Walk away from bargains

Just because you can buy a cashmere sweater for $20 or three bottles of ketchup for the price of one doesn’t mean you should. Ask yourself ‘do I have something similar?’ and ‘where am I going to store it?’ before making a purchase. There will always be sales.

Make peace with imperfection

Efficient people give “A-level effort” to the most important projects like work assignments or a kitchen redesign, for instance, and for the rest they do just enough to get the job done. Maybe you give yourself permission to bring store-bought cookies to a school bake sale. Trying to do every task perfectly is the easiest way to get bogged down.

Never label anything “miscellaneous”

You put a bunch of things into a file or box and write this catchall across the front. But within a week you’ve forgotten what’s in there! Instead, sort items into specific groups ~ “utility bills,” “lightbulbs,” and so on.
Schedule regular decluttering sessions
Rather than wait until an industrious mood strikes (and we all know where that leads), have a decluttering routine in place, whether it’s spending 15 minutes sorting mail after work or tackling a new project every Sunday afternoon.

Stick with what works

We have clients who will try every line of makeup, every cell phone, every anything new ~ it’s exhausting. Don’t waste time, and money, obsessively seeking out the next best thing.

Ask for help

The organized person is willing to expose herself to short-term embarrassment and call for backup. Which is to say, that elaborate four-course dinner you planned? Change it to a potluck, have it catered and/or call in a cleaning service. Be realistic about your timeline, and ability.

Separate emotions from possessions

It’s healthy to be attached to certain items ~ a vase you picked up in Europe, your grandmother’s pearls…. but holey concert tees from the ’80’s or cheap, scuffed shoes you wore on your first date with your husband? Just let them go.

Foresee (and avoid) problems

You wouldn’t leave the house on a grey day without an umbrella, right? People who appear to sail through life unruffled apply this thinking to every scenario. Have a cabinet packed with leaning towers of Tupperware?Organized people will take a few minutes to short-circuit an avalanche before it happens, rearranging that cupboard now is easier than chasing after wayward lids as they scatter underneath the fridge.

Know where to donate

It’s easier to part with belongings if they’re going to a good home. Identify a friend or colleague’s child who fits into your child’s outgrown clothes, or choose a favorite charity. It will save you from searching for the perfect recipient every time you need to unload something.

How long does it take you to find a pair of shoes in the morning? Can you put your fingers on your passport in seconds? Where are your car keys? Disorganization is frustrating, exhausting and time consuming. If you’ve simply had enough, let Organizing Lives be your partner in improving your home’s efficiency. We believe that living an organized life is a learned skill and is a lifestyle choice that you make.  We live this life, but recognize that it is an ongoing process. When not supporting our clients, we are rotating our pantries, emptying our paper shredders and searching for that melon-baller that mysteriously disappeared from our utensil drawers… 🙂 We know that shedding excess stuff and creating better systems for staying on top of everything will help you feel less stressed and give you more time to dedicate to the things that really matter. And that makes getting organized worth it!