It's a new year... 2013 is gone and 2014 has begun. What are your resolutions or goals? Setting goals or making resolutions come in all forms and the number one topic I am asked about is getting organized. Here are my top 7 recommendations for getting organized.
1) Start Small! Begin in one area and make that a habit before moving onto another area. Work from home? Start in your office and make that area work before moving to the playroom or garage.
2) Create a system that works for your work style. Are you a filer or a pile-r? Whichever one you are, go that direction.... if you are a pile-r, you will never use that expensive file system box no matter how cute it is. Try using file bins so that you can keep your pile neat, desk clutter free and best of all, off the floor! If you work well with the file folders, by all means pick up a stylish file system and put it to work. Keeping it simple!
3) Don't purchase organization bins or systems until you have sorted and know what you need. By doing the sorting first, you know the size and number you need before heading to the store... and who knows, you might just have something that will work in your home without needed to make a purchase.
4) When deciding what to keep, make sure that you really need it. In the kitchen, do you really need 5 spatulas and 3 can openers or can you get by with just one or two? In the office, do you have that same resource on the computer? Then toss the catalog. If you have an online copy of a document, make sure you have an electronic back up and put the paper in the recycle.!
5) If possible, enlist the help of a friend or professional! Someone that is less emotionally tied to an object or can ask the right questions about that piece of paper can help you look at things in a new way and make the sorting process go much quicker!
6) When sorting, go quickly - have 3 boxes, "keep", "toss" and "donate". Set a timer and move quickly and if something causes you to pause, set it aside and come back to it. Once the timer goes off, you should be done, take a break and come back to tackle the next box or section of the room.
7) Take care of the boxes right away. At the end of the day, put the "keep" things in their new home, the "toss" items in the garbage and the "donate" things in the car so that you can take them directly to the Salvation Army, Goodwill or another charity. Do not just move them to the garage making yet another big project! Remember, keep it small!
Is organization on your resolution list? Where will you get started?
Great suggestions! Can you provide some examples of file bins? As a pile-r who must also file, I suspect I may need and use both systems, but I don't know what a file bin looks like!
ReplyDeleteYou bet Kate! This is a stylish filing basket, but you can also get a more generic one at any office supply store. If you need more file storage than this, I suggest getting a 2 drawer file cabinet. http://www.ballarddesigns.com/woven-file-box-letter-size/13834
ReplyDeleteFor your piles... you can get regular file trays that stack on a desk or do something more like this to keep your work space free and yet still off the floor :) http://www.ballarddesigns.com/pe-collection-double-wall-pocket/14836 There are all styles of these, and how many you need depends on how you pile! Again, these can be found in a more generic form at an office supply store.