The Importance of Organization at Work
The importance of organization cannot be overstated. Organization affects all areas of life. When, work, home, time, and space are organized, it frees time for fun and family. Many people often wonder whether they are coming or going – Here is a detailed look at the importance of organization. » Read More

Looking to de-stress your family? Start by getting your house in order with our five easy steps.

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
http://www.getorganizednow.com

Organizing doesn't have to be expensive or difficult. Getting organized will most often only require your readiness and desire to do so, along with time and motivation. Don't be overwhelmed by the task at hand. Just take a few deep breaths and you'll be on your way. The only big mistake you can make is to not start.

1) The most cost-effective way to get organized is to purge. The less you have to deal with physically, the easier it will be. Begin with a simple, quick trip around a room that you've chosen to work in and gather together any obvious trash. Newspapers, old catalogues and junk mail can all be tossed. Be sure to recycle whatever you can. We want to help organize the environment too!

2) The next step might actually help make you money. Now is the time to identify anything you currently own that you wish to donate or sell. Donating items to those in need can be very motivating. Knowing that someone else will be able to use an item, as opposed to it simply going into the trash, often makes it much easier to let go. Oftentimes, items donated to charity are eligible for a deduction on your income taxes. Be sure to keep proper documentation as to the item, condition and value. A photo can also be helpful.

3) If you prefer, you can also sell an item, perhaps online, which would bring a more immediate income. You can do it yourself or take the item to one of the many places around these days that will assist you in online sales.

4) Do you feel disorganized every time you leave the house? Perhaps you spend too much time looking for your car keys, cell phone, sunglasses, or your purse? The old saying, 'A place for everything and everything in its place' is well known because of how true and how valuable it is. Just imagine how much easier leaving your house would be if you knew, each and every time, exactly where all of your important items were. They'd be waiting for you right where you put them.

5) Decide on a location that makes sense. It may not be the first place you imagine it will be. It needs to be in the easiest and most functional spot. If the place you choose doesn't feel right, you can always change it. Once you find that spot, then you can choose a container. If you have a number of sets of keys, perhaps a small row of hooks next to the back door would be best. Maybe a small wicker basket where you can leave loose items and then set your purse next to it is your ideal solution.

6) Need to organize your bathrooms? Are your bathroom cabinets a jumble of hair products, lotions, and makeup or personal care items? Shoe boxes make fantastic under-the- counter containers. If you would prefer a more attractive solution, but would rather not spring for matching boxes, a whole $5 roll of contact paper will cover a bunch of shoe boxes. Pick a fun color or pattern that will make you smile when you open the door. Sort like items together in each box. You can even label them if you would like.

7) Look at your closet in a new way. Sometime, the easiest way to organize a closet is to begin by removing everything. We, once again, will want to do a quick purge for anything you know you will never wear again. Anything that doesn't make you feel fantastic should go. You should smile every time you get dressed.

8) Group like items together. For this step, you get to decide what that means. It can mean all jeans together, all blouses, etc. or it can mean all clothes of a certain color or category such as dressy or business casual. If you prefer, you can group actual outfits together and even add the accessories.

9) Once you've gotten the actual items sorted, you might take a quick trip to the store for matching hangers. Even the discount stores these days have nice sets for reasonable prices and it makes such a difference to get rid of all the old wire and other mismatched hangers you've accumulated over the years.

As you can see, getting organized doesn't have to be expensive at all. Look at it as an investment that you're making in yourself. The more organized you are, the more efficient you will be--which will leave you with more time for the things you truly love and want to enjoy.

^{Each day is wrought with the chance to get lost
in the chaos of the moment. Instead, set goals, analyze your time, create a list
and prioritize your day. These acts - and a few others - will keep your time and
your life all your own.}

^{My business experience has
taught me one true thing: That maximizing your productivity, happiness, peace,
or impact can best be accomplished if you clearly understand the 12 Rules of
Time.}

^1.^{Have goals}^{Being more efficient with your time is irrelevant if you don't know how you want
to spend it. In managing time,}^{the compass}^{is more important than the clock. Know where you want to go and spend your time
on the things that get you there.

Many people spend energy trying to be more efficient without first doing what's
important: setting goals. It's like being lost on your way to a new city.
Driving faster doesn't help if you are going in the wrong direction. Figure out
what direction to go in and head that way.

Once you've prepared it, your list of goals will reveal what is important to
you.}

^2.^{Analyze how you spend your time}^{It is always good to know how you're spending your time right
now. You can track this}^{by setting}^{a timer to go off every 15 minutes; whenever it sounds, write down exactly what
you are doing. Alternatively, divide your day into 15-minute blocks and record
each activity you do.

Once you have your time logs, examine them. How do they compare to your goals?
Are you spending time where your priorities are?}

^3.^{Keep a to-do list}^{This sounds too simple, but it really is the basis of all time-management
systems. Your to-do list can be electronic, on fancy paper, bound in}^{a notebook}^{or loose-leaf. The key is to have everything you want to accomplish on one list.
My to-do list might have a one-line item on it, such as "write annual report,"
which refers me to a much larger file or even a} ^{file box}^{on that item.}

^4.^{Prioritize your list}^{Once you have the list, determine which are the important items. Mark these with
a highlighter, a red pen, or in any other way that makes them stand out.

I sometimes find my to-do list is too big. Every item on the list calls out "pay
attention to me!", even though most of them weren't highlighted as important. In
these cases, I take a blank sheet of paper and cover my to-do list and write
down only the three or four most important items. Those are the ones to focus
on.}

^5.^{Control procrastination}^{I
use a number of tricks to break any lingering tendencies to procrastinate. For
instance, I happen to like having a hard copy of my digital to-do list. I
reprint it every few days as new items are added and completed ones dropped. It
is at these times that I look for the items that I've marked as high priority,
but which are just not getting done.

People often say I have great self-control. In truth, though, much of it is
environment control. I control my environment to eliminate things that I might
use to procrastinate. Take games off your computer, for example, sell your TV,
and get rid of the busywork jobs that you use to avoid the important tasks.

I have developed one effective habit that has helped break me of
procrastination: "Do the worst thing first." At the beginning of every day, I do
the one task that is causing me the most stress, and that I haven't been getting
done. Sometimes I just give it a quarter of an hour - based on the theory that I
can stand just about anything for 15 minutes. Frequently it is this short thrust
that breaks me through.

If I still find myself procrastinating, I review my reasons for setting a goal.
To create extra motivation to complete a task, I strengthen the reasons why it
should be done. Similarly, many people reward themselves for completing a job.}

^6.^Organize^{Organization and time management are linked. I find that I get important things
done when I have all the tools I need to perform the job.

The opposite of organization -chaos, clutter, disorganization- generally leads
to busy work. If your desk is piled high, every piece of paper says "look at
me." You can end up doing a lot of work without ever getting to the important
stuff.}

^7.^Delegate^{One
way to expand your time is to get others to help you with it. The key to
delegation is to hand off any tasks that someone else can do significantly
faster or more easily than you can.

If you're protesting that you don't have anyone working directly for you to whom
you can delegate tasks, no problem. Consider delegating to a peer, a superior, a
supplier, or even a customer. Treat delegation like networking: who in your
network would be best for the job?

In some cases you will need to invest up-front to train someone so he or she can
take over a task from you. The long-term savings are usually worth the up-front
time and costs.}

^{After delegation, remember to thank
appropriately. You might think people would resent being delegated to, but
exactly the opposite is true. People like to be asked, especially if it is to do
something that they're good at.}

^8.^{Master efficiency tricks}^{The
best trick I have found is "The Power of While." What can you do while you
drive? While you walk? While you clean? While you watch TV? I am a huge}^{audio tape}^{advocate and frequently listen to tapes while I am doing something else.

Being a techno person, I love all the organization software out there that
allows me to keep my contacts, to-do lists and appointments. I also use gadgets
such as cellphones, wireless e-mail, and} ^{personal digital
assistants}^{.
Good use of technology can save you valuable time.}

^9.^{It's OK to say no}^{Saying "No" can be the most powerful time tool you can master. When someone asks
you to do something, ask yourself how important this is. Does it help you
achieve your goals? Is this a task you would be better at than most people?
Don't always look for reasons to get out of things, but be strategic about what
you take on.

This doesn't mean that I always say no when asked to help out. But if I do say
no, I am always polite and tactful, and try to suggest someone else who would do
the job well.}

^10.^Focus^{Committing 100% focus and concentration on one task at a time can be very
powerful. Eliminate distractions. Focus on the task. When you're properly
organized and prepared, when your} ^{energy and power}^{are high, you can often complete a task in 20% of the time it would take when
you're distracted or open to interruption.}

^11.^{Build your efficiency bank}^{High efficiency is not possible if you don't look after yourself. Eat right,
exercise, sleep well and drink moderately. Mom knew best: all the things she
said were good for you just happen to be best for your efficiency, too.

I also believe meditation can be a great way of building your efficiency. It
could be transcendental meditation, Zen, or just finding a way to get into a
relaxed state that lets you focus on the task you have to do. No matter how you
do it, recharging your batteries gives you the power to do more during}^{the times}^{you need to be at your best.}

^12.^{Take care of yourself}^{It
isn't possible to be "on" all the time. Take the time you need to look after
yourself -}^{body and soul}^{- so that you can reach peak efficiency when you need to. Have a list of things
you like to do. Find out what activities energize you, and spend more time doing
them. This will give you the power and energy to be more productive when you
return to work.}

^{Finally, a} ^{word of advice}^{.
If after reading this far you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, I suggest you go
back to Rule 1 and add peace (contentment) to your list of goals. Time}^{management is}^{not about adding stress; it is about giving you the time to be the person you
really want to be.}

^{About The Author: Jim Estill started his
business from the trunk of his car and grew into to $375 Million in sales before
selling it to SYNNEX. He is now CEO of SYNNEX Canada a $1 Billion computer}^wholesaler^{.
he is a regular blogger at

http://jimestill.blogspot.com}

^{Clutter busting, timers and some introspection can boost your daily
productivity. Learn to plan tomorrow today, and use simple strategies to improve
output.}

^{Being productive each day does not come from working harder, but
working smarter.}

^{1. Get ready the night before.}^{Whatever you can get done the night before, from laying out the outfit you plan
to wear, to setting the breakfast table, to checking your To Do list, to filling
your car's gas tank, the more you'll be able to get done the next day.}

^{2. Use your To Do list.}^{Don't go through your day in a random, haphazard fashion. Do one thing at a time
as listed on your To Do list, and cross each task off your list as you complete
it.}

^{3. Set timers.}^{If you tend to start}^projects^{,
but get distracted and get off track, timers can be a huge help. When you begin
a project, set a timer for 15 minutes. If the timer goes off and you're still
working on your project, great! If it sounds and you're doing something else,
immediately drop what you're doing and go back to your original project. Keep
setting the timer every 15 minutes until you're done.}

^{4. Stop trying to be a super hero.}^{If you can delegate some tasks to your spouse, your kids, your associates, your
co-workers, an outside source, etc., then do it. Once you take the 'I have to do
it all myself' responsibility off your shoulders, you'll be able to get more
done and feel less exhausted at the end of the day.}

^{5. Cut the clutter.}^{Clutter is one of the main barriers of productivity. If you can't find what you
need, or you don't have enough clear space to work, or you are stressed by the
mess, it's going to be very difficult to get anything done in a timely manner.
Make a promise to yourself to begin getting rid of the clutter and keep that
promise. It's an important one.}

^{6. Use
your computer.}^{Sound like a silly tip? I know there are thousands (millions) of people who
still are not making use of the technology available to them. For example, I
personally know three accountants who still use pen, paper and calculator to
calculate financials. Ugh! Take the time to learn how to use computer tools,
such as spreadsheets, word processing documents and databases. You cannot
calculate, look up, spell check, etc. anywhere close to the seconds it would
take a}^{computer program}^{to do so for you.}

^{7. Know
yourself.}^{Work on your most important projects and tasks during the}^{time of day}^{when you feel most energetic and awake.

Determine if you're an early bird or a night owl, and schedule your projects
accordingly.}

^{8. Reduce
interruptions.}^{When working on something, do whatever you can to eliminate unnecessary
interruptions. Put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on your door. Allow your}^voicemail^{to field your calls. Turn off the radio and/or the television. Tell visitors
you'll stop by later in the day when you're done with your project.}

^{9. Get
something done, even if it's small.}^{Try to start and finish your first task of the day. Completing a project early
on is great motivation for you to continue being productive. I always start my
day with a task or project that I can complete in 15 minutes or less. Once I'm
done with it, I feel energized and move on to the next task or project of the
day with ease.}

^{by Maria Gracia -}^{Get Organized}^{Now!

Want to get organized? Get your

FREE Get Organized Now!
Idea-Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize}^{your home}^{,
your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now! Web site

http://www.getorganizednow.com}

The Time of Your Life: Simple Tips to Help You Maximize Your Time

Do you often find yourself running out of time, running late, or running yourself ragged? Like it or not, we all live by the same rule when it comes to time. It is not infinite. As much as we'd love an extra couple of hours each day or another day added to our week, the fact remains that there are just 24 hours in each day and 7 days in a week. Time continues to tick by at the same rate irregardless of the number of tasks, appointments, and responsibilities you need to pack into those precious minutes. Taking steps to maximize your time will help you relieve the pressure, meet deadlines, and possibly even free up some extra moments to spend with your family and friends.

1) One of the most essential steps you can take to maximize your time is to purchase a planner and use it regularly. Write down any and every important piece of information in your planner including phone numbers, emails, and home addresses. Keeping this information in one location will prevent you from wasting time looking for it when you need it. In addition to being a warehouse for information, use your planner to take note of all deadlines and appointments --even those that seem insignificant. Missed appointments or meetings will quickly consume time as you rush to reach a deadline at the last minute or spend time rescheduling an appointment you forgot.

2) Consolidate your appointments and tasks when possible. If you have several errands to run on the other side of town, do them all at the same time to prevent time lost from driving back and forth. Flexibility is essential when scheduling multiple tasks. You may need to wait an extra week before your next haircut, but it will be well worth it if planning your hair and nail appointments on the same day allows you to free up time to watch your daughter's softball game.

3) Think (or read) it through before attempting any task. Weather it be volunteering for a fundraising event, building a bookshelf, or writing an article, you will inevitably save time and frustration if you are cognizant of the full instructions or details before starting your project. Knowing ahead of time the step-by-step process, as well as the anticipated end result, will help the process go smoothly and ensure there will be no surprises along the way. Misdirection and getting lost can cause you to lose a great deal of time. Imagine the frustration of finishing a task only to discover the end result is not what was expected causing you to start all over or spend more time than you originally anticipated. Taking just a few extra moments before you begin the project can easily prevent that from happening.

4) Don't sweat the small stuff. Nothing wastes more time and energy than maintaining a grudge, worrying about things you simply cannot change, or contemplating a multitude of `what ifs?' If those little details won't matter in the end anyhow, don't let them eat away at your precious time. Life is too short to spend time purposely being angry or worrying. Choosing to ignore insignificant details and letting go of grudges will not only help you maximize your own time, it will free your mind and allow you to enjoy living your life.

5) Know your limits and stick to them. If you only have 15 minutes to chat before you need leave for an appointment, make that clear at the beginning of a conversation. If a task is taking longer than you expected, take a few quick moments to figure out why, decide whether additional time is needed, and schedule that time if necessary. Finishing one task at the expense of delaying another is never an effective solution to maximizing your time. Set clear time limits for tasks that easily eat up minutes. Answering emails, surfing the Internet, and chatting on the phone can easily cause you to lose track of time and get behind schedule for the rest of the day. When beginning these tasks, set a time limit and use your watch or cell phone clock to stick to that limit.

6) Maximize your waiting time by keeping a `to do' bag with you at all times. Fill it with tasks that need to be done, but are not necessarily time sensitive such as thank you notes to be written, recipes to be copied and filed, or possibly even a small article of clothing that may need mending. If you find yourself with free time while waiting for the subway or in line at the DMV, use that time to complete these tasks. Performing these quick tasks while waiting will prevent them from stealing valuable time later.

7) Last, but certainly not least, be certain to take time for your personal time management. Take a few moments each day to organize and administrate your upcoming day. Planning out your day will help you prioritize the tasks that demand your time and will help you decide what to work on and when to work on it. Using the tips from above, plot out each day to ensure each demand on your time receives adequate attention. Stick to your schedule and do your best to complete tasks in the time allowed.

Maximizing your time can be easy and painless using these few simple tips. While you may not be able to add more time into your day, you certainly have the ability to get the most out of the time you do have. Effective time management and prioritization will alleviate some of the hustle and bustle of everyday life allowing you to relax and spend more time participating in activities you enjoy with the ones you love.

Making the simple complicated is commonplace. Making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.
--Charles Mingus

And remember . . . there's no better time
to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
http://www.getorganizednow.com

5 Minutes of Organizing Equals Five Minutes of Fun

Are you having a hard time getting motivated to start organizing? Feel like it's too large of a task? Are you having a hard time staying motivated once you start? You're not alone. Get yourself started 10 minutes at a time with these 5-minute task/5-minute reward combinations.

1. Task: Take out the trash. Take a large trash bag around to all the rooms in your house and empty the garbage cans into it. Also take along extra bags to replace those you take out of the garbage cans. Make sure the full bag(s) are taken outside so they're ready for trash pickup.

Treat: 5 minutes on Twitter. When you pass your computer, turn it on so it's ready for you to hop on the Internet when you're finished taking out the trash. You can spend your time writing your own tweet or reading what others have to say.

2. Task: Fold and put away one load of laundry. Whether you put away everyone's laundry for them or just put it in a designated area for them to put away themselves is up to you. Just make sure it gets folded and put where it needs to be.

Treat: Catch up on Facebook. Turn your computer on right after you fold the laundry so it has time to boot up while you're running from room to room putting everything away.

3. Task: Reply to as many emails as you can. Since you may not get to all of them in 5 minutes make sure you start with the most urgent ones first.

Treat: Browse Ebay or Craigslist. Make sure you watch your time so you don't get too caught up in the website.

4. Task: Go through 5 file folders. Weed out any unnecessary papers. Shred anything with personal information on it and toss the rest. Keep any papers that are still pertinent.

Treat: Enjoy lemonade in the yard.

5. Task: Sort through your mail. Toss all ads and catalogs that you don't plan on looking through. Shred all the 'you can't be turned down' credit card offers to protect yourself from identity theft. Now you should only be left with about one quarter of the pile. Sort these into piles like bills, correspondences, charitable organizations, etc. With your remaining time, read through a pile or two.

Treat: Call a friend. Remember to keep your conversation brief. You only have 5 minutes.

6. Task: Weed out your junk drawer. Go through your junk drawer and get rid of anything you no longer need. Toss all but one strip of twist ties. Get rid of any stray pieces of paper that you no longer need. Make sure everything is neatly in its place. If things tend to slide around, consider placing a piece of skid-proof rubberized drawer liner on the bottom of the drawer to keep everything in its place.

Treat: Meditate or pray.

7. Task: Clear off the coffee table. Take everything that does not belong on the coffee table and put it away. Don't just make a new pile somewhere else. Sort through it and find a proper home for it all.

Treat: Read an article from your favorite magazine or newspaper.

8. Task: Empty the dishwasher. Put away clean dishes and if there are any dirty dishes waiting in the sink, get those in the dishwasher so they're ready for the next cycle.

Treat: Make yourself a fruit smoothie. Enjoy your smoothie in the yard, but don't forget to put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher when you're finished.

9. Task: Clean the toilet. No one enjoys doing it, but it has to be done. Spend some time wiping down the outside of the toilet as well as brushing the inside of the bowl.

Treat: Stretch to recharge. After washing up, make sure to stretch out your legs, arms, and back to release some of the tension and re-energize you.

10. Task: Shake out the doormats. Take your doormats outside and shake the dust and dirt out of them. Be sure to stay away from open windows so the dust and dirt doesn't end up back in the house. If you want to take things one step farther, you can toss lightweight rugs into the washing machine for a deeper cleaning.

Treat: Try out some yoga poses. If you're not sure what to do, check out some of Tara Stiles videos on You Tube. She has a number of 5-minute workouts.

11: Task: Clean out your medicine cabinet. Check the dates on all medications (both over the counter and prescriptions). Anything that is beyond its expiration date should be discarded. Any prescriptions that have not expired but are no longer used should be discarded as well. Never discard of medication by pouring it down the drain because it can contaminate the drinking water supply. Instead remove them from the original container and throw them in the garbage. Liquid medications should be mixed with dirt in a plastic bag and then thrown away.

Treat: Take a walk around the block.

12. Task: Delete any unnecessary emails. Get rid of any emails that you won't have to refer back to again. This includes forwards, personal emails that you've already responded to, and any other 'junk mail.'

Treat: Leave a comment of your favorite blog. Not in the mood to write? Catch up on what others have to say.

13. Task: Make a chore chart. Keep everyone in the family on track and lighten your load a little by delegating tasks to each family member over the age of 2. Make sure the jobs you give everyone are age appropriate. Have everyone either check off or erase each task as it is completed.

Treat: Read a book to a child.

14. Task: Clean out your purse, wallet, or briefcase. Throw away any garbage. Put receipts in a receipt or tax folder. Spare change can go in your change jar. Any business cards that you may have received should be filed away with your other contacts. Sorting like items into snack sized plastic bags will help make things easier in the future.

Treat: Go for a bike ride around the block.

15. Task: Inspect your pillows. Go through all the bedrooms and linen storage. Discard any pillows that are yellowed or otherwise in poor condition and add new ones to your shopping list. Fluff any remaining pillows that are in good condition.

Treat: Put your feet up and just relax with a bottle of water.

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Let's face it; it's often easier to give up our efforts to get organized than it is to jump over the hurdles. But the hurdles don't have to defeat us. We can overcome each and every one and succeed in this journey to getting organized. The hurdles can be conquered. Join us as we tackle a few of the hurdles to organizing that we all face.

1. Procrastination: Let's face it, it's easier to put off an unpleasant or overwhelming task than it is to do it. So, what do you do to accomplish something you've been procrastinating on? You schedule it! Just like scheduling appointments for any other thing, put time on your calendar specifically for organizing. It doesn't have to be a lot of time, just put it on the schedule. If it's an appointment on your schedule, you are much more likely to follow through.

2. Lack of Motivation: You know it needs to be done, but you just can't make yourself get up and do it. So, here are a few ways to help you motivate yourself. 1) Put on some peppy music. It is true that when there is upbeat music playing, our mood perks up and we move a bit faster. 2) Visualize the finished product or end result. When you can picture in your mind what your end result will be, it's easier to get it accomplished.

3. Where do I start?: This one can sometimes be quite a stumbling block as we look at the whole picture. When we look at the whole, we can easily become overwhelmed. So, pick the room that bothers you the most. Then, break that room down into quadrants and work one quadrant at a time. As you begin to see progress, it gets easier to continue. And, by breaking it down into manageable bites, it is a lot easier to swallow.

4. Lack of family cooperation: This hurdle can sometimes be pretty difficult to work around, but it's not impossible. Start out by scheduling a family meeting. Give yourself time to plan what you are going to say and how you are going to approach your family. Enlist your husband's support ahead of time. You might share with him how much less stressed you will be if you have some help. This will help the two of you present a united front when you have the discussion with the kids. For the kids, go over the rules and the consequences for ignoring or breaking the rules. Be sure you and your husband are in agreement and be consistent about following through with the consequences. When the kids see you mean business, they'll quickly fall in line.

5. It has to be done today: Chances are this is one of the hurdles you are subject to. To overcome this one, you need to change the way you think. You know that this physically can't be done in one day. Even those television organizing shows take several days to declutter and organize only a few rooms, AND they have a team of people to help. A helpful way to change the way you think is to remember that your home didn't become disorganized and cluttered in one day, and it won't be reversed in one day. Reasonable amounts of time every day will be what wins this battle.

6. Too much stuff: You are not alone with this condition. Our culture is one that encourages the collection and consumption of much stuff. The trouble with stuff is the amount of upkeep and time it requires. There are only so many things we can use in a given day. For clothing alone, the average person wears 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. Take an honest look at what you actually wear for all of your activities. The excess can be donated. Work suits that you no longer need can be donated to organizations that make them available to women trying to get started in the workplace. You can also sell your items on consignment. This same process works for just about all of the stuff we have.

7: Perfection: Do you suffer from perfectionism? Many of us do. This hurdle can be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. We are under the delusion that we have to have or do everything perfectly. When we can't we don't start, or don't finish. We know that realistically we can't be perfect. Give yourself a break and give yourself permission to do `good enough'. There is nothing good about trying to be perfect. It only paralyzes us. Good enough is good enough! Think how much more relaxed you will feel when you no longer put unrealistic expectations on yourself. Start small and enjoy the freedom.

8. It was a gift: What is it about gifts that makes us think we have to keep whatever is given to us? Sometimes we keep items out of respect and love for the giver. Sometimes we keep items out of guilt, whether or not it is something we love and use. This is another one that requires a change in our way of thinking. A gift is something given with no strings attached. The receiver is under no obligation to keep any gift they don't love or use. If you are holding on to something because it is tied to the memory of the person, give yourself permission to get rid of the item but not the memory of the person who gave it to you. Getting rid of the item doesn't remove the memory from your heart. Give yourself permission to lose the clutter and cherish the memory.

9. Not enough time: Many of us think that if we don't have hours of time to devote to organizing, then we don't have enough time 'period'. While it would be wonderful to have hours at a time to devote to organizing, the reality is that our time is in short supply. Don't let the apparent lack of time discourage you from organizing. Everyone can spare 15 minutes here and there. It may be hard to believe, but you can accomplish a lot of organizing and decluttering 15 minutes at a time--especially when it's a focused effort without interruptions, coupled with an 'I CAN' attitude.

10. Transition storage-Where do I put it?: When our homes are already disorganized and overstuffed it's difficult at best to figure out where to put items we want to keep, items we want to donate and items we want to sell. Let's tackle sale items first. Are you having a garage sale? Designate an area in your garage to store garage sale items. Make sure you set a date for your sale. It's much easier to work with a specific goal in mind. If you are donating or selling on consignment, put the items in your car at the end of your session and drop them off at least once a week. For those items you are keeping, designate a place in your home for transitional storage and use only that space. It might be a challenge for a little while, but just picture how great things will look when you finish. You can do this!

^{"Time is really the only capital any human
being has, and the one thing he can't afford to waste."

- American inventor Thomas Edison}

^{Do you waste much time during your day due to
disorganization?

Perhaps you spend 5 minutes searching for a misplaced file, another 5 looking
for an email detailing an important meeting, and perhaps 10 minutes more finding
today's to-do list, lost in the piles of papers on your desk. Before you know
it, you've spent an hour throughout the day looking for things you can't find.
And that's just one day! Imagine how much time you're losing each week, each
month, and each year!}

^{Time spent organizing saves more time in the long run.

©iStockphoto/scherbet}

^{Many people struggle with disorganization. And, while some
think they can succeed amidst the chaos, this disorganization can end up costing
a high price. Disorganization can hold us back from getting the promotion we've
always wanted. It can block our creativity, add stress to our lives, and prevent
us from being as productive and effective as we could be.

In this article, we'll look at some strategies for getting organized, so that we
can start living and working to our full potential.

Organizing Best Practices}

^·^{Use a notebook}^{- One strategy that many organized people use is to work with a notebook. This
notebook is like a "catch-all" for your thoughts and for what you do during the
day.

For instance, use your notebook to take notes when you're talking with a
colleague or with a client on the phone. If you're working and need to remember
to tell your boss something, write it down in your notebook. If you have a
brainstorming session in the afternoon, your ideas can go in there too.

The advantage of a notebook is that you capture all of your thoughts,
conversations, and ideas in one place. Also, once things are written down, you
don't have to waste mental energy remembering everything!

It's helpful to start a new, dated page each day. This way, you can easily go
back and find the information you need.}

^·^{Get organized during the first 15 minutes of
your day}^{- When you walk into the office in the morning, spend your
first 15 minutes looking at what you need to do that day. Start with the "Next
Actions" list from your}^{Action
Program}^{, if you have one - or make a}^{To-Do
List}^{,
with your most important}^priorities^{at the top. This gives you a solid grasp of which tasks you need to complete
first, and which you can complete later in the afternoon.

During this organization time, knowing when you do your best work can also be
helpful. Find out more with our article "}^{Is
This a Morning Task?}^"

^·^{Clear your desktop}^{- Your desktop can often become a "catch-all" zone. There are old papers, future
projects, files you're currently using, and a pile of papers you simply haven't
put away yet. Although some people feel they work better with a cluttered desk,
it's distracting and inhibiting for many of us.

If you want to get organized, then clearing your desktop is a smart strategy.
This can be a time-consuming task, so it might be best to work on this at the
end of the day or at the weekend.

Start by clearing everything off of your desk.}^File^{papers and reports that you've finished using, and recycle anything you don't
need. Office supplies should go in a drawer or cabinet.

The items that are left are probably files and paperwork that you currently
need.}

^·^{Create an "action area" on your desk}^{- Use this area for the materials you need to complete the project you're
currently working on. As soon as you complete each "action," clear this area off
to get ready for your next task.}

^·^{Organize supplies or files you use often}^{- The more often you use something, the closer it should be to you. Arrange your
desk for usefulness, not for the way it looks.

How do you keep your desk organized? Spend five minutes at the end of each day
clearing off your desk and keeping it organized. This way, you can come into
work the next day with a clear, organized surface.}

^{Organizing Tools

We live in a time of some amazing technology. Let's use it
to get organized!}

^·^{Use digital calendars or planners}^{- Many people use these to help organize their schedules. These can be very
helpful for keeping you on task!

For instance, many digital calendars, like Outlook and iCal, allow you to
color-code tasks. You could use red for urgent, green for extended deadlines,
and blue for low-priority tasks. Color-coding your day helps you quickly see
what you need to do first.}

^·^{Use a spreadsheet to} ^{track
your progress}^{- Spreadsheets are helpful because you can use
conditional formatting that alerts you when tasks are getting close to their
deadlines. As a result, you can see at a glance which items are, or are not, on
schedule. This is especially helpful when you're working with a team, and when
you have to be aware of people's progress.}

^·^{Offer yourself a reward}^{- If you're finding it difficult to stay organized, try offering yourself a
reward. For instance, if you complete four things on your to-do list, reward
yourself with a cup of coffee, or with 10 minutes of free time to surf the web.}

^·^{Use one calendar}^{- If you enter some things in your PDA, some things on your desk planner, and
some on a calendar at home, then you're probably going to miss key appointments
and tasks.}

^·^{Schedule small tasks}^{- If a task or project requires action beforehand (like picking up bagels and
coffee for the staff meeting), then schedule these related tasks into your
planner as well. This helps you set aside enough time to get everything done.}

^·^{Scan your documents}^{- If you don't like having an office with lots of filing cabinets, then why not
scan all of your documents and store them on your computer? If you have a
personal assistant, this would be a great task to delegate. If not, then try
scanning a few documents every day, and eventually scan all project documents
over the long-term.}

^·^{Choose organizing tools that you like}^{- Pick products that appeal to you on a visual or emotional level. For example,
if you decide to start using a notebook on a daily basis, then purchase a nice
one that you really like. When your tools are visually appealing and
comfortable, you're more likely to use them.}

^{Key Points

Disorganization can cost you career advancement, decrease your productivity, and
add stress to your life. Devoting time and effort to getting organized can help
you tremendously in the long run.

Start by using a notebook on a regular basis to keep track of conversations,
ideas, and reminders. And begin every day with a clean desk and an organized
to-do list. Use technology to keep your schedule and projects running smoothly.
Features like color coding and audio alarms can help you ensure that you don't
miss appointments or deadlines.}

^{A
Final Note from James}^{With lots of tools and tips for getting organized, I hope
you can look forward to a clear desk and inbox, and the satisfaction of a job
well done! If self-organization is an issue for you, I really do encourage you
to explore our}^{Career
Excellence Club}^{.
For just $1 for the first month, you'll learn skills that genuinely will
transform your life for the better.

We'll be back in two weeks asking "What is Leadership?" And we'll also be
finding out how the strange-sounding "blue ocean strategy" can help you find new
routes to competitive advantage.

Find time in your well-organized week to visit Mind Tools often, and you'll
learn many more great, career-enhancing techniques!

Best wishes, and have a great two weeks!}

^{James Manktelow}^{email
us}^{Mind Tools

Essential Skills for an Excellent Career!}

To subscribe, visit:
http://www.getorganizednow.com/free-ezine.html

How often do you start your day focused and ready to complete a task or project only to find that you did not get it done or ended up doing a few other things instead? We all have issues with staying focused from time to time. Here are a number of techniques to help you stay focused more often.

1. It is easy to get distracted, but it is important to remove distractions while working. On your computer, Yahoo, YouTube and Facebook are only a click away. Close all the windows except the ones you need to finish the task. Disable the popup box that tells you 'You've got mail.' Hold your calls and close the door if you have an office. Tell co- workers you need to work on a project without interruptions. If all else fails, change your location. The library may be good alternative.

2. Use a kitchen timer to help you focus. For the one thing that you need to accomplish that day, determine how much time it will take you to accomplish it, schedule that time on your calendar and at that scheduled time set a kitchen timer. You then know how much time you have and once that timer goes off, you will be done.

3. Eating the right foods can help your mind and body cooperate with your desire to stay focused. Proper water intake can have an effect on mental clarity and well-being. Keep a filled water bottle at work and stay replenished.

4. Plan your day by writing out a daily task list. When you have a list of the tasks you need to complete in a day, having that close to you constantly reminding you of what needs to be done is a great way to keep you on track.

5. Find the best time to do repetitive and boring tasks. Are you a morning person or a night owl? For the things which require the most brain power, you want the time when you are most alert to work on them. Working on repetitive or boring tasks that can be done via auto-pilot are best left toward the time of day you are not as alert.

6. Recruit friends or family for help. Communicate your goals and you will get friendly reminders from them whenever they see that you are not staying on target. They will also help to give you reminders to work at your goals and to succeed.

7. Take regular breaks. For example, take a 20-30 minute walk. If you are feeling unfocused, chances are you are tired and need a short break to get re-energized.

8. Start out the day with the thing you fear the most and get it done. This is a good way to stay focused. In other words, slay the dragon first. Once that is out of the way, your day should move forward more easily.

9. Once you achieve milestones or complete important parts of a project, be sure to reward yourself. Treat yourself to your favorite dinner or go out and buy yourself something you have wanted. Being rewarded helps you to feel more appreciated and you can look back on your work and be proud.

10. Keep it simple. Stay organized and know everything you need to get done. When it comes down to it, focus on one thing at a time and finish it. Your phone, e-mail, Facebook, etc. will be there when you are done.

11. Establish an inviting work environment to keep you focused. Have a command center for action papers, a desk drawer for reference and filing, and a clear desk to keep distractions to a minimum. Productivity comes from the clarity of the space and your readiness to work.

12. Break down goals/projects into bite-sized chunks. Create a plan to identify how you can get from where you are to where you want to go. This gives you motivation to start and allows you to get things done in one sitting.

13. Having a positive pattern in your routine can provide for better focus to get more done. Getting into the habit of a daily ritual can keep you remain focused.

14. Visualize daily. Spend at least five minutes each day visualizing your ideal life in all areas. Create a focus mantra, something that you can say a few times a day that will help you remember to stay focused on the task. Your mantra can be something that you create that will help you or it can be a quote from someone else.

15. Take care of yourself. Remember that if you are going to stay focused, you must be able to perform. And you cannot perform unless you take care of yourself first.

16. Do not give up when you 'blow it.' After a distraction, get back to work as soon as possible. Getting something accomplished, even something small, will help set you up for success later.

17. Set a deadline and stick to it. When you have a deadline for a task, you are more likely to get it done. Even if the task does not have an official deadline like a work assignment, set a personal deadline and write it down so you do not forget. This will help you to remain focused on getting it done by the date you set.

Tools That Fight Disorganization

Chronic disorganization can affect every aspect of your life. The wasted time and money caused by disorganization can leave you stressed and unhappy. Disorganization is a very unpleasant way of life, but not a way you can't work to change. Using the following tools faithfully will get you well on your way to a happier and more organized lifestyle.

1. Calendar/Planner

Find a calendar that works for your family. It can show a day, a week, or a month at a time. Just make sure there's enough room to include everyone's activities, as well as birthdays and anniversaries. Everyone's activities should be placed on the calendar as soon as they are scheduled. To save space you can use small stickers or abbreviations for things like doctor's appointments (dr.), meetings (mtg.), anniversaries (ann.), etc. Just be consistent with your abbreviations to everyone knows what they mean. Your calendar can also be color-coded with each person having their activities and appointment in one color. If your schedule is in red and your spouse's is in black, it much easier to glance at the calendar to quickly find your activities. This system is especially helpful as you add busy children's schedules to the mix. It is important to check your calendar at least twice a day: once before bed to plan for the next day and once first thing in the morning to see what's going on that day.

2. Notebook and Pen

Don't try to keep all your thought in your head. You're bound to forget them. Writing things down makes them more concrete and much harder to forget. A small notebook is a great place to write down your To Do List, Grocery and Errand Lists, or even just short notes about things you don't want to forget. If you don't like the idea of carrying a notebook around with you when you're out and about, check your cell phone. Most cell phones have a program (often called Notepad) that allows you to type and save notes on the phone. The only downfall to this method is that it may not be as easy to you're your shopping list off to someone else in the family. Whichever method you choose to use will give you the benefit of having all of your notes in one place which makes it much less likely for you to misplace important notes.

3. Laundry Basket

A laundry basket can be used for more than just carrying laundry. Take a laundry basket around to each room with you as you straighten up the house. Any items that do not belong in the room are placed in the basket to be removed. As you enter rooms for which your basket contains items, put them away. More decorative baskets can serve a similar function when placed at the top and bottom of a staircase. Items that are upstairs but belong downstairs (and vice versa) can be placed in the basket by the stairs. As you or another family member passes the basket on their way to the stairs, they can grab the items and return them to their proper places.

4. Box for Receipts

Your box can really be anything from a shoebox to an attractive photo box. Every time you buy something from the grocery store, department store, or small retail shop, put your receipt in the box (except for high-ticket items, which should be filed in your filing cabinet). By keeping all of your receipts in one place, it will be easy to find the one you need when something needs to be returned. Just remember to weed out the box periodically so it doesn't get too full.

5. Timer

Keep everyone on schedule when getting ready in the morning. If bathroom time seems to be an issue, allot a certain amount of time per person. When the timer goes off, it's time to switch. Young children (and some older ones) benefit from "racing the clock" for each morning task. Be sure the timer is set for an age-appropriate amount of time for each activity. They should then try to get dressed, etc. before the timer goes off. You can also benefit from using a timer while you work. Set the timer to go off every 15 minutes. If you're still on task when the timer goes off, great! Reset the timer and keep working. If you're off task, reset the timer and refocus yourself on the original task. A timer will also help you keep your breaks in check so your 10-minute break doesn't inadvertently turn into a 20-minute break.

6. Garbage Can and Donation Box

Clutter often causes disorganization. Too much of anything can slow down your morning routine and cause things to be lost. Go through your items and get rid of unnecessary things by either throwing them away or placing them in a box to be donated to a local charity. As you come across things in your daily activities that you do not need immediately place them in either the trash or your donation box. A donation box can be stored under the bed or in the closet so you can add to it whenever you find something you don't need. The items in the box should be donated on a monthly basis to ensure the box doesn't get too full.

7. Label Maker

As you organize your house, label each box, shelf, and drawer. You and your family will be able to quickly find items that are needed. The labels will also rid your house of excuses like, 'I don't know where it goes.'

8. Bill Paying System

You can create your own system or use one like the Easy Bill Paying System. It should consist of some sort of filing system for unpaid bills and paid bill categories (utilities, auto payments, credit cards, etc.). You should also keep all of your necessary items for paying your bills (pen, envelopes, stamps, etc.) with this system. As soon as you receive a bill in the mail, place it in your bill paying system. Then on the same day each week (or every 2 weeks) sit down and pay all of your pending bills. After the bills are paid, place the bill summaries in the proper categories of your system so it's simple to look up information when necessary.

9. Filing Cabinet

Your filing cabinet should contain both hanging file folders and manila file folders. Each hanging folder should be labeled with a general category such as Insurance, Bank Statement, Warranties, etc. Within those folders you may want sub-categories like health insurance, auto insurance, etc. These sub-categories should be labeled on manila folders that are placed within the hanging folders. File papers into the proper folder as you receive them and it will be easy to find them as needed.

10. Commitment

I know this isn't a physical tool like the rest, but without a commitment you're likely to fall back into your old disorganized ways. You have to commit to being less disorganized. Commit to using the tools daily. Commit to getting a system in place and giving it a try before making modifications so it works for your entire family. Finally get your family committed to the system as well. Without their support, even your best efforts to have an organized household will fail.

Organizing Challenge Notes

Week of August 15th:
Make a list of fall projects.

-----

Hi there! Here is my list of Fall projects:

1) Finish painting and installing bathroom cabinet doors.

2) Clean out and organize studio.

3) Clean out and organize storage shed.

4) Begin cleaning out and organizing tool shed and shop areas. (My husband passed away in January of this year and I need to do a lot of sorting and organizing of his things and deciding what needs to be sold or given away or kept)

5) Decide on a carpenter and hire him to replace siding and install a window.

6) Clean out and mulch flower beds in front of house.

7) Clean out and mulch flower beds in back yard.

8) Work on getting water garden restored.

9) Work more on organizing photos and creating heritage album

10) Work on some handmade Christmas ornaments for giving as gifts.

Most all of these projects will take a long time to complete but I would like to at least get started on them this fall. Just looking at the list is really overwhelming to me----no wonder I have been putting it off. Hopefully the cooler fall weather will give me more energy to tackle at least some of this. While I am writing this I should tell you how much I enjoy the site. And also I love my copy of Finally Organized Finally Free for the Home. Thanks for all you do.

--Mary Martin

-----

Your challenge has me pumped up, and just getting them written on a list makes me feel so much better. By the way, notice I've been pretty specific! Here goes...

1) Get rid of 20 things I don't wear

2) Reduce the papers in my filing cabinet, by half.

3) Cancel half of my magazine subscriptions. I don't have enough time to read them all.

4) Learn to play one song on the piano that's sitting in my living room gathering dust -- it was passed down from my aunt.

5) Empty my email inbox, finally!

6) Get rid of any noticeable cobwebs on my very high ceilings.

7) Clean out the car, and get it detailed.

8) Get my holiday cards written out early--I plan to do 3 cards a day, starting today!

9) Get loose photos out of loose envelopes and into photo boxes, with dividers.

10) Call 5 friends I haven't spoken to in awhile and try to re-connect.

--Alison, New Jersey

Ways to Get Organized Now
Get motivated to clean, declutter and organize your home

Spring cleaning came and went. Now summer's halfway gone. When are you going to buckle down and get organized? The answer is now. Use these tips to get motivated and inspired about creating a new and improved household.

· Organize one room at a time. Try our 20 unique organizing tips. Ideas include creating a mudroom with the simple addition of a bench, or adding a wire grid in the kitchen for storing pots and pans.

· Create a command center. It's an organized hub for sorting mail, keeping shopping lists, leaving notes and getting your life in order.

· Organizing on a budget? No need to sweat! Check out these organizing accessories for $10 or less. Hooks, baskets, shelf dividers and drawer organizers—organizing your home doesn't mean breaking the bank.

· Take a quiz. Find out if you are addicted to stuff or what your main organizing obstacles could be. You can use the information to help you move forward and finally have the clean, organized house of your dreams.

Organization Made Easy
Take control of clutter with this simple DIY command center

Do our living room and home office galleries inspire you to organize your own space? Well, look no further. This easy-to-make command center provides one organized hub for sorting mail, keeping shopping lists, leaving notes and generally getting your life in order. The finished project makes sorting out your piles simple—and fun! The best part? The board is totally customizable, so you can create something that fits your family's unique needs

the Small Stuff
Make little changes for a big payoffs

Sometimes the biggest frustrations come from seemingly small inconveniences.

Take organizing for example: It's never the giant projects—like a cluttered garage—that plague you daily, but lesser annoyances that build up.

From disorganized kitchen drawers to missing socks, we've tackled the petty organizing dilemmas that drive you crazy. Try these solutions for 10 common organizing issues and make your life a little easier, one small step at a time.

Double Your Space With A Wood Closet Organizer

Over the years we accumulate many belongings. When we have a small closet these belongings can really pile up and become very unorganized. When you buy a wood closet organizer, you can actually double the space in your closet. For someone with many belongings this is a good thing. For example, an increase of twice the closet space can mean the difference between having a few pair of shoes and many pair of shoes.
You can buy closet organizers with drawers, shelves, shoe racks, and clothes hanging rods. You can have some systems customized into a configuration that meets your closet storage needs. Of course having a custom wooden organizer for your closet can be a little pricey. If you are looking for something a little less expensive, you can buy metal, wire, or particleboard closet organizer kits. These kits are pre-built “systems-in-a-box” complete with shelves, drawers, and shoe racks already included in them.
Wooden organizer kits come ready to install but they need to be assembled before you can install them. The kits come with the instructions and are easy to put together. Once assembled you can then install them into your closet.
If you need extra shoe racks, shelves, or drawers you will have to buy them separately to customize the system for your specific needs. For instance, the shoe aficionado with many pairs of shoes will need extra shoe racks. Someone with a lot of clothes may need more clothes hanging rods. However, if you desire more than a few basic modifications, you may need to go beyond a pre-built kit and have a completely custom system designed and installed for by a local cabinet shop or contractor.
You can buy a wooden closet organizer system in several different kinds of wood. They come in pine, oak, cedar, birch and maple.
If you want the look of wood but not the cost then you could get an organizer made from particleboard and laminate. The base material is made of pressed wood particleboard, and covered with a thin wood veneer or a durable laminate material such as melamine or vinyl.
These systems look like a solid wood organizer but cost considerably less. You have the option of buying a complete ready-made kit or individual shelves, rods, drawers, and shoe racks to make your own closet organizer. Going the individual pieces route will be a bit more expensive because each piece will cost you. When you buy a kit, it all comes together for one low price.

Getting Rid of Stuff, Guilt-Free

============================================

meditate

It's not unusual to form attachments to your possessions for one reason or another. Here are the five most popular attachments and some solutions to help you get rid of your clutter guilt-free.

1. Memories attachment:

These are the items that often come with a story. 'I remember when I bought this with Aunt Norma.' Those stories can often make it difficult to part with the item.

* In most cases, the memory is the valuable piece and the item itself simply triggers that memory. Take a photo of the item and create a scrapbook page to journal the story. Then, relieve yourself of the actual item.

* Find someone else within your family who not only loves the story for the item, but could also put it to good use on a regular basis, instead of it cluttering the back corner of your basement.

2. It was expensive attachment:

The expensive attachment applies to things that you no longer use, but simply can't bear to part with because they cost you a great a deal of money at one point or another. It might be the children's bedroom furniture set or the special tool only needed for the project you completed years ago.

* Don't just give it away. Use the Internet to get the best resale price possible. Many sites exist to help with sale of such items. The money in your pocket will be put to far better use than the money once spent on now unused furniture.

* Locate a store near you that offers trade-ins. This will give you the opportunity to get something useful while still removing the clutter from your house.

3. I might use it attachment:

Often times, the 'I might use it' attachment rears its head around seasonal items or those great finds for organizing your home office.

* Try using it once. You may find that the bulky parka that you've been holding onto is incredibly uncomfortable or is perfect for you, but if it is still hanging in your closet after two years you will never know. After trying it, if it doesn't work for you anymore, send it off to the thrift store. If you still like it, determine if it is something that you can use more than once in the next six months. If not you may still want to consider sending it on to a new home.

4. Gift attachment:

Too often gifts are the thorn in the side of the recovering clutter-holic. After all, what do you do with a gift for which you can't find a use, but also can't get rid of without feeling guilty?

* Try to repurpose the item. Can't use a stand for a layer cake, because you can't bake a layer cake? Use it on your dining room buffet as a place to house and show-off your beautiful china plates.

* Feel better about giving the gift away by finding a home that would truly value it. Check with the local women's shelter or social services agency to send it in the right direction.

5: Novelty/It might be worth something someday attachment:

Novelty items are great conversations starters, but only if you have found a tasteful way to display them on a constant basis. So what do you do with all those beanie babies you 'invested' in 15 years ago?

* Consider how much it will cost you in others areas of your life to maintain your investment. Is this investment costing you peace of mind by causing you to live in clutter? How many times have you had to move the item from house to house or room to room?

* Is there a child in your life that might enjoy beginning a collection of their own? Taking the time to share the joy of your collection with the next generation and giving that child the chance to enjoy your investment may help you to let go of keeping that item in your house.
.

You have to take a look at your own clutter first. Do you still have some clutter?

You probably do. It's a continuous battle! I spent most of yesterday decluttering a room. Now it looks like a bedroom in a monastery compared to before.

So the good news is - while you're decluttering your own things, you won't be telling someone you love that they need to work on their clutter! And chances are, that will keep you busy for a while.

2. This is a very delicate situation. It's important to get some perspective on it and not to off-handedly criticize your cluttered loved one.

So first, spend several days thinking and even praying or meditating about the situation. Focus on it in a good and positive way. You may gain some insight and compassion that will help.

Have the attitude that "we're all in this together." Even a genius can be super-cluttered. The most wonderful people in the world can have horrifying clutter.

So take a spiritual approach within when taking on the task of getting someone ELSE to declutter.

Trying to "change" someone else from this state of mind will only make matters worse

If you try to change someone else, you'll make them feel inadequate, inferior, and disrespected. They don't want to be reduced to just "a problem."=

Don't look at their clutter with disdain and disgust. That will only make them feel worse. Chances are, you've had more than your share of clutter - past, present, and future!

No matter what they tell you, your special person already feels bad and depressed about their clutter. It's impossible to feel okay in a cluttered environment. They can't have people over; they can't feel pride in themselves or in their surroundings.

- Your relationship is what counts in the long run. A loving tolerance for their flaws goes a very long way.

- They may never get rid of clutter, so don't make it an issue between you. If something happened to them, you would not care about the clutter - you'd care about the relationship.

4. Don't make your special person feel threatened that you're going to get rid of their stuff. Respect that it is THEIRS. This may go back to old issues where someone did chuck things which they held dear, long ago. No one wants someone else handling their stuff - usually. And they certainly don't want someone else deciding what to throw out

5. Create a situation where decluttering is almost a must. One situation is painting a room or redoing the floor. When that happens, things generally have to be moved. Now's your chance to get things under control!

6. You can gently insist that the clutter stays in one area - for your own personal sanity. That area can be the person's room (not one that you share), or a spare room, closet, garage, attic, basement, or storage space.

7. Contain the items in plastic see-through bins. This prevents them getting destroyed by water, and it makes it easier to see what is inside.

8. Ask that things be moved OFF the floor. Junk on the floor of a room affects both safety and health. Too much clutter on the floor is a breeding ground for germs and worse. Getting things off the floor will also protect the items better. This also means to your loved one that you're not throwing things away - you're only boxing them, which is a big improvement for both of you.

9. Ask your loved one to help you put things in plastic bins one box at a time - or tackle it all in one day - and at the same time, to get rid of anything that needs to be thrown out or recycled.

Once things are in boxes or bins, they can be safely stacked on the floor - and hopefully, in a storage area out of sight.

10. Once the "stuff" is boxed and out of sight, it can be dealt with much more easily, a little at a time - or not! But at least it is now "out of the picture."

I wish you all the best, and lots of patience, in getting your loved person to WANT to declutter! With love and patience, there is hope!

And of course, to declutter your world fast, read my book on the subject, "Declutter Fast" at

Organizing Your Bedroom So You Can Sleep Easy

On average, one third of our lives are spent in the bedroom. It's the first and last place we see every day. In many homes it's a room that's shut off to guests because of the disorganization. Shouldn't it be a place of peace and tranquility?

Do yourself a favor and make your bedroom a relaxing place you love to spend time in. Make it a place you're not ashamed of unexpected guests seeing. Focus on the following 6 areas to help make your room a serene place to be.

1. Don't let your clothing take over.

Piles of clothes on the furniture and floor are not inviting. Make sure laundry makes it to the laundry room or hamper immediately and then wash the clothes every few days so the hamper isn't overflowing. Place items that need repairs or ironing in either a basket or specific section of your closet until they can be tended to. Finally clothes, like pajamas, that are worn numerous times before being washed, should be hung on the back of the door rather than draped over a chair or the end of the bed.

2. Make your storage attractive.

If you plan to make use of the space under your bed for storage, use containers that are clearly labeled. Avoid placing items under the bed haphazardly. Make it neat so you can find things easily when you need them. Then use a bed skirt to keep the storage area out of sight. For items that are used more frequently, use pretty storage containers like hatboxes. These can be stacked and left out to add to the decor of the room.

3. Clear off flat surfaces.

Keep your nightstand and dresser clear and free of chaos. Don't let papers pile up and clutter your space. If you happen to have a desk in your bedroom keep that completely clear of clutter as well. Everything should have a place and preferably in drawers and baskets and not on top of the desk. Make a point of keeping these flat surfaces looking the way they would if your house was up for sale.

4. Keep your reading materials under control.

Don't let books or magazines pile up next to your bed. They can quickly add up to unnecessary clutter. Keep them on a bookshelf or neatly placed in a basket. Keep the one book or magazine you're currently reading on the nightstand, but the rest must be put away.

5. Hide the media.

If you do have a television in your room, place it in an armoire that can be closed to hide the TV when it's not being used. Make sure the DVD player and any accompanying DVDs also have a place in the cabinet. It will create a calming and more peaceful environment.

6. Create a tranquil ambiance.

Think about the lighting in your room. Using soft (rather than bright white) lights make a room feel more comforting and cozy. Some people also find it easier to wind down with this softer lighting. If the noise outside makes it hard for you to sleep, try using a noise machine. Waterfalls, rain, and even white noise are very soothing and calming. Finally, make your bed every day. It's a quick task that should be done right after the last person gets out of bed. This simple task makes the room feel more organized and inviting

Organize Yourself, Your Home, Your Time and Your Life-- It's Easier Than You Think!

Are you absolutely sick of all the clutter that seems to seep into every single room in your home? What about your overflowing email inbox? Do you wish the mountains of paper would magically vanish into thin air? Do you always feel like you can never catch up with your endless To Do list? Is your family sabotaging your organizing efforts?

In short, do you wish you were living a more organized, happy, less chaotic life?

If you've felt that getting organized is hard work, think again. The teeny-tiny tips approach in my book, Finally Organized, Finally Free -- for the HOME, is something anyone can do--quickly and easily.

It contains 2,175 organizing tips, ideas and techniques to help you organize yourself, your home, your time and your life. You can open this book any day, any time, apply just one teeny-tiny tip, and be more organized today than you were yesterday.

For the Home version, visit:

http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffhome.html

For the Office version, visit:

http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffoffice.html

Organizing Your Fun Stuff

There have been countless articles written about how to organize your entire home. Sometimes we get so focused on the big items that we forget about the little things that would make our lives so much easier, if only it were organized better. In the following article, you'll see a few tips as to how we can organize our fun paperwork.

1. Recipes: Step 1:

Do you have a stack of recipes here, and a stack of recipes there? Is it a massive, time consuming effort to find a recipe? That can all change quickly. Step 1 is to get all of your recipes the same size. Whether you choose full page or index card size isn't important. What is important is that they all be the same size.

2. Recipes: Step 2:

Once you have your recipes all the same size, it's time to get them into a binder of some kind. If you've chosen 8 1/2 inches x 11 inches, then get yourself a 3-ring binder large enough to hold all of your recipes. You'll also need a package of clear sheet protectors, and divider pages. Separate your recipes into categories, i.e. appetizers, breakfast, salads, beef, chicken, etc. Now, load them into the sheet protectors. If your recipes are on only one side of the paper, you can combine 2 recipes in each sheet protector. Just put the blank sides together and have the printed sides showing. If you've chosen 3 x 5 index cards size, use the same categories and put them into a photo album with pages that are clear so you can see both sides of the cards.

3. Coupons:

Do you have a collection of loose coupons taking up residence in a pocket of your purse? Or, maybe you have a stack of them on a tabletop? Make it easy on yourself and make those coupons useful. You can either get a coupon organizer at the dollar store and put your coupons into the correct categories and stick it in your purse, or you can go to an office supply store and pick up a velum envelope and some index cards to use as dividers. You can use some fun stickers to decorate your divider cards.

4. Greeting Cards:

Do you buy greeting cards with intentions of sending them out, but lose track of them before you can? Well, here are a couple of simple tricks to help you get them better organized. Everyone needs a calendar so make it work for you. Buy a calendar with a pocket for each month. Then, note on which days you need to send a card, and who it needs to go to. Then, put all the cards for that month into the pocket. Don't like the idea of a calendar with all those cards in a pocket? Then pick yourself up a photo storage box. They are very decorative, inexpensive, and come with divider cards already in there. You can label each one for a different month and then store your cards for each month in the correct spot. You might also want to note on your calendar when you need to send cards out each month so that you will remember.

5. Artwork 1:

Everyone who has children has artwork to store somehow. Wouldn't it be lovely to be able to display or share that artwork? Chances are you have grandparents who would love to see your children's artwork. Why not pick up some clear plastic contact paper and make a set of placemats? You can do double sided placemats, and once they are covered with the clear contact paper, they are washable. Makes a great gift for Grandparents' Day!

6. Artwork 2:

Frame it! Yes, frame it. Don't we all think our children are the next Picasso? Why not treat them that way! You can have their artwork matted and framed and then hang it on the wall. A number of interior designers use children's artwork when designing a family space. If you use the same color mats and frames, it ties all of the artwork together.

7. Artwork 3:

Make a coffee table book! Why not compile your children's artwork into a coffee table book. You can pick up a blank scrapbook at a craft store. Use a glue stick to attach the artwork to each page. You can even use some of the wonderfully decorative papers that craft stores sell to frame each page. To make your coffee table book even more personal, use a picture of your little Picassos on the front cover!

8. Sewing Patterns:

How many duplicates have you bought because you had no rhyme or reason to your filing system for patterns? Gather all of your patterns together and sort them by type; apparel, table runners, purses, tote bags, etc. Here is another place where those photo boxes come in handy. You can also use fabric cubes for storing your sorted patterns.

9. Books:

Yes, books! Are yours just shoved willy nilly on the bookshelves? Do you give up trying to find a book just because your shelves are all jumbled up? Try one of these suggestions as a way to sort your books:

--Alphabetically by author
--Alphabetically by title
--By Genre

Alphabetically by title works if you don't have sets of books or multiple series. In that case, alphabetically by author is likely to work a bit better. If you have a wide variety of books, then sorting by genre might work best for you.

10. DVD's:

Do you spend such a long time searching through your DVD's for something to watch that you give up and watch something else? Take a bit of time and sort your DVD's. There are a few ways you can sort them. You can put all of your boxed sets together, this would include boxed sets of television shows, along with boxed sets of movies and sequels. You can then sort the rest of your DVD's by genre. For example: sci-fi, action/adventure, comedy, drama, family and musical.

What does "get organized" really mean?

You are disorganized if you need something somewhere that you don't have or have something somewhere that you don't need. If you have a phone and discretionary time (and you want to be productive), you need to have easily viewable the complete list of every single phone call you need to make. Otherwise you don't have the information you need, in the format you need, to remind you of what you've agreed with yourself you need to be reminded of, when. If you are trying to prepare a lovely five-course dinner but the kitchen counters are still full of last night's dishes, you're not organized. There's stuff in the way that you don't need. In either case you're not organized—at least as much as you could be, from your own perspective.

An exercise I've done in my seminars is that I've had everyone reach into their purses or wallets and get something that doesn't belong there permanently and which has been there longer than a few hours (besides money). Almost all have at least one thing in that category—a receipt, a business card, a scrap of paper with scribbled notes, an old parking ticket. These are things whose location does not map to their meaning to the person who has them. If the item has no further usefulness, it is trash, but it's not in the trash. Often it is something they need to store somewhere else—it is reference, but it's not appropriately accessible as such. Sometimes it's something that they need to do something about, but it is not in a place to remind them to do it. There is lack of coherence between what the thing is and where it is.

Lots of folks contend that their "stacks" are what they want and that's the best way to be organized. But most piles that people have around them have a blended mixture of stuff to read (actions when they have time to read), stuff to store away that they want access to (reference), stuff to throw away (trash), and stuff they still need to decide what to do about (in-basket). The background stress from those constipated stacks generates a psychic callous—we stop noticing the piles, at least enough to really do something about them.

But, to be exact, with those stacks, you could conceivably be "organized." It's all relative—if you truly have decided that fifty pounds of miscellaneous paper material piled up all around your office is reflective of what it really means (these are all things that I just want to feel slightly pressured by but not actually do anything about, that I want to be able to find in a relatively short period of time, if I have to), then you're organized. As a matter of fact, you'd be disorganized if you actually changed anything about those stacks.

So, how does the meaning of something translate into organization? Pick up anything around you that you're wondering what to do with, and apply a simple set of formulae:

When I could possibly move on it, I want to see the action as an option = next action reminder, reviewed when and where it could be done

I need to be reminded of this short-term outcome I've committed to = project list item, reviewed weekly

I might want to commit to this at any time in the future = Someday/Maybe list item

I might want to commit to this on or after a specific time in the future = calendared or "tickled" item incubated for review on a specific future date

I want to achieve this "bigger" outcome = goals, objectives, visions that you review on some longer interval (a.k.a. your higher level Horizons of Focus)

It's something someone else is doing that I care about = item on Waiting-For list, reviewed at least weekly

I need to consider it when I do certain recurring activities = item on a checklist

Test these against anything you find lying around you in work or life that you think you need to know how to organize. Organizing tools should not be so mysterious—they are merely to support these various functions.

This is simple common sense. So why do so many people feel like they need to be more organized? Because most avoid deciding what so many things actually mean to them, which makes it impossible to know what to do with them. And what's even thornier is that even if they "get organized" according to these simple criteria, it is highly likely that they can become disorganized rapidly. Over time (and often not that much time) things change in meaning. The magazine is no longer the current issue, the project is no longer something we're committing to action, and the good idea isn't so good any more. So even if we get our ducks in a row, they wander off of their own accord. Being organized is a dynamic process, demanding consistent reevaluation, rethinking, and renegotiating the relevance of things in our physical and psychological environment.

We don't tell people how to get organized. We only assist them to marry what things mean to where they are. Simple, tricky business.

http://www.getorganizednow.com

1. Desktop: Use the time to put pens & pencils back in the holder, put away stray paperclips and rubber bands, sort through the piles of paper. Create three file folders: To File, To Read, Take Action; sort papers appropriately into these 3 folders. Obviously, throw out any that are outdated or no longer needed.

2. Junk Drawer: We all have one. Throw out anything you don't need anymore. Use old check boxes or baby food containers to sort the items you do keep in the drawer. Put away things that have a different home.

3. Purse: Pull out all the old receipts, notes, and grocery lists that ended up crumpled at the bottom. You probably don't need 5 pens and 3 kinds of gum. While you're at it, pull out the extra tubes of lipstick, after all, you can only wear one at a time. Consider taking out all those punch cards and 'club' cards that you don't use everyday. Keep them in a small pouch in a desk drawer and just get out the one you need when you need it.

4. Refrigerator: When did you make those baked beans? What's the expiration date on that salad dressing? Dig all the way to the back and pull out the stuff that's out of date or that no one likes. A crowded refrigerator has to run more often to keep all that food cool and only ends up costing you more money.

5. Linen Closet: Do you need 30 washcloths for 4 people? Probably not. Do your bath towels have thin spots? Pull them out, too. Don't just toss them in the trash! Keep a bag or box of rags in your basement. Use them to dust, dry your car, or to clean up after home improvement projects.

6. Medicine Cabinet: You actually shouldn't store medicines in the bathroom; the moisture and humidity isn't good for them. I keep mine in a small tub in my linen closet. My mom keeps her in a kitchen cabinet. Wherever you keep them, weed out the ones that are past the expiration date. Check with your local municipality for proper disposal of medications. Make a note of any outdated prescriptions so you can contact your doctor to refill them if necessary.

7. To File: Remember that folder on your desk labeled 'To File'? Now is a great time to take that file folder to your file cabinet and put those papers in a more permanent home. Remember to only file papers you absolutely need to keep for tax or reference purposes.

8. Birthday Cards: I keep an assortment of birthday cards on hand for whenever I might need them. Once or twice a month check the calendar and sign and send birthday cards for the next two weeks.

9. Bookshelf: Do you really need your college textbooks? How about all those novels you read 3 years ago and haven't picked up since? Load them into a bag or box and take them right out to your car. Next time your out running errands drop them off at your local charity of choice.

10. Magazine Rack: Magazine racks tend to pile up with outdated catalogs and magazines. Get rid of the outdated ones. If you want to keep a magazine for the idea you read in it, consider just tearing out the article and storing it in a file folder or binder. Both options use much less space than storing years of magazines and the information is much easier to find without having to weed through 7 years of magazines.

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It often is difficult to organize a space, but this challenge is multiplied by the confinements and limitations of a SMALL space. However, just because your space is challenging, it's still possible to be organized. Keep in mind though that it's imperative to use every inch of available space both efficiently and wisely. Many of these tidbits can be utilized in any space:

1. The 'ONE IN--ONE OUT' rule.

This rule helps to set limits, which is often the hardest part for people to follow. It works well with items such as shoes, clothing, toys and books. In small spaces, the amount of stuff is often pre-determined by the amount of space. For any new item bought or received as a gift, one item must leave. This works especially well for children's toys.

2. Find solutions that are both functional and attractive.

For example, in your living room you need a solution for extra blankets and board games. What about using a storage ottoman that looks good and also serves as a great storage solution? Also consider hidden storage such as drawers in coffee or end tables or closed shelving solutions that allow you plenty of storage space but are visually appealing as well.

3. Be realistic with your space.

A 10' x 10' room will feel bigger when it is filled with less stuff than a jam packed room. Remember, the scale of furniture will also affect the visual space in a room. The reality is that a 10' x 10' room is only that big--you cannot grow or change the size of a room. The space given is the constant. The amount of items within your space is the variable.

4. Purge excessive items often (both to be donated and trash).

Keep small boxes in a closet that can be used to temporarily store items that need to be donated until you have enough to call a charity for a pickup. Be realistic. Do you really need 20 knick-knacks for your one shelf in your house or can they be scaled back to a collection of 10? Also limit and purge collections often so that it only includes your best and favorite items.

5. Set realistic limits:

For instance, if you only have room for 15 hangers in your closet, do not buy extra hangers. Instead limit yourself to only those 15 hanging pieces of clothing. There are also special hangers that allow you to hang more than one item per hanger.

6. Be creative and resourceful. Recycle while finding solutions.

For example, in a small kitchen, use a plastic dish drying tray to hold cookie sheets. Reuse old paint cans to organize office supplies.

7. Find the hidden space potential in your room.

Plastic containers under the bed can store linens, shoes, out of season clothing or extra bedding. Is there space not being utilized behind a staircase? Can you add dividers to your closets, so there's not a huge expanse of empty space not being used?

Hanging shoe holders can be used on the back of doors to organize much more than just shoes such as kitchen utensils, spices, or food. They can be used in the office to organize extra supplies or in the bathroom to organize toiletries and hair accessories.

Use cork boards and pegs on the back of doors to organize jewelry such as necklaces.

8. Use wall and ceiling space.

In the kitchen, you might use a hanging holder for pots and pans. In living and office spaces, use floor to ceiling shelves. Another example is magnetic spice racks that hang on the walls. In the garage, use a hanging rack for extra storage.

Embrace the pluses of living in a small space and use its entirety to its full potential. You will feel like you are living in a large space!

No Time? No Problem: Organizing Ideas You Can Apply Lickety-Split

Let's face it. Life can get very hectic. With work, meetings, kids activities, and daily household duties, it seems like there are never enough hours in the day. Spending hours trying to organize every room in the house is something few of us ever have time for, but organizing doesn't have to take hours. Set aside just 30 minutes to put these 6 quick tips in place and start to see the timesaving results.

1) Caddy your cleaning supplies

How many times during your cleaning routine do your find yourself walking across the house to swap your glass cleaner for your all-purpose cleaner and then again for your dusting supplies? Although this may be good exercise, it isn't efficient use of your time. Simply put all of your cleaning supplies in a caddy or even just a basket with a handle. Don't forget to include a few dust rags or cut up old t-shirts. The next time you have to clean, just carry the entire thing with you to each room and rid yourself of those wasted steps.

2) Rid your laundry room of lost treasures

Laundry rooms tend to accumulate money, gum, and lone socks. In many homes these items take up precious counter space or flood the top of the dryer. To tackle this common problem, keep a mug and a small basket in the laundry room. As you are loading laundry into the washing machine, place any small objects found in pockets into the mug so all family members know just where to look to find their forgotten items. After folding the laundry, place any unmatched socks into the small basket. As their mate is found, the socks can be retrieved from the basket and paired back up.

3) Wrangle your hats, mittens, and scarves

If hats, mittens, and scarves tend to get lost or strewn around your mudroom, it's time to corral them. Keep them all in a decorative basket near the current drop-off point of the family. This way everyone can still quickly drop them off (this time in the basket rather than on the floor) and know exactly where they will be the next time they need them.

4) Tame out-of-control cords

Computer wires and entertainment system wires often become a tangled and unattractive mess. To tame this mess you can either buy some flexible plastic tubing, cut a slit up the side, and wrap it around all the cords, or you can use mailing labels. When using the mailing labels group like wires together, wrap the label around the cords, and fold the label back on itself so you have a small tab sticking out. On this tab make sure to write what the cords are so later you can quickly find any cords you need to access.

5) Number your leftovers

To keep track of how fresh (or old) your leftovers are, use a simple numbering system. Inside a cabinet door that is close to the fridge, place pieces of tape that are each labeled with a number from 1 to 31. If you often have more than one container of leftovers in a day, you will want multiple sets of numbers. As you prepare leftovers for the fridge, simply take the number that corresponds to that day's date and put it on the container. This will allow you to quickly know if the food is a few days or a full week old. When you finish eating the leftovers in the container, just take the number off and put it back in the cabinet to use again the following month.

6) Divide and conquer your drawers

Junk drawers and makeup drawers (and bags) especially tend to lack organization. We waste a lot of time shuffling through these drawers searching for things. By sorting the items and adding compartments, we can save ourselves a lot of time. There are many options when installing compartments into your drawers. Some people choose to buy kitchen utensil trays that already have compartments of various sizes for larger drawers. If you have a smaller drawer or don't want to spend much money, small baskets, plastic butter containers, baby food jars, and boxes could all work as inexpensive dividers. Sort the items so that like items are together. Each group should find a home together in a suitable compartment within the drawer.

Fun Ways to Tackle Your To Do List

Let's be honest, most days the last thing we want `to-do' is tackle our To-Do list. We can think of so many other things we'd rather do, like maybe, root canal! Okay, maybe not quite that. Seriously though, there are ways to make tackling that To-Do list a bit more fun.

1. Re-prioritize your priorities.

All of the time management experts suggest prioritizing your to-do list in order of importance. That's great advice for making sure that the most important items do get accomplished. But who says you can't have fun within those parameters? Try alphabetizing them within their levels of importance, and then working them alphabetically, from z to a! Sometimes just a simple thing like this can shake things up enough to make it a bit more fun.

2. Schedule a fun break on your To Do List.

Why should the To-Do list consist of nothing but one chore after another? Have some fun with your fun break. In the middle of running your list of errand to-do's, schedule a latte break, or a milkshake break. In the middle of your to-do list of chores at home, schedule fifteen minutes to watch cartoons. All of these are guaranteed to make you feel good. Besides, who couldn't use a laugh or a milk shake now and then.

3. Set it to music!

Have a lot of chores to do around the house on your to-do list? Turn on the tunes, crank up the volume and watch the time fly by. Make sure to use upbeat music. You'll not only have fun, but your chores will be done before you realize it.

4. Compete--with yourself.

It sounds kind of silly, but there's something about beating the clock that appeals to the child in each of us. Just think of how much it spurs our children on to see how much they can get done before the timer goes off. It can work the same for us big kids. Think how much more fun getting those chores and tasks checked off can be when you're playing beat the clock to get it done.

5. Shake it up...literally.

No one says we have to work from a list! Write each of your tasks on your to-do list on a separate slip of paper, fold and put it into a jar. Shake well. Then draw out one piece of folded paper, and take care of that task, no matter what it is. After you finish that task, shake it up again until all the chores are done.

6. Rally the troops and enlist support.

No one says we have to accomplish each and every task ourselves. Why not rally the troops to help you on those items that don't require your personal attention. It's always more fun to work alongside someone else. After it's done, spend time playing a board game together--something you might not have had time for had you done all of your tasks yourself without help.

7. Reward your efforts.

Sometimes it's hard to want to keep on doing the same thing over and over. Stop and think of what you do for your children when they accomplish something. Don't you reward them for a job well done? Of course you do. So, why not do the same for yourself? Reward yourself for a job well done!

8. Swap with a friend.

You've likely heard of those shows on television where families `swap' wives/mothers for a week or two. Why not do the same with your chores and/or tasks? Get together with a friend and swap to-do lists for a day. Maybe you can't swap all of your tasks but it's very likely that you can swap some. You do some of hers and she can do some of yours. It's always easier to do someone else's stuff than our own. Use that to your (and your friend's) advantage.

9. Throw one away.

Who's writing the rule that says we have to accomplish every single thing on our to-do lists? Just for fun, throw one item off your list and just don't do it. You know best what absolutely has to be done and what won't hurt if it doesn't get done. So, rather than beat yourself up for not accomplishing everything on your list, give yourself a break and deliberately throw one, or even two away!

Save or Toss? 10 Things You Should Ask Before Making a Decision

Many times a day we have decisions to make, whether it is decluttering, handling paper mail, filing or email. We have all kinds of decisions to make and there is sometimes confusion as to what we should do. In general, asking one or more of these questions will help you to make the decisions that you need to make.

1. Do I absolutely love it?

This question may not be applicable in all situations, but it certainly is an excellent question to ask yourself when you are trying to decide whether to keep an item, or get rid of it. If you cannot honestly say you absolutely love the item, you don't need to keep it.

2. Does it serve a useful purpose?

Now at first glance, this may seem like a no brainer, but sometimes we need to ask the simplest questions. How many times to we put something in our homes that we don't really have a use for? So, ask yourself if items you are holding on to serve a useful purpose. If the answer is no, or not really, let it go!

3. Will it be out-of-date before I need it again?

Sometimes we hold on to books and publications thinking we will need them again. Too often the information is out of date before we need it again. Knowing this should make it easier to let loose of your old textbooks, or even professional publications. Besides, it's just too easy to find the most up-to-date information on the web.

4. Am I hanging on to it out of obligation?

Let's face it, we all feel a twinge of guilt when we think about not keeping a gift. It's good to ask ourselves the question of whether or not we're keeping it out of obligation. If we are, then we need to remember that a gift is given without strings or obligations, and the receiver is free to do as they wish with the gift.

5. Will it affect me financially if I toss or shred it?

When it comes to paperwork, it seems that we hang on to paper more so than anything else--fearing financial repercussions if we toss or shred. There are many places that you can get advice on what financial records you need to keep and for how long. Beyond that, you can shred financial papers without fear. If it's a receipt for an item you still own that is under warranty, by all means keep it with the owner's manual, but other than that, fear not!

6. Do I have a place for it?

How often do we bring something into our home knowing exactly where we'll place it? Not that often if we're honest. More often than not we make impulse purchases and then have to deal with where to put it. So, make a conscious decision to stop and think before you buy, and decide based on knowing exactly where it will go in your home. Chances are, you won't make that impulse purchase after all!

7. Do I really need to buy it, or can I rent it?

How much have you purchased that you only needed once or twice a year? In most cases, rather than owning and thus storing, you can rent much of what you use for entertaining, especially if you entertain infrequently. The charge to rent isn't usually anywhere near the cost to purchase and you don't end up with clutter that you have to store!

8. Do I need to keep a hard copy?

When it comes to paper, we often hang on to more than we need to, creating the need for storage space. Rather than printing from your computer, save a copy to your computer a copy of whatever you might ordinarily print off just to file. Create different folders on your computer or better yet, on a removable or external drive. For other paperwork you need, why not scan a copy and save it in one of your folders!

9. Do I use it?

We all have things we've kept that we've never used. Why are these things taking up space in our homes? If we don't use it, lose it! If we don't wear it, donate it! If we don't eat it, get rid of it! Think how much less work there will be around the house if we don't spend all our time maintaining stuff we never use, wear or eat!

10. What's the worst thing that could happen if I get rid of it?

By trying to figure out the worst `what-if' we can be assured that in all likelihood, it won't ever be an unrecoverable act to get rid of something. For example, say you shred your bank statements and end up needing a copy of one of the statements? No problem, simply contact your bank for another copy! Or, if you have scanned and stored copies, you have them at the ready without having paper taking up valuable space. In nearly all cases, recovery is that easy!

Clear out the Clutter

This year, I resolve to clean out my closets and basement. I'm also going to sort through and shred all my old bills and bank statements. Once I clear out all the old junk, I think my house will feel much more spacious. Want to organize your space but don't know where to begin? Check out these tips to help you get started.

A Place for Everything
by Monica Resinger
http://homemakersjournal.com

So, you've made the decision to get organized, you've sorted through your belongings and you now have only items that you love and are usable. This may be for one small area of your home, a few areas, a drawer or two, or the whole house. However much you have done, it is an accomplishment no matter how big or small, so congratulations!

A very important aspect of being and staying organized is to have a place for everything. If you don't have a place for everything, then it all starts piling up again and pretty soon you're keeping everything because it's hard to tell what's what and what's where. Here's the scenario: You don't have a home for anything and whenever the mail comes in or you go shopping, you just put the items wherever you find room. Pretty soon, you have a mess! Believe me, I know; I've been through it.

I urge you to put some thought into making a home for every single type of item that you keep; this is so important! If you bring something new and different home and you don't have a place for it, make a place for it immediately or as soon as possible. If you don't have room, you'd better get sorting again. Here are a few suggestions on how and where to store some common items found around the house.

In the office:
Paperwork: A filing cabinet is a huge lifesaver when it comes to organizing your paperwork. I made files for every type of paper I had lying around, from movie reviews to our house papers and this has made my life a lot easier. I put these files in alphabetical order in my filing cabinet and now everything is put away, but even more thrilling is the fact that I can actually find a piece of paper in about five seconds! This is a huge improvement for me when before, I wouldn't even know where to begin searching for a piece of paper let alone have success in finding it.

Magazines: Cereal boxes are very handy for keeping magazines neat. To make a magazine holder out of a cereal box, cut off the top inch or so of the box, then, starting at one side of the top and cutting at a downwards angle, cut down half to one third the height of the box. Do this on the other side also and you will then have a magazine holder. At this point, you can decorate the holder by pasting pretty magazine pictures on it or painting it, then adding lace or ribbon. You can also put magazines in big wide wicker baskets.

Coupons: I have found envelopes very handy for storing coupons. Just label them the way you'd like them labeled (alphabetically or by type of food) and put your clipped coupons in them. The envelopes can be stored in a recipe or card file box of appropriate size.

In the closet:
Blankets: Laundry baskets make excellent holders for blankets that sometimes fit awkwardly on shelves.

Shoes: An over-the-door shoe hanger is a great way to get shoes off the floor.

Travel bags, purses and totes: Plastic storage bins are very handy for storing these.

In the craft room:
Crafting items: See-through plastic storage bins are a very good container for this because you can see where your items are and thus find things quickly.

In the living room:
Remote controls: A great way to store these is in small wicker or wire baskets.

Odds and ends: We use a wooden chest as a coffee table and it's handy because it doubles as storage. We keep some of our collectibles in there along with craft pattern books and other odds and ends. Another idea for this is to put a wooden or glass circle on top of a new garbage can. You would then drape a decorative tablecloth over the top of the circle. The garbage container can then be used to store your odds and ends and you would also have a decorative table for fresh flower arrangements or knick-knacks.

In the bathroom:
Miscellaneous items: Wicker baskets are great for storing a lot of items in the bathroom. You can put all your hair styling aids in a large one, washrags in another and cosmetics in another.

Medicines: For the medicine cabinet, I bought short, plastic drawer organizers that fit the shelves just right. I have one for headache medicines, one for cold medicines, one for owies (band-aids, ointment, etc.), one for stomach medicines, etc. This not only makes it easier to find items, but it also makes it easier to wipe the shelves when they become dirty.

Toilet Paper: I crocheted a toilet paper holder to hang right above the toilet, so when someone runs out of toilet paper, there should be a roll in the holder for easy retrieval. You may be able to find one of these at a craft bazaar.

In the Bedrooms:
Miscellaneous items: Under the bed storage organizers are great for storing seasonal clothes, Christmas wrapping supplies, gifts to give, books, and other items.

Kids Toys: The see-through plastic bins are great for toys because the kids can see what goes where. You can also mark the bin with a picture or word.

Crayons: Save baby wipe containers or coffee cans to store crayons in. If using a coffee can be sure there are no sharp edges to cut the children.

Once you have accomplished making a place for everything, you only need to train yourself and family members to put things away in the appropriate places.

Check out the Guidebook for Getting and Staying Organized:
http://homemakersjournal.com/organizationguide.htm

Resolve to be Organized in the New Year

There are lots of resolutions made on the 1st of the year including taking off some holiday pounds, eating better, being nicer to people and spending less.

However, one of the most important resolutions you can declare for yourself is one that will affect every area of your life. That is to resolve to be organized in 2010.

No matter what your goals are, organizing is at the crux of those goals. If you don't apply organizing principles to the things you wish to do, your thoughts, ideas and results are going to be haphazard.

1) Remove the clutter. Whether it's clutter in your bedroom or basement, clutter in your email inbox, paper clutter, or clutter in your mind, it's taking up precious space that could be used for the important things in your life.

2) Balance your schedule. A schedule that's all work and no play, is just as bad as a schedule of all play and no work. Work to achieve a balance in your schedule that leaves time for work, play, family, goals, friends, education and all the things that are most important to you.

3) Get it on paper. If it's just in your mind, it's floating around up there with everything else you have to think about. Get it on paper, make it concrete, and get it done.

4) Prioritize 1-2-3. Have a minimum of three important things to complete in every day and do them in the order of importance. If you don't complete one of them, that should be on your 1-2-3 Priority List tomorrow.

5) Get help. If you're constantly trying to do it all yourself, you're going to get stressed, exhausted and frustrated. If others are living at home, delegate responsibilities to them. If you live alone, hire help or ask for volunteer help from students or neighbors when you have projects that require extra helping hands.

6) One in? Two out! If your home or office is already cluttered, make it a rule that for every item you bring in, two have to go. By the end of the year, you'll have lightened your load tremendously.

7) A little bit each day. No matter what it is you wish to do, if you just do a little bit each day to get you closer to your goal, you'll get there. Set your watch for 5P each day. If you haven't worked for at least 15 minutes on the goal you wish to reach by then, stop everything and work on it for 15 minutes immediately.

8) Just say no. Start respecting your time and your schedule. Most of us like volunteering sometimes, and that's a good thing. However, if you have too much going on and you already invest tons of time giving of yourself, it's OK to say No to some of those time requests coming in--especially when those requests don't fit in with your goals.

9) Streamline. Using a time log for a few weeks, determine what's taking up your time. Streamline, or better yet eliminate, the time wasters.

10) Reward yourself. Yes, just getting something done may be a reward in itself, but why not add a cherry on top? Designate mini-rewards for accomplishments like getting the medicine cabinet organized or clearing out your email inbox. Declare larger rewards for more major accomplishments, such as organizing your basement or getting through an entire month without being late for any appointments. Rewards can range from a 10-minute break to enjoy a cup of tea, to the purchase of a new book you've been wanting to read, to a day of no work at all!

Get things done and have fun in 2010. May this new year be your best yet!

The Paper Pileup and How to Banish It

Paper is a part of everyone's daily life. There is no way to avoid it. However, if you do not manage paper on a regularly scheduled basis, it will manage you and pile up fast! It is best to not let that happen. Banish the paper pile up now. Here's how:

1. A sure way to keep paper from piling up is to go through your files and toss out all outdated and unused information. Be sure to do this on a regular basis-- preferably monthly.

2. Request that any statements you receive from various sources, such as cable, credit card companies, electric company, etc., be sent via online to your e-mail account instead of on paper through the post office.

3. Check out your financial institution's online bill paying system. Setting up an account to pay your bills online through your bank eliminates the need for envelopes and postage. You can set up your account to pay each month or set it up to take out for bills automatically every month. It a safe and easy way to organize all your bills in one location.

4. Do you deal with a pile of receipts and statements? Consider investing in a financial management program, such as Quick Books. Financial management programs will turn that pile of receipts into something manageable.

5. Junk mail is out of control these days. You can eliminate receiving most of the junk mail by calling the 'Preapproved Credit Card Opt Line' for the three top credit unions at 1-888-567-8688. This will eliminate receiving all the credit card offers that are sent. You can also register online with the Direct Marketing Association and request to be removed from junk mail mailing lists.

6. Try to avoid getting your name put on mailing lists. Tell every company with which you do business not to sell your name. Never enter contests or fill out surveys with your name and address on them. Always keep in mind where your name and address is going.

7. Do you subscribe to many magazines and/or newspapers? Consider keeping only those subscriptions that are most important to you. Most major magazines now carry many of their articles, if not the entire issue, on their websites. Consider donating old magazines to doctors' offices, shelters or senior centers after you read them.

7. Use a binder system, such as the Get Organized Now! Easy Organizer. This organizer is perfect for holding all of your important information in one handy location. Binders are a great way to organize many types of paperwork that you reference frequently. Tabs re used to organize the information in the binders so it is easier to locate.

8. Check with the IRS, in addition to your accountant and attorney, to find out how long to keep documents. Before you put documents into storage, mark them with an expiration date, if they have one. Some documents do need to be kept permanently. When you go through your files in the future, you will know which ones to purge.

9. Make a decision with each piece of paperwork that goes through your hands. Do not put papers into a pile and say you will deal with it later. Decide to do something with it right away and take some sort of action whether it is to read it, pay it, file it, do it or toss it.

10. Do not let your computer increase the amount of paper you collect. It is easy to print out a lot of things that do not have to be printed. If it is not critical, do not print it out. Keep in the back of your mind that the information will more than likely still be online to reference again later.

11. As part of your daily schedule, set aside a certain amount of time to process paperwork. Open and sort mail every day. Immediately recycle anything you do not need. Handle all important documents in one designated area. Divide the papers into main categories of action, such as 'Read,' 'Pay,' 'File' or 'Do.'

12. It is common to file papers that are never going to be looked at again. Before you file anything, ask yourself one question, 'Do I really need to keep this document?'

13. If you own a scanner, use it to its full potential to eliminate a good portion of the paper piled up in your home. You can scan a wide variety of items onto your computer or store onto CDs or DVDs. Scanners can scan most documents and pictures onto your computer for paper-free storage.

14. If you have a large amount of paper piled up, you do not have to tackle it all at once. Do it in sections taking baby steps. Once you start and continue to work on your piles, you will see results. It just takes that first step. Once you have the paper pile ups banished, regularly manage and act on all paperwork to maintain order. Make it a habit--then it will become second nature.

Has the word “clutter” become a negative trigger for you? Do piles of papers or stacks of stuff invade and haunt your physical and mental space? Do you feel hopeless at the thought of filing or clearing? How about if your beliefs on creating order would “reorganize” themselves, in a Mary Poppins way, easily, effortlessly, and playfully, could you then conceive of not only getting organized, but also staying clutter free?

1. Play... Colors

Colors are life, colors are fun! Each has a special message to give you, personally!

Use them: take your child self on a shopping trip to an office place, and choose folders in the color that you like the most, be it a bright orange, a sophisticated teal, or a spirited violet. Play with this; maybe you want to have matching or contrasting colors for your hanging files folders… Let yourself start a brand new journey with your paper world, colored by the magic of a rainbow…

2. Play… Sant (Pleasant)

Along with the new appealing folders instilling joy and renewal and clearing old patterns, look at the objects that are in your décor, e.g. pencil cup, paper trays, lamps, etc… Do you like them? Do they make you smile each time you look at them? Frame the photograph of your beloved with a frame that brings you pleasure, or invest in the slick metallic office set that you like! Those small investments will transform your mood, and thus your world…

3. Play… Business Guru

It is all about playing: create a fun ritual around your organizing sessions. Possibly go to a costume store, and buy yourself a pair of Groucho Marx’s glasses (with the mustache!) For 15 min. of organizing, put on those glasses, and pretend you are an organization expert, or a business guru. Have fun!

4. Play… Order Builder

Think of yourself as a Body Builder, and as organizing as your favorite workout.

Do a set of 15 minutes. No more. Actually use an egg timer to make sure you are not overworking your order muscles… We wouldn’t want for you to be so exhausted tomorrow, and so sour you won’t touch your files for another month! Just commit to do a set for 15 minutes a day, five days a week! Easy… For each organizing set, treat yourself to a 15 minutes passion break, where you do something you are totally passionate about!

5. Play it… And Joy Will Come

This is my promise to you: since it is much harder to resist doing something than actually doing it, joy will flow to your heart after your very first session! After a week, you will truly relish in your accomplishment, and start seeing a path to your own freedom. A month will grant you a self-esteem that you never thought was possible! Not counting the greater effectiveness, and the satisfaction of knowing what you own, and where it is!

6. Play… to Allow Win

That is where the goofy costume mentioned in #3 becomes really meaningful! Halloween is Allow win: know that as you start this new life of yours, there may just be the possibility of a relapse, and that the wonderful joy just described might turn again into sheer hopelessness. Should that moment hit, put those glasses back on, and grab a mirror, quick! Your despair can be seen as being as real, and as unreal as those glasses are, guaranteed!

7. Puzzle Play

Since you have just become willing to relapse into your old self, and have fun with it, you can also make a game out of any challenge you may encounter. Treat it as a puzzle, as a game for your mind to resolve. First focus on the solution, and then, just like any other genius, give yourself some time to hear the answer… It may be helpful to create a “Puzzle file” to be visited in your Friday sessions.

8. Play… Music

Much has been said about the effect of music on reprogramming the brain. Use it. Do your 15 minutes set while playing your favorite tunes! In this manner, you will change your previous thought forms on organizing to a mindset of appreciation, synchronicity, and harmony…

9. Play… Decide

Do you remember being a child and playing Post Office, or Grocery Store? Do you remember how you would just “decide” how many stamps to buy, or bananas or cartoons of milk? Your piles of paper are only decisions unmade, because you thought the game was very serious, and that you could make “mistakes.” Become a child again; give yourself to decide; this I keep, this I let go! That I let go, and this I keep! And watch yourself becoming lighter, and happier, and, also interestingly, way more secure about yourself!

10. Play… Inspired!

Hire a coach. Hire an inspiration coach. Hire an Inspiration Coach, whose name starts in Maha, and finishes with “Lene.” Hire an Inspiration Coach, whose name starts in Maha, finishes with “Lene,” and whose email reads mahalene@soulvision.com. E-mail Mahalene now: you are on for the greatest adventure!

This piece was originally submitted by Mahalene Louis, Inspiration Anchor, Artist, Author, and Speaker, who can be reached at mailto:mahalene@soulvision.com, via phone 512.632.8952 or visited on the web at http://www.soulvision.com. Mahalene Louis wants you to know: As an Inspiration Anchor, I offer an engaging
e-zine, free teleclasses and Turn on the Light!, a unique program to assist the creative genius in you to express and market your gifts successfully. Turn on the Light! inspires you to show up as a stunning masterpiece of unbridled passion and creativity, and to evolve consciousness by acting in alignment with the powerful force you are.

Tips for Doing More

The following are a few areas where we can do a little bit more. The first step toward improving your life is always the hardest. The key is to launch in the direction of your dreams and goals. Start by taking little steps and once you gain momentum you will be unstoppable.

1) More time – If you will get started 15 minutes earlier each day it will give you time to get the day started right and you gain 5 hours a month.

2) More exercise – Go for a walk around the block or jog around your neighborhood for 10 or 15 minutes each day. (If you don’t think you have 15 minutes to exercise refer to tip #1) Just following this one tip will make a big difference in your attitude, energy level, and performance.

3) More self improvement – Commit everyday to feeding your mind something positive and good. Listen to audio programs on your way to work and read a few pages daily out of an inspirational book before going to bed.

4) More preparation – Take a few minutes each evening to plan for the following day. Then, right before going to sleep, visualize your day happening just as you planned it.

5) More sales calls – When you feel you have made all the calls you can make, get your mind right and make one more call. Make it the most exciting call of the day. At the end of the year, this one action will equal hundreds of extra calls and will result in more sales.

6) More big dreams – Take time to write down everything you want to be, do, or have if you were living your dream life. The clearer you are about what it is that you want the more likely you are to achieve it.

7) More organized – Keep a notebook in your pocket or briefcase and write down ideas and action items you need to remember. Transfer them to your calendar and review them regularly.

8) More water – Drinking water will allow you to reap great health benefits. Moreover, if you drink at least an 8 ounce glass of water before each meal you will digest your food better, you won’t eat as much, and you will save money at restaurants by buying smaller portions.

9) More belief – Belief is the feeling of certainty that something is going to happen. If you believe in yourself and your abilities, you will transfer this confidence to others. You must take daily actions that strengthen your personal belief system and that of your company and its products and services.

10) More focus – Spend 80 percent of your time focusing on and working on the most important aspects of your life. Most people spend most of their time majoring in the minors and completing unimportant tasks. Then they sit around wondering why they can’t seem to get anything significant accomplished.

To give a little more sometimes we've got to do a little less in some areas. Here are a few tips you might want to do a little less of so you can be, do, or have more of what you really want.

1) Less distractions – One way to gain extra time and become more focused on the important areas of your life is to turn off the tube (TV, computer, etc). Most people spend too much time in front of these escape boxes. Set limits on the amount of time you spend watching TV, checking emails, surfing the internet, listening to the radio, or reading the newspaper.

2) Less eating – Most people eat too much and it makes them gain weight, have less energy, and diminishes their motivation. Cut back on your portion size. If you eliminate just 100 calories each meal that would amount to over 2,000 calories less per week. This action will help you maintain a healthy weight and increase your energy. Also, instead of going out to eat every day take your own lunch occasionally. You can prepare a lunch that is healthier and it will save you time and money.

3) Less hobbies – You may love to play golf, go boating, or have other hobbies. However, too much of a good thing can keep you from giving more in the important areas of your life. If you simply cut out one golf game a month and refocus your energy you would gain an extra 60 hours of productive time a year.

4) Less partying – You don't have to attend every party you are invited to and you don't have to be the last one to leave. Even if you do attend a party you can pace yourself so you feel better the next day and keep your energy level high.

5) Less bad habits – Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs cause money to flow away from you with nothing in return and they will cause your health to deteriorate. Discipline yourself to kick the habit and you will make more money, improve your health, and have more energy and time to focus on your dreams and goals.

6) Less spending – You could spend less money entertaining others, going out to eat, and participating in expensive hobbies. A small cutback in your spending, invested wisely, adds up to more financial security.

7) Less self defeating actions – Too many people take actions that are self defeating. They wind up spending countless hours trying to justify those actions when they could have positively focused and moved toward an accomplishment of their dreams. The key is to recognize when you will likely take the wrong actions and avoid putting yourself in situations that set you up for failure.

Some of these tips may take a few minutes to act on and others may take an hour or two but all of them are incredible simple and anyone can do them. Obviously not all these tips would apply to everyone. Review the list and find the ones that will benefit you and put them to use. In no time you will find yourself gaining momentum and moving to the next level of your personal and professional life.>/p>

Emergency! Being Prepared for Emergency Situations

An emergency is defined as a sudden unforeseen crisis, which requires immediate action. An emergency is any situation which poses an immediate risk to life, health, property, or environment. Many emergencies require urgent intervention.

There are various types of emergencies that will vary according to your location but may include fire, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, terror alerts, and lack of power, contagious diseases, and tsunamis, among others. You may also need to plan for sudden illness or hospitalization or funerals that take you away from your home.

These topics are often scary to think about, but in order to be prepared for any emergency situation we must pre- plan. We have to think it through before the emergency takes place.

A few things to consider regardless of location:

1. Know your location and the particular risks associated with it. For example, if you live on the coastline, you need to prepare for tsunamis and hurricanes. If you live in areas prone to tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding, blizzards or avalanches, you'll need to prepare for those. Whereas other emergencies such as contagious diseases, power outages, terror alerts, fire, and other possible emergencies are more general and may happen anywhere.

2. Know your neighborhood. For example, do you have elderly or disabled neighbors who would need help in the case of an emergency? Faced with an emergency, what can you do to help those around you and not just your own family?

3. Make a family/household plan.

Include:

* Two places to meet in the event your home becomes unsafe--one within your neighborhood and one outside your neighborhood if you must evacuate.

* Keep your vehicle's gas tank at least half full at all times.

* Keep cash in your home (approx. 100 dollars in small bills).

* Identify at least 2 escape routes from your home.

* Teach each family member how to use a fire extinguisher.

* Have an out-of-the-immediate-area contact that every family member can contact to provide information about their location if you get separated.

* Locate the gas main and other utilities. Make sure family members know when and how to turn them off.

* Practice your plans with the entire household. Make sure you make special plans and arrangements for children, seniors, members with disabilities or who cannot speak English, and pets.

4. Every family big or small needs a fire escape plan. Design and create a fire escape plan with every member of your family. Make sure you have at least 2 ways out of each room. There are various things to keep in mind if there is a fire in your house: Remember to crawl on the floor--smoke rises. Next, check doors for heat before leaving a room. Remember, stop, drop, and roll if your clothes catch fire. Get out of the house quickly and safely. Once you have left, stay out and for no reason re-enter the house. Call 911 from a safe location. Make sure you keep important documents/pictures either in a fire-proof safe or at another secure location. Check the batteries in your smoke detectors. Pre-plan an outside meeting place for all family members. Conduct a fire escape drill.

5. Conduct a home inventory. Make a home inventory of all valuables. Document in writing, photographs or video. Include serial numbers. Keep a copy of the information off site.

6. Plan for a major incident. Keep duplicates of important documents such as marriage licenses, passports, driver's licenses, birth certificates, insurance numbers, insurance information, wills, deeds, financial statements, and prescriptions off site such as in a safety deposit box or with a person you trust. Make a family/household plan in advance. Put together a disaster supply kit.

7. Create a Go Kit.

Number 1 tip in order to make a Go kit is to make sure it is easy to take with you in the case of an emergency. So make sure it is in a back pack or a rolling suitcase.

Create a Go kit for every member of the family with an ID tag attached to it.

Items to include: flashlight, battery operated radio, batteries, pocket knife, change of clothing and shoes, emergency money- small bills and quarters, local map, food and water, photos of family and pets, emergency phone numbers, list of medications, allergies, and medical conditions, copies of health insurance and identification cards, extra prescriptions, first aid supplies, personal items, tooth brush and paste, and extra keys for your home and vehicle.

Make a Go kit for your pets as well. Keep a collar, ID tags, and license information, some sort of crate, carrier, or box. Food, water, and any medications for at least one week. Non spill bowls, manual can openers, plastic lid. Recent photograph of the pet.

8. Create a Disaster supply kit (for a minimum of 72 hours)

* Food and water

* Manual can opener and cooking utensils

* First Aid Kit and instructions

* A copy of important documents and phone numbers

* Warm clothing and rain gear for every family member

* Heavy duty work gloves

* Disposable camera- document damage for insurance

* Liquid bleach and an eyedropper for water purification

* Personal hygiene items

* Prescriptions or medical needs

* Basic tools

* Blankets and sleeping bags

* Heavy duty garbage bags and bucket

9. Create a Household Control Binder.

This will be used in case of an emergency such as a sudden illness, hospitalization, or funeral. It will be used by others to help keep your household running.

Include data such as important phone numbers, shopping lists, lists of prescriptions for each member including dosing information, bills and cleaning checklists, maps to nearby locations, menus for local establishments, written instructions for a babysitter, central family calendar, birthdays and special occasions, and family and pet information.

10. Don't panic, remain calm, and relax. If you're prepared, things will automatically go more smoothly. Just take things one step at a time.

Some of us will never have to use these preparations we have made. Some of these measures will be used for more minor situations. But the reality exists that there's always the possibility of an emergency. Being prepared is key to helping you work through the problems and get back to a normal life after the situation has passed.

10 Projects, 10 Rewards

Do you ever have trouble motivating yourself to complete projects? All of us need a reward of some kind to help keep us motivated. Here are ten projects to complete, along with ten rewards for completing each one.

1. Project: Clean out medicine cabinet/vanity

Reward: Manicure

Toss out expired medications, makeup and ointments. Use containers to hold odds and ends like ponytail holders, hair clips and so on. Once you have completed this, reward yourself with an at home manicure, or schedule an appointment at the salon and be pampered!

2. Project: Clean out the inside of your car

Reward: Ice Cream Cone or Sundae

Take the time to clean out papers, trash, and so forth from the inside of your car. Wash the windows on the inside and wipe down the seats if they are leather or vinyl. After your car is nice and clean and fresh, take yourself out for an ice cream cone or a hot fudge sundae! (Don't eat it in the car though!)

3. Project: Clean up your craft supplies

Reward: One hour of uninterrupted crafting time

Have you been lax about putting away your crafting items? Take time to straighten up what you've been using as well as putting it away so that your crafting area is cleaned up and organized AND inviting. Reward yourself with an hour of uninterrupted crafting time, whether it's card making, scrapbooking or sewing.

4. Project: Clean out your recipe file and recipe clippings

Reward: Lunch or Dinner out

Take time to go through your recipe file and all of those recipes you've been clipping. Toss any recipe cards that you haven't used in a year or more (other than holiday recipes) and also be realistic about which recipes you've clipped that you will actually use. Toss any you won't, and put the rest into a binder inside sheet protectors. When this is complete, reward yourself with a dinner out with your family, or a lunch out with a friend.

5. Project: Sort and cull out clothing

Reward: One new article of clothing

Go through your closet and remove those items you haven't worn in a year. Donate those in good shape to a charity. Even those that are in a little bit rougher shape can be put to use--so donate those as well. Just put them in a separate sack. Once you have removed clothing you won't/don't wear, reward yourself with one new article of clothing. Another unplanned reward is the joy of a closet that isn't crammed full. You'll be able to see and use what you have in there.

6. Project: Declutter the junk drawer

Reward: One hour of uninterrupted reading time.

Everyone has at least one junk drawer. Take some time and clean it out. Empty everything out of it, use dividers or locking trays to sort things back into. Be realistic about how many twist ties you can actually use. Store like things together that you will use in the room the junk drawer is located. Don't use it as a general dumping ground. Reward yourself with one hour of uninterrupted reading time.

7. Project: Clean out your purse

Reward: Finding the items you put in there that you couldn't find before when you needed them.

Take a few minutes and clean out your purse. We always carry around more than we need, and then when we need something, we can't find it. In addition to the reward of finding what you need, you may also find lots of loose change you just tossed into your purse. Use that loose change to start saving for something fun.

8. Project: Gather up donations and deliver to charity or call for a pickup

Reward: Tax deduction for donations

We always have items that we could easily part with, whether it is outgrown clothing from our children, or items we no longer wear. Gather these up into sacks, and either take them to a charity like Goodwill or Salvation Army. Many times they will send a truck out to pick up items. You just have to call them and schedule a pickup. Your reward is a receipt that you can use as a deduction on your taxes. The IRS has a list of items and their value for donation purposes that you can get on their website.

9. Project: Set up a meal/menu plan for 2 weeks or a month

Reward: Hassle free dinner plans

Spend the time going through your cookbooks and recipe files and plan your menus for a month. Even two weeks gives you a great variety of meals that you can repeat without feeling like you've just eaten that item. Once you have your menu plan in place, you've not only simplified dinner prep by eliminating that `what shall I fix for dinner' dilemma, but you've made your grocery shopping more organized as well.

10. Project: Clean out and organize your garage

Reward: More storage and work space

The time you spend cleaning out the garage will pay big dividends when it comes to room for your car--thereby eliminating the need for scraping winter windows if you live in snow country. You will have ample space to store your holiday decorations, and you will have workspace for gardening or woodworking and so forth. The rewards far outweigh the work involved in cleaning out the garage.

Using Your Time Wisely--10 Tips

Time truly is the deciding factor. We all have to recognize the fact that we cannot slow it down nor can we speed it up. We all have the same amount of time--365 days in each year and only 24 hours in each day.

What is time? Time is a system or method of measuring or reckoning the passage of time

In the end, it is all about personal choice. We all have the right to choose how we will spend our time.

If you are always feeling like there is not enough time. Ask yourself the following two questions:

A. How do you spend your time? Create a time chart and record how you spend each day for a week.

B. What are your priorities? What do you want to spend your time on?

Compare these two lists. What can be cut, delegated, etc. from list #1 and allow you more time for those items on list # 2?

In the rest of this article, I will share some tips that will help save you some time, so that you will have more time for what you want to do.

Time saving tip # 1: Save time on errands

A. Designate an errand day (do all your errands on one specific day. Also try to plan the time of day that stores are less busy.)

B. Map out the locations, so that you are not driving back and forth.

C. Delegate errands for other family members.

D. Share or trade errands with a neighbor, fellow mom, or a local teenager.

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Time saving tip # 2: Multi-tasking

Make it work for you, not against you.

A. Only multi-task simple tasks.

B. No new, difficult, or tasks that require lots of attention.

C. For example, load a dishwasher while talking on the telephone, dust the house while listening to music or the television, cut coupons out while watching television, exercise while listening to a book on tape.

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Time saving tip # 3: Use your computer to save time

A. Check directions before leaving.

B. Online calendars and appointment reminders that can be sent to other people.

C. Correspondence with family and friends.

D. Order gifts, flowers, books, groceries, etc. online--no waiting in lines, travel time, etc.

E. Paying bills online- no trips to the bank, no mailing costs.

F. Wide variety of lists, for example, medications.

G. Read the news online.

H. Email reminders and notes.

I. Photographs.

J. Address and phone number list.

K. Folders to separate important information, for example, packing lists, immunization record, list of doctors.

L. Recipes, among many other uses.

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Time saving tip # 4: Have a routine and stick with it

A. Having a routine can help you save time, if you work for an hour a day at chores around your house; you will not have to spend all weekend cleaning up and instead can spend some time with family and friends, for example.

B. Having a routine is also very useful for children. They know what to expect and when. Bedtimes, chores, errands, and homework time will all run smoother.

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Time saving tip # 5: Plan ahead

A. A meal plan- you save time each night figuring out what to eat a half hour before you make supper.

B. Shopping list- will save you time at the store.

C. Get out your clothes for the next day- will save you time getting dressed in the morning.

Time saving tip # 6: Do things in bulk

A. For example, if you are cooking lasagna for supper, how much harder is it to make a second one to freeze for a busy night in the future?

B. Bulk cooking or a once a month cooking fest can save you time in the long run.

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Time saving tip # 7: A consistent spot for must- needed, everyday items

A. Do you know how much time people spend/waste looking for everyday items?

B. Everyday or essential items should be kept in the same spot every day. For example, place your keys and cell phone in the same location so when you need to grab them tomorrow, you will know exactly where to find them. You might want a table, basket, or tray where you can leave these items and empty your pockets daily. The kid's homework, shoes, and book bags need to have a home.

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Time saving tip # 8: Post and use a family calendar

A. An earlier tip suggests using one of many websites to set up an electronic calendar; this may not work for every family. So if it doesn't then you will need to use a paper calendar or one designed on a wall using chalkboard or magnetic paint.

B. Make sure it is in a central location where everyone can see it and use it.

C. Make sure all appointments, meetings, get-togethers, after-school activities are put on the calendar. Transfer over to a pocket calendar, organizer, electronic organizer or even leave yourself a voice mail on your cell phone.

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Time saving tip # 9: Make and use checklists

A. Checklists for children can help them learn their morning or evening routines, for example, brushing their teeth and combing their hair. If your little one cannot read yet, post pictures as well as the words.

B. Checklists can be useful when packing for a trip, a day out at the park or picnic, having a babysitter or friend sit for the kids, among many other opportunities.

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Time saving tip # 10: Create a lost and found

A. Every home needs a lost and found which can take many forms including a box, bin, basket, drawer, container, or even a laundry basket. When a family member finds a stray item on a countertop, in the middle of the floor, etc. they can toss it into the 'lost and found'. It's a great way to clean up the clutter and misplaced items in your home. And therefore, it should become the first place any family member looks for a misplaced item instead of searching everywhere for the item.

In Closing

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.
--Elizabeth Lawrence

And remember . . . there's no better time
to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!
http://www.getorganizednow.com

Mission: Paperless as Possible

Are you feeling like you're buried under an avalanche of paper sometimes? Most of us are right there with you. We've all gotten overwhelmed with of the paper that is around us. It seems like the more we talk about going paperless, the more paper it generates!

In many, if not all, Fortune 500 companies, paperless is the mantra. The problem was and probably still is, that every effort to go paperless seemed to generate tons more paper than before!

But, we have a few tips here to help you to truly accomplish being paperless as possible. Join us as we shovel out from under the avalanche.

1. DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER:
One of the first things to do to accomplish our mission is to declutter the unnecessary paper around us. Much of the paper we have, we can eliminate. The first step is to invest in a shredder, preferably a diamond cut shredder that makes confetti out of your paper. The second thing to do is invest in a safe deposit box, or a fireproof box for your home. These are the first 2 steps to achieving our mission. The third step is to set aside a time each day to work at reducing the level of paper. In most cases it isn't going to happen in a day or two, it's going to be a little bit of time. Start with 15 minutes each day until it is under control.

2. HOW LONG TO KEEP WHAT:
Some papers need to be kept for a short time, some for a bit longer, and some need to be kept for your entire life. The next few tips will deal with the length of time to keep which papers. The forever papers should be kept in the safe deposit box or fireproof box, along with the papers you should keep for 7 years. In addition, purchase a file cabinet, or dedicate a file drawer or two, to hold the papers that you should keep for up to 3 years.

3. KEEP FOREVER:
A will, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, prenuptial agreements, alimony and child-custody agreements, divorce decrees, adoption papers, military records, citizenship papers, passports, health care power of attorney, copies of your IRA or 401K accounts along with copies of the form that names your plan beneficiaries, current insurance policies, employment contracts, deeds, property titles, mortgages, and stock and bond certificates.

4. KEEP FOR AT LEAST 7 YEARS:
Income tax returns (state and federal) with all supporting documentation. Supporting documentation is all that you use to figure your taxes. Also keep wage/salary records and annual payroll check stubs, canceled checks or bank statements, savings account records, monthly statements including information from banks, brokers, retirement plans, auto titles, guarantees and warranties along with dates and costs of improvements to your home.

5. KEEP FOR UP TO 3 YEARS:
Papers that confirm buying or selling of stocks and bonds, pay stubs, credit card statements if they list tax deductible expenses or charitable gifts, utility and phone bills, ATM receipts/deposit slips, and medical bills.

6. USE THE COMPUTER FOR FILING:
Many of us print off documents that we could be storing on our computers. Instead of printing off a copy of what you have on the computer, and dealing with paper, backup your files on a 2nd hard drive, a removable drive, or even on the Internet. Many external hard drives are very affordable and offer a vast amount of storage, and are very reliable. No matter how good computers are, they do fail and so an external hard drive, or even an Internet backup are good insurance against losing your data.

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ORGANIZE YOUR HOME: Are you sick and tired of the clutter, the mountains of paper, the overloaded email inbox, the lack of time you have to enjoy yourself, and the general disorganization in your life? If so, you won't want to miss this. Visit:
http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffhome.html

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7. ELECTRONIC BILLING and BILL PAY:
Another way to reduce the amount of paper coming into your home is to sign up for electronic billing. Many companies will be very happy to send you an electronic bill only. You will receive your monthly statement via email which will give you a link to view your bill. In addition to sending you your statement electronically, many companies will also encourage you to pay electronically. This can be by means of an automatic deduction every month or a one-time payment. You not only reduce the amount of paper coming into your home, you reduce the amount of paper going out of your home too. Many banks now offer free bill pay. You can sign up with your bank to pay your bills automatically each month or use them for a one-time payment, just like with each individual company. This gives you a one stop place to take care of all of your bills.

8. ELIMINATE THE JUNK MAIL:
Contacting the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and registering with their Mail Preference Service provides an effective way for you to fight the junk mail glut. The DMA does not provide marketers with consumer mailing lists or do consumer mailings. They provide their Mail Preference Service to marketers for the sole purpose of removing consumer's names and addresses from their prospect mailing lists. Avoid getting on even more mailing lists by taking precautions whenever you submit your name and address to anyone. If you're filling out a form such as a warranty, subscription, raffle, customer info card, credit card application, membership for an organization, etc., add the phrase 'please do not rent, sell, or trade my name or address' next to the other information you provide. (Be advised that it is not necessary to fill out a warranty card to benefit from the warranty on your purchase. The warranty card is usually just a way to get consumer info from you.) Repeat these same magic words every time you're giving a company or organization your name and address over the phone or Internet, such as when ordering a catalog, magazine, or making a purchase. The sales rep will then flag your name in their computer. These are just a couple of the things you can do to reduce the amount of junk mail coming in.

9. SORT YOUR MAIL AT THE SHREDDER:
When you are opening your mail EACH DAY, do so over the shredder. If it's not a bill or personal correspondence, or a charitable donation request that you support, shred anything that has your name and address on it. It is important that you shred to protect your identity. There is so much identity theft going on that could be prevented by shredding anything that has your name and address on it. This includes catalog order forms along with the back cover where your mailing address is.

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ORGANIZE YOUR OFFICE: Are you up to your eyeballs in work at the office? Are the paper mountains growing everywhere you look? Do you want to get your projects and tasks done quicker, with less effort, so you have more time to get home and enjoy your family and friends? If so, you won't want to miss this. Visit:

http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffoffice.html

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10. HANDLE IT ONCE:
When paper does come into your home, handle it only once. That means you either shred it, attend to it (pay a bill, answer a letter, etc.) or file it. This way you don't have a pile of papers to deal with all at once, it's already taken care of. If you only pay bills on certain days, have an `immediate' file set up that you put `bills to be paid', `correspondence to be answered', and other categories that mean something to you personally, after all, if it doesn't work for you, you won't use it.

11. CANCEL THE SUBSCRIPTION:
How many magazines come into your home on a weekly basis that you don't have time to read? Are they stacking up too? If that is the case, it's time to re-evaluate whether or not you really need to continue to subscribe to those magazines. That includes newspaper subscriptions too. If you have time to read a newspaper then don't cancel it, but if it piles up alongside the magazines you don't have time to read, why have it come into the house in the first place. Most newspapers have websites where you can read the newspaper online, saving paper.

12. KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL:
All of the systems in the world won't do a bit of good if you don't keep on top of it. By reducing the amount of paper you have to deal with on a daily basis, it is easier to keep up with it. Don't let your `to be filed' basket be filled to overflowing. Instead, file each piece as it comes into the house. Then it is no longer a mountain threatening an avalanche when you walk by.

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New Stuff and Site Updates

Everything below is accessible by visiting:
http://www.getorganizednow.com

Eight rooms and three tips mean you're 24 steps from a complete home makeover. Tackle one room at a time to foster production and results. Once done, enjoy your house like it's a brand new space.
Want to give your home an organizing makeover? Here are three organizing tips each for the main rooms in your home.

Getting Your Family to THINK ORGANIZED on a Regular Basis

Do you have trouble getting your family on board for being organized? Sometimes, they may just think it's too complicated. What we've learned to do without thinking about it seems so simple to us, but we forget that we haven't communicated what we want from our family members. We just want them on board. Following are some simple tips to help us get our families to think organized--sometimes without realizing that's what they are really doing!

1. FAMILY MEETING: Hold a family meeting and explain to your family that you need help to be able to maintain the family home. You aren't the only person in the family and shouldn't be the only one doing all the work. BUT, the family needs to know what and how to help you. Don't just dictate what will be done, but ask for their input and take their suggestions seriously. One of the advantages to the whole family working together to keep things organized and clean is that it takes much less time, leaving the whole family free to pursue fun activities together.

2. CHORE CHARTS. One of the outcomes of your family meeting can be dividing chores up. With input from the family as to which chores they'd prefer to do, set up a chore chart that lists everyone and the chores they are responsible for. Explain too that none of the assignments are set in stone, they can be re-negotiated in the future. Everyone likes to have some choices and this is a good way to do that.

3. MAKE IT SIMPLE. Do your children just toss their clothing into the closet without hanging it up? Maybe the problem isn't that they don't want to do it right, but that they just can't. Is the closet rod too high for them to reach? Are the hangers too big for their clothing? You can lower the entire rod, or if you want to have room for hanging cubes, add a lower rod to one side. You can install a lower rod in half the closet, simply by hanging it from the upper rod. This will leave the other side free for hanging cubes that can also be used for storage. In addition to lower rods, purchase some smaller hangers so that they aren't so bulky and frustrating for the kids.

4. DIRTY CLOTHES PILES: Does your spouse consistently toss his/her dirty clothing in a single spot on the floor? Help to get your better half to think organized by placing a hamper in the exact spot he/she tosses those dirties. This way you are making it easier to `think organized' without having to pick up piles of dirty clothes behind your spouse.

5. TOYS EVERYWHERE? Do you have toys all over the place with no one putting them away? If you have small children, make it easy for them. First, pare down the amount of toys. Many times, our children have more toys than they ever play with. Find their favorites--those toys they play with consistently. Then pack up the rest. You could donate them, or just pack them up and store them to be rotated. Second, get rid of the toy box. Kids can't find anything in a toy box so they won't use it, or if they do, the mess from trying to find something is all over. Use cubbies, or cubes that you can find in any department store. Third, if your children are very small and aren't reading yet, use pictures to label each bin so that they know exactly what goes where. When there isn't an overwhelming amount to be picked up, and they know exactly where it goes and that they can easily find it later, they are much more able to keep the toy mess to a minimum. You might also make a rule that only one toy at a time can be out. For them to be able to play with a new toy, the old one has to be put away.

6. LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! Do you despair that nothing will ever be put in its proper place? If you don't already have a label maker, buy one. They are a very helpful too--for your pantry, linen closet, medicine cabinet, kitchen cupboards and drawers. Label what goes where. The labels are small enough to fit on the face of a shelf and big enough to be easily read.

7. REWARDS. Don't we all like rewards? Our families are no different. The rewards don't have to be monetary. They can be a favorite meal prepared, a favorite movie or even a day out with Mom or Dad. There are a number of rewards that will work. Very small children love to get stickers, or lollipops, or balloons. Older children would enjoy one- on-one time with Mom or Dad, or both. Dad's reward could be an afternoon fishing or golfing. Mom's reward could be spa time (at home or at the spa). There are any number of ways that you can reward the family for 'thinking organized'. Find what works best for your family and your situation.

8. MAKE IT FUN: None of us like to do drudge work, including our children. When most people have a bit of drudgery to do, they tend to put it off as long as possible, even to the point of avoiding it altogether. Our families are no exception to this rule. Young children especially like to race the clock, so set a timer and challenge everyone to a beat-the-clock game. In a specific amount of time, see how much stuff everyone can pick up and put away. When it`s fun, everyone enjoys participating.

9. REVIEW: This ties in to the family meetings and chore charts. When the family knows that they aren't arbitrarily stuck with a chore forever and ever, it makes it a bit easier for them to be willing to take on a chore they don't particularly like, or aren't familiar with. With periodic reviews, say once a month, or once every two weeks, you and your family will be able to assess how things are going and to decide if you want to redistribute the chores.

10. LIGHTEN UP: This is applicable in more ways than one. It is impossible to organize clutter, so if you have too much stuff, you need to lighten your load. Donate items that are in good condition (gently used), or hold a family garage sale. Set the sale up so that each member of the family gets the proceeds from their items. Or, you could agree as a family to combine the proceeds for a special treat, maybe a trip to an amusement park or similar attraction. Give your family an incentive to part with things and they will more than likely be willing participants. Another way to lighten up is in our attitudes. Sometimes we get so focused on the things that need to be done all around us that we forget to just enjoy our families. Don't make that mistake.

11. ENJOY YOUR ORGANIZED FAMILY: It only takes doing something 21 times to make it a habit. Introduce these suggestions slowly and when each one is a habit, start on a new one. Then you will have a home that requires less care, one because you have lightened the load, and two because the whole family is taking part in the care and maintenance of the home. This leaves you free to enjoy more family time together.

The garage is one of the most versatile spaces in a home, able to house anything from cars to gardening

supplies to school memories. That's precisely why it's also a breeding ground for chaos, which becomes quite apparent once you start looking for a road map, spade or high school yearbook. You can tame the clutter, though, with the help of Jamie Novak, author of two best-selling books, 1,000 Best Quick and Easy Organizing Secrets and 1,000 Best Quick and Easy Time-Saving Strategies. Here, Jamie reveals how to make the most of your garage space.

1. Sort Your Stuff
The first step is figuring out what you own. Start by sorting everything into categories. Separate the gardening tools from the car maintenance supplies and sporting equipment. The "like with like" principle is a basic, yet powerful, organizing technique.

2. Toss the Trash
Keep a few heavy-duty garbage bags handy as you sort so you can easily toss things away. Be ruthless; 86 all the broken equipment, rusted tools, and toys that are missing pieces. Haul the recyclables to the curb or to the recycling center, and check www.eiae.org to learn where you can drop off hazardous waste, such as computer equipment and paint cans. Insider tip: home supply stores sell a powder mix that can be added to paint cans to make them safe to throw away.

3. Share Your Stuff
Once you have separated items into groups, and tossed the trash, you may be surprised to see how much good stuff you own. Keep the best and give away the rest.

• Give away your unused items for free at www.freecycle.org
• Donate to a local charity and take the tax deduction
• Give back borrowed items to their rightful owner
• Schedule a garage sale for the items you've earmarked
• Return abandoned family items

4. Measure the Space
To see exactly how much room you have for storage, park your car in the garage and open the doors and trunk. Use chalk to outline the floor space. Measure the gap from the top of the open trunk to the ceiling; you can then hang things above your car.

5. Plan the Space
The items you decide to keep need a home, and the floor is not an option. Plan out the space, designating certain areas for specific items. Look at your categories and pick an area of the garage for each one, keeping accessibility in mind.

6. Store It Where You Use It
Keep the items you use most in the easiest to reach locations. For example, store your bulk paper goods near the house so you're not walking through the garage for a roll of paper towels. Stow infrequently used items—like outdoor holiday decorations—in the hardest to reach places, like the rafters.

7. Add Storage Options
Now is the time to add shelving and cabinets, tubs and bins. Old kitchen cabinets and versatile pegboards add valuable storage along the walls. Use all the space from floor to ceiling, making sure you can open all doors without banging or scratching something. Be creative: use the backs of doors including the ones on cabinets.

8. Give Everything a Home
Don't mix categories and store similar items together. Consider a sports rack for balls, gloves, cleats and hula-hoops. Leave room to grow—moderately. Use smaller containers that you can easily move once they're full. Protect treasured items in waterproof containers, and do not store photographs or other temperature—and moisture—sensitive items in the garage.

9. Label, Label, Label
Label each bin, shelf, container and cabinet door. This makes it much easier to maintain order, so even when you're in a hurry, you'll be able to quickly put things away. Label the lid and all sides so you can read the contents from any direction.

10. Maintain the New System
To keep your garage looking great you'll need to break the old habits that caused the clutter in the first place. Adopt a household rule that you'll put away the item when you're done with it.

You can say goodbye to garage clutter using these 10 steps, but they only work if you do. Dreaming about an organized garage only gets you so far. Schedule a time and get started; it is easier than you are anticipating. Work on small sections over a period of time or do a weekend marathon session; the single best way to transform your garage from chaotic to contained is to give yourself a deadline, enlist the help of others, and get started.

Making Organizing a Fun Activity

What does getting organized bring to mind for you? Does it mean putting in many hours and blood, sweat and tears before you will become more efficient? Does it mean lots of hard work to accomplish important and necessary tasks? Do you procrastinate when it comes to getting organized because you feel it is too daunting a job? Organizing does not have to be thought of as a chore. There are ways to turn organizing into something enjoyable and fun to do.

1. The easiest and simplest way to make organizing a fun activity is to put on your favorite music. Pick out a few upbeat songs that get your spirits running high and your body wanting to move. Put on the music, start tapping your feet, pick out an area you would like to organize and begin organizing.

2. Do not try and tackle all of the organizing on your own. Get everyone in your home involved in becoming organized. Make it a family affair. Assign each family member a task or tasks to complete and decide on a time frame to complete. As tasks are completed, everyone celebrates the accomplishments together.

3. Think of organizing as a favorite workout. Just as workouts get you invigorated and feeling good, so will organizing. Coordinate an organizing project like an exercise routine working to get areas organized and fit. Organize in 15 or 30 minute sets. Document your results. As with exercising, set future goals and continue to progress.

4. Create a party atmosphere. Consider organizing as a big celebration! Put on clothes that make you feel festive and put on a few party songs. Serve pizza and punch and celebrate your achievements. Be creative. Do whatever makes the mood festive for you.

5. Treat organizing like a puzzle. Organizing can be a challenge. However, this can be considered rather daunting and not much fun. If you treat organizing like a puzzle, it can become more like a game instead. The more pieces you fit together (the more organizing you accomplish), the more complete and whole the puzzle becomes.

6. Rewards make a huge difference when it comes to getting a task done. Organizing does take time and effort, but to make it more worthwhile, do not forget to give yourself a reward for your accomplishments and achievements. If you do not give yourself a pat on the back or a reward for getting an organizing goal finished, you are not going to be motivated to continue toward more goals. Pick a reward that is something you enjoy doing or something you really want. When you achieve another organizing goal, plan another reward to work toward.

7. Use fun organizing tools and supplies to boost your mood and your level of wanting to get organized. Plan a trip to stores with organizing supplies to get new and fresh ideas. Look for new storage items you can use to improve your living space and help you become more organized.

8. Make organizing a friendly competition. A competition between family members or friends can put a whole new spin on getting organized. Set several goals for participants to work toward with varying levels for each accomplishment achieved. Designate a corresponding treat as a prize to attain for each level. Begin the competition. When finished and goals are achieved, hold a reward ceremony.

9. To get children more involved in organizing, play 'beat the clock.' Assign a 'put away' basket for each child. Set a timer for 30 seconds and see who can pick up the most items. Repeat and keep score. The winner is rewarded with a prize, such as a movie or getting to stay up later for an evening.

10. If you have a lot of paperwork to file, consider scrapping the drab tan manila file folders. Instead use bright and colorful file folders. There are also file folders available in many different patterns and designs, not just solid colors. A dash of color or pattern will be more inviting and help to make the process of organizing files more motivating and fun. On a budget? Decorate your file folders yourself!

11. Create a fun ritual around organizing. Customize the ritual toward something you enjoy doing. For example, buy a pair of fun-looking glasses from a costume store. When organizing, put on the glasses and pretend you are an organizing guru. Play along while you organize and have fun with it.

12. Associating organizing with something you enjoy can help make the tasks more fun. For example, you can watch your favorite TV show as long as you also sort through the paperwork on your desk. Or make it a fun milestone. If you finished an organizing project, treat yourself to a movie. Decide what works best for you and then work toward the milestone.

Letting Go of Your Clutter - Guilt Free

Are you hanging on to piles and piles of stuff for no better reason than guilt? There are good reasons to hang on to stuff, but guilt is definitely not one of them! Join us as we work to let go of our guilt along with our clutter!

1. Don't Throw It Away: Many times we are unable to let go of clutter because we feel guilty about throwing things away. Letting go doesn't necessarily mean throwing away. Here are just 2 options available: Have a yard sale, or donate to a charity, or even do both at the same time. In a yard sale you have the opportunity to at least recoup a bit of your outlay.

You will never recover full value, but some is better than none. If you donate to a charity, someone else can benefit from your generosity, plus you are able to take a tax deduction for charitable donations. If you elect to have a yard sale, schedule a truck from a charity to pick up what doesn't sell.

2. But I Spent Money On It! Are you held back by guilt because you spent money on something--even if you are getting no value from it? In this case, you are feeling needless guilt. Once the money is spent, it's gone. Unless you are able to return the item for full value-- doubtful at best--the money is gone. The best thing you can do is to let go of the needless guilt along with the unneeded clutter.

3. Helping Others: When you are at the point of letting go of the clutter, try donating items to the following types of organizations: women's shelters, homeless shelters, children's groups at churches, preschools and day cares--even church youth groups, women's ministries and nursing homes.

Items like toiletries, clothing and bedding would be greatly appreciated at shelters. Items like craft supplies would be appreciated by preschools, day cares, nursing homes and church groups. Knowing you are helping others can alleviate a lot of unnecessary guilt.

4. Wishing you had more time to do fun things with the family? One of the things we often fail to take into account is the amount of time our clutter claims. The more stuff we have, the more we have to maintain , clean, take care of, etc. When you get rid of the clutter, you have more free time to enjoy with your family and friends.

5. But it was a gift!! Whatever the gift is--it very likely was given to you without strings. Once given, the recipient gets to decide whether or not to keep it. If it is something you truly don't love and won't use, re-gift it (just be careful not to re-gift it to the original gifter), donate it, sell it, give it away, or toss it. You could also exchange it for something you do love and will use.

6. It Has Sentimental Value! Are you hanging on to Great Aunt Agnes' item just because it was hers? Donating the item does not eliminate the memories you have of the person who gave it to you. Take a picture of the item . You will always have your memories regardless of whether you have the item, and looking at a picture will evoke the memories just as well as looking at the item itself, without the clutter.

7. Simplicity and Serenity: You Deserve Them! When our lives are cluttered and chaotic, serenity often escapes us. But each of us should be living simplified and serene lives. By removing the clutter from your home and your schedule, you are much more likely to reach simplicity and serenity. If we are honest with ourselves, when we have schedules and homes that are packed to the max with stuff, all we feel is frenzied and confused, not serene.

Begin to remove the extraneous stuff and take steps that get you closer to simplified and serene.

8. One Person's Trash: You've heard that one person's trash is another person's treasure. It really is true. When you donate items to thrift stores like Goodwill you are helping in more ways than one. The people who can't afford to buy new are able to afford your gently used items and consider it great when they find nice things in their price ranges. It also benefits disabled workers who are employed by organizations like Goodwill. A wonderful use for our stuff!

9. Less Housework!! How much time does cleaning take you? When you have lots of stuff around, it takes lots longer to clean and dust. Now I don't know about you , but anything that reduces housework is a good thing in my mind!

So start donating that extra stuff and you'll find it much quicker and easier to clean your house--leaving you free to do much more fun stuff!

10. Drop in guests are not a worry! Do you hate to have drop in guests because there is so much stuff you don't want anyone to see it? When you reduce the clutter, you not only aren't worried about clutter, you welcome guests, planned or drop-in! You may even find that you want to entertain more!

How to Organize Your Closet in 5 Easy Steps
by Get Organized, The Official Guide to Organizing

Getting your closet organized and clutter free can be a daunting task. Finding the right system to make your closet look nice and neat is one challenge in itself. Creating a scheme that will allow you to maintain order and efficiency is another task altogether. Accomplishing tasks such as these can be difficult for anybody, but success is attainable through the following five hassle free steps.

#1 - Simple Evaluation

You should ask yourself, before anything else, what your closet space has to offer. If you have lots of headroom, it can be great to store away large, rarely used items in that space. If the railings you currently have are unusable due to the placement of shelves, you could easily move one railing down, and have two railings to hang clothes on. Without the headroom in the closet, some creative space management will become essential. Close attention should also be paid to how you are using the corners of the closet. Trying to place items in the corners that do not properly fit at a right angle can eventually lead to a vast misuse of space. Once all of the physical dimensions are well established you can move on to planning out the best ways to use that space.

#2 – Take Inventory

Some closets can hold a lot of stuff, and much of it is often unnecessary. Before spending money on organizers, or trying to make everything fit, one needs to take an inventory of what is in the closet: what needs to be in the closet that is not already there and what items are present that really do not belong anymore. You do not have to throw things away all the time either. If you cannot part with an item, but there is no space for it, put it somewhere else. There are countless ways to hide various items away and not in your frequently used closet. You should also take the time to discern which items may cause trouble because of their shape, size, fragility, importance, and frequency of use. After this step has been completed, you should have a pretty good idea of what the trouble spots are in your closet, and can now look at how to solve them.

#3 – Invest in storage devices for your closet

Smart purchases of tools that will help you get everything in order can have a monumental influence on both the look and functionality of your clothing storage space. Perhaps the greatest difficulty is taking care of shoe issues. Footwear generates a great deal of clutter, but can be solved in a few ways. An over the door shoe sleeve can free your floor space, and hold most of your shoes while doing it. However, some people have more shoes then they would have sleeves. If that is the case for you, then try buying an angled shoe rack. By angling two or three shelves, this rack can hold all of your shoes, while keeping them visible. A flat rack can hold your footwear fine, but shoes on the bottom shelves are obscured. Other ways to clear up space in the closet can be just as simple. Adding shelving is a wonderful way to clear up space. Basic plastic storage boxes can also be useful in the closet. Whatever your needs, there is a product out there to solve it.

#4 – Get Everything Out!

Once you have obtained the necessary storage devices, and have a firm plan in mind, you need to clean everything out. Once the closet is empty, things will be easier to work with. Put in extra shelving, any storage devices you need, and double check that there are not any trouble spots that you have ignored. Then categorize your various items, and roughly organize them before trying to put them back into place.

#5 – Put Items Back in Their Places

If you have planned well, the process should be relatively simple. However, there is still a need for flexibility. No matter how well planning has gone; chances are that something will not work out. Be creative at this point, and the problem will be easily fixable. Be sure to think about the long term repercussions of any changes you may make in your plans. The key in this process is to create a plan that can be maintained over time, not just one that looks pretty. Be sure to keep that goal at the forefront of your mind.

Getting your closet well organized and efficient can be accomplished in as few as five steps. It is a matter of knowing what you have, getting what you need, and being willing to solve problems that may come up in the process. Be sure to focus on function over form, and you will quickly have a closet that is clutter free and easily accessible.

Author's Bio
Get Organized provides you with tips and tools to help you organize your home, office, and any other area that needs organization. ShopToGetOrganized.com

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Get Organizing, the Official Guide to Organizing

Why do you think organizing stores have become so popular? When you "contain" items, instead of having them all over your flat surfaces (what some refer to as flat surface disease), you make your disorganized space look uncluttered (i.e. organized clutter). Inevitably any empty basket, bowl or dish will collect all kinds of stuff. That is why every container in your home should have a specific purpose or theme. Here are a few handy ideas to help you get organized:

Shoe Boxes are no cost containers that will hold socks to separate colors, all the camera equipment and film, all your hair accessories, etc. The uses are limitless. My favorite is to contain all the paperwork that walks in the door. Stand the papers up vertically (file, don't file) and face them all in the same direction, so you can read the front of each. Now you can easily flip through and find what you want. Every time a piece of paper comes in, you have a specific place for it. When the shoebox fills up, you need to set aside time to weed, file, act on and eliminate. Do it the same day each week and it will become a refreshing habit.

Resealable Bags are the greatest invention to keep like things together and they are clear so you can see what's inside. These are great to contain all the pieces for a craft project. Use them for jewelry sets, nail polish, puzzle pieces, batteries, etc. I use them to separate out my medicines into five main categories and label each bag accordingly: first aid, cold/sinus, pain relievers, cough, and stomach upset. It's easy to grab the bag needed and see what options you have. It also keeps you aware of when you are running out and the expiration dates.

Checkbook Box Covers are great containers to organize small objects in drawers like your jewelry, hardware, pens/pencils, and the stuff in your junk drawers. Yes, you are allowed to have one junk drawer. I think of it as my fix-it drawer. Again, remember to contain similar items in the same container.

Always break down these projects into small appointments with yourself. Then write them on your calendar just like you would a doctor's appointment or lunch date. You'll be amazed at how much you will accomplish in twenty planned minutes of time.

Kim Cosentino is a Professional Organizer and the owner of www.De-ClutterBox.com "I came, I saw, I organized!"

Extracurricular Activities Don't Have to Drive You Mad

Kids today have incredibly jam-packed schedules, unlike a generation or two ago. From clarinet lessons to soccer and ballet, kids are busier than ever. In addition to parents playing chauffeur, they have to play the role of an "investor" of sorts. The cost of extracurricular activities can really add up, and managing payments to different companies can be straining indeed. We have some tips to help you get the most out of your money.

Navigating Your Options

Many dance studios, music programs, and sports camps want you to prepay your child's lessons, sometimes as much as the entire year in advance. But can you get the most out of your money when it is sitting in someone else's bank account? There are other options, and we're to help you navigate those options.

Remember that you can always negotiate payments for extracurricular activities. If you go to Dance Studio A and they want full payment for the entire 9-month program in advance, negotiate. Mention that Studio B down the street accepts quarterly payments and that you'd love for your child to try their program but you're going with the more convenient option. In many cases, you'll be able to negotiate a payment plan that works for you.

Check Those Statements

Some studios or programs will only accept a credit card for customers who want to make monthly payments, rather than pay for the entire year up front. If you go with the monthly option, make sure that you check your credit card statements regularly to make sure you are being charged the correct amount. Get the most out of your money by making sure you're not being overcharged accidentally.

Ask For a Discount

If you do decide to pay up front because it's more convenient for you, make sure you ask for a discount for doing so. Sometimes you'll save as much as 5% or 10%.

Let's face it -- extracurricular activities aren't often free (and they're rarely cheap). The above tips will help you keep your extracurricular budget in check.

Save an Hour, Give an Hour

We all have the same amount of hours in the day. It doesn't matter what you need or want to get done or how noble your intentions are. Each of us only has 24 hours in a day--for good or bad, to waste or to use efficiently.

We will see on TV or read in the paper about people who give generously of their time to help others. Examples are people who volunteer to serve food to the homeless or rock those babies to sleep who have no one to love them. Often, these are people who have families, careers and commitments. What makes them special is that they have managed to figure out a way to make time in order to give their time and themselves.

How do you make time?

As we just said, we all have the same number of hours to work with. So how do we maximize our efficiency in order to have free time left over to give? How can you save an hour? There's an old saying, `You have to spend money to make money.' Saving time, as well, requires some effort or 'spending' on your part.

1. Cook in bulk. Bulk cooking is a huge investment and time saver. If you're preparing a home cooked meal, make several extra portions to put on the freezer. Since you're already cooking, there's very little extra time or effort involved. You can also prepare certain items or ingredients in advance as opposed to whole meals. Items such as ground beef or boneless chicken breasts are fantastic to cook in bulk and freeze in small packages for quick easy meals.

2. Plan your meals. Once you have meals or ingredients on hand in the freezer, the key is to PLAN! Know what you have in there and use it wisely by planning your meals for at least a week at a time. If you know what you will have for dinner each night, you will save time that would be spent trying to figure out what to have, whether or not you need to shop for something or even worse, spending extra time and money eating out or getting take- out at the last minute because you don't know what else to do.

3. Pre-treat your laundry. You can save an hour with your laundry. Pre-treat stains and wash the item as soon as possible after they happen. This will cut down on the amount of time you will spend trying to remove stains later. If you pre-treat and wash right away, most stains will come out without any further effort. If you leave it around to set, chances are you will have more trouble trying to remove the stain.

4. Have a laundry schedule. Try and stay on top of your laundry. Laundry should be something you throw in and then you go do something else. If you remember to throw one load in each morning, or each evening when you arrive home you won't find yourself constantly running out of clothes. (Remember, never leave your washer or dryer on unattended.)

5. Don't leave the clothes all day to wrinkle. Once a load is done, take it out immediately, fold it and put the clothes away. If you leave the load in the dryer or sitting around in the laundry basket, the clothes will wrinkle and need to be ironed. As easy as it is to say 'I'll get to it later,' it's just as easy to take a few minutes to fold and put it away.

6. Consolidate your errands. Another easy way to save an hour is to try and group your errands. If you save your errands and try to run them all in one block of time, you will save time and gas money. Instead of leaving your house numerous times, make a list of the errands you need to run and plot them out according to location.

7. Institute a desk day. Try to have a desk day each week when you sort and pay all of your current bills and update your budget. If you are sure to check at least once a week, you avoid the chance that you will have bills slip by you. If you keep on top of your bills, you don't have to worry about dealing with late payments or other ramifications that eat away at your time and your finances. It's also much easier to stay on top of your budget plan and balance your checkbook once a week, rather than allow it to get out of control which will then take a huge amount of time to figure out.

Now that you have some time saved for sharing with others, find something that you love to do and pass along the joy.

Some possibilities:

* Volunteer in a soup kitchen

* Visit a nursing home and spend time with someone who doesn't normally have any visitors

* Help out at your child(ren)'s school for the next fundraiser

* Take a friend or relative, who may be going through a difficult time in his or her life, shopping, out to dinner or bowling.

* Spend an hour with your child(ren) at the park

* Go out on a date with your spouse, and give that person your undivided attention

* Create something (a scrapbook page or craft) and give it away...just because

Every other Sunday, The Simple Dollar reviews a personal development, personal productivity, or entrepreneurship book of interest.

Whenever I see clutter, I see money lost. For one, the clutter itself is usually made up of unused items that have value. Books, decorations, games, DVDs, and so on - they all cost money to purchase and many have at least some degree of resale value. For another, clutter takes up time, and time is money. It takes longer to find things. It takes longer to clean. It takes longer to rearrange and to organize.

Thus, over time, I’ve begun to look at clutter as an enemy of sorts. Stuff that just takes up space, particularly stuff with very limited aesthetic appeal, is stuff that can easily be eliminated.

That’s not to say that I’m entirely successful in my war on clutter. There are many places in our home that are quite cluttered (starting with my office, for example), but I often have difficulty sifting through that clutter and determining what exactly I should keep - and what I should get rid of.

Throw Out Fifty Things by Gail Blanke offers an interesting solution in the title itself. Blanke’s premise is that by going through your cluttered spaces and choosing fifty things to get rid of, you push yourself through the psychological barriers that cause you to create clutter in the first place.

Blanke identifies four key rules of disengagement (how to decide what to get rid of):

One. If it - the thing, the belief or conviction, the memory, the job, even the person - weighs you down, clogs you up, or just plain makes you feel bad about yourself, throw it out, give it away, sell it, let it go, move on.

Two. If it (see above!) just sits there, taking up room and contributing nothing positive to your life, throw it out, give it away, sell it, let it go, move on. If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. Throwing out what’s negative helps you rediscover what’s positive.

Three. Don’t make the decision - whether to toss it or keep it - a hard one. If you have to weigh the pros and cons for too long or agonize about the right thing to do, throw it out.

Four. Don’t be afraid. This is your life we’re talking about. The only one you’ve got for sure. You don’t have the time, energy, or room for physical or psychic waste.

An interesting start, but is there more meat on the bone than that? Let’s dig in and find out.

Getting Rid of the Physical Stuff
Throw Out Fifty Things starts with a room-by-room walkthrough of one’s house (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining room, attic, and garage), highlighting lots of specific areas and specific tactics for getting rid of clutter.

First, memories are in your head and in your heart, not in items. Many people have closets crammed full of things that are kept for sentimental reasons, but they’re things that will almost never be looked at again - and when they think about the prospect of digging through all that stuff, it’s not a happy thought. So suck it up and go through it. Find the stuff that you’d actually like to have out and about for decoration because it really gives you a positive feeling - then chuck the rest. Seriously.

Second, just because you used an item a lot in the past doesn’t mean you have a use for it now. You read that book a year ago, spending an hour with it each night for weeks - and now it’s finished. Will you ever read it again? If not, toss it. Apply that same litmus test to everything you remember using frequently in the past - will you use it frequently again?

Another regular theme: digitize it. Got old documents in boxes taking up space? Scan them in and burn the originals. Got lots of old pictures in photo albums? Scan them in and share the digital images with your friends.

Your Office: Paring Down the Professional Clutter
Here, the “digital” theme really comes to the forefront. In a professional environment, there’s really not an extensive need to maintain a huge amount of printed documents - they take up space and are very cumbersome.

Blanke encourages anyone in an office environment to digitize everything they can. Scan documents, make sure they’re searchable (most modern scanners do this, enabling you to save a scanned document as a searchable PDF), and save them in a place that’s backed up regularly. You can turn boxes and boxes and boxes of documents into digital files stored on a hard drive - and it’s now searchable and much easier to use.

Yes, this takes a lot of time. It’s a tremendous project, in fact, but if you feel like you’re simply overrun with documents in your office, this is the way to go.

Another interesting tactic: get rid of old digital files that are simply outdated. Stick them in an archive folder somewhere and simply forget about them. I’ve found that most presentations and documents that are more than a year old or so tend to age quite seriously, so it’s usually best just to archive them (in case you ever need them again for some reason) and get them out of the way. Out of sight, out of mind - and you’re ready to create new ideas.

Attacking the Mental Mess
Here, Throw Out Fifty Things dips heavily into the “power of positive thinking” realm. Blanke argues that mental clutter is just as limiting as physical clutter and encourages people to get rid of it. A few examples:

“Throw out” negative terms you use to mentally describe yourself. Instead, focus on the positives about yourself. Visualize situations where you come through and succeed instead of imagining scenarios where you fail.

Let the past be the past. Particularly failures. Once you’ve failed, reliving it does nothing but bring you down. Absorb the lessons you can, then move on - don’t think about the mistakes you once made.

You’re not perfect. No one is. Stop focusing on your little mis-steps - they’re going to happen. Instead, work on preparing yourself for success in the future. Picture yourself doing everything right in the future.

You’ve grown. You’re not the same person you were ten years ago. Look at the things you define as your true interests and passions. Quite often, many of these things simply don’t match up with our self-definition. That means it’s time to toss out those old impressions.

Stepping into the Clearing
Once you’ve eliminated the clutter, what’s left? It’s likely much more minimal than before with just the essentials left behind. Those essentials are a fertile breeding ground for some essential redefinitions of your life.

Things that reflect who you are. If you strip things down to a minimal home decor, you’re left with only items that make you feel positive. From this state, you can be very careful about adding new things - again, add only stuff that contributes to your overall positive sense.

Culture that reflects who you are. Perhaps you’ve realized you’re no longer passionate about alternative rock and now you’re interested in personal development. That means you ca stop using mindspace for those old things and devote your time and mental energy to the areas that reflect where you are right now.

Ideas that reflect who you are. Getting rid of the many things cluttering your mind and your life frees you up to explore new ideas that previously intrigued you. Your kitchen is clear of clutter, your time is free of unfulfilling activities, and your mind has let go of old concepts - time to learn how to cook.

Is Throw Out Fifty Things Worth Reading?
Take a look around you. Do you feel happy about what you see? Are you surrounded by things that provide real value to you and are easy to find, or are you surrounded by mountains of stuff (and simply looking at that stuff makes you feel bad)?

Throw Out Fifty Things is a very thought-provoking book if you find yourself in the latter camp. If you can actually get out of the chair and do the things that Blanke suggests (and in this review, I’ve mostly just focused on general themes - there are a lot of great specific tips in the book), you’ll go a long way toward improving the environment around you and the environment in your head, too.

If you’re already organized, Throw Out Fifty Things won’t do much for you. If you’re not organized - and you’re willing to try - Throw Out Fifty Things can be a godsend.

Motivating Others to be More Organized

How do we help motivate others in our lives to be more organized? This could include your spouse, kids, co- workers, boss, and friends, among others.

What does it mean to motivate someone?

One definition says to 'give an incentive for action', another says 'to provide with a motive, to move, impel or induce'. Other people must be able to 'see' the end goal in mind in order to be given a motive or reason for organizing.

FIRST, the number one way to motivate others in our lives is to be more organized ourselves. After all, how can we hold others to a higher standard than that which we hold ourselves?

SECOND, we need to model good behaviors.

For example, let's say the new organizing rule at home is everyone must rinse off their own plates and put them in the dishwasher. Do you think your spouse and kids are going to follow this rule if they see you leaving your plate on the table?

THIRD, we need to be able to delegate duties.

One part of delegating duties is recognizing that others may complete a chore or organizing task slightly different then you would do it. This is not wrong, just a different way of doing it.

When dealing with kids, the duties must be age appropriate and ability level.

Provide guidance and clear instructions about what you need others to do.

FOURTH, we need to plan for rewards.

Rewards for children can include money, but another popular choice may be spending one-on-one time with mom or dad.

Rewards for adults may include a new book or magazine, concert or movie tickets, time for a hobby or special activity, date night, a favorite TV show or movie, a bubble bath, facial, manicure, among countless others.

FIFTH, a chore chart.

This can be especially useful if you want to keep track of what other's chores or organizing projects will be during a set amount of time. In an office space, a chart can be set up that demonstrates the different parts of a bigger organizing project--such as setting up a new filing system which will take a number of hours to complete.

Setting up a chore chart can be quite simple nowadays, especially with computer programs that design custom tables and charts. Just plug in everyone's names and their chores or duties for the week.

It's extremely useful for kids who want to be rewarded. For younger kids, use pictures instead of words to describe their duties. For example, a picture of a bed can represent making their bed.

SIXTH, discuss organizing openly and create systems together.

People are more receptive to change if they understand the change and have a say in what will be changed. For example, in an office setting it is much easier to set-up a new filing system if all the co-workers opinions are taken into account. Important questions should be discussed such as where the files will be located, or will it be organized alphabetically or by topic/subject?

And FINALLY, we must setup and maintain simple and easy systems to follow.

Systems must be logical and simplistic. For example, bill paying supplies should be kept all together in the office, not in three separate locations around the house. If we expect our kids to pick up their toys every evening, the series of cubbies or boxes must be easy to reach and simply labeled with both pictures and/or words.

Overall, we can help to motivate others in our lives to be more organized, which in turn will help you to be more organized.

Whether it is in the office, at home, or even your friends, those who surround you impact your environment. Being more organized can and will make a difference in your everyday life.

From helping your friend with time management skills so you don't miss the beginning of every movie you go to see together, to your boss who needs help with a new filing system at work, to your kids at home who need a designated area for homework, organizing is an important skill to learn and teach others. So let's all help each other become more organized today.

Organizing Gizmos and How They Can Help

When it comes to getting organized, there are many gadgets and gizmos out there and many more coming out all the time. It can be overwhelming to the novice and even to the veteran organizer as to what items are the most beneficial when it comes to getting organized. Here are some helpful ideas to get you started.

1. Your purse no longer has to be a bottomless pit. There are great organizing gadgets out there now to use for organizing your purse. These organizers come in different sizes and contain pockets of varying sizes to accommodate the variety of items women keep in their purses. The organizers are made for ease in use, and if you switch purses often, just lift out the purse organizer and place it into the new purse. It's that simple.

2. Label makers are the ultimate organizing gizmos! Not only can you easily and quickly label all of the files in your filing cabinet, you can label any type of containers with their contents so everything is easy to find. This is especially helpful if you have multiple containers with different items, like craft supplies.

3. Over-the-door hook racks can add needed space in different areas of the home. In the bathroom, use this rack to hang robes, towels and blow dryers. In the bedroom, use it to hang scarves, belts or jewelry. In the mudroom, the rack is useful for hanging jackets, umbrellas, etc.

4. The well-known Post-It note is an office icon. An organizing gizmo that can be found on computers is digital sticky notes that can be used the same way as Post-It notes. Keep these little sticky notes docked on your PC's desktop. When something comes to mind as you are working on your computer, type a quick digital note and post it on your computer. This is a great way to keep organized--plus it saves paper in the process.

5. A very inexpensive and easy-to-use gadget is the shelf divider. Dividers keep anything that is stacked in piles, like linens, t-shirts, sweaters, etc., upright and organized.

6. Under-the-bed storage containers can be used to store seasonal clothing or accessories that you're not using, as well as seasonal blankets, sheets and other whites. These containers tend to be longer so you could store certain size rolls of paper and other gift-wrapping supplies.

7. Adhesive hooks come in a variety sizes and finishes from casual (white) to dressy (metallic). Use them to hang up decorations for any season. Adhesive hooks are great to store keys. They are also good for hanging up pictures and can go on the back of doors if you need to add extra storage for coats.

8. The pegboard has become a versatile organizing gadget that is especially useful when it comes to using empty wall space to maximize storage potential. Accessories are available to use with the hooks to give you the ability to hang a variety of items. Not only is it great to use in the garage to hang and organize tools, you can make the pegboard decorative with paint and use it in other areas of the home.

9. What is better than regular clothes hangers? Multiple-tiered hangers! They are wonderful for organizing clothes in your closet. They help to save space by holding multiple skirts, blouses or pants.

10. Clear shoe organizers are not just for shoes. These medium sized plastic gizmos are great for storing a multitude of items from photographs to greeting cards to CDs to makeup.

11. Over-the-door pocket organizers are a wonderful way to organize a variety of small items. Many of these organizers contain clear pockets for visual ease in finding an item. Use pocket organizers to store gloves, mittens and scarves. Also consider using it in the pantry to store spices, seasonings and small packets of gravy, etc.

12. Binder clips are a very versatile gizmo. They come in multiple sizes from small to large and can be used in many different ways. Binder clips work well to close larger, bulkier bags of chips and snacks. Place a magnet on the back of a binder clip to use on your refrigerator to clip notes and lists. Binder clips even work well to hold recipe cards. Just clip the bottom of the recipe card with one clip on each side. Then just turn it upright and it will stand on the counter or whatever surface you put it on. A couple other uses for binder clips include using it as a money clip and as a toothpaste tube clip.

13. Small divided plastic organizers, which are more commonly found in sporting good sections of stores, make great organizing gizmos. They are perfect for storing earrings, bracelets and watches. These containers also work well for storing beads and other small crafting items.

Get Organized and Reclaim Your Garage Today

Are you unable to move through your garage at all, never mind trying to park a car in there? Following the tips below will have your garage looking so good--your neighbors will want to hire you to do theirs! Here are some tips to help you reclaim your garage from the clutter:

1. Garage Function. The first step to reclaiming your garage is to decide how you are going to use your garage. For instance, will you be setting up a workbench area? Will you need storage space for extra canned goods, paint supplies and so forth? How about yard care storage? Oh yes, I almost forgot, parking the car!

2. Getting Started. Now that you have decided how you are going to be using your garage, it is time to begin the journey to reclamation. Step one is to divide the garage into quadrants or sections. You can divide your garage into as many sections as you like to keep each one to a manageable size. You do not want to overdo the first time out and be too discouraged to continue. Your plan should be to take small 'bites' out of the clutter and disarray. Once you have decided how large your sections will be, decide on how long you would like to spend in each section.

3. Beginning the sort. Start in your first quadrant or section, and be sure to set a timer for the amount of time you have set for your task. The first step will be gathering your tools. For this activity, your tools will consist of the following: large trash bags, several boxes and a marker. The trash bags are for trash. Each of the boxes should be labeled as follows: donate, goes elsewhere, recycle and garage. You will likely need several boxes labeled garage. At this point, do not be concerned with where in the garage these items will go. That will come later.

4. Motivating music. As you sort, play some upbeat music. Not only does the music give you a beat to work to, but it also helps to take the drudgery out of the work. We know that if it were not drudgery, we would not need to be reclaiming it. So crank up those tunes and sort on!

5. Section completion. At the end of your designated time period, take out the trash. Put the items for donation into your trunk to deliver them to your favorite charity drop-off on your next errand run that takes you by the charity. Put away the items that you put into the 'goes elsewhere' boxes. Take a well-deserved rest and be sure that you reward yourself for all of your hard work.

6. Circling the garage. Continue around the garage in the direction of your choice. Sometimes it is easier to move in a clockwise direction and sometimes it is easier to move from front to back on one-half of the garage, and then from back to front on the other half of the garage. There is no right or wrong way to complete the circle. The way that works best for you and the way that you function is the correct way to do this. When you start sorting items, you will likely have many boxes labeled 'garage.' Do not worry about these, no matter how many you collect as you go around the garage. This type of sort actually gives you a much better idea of what you really need to have in the garage. In just a few more steps, you will be doing another sort as you begin the final stage of the journey of reclamation.

7. Light at the end of the tunnel. As you make your way through the garage and as you remove the trash and donation items after each session, you will begin to notice something. There is more space in your garage. It just keeps getting better and better! Now would be a great time to give yourself another reward for coming this far. You are almost beyond your adventure, so find something that feels like a reward and enjoy!

8. Declutter complete. Now what? Once you have completed the de-cluttering, it is time to decide where your 'zones' or 'centers' will be. For instance, if you have a workbench zone, a yard care zone, and a pantry spillover zone, you need to plot out the 'footprint' of each zone. Once this is complete, it is time to move to the next step.

9. Garage boxes. Now is the time to address the boxes labeled 'garage'. Begin by sorting these items into boxes labeled with your 'zones'. Do not toss any of the emptied boxes just yet. You may need more for each zone. Now you are ready for the last leg of this journey!

10. Reclaimed. By now, you realize that the light you saw at the end of the tunnel was not a train! You have completed your sort and have an excellent idea of exactly what, if any, storage and/or workspace you will need to purchase. Because you de-cluttered before trying to figure out the storage, you will only purchase what you need. Set up each zone exactly the way it will work best for you, stashing each zone's items in their proper place.

When you have everything put away in each zone-- viola, you will have reclaimed you garage! Congratulations! Sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Using Your Computer to Be More Organized

What do you do on your home computer? You may use it mainly for word processing, Internet surfing and game playing. However, your computer can be an essential role in helping you become more organized. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1. The age of digital cameras has given us the ability to store photographs online instead of taking up space in boxes and photo albums. You will also save money by not printing out all of your photos. There are numerous options to store your photos, whether you utilize a program that is already installed on your computer or the program that came with your digital camera. In addition, there are downloadable options available online. Don't forget to back up your files. There are a number of affordable back-up options available to keep all your important files and photographs saved if anything should happen to your computer.

2. Consider putting away your paper calendar. Organizing your schedule and events using an online calendar can help you maintain a very organized system and give you the ability to share it with others. Online calendars can give you such options as alerting you to upcoming events by text messaging or e-mailing reminders to your cell phone and including all the holidays so you don't have to enter them.

3. Paying your bills online will save you time and money (no postage). Most financial institutions now have safe and secure online payment programs. You can easily set up an account and have payments taken out automatically every month or you can set the amounts each month. There are numerous options available to make the process fast and efficient.

4. Organize your holiday gift list. An easy way to accomplish this is by creating a spreadsheet on your computer. List all the people you want to purchase gifts for in one column. Make another column for recording the maximum amount you are prepared to spend. You can then calculate the total to determine your holiday spending amount. This will help you stick to your budget.

5. Storing contact information on your computer will keep your office neater and is one step closer to the paperless office. Searching on the computer is more efficient than rummaging through a file of paper cards. In seconds, you can run a sort and locate contacts by company, name, etc. Storing information electronically is also effective for building mailing lists and printing labels. There are numerous programs on the market to organize contact information, such as Act, Outlook or Access. You can even store in a simple spreadsheet in Excel.

6. There is an abundance of printable lists online to help you get organized in a number of different ways. You can keep your weekly shopping and grocery lists online, as well as to do lists, just to name a couple.

7. If you have a scanner, it can be used to scan in all of your paper documents so they can then be stored online. This will eliminate much of your paper clutter. This can be a great way to organize all of your recipes too. You can then sort them into various categories online for easy retrieval.

8. Using your computer's word processing program or a spreadsheet, create a home inventory list. Go through your home and put all of your valuable possessions on your inventory list. Be sure to include important information like serial numbers and warranty information. As you purchase new items, you can add them to your inventory list, and vice versa, if you get rid of items, you can delete them from the list. Don't forget to make a back up of your list and make sure your insurance agent has a copy. Also make sure a copy is kept in your safe deposit box.

9. Create valuable checklists. If you travel frequently, create a checklist containing all the steps you need to take to get organized for traveling, including what to pack. If you need to plan an event, create a checklist of all the tasks that need to be done. Create a household maintenance checklist of things to do around the house each season. Developing checklists and keeping them on your computer can go a long way in reducing stress. Having a list will also make it easier to delegate tasks to other people in your household.

10. Use your computer to find the best organizational products for you and to get ideas for getting more organized. Visiting our website http://www.getorganizednow.com regularly is a great way to find information on getting organized in all areas of your life. The Easy Organizer, available from Get Organized Now!, has pre-made inventory forms, grocery lists, cleaning checklists and more to make your life easier. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezorganizer.html for more information.

11. You can use your computer to create custom made or personalized labels for a number of different purposes. The most common is to set up address labels or pre- addressed envelopes on your computer. This eliminates having to write them out. In addition, creating address labels for holiday cards is an excellent timesaver when it comes to addressing a number of cards each year.

Can't Bear to Toss It? Be Sure to Use It.

Do you have assorted items throughout your home that you don't want to toss, but these items are also just sitting around taking up space? You would be surprised at what you can do with some of these things. Here are a few ways to give the things hanging around your house new life.

1. Who doesn't save lone socks thinking that they'll find the other sock sometime? Chances are you won't find it, so put the lone sock to good use. Fill up the sock with catnip and knot the ends for a new cat toy. Or ball up or knot the sock to make a dog happy.

2. How about all the old and faded T-shirts you have collected taking up space in your closet and drawers? Start using them as rags and dusters. Cut them into squares and use them as baby wipes. If you like the art, make pillows or quilts using the T-shirts. Torn strips can be used to make braided rugs.

3. Many people like to save calendars because they love the pictures. Instead of hiding in a file drawer, calendars can be used in a number of different ways. First of all, they can be used for a variety of paper crafts, including scrapbooking (be sure to use an acid neutralizer if it's not acid-free), decoupage or laminating the pictures to make place mats. For larger calendars, cut up the pictures to make puzzles for your children. Or just put a picture you like in a frame and hang it on the wall.

4. The same goes for greeting cards. It's O.K. to save cards that are very sentimental to you, but what about all the other cards you have been saving and storing away? Reuse the cards by creating a brand new card. Use the picture on the front or parts of the picture and add a few embellishments to create a brand new card to give to someone.

5. Pantyhose will add up, but they can be costly and you hate to throw them away. A great place to use pantyhose is in the garden. Use those old pantyhose to tie plants to stakes. Pantyhose doubles as a soft buffing cloth which is excellent to use on many things, such as shoes and furniture. Pantyhose are also handy to use in purses to help them keep their shape when they are being stored. Cut the feet off old pantyhose and fill with cedar chips or potpourri and use in your closet to keep clothes smelling fresh.

6. Plastic bags usually add up faster than one can use them and before you know it, you have a large bag full of plastic bags. There are many ways to reuse plastic bags in addition to using them as liners for wastebaskets. Plastic bags are a great alternative to bubble paper for use in packing dishes or other breakables when moving. Tie plastic bags around your shoes to use when walking through the garden to keep your shoes clean. Cover your plants with plastic bags to protect them from frost. You can also cut plastic bags and tack them down and use them as shelf liners.

7. Do you own several pairs of old jeans that you are finding hard to part with? Create something new and useful with them. Different types of denim can make a very decorative quilt. Cut the jeans and make a journal, photo album or school book cover. If you are really crafty, you can make a unique purse or tote out of old jeans. Cut the leg from a pair of jeans to make a tube shaped rice hot pack. Just fill with white rice and microwave until warm. These are great to ease aches and pains or to pre-warm the bed on a cold night.

8. Do you have furniture stored away that you don't want to sell or give away? Consider giving it new life by painting it a new color. Change the hardware. Be creative and think of other possible alterations or changes that can be done to the piece of furniture to make it useable in your home. Decorating books can give you great ideas to get you started.

9. Do you have a number of vintage pieces that you have stored away? Put them to use by putting them on display as well as using them for a purpose. Vintage containers (including kitchen canisters, covered dishes, jars) can be used to organize and store small items, such as change, jewelry, etc. Stacked vintage suitcases can be used as side tables and storage pieces. Vintage trays can make great wall decorations.

10. Many women have several purses in the closet and chances are they are not all being used. Perhaps one has a stain or a broken strap. If the purse is in good condition, there are ways you can put it to good use. Use an old clutch purse to store everything in that you need on a daily basis. It can then be easily removed and transferred from one bag to another. Also, you can use an unused old tote to hold your tax information. Tote bags are big enough to hold numerous files inside and keep papers organized. In addition, you can use a small purse for toiletries when you travel via car or train.

These are just a few ideas on how you can use the things you own that you are having a hard time getting rid of. Be creative and see what other uses you can come up with to use some of the other things you have around your home.

10 Easy Ways to Get Organized
by Jill Cooper
Tired of living in a mess?

- Hang up your keys. (Preferably by the door.)

- Find a place for your purse, coat, gloves and other
frequently used items and always keep them there.

- Make your bed each day as soon as you crawl out of it.

- Get dressed. Even if you are a stay-at-home mom or your job
is at home, get dressed. Clothes really do make the man or
woman. You'll be just as productive as you are dressed which
means if you are dressed for sleep (pajamas, sweats or a
robe), then you will get about as much work done as you would
when you are sleeping. That may be stretching it, but you get
my point.

- Wash the dishes and wipe the counters after each meal. No
matter how large or small the meal or how tired and in a hurry
you are, do the dishes. Even if you are hurried or late in the
morning, you wouldn't dream of leaving the house half dressed.
Make leaving your kitchen clean as important a priority as
getting dressed for work. This may seem impossible at first,
but once you are on top of things, it should only take five or
ten minutes to clean your kitchen.

- Get rid of trash. About 50% of what unorganized people have
in their homes is trash or stuff they will never use again.
Stop wasting time taking care of it, moving it or stepping
over it. As you walk through the house, pick up garbage and
toss it.

- Control your laundry. Don't let it control you. Follow these
simple steps to help keep your laundry from taking over your
home:

1. Place a hamper or basket for dirty clothes in each bedroom
and/or bath. Make sure that everyone's dirty clothes are put
in the hamper before bed and in the morning.

2. The laundry isn't done until it is put away. Get out of the
mind set that if it is washed and dried it is done. Folding
and putting it away is equally as important.

3. Some of us think that if we get the laundry washed and
dried that's all we need to do and it's okay for the family to
just pull stuff out of a pile. That makes as much sense as
cooking a meal and expecting everyone to stand at the stove
and take turns scooping the food out of the pan and eating it
one spoonful at a time. You wouldn't dream of doing that. Yes,
the food is cooked, but the meal is not complete until the
table is set and the food is put on plates. Do the same for
your laundry. Put it away.

- Pick up continually. This may seem like a pain to do at
first, but if you stick with it, it will become a habit. I
didn't realize how much of a habit it had become for me until
I was visiting my daughter's the other day. As I was walking
into the kitchen, I picked up empty glasses and odds and ends
on my way. Then when I walked from the kitchen to the bedroom,
I picked up toys as I went in there. It wasn't even my house,
but I had seen something out of place. Out of habit, I picked
it up. Every sock or glass that you walk past is a spore
waiting to flourish into a vortex of debris. Catch it while it
is small!

- Read and dispose of newspapers and magazines. There are
usually two reasons people have stacks of newspapers and
magazines piled around:

1. They want to save an article in it. If that is the case,
then cut the article out as you are reading the magazine and
file it. Trust me, you not only won't cut that article out at
a later time, but you probably won't remember what or where it
is.

2. They don't have time to read them. If you aren't going to
read them, then why are you subscribing to them? Stop your
subscriptions. This doesn't have to be an all or nothing
thing. If you can't keep up with the daily newspaper, then
just get the Sunday paper. Most people usually have more
leisure time on Sunday to read it. Pick out one or two of your
favorite magazines and stop subscribing to the rest.

- With any item, if it is broken or you don't use it anymore
get rid of it. That includes clothes, toys, furniture,
decorations, dishes and exercise equipment. If it's not
important enough to fix right now, you don't need it!
_________________________________

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the
editors of http://www.LivingOnADime.com/. As a single mother
of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any
capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month
income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years
on $22,000 a year income.

Imagine going shopping for clothes and not spending money on impulsive items that you'll later regret. Or what if you had all the money that you wasted on buying clothes that you never wore? You can learn to shop smarter and now is the time to do it. Now is the best time to go shopping because there are plenty of winter items (you can still wear) and resort season clothes on sale now!

1. Shop your closet. First, before you even step out the door to go shopping... shop in your closet first! Look for gaps in your wardrobe that you need to fill. These are the clothing items that you should look for on the sale racks.

2. Make a list. I organize my closet by hanging and folding like items together. I also keep a list of what is missing and what will help me make more wearable outfits for me. By making a list of the items that you don't have, but could really use - you will never wander aimlessly around the stores and get sidetracked again! You write one for grocery shopping - why not a list for clothes?

3. Wear comfortable clothes. I always dress nicely but wear clothes that are easy to slip in and out of. I also wear shoes that are comfortable and easy to remove - no buckles. You will do a lot of trying on of clothes; make it as pleasant as possible.

4. Lighten up your load. There is no reason to carry around "the kitchen sink"! Remove unnecessary items from your purse... your back and shoulders will thank you! Lighten up, carry only the necessary toiletries, keys, makeup, wallet and of course - YOUR SHOPPING LIST!

5. Put gas in the tank. When you set out to shop for several hours, you are bound to get worn out with all that walking! Just like the car needs gas, don't leave home on an empty stomach, eat before you go!

6. Play match game. No reason to guess if the color will match with your favorite accessory or shirt. Bring the accessory or shirt with you in a bag - or wear it! This could save potentially an extra trip to return something that doesn't work out. (And the gas to drive there)

7. Read the labels. Know what you are buying. Does it need dry cleaning? What is it made out of, natural fibers or synthetic? Consider trying new fiber blends on the market right now; there are wonderful new fibers that wear really well - give them a try.

8. Quality over Quantity. A lot of cheap clothes won't make you look any better. Our society is so consumer driven that we get caught up in what we think might be a good buy. But is it really? Having lots of clothes that won't last is a waste of money. Instead, buy clothes you love and ones that last. You work hard for your money; make sure that you get the best quality you can afford.

9. Exude the attitude. Everyone will know you have found your personal style! When you know you look good and your clothes flatter you body type, you exude a confident attitude. Dressing well makes a difference!

Leslie Gonzales AKA MissusSmartyPants helps women by assessing their body types and building personal profiles to help each woman dress her best. Check out her website for more information, www.missussmartypants.com

Thrifty and Nifty Storage Ideas

In this day and age, with the state of the world economy, being thrifty has become of supreme importance. Being thrifty in our organizing doesn't have to be a bad thing. There are so many fun and creative ways to be both thrifty and nifty.

1) The most important factor in being organized is to be able to locate what you need when you need it. Rather than just thinking of being organized as having everything in neat, matching boxes, think of being organized as you owning your stuff as opposed to your stuff owning you.

2) Organizing holiday items is something you can get your whole family involved in. Rather than spending additional money on red and green boxes to store Christmas items, you can have your children create special labels for the boxes you do have. They can color trees or Santas or other holiday themed pictures for you to affix to the front of the boxes. Then when you store them, you will be able to see which ones are the holiday boxes just by looking. You can do this for any holiday or even birthday supplies.

3) Looking to organize your bathroom? You can spend just a couple of dollars on a roll of colorful contact paper and cover some shoeboxes. You can have a box for make-up, one for hair styling supplies, anything you like! Another advantage to this is that the contact paper can easily be wiped down with a slightly damp cloth and will stay looking new.

4) The contact paper idea can actually be used in many places in your house. If you need more clothing storage but don't want to spend money on a furniture piece just now, you can cover banker's boxes (or other cardboard boxes) and use them for dresser cubes. This also allows you to change out the 'decor' whenever you want. You can cover smaller boxes to hold office supplies or other home office items.

5) Looking for ways to be nifty and thrifty in your kitchen or pantry? Buy a handful of inexpensive plastic lazy susans and create specific areas. You can have a baking area, a canned soup area, a children's snack area just for some examples. By keeping these areas together and organized, you will save money because you will know exactly what you have. You will be able to see these items in your closet with just a spin of the lazy susan. This will help to avoid things being lost in the back which will eventually be thrown out because they become stale. This will help you to avoid buying duplicates of items you already have and it will help you to be able to meal plan by seeing right in front of you what is there and what you might need to buy.

6) The biggest nifty and thrifty way you can organize is to cut down on the amount of stuff you have. ESPECIALLY if you are paying for a storage unit or have your garage so full of storage stuff that you can't park your car in there. The fewer items or boxes that you are storing, the better able you will be to organize them effectively. If you have things in storage that are valuable to you either monetarily or sentimentally, then they should be taken care of and respected. They should not be shoved into storage boxes with a bunch of things that aren't as important.

7) If you do have an offsite storage unit that you are paying for, it's important to know exactly what is in there. Then you can determine where you might be able to store the stuff at your home so it won't cost you so much money. You might also decide that the stuff in storage isn't worth paying that amount of money for any longer.

8) You might be asking yourself what is 'nifty' about getting rid of stuff. By cutting back on the quantity of things that we have, we can more fully enjoy the items that we are keeping. If we only have a few select pieces or collectibles, they can be properly displayed inside the home. Spending money to collect things that we just end up storing is neither nifty nor thrifty!

Remember, it's important for you to own your things, not have them own you. Cherish the items that you do want to keep and take care of them properly.

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

My family is moving to another house this coming weekend, and to prepare for the move, we’re going through the entire house and getting rid of stuff we don’t need.

The new house has much less storage, which I’ve decided is a blessing: it means we have to cut things down to the essentials. I’m pretty good at keeping things simple, but things tend to accumulate over time (especially in the kids’ rooms!).

Moving day, btw, is a wonderful time to declutter. I often advocate decluttering in small steps, but sometimes it can be fun to do an entire room at once.

So here’s the method we’re using to declutter each room, one room at a time:

1. Clear a working space, probably in the middle. We’re using our beds in the bedrooms.

4. Pull everything out of the drawer or shelf (or section of floor or what have you), and pile it in the working space. Clean out the drawer or shelf.

5. Sort the pile into two piles: 1) what you use regularly and love, and 2) what you’re going to get rid of. Pick up one item at a time and make an instant decision — when was the last time you used this? If you haven’t used it in a few months (6 months at the longest), get rid of it. This excludes seasonal stuff like winter jackets or what have you.

6. When you’ve sorted through the pile, put back the stuff you love and use, neatly. Put the other pile into a box to be donated or recycled or given to friends and family.

7. Move on to the next drawer or shelf or section of floor. Repeat the process until you’ve worked your way across the entire room. Do the same thing with closets: one section at a time.

Working like this, we were able to do each room in a couple hours. If it’s really cluttered, it could take 3-5 hours. Set aside some time on the weekend to do a room.

As with anything, getting rid of clutter can be made incredibly simple: just go through your stuff, one section, closet, drawer, or shelf at a time, and get rid of everything that isn’t absolutely essential, that you don’t love and use often.

Of course, simplifying a process like that isn’t terribly useful to many people who struggle with clutter. So, with that in mind, I present to you 15 fabulous tip for decluttering. These tips aren’t mine — they’re from you guys, the readers, repackaged into a useful little post.

Recently I asked you guys for your best decluttering tips … and I pulled some of the best of those (there are many more good ones I wasn’t able to use). They’re reworded here slightly, and a couple have been modified indiscriminately by me. :)

If you liked this article, please bookmark it on del.icio.us or vote for it on Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” - Albert Einstein

I’ve written a lot about simplicity and decluttering (I can’t help it — I’m passionate about it!) and I’ve noticed that a lot of readers share my ideal of having an uncluttered home or workplace, but don’t know where to start.

When your home is filled with clutter, trying to tackle a mountain of stuff can be quite overwhelming.

So here’s my advice: start with just five minutes. Baby steps are important. Sure, five minutes won’t barely make a dent in your mountain, but it’s a start. Celebrate when you’ve made that start!

Then take another five minutes tomorrow. And another the next day. Before you know it, you’ll have cleared a whole closet or a room and then half your house and then … who knows? Maybe before long your house will be even more uncluttered than mine. We’ll have a challenge!

For those who are overwhelmed by their clutter, here are some great ways to get started, five minutes at a time.

“We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.” - Donald Horban

If you liked this article, please share it on del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or Digg. I’d appreciate it. :)

People everywhere are trying to come up with new and better solutions to solve their weight and debt problems, but not many of their ideas are working. It's because they are focusing on the wrong problem.

For some of us, instead of focusing on getting out of debt or losing weight, we need to first give more serious thought to becoming organized. Does that sound crazy, almost laughable? Before you start laughing too hard, look at these examples and see if you can relate.

How often do you go out to eat because your kitchen is a mess? If your kitchen is clean, chances are that you would not only be more willing to fix dinner at home, but in the morning, you would fix breakfast and pack yourself a lunch as well.

- When you are organized you know what you have in your pantry, so don't buy ingredients that you already have and you don't throw out food you forgot you have.

- You will start losing weight because you are preparing regular well-balanced meals instead of eating fast food all the time.

- Do you keep buying more clothes because you are gaining weight from fast food or from the stress of your clutter?

- How big is your wardrobe? Do you keep buying jeans at $60 a pop because you don't keep up with the laundry or because your closet is so stuffed you can't find anything?

- How often do you toss a suit jacket on the floor or on the furniture and then later have to have it dry cleaned because it's wrinkled? Just think what you could save on your dry cleaning bill if you keep a little more organized.

- Would spending your vacation organizing things and deep cleaning give you enough of a jump start to help keep things organized? Maybe once you organized everything you could consider hiring someone to clean your house once a week. Before you say you can't afford it, think about this. Which would cost less? Paying someone $50 a week to clean your house or paying for all the things that cost you money because you are not organized?

- Consider whether it would be worth one spouse working part time instead of full time.

- Try one simple thing like hanging up your clothes so you don't have cleaners expense or getting the whole family to pitch in with cleaning the kitchen at the end of each meal.

Maybe you do have the time, but you just don't know how to get organized. If that is the case, then learn. Check out books at the library or search for help on the Internet. Better yet, find someone you know who is organized and ask them to teach you. Don't be embarrassed to do this. Most people are more than willing to show you how to do things. Remember, those older women (and men) that seem to have it all together now didn't start out that way. They've had 20 years or more practice and they remember what it was like to not have a clue where to start. Just ask

Instead of wasting your time and energy on trying to bail the water out of your sinking boat by bailing faster or using a bigger bucket, fix the hole. Clean up the clutter and save.

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of http://www.LivingOnADime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

Organizing Solutions Already in your Home

You are faced with a variety of organizing problems within your home on a daily basis and the best part is there are large assortments of solutions that can already be found in your home. It's just a matter of being creative, thinking outside the box, and re-purposing items. So let's break it down into useful items around the house:

MUD ROOM

1. There are vast purposes for baskets such as in and out boxes for mail, videos, and library books by the doorway.

2. There are many great uses for bins including a bin by the doorway for shoes or winter item such as scarves, mittens, and hats. These bins could be kept at a low level so children could reach their own items and increase their independence.

3. There are many functions hooks could be used for including hooks for umbrellas, hats, and coats by a doorway--even leashes for pets!

4. Eye hooks can be hung on a board or in a picture frame in order to hang keys for easy access by a door.

LIVING ROOM

1. A basket can be used to hold remotes, videos or DVDs in a living room.

2. A bin can be used to hold cards and board games which can be stored in a coffee table, shelving, end tables, or ottomans. Put the small pieces into Ziploc storage bags so they will not get lost.

3. Children's puzzles can be put into a plastic container and jigsaw puzzles should be placed in Ziploc baggies inside the box so if it spills the pieces will not be lost.

4. For young children, a basket can be used to hold books and toys such as rattles.

5. Plastic containers, such as margarine containers, are the perfect size to pour bubbles into for blowing bubbles with the kids, or chalk for writing on sidewalks. Plus they are easy to bring along--no mess, and minimal cost.

BEDROOM

1. An old or antique dish or plate could be used to collect loose change on a nightstand or dresser. An old platter could be used to display bottles of perfume or cologne.

2. Clear plastic buckets or bins can be used in a child's bedroom to sort and organize toys by type such as Legos, marbles, crayons, dolls, or Matchbox cars. Label each with both a picture (from a catalog or the Internet) and the words. This will allow kids to learn where to put away their own belongings.

3. Hang hooks in your children's bedrooms to hang backpacks and jackets.

4. Keep several baskets in your closet--one for items that need to mended, one for dry cleaning, and one for donating.

5. Hang hooks in your closet for purses, scarves, ties, belts, and tote bags.

6. Shoeboxes covered with pretty wall paper are great for holding silk scarves, greeting cards or hair accessories.

OFFICE OR HOBBY ROOM

1. A used shoebox can be covered with scraps of wallpaper, ribbons, or scrapbooking paper and be utilized as a holder for cords and chargers for all your electronics. The box could also be used to hold extra office or craft supplies.

2. Used and cleaned cans and bottles could be used as pen and pencil holders on a desk (can also be decorated).

3. Used baby food jars or an old fishing tackle box can be used as holders for the little bits of ribbon and embellishments used in scrapbooking and other hobbies.

4. A basket can be used to hold receipts (make sure you keep all receipts needed for tax purposes or extended warranties).

5. An old tackle box can also be used as a sewing kit (many compartments for thread, needles, scissors, and any other needed supplies.

6. A wooden dowel or paper towel holder can be used to hold ribbons.

7. Use two eye hooks and some heavy-gauge wire to hang a pad of paper or strips of fabric.

8. Simple clear plastic bins can be used to hold and separate different craft items such as yarn, fabric, painting supplies, flower-arranging supplies, or needlepoint.

9. Cut most of one side out of a cereal box (cover with decorative paper) and it can be used as a magazine holder.

GARAGE

1. Used baby food jars can be used as holders for screws, nails, and nuts. Since the jars are small they are easy to store and each one can hold a different type of hardware.

2. Bins can be used to hold assorted tools such as screwdrivers, hammers, and other needed supplies. Baskets can be used to hold garden supplies such as extra soil, seeds, and gardening tools. The best part of both the bins and baskets is that they are portable.

3. Hooks can be hung on the wall to hold rakes, hoes, shovels and other outdoor items.

4. Gardening supplies, car washing supplies and camping gear can be put into labeled totes, boxes, or bins.

5. A clean garbage can can hold balls and sporting equipment.

If you are like most women, your closet is way too full and you probably wear only 20% of what’s in your closet. It’s true, most woman have a closet full--but nothing to wear!

What about the other 80%? It’s mostly clutter taking up space. If you don’t love it and don’t wear it, it has to go! (Out of season or special occasion outfits should be moved to the back of the closet or better yet, another closet all together).

By only having clothes in your closet that you wear regularly—you will have a lot more room and a sense of peace. No more extra shirts to weed through daily.

The give away pile. These clothes are in still good condition but you aren’t wearing them. Ask yourself these questions as you examine at each item:

* Does it fit well? Signs of poor fit are buttons pulling open, horizontal creases and puckering. Either alter it or give it away.

* Does it look good on you? If it looks horrible on you--you have no intentions of ever wearing it. Don’t feel guilty about not wearing something that is not right for you.

* It was on sale and it seemed like a good deal—at the time. But you don’t like the color, style and it just doesn’t make you feel pretty. Again don’t let guilt overcome you because you bought something you have no idea why you bought it in the first place! You are better off letting go and give it to charity where it will do more good than give you guilt each morning!

The trash pile. Put clothes here that have seen better days. These items are too worn for anyone else to wear. Think about it: would you purchase these questionable items at a second-hand store yourself? If the answer is “No” then deep six ‘em.

* If it is pilled and faded in color. If the buttons are missing/cracked and stitching is coming undone. Also, if the fabric lacks body because it’s too worn.

* Stained and dirty? If you are keeping 15 crewneck tees permanently stained (just in case you decide to wash the car by hand) forget about it! No one needs that many “junky” tees in their closet.

* This one is my pet peeve…perspiration stained tee-shirts. C’mon, no one wants these! Throw these in the trash. Realistically you may only be able to get one season out of most tees (especially the white ones).

The last pile is for alterations. These are clothes you would definitely wear with some minor alterations (some you may do yourself). Remember good fit is essential to great style. Don’t skimp here! If you sleeves are too long or your pants are too short, you will look awkward and out of proportion.

* Shirts too long (most often the case). Have your shirt length raised if it is at the area that cuts your body visually in half. Your best shirt length is generally the top 1/3 of your body’s total length.

* Sleeves on shirts (and jackets) too long or too short. The proper length is at the wrist bone. When wearing a jacket the sleeve will peek out beyond the jacket sleeve.

Organize what’s left. How you organize is up to you. You may want to keep work clothes together and weekend-wear together. However, I prefer to organize my closet by item—then color. I find this way works best because I’ll try new combinations when it looks like a boutique.

For example, take all shirts and organize them by colors: creams, camel, browns, peach, pinks, reds, purples and so on. Start the process with the long sleeve shirts, then short sleeves, then sleeveless. Your shirts will begin to look like crayons with the many colors of the rainbow. By organizing by sleeve length and color you will begin to see duplicates! You can do the same thing with your skirts, pants and dresses.

Bonus Tip: Your closet will really look like a shopping boutique if you match all your hangers. Buy a dozen white (or other color) plastic tubular hangers each week. Purchase all the same color and get all your hangers facing the same direction. This little bit of order will make getting dressed a breeze and finding new wearable combinations much easier!

Do you ever feel that life is getting on top of you? Do you get overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done? Do you waste hours searching frantically for important documents, lost keys, mobile phone chargers and other essential items? Are you always running out of stamps and spare batteries?

For a lot of us, the answer to most of these questions is unfortunately "yes"...

Keeping your surroundings tidy and organized might sound like a chore, but it's actually one of the best ways to obtain peace of mind and a calmer outlook on life. Here's how to make tidying and decluttering as painless as possible.

That might look like a long list, but it shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes if you work fast.

Keep up the momentum by doing some tidying each day. Even if you're really short of time, you can manage ten minutes to declutter a drawer.

Good luck with your tidying! If you've got a great decluttering tip, why not share it with us in the comments?

Your Simple, Organized and Carefree Life

What would it be like if your life was simple, organized, and carefree?

1. Mind set: What does organized, simple, and carefree mean to you? After deciding to simplify your lifestyle, the next step is choosing the definition of the words. I looked up these terms in the dictionary and all of them have many different definitions. For example simple means: easy to understand, not elaborate or artificial, not ornate or luxurious, unaffected, not complicated or complex, sincere, not sophisticated, or naïve. Organized means: to form into a whole from parts, to systemize, to give organic structure, to combine into an organization, or to arrange into a desired pattern or structure. Carefree means: without anxiety or fear, requiring little care, free of worries and responsibilities. So what do these terms mean to you?

2. Identify your priorities, values, and goals both long term and short term: Everyone feels differently about their life priorities. For many of us, it might be our job, possibly career advancement, our family and friends, good health, community involvement, among others. So it is very important to determine what is most important to you. Keep in mind your personal values and also your goals for the future. Always think ahead and at the big picture.

3. Evaluate how you spend your time: Do your priorities match up with your time? One way to check this out is to list your top 4 or 5 priorities and then take a schedule and map your time out for one week. Is there any overlap between the schedule and your list? If not it might be time to look at re-evaluating your time and whether some of the things you are doing are really valuable.

4. Begin simplifying an area of your life: Start small and with one area of your life that will allow you more breathing room and space. It might be your wardrobe which could be streamlined, too much media distractions, your kitchen or meal planning are just simple areas that could be updated. Other areas include paperwork, bill paying, editing closets and drawers, or organizing a room or area within your house that particularly bothers you or takes up too much of your time.

5. Create a personal sanctuary: Everyone needs a space of their own in which they can relax and refresh. It should be a room or even a corner of a room that is your own personal escape. It might be a big comfy chair for reading or even the bathtub for soaking in a nice bubble bath. It should be an area you can retreat to and your family and friends must respect your right to privacy to enjoy sometime with just yourself. Make sure you love it and that it is comfortable--big comfy pillows and throws, pictures and paintings, plant life, and some candles.

6. Live simply, be frugal and maybe even become a minimalist: It simply comes down to the rule 'don't let your stuff own you.' How much stuff does one family or one person need or use? Do you have too much stuff? Do your life, mind, and space feel cluttered? Are you living outside your means because you buy too much? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, re- evaluate all the stuff cluttering your life that is preventing you from living a simple life.

7. Live healthy: Remember to take care of your body, since you only get one in a lifetime. Make time for exercise, healthy food, plenty of rest, and water (the necessities of life). You may be surprised if you follow these 4 simple guidelines how much better you may feel, how much less you may get sick, and your how much your health may improve.

8. Find your inner peace: Living simply is not just about your personal space but also about your mindset and your heart. Live honestly, help others, and be the person you truly want to be. Allow yourself to live life to the fullest. This might mean taking a hard look at yourself and your life. Are you the person you want to be or have things gotten out of control? Find your control and be the person you want to be.

9. Find something you love and do it: Everyone needs to find a creative outlet and something they enjoy doing and can be good at. There is a wide variety of choices that can be made here including gardening, painting, sculpture, and writing, flower arranging, knitting, or sewing among a wide variety of other choices.

Regardless of your definitions of living simply, carefree, and organized, there are always ways you to improve. Remember it is not instantaneous and will take time, but it is possible for everyone.

“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” - Lao Tzu

For many years, I was a packrat, clinging to possessions like a safety blanket, like trophies, like you might cling to the past. My life was filled with clutter, from my closets to my living room to my countertops to my desk at work.

That changed about a decade ago, when I realized that I simply had too much stuff.

I was owned by my possessions, and they were no longer making me happy. I wanted to conquer my clutter.

And so I did, one heap at a time. I think I saved the closets for last, because they were way too intimidating. But slowly, I made progress, and simplifying my possessions was (and is) an ongoing project.

Today I’m pretty happy with the way I’ve simplified my home (and workspace). I’m pretty minimalist, and while clutter still does accumulate when I’m not vigilant, I tackle it head on every now and then to keep things fairly clutter-free.

I’m not saying everyone needs to be as minimalist as I am. Take my minimalist workspace, for example — I don’t expect anyone to reduce clutter that much, nor do I think they’d even want to. Everyone has their ideal level of simplicity — what matters most is keeping what’s essential to you, and getting rid of the rest.

And so today I’ll take a look at how you can conquer your clutter, no matter what your goals are or how bad things are now. Note: I’ve written about this topic a number of times before, but I thought I’d gather together the best strategies and tips into one powerful guide, useful both for those who have read previous articles and for those who haven’t.

What’s the problem with clutter? Well, nothing, if that’s the way you like things. Everyone lives differently, and I’m not saying the decluttered lifestyle is better than the cluttered one.

However, I’ve found some benefits of decluttering from my decade or so of experience with this issue:

· Less stressful. Clutter can be a lot of visual distraction and mental stress. It’s basically a bunch of things you have to do (put away clothes, file papers, pay bills, get rid of junk, etc.) that you’re procrastinating on. While you don’t want to think about them, in the back