They say that if your
bedroom is cluttered, your business is cluttered. So take a good look
at your bedroom, closets and all. The bedroom is noted as one of the
most unorganized rooms followed by the garage and home office. Here are
some tips I use:
- It is best to tackle only one closet at a time.
- Empty the whole closet and intentionally put clothes back that you know you will wear.
- If
you haven't worn it or fit in it in the last year, it is time to give
it away. I look for local charities or a woman's shelter to donate my
things to.
- A great tip
that a friend told me is that she turns all the hangers backwards; every
time she wears an item she turns the hanger forwards. She is then able
to identify what items she wore that season and what items she didn't.
Then at a glance she can de-clutter with ease.
Spring is a time for newness
and growth and for me, it is a time of year when I like to get a jump
on spring and escape from the clutches of clutter.
So, why get organized in
spring? I was talking to a friend of mine who has been in the
real-estate business for years. He said if you are in the market to
sell your home, now is the time. Spring is the busiest time in
real-estate because families want to move before the school year begins
and often start looking in the spring. If you put your home on the
market, de-cluttering is a must as you don't want potential buyers
coming into your home with busting closets or garages, clutter in and
around the home, etc. Clutter-free homes sell much faster.
Can you get your car in the
garage? If the answer is no, then it is time to roll up your sleeves
and dive in. How do you want to use this space? Is it a storage unit,
workshop or dumping ground? We just cleaned out our garage and here are
some tips:
- We started by putting everything in the driveway.
- If we hadn't used it or don't need it anymore we put it in a resell pile or consignment pile.
- If it was things that were broken, we put it in the recycle pile or rubbish pile.
- If it belonged to someone else, we put it in a return to owner pile.
- In no time, the floor was swept out, everything was organized and we were sitting on lawn chairs admiring our good work.
Keeping your home office in
order can be a challenge for many, especially paper work. When it is
tax time, the more organized your business papers are the less time you
will spend. I have a friend who was just audited and her paperwork was
not organized and it caused hours and hours of agony trying to sort
through her files. When your office papers are organized you will have
increased productivity and have a sense of control over your business.
And one great benefit is that you will save money and time while
avoiding stress. Here are some tips that I have used for years;
- Only touch paperwork once; this is a big time saver!
- When I open the mail I do it at a time when I can deal with it right away.
- Open your mail right over the recycling bin.
- Create a filing system for all of your paper - a traditional filing cabinet works well.
- Establish categories for anything that you use on a regular basis.
- Have a separate "to do" basket for anything that requires your immediate attention.
Getting organized is
something that people know is beneficial, not just because of the
obvious reasons of saving money and time. Being organized also helps
you save so much energy as well. I don't know about you, however, when I
am going on a vacation a few days before I leave I can get more
accomplished in those few days than I can in a week. I have to have
all my paperwork filed, desk cleared off and business tidied up. Then I
can go away feeling free. It is like a weight has been lifted once it
is all done. That is how you will feel once you de-clutter.
When you are organized it
will give you more time to play and have fun with friends and family.
Set rewards for yourself as you accomplish room by room. You will be
amazed at what you can recycle, donate and get rid of when you go on a
de-cluttering rampage.
Think of getting organized
as raising your standards, changing your limiting beliefs, de-cluttering
your thinking and changing your actions.
Start by making a plan.
Unlock all the reasons that are preventing you from de-cluttering. Look
at what you keep and why you keep it. Set some goals around
de-cluttering and start with small attainable goals.
I have worked with clients on this very issue and the results are incredible;
- more sales,
- more customers,
- better relationships,
- less stress and
- more energy to focus .
Take advantage of spring and give yourself room to grow personally and with business.
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