Schedule Down Time

Organizing tipAre you feeling like there is no time for organizing? Are the days flying by and the clutter piling up? One way the take control is to schedule down time. An easy way to do this is to make sure you and your family have only a maximum of four nights out per week. Schedule 3 or more nights at home and one of those nights reclaiming order.

Chart of Organizng Flow

What’s Inside?

Organizing tip

If I asked you to list all the items inside the kitchen cabinet under the sink. Could you? How accurate would your list be to the actual contents? What about other cabinets and drawers in your kitchen? If you can’t answer what’s inside, it’s time to organize. Follow these 3 steps.
3 steps to organizing process

Undone Things

Organizing tip

It’s not the things we do that make us tired; it’s the things left undone that wear us out. So write those undone things down. Make a list. Prioritize it. Then tackle one thing from the list a day or a week depending on how big the project is.

Arriving On Time

Organizing tipArriving on time to your first appointment or commitment for the day is a great way to reduce stress. It also helps kick-start an organized, productive day. Here are a few tips to help make this a reality.

  • Plan your outfit the night before and place your clothes, shoes and accessories in a designated spot.
  • Make your lunch the night before and have it ready to go.
  • Have a physical or mental check list of what you need to bring with you the next day.
  • Establish a morning routine for getting ready and eating breakfast. Time this routine so you know how long it takes. Allow yourself a bit of wiggle room.
  • Figure out how much time is required to leave home, travel, park and arrive on time. Give yourself the time required and extra minutes for potential delays.
  • Be confident that you can handle any last minute mishaps.

©January 2019  Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer®  All Rights Reserved

Categorizing is the Best First Step

Organizing tipWhether you have a bit of clutter, or a full blown mess, the best first step to organize it is to sort and categorize. Separating items into groups of similar things is the easiest way to start any organizing project. Creating categories in which to sort items is always the first action I take when starting any organizing project. For example five categories used for clutter that had collected on a client’s table are; unopened mail, papers to address, stuff to read, items to address, and items to be put away. Categorizing the clutter allowed us to address each of the 5 groups one at a time. This moved the organizing process along successfully. So, the next time you feel stuck or unsure of of where or how to start an organizing project remember categorizing is the best first step.