We can all use a little organizing reminder every now and again; I know I do. I always start out with the best intentions, and then they fall to the wayside shortly thereafter. I've gathered 10 tips used by professional organizers to scan over whenever I need a little help getting back on that train:
1. Get Ready The Night Before. Start your day off a little less frantically by setting out your clothes, prepping the meals, getting the kids' bags ready, setting the coffee maker on automatic, etc.
2. Open Mail Over The Recycle Bin. Don't set it down in a pile to get to later because you know what will happen. Get rid of the paper and junk right away, and put the important stuff in your mail/bill area.
3. Write It Down. I know this is a big thing for me. If I don't write things down they just keep a constant party going on in my head. Writing it down helps to free me and let me relax. You can't keep it all in there, it's just too much and can keep you awake at night. Get it out.
4. Slow And Steady Wins The Race. I for one am terrible at this. I see a project at hand, and I attack it like a maniac till it's done. Because I'm this way I tend to get overwhelmed by the thought of it and end up never starting. So focusing on a little bit at a time would be a much better solution. Unpack one box in storage a day instead of waiting for that whole day to tackle it all that seems to never come.
5. Time Out. Set a timer for ten minutes and clean whatever you can in that amount of time each day. If you have kids it could be like a game, who can get the most done the fastest and the winner gets a prize. You may be shocked how much you can accomplish in such a short period of time.
6. Play Cards. Write household tasks on index cards and draw one each day. That is your chore for the day. Be sure to include a few Free Day cards in there. When you finish the box start again. This is also a great way to incorporate kid's chores as well.
7. Pad Your Time. The phrase, "Just give me five minutes" is often overused and rarely true. Most things take longer than five minutes. Try to set a realistic time frame for the little things you need to do so you can have a more accurate time management system throughout the day. 10-15 minutes per task is much more realistic and lets you slow down and breathe if you end up with a little buffer.
8. Set Goals. Write any long term goals or dreams on a set of index cards, then arrange them in order of importance. Write deadlines on the top of each card, break them down into mini-goals and schedule time to achieve them.
9. Give It Up. Whenever you see something that you don't use any more immediately put it in a box. When the box is full bring it to goodwill. You don't need to wait for that big clean out day you're going to eventually do.
10. Put It Away Now. Don't wait to do it later. Everything should have its home and when you are finished with it put it back. It takes just as much energy to be disorganized as it does to be organized.
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great tips! def going to live by these rules :)
The mail is my biggest problem. As I write, there is a pile of junk mail, flyers, menus mixed with important mail on my dinning table. Why don't I just recycle that stuff immediately??? I don't know!
Heck, it takes MORE energy to be disorganized! Just think of all the time you have to spend searching through stuff. And it's mentally exhausting too!
I really needed to see this! I try to stay organized at home and little things always get out from under me. This really has some good tips. Thank you!!
www.bundtsofsteel.blogspot.com
@Paper Shade Lamps, Mail is my problem, too. I keep meaning to hang three baskets or pockets near the front door and label them Action, File, Shred with the recycle bin under them. The goal would be to clear out all three on Saturday morning. Naturally, this has not yet happened.
This piece from Zen Habits has become a mantra as I try to organize, clean, reorganize, etc. It has totally changed the way I fold and put away laundry-- I used to fold, put in a basket or just pile it on my side table... let it lie there all week... then have to dig out and separate the pieces to hang from the pieces that get folded and go in a dresser drawer. Ugh. Now, I take hangers with me as I go through the clean load so I hang and fold as I go. SO much better and I only have to deal with it once.
RE: mail/paperwork: I found something that works for me. Under my wall calendar - usually just one of those 12 x 12 "theme" ones that are on sale always for 1/2 off -- I hang a manila envelope (9 x 12) by it's reinforced "hole" Every month, I just throw the mail in that thing - junk mail even if I have been too lazy to pull it apart piece by piece.
I also dump in receipts from my wallet whenever I clear those out. That way everything is in one place when I carve out a time to tackle that stuff.
I have found putting in the junk mail has been helpful as we get a couple bundles of shoppers each week, and sometimes something important slips in there. That way, I know I have gone through every single store ad and direct mail piece and nothing can have been lost.
At monthend, slap the month and year on that thing, and file it away. (Great fun chance to use the label maker!)
The BEST philosophy I've subscribed to is that mentioned in #9. It's really amazing how much excess we all have. We decided we wanted a simpler life. We downsized to a smaller apartment (just under 1100 sq. ft.) and donated at least half of what we owned over the last two years. Now, it's become a daily habit to find at least 1 or 2 things I can add to our "Donations" box. My husband jokes that one day I'll get rid of him, too! ha!
That's not going to happen, but it's a great way to think about what you surround yourself with. It also has changed my view of what comes into our home to begin with. "Am I just going to donate this in 3 months?" "Do I really need it?" Nine times out of ten... I pass it up.
Awesome, I completely agree. It makes life so much more fun!
Growing up in my mother's house has made me into the never-let-mail-pile-up maven I am today. Our kitchen counters and dining room table were always covered with unsorted mail and papers. Now that I'm an adult I notice the effort I make to never let that occur, and it really drives me nuts when it does.
I have one of those nice faux leather mail organizers you can find at TJ Maxx for $10. It helps me keep my husband's mail in one place since it's not a priority for him.
As a professional organizer I couldn't agree more. For those who have problems with #2, no...not the potty kind, this is what I recommend for clients...
Getting Rid of Junk Mail...1.Visit www.dmaconsumers.org
2.Call 1.888.optout to lessen credit card offers (they will ask for your ss#)
3. www.donotcall.gov
Of course mailers sneak in there but this drastically reduces the junk.
For mail, I
1) bought a beautiful letter opener to reward myself for opening mail (good for financial life and decluttering).
2) just signed up for this https://www.catalogchoice.org/ and I am so excited. I have an app that lets me take a picture of junk mail and send it in so they can remove me from that list.
3) Open and dispatch mail every day without fail.
4) I got a label maker and set up a beautiful file system that makes me want to file. I go through and file about once a month when I'm watching TV.
I haven't figured out clothes or dishes yet but I have a good handle on paperwork!
If you are in a large building and don't have a freecycle area, talk to the super or landlord about designating a place where stuff can hang around for a day or two before going in the garbage. I've found it's too much of a pain to drag stuff to goodwill but luckily our building has a freecycle area in the lobby where people leave gently worn articles of clothing, dishes, smaller household items, books, etc. I have seen a few of the items I've left get used for a year or two and then reappear for someone else later!
Mail. One of us brings in the mail. It goes on the kitchen counter which I like to keep totally clutter free. Most things go directly into recycling. Bills, appointment reminders, etc. go to my computer, letters and ads I want to scan go to the sofa, for more leisurely browsing (ASAP). (After scanning, recycling.) His mail may sit a day or two until I request that he deal with it, then he follows the same pattern. NOTHING piles up.
Laundry. I do mine at home (sigh!) in a teensy-tiny laundry closet. I have a wire shelf over the side-by-side washer and dryer. I put hangers there from my closet. (As I empty hangers to wear things, I move them to one end of the row together, and when I do laundry, I can grab them all in one hand.)
When I'm on my toes, the minute the dryer stops, I hang my own knit shirts, tops, etc on the hangers from the wire shelf while still warm -- usually no ironing required. (When I'm NOT on my toes, I run the dryer on the 20 minute warm-up cycle and most wrinkles go away.) I fold my slacks which go on a shelf in my closet. (I don't wear skirts or dresses.) I place things that must dry flat on top of the washer and dryer, and the heat from the machines often dries them in one load. When I do "his" batch, I wait for the load to end, put his socks and underwear in the basket, fold and stack his T-shirts in one pile, long sleeved shirts in another, jeans in another. Then I put the jeans in the basket, the T's on top, and the sleeved shirts (most likely to wrinkle) on top of those. (He's a programmer -- he doesn't need to be any more tidy than that or we'd have to discuss who was going to do his ironing!!!) All this is so much easier if you include the folding an putting away as part of the process -- less (if any) ironing, and a ready-to-wear wardrobe!
I want to say that I find the index card task assignment idea revolting, though!! (Maybe if you have kids, it would work better...) Organizing your TIME is a part of being organized. Fitting each task into a slot that makes it easier or at least tolerable is part of that, and the "Oh. look, free day" concept is anathema to that. My weekend day off (alternates between Friday and Saturday) is for laundry, vacuuming, mopping if I need to, and general housework, along with certain "for me" things (like hitting the thrift shop while my 90-minute white batch is going.) Sunday is for relaxing, socializing, and doing only what I consider important enough to forfeit my free time for. It's not spontaneous, but it's productive and I still have sufficient time to have some fun evenings and Sundays...
@LauraJane & Sherrybinnh I am going to start using your tips to place hangers in my laundry closet/area, so that I can immediately hang clothes right out of the dryer and into my closet; rather than fold, carry, then look for hangers and then hang. Great Tip! Thanks!
As for mail, I have a 30 Day box/file where no immediate action is necessary and once a month I purge by filing or trashing/shredding...if I have time, I will also go through it before the 30 days...allows me peace of mind that it won't get out of control.
Good tips - I'll add my twists:
1. Get Ready the WEEK Before: On a weekend I put everything I need for a workday outfit on a hanger including jewelry, and line them up for the week, so I don't have to think about what I'm going to wear (I just grab a hanger and shoes). Saves me tons of time on weekday mornings and gives me another 20 minutes or so to do yoga or read.
2. Open Mail Over the Bin: I get the mail, head to the outdoor recycling bin, and dump it immediately - the junk mail never even crosses the threshold to risk becoming a pile.
10. Put it Away: If it's not a dirty food dish, it goes in a covered woven box with a lid that sits by my sofa, once a day I walk that box around and put everything back in its home. It saves me about 30 minutes a day, time spent writing instead, yet it helps me keep the house uncluttered.
Mail's actually the only thing I've mastered. I go through the mail every day, sort, shred and recycle everything except my husband's mail. That goes into his box, which is a rectangular organizer that I bought for him at Storables. It makes it vastly easier for me to stash his mess when people come over, since he goes through his mail about once every three weeks.
And I might try that goal strategy at work--what a great idea!
I have to figure out the mail. Everything from junk mail to flyers to magazines... it does pile up a lot on me. But putting things away and getting mostly ready for my morning is part of my nightly ritual.
YES, YES, YES! Mail is the WORST. It piles up in no time. Ever see that episode of Seinfeld in which Kramer tries to cancel his mail? If only that were possible!
Everythi g I own has its place. That place is "inside." ;)
I do No. 9 and it's great. It means you never get overwhelmed and have to set aside a whole day for a clearout, because you're adding to the box (in my case a bag) as you go along.
laurajane - thanks for zen habits, my laundry is being tackled right now
paperwork is dealt with as soon as it's received. while overseas last year i bought my most favourite souvenoir ever - a letter organiser (should've bought more as gifts). i couldn't find any i liked online or in shops. all done in the same location - mail sorted for each person, bills are noted in the calendar and filed, junk is recycled and catalogues (my fave) are read over coffee as a reward. scissors and marker pen are handy too so when viewing catalogues, vouchers (coupons) and discount specials are noted and filed into my handbag.
apartment therapy - you really need to allow an edit/preview option for comments!
letter holder, not organiser
I pay all of my bills online, so it makes it super easy to just shred all mail that comes in. I already have a digital copy of everything. Also keep in mind that most of the menus and other fliers that we used to save can now be accessed online.
That Time Out thing is genius! I generally get distracted by things to tidy when I'm watching a film or reading - it makes so much more sense to actually dedicate 5-10mins to go round the house and straighten things up.
I have found that simply putting a "NO JUNK MAIL" sticky note in my mailbox at my condo has cut down HUGELY on unwanted mail. Now I get nothing that doesn't actually have my name on it and out of that only two or three pieces of mail of 20 are junk! So cut down there on clutter.
Have also instituted the policy that if something comes in -- something must go out. If I buy a new thing for the kitchen, an old thing must get tossed or given away and if there is nothing to go nothing can come in. I am strict with myself about that. It does help in decision making and cleaning up.
Also consider the dusting potential of each item in my condo -- if it will require dusting and serves no real purpose, it must not enter....If it is gorgeous and a thing of beauty that will make me happy to look at it forever-- dusting requirement still a factor but apply the 24 hour rule I.e. put on hold and think about it for 24 hours and if I still lust after it... then it can be considered if bank balance will permit... so have put up many obstacles to taking in more "stuff".
Sorry for the essay!
The 'Time Out' method reminds me of this. I grew up in a family of five kids and when things got in a mess my Dad would tell us that each of us (including him) had to pick up 10 things and put them away. Very quickly, we'd have a neat space. I've used this, or variations, with employees in work settings over the years and it works for any kind of neatening task (alphabetizing books, tidying desks, putting away stacks of files etc).
I do it with myself, too. Just put away 10 things or deal with 10 pieces of paper in a stack etc. It takes very little time and it helps keep me one step ahead of mess.
I love the index cards idea - setting this up right now!
As for mail, I now keep a paper shopping bag right by the door and immediately dump all junk mail inside. At the end of the week, I dump it in the recycling bin in the garage. I also keep a box for donations under the coatrack and that goes to Goodwill as soon as it is filled.
I rip up junk mail as soon as it comes in. I put newspapers in the recycling bin as soon as I'm done (better yet, sometimes I take my paper to work to read and recycle it there). If I'm not using something - out it goes. I haaate clutter with a passion. I have a three drawer wicker file cabinet that I clean out about every two months. I try to keep things neat and organized because I can't stand to have to search for things - it's a colossal waste of time and energy.
We rent the top floor of a beautiful rowhouse in Astoria, Queens. We LOVE this place! But it is significantly smaller than our previous apartment. We moved here because the location is better, it's a more beautiful home, the landlord is the sweetest nicest most wonderful landlord in all of NYC, and the home is very well maintained. So we pay more to live in a much smaller space. But we are SO much happier. However, as a result, we have had to downsize quite a bit. We started by getting rid of everything we don't absolutely need, and then we had to get creative about organization throughout. We are still working on it, but I would say we are currently about 70% done in our organizational efforts. (We have lived here for 9 months now, so that's about how long it all took to do). We think we will be 100% organized before the end of this year. So exciting! We LOVE living in a smaller space, because it has FORCED us to be very organized, and to not own anything we don't absolutely need. It also has forced us to stop shopping for things all of the time, and as a result, despite paying more in rent, we have saved so much money! Seeing something we want to buy in a store usually leads to one of us saying "but where would we put it? There's no place for it to go!" and then the other ends up saying "you're right. Let's just not get it". So we are saving by living in a smaller space. I guess my tip is that if you really want to become great at getting organized... downsize. ;) Life is so much simpler this way! And it is setting a great example for our son as well. He is learning that bigger is not better, that more is not better, and that a simple life is an easier and happier life to live. :)
#9 is a good way to determine if you should really get rid of an item or not. Stash it out of sight in a "to be donated" box, and if you don't miss it after a few months you probably don't need it.
love the put it away NOW mentality... so needed in this apartment!
At the first office jobs I ever had, back when I was 19, all employees were required to clean their desks off at the end of the day. Nothing was allowed to stay on top, we had to put it all in drawers. It was a good habit that trained one to take out only what was needed and put it away right after using it, because who wanted to be sitting there at 5pm cleaning our desks while everyone else was leaving. I have strayed very far from that now, but often look back and wish I could discipline myself to do it again in my home office these days.
Totally agree.
That is a cool idea.