Lisa S. Griffith

Today, it felt like fall for the first time. I opened every single window in my home and enjoyed the drier, cooler air, and the crisp, clean scent. Fall has always been my favorite time of year - the cooler weather, beautiful leaves, quicker pace and back to school routine. Maybe it was all those years I spent as a teacher, feeling like everything was new again with the start of a new school year. My kids and I always enjoyed preparing for the start of the school year with new school supplies. After figuring out what they needed (those teachers' supply lists were always eagerly awaited,) we'd make our annual trip to the office supply store and arrive home laden with notebooks, binders, pens, filler paper, etc., etc. Then the annual ritual would begin. Everything would be spread out on the family room floor, packages ripped open, and the organizing and labeling would begin (I know, I know, apples and trees... ;-) Backpacks were filled, first-day outfits were chosen, and they were armed and ready to start the new year. It was fun to witness their excitement, even through high school and college, with the anticipation of new classes, new activities and new goals laid out before them. Even though the luster dimmed quite a bit after the first week or so, and the reality of early mornings and late night homework set in, I believe that this ritual of getting organized for the upcoming school year helped them deal with the anxiety and trepidation that taking on anything new brings.

You may have noticed that the name of this newsletter has changed to "Organized & Productive". In the spirit of turning over my own new leaf, my goal is to provide you with organizing tips and tools not only for your home, but for your office and productivity as well. Hopefully, I can help you make the most of your space and time so that you can focus on doing more of what you enjoy in a space where you can thrive!  

Getting organized is the first step towards taking on new challenges and attaining new goals. Turn over a new leaf and start your own yearly ritual this fall.  

Make a change.  

Tackle an organizing project in your home or office.  

Attend an organizing workshop.  

By the time the leaves fall, you'll have more space, more time,  

and a more productive life as a result!

 

Turn Over a New Leaf  

O = ORGANIZE

For the past few months, we've been exploring the IN ORDER™ system for getting your space organized. I've discussed the mental preparation necessary in beginning the organizing process:

I = Invest - your time, energy and money in the organizing process.

N = Need - determine the area of greatest need where disorganization affects your life the most.

The next step in the IN ORDER™ system begins the actual physical process of organizing. O stands for "Organize", but in a very specific way. You will need to take all items in the space (yes, every single thing) and organize them into categories, sorting things like with like. Why every single item? Until you know exactly what you have and how much of it you have, it will be impossible to decide where to keep it. It's also crucial to find out exactly what's in that space (you never know what you may find!) As you pick up each item, whether it's an article of clothing, a kitchen utensil, a book, or a piece of paper, you need to decide in what category it belongs  and place it with other items in the same category.

For example:

In a clothes closet, categories may include: pants, shirts, jackets, dresses, etc.

In a kitchen, categories may include: items used every day, items used a few times a month, items used once or twice a year.

For office or household paperwork: categories may include financial, medical, insurance, car, leisure activities, etc.

For this step in the organizing process, you don't need special containers. Don't buy anything. Use whatever containers you have - laundry baskets, old boxes, plastic bins. They are only temporary homes for your stuff. Label each bin with a post-it note so you don't forget what goes in which bin as you move deep into the sorting process.

It may take a while to determine what your categories are, and you may need to adjust them as you go along. However, the process will become easier and move along more quickly as you get the hang of organizing like items with like. Just start by picking up an item and forcing yourself to make a decision - in what category does this belong? This is not a life-or-death decision! Don't agonize - just decide and move on to the next thing, until you've touched every single item in the space.

Piles of clutter are the result of delayed or non-existent decision-making. Break that cycle now, make the necessary decisions, and get started.

Next month: R = REDUCE

Organized & Productive

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