Getting Organized
Why wait? Do it now!
If you think getting organized sounds dull, boring and a real hassle, think again. There’s a lot more to it than dusting a few shelves and sorting your sock drawer. Getting your home – and ultimately, your life – in order can give you a satisfying sense of freedom, optimism and control.
By Marilyn Arthurs
It happens to most of us every once in a while. You go along day to day, and suddenly there’s ‘stuff’ everywhere. Closets bursting at the seams, basements full of things you haven’t seen – let alone used – in years, and mountains of paperwork. It can all get a bit overwhelming, claustrophobic and depressing.
The bad news is the longer you leave it, the worse it gets. The good news is that in just a few hours – or days, depending on how bad the situation has become – you can make a big difference to your living environment that can ultimately improve your attitude towards yourself and your life.
Start small and set some rules
No matter how daunting the task at hand, don’t try to do it all at once. When you decorate, do you empty every room in the house and paint them all at the same time? Of course not. It’s the same with organizing your space.
Start with one room, then focus on one area at a time. It might be the clothes closet or it might be the chest of drawers. Take a practical approach and get rid of things as you go, bagging them up and removing them from the room. Sort the items that are to go – one pile for rubbish and another for items that can be sold or donated to charity. When you’ve finished sorting everything, dust and clean that room thoroughly before you move on to the next.
No doubt the room will look bigger, brighter and cleaner, leaving you with a sense of achievement that encourages you to move on to the next.
Don’t be a clothes horse!
We’ve all done it – gone through our clothes determined to get rid of things we haven’t worn for years, then weakened and put them all back. It’s a case of ‘I might wear it some day’ or ‘it might come back into fashion.’ You haven’t and it won’t. If you haven’t worn it in the last three years, you probably won’t so get rid of it.
Another good rule is to discard at least one item of clothing for every new one you buy. That way you will avoid the clutter that eventually leads to time-consuming clearouts.
Invest in a closet organizing system. It’s a great way to make the most of the space you have and help you find everything quickly.
Once your cupboards are sorted out, just think how much easier mornings will be – no more wasting time deciding what to wear, but not being able to find it.
Especially with clothing, donate rather than discard. Times are tough these days, and if you can’t use that shirt or pair of jeans, there’s bound to be somebody who can.
What’s cooking?
Everything but the kitchen sink? Kitchens need regular sorting out. When we do the grocery shopping, most of us just shove new cans and packages into a cupboard without ‘taking inventory’ of what’s already there. Empty one cupboard at a time and you’ll probably be amazed at what’s lurking at the back. Check the dates and throw away the stale stuff. Put aside overstocked items to give to the food bank and arrange food items logically to save you time cooking. Make a list of food items you need, and in future avoid buying ‘those special products for that special recipe.’ Unless you’re going to use that recipe within the very near future, don’t bother buying the ingredients. In the long run, you’ll save money - and cupboard space.
The same goes for cleaning products. How often do we buy the latest miracle cleaner that’s going to make our lives so much easier? Organize all the cleaning products you already have and decide to use them up before you restock. It will likely take a year or so to get through them all, so there’s more money saved.
If you really want to be organized in the kitchen, place the cans and spice jars with the labels facing out. It will be easier to find what you’re looking for in a hurry, plus you’ll know what you have on hand and what you need to buy. This might sound a bit OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), but it really saves time and will give your kitchen an ordered look.
You could also arrange them alphabetically. No, that might be a bit much!
How does your garden grow?
Especially when you can hardly see it! This is one of the worst times of the year for the backyard. Everything still looks drab and messy from the winter. But with spring just around the corner, this is a great time to get out there and start cleaning everything up.
Get rid of old plants, branches and broken planters. Wash the garden furniture, clean the barbecue, clear out the flower beds and turn the earth. It may too early to plant anything, but just sprucing up the garden area will give you a real lift. Not only will the fresh air clear the cobwebs from your head – you will also have a much nicer view to enjoy from the house.
If you don’t live in a house, the same goes for balconies. Clear your planters and window boxes of last year’s dregs, clean the furniture and the balcony floor, sit back and wait for spring.
The paperless society
Talk about the revolutionary prediction that never materialized! Today we are drowning in a sea of paper. Newspapers, junk mail, promotions, bills, statements, receipts – if you don’t keep on top of it, excess paperwork can really take over fast.
Start by recycling old newspapers, magazines and flyers. When you’re finished with them, get them out.
Paperwork is a different matter and can be a real challenge. Make sure you’re in the right mood to sort through paperwork. It’s important to sort everything meticulously; otherwise you might inadvertently throw out something you will need later.
Divide your paperwork into categories: personal; house; bills; tax; insurance; wills. And most importantly, invest in a good quality shredder! Identity theft is a big problem and big business these days and it’s getting worse. If you become a victim, it can take weeks, months, even years to sort out.
Anything with your personal details – from name and address to credit card and bank details – should go through the shredder. And make sure you get a cross shredder: a lot of people still use the first-generation vertical shredders and today’s criminals have even been known to hire people to go through bags of garbage and put those vertical strips back together again.
Protect yourself, your family and your identity. It’s all part of getting and staying organized.
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