If you can't find it in 30 seconds, it's in the wrong place!

Have you ever gone into a closet to get something, pull it out and the entire contents of the closet falls down on your head? C’mon guys, I know that I’m not the only person that’s happened to (smile). What did I do? Stuffed it right back in there with a half-hearted promise to myself that I’ll get to it later. Then later turns into a month, six months, or a year. And during this time, I'm still piling more stuff on top of the stuff that makes the closet so stuffed that I refuse to even open the door anymore. Whew...it's exhausting.

Let’s face it. Life is short. You ask “What’s that got to do with anything?” Well, the whole rationale of getting organized is to create time, space and energy in your life for the people and things that matter the most. Think about the time you spend looking for “stuff” that you know you left “around here somewhere”. This results in frustration and lost time. One key aspect in eliminating clutter is that it helps you determine what’s most important to you and by knowing this, it will help to simplify your life. Less clutter means less to weigh you down and you can use the time to pursue the things that bring you the most happiness and satisfaction.

I know, organization is usually the last thing anyone wants to do (myself included) especially if things have gotten out of hand. But the time spent now will reap benefits ten-fold in the future. It is a challenging task not only because of the time and commitment factors, but it forces us to change certain behaviors. You must ACT. A=Assess, C=Commit, T=Take action.

Here are some suggestions:

===> Have a “Getting organized” party and invite some friends over to help. Play some oldies, serve some snacks, and have girl talk all while getting things done.

===> Try planning your organization day on the day before trash pickup. This way you won’t be tempted to put stuff back.

===> Focus on one area at a time. Don’t try to tackle 2 or 3 rooms at once. You’ll probably end up with a bigger mess.

===> Use labels such as Give Away, Sell, Trash, Keep.

===> Have a garage sale and use the money to purchase items that will help you stay organized.

 ===> Sell stuff online. Ebay, Craigslist and SFI are great places to start.

If the task is just too daunting, hire a professional. Hold others in your household accountable. If they throw it down, make ‘em pick it up. I used the Reverse Allowance analogy with my children and grandchildren. I termed it “The Quarter Game”. When I gave them a weekly allowance, I still had to remind them to pick up after themselves so they really didn't earn it. So I got smart. Allot them $5 in quarters (or other amount you desire) at the beginning of the week. But each time they make a mess without cleaning behind themselves, take back 1 quarter (or 2 depending on your rules), and perhaps give them an additional chore to earn it back. You’ll see very quickly that their motivation and awareness increases because they already have the money and don’t want it taken away.  It works!

Happy organizing!