Organize U

The United Organizing Company: Balancing Your Work and Home Life.

Do-It-Yourself Organizing Tip

For the Do-It-Yourself type of person who needs a little motivation to get started, we have some simple tips. 

Many people become overwhelmed by their clutter.  They take one look at the overstuffed closet, the piles of papers in the home office, or the unopened boxes in the basement from their move four years ago, and they freeze.  The project looks so time consuming, they don’t even want to begin unless they can carve out an entire day (or more) to tackle it.  Here’s a tip that we tell our clients all the time during our needs assessment.

Break down your organizing project into smaller, more manageable chunks.

·        If there are several piles of papers on your desk, isolate one pile (or maybe only a portion of the pile, depending on how large it is) and work on that pile only.  Start with the most recent pile first, as this is where you will find the most time-sensitive action items.  Identify where each piece of paper needs to go (the shredder, garbage can, files, etc.), get them to their final destination, then start the next pile.

·        If there are several boxes in the basement, identify one box to tackle at a time.  Get through the contents of the entire box, get those items to their final destination (garage, elsewhere in the basement, garbage, etc.) before opening up the next one. 

·        If your closet is overstuffed with clothes, pick one section to start in and make your way across.  Remove a few items of clothing at a time.  Identify what is staying, what is being donated, and what can be tossed.  Put those items where they belong and then move on to the next few items, etc.

Resist the urge to start by dumping all of the clothes in your closet on the bed, or opening up several basement boxes at a time.  You don’t want to run out of time or run out of steam halfway through the project and then have an even bigger mess on your hands.

Ways to stay focused on that project:

·        Move the items you are working on to another area of the home.  For instance, you can take a pile of papers out of the office and work on it in another location.  This will minimize the visual distraction the other piles add.

·        Throw a sheet over the other boxes in the basement or push them up against the wall behind where you are working.  Again, you don’t need the visual reminder of how many boxes are left to be gone through.

·        Set a timer.  If you only have 30 minutes to work on organizing your closet, then work with a few items at a time until your 30 minutes is up.

The object is to reframe your way of thinking about the project at hand.  Instead of viewing it as one big project, view it as several smaller projects that can be done over time.  It is better to make progress in small increments than to not make any progress at all.

Spring Into Summer with These Organizing Tips

Organizing Your Home:

Doesn’t the phrase “Spring Cleaning” really represent an opportunity many of us take to not only clean, but to organize? 

A lot of people spend time moving boxes or piles of items from one place to another within their homes.  As long as you need to find a home for it or pick it up so you can clean under it, why not take a closer look through that pile or box?  You may actually be able to whittle it down to a smaller pile that occupies much less space.  Yes, this may require a little extra time, however, the long term benefits of obtaining a more organized living space is well worth it.

Organizing Your Office:

What does your office, and how well it’s organized, have to do with your pending vacation?  Well, ask yourself this… “how often am I able to take a vacation without being interrupted by a phone call from my boss, assistant, or coworker?”  If it has happened even once, you may be able to avoid future phone calls by taking a few additional steps to organize your office before you leave.

It’s a wonderful feeling to have a filing system that works for you… everything in it’s place, where you need it, when you need it.  Keep in mind that whomever is going to be your back-up while your on vacation may not think like you (shocking, isn’t it?).  Take a few minutes to show that person around your office and explain your filing system.  You may even want to go one step further and leave behind some written instructions or a map to help them find their way.

A Personal Trainer for Your Clutter

Many of our blog ideas are in direct response to networking conversations.  At any given time, Betsy and I can be found networking in different groups, talking to people about what we do, and building relationships with other business owners, teachers, attorneys, artists, busy Moms, etc.   

A scenario I’ve been given on more than one occasion while making my rounds networking is this, “I have piles of papers all over my desk.  I probably don’t need everything that’s there but haven’t had time to go through them.  I just need one good day to get through all of it.  If I know what I need to do, what’s the benefit of hiring you?”

To which I usually respond:  “Well, how long have those piles been sitting on your desk and what’s keeping you from getting to them?”
That question usually initiates a significant pause.   

Here’s the deal.  Most of us all know how to put our shoes on and take a walk (maybe even run).  We know how to ride a bike.  Many of us even know how to lift weights.  Do we all do these things on a regular basis?  No.  Especially when the weather is cold, I can think of so many other things I’d rather be doing than taking a walk or riding my bike.  And that’s why many personal trainers have thriving businesses.  They motivate people by making exercise challenging yet fun.

Of course there are many people who know what needs to be done to get themselves organized, but they don’t do it.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  Again most people would rather spend time with family and friends than organize papers in their office.  However, as Professional Organizers we offer our clients the motivation to stay focused for a finite period of time.  And they are able to get a lot more done in a lot less time by maintaining that focus.  We are essentially personal trainers for them and their clutter.

I currently have a client with whom I work on a regular weekly/bi-weekly basis.  There are times when I will stand next to him at his desk while he goes through the piles of papers that have accumulated since our last session; essentially acting in the capacity I described above.  One day he said to me, “Cara I know you may not think this is very productive, but I wouldn’t be doing this if you weren’t here.”  I responded by explaining the following:  “This isn’t about what I think is productive, it’s about you getting the most out of our time together.”  All of my clients are different and the definition of “organized” is going to look different for each one.  It’s my job to make sure each client is working towards his or her own goal of what it means to be “organized.”