December 31, 2009
A New Beginning for a New Year and a New Decade
It's almost time to remove and store your holiday decorations until next year, but
if they don't have an assigned, logical "home" where they can be put away and easily found again, decorating for the 2010 holidays will include frustration and wasted hours of searching for things you know you have but can't find. (TIP: Don't pack away anything that you no longer love. This is the time to weed out those items you no longer like or need.)
We're heading into a new year and a new decade and what better way to begin them both than by getting organized. Jotting down "get organized" on a list of New Year's resolutions doesn't take much effort, but actually becoming more organized does. You need a clear idea of what you want to include in your life in the year(s) ahead and good reasons for sustaining the effort it will take. After that, you need the right plan, the right tools and the desire, willingness and determination to change.
First write down what your big picture goals are: changing jobs, moving, going back to school, getting married, downsizing, switching careers, etc. Next, write down how better organization in your home and life can support you in reaching your goals. For example: an organized closet means you can get dressed faster and with less stress in the morning and you’ll save money on not buying duplicates of items you have but can’t find. An organized kitchen means you can prepare food more easily and economically at home.
Invest some hours now in getting organized and you'll save days of stress later on. Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you determine if your quality of life will improve if you get more organized in 2010:
- If you keep all the items you currently own, will you have enough space
to live and function comfortably and easily? - Can you eat at your dining table?
- Does straightening up mostly mean moving things from one room to another or a different place in the same room rather than actually putting them away?
- Do you dread everyday tasks like making meals, doing laundry, handling the mail, etc.?
- In order to use a room, do you have to step over or around items?
- Do items fall out or over when you open a closet or cabinet door?
- Can you find what you need when you need or want it?
If the volume of items you own makes day-to-day life harder not easier, it's time to rethink keeping any that aren't being used or enjoyed. And if you have off-site storage, that should be re-evaluated, too. Off-site storage is often just a way to avoid making decisions about what to do with your “stuff”.
If the problem isn't the number of items you own, it may be that you don't have an assigned, logical place for things. For easier storage and retrieval:
- Keep like items together. For example, objects you need everyday to go
to work; documents you need to use often or keep track of continuously; documents you need to keep for a few years or forever; toiletries; house cleaning supplies, etc. - Store items according to frequency of use and where they will be most accessible when and where they're used. For example, keep your keys, cell phone and wallet in a drawer, basket, bowl or closet near the exit door of your home. If you do, it will be easier to grab them when you're leaving for work and easier to put them away once you return home.
- Use appropriately sized storage containers and label them accurately.
- Don't put items in a room where you don't intend to keep them.
- Whenever an item is removed from its assigned home, return it immediately after use.
Follow these suggestions and you'll be able to enjoy the extra time, space and money you’ve saved by being organized.
Have a happy and organized New Year!
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MILLER ORGANIZING. All rights reserved.
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MILLER ORGANIZING. All rights reserved.
14 Stuyvesant Oval
NYC, NY 10009