Sara Stebbins has written a nice little piece with some helpful tips on getting organized. Her tips (along with my thoughts on a few of them):
1. Walk away from bargains
Some people can’t walk away from bargains. I’m not saying my mom had this problem but I do remember her telling my dad stuff like, “I saved $20 on this dress.” My dad would reply, “But you SPENT $30 you didn’t need to spend.” Of course, that was my dad’s usual reply to money being spent on anything. Anyway, the point of point is that you shouldn’t just buy something because it’s a bargain. Doing so leads to clutter and clutter is the enemy of organization.
2. Make peace with imperfection
3. Never label anything “miscellaneous”
Uhhh…I have this problem.
4. Schedule regular decluttering sessions
This is a great idea. Be proactive before things get out of hand.
5. Stick with what works
6. Create a dump zone
I’d say this is an okay idea as long as it doesn’t go on too long. One of the things I notice is that when I’m cleaning the house, I spend a ton of time just putting stuff back where it belongs. Maybe we should institute a dump zone.
7. Ask for help
8. Separate emotions from possessions
9. Foresee (and avoid) problems
10. Know where to donate
To this I might add: MAKE SURE your kids know about this too. One of my sons threw away nearly-new shoes in his attempt at cleaning his room. I was not a happy camper. I should have communicated better to my kids that we give away nice stuff that they no longer need.
I also would like to add a few points:
• I have a rule that anything I haven’t used in six months and don’t plan on using in the next six months, I get rid of. I hate clutter.
• Organize your closet in a way so that you aren’t constantly having to move things out of the way to get to other things. The less movement you have to do, the less likely you are to make a mess.
Now I need to read something on organizing an office. My office is a hellhole.
