The Focused 15

It is my philosophy that anybody can do just about anything for 15 minutes. You will almost always be surprised at what you can accomplish is a quarter of an hour.

It really isn't a lot of time. You can watch half a sitcom in 15 minutes. You're commute to work is probably longer. Yet, if you give a focused 15 minutes, you will see results. Notice the word in italics, focused. I'm not talking about 15 multi-tasking minutes when you are checking email, cooking dinner, and  listening to voicemail. I'm talking about devoting that little bit of time exclusively to the task at hand whatever that task may be.

For me, the Focused Fifteen is the antidote to procrastination. If there is something I don't want to do, like, straighten up the house, return a phone call, or on some occasions, write, I reach for the timer. I set my kitchen stove timer for 15 minutes. For that time, I clean or make the call or I start writing. At the end of the 15 minutes, I have a choice. I can stop because I have done what I said I was going to do. Or if I have the momentum and the time, I can keep going.

Fifteen minutes is long enough to overcome your inertia and get a good start. It's also enough time to make a dent in a project and sometimes that dent is all you need. I actually swear by this. It works. I'm so committed to it that my first Get It Together Girl book is devoted to removing clutter and getting organized in 15 minutes a day.

Try it. Use the Focused Fifteen for:

• straightening up the house
• cleaning out the refrigerator
• clearing out your email inbox at home or at work
• sorting through your closet
• journaling

All you have to do is 15 minutes. Once that timer goes off, you'll feel an immediate sense of accomplishment. If you have the time, keep going. If you don't, pat yourself on the back because you did something (and probably more than you thought you would). And, doing something is always better than doing nothing.

If you want to see some real results, get the family involved. Put on some good music and see who gets the most done. Or set your quarter hour for the  15 minutes before your favorite TV show and you have a built-in reward!

Get It Together Girl: 28-Days to Home Organization

The first, and most successful, in the series is the original. Get It Together Girl: A 28-Day Guide to Practical NOT Perfect Home Organization is built around the power of the Focused 15. I am constantly amazed at how much can be accomplished in a dedicated quarter of an hour.

I gave a series of 15 minute assignments to be completed Monday through Friday. We move from the kitchen to the bathroom to the bedroom (and the closets!) and finally the living room and work areas. If just the Monday through Friday assignments are done, you've spent over 5 hours organizing!

For example, Day One is the Refrigerator Run-Through. You aren't cleaning the fridge out so much as you are getting rid of everything that is "moldy, hairy, furry, gooey or otherwise inedible."

At the end of the week, I provide a series of steps that help you stay organized. Most can be accomplished in less than one minute. For example, get undressed while standing in front of the hamper. This way your dirty clothes go directly into the hamper without making a pit stop on the floor. Also, if you keep your hangers on the hamper or in another accessible place, it is easy to hang up things that can be worn again.

Weekends are free ... unless you want to do more. For the overachievers in the group, I give some longer weekend assignments that make great projects (or possibly punishments for the kid! LOL!).

Challenge: Try the power of the Focused 15 for yourself. You don't have to limit yourself to organization, it works in almost any area. Devote 15 minutes to a specific task: walking, cleaning, organizing, reading, filing, talking to someone on the phone, budgeting.

At the end of 15 minutes, one of two things have happened. Either you have made a dent in whatever you are working on or you've gotten your momentum going and are ready to keep going.

The key to an effective 15 is to seriously devote 15 minutes to the task at hand. This is not 15 minutes spent multi-tasking or with a split focus. It's called the Focused 15 for a reason!

Making the Most of Each Day – Get It Together

In 2005, The Independent conducted a study on how people spend their time. Ten minutes were spent each day hunting for keys, five minutes looking for the TV remotes. Seven minutes rummaging around for socks and shoes. About four minutes was spent for glasses and other accessories. Of course, there is also time spent every day looking for electronic and paper files, lost email messages, not to mention kid’s toys and other items. Roughly 30 minutes a day is spent looking for things. Could you use 30 minutes a day? I’m sure you could!

In my book, Get It Together Girl: A 28-Day Guide to Practical NOT Perfect Home Organization, I spend one day talking about finding homes for the homeless. It’s always a good idea to volunteer or donate to a charity and homelessness is a great cause but that isn’t what I’m talking about. Everything that people spend time looking for should have a designated place.

This isn’t rocket science. All of these items should have a place that is easy to use and that makes sense.

Keys: The way my house is designed the front door and garage door are side by side. I found a small table with one drawer that fits between the two. My keys and the dog’s leash go into that drawer. That’s all. It works because it’s by the door and it’s convenient to put my keys in it when I walk in or get the leash out when we’re ready to take a walk.

TV Remotes: These go at the end of my coffee table on the side where I usually sit. When I sit down, I can reach them easily. No matter what happens during the evening, the remotes are there when I turn off the TV.

Clothes and Glasses: Every night, I take a few minutes to lay out my clothes for the next day. My glasses go on the end of my dresser.

At work, I have a folder for items that need to be filed and I use a variety of folders for electronic documents and emails.

Most mornings for me are pretty stress free. Time spent looking for items is time wasted and time spent stressed out. Granted, since it’s just me it’s easy to do this. But, I’ve tested this with friends who have children from toddlers to teens and it works. In fact, getting your kids to find places for their homeless items is a great habit for everyone in the family to develop!

The Five-Minute Challenge

I bet you didn't know this but January is National Organization Month. It kind of makes sense because at the beginning of the year a lot of people want to start off strong and that requires some organization.

I think the main reason most people aren't organized is because of the time commitment they assume is involved. Since they don't have a weekend, day or even a solid hour to organize then they forgo organization all together.

However, this is an area where a little bit of time can make a big difference, let me prove it to you. Here is the challenge. For the next two weeks, I want you to spend five minutes on twoareas where a lot of people need help.

At Work
Spend five minutes a day sorting through your emails. Here's a tip - do not delete them in date order! That is the way you want to receive emails (so new messages are always on top, but to delete messages quickly sort them by Sender. This way you can delete all of your Daily Horoscope messages at once! You can also arrange them in size order so the largest emails rise to the top. Considering saving large attachments and then deleting the message.

If you want to, on the weekend, take a stab at clearing out your personal inbox.

If everything is organized and you run out of time ... try your Sent Items. Almost no one deletes old sent messages!

At Home
Spend five minutes a day in your closet. Have a box on hand for clothes you want to donate. If you finish the clothes in the closet, move on to shoes and then if you are on a roll, the drawers in your dresser.

Five minutes is the commitment. If you're on a roll and have time to do more but if you accept this challenge you can do no less than five minutes.

A little time each day over several days can make a big difference. Trust me. Try it. You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Zap Your Tolerations

The great thing about going through coach training is that while you are learning how to help others develop themselves; there are tons of opportunities for you to work on your personal development.

One of the concepts we discussed was called tolerations. Simply put, tolerations are things that we tolerate but are not happy with. They can range from minor things like a stopped up drain to major things like an unfulfilling job or a bad relationship.

All of these things, from the very minor to the majorly major, should be dealt with. Why are tolerating these things that annoy, aggravate or just generally make us unhappy? Let’s start with the small things.

For example, I was tolerating a slow drain in the bathroom and a messy car. Neither were big deals but when the drain would back up while I was washing my face, it was annoying and it zapped away some of my positive energy. Likewise, every time I got into my car, I was confronted with a mess and every time, I would say to myself “I really need to clean this car out!” Again, it would zap away a little more of my positive energy.

Can you see how even a number of minor tolerations can create a mental and emotional drain on you?

In coach training, we did a revealing exercise called ‘zapping tolerations.’ It started with making a list of things we were tolerating. Between home life, work, kids, family and other obligations, it isn’t surprising to have a list of over 60 tolerations!

I’ll share with you a few of the items on my list.

1. Unclog the bathroom drain
2. Clean out the car
3. Lose 50 pounds
4. Reorganize the kitchen cabinets, countertops and pantry
5. Organize the book shelf
6. Get out of debt
7. Frame and hang my photographs
8. Schedule Marty’s annual vet appointment
9. Schedule my mammogram
10. Have someone come out and look at the washing machine

As you can see, my lists goes includes everything from the minor to a few major items. Writing your list is important because it puts all of these things on your radar. I knew I needed to unclog the drain but once I wrote it down, it became a priority, something I needed to handle. A few days later, I was about to run the dishwasher, and I noticed, I had a bottle of Liquid Plumber. Immediately, I used it to unclog the drain. The Liquid Plumber had been there all along but until I made unclogging the drain a priority, I looked right by it.

Some of the items on my list (mammogram, vet) can be handled with a phone call. Others just take a little time (bookshelf, kitchen organization, photographs). I’ve already handled the kitchen and the bookshelf and the car. I can tell you honestly, that it has made a difference. I don’t have that nagging feeling that I need to take care of something when I walk into the kitchen or get into the car and it feels good.

My full list includes tolerations around the home at work and even those involving relationships and people. Look at your entire life and you’ll be surprised at the tolerations you’ll find.

My challenge to you is to make a list of your tolerations and start taking care of them one at a time. Many won’t take a lot of time and others (losing weight, getting a new job, repairing a relationship) will take a lot of time. For those larger tolerations, you will be surprised at how good you feel when you sit down and map out a plan for achieving them.

Ready, set … ZAP!

Plan with a Purpose

Long time readers of this blog (both of you! LOL!) know I'm big on planning and list making. I'm a huge believer that a little organization can go a long way to saving time, reducing stress and just generally making you more productive.

I was thrilled when I came across this video, courtesy of friend, fellow blogger and spiritual coach Diannia Baty. She does some really provocative work on her blog Way Over the Rainbow. Recently, she posted a few videos from Jack Canfield, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soup series. I loved this one minute clip on why a little planning the night before can make a big difference in your day.

A Little Goes a Long Way

If I told you I was writing a post about establishing routines, you’d probably yawn and keep surfing the net. But, what if I told you I was posting about how you could add more fun and spontaneity to your life? Maybe that would pique your interest.

Well, I’m writing about both.

Establishing a few little routines can save your precious time … thus giving you more time to do the stuff you want to do (not just what you have to do).

I’m not talking about long-drawn out boring routines. I’m talking about little things you can do to stop wasting time looking for lost items and frantically rushing from place to place.

1. Put It In Its Place. Things like keys, cell phones, eye glasses, purses and wallets should have a logical place to go. I have a little stand with a drawer that stands next to my front door. Two things go there: the dog’s leash and my keys. As soon as I walk through the door, that’s where the keys go. Think simple, think logical.

2. Take 10. At the end of the day, take five minutes to plan for the next day. Figure out what you are going to wear, put the water and the coffee in the coffee maker, if you take your lunch, make it the night before.

3. Make a 5 minute sweep. Go through your house for five minutes and just straighten up. Put items back where they belong. Set a timer and make it a family event. Make it a fun game, see how much you can put away.

4. Take My Mom’s Advice. She said, if you don’t make a mess, there is no mess to clean up. Put clothes in the hamper when you take them off. Wash that pot as soon as you are finished using it. My Mom’s Advice plus a daily five minute sweep will keep you house pretty neat!

When you aren’t looking for lost keys, when you aren’t rushing so quickly through the morning that you start your day in a huff, when you aren’t spending hours cleaning and straightening, you’ll find you have more time and less stress.

Now go and have some fun!

The Great Organizing Giveaway

Giveaway ... I love, love, love this word. It normally means that you are getting something, and something for free at that! Since January is National Get Organized Month, it's the perfect time for The Great Organizing Giveaway. Creator Stephanie Callahan has reached out to organization experts, productivity professionals, and me! We've all contributed something to the giveaway. There are ebooks, audio programs, tip sheets and more.

On January 25, visit http://www.asktheorganizingexperts.com/ to see all of the giveaways that are available. There are categories for organizing your time, your home and your office.

Did you know that ....

• 91 percent of people surveyd by the National Association of Professional Organizers felt they could be more efficient at work if they were better organized.


• Overall, 71 percent surveyed indicated their quality of life would improve with more organization.

I'm excited! The Great Organization Giveaway will feature a number of tools that can help you finally reach your organization goals. And did I mention, they are free? What could be better??

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It’s my favorite month … and not just because of my birthday (21st). Summer ends in September and all the kids head back to school; but I really like the ‘back to business’ feeling that comes with September. September represents a renewed focus that comes after a restful and relaxing summer. We’re ready to come back and come back with a vengeance!

Unlike January, this isn’t a time for setting new goals, for most people it’s making one last big push to achieving the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year. The day after my birthday, September 22, marks just 100 days left in the year. If there was a time to get down to business, this is it. Think of it this way. Do you want to ring in 2010 with the dame goals you set for yourself at the beginning of 2009?

Here are five tips too keep you focused.

Write it! Don’t leave your goals swimming around in your head. If you haven’t already, commit them to paper. When you write out your goals they seem more real and more tangible.

Plan It! Think of your goals and then think of what you’d have to do each month between now and the end of the year to make your goals a reality. But, be realistic. You will probably accomplish more in September than you will in December when the holiday season is in full swing.

Work It! Every day do something towards your goals. I’ve written entire screenplays by committing to writing just 30 minutes a day. Do something everyday that will move you closer to your goal.

See It! What does success look like. If your goal is weight loss, that’s easy. Success is a particular number. The same goes for sales, your goal would be a specific target. Whatever it is, see it in your head. Imagine what success would look like. Is it an A or a B in the class you are taking? Maybe it’s just registering for your class? It could be weekly date night with the hubs. Whatever it is, paint a picture of success in your mind. You can’t hit the target if you don’t know where it is!

Share It! This can be a tricky one. Do not share your goal with everybody. Make a list of people who will support you and share your goal with those people and those people only. It is hard enough to muster the determination and overcome the procrastination that will make your goal a reality without having to deal with the naysayers. Share your goal with people who will support you, encourage you and keep you on track.

Good luck and have fun!

Get It Together Girl!

Maybe it’s the Virgo in me but I love to be organized. Love it! Love it! Love it! I don’t expect everyone to go overboard with it like I do, but a little organization can go a long way.

Imagine not having to rush though a Monday morning (only to get to work to realize that you left your earrings and cell phone at home). Picture a day where you don’t have to hunt for your keys. See yourself getting into a car or sitting at a desk that is clutter-free. It can happen and I can help!

Today I am officially releasing a new program to help whip you into organizational shape. Get It Together Girl: A 28-Day Guide to Practical Not Perfect Home Organization. The heart of the program is completing daily tasks Monday – Friday in 15 minutes a day!

The program is based around the concept of a Focused Fifteen. You commit to spending 15 minutes on a particular task. However, you are spending that 15 minutes on this tasks and this task alone. No multi-tasking.

Here’s how it works.

Get It Together (GIT) Tasks: Each day, Monday through Friday you are expected to spend 15 minutes on a daily assignment.

Weekend Accelerators: Weekends in this program are optional. You don’t have to do a thing if you don’t want to. However, should you decide you want to do something over the weekend, there are a variety of tasks, that take a little longer, for you to do.

Keep It Together (KIT) Tasks: These are little things you can do to maintain your level of organization. The best part about the KITS is that most are easy enough to do in a minute or less. They are so easy that you can share them with the hubs and the kids.

In addition to the workbook, you will also have access to the Get It Together Girl audio archive. Listen to 1 – 2 minute clips each day for some extra motivation or an added tip or two.

Finally, you will also get access to the Get It Together Girl message board. Share your experiences with others who are also on the road organization. Ask questions. Exchange your own tips. I will be actively participating as well, answering questions and giving you encouragement!

You get the workbook, the audio clips and the message board for $29.95. That’s just over a dollar a day. Less stress, less mess and more success. For details ... http://www.getittogethergirl.org/

Takin' Care of Business: Ending Interruptions

This is the ninth in a ten part series called, Takin’ Care of Business – Making Work Work for You.

If you don’t think interruptions are a big deal, think again.

• When an interruption occurs, it takes 10 to 15 minutes to get back on track with train of thought afterwards. Therefore 4 interruptions in a day can mean the loss of an hour in concentration.
  
• A manager on average spends 3 hours each day on interruptions.
  
• The average person gets 1 interruption every 8 minutes, or approximately 7 an hour, or 50-60 per day. The average interruption takes 5 minutes, totaling about 50% of the average workday. 80% of those interruptions are typically rated as "little value" or "no value" creating approximately 3 hours of wasted time per day.

When it comes to interruptions, you are either the interruptee or the interrupter. If you are the one being interrupted there are a few things you can do to keep them short and to the point.

• When someone asks if you have a minute, tell them exactly how many minutes you have and stick to it. If you have five minutes, when five minutes is up, offer an alternate time to continue the discussion. Or say ‘No’ and offer an alternate time.
  
• Stand up. If you stand and act as if you are leaving, the other person will normally speed up.
  
• If you have a chair in your office, keep it filled with books or magazines, and make it hard for someone to sit down.

Now, no one wants to admit this, but sometimes, you are the interrupter. If you are the interrupter, here are some things you can do to break that habit.

• Don’t pop into your bosses office every time you have a question. If the question isn’t urgent, then keep a log of questions and ask for a short meeting to get them all addressed at once. You can also create an email and save it as a draft. Add the questions as they come to you and then send it once you have collected several questions.
• Gossip and small talk can wait until breaks or lunch.
• If you need to make a work-related interruption, keep it short and to the point. Once your question is answered, leave.

Takin' Care of Business: Managing Your Manager

This is the eighth in a ten part series called, Takin’ Care of Business – Making Work Work for You.

Sure, you know who’s boss. And when I talk about managing your manager, I don’t mean secretly plotting to take her job or developing some sinister plan to make him look like an idiot. Managing your manager is the process of making your needs known and developing a relationship with him that will allow you to do your job more effectively.

At the heart of the matter, managers are people. As such, they have different personalities and styles. The first step in managing your manager is recognizing her style. Is she a micro-manager or more of a hands-off type? Once you have a handle on the style, then you can figure out how you want to communicate with them. And communication is key.

A micro-manager needs to have their hand in the pot at all times– even though you might be the one doing the stirring. Since you know they always need to know what’s going on, you will want to communicate with them regularly – probably more than you think is necessary. As progress is made and you hit your milestones, let your manager know – even before she asks. If decisions need to be made, clue him in on what you are doing. Sometimes it can be as simple as cc’ing him on an email thread.

For the hands-off manager, you still want to keep them in the loop too. A weekly email or touch base meeting is a good way to let them know what you are doing and how you are progressing with your work. It doesn’t have to be long and involved but just something to let them know what you’ve been up to.

Communication also becomes critical when your plate is getting particularly full. Often managers assign work without thinking about exactly how much work you already have or how much work it will take to complete the assignment. In this case, when your plate is full, it is perfectly fine to ask your manager, which project has the priority. Let them know what tasks you have in front of you and when you expect to have them done. Then, ask them which project needs to be completed first?

If you don’t ask, you are assuming and you know what happens when you assume. You don’t want to devote your time and energy to Project A only to find out Project B or Project C was more important.
Finally, make your needs known. If you need more information or if your boss needs to do something for you, then let them know exactly what is required of them and by when. If you cannot complete your work until your boss authorizes overtime or approves some additional expenses, then make your needs known.

Knowing your boss and communicating effectively with her can go a long way to alleviating your stress and making your job a lot easier.

Takin' Care of Business: Buzzing like a Bee

This is the seventh in a ten part series called, Takin’ Care of Business – Making Work Work for You.

While sitting at your desk, you decide to ‘straighten it up.’ Afterwards, you decide to clean out your inbox and color-code your mail. Then you go to lunch. When you get back from lunch, you realize that you have a stack of documents that need to be filed, so you tackle that. Afterwards, you call your doctor’s office to make an appointment, which reminds you of a question you had about your insurance. You spend a half-hour online trying to get the answer. Now, it’s time for your staff meeting. Returning to your office, you now have a half-hour left as you prepare to work on the presentation that’s due the day after tomorrow. You throw your hands up in frustration as you wonder, where did the time go? Granted, you were ‘busy’ all day. But what did you accomplish?

Busy looks good. Had your boss walked by and seen you filing or researching on your computer, you would have appeared to be working hard. Busy feels good. You are active and you are doing something. And although it’s nice to have a clean inbox and to have your papers filed, when you look at the tasks on your plate, did any of it help?

The answer is to focus. You need to start your day with a purpose and a focus. Today, I plan to _______. By the end of the day, I will have _______. If to-do list or scribbling it on a post-it note helps, do it. Regardless, whether you write it out or just think about it, know what you will focus on and then follow-though. After you’ve accomplished your tasks, then look around for the ‘busy work’. Then and only then, after the important tasks have been accomplished, do you clean your inbox or tackle the filing.

Also, realize the role that procrastination plays in busy work. Often, we chose the easy busywork because we don’t want to do the important work. Breaking down those big important tasks into smaller more manageable ones can help you get started. In fact, you can use some busy work to reward you when you accomplish one of the smaller steps of your project.

If you are procrastinating on your project because you need information or instruction, ask. It's better if you write out or think through the questions you want to ask and then make an effort to ask them early into the project. Don't wait until a day or week before the project is due to ask the basic questions.

Don't be busy - be productive.

Takin' Care of Business: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn

This is the fifth in a ten part series called, Takin’ Care of Business – Making Work Work for You.

Exactly what have you accomplished at work? It’s a hard question to answer because 1) We tend to downplay our successes, so a lot of the small accomplishments are quickly forgotten 2) We accomplish one thing and quickly move on to the next, so it becomes difficult to remember all of the things we’ve done.

Anyone who’s ever had to sit down and prepare for an annual performance evaluation knows what I mean. Wrecking your brain as you try to remember all of the things you’ve done in vivid detail. How can you toot your own horn or tell your bosses what an asset you are when your memory is failing you?

The solution is a simple one. Keep track of all of your accomplishments … as you accomplish them. I have a simple Word document where I list all of the projects and assignments I've been given. As needed, I update that document with exactly what I've done and when.

At the end of the year, it was easy to toot my horn and talk up my successes. And, when it comes time to update my resume, I havean accurate record of exactly what I have done.This success log, doesn’t need to be long. It does not need to be overly detail. Just describe the task at hand, and focus on the numbers.

For example:

Project: Office 2007 Overview
Description: Responsible for giving 200 employees a brief presentation on transitioning from Office 2003 to Office 2007.
Results: Delivered a series of 45 minute presentations to the staff of 225. Located and distributed several quick reference guides to the staff to support the transition. Worked with IT to assist people who were having trouble with the installation and who had questions about the new applications.

The key to making this work is keeping this document current. When you are assigned a new project, open up the document and add the description. When you have a successful result, don’t hesitate to record it immediately while it is fresh in your mind.

Focus on the numbers – how many people did you work with? How many calls on average did you handle a day? How much did you make in sales? How many phone lines did you answer? Did you complete the project under budget or before the deadline?

Nothing says success quite like results!

Out of Chaos...

Yesterday I was featured in an article on Black America Web about getting rid of clutter and the tradition of spring cleaning (http://tinyurl.com/djeca5). Those who know me know that I love being organized. Let’s put it this way, I moved into my house Saturday morning Labor Day weekend and I took that Tuesday off. By the time, I left for work on Wednesday morning, every box had been unpacked, broken down and disposed of, pictures had been hung, the refrigerator filled.

Astrologers will say that my organization is due to me being born a Virgo. Others just call it crazy. You might never have the urge to color-coordinate your wardrobe or plan a menu a week in advance, but there are some little and easy things you can do to get a little more organized.

My philosophy: Life is too short to spend time looking for keys and glasses and shuffling through a ton of papers.

• Put things like keys, cell phones and glasses in a convenient and logical place. My front door and garage door are next to each other. I found a Marshalls, a cute little tall table ($19.99) with one drawer. I put it right between the doors. When I walk in the house, the keys go in it. I also keep the Marty’s leash there as well.
• When leaving work, before I pull out of the parking lot, I put my badge from work on the console area just under the radio. Putting my keys in the drawer. These are things that take a few seconds but if you do them consistently can save you a lot of time and even more frustration.
• Don’t wait. Do it now. When you take your clothes off, take 20 seconds to either put it on a hanger or throw it into the hamper. When you finish with the glass or the plate, put it in the dishwasher. When you let these things build up what could have taken seconds is going to take a lot more time and effort.
• If you want to undertake a big project – organizing a closet, tackling a desk full of papers – and the feeling hits you, go with it! That feeling doesn’t come too often so when it does take full advantage of it.
• When you get ready to tackle the closet or other project, you will inevitably come across items you think you might want to get rid of … but you just aren’t sure. You think … “But I might get down to a size 8 again and when I do, I’ll want to wear that dress.” “But, I can’t throw away that hideous painting I got as a housewarming gift. Sure, there is no way in heck I’d ever put it where people could see it, but I can’t throw it away.” “But it cost a lot of money.” “But I’ve had it a long time.” “But it might be a collector’s item one day.”

If you can’t bear to part with it, at least agree to pack it up and put it elsewhere. Get it out of the closet; don’t keep it on your desk. When you are in a less sympathetic mood, go through that old stuff again and you’ll be surprised what you can get rid of.

From a spiritual or metaphysical point of view, getting rid of clutter is a good thing. Feng Shui practitioners believe that clutter holds your vital energy and when you get rid of it that energy is released. This could explain that feeling of relief and burst of energy you feel when you finally eliminate clutter. They also believe that when you get rid of the old, you can make room for the new.
Happy decluttering!

I Need to Clean My Closet

Before you get all ready for some tantalizing confessions, you should know that I really do need to clean my closet – not the metaphorical closet with the skeletons (not too much there ... and what is there is pretty dusty) but the real one, the one with the clothes. And the shoes. And the purses.

I’m pretty organized. Okay, I’m very organized. I am a list-making, planner-carrying, organized fool. I moved into my new house on the Saturday before Labor Day. By the day after Labor Day, every box had been emptied and broken down. Everything had been put away and I had even hung the pictures. I am organized.

But then there is the closet … and the car. I hate that nagging feeling of needing to do this.

Think about how draining those things you should do but haven’t done drain you. Every time you walk by the guest bathroom, and think about that broken towel rack. When you open that desk drawer and can’t even find a pen in amidst all the clutter, it drains you. All these little unfinished and undone tasks drain us of our precious energy.

Think about how great it feels when you’ve done that spring cleaning or when you finally fix that leaky faucet. That’s us reclaiming our energy. Taking care of the little things can make a big difference.

As soon as I get back home (I'm in San Diego as I write this), I'm going to tackle both the closet and the car!

Getting It Together

I'm a Virgo and Virgos are notorious for being organized, efficient and logical. While I’m not always logical, I am nothing if not organized and efficient.

One important facet of living the life of your dreams is getting a hold of your time. We spend too much time on inconsequential time wasters. Time spent looking for lost items, time spent mindlessly in front of the TV, even time you spend on other tasks like cleaning and preparing meals can be put to better use.

So I’ve compiled a list of a few of my favorite time savers and organizational tips. What you will love about this list is that there is nothing on it that is difficult or that will take up more time. And yes, I do do these things.

Never Lost, Always Found: I have a place for the things I use regularly. It’s a place that makes sense. Next to my door, there is a small stand with a single drawer. When I walk into my place, my keys go on top. Inside the drawer is the dog’s leash. Sounds simple, but by putting my keys and the leash in the designated place, I don’t waste precious morning time frantically looking for my keys AND Marty doesn’t spend precious time with his hind legs crossed!

Keep it in the Closet: Get undressed while standing in the closet. Dirty clothes go immediately in the hamper. While you’re in there, hang up anything you can wear again.

Kitchen Economics: Wash as you prepare the meal. Waiting until the end guarantees that you will have a sink full of pots and pans and who wants to do all that work after dinner? Often times, when one part of the meal is done, you can reuse the pot for the next dish.

When possible, store leftovers in reusable microwaveable dishes so you don’t have to reheat in another pot.

Dishwashers make everyone’s life easier, yet, no one likes to empty the darn thing! The worst part for me was sorting through all the silverware. Then I realized the silverware holder comes in sections. So now, I put all the small spoons in one section, larger spoons in the next and so on. Emptying the dishwasher is a lot faster now.

Mail Madness: I open the mail while standing over the trash can. All junk mail goes immediately into the trash. As do envelopes and extra papers I don’t need.

Paper Clutter Cure: I went to the drugstore and purchased a few cheap colored two pocket folders. They are labeled: Take Action, File, Bills and Read. Anything that requires me to do something (make a call, complete a form) goes into Take Action. Things like bank statements and insurance info, goes into the File folder. When I thumb through magazines, I tear out the articles I want to read and put them in the Read folder. Every couple of days, I look through the Take Action folder and tackle an item or two in that folder. When the file folder gets thick, that’s when I make use of mindless TV time and file while I watch. If I’m bored over the weekend or going somewhere where I have a wait (doctor's office, oil change), I grab an article out of the Read folder and read it.

What are some of the little things you do to stay organized and on task? I'm always interested in new tips and tricks!