Check out www.thecustomcloset.net to help you get started with your organizing discipline!
One of my favorite quotes is: "Real success is the result of implementing simple disciplines, and practicing them constantly." (or at least consistently) (I wish I could recall where I heard it so I could give proper credit.)
In any event, I really like this quote because it's so true and applies to most things in life, especially organizing. Here are a few simple organizing disciplines that you can apply to your own life.
Simple Organizing Disciplines:
Put away what you take out.
Put items away in the same place each time.
Abide by the in/out rule: When you acquire something new, discard something old.
Keep similar items together.
Write a realistic to-do list each week, and refer to it daily.
Use a single calendar system to plan your tasks, appointments and events. Refer to your calendar daily.
Process your incoming mail/paperwork daily and in the same place each day.
"Weed" constantly (a critical tip from author/organizer Kathy Waddill). In other words.... PURGE a lot!
Clean up after yourself.
Plan your meals and stick to your plan.
File paperwork often.
Getting and staying organized does not have to be so difficult. You can be successful and achieve your goals by implementing some simple disciplines....and practicing them constantly!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 www.orgwithease.com
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Organizing Tip: The Concept of "Limiting Containers"
Ideas brought to you by www.thecustomcloset.net
For more info on closet design call (800) 304-4848
Today let's talk about keeping our volume of stuff in check. By this I mean.... MOST OF US HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF! So, how do we combat this problem? One way is by using the concept of 'Limiting Containers'. Simply speaking, if you assign a specific amount of space for your stuff, then it's obvious when you've got too much stuff and it's time for some decisions to purge. And by purge I mean: Throw out, donate, relocate, give away, or sell.
You already have limiting containers all over your home. Your kitchen drawers, your closets, various bins and baskets, even your garbage can. But, the big question is: are you using these containers as LIMITING CONTAINERS, ie: only keeping enough stuff to fit comfortably in these containers? Or, are you letting the stuff overflow?
Let's take the garbage can as an example. It's a container, right? And, even more, you've defined the kind of stuff you want to put in it, namely: GARBAGE. OK, so throughout the day and week, you're putting garbage in the container. At some point, it gets full. If you keep filling it, then it starts to overflow. If you don't do some purging, it will keep overflowing and you may even decide to stop putting garbage in it and start leaving your garbage all over the place. This is now clutter (not to mention it becomes unsanitary).
BUT, if, when the garbage gets full, you make a conscious decision to PURGE (ie: empty the garbage and put it out for your local trash-removal service), then you've established it as a LIMITING CONTAINER, and when it gets full, you make the decision to purge.
So now let's apply this same principle to 2 other problem areas of your home. For example 1) a Child's Playroom or 2) a Filing Cabinet.
1) Child's Playroom
If your child's toys are overflowing both in and out of the room, then it's time to designate the room as a limiting container, and within the room, assign specific shelves and bins/baskets as limiting containers for various kinds of toys. When things get full, it's time to purge. Teach your children that they can only keep the amount of toys that will comfortably fit inside the room, and inside the bins and boxes, and they will learn a valuable lesson in life to keep their volume of stuff under control.
2) Filing Cabinet
If your home or office filing cabinet is full to the brim, then it is likely that not only can you not find what you need when you need it, but you will also probably stop filing documents and leave them all over the place instead. Establish the cabinet as a limiting container, and start purging the old documents that are no longer needed. Then, establish your rules for purging documents on a regular basis so that the backlog doesn't happen again. Additionally, make sure you are only keeping documents that you truly need for either personal, legal or tax reasons, and stop saving the rest.
By implementing the concept of LIMITING CONTAINERS, you will be well on your way to keeping your volume of stuff in check and eliminating your clutter!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 | www.orgwithease.com | orgwithease@aol.com
For more info on closet design call (800) 304-4848
Today let's talk about keeping our volume of stuff in check. By this I mean.... MOST OF US HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF! So, how do we combat this problem? One way is by using the concept of 'Limiting Containers'. Simply speaking, if you assign a specific amount of space for your stuff, then it's obvious when you've got too much stuff and it's time for some decisions to purge. And by purge I mean: Throw out, donate, relocate, give away, or sell.
You already have limiting containers all over your home. Your kitchen drawers, your closets, various bins and baskets, even your garbage can. But, the big question is: are you using these containers as LIMITING CONTAINERS, ie: only keeping enough stuff to fit comfortably in these containers? Or, are you letting the stuff overflow?
Let's take the garbage can as an example. It's a container, right? And, even more, you've defined the kind of stuff you want to put in it, namely: GARBAGE. OK, so throughout the day and week, you're putting garbage in the container. At some point, it gets full. If you keep filling it, then it starts to overflow. If you don't do some purging, it will keep overflowing and you may even decide to stop putting garbage in it and start leaving your garbage all over the place. This is now clutter (not to mention it becomes unsanitary).
BUT, if, when the garbage gets full, you make a conscious decision to PURGE (ie: empty the garbage and put it out for your local trash-removal service), then you've established it as a LIMITING CONTAINER, and when it gets full, you make the decision to purge.
So now let's apply this same principle to 2 other problem areas of your home. For example 1) a Child's Playroom or 2) a Filing Cabinet.
1) Child's Playroom
If your child's toys are overflowing both in and out of the room, then it's time to designate the room as a limiting container, and within the room, assign specific shelves and bins/baskets as limiting containers for various kinds of toys. When things get full, it's time to purge. Teach your children that they can only keep the amount of toys that will comfortably fit inside the room, and inside the bins and boxes, and they will learn a valuable lesson in life to keep their volume of stuff under control.
2) Filing Cabinet
If your home or office filing cabinet is full to the brim, then it is likely that not only can you not find what you need when you need it, but you will also probably stop filing documents and leave them all over the place instead. Establish the cabinet as a limiting container, and start purging the old documents that are no longer needed. Then, establish your rules for purging documents on a regular basis so that the backlog doesn't happen again. Additionally, make sure you are only keeping documents that you truly need for either personal, legal or tax reasons, and stop saving the rest.
By implementing the concept of LIMITING CONTAINERS, you will be well on your way to keeping your volume of stuff in check and eliminating your clutter!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 | www.orgwithease.com | orgwithease@aol.com
Friday, February 12, 2010
Find What Motivates You (and use it to get organized!)
Let's Get It Started: www.thecustomcloset.net
Today I thought I'd talk about MOTIVATION. A lot of people say that they want to live a more organized life, but they just don't feel like doing anything about it. Or, they begin a project, then give up after a while. There could be many reasons for these scenarios, but one inherent theme is that if you don't have the motivation, you simply aren't going to do it. And, even more importantly, as with anything in your life, if the motivation doesn't come from within YOU (ie: not someone else telling you that you need to do it), then the likelihood of you succeeding is very slim.
So, if you're having a hard time finding the motivation, here are some ideas to overcome that challenge:
Think about other areas of your life where you actually ARE motivated to do something, and try to tap into that motivation somehow. For example, maybe you thrive on competition. So, create a competition between you and a friend to achieve some organizational goal you've been struggling to tackle. (Maybe even add a little wager of some sort to make it more interesting!)
Tap into the feeling of the end-result. Recall a past time when you achieved something you wanted, and remember how great it felt. If you keep your eye on that feeling, it can drive you to achieve your goal!
Make the project smaller: Maybe the project you want to do is overwhelming to you. Well, break it up into small chunks, and tackle one at a time. The feeling of accomplishing even the smallest of goals can keep you going to do more and more!
Get a 'Clutter Buddy'. If you think getting organized is boring (not me!), then perhaps you need a 'clutter buddy'. This is someone who is NON-JUDGEMENTAL, who can simply be with you while you do the work.
Throw a party! This has worked in my home a lot. Whenever my husband and I have been putting off doing some kind of home-improvement or decorating, hanging pictures, whatever.... we decide to throw a party. That gives us the motivation to finally get it done in time for the party!
And, of course, sometimes you simply cannot find the motivation on your own. Then, tell yourself it's ok to ask for help. That's why businesses like mine exist. We really can help, and as for me personally, I LOVE to help people live easier lives. THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATES ME! Just give me a call at any time for a FREE 1/2 Consultation to discuss your needs and determine if hiring a Professional Organizer is right for you. And, as a side note, quite often, if you're paying to have someone help and guide you, then the fact that you're paying money is enough motivation to get it done in the quickest time possible! (And... you had an expert help you do it the best way possible!)
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 | www.orgwithease.com | orgwithease@aol.com
Today I thought I'd talk about MOTIVATION. A lot of people say that they want to live a more organized life, but they just don't feel like doing anything about it. Or, they begin a project, then give up after a while. There could be many reasons for these scenarios, but one inherent theme is that if you don't have the motivation, you simply aren't going to do it. And, even more importantly, as with anything in your life, if the motivation doesn't come from within YOU (ie: not someone else telling you that you need to do it), then the likelihood of you succeeding is very slim.
So, if you're having a hard time finding the motivation, here are some ideas to overcome that challenge:
Think about other areas of your life where you actually ARE motivated to do something, and try to tap into that motivation somehow. For example, maybe you thrive on competition. So, create a competition between you and a friend to achieve some organizational goal you've been struggling to tackle. (Maybe even add a little wager of some sort to make it more interesting!)
Tap into the feeling of the end-result. Recall a past time when you achieved something you wanted, and remember how great it felt. If you keep your eye on that feeling, it can drive you to achieve your goal!
Make the project smaller: Maybe the project you want to do is overwhelming to you. Well, break it up into small chunks, and tackle one at a time. The feeling of accomplishing even the smallest of goals can keep you going to do more and more!
Get a 'Clutter Buddy'. If you think getting organized is boring (not me!), then perhaps you need a 'clutter buddy'. This is someone who is NON-JUDGEMENTAL, who can simply be with you while you do the work.
Throw a party! This has worked in my home a lot. Whenever my husband and I have been putting off doing some kind of home-improvement or decorating, hanging pictures, whatever.... we decide to throw a party. That gives us the motivation to finally get it done in time for the party!
And, of course, sometimes you simply cannot find the motivation on your own. Then, tell yourself it's ok to ask for help. That's why businesses like mine exist. We really can help, and as for me personally, I LOVE to help people live easier lives. THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATES ME! Just give me a call at any time for a FREE 1/2 Consultation to discuss your needs and determine if hiring a Professional Organizer is right for you. And, as a side note, quite often, if you're paying to have someone help and guide you, then the fact that you're paying money is enough motivation to get it done in the quickest time possible! (And... you had an expert help you do it the best way possible!)
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 | www.orgwithease.com | orgwithease@aol.com
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
January is Organizing Month!
Create an organized closet or home office now : Go to: http://www.thecustomcloset.net/
Call (201) 666-1717
Organizing Tip: Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips
I'll be at a friend's house tomorrow for a popular kitchen product home party, and I've put together some simple kitchen organizing tips to enhance the party, and get everyone's organizing juices flowing! While the guests drool over the latest greatest cooking gadgets, I'll be helping everyone figure out how to best store all those wonderful items.
Will you be hosting some kind of product home party soon? Call me... I can add value to your party by offering tips and expert advice related to whatever the home-party's them is! (Free of charge!)
So, in honor of kitchens, cooking, and family meal prep, I offer you the following tips. Enjoy!
Create a central “Command Center” with a calendar to manage the family schedules, and a file system, in/out boxes to manage all the incoming and outgoing mail and family paperwork.
Create a standard grocery list and post it on your fridge or inside a cabinet door, then you can just check-off items as you need them.
Put a phone message pad or small notepad near the central family phone so messages will get written down!
Create a weekly meal plan so there’s never the 6:00 question: ‘What’s for dinner?’
Store ‘like’ items together and create zones for categories like a grocery store, such as baking, spices, entertaining, small utensils, servingware, etc…
PURGE! Keep only what you love and use, and donate the rest.
While preparing meals, keep a bowl handy for tossing waste.
Install pull-out shelves to make it a breeze to access items stored in the back.
Use cupboard shelves or under-shelf baskets to double your shelf space.
Think VERTICAL: Store large cooking trays vertically in a cabinet instead of stacking them in piles that topple over. Use vertical dividers to maintain order.
Find a happy home for every item in your kitchen, not just ‘where it fits’. Catch yourself when you say “I don’t know where to put this, so I’ll just put it here FOR NOW.’ That statement is the #1 cause of clutter.
Store frequently used items in places most easily accessible, and less-used items a little higher or lower. Rarely used items should be stored furthest away.
LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! There will never be the question: ‘Where does this go?’
Periodically declutter and refine your system to keep your kitchen running smoothly!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 http://www.orgwithease.com/ orgwithease@aol.com
Call (201) 666-1717
Organizing Tip: Simple Kitchen Organizing Tips
I'll be at a friend's house tomorrow for a popular kitchen product home party, and I've put together some simple kitchen organizing tips to enhance the party, and get everyone's organizing juices flowing! While the guests drool over the latest greatest cooking gadgets, I'll be helping everyone figure out how to best store all those wonderful items.
Will you be hosting some kind of product home party soon? Call me... I can add value to your party by offering tips and expert advice related to whatever the home-party's them is! (Free of charge!)
So, in honor of kitchens, cooking, and family meal prep, I offer you the following tips. Enjoy!
Create a central “Command Center” with a calendar to manage the family schedules, and a file system, in/out boxes to manage all the incoming and outgoing mail and family paperwork.
Create a standard grocery list and post it on your fridge or inside a cabinet door, then you can just check-off items as you need them.
Put a phone message pad or small notepad near the central family phone so messages will get written down!
Create a weekly meal plan so there’s never the 6:00 question: ‘What’s for dinner?’
Store ‘like’ items together and create zones for categories like a grocery store, such as baking, spices, entertaining, small utensils, servingware, etc…
PURGE! Keep only what you love and use, and donate the rest.
While preparing meals, keep a bowl handy for tossing waste.
Install pull-out shelves to make it a breeze to access items stored in the back.
Use cupboard shelves or under-shelf baskets to double your shelf space.
Think VERTICAL: Store large cooking trays vertically in a cabinet instead of stacking them in piles that topple over. Use vertical dividers to maintain order.
Find a happy home for every item in your kitchen, not just ‘where it fits’. Catch yourself when you say “I don’t know where to put this, so I’ll just put it here FOR NOW.’ That statement is the #1 cause of clutter.
Store frequently used items in places most easily accessible, and less-used items a little higher or lower. Rarely used items should be stored furthest away.
LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! There will never be the question: ‘Where does this go?’
Periodically declutter and refine your system to keep your kitchen running smoothly!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 http://www.orgwithease.com/ orgwithease@aol.com
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Storing Holiday Decor
www.thecustomcloset recommends these tips
Organizing Tip: Tips for Storing Holiday Decor
Well, the holidays are almost over, and in the next week or so, it will be time to take down all our holiday decorations and store them for next year. A fundamental ORGANIZING TECHNIQUE is to store things based on how you will use them in the future. This technique works well for holiday decor. Store your holiday decor in such a way that will make it easiest for you to use it next year.
Here's how:
1. PURGE: Purge any broken items, such as broken ornaments (beyond repair), strings of lights that do not work and that you will not repair, or old decorations that never seem to make it out of the decorations box anymore. Space is precious in all homes, so only store what you will definitely use in the future.
2. Determine your decorating style, then store your items based on your style. Select a style below:
a. You like to decorate each room pretty much the same way each year, then I recommend storing your holiday decor in separate containers by room. ie: have a container for the Family Room, one for the outside decor, a gift-wrap container, holiday kitchen-ware, etc... By storing your items in separate containers by room, it will make it so simple for you to decorate next year. If a room's decor isn't enough to have it's own container, then simply divide the container in layers by using a piece of old gift-wrap or cardboard
b. You like to mix-it-up each year and decorate differently: then store your items by the kind of item it is: ie: all the lights together, all the candles together, all the little items together, all the big items together, all hanging items together, etc.... Then, next year, you can easily see your kinds of items, and can 'shop' from your containers to decorate your home any way you want.
c. You like to decorate with all NEW items each year: Then donate or sell your holiday decor. There's no need to store items you will no longer use in the future.
NOTE: I recommend using clear Rubbermaid/Sterilite style plastic containers for storing your holiday decor.
3. LABEL! Clearly label your containers!! You can use envelope labels, or a piece of masking tape with a sharpie, or this great product: http://shop.nackit.com/
4. STORE! Put away your containers. Put them in a very out of reach location, like the attic or on a high shelf in the garage or out of the way place in your basement. Just be aware of keeping them away from any location with water/dampness problems.
When the 2010 holiday time comes, you'll be so thankful that you took the time to organize and properly store your decorations!!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 www.orgwithease.com orgwithease@aol.com
www.thecustomcloset.net
Organizing Tip: Tips for Storing Holiday Decor
Well, the holidays are almost over, and in the next week or so, it will be time to take down all our holiday decorations and store them for next year. A fundamental ORGANIZING TECHNIQUE is to store things based on how you will use them in the future. This technique works well for holiday decor. Store your holiday decor in such a way that will make it easiest for you to use it next year.
Here's how:
1. PURGE: Purge any broken items, such as broken ornaments (beyond repair), strings of lights that do not work and that you will not repair, or old decorations that never seem to make it out of the decorations box anymore. Space is precious in all homes, so only store what you will definitely use in the future.
2. Determine your decorating style, then store your items based on your style. Select a style below:
a. You like to decorate each room pretty much the same way each year, then I recommend storing your holiday decor in separate containers by room. ie: have a container for the Family Room, one for the outside decor, a gift-wrap container, holiday kitchen-ware, etc... By storing your items in separate containers by room, it will make it so simple for you to decorate next year. If a room's decor isn't enough to have it's own container, then simply divide the container in layers by using a piece of old gift-wrap or cardboard
b. You like to mix-it-up each year and decorate differently: then store your items by the kind of item it is: ie: all the lights together, all the candles together, all the little items together, all the big items together, all hanging items together, etc.... Then, next year, you can easily see your kinds of items, and can 'shop' from your containers to decorate your home any way you want.
c. You like to decorate with all NEW items each year: Then donate or sell your holiday decor. There's no need to store items you will no longer use in the future.
NOTE: I recommend using clear Rubbermaid/Sterilite style plastic containers for storing your holiday decor.
3. LABEL! Clearly label your containers!! You can use envelope labels, or a piece of masking tape with a sharpie, or this great product: http://shop.nackit.com/
4. STORE! Put away your containers. Put them in a very out of reach location, like the attic or on a high shelf in the garage or out of the way place in your basement. Just be aware of keeping them away from any location with water/dampness problems.
When the 2010 holiday time comes, you'll be so thankful that you took the time to organize and properly store your decorations!!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 www.orgwithease.com orgwithease@aol.com
www.thecustomcloset.net
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Recent "closet" jobs www.thecustomcloset.net
Desk, storage unit and wardrobe unit in wood grain melamine by The Custom Closet.
see our website: www.thecustomcloset.net serving Northern NJ, Rockland County, NY, New York, NY
Friday, December 11, 2009
Clean Out Before the Holiday!
Organizing Tip: Do the "Pre-Holiday-Purge"
www.thecustomcloset.net
So, it's Holiday Time again! Crazy, fun, stressful, peaceful, joyous, challenging.... Yes... All of the above!
One of the best things you can do right now is PURGE PURGE PURGE! Get rid of all the old stuff cluttering up your living space, to make room for all the new stuff that's about to come into your life!
This doesn't have to be stressful, nor a long... drawn out process. Just a quick scan and purge of the obvious.
1) Set aside an hour or two in the next week or so to do this.
2) Just grab two large bags (one for trash, one for donations - maybe white for trash, and black for donations).
3) Go room by room, and just start putting things in the appropriate bags. Go through each closet, the toy bins, the drawers, the shelves, the basement, the attic. Wherever you look, there are probably some easy items you can get rid of to create some open space and room to move more freely.
4) Now, take your two kinds of bags and THROW OUT THE TRASH BAGS immediately. As for the donations bags, you have several options:
Pick your favorite charity and arrange pickup or drop-off.
Give to a friend/relative WHO WANTS/NEEDS WHAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE.
Contact your local town's social services department to see if they can use what you have to give.
If it's clothing, small toys, shoes, etc... you can give me a call - my daughter's gymnastics team is having a clothing drive fundraiser on Dec 13th. I can collect these items from you. Just let me know.
If you just want it gone, you can donate to the Vietnam Veterans of America, Red Cross, Good Will at their drop off locations, or have the VVA come to your house for free pickup: http://www.scheduleapickup.com/. It's easy, free, and tax deductible!
If it's valuable, try selling it on ebay!
Have fun purging! It will feel good, AND you'll be helping some local charities at this wonderful time of year!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 www.orgwithease.com orgwithease@aol.com______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
www.thecustomcloset.net
So, it's Holiday Time again! Crazy, fun, stressful, peaceful, joyous, challenging.... Yes... All of the above!
One of the best things you can do right now is PURGE PURGE PURGE! Get rid of all the old stuff cluttering up your living space, to make room for all the new stuff that's about to come into your life!
This doesn't have to be stressful, nor a long... drawn out process. Just a quick scan and purge of the obvious.
1) Set aside an hour or two in the next week or so to do this.
2) Just grab two large bags (one for trash, one for donations - maybe white for trash, and black for donations).
3) Go room by room, and just start putting things in the appropriate bags. Go through each closet, the toy bins, the drawers, the shelves, the basement, the attic. Wherever you look, there are probably some easy items you can get rid of to create some open space and room to move more freely.
4) Now, take your two kinds of bags and THROW OUT THE TRASH BAGS immediately. As for the donations bags, you have several options:
Pick your favorite charity and arrange pickup or drop-off.
Give to a friend/relative WHO WANTS/NEEDS WHAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE.
Contact your local town's social services department to see if they can use what you have to give.
If it's clothing, small toys, shoes, etc... you can give me a call - my daughter's gymnastics team is having a clothing drive fundraiser on Dec 13th. I can collect these items from you. Just let me know.
If you just want it gone, you can donate to the Vietnam Veterans of America, Red Cross, Good Will at their drop off locations, or have the VVA come to your house for free pickup: http://www.scheduleapickup.com/. It's easy, free, and tax deductible!
If it's valuable, try selling it on ebay!
Have fun purging! It will feel good, AND you'll be helping some local charities at this wonderful time of year!
Linda English
Organizing With EASE, LLC
201-638-9593 www.orgwithease.com orgwithease@aol.com______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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