Tag Archive for: organizing goals

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? 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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Situational Disorganization

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Organizing tipSituational disorganization is when our organizational systems are temporarily derailed, or when we’re temporarily overwhelmed by life. A few examples are when one has to downsize in less than 3 months, when one has to clean out the family home to prepare for a sale, or when one inherits a mass quantity of things all at once. In these situations I’d recommend asking for help from a Professional Organizer.

 

Lessons Learned From Clients

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Helpful Organizer BlogBeing a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is educational and rewarding. As a member I receive valuable training, business support, and resources. One of the best benefits is the collaboration with other Organizers. There are several smaller groups within the association, and one that I belong to is Golden Circle. We meet 4 times a year to discuss a specific topic, to offer each other support, to get to know each other a little better, and to socialize. Last month we met to discuss lessons we’ve learned from our clients. Everyone had such valuable insights to share.

One important lesson I’ve learned is that it’s not easy to accept reality, especially when it means that our dreams are unattainable. For example a client of mine had collected large amounts of books with the dream of spending hours enjoying her books. Although she wanted my help to sort, reduce, categorize, and organize these books, the reality was that her eyesight was going, and she would never be able to read the majority of her books. My practical, organized self, encouraged her to reduce and let go, until she said to me one day, “What if the doctors are wrong, and my eyesight improves?”  That is when I realized that she wasn’t giving up on her dream. So, I needed to respect that, and not be a dream crusher. Coincidentally, it was not an easy reality for me to accept.

Here are some lessons we (Professional Organizers from NAPO-NE Golden Circle) have learned from our clients:

  1. It’s necessary to give up our right to be right.
  2. We’re like Velcro. We throw out solutions and some stick and some don’t.
  3. Everyone is good a something.
  4. We’re done when our clients are done.
  5. There is value in talking and communicating, not only physically organizing.
  6. Our clients motivate us to walk the walk, and organize and reduce in our own homes.
  7. Everyone organizes at their own pace.
  8. It takes courage to ask for help.
  9. We never know someone’s whole story.
  10. If we can remain neutral, we allow our clients to arrive at their own best solution.
  11. We affect each other in powerful ways.
  12. We all need personal support in our lives.
  13. The first step for change is a shift in perspective.
  14. You’re not a hoarder if you can see the floor.
  15. Running a home is a business in, and of, itself (the business of living).
  16. Sometimes it’s about me, the organizer.
  17.  We don’t know what we don’t know.
  18. Organizing is not always a priority.
  19. It’s all relative.
  20. GRATITUDE!

Another lesson I’ve learned is that simple solutions are often the best solutions. To read more, click here.

©June 2016   Janine Cavanaugh, Certified Professional Organizer®   All rights reserved

Prioritizing to be Productive

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Prioritize!  List the top three things that must be finished by the end of the day in order for you to feel happy and productive, and do them first thing in the morning.  I list my top three priorities in my date book, and tackle my number one priority before I read or respond to any emails, or answer any phone calls.  This helps me prevent distraction and procrastination.

Organizing Process

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stepsYou may have heard the phrase that organizing is a process, not a task.  What does that mean exactly?  A process involves more than one step, for example doing the laundry.  A process also involves three distinct phases, planning, doing, and follow-up. A task, on the other hand, is completed in one step, for example unloading the dish washer.  It’s important to note the distinction, because tackling an organizing process as if it were a task, causes frustration, stress, and feelings of being overwhelmed.  Devoting time to each of the three phases of the organizing process (planning, doing, and follow-up) will enable clarity, focus, and direction.

The planning phase of the organizing process is concerned with goals and objectives. What is your organizing goal? What do you want to accomplish? How much time is required? How much help and resources will you need? Is it worth calling in a professional?

The doing phase of the organizing process is the physical work needed to make the goals and objectives happen. It usually involves a process all it’s own, involving 3 (or more) steps:
sorting
discarding
assigning a home.

The follow-up phase of the organizing process is concerned with the upkeep and maintenance of the order once it’s established. This phase of the process is best accomplished by establishing personal guidelines, habits, and systems.

So, the next time you say to yourself, just get organized. Stop. Think. Devote some time to each of the three phases of the organizing process. It will provide clarity, focus, and direction.

© May 2014  Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®  All rights reserved

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