Dear   ,  
 

The kids are safely back in school and fall is officially here, so maybe it's time for YOU to take a class on something just for you.  I'll be offering presentations on how to organize your business, your kitchen, and your photos this week and next, so check out the links to the left for the ones you might want to join me for.  No homework required, although you'll probably want to take action after each one!

Fall is also a good time for hitting the books - whether for fun, work or school.  The article below shares how to read more without adding to your household clutter by taking it one step at a time.

And finally, take advantage of this Saturday's National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to dispose of old medications safely.  See the Recycling Corner (to the left) for details.

Enjoy this beautiful new season of the year.  Hope to see you at one of my presentations soon!

- Maryann Murphy 

One Step at a Time  

Potential clients are often afraid that I'm going to make them "throw everything out" - as if I even could if I wanted to (lol)!  Change (such as becoming more organized) is always YOUR choice, and it usually happens in a more graduated way - not gradual, exactly, but more graduated - one step at a time.  Trying to change all your habits at once is a recipe for becoming overwhelmed and either giving up too soon, or at least backsliding.

I was thinking of this recently regarding paper vs. electronics.  I'm a book lover and can't imagine giving up some of my favorite books that have been with me all my life.  But I received an e-reader (a Kindle) last year, and found lots to love about it too!  I didn't get rid of many of my existing books (I would have had to purchase them again online, and that seemed silly), but I did start purchasing and renting some NEW books electronically, and reading them on my Kindle. 

I liked the ability to highlight important passages, bookmark pages I want to return to, and most importantly, be able to carry hundreds of books with me wherever I go, in something smaller than a hardcover and lighter than a paperback!  I can also rent books from my library without ever leaving my home, and no more worries about overdue fines, since the rented book automatically becomes inaccessible once the time is up.  Of course, as an organizer, the best benefit to me is that the e-reader takes up so much less room than all the books it can replace!

If you continually have to buy more bookcases, or pack your books away in boxes where you never see them anyway, or move a pile of books just to be able to sit down, perhaps it's time to make a little change:

• Start using an e-reader (stand-alone or tablet) once in a while, for books you don't need in hard copy (novels, for example).  
• Try one out for textbooks or books you would use for reference, and try the highlighting and bookmarking functions.  See how much easier it is to find your markings when they're organized for you electronically and automatically.
• If you travel, try "packing" your books on your e-reader.  See how much lighter your travel bag is!
• Try NOT to buy the hard copy book as well as the e-book!  This defeats one of the main purposes (saving space).  If you just HAVE to, as a first step, okay; but wean yourself off the hard copy books as soon as you can.

You don't have to embrace the new technology completely and for everything.  But give it a try and see if you can reduce your acquisition of NEW hard copy books by at least 25%.  You'll save a lot of space, and still enjoy the reading experience!  Really!

• Chronic Disorganization Specialist, Institute for Challenging Disorganization
• Member, National Speakers Association and NSA-NE
• Member, National Association of Professional Organizers New England chapter
• Member, Mashpee Hoarding Task Force
• Vice President for Membership, Marion Toastmasters Club
• Secretary, American Business Woman's Association of Cape Cod

My business relies on referrals, so please forward this to anyone you think might benefit from it.

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