Dear   ,    

Isn't springtime wonderful?  I'm loving all the new growth, the sunshine and the warmer temperatures, and I find that many people are motivated by the nicer weather to get rid of the clutter in their lives and get things more organized! 

This month's newsletter talks about using deadlines to keep you motivated, and offers a valuable resource for donating a surprising variety of items.  We also have some thoughtful feedback on last month's article on freebies. 

As always, I welcome your feedback, and would be happy to talk in more detail about the organizing challenges in your life!  

- Maryann Murphy 

   The Power of Deadlines

  When you have a group of people coming over for a party, do you suddenly find the energy to get your house cleaner than it's been in months?  If you have a deadline at work, do you focus all your energy on getting the project done (even if it's all done in the last 3 hours before the meeting where it's to be presented)?  The same thing happens when we set meaningful deadlines for ourselves. So why not use that power to get your home decluttered and organized? 

During my organizing sessions, I always take time at the end to discuss what sort of "homework" or follow-up assignments my clients want to do before our next session.  We check in on that assignment at the beginning of our next session to see how it went.  The purpose of this is not to make people feel bad if they don't get things done - it's to provide a clear path forward, some learning about what gets in the way, and a stronger motivation to get important things done.  I often hear from my clients that yes, they did their assignment, but they did it 2 hours before I arrived!  That's fine by me - it shows the power of a deadline! 

It's not that we don't have the time to get organized, it's simply not a high enough priority to take time away from other important things we want or need to do.  Creating our own deadlines can help us turn wishes ("I wish I didn't have so many papers on the kitchen counter") into commitments ("I'm hosting a Memorial Day picnic on Sunday, so I'd better get those papers sorted by Saturday").

Some tips for using deadlines to help you get more organized:

• Schedule a donation pickup by Big Brother/Big Sister, Salvation Army, or your local charity donation group.  When you know they're coming on Friday morning, you're much more likely to make decisions about donations and get things out to the curb on  Thursday night. 
• Look up the date of your church or community group's next yard sale, or your library's next book sale.  Find out when they start and stop accepting donations, and schedule time to take some boxes of things to donate.
• Schedule a get-together with your friends at your house.  It doesn't have to be a big event -  just planning pizza or drinks with a few friends or family can give  you the motivation to clear up your kitchen and living room.
• Invite out of town relatives or friends to stay overnight.  This raises the stakes considerably!  Since most guest rooms become dumping grounds for a lot of miscellaneous items, you'll have to do some serious decluttering and organizing to get ready, but wouldn't it be fun to see them again for a weekend? The deadline of their arrival will help you focus on what needs to be done and what needs to go.
• Schedule a consultation or work session with your favorite professional organizer (that's me, right?)  There's no need to clean up before I get there, but if you feel motivated, why not use that energy and get started?  You'll be off to a great start before I even arrive! 
• Be realistic about timing when you make these plans with others.  You don't want to add huge amounts of stress to yourself, and you don't want to cancel because you didn't have time to get enough done.  But try to push yourself a bit by scheduling a deadline you know you could meet if you were motivated.  The deadline itself will help increase that motivation. 

Deadlines work.  I have to go now so I can finish this newsletter by the end of the day!

 A great place for donating old blankets, comforters and towels is your local animal shelter.  They usually run on a pretty tight budget, so donations are always welcome, but the thing I like most is that they provide an easy way to re-use items that are in not quite good enough condition for resale at a thrift shop.  Things should be clean, but a stain on that comforter or sheet, or worn out, mis-matched towels are no problem when they'll be used as bedding for puppies.

Check your own local shelter, but the MSPCA at 1577 Falmouth Rd. (Rte. 28) in Centerville says they always need:

• Paper towels, bleach, liquid laundry detergent, office supplies (3 ring binders, paper, pens, laminating sheets, Staples gift cards) & bedding (yes to blankets, towels, sheets, but no to pillows, down comforters or electric blankets)
• For dogs: training treats, string cheese or hot dogs, toys (especially Kongs/Interactive Toys), leashes, collars, harnesses, unopened food (dry or canned)
• For cats: clay litter (non-clumping), toys, cat beds, kitchen weight scales to weigh the kittens, unopened food (dry or canned), Gerber baby food (lamb, chicken or turkey)
• For rabbits and small mammals: Fresh vegetables and unopened food, timothy hay, toys, treats and houses, newspaper (but call ahead about that)
• Miscellaneous supplies: hand sanitizers, kleenex, first aid supplies, postage stamps, toilet paper, hand soap, thank you cards, and Dawn original dishwashing soap.

I found some of these requests surprising and helpful to know about (hand sanitizers, pens and thank you cards?  I find lots of spares of these items).  But the best part for me is that they accept donations at their front door even when they are not open!  This can sometimes be a challenge as many donation places have very limited hours and we're not always able to get there when they're open.  Of course check your own local shelter for their needs and rules, but if you've been having a hard time knowing what to do with your old bedding or pet items, your local pet shelter can probably use your help!

As I expected, last month's article on "The High Cost of Free Things" generated some discussion. Faithful reader Eric Ericson of Falmouth pointed out that, regarding the small, free toiletry items included in your hotel room or given away as samples at cosmetic counters, we should pick them up when offered, and pass them on to the needy:

"Many shelters, food pantries and places serving a needy community like Falmouth Service Center, like to give those samples to clients. These amenities are not covered by FOOD STAMP certificates... They are also useful when traveling to see friends, camping etc."

Eric makes a good point, and thank you, Eric, for the suggestions.  If you have the discipline to get those items to the right service centers that want them, by all means share the wealth!  But - if they are just going to sit around in your bathroom closet until you "get around to it", or if you're picking up items they don't want at your local shelter, you may just be adding to your clutter and generating more waste. So be clear about your own capabilities and habits regarding collecting items to pass on to others. Kudos to Eric for his thoughtfulness and generosity, and for joining in the discussion!