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Carolyn Shannon is my guest blogger today. Her business Venting Creatively helps people to find creative ways to shine a light on their life from a different view. She publishes a magazine called Women of Worth magazine.
Being productive leaves time for the things that are important to you
Top 10 Productivity Time Killers
Every day countless hours are wasted away due to non-productive activities. Time is money, so when distractions and procrastination set in profitability will decline. A survey conducted by OfficeTime.net has revealed 10 of the biggest time killers. The main offenders that reduce our productivity are:
1. Emails
2. Surfing the net
3. Watching TV
4. Procrastination
5. Meetings
6. Non-business conversations
7. Commuting & travel time
8. Social networking
9. Cell Phones & texting
10. Dealing with red tape
Types of Time Wasting
There are many factors that lead to procrastination. There are a few broad categories that most time wasting falls into.
1. Indecision.
Perfectionists will often struggle with indecision. Some things may never become perfect, and putting too much focus on perfection will mean too much time spent on one job. Splitting the work into smaller tasks is one way to deal with it more effectively.
2. Avoidance.
Fear of being judged can be the main cause of procrastination. It could be fear of failure or even success. Neither of these is something to be ashamed of. Success should be celebrated, and failure is the best way of learning. Think less about what others may think and more about trying your best at the task at hand.
3. Thrill Seeking.
This is when procrastination is justified because the worker likes the thrill of an approaching deadline. If this is the case it is best to move deadlines closer and set personal targets. This still gets you the thrill of working against the clock, while reducing procrastination.
How to Put an End to Time Killers
The first step to battling time killers is to understand and appreciate the amount of time that is being wasted. What is the value of all that lost time? Time wasters will directly affect your career advancement opportunities and reduce the amount of income you could have received. Tracking where your time is spent will allow for efficient time management. Don’t just rely on your memory to remember what you did during the day. Use a system so that you have a written record that can be looked over and analyzed. This could be as simple as creating a timetable on a piece of paper or utilizing a computer program or app to record your daily activities. Cutting down on time killers is a good start, but there are other strategies that should be used to effectively manage your time:
1. Define your purpose.
You need to know exactly what you want when starting a task. Without a definite purpose, you will lose focus.
2. Smart goal setting.
Choose realistic and specific goals and targets. It should be measurable so you know when it has been completed.
3. Plan on a regular basis.
As factors change, your plan should be adjusted to reflect the reality of the situation.
To truly beat time killers you need to work on your mindset & stick to your plan for the long term.
Which type of Time Waster Are You?
1. Thrill Seekers
They feel they can procrastinate, as they enjoy the feeling of working against a deadline
Tip: constantly set and adjust deadlines so that you still get the adrenaline rush but are using your time more effectively than procrastinating
2. Avoiders
They prefer to procrastinate as a means to avoid being judged. Whether it is a success or a failure
Tip: Success is a good thing and nothing to be ashamed of. Failure is a way to learn and improve. Focus on doing the best job you can and not on what others think.
3. Indecisive people
They are often perfectionists but procrastinate to shift responsibility from themselves
Tip: Not everything has to be perfect so try to take small risks and use your intuition. Mistakes may mean you learn something new. Try to split the task up into more manageable parts.
Need help setting new patterns and mindsets this year contact me. I can work with you virtually to help you become more productive and have time for the things that are important to you.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
My guest blogger is Sophia Perry from Arizona Moving Professionals
Small homes can be tricky when you have many things you need to store. However, you may have more storage space than you realize. Maximizing your home’s storage space can be much easier than it seems at first. With minimal upgrades and these space-saving hacks, your small home will be transformed. Moreover, you won’t have to stress as much over the lack of space in your home. The final result will have your home looking bright and airy, which is something every homeowner strives for.
Use vertical space
In every small home, vertical space is the best way to store things. Vertical storage solutions are fantastic, as you will not have to sacrifice any floor space to gain additional room for storage. They are also some of the most affordable home upgrades you can make. Open wall shelves, door hangers, and bike racks for walls can save a lot of space in your small home. If you are looking to divide the space, use a divider that doubles as a shelving unit. This way, you’ll get to separate the areas and make them feel bigger. In addition to this, you will find the divider useful because it will be a great way to store things. You can also decorate it so that it ties the whole room together.
Utilize every corner of your home
If you find a way to use every corner of our home, you will have enough room for storage. Add built-in shelves for the narrow corner between closets to make the most out of the space. Fill it with smaller items such as books and decor. These will now have a designated area, making your room look much better. Underneath some beds is an empty space that can be used for storage. Simply packing things in bags and putting them underneath isn’t the way to go. You can easily organize this space and make it easy to use with roll-out drawers specifically designed for this space. This is a fantastic solution for extra pillows and linens you don’t have the space for in your closet. These things are easily accessible without ruining the room’s overall look.
Space-saving storage hacks for small kitchens
Cooking in a small kitchen can be annoying if it is cluttered. If you own an extensive collection of mugs and other dishes, you can display them to save space. Use vertical hangers for all of your fanciest cups so that they can be on display. You can use high-quality packing materials if you are relocating into a new, small home and don’t want them to get damaged. To keep your fragile items safe, let a reliable team handle transport for your next long-distance move from Toronto. In the kitchen, you can use your fine china as decor saving cupboard space for the things you use every day.
Open shelving is a great storage solution for narrow spaces. And in a small home, you want to use as much of it as possible. Closed storage solutions, like many cupboards, can make your kitchen feel smaller. But installing open shelving instead can be the right solution for this.
Furthermore, you can even use the ceiling to create more space in your kitchen. Hang the cooking utensils and pots you use the most above the kitchen counters or the kitchen island. They will now be easily accessible and simultaneously make more room in your cupboards and drawers.
Organize your closet in a smart way
You may be surprised to see how much room you can make in your closet with a little reorganization. By reorganizing a little bit, you will have more room for all your clothes. A shoe organizer for your door is great for smaller shoes, such as sandals and flip-flops. Moreover, it can be an excellent way to store accessories like belts and necklaces. To organize your shoe collection:
- Use a variety of shoe racks.
- Separate them if you can so they don’t get damaged by the weight of the other shoes.
- Use vacuum bags for seasonal clothes like winter jackets that you won’t have to use for a few months.
This way, you’ll save space and keep the things you use regularly at your fingertips.
Turn the stairs into a storage solution
Another smart way to make more storage space in your tiny home is to use your staircase as a storage solution. You can achieve this in several different ways. One way would be to turn each step into a drawer for storage. This excellent idea is great for smaller things and seasonal shoes. It can be beneficial because the staircase is usually close to the entry door. Another way is to maximize the space underneath the staircase by making a custom built-in closet or a set of drawers. This is the perfect place for storing your coats and sporting equipment. Now, your sporting equipment is easily accessible and stays hidden when not used. However, before you begin renovating your new home, experts from Centennial Moving advise you to declutter. You may need less space than you think at first.
Summing up these space-saving hacks
Even though your home may be small, that doesn’t mean you don’t have the storage room you need. By using smart, space-saving hacks for your home, you will have enough space for all of your things. These hacks and solutions will make your small home feel bigger and brighter in the process. In addition, if you ever run out of space, you can always use a storage unit for all your seasonal items. Finally, it’s all about combining various hacks and storage solutions to create a smart home that’s well-organized and clutter-free to suit your personality and lifestyle.
If Sophia missed anything add it to the comments.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer.
A lovely colleague sent me this first tip. Marie Mushing runs a networking group called People in Connection
1. Make the area a showcase
See what working with a professional organizer can do for you? Professional Organizers rub out junk. Where there was once chaos and huge piles of paper, is now a showcase. Thank you Julie! Replace the junk pile with something pretty as I did, then you won’t want to pile junk on that again. Great motivation to keep the filing done!
2. Prevent drop zones from forming
If you have an empty flat surface it sometimes calls to people, “to fill me with stuff.” To prevent that area from becoming cluttered, put a large object or two in that spot. It will make the area feel full and then you won’t drop things there. With only 2 larger objects, it is easy to pick them up and dust and clean them. If you use a number of smaller items it may make the area harder to clean.
3. Designate a paper collection spot
Assign a place to put papers that need to be read, filed, signed etc. Place a tray, lovely baskets, eye catching red container etc in a convenient location. Why red? Red is a high energy colour, it increases your heart rate, and your eye is drawn to red items. Using a red basket can help to make dealing with paperwork a high priority activity. Keeping paperwork consolidated in one spot makes it easier to find and work with. When paper is all over the office or house it becomes visual clutter, causing anxiety, the release of cortisol and you feel stress. Cut the visual clutter, collect the paper in one spot, and complete the tasks.
4. Avoid the L word – later
Piles of paper will continue to build up if you leave them for later. Later will never come. Schedule time to deal with paperwork: schedule time to read, file, and reply to paperwork that generates more work. Schedule these activities according to your level of energy at different times of the day. Scheduling reading after lunch at a low energy time of the day may not be productive but scheduling filing after lunch may be perfect because it gets you up and active. Scheduling time at the beginning of each day to concentrate on work generated by email, letters, and documents might work well when you are able to focus on single tasks. Remember not to multitask.
Schedule time for paperwork
If you’re interested in learning how colour can affect your productivity, this guide is free and you can find it here.
What tricks do you use to help you complete paperwork?
Related articles The truth about multitasking
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
R – Read
A – Act
F – File
T- Toss
Paperwork, e-mail messages and electronic files can overwhelm you making you feel stressed and ineffective. Step one is to open your mail or email. Step 2 is to have a system to process it. If information has built up, look at the creation date on the document and decide if is the most recent version. If the document was replaced by a more current version toss or delete the old versions. If the document can be replicated, retrieved or is obsolete toss it, shred it or delete it.
As documents arrive, paper or electronic decide:
R – Needs to be read or referred to later
If it will be read or referred to another person, place it in a folder (electronic or paper) labelled as read. If the document is to be used by another person forward it to the correct person.
A – Needs to be processed
If the document requires:
- an action to be taken,
- a decision to be made,
- a response conveyed or
- has a deadline
place it in a folder marked Act. Financial documents should have their own folder separate from the Act folder.
F – Needs to be filed
If the documents are completed but must be retained, then they are filed. If it is an electronic document forward it to the correct folder. If it is a paper document place it in a file or basket for filing at a later date.
T – Toss – Needs to be disposed of
Documents that you:
- no longer need,
- have no financial implications,
- are out of date,
- junk mail or
- a copy can be obtained elsewhere
can be tossed, deleted, recycled or shredded.
All of your electronic communications and paperwork are now filed as:
- Read
- Act
- File or
- Tossed
and are ready to be handled at a later time. Schedule time in your agenda/calendar to read documents, complete any action needed on documents and file paperwork. This system helps you to:
- know where documents are if someone has questions,
- allows you to manage your time effectively by scheduling your paperwork at times when you will be uninterrupted and
- be able to quickly locate the papers/documents you need to complete a task.
Although much of your information is paperless there is still a substantial amount of paper to control. Have 3-5 stacking trays or a desktopper with folders. Label the folders/trays: to do, to read, to file, refer to other people, and miscellaneous forms. File the paper correctly and schedule a time to process each folder.
At the end of the day:
- Clean off your desk, leaving only papers you are going to process tomorrow in a stack on your desk.
- In your calendar record the files you need to process. Place e-mails/documents to be worked on in a folder marked with the day of the week they will be processed
- Check your to-do files (paper and electronic) for items that need to be completed the next day
- Sort all other papers and documents into their appropriate trays/ folders.
Share how you prevent emails and paperwork from drowning you.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Just because something brought you joy in the past doesn’t mean you should carry it forever. The possessions you keep should represent the person you are trying to become, not the person you were. Keep this in mind when you start your decluttering journey. As you start to let go of things it will become easier and easier. Here are steps to help you on your path to finding your treasures.
Planning the space
1. Decide what the goal is for the room. Is it to have a:
- Beautiful compact space
- Functional workshop
- Sense of freedom and control
- The joy of financially exchanging stuff for new experiences and pleasures.
- Clear out a parent’s home
- Make things easier for the next generation
- Streamline your lifestyle
2. Decide what you want the room to look like and be used for. Draw a floor plan and make a list of activities that happen in that space. It will help you to know what to keep.
3. Decision criteria
Set up some questions to help you with your decision making. Here are some examples:
- How many of these do I have? How many is enough?
- Does the item fit in with my values?
- Is this item current?
- Is this item really valuable?
- Will owning this help to resolve my clutter?
- What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t have it?
- Can I borrow it from somewhere?
- Does it bring me joy?
- Do I need it?
4. How much is enough?
Look around the room and decide what percentage of stuff you need to give away so everything will fit into the room. 25% 50% 75%?
5. If you don’t schedule it, it won’t get done.
Schedule time and work when you are not rushed. Do one area, room, box or even corner of a room depending on how much stuff you have to go through and your timeline.
6. Prepare the room for working.
You will need a series of boxes, bins, bags or containers. for garbage, recycling, donations, items to go to other rooms and items to return to people.
5 Methods for decluttering the room
I’m going to go through a number of ways to sort through your items and you can decide what method works best for you. At first, decluttering is easy because you find items that you know you don’t want and just haven’t given them away yet. Then it becomes more challenging. You must chip away at identifying which items are true treasures versus those you feel guilty about giving away. Remember to reduce by the percentage you choose in your planning.
1. Have a box
The simplest way to start is to keep a box in your closet and whenever you find something you don’t need put it into the box and you can start decluttering right away.
2. Skimming
- Go to a closet/cupboard and select the best items in each that category.
- Most cupboards/closets will have more than one category.
- For example, in a kitchen, the cupboard might have baking dishes, casserole dishes, muffin tins and loaf pans. Pick the best 1 or 2 of each of these 4 categories and donate the rest.
- Continue to open each cupboard and drawer skimming the contents and selecting 1 or 2 items from each category.
3. Sort then declutter
- Go clockwise around the room sorting items into groups by function
- Do the surfaces first and then the drawers and cupboards next
- When you are done, the garbage and recycling will be collected and removed from the room
- All the items in the room will be in groups
- Each room will have different categories/groups of items. Here are some examples, books, electronics, tools, dishes, home decor, games, clothing, photos etc
Look at one category/group and apply the questions and percentage you determined in the planning stage. Start removing items.
If that method doesn’t work for you and you are keeping everything, try a different method.
4. Grouping
Keep the Best of the Best. Instead of thinking about giving things away, it might be easier to consider keeping the best.
- After you have sorted the room make sure you are keeping the best one. You need to see all of the items in one group together and keep only as many as you need or the percentage you set in the planning stage, keep the best ones.
5. Triage
- Gather all your items from one category
- Pick up the first three and remove the one you like the least.
- Pick up 3 more and remove one again
- After you have gone through the category/group you will have decluttered by 1/3
If you are sentimental
- Try taking a picture of the items so you have the memory and let go of the item.
- Find a good home for the thing you are letting go of, they are still useful, just not to you anymore.
- “Shrink it”, only keep one item from a collection instead of the entire collection, you will still have the memory
- Ask yourself, what would be best, having a number of boxes with large quantities of unsorted keepsakes or a carefully assembled box of very precious treasures?
Decluttering is about having a mindset of letting go and having less. Once you experience the joy of being unburdened from cleaning, organizing, buying, and repairing stuff you don’t need, want, use or like you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner. Enjoy the journey.
Did I miss anything?
If you need help to start your decluttering project work with me virtually on zoom.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Click here to learn more about working with a Professional Organizer.
Many people feel the only way to file paperwork is in a filing cabinet in filing folders. I like to say some people file horizontally using files and something to hold them. While other people use files and stack them vertically. Both types of people are doing the same thing in a different direction. Are you a filer (horizontal hanging files) or are you a piler ( vertically stacking files)? Learn about 5 ways you can keep your paperwork controlled.
1. Traditional Filing Cabinets
They come in many sizes and colours. Make sure to get one with drawer sliders so you can easily reach the back of each drawer. Some come with locks others do not. They can be vertical or horizontal. Horizontal cabinets provide a space to set things on, a printer, a plant etc. You can buy a stand that has wheels to set under the filing cabinet to make it easier to relocate.
2. Binders
Binders are a good solution for visual people. You can have them on a shelf and easily see all your files. The binders can be colour coded to make it simple to find the correct binder. Use dividers, pocket dividers or sheet protectors to file papers. Set up the categories you need: household bills, bank statements, warranties etc. Some binders also have a set of accordion files attached to the binder. Here is a review of this product.
3 Rolling Crates/ File Boxes on Wheels.
Use hanging folders and file folders. The advantage to this is you can take them to whatever room you want and the top is open so you can see the files easily. With the crates, you can stack them for easy storage.
Crates make your files portable
4. Expandable Files
Use one section for each category of paperwork. For example household bills, income tax, financial documents, insurance policies, warranties, etc. They are great to have one for each member of the family to store papers relating to them, report cards/school documents, immunization/health records, passport and other documents, certificates etc. You can also colour code these files.
Some come with special hooks so you can store them in a filing cabinet or crate.
5. Magazine holders
Magazine holders come in paper and plastic. They are available in many colours and patterns. Try to buy ones with solid sides so papers will not get caught and it can be hard to slide in. Use a holder for each category of paper you need to file. You can colour code your systems making it easier to quickly access the files you need. You can turn them so the spines are facing out, and label them, to reduce the visual clutter of seeing all the papers in each box.
What is your preferred method for filing paperwork? Tell me about your system.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
I asked my colleagues from Professional Organizer in Canada (POC) to share a word or phrase they hear from their clients that causes them to pause. Some phrases will show a mindset of fear, procrastination or indecision making it difficult for you to be successful. My colleagues work in productivity coaching, virtual organizing, downsizing, moving and many other specialized areas to help you get organized. Use the POC directory to find a Professional Organizer who understands you.
Have you said or thought of any of these phrases?
Darlene Tripp owner of Hello Darlene
‘Overwhelmed‘. When they say I am feeling overwhelmed during the session I know it is time for a break or to step away or to even end the session potentially. Sometimes there are triggers or other things that happen and it is so important for them to be in the right frame of mind most importantly!
Laura Kay owner of Toronto Home Organizing
For Now”. As in, “I’ll put this here for now”. This is a stall/indecisive tactic to avoid making a commitment immediately. I’ve always attempted a stop gap when they say that and get them to reconsider.
Kim Diamond owner of Clufferfly Inc.
I hear the word “later” a lot. Clients postpone decisions about their stuff. Maybe they are feeling overwhelmed or it’s a sensitive topic. It needs to be explored or worked through in order to understand the issues about their stuff. As they say, clutter is just postponed discussions.
Adele Lapointe owner of Chaos to Clarity
“I can’t deal with that right now”. As Professional Organizers, we can’t assume we know the reason and we need to find out why. Everyone’s why can be different. For example, it might be a sentimental object that brings back memories good or bad.
Julie Stobbe owner of Mind over Clutter
“Procrastinator” Clients will say I am a procrastinator. When I hear this we pause and talk about how procrastination is affecting their ability to have the home they want to have. Understanding that you are a procrastinator is good. It is not an excuse or reason you can use for putting off doing tasks or telling me why you can’t get things done. It means you need to develop systems to help you stop procrastinating.
Sara Novak owner of Rainbow Home Organizing
“No”. It was a packing/unpacking/organizing job and even though I thought she “should” discard several packs of near-empty expired spices, of which there were duplicates, I respected her wish and didn’t try to convince her otherwise. Getting to know my client’s limits is vital for a good working relationship.
Corrie Goldfinger owner of One Space at a Time Professional Organizing.
“Yes, but…”. I don’t believe this means the client will be unsuccessful, but rather that they may be struggling with change from the way they have always done things. Even when things haven’t been working for them, there can still be something comforting about having sameness in one’s environment. I typically encourage trying an experiment to try something new in these situations, with the option of knowing it can be changed again if it doesn’t work out.
Kerith Paterson owner of Visual Girl Home Therapy
“For now”… as in “I will just put it here for now”. This is an indicator that the item will not be put away where it belongs, and the commitment to do so isn’t there yet. Before the client realizes it, their home will be full of “for now” items (aka clutter). I always (gently) call out my clients on this, and find out when, where and how that item is used in their day-to-day life – and find it a home.
Marie Potter owner of Marie Potter
“What you need in the future” When decluttering clothes a client said due to Covid he doesn’t wear suits much anymore so was difficult to know in the future if they were needed. We did declutter but that unknown made it difficult. Www. Marie potter.ca
Heidi Kachel Professional Organizer at Harmonious Spaces.
“Should” – I ask my clients to stop saying this word. It implies guilt, stress or pressure.
Catherine Barnsley owner of Valley Home Transitions
“I’m a hoarder, and can’t get rid of anything.” That’s more than a word, Julie! Misuse of the word “hoarder” is not helpful if it’s used inappropriately. If someone really can be psychologically diagnosed as a hoarder, that’s another issue and a place for conversation. Are you the right person to be helping them?
Sally Pritchard owner of Organize my Nest
“Sentimental” as in “I can’t let that go it’s sentimental”. I like having discussions with my clients about what that means and how to think differently.
We love listening to and helping our clients to be able to make decisions, declutter and get organized. Share some other phrases or words that stop you from getting organized.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
My guest blogger this month is Sophie Perry from Arizona Moving Professional
People say that a messy home means a messy life. And while some may argue that is not true, no one can deny that a messy home is an issue that has to be dealt with sooner or later. And it‘s much better if it’s sooner, as a messy environment can negatively affect people. Studies have shown that our environment impacts our mental health and can lead to a person becoming anxious and depressed and making them lose focus. In order to avoid that, regular home organizing sessions are a must. But you need to know how to do it properly. People often make some home organizing mistakes, especially if they don’t have much experience organizing. We decided to help anyone struggling with this and share a list of the most common mistakes people make.
Most common home organizing mistakes
These are mistakes people make very often, and they make the whole process much more difficult.
- Being overly ambitious
- Avoiding decluttering
- Procrastinating
- Not asking for help
- Not utilizing storage
Biting more than they can chew
The first mistake people make when organizing their home is that they underestimate how much work that requires. They think organizing an entire house can be done in a day. That’s impossible. This is a mistake that people who just moved often make as well. They want to make their new home completely organized as soon as they get there, which requires time and patience. For example, organizing a kitchen after the move should be done first, and you shouldn’t start organizing another room until you are done with it. Then once you make your kitchen neat and tidy, you can move to the next room. This room-by-room approach is best for home organizing. If you start a new room before finishing the previous one, you are less likely to finish it and do it nicely and thoroughly.
Skipping decluttering
Another one of the home organizing mistakes people make is underestimating how important decluttering is. This is essential to a clean and tidy home, but unfortunately, too many people skip it. Before you can start cleaning and organizing, you must eliminate junk and stuff you don’t need anymore. This makes the rest of the home organizing a lot easier. And it’s a straightforward process. Just separate things into three different piles. One pile is for the things that you are keeping. The other pile is for broken and useless things that you will be throwing away. And the final pile is for the things you don’t want but are still helpful, and you can donate them. Once you declutter, you will immediately notice the difference in your home. It will be more spacious and easier to organize.
Putting things off
Successful home organizing will require you to be motivated and focused. As we said, it cannot be done in a single day, but that doesn’t mean you should drag it out for too long. People often procrastinate with home organizing, resulting in a home that is even messier than before. You may start all focused, but you start putting things off like “ I can take this donation box to charity tomorrow” or “I’ll throw away this junk later.” Slowly you will find yourself a month in your organizing process, and you are not even halfway there. The key to home organizing is not losing focus. Set a goal, and don’t stop until you are done. Don’t put things off; throw the garbage immediately, and take that donation box to charity. If you are motivated and focused, you will be done much quicker and then be able to relax.
Not asking for help
You might think you can organize your own home without help, but you’d be mistaken, especially if you live in a big house or apartment. That’s too much space for one person to take care of by themselves. Add to that most people have full-time jobs and other obligations they must take care of. That doesn’t leave much time for decluttering, cleaning, and organizing. Having friends and family help you is the right solution. An extra set of hands will make you more efficient, and the whole thing will be done much more quickly. And not just that, they might even be able to give you some helpful advice about home organizing as they have probably done it before.
They don’t utilize storage
One of your greatest allies when home organizing is storage. However, too often, people don’t utilize it. They think storage is used only when moving or doing an extensive home remodel. But that is not the case. Storage is perfect for those situations when you have items cluttering your house, but you don’t want to get rid of them as they are essential to you, or you need them but not immediately. You can rent a storage unit where your items will be safe until you need them again; in the meantime, they won’t take up space in your house.
In conclusion
These were the most common home organizing mistakes people make. As you can see, at first glance, they don’t seem so serious, they are actually really important for the success of the whole process. It is important that you are focused on this project and don’t stop until you are finished. Procrastination is the death of home organizing. And if at some point you get tired and overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to call your friends and family for help. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of decluttering, as it’s a crucial step in this process. Renting a storage unit is also very helpful for all those items you don’t have enough place for in your home. Home organizing may seem like a complicated process, you will be glad you did it once you see the results.
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Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading Time – 4 minutes
My guest blogger this month is Spencer Andrews a representative of More Space Place, a Greenville area leader in closet, office, and garage organization. He has included 5 pictures of different types of closets.
Thinking of upgrading your closet space? Adding a brand new custom closet system to your home can be an exciting prospect. After all, optimizing your storage means you’ll be able to rid your home of clutter and enjoy a cleaner house.
The are a few things to remember, however. Just like any other home improvement project a custom closet has several pitfalls that can have disastrous consequences. Low-quality materials can break and hasty installations can lead to damage to your home requiring thousands of dollars of costly repairs.
To help you avoid such a thing we’ve put together this guide to help you make the appropriate considerations. These 5 steps are what we think are the most important and will help ensure that you’re satisfied with your brand new closet.
Step #1: Plan your design & research your options
Just like with any other project, the success of your custom closet installation is contingent upon diligent research and proper planning. The most important thing to determine is the materials you’ll be using for your closet system. There are plenty of economic options available, but how sturdy are they? Particleboard is affordable, but composites can be easily damaged and don’t deal well with moisture. Furthermore, installing laminates can require working with highly flammable and toxic adhesives, which some homeowners may not be comfortable with. These materials may be more affordable, but will generally have a diminished life span. This is just one example of the kind of research you’ll need to do.
Of course, the other thing to remember is to make sure you have all the tools you need to handle this installation. This is by and large a function of the materials you’ll be working with, and once you’ve determined that you’ll have to make sure you have the right tools.
Step #2: Acquire your materials
When you’re buying the materials for your closet’s installation remember this one simple rule: not all materials are created equal. Take the time to compare the different building supplies you’ll be buying. Boards can warp and deform and may not retain their shape. Take the time to inspect everything you’ll be using to ensure that it’s up to par. Substandard materials can be disastrous for a project like this, and there’s nothing worse than taking multiple unwanted trips to the hardware store. Save yourself a headache and work only with the highest quality goods.
This can also mean using wire closet systems. These tend to be more reliable when compared with particleboard. These will also be more consistent in terms of quality, alleviating many of the headaches associated with less durable materials. That being said, it’s important to do your homework early on and decide what material you think will work best for you.
Step #3: Take your measurements & prepare for installation
Is the room you’re installing your new closet system in completely square? Can you fit all the tools you’ll be using in your closet space? Will your closet system completely cover your wall or should you consider wallpaper or paint to complement your new installation?
These are all considerations to take into account before you begin building your custom closet. If your closet comes out off-center or looks crooked because of the shape of the room it can really detract from the visual appeal of your new closet system. Furthermore, adding a new coat of paint or wallpaper can really help to improve your closet system, so make sure you have that in place beforehand!
Step #4: Begin building your closet system
While this may be a fairly obvious step, this is where all the hard work and potential problems may occur. The most important thing to consider here is whether or not you have the time to put together a brand new closet system in your home. Furthermore, you may need to consider if you have the experience for such a project. Installations such as these can be demanding and may require the expertise of an experienced team. If you find yourself in over your head consider looking for a custom closet designer who can help you out with your project. These services also tend to be comprehensive, which means that can also help you with the design & picking out the right materials.
Enjoy Your New Closet!
After putting in all this hard work, it’s time to enjoy your new custom closet! Consider what you’re going to do with all this new space and check out some other space-saving options. Amazon has plenty of corner storage, stackable bins, and space-saving solutions that can help to make your new closet even more efficient.
Thinking of upgrading your current closet space? Greenville More Space Place is the Greenville SC Custom Closet design team that can help make your idea a reality.
Let me know what the most important feature of a closet is for you.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
People have preconceived ideas about what it means to be organized. Being organized means you can find what you are looking for in a reasonable amount of time. The myths about being organized are what stop people from moving forward and organizing their lives. Here is the fallacy in 5 myths.
Myth 1 Organizing is a born talent
Organization is a skill. You can learn techniques to apply to your situation to get you organized. If you have the right resources and support it is easy. Hire a Professional Organizer, read books, watch Youtube and you can learn the steps. Some tasks at home can be simplified so they are not so overwhelming and time-consuming. Here is one small example about meal planning.
- Pick your menu for the week
- From the menu make your shopping list
- Now you don’t need to decide what to make each morning or evening and you can take out of the freezer the items you need for later in the day.
- After you have done this for a number of weeks or months you can start recycling your plan. This makes it even easier as you just pull up an already completed menu plan.
Myth 2 – Organized space is neat, tidy, minimal and boring.
Everything needs to have a space, a home, so you know where to put it back. Some people are visual and will have things displayed other people like things stored behind doors. Organized spaces should reflect your personality and lifestyle. If you can’t enjoy the space then you won’t take care of it.
Myth 3 – Getting organized is an overwhelming, hopeless chore
No matter what you’re organizing, no matter how daunting the task or how huge the backlog is, getting organized boils down to developing a predictable process that you can reproduce. You follow your process and organize the current things you are using and then each time you’re organizing, work for a little time on the backlog. Divide the job into smaller tasks, organize one cupboard, one drawer, one table or one closet. Eventually, the entire room will be organized one small step at a time.
Develop processes that work for you, so you can stay organized.
Myth 4 – It’s impossible to stay organized
Organizing is sustainable if your system is built around the way you think and designed to grow and adapt with you. Here are some tips:
- If it only takes 30 seconds, do it right away if not add it to your to-do list
- Most unorganized people don’t notice things are in the “wrong place.” Look and do a mental check to see if everything has been returned to its assigned space.
- Use spare minutes wisely. Have a list of small tasks that can be completed quickly when you are waiting for meetings, appointments, trains, planes, children, and elderly parents.
- Use your lists to record: things to do, to call, to e-mail and errands. Check the list don’t just write it down.
Myth 5 Organizing is a non-productive use of your time
You can’t afford to not be organized. A national survey conducted by Professional Organizers in Canada indicates 91% of disorganized Canadians feel that disorganization negatively impacts their lives – with a large focus on feelings of stress, frustration and even failure. According to a study by a Boston marketing firm, the average American loses 55 minutes a day, roughly 12 weeks a year, looking for things they know they own but can’t find.
Did I miss any organizing myths? Share your favourite myth in the comments.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
