Lots of kids are heading back to school this week or shortly after & some are back to school already. Have you made any changes to your routine so that you’re starting off the new school year more organized or is it MOTS (more of the same)? You have to ask yourself “what can I do to make things easier & less stressful”. I say this all the time, get everyone in the household involved to help. Even younger kids can do age appropriate chores. Prepare and do as much as possible the night before like pack lunches & choose clothing to wear the next day which will save time in the morning. Place backpacks at designated area before bedtime so that time is not wasted in the morning looking for it and that homework and other papers are already in it. A family calendar is a must so that everyone knows what’s going on with other family members. Communication is vital especially when everyone is running in different directions. Everyone’s household is different so you have to decide what works best for you and your family’s lifestyle.
New Year, New You
A new year has arrived and I’m still trying to figure out what happened to 2010. Where did the time go? We all have the same amount of hours in each day but why is it that sometimes it seems like 24 hours in a day still is not enough time? Is it because we try to do too much or maybe we don’t use our time wisely and/or efficiently? Whatever the reason let 2011 be the year that you start to make new positive changes in your life.
Some of the popular resolutions that people make every year are to lose weight, start exercising, quit smoking, pay off bills, and last but not least is to get organized. I want to focus on getting organized because January 2011 is the 7th year that we’re celebrating National Get Organized (GO) Month. GO Month was started by NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) seven years ago to spread the word about the benefits of organizing and hiring a professional organizer. A professional organizer will guide you through the process, help you to make decisions, & teach you the skills to maintain your newly organized space. I think that one of the biggest benefits of getting organized is how much stress is relieved when you can walk into a calm & serene space without having to swim through a sea of clutter. You can find what you need when you need it.
Let’s face it, organizing can be very frustrating and overwhelming. It is not a quick process and requires time and patience. Clutter does not appear overnight and will not go away overnight. The task of organizing needs to be broken down into small manageable pieces, organizing one room or area at a time. The first step in the organizing process is the de-cluttering step which means going through your stuff to decide what to keep, donate or toss followed by setting up a system that’s easy to follow and maintain. Simple systems work best. De-cluttering, organizing & streamlining will help your household run more smoothly.
Getting & staying organized requires us to change the way we think and do things. In other words, getting rid of old habits and learning new positive habits and routines. For example, if you take something out put it away when finished; if you bring something into the house like groceries or shopping put them away immediately or as soon as possible; pick up and put away stray items as much as possible on a daily basis; wash, dry, fold & put away each load of laundry. These are simple things that will make a big difference if everyone in the household does their part.
So, is 2011 going to be a year of change for you or MOTS (More of the Same)?
