organizing process Archives • Page 4 of 12 • Helpful Organizer

Reaching the Finish Line

December 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

During my class on Conquering Clutter With Confidence we discuss reaching the finish line. In order to do this, we first discuss what it means to reach the finish line. It means doing things from start to finish, and knowing when that finish line has been crossed. For example, in my house, the finish line has been crossed, while doing dishes, when there are no dirty dishes left unwashed, and the sink and counters have been wiped clean. In your family, when is the finish line crossed while doing dishes? What about the laundry? When is it reached with new purchases or gifts that have been received? Where does the receipt go, and what do you do with the box? What happens to the gift bag, tag, and tissue paper? Establishing when the finish line has been crossed will help reduce clutter.

Reaching the finish line also means completing the organizing process and reclaiming order. Putting things away and picking up after ourselves are important parts of reaching the finish line. It is what helps us maintain order, and is best accomplished with practice. For example, upon returning home after being out, I spend time putting things away. My keys and coat go on their hooks, my shoes go on the mat, and my pocketbook goes on the desk. Practicing reaching the finish line with this daily organizing routine helps me maintain order. Other daily organizing routines that can benefit from practice are dressing for the day, processing the mail, undressing at night, project clean up, and picking up toys.

In your home, do you want to reduce clutter and maintain order? You can by reaching the finish line. What finish line is waiting for you to cross it? Will you know when you’ve crossed it? Also, take a closer look at your daily organizing routines. Can you improve them with practice? If you think you’d be more successful with a little help from me, please ask.

Organizing Doesn’t Have to be Scary

October 31, 2017/in Newsletter/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

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.

*** 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

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!

Situational Disorganization

August 1, 2017/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Situational 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.

Pocketbook Editing

July 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

How often do you go through your pocketbook and get rid of all that can be tossed? Do you wait until you find yourself sifting through a crumpled mess of old receipts and candy wrappers? Do you hold off until your arm gets sore from hefting all that loose change that’s fallen to the bottom of your bag? Or, do you simply switch your wallet and cell phone to a different pocketbook when the mess gets too cumbersome to deal with?

What about the kid’s backpacks? How often do you sort through those? What about the fridge, medicine cabinet, or pantry? What about your closet, dresser, or nightstand? I’m not going to mention mail, files, coupons, recipes, or other paper. That’s a whole new topic.

Taking time to sort through and get rid of stuff helps us stay organized. By editing the contents of our pocketbooks (and all those other areas mentioned or not mentioned) we perform an important step in the organizing process, the discard and remove step. By removing what is not wanted, needed, or used, we’re able to spend less time searching for stuff. We’re also able to easily notice when something needs to be replaced, mended, or renewed.

One important factor to consider is the frequency in which we edit. If it takes a week for those receipts to become a crumpled mess, then weekly edits need to take place. If not the mess becomes very frustrating. To help reduce our stress with a disorganized, overstuffed pocketbook (or other area) timely edits are necessary. What would you consider timely? Once a week? Every other week? Once a month?

Whatever time frame you use, consistency in editing is another important factor. Creating the habit of going through your pocketbook every week (or whatever time frame you use) helps you stay organized. It also helps reduce your stress and frustration, and helps your ability to find what you want when you need it. Worthwhile benefits. Wouldn’t you agree?

Determine, Decide, Dispose

April 15, 2017/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

How easy is it for you to get rid of stuff? Deciding what is worth keeping and what needs to go, can be difficult. I follow a three step confirming process. These three steps help me confirm what I have, and decide what I need, use, and want. The first step is to determine what I have. The second step is to decide what stays and what goes. The third step is to dispose of stuff. Let me explain how this confirming process works.

The first step is to determine what I have. This means gathering and assessing. I pick a small group of items to work with at a time. Instead of working with all my clothes, I work with just my spring wardrobe. Another example is instead of working with all my books, I only work with my organizing books. This helps reduce the time needed to complete the process, and helps prevent procrastination. Once I’ve chosen which category I want to work with, I gather the items into one location and assess them.

The second step is to decide what stays and what goes. I find it helpful to have criteria for what items stay and what items go. I call them my confirming guidelines, and they help me make decisions.

Examples of confirming guidelines:
1. It has to go if it’s broken, damaged, or missing parts, and you’re not going to fix it or pay to have it fixed within 3 months.
2. It has to go if it hasn’t been used in the past 3 years and won’t be used in the next 3 years.
3. It has to go if it is more than one size too big or too small.
4. It has to go if it’s torn, stained, or moldy, and you’re not going to fix it or pay to have it fixed within 3 months.
5. It has to go if it doesn’t reflect your current lifestyle. (Use 3 year timeline.)
6. It has to go if it’s very similar or identical to another item. Keep three favorites and the rest have to go.
7. It has to go if you’ve already purchased a replacement for it.
8. It has to go if it’s something you don’t like, or something that never worked right or fit right.
9. It has to go if the reason you’re holding onto it is not a good, valid reason. (See blog articles)
10. It has to go if it brings negative thoughts or causes self doubt.

The third step is to dispose of the stuff. It helps to schedule a day for removal, whether it is donations, items to be recycled or items to be given away. Voila! Confirming process complete.

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