Are you
overwhelmed thinking about how to get everything in order? Get rid of
the notion that it will happen immediately; the goal isn't to end up with a
sparkling space where everything is always in its place. Organizing is about being orderly; it's about recognizing and replacing bad practices with better
habits.
Many people don’t organized because it
overwhelms them, but make a list and manage your tasks into steps. Another
option is having an accountability partner; it’s less likely for a person to
procrastinate with another person involved. When I’m doing things, like
schoolwork, I have found myself guilty of over-analyzing. Too much thinking
leads to inaction; just jump in, set a goal, and get it done… quit thinking
about it! Happy organizing :)
As business students, we have learned that
there is an 80-20 rule in business; 20% of customers account for 80% of the
businesses sales… and these same customers account for 80% of the profits.
Sherry Borsheim, President of the International Association of BusinessOrganizing (IABO) redefined the 80-20 rule: “Take a look around your office and
home and notice what clothes, toys or office items you use 80% of the time.
This is a real eye-opener when you are honest with yourself because 80% of what
you use, you use 20% of the time" (Borsheim, 2011). The one-in, one-out rule goes hand-in-hand
with the 80-20 Rule.
With that said, I can’t stress enough how sorting
is essential. If you regularly use something, then keep it… it most likely falls into your 80-20 rule. Donate or sell the items that you no longer use or have duplicates of. I use
both eBay and Craigslist to try to make some extra cash for my unused goods. Also,
I bring my clothes to resale shops, like Plato’s Closet, to see if they have
any interest in my items before I donate them. Another quick way to make some
money is by having an annual garage sale. Store
sentimental things that you want to hold onto, but don’t need cluttering up you
living space. Lastly, trash or recycle the items that are no longer
usable.
It's November 1st, just one day after Halloween. News headlines declare that the Detroit Christmas Tree has arrived to Campus Martius, Christmas songs and commercials have begun, stores are cluttered with Christmas decorations... Christmas is around the corner! I know the
majority of people don’t start thinking about shopping until the Black Friday
kick-off, but I cannot stand shopping in crowded stores or trekking out in the
snow storms, so I have had all my shopping done since September. I shop year-round for
gifts so I can get the best deals. Here's a tip: making lists and labels in chronological order
will save you time!
Lists involve writing things down in order to
reduce forgetfulness; whether it be carrying around a pad or an app on your
phone. I find that going paperless works best as it prevents more junk (little
scrap sheets of paper, post-it’s, etc.) from laying around.
To-do lists or
schedules: Schedules lay out tasks that need to be done in chronological order according
to the time of day.
Checklists: Checklists
help to ensure consistency and completeness in carrying out a task.
Grocery/shopping
lists: I organize my grocery lists by department in order to save me both time
and money. I try to avoid backtracking in a grocery store to prevent me from
tossing unplanned items in the cart.
I do a lot of my shopping at my local Meijer so my
shopping lists are organized on my phone based on the layout of the store... it starts at the first door in health and beauty, then goes back to
school supplies, then electronics, then home, then kitchen, then to grocery. In
grocery, I start in the back at dairy (I make note that the bottle return machines
are in this corner of the store), then move to meat and cheese, then grocery,
then frozen, and finally produce. My coupon book follows this same order!
Labels are name tags used for product
identification. They are used to maintain organization. If you are
forever misplacing your keys, create a home for them; then hang hooks near the
door in order to establish a routine of always placing the keys in the
designated spot. Use well-labeled containers to create a storage system, labels
let others know where things are located.
Organizing is my hobby, so I do not mind
spending money on it. But for those of you, that have a different goal in mind
may believe that getting organizing is expensive. That is a myth! When I talked
about Pinterest last week, I showed several ‘do it yourself’ examples for
getting organized that were very creative and simple to implement in the home.
As seen in several of those examples, the everyday items were used in everyday
organizing. Being creative can help you save money while organizing. There are
products out there for a small budget!In this YouTube video, Alejandra, shows some of her reasonable priced
finds.
As you can see, getting organized on a budget
is very possible. Alejandra Costello found these organizing products from her
local Dollar Tree. With these products, she is now able to maximize space and
make things easier to access in her home (kitchen, office, pantry, closet,
etc.) With that said, I encourage you to shop around and be creative!
As most of us know, Pinterest is an online
social media platform that enables members to ‘pin’ images to pinboards, save
them, name, them, describe them, and share them. Pinterest is visual and fun! It’s
game changing… it takes both social media and do it yourself organizing to a level. Making Pinterest the new ‘go to’ place for many women (and some men)
to share their ideas, interest, links, etc. I am obsessed with Pinterest since it's a great tool to advance your
organization since it involves DIY crafts, fashion, recipes, and plenty of other ideas for the
home. I have found so many wonderful
organizing ideas on Pinterest (: The Home Organization Inspration profile is a great place to get a lot of cretive tips!
Leaves are turning, apples are being picked, and cider is mulling – it’s October. Throughout this month, since the weather is great for fall cleaning; I encourage you to declutter as well. Decluttering is letting go of the things you no longer need. Angela, a friend of mine, recently told me that every time she comes home with a new pair of shoes or a new purse, her husband has a one-in, one-out rule for her. This is a great policy because it implements regulation. Clearly, Angela’s closet is jammed packed so that she was unable to squeeze another item into her closet. She is now donating those items locally; that pair of boots that has been sitting in the back of Angela’s closet will make a less fortunate woman very happy this winter… her feet will be warm! Whether it be
using the one-in, one-out rule; emptying out a junk-drawer; checking expiration
dates on items in the kitchen; getting the leaves out of the gutters; etc. "Fall
is when you're going to be closing the windows and preparing to be cooped up for
a few months -- and you want to be cooped in a clean house" (Belsky,
2010). Then, like Angela, not only are you reducing, but you can recycle and
donate those items to others as well!
During a job interview, my boyfriend, Zach, was
asked a question along the lines of “What
experience do you have with organizing throughout your last job?” His response
was “Just the basic receiving, stocking,
and facing of the products on the sales floor. BUT after the past 4.5 years with my girlfriend,
she has really rubbed off on me. My girlfriend is an ‘organizational junkie,’
for lack of a better phrase. She arranges the clothes in her closet by color
and in alphabetical order by brand; Kayla is frequently in-and-out of stores
like, Target, Meijer, and Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. looking for storage bins of
some sort to organize either her closet, my closet, our bedroom, bathroom,
kitchen, drawers, etc.; she’s constantly making lists in her phone; she uses
about five different colors of ink in her calendar for different events; and the list goes on…” This story had opened up my eyes as to how much I affected
him... getting organized had always been the last thing on Zach’s to-do list… if
he even had a to-do list.
Not just Zach, but I know that getting organized is the last
thing on everyone’s to-do list. As you can see, I am a clean freak! So, I
am making this blog in hopes to give you several tips and ideas for becoming
and staying organized. ALL THINGS ORDERLY & ORGANIZED! You will find that being
organized, in the long run, will save you time. And not just you, but everyone
around you (your family, co-workers, friends, etc.) Zach, proved to me, that my
organizing is effective. My goal has always been not for me to just know where
my things are after I file them, but for others to be able to locate those items,
based off the way I organized or filed it.
With that said, I encourage you to think ahead and take some
of your time (a half hour a day) to get organized… a routine will make your
on-going organization easier. Whether it be: making a checklist, writing a
to-do list, sorting items, or creating labels… it’s a great start!
I will leave you with this video created by Alejandra Costello, a
certified professional organizer (CPO). She uploads weekly videos to YouTube of
her different tips and ideas. I hope this video inspires you!
