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Reading Time – 5 minutes
People ask me, “Do I have a disease?” and I usually say, “NO, you have a M.E.S.S”. When your life becomes disorganized it is usually caused by one of four situations. If you are feeling overwhelmed, try looking at your M.E.S.S. this way.
M – Mechanical
Clutter can be caused because you don’t have the right type of storage. It is a mechanical problem.
- A drawer may be broken,
- There aren’t any shelves to put things on
- There aren’t any closets
- Your containers are too small or too big or you don’t have any
Solutions to a mechanical problem are simple. Look at what you want to store in the room. Decide if you are a visual person and would like things stored on shelves where you can see everything. Maybe being able to see everything bothers you, it is visual clutter to you. You would want to store things in cupboards or drawers.
The next step is to decide what type of containers you need to hold your stuff. Some people like to have clear containers other people like to use colour coded ones and still other people like them all to match. Whatever type you like make sure they will fit on the shelf or in the cupboard or drawer and hold the items you are storing. Buy the containers after you know what is going to be stored in the room. Make sure it fits into your budget.
E. Emotional
- Some people are very sentimental and find it difficult to let go of things. Try to remember that it is the relationship that you have with the person that is important not the item they gave you.
- Depression makes it hard to have enough energy to make decisions and organize your items
- Anxiety can clutter your mind so you find it difficult to make decisions
The solution to this situation is more complicated. You need to discover your relationship with your S.T.U.F.F. You need to recognize that you have Simply too much and take steps towards realizing that. Next, Take Time to set your goals concerning reducing what you have. The U is for Underlying causes. Examine what makes it difficult to let go of things. F is for how you Feel about having stuff. Do you feel comforted by having things around you or do you feel overwhelmed by too much? The last F is for how you Feel about having less. Does the thought of having less make you afraid or does it feel like you have space to breathe? I can help you with this process book a chat with me.
S. Situational
There are things that happen in your life that can put you into a state of chaos temporarily
- Having a baby
- Moving
- Divorce
- Seasonal Celebrations – Halloween, Christmas. Passover,
- The end of school or the beginning of a year
- Renovations
The solution to these situations is to remember it is a temporary situation. When things get busy ask for help.
S. Systems
If you have systems in place for getting things done then the work becomes easier because you don’t have to think about how to do it, who will do it, and when it gets done. Develop systems for
- laundry
- meal planning and grocery shopping
- collecting the garbage and getting to the curb or dumpster
- gift-giving
- feeding the pets
- doing homework
The solution for this situation is to spend some time planning. Setting up routines doesn’t make you a boring person. It is the opposite. You end up with more time to be creative and do things you enjoy.
You probably don’t have a disease that is causing you to be disorganized just a mechanical, emotional, situational or systematic problem that is contributing to your temporary disorganization. Determine which is the main cause of your disorganization and your problems can be solved so you have a great S.P.A.C.E.
Which situation causes you the most problems?
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 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
Reading time – 5 minutes
I believe that having routines helps you to accomplish things using less energy. It automates chores and tasks that need to be done regularly to keep an office or home organized. If only one person knows the routines for all the tasks that person will get burnt out doing all the work. Delegating the work is the key. How do you delegate work that is in someone’s mind?
Checklists
Checklists can be used for many reasons.
- to make a process repeatable
- to clarify a task for another person
- to schedule tasks to be completed at regular intervals
- to reduce what you need to remember
Reproducible
I have many tasks that I do infrequently or that I am learning. I set up a checklist with all the steps I need to do so I don’t forget one. The checklist takes the stress out of completing the task. I don’t need to figure out how to do it each time. The checklist will be refined after each use when I realize I left out a step or I have found an easier way to do it.
Some examples are:
Collecting income tax records:
- material needs to be gathered from several institutions,
- forms need to be filed,
- receipts need to be organized,
- copies made
- information needs to upload to a portal
Setting up meetings:
- agendas prepared
- reports requested to be compiled/ submitted ahead of time for the meeting
- meeting notice was sent with the current date, time, location and attachments
- set-up meeting room in-person or virtual
- take meeting minutes
- meeting minutes sent out to attendees
- follow up on items to be completed by participants
Social media posting
- make a list of hyperlinks to social media sites so I don’t need to look them up each time
- record steps on how to post to each site until it becomes easy
- record the date when something was posted
- record the topic that was posted so it is not posted twice
If you need help with this task book a virtual session with me and we can set up your social media posting checklist.
Clarity
How many times have you asked someone to do something and you come back and you are shocked by what they did or didn’t do? Checklists clarify what needs to be done in order to call the task completed. It allows you to delegate work.
Some examples are:
Clean your room – this means something different to each person
- Take the sheets and pillowcases off the bed and put them in the laundry
- Put on clean sheets and pillowcases
- Pick up everything off the floor and put it away
- Dust everything( list the items)
- Vacuum the floor, closet and under the bed
- Empty the garbage can into ……
Filing
- place documents in designated box for filing
- recycle advertising
- shred unimportant documents with personal information on them
- sort the pile alphabetically or by date or category
- file placing new documents in the front, header to the left
Planning an event for your family or at work
- set date, time and place
- send out notice/invitation with date, time, directions, need to know information, RSVP
- start to build a purchasing list
- decide on food and drink- quantities, order or prepare on site
- set up the room – seating, decorations, pens, paper
- clean the location
- have a place for coats
- plan activity- ice breakers, games,
- purchase/shop for items for the event
- set up a timetable for the event
- reminder notice
- post signs showing where to go, the name of the event Developing a checklist is a good way to think through all the steps in a task. Share on X
Avoid mistakes, frustration and embarrassment
Checklists are great for things you do from memory to confirm you have not missed anything. Memory is fallible, especially the busier you get. If you have a checklist you won’t forget to make sure you have enough handouts for your meeting, you have defrosted the meat for supper, you have your passport etc. Sometimes I have a mental checklist I run through before leaving the house, a written checklist is better
How to write a good checklist
In his book, Gawande said a good checklist contains only five to nine items and fits on one page. You might not get your checklist right the first time, so practice using it in the real world, and then refine it as needed.
Checklists can improve performance, help you be more consistent, reduce anxiety and errors. If something you are doing and is hard, complicated, never seems to go right or needs to be delegated try making a checklist for that task. It is a good way to think through all the steps in a task. It only works if you use it before you begin your task.
Need help making a checklist book a 30-minute complimentary virtual organizing appointment. https://mindoverclutter.as.me/virtualorganizingassessment
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. 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
No matter how beautiful and organized your laundry area looks, if you don’t have a routine for getting laundry to the washer, into the dry and back to bedrooms you will still have a problem. These tips will help you establish a routine that will work in your household.
Collect the laundry
1. Keep a central collection area for your laundry close to where people change. The main bathroom, near the bedrooms, is often a good choice. Keep three hampers – one each for light, medium and dark-coloured clothing. Make sure everyone knows to empty pockets, because no one else is going to check. You may prefer to have each person have their own bin in their room.
2. Keep a stain remover nearby so that everyone can treat the stains on their own clothing. Children may need help with the most difficult, like blood. Use shampoo without conditioner on grease stains. Once stains are treated, fold the clothing to prevent stain remover from touching the hamper. Remember to place clothing in the correct laundry hamper.
Schedule time
3. Establish a day when the laundry will be washed. Clothing will need to be in the hamper and someone will bring it to the laundry room. You may need to establish a day or time for each member to do their own laundry.
Set timers
4. As you’re placing clothing into the washer or dryer set a time on your phone, stove, clock so you remember to switch the clothing to the dryer or take it out of the dryer. It is easy to forget that the washer or dryer has completed the cycle if it isn’t near where you are working. Then time passes and you didn’t get much laundry done that day, the clothing in the dryer is very wrinkled or the damp clothing has an unpleasant oder.Setting up routines makes it easier to accomplish tasks taking less energy and time to complete them Share on X
Organize an area
5. Have a table or space available so you can fold and pile items as they are removed from the dryer. Making piles of clothing allows people to come and pick up their clothes and put them away. If you have small children in the home place their piles of clothing on their bed, pants, tops, underware, socks etc and help them to learn to put it away in the correct spot. It is a skill that will last them a life time.
6. Have a place to hang up clothes – a line, door hooks or a free-standing wire rack. Don’t spend your time folding clothes that get unfolded once they reach the bedroom. Hang them up straight out of the dryer.
7. Establish a laundry supply shelf or cupboard. Be sure to have a variety of supplies available so you can easily handle any stain – detergent, bleach, shampoo, stain remover, a bar of laundry soap – and quick hand-washing items. Include a basin so you can conveniently soak or hand wash items.
For tips and articles to help you organize your mind and space join Julie’s Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
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 enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or 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
You have successfully accomplished back to school organizing but the day to day chores are not getting done and you are feeling overwhelmed. Clutterbug has a great video, Organizing Hacks for Parents. Organizing your home to help your children become more independent means that they are able to complete tasks without your help. This will help daily routines and habits to be accomplished quickly leaving more time for family fun together.
Which hack worked best in your household?
Need some organizing help contact Mind over Clutter, julie@mindoverclutter, to help bring happiness to your home.
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
Reading time – 3 minutes
Being organized is not about being perfect.
Anyone can learn to be more organized. It is a set of skills that can be taught. Organization creates efficiency and effectiveness, making your life and surroundings perform optimally for you. When you start organizing remember these tips:
- Accept your limitations on time, space, energy and money
- Be consistent, do a little at a time on an on-going basis
- Acknowledge your successes. Success breeds success motivating you to do more.
- Take it one day at a time
How do I decide where to start?
I tell my clients:
- to start with the space that is bothering them the most.
- sometimes you may need to start in an area of your home that you are going to use for storage. Organizing that space first will give you more places to store items that need to be removed from other rooms.
How do I start?
Get some boxes and bags for :
- garbage
- recycling
- things to go to other rooms – put them in a container and take them after you are done working in the space you are organizing. If you leave the room you might never return
- things to be returned to other people – put them in a container and return them to the correct owner after your organizing time is over.
- don’t buy organizing products – wait until you know what you are storing, where you are storing it, and how much you have to store. Then you can the best container to hold the items.
How do I get the room to look nice?
There are 5 steps to follow:
Step 1 Sort
Sort everything in the room into categories. The categories depend on what is in the room. You might have:
- electronics
- books
- tools
- computer items
- dishes
- food categories
- cosmetics
- paper supplies
Figure out the categories of things you have in your room and sort the things you can see and then work in the drawers and cupboards
Step 2 Part with items
Part with items you no longer need and donate them to charity
Step 3 Assign a home
Find the best place to store the item, close to where you use them and so you access them easily. Things you don’t use very often can be stored further away and in less accessible places.
Step 4 Containers
Now is the time to get the right container to store the items. Anything can be a container:
- boxes
- wine boxes cut in half
- magazine holders
- jars
- tins
- plastic bins
- bags
Step 5 Evaluate
Use your system and then see:
- if you have things stored in the best locations
- is it easy to get it out and put it away
- does everything have a “home”Being organized is not about being perfect. Anyone can learn to be more organized. It is a set of skills that can be taught. Share on X
How do I remember all this?
Easy it spells SPACE
S – sort
P– Part with items
A – Assign a home
C – Containerize
E – Evaluate
If you need some help with your organizing book a 50 minute break through organizing session . Click on the link to book your complimentary appointment, and speak with me to get helpful tips to get you unstuck. Organizing Break Through session
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 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
10 Quick Tips to Get Organized
1. Set aside a specific time and stick to your plan. Schedule blocks of time from 15 minutes to two hours until the project is done.
2. Set the mood to keep your spirits up.
3. Take care of your body by eating well and drinking and drinking lots of water.
4. Start small, one area at a time, “inch by inch things are a cinch”
5. Put items in their proper place, like with like.
6. Stay focused, work in one area at a time and don’t leave the room.
7. Open mail daily.
8. File papers weekly.
9. Put new things away the day you receive them.
10. Purchase things only if you know what you will use it for and where you are going to put it.
Schedule blocks of time from 15 minutes to two hours until your organizing project is done. Share on X
Need some more tips download the booklet Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms ( top right corner)and join my newsletter list.
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 enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or 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
Looking for that perfect clutter free Valentine’s Day Gift? One that says:
- I understand you,
- I want you to be happy,
- I want to make your life easier
Contact Julie if you need help making this happen or buy a gift certificate.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. 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
Organizing Challenges Unraveled – Storage Solutions
On the People in Connection Internet TV show, I discussed Organizing Challenges Unraveled – Storage Solutions. When you are short of storage space in a specific area, there are many products on the market that can give you more.
Over the Door Hanging Products
There are a number of over the door hanging products found in stores such as Walmart and Canadian Tire. There are over the door hooks to use for hanging coats, clothes, towels, purses, and belts as well as over the door rings for hanging tea towels, hand towels and paper towels. There also is a great product that has 5 pockets /shelves that are about 6” deep, which could hold shoes, office supplies or laundry supplies. Using over the door hanging products makes installation easy and quick and you don’t need to put holes in your walls.
Magnetic Products
There are magnetic products that can be used to make storage space on metal appliances such as your refrigerator, filing cabinet or washing machine. One is a rack with 3 slots to hold papers, magazines etc and a filing pocket to hold file folders. They are available at office supply stores like Staples.
Unused / Hidden Spaces
There are unlikely places in the home that can be turned into great storage areas. Under the staircase can be lined with cedar to become a storage area for clothes or bedding. It can be fitted with a bar to hang clothes or shelves for storing containers.
Furniture with Storage
Using pieces of furniture is a great way to make additional storage spaces. A simple chest of drawers can be used in an entranceway to store hats, mitts, pets’ leashes, keys etc. An antique dining room buffet with drawers can be used to store CDs and DVDs. Two-drawer filing cabinets can be used as a night table in a child’s bedroom holding books and toys and later used for school work as the child matures.
When you need to make space to store items think outside the box, many spaces can be used to creatively and attractively store the things you need and love.
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
This 6 minute video is a great look at our society and our relationship with “stuff”. It is easy to collect “stuff” but it is hard to know how to get rid of things.
http://www.uctv.tv/shows/Stuff-A-Cluttered-Life-Middle-Class-Abundance-Ep-1-24699
Need help simplifying your life and home contact Mind over Clutter to work with you virtually to help you meet your goals.
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
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