Is there a project sitting around your office, closet, garage, or spare room? Maybe it’s something you’d like to get done, but there never seems to be enough time to get started. It sits in a box or on a shelf, waiting, maybe even mocking you.
This may be what I call a “dead-end” project. ... Views: 59
Have you taken a good look in your pantry lately? Do you know what’s hiding in the back? What about your freezer? Can you easily recognize each item? Are petrified condiments lurking in your refrigerator?
It’s easy to laugh about these things until we think about what we are throwing away ... Views: 105
The holiday season is upon us, and it seems to start earlier each year. The day after Halloween, emails and commercials beckon us to shop with special offers. Black Friday has taken on a life of its own, causing some to hurry through their Thanksgiving dinner to get to a megastore at midnight ... Views: 127
Do you have a closet full of clothes you haven’t worn in years? Are magazines piled on your desk? Maybe you are keeping that fabric, the appliance, those files, or that tool “just in case” you may need it some day.
You may not have thought about it this way, but you are afraid. No, it’s ... Views: 209
How many times have you put things away only to find piles a few weeks later? Where does it come from, and how can you control it?
Let’s begin with the first question. How does clutter get into your home or office? Through the front door. You (and the people around you) bring it in each ... Views: 190
Summer is here. Whether you have kids or not, to most of us summer means vacation. It’s a time to slow down, take it easy, and have some fun.
With a little planning, it can also be a time to get a little something done. Mini-projects help you create order in a short amount of time so you ... Views: 133
Have you made enough time for yourself lately? If not, you may want help planning a Me Day, which is simply a period of time (at least three hours) to do what you want to do. It’s a date with you.
I have been planning my own Renee Days for years now. They began with personal days off from ... Views: 109
I don’t like to file. Surprised? After all, I’m an organizer. I should like to file, right? Well, I don’t. Like you, there are many other things I would rather do.
There are probably other boring, mundane tasks that you’d rather have the organizational fairy do as well:
o Opening ... Views: 168
Recently I discovered that my favorite color had changed. Ever since my childhood, I loved the color red. My parents let me have red carpet and drapes back in the 70’s, which made my room glow in the afternoons. When given a choice, I always chose red and used to say, “If I’m going to have ... Views: 183
I’ve been thinking a lot about getting things done. I have been updating the content on my website, and it is taking WAY longer than it “should.”
I know I’m not alone. My clients are struggling with the same thing. Most of them have long lists—often multiple lists—of things that they ... Views: 813
People often ask how to get their kids, spouse, friend, roommate, or parent organized. They are often frustrated by others’ clutter and may have given “helpful” advice: “If you would just get organized…”
The less organized person’s response (if they had one) would sound something like ... Views: 333
Opportunities exist each day to either clear away a small amount of clutter or maintain an existing space. Taking these small opportunities to organize a little at a time reduces the need to spend hours later “getting organized.” I call it organizing “While You Are There.”
The easiest way ... Views: 250
Happy New Year! Each year brings the possibility of change. Even though we can make changes at any point in the year, each January we start out the year with a list of good intentions.
Yet, 30 days later, most of our well-laid plans for change have been set aside. We try to make too many ... Views: 212
Can you feel it in the air? The buzz begins November 1 as the Halloween pumpkins come down and the Christmas decorations go up. The whole country shifts into high gear as everyone starts asking whether you’ve gotten your shopping done. (For the record, mine is half done.)
Here are some ... Views: 251
Christmas decorations have begun to appear in stores and malls all over the country. People are already starting to think about (and stress over) gift-giving, and it’s only October.
Do we need to panic? Can selecting a gift for someone be easy? While it may always be difficult to find a ... Views: 260
Is it really worth the time (and sometimes money) to get organized? I get asked that question a lot, both out loud and through body language. After all, some argue, I’ve gotten along this long. What’s the big deal?
On the other hand, others confess:
• I spent an hour looking for _______ ... Views: 196
I am excited to announce that I have officially begun the first baby steps of social networking by setting up accounts on Linkedin and Facebook. For those who know me personally, you know that this was no easy task. It’s like standing at the edge of a lake. Many of you have encouraged me: ... Views: 289
Ahh, summer. In June summer stretches out, appearing limitless. Now as August and the back-to-school ads bombard us, we realize that summer soon will be gone.
Have you accomplished some of the plans you made in the spring? If not, you may have fallen victim to a time zapper. What ... Views: 331
I have come to the realization that I can’t do it all. No matter how organized I am, how many lists I make, or how well I manage my time, I will never be able to do all the things in the time that I have.
I have felt this way for a while. Years. Probably most of my adult life, but more ... Views: 312
Last summer I moved into a new house. We sold our 1288-sq. ft. home, which I had lived in for 13 years, and moved into one that is almost twice the size at just under 2300 sq. ft. Many people might have been tempted to just box up their belongings and move. After all, a bigger house means ... Views: 296