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The Great Organizing GIveaway!
FREE!
January is Get Organized Month (GO Month), and to celebrate, a number of my colleagues and I are participating in the Great Organizing GIveway next week.
On January 25th, I will send you a link to the site for the Giveaway, where you can sign up for free tip sheets, webinars, ebooks and more, all related to getting organized.
As a Professional Organizer, I learn from and keep in touch with other organizers and productivity experts, and I know that you will benefit from learning about some of their resources as well. Watch your email for the Giveaway next week! |
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Upcoming Classes
Get help getting organized with others in the same situation! Take a class to start your New Year off right. Upcoming classes I will be teaching in the next month are:
BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AT WORK
1 session, Monday, 1/25, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
TIME MANAGEMENT
2 sessions, Wednesdays, 2/3-2/10, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
ORGANIZE YOUR OFFICE
1 session, Wednesday, 2/24, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
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| Dear ,
How are those New Year's resolutions coming along? Most resolutions made for New Year's Day have been dropped by the Ides of March, so how do you avoid becoming one of the negative statistics?
Making a plan, making a public commitment, and getting support from others have all been shown to help turn "resolutions" into "results", whether your goal is to lose weight, improve your finances, or get more organized!
See the tips below for some help making this the year you make your New Year's Resolutions come true!
- Maryann
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Making Those New Year's Resolutions Come True!
New Year's Eve is a time when many of us vow to get more organized, and I have had a number of calls from people who are ready to get some help!
Asking for help serves several useful purposes:
- It makes your resolution a little more public. You don't have to tell the neighbors, and I'll keep your secret if you don't want them to know, but saying you want to take care of this problem to someone else, like a professional organizer OR a friend or family member, makes you more likely to follow through on it.
- It helps keep you on track. When you ask someone to come help you get organized, you're more likely to stay focused longer on the task than if you just try to fit organizing in to your regular day.
- You get the benefit of their experience and resources. I do this for a living, so I know and keep up to date on the best new resources and strategies for organizing any space or schedule.
Another strategy is picking a target date. One of my former Adult Ed students told me recently that she cleaned out and purged 26 years' worth of "stuff" this year when she sold her house and moved to a condo. Having a target date (like the moving date) and a specific incentive (downsizing to a condo) helped her focus on what she really needed and didn't need anymore.
You may not be moving, but picking a target date for organizing your home can help a lot. Plan a dinner party at your home in March, a birthday party in April, a graduation party in May. You'll find yourself a lot more motivated to get the organizing done if you know people will be coming to visit on a certain date!
Making it easier to get rid of things helps too. My student found it helpful when her daughter got her a "driveway dumpster" for 2 weeks and helped her make decisions and move things out. Somehow a dumpster just seems to invite you to throw things in, and it can even feel like fun! She even found her neighbors throwing things in as well! I have another client who got rid of lots of clutter in his house after a tree fell on his roof and the contractors brought in a dumpster for the damaged shingles. There was extra room in the dumpster, and having it so conveniently available on the front lawn made it easier to decide to throw other things away.
So if you're fading a little on those New Year's resolutions, get some help, pick a target date, and find ways to make it easier and more fun. This can be the year you really get organized! And call me if you'd like some help. |
 There has been a lot of publicity lately about hoarding, a significant problem that directly affects an estimated 1 in 20 people, PLUS many of the people around them.
Oprah and Dr. Phil have done episodes on it, and the AE TV show, "Hoarders" has allowed TV viewers a glimpse into the world of hoarding.
But is hoarding the same as being a "packrat" or a collector, or just someone who likes to be frugal and hold on to things they might use?
Saving and collecting become serious problems when they cause significant distress or interfere with your ability to function, when there are safety or health problems because of the quantity or age of things being saved (expired dates on foods and medicines), and when they interfere with you being able to use your rooms the way they were intended to be used.
If you think you or someone close to you might be a hoarder, it's important to get help from someone who is experienced at dealing with these issues. There are different levels of severity of the problem, and the type of help you may need depends on where you are on the "Clutter Hoarding Scale". Whether or not your situation qualifies as "Compulsive Hoarding", if the situation is causing you anxiety, upset or pain, there is help out here!
The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (of which I am a member), studies the issues that can lead to chronic disorganization and hoarding AND the ways to help people in those situations get better. Go to NSGCD.org to find a trained specialist in your area, or take a look at "Buried in Treasures", a book by Tolin, Frost & Steketee that can help both people who hoard and their family members and friends. | |
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Please call me if you need additional help organizing your home, your office, or your schedule. I can come to your home or office and help you there, or do coaching by phone.
I also conduct trainings and do public speaking for corporations and community groups on Organizing, Time Management and Public Speaking.
My business relies on referrals, so please forward this to anyone you think might benefit from it. Thanks, and have a great GO Month! |
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Sincerely,
Maryann Murphy, MSW
Professional Organizer, Speaker, Trainer
(508) 292-6706
Director of Professional Development, NAPO-NE
Chronic Disorganization Specialist, NSGCD
Area Governor,Toastmasters International Area F2, District 31
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