I’m excited to announce–Organized Artistry has a YouTube channel!
It’s something I’ve been considering adding to my business model for a while. YouTube is a great vehicle for reaching those in need of organizing assistance outside of my Northern New Jersey area. I thought it would be a creative marketing tool for my residential and virtual organizing services as well as for my book and any books I write in the future.
Slowly in 2018, I created the channel, added a banner, uploaded a few FaceTime videos but I wasn’t putting a ton of time and effort into it. Why? What held me back? A few things…
Time
As a business owner, parent of two, and volunteer for business and religious organizations, did I really have time to pursue something new?
Knowledge
My son told me it was easy to make a YouTube video. He said to me, “My friend from middle school and my camp counselor have YouTube channels. How hard could it be, Mom?” I tried to convince him that Mommy’s YouTube channel had to be a bit more professional than teens playing Xbox together and videotaping it. I’m still not sure I’ve convinced him…In order to have a professional-looking channel I was going to have to figure out the ‘How-To’ part.
Doubt
Was anyone going to watch? Could I fit creating, optimizing, and uploading videos into my already tight schedule?
Bad Hair Days
Yes, if I’m being honest, bad hair days kept me from making videos. I don’t have the most predictable hair and it doesn’t always look as professional as I’d like it to look. Kinda silly, but true. #honesty
What I know about owning a business is that it has to always be moving forward and keep up with the ‘times’ in order to survive. Many articles I read this past year pointed to video marketing as a game changer for 2019. I decided if I really wanted to make it happen, I had to schedule it, learn what I could, deal with doubt, and my hair. Here’s what I did…
Time
I decided to block out time in my day to brainstorm ideas, write scripts, and film the video (when I’m not working with clients). Mornings after I drop my son at school until noon are my ‘Power Hours’–the time of day when I’m most alert and motivated. This time management technique worked for me when I was writing and self-publishing my book, too.
Knowledge
Do you know the best place to learn about starting a YouTube channel? It’s YouTube! I started watching ‘how-to’ videos while on the treadmill, while getting dressed/putting on makeup, and when I was cooking dinner (it’s the perfect accompaniment to chopping vegetables). I took notes on the videos and created a section in Evernote for them. I also purchased an online course to speed up the process–it’s proving to be a good investment so far.
Doubt
I still have my doubts but I moved forward anyway. I’ve been in this place before as a business owner and realize that anything new is going to stir up feelings of doubt. I decided I wouldn’t let it stop me.
Bad Hair Days
Almost a year ago, I started following the ‘Curly Girl‘ method of caring for my hair. My hair is healthier, looks better and is now (in my eyes) more ‘video-worthy.’ And I bought some products to cover my ‘roots’ so I can film my videos and camouflage some gray hair and hairline without having to run to the salon as often.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working diligently on the ‘Channel Trailer’ for my channel–it’s the first video people will see when they come to my channel if they’re not subscribers. Want to check it out? There may be a few pics of me as a little kid in the video if that piques your interest…You can watch it here or click the video below. Feel free to leave a comment, hit the ‘Subscribe’ button, and remember to click the little bell next to it to get notified when I post a new video!
If there’s an organizing challenge you’d like me to make a video about, let me know at .
Keep an eye out on the Organized Artistry YouTube channel for organizing tips, organizing hacks, and decluttering know-how. My videos will help you to get organized and gain more space in your home, more time in your day, more money in your wallet, and less stress in your life.
I’m sure you’ve started at least one this year. If you’ve been getting organized and you feel successful, that’s great! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. If not, I’m here to assure you that it’s OK. These things happen. Maybe you need to tweak a system you created. Maybe a part of your life changed and what you’ve done so far is no longer in alignment with that change–it’s all part of the organizing process.
I don’t want you to give up, though. It’s easy to throw in the towel when processes like getting organized don’t work out the way we want them to.
I felt inspired to write this post after a few experiences I had over the last couple of weeks. One just led to the other which then circled back to writing this post. Below are a few examples of people that chose to not give up and give ‘it’ one more try. The first one is me…
In January of 2015, I self-published The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbookthrough Amazon’s CreateSpace. Due to the decorative interior design, the book files were not translating well in ebook form and it was challenging to get it to function properly. At the same time, my husband and I were beginning a home renovation that had us purging and packing our entire home. Needless to say that between technical difficulties and time constraints, the ebook never got published. Life became hectic and I basically gave up on ever seeing my paperback book as an ebook.
Fast forward to September 2018. I received an email from Amazon saying CreateSpace was merging with another division of Amazon–KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). I transferred my book’s file to KDP and received an email about a helpful KDP 101 webinar. It fit into my schedule and would cover all I needed to know about KDP so I signed up for it. Little did I know that it would inspire me to give publishing my ebook ‘one more try.’
During the webinar’s Q&A time, another participant named Elaine asked the instructor a file-uploading question which made me think about the uploading issues I encountered almost four years ago. As crazy as it may sounds, I have a random stranger named Elaine to thank for being able to upload my ebook to Amazon/KDP. After the webinar, I revisited my ebook files and found that Amazon had added a new online feature that enabled me to check the formatting of my book and see how it would appear on a tablet or phone. It translated perfectly. I couldn’t believe it. I had given up over three years ago but decided to give it one more try–and it worked!
I saw Elaine as my ‘sign from the Universe’ to give it one more try.
If I had not been forced to move my book files from CreateSpace to KDP, the chain of events that followed would not have occurred and my ebook would still lie dormant on my desktop. Thank you, Amazon and Elaine wherever you are! My next task is to have a specific ebook file created that will upload onto Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble’s Nook–my goal for early 2019.
I was feeling inspired and motivated by this series of events so I decided to write about it in my October newsletter. I always start my newsletter with a quote and found this one from Thomas Edison:
As if I hadn’t received enough ‘signs from the universe, ‘ I took some time before writing my newsletter to walk on my treadmill and watch a TedTalk. Most are eighteen minutes in length–perfect for the approximately twenty minutes I’m on the treadmill. I was scrolling through YouTube when I came across a TedTalk called: Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Since it was about organizing, I thought I’d watch. Elizabeth Dulemba had given up on some dreams of hers and when the Universe ‘spoke’ to her, she decided to try one more time and make them her reality. Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Tedx University of Edinburgh. If you have twenty minutes, I’d recommend watching it. You Never know what it might inspire you to try one more time.
But, the ‘Don’t Give Up–Give it One More Try’ message didn’t stop there…
My family and I enjoy watching The Voice. Contestant Matt Johnson made it on to the show after auditioning fifteen times during a seven year period. Matt Johnson personifies the quote by Thomas Edison. This guy NEVER gave up. Perseverance is his middle name! He kept trying. And trying. And coming back for another try. And the most incredible part of it all is that he was the last contestant to audition and went on to win the last spot available on the show. Success at last!
Isn’t it amazing how giving something one more try can lead to incredible events occurring?
And then, as I’m writing this post, an email from (Chicken Soup for the Soul’s co-author) Jack Canfield’s newsletter lands in my inbox and what is one of the topics? ‘Don’t Ignore Signs form the Universe’.
I think the Universe is telling me that this was the perfect blog post to write this week!
Giving up is easy. Moving forward to reach your goal is not. Just ask Thomas Edison about his lightbulb journey. Here are some ideas for eliminating the need to shout, “I give up!”:
Break down the process
Getting organized isn’t an easy task. It takes time, physical, and emotional energy and it’s rare to have all three at the same time. Break down the process of organizing a space or your time into easy tasks and micro-goals–making reaching the finish line more manageable and attainable.
Be patient with yourself
Getting your file cabinet or your pantry organized can’t be accomplished if your exhausted, the kids are sick, or the hours in your day are not always your own. The time will come and you’ll be able to easily recognize it and use it to move forward.
Listen to the Universe
I know this sounds kind of ‘woo-woo’ but it’s important to be open to signs. Some will whisper to you and some will shout but please listen. Pay attention to and make note of recurring instances. I did that the past few weeks–signs of not giving up and trying one more time kept popping into view. I couldn’t ignore so many of them!
Reward yourself for hitting milestones
Remember those easy tasks and micro-goals I spoke about a few paragraphs ago? When you’ve completed one–celebrate! Honor your achievement however small. It’s a great motivator.
Remember why you’re doing this
Why are you getting organized? Do you want to be able to find papers easily? Get out the door with two kids without forgetting anything? Be able to get dressed effortlessly in the morning? If your ‘WHY’ is important to you, it will inspire you to not give up.
Thomas Edison and I are in agreement. Don’t give up–the way to success is to try one more time. Make that ‘one more time’ step a small one. Sometimes all it takes is a small change to reach your goal. You just may have a ‘lightbulb’ moment…
What have you given up on? Are you ready to give it another try? Has trying ‘one more time’ worked for you in the past? I’d love for you to join the discussion. 🙂
Color–it’s not just for those who like rainbows–it’s for organizing, too!
Color coding is a system that organizes information, offers the eye instant recognition, and reduces the time searching for items your need–all useful when organizing a home, home office, or one’s schedule.
But, you don’t have to have a degree in art to organize with color. Here are some items found in the home that can easily be organized using color:
Papers
Are your piles growing as you sleep? Can’t find certain papers when you need them?
Start the color coding process by sorting your papers into different categories (such as finances, school, house, etc). Then, select a different color for each category. Hanging files and manila folders come in a rainbow of colors and can help you reduce the time spent looking for a particular document. If you designate ‘green’ as your color for ‘financial’ papers, you won’t waste time looking through yellow or blue folders for your last 401K statement.
If you’re not interested in spending money on colored folders, Avery makes adhesive colored circles that can be placed on hanging files or folders and have a similar effect.
Clothes Closet
If you look in home stores, you’ll find that hangers come in practically every color imaginable. Use colored hangers to differentiate the various types of clothing in your wardrobe. For example, hang work clothes on white hangers, work out clothes on blue hangers, and cocktail attire on purple hangers. If you keep up the system, you’ll never show up to the office in your yoga pants…
Let’s say you’re like me and you prefer to hang your clothes on crystal hangers. You can either tie a colored ribbon around the hanger or use those Avery colored circle stickers discussed above to differentiate between different clothing types.
Children
If you have more than one child, pick a specific color–that will be the color that will identify them. Some children’s items are easily organized by color: clothes, shoes, puzzles, sports equipment, backpacks, etc.
For example, ever wonder which of your kids left the wet towel on the bathroom floor? Assign each child a different colored towel and you’ll know who the culprit is very quickly…
Are you a busy family trying to keep track of everyone’s schedule? Color coding appointments on a calendar (planner/wall calendar/digital) is a quick visual cue to help you figure out which child has to be where on a particular day.
Computer
Is your desktop a jumble of files? Is your inbox filled with emails? Use color to save time and create consistency.
Color coding files by project enables your eye to focus when juggling multiple projects. For instance, label all files related to ‘The Smith Project’ (as well as it’s folder) a particular color. Time spent looking for documents or emails related to ‘The Smith Project’ will be drastically reduced if they are all the same color.
Color coding email messages can alert you to a message from a particular person (green = your boss, red = your spouse, blue = your kid’s school). Many email programs come with this feature–you just have to create the categories, enter the email addresses, and choose their corresponding colors.
Holiday Decorations
It is not uncommon for stores to carry plastic bins and tubs that come in colors corresponding to a holiday. Try purchasing orange bins for Halloween decorations and costumes storage. Red and green do the trick for Christmas, blue for Hanukah, and pastel colors for Easter egg painting supplies. It’s SO much easier to find a colored bin in an attic or garage!
Why not bring some color into your life? Using color as a part of your organization plan will save you time, money, and stress in the long run and just think about how colorful (and organized) your life will be!
Tell me–how do you get organized with color in your home?
This October marks the 8th anniversary of my blog. That’s A LOT of idea-generation, image creating, and typing!
I started my blog in October of 2009 shortly after I signed my son up for preschool. This was before I was on Facebook, before Pinterest was created, and before social media was a ‘thing.’ (Can you even imagine?!?) Since then, I’ve moved my blog from Blogger to Word Press, had a second child, and joined Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Oh, and I wrote a book and survived a major home renovation project, too. My blog has evolved over time–I have found that doing yearly goal-setting has helped me stay on track.
In past ‘blogiversary’ posts, I’ve set blogging goals for the year ahead. I didn’t do too badly in 2017…
My 2017 goals:
• Boosting Pinterest traffic to my website/blog
Success! In checking my blog ‘stats,’ the top place where people are coming from to check out my blog and website is Pinterest. My most popular pin on Pinterest is the blog post I wrote back in February, ” 3 Thought-Provoking Ted Talks That Will Inspire You to Get Organized.” I still ‘heart’ Pinterest and see it as a integral part of my online presence for 2018.
• Create images in Canva
Success! I created a Canva image for each of my new blog posts and slowly, slowly, I am updating images from old blog posts using Canva. It’s a great way to freshen up an older yet still relevant blog post. My previous life as a graphic designer has really come in handy…
• Create a blogging calendar
I’ve tried this so many times but have not found success with creating a blogging calendar. Instead, I created a paper Blog Post Template which helps me to organize my thoughts on a topic I intend to blog about. The template is a place to brain dump my ideas, jot down keywords and alt-image text for Pinterest, and websites I’ll want to link to in my post. Half the work of writing a blog post is done once I’ve filled out my template. So, although I did not find success with a blog calendar, I created a thought-organizing tool that did work for me.
• Stop comparing myself to other bloggers
For the most part, I’ve been good at this. I’ve noticed that blogging has changed–it isn’t what it was when I started eight years ago. For many, blogging has evolved as a full-time business and that is something I cannot keep up with and do not wish for as part of my business model. I’ll be putting my time into some new and exciting ventures such as Virtual Organizing, marketing my wedding thank you note book, and outlining some ideas for my next book.
My 2018 goals:
• Keep using Canva to update images on already existing blog posts
Right now, half of my blog posts have Canva, Pinterest-worthy, and ready images. I’ll be chipping away at my blog title list to replace old images with new Canva-generated ones.
• Blog a minimum of 1x a month
At the beginning of 2017, I set a goal for myself–post to my blog a minimum of 2x a month. I did OK in the beginning but as my client list got longer and other Organized Artistry projects took precedence, blogging got left on the back burner. Creating the Blog Post Template helped me solidify future post ideas and I’ll be using it in 2018. So, my goal is to blog 1x a month but if I write two posts in a month or three posts in two months then YAY ME.
If I get to watch at least one a day I’m a happy camper. I watch them while I’m cooking, while I’m on the treadmill, and while I’m eating lunch at my computer. If I don’t have the time, I use one of my favorite apps, Pocket to store them until I have a free 20 minutes to watch.
TED began as a conference in California in 1984–five years before the birth of the World Wide Web. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. It’s mission is to spread knowledge and since it’s inception, TED Talks have had attracted over a billion views online–there’s a lot more knowledgeable people in this world thanks to TED!
With all my TED Talk watching, I was curious as to whether there were any talks on the topic of Organizing. Well–there are! No one is sorting through papers or an overstuffed garage on stage, but the talks I’ve selected are based on an ‘organizing’ theme. Carve out time in your day to watch them–you may learn something new just like I did…
Jessi Arrington: Wearing Nothing New
In my opinion, Jessi is one brave woman. She packed seven pair of underwear for her trip to Los Angeles to do her TED Talk. My heart is palpitating just thinking about it. When she got off the plane with her very tiny suitcase, she went shopping for clothes at local thrift stores in order to “reduce the impact of her wardrobe on the environment and her wallet.” I don’t expect you to watch this and then travel light, but listening to what she has to say, might cause you to take a good look at the clothes in your closet.
Laura Vanderkam: How To Gain Control of Your Free Time
Laura Vanderkam writes about Time Management. She says, “Time is highly elastic. We cannot make more time but time will stretch to accommodate what we choose to put into it.” Basically–it’s all about priorities. Your priorities. Your schedule and your choices. Watch and listen to her and think about how you use your time…
Tim Urban: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator
Do you procrastinate often? Whether you do or not, you’re going to get a good laugh out of this funny TED Talk. You might even see a bit of yourself in Tim Urban. Think about what you might be procrastinating on and watch out for the ‘monkey.’
*BONUS* Yes–I said ‘3’ in the title but this one is short–only around 5 minutes long: Mundano: Pimp My…Trash Cart?.
The unsung heroes of the organizing world are garbage men. They take away what we no longer want in our lives and are not always highly regarded for their work. Watch how one artist in Brazil took the work of Catadores, people who collect recycling, and transformed their work into an art form to be celebrated and appreciated by their communities.
Which Ted Talk resonated with you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This October marks the 7th anniversary of my blog!
In the Spring of 2009, I attended the NAPO Conference in Orlando and signed up for a workshop on how to start a blog. I loved to write and I enjoyed sharing my organizing knowledge–blogging married those two loves together.
I started my blog shortly after my then three year old started preschool. I began on the Blogger platform and a few years ago my blog moved to WordPress coinciding with the redesign of my website. I reviewed ‘Cool Products,’ offered ‘Organizing Quick Tips,’ and wrote about anything I thought my readers would find helpful. Then child #2 came along and I did my best to keep up with blogging. Three years later (when he, too went to preschool) I decided to resurrect and complete a ten year old manuscript and self-publish a book. Still kept up with my blog. It was a challenge–but when you’re writing a book, the writing somehow just flows off your fingertips.
Recently, I was reviewing my posts and noticed I hadn’t written one for my 5th or 6th anniversary. I didn’t write a 5th anniversary post because I was heading towards the self-publishing finish line and needed to focus to complete the enormous task. The 6th anniversary post never got written because I stopped blogging. Completely. Not one post for fourteen months. What happened?
A home renovation/addition project.
We purged our home, packed it all up and moved out for nine months. My brain was making so many renovation-related decisions and adjusting to living in temporary quarters–I just had no brain bandwidth for blogging. Took it off my plate completely. It was a bit weird–not writing at all. But sometimes in life we must put certain tasks on the back burner to accomplish a goal.
It took fourteen months, but in July of this year I got back to writing for my blog. I wasn’t sure how I’d jump back into the blogging pool so I decided to write about what I knew–my home renovation/addition experience. I thought about my experience and the knowledge I could pass on to my readers and the words started to flow. After a year’s+ hiatus, I had some time to think about the steps I wanted to take to move my blog forward.
In past ‘blogiversary’ posts, I’ve talked about my blogging goals for the year ahead. Here are a few for 2017…
I ‘heart’ Pinterest. I could be on that site all day if I had the time! There is a wealth of information in those millions of pins for both personal and professional use. I am planning on joining a few group boards and posting my blog posts to them to grow my blog traffic. I’m learning how to write more descriptive, keyword-rich pin descriptions for my blog posts and communicate more with those who are pinning them. Did I mention how much I ‘heart’ Pinterest?????
Canva is an online tool used for designing professional-looking graphics. If you’re on Pinterest or read a ton of blogs, you’ll see many utilizing Canva or similar tools to create eye-catching images for their blogs, later to be pinned and posted to social media sites. I used to be a graphic designer and I wasn’t happy with the look of my blog photos so I started learning about and using Canva. My first ‘creation’ can be found here.
Creating a Blogging Calendar
I’ve tried this in the past but it hasn’t worked for me. Maybe I wasn’t using the right calendar? Maybe I’m not spending enough time on the planning process? This is something on my to-do list for December so I can start in January.
Stop Comparing Myself to Other Bloggers
This is a tough one. I read many blogs and I wish I could have a larger readership and stunning photography like them. I’ve come to realize that for many bloggers out there, their blog is what they do for a living. That’s their main focus and they can create beautifully written and photographed posts 5-7 times a week. My situation is different. I work when my kids are in school. I travel to and work with clients for a large chunk of that time. I just started a newsletter. I’ll be adding Virtual Organizing services to my business model in 2017. I am working on the three goals I stated above. I blog when I can. I just have to keep reminding myself that there are only 24 hours in a day and that I’m moving my blog and my business in a positive direction…
It’s not easy to come back from any kind of hiatus. I’ll be coming back to blogging slowly–keep an eye out more pretty pics, ‘cool products,’ gotta-tell-a-friend ideas and of course, organizing know-how.
You don’t have to wait ’til January 1st to set goals. Do you have any goals for your blog, business or personal life? Share them in the comments below.
If you’ve been following my recent Organizing MY Home series, you know that I moved twice in one year due to an addition/renovation project. Part of what made such an upheaval bearable and organized were a few key moving tips I created for myself and a packing system that helped us find anything we needed while we were living in our rental space.
This wasn’t your typical move from one home to another. We were packing up our entire house, moving it to a rental property but not opening all our boxes and setting up to stay. Our plan was to only open boxes of items we truly needed and keep most of the rest sealed until we returned to our renovated home.
As a Professional Organizer, I have offered clients packing ideas but never for a double move. I also hadn’t packed up and moved myself for many years so I took to the internet and did some research on line on how best to pack an entire home. I came across a few posts, mostly from military wives who had lots of practice packing and relocating their households and gleaned some ideas from their experience. I quickly learned that writing the contents on the outside of the box is a magnet for unscrupulous movers. And what if we stacked the boxes so we couldn’t see what was written on the outside? I needed some other ideas. I then came across a post online that would help me. It gave me some good ideas that I adapted to our particular situation.
Based on ideas I read online, I chose to create a numbering system that would enable my husband and I to track and quickly locate of all our belongings during both moves. My husband created the cover sheet and tracking sheets of the packing list and left a few lines blank for anything we needed to add.
My ‘vintage’ NAPO-NY clipboard and trusty black marker.
Each room in our home received a number series. As we packed items from each room, we wrote down the contents of the box on the line next to the box number. We also jotted down where the contents/box would be in our rental and where it would go once it came back to our renovated home. An example is below:
A sample page from our packing list.
Here’s the breakdown of the columns on the page:
• Top of the page: Room Name (also written at the bottom of page–not shown in photo)
• Column 1: Box number
• Column 2: Where box is going in rental home (a room vs. the garage for storage)
• Column 3: What room the box will go to when it comes back to our renovated home (our address was originally next to the word ‘Location’)
• Column 4: Contents of the box
In the above photo, the ‘Green Room’ (the walls had been green for many years) at this point only had one box. This was because my home office was relocated there after our second child was born and the contents of the room would eventually be spread to three different spaces after we moved back in. Lucky for us, our rental space was a split level very similar to ours so you see in column 2 that we figured the box would either live in the garage or be unpacked into the rental home’s equivalent of our ‘Green Room.’ In box 701 (column 1), was framed family pictures (column 4) (they ended up in the garage) that eventually would live in my home office and my husband’s home office (column 3).
Depending upon the room and it’s contents, some of the pages looked fairly empty. Then there are rooms such as the kitchen that practically filled two pages! (Yes–we did purge before packing.) Notice–the top part of the page dealt with the move to the rental property while the bottom part (and the next page, too) dealt with the move back to our home. We unpacked much of our kitchen stuff and then had to repack it for the move home. Example:
Lots more to pack in the kitchen!
You might be thinking, “This sounds like A LOT of work!’ Yes, it was a lot of work! But, when it comes to time management, I advise my clients that spending more time at the beginning of a project will save you time at the end of it. Take the time to write the contents of each box on your list. You’ll be happy you did when you’re looking for an item you need!
This system isn’t just for double moves. You can delete a column or add an extra one for your unique moving situation. My husband and I found this system to be incredibly helpful in keeping us organized and knowing where to find all that we owned.
A few tips for using this packing system:
• If you are keeping some numbered boxes in storage for a while, group the boxes by ‘like’ numbers (all 200’s together, all 500’s together, etc). It will make finding the box you need much less time consuming!
• Write the box numbers on the top and at least two sides of the box–the more sides the better–a good task for kids old enough to write!
• Use a thick dark colored marker for writing the numbers on the boxes. Buy a box of them–they will run out of ink quickly from numbering all of those sides!
• When you are finished packing, back it up! Make a photocopy of the Master List and put it somewhere safe and take pictures of each page with your phone.
• Designate one spot to keep your Master List in so you’ll always know where to return it to and where to find it the next time you want to pack/unpack more boxes.
We’ve been living in our renovated home almost six months and some of our boxes are not yet unpacked. I still refer to the Master List when I’m looking for something and it sits in the same spot I designated for it the day we moved back in. As helpful as this system was, my husband and I agree–we’re not moving again for a LONG time!
Could this system be helpful to you in a move? Let me know in the comments below.
Think about an organizing project that would challenge a veteran Professional Organizer–what would it be? A room filled with loose papers? A fashionista’s exploding closet? An overstuffed garage?
How about a renovation – addition project? Her own homes’ renovation – addition project!
For about eight years my husband and I kept going back and forth trying to decide–move or renovate/add on to our home. We kept lists on paper and eventually in Evernote as to what we wanted/needed and didn’t want/need in a future home. Our house was ‘whispering’ to us–sending us ‘SOS’ signals. Slowly, appliances began to die, cracks appeared in the walls, plumbing started to malfunction. We were busting out of our closets, kitchen, and living space. It was time to make a decision.
This was our house before the renovation/addition project began.
After much deliberation, we decided to stay at our current address and renovate/add on to our home. I knew this was not going to be a quick and easy project. I also knew this would take and enormous amount of energy, thought, coordination, and organization. This project was so all encompassing that during this time I had to take a few things ‘off my plate’ such as blogging. This is my first blog post in over a year–I’m writing it happily from my new home office!
Here are some of the organizing steps we took for this project to flow smoothly…
Purging of our entire home
Based on our contractors’ recommendation and the fact that we have a child with food allergies and need a full kitchen to cook for him, we decided to rent a house across town during the construction process. That meant we had to take everything with us. Eve-ry-thing.
After meeting with our contractor and architect, we started the purging process. Each weekend before our move-out date, my husband and I would tackle a room together and purge it of what we didn’t want to come back into our new home (we purged during the week, too). I created ‘The Two Can Rule.’ Our garbage pick up day was Tuesday so every Sunday, we had to fill a minimum of the two garbage cans from our purging session. We also created bags for donations and gave things away to family, friends, and schools.
Creating an organized packing system
The last time I had packed to move, it was the contents of my one-bedroom apartment when I got married. Now, I was packing a three-bedroom house with a filled attic and basement. This double move required a multi-tiered packing and tracking system. Half of our boxes were stored in the garage of our temporary rental home and the rest were unpacked for daily use. Then, before moving back in to our new home, we had to purge (again!) and pack up to then finally unpack (again!). More on my packing system in a future post. If you or someone you know is moving in the future–keep your eye out for it. You’re going to want to know about the system I used. It was a success!
Creating a ‘home’ for all project-related paperwork and correspondence
This renovation/addition project churned out an inordinate amount of paperwork–even for a Professional Organizer to keep on top of. Keeping track of receipts, returns, contracts, finances, bills for two homes, design choices and all other related papers was overwhelming. I created a binder for all papers and created folders in my inbox for emails from our contractor, subcontractors, designer and others. (True PO Confession: The project plus our everyday life became so overwhelming, I just started putting all papers in one box so I would know where to find them if I needed them. Last month, I created a portable hanging file box for all renovation/addition papers and they’re stored in my closet.)
Creating a ‘home’ for all design-related items
I quickly found that I needed a space for things I would need handy for the design part of this project. I stored a recycle bag in my car filled with paint and tile samples, fabric swatches, a tape measure, scissors, and a roll of blue tape. It was always there when I needed it–at a store, at the construction site, in my car. If I had a dollar for every time I used that bag, I’d be a rich lady!
And all of this doesn’t happen with out an amazing team that was organized in their own areas of expertise…
Contractor/Architect
Rich Palmacchio of RTJ Construction and Joseph Donato, Architect
Plus subcontractors, friends, relatives, salespeople, and everyone else who kept us focused, informed, and sane. A big organizing shout-out goes to my hubby who became a purging, packing (unpacking) and organizing LEGEND during this project.
This is our house after the renovation/addition project was complete.
They say it takes a village to raise a child? It also takes a village–an organized village–to raise a house!
Whether I’m at a networking meeting, a client’s home, or a social or family gathering I am often asked the same few questions about getting organized. Some people ask me about products, others ask me how I feel about all the organizing shows that have been on television, but most ask the questions below.
I hope the answers to these questions prove to be helpful as you begin or continue your journey to an organized life.
Why is it important to be organized?
Organized people are able to find the things they need when they need them—and finding what you need when you need it is what ‘being organized’ is all about. Being organized saves you time, money, and stress. By being organized, one is able to put lost time back in their day, money back in their wallets, and live life with less stress and frustration overall.
How do I get organized if I don’t have the time?
You have to MAKE the time. If you didn’t make the time to get your car an oil change would it work well? If you didn’t make the time to exercise and cook healthy meals would your body be able to maintain an active lifestyle? If you don’t set aside the time to ‘get organized,’ your household as well as your life will not function to it’s fullest capacity.
Start by making a fifteen-minute appointment with yourself at a time of day when you are most energetic. Mark it in a calendar and stick to it. You don’t need to devote eight hours on a Sunday to getting organized—you’d be amazed at how much you can get done by spending fifteen minutes in ‘organizing mode.’
Where do I begin?
I’m always asked this question and the person asking it usually has a look of panic on their face! I always recommend to people that they take inventory of their organizing needs and select an area that is driving them crazy or making their life difficult. For a small business owner, it may be their filing system. For a stay-at-home mom, it may be the playroom or the kitchen.
Break the task down into small, manageable tasks. For instance, if it’s your kitchen that’s disorganized, start by going through the silverware drawer. After you’ve tackled the drawer, you’re done with organizing for the day unless you choose to move on to another small section of the kitchen such as the sippy cup collection or the spice rack.
Once I’m organized, how do I maintain it?
The most important thing you need to keep your home/home office organized is DESIRE—the desire to keep your space organized and the desire to put forth the effort to keep it as so. Realistic goals are also necessary when it comes to ‘staying organized.’ You cannot expect an overnight change–on average it takes 21 days to establish a habit. So, if you install a hook by the front door for your keys and you forget once in a while to hang them there, don’t beat yourself up over it—it will come naturally soon enough.
Be prepared–there will be some days where you won’t have the time or energy to organize even the smallest of spaces—that’s OK. Just do your best. I tell people that one of the most important things they can do when they lack the time or energy to organize is to just stay ‘on top of their lives.’ Putting dishes back in the cabinet after they’ve dried, dealing with your mail shortly after you walk through the door, straightening out the medicine cabinet while you’re brushing your teeth are all quick and easy ways to prevent disorganization from creeping back into a newly organized space.
What can a Professional Organizer do for me?
A Professional Organizer has the skills and experience to provide their clients with information, ideas, solutions and systems to increase productivity and reduce stress. By hiring a professional organizer you will not only be able to take advantage of their knowledge, and expertise, but you’ll be able to benefit from their non-judgemental physical and emotional support as well.
To find a Professional Organizer in your area, go to the website of the National Association of Professional Organizers and click on ‘Find an Organizer.’ It may be the first step on your journey to an organized life.
Where I live, it’s kinda cold. And it’s the first day of Spring (insert frowny face here). As much as I’d love to start doing a little spring cleaning in my closet, I still need my polartec tops and flannel lined jeans. May have to start elsewhere this weekend…
But, if you live in a warmer climate or just can’t look at your boots one more day, then by all means start spring cleaning your clothes closet.
Here are the 5 ‘must-haves’ you’ll need for this project:
Garbage bags
Despite their name, these bags won’t all be used for garbage. Grab two colors–black, white, and a third bag can be a reusable tote. Designate black for trash, white for donations, and the tote for repairs. Why use this system? I have heard stories of people accidentally donating their trash and putting their donations to the curb because they used bags of one color.
As you are sorting through and purging clothes from your closet, place them in the correct bag. Clothes with repairable tears and shoes/handbags that need a little TLC from the shoemaker go in your tote bag. When you finish, place the black bags wherever you keep your trash, put the donation and repair bags in your car or at your doorway, and mark off a day on your calendar to drop off them off at their next destinations.
Pad of paper and pen or cell phone
As you go through your clothes, you may find that they have an old stain, they’re too loose or tight, or you just don’t love it anymore. When getting rid of garments, keep a list of items you’d like to replace. That way, when you’re at the mall, you don’t have to think about what clothes you need–just refer to your list and you’ll know exactly what purchases to focus on. Use pen and paper or your cell phone to create the list–whichever works best for you.
Bottle of water/snack
Spring cleaning a clothes closet is a physical activity. Handling some sentimental items and items with ‘bad karma’ attached to them can be emotional as well. Even if you’ve eaten a large meal before starting, I’d recommend having a bottle of water and a snack at arm’s reach. You’ll need a break to clear your head and refuel–how often you do that during this task is up to you and your needs. But, I always advise my clients to bring a snack and drink into the space we’re working on. It means they don’t have to leave the room and lose focus while we’re working.
Large flat or multiple small flat surfaces
When doing a spring cleaning of your clothes closet, it’s important to have a place to put the clothes while sorting them out. If your closet is in your bedroom, use the bed to place the garments down as you make decisions. If your clothes live in a room without a bed, use folding chairs or storage tubs to separate your clothes by category. The floor is NOT a good option unless absolutely necessary. If that’s the case, please open a flat sheet, lay it on the floor and place your piles on top of the sheet.
Time
A basic organizing principle to follow for spring cleaning or any organizing task is. ‘Make an Appointment With Yourself.’ We make appointments to see doctors and to make our hair look fabulous and we wouldn’t consider canceling them except in an emergency. Do the same with Spring Cleaning. Take out your calendar and pick a day to start. Pencil in 15 minutes, a half hour, an hour–whatever amount of time you think you can manage. Keep that appointment. You’ll be glad you did.
Are you ready to spring cleaning your clothes closet? What do you think you’ll find in your closet this Spring?
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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