Do you wish your life could be simplified? As a professional organizer, women tell me all the time they want to simplify their home and life. Many of them recognize a way to simplify is to get rid of clutter and get organized.
Living simply and being organized has a different meaning to everyone. It could be something as simple as being able to find a pen and piece of paper to jot down messages. It could mean being able to get dressed in the morning without pulling out five outfits before finding one that is wearable.
1. To get rid of clutter, simplify your home and your life first look at your priorities. Hold a family meeting (be sure to have treats) and talk about your goals of having a simple and organized home. Get their input and ideas on how to simplify and organize. It is amazing the great ideas our families come up with.
Write down the ideas and pick two or three to start implementing right away. As these are successfully put into practice chose another one or two. Do not do everything all at once as that is over whelming and you don’t want to set everyone up for failure.
2. Take a look at how you spend your time. Before becoming a professional organizer I worked in an office. At one of our staff meeting we were informed we had to participate in a time study for the next month. This meant every 15 minutes we had to write down what we were doing. This put added pressure on us to perform and we would be busy and forget to write down what we were doing. This experiment didn’t last long. It was terrible pressure added to our work.
I am not suggesting you write down every little thing you do, instead become aware of what you are doing with your time. Is the way you spend your time helping you reach your priorities?
3. Focus on one place you need to get rid of clutter. This could be organizing one drawer in your bedroom and then moving on to another drawer until the entire dresser is free of clutter and has only things in that you use, like and want to keep.
It might be getting rid of clutter in your bedroom closet. Does it take you longer to dress in the morning than you want it too because there are too many clothes for the size of your closet. Are you hanging onto clothes you don’t wear and know you never will? Do your shoes match your outfits, are they in good repair and do you like to wear them? Are there purses you never use, are out of date or worn out?
How long has it been since you have seen the top of your office desk? Pick one place to declutter and after it is simplified and organized move on to another project. Success breeds success, you will have a lot of fun doing this.
4. We all need a sanctuary where we can relax, get away from the cares of the world (and even our children for awhile). Creating a place in our home where we can “get away from it all” even for a few minutes can help us to rejuvenate and create energy.
I suggest simplifying the bedroom to make it a personal sanctuary. Remove the ironing board, fold clothes in another room, and do not have a T.V. or computer that brings in the outside world. Teach your family to respect your privacy so you can enjoy some down time for yourself.
5. Do you simply have too much stuff for the space you have. Does being in your home bring peace or does it make your life feel cluttered. If this is the case get rid of clutter that is preventing you from living and enjoying a simple life.
Simplifying your life, and getting rid of clutter is possible by evaluating, setting goals, getting your family on board and doing it one step at a time.
Marilyn Bohn is the owner of Get it Together Organizing, a business dedicated to developing practical organizing solutions that help individuals and business professionals live clutter-free and productive lives. She is the author of “Go Organize! Conquer Clutter in Three Simple Steps” and is an experienced, enthusiastic public speaker, a member of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and the author of hundreds of articles covering various organizing topics.
Marilyn takes the often stressful subject of organizing and breaks it down into her simple, easy to understand system. Her methods are both eye-opening and encouraging! She has a passion for helping others reach their personal goals and living a better, clutter-free life!
Marilyn offers personal, private consulting to assist in organizing and she invites you to sign up for free organizing tips at her website http://www.marilynbohn.com for easy organizing tips, videos, blog, workshops and more. Get your free guide on what papers to keep and how long to keep them at http://www.facebook.com/marilynbohn1