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We Organize U Ezine
July 2004
Monthly Tips on Organizing Your Home, Your Office & Your Life
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Brought to you by Hellen Buttigieg, Professional Organizer, TV Host, and Life Coach.

Thank you for subscribing to this electronic newsletter. I know
your time is valuable so this newsletter is kept brief yet
effective. Each issue contains quick tips to organize your home,
your office and your life.

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CHECK OUT NEW NEAT WEBSITE

Find out more about the show NEAT, see dramatic before and after
pictures, and review tips and projects from all episodes
including creating action files, organizing a messy desk and
storing kids' toys. Visit http://www.NeatTV.com

NEW FEATURE: QUESTION OF THE MONTH

I receive so many emails with great questions yet sometimes time
restraints prevent me from answering them all personally. For
this reason, I am pleased to announce a new feature in my ezine
called 'Question of the Month'. Here's this month's query.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH:

Q: "Have the homeowners on the show kept their home organized?"

A: Although we haven't done official research on this, I can
tell you from my experience as a professional organizer that
staying organized is an on-going process. Those that succeed
spend time regularly purging their closets and other storage
areas so that things don't get to the point of overwhelm again.
It takes far less time to periodically purge than to let it
build up and try to tackle it down the road. Tackling clutter in
small, manageable chunks throughout the year is the best way
stay organized; and with the skills I've taught my clients, it's
much easier than it was before. Those that let it build up will
likely need to call in a professional organizer to help them dig
out again, and that's okay. With each visit from a professional
organizer, things are purged, and that alone contributes to
having a more organized home.

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Here are tips you can use to simplify your life so you can do
more and stress less!

QUICK TIPS ON ORGANIZING YOUR HOME:

* Photos taking over your space?

Don't let your photos become damaged and forgotten by leaving
them piled in grocery bags or scattered in various places
throughout the house. Gather them up, and use acid-free photo
boxes to organize and enjoy them for years to come. Just one of
these boxes often holds about 1,000 photos, so it's a real space
saver as well. Create broad categories for each box and label
the outside. Next, use the divider cards that usually come with
these boxes to create subcategories within each box. For
example, a broad category could be "Vacations" and subcategories
within that could be "Disney World 1999", "Eastern Caribbean
Cruise 2001", and "Summer Resort, 2002". Alternatively, you
could file photos chronologically with each box representing a
specific year.

* Want to stop clutter before it starts?

The easiest way to keep clutter from overwhelming you is to
prevent it from entering your home in the first place. Before
purchasing or accepting any item, ask yourself what exactly it
is you will do with it. If it will serve no purpose then don't
bring it home. Often we buy things because they're on sale or we
want to cheer ourselves up, but these items do nothing but
create frustration and guilt. Be strong - if you can't come up
with an immediate or specific use for the item, walk away and
feel good about your decision.

* Need extra space in your bedroom?

Under bed storage containers, one of my favorite organizing
products, will help you create storage in a space that is
otherwise wasted. If you have been unable to use this product
because your bed is too low, you can now purchase bed risers or
bed elevators. These products are a clever and easy way to lift
the bed higher so that the storage containers fit.

QUICK TIPS ON ORGANIZING YOUR OFFICE:

* Suffering from bulletin board overload?

Notice or bulletin boards are handy to pin up special photos,
invitations and other important papers. However, if you allow
your notice board to become too full, you will cease to notice
any of the items on it and it will become a distracting eyesore.
If you must use a bulletin board, make an effort to change the
contents at the beginning or end of every week. Limit what you
post. Consider putting up things you use often, like phone
numbers, or things that inspire you, like a favorite quote or a
picture of your pet. Instead of the board, put reminders in your
day timer on the day you require them (or a few days before if
you need to trigger an action). If you find you are unable to
keep up with the editing, then take down the board.

* Is your junk drawer a mess?

Most of us have a catchall drawer in the office in which we toss
scissors, pens, screws and unidentifiable keys. But even a junk
drawer can be organized. You can purchase dividers from an
office or kitchen supplies store, or use small, dollar-store
containers in various shapes and sizes that you can fit into the
drawer like a puzzle (so there is a minimum of unused space).
Once the areas are sectioned off, things won't rattle around
every time you open the drawer, and it will be easier to find
what you need and put it back when you're done.

* Having a hard time parting with your books?

Books have a way of breeding and multiplying, and can overrun
an office in no time. Pare down to only the books that are
relevant to your current life and let go of the past interests
and future 'shoulds'. If you're not using the books, give them
to someone that will. Books can be donated to libraries,
seniors' residences, prisons, schools or hospitals. Knowing they
are going to a good home will make it easier to say buh-bye!

QUICK TIPS ON ORGANIZING YOUR LIFE:

* Is your clutter zapping your creativity?

Clutter takes up space in your mind, whether you recognize it or
not. If you are feeling stuck, clear even a small area of your
workspace and notice how your creative juices start flowing.
Purging just one desk drawer can be the inspiration for your
next artistic endeavor or the shift you need to problem-solve
creatively.

* Are small tasks nagging at you?

Designate one day each month as 'catch-up day' and block the
time in your calendar for the whole year. Throughout each
month, keep an on-going list of all the small jobs you need to
catch up on, like returning or exchanging merchandise, taking
items to charity, delivering borrowed items from friends, etc.
Although these tasks are seemingly insignificant, they can
create a feeling of incompleteness and drain our energy. Once
they are tackled, we often feel a sense of mental freedom and
peace of mind.

* Is your negative self-talk keeping you stuck?

I have a strict rule when I work with clients: I won't listen
to negative self-talk. When I hear people say things like "I
should be able to do this myself", or "I'm not good at purging
things", I see it as a form of self-mental abuse; not only is it
self-defeating, it also gets in the way of our progress. Monitor
what you're saying to yourself and begin rephrasing things as if
you were your own biggest fan. You'll move from stuck to successful.

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LOOKING FOR A SPEAKER FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING?

If you are interested in having me speak to your company,
association or special group, please contact me about my various
programs and fees.

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If you found the information in this newsletter to be of value
to you, please feel free to forward it to your friends and
colleagues; you'll be helping them simplify their lives.

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We Organize U Ezine
is written and produced by Hellen Buttigieg.
Reprint permission granted in part or whole
when the following credit appears in full:

(c) Copyright 2004 by Hellen Buttigieg, We Organize U.
Reprinted with permission from the We Organize U Newsletter.

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