Simple Storage Container Solutions

by Heidi | Oct 25, 2013 | Uncategorized

Welcome to ‘Day 25’ in the month long series of articles cataloging
 Simple Organizing Solutions!  

If you’ve been reading from the beginning, you’ve hopefully already, 1) Gotten the right mindset and motivation needed to get organized.  2) Zeroed in on one small area to focus your efforts.  3) Have begun narrowing down your belongings to what what you love, use and actually have the room to store. and 4) Considered how to cut clutter at the source by giving each item a specific ‘home’ stored in groups of like items (5) & set a maintenance plan in motion. 

Once you’ve narrowed down your possessions, you will likely need to contain some of it before placing it in it’s assigned home on a shelf, or in a cabinet/closet. 
 
Take care to not purchase containers before the purging & identification of what you actually have room to store!  In fact, I would encourage you to use what you have around the house for clever containment solutions before spending any money. 

If you do choose to purchase containers, you can find many affordable options at reasonably priced retailers like wal-mart, target, home improvement stores, and even dollar stores like pictured below:

Don’t let lack of funds for purchasing products halt your organizing products…
Even a cardboard box will do as a first step:

 Check in with the produce area of your local grocer to find some free large, heavy duty boxes.
 

Don’t just throw items into containers mindlessly, either.  Store like items with like items for ease in locating things when you need/want them.

 via

  

Consider purchasing containers in one uniform size if they will be stored in one space together or on one shelving unit to maximize storage space and enable ability to stack if needed:

Use a Calendar

by Heidi | Oct 25, 2013 | Uncategorized

Welcome to ‘Day  24’ in the month long series of articles cataloging
 Simple Organizing Solutions!  

Whether you use a personal planner, a traditional wall hanging calendar or an electronic calendar – tracking your events, activities and appointments beyond the day-to-day is crucial. 

Eliminate the pressure to recall all that you are responsible for purely by memory. 

Review your calendar briefly every evening as you plan and prepare for the following day ahead as well as a more in depth study at least once a week to have a good understanding where your time is going and to ensure you don’t over-commit on one particular day etc.  I like to have an in depth review on Sunday nights to help set the stage for a peaceful, orderly and productive week ahead.

If you are married and/or have a family, sit down with them once a week to review personal and family commitments a bit together as well so everyone is on the same page with what to expect.  This is especially important if there are several transportation and/or child care needs to cover.

If you are managing several family members schedules on one calendar, I would definitely recommend assigning a specific color to each family members particular events so it’s easy to see at-a-glance who needs to be where and when.

Here is link to a free printable calendar for 2013-2014 if you don’t yet have a calendar, but are ready to commit to this habit right now:

The POWER and Importance of Writing Things Down

by Heidi | Oct 23, 2013 | Uncategorized

Welcome to ‘Day 23’ in the month long series of articles cataloging
 Simple Organizing Solutions!  

 “A written goal brings clarity and focus. It gives you a direction. And by rewriting your goals you not only reaffirm what your goals are.You may also find new insights that bring more clarity and focus to your goal and life.”

~ ‘7 Powerful Reasons Why You Should Write Things Down’ ~ via ThePositivityBlog.com

“…when we write — before we write, although indistinguishably so — we are putting some degree of thought into evaluating and ordering the information that we are receiving. That process, and not the notes themselves, is what helps fix ideas more firmly in our minds, leading to greater recall down the line.”

 “When we write something down, research suggests that as far as our brain is concerned, it’s as if we were doing that thing. Writing seems to act as a kind of mini-rehearsal for doing.”

~ ‘Writing and Remembering: Why We Remember What We Write’ ~ via LifeHack.org

 “Writing stimulates a bunch of cells at the base of the brain called the reticular activating system (RAS). The RAS acts as a filter for everything your brain needs to process, giving more importance to the stuff that you’re actively focusing on at the moment—something that the physical act of writing brings to the forefront. In Write It Down, Make It Happen, author Henriette Anne Klauser says that “Writing triggers the RAS, which in turn sends a signal to the cerebral cortex: ‘Wake up! Pay attention! Don’t miss this detail!’ Once you write down a goal, your brain will be working overtime to see you get it…”

~ Why You Learn More Effectively by Writing Than Typing – via LifeHacker.com

When Setting Goals – Plan for REWARDS Along the Way

by Heidi | Oct 23, 2013 | Uncategorized

Welcome to ‘Day 22’ in the month long series of articles cataloging
 Simple Organizing Solutions!  

If you’ve been reading from the beginning, you’ve hopefully already, 1) Gotten the right mindset and motivation needed to get organized.  2) Zeroed in on one small area to focus your efforts.  3) Have begun narrowing down your belongings to what what you love, use and actually have the room to store. and 4) Considered how to cut clutter at the source by giving each item a specific ‘home’ stored in groups of like items (5) & set a maintenance plan in motion. 

 

A few examples for short-term goals:

After 1, 2, or 3 hours of intentional effort take a 10-15 minute break to browse a magazine, read a few chapters of a favorite book, watch some funny you-tube videos, catch up on some blog reading, call a friend or family member, take a quick walk in the sunshine…
 

A few examples for long-term goals:

Plan for a special dinner or night out with a friend or loved one 
after a reaching a particular point in your project.
Purchase some new music or audio book to listen to while you continue toward your goal.
Relax and enjoy a movie you’ve been wanting to see after a hard days or weekends work.
Purchase a particular product that can only be fully enjoyed once you’ve completed your task/project.
 

Reaching the goal of creating an neat and orderly space will be a HUGE reward in and of itself, 
but you could also schedule a party in your newly organized space 
to celebrate and show off your fantastic results!!

What type of  rewards motivate you best?

Click here for a full index list of articles from this series 

Do the Worst Thing First

by Heidi | Oct 21, 2013 | Uncategorized

Welcome to ‘Day 21’ in the month long series of articles cataloging Simple Organizing Solutions!  

If you’ve been reading from the beginning, you’ve hopefully already, 1) Gotten the right mindset and motivation needed to get organized.  2) Zeroed in on one small area to focus your efforts.  3) Have begun narrowing down your belongings to what what you love, use and actually have the room to store. and 4) Considered how to cut clutter at the source by giving each item a specific ‘home’ stored in groups of like items (5) & set a maintenance plan in motion. 

As you continue to build new daily habits & routines – consider this: