Organising Myths Busted - You need to be a natural born organiser

Back in the blogging world I thought I’d post this article I wrote a little while ago. It is the first in a series of organising myths I’m going to bust over the coming weeks.

One of the many comments I often hear about organising is that people tell me “I’m just not a natural organiser. You’ve got to be born like that.”

Agreed, some people find organising easier than others. Some people have a natural knack for it. Those are the people who from childhood onwards will organise their books alphabetically, their toy cars by size or their building blocks by size, colour and shape.

But most of us, myself included, are not like that at all. We have all had to deal with our own disorganisation up to a point where we made a conscious decision to make a change. We decided to become organised. We went out and bought books, researched the web, went on courses and seminars and somehow found all the tools necessary to simply get on with getting organised.

Getting organised is a process that starts with the desire to get organised and a conscious choice to change a couple of habits. You set your mind to it. You then have to learn the tools. Whether these are time management techniques, or the best way to sort out your home or the most suitable approach to sort out your desk and set up a filing system, there are many different ways to get organised and not every way is suitable for every person. There is no right or wrong way. The important thing is that you make a start, stop procrastinating about it and get on with the process of organising. Along the way, there will be set backs and difficulties as you fine tune and hone your organising skills. But in the end you will achieve your goal of being organised. You will realise that you feel better about yourself, you will have a certain sense of pride about your achievements and you will feel a lot less stressed once everything is sorted and organised.

And once you realise that it is so much easier to maintain an organised environment than to create it in the first place you will want to keep things organised and not fall back into your old bad habits.

So you can either do it yourself, maybe enlist the help of a friend or you can call in a Professional Organiser. If you call in a pro, you can benefit from their expertise to help you set up new systems and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel yourself. Yes, their services don’t come for free, but think of the time you save for research and trial and error. They will also supply you with tips and tricks on how to keep it all up, making the process pay for itself in the long run.

So go ahead – get organised – you can do it!

Christmas Organising

With Christmas fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to talk about a nice and fast way to organise the festive season. Some people start months before and once December comes around, they're done and everything is organised. Not everyone is this organised or even wants to think about Christmas before December starts.

Here is a list I found on the Style at Home website that I would like to share with you. It covers 12 days of Christmas Organising and tackles pretty much all areas. If you jump in today (8 days to go) simply leave out tasks you can do without and combine a couple of days. You can still get organised, even if you haven’t started yet.

Keep your holidays in step with 12 days of Christmas organizing ideas.

Cooking and wrapping and decorating -- oh my! With so much to do in the days leading up to Christmas it's easy to get overwhelmed with holiday tasks. This year, minimize the annual festive frenzy with Style at Home's 12-day countdown to a stress-free Christmas.
Day 12
• Clean out the fridge and freezer to free up space.
• Gather your holiday recipes and cross-reference the ingredients you have with the ones you'll need to buy.
• Check your inventory of cookware, serving pieces, and food storage containers to see what’s missing. If you're in need of something, contact a family member or friend to see if you can borrow or share items.
Day 11
• Shop for groceries and pick up everything you'll need to complete your holiday recipes. If it can be baked or cooked ahead of time, buy the ingredients now.
• Be sure to purchase plenty of frozen hors d'oeuvres and finger foods - they're a lifesaver when guests drop by unexpectedly.
• If you have kids at home, hire a babysitter rather than taking them with you. Shopping alone will help you stay focused.
Day 10
• Cook any dishes ahead of time that you can. Casseroles, appetizers and desserts can be frozen, thus saving you time on the big day.
• Before starting your cooking and baking, lay out all the ingredients and baking supplies you'll need. Try to clean as you go, minimizing the mess.

Day 9
• Go gift shopping and try to cross off everyone on your list. Pick up a few small extras for last minute hostess gifts and unexpected visitors.
• Remember to include the people who make your life easier all year: the mailman, paperboy, or anyone else you can think of. Give them each a small gift and have it delivered right away in case they take time off over the holidays.
• Check and see if you need to stock up on any wrapping materials. Make sure there's enough paper, ribbon, gift tags, and the one thing everyone always runs out of – tape!
Day 8
• Have a tree trimming or decorating party. Pull some hors d'oeuvres out of the freezer or serve hot chocolate and sweet treats. Have holiday music on hand and make it a fun occasion for everyone. Having friends and family over to help you decorate will save you time and help you relax.
Day 7
• Run errands and pick up any extras you may have overlooked on your last shopping trip. Think about things like logs for the fireplace, batteries for toys and gadget gifts, ornament hooks, club soda for spills, extra ice, matches to light candles, and replacement bulbs for strings of lights.
Day 6
• Hire a babysitter to watch the kids and devote some time to wrapping gifts. Make it enjoyable by listening to Christmas carols or watching your favorite holiday film while you do it.
• If you're heading out to holiday parties over the next few days, print out the directions now. Put them all together and leave them by the front door.

Day 5
• Check all the linens you'll be using such as tablecloths, placemats, and napkins, and make sure they're clean and not musty. Give them a wash and iron or treat yourself to a professional dry cleaning.
• Pull out the special guest towels and decorative soaps and place them in the powder room.
• Clean out the foyer closet and free up space for guests’ coats and boots.
Day 4
• Go to the grocery store and stock up on anything you may have run out of or missed on your last trip. Pick up perishables like fresh vegetables and dairy products.
• Purchase any flowers you might want for holiday centerpieces and displays. It's just enough time for them to open up and settle so they'll look perfect for the big day.
Day 3
• Enlist the help of every member of the household and give the house a good spot cleaning. Dust, vacuum, and tidy up so you don't have to worry about it at the last minute.
• Take the turkey out of the freezer and put in the fridge.
Day 2
• Set the holiday table and get candles, flower arrangements and music ready. Prepare everything you can so you can relax on the big day.
• Order takeout or pull a stress-free meal out of the freezer. Give the oven -- and yourself! -- a break and rest up for the following day.
Day 1
• Pat yourself on the back as you enjoy a relaxing holiday with those you love the most!

Have a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year 2010!

Procrastination – You’re Fired!

Watching the latest season of “The Apprentice” has inspired me to this title, as you can probably imagine. And the series is a good example that you can only get anywhere in life if you are pro-active. This also applies when you are aiming to get organised. You will not achieve a lot of progress if you are constantly thinking about getting organised but never actually do anything about it.

The successful candidates in the show were not the ones taking the back seat and the ones trying to stay under the radar. The successful people stood out as taking risks and doing the tasks to the best of their abilities.

Now when it comes to a project like getting organised, you can do many things to bring about success. But the main thing is to get started. Yes, do spend some time making a plan, but then start implementing it, making the first step. A Chinese proverb states: Even the longest journey starts with the first step. And this also applies to the largest of organising projects.

Divide your project into tasks. Break down the tasks into small, manageable bite-size chunks. Think about what needs to be done first and then do it. It will do you and your disorganised surroundings no good if you have the best plan and you don’t implement it.

If you’re not too sure how to go about the whole thing, get some outside help. HIre a Professional Organiser who will put you on the right track and stay with you for as long as you need. They can plan the whole project with you and you decide how much they actually do with you. Once you’re ready to go it alone, they will usually leave you with a host of good advice to increase your confidence and help you on your way.

So why not fire that procrastination today and get started!

Tuesday’s Tip – Quote of the Day

Today’s Tuesday’s Tip is linked to today’s Quote of the Day which is in the little widget on the right of this page.

“To speed your success, twice a day form a clear mental picture for two minutes of the one thing you want; and tell yourself it's already yours. Imagine it is.”

I think it’s a wonderful quote and very suitable to my blog, because this is how you should start every organising project. Visualise exactly how you want your space to look. Where would you like what to be, how would you like your space to be organised. Then think what the first step is to get to that point. Take this step. Then the next, and so on.

And with small steps even the largest project will be achieved.

Bank Holiday Decluttering – Part 2

And we’re back with our big project for the Bank Holiday weekend. Here is the second lot of top tips for a successful decluttering session.

You’ve done all the getting rid of things, what are the next steps:

Reorganise: Put like things together. This means if you look for a particular item it can only be in one place. No more hunting around.

Containerise: Once you know exactly what you keep, you can move on to a great part of the job and find suitable storage containers. Use these as much as possible, they really help to corral your belongings and make putting things away so much easier. And make sure you label the containers once you have decided what goes in. This will save you lots of time later looking for things in your new system.

Reward: Make sure you plan a nice reward for the end of your project. If it’s just you doing the work, then have a nice bubble bath, if the whole family is involved, maybe a trip to the park or to the cinema. I’m sure you can think of a suitable reward. You deserve it.

Maintenance: So that the whole effort wasn’t in vain, you need to maintain the new order. Simply stick with what mums have told us for generations. “Put it back when you’re finished with it.” You don’t want to have to start over in the same area once the next Bank Holiday comes around.

And if after all that the whole thing is still too daunting for you, why not call in an expert to kick the project off. Here at Well Organised we can put you on the right track and start you off with a few hours of professional help or we can guide you through the whole project, whatever your needs.

Increase Your Efficiency to Stay Ahead in Business

Companies need to focus on boosting productivity at a time where any inefficiency could be highly costly, despite the fact the average person in the UK wastes 33% of the working year – that is 87 days of the 235 days worked (The 2008 Proudfoot Global Productivity Report)  .

In March 2009, business advisor BDO Stoy Hayward announced predictions that more than 320,000 jobs may be lost over the coming months so now, more than ever, companies will need to have much more organised and efficient workforces.

Practical organisation solutions can easily be implemented throughout an organisation. The benefits of implementing learnt time management and organisation techniques, and improving office environments that employees are proud of, increases productivity and thus the company becomes more competitive.

With the UK having the longest working week in Europe – an average of 43.6 hours compared to the EU average of 40.4, businesses need to become aware of the simple changes they can implement in the day to day running of the business by improving office filing systems, making better use of their desk space or learning new time management techniques, which leads to less waste and more effective resource management.

In fact, Robbie Weir, programme manager for Envirowise, the resource efficiency company, has found that more efficient time management and organisation will not only save those pennies but ‘can also lead to an increase in turnover of up to 4%. (Envirowise Press Release 2008) 

With statistics like these, time management and organisation guidance is crucial for riding the current storm. The way to achieve this is through engaging with employees; it is essential to find solutions that motivate employees, and create a fresh outlook on the business and working day – particularly during times of economic uncertainty, when negativity can nibble away at workers’ enthusiasm.

Tuesday’s Tip – SMART Organising Goals

When setting your organising and/or decluttering goals make sure they are SMART. Setting the goal “I’m going to get organised” is simply not going to cut it.

Here is what SMART stands for with some examples:

S – Specific
M – Measurable
A – Achievable
R – Relevant
T – Timely

Specific: I’m going to put everyone's birthday into my diary.
Measurable: I am going to spend 10 minutes at the end of each working day on filing.
Achievable: I am going to complete the decluttering of the spare room in one weekend. (This might stretch you a little, but is achievable)
Relevant: I am going to go on the next time management seminar at work. (Related to “getting organised”)
Timely: I am going to finish reorganising my pantry by the end of this week. (Goals need a time factor. This helps prevent procrastination and will motivate you to get a move on.)

And now for one goal that ticks all the boxes, one SMART goal:

By the end of the week, I will have entered all my family and friends’ birthdays into my diary.

Tuesday's Tip - Think on Paper

Whenever you are planning your day or thinking through your goals, do it on paper. It makes your thinking sharper and more focused.

A written To-Do List is more likely to get done. A written goal is more likely to get achieved.

With written lists you also have the satisfaction of ticking things off once you achieve them, making you feel more successful, like a winner.

Writing things down also helps you prioritise since you see in front of you all the things that need to be done. It makes you a better planner and helps getting things done.

Professional Looking Labels

The best way to make any organising project look a lot more professional is to use a label maker or label writer. Or you could also print out labels from your computer, of course.

If you use your PC or laptop you need some word processing software. You can use MS Word for instance. If every label is different you need to use the Mail Merge Assistant to create your labels. If all labels are the same or you only need one you can use the Envelopes & Labels function in the Tools menu (not sure how that would work with the new Office 2007 and its "ribbons" but a little scour through the help function should be able to sort this out).

The beauty of using a label maker is that it is portable and you can create your labels there and then. There are dozens of different makes and models in a wide variety of prices. The cheapest I have seen was a whole £15, the most expensive over £200.

The next thing you need to consider is the consumables cost for refills tapes. Again that varies tremendously and a bit of shopping around is a good idea. For one single type of refill (same brand, same size, identical product number) I came up with a price range between £3.39 and £5.99 .

So all you have to do is decide on a label maker within your budget and you can finish off your organising project in style.

Family Meal Planning

Meal planning can be a real chore, with the eternal question "What shall I cook today?". There are everybody's taste buds to consider and you don't want to make the same thing every day either. If you're very busy and basically haven't got the time to plan it all out you usually end up rehashing the same recipes over and over again. Here is an idea that involves the whole family in the process.

When you're all together one time, maybe after a meal have a piece of paper and a pencil ready and let everyone in the family name their favourite meals. Write them down. Everything is allowed including take aways, eating out, but also make sure to include family favourites that you like to cook and you know everybody likes to eat. Depending on the number of people in your family you might want to limit the list to 5 or 10 items per person. In my family there are 4 members, so everyone, including myself, chose 10 meals. Some of my choices were "something new from a cookbook" because I like to experiment and "cold" meaning bread with ham, cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. to make life easy once in a while.

Once your list is complete make sure you scramble it all up so that they are in no particular order of person or preference and then write up the list properly, either on the computer or let the children have some fun with making a handwritten list look good with lots of colours. If you have the facility, laminate the list, if not simply slip it into a plastic pocket. Hang it up in the kitchen, maybe on the fridge. Now you will never run out of ideas again. If a meal has been chosen cross it off with a dry erase marker and it can't be chosen again until all the other meals have been crossed off. For our family this means that meals come around about once a month.

There is only one rule to this game. No complaints from anyone. Everybody's favourites are on there and they will get chosen, so no whining is allowed when someone else's favourite is picked and we're not so keen on that one.

Tuesday's Tip - Easy Garage Solutions

Garages clutter up so fast it's almost unbelievable. But you can do a few simple things to tame that clutter monster in your garage. Here are two useful tips.

1. Install some heavy duty hooks on the walls and hang ladders, shovels, rakes, trimmers, saws, etc from them. This will keep them off the floor and easily accessible.
2. Use the rafters to store bulkier seasonal items such as toboggans, sleds or surfboards or any other items you only need once in a while.

Declutter your Head

For my first blog I would like to share with you some thoughts on decluttering. Most people associate with it a big clear-out, getting rid of stuff. But you can not only get rid of physical clutter but also mental clutter. Here are 3 top tips on how to free your mind.

1. Get it down on paper
   Many of us are still trying to juggle diaries, to do lists, important dates, etc. in our heads. And we they beat ourselves up when we forget something. In these hectic and stressful times we should be kind to ourselves and give our brains a break. Put things on paper. Note important appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, schedules on a wall calender, a pocket calender or into the computer using one of the many available diary software programmes like MS Outlook. Use an attractive notebook for your To-Do-Lists. And write your shopping list down instead of going to the shops only to come back without the most essential items that you went out for.
   
2. Shorten your To-Do List
   You are the only one that has control over your time. You decide what is important and what is not. And you are the one who has to say No if you are overwhelmed with things to do. Nobody else will do that for you, they are only too happy to add items to your list. There are only 24 hours in one day, and some of those you need to rest. Decide which items on your To-do List can either wait, be delegated to someone else or scrapped altogether. You will be amazed how freeing this experience can be.
   
3. "Don't cry over spilt milk"
   Most things that we get annoyed about are not really a big deal. Someone cuts in front of us on the road, we drop something, we spill some coffee on our outfit just before leaving the house - so what? It is up to us whether these things will spoil our whole day or just aggravate us for a few minutes. Of course you will be annoyed, maybe even angry but then let it go and decide not to let it bother you. It is up to you to let the rest of the day be a good one.