Category: Organize Your Stuff

6 Tasks to Create Organizing Momentum This Week!

October in the Midwest is my favorite time of year.  We enjoy crisp air, blue skies and amazing colors.  But if you’ve lived here long enough, you realize the beauty of Fall is God’s way of softening the blow of Winter.    Cold weather will soon be upon us, and that means, among other things, a lot more time spent indoors.So use this week as a super-powered jump start to your organizing projects, and try one of these 6 Tasks to Create Organizing Momentum!
  1. Get your closet ready for colder weather, and finish (or start and finish!) your seasonal clothes swap.  Pull out your summer clothes to make room for your cold weather ones, and critically review the summer stuff, tossing or donating anything you don’t need, use or love.
  2. Winterize your landing / launch pad, too.  Swap out the baseball caps and sunscreen by the back door for hats and mittens. Again, review the summer stuff critically and toss / donate the stuff you don’t need, use or love.
  3. Pantry shopping:  This time of year feels like the time to stock up, but I challenge you to instead clean out the pantry, fridge and freezer for the next few weeks. Use up what you have before buying more. Use food before it expires, save money by not buying new food, clear cabinet clutter –  the ultimate de-clutter strategy for your kitchen!
  4. Prep your car(s) for winter. Pack a safety bag including but not limited to: a blanket, sweatshirt, extra phone car-charger, umbrella, gloves, non-perishable snacks and a bottle of water, tissues, wipes and hand lotion, and snow scraper.
  5. Call and make appointments with your service people this week.  Call the handyman, the furnace guy or the carpet cleaners, and get on the schedule now before their schedules fill up with the holidays.
  6. Drop off Your Donations, and Recycle your Recycling.  Have you decided to get rid of something in your home?  Go ahead and move it along this week.  Selling that air hockey table or those Halloween costumes? Have bags of clothes to donate to a charitable organization?  Or a pile of old computer components and cords?  Send it all on its way! Making decisions is the hardest part of getting organized, so if you’ve made decisions about things that need to go – either donated, sold, recycled or just trashed – then please, spend an hour, load up the car and drop those items off.  Get them out of your house and on to where they will be useful again.

So, what’s it going to be?  Let’s send clutter on its way, and create organizing momentum to get things done!

Productivity Challenge: Get Up! Sitting at a Desk is Bad for You! 

“Getting Up and Moving Around at Work” has been my intended topic for this week, but I find it amusing that I’m writing it while standing because my hip is sore. I’m blaming the high heels I wore to a weekend wedding, though it could have been the Cupid Shuffle at the reception!

The research is in, and it shows just how bad prolonged sitting at a desk is for our health, our productivity and our happiness.  Too much sitting increases obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and depression; and decreases metabolism, circulation and energy levels.  This challenge is compounded by the fact that so much of our leisure time is also spent sitting – driving, watching TV, sitting at home computers, eating, etc.  This sedentary and seated lifestyle is taking a toll on our bodies.  On a personal note, last winter I went to the Chiropractor because of intense lower back pain, and sitting too long at my desk was part of the problem.

There is a lot of information out there right now supporting standing-while-working and increased activity during the workday.  Standing up and moving around counteracts those negative physical effects of prolonged sitting.  There are also productivity benefits to standing and moving around (just google “productivity benefits of standing work stations”).  My energy and focus increase, while my stress decreases and my mood improves. Just by standing and moving around.

If you need more convincing, please do your own research – I did and I was amazed.  But how to incorporate this strategy into our day?  Try these:

1. Just Pay Attention. Making a change makes us pay attention to our current situation, and this usually leads to increased engagement and productivity.

2.  Include activity breaks in your blocked work time.  The Pomodoro Technique suggests 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of break; I’ve also read 50 / 10.  The premise is that our minds focus for a certain amount of time (25 minutes), and then our mind and our body need a break (and not just switching over to Facebook, or checking our phone).   A break means getting up and moving, stretching, breathing deeply.  My phone’s timer App can remind me to take my 5 minutes, or I can use my microwave timer if I’m home – it’s great because I have to get up to turn it off!  The 5 minute break could be standing, stretching, walking around the office; or if you work from home, play with the dog, toss in a load of laundry, make a cup of tea, etc.  Track your progress with a FitBit or activity bracelet.

3. Stay hydrated:  I have learned a lot since my first trip to the chiropractor last winter, including the fact that I was chronically dehydrated.  Add more water to your day, and you will get up and move a lot more, to re-fill your water bottle, and to use the wash room!

4.  Run your own errands.  Technology is great and convenient, but often it replaces actual activity.  Yes, you could send someone an email, but you could also get up and walk over to their work space.  Or drop off papers instead of using interoffice mail, or take a walk at lunch instead of ordering in.

5. Consider a standing Work Space, or other options.  The standing work space is gaining popularity (go to Amazon.com and check out the variety of options!).   We created standing work spaces in our home (here is what I am using right now),  and more traditional offices are offering standing options, too.   We don’t need to only stand, though – my massage therapist reminded me that standing all day could have its own negative effects.   So, change up your space, and include both seated and standing options.

Stand Up!  Don’t let that desk chair do you in, Get Up and Move Around to Feel Better and Work Better!

Productivity Challenge: My Desk is a Dumping Ground!

Last week, I asked professionals to share their Organizing Challenges.  The first response was:

“My desk!   Working from home, I’m so busy keeping the rest of the house organized, everything gets dumped on my desk! (thanks MG!)”

Has this happened to you?  You’re ready to get down to business, but your motivation and energy drain away as you face a desk cluttered with

  • Mail
  • School papers
  • Shoes / socks / clothing / dry cleaning
  • Legos (maybe that’s just me)
  • Receipts
  • Other people’s keys, wallet, phone
  • Office supplies or craft supplies
  • the list could go on and on …
Whether you work from home or in a more traditional office setting, trying to work at a cluttered desk can be a struggle.  Sometimes other people drop the stuff, and sometimes we ourselves do the cluttering.  Sound familiar?! Here’s what to do!
  1. When you sit down to work, spend the first 10 minutes of activity putting the dumped stuff AWAY, and the last 10 minutes putting your own stuff AWAY.  Most of us work better in uncluttered space, so that is a great place to start!   If you can do this every day, the piles will be progressively smaller, and you won’t need 10 minutes anymore!  Dedicate that small block of time at the start and the finish – seriously, set a timer if that helps!
  2. Make sure important things have a home.  For example, everyone needs a special place to put their cell phone, keys and wallet.  Establish a home for these important items NOT on your desk top.  Near it, perhaps, but not on it!
  3. Carve out “My Space” and “Public Space”, if you can.  For example, I recently rearranged my work space, and added shelves. I’ve moved the items that other people need to the shelves next to my work space instead of on the shelf over my work space.  In theory, this will cut down on interruptions and also encourage others to put things away!
  4. Establish containers for regular offenders, to direct stuff to other places:  An In-box for papers coming in; trash / recycling / shredding bins close at hand for papers going out; an errand bag for mail to mail or library books to return, items to drop off to other people, items to be returned to the store, etc.
  5. Act on your action items: In a client’s home office last week, most of the desk top was occupied by items that required action or an errand.  For goodness sake, ACT on your action items!  Invest an hour or two to take the actions or run the errands that will clear away those piles, then revel in the uncluttered space.
  6. Do you drop the stuff, or do other people?  If other people are the problem, set the example: Respect your own boundaries!  Clean off your desk and your own clutter, so the offending items are very noticeable when someone else drops them on your work space!

Keep you work space as sacred space!  Give it the respect it deserves, and expect others to do the same!

Back To School: Setting Up “After School” For Success

Back To School is a great time to review and update our time management routines, and the time window between 3 pm and dinnertime is a busy one!  Make positive changes this week, and  create a routine that works for everyone.  Here’s how:
Build in a little decompression time when you (or your student) arrive:
There are often rituals attached to this, like changing out of work or school clothes, and/or having a snack and a quick break upon coming home to help make the transition from work or school back to home.  A little down time gives our brains and bodies time to rest and then jump back into action!
Assess your afternoon and evening plans:  
Check the calendar for events or games, and the school Planners for work or homework assignments.  It is important to do this early, in case someone forgot something at school or the office – there may still be time to retrieve missing books or resources!
Assess tomorrow, too:  
Take just a few moments to look ahead to tomorrow’s schedule, too, and identify any potential snags or changes.  In addition, planning ahead can help avoid a 10 pm washing of the gym uniform or shopping for surprise supplies or snacks (is this just me?)!
Make Space for Homework:
Dining room table? Kitchen counter? A desk in each bedroom?  Establish a regular place for your students to complete their homework.  Keep in mind, too, that these days homework involves technology.  So in addition to a work space, comfortable chair and good lighting, make sure there is computer access, too!
Since tech is so important, as your student comes home with website info, log into and bookmark the various resource websites, create your accounts and then note usernames and passwords on a page or spreadsheet per student.
Create a Homework caddy:
We have a homework caddy basket on the kitchen desk that holds homework supplies.  Create your own, including but not limited to: crayons, markers and colored pencils; pens, pencils and highlighters; scissors, glue and tape; calculator, ruler and index cards (google “Homework Caddy” if you want more ideas).
Set Up Your Landing and Launch Pad:
What door does everyone use? Set up your Landing and Launch Pad at the favorite door. Hooks for outerwear and accessories, and some for backpacks and sports bags, too.  I have written many blogs about this topic, check them out here!
The key to Landing and Launch Success isn’t the space, necessarily, but the HABITS created around our comings and goings.   The most fabulous cubbies or benches or hooks or organizational tools in the world are a waste of time and money if we don’t create habits to use them.
EVERYONE can create a habit to:
  • Hang up coats and bags when they come in the door
  • Keep shoes by the door
  • Put keys and wallets and other important items in the same place every day
  • Take out and deliver-to-parents papers that require parental action every day
  • Place completed homework and books back in the back-packs when work is completed, and backpacks at the Landing and Launch Pad for easy departures in the morning
  • Review tomorrow’s schedule today and line up stuff accordingly (like band instruments, soccer uniforms) at the Launch Pad tonight

Dedicate some time and thought to your after school / home from work routine this week, and make your days work better for you and your family!  You CAN do this!  Have a great week.

Back To School: Mornings!  Keep It Simple, Sweetie!

Life’s funny some days.  I planned to write my “keep your morning as simple as possible” article this morning.Last night, one son had a stomach bug – poor guy!  And sick son and older brother share a room, so older brother was up, too, and helped take care of sick brother, which was just so sweet.  Of course, I was up, too.  Now I am tired, the teens are still sleeping, the laundry is going and I am looking forward to a trip to the doctor and a day of cleaning from top to bottom (in response to the stomach bug of course).

However, my Not-At-All-Routine morning today highlights the point I want to make with my this week’s article, and that is to “Keep Your Mornings as Simple As Possible!”

Here’s how:

First Things First, Focus on Survival.

Food, clothing, shelter, safety.  Make sure all of these are taking care of, before moving on to anything else.  Feed your self and your people.  Get clean, get clothed and get ready for school. Our days are starting even earlier this school year, so Focus is essential.  I am still waiting to see how the middle school schedule pans out, but I believe my youngest will be starting by 7:30 am at least 2 days a week.  So, to help me focus, my goal is to avoid computer / facebook / email before everyone’s out of the house.  5:30 – 7:30 am will be about getting everyone up, off to school or work, and home maintenance.   After that, I can look at other things.

Limit Options.   Decision making slows us down.

My teenagers and I had a conversation over the weekend that went something like this:

Me: “You have to eat breakfast before school this year.  I know you don’t always manage a healthy lunch, so you’ve got to ace breakfast.  What will you eat every day?”

Them:  to paraphrase….”toaster waffles,  we like toaster waffles.  And costco pre-cooked bacon. We like that, too.”

Me: “So, if I keep toaster waffles and bacon on hand, you will eat breakfast in the morning?”

Them: “Yes.”

Cool.  We have a deal.

I will not try to fill every possibility as I may have in the past – 5 kinds of cereal, a couple of flavors of granola bars, blah, blah, blah, and they still didn’t eat.  Nope. Waffles and bacon.  Done.

Limiting clothing options makes decision making easier, too.  If you have indecisive or spontaneous little people, together (or not!) choose 7 outfits at the beginning of the week.  Put the whole ensemble on a hanger or rolled up on the dresser.  And pull from just those options for school days. Too many options kill decision making.

For example, a loved one mentioned how my favorite 2.5 year-old likes to pick out her own clothes these days.  I remember that when my sons were young!  And I cleared the drawers of everything I didn’t want them to wear, leaving them fewer but higher quality choices!

What does your Face look like?

There was a moment a few weeks ago, mid-tirade, when my brain stopped and said “I wonder what my face looks like right now?”  Since I was raving at my kids, I’m sure I was red, scowling, possibly petulant… certainly not the person I want to be, or who I want my kids to see when they look at me.

When you are running around in the morning, what does your face look like?  Take time for hugs and tickles, a few deep breaths, maybe some great music and kitchen dancing, you name it.   Happy is contagious.

Leave Early.

Early is on time, and on time is late.  We really just never know what will happen on the way to our destination, so it’s always best to leave a little extra time.

Parents, consider that when your child leaves you, they still have 5-10 minutes of getting into school / hanging up coats / unloading backpacks, etc. to contend with, before they’re ready to learn.  Your child and teachers want you to err on the Early side of on-time, so everyone feels more in charge and less frazzled.

Trust me, Keep It Simple, Sweetie!

Back To School: First Things First – Clothes!

These next few weeks are about action and Taking Care of Business for a lot of parents, myself included.  So I am keeping these next few posts simple.

Do-able.

Positive.

Pared down and drama-free.

Just like back-to-school time should be!

So let’s do this!

First things first, friends. Clothes.  Reviewing the current, and shopping for the new.

  1. Before tackling the clothes / closet review, do all the laundry and put it all away. Yes.  All of it.  Away.  And if you say – “All of it?  THERE’S TOO MUCH!”, then that’s an indicator that this project can reap big benefits for you!  And if you say “AWAY?  We don’t have an AWAY for all the clothes!” then that, too, indicates that this project is extremely overdue.
  2. Next, clear a couple hours on the schedule, for you and your children (each child individually).  Make sure you’re both rested and fed.  Don’t start this at 10 pm, or right before lunch.  Turn on some fun music, grab a pad of paper to write down items to purchase, and get at it.
  3. Make the bed, and then cover it with a clean white sheet – it can be great work space for sorting.
  4. Pick a starting spot, and begin.  DO NOT TAKE OUT EVERYTHING AT ONCE!  Tackle a dresser drawer or a single closet shelf at a time.   Better yet, address a single category of clothes at a time.  All the shorts or pants or skirts or shirts, etc.  Do not try to tackle everything at once!
  5. As you work through the clothes, purge items that are: too big, too small, old or beyond repair, off-season, etc.  Label and store the off-season and too-big items, and donate, sell or hand down the too-small or too-old items.
  6. Do an initial quick review, and purge everything that YOU KNOW fits into the above descriptions  (items that are too small, too stained, too icky, etc.).
  7. Now, have your kids try everything else on.  Yes, everything.  Use the criteria listed above when you review the clothes.
  8. I have teenagers, so I also need an “I’ll never actually wear this” pile.  I find this frustrating, but since my sons aren’t overly picky or materialistic, I respect their choices.  I have also declared that I will never buy clothes for my sons without them with me again.  I don’t want to waste the time or money of buying clothes they won’t wear.
  9. Make a list of items that your kids need for the school year and new season.  (If you need a suggested list, http://peaceofmindpo.com/2010/08/05/that-age-old-ritual-back-to-school-clothes-shopping/ ).  I went through my own closet, too, and got rid of an old and tattered pair of pants and dressy skirt, among other things.  I won’t wear them again, but I will need to replace them so I added those items to my personal shopping list.
  10. Put away the clothes you are keeping (for more ideas, check my past blog articles), and deliver the purged items to their destination.  And then go do something fun!

You CAN do this!  And enlisting your child in the process teaches them organizational skills they can use for life.

Big Changes, Small Blog Article!

Hello!  I am posting this article on my streamlined blog page, which is now integrated into my snazzy newly re-designed website (woo hoo!)!  I am very excited about these big changes that will enable me to help even more great people like yourself!

This evening, as my friend and amazing web-design / social media guru Claire DiCola with Amplify 7 was guiding me through all the changes, big and small, I mentioned that I still needed to write my blog article for this week and post my newsletter tomorrow morning.  She immediately said “Big Changes, Small Blog Article!”.  So thanks, Claire, for your amazing help and ideas, and the title to this week’s article!

Sooo…. with big changes come great opportunities!  Please

  • Check out my new website, www.PeaceofMindPO.com (and if my new page doesn’t come up, clear your browsing history);
  • Email or message me if you have suggestions for additional content or ideas;
  • Click any of the sign-up links, and connect with me via Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, through my blog or newsletter;
  • Share my website with anyone who could benefit from a more organized life (which is Everyone!);
  • Share a testimonial, and I will post it to my website;
  • Keep an eye on your in-box for my August Back-to-School Series of Articles, coming to a website and blog and newsletter near you;
  • As always, share your organizational questions with me, and you may see the answer in an upcoming blog; and finally…..
  • Be patient with me, as I embrace these new platforms!

Talk to you next Tuesday!!

Experimenting with a Spending Diet – Who’s With Me?

I’m tired of spending money.

We’re enjoying Summer, and just got home from a lovely long weekend away.  But travel brings expenses: gas, car snacks, hotel room, restaurant, a few souvenirs. Money just flies out of my wallet – poof!

I read an article about a mom who instituted a Spending Fast.  The deal was, the family bought nothing for a prescribed amount of time, to use up their inventory and save money.  They paid regular monthly bills like utilities, cable and mortgage, but nothing else.

It’s certainly time to slow down our spending.  Yet, we can’t stop spending altogether.  We have high school textbooks to order, and a few other small but necessary expenses.  And with August (the month I refer to as the “Month of Writing Checks”) comes back-to-school expenses like registration, supplies and clothes.

So, I am trying a Spending Diet.

And why do we diet? With food, we decrease overall consumption.  We want to feel healthier. lighter and better overall; and we want to regain control over an area of our lives where we feel a little out of control. So, we will go on a Spending Diet for the next few weeks, for the same reasons!

It may seem counter-intuitive, but I started my spending diet by handing out money.  I paid allowances, and set aside $40 that my business owes a friend.  I can now see more clearly what I need for the next few weeks.

A glance at our checkbook indicates that most of our non-monthly bill expenses are on food, either groceries or at restaurants.  Sooooo…..

  • I planned our menu for the next two weeks incorporating food we already have. Our grocery expenses will be for perishables only, like produce and milk, and I’ll pay for these groceries with already purchased gift cards.
  • I skipped my bi-weekly Target trip for toiletries and household items, and will get creative with what we have in the linen closet (saving approx $100).
  • I also moved my Coscto trip to two weeks from now, skipping this week (saving approx $200).
  • We got take-out for dinner (we do this occasionally on the weekend), but we chose the restaurant based on gift certificates and coupons we had on hand. Dinner plus a few days of leftovers cost less than $6.
  • We celebrated National Ice Cream Month on Sunday, on the last leg of our vacation, but we used gift cards to pay for our treats. Total out of pocket was $7.
  • I collected and reviewed all the other gift cards we have, to determine what we can use over the next few weeks (side note, we purchase gift cards through a tuition reimbursement program at our sons’ high school.)
  • And finally, I packed my lunch for work, and will continue to do so for the next two weeks. It is so easy to fall into the bad habit of grabbing fast food between clients, and I can spend $10 a day on such a habit.
  • There is nothing else that we NEED right now.  My husband and I visited my favorite little boutique in the resort town we went to over the weekend.  Everything there was lovely, but I did not touch a thing.  We have all we need, and most everything we want.  And just a guess, you probably do, too.
  • With more planning, we could cut spending even more, by cutting reducing our monthly bill expenses and eliminating eating out altogether, but we’ll see how we do with these changes to start.

So, how can you pare down your spending this week?

What Do We Do With Other People’s Stuff?

A class participant recently asked: “What do we do with items received from family members who have passed away?”She explained that she has received 2 or 3 households full of items over the years. She needs to downsize, but is still burdened with all these extra collections.

We are often blessed with items received from loved ones, and when that loved one passes, we are reluctant to purge the items.  I know this is a complicated, personal process, friends, and I’m sorry.  But we still have to proceed, and make decisions about these belongings.  Think about these statements:
  • Your loved one who is gone would not want to burden you;
  • Respect your loved one, and appreciate the love and the sentiment behind the item / gesture, even if you choose to let the item go;
  • When our family or friends are boxing things up after a funeral, grief and stress may keep them making good decisions;
  • Letting go of stuff does not mean that you are letting go of the person; and
  • You didn’t choose these items, and are under no real obligation to keep them (cold, I know, but true).

Here are some tips to make things go:

  1. Know what is enough, and what is too much.  One set of china is enough, any more may be too much.  Keep your favorite, and sell / donate / re-gift the rest.
  2. Be selective and choose a few small favorites, then do something with the favorites. Treat these as treasure – use them, frame them, bring them out of storage.
    • A client recently bought a display case for her uncle’s collection of antique silver tea balls, and they look beautiful. The display adds character and not clutter to her home, and allows her to appreciate her uncle.
  3. Consider your loved one, and donate their items to a charity in their honor.
  4. If a family member disapproves of your decisions to purge certain items, ask them to get involved in the process with you, soliciting suggestions for how to respectfully purge items while celebrating the person who has died.   001
    • Another friend shared “We received the coveted toothpick holder collection from Grandma [like mine from my Grandma, shown in picture!], and stored them for several years wondering what to do with them. I chose a few that spoke to me, and my daughter chose a couple that spoke to her. The balance I took to the next family party and explained that everyone needed to take one to remind them of Grandma – whether it was a special food; fishing; or a good memory. At the end of the party, the toothpick holders were going home with everyone who would cherish them & remember Grandma.”  Thanks S.K.!
  5. Practice your gentle and polite response.  For example, “We are preparing to move / downsize / have a child / send a child to college, etc.; and we know we won’t be able to keep everything we have.  We’ve carefully chosen to keep these few items, to celebrate so-and-so.”  Don’t apologize.
  6. If a loved one passes things on to you when you they are still around… that is a little tougher, I know.
    • A friend responded to last week’s question with a description of the engraved (with someone else’s message) crystal goblets she recently received.  Yikes!
    • Your loved one may actually expect to see the items again!  One idea is to keep one cabinet shelf of just those types of items, 1 or 2 of each, and, with the goblet example, serve just that person with one of the glasses.  If she is pleased, good job! and now you’re done.  If she doesn’t notice, good job – you’re done. Another idea is to keep the item boxed up, with an expiration date on it to purge after a year.

Finally, make decisions now from your own Stuff.  If you have want to pass something on to someone, consider passing it on now, so you can share the joy and the reason for the gift.  If you don’t want to pass it on just yet, write a note to the next generations about the item and why it is important, then tuck the note inside.

I hope these ideas help!  If you have any more suggestions, please share and I’ll pass them along.

Wait – What? I’m Supposed to Have Summer Organizing Projects?

It’s feeling like summer.  My older sons are out until August, and the youngest is counting the hours until Friday noon.

I don’t know if this happens in every house (probably not), but when the kids get out of school and the weather turns warm, my thoughts turn to…. Projects!  (I know, I may be crazy).  Of course, my thoughts also turn to summer travels and relaxing with friends and family, but summer is a great time to make progress on projects.

Wait – What? I’m Supposed to Have Summer Organizing Projects?

Yes, you are.  Why?

The days are longer.  It’s warmer in the garage / attic / basement, if that’s where the projects are.  Our energy is higher. There may be extra people (read kids) around to help. So here is how:

  • Grab a clipboard.  Yes, a clipboard.  Seriously – don’t you feel more confident and in charge when you carry a clipboard? Julie McCoy, Cruise Director always knew what was going on, right?  (I just totally dated myself, but so be it).  Grab the clipboard with some paper and pen.
  • Walk around every room of your house with your clipboard, and then outside, too.
  • Look at every room as though it’s the first time.  Walk with someone, and explain the space to them. Saying things out loud can help us process our ideas.  Jot down thoughts.
    • First, appreciate the positive aspects.  (“I really love that couch.  I love the way the light fills this space. I still love this paint color, etc.”)
    • Now consider what you might like to change about the space.  Be realistic, but dream big.  Making changes can breathe new life into our spaces.  I love my great room, but rearranging the furniture the other day made me love it even more.
    • Now consider what organizing projects could help your spaces:
      • De-clutter?  Always a good step.
      • De-furnish?  I walk into so many rooms that have way too much furniture.
      • A good cleaning?  A very simple solution.
      • Invest in an organizing solution?  Perhaps your space could use new book shelves, a better closet system, or under-bed storage for off season clothes or bedding?
      • Be specific.  Don’t just write “organize bedroom” on your list.  Try – “clean out dresser drawers”, “purge old shoes”, “clean out under bed”, “hang new art work”, etc.
  • When you’re done, you may have a lengthy list.  Don’t get overwhelmed, you only need to tackle a few!
  • Looking at your list, determine what projects your family can complete over the next few months. Why?
    • Decision makers.  I live with 4 other people.  If I want to make an organizational change, I ask opinions from the other people who live here, out of respect.  This is easier in the summer, when my family is home more.  Kids may be home from college, and spouses may have a free day here and there.
    • Extra hands.  For example, we have A LOT of books in our house – the bookshelves have gotten full. This past weekend, each son went through his bookshelves.  Three bags of books are ready to donate to our local library, plus three bags of garbage left, too!
  • Pick just one room to start, and just one project. For example, “Family Room: Organize DVD collection”.
  • Now list the steps, and who can help.  The steps may include
    • “collect  cases and loose DVDs, put them together” (20 minutes, son #3),
    • “alphabetize the DVDs” (5 minutes, son #3), and
    • “review and purge unneeded DVDs for sale or donation” (20 minutes, everyone).
  • I find projects are more manageable, for me and my sons, when broken into smaller pieces.

So, what’s it going to be this summer?  Getting that garage ready for next winter?  Finally clearing out the attic, to get ready for selling the house next year?  Maybe just tidying up all the closets?  Tackle those projects!  Walk around, write them down, break them up, and share the load!  Then hit the beach or the trail! Enjoy!