Open one of the drawers of your file cabinet. Are papers popping out or peeking over the top of your file folders? If your answer is ‘Yes,’ then read on…
I’ve learned a lot of cool organizing ‘hacks’ in the 16+ years I’ve been a Professional Organizer. Here’s one I think is the coolest–it’s going to help you keep your stacks of papers neat and organized…
Grab a manila folder and take a look at the front of it. You may not have ever noticed, but there are scored lines at the bottom of most folders–some folders have three lines across and some have five. Ever wonder what they were for? I hadn’t, until a colleague taught me this neat trick that I pass on to all of my paper organizing clients:
To make more space for papers in your folder, bend and crease one of the lines to create a box-bottomed effect.
Creasing the highest of the three or five lines will provide you with the most space inside your folder. Creating a box-bottomed effect will offer more space for papers in your file folder.
Go ahead–take a file folder out of your file cabinet and give it a try. The front of the folder will shorten but it will still be high enough to protect the papers inside.
These lines appear most often on plain manila or colored folders. You may not see them on decorative folders such as ones you’ll find at HomeGoods or Target–save those for smaller piles of paper that you wish to file.
To see these scored lines close up, click to watch my YouTube video below:
Wasn’t that cool? Share this post with a friend who could use this cool manila folder hack!
To recap: My friend Deb, in an attempt to get HER photos organized sent an email out to a bunch of friends saying that she was blocking off time one night to organize her photos–who wants to join her?
Me!
I took this opportunity to gather all the loose photos I had (some from a broken album), sort and purge them and put them into some new and existing photo albums.
After that fun photo organizing session, I created some mini photo organizing goals for myself to complete by the end of May. Well, life gets in the way sometimes even for a Professional Organizer. With June being a busy family time and a computer crisis that required my Mac to have major surgery at the Apple Store, I was unable to meet all of my mini-goals.
To add to the situation, my family took a vacation in June…to Disney. MORE PICTURES! Ahhhhh!
Me eating Mickey ice cream at Disney–Mmmmmm!
The day we came home from Disney, another ‘lets-organize-our-photos-again’ email from Deb appeared in my inbox. I took that as a ‘sign’ and ordered pictures from iPhoto (from Spring 2012), gathered some random prints that had yet to see the inside of an album and spent another two hours at her dining room table. I’m happy to say that even though it took me longer than expected, I met all of my mini-goals.
It was that night at Deb’s dining room table that I decided to use the summer to make sure my family photo albums were up-to-date. My goal is for all of my photo albums to be finished before Labor Day weekend. I am also considering creating a photo book for our trip to Disney. That, too will be done by the beginning of September.
In an attempt to reach my goal, I tried to place an order with iPhoto this morning but it wouldn’t go through–a problem I had encountered before my computer had ‘major surgery.’ I may have to upgrade my iLife package (which I have been avoiding). That may be the solution. Or I’ll have to visit the Apple Store again. I’ll let you know in my next photo album update…
Have you made an appointment with yourself to catch-up on updating your photo albums, too? Tell me some of your mini-goals–I’d love to hear them!
In 2007, Jack Canfield of ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ fame was the Keynote Speaker at the 2007 National Association of Professional Organizers Conference in Minneapolis. Since then, I have subscribed to his newsletter–this article came through my inbox back in April and I thought it would be perfect to post on my blog. Thanks for your words of wisdom, Mr. Canfield!
Clearing Clutter Increases Success
Our physical spaces are filled with dozens of minor distractions and irritants, such as stacks of unread books, scuff marks on the wall, and closets filled with unused items. For most people, these things are like gnats – annoying, but generally insignificant and easily ignored.
Rarely do we recognize them for what they really are – potent threats to our productivity, energy, concentration and peace of mind.
For those of us committed to achieving greater success in our lives, a cluttered physical environment produces three negative consequences:
1. You feel drained. If there are things to do everywhere you look, your mind constantly keeps thinking “I need to fix that.” Eventually, you to feel drained, anxious, irritable, and overwhelmed. To cope, we have to put blinders on and overlook the distractions.
2. Problems spiral out of control. We often overlook irritations for the short-term gain of being able to continue with our daily routine. The danger, however, is that some problems with grow worse with lack of attention. The chip in the windshield that could have been fixed in 30 minutes grows to a crack that requires replacement of the entire windshield.
3. You miss important clues and ideas. It’s impossible to selectively numb out your awareness, ignoring only the minor distractions in your physical space while paying close attention to everything else. This is perhaps the biggest danger for success-minded people. Our most powerful insights often manifest in gut feelings, fleeting thoughts and subtle cues. Numbing out to our cluttered physical environments makes us oblivious to these clues, as well.
Physical Space Impacts Mental Space
Seemingly small irritations and distractions also have a dramatic impact on our mental state. It’s common for people who feel overwhelmed by their physical clutter to go into a state of resignation. When you have a sense that you can’t control the little things – such as quickly finding a stapler when you need it – then it becomes easy to tell yourself that there’s no way you can have the other, bigger things that you want, such as a better car, bigger house, prestigious job, or loving relationship.
The good news is that the same concept works in reverse. When you do recognize that you can control little things, such as the squeak every time you open your front door, you recognize that you can control the bigger things in life, too. Taking action to manage irritations, distractions and clutter builds your confidence in your ability to achieve success, regardless of form.
3 Ways to Deal with Clutter
There are three ways to change any environment: add something to it, take something out of it, or modify it in some form.
Go through your environment and figure out what is irritating and distracting you. Ask yourself how it needs to be fixed. Then think about who you might be able to delegate all or part of the task to. One reason that to-do items accumulate is that we feel like we have to do all of the work ourselves. One of the key strategies for getting more done is to master the art of delegation.
To help you move forward with this process, I’ve posted an “Irritations & Tolerations” worksheet on my blog. Use this tool to identify and create an action plan for handling your irritations and tolerations.
Next, scan your environment to identify elements that need to be removed completely, as well as items that can be brought in to increase the energy in your space. For example, you might find that removing the television or computer from your bedroom makes your sleeping space more relaxing and peaceful. On the other hand, you might find that adding a conference table to your office gives you an inviting place for creative work, while adding plants makes you feel calmer and connected to nature.
Spotting “Good” Clutter
Remember that all clutter is not bad. For many people, clutter is part of their creative process.
When in the midst of creation – such as writing an article, developing a presentation, mapping out a business strategy or creating a product – they pull out resources like books, clippings, articles and notepads. More artistic types might fill their work spaces with tools of their particular trade.
The litmus test to use in determining whether your clutter needs attention is how you feel. If you feel inspired, the clutter is serving you and contributing to your creative expression. If you feel contracted, drained, anxious or stressed, the clutter needs to be tamed.
Environments control us, but it’s important to recognize that as human beings, we are one of the few animals that can control their environments.
Organizers are always talking about containers–clear containers, odd-shaped containers, heavy-duty containers. For instance, I always recommend Rubbermaid containers to my client–they’re tough and I’ve found that the lids always snap well to the bottoms. I have my preferences for shoe, paper, and food storage, too.
But what about the sentimental items in our lives? Ticket stubs, “Make Love, Not War’ buttons, a mix tape from your teenage years and the like need a place to live. The container doesn’t have to be fancy–it just has to keep your beloved items safe and all together in one spot.
Have you ever checked out the website, SpoonSisters.com? They offer unique items at different price points–at least half of them will make you chuckle when you see them.
I was looking for a cute baby gift when I stumbled upon this item. I thought it would be perfect for people who are decluttering but wish to keep some sentimental items. And yes, when I saw it, it made me chuckle. The title says it best…
Random Crap Tin Cigar Box $15.95
It measures 7 1/4″ long x 5 1/2″ deep x 3 1/2″ high. Here’s a view of the inside:
It’s cute. It’s kitchy. And I thought it was pretty cool. Those three adjectives make this Random Crap Box a winner in my book!
What container are you currently using to hold sentimental items?
This past month was the first time in almost three years that I took a break from social media. No blog posts for a month and only one or two Facebook shares. No original content was created for anyone in the month of June. Instead, I focused on family events and took a trip with my hubby and kids. My head is more clear now and I’m ready to blog again!
Before I started my social media ‘break’, I submitted a post to the ‘Your Organizing Business’ Blog Carnival. The last one I participated in was about helping families get organized. This one focused on Product Reviews of Organizing Products.
The product review I submitted was about the wonders of cable turtles. Our homes and offices would be a web of wires if not for this great product!
If you’re wondering what organizing products might work for you in your home or office, this is the place to check them out. Twenty three professional organizers have road-tested these products for you. I’m still only halfway through the list!
When you find a product from the list you think might help organize your space or time, let me know about it. I’d love to hear about your newest discovery! Meanwhile, I’ll be trolling the list looking for some cool products to try…
I’m not sure what happened in the universe nine months ago, but it seems as if everyone is having babies this spring. I have bought a bunch of baby gifts over the past few weeks and my mother just took three pink and blue packages to the post office.
It’s raining babies!
Babies are cute and sweet and smell great but they come with A LOT of stuff–A LOT of stuff that needs organizing! Clothes, toys, gadgets, and equipment are only the tip of the baby-belongings iceberg. Papers, feeding/sleeping schedules, and the baby gift/thank you note list need to be organized, too.
Whether you’re expecting or your bundle of joy has already arrived, what parent can’t use a few baby organizing tips?
With that in mind, I’d like to offer a few valuable pre-baby organizing tips and “can’t-live-without-them” organizing products to assist in creating a clutter-free environment for you and your new arrival.
Pre-Baby Organizing Tips
Sort and Purge—your own stuff
Get rid of the old to make room for ‘the new’ (your little one needs a lot of room!). Sort and purge through your own clutter in your:
Closets
Discard or donate any clothes no longer worn or usable. The clothes in your closet (whether they’re maternity or regular-sized clothes) should fit and flatter you and be easily accessible. There’s no time to pull together an outfit when your baby is crying in the next room. In addition, if there’s stuff in the closet that is designated for your child, sort and purge that one, too.
Kitchen cabinets
Clear out items such as old containers and expired food and relocate anything you use once a year to make room for bottles, baby food and sippy cups.
Linen closet or bathroom
Toss expired medicine and remove worn out linens to make room for baby’s linens and medical supplies.
Create lists
Whether your ‘womb-mate’ is depleting you of your brain cells or not, you still have plenty to remember. Write down everything you need to recall. Make lists. Here are a few examples of lists you may wish to create prior to your due date:
To-Do List
There’s so much to do! Register for necessities, write thank you notes, interview pediatricians, look at baby furniture and keep up with the rest of your life at the same time. Keeping a to-do list will help keep you focused on what must get accomplished before baby arrives.
Gift list
Unless you have many enemies, your child will receive gifts. It’s important to have a ‘gift’ list ready so keeping track of who gave you what and writing thank you notes will be a less chaotic task. Create the gift list on a legal pad or on the computer. Designate one place to store it so can find it when the UPS guy rings your doorbell.
Birth announcement list
If you’re planning on sending out a birth announcement, generate an address list of people you’d like to send an announcement to. The addressing of the envelopes is a perfect task to delegate. When friends and relatives ask how they can help you—hand them a pen!
Guest list
If you’re having a religious or non-religious post-birth celebration create a list of people you wish to invite along with their contact information.
Set up a filing system for your child’s papers
You’re probably thinking—papers? For a baby? Yes, not only do babies create a lot of dirty diapers they also create a lot of paperwork. These papers need a home so they’re not cluttering up your desk or kitchen counter. Their home could be a space in your file cabinet or a separate file box.
Examples of files for new baby are:
Birth certificate/Social Security card
Medical records/Pediatrician notes
Bank account/College savings account information
Baby equipment instruction booklets (yes—you should keep them…)
Gift list
Buy bins/tubs
Purchase a minimum of 5-7 bins large enough for ample storage but small enough for you to lift if necessary (to an attic space or to stack in your basement). My personal favorite are the Rubbermaid Roughneck bins. Label them as follows 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 months.
People are going to give your child clothing as a gift, You may also receive ‘hand-me-downs’ from friends or relatives with older children. If the clothes you receive don’t fit your newborn yet, place them into the bin marked with the appropriate size for future use. Also, designate a bin for maternity clothes storage. As you drop the baby weight, drop the maternity clothes in the bin.
If you don’t have the space for bins/tubs, use Ziploc brand L-XXL bags for storage. They can be easily stored under a bed or at the top or bottom of your child’s closet.
A Few “Can’t-Live-Without-Them” Organizing Products:
Diaper Organizer
You’d be surprised to discover how many different products need to be handy while your baby is on the changing table. Depending upon what type of changing table you have, either one of these diaper organizers will work for you:
Prince Lionheart Dresser Top Diaper Depot Organizer sits on top of a changing table or dresser converted to a dressing table
Prince Lionheart Diaper Depot Organizer attaches to side of changing table
Baby Briefcase
If you have no time or desire to set up a filing system for your baby, check out the Baby Briefcase. It is a baby paperwork organizer created by a mom amazed by the amount of documents her new baby generated.
Bottle Drying Rack
Whether you breastfeed or bottle feed, a bottle drying rack comes in very handy. It helps to keep all of your baby’s bottles, nipples and breast pump supplies in one place post-cleaning. As your child gets older, it can be used for kiddie plates, spoons and sippy cups.
Getting organized is essential as you prepare for the arrival of a new baby. You’ll want to be able to find what you need when you need it—quickly—and sometimes in the dark! After your first sleepless night, you’ll be glad you took the time to create an organized environment you and your new bundle of joy.
Share this with someone who is about to have a baby or just had one. Knowledge makes a great gift…
Thinking about moving to a smaller home? Maybe you just want to live with less? Today, I’m hosting guest blogger Moreen Torpy of De-Clutter Coach who is on a Virtual Book Tour with her book, “Going Forward: Downsizing, Moving and Settling In.” Read on and learn how downsizing can be a positive and freeing experience.
How do you view the concept of downsizing? Does it bring positive thoughts and feelings or shudders of fear? Have you considered it an opportunity?
It can actually be the opportunity for you to approach the rest of your life with freedom. The opportunity to decide yourself what happens to your belongings. Of course, some will need to be kept, but others can be passed on now to family and friends who value them as much as you do.
Consider inviting family to tell you what they would like from your estate “someday”. Tell them you’re not planning on going anywhere, just planning ahead. You might be surprised that each person values something different, and not necessarily what you believe they will.
If you can live without these items, give them to the recipient now as part of your downsizing process. If you still need them, be sure to indicate who should receive them when the time comes. You might add a codicil to your Will to this effect and attach a photo of the item so there will be no confusion in the future.
This can be the first big step, the key to your downsizing journey. Think carefully about what you will really need in the future. Will you really be hosting big family dinners? If you do, you could borrow the serving pieces or have the new owner bring a contribution to the meal using that dish.
If your plans are to move to a smaller home, apartment or condo, your storage space will shrink accordingly. This might be motivation to reduce the quantity of china, crystal, serving dishes, cookware and other related items such as the tablecloth for the large table that won’t fit into your new place.
Downsizing can be an exciting journey when you look to the future and how you can create new memories, enjoy new experiences, make new friends, and live without the heaviness of owning a large quantity of material goods. There is a great freedom to this. Use the golden key to open the door to your future and enjoy every minute of it.
What will you do to begin your downsizing journey? When will you begin?
Moreen Torpy is the De-Clutter Coach, a Trained Professional Organizer, Author, and Speaker. Her new book is Going Forward: Downsizing, Moving and Settling In. See www.gofotwarddownsize.com for more about the book including where to purchase it, and www.decluttercoach.ca to learn about her organizing services.
A Blog Carnival? You may be asking, ‘What is that?’
Like I said above, at this carnival there is no ferris wheel, funnel cake, or way to win an oversized teddy bear.
A Blog Carnival is a recurring, theme-driven publication which congregates content from many sources in one place online. (Thank you Treeblogger.com for this definition…)
I am thrilled to be a part of my first Blog Carnival!
Janet Barclay of Organized Assistant has created a space for Professional Organizer bloggers to share their knowledge with each other and the online world. Each month, blog posts are contributed based on a different theme. This month’s theme is Organizing for Families.
I’m honored to be one of sixteen Professional Organizer bloggers helping families get organized. I contributed my recent post, Best Products for Organizing Your Car, but to read posts written by my colleagues, head straight to the carnival. No tickets necessary!
A while ago, I wrote a blog post called, “Ready for Spring Cleaning?” In that post, I talked about a basic organizing principle: Make an Appointment With Yourself to Get Organized.
The process of getting organized can be overwhelming. Most people are unsure as to where or how to begin. Making an appointment with yourself to get organized is a starting point. Carving out that time to chip away at a pile of papers or sort through your sock drawer is a necessary step towards de-cluttering your home and reaching your organizing goals.
A few weeks ago, I got an email from my friend, Deb–the subject line said ‘Photo Albums.’ The email stated that she was blocking out some time one night to work on her photo albums–did anyone want to bring theirs and join her at her dining room table?
I read that email and later responded, “I’ll be there…”
You know the phrase, ‘The shoemaker’s son has no shoes?’ Well, sometimes Professional Organizers spend so much time organizing others, that projects of their own fall by the wayside. In my case, it would be photos and photo albums.
I have two small children and I take a ton of pictures and videos of them on my camera and iPhone. I download them but haven’t always kept up with the ordering of pictures and placing them in albums. My relatives are constantly asking me for pictures of my kids. I’ve bought picture frames but don’t have the pictures to put in them. The signs were there–it was time to make an appointment with myself to organize my photos and albums.
A few days before the photo album gathering I took inventory of what I had:
• one broken photo album (wear and tear from 2 kids flipping pages)
• two new photo albums (ordered months ago and still in the box they shipped in)
• pictures I had printed but not put in albums yet (already separated by child)
To prepare for ‘Photo Night’, I removed all the pictures from the broken album and sorted through and purged a few out. I removed all pictures from my first child’s second album, too. I loaded all my photo albums and pictures into a large shopping bag and was ready to go.
I only worked on my albums for an hour and a half but got a lot accomplished. I managed to put all pictures from birth to two years old in the albums designated for my eldest child. Making this appointment with myself motivated me to keep working on this important project. The next night at my own dining room table, I finished putting the pictures of my oldest child in his albums.
My next steps are to:
• Sort and purge through pictures of my youngest child.
• Put them in chronological order
• Place them in the designated album
• Check the end of each album to see the last pictures I ordered. Go on iPhoto and order copies for relatives and the albums
• Give out pictures and place the rest in albums
My goal is to finish this project by the end of May. I will be making an appointment with myself each week to make that happen and I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
Thanks, Deb for giving me the jumpstart I needed to organize my photos!
It’s Spring! And after weeks of Spring Cleaning, de-cluttering and purging, you may be ready to host a yard sale.
When my husband I got married and joined households years ago, we had a yard sale. It was a fun and exhausting 2-day event that took weeks of preparation. We had a lot of stuff! We made enough money to buy a eight-person patio set for our backyard and anything that didn’t sell was donated to the Vietnam Veterans Association.
A few months ago some of my yard sale tips were featured in an article on SheKnows.com called ‘Tips for Holding a Successful Yard Sale.’ The article offers good advice and ideas on how to price, market, display and negotiate. If you’re thinking of hosting a yard sale, I suggest you take a few moments to read it–you just may pick up a few tips to make your yard sale not just successful–but profitable, too.
A blog by Professional Organizer Stacey Agin Murray bursting with cool products, 'gotta-tell-a-friend' ideas, and a whole lotta organizing know-how. Learn more...
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About Stacey
When you grow up in a 5’x12′ bedroom, you learn to organize pretty quickly! I chose to take that knowledge and turn it into a business helping people find what they need when they need it. I’m also the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook–a book that offers wedding thank you note-related organizing tips and how-to’s plus 101 unique sample thank you notes (what bride can’t use that?).
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