Organizing Essentials: Controlling the Influx of STUFF

It happens, life that is.  We make an effort to find a place for everything and maintain order, but sometimes we suffer a loss with the constant battle with stuff coming through our doors.  Here are some strategies that can reverse the outcome and leave our organization in tact!

Consider a minimalist mindset

We can begin by eliminating the unnecessary and 'just-in-case' so that we are left with only things that we use and bring absolute joy to our lives.  If we continuously edit and are mindful of what comes into our homes, the clutter no longer becomes a problem.

No more aimless shopping

Be purposeful with spending and try not to shop just for the sake of shopping.  Unsubscribe from retail store emails and catalogs.  Take time away from the numerous screens disguised as sneaky sirens calling us to buy more stuff to satisfy an imagined void.  (Those marketing agencies are great at their jobs!)  Cultivate the ability to distinguish needs from wants and essentials from luxuries.

Implement (and stick with) a one in/one out policy

To keep balance in your space and life, remove an item every time you bring a new one home.  This strategy works well with scheduling too - when we realize our time is precious, we get better at filling it with things that matter to us.  When we say 'yes' to something, we ultimately say 'no' to something else.

Leave (some) room to grow

There are times when expansion is necessary - think new child, new business, new hobby - so manage the corresponding space accordingly.  However, these types of systems are tricky to maintain without generating more clutter, so keep close tabs on what finds its way into those empty storage areas.  Be intentional with how those spaces are used.

Invest in multi-taskers

Declutter by replacing single task items with those that can perform many tasks.  This principle is key for kitchens and closets, especially.  Do not get suckered into buying single-use tools in the name of convenience unless it will be heavily used.  For example, a coffee maker can be a good single tasker, but not an avocado slicer - just get a good knife and expand your knife skills!  Buy the best quality little black dress (or suit) possible and use it to generate many outfits instead of buying an outfit per event.  Get those creative juices flowing!

Request experiences for gifts

Ask for a museum membership, theater tickets, spa treatments, charity donations, and other adventures in lieu of physical items.  These gifts reward us with new things to explore and enjoy without the need to find places to store more stuff.

Create a system for paperwork

Paper begets paper - we've seen evidence of this on our kitchen counters with ever-growing piles of mail, school documents and projects, magazines, etc.  It is absolutely necessary to set up a system to minimize the chaos and maintain sanity.  Convert to paperless statements, create electronic files and databases, and opt-out of catalog mailings and pre-screened offers to keep as much paper out as possible.

I hope at least one of these strategies can help you deal with the influx of stuff.  Granted, these ideas are all easier said than done, especially when more than one person is involved. Keep in mind it takes time to create and keep good habits, but the return on investment definitely outweighs the sacrifice!

Here's to staying organized!

Organizing Essentials: How to STAY organized

Whenever we find ourselves in one of those rare (and beautiful) organizing modes, we purge and arrange everything until we have achieved the "perfect" system.  Flash forward a week or month or year, we are distraught over how we got so disorganized again.  It becomes harder to find things, clutter creeps back and takes over our surfaces, and we are left with the mess we fought so hard to keep away.  Why is it so hard to stay organized?

It all begins with our habits, both the good and the bad.  If we neglect the steps to maintain our efforts, getting organized and finding a place for everything is all for naught.  Yes, it is important to start with an organizational system that will work well for you, but even the most optimal systems will fail if they are not maintained.  So here are a few simple ideas that once turned into habit will keep almost anyone organized:

1.  No task is complete until everything is put back into its place.  This is the most difficult habit to form because we are creatures of (bad) habit and prefer convenience above all else.  Following this rule is especially difficult when multiple creatures abide in the same abode!  But as I mentioned before, this idea is the entire basis for keeping our stuff organized.  The faster one masters this habit, the easier staying organized will be.

2.  A few minutes a day keeps the clutter away.   As a part of a morning or evening routine, taking time to put things back in their place helps to maintain organization.  Clear surfaces, put dirty clothes in the hamper, unload the dishwasher, sort the mail, recycle items, quickly purge a drawer or cabinet, etc.  If done regularly, 15 minutes can be ample time to get all things back in order.  For some, it works if they think of organizing maintenance as a household chore - something that isn't necessarily pleasant, but definitely necessary.  Note, the more often you put stuff back in the first place, the less time this routine takes (see number 1).  On a bigger scale, set aside time to periodically declutter closets, drawers, cabinets, and so on before they get out of hand.

3.  Find a system for the inevitable.  There is one thing that can sneak up on even the most organized person - PAPERWORK.  This includes mail, bills, magazines, flyers, invitations, memos, and so forth.  Maybe it's football/soccer/basketball season and laundry will increase exponentially, or an upcoming work deadline will require longer days at the office, so dinner will need to be planned ahead.  Whatever the inevitable is for you, take the time to setup a routine for dealing with it  - that way, when the time comes, you will have a greater chance of staying organized.  

4.  Change the system.  Sometimes the first attempt at organization isn't 'perfect.'  That's ok.  Just reevaluate and try again.  Sometimes we set something up for how we want to be and not our actual tendencies.  For instance, we create a system that requires a lot of folding when we actually hate folding clothes.  We all go through different stages of life, and our organizing systems need to adapt to us, not the other way around.

5.  Be mindful of what comes into a space.  Often we absent-mindedly bring items into our spaces that we do not need or use.  Always ask if an item adds value to your life before bringing it into your home - diligently guard your efficiency.  The more aware we are regarding our stuff, the easier it becomes to keep ourselves organized and clutter at bay.

There were not a lot of 'how-to' tips in this post and that was on purpose.  The key is to give you the reasoning behind organization and apply it to your life.  There are plenty of ideas on how to organize a closet or kitchen or garage out available to you - but here, I want to show you how to think like an organized person, whether you are in an office, dorm room, apartment, loft, small home or dream home.  The principles stay the same wherever you are!  And remember, regardless of one's method of maintenance, it is worth mentioning that the less you have, the easier it is to maintain.

Here's to staying organized!

Organizing Essentials: A Place for Everything

I recently read somewhere being organized means that one is able to find what they need in 60 seconds or less and that it takes 5 minutes or less to pick up a room/space.  Don't fit the description? No worries, we all need help.

Before we go any further, I have one disclaimer:  Hopefully (and ideally), one has completed a decluttering session and determined that each remaining item is useful or beautiful.  Why spend time and money organizing things that do not add value to your life? 

Today, our main goal is to find a single home for everything, which will ultimately create our organizing systems.   To do so, we begin with these tried-and-true guidelines to help us find the right place for our stuff:

1.  Like with Like:  One of the basics.  Here, similar items are kept together.  This makes it simple to find something.  It also helps us to know where to put additional acquisitions or when to pare down, if necessary.

Example:  Pajamas tops and bottoms are in the same drawer.  The broom, mop, and vacuum stay in the same closet.  All batteries are stored in a single storage bin.

2.  Put it where you use it:  Wherever you use an item, store it nearby so that it will be easier to get and easier to put back.  This rule allows us to place items in unconventional, albeit more efficient, locations.

Examples:  Lint rollers may live near the front door so clothing is quickly cleaned before heading out the door instead of running back to the closet.

3.  Create zones:  This guideline streamlines certain tasks by grouping together all items necessary to complete the task for easy access.

Examples:  A coffee/tea zone near the coffeemaker in the kitchen; a basket with all products needed to get ready in the morning beneath the bathroom sink;  a homework drawer with paper and writing tools near the kitchen table.

The first few guidelines aid in finding homes that make sense for all of our stuff.  But, adding another level of organization can sometimes make things even more efficient.  After narrowing down a general area, consider how often you use an item when determining it's home.  If you use something: 

• Once a day/week:  keep it on the counter or in easy to access locations, like the front of a drawer.  
• Once a month:  keep it in a cabinet.  
• Seasonally:  keep it in a harder-to-get-to storage area, like the cabinets over the refrigerator or the top shelf of a closet.

After taking the time to find a place for everything, try making labels to help you (and others) maintain your hard-earned organization.   Labels clear up confusion and also serve to make us put things back where they belong.  At the end of the day, remember the law of diminishing returns and the difference between organized and neat - we only need to be organized enough  to make our lives run smoothly!

Here's to being one step closer to being organized!

Organizing Essentials: Two simple, yet elusive, rules of organization

There are a plethora of mantras to help us get organized, such as "like with like" and "put it where you use it."  While both of those examples are critical principles in creating effective systems, they are not the foundation of organization.  When it comes to organizing physical objects, these two rules are the basis for getting and staying organized:

1.  A single home for everything, and

2.  Complete the task and put it back.

All other rules or mantras help us to either create or maintain these two rules.

A single home for everything

We often make getting organized more complicated than necessary.  We have habits, but maybe not effective ones.  For instance, we don't put our keys, work bag, or dog leashes in the same place.  So we frequently search for them instead of heading out the door for work or getting Fido outside in time.  Regardless of the item, if everything has a place to call home, we will know where to look for it.  I included "single" for a reason - the more places an item can be, the harder it is to look for it, hence our ability to make things more complicated.  True, there might be a few logical places for a thing to call home, but we must select one and stick with it.   If we find that another location better serves our purpose, then by all means, relocate, but that place now becomes the new solitary home for the item.  The best place to start is by finding single homes for items used or misplaced on a daily basis.  Once you reap the benefits of this rule, you will gladly extend it to other areas.

We have his/hers decorative bowls that sit on our countertop to house our keys and glasses.  Whether your home is 'pretty' or not, the main goal is that it is functional - so get creative!

Complete the task, put it back

The ability to stay organized hinges on this principle.  When we are finished using something, we should consider the whole task incomplete until everything is returned to its designated home.  For example, we fail to hang our clothes after multiple exhaustive "finding the right outfit" sessions and our once organized wardrobe never returns to its former glory.  We use the screwdriver to tighten the door hinges but leave it inside the closet instead of returning it to the toolbox.  What happens when someone else needs it?  We've all been there.  Sometimes we are tired and just want to go to bed, or we say we will get to it later or various other reasons.  This rule is probably the hardest to turn into habit, which is why staying organized seems to be so elusive.

This rule operates differently when we create a 'productive' mess - such as the ones we make while working on a project.  The task is completing said project, so we might not want to constantly return and retrieve items as it disrupts work flow. However, there are generally a few pause points encountered while completing a project; it is at those times when this rule is invoked. Most of us do not like to return to a mess, so during those pauses, it makes sense to put everything back so we can start again without stressing about finding things.

Mother knows best - or at least what's best for her sanity...

Excuses, excuses

Sure, someone could say, "Clothing has multiple locations - the closet, the hamper, the laundry room - so I can't stick to that rule all the time."  My response is two-fold:  1) dirty clothing does not belongs in the hamper not the closet, and 2) washing clothes is a task that is only completed when all items are returned to their designated home, such as a closet. Now some busy folks may retort that they do not have time to fold and put all clothes back. Trust me, I've been there.  However, in those cases, it's best not to ignore the rules but to reconsider our current systems to make sure we are maximizing our efforts and maintaining our sanity.  In this instance, maybe folding is overrated and you can be efficient without it. Remember, neatness is not a requirement for organization. Regardless of your system, be encouraged to fight against our natural tendency to find excuses and have the courage to take action against disorganization!

So if you did nothing else but practice these two rules, you could call yourself organized.  Try it out and let me know it works for you!

Introducing Organizing Essentials!

Long time, no see! Hope that you are enjoying the transition into fall! Undoubtedly, things are busy for all of us, especially as the holiday season approaches.  We crave something (anything!) to grant us more organization and simplicity to help us get through our whirlwind days and weeks.  With that in mind, I want to give you some valuable information to help get you organized now and keep you organized later.  Introducing a new series entitled 'Organized Essentials: Tools to Get and Stay Organized'!

Over the next several weeks, I'll be writing about ideas that anyone can use to make their lives more efficient so they have time for the important things (like reading the book before going to see the movie :).  These posts are to serve as a guide into understanding how and why organization works and how organized people seem to stay that way.  It's important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to getting and staying organized, so there will not be a lot of step-by-step procedures, but rather principles and tools that can be applied in a myriad of ways. 

Some topics include:

• The two simple, yet elusive, rules of organization
• Creating your own organizational system without professional help
• How to stay organized

...and more!

Stay tuned for all the awesome tidbits I'll be sharing to help you be the most organized person you can be! Be sure to sign up for email notification so you don't miss a thing!

Why I Declutter

This blog is a place for me to share my thoughts on organizing, so today I want to speak on the subject of decluttering.  Our lives equal the sum of our choices.  Decluttering is also a series of choices.  It's a dedicated time for us to take a closer look at our stuff (or schedule) and determine its value in our lives.  Each time we pick up something, we decide if we need it, and if so, if it's worth the time/effort/space/money to keep.  Our choices during this process can either be good or bad, liberating or hindering.

To help us make decisions during a decluttering session, many professionals prescribe the following questions:  Do I use it?  Do I need it?  Do I love it?  Is it irreplaceable?

More often than we would like to admit, the answer to these questions is 'no.'  However, most times, we default to keep things "just-in-case."  In my experience, "just-in-case" actually happens for about one out of every 100 things I decide to keep for that reason.  Out of all the things we own, how many do we use on a regular basis (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly)?  Usually, one of two things happens:  1) we are too busy (or lazy) to deal with our stuff before it gets out of hand or 2) we organize and re-organize and/or expand to hold all of our stuff.  So, in hopes of that glorious day when "just-in-case" becomes a reality, we sacrifice our time/effort/space/money to keep up with it.  Even worse, we lose track of it and end up spending MORE of our time/effort/space/money trying to find or replace it.  A single decision to keep something that had no current purpose in our lives led to losing something more valuable in the future.

In that light, try to think of decluttering as more of a freeing exercise than an arduous task. It just comes down to making choices today that gives you more flexibility tomorrow.  Everything earns a place in your space.

Yes, I know there are situations where it behooves us to keep some things for another season.  Perhaps they are family keepsakes that we want to pass down, or we are planning on expanding our family/home/career in the future.  Maybe there are certain situations where it makes sense to have more choices than the average person:  fashionistas own more clothes and accessories, crafters use an entire room devoted to their supplies,  chefs and bakers benefit from multiple kitchen tools, or even people who like to entertain probably have an assortment of platters and glassware.  The key here is we USE them and therefore, they add value to our life.  In these cases, the answers to most of the decluttering questions were most likely 'yes.'  However, if most of what we own is for "just-in-case," where is the stuff that we actually need right now?

This is where decluttering makes its mark.  Enter in the 80/20 rule - we use 20% of our stuff, 80% of the time.  These are our favorites, the tried-and-trues, the necessities of our lives.  And that other 80%?  Well, that's the extra that fills out our homes and offices, the items we use less frequently, if at all.  If it went missing, it might take us a while to notice.   That's why we declutter - aiming to eliminate the extra and the unnecessary.  It's the stuff that we're not using, but it takes up our precious time and space.

Honestly, I think it would be amazing if we used 80% of our stuff 80% of the time (talk about efficient!), but perhaps it's not realistic for most people.  In general, we are becoming more selective in what we bring into our home because it will affect how we move out later.  As a result, our place is easier to clean (and keep clean).   It saves us from spending money unnecessarily because we don't want any more clutter.  In the process, we are learning to be aware of what we actually use and thus, less attached to the things we don't.  Making sure everything has a purpose helps us create a home that we love, that rejuvenates us instead of consumes us.

So no matter where you stand on the organizing spectrum, I hope you see value in decluttering, maybe even more than in organizing - because who wants to organize stuff they don't even need?!

Organizing is for you

To every person that thinks they cannot get organized – this post is for you. 

(If you are a person who loves to organize, most of the methods I mentioned earlier to help find efficiency are already a part of your daily lives.  However, we can sometimes be commanding, even downright intimidating, with our ways.  Remember the following points when you come into contact with those not like you…)

Consider the following:

Stop comparing.

Organization can look different to different people and it is important not impose your level of organization onto others and vice versa.  A clean house for a family with two toddlers will most likely not be the same as that for a couple without children.  Let’s be clear though, laziness and chronic procrastination are NOT good enough reasons to remain inefficient.

Work at it until you’re good enough.

Organizing is just a skill to hone and nothing more.  Each person has a few skills in which they are naturally 10 out of 10.  But, we are not a ‘10’ in everything, nor were we meant to be.   Instead, we work on those less-than-perfect skills just enough to make sure our main ones are not hindered.  Therefore, you are not trying to become a ‘10’ in the area of organizing, but perhaps only a ‘6’ or ‘7’, which is enough to improve your circumstances and let your star skills shine even brighter.

Be patient and honest with yourself. 

One of the easiest ways to stay organized is to set up systems that are logical for YOU.  The goal is for you to stay organized, not your friend or favorite blogger, so don’t just copy someone else’s solution.  Redesign it to fit your preferences and lifestyle; take the good and leave the awkward.  No one system will work all the time and will often need editing to remain efficient. 

 

Consider the costs.

Understand that every decision you make has an opportunity cost associated with it.  It could be a monetary cost for storage or the loss of time to maintain.  Perhaps your stuff or lack of order affects the amount of time you spend with those you care about the most.  While acquiring and keeping things may seem a worthwhile endeavor, consider how that aids you in or keeps you from living your definition of a full life.  Only you can answer those questions, and don’t be afraid to ask and answer them honestly.  

Furthermore, making things pretty and color-coordinated is nice and can be a incentive to maintain order, but that's not the main goal.  Focus on creating a state of organization instead of a "look" of organization.  It'll save you some $$$ in the long run.  Remember, it does not have to be neat to be organized!

Go forth and organize!

Know organization, know efficiency

In a previous post, I wrote about the difference between efficient order (organized) and visual order (neat).  Most of us like things to look neat, but perhaps we'd rather have things working smoothly instead. So, what IS efficient?

EF FIC ENT (/I’ fiSHent/, adjective)

·         (especially of a system or machine) achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.

·         preventing the wasteful use of a particular resource. 

‘Nuff said.  This is the epitome of organization – finding what you need, when you need it with the least amount of effort.  Also, I love the use of “wasted” and “wasteful” here.  Some folks think that getting or staying organized is overrated and not worth the trouble.  In some cases, I agree and understand the value of a mess.  There is a point where more organization does not make you more productive - that's the law of diminishing returns.  On the flip side, some effort (or expense) to organize generates greater productivity, where “a little bit goes a long way.” 

For example, you have a lot of crayons and you make use of a clear box to corral them all.  The amount of effort used to maintain that system is fairly minimal and effective; it only takes tossing the crayons back into the box and putting that box back with the other art stuff.  Done.  However, if you insist on arranging the crayons in ROY-G-BIV order followed by shortest to longest – the system becomes overkill.  Adding those extra steps makes it harder and decreases productivity, which in turn can make us less inclined to stay organized in the long run.  Efficiency is all about doing the most with the least.

**This graph just shows my thoughts, no scientific inquiry was done to construct it**

It can be a very thin line to walk.  Sometimes, adding extra steps helps make better use of other resources such as space or money even though it costs you more time or energy (such as shredding or recycling unwanted documents).  Other times, those steps aid in making things neater, but not necessarily more efficient (like making sure all the magazine spines are facing the same way in their basket).  Honestly, I have always struggled with this concept.  While I love making things tidy and pretty, I have to remember that neatness is not a pre-requisite for organization. 

Perhaps the biggest misconception is that organizing just makes things neater with full of stacked and labeled plastic tubs in (insert your room of choice).  I beg to differ.  Organizing should aim to make our lives more productive.  Maybe we should focus on using organizing tools as a means to an end, such as having more time to relax, more time to learn a language, more money to give to others, or more space to enjoy your favorite hobby.

Here are a few reasons why we should try to make friends with organizing:

1)      to become better stewards of our valuable assets (time, money, space, energy, natural resources)

2)      to enable us to be more productive and reach our goals

3)      to lessen the pains of stress, unpreparedness, and uncertainty

4)      to make our daily lives simpler

Are there some areas in our lives that could use some more productivity?  How about less wastefulness?  
For me, I am taking a hard look at how I spend my time in the mornings.  Left to my own devices, the morning hours would be wasted away doing nothing of critical value towards my goals.  Part of this problem relates to my energy levels peaking in the afternoon and early evenings.  However, that does not mean I should consistently waste those minutes – I’ve been blessed with them, so I need to put them to good use.  So I’m going to try my hand at being more productive in the mornings, so stay tuned – hopefully it will be a positive post!

How have you brought more efficiency to your life?  

Organized does not equal Neat

Contrary to popular belief, being organized does not mean you have to be neat.

Shocker?  I know.  A while back, I read a book entitled “Sorted! The ultimate guide to organizing your life – once and for all” by professional organizer Lissanne Oliver.  It’s full of how-to information, with tips on how to start, complete, and maintain the process of organizing all the physical stuff in our lives.  Even as a natural-born organizer, this book challenged me to rethink how I view organization.  In the introduction, the author asked "What does it mean to be organized?" and then "How do you define neat?" Her answers?  Neat is the visual appearance of order, whereas organization is how efficient the order actually is.  Simple, yet brilliant.

How often do we use neat and organized interchangeably, without realizing that those words are not synonymous?  Related, maybe, but not the same. Think about it, if you have some guests coming over and you haven't had time to prepare, you might stuff things in places that they do not belong - in random drawers, under the bed, in a closet. Sure, your place looks NEAT, but it is FAR from organized. Later on, you might find it difficult to find the mate to a shoe or that book you want to read. Even worse, that mess stays hidden and one day rears its ugly head, especially when it comes time to move.  On the other hand, as some artists and left-brain creative folks may claim, you can have organized chaos - an efficient system for someone that may not appear to be organized and is definitely not neat, but works well for that specific person.  Think of the piles of papers on a scientist’s desk or maybe a spread of paint in an artist’s studio.

While reading through the book, I re-evaluated my spaces first and foremost with an eye on efficiency.  When looking at a system or space, my list of questions followed in this logic: 

1)      EFFICIENCY:  How easy is it to get to what I need?  Can I/we maintain this system with minimal/comfortable effort? 

2)      QUALITY:  Will the setup withstand its designated use?  Is it worth investing into higher quality materials?

After the first two questions have been addressed could I tackle the final category:

3)      NEATNESS and AESTHETICS:  Is it neat? Is it pretty enough or fit into the décor?  (Granted, a little bit of aesthetics can come in with the 'quality' question.)

The best part?  YOU get to define "easy," "effort," and "enough" for whatever it is you are organizing.  Take the time to find efficiency first, and, if you choose, follow up with neatness.  Once things work more smoothly for you, the easier it will be to maintain and by extension, stay neat, if that’s your goal.  

Hopefully, this concept gives you permission to be more organized without the pressure of being neat.  In the future, I want to share with you how I used this approach in some disorganized areas of my home - so stay tuned!

Do you have any tips on how you found more efficiency in your life?

A Proactive Way to Deal with Surprises

Normally, my day doesn't begin without a 'TTD' (Things To Do) List and a schedule.  If I missed an appointment or meeting, chances are that it did not make it into my planner.  In a nutshell, my life seems to make more sense if I have it all worked out in advance. So, needless to say, surprises (unless they are on my birthday) are generally not welcome in my world because they can easily disrupt my plans.

But as we all know, "surprises" are an inevitable part of life. Things USUALLY don't go our way. So over the years, I've developed an approach to flexibility that allows me to handle those surprises. It includes:

1) Learn to roll (and block) the punches.

Sometimes, we have to be ready to have our ideas and plans kicked to the curb. Honestly, this first step is all about approaching the day with the right attitude.  Realize that STUFF happens and it's okay if we get knocked off course.  Dust off your knees, try to identify the top (I usually aim for 1 or 2) things that have to be done that day and focus only completing those tasks.  Or perhaps, ditch the schedule altogether if an emergency calls for your full attention.  The only concern is if these so-called 'punches' are landing more often than not - that's when the next steps can be extremely helpful.

2) Be realistic in making your schedule.

Do not follow the methods of airlines - overbooking is not necessarily conducive to productivity. I, too, want to maximize my day and get the most out of it. However, overextending one's time can lead to missing more important things, like a friend's birthday party, your niece's soccer game, or that meeting with a potential client. The litmus test: if you secretly say to yourself "there's no way I'm going to get all of this done today" before you finish writing your list, chances are you're overbooked. And if you're overbooked, surprises can send you into a level of stress and anxiety that are not healthy from any viewpoint.

3) Add buffers to your schedule.

Consider travel time and incorporate it into your time frames so that you are not promised to be somewhere before you even have a chance to get there. Add a few minutes in your scheduled times to work on projects for unintended interruptions, like phone calls from your Mom or a surprise visit from your boss. Unless its in the same building or area, try not to schedule back-to-back appointments. So if something "unexpected" does happen, you have a bit of a cushion to rearrange and reschedule things if needed.

I hope this helps, as it has helped me gain a better understanding of my own capabilities without pulling my hair out to get there. Here's to living in an optimal condition!!!

One A Day

Nope, I'm not talking about your daily multivitamin. Instead, I have concept that might be just as beneficial, but without swallowing a big pill. It can help liberate your soul and definitely clear your space.

What if everyday you got rid of something that you no longer need or use? One year = 365 things! Imagine all the free space you'll have!

That book that you've been meaning to read, but inwardly know that you never will. Those single socks that have forever lost their mates. A picture frame that doesn't quite fit your decor. Medicines that have gone way past their expiration date.  The possibilities are endless.

For those who have a tendency to hoard or have a tough time staying organized, you should really think about making this concept your new best friend.  At minimum, it will eliminate some junk from your life, and who wouldn't want that?  For those who are a bit more organized and clutter-free and don't mind throwing or giving things away, consider getting rid of an item once a week or a few items per month.  It will help you maintain the order which you've fought so hard to achieve.

Remember, getting organized starts with a conscious choice.  Staying organized begins with creating the right habits!