Organize Your Desk – It’s National Clean Your Desk Day!

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Kim

Clear DeskHappy Monday morning! If you’ve just finished your coffee and are now wondering how to kick off your week … let me suggest you take a few minutes to organize your desk. Why? It’s National Clean Your Desk Day.

These simple steps will take you from a messy desk to a clear desk in no time:

  • Gather all loose paper into one pile. Then, simply do a quick sort and separate into these sub-piles: Needs Attention (I’ve written an entire post on how to handle these Action Files), Filing (set aside for later, unless this will take you less than 2 minutes), Shred (do this now), Recycle (do this now)
  • Return file folders to their proper home (file drawer, cabinet, etc.)
  • Remove everything that doesn’t belong on your desk (last week’s coffee mug, perhaps).
  • Sort supplies and return to their proper home (middle drawer, pen/pencil holder, supply closet, etc.)

And finally, think about your day, or even the entire week ahead, and be sure you do have all the right tools and supplies right at your fingertips.

If you have a bigger challenge than you can face all in one sitting, you may like to check out my Paper Organizing Challenge (a series of 14 blog posts that will walk you through your paper clutter).

Happy Organizing,

Kim

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Clear the Decks! 7 Simple Ideas for Organizing After the Holidays

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Kim

Power Wash on DeckJanuary is officially considered Get Organized Month (sponsored each year by the National Association of Professional Organizers), as well as National Be On-Purpose Month. What better time to get organized, clear the clutter and prepare for a year of clear, focused, organized living … in other words: Clear the decks!

Clear the Decks: Finishing dealing with what you are going so that you can start to do something more important!
Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms

 

If you’re anything like 90+% of the population (I made that up) you have set goals, made resolutions, or simply have grand plans, wishes or dreams for the year ahead. Or perhaps, you’re the type that prefers to just sit back and see what happens.

Regardless of where you fit in the above scenarios, take some time now to finish what you started last year (by clearing all the chaos and clutter accrued since about Thanksgiving) before adding new goals, resolutions and plans to your plate.

Clear the decks with these simple steps:

  1. Gather – It’s time to gather all holiday decor and prepare to put it away (don’t forget outdoor lights, etc.) If you spent a fair amount of time this year trying to find the perfect spot for your items – take a picture before gathering them up – this will make it much easier next year to recreate the look. Create a staging area (dining room table, card table, etc.) and simply gather everything to one spot.
  2. Toss – Be sure to toss or recycle anything broken or no longer usable. Paper and packing material can be recycled, or even shredded and used as new packing material in the future.
  3. Pack – Make life easier next year by packing items away by categories: lights, ornaments, greenery, pillows/linens, dishes or perhaps everything for a particular room.
  4. Donate – As you pack things away, consider donating items you didn’t use. Not ready to do this? Store these items in a bin labeled “not used” and date it. Next year, you can rethink and be ready to donate.
  5. Put Away – Find a specific home for all the new items you acquired over the holiday. Are any of these new items replacing old, well-loved items that could now be moved to your donate pile? Did you travel for the holiday? Remember to unpack your suitcase.
  6. Return – Take care of any gift exchanges and/or returns. Return any items borrowed from friends and family, or rented for a special event.
  7. Update – Replace or replenish any item that was used over the last few months so you don’t come up short when reaching for it in the future: tape, kitchen staples, paper products.

Take these simple steps now and create a clear deck for what’s most important to you for the year ahead.

Happy Organizing,

Kim

 

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Time to Dust Off Your Calendar

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Kim

August officially marks Back-to-School season (at least in my part of the country) and even though my school days are long since over, I still have fond memories of shopping for school supplies. A favorite purchase to this day remains a long narrow notepad to write “to do’s” on.  I suppose it’s no big surprise I now work as a Professional Organizer, right?!

Whether you have school children or not, this time of year also marks a shift away from lazy summer days vacationing by the pool to a more structured schedule: meetings, class-schedules, sporting events, doctor appointments, deadlines and, don’t forget, the holidays are right around the corner. Far too much activity to keep in your head.

This is a perfect time to dust off your calendar (or go purchase one) and begin to use it … religiously!

Personally, I love to use a physical calendar (although I do use this in conjunction with electronic elements). Here are some reasons why:

  • I love the texture, smell and colors of a paper calendar.
  • The act of writing helps me remember. I can actually see in my mind what I wrote on the page.
  • I can flip through the pages of my calendar for a quick, easy overview of what’s ahead.
  • Other family members can take a look and know if, and when, I am available.
  • I can see instantly if my schedule is cluttered and busy, or whether there is sufficient comfortable spacing between activities.

As my own personal coach/teacher instructed me this week: Get out your calendar and write this down! And for extra credit – post a comment below and let me know what type of calendar system works best for you.

Happy Organizing,

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The Simplest Way to Stay Organized

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Kim

Looking for simple organizing solutions? Here is one of my Top 10 Favorite Tips of all time:

Just Do It!

I know this may sound too simple. Impossible. Or perhaps both. Either way, you’d be right.

The truth is, there is no magic product or magic wand to help you get organized. Instead, the key factor is you taking action. Trust me, all the organizing tips in the world and the most effective organizing systems available will be of no help unless you follow-through, stick with the plan and Just Do It!

I can attest to this from my own personal experience. Like you, I’ve been busier than ever and my entire routine has changed over the last few months. Despite being a professional organizer, here’s what happened: A few pieces of mail on the counter turned into a pile. A few dishes in the sink turned into a backlog. Forgotten laundry in the dryer turned into a wrinkled mess. My desk became a mess. Sound familiar?

It didn’t take long to feel out of sorts, distracted and just plain uncomfortable (only a few days, as a matter of fact)! I realized I could not afford to ignore the clutter any longer no matter how busy I was. Now granted, I am definitely an organized person so clearing clutter is not a difficult task - all basic systems are in place and everything has a home. However, I have no doubt that the time it took me to regroup and refresh my space was far longer than if I had just stayed on top of my tasks and clutter to begin with.

My point is: by taking a few minutes consistently each and every day to stay on top of routine tasks you too can get and stay organized. Think about it … would you rather spend a few minutes a day dealing with tasks on the spot before clutter accrues, or save them up for a full project to be handled on your precious day off? Just saying!

Here’s my list of items that I commit to staying on top of each and every day:

  • Make my bed. (I’ve written an entire post on this which you can check out here)
  • Do the dishes. It’s just as easy to put a dish in the dishwasher as it is the sink.
  • Check the laundry basket. When there’s enough to complete a load, I just do it (just like the dishes). I hang up and/or fold items straight out of the dryer. If an item or two needs to be ironed, I do it before I get dressed. Otherwise, items pile up on my ironing board and turn into clutter no matter how good my intentions are.
  • Process the mail. I would much rather process a few pieces daily than an entire pile weekly.
  • Clear my desk and check my Action File System. You can read more here.
  • Take care of my plants. This is a perfect example of the benefit of regular attention. My plants look so much healthier when I care for them daily rather than whenever I have time to.

To create your own list, simply take a look around your space. What categories are out of place? What every day tasks have been left undone and are now a huge project? There’s your list!

What’s on your list? Post a comment below and let me know.

Happy Organizing,

p.s. If you’d like to read about my other Top 10 Tips, visit The Organized Approach, subscribe to my newsletter and receive a copy of 10 Simple Steps to Get Organized and Change Your Life. 

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Paper Organization Challenge – Day 14: Magazines

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Kim

Are you a magazine junkie? If your answer is yes, I understand! I’ll openly admit right here to all of you that I am very attached to my magazines.

In today’s Paper Organization Challenge we’re going to cover exactly how to organize magazines so you’ll get your money’s worth and actually enjoy these treasures!

First, take a moment to ask yourself why you have certain magazines in the first place (reference, inspiration, entertainment, etc.) Your answer will help determine how you handle your magazines from this point forward.

Is your collection primarily for casual reading? Here are some simple tips:

  • Limit your subscriptions. As a matter of fact, did you know that magazines can actually be checked out from your local library just like books?
  • Recycle all issues dated prior to 2011.
  • Keep a magazine rack, or basket, with your latest issues strategically placed right near your favorite reading spot.
  • Limit the number of issues you keep to the size of your container.
  • One issue in – one issue out.

Is your collection full of wonderful inspiration and/or reference material? Here are some simple tips:

  • Organize collections by title in magazine boxes and store near the location you will need the information For example: cooking magazines in the kitchen, financial or business magazines in the office, craft magazines in your project area.
  • Tear out articles you are interested in reading and create a Reading file. Keep the file near your favorite reading spot, in your briefcase, at your desk … wherever you will have the opportunity to actually read them! Tip: write a date on the article and decide in advance how long you will keep articles before tossing them out.
  • Tear out pertinent pages from your magazines and create Idea, Inspiration, or Reference file(s) or binder(s). Have fun with this, but remember to keep it simple. Create a system that is too elaborate and you may not keep up with it.

Finally, here’s my favorite tip of all from one magazine junkie to another … check out www.maghound.com - a membership site where you can not only subscribe to magazines, but you can choose, change and manage exactly which issues you receive every month. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Happy Organizing,

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Photo of a clean and organized kitchen and dining area.
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