by Heidi | Oct 3, 2013 | Uncategorized
Welcome to ‘Day 3’ in the month long series of articles cataloging
Simple Organizing Solutions!
Before you even begin considering what organizing solution would best suit your individual needs, it’s crucial to address if there are any items that need to be moved out of your space.
The bottom line is, the LESS ‘STUFF’ you have to maintain in your home, office or life, the MORE TIME you’ll have to truly enjoy the things that matter most.
“…we have found that living with fewer possessions means that all our belongings have a standard place where they belong in our home, which makes cleaning a snap. I spend less time searching for books, keys, and shoes. In short, I spend far less time being the janitor for my possessions, and far more time doing the things I love.”
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If you’re new to the practice of sorting through and letting go of personal possessions, or find the prospect of that task completely overwhelming, here is one of my favorite guiding principles by William Morris:
I’d also agree with Laura Wittman of
I’m an Organizing Junkie, that one should probably also add to that quote, ‘Or what you have ROOM TO STORE’.
When I coach clients through the (sometimes difficult) task of determining what to keep or what to move out of their home,
I always ask gentle leading and guiding questions to help them come to their own conclusions about the importance or practical use of their things. Questions like, “When was the last time you used this?” – “Do you have anything else like it?” – “What’s the worst that would happen if you got rid of it?’
Often, they just need ‘permission’ to get rid of items they’ve hung onto ‘just in case’ or ‘because it was a gift’.
I think we’d all rather think of our homes as a haven of rest surrounded by a few beautiful things that can truly be loved, used or admired rather than resemble a storage unit just full of ‘stuff’ we need to give valuable energy/attention to clean and maintain, or spend gobs of time searching for.
Do you feel like your home could used a healthy De-Cluttering?
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by Heidi | Oct 3, 2013 | Uncategorized
Welcome to ‘Day 2’ in the month long series of articles cataloging Simple Organizing Solutions!
When gearing up to conquer the task of ‘getting organized’ it’s quite easy to start off SO zealous that you attempt to dive in with the intention to overhaul everything all at once:
I encourage you to narrow your focus to ONE area or specific organizational dilemma at a time. If your attention/efforts are constantly divided, it’s difficult to see definite progress and you’ll most definitely become so completely overwhelmed that you’ll be tempted to give up and stuff away your organizing goals altogether:
Take a moment to consider how/where you can
Where will you focus first??
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by Heidi | Oct 2, 2013 | Uncategorized
This article is ‘Day 1’ in the lineup of a month-long series cataloging Simple Organizing Solutions.
When plotting a course toward an organizational goal (or any goal for that matter), the ultimate first step is very simple yet very important to implement:
ATTITUDE
&
MOTIVATION
Having the right positive mindset before beginning will inspire the can-do spirit to
get started (often the hardest part) with gusto and your individual motivation will be the anchor which will keep you on course if/when you begin to loose steam and wonder why you pursued the goal in the first place.
What is your current attitude towards getting organized?
Have you determined your primary motivation?
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by Heidi | Oct 1, 2013 | Uncategorized
For the next month, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite {Simple} Organizing Solutions.
Each day I’ll post easy-to-implement ideas that will be a ‘life-saver’ in solving some common dilemmas while creating an orderly and peaceful environment and lifestyle.
by Heidi | Sep 13, 2013 | Uncategorized
Hello Friends!
This summer our family relocated from Minnesota to the sunny south of Peachtree City, Georgia!
This moved called for an update to the web domain: OperationOrganizationbyHeidi.com. All traffic has been successfully redirected from the former address (operationorganization-mn.com), so you’ll still be able to click through to any articles you may have bookmarked or ‘pinned.’
The Operation Organization Facebook Page name has also been updated and I’ve established a new email account and local phone number.
I look forward to continuing to share my zest for organization with you all – thanks for following along!
by Heidi | Apr 11, 2013 | Uncategorized
This is the first in a series of articles chronicling the multiple ways one can keep organized with routine home maintenance needs.
In the quest to get routine home management tasks organized, it can be quite tempting to try to adhere to a system or routine that seems to work well for someone else. However, you must take care to intentionally select a path that is right for you in the season of life you are currently in. Additionally, be willing to try a new path of maintaining order if you sense your family lifestyle is shifting or possibly taking on a brand new shape.
There are often MANY options that will lead you to a desired result.
Consider the common household chore of Laundry. It’s important to remember that this task is never truly ‘done’, but choosing one of many possible routines will give you peace of mind that the laundry monster is at least under control. There are several possible variations of each, but these suggestions will get you started:
1. Assign a ‘Laundry Day’:
Focus on the laundry task only once a week on a regular recurring day.
Complete all washing needs (sorting/washing/folding/putting away from start to finish).
- Use a timer to help stay on task.
- Assign a central area for folding like a bed or table.
Possible Observations:
- You might feel overwhelmed by the thought of doing doing laundry ALL day.
HOWEVER,
- You’ll have the freedom to completely ignore the laundry the rest of the week with the peace and assurance you have a plan in place to keep it under control.
- You might feel trapped by the thought of spending the whole day at the house surrounded by laundry.
HOWEVER,
- Maybe you can plan to do laundry on a day when you’d rather be home anyway (perhaps on a Monday after a long/busy weekend?) OR, maybe you’re an introvert who doesn’t mind having long stretches of time at home. You can indulge in DVR recordings, podcasts, audio books, or catch up on phone calls while you fold.
2. Assign a ‘Type’ of Laundry to individual days of the week:
Possible Options:
- Bed Linens and towels on one day.
- Light colors and delicate items on one day, dark colors and denim on another.
- All adult clothes on one day, all kids clothes on another.
- Split laundry days per room assignments (girls who share a room on one day, boys who share a room on another, master clothing on another).
- For large families, assign a ‘laundry day’ to each family member.
Benefits:
Time spent sorting/folding/ prepping for transfer to dedicated location will be lessened overall.
3. Strive to be a ‘Daily Do-er’ of Laundry related tasks:
(Do something with your laundry every day)
Possible Options:
- Wash/Dry/Fold/Put away ONE (or more, if needed) load a day.
- Wash/Dry one load every other day (put away on the odd days).
- Have a general ‘awareness’ of the state of the laundry situation each and every day and just do at least one ‘next step’ per day. (this is my current method in our current season of life).
4. Delegate the Laundry Task:
- Negotiate with another family member to take it off your plate (maybe a sports savvy family member that would love an excuse to kick back in front of the big game with less guilt? wink, wink!)
- Hire out laundry service.
General Tips
Decide where and how many receiving baskets you need/want depending on your family size and routine of choice. For example, with the ‘Laundry Day’ option, you may favor one central laundry station where colors / types of laundry are sorted throughout the week to streamline your various wash cycles, etc. With the ‘Type of Laundry’ per assigned day(s) through the week, one basket per room may suffice.
Getting bogged down by sorting colors? Look for color fast detergents to enable you to do mixed loads.
Always losing little tiny socks? Try washing all of them in a mesh lingerie bag!
Tired of matching oodles of family socks? Get one style and stick with it – makes matching easy just eye balling for possible variations of size.
Time Saving tip: Try sorting/folding clothes right out of the dryer and into individual baskets for each family member. That way, you will not needlessly handle clothing multiple times. You can simply haul baskets to each room and let the family members take it from there!
Having one of these plans in place will result in less stress. When you start to see laundry piling up, you can relax in the knowledge you’ve got a system in place to keep on top of it.
Which routine seems best for YOU in your current season of life?
Any other tips/tricks to share?
Please add your thoughts in the comments.
Perhaps you’re currently feeling completely overwhelmed by your clutter & mounting personal organizing goals?? Or, maybe there is a space or two in your home that simply needs a fresh set of objective eyes to to bring to its fullest organized potential?
Maybe having an organizing buddy, cheerleader and coach that could encourage you one-on-one would be just the solution you need to achieve the success you need and deserve – to allow you to live a more peaceful life you LOVE with more time and energy to fully and freely participate in activities and hobbies you enjoy!
Would you like to work with a Professional home organizer based near Atlanta, Georgia?
We currently serve clients in the surrounding metro area as well as Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth, Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan and expanding!
Contact Heidi to learn more about how to get organized with our professional organizer services. Operation Organization by Heidi provides customized organizing solutions to ‘cure’ your unique clutter challenge / condition.
Call: 770-847-0329 or Email: OperationOrganizationByHeidi@gmail.com to learn more.
