Organizing Maintenance

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We were fortunate to have had such a mild winter, but aren’t you happy spring is here?  I am.  I especially like all the vibrant colors of spring, but we couldn’t have those colors without a few rain drops.  As we enter the month of April with all its rain showers, I want to talk to you about faulty windshield wipers.  Specifically, how I see those wipers as being just like the lack of maintenance in the process of organizing.

 

Like Faulty Windshield Wipers

We all know what it’s like when our car windshield wipers don’t work; they leave smudges and streaks; they create vision problems; we have to keep spraying and cleaning; they’re frustrating.  Those smudges and streaks are like pockets of clutter and piles of stuff.  Those vision problems are like stress and its side effects.  The constant spraying is like our procrastinated efforts to organize.  And the frustration is just that, frustration.

Skipping, ignoring or slacking on the maintenance part of the organizing process is like faulty windshield wipers.  The clutter and piles mount, causing stress, and it’s all just frustrating.  We have to maintain the order once we’ve established it, or disorder and clutter creep back into our lives and space.

Maintaining order takes time and some self discipline, but the key is to not give up or let the situation get out of control.  My top 5 maintenance tips are…

 

1.  As soon as you enter your home give yourself 5-10 minutes to put whatever you brought home away.  You do this with your groceries, why not with everything else?
2.  Attach new organizing habits to existing routines. For example, before brushing your teeth at night, put out your outfit for the next day.
3.  Reduce daily.  For example, immediately toss junk mail, recycle food storage containers, and re-purpose unmatched socks.
4.  Keep papers and mail vertical.  This helps prevent piles from starting and growing.
5.  Ask for help and delegate.  Who says you have to do it all alone?

Please share with me what works for you.

Organizing Kick Space

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Tip:  Kick space is space in your closet that you can easily kick into, without your foot coming into contact with anything.  This often indicates that the space isn’t being used efficiently or to it’s maximum capacity.  If you have room to kick without hitting anything, you have room in your closet that could be used more efficiently.

Here are some organizing products can you use to reduce the kick space in your closet: low dressers, low shoe racks, hanger extensions, additional shelves, stack-able shoe boxes, stack-able bins or another hanging rod.

Organizing Air Space

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Tip:  Air space is space in your cupboards and closets that is occupied with air only.  To make the most of the precious real estate in your cupboards and closets use organizing products that minimize air space.

To minimize air space in your cupboards:

adjust shelves, if you can

add raisers and platforms

use stack-able containers

mount stemware units to the underside of a shelf

used step raisers, lazy Susan’s, long baskets and pull out drawer units

To minimize air space in your closets:

adjust hanging bars

use hooks

add additional shelves or hanging bars

use tiered hangers

Organizing Holiday Decorations

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I’m not sure about you, but I’m questioning, how can it be 2012 already?  Where does the time go?  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little extra time?  I know how we can accomplish this…
by being organized. 
When we’re organized we can preform tasks more quickly, which will then free up minutes.  Those minutes will add up, and voila, a little extra time in our day.
I’d like to share with you my three tips on organizing holiday decorations.  These tips help me streamline the process of putting out and putting away my decorations.  Thus saving me time, which, in turn, gives me a little extra time to enjoy family and friends.  That’s something I want to do, especially this time of year.  My three tips are in  video format.  I hope you find them helpful.

Asking for Organizing Help

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Have you ever heard the phrase, “I’m a  plumber in need of a plumber”?  One of my clients made this reference to me.  She felt that she had some organizing skills and knowledge, but she needed to call me in to help her get the job done.  Do you ever feel that way?  You just want some help getting the job done!  If so, it’s okay to ask for help and get help when you need it.  Just ask me, this is how I can help.

1.  I’ll help you get the project started.

2.  I’ll help you plan out the project.

3.  I’ll help you break the project into managable steps.

4.  I’ll help  you schedule time to get it done.
5.  I’ll offer non-judgemental input and practical solutions.

Cal me for a complimentary phone consultation, 508-699-6652.  I’ll be happy to help you get the job done.

 

 

©2011 Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®  All Rights Reserved