OrganizerPro - The Ultimate Guide to Getting it all Together

How many times have you torn up the house looking for that one important item, or been paralyzed by the avalanche in your inbox, or spent far too many mornings in a dead sprint to get out of the house on time? Things that are left undone can be your own undoing - adding stress and wasting precious time. Organizing is the act of giving yourself more time and peace of mind.

Getting Started

1. Try to understand the role in your life played by all those accumulated belongings. Many people hang on to belongings for comfort and security, and to remind them of who they've been and who they want to become. Paring down, however, doesn't have to be a painful process. Organizing takes whatever works best for you and makes it the norm rather than the exception.
2. Read Set Your Goals in 16 Steps. Then take an inventory of everything that's not working in your life, big or small. Is it pawing through your closet each morning for something to wear, or dreading planning dinner every night? Do you wish you had more time to work out, travel or write a book? Now list everything that would make you feel better: Having bills paid on time. Spending more time with your family. Being able to actually park your car in the garage. This inventory will reveal where your energy and time are needed and clarify your values.

The Urge to Purge

1. Choose an area from your inventory that needs help. Whether it's your overflowing office, your crammed closet or your bureau, roll up your sleeves.
2. Start small to avoid getting overwhelmed. If you don't have an entire day or weekend to devote to the project, carve out 20-minute chunks. Tackle the junk drawer during halftime. Take on the medicine chest while you're supervising baths. Setting a realistic time frame is key to getting stuff done.
3. Pull out everything from your target area and sort it into four piles: items to keep, items to sell or give away, items to fix and items to toss. Use boxes or large garbage bags to manage your piles, and keep one box to fill with items that belong elsewhere.
4. Put the misplaced items where they belong or in a temporary place. Take your discards to the garbage can and recycling bin. Put your sell or donate box in the car. Now look through what you're keeping. Set aside anything that needs repairs, with a deadline of three months or so until they are too are sold or donated.
5. Make purging a routine. Of all the organizing principles, it's the most difficult, yet it yields the most visible results. If you have trouble letting something go, box it up for a year. If you still haven't needed it, you'll be more ready to toss it.

Keeping it Together

1. Start creating new organizing systems by analyzing how you use and store your stuff. Some organizers call it being "motion minded." Hang a bucket filled with sponges, rags, soap and wax in the garage. Keep the coffeemaker next to the sink for water, and store coffee, filters and cups nearby. Pay attention to how often you use things as well. Place frequently needed items at eye level and at the front of shelves; put less frequently used items at the back, or on high or low shelves.
2. Ask yourself how a particular task or area could be made more efficient, and continue to refine your systems until you're happy with the result. Whatever you try, make it simple. Anything else sets you up for failure.
3. Purchase containers that fit the task. Clear, stackable, sturdy, air- and watertight containers offer security, access and visibility.
4. Label containers, folders, boxes and files clearly so everyone in the family knows where things go, and you can quickly identify contents. Unlabeled CDs, videotapes, folders or boxes are a guaranteed time waster.
5. Be conscious about acquiring new stuff. Before you purchase something, make sure you have a place for it. Better yet, purchase something new only if you get rid of something old. Buy only what you'll really use - even if it's a good deal or on sale. Say no to castoffs from friends and family. When in doubt, live without.
6. Recognize that you can't do it alone all the time - that's part of being organized. Get help from relatives, friends or professionals if you can't keep up with routine chores; you aren't goon at doing what needs to be done; you don't know how to do something and have no time to learn; or you recently went through a major life event such as a family death, divorce, job loss or change or a move. If you're too overwhelmed to even start, call in the cavalry