Weekly Quick Tips

Be an Organizing Star!

We won’t be so glib as to say that anyone can be an ‘Organizing Star’ in just a few simple steps, because for many people the steps are not so simple. You may get stuck at any point….but you CAN learn to do it well…it just may take some practice.

S is for Sorting your stuff out.

Sounds simple, but many people get confused coming up with categories or how to group items together. Similar things are grouped together, like shirts together in a drawer, books together on a shelf. Things used for the same reason are grouped together, such as things you write with ~ pens, pencils, markers ~ or things that stick things together ~ tape, glue, stapler. Things that are used together are also grouped together, such as paints and brushes, nail polish and remover, Nintendo and games.

T is for Toss

Toss out items you don’t need, you don’t use, and you don’t love. Donate anything that others can use. Recycle, trash and shred the rest. Sounds simple, but people get stuck here most often because they think they will need items again later at some unknown time or they have sentimental attachments to the objects. One trick to cut down on the number of things you own is to set a space limit (just one drawer of t-shirts) or a number limit (‘I will only keep 20 t-shirts’) Set a realistic number and aim for it. You may not get there the first time around, but every time you go through your piles, try to pull out one more time.

A is for Arrange

Arrange things based on how often you use them and need to have access to them. We refer to this as the ‘hot’, ‘warm’ and ‘cold’ zones. If you use things often, you want them in easy to reach spots. Less often, they go into high and low shelves, and the least used items may go into a storage area in your home. Or refer back to ‘Toss’. This can be a tricky step for people without much storage space, and really tricky for people who feel they need to see everything so they don’t forget where it is. If you don’t have much storage space, either continue purging or invest in some storage items such as cabinets and shelves. If you need to see everything out, think about using open shelving, clear containers and loads of labels.

R is for Revisit and Reorganize

Chaos happens! You should see our desks at any given moment! So, in order to keep a space organized, you have to return and re-do. Put things back where they belong, which is very do-able now that you have systems in place. And if the systems aren’t working for you, tweak them.Copyright © 2013 Organizing Lives ® All rights are reserved and no part of this article may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means unless expressly stated otherwise, or except with the written permission of Organizing Lives®. Enquires should be directed to: info@orgliv.mybusinesshub.ca