Dear  ,    

Change is in the air - leaves are falling, elections are upon us, temperatures are getting colder, and warmer clothing is starting to layer on.  For some, even bigger changes are happening: moving to a new home, changing jobs, dealing with health issues, relationship changes, and more.

Today's articles are all about change - making changes that you choose so they work for you.  Organizational consultant and author William Bridges said

"It is when we are in transition that we are most fully alive".

I agree; so enjoy the beauty of autumn, and find the beauty and excitement in whatever changes are happening in your life. 

- Maryann Murphy, MSW

Revise as Needed!

Have you ever lost your taste for a particular food item that you used to like?  Had a pair of pants that once fit perfectly but no longer does?  Had a job you enjoyed but simply outgrew? The same thing can happen with your organizing systems.

I was recently looking at one of the cubicles in the bookcase next to my desk, and realized two things: 

1. I needed more room for my 3-ring binders, and
2. I wasn't really using my sorting trays effectively (in the space on the right, next to the binders).

I could have hung on to the sorting trays and tried to make them work better - after all, they used to work that way - but instead I took out the trays, moved some of the paper elsewhere, and re-set the space the way I need it today!

I did lose my favorite paper-recycling spot (the bottom tray), but now I can store twice as many binders, and that's more important to me now.  I also found a new spot for the paper recycling, so it was a total win/win!

This was a simple improvement, but I resisted making it for a while because I was used to the old way of doing things.

Take a look around your home or office.  Is there a system you set up for storage or sorting that just doesn't work as well as it used to?  A filing system with outdated categories? Storage racks for cassettes and LPs you no longer listen to?  A "computer desk" that doesn't work with your new laptop or tablet?  Furniture from your old house that doesn't fit in your new place and never really will?

As our needs and interests change, our organizing systems may need to change too. Don't be afraid to change it up a little.  Change is inevitable.  Adapting to change is the smart way to keep yourself organized!

Recycling Corner:  Online Clothing Consignment 

Many people have a tough time with consignment shops - you usually have to make an appointment ahead of time, there are limited appointment hours, strict limits on how many pieces they will take, designer brands only, top condition, new styles (often from the past 2 years only), etc.  It's enough to make you give up and just donate the clothes or worse (from my point of view as a professional organizer), hang on to them until you "have the time" to bring them to a consignment shop.

Another option has been growing in popularity and availability over the past few years: online clothing-consignment.  According to an article by Nicole Anzia for the Washington Post, there are a number of websites that make consignment easier, with "complimentary packaging, free shipping, and access to a lot [more] potential buyers." 

You still have to adhere to the guidelines of each site, the terms of consignment vary from site to site (usually giving you some percentage of the sales price), and some require more work than others (taking photos of your clothes and posting them to their app, for example), but you can do it all in the privacy of your own home, and some are super-simple, allowing you to make a little money fairly easily on things you no longer use. 

Check out these sites for more information:

• www.poshmark.com - women's clothing and accessories in good condition - any brand
• www.thredUP.com - name-brand women's & children's clothing, including plus-size and maternity items in "like new" condition.
• www.liketwice.com - lightly used women's clothes, handbags and shoes (brands listed on site)
• www.therealreal.com - men's and women's "authenticated luxury clothes", fine jewelry & fine art
• www.threadflip.com - new or lightly worn women's clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry & accessories
• www.snobswap.com - luxury designer clothes, shoes & accessories for men, women & children

Sure, this is a new way to do consignment, and it may take a little while to find the right site for you and learn their systems, but as you change out your old clothes for the newer, maybe it's time to try a different way to sell them too!