.ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE
Why is organizing so much fun for me, and not for everyone? Maybe it’s because I’ve always liked games and puzzles. I woke up with a song in my head, “One of these things is not like the other”, from Sesame Street. I’d already written most of this post and realized that “One of these…
Read more...Several years ago, before I moved to Albuquerque (a detail which will be important here in a minute), my neighbor called to ask if I would come over and help her middle-school-age boys with their math homework. Their father wasn’t home, and she was at a loss. I agreed because: 1) I loved my neighbors,…
Read more...My friend Jane (well, one of them…I have more friends named Jane than anybody I know…) is de-cluttering this weekend and texting me periodically with her progress. She writes: “So glad you taught me the photo trick. If not, I would be crying with frustration rather than feeling pleased with my progress!” The “trick” she…
Read more...One time on a cruise ship sea day, when there were only on-board activities to choose from, I attended a little seminar on improving one’s memory. Greg Gleason, who doubles as a stage magician at night, amazed and entertained us with his memory tricks and taught us “One is for Gun”. “One is for Gun”…
Read more...This is the companion article to The Occupied Staging Clutter Flow Chart. It answers these questions: What is “Occupied Staging Clutter”? Why can’t I part with my clutter? What should I do with my clutter? What if, despite my best intentions, I am still living with clutter?
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Have you seen A&E’s Storage Wars? This cable TV show features abandoned storage units being auctioned off to the highest bidder. The bidders are essentially gambling on whether or not the contents will be worth more than they paid for them. Usually they’re full of crap. Sometimes there is a treasure inside. Either way, I…
Read more...Have you ever wondered who, exactly, hires a professional organizer? Are my clients all rich? A few are, yes, but mostly they’re not. Not at all. What do they all have in common? They are ready to make changes; they are willing to invest in themselves (and/or their home, work, and relationships); and they recognize that the value of…
Read more...Inbox Zero – WHAT? Have you heard of Merlin Mann’s “Inbox Zero” method, whereby one processes the items in one’s email inbox down to zero emails on a regular basis? Is this possible? Yes. Is it necessary? Well, let’s just say that some version of it — Inbox Zero, Inbox Twenty, Inbox Weekly, or my…
Read more...I used to tell each of my organizing clients the same thing: “This project, as all projects do, will come down to a Time Management issue. We can make it functional, and make it look pretty, but you will need to devote a bit of time on a regular basis to maintain it. If you…
Read more...Trust me, I can procrastinate with the best of you! Lately I’ve been tackling some tasks that I’ve put off for so long that, in the midst of doing them, I’ve actually exclaimed to myself, “I’m doing it! I’m really doing it!” It feels so good to finish something, doesn’t it? And it’s rarely as…
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