Hi Friends! Now that you have been working on developing and maintaining your Daily, Weekly and Monthly routines, I feel confident that you are starting to feeling some impact of your consistent effort. Have you noticed you have a little time at the end of each day to relax? Maybe your family has noticed your work and commented or even praised your efforts! Have your children started to follow the routines as well?  Even if they haven't, take a few moments now and reflect. Pat yourself on the back! You will get there and they will notice.

Keep going! Stay the course! YOU CAN DO THIS!!

For reference, you can locate Part 1 - Daily Routines here, Part 2 - Weekly Routines here, and Part 3 - Monthly Routines here.

Let's continue getting more done in less time by
focusing on Yearly  Routines!

Step #1: Download the Yearly Planner Worksheet below. 
​

Step #2: Refer to your TASK LIST from Part 1.

​Step #3:  Identify tasks flagged as QUARTERLY, YEARLY or OTHER.
Assign tasks  to a particular month of the year.
 - Some tasks are dependent on others (Taxes, Kids' School Holidays)
 - Most you will be able to decide which month to complete.
 - Make a note on how long the task typically takes you to complete.
​ - Distribute the tasks throughout the year for months that work best with        your schedule and other commitments.
 
Tip! When scheduling your quarterly tasks, try to schedule every 3 months in the year.  If there is flexibility in due dates, balance Quarterly and Other tasks with Yearly across months as Yearly may be less flexible.

Step #4: As you setup your calendar each month, add these tasks into the Monthly & Weekly schedules. 

• Make notes.  Did you do more in the time block than you planned? What tasks did you add?
• Reflect. Could you tell a difference in your productivity this month? Did having this list, a plan, reduce stress for you?
• Can you delegate any Quarterly, Yearly or Other tasks? Or cut back to doing tasks less frequently?

Step #5: Keep working on your routines. Continue to make adjustments to the Yearly Planner for this year and future years!

Let me know how your routines are coming along!! Leave comment below!

Hi Friends! Congratulations on developing and mmainting Daily and Weekly routines! I'm sure that you are feeling some impact of your work so take a moment now to reflect.  Do you feel like you are more efficient in your tasks? Carving out a few minutes here and there? Are you starting to feel like you are more in control of your schedule? Keep up the great work and fine-tune where you see areas for improvement.

For reference, you can locate Part 1 - Daily Routines here, and Part 2 - Weekly Routines here. 

Let's get started on Monthly Routines!

Step #1: Refer to your TASK LIST from Part 1 and review items you marked as MONTHLY.

Step #2: Download the Monthly Routine Worksheet below. (hint - there is a sample calendar included!)

Step #3: Assign monthly tasks to a particular weeks of the month.
 - Some tasks are dependent on the days (Bank Reconciliation, Meetings or      Social gatherings)
 - Most you will be able to decide which week to complete.
 - Make a note on how long the task typically takes you to complete.
​ - Distribute the tasks throughout the month for weeks that work best with        your schedule and other commitments.

Tip! Try to schedule your monthly tasks during the week so that you leave time during the weekend for fun and family!

Step #4:  Keep track for several months. Check off every time you have completed monthly tasks.

• Make notes.  Did you do more in the time block than you planned? What tasks did you add?
• Reflect. Could you tell a difference in your productivity this month? Did having this list, a plan, reduce stress for you?
• Can you delegate any monthly tasks? Or cut back to doing tasks every 2 months?
• Plan for the next month. Make a copy of the checklist taking in to account your notes made during each week.

Step #5: Keep working on your routines for the next several months. You should start to notice that you are doing the tasks without having to refer to the checklist.

​Let me know how your routines are coming along!! Leave comment below!

Welcome Back!!
​This post is a continuation from last week, so before you read any further, make sure you've read Part 1 here!

Now that you have your Tasks List started and have been working to practice your Daily Routines for a week or two, you are ready to add to your plan. ​

Let's get started!

Step #1: Refer to your TASK LIST from Part 1 and review items you marked as WEEKLY.

Step #2: Download the Weekly Routine Worksheet below. (hint - there is a sample weekly list included!)

Step #3: Assign weekly tasks to a particular day of the week. 
 - Some tasks are decided for you, like trash/recycling pickup
 - Others you decide (Errand day, Cleaning day, Grocery shop day). 
​
The key is to distribute the tasks throughout the week on a day that works best with your schedule.

Tip! Try to schedule your weekly tasks during the week so you have weekend time for fun & family time!

Step #4:  Keep track for 1 month. Check off every time you have completed the task for each day of the week.

• Make notes.  Did you do more in the time block than you planned? What tasks did you add?
• Reflect. Could you tell a difference in your productivity this week? Did having this list, a plan, reduce stress for you?
• Plan for the next month. Make a copy of the checklist taking in to account your notes made during each week.

Step #5: Keep working on your daily and weekly routines for the next several weeks. You should start to notice that you are doing the tasks without having to refer to the checklist.

Let me know how your routines are coming along!! Leave comment below!

It's Saturday morning. You are about to start doing a few chores. Then the phone rings, the kids need help, the animals need to be let out. Before you know it over 30 minutes are gone and you didn’t even have enough time to get out the vacuum! How is it that everyone gets the same 24 hours, but I can’t seem to get anything done?

Is there a way to STOP wasting time and energy making tasks harder than they need to be? How do I STOP ​re-creating the wheel every week?
The answer is to START building routines.

I get it! ​You hear the word routine, you think boring or restrictive. But don’t poo-poo this concept so quickly. Keep reading!

Definition of routine: a regular way of doing things in a particular order.

And yes, that does sound a little boring, but there is power in routines. As you build and practice your routines, you are programming your mind and body to do things in a particular order over & over to the point they become automatic. When your mind and body do things automatically, you are saving energy that you were using to think about doing these tasks.  With that saved energy you start to become more efficient doing the tasks, which saves you precious time!

With that time & energy you are saving by building routines, you may also start to notice other benefits like:

• Becoming more productive in other areas of your life because you're not wiped out by doing the easy things.
• Ablity to focus your attention on more important or difficult things because you’ve freed up your mind from the boring, mundane tasks.
• Prioritizing other demands becomes easier and less stressful.
• Developing confidence that you are in control of your life and not the other way around.
• Experiencing decreased amounts of stress and anxiety​

Are you on board and ready to start building your routines? Yes!!

START by setting aside 30 min to 1 hour of uninterrupted time to work on this exercise to outline your daily habits.

Step #1 – List out all the tasks you need to do regularly. Don’t just limit to think weekly daily, but also, monthly, yearly. I mean EVERY TASK. (You can download a template for this above!)

Step #2 – Go thru the list and note how frequent task needs to be completed
  D = Daily
 W = Weekly
  M = Monthly
  Y = Yearly
  O = Other
 
Step #3 – Think of your day in blocks of time that are minimum an hour. Designating a block of time to doing tasks allows for more tasks bundled together (or a routine!). 
Start with 3-4 blocks of time for routines

• Morning
• Mid-Day
• Evening
• Bedtime​​

Step #4 – Use the Task List above and specifically the tasks identifed as DAILY  and designate these tasks to be completed in one of the 4 routine blocks. Decide which time block works best for you and that task depending on the brain power or level of physical effort needed.  (You can download a template below to help you get started)

When you assign a task to a time block, also assign a rough amount of time needed to complete the task. 

Step #5 – Keep track for 1 week.

• Check off every time you have completed the task for each daily column. Make notes through the week. Did you do more in the time block than you planned? What tasks did you add?
• Reflect – Could you tell a difference in your productivity this week? Did having this list, a plan, reduce stress for you?
• Plan for next week. Make a copy of the checklist taking in to account your notes.

Step #6 – Keep working on your daily routines for the next several weeks.
You should start to notice that you are doing the tasks without having to refer to the checklist.  As you are working to build routines it is a good idea to be CONSISTENT in your wake and sleep times every day of the week.  This creates repetition and gets those routines to "stick" faster than if you have different schedules on your off days.

I'd love to hear about your thoughts, tricks and ideas of building your daily routines! Share below!!

Why am I the only one that cleans up after themselves?

I bet that if you are reading this, at some point you have asked yourself that question. Do you feel like you are fighting a battle when it comes to getting your family on-board with organization? Or maybe you get spirts of commitment but they are all to short lived.  Maybe your spouse or partner is is the biggest challenge?  

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

As a wife of almost 25 years that works full-time and has 2 "almost out of the nest" kids, I have tried LOTS of different tricks and tools over the years to keeping our house straight and clean (notice I did not write perfect or sanitized...).  What I have found is that if you follow these 5 tips, give yourself and your family a little grace, then YOU can get more help from your family around the house!

#1: Be honest
Before you lay down the law of how everyone "must start helping more!" I suggest you take a different approach. Gather the family for either a family meeting or just in casual conversation at the dinner table. Be honest with them and speak on their level. "I need your help." Say these words, don't scream them. Look at them in the eye when you say it. I know using this tone and these words will get their attention. You see, we don't realize it, but our families see us as super-beings. We can do it all. It literally never even crosses their mind that you are struggling unless you tell them.  It is important as a parent to show honesty and vulnerability. This tells our kids its ok not to be perfect and it's ok to say, "I need help."

The next words are important. "We are ALL responsible for taking care of our home." When you don't do your part, it is more on me.  When NO one does their part, it is ALL on me and I cannot keep doing everything.

Now, I'll stop here to say, if your spouse/partner is the main culprit, then have this heart-to-heart discussion with them first. Once they are on board and supportive, you both talk with the family. Show a united front so the kids know they can't parent shop their way out of doing their part.

#2: Make it easy
​We may think every member of our family is brilliant and can figure out any problem, right? Well, it's amazing to me how these brilliant minds become completely helpless when given a task if the steps aren't clear. "Well, you didn't tell me I had to actually use window cleaner on the bathroom mirror, you just told me to clean the mirrors" (and they used the dirty towel that just wiped down their countertop! Urgh!)

For their sake and  yours, make it easy.

Everything has a place. If child of any age knows where the toys go back, it's easy to do that task.  If there is no organization or assigned place for things, then there is confusion. Now, don't panic if you're house isn't setup with all the great cubbies, baskets, and bins online.  Keep it simple. 

Example: Clothes are put in drawers or in the closet. They do NOT stay in the basket once they are laundered.

Laundry baskets are also great to corral toys; and it's easy for a kid to put away toys in a large basket!  It doesn't matter where things go as long as they have a designated spot.

Don't overcomplicate. Creating a checklist of 50 tasks is overwhelming for anyone. Think of a few tasks to be done that give you the most "bang for the buck". Break tasks up in blocks of time during the day:  Before School, After School and Before Bed. You can download checklist below to help you get started!

Teach them how. Again, don't assume everyone just knows how to do things. Take the time to train them. Show them how, have them do it and then correct as needed.

#3: Make it fun!
You know your family.  What will inspire them to help?

• Do they have a favorite color or character? Then try some colorful baskets or boxes with favorite character. Personalizing containers makes items easier to identify to put away, but also gives a sense of ownership for the child. Their things really feel like their own and will inspire them to take care of their things.
• Maybe your kids are competitive. Then set a timer and play a game like "beat the clock".  Can you clean up toys before the timer goes off?
• For family Contest, "who can clean up fastest?" I can’t tell you the number of times I used this one!  
• For the music lover, play fun music or sing while you’re cleaning up.  Sounds silly, but the music will distract their minds and they’ll be cleaning and not realize it!

#4: Make it rewarding
Create a system of rewarding each person for good behavior. It doesn't have to be money, but it can be. A reward system is key to keeping the family motivated and on track to help around the house.  Please  don't overcomplicate this system (which I have done). 

• Smaller children need instant gratification, so cleaning up means they can watch a favorite show together?
• Older children may want to start earning money, so keep record of chores completes for a certain amount a day or week (depends on age and task), then at end of week you receive prize, or money for doing their part.

#5: Make it a habit
There is no end to 'helping around the house'. It is a constant need, a continous cycle. As you setup your chores and checklists for family, sort them into repeatable tasks that need to be done daily (like the checklist above), Weekly or Monthly tasks.

As the habits form over a few weeks, you can adjust the prizes for the reward system for completing tasks without being told!

To wrap up, the 5 tips are:
#1: Be honest
#2: Make it easy
#3: Make it fun
#4: Make it rewarding
​#5: Make it a habit

I'd love to hear your ideas for getting family to help more around the house! Leave a comment below to share!

You’ve set a goal for this year to get organized! You’ve decluttered a few key areas in your home! That’s great progress and definitely moving in the right direction!

But, are you starting to think, it’s one thing to GET organized, and another to STAY organized?

Are you starting to worry if all the effort you are spending to GET organized is going to be a waste? How do you maintain a constant level of organized??

It’s actually pretty simple. Just 1 good habit. 
Once you develop this habit and consistenly apply it, you will keep clutter under control FOR GOOD!

Ok, so one habit does sound easy, but habits are so hard!

Merriam-Webster definition of Habit as a usual way of behaving; something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way

Habits are things we do without really thinking about them. They are routine and have become almost automatic in our subconcious mind. When a habit is formed, it helps us operate more efficiently and use less energy because we have trained our minds to just do the thing.

As you set new goals for yourself, you need to take time and examine your habits to see if they are aligned with your goals.  If habits align with goals, then you are SET! It’s just a matter of time to meet those goals. However, if you have habits that are not aligned with your goals, then you’ll feel like there are barriers you’re fighting against that make achieving the goal harder.

Getting organized starts with first developing habits of getting rid of things you don’t need (or clutter), then stop bringing new things into your home that become clutter.

The ONE HABIT is:  ALWAYS BE DECLUTTERING. 
Consistently get rid of things you don’t use or need.  Make this a daily practice; especially if you are still working through decluttering your home.

Your turn. So, let’s take a few minutes to really examine your current habits. Make a list of no more than 3 habits you do regularly that are NOT aligned with your goal of getting and staying organized. Download a free worksheet below to get started.

​Shopping. Was that on your list? How about accepting things from others that you MIGHT use one day? Did that make the list? Both of these examples are habits that bring more clutter into the home and are are NOT aligned with your goal of getting and staying organized.
 
Now that we've identifed a few habits that need to be aligned, how do you CHANGE a habit? 

Habits start with a trigger or cue. Something happens that automatically causes your mind to take action. To change a habit, you must identify the trigger that starts the reaction in your mind. Then, purposefully CHANGE the reaction to the trigger. As you continue to purposefully change the reaction to the trigger, a new habit will form.

For example, you shop because you want some “me” time, or just get out of the house! What is the true trigger? Are you bored, tired, or frustrated? Get below the surface and really identify the trigger here.
​
Now, think of responses or actions other than shopping that are aligned with your goals. 

• "I'm bored!" Instead of shopping, how about some well deserved self-care? Pedicure? Massage? Call a friend to talk or even meet for dinner?
• "I’m frustrated, even angry." Change your focus from what you can’t control to what you CAN control. Take a walk, get some fresh air, breathe! Drink some water. Do a little "therapeutic decluttering" (did I just make that up?). Take that frustration out on all those outgrown clothes in your closet by loading up your car and dropping them off at Goodwill!

Your turn! Look back to your list of habits. Take a few minutes to really dig deep to identify the triggers of the habits on your list. Then brainstorm a few options for response like the examples above.

From here, you put the new response into practice.

• Everytime the trigger occurs, pause a moment and recognize the trigger
• Go to your list and review options for response.
• Choose your response from your brainstorm list.

Keep track of yourself over the next few weeks. How many times did you experience the trigger or cue? Were you successful in changing the response? YES?? Then make a note of this success! You are one step closer to your goal!!

If you want faster adoption of the habit, then think of adding a negative consequence when old response happens.  For my clients that are in heavy declutter mode; I ask them to adopt this rule in their home:

For every ONE item that comes in the house, TWO must go!

So, if you slip and buy that new top at the store, then TWO tops in your closet must go! this helps put a value on everything you bring in the home. Is that one new top worth losing two?  Stay true to this rule by immediately placing 2 items in the Donate box the minute you get home.

I’d love to hear the ideas you brainstormed and how successful you have been at changing your response to trigger!  Leave a comment!

“I have got to get organized!” Have you said this lately? Maybe even said it today? Well, you are not alone. I hear this often from friends, family, even myself!  It may not make your top 3 New Year’s Resolutions, but I’m sure it crosses your mind frequently. 

​But what do we REALLY mean when we want to get organized?
​Is it getting rid of some old stuff in your attic? It is going thru and donating old clothes that don’t fit? Is it finally unloading those last 5 boxes you never unpacked when you moved years ago? Maybe. If you really ask yourself, what does “getting organized” really mean, I think you’ll find something deeper.

Perhaps what you really feel is something like:

• There is too much stuff and I just don’t have time to deal with it.
• Things keep coming in this house and don’t have a place to go. Then when we go looking for things, we can’t find them. It is such a waste time and energy looking for things when we need them. I get frustrated and then I yell, but nothing changes.
• I know my family is in a bad place but I have no idea how to make it better.
• There is so much emotional weight to how I feel about my home. Anytime I think about it, I feel so overwhelmed. Sometimes I cry. I just wish it would all go away.
• I just want peace in my home.

I’ll tell you friend, IT IS POSSIBLE!
You are not alone. Many families have been there. You would be surprised and relieved to know that just a little effort and motivation will get you and your family past the place you are now and on the path to peace in the home!
​
For the next few weeks, I’ll be focusing on the heart of getting organized and provide solutions to kick-start this new year on a positive path.

The first step to getting organized is to GET RID OF CLUTTER.
I know you feel like you don't have time. But, do you have 5 minutes a day?
The job of decluttering doesn’t have to take hours at a time. You can make slow and steady progress in just a few minutes a day. Here’s how.

1. Download Checklist here (or create your own list)
2. Place 1 box/storage tote for Donations near the back door (but out of the way)
3. Gather 3 bags to collect items. One bag for Donate, one for recycle, and one for trash. Either color code the bags or write with Sharpie on the bag so you put things in the correct bag.
4. Pick a room from the checklist here
5. Set a timer for 5 minutes, and
6. START!

But WHAT do you  declutter?
As you go thru the room, grab items that are broken, damaged or expired, Put those items in the trash or recycle bags. For items that still work are not damaged but you don’t use or want them; put those in the donate bag.

Make you goal to gather 20 items each day.

At the end of 5 minutes, empty the bags into their containers for weekly pick-up.

Note – GET FAMILY INVOLVED.  Offer a dime or quarter per item the kids collect to give away!

Five minutes a day consistently every day will add up to a bigger declutter job. Slow & steady wins the race. Consistency builds habits. Developing a habit of daily decluttering is a great first step to getting organized and STAYING organized. You can do this!

I don’t know about you, but I cannot believe we are already one week into the new year! If you haven’t yet taken down your decorations, and need a little nudge to get you motived, KEEP READING because I have 3 great tips for storing Holiday Decorations that will save you TIME and MONEY!

Take a little time to declutter. It is worth it!
I'm not talking a full blown purge session, but before you store your decorations, take a few minutes to assess what you have.
 - Minimize.  The more you have, the more time it takes to put up and take down. Evaluate the joy the item gives to your family against the time needed. If it's not worth the time and energy, then let it go!
 - Trash items that are broken. Light strands, ornaments, inflatables. Do not continue to store thinking you'll fix one day. I've spent hours trying to get a broken light strand to work. It is not worth it! Trash and move on!
 - Donate items that are in good working order, but you have not used in last two years. Styles change. Don’t hang on to these things because you MAY want to use them again. Think about how happy someone less fortunate will be and how happy they would be to have that decoration that is sitting in a box in your basement.

If the items you trashed need to be replaced next year, make a quick note in your calendar now for the month of October to purchase replacements. Making a note now while it's fresh on your mind will save you the trouble trying to remember in 10 months.

Looking for directions and tips on what and how to declutter? Read here! 

Use standard storage totes
There are so many tools, tricks out there. It is VERY easy to buy things because they are cute or appear to be functional. But you don't need them. Here are a few key items I do recommend using:

• Locking Lids - YES.  Lids pop off storage totes too easy. Especially if you’re juggling attic stairs you want to know the box is not accidentally opening up and cause an accident.
• Clear - YES. I recommend clear totes whenever possible. I personally like the look of them and it just saves time to be able to SEE what’s in the tote. However, if your storage is easily visible (like garage), it makes sense to use a solid tote for privacy. 
• Color by Season - NO. I recommend using 1 color for all your totes. Clear white totes are my go to 99% of the time! They are in stock year round and are less expensive than the color totes. If you want to color code, you can do so with color labels or Sharpie colors on outside of tote.  
• Uniform - YES.  I recommend using the same style and size totes as much as possible as it makes for easy stacking. However, there will likely be a few odd-sized totes needed. That’s ok too, but try to keep that minimal. 

Limit Special Storage totes. You don't need them!
Please, please do not go crazy buying every single gadget out there. It is quick and easy to replicate the inserts.

With the standard 66 QT Sterilite along with some homemade inserts, you can easily manage the standard decorations, such as:

• Lights (inside and outside). Select a thick piece of cardboard that is between 14-16 inches long and 8 inches wide. Cut a notch at the end to hold the end of the cord, then wind up the string around this cardboard.  You can fit several of these in one tote!
• Ornaments. Purchase a few pieces of foam board or poster board from the Dollar store to replicate the grid for protecting ornaments.  Lay a sheet between the layers as well.  Or wrap ornaments with tissue paper and don't mess with the grid.
• Medium sized décor, mantel, display items. Store like items together in totes. Wrap with paper so won’t scratch surface. Stand up where possible. If laying flat, heavy item on bottom of tote & work up to lighter on top.

Store items logically placing like things together. If your box is for outside lights, store hooks or accessories needed for this purpose.  A few other tips for storing boxes:

• Place items used the least farthest from the door, more frequently used items place closer to door.
• Store heavier totes on bottom of stack; lighter on top.
• Affix 2 labels to totes. One on front and one on the side so easily recognizable which ever direction you place the tote on shelf.

​
If you are looking for ways to maximize your storage space, read here!

I hope this post has given you some ideas and motivation to do some light decluttering and get those decorations packed up using standard, low cost materials saving you time and money!!

Do you want to get organized but need movitvation or inspriation,  contact us today! We would love to help you get started!
​

I absolutely love that week between Christmas and New Year's Day. The crazy time preparing for the holiday has passed and you just spend time with family and friends relaxing and celebrating life. But you known what else?  I also use this week to spend some good quality time focusing on my home. This week in particular, while the attic is empty of decorations, I have made it an annual habit to go through our attic and DECLUTTER! I tell you, the couple of hours I spend doing this each year makes such a difference. Something about clearing out the old and organizing this space gets me motivated, energized and gets my spirit ready for a productive year!

So, you may be thinking, why in the world would I spend my time off organizing my attic? I don't enjoy doing that kind of stuff. I get it, I am kind of an oddball. But to help convince you to give it a try, here are some benefits of organizing.

Saves money. How many times have you purchased an item only to find that you already had 2 or more of them? That is super frustrating, right? Remember that scene from Christmas Vacation when Clark finds the gift in the attic he should have given out years ago? Don't be a Clark. Taking time to declutter and organize your things makes it easy to know what you have so you don't go out and buy more. In this way, being organized can save you money!

Saves time and energy.  Think for a moment about how much time you have spent today looking for things - your keys,  your phone, your wallet or purse. These few minutes a day here and there really start to add up. When you organize a space or your entire home, everything has it's place. Building habits such as putting things back every day help keep your space organized. You will spend less time "looking for things" because you know where they are!

More likely to get help from family. Now I've gotten your attention! Yes, it is true! The best way to get help from family is to make the task EASY. Having a designated place for everything and then teaching the family where things go makes it easy for them to help.  

Are you starting to see how just starting to get organized can get you motivated and energized?  Great! 

Let's get back to topic of decluttering storage spaces before all those Holiday decorations go back. Take a few minutes to examine your storage space.  As you do, think about ways to maximize the space to make it more functional in these 3 ways:

The Floor.  We'll start from the ground up! If your storage space is an attic, then you likely have some flooring in your attic, but not a lot. You can add plywood flooring to ceiling to increase floor space for storage. A few quick notes & a disclaimer.

• Don't skimp on materials to add floor space to attic; your safety comes first! You do not want to fall thru the floor.
• Best to use minimum of 1/2" plywood assuming floor joists are spaced under 16 inches apart. If wider, then you may need to add support between the joists. 
• Consider how you'll get boards into attic. You may need to cut them down to get them thru the door and between beams.
• Most importantly (and also a disclaimer), if you're not handy or familiar with carpentry, consult your local hardware store or hire a handyman to install the flooring.

Overhead. Store items that are large, but lightweight overhead. We store our folding tables and some large clothing boxes with clothes overhead.  For garage spaces, there are systems that suspend from the ceiling or you can increase height of wall shelves to take advantage of the wall space available. Get creative, but be safe.

Note on lighting. It is worth it to have accessible lighting in storage spaces so you can see well and be safe. Consider adding a light fixture or use brighter bulbs.  Also, make sure switch or pull string is close to entrance of space​

I hope this post has provided you with some ideas to inpire you to spend a little time to focus on maximizing and organzing your own storage areas. You will reap the benefit of this effort by saving money, energy, and time in the future AND making it easy for your family to help put things away where they belong!
​

Come back for more ideas on declutting, getting organized and STAYING organized!

If you're wanting to get organized but need more inspiration or motivation, contact us today! We would love to help you get started!

Is your first step when starting an organizing project is buying new containers, bins, or hangers? Do you think organizing is moving things from one box to another, bigger container?  If so, then, you’re making the biggest and most common mistake in organizing.

You may not be disorganized; you may just have too much stuff!
​
To organize your space the right way, your first step should be to PURGE or Declutter items you no longer use.  Don't spend time Organizing clutter!

DECIDE one area of your home to focus for this session.  If the area feels overwhelming, start small.  Pick 1 drawer, 1 shelf, or even 1 pile.

PREPARE. Once you’ve decided on your space, you need to spend a few minutes preparing for the PURGE.

1. Supplies – trash bags, post it notes, sharpie marker, totes
2. Working space – table, floor, bed – any area at least a few feet to place items as you sort
3. Line up piles using these categories:

START. This is likely the hardest step.
​Don’t over think or talk yourself out of starting.

• Set timer for 20 min & go.
• Touch every item. Hold in your hands.
• Make a decision about each item using these questions as a guide:

TAKE A BREAK. After 20 minutes, set timer for 5 minutes and take a break, but stay in the space.

Look at what you accomplished! 
​Do you feel an emotional weight has lifted?

Glance at amount of items in each pile. If there are no items in trash or donate, revisit the KEEP pile. ​

WRAP UP.  Take next 5 minutes to do the following:

If Trash or Recycling containers are full, take outside.
​Move donation items to your car.

​REPEAT. Keep repeating steps above in 30 minute intervals until you stop for the day or finish going thru the space.