MONDAY, January 7th, 2013

Getting Organized (1)

            A disorganized home can make you feel as though your life is out of

control. Research shows that when your space is organized you feel less

stressed and you’re more productive. However, getting organized requires

time and planning. But if you work at it, you’ll save time searching for

misplaced items, and you’ll accomplish everyday tasks more efficiently.

Here are tips on getting organized at home:

                        How organized are you?

Some people are naturally organized. They have a need for order in their lives

and have learned how to establish and maintain it. Others would like to be

organized, but don’t know how to begin. How organized are you? Ask yourself

the following questions:

·  Can you put your hands on important papers when you need them?

·  Can you find your car keys when you’re leaving the house?

·  Are your mornings calm and orderly, or are they a whirlwind of last-minute

chores and looking for things?

·  Do you find yourself running to the grocery store several times a week because

you’ve forgotten something or run out of items?

·  Are you assessing late charges because you don’t pay your bills on time?

·  Do you miss project deadlines at work?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, read on for some ideas that

will help you become more organized at home and in your life.

                        Getting organized at home

Items come into your home every day: mail, newspapers, books, magazines,

and other things. If there are children in your family, you can probably add

toys, school notices, and artwork to that list. According to American

Demographics magazine, the average American spends almost four minutes a

day searching for lost items, whether it’s car keys, eyeglasses, or the television

remote control. The trick to being able to put your hands on the things you

need is to designate a place for everything and to keep clutter to a minimum at

home.

·  Create a first-step filing system. When new documents enter your home, whether

it’s mail, important notices from your child’s school, or coupons from the

Sunday paper, don’t leave them cluttering a counter or desktop. Keep three

files labeled Do, Pay, and File in plain sight in your kitchen or on your desk --

somewhere easily accessible. Go through all new mail and other important

papers right next to this filing system. If you have a paper that can’t be

categorized in those three ways, throw it out. Pick one day a week to act on

anything you’ve stored in your first-step files.

·  Keep a recycling bin or trash can near your first-step filing system. If you intend to

throw something away, then it belongs in a recycling bin or trash can -- not on

your countertops and tables.

·  Don’t hoard newspapers and magazines. Place newspapers in the recycling bin as

soon as you’ve read them. Save magazines only until the next issue arrives. If a

magazine contains an article you would like to keep, tear it out and file it.

·  Create files to hold the papers you need to keep. Store important papers in a file

folder with dividers. You can buy one at your local office supply store. Your

file folder might include the following categories:

- automobile information

- coupons

- insurance records

- medical information

- paid bills

- school notices

- take-out menus

- tax records

- receipts for tax-deductible items

- warranties

- owner’s manuals

In addition, you may want to designate “to do” and “to read” files for activities

you’d like to do and articles you’d like to read in the future, and archival files

for records that you won’t need immediate access to.

·  Keep a separate file folder for every trip or vacation you are planning. Use this

folder to store the confirmation documents for your plane tickets, rental car,

hotel room, etc. Also keep a printout of any directions you might need once

you’re at your final destination: how to get to the hotel, your friend’s house,

the wedding ceremony and reception, or the conference room for your

meeting. When it’s time to take your trip, you’ll have everything you need in

that folder. You can just pick it up and head out the door.

·  Photocopy vital papers that you keep in your home and store the originals in a bank

safety deposit box. These include birth certificates, automobile titles of

ownership, deeds and mortgage papers, leases, and insurance policies. All will

be protected in the event of a fire or flood in your home.

·  Photocopy the important items in your wallet. Make copies of the front and back

of your driver’s license, credit cards, membership cards, and the other critical

items you carry each day. If your wallet is lost or stolen, the photocopies will

help remind you of what must be replaced and provide the information you

need to cancel credit cards.

·  Keep a list of people to call in case you need home repairs or maintenance. This list

should include your electrician, plumber, carpenter, heating contractor, and

appliance repair contact. Pin the list to a bulletin board or keep it in a drawer

near your phone.

·  Set aside a basket or bin for outgoing items. Use it to temporarily store library

books, videotapes, and borrowed goods. Check the box for items to return on

your way out the door each day.

·  Set aside another basket or bin to hold items that collect during the day. For

example, you might use it to store eyeglasses, small tools, a sweater, or other

items you used that day that need to be put away. You and family members

should check the box every evening and put items back where they belong.

·  Clear the clutter. Don’t try to clear the clutter in one day. Set aside an

afternoon for each area of your home.

·  Buy storage cases for CDs, DVDs, and videos. Organize CDs and movies so you’re

able to find them when you need them.

·  Store items where they are primarily used. Keep your dictionary on a shelf close

to the area where you read and write and where the kids do their homework.

Store pet food on a shelf near your animal’s dishes. Keep scissors in the

kitchen or where you most often need them.

·  Keep cleaning supplies together in a carrying container. Carry this from room to

room as you clean. Or keep one set of cleaning supplies in the bathroom and

another set in the kitchen.

·  Hang hooks near the entrance to your home. Place your keys, pocketbook, and

other essential items on the hooks so you don’t waste time looking for them

the next time you go out.

·  Have older children learn to do their own laundry. Put a hamper in each of their

rooms and teach them how to sort their clothes, run the washer and dryer, and

how to fold.

·  Place a large basket or box near the door or in the front hall closet. Hats, gloves, and

umbrellas can be stored here. Another option is to use a hanging shoe

organizer. Tuck accessories into pockets.

·  Put a metal shoe rack near the door and use it to dry wet hats and gloves. Place the

gloves and hats upside down over the metal prongs designed to hold the shoes.

The shoe rack can be used to dry boots as well.

·  Keep a dishpan or rubber mat near the door to hold boots. This will keep dirt and

mud confined to a small, washable space while containing boots to a small

area.