Author : Lisa Lelas
Think back to a day you spent a lot of time clearing out, organizing and cleaning a particular space in your home. Maybe it was a rainy afternoon when you finally made the time to take back control of your clothes closet. You happily filled up the donation bag of things you didn't need any more, finally got rid of those clothes you longer wore and maybe you even tossed out a few baskets that once over-flowed with your scarves and other small items. Perhaps it was that Saturday morning you finally went into the garage, armed with trash bags determined to cull clutter and enabling your car to fit back in as a result!Remember how good you felt that day? That little burst of excitement, the renewed energy and feeling of control! Take that same basic philosophy and apply it throughout every space around you. Imagine your entire living space clean, organized and clutter free: your car, your kitchen, your desktop, your schedule...it's empowering.This is the most basic approach for finding control when life can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed or stressed. As a professional organizer and life coach, I can assure you that you'll want to continue down this organized path after you have finally gained control of your environment again.The first step on your path to organization should be to develop a plan. My popular C.L.E.A.R. Clutter System is an easy way to get yourself going.CLIPBOARD ASSESSMENT: With clipboard and paper in hand, begin the process by taking a walking tour of your home and compile a list of everything that needs your attention, from the messy sock drawer to the pillow that needs mending to the curtains that need to be dry-cleaned. Next, select any 10 items on your list and write them with large letters on a sheet of paper with a checkbox by each of them. Post this on your refrigerator with a to-do-by date listed on the bottom (perhaps by the end of the month). Focusing on just a few items at a time will help keep you motivated for accomplishing those tasks.LAY OUT SORTING PILES: Depending on which project you decide to tackle, you may have to remove all contents first. As you are removing items, place everything in specific piles: items to discard or recycle, items to give-away, and items to relocate to another room, and those items to go back into the same space.EMPTY PURGED ITEMS INTO TRASH: When you are finished sorting the piles, grab a large plastic trash bag and fill it up with those items you've purged or discarded. Immediately dump it into the trash...before you look back and have second thoughts!ARRANGE ITEMS SENSIBLY: When you are ready to put back the contents into the room, closet or cabinet, make sure you arrange them in a sensible fashion. Place like-items together in storage bins that offer ample space. Frequently used items should be at eye-level and at the front of the cabinet shelves; less frequently used items can go higher or lower or toward the back of the shelves. Any item that is used only once a year or less should be stored in a garage or attic if possible.RE-EVALUATE: Tweak the system regularly. If your newly-organized room or closet gets disorganized again quickly, reconsider your placement of items. Find out why it is not working and what you could do to make the space work better for your lifestyle.Here are a few more tips for getting control of your home space:Purchase a kitchen timer: Putting a block of time around any project helps keep you motivated, focused and working more productively. When you have a lot of house cleaning to do in a short amount of time, go room to room and set the timer for whatever you can manage.Create a daily task basket: Fill a pretty countertop basket with 20 easy tasks written on seperate strips of paper. These are tasks that you know would only take you up to ten minutes to do, if you only had the time, such as clean out wallet, polish kitchen sink, sort clothes in the hamper, etc. Every time you find yourself chatting with a friend on the phone, pull a task slip and get it done!Make your bed every day: Starting the day with instant tidiness does much for your new organizational sense and clear frame of mind.Label everything: Every item in your house needs a home. Find a suitable storage bin, shelf basket or file and label its contents so that upkeep will be a breeze.Did you know that "getting organized" now ranks as one of the top five New Year's resolutions in America today? So what are you waiting for? Implement your organizational plan today. Ready, set...happy organizing! --Lisa Lelas (www.LifestylingwithLisa.com)Lisa Lelas is a professional organizer, life coach, author and speaker. She is the President of NAPO-CT (The National Association of Professional Organizers-CT Chapter) and featured regularly on TV and radio with her popular 'Getting Organized' and 'Organizing Minute' segments. She is the author of the bestselling Simple Steps Book series (Simple Steps: 10 Weeks to Getting Control of Your Life, Simple Steps for Every Holiday), audio book and calendar, and has been featured on such shows as Oprah Winfrey, Today, NBC News, Extra, etc. Lisa writes for many magazines and her "Life Styling" and "Ask the Organizer" columns run in many New England based newspapers. She is the owner and President of Life Styling Professional Organizing in Guilford, CT, the town in which she resides with her husband and two young daughters. Lisa is a member of NAPO, ICF and NSA. Visit http://www.LifestylingwithLisa.com or email Lisa at LifestyleLisa@aol.com
Keyword : Organized, clutter,clear space, clearly organized, organized life style, Life Styling with Lisa
สมัครสมาชิก:
ส่งความคิดเห็น (Atom)
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น