Organizing Tips

Many people have clutter in their lives but are unsure how to get control of it, or, are unaware that clutter impedes their efficiency, life and work. In order to better assess your needs, please ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you constantly running late?
• Do you have trouble letting go of things that have long outlived their use?
• During the last 6 months have you had to search for your car keys, remote controls or anything else that you use on a daily basis?
• Do you organize and reorganize and still end up with the same amount of stuff?
• Have you ever missed an important appointment or engagement simply because you forgot?

• Is your closet filled with clothing and shoes of different sizes, or clothing that you have not worn in a year or more?

• How many times during the past 12 months have you donated unneeded items to charity?
• Have you ever found an item that you needed after you’d already purchased its replacement?
• Are there papers on your desk that you have not looked through in more than one month?
• When you start organizing do you often get sidetracked and start another project?
• Do you generally know what time it is, or do you often consult your watch or lose track of time?
• Is your idea of organizing or cleaning up putting all your papers/stuff in a pile, shoe box, or drawer?
• Does your car sit outside because you need your garage for storage?
• Are you able to easily close your dresser drawers and closet doors without anything hanging out or getting stuck?

If you answered YES to 5 or more of these questions you are in need of some organization in your life. Finely Organized^sm will help you do this. 

Handling Clutter:

1. Eliminate things that waste time and space.
2. Create a system that works for YOU that you can easily follow on a daily basis. Keep in mind that not all systems will work for everyone. Finely Organized^sm will create a system that works for your individual needs.  
3. When you are getting ready to conquer a room, cabinet, drawer or space, practice the following:

   • Ask yourself what is the purpose of this space? In other words, what would you like to see this space used for?

   • Remove every item from that space and place it out in the open.
   • Evaluate each and every item by asking yourself some basic questions. When was the last time I used this? Do I really need this? Does it make sense to store it here?
   • Purge all the items that you don’t need or use anymore.
   • Put the rest of the items in like piles, sort by theme or use.
   • Now you are ready to put them away.

It is always a good idea to use bins, boxes or dividers of some sort. This will allow you to label things and reduce the possibility of things getting mixed up on shelves or in drawers.

Time Management and Using a Planner:

• Don’t keep separate lists.
• Only use one form of a planner whether that is electronic or paper.
• Actually schedule time to complete your “To Do” list just as you would a dental appointment.
• Don’t just make a list of things to do and then have your entire day scheduled with appointments. You are setting yourself up to fail.
• Edit your to do list daily and remove the things that will not affect your job, family or life if left undone. This will help you prioritize.
• Coordinate your inbox with your planner. This will cut down on paper piles.

For more tips, tricks and solutions call today to schedule your consultation! (916) 899-6483