Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
HELP!! I just returned from my national organization’s annual conference in Baltimore. There’s no food in the house, the laundry is piled high, and I can’t see my office floor, let alone walk in it. Doesn’t that sound funny coming from a Professional Organizer? I’d like to hire one of me to organize the post-conference clutter.
To prevent any trip and fall injuries, I’ve decided to follow my own five basic steps to get things under control.
I scheduled the time to organize and followed my own advice of setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely). I didn’t get distracted by cleaning out a file drawer that had nothing to do with organizing my conference materials. And, guess what? I also had fun. I can now begin my week organized and ready to go.
I won my clutter battle, and so can you! As you can see, even Professional Organizers are challenged to stay organized. How do you feel every time you walk into your office and see files all over the floor, books around the bookshelf not on it, and the top of your desk buried with papers or even those goodies you brought back from a conference? Professional Organizers are Accountability Partners who will keep you motivated and on track, help you decide what to keep and not to keep, and develop systems and strategies for you that are easy to maintain.
I went to see The Lorax with my niece and we really enjoyed the movie, including dancing to the song at the end of the movie after everyone had left! The environmental theme revolved around saving the trees so I told my niece that I would take her to IHOP for pancakes since they are offering free tree seeds as a promo for The Lorax. I’m hoping that Universal Studios keeps with the green theme of the movie and doesn’t decide to flood the market with Lorax theme-based stuff: toys, plush animals, games, etc. However, there’s probably not much chance of that happening.
The main theme of the story however revolved around the word ‘UNLESS’. The Lorax said, “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” At my previous employer, there were a lot of built-in opportunities to “care a whole awful lot” such as volunteering, raising funds for various charities, and hold clothing and food drives. It felt like we were making a difference in the lives of people on an almost daily basis. Now that I have my own business, I look for ways to volunteer in my own community.
My former college roommate and I spent one Saturday morning with our fellow alumni from Shippensburg University volunteering at the Reading Berks Food Bank. We packaged boxes for elderly clients of the food bank. A few months ago I spent a morning working with volunteers from Habitat for Humanity by laying a floor in one of the offices at the Blind Association in Reading. I had never laid a floor before so that was really fun!
If you are cleaning out the kitchen and pantry, donate your unexpired dry goods and canned food to the food banks in your area. If you are cleaning out the bathroom and linen closet of toiletries, make-up, linens, and personal products, donate your excess personal items to emergency shelters, women’s shelters, elderly organizations or any other agency that could use your unneeded items. Go to the website for the agencies in your area and find their wish lists for the most needed items.
Everyone procrastinates sometimes. It only becomes problematic when procrastination is the norm. Reasons for procrastination include perfectionism, overwhelm, over-analysis, and lack of planning. What can you do when you have a project that needs to get done?
Clear the Decks:
Make a Plan:
Make it Fun:
Get Ready:
Get Set:
Go:
Ok, we’ve all heard that we should keep our bodies active in order to lose weight. We’ve also heard that we should keep our brains stimulated so we can keep our minds sharp and therefore, remember where we left our keys! But how does “use it or lose it” relate to clothes? Well, I will tell you now!
Clothes are tied to sentiment, self expression and comfort, so it’s no wonder why closets can become overloaded. Sentiment, for clothing we wore at meaningful events in our lives and also times when we were a couple sizes smaller! Self expression, for clothing we buy to show off our different sides. And comfort, for those days you just can’t deal with constricting buttons and zippers! Often though, these items don’t fall into your everyday wardrobe. Did you know that there is actually a statistic created for that? You wear 20 percent of your clothes 80 percent of the time. So what can you do with that 80 percent that is rarely worn? Here are some options:
1) Consign …for formal gowns or cocktail dresses (yes, those bridesmaid dresses too!) that you don’t know if and when you will wear again. Interview some consignment shops and let someone else appreciate and enjoy them for their special occasions!
2) Host a clothing swap…for friends that have been eyeing items in your closet. Beware of taking in more than you have put out and aim to use those items in your day to day 20 percent.
3) Donate…if there are items that you know you will never wear again (maybe they’ve fallen on the floor and got pushed to the far corner!), or haven’t worn in a year. Give them a gentle wash and bring them to your favorite charity collection site.
But maybe you’re not wearing some clothes because they are missing buttons, have ripped seams or you are just plain tired of them. Here are some options for these dilemmas:
1) Head to a tailor…for items with the quality to last and take them in to repair seams. If you are missing a button, look to the stash of buttons that come with the shirts you buy – that’s what they are there for! I store all mine in a small decorative box.
2) Head to a low cost retailer…for items that you’re bored with. Look for accessories like belts and broaches that can enliven and refresh what you own. You can follow the color trends without having to buy clothes. Plus accessories are much smaller and easier to store!
3) Head to an art center…for shirts that have faded or just can’t be fixed. They make great smocks for kids!
Now, with all that done, how is your closet looking? Have you gotten to 70/30? 60/40?
Take it one day at a time and know you are not alone! Strive to make your closet a place that you can enjoy going to, filled with items that make you happy, are flattering, and reflect your personality. Then go out into the world, smile, and know that you look fabulous!
You don’t have to be a sports fan to learn a new move or two from the NCAA basketball tournament. This single-elimination collegiate competition held every spring is informally known as March Madness. Various rounds of the tournament have distinctive names: Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4.
Accept this March Madness Challenge: mimic the tournament’s elimination process to decide what deserves a place in your life. Think, as you cull your collection, “What’s worthy of living on my trophy shelf?” Over the course of the next three weeks, cut any bench warmers – objects that hog space, collect dust and detract from the rest of the team.
Just as athletes work toward goals and milestones like personal bests, make your decluttering goals concrete. For example, trim 16 items of clothing so that your clothes don’t spill over into a second closet. Or, contain your collection of figurines to 8 that fit neatly in a cabinet. And maybe, find the 4 essential cookbooks for your kitchen shelf.
The hardest lesson March Madness teaches is “one and done.” The Final 4 teams play two games over three days to determine the one national champion. Culling collections down to a single winner is unrealistic, but selecting winners based on proven criteria is a good play. Choose from a laundry list of categories: books, clothes, vases, kids’ artwork, pantry items, electronics, just to name a few, and let these Elite 8 questions be the driving force behind refining your best team.
1. Do you use it?
2. Do you love it?
A yes to either, “Do you use it?” or “Do you love it?” garners objects a guaranteed spot on the team!
3. Has it expired?
Yes to this and it’s a definite cut from the team: food, medicine, fashion or electronics.
4. Does it fit?
5. Is it flattering?
The questions, “Does it fit?” and “Is it flattering?” though suited to clothing, are not exclusive to wardrobes. These questions ask if things fit your lifestyle. Sometimes entire collections represent an old hobby that is irrelevant to our current interests. Consider how much of what you own is an honest reflection of you and the life you want to live. If something doesn’t fit for any reason… let it go.
6. Could you easily replace it?
7. Is it still valuable to you?
8. Is it easy to maintain?
Surplus supplies can rob us of space, energy and disposable income.
Don’t stockpile if you are maxing out on space.
Sentimental items are not easily replaced and are harder to part with. When paring down nostalgic items ask yourself which piece best represents that time in your life, or best reflects that personal accomplishment.
Don’t forget to simplify. Fewer working parts, lower maintenance costs, and a smaller footprint can be a savings on several levels.
Take your time. Give yourself an entire month to accomplish your goal. Each week, make your ‘team cuts.’ Try out the feeling of having less on your shelf, less in your collection and less on your mind.
In the end YOU will be the winner. The March Madness basketball tournament ends on Monday April 2. Plan ahead for your personal victory and set a date for the end of your March Madness Challenge. Don’t throw in the towel if the tournament ends while you’re still deciding what to keep. Decisions take time, but if you don’t declutter on a regular basis, your organizing muscles won’t be at peak performance. Practice will perfect your skills.
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.
