good or bad solution?” Do they just allow us to acquire and hold onto more stuff, or do they serve a helpful role in storing our belongings ? In my opinion, I think there are two legitimate reasons for using storage units.

  • Storage units are a good idea when they help us through transitions in life. Some of those transitions may be when we’re selling a house, moving long distance, or cleaning out an estate.
  • Storage units are a good idea when they are used as temporary holding place for belongings. Some situations when a temporary holding place is needed may be when we’re dealing with a flooded basement, undergoing home renovations, or making decisions on inherited belongings.

Unfortunately, most storage units start off as temporary but become long-term. So, is there another option? I think there is. Live with less stuff. It’s estimated that we use 20% of what we own, 80% of the time (Pareto Principle). That leaves plenty of room for editing and reducing. I know it can be difficult to make decisions on what to keep or not keep, so here are some helpful suggestions:Live with less = less stress

 

 

©October 2017  Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer  All Rights Reserved

 

 

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5 Minute Habit

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Organizing tipGive yourself 5 minutes, when you return home, to take care of anything you brought home with you. I mean anything. Put your keys and handbag in a specific spot. Put away your coat and shoes. Take care of receipts, mail, and other papers. Find a home for new purchases or other stuff. Do this every time you enter your home so it becomes a habit. This helps prevent piles of clutter from growing, and helps you stay organized.