It might be that time when a hurricane approaches and you wish you had de-cluttered the garage before hand, so you could fit in your car. Or when a leak destroys your ceiling and you cannot find your insurance papers. Maybe you're searching for those Halloween costumes that you were so sure to have on top of that cupboard but can't find. Or your mother in law surprises you for a visit and your guest room looks more like a storage room. Inevitably any or all of those situations will leave you frustrated and stressed out, as you're trying to fit in the time to do things on an already busy schedule. They might also end up costing you money as you're replacing the items you can't find.
So when is the best time to get organized you might ask...??
Let’s consider winter. With Halloween approaching, Thanksgiving, cooking, company and more cleaning, maybe not such a good time to be organizing...
Along come the major winter holidays, shopping, cooking, wrapping, company, maybe traveling and the kids are home from school.
The New Year always seems like a good time to start anew. Losing weight or getting fit tops the list of New Year’s resolution favorites. But remarkably, according to some surveys, getting organized has become the number two most popular resolution in recent years for both men and women. Unfortunately, studies also show that most New Year’s resolutions aren’t always followed through...
Spring cleaning you say? That could bring some motivation for getting organized. You are going to clean from top to bottom, including every room in the house, so that may be a perfect time to organize, you may be thinking. Yet, cleaning the whole house takes time, as does organizing. So trying to fit it all in may seem overwhelming.
And our taxes have to get ready which leaves little time for organizing...
How about waiting until summer? Let’s wait until the kids are out of school, have no homework, go to camp for extended hours, or can even chip in and help! When summer comes, mom may want a break too. Maybe you and your family like to spend more time outdoors in summer. Then there’s shopping, packing and planning for going on vacation, traveling, then unpacking, washing, putting it all away, and so it goes. Before you know it, summer is over.
So what is the answer to when IS the best time to organize? The answer is unequivocally NOW! A bit confused? If the aforementioned reasons manage to interfere with organizing plans, how can you get started now?
It’s simple. You don’t have to do it all at once. Every organizing project should be broken down into smaller tasks. Each task should have a beginning and an end. Choose one room in which to start. Focus on just the closet. If the room is in shambles, start with the floor. Then move to one drawer, one shelf and on and on depending on how much time and stamina you have. It’s a proven fact that many small parts equal a whole. Before you know it, the entire room will be completed and you are ready to move on to another. There is no time limit for organizing. It may take you a few hours, or a full day. It may take two or three days, depending on your available time. It’s okay. Just don’t give up and don’t try to do it all at once.
If papers are your biggest concern, start with the desk. Move on to the shelves. Don’t forget to purge old or useless papers from files, one drawer at a time. Again, it doesn’t all have to be done in one session.
The key is to plan your organizing sessions into your day and allot as much time as you feel comfortable.
The sooner you start, the sooner you will benefit.
Happy Organizing!
Sophie Bent: Professional Organizer®, Bent On Organizing, LLC is a NAPO Specialist in Residential Organizing in S. Florida and has been organizing businesses and homes since 2008. Contact her at 561-404-7181 or www.bentonorganizing.com
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