Common Traits of Chronic Disorganization

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Do you think you might be chronically disorganized?   Does being disorganized negatively affect your life in some way? Or has getting organized been a challenge for most of your adult life and you’ve made many attempts of getting organized that just don’t seem to work out?  If any of this rings true for you, continue reading this blog to find a few common characteristics of people who face the challenge of chronic disorganization.

According to the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, chronically disorganized individuals generally have the following characteristics:

  • accumulation of a large amount of possessions
  • is distracted easily
  • has many unfinished projects
  • is talkative, intelligent and emotional
  • has trouble letting items go
  • has lots of paper
  • often loses or misplaces items
  • needs visual clues
  • has difficultly managing time and is often late

Remember that as children we are generally not taught organizing skills so unless you have someone in your life to learn this from, how can you be organized?  And even with the most organized person, life sometimes get in the way. So don’t be too hard on yourself.   It’s not a fault or a weakness but simply a challenge that you can overcome with time and assistance.  There are lots of professional trained organizers, many that specialize in chronic disorganization, who can help you get control and make positive changes that will make a difference in your life.  Make sure you do your research and find someone reputable and associated with a professional organization such as the Professional Organizers in Canada. Are you ready?

Regift And Recycle

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Here’s a word that, for many people, makes them cringe:  “re gifting”.  In my opinion re gifting is great!  Not only for the planet but also for your own home organization.  Lets face it.  Sometimes, with the gift giver’s best of intentions, we receive something that just does not fit with our home or personal  style. Or, maybe we just don’t really need another one of something.  That’s ok.  Think of the gift as the actual thought that the person has in giving something to you, rather than the item itself. And certainly the person giving you a gift would not wish for you to be burdened by that gift, feeling guilty about shelving it and only bringing it out for display when the gift giver is around.

I personally have worked with many clients who do just this. What I suggest is to create a “Re gifting Centre” in your home.  So scout around and find a place in your home to create this space.  It can be a special closet or shelf, a large bin or a drawer in your bedroom or office. Don’t forget to label the item so that you do not mistakenly re gift it to the original gift giver!  Trust me.  I’ve done this.  Well, actually it was my husband, but that’s not important.  It’s definitely a faux pas . You may also come across new items in your home that you have never used and will never use.  These can also go into the regifting centre or dropped off at your local donation centre.    So give yourself permission to re gift.  Not only does this serve you well, but also serves others and the planet  too. Tell me what your regifting ideas are and how you manage this process.

Organizing For Healthy Living – 3 Tricks

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Have you ever thought about how disorganization in your life results in increased stress and frustration for you & your family? The effect of being chronically disorganized has a huge impact on your level of stress which can manifest itself in various forms of poor health.

frazzled

I know we all want to lower the stress in our lives, but in many cases the stress is the obstacle to getting organized. What better time than now to start the year off fresh and take that first step to de-stress and get organized for healthier living.  If you think about it, many stressors are rooted in poor organizational habits. When you get organized, you reduce stress, plain and simple.

The first step to de-stress is to de-clutter.  Most of us have too much stuff.  So take a quick look around your space and determine what you no longer use, need or want.  I bet you can find at least 10 items in your home to which you can say goodbye.  If you can incorporate a minimum of 10 minutes a day doing just this and letting go of some of the clutter in your home, you will  feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, reducing stress and creating a healthier mind and body as you lighten the load a little bit every day.

Here are 3 tricks that will help you get started and be more organized:

1.  Make a mental note to keep flat surfaces clear.  Doing so will keep you more calm and relaxed.

2.  Stop using the word “later”.  Especially when it comes to paperwork.  Just clearing the paperwork in your home will automatically reduce your level of stress.  When you see a pile of papers sitting around, deal with them now, not later.  Simply taking action for  a couple of minutes each time you see clutter will add up to decreased stress at the end of the day.

3.  Have a space for everything.  This way you will know where things need to live and it also helps you to set a limit on how much you can acquire.

And remember this rule of thumb – “One in = One out” .  This means that whenever you bring something new in your space, one thing has to leave.  Your inventory must match your storage.

Lastly, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again.  You are not your stuff. Stuff is inanimate.  You are not.  It’s ok to let it go and declutter for a healthier mind and body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Organizing A Home Office

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There are many people out there that work from or at home and have set up a home office for their needs.  However, sometimes the business of running your business gets out of control and you end up with paper clutter and debris everywhere.  A large number of people who contact me for organizing assistance have this very same issue. Especially when the business is growing very quickly, it’s difficult to keep up.  Here’s an example of one client whose business was growing so rapidly that his office ended up overtaking his billiards room!

Home Office & Billiards Room before organizing

 

After we were finished organizing and setting up efficient office systems in a designated office space we discovered a pool table underneath all that stuff which had not been seen or used in over 2 years!

Billiards Room after organizing

My client picked up his pool cue, set up the table, and played his first game of billiards on this table in 2 years. He was a happy man. Do any of you have paper or other clutter so overwhelming that you can’t utilize one of the rooms in your home for it’s intended purpose?

 

Donating to Schools

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With all the cutbacks in funding, I think we can all agree that schools are always in need of supplies no matter how small. I’m currently working with a client who has an old, unused sewing room jam packed with everything from fabrics to old Vogue patterns, costumes and all sorts of sewing accessories. Although many local craft guilds would give their right arm to get some of these items, another idea is to donate to your local school.  In addition to sewing related items,  schools would love to receive these other things as well:

  • postcards, greeting cards
  • old magazines
  • wrapping paper
  • small wood scraps
  • craft materials
  • sequins and buttons

So, after the holiday rush is over and you are settling in to (hopefully) a couple of days off, take some time to go through some of your unused items and see what you have to donate to your local school.  Not only will you create some space in your own home for what’s important to you now, but you’ll also help develop some creativity in your community school as well.   So donate and feel great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Things You May Not Realize Are Recylable

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As many of you already know, I recently attended the POC (Professional Organizers in Canada) Conference and came away with a ton of new information and ideas to share with everyone.  The speakers at this conference were all pretty amazing with a wealth of experience in organizing.  When organizing my clients’ homes we often come across a variety of items to be tossed.  However, as it turns out, many of these things can in fact be recycled.  For instance, here are five things you probably have lying around your house which can be recycled if no longer used or needed:

1.  Crocs shoes

2. Fire extinguishers

3. The old strings (cords only) of holiday lights you have lying around

4. Nylon carpeting

5. Shoes

I was most surprised to learn that shoes can be recycled! Do any of these items that can be recycled surprise you?

4 Tips for Overcoming Procrastination

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Do you ever think that maybe you’re chronically disorganized? If you think you may be, it’s likely that procrastination has been and continues to be a habit that you’ve formed over your lifetime. This can be a challenge in getting organized, however you can develop and form new habits that will conquer procrastination.

Courtesy of The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (yes, there is in fact such a place), here are a few tips to get you started with overcoming procrastination:

Firstly, motivation is what will get you started on your path, and new habits will keep you going. Simply resolve to get started and you are well on your way.

Secondly, if you write down and prioritize your professional and personal goals you will give ownership to them and feel more compelled to succeed.

Thirdly, breaking up your projects into smaller more managable tasks will assist you in being successful. Avoid the “all or nothing” thinking that will ultimately be an obstacle to your organization.

Lastly, let go of being perfect! Often times we become challenged with doing things perfectly. Experience has taught me that perfectionism is an obstacle to organization. So let it go, and let “good enough” be good enough for you.

Are you ready to develop new habits? How will you overcome the habits that are keeping you from getting & staying organized?

7 Benefits Of Decluttering And Organizing

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While on site at a client’s home today it was very apparent that in the short time we had been working on various projects in the home, they had already derived a great deal of benefit from the work done so far. As such, I think it’s important that everyone realize the 7 key benefits of decluttering and getting organized:

• Improved quality of life, free time & more space for yourself
• Feeling in control with increased energy & productivity
• Effective systems & strategies for day to day living
• Reduced stress and frustration
• Ability to focus on what’s important
• Bills paid on time
• Pride in your home

So what’s preventing you from achieving an organizational paradigm? I’d love to help.

3 Ways To Teach Children To be Organized

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With the holiday season in full swing, what better time than now to teach your children how to let go of items and be organized. You’re never too young to start.

The first way is in regards to their toys. Go through toys with your child every 6 months and point out which toys they no longer play with. You can suggest they donate to another child. It’s important that your child be part of this process and makes the actual decision with your support.

The second way is with clothing. With a very young child as you go through their clothing have them look at the piles of clothes that no longer fit and confirm with them that they are ready to let them go. I suggest you even ask them to come with you to the donation centre to drop them off. Including them in this process helps them to learn to let go and make decisions, which is an important step in the organization.

The third way is through artwork. Once a month you can review the pieces of art made by your children and ask them to select those that they are ready to recycle. It’s important that they physically put the item into the recycle bin themselves. Through this process they will learn to pick out the more treasured pieces from those that no longer hold value to them. If your child is struggling with letting go of a piece of their art, offer to take a digital photo for them.

Remember to reward the child for his or her decision-making. This way they will associate organization with positive reinforcement and keep them coming back for more. What methods do you use to teach them organizing skills?

Holiday Gift Wrapping

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How many of you out there will be furiously wrapping gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve? The time it takes to wrap holidays gifts is often under estimated and can cause a great deal of stress. Especially if your supplies are scattered throughout your home and you already feel frazzled. frazzled Now’s the time to set up a gift wrapping station. A space you dedicate for preparing packages and wrapping gifts in ease and in privacy. Perhaps it will be on the workbench in your basement or utility room, or the desk in your home office? Or maybe on the floor in your bedroom or at your kitchen table? But before you can start you need all supplies at hand. Then it’s super easy to wrap and enjoy this task. One way to keep all supplies at hand is to have a clear plastic/resin, four or five drawer rolling cart with deep drawers. Canadian Tire is one place to find these fairly inexpensively. Keep tape, scissors, stamps, and other wrapping tools in the top drawer, ribbons and bows in the next, flat pieces of wrapping paper & remnant paper in third drawer, gifts boxes and gift bags in the fourth and fifth drawers. Wrapping paper can be corralled in an old crock pot or an umbrella stand.
Also, before you go out and purchase gift wrapping supplies, check out your own home first. Often times we forget that we bought supplies at last years’ post holiday sales. So enjoy wrapping your gifts this year and take some of the stress out of this holiday season.