“Getting
organized is one of the top five New Year’s resolutions people make.” ~
Standolyn Robertson, president of the National Association of
Professional
Organizers (NAPO)
Good
Morning!
This
quote makes a lot of sense to me, because the New Year is a time of
“fresh
starts.” Our
external environment is
often a reflection of our internal thoughts, and a cluttered home
reflects a
cluttered mind.
Here
are some tips to tackle clutter and get organized during January (which
just
happens to be National Get-Organized Month.)
Light
Up Your Life: Feng shui experts have
found that well-lit areas tend to have less clutter. Look
around your home and see if this is true
for you. If you find that it is,
consider adding brighter lamps to light up darker, more cluttered areas.
A
Home for Loose Items: As
you work
through your rooms, watch out for items that tend to be spread
throughout the
house or throughout a room. Two
good
examples are remote controls and magazines, which often stray from
their “homes.” Find
a basked for each type of loose items so
that it has a place to live (besides on top of the table or surface you
are
trying to keep clear!).
Store
Items Close to Where They Are Most Often Used:
Are your items located conveniently to where they are used?
For example, if you frequently play games in
the living room, are games stored in a nearby closet, making them easy
to
retrieve and put away? Try to keep
often-used items near the area where they are most often used – that
makes
cleanup more likely.
Avoid
Mail-Paper Piles: Try
the following for
a quick way to manage your incoming mail and bills.
Purchase three magnetic envelope-size
holders. Place
these on the side of your
refrigerator. Use
the top one for the
bills you need to pay with your first paycheck each month. Use the second for bills
you will pay with
your second monthly paycheck. Use
the
last to house any other mail.
Your
Turn: Make
a list of five cluttered
areas in your home you would like to regain control of this January. To help you make this wish
a reality, paste
this list in your planner or post it on your refrigerator. For maximum efficiency,
enlist the help of
family members to help you get more done.
Today’s
Affirmation: I keep my life and my home
in order.
