When it comes to organizing, most of us will hit a brick wall at some point with something that needs to be organized. For whatever reason, that particular organizing chore is just too daunting and, therefore, probably won’t get done. For some people it’s the paperwork, for others it’s the random files on their desk. For some it’s the garage and for others it’s the craft room or mudroom.
Of course, there’s also countless reasons as to why that particular organizing chore isn’t getting done. Maybe it’s lack of time or maybe it’s lack of skill. However, when the clutter or disorganization gets out of hand, most people will feel overwhelmed and may be unsure as to how to get it together or, back together as the case may be.
In the world of Professional Organizers, January is “Go” month. It’s the beginning of a new year and it’s a great time to get organized to start the new year on the right foot. In fact, it’s one of the top ten New Years’ resolutions year after year after year. So, obviously, organizing is a constant and very necessary part of our lives.
That said, you can’t just get organized at the beginning of the year and expect things to stay that way. Organizing is something you need to do all year round. Maintenance is sooo important to keep things from spiraling out-of-control. If it looks good and feels good, you’ll be more inclined to keep it that way. All it takes is a few minutes a day!
Why wait for things to spiral out-of-control? Start organizing an area that’s making you crazy. Start small! Tackle one drawer, one closet or one cupboard at a time. It’s better to organize one small area at a time so you can concentrate and finish the task. I suggest staying in the same room until you’ve finished all areas in that room. Then, move on to the next area when you’re ready.
Although there may not be a deadline, it’s easy to get side-tracked so make sure you put time on the calendar each day for a few minutes to organize. That’s right…make an appointment with yourself to set aside time to get whatever organizing task you want to get done.
There’s always something to organize. We organize all the time, every day, without even thinking about it. Putting the dishes away, filing a document into a folder, folding the clean laundry to put it away. It’s part of our everyday life or, at least it should be.
Think about it, people vow to get “better” organized in January to start the new year off on the right foot. In February we start getting our papers organized to prepare our taxes or get them ready for our accountant. At the end of March, we begin the Spring-cleaning craze. Then, April starts moving season, which goes on through to mid-summer. Those people that are moving will probably want to downsize and get rid of the excess so that they are organized and ready for their upcoming move. Mid-Summer parents are getting things ready for their children to start school or planning a vacation. Then Fall starts off the holiday season which has its own organizing challenges, i.e. hosting guests or planning events, purging to make room for all the Christmas décor, gifts and company.
All of this requires some degree of organizing!
So, what’s it gonna be? Are you going to start the year off on the right foot? Will you implement a badly needed filing system? Purge old papers? Get the boxes of photos in the garage scanned or made into a beautiful album so that you can get rid of all those boxes from too many generations? Purge the garage so you can park you car in there? Go thru the bins and bins of your grown children’s memorabilia to determine what they actually want or need? Organize your closet and get rid of the clothes that no longer fit or suit your current lifestyle?
Whatever you decide to do, I can guarantee that if you’re organized or even better organized than you are right now, you’ll be more productive and efficient. Inevitably you’ll wind up having more time and, you know what “they” say…Time is money!
GO FORTH AND CONQUER! If you need help, give us a call. We’re ready when you are.