Less is More

Because I am an organizer many people think I hate stuff, that I despise things and belongings.  When working with a client one-on-one I am able to dismiss this assumption pretty fast.  I don’t hate stuff and I do not disregard other people’s precious items.  What I try to help people see is that relationships and quality of life are so much more important than anything we own.  Organizing is often not about the physical stuff so much as it is about our perception of those things. 

If disorganization, clutter or a lack of systems negatively affects you and those around you, you are being held captive by what you own and allowing it to control you.  This will cause stress in your life and ultimately your relationships.  Sometimes people have simply acquired more than their space can comfortably contain, but the belongings are relatively current.  Other times clients are drowning in an avalanche of memorabilia or things associated with memories.  This habit will hold you in the past, keep your present from being enjoyable and even your future from moving forward. 

It is essential to visualize what is most important to us, and also those around us.  When we can clarify and then agree on what that vision is we become more able to live and exist with less.  Remember less is truly more!

Does your space need a tune-up?

I suppose even a professional organizer can become stuck in a rut J.  A couple months ago I tried to stuff some unruly plastic bags back inside themselves under a deep kitchen cabinet.  Suddenly, I asked myself why on earth I had not purchased a plastic bag sleeve.  Then I asked myself why this imaginary bag sleeve was not hanging on the inside of my kitchen cabinet. 

This solution, while so simple and intuitive, seems to have evaded me for the first year I have lived in my apartment.  The irony is that in a client’s house I would have seen the same issue a while ago and made the proper storage suggestion.  Why did it take so long?  Even organizers can get stuck in a rut.  We all do it.  We are used to using our space a particular way.  We are accustomed to viewing it a certain way.  This means that every space, even one belonging to an organizer, needs a tune-up every once in a while. 

Spaces that could benefit from a tune-up are highly used, high traffic areas such as an entryway, kitchen cabinets, a closet or an office drawer.  I like to open up a cabinet, step back and ask myself:

Does this set-up work well for me?  What don’t I like about it?  What would I change?

What can I do to suit my daily needs more effectively?

Is there a product that would make this space more efficient?

I would encourage you to perform a tune-up every six months unless the need arises earlier.  Remember that any well-organized space at some point needs a little reassessment to ensure it is working well and to its fullest potential.

Family Meal Planning Made Easy

I grew up in a busy household of five children.  As you can imagine this fact made dinner no small matter at my house!  Over the years I learned some strategies to make the process of shopping and meal planning easier. 

Create a printable list: Writing a shopping list for the entire week can be a daunting task as you try to figure out what meals you wish to make, not to mention remembering the staples you need to re-stock your pantry!  We came up with a printable list in Word (Excel is fine too) of all the foods we typically buy, with extra space to write in amounts or exotic foods.  This may take a couple edits to truly be all encompassing.  Foods were arranged in categories (not alphabetically) so we were not walking back and forth through the store wasting time.  This list was printed off the computer and hung up every week.  During the week if we ran out of something or were getting low my siblings and I would circle the food item.  By the time shopping came around almost all the work was done.  My mom simply circled the foods that we needed to buy for meals. 

 Create a menu of your favorite foods: There are so many different ways to customize this step so it works for your family!  At my house we designed a categorized list of all the meals and sides we enjoyed.  The list was divided into pasta, soup, meat dishes, vegetables and starches.  My mom could easily make meal combinations without wracking her brain.  She then wrote out the meals for the week on the family wall calendar. 

For people who are more visual you can create your own magnetic calendar for meals.  Below is one of my favorite examples but the possibilities are endless:

Use the same ingredients several times: If you are on a budget it will take a bit more creativity to make meal planning work.  I have found choosing meals that have similar ingredients in succession prevents waste and uses up the leftovers that would normally sit around in your fridge.  If you need to buy herbs try to make several meals in a row to use up the fresh greens before they spoil.  Or if you are making chicken use the leftovers to make soup the next day.

Don't bring it home

When we are away from home and the clutter it is easy to buy something and think it will fit right in at the house.  But our homes are so often filled with these types of items, the impulse purchases we make because we couldn’t resist acquiring them.  A huge part of clutter management involves being brutally stringent about what comes through the door.   

When you are out and about and something catches your eye ask yourself these questions before you walk away with a new trinket…

“Do I truly need this?  Can I live without it?  Is this thing necessary for me to live my life?”

“Do I have a place for this item to reside?”

You must be honest from the beginning.  If you answered “no” to any of the questions above the item should not find a home with you!  If you absolutely need to bring something back and space is limited decide before you leave the store what item at home can go to make room for the new purchase.  

Being organized makes life so smooth!

Being organized and living your life in an orderly manner really does make your day so much easier!  I am getting married in a few weeks, and my fiance and I were discussing the things we have left to do.  From almost day one of the wedding preparation he and I used a time line and task list to remember everything we had to do.  

Having this tool was so helpful!  With it we were able to work on every task in a timely manner, always seeing where we were at and knowing where we were going.  This whole process has been more relaxing and less stressful then it would have been if we had left everything to the last minute, or didn't have a clear picture of what needed to be done.

This realization today was a nice, personal example of how approaching life in an organized fashion really does make everything easier.  Of course there are going to be little fires to put out...life always has a way of throwing those my way.  But at least I will be prepared!

Maintain your organizing system to prevent relapse

It is a common assumption that once you put an organizing system in place it will always work and function exactly the way it did in the beginning indefinitely.  Even more widespread is the thought that one is a failure if the system does not continue to serve the purpose for which it was intended.  Both of the previous outlooks lead to a lot of frustration and and a sense of inability to rise to the task.

The reality is life varies constantly.  When your schedule, routine or responsibilities change it is important to recognize that the organizing system supporting you must mold to the new development.  Do not beat yourself up if your methods need to modify to fit the new dynamic you are facing.

The best approach is to take stock of what works in your current system.  Then identify the changes you must make in your system to make it fit your current needs. For example, if you now take the kids out through the garage instead of the front door it is ok to move the coat and boot storage so it is convenient to your new point of exit and entry.  What once worked may not be the best solution anymore. 

When your system no longer feels as though it functions properly, take an honest assessment and see if there is a change that needs to be made.

How to let go

Sometimes when you are sorting through your belongings and papers you come across things that have an obvious solution: a broken lampshade that is past its useful life and should be tossed, the first communion dress that is kept as a memento and the pair of jeans that no longer fit but can be used by someone else. These decisions feel like no brainers, questions with easy and direct answers.

What happens when you encounter an item you need to think twice about? People hold onto things for many reasons. The item may be valuable, it might have emotional meaning, it could be useful in some way or you feel compelled to keep it because it might come in handy down the road. Occasionally you may find a gift that has remained in hiding because it never really found its place in your home.

To avoid being overwhelmed in clutter by putting off decisions, do not overlook these more difficult situations and work to determine if something is important enough to keep. When you are faced with this scenario, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I love it?

Do I really need it? Can something else do the same job?

Do I have to keep this in the unlikely event I use it, or can I simply purchase it later if I am in need of it?

Is it worth making room for and do I want to spend the time to create a permanent home for it so I can find it again?

Can someone else make better use of this?

Is it part of the solution or part of the problem?

Top 8 items for a home command center

Top eight items a home command center needs: Family wall calendar- Every family member should have their activities listed on this calendar. Consider using it to plan meals as well. Message board- Have a dry erase board for phone messages and reminders. Magnet board- Sometimes you can find a magnet/dry erase combo. This is great for holding small papers in transition. Key rack- A simple key rack will keep every driver’s car or house key at the ready. Cell phone storage- There are several products out there that provide a home for cell phones and their charging cables. In/Out bin- You should have a spot for all incoming mail and outgoing mail. Go through the mail everyday to keep it from building up. Bill holder- Use a wall pocket or a basket to keep bills that are waiting to be paid so they do not get lost in the mail shuffle. Make sure you mark the due date on the envelope. Personal spots- Use wall pockets or small corkboards for each family member to put reminders, permission slips and school schedules. A great example of these components is the “Daily System” found at PotteryBarn.com.

Control freaks and their stuff

One of the largest obstacles to effectively organizing a room or a stack of information is the decision to let go of something. Whether you decide to throw it away, donate it or send it to the recycling center, the temptation always remains to hold onto that appliance that is gathering dust or the unopened gift from two Christmases ago.

I have thought about this dilemma for a while. The one major objection I get while working with clients is, “I might need this someday”. It took me a little while to understand the reasons behind someone being so uncertain about parting with an item they had neither used nor needed for an extended period of time. I have come to realize that the underlying issue is control.

We naturally are compelled to control our lives. Many individuals feel being prepared for every circumstance that comes their way will put them in full control of their lives and surroundings. However, there is simply no way to predict and plan for every situation that could come up in your life.

Therefore, holding onto “things” is not an effective way to control one’s life. Let them go, and you will be far more fulfilled with a clutter free space rather then a slave to potential circumstances.

Be OK with a shift in focus

Ever feel as if your day is spinning out of your control? In spite of well intentioned plans, your prioritized check list and methodical execution, situations arise that demand immediate attention and cannot be put on low priority. Today was one of those days. We know the rule of priorities: save for later what can wait. Focus on the important tasks that take you to your goals. But today the importance of the curve balls could not be ignored. And it was frustrating. As the day dragged on I cast a mournful eye over my list of tasks for the day and despaired over the fact that every issue under the sun seemed to be keeping me from accomplishing what I had set out to do. I could feel myself growing irritated, becoming more and more agitated every time something came up. Then I remembered no one dies if my checklist goes unmarked. Yes it was inconvenient but I needed to adjust my FOCUS. I took a deep breath. I gave myself permission to accept the fact that unplanned issues had to be attended to. I then looked at my list and identified the few tasks that absolutely could not wait until tomorrow and proceeded to work on them. Satisfaction began to re-emerge. When you are occasionally faced with a last minute, unavoidable amendment to your plans, take a deep breath. Focus on the issue at hand and resolve it as quickly as possible but don’t beat yourself up for having to address it. Then take a step back and reorder your priorities for the day and work to complete that pared down list. Suddenly the day doesn’t seem so lost!

Questions for staying organized

The organizing process always includes purging your space of things you don’t need. However, many people do not realize that purging is ongoing. It is very important to continue qualifying items entering your home or office after the initial clean out has occurred.

However, letting something go can be confusing, hard and at times even painful. These are the questions you want to ask yourself whenever you are faced with the decision of letting something stay or go:

1. Do I need it?

2. Have I used it?

3. Do I want to take the time to choose a home for it so I know I will find it again?

4. Is it worth storing?

5. Does it have a function and can I use it?

6. Do I love it?

7. Would it benefit someone else more?

5 steps to organize any room

Alright…you are working through your summer checklist and it’s time to organize that room that has been taunting you since the winter. Here are some foolproof tips to make the design and re-organization successful: 1. Determine purpose-  Decide how you want the room to be used and what activities you will be doing in the space. This provides a framework for what items will actually stay in the room. 2. Create a Plan- Sketch the room on graph paper. Then have fun and cut out furniture to scale (similar to what you already have in the room) from magazines! You can move the pieces around until you find the perfect flow and layout. No more moving heavy furniture several times! 3. Proper Homes-  Think of where you will habitually execute a task. Once you determine the best place to do something, gather all the materials you need to do that chore and put them into the location you previously chose. Group similar activities together into “zones” 4. Be Honest- Always ask yourself, “Do I need this?”, “Is it worth making room for?”, “Does it take me closer to the goal I have for using this space?” 5. Revisit Always assess the design and organization of your space. A change in your method of doing things always means a tweak for your space.