Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
Have you always wanted to organize some or all of your home, but you just can’t seem to get started? Below are some helpful hints to get you on your way.
1. Schedule it
First and most importantly, timing is everything. Pick a time of day when you have the most energy.
Keep in mind that if you’re tired, the effort will be over before you really make a difference.
Minimize interruptions as much as possible.
Be sure you’ve had something to eat before you start as you’ll need energy for decision making, moving, and lifting.
2. Ask why this is important?
Why has this project been nagging at you? Write down the reason. (I’m serious).
If and when you begin to have trouble with whether or not to keep or toss an item, you can simply ask yourself, “Does this item help or hinder the purpose I am planning for this space?”
3. Purge
There is logic behind minimizing and surrounding yourself with only the things you truly love and find useful.
Visual clutter is distracting, can hinder our attention, and is not conducive to a serene environment.
Depending on the purchase, the following years will require you to dust it, wash it, dry it, hang it up or fold it, maintain it, repair it, iron it, and, eventually, donate it.
4. Sort
Keeping similar items together will enable you to know how much you have of any given item, and it will eliminate unnecessary purchases.
If this is done in all areas of your home, it can add up to big savings.
5. Location, location, location
Everything we own should be stored in a carefully selected ‘home.’
Store items where you use them.
Staying organized needs to be easy. For example, removing a lid on a hamper so things don’t pile up on top of it.
Schedule time to address these areas so the simple act of putting things away is a breeze.
6. Procrastination
Clutter often adds up to postponed decisions. Whether facing a stack of paper or an intimidating project, ask yourself these questions:
-Are you hesitating because you need information? If so, make a list of what you need and who might be able to help.
-Are you simply a bit intimidated by the scope of the task? If so, break the task down into bite sized pieces.
-Can you commit to scheduling each ‘piece’ to your calendar?
7. Maintenance
A few minutes each day is all you need. I’ve been asked on many occasions, “Will my home stay organized after doing this work?” I like to use the analogy of weight loss when responding. With a little effort, and some careful decision making each day, you can maintain your achievement with pride.
–Taking 5 to 10 minutes per day to put things in their ‘home’ will keep your house in great shape.
–You’ll want to limit what’s coming in. Consider instituting a ‘one-in, one-out’ policy. Space is not infinite. Therefore, when buying a new piece of clothing consider letting go of an old piece.
–Resist impulse buys. Wait 24 hours.
–Make conscience decisions about the life cycles of your possessions. For example, let’s say that you decide magazines will only be kept for one month. You would throw the last issue out when the new issue comes in.
8. The payoff, celebrating!
Achievements and goals can be anti-climatic without reveling in them.
Having a home that is organized provides a surprising sense of pride, relief, and readiness.
You’ll have the freedom to host a spontaneous dinner party or barbecue at a moment’s notice.
This is the lifestyle that no accumulation of small possession can replace.
Whatever you do to celebrate, I suggest you reward yourself with experiences, not possessions. The experiences are the things we remember far longer.
As a lighthearted reminder that done is better than perfect, I sometimes intentionally reverse this adage with clients as we hang a shelf or assemble a bookcase. Unless you’re performing brain surgery or submitting a résumé, perfect isn’t always necessary.
An ounce of perfectionism as we strive for advancement in life can serve us well. It works in a corporate setting. You work hard; you get ahead. It’s the way the world works. However, we can cross a line, and real perfectionism can actually get in our way, exhaust us, and reduce our productivity.
I see perfectionism often in my work, and clients are relieved that someone recognizes their efforts and attention to detail. You may wonder why a perfectionist needs a Professional Organizer. The answer is simple. Perfectionism bogs you down in detail, and can make a task more laborious than it needs to be. It can also lead to procrastination.
See if you relate to any of the following statements:
– If I don’t have time to organize the whole closet today, I’ll wait until I do. There’s no sense doing a little at a time.
– I get anxious about starting a project because I don’t know how to do it the right way? Therefore, I’ll devote an inordinate amount of time to planning.
– Once started, my projects take longer than needed because I re-think them or re-work them constantly.
– I often miss deadlines because I am unable to submit a project and be satisfied with the end result.
– I don’t like asking for help and/or showing weakness.
To get moving, ask yourself these questions:
In closing, I offer you the following new mantras:
– Done is better than perfect.
– I did my best.
– My friends are coming to visit me, not my house.
– My boss is more likely to notice adherence to deadlines than be impressed by how much time I put into a project.
I won’t lie to you. Change involves stretching your comfort zone, but it comes with rich rewards.
If perfectionism still stands between you and organization, consider hiring a Professional Organizer. We’re trained to help you clear clutter and teach you systems to help maintain order.
P.S. I always measure twice, but that’s our secret.
Have you ever made it through the week with the same To Do list you started with?Why is organizing so much easier when you start with someone else’s belongings?
Clients often call looking for help with several projects within their home. As I ask questions to determine their priorities and a starting point, occasionally the client will volunteer a child’s room or their husband’s “man cave.” I agree that we can start wherever she prefers; however, my experience tells me these choices are, um, typically the least productive.
Here’s why:
1) It’s natural to choose another person’s area because the client (the person who called to hire me) has fewer emotional attachments to the other family member’s belongings. Deciding to let someone else’s things go is so much quicker and easier. Isn’t it? Trust me when I tell you this surprise won’t be received well.
2) Next, other members of the family may not have called in the Organizer and may not yet buy into the idea of purging and organizing. If the client starts with his or her own belongings and shows tangible results (a beautiful, organized room or two), trust is established, and volunteers start to line up.
I’ve been welcomed into many homes and, sometimes, I can actually feel the trepidation of the innocent by-standers (husbands, life partners, and children.) These are the people who nodded “yes” to the theory of getting organized, and a few days later, find themselves, slack-jawed, being introduced to a genuine Professional Organizer standing in their living room armed with bags for “lettings things go,” “donations,” and a box for things to “to sell.”
The by-standers may openly admit to a fear that their possessions will be the first to go (good instincts). Some ask if I’ll put their belongings on the front lawn “like they do on TV.” Once they learn that public humiliation isn’t part of my process, the handwringing often stops, but they still follow me around keeping a watchful eye. And, that’s okay. In all honesty, if the tables were turned, I would need some assurances, too.
In every home, belongings get co-mingled. Therefore, as we move through a room, methodically organizing each area, anything that doesn’t belong to the client, and seems out of place, we put in an “ask” pile. Later, the owner of the “ask” pile decides to keep, donate, or toss those items. All “keepers” need to be assigned home. The best way to select a home for each item is to store it where you use it.
You might be thinking, “Building trust is great, but where should I start?” Excellent question! Here’s the short answer.
The way to decide where to start is to choose the area that gives you the most “pain.” Let’s say the person making the call is a woman. Her “pain” might refer to the discomfort of getting dressed and going out in the morning. Is her closet full of things that don’t fit anymore? Is the floor littered with stray shoes? Does the space feel claustrophobic? Are there more pieces of clothing that don’t fit than do fit? That’s enough to make anyone feel depressed before reaching the breakfast table in the morning. If so, this is the place to start.
If everyone is late getting off to school and work because the kitchen isn’t efficient or meal planning doesn’t work, planning is needed in this area.
If you’re disorganization costs you time and money in the office, this is where organization will change your life from day one.
If you choose the space that causes you the most “pain,” organization will provide the most relief. Once you learn some tricks of the trade, you’ll be inspired to make every facet of your life work like a well-oiled machine.
I may have adopted my minimalist mentality from Aunt Evelyn. She was the self proclaimed “first career girl” in the family. (“Career girl” was progressive language for someone born in 1918.) Working in Manhattan all her adult life, she had a great sense of style, built an impressive wardrobe, and had all the right accessories.
You couldn’t throw compliments around too freely in Aunt Ev’s presence. One day I said, “Oh what a beautiful pin! It matches that outfit perfectly.” She asked if I really liked it, took the pin off, and handed it to me.
Seeing that I was mortified, Aunt Ev reasoned, “The first half of life you accumulate things, the next half of life you give them away.” In one gesture she demonstrated her generosity and her practicality. She was simply finished with the pin and gave it to someone who would appreciated it.
As we mature, build our homes, and climb the professional ladder, we accumulate clothing, furnishings, and decorative objects to fill our needs. Our friends remember our preferences via birthday and holiday gifts. Before we know it, our homes are filled with collections comparable to those at the Smithsonian.
After your needs are met, for every one thing coming in to your home one thing needs to leave, or clutter will accumulate. Professional Organizers often ask clients if an item is useful, beautiful in their eyes, or if they love the object. If a negative response is received to all of the above, the item may have outgrown its usefulness.
If you’re trying to organize a room, ask yourself these questions:
Everything that comes into your possession requires care. Once you bring something home from the store you will be caring for it indefinitely. So, make sure it’s really worth the investment.
The lifecycle of your new item goes something like this: You spend hard earned money on it, possibly make payments on it, make room for it, wash it, dust it, polish it, fold it, maintain it, and eventually decide how to get rid of it. Some people even hide it from their spouses.
Clients often tell me they feel a surprising sense of abundance after purging. That’s because they are surrounded only by the things they love, clothing that fits and feels good, and rid of the burden of disorganization.
I believe the best way to stay organized, recycle, or save the planet is at the cash register. If you set out to the mall to replace an often-used pair of shoes and see something irresistible on the way to the cash register, refer to these questions before you ring up that spontaneous purchase:
Lastly, think about it overnight. If you still need it, go for it.
I once read that Ghandi owned only a few possessions at the time he died: simple clothing, a pair of sandals, a pocket watch, and a pair of eye glasses. While I believe minimalism makes for a simplified life, we don’t need to be as successful with it as Ghandi to reap the rewards. I won’t be parting with my anti-wrinkle cream, anti-frizz hair products, or make-up any time soon. But, I set reasonable limits that save space and money.
Listen to the thousands of advertising messages inundating you daily with a skeptical ear. Only you know what you need. Be aware that space is finite. If you want an uncluttered space be discerning about what you put in it.
Aunt Ev passed away last month, but she left me a wonderful gift and a life changing lesson. You can give the perfect gift without spending a dime – a gift to a loved one, a perfect stranger via donation, and a gift to yourself – the gift of organization.
People always ask if my home is perfect, and I say it functions perfectly. I’ll let you read between the lines there. Striving for perfection can be an obstacle in itself. Most people are surprised to learn that perfectionism is a common reason for disorganization.
Common problems with perfectionism and organization:
• Perfectionists might say to themselves, “If I don’t have time to do it right, I’ll wait until I do have time.”
• Waiting for a “good” time doesn’t work. The time will never present itself. You need to schedule it.
• Parkinson’s Law says that work expands to fill the time allowed for it.
• The law of diminishing indicates that the more we hone, tweak, and perfect the less efficient and effective we become. We also neglect other important projects.
• The project waits, grows, and becomes a big, hairy monster.
It’s not important to do everything perfectly. In fact, if you think of organization as a spectrum, perfection is one end and extreme disorder is on the other. A healthy balance is really the best middle ground. Always having every dish put away, every toy in the toy box, and every surface clear is unrealistic. The important things to remember are:
• Every item should have a home.
• Everyone needs to know where those homes are located.
• Storing things closest to where they are used simplifies retrieval and return.
• Set limits on how much is enough. “More” can undermine organization and make maintenance more work.
• Storing like items together in containers helps to stay on top of inventory.
• Planning a time to clean-up is part of every project, not something we do another time.
Perfectionism paralyzes action. Done is better than perfect!
The next time you feel paralyzed by perfection, remember the words of Theodore Roosevelt, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing you can do is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”
Yours truly,
A former perfectionist
