Get Organized Now! Weblog

Don't Put Off Until Tomorrow

One important concept, when it comes to organizing, is not putting off until tomorrow, what can be done today.

For instance, leave dirty dishes in the sink for a day or two, and not only will they pile up, but they'll be more difficult to clean. As soon as Joe and I are done eating, the dishes go directly into the dishwasher--and the dishwasher cycle is run every single night. Don't have a dishwasher? It will only take a few minutes to wash those dishes immediately.

If you allow paper to begin piling, it may grow to the ceiling and it will take forever to file it all away if you wait a week or more. I always file as needed, or at the latest, at the end of each day.

Wait a week to clean the bathroom, and it will require deep cleaning each week. Tidy up the bathroom each day for just a few minutes, and you'll never have to deep clean again.

This concept applies to so many different areas of life. Whenever possible (and most times it IS possible), don't delay on the basic, everyday things that tend to pile up. Handle them now and you won't have to even think about them later.

Giving Away Some Work

Tax time is rolling around once again. Today, Joe and I drove out to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and met with our new accountant--Terry Weisensel--he was super (very knowledgeable and pleasant).

We find it easier to just have a professional handle our taxes, especially since business taxes are a bit more intricate than personal taxes. We feel that if we really want to move ahead, personally and professionally, having others help us with various services and tasks is key.

Don't ever discount the possibility of farming out some of your workload. It may be just the thing you need to get higher priority projects accomplished.

Spring Organizing and Cleaning: My 7 Day Agenda

Starting the first day of spring, March 20th, for 7 days straight, I plan to do a spring organizing and/or spring cleaning project each day. Here's what's on my agenda...

DAY 1 Begin outside clean up, including getting rid of any leftover winter brush, snipping dead branches from plants to get them ready for the warmer weather ahead, and sweeping the walkway and driveway.

DAY 2 Put away any winter clothing for the season that is still in our closets, and bring out our spring and summer wardrobes. Iron anything that requires it.

DAY 3 Begin sorting through my daughter's spring toys from last year (bubbles, chalk, watering cans, etc.) Determine if she has enough to keep her occupied, while I'm outside taking care of my gardening and other outdoor work. If not, make a list of a few items to make and/or pick up from the store.

DAY 4 Clean areas in our house that get neglected most of the year, such as the tops of our high cabinets, under the fridge, and the dust behind the beds.

DAY 5 Revisit our calendars and determine if we're doing just enough or too much. Cancel excessive activities that we're not too excited about so we have time to simply stop and smell the roses.

DAY 6 Empty the fridge and freezer and clean them out before returning our perishables back inside. Also, defrost the little fridge we keep in our basement.

DAY 7 Make arrangements for our summer help, including the lawn mowing service, grass, tree and plant service, someone to re-stain our deck and make an appointment to have the car detailed.

By the end of these 7 days, I know we'll feel great and a lot will be complete and behind us!

Getting Thank You Notes Out in a Timely Manner

Most people will agree that a Thank You note is a must after someone has given you a gift. It's a rule of etiquette that has been around forever, and it's a lovely and gracious way of expressing how grateful you are that someone thought of you.

But, with all the To Do's on your list, how do make the time to get those thank you notes out in a timely manner? Here are 5 things that I do...

1) Always have Thank You cards (or nice stationery) on hand. This is a must! If you actually have to go to the store or make a card, chances are the card is going to be sent out very late, if at all. Buy generic thank you cards and always have a batch on hand. Even if you enjoy making your own cards, unless you always have 10 or more on hand, having some generic standbys will ensure your Thank You's go out immediately. By the way, same goes for having postage on hand.

2) Send it out the same day you get the gift. While the gift and the occasion for which you were given the gift is fresh in your mind, this is the perfect time to jot a few words of appreciation and get the card done, stamped and mailed right then and there.

3) In some cases, like for wedding gifts or funeral thank you's, you won't be able to get your cards out that day. In those cases, you do have some extra time. When you're ready, determine how many need to go out, and how many you can-- realistically--get out each day. For example, 20 cards divided by 5 days equals 4 cards per day. Once you're at this point, just write them out a few at a time--each day-- until you're done. To give yourself some assistance with large batches of thank you cards, print out mailing labels so you don't have to hand address each envelope.

4) Get a book that gives you ideas on how to say thank you gracefully. This way, you won't be staring at a blank thank you card forever, at a loss for words.

5) When opening gifts from lots of different people, like at a birthday party, be sure to ask someone to log the gifts and who gave them as they're being opened. You'll then be about to easily personalize your thank you's and be specific to your giver, rather than the more general and less appreciative, 'thanks for the gift' (whatever it was) card. This also reduces the chances of your thank you card going out late because you're still trying to remember what that person gave you.

Sometimes it's OK to take a Shortcut

The other night, Joe and I got together with three other couples to celebrate the holidays. We stopped at each of our homes to enjoy appetizers, holiday decorations and the company of good friends.

Normally, I use my best dishes and glassware, pretty linen napkins, along with all my festive serving dishes and so on.

But this year, things have been especially hectic with work projects, school programs and the holidays.

So in the name of sanity, for this celebration, we ended up using disposable dishes, cups and napkins. Clean up was a breeze and it was a sigh of relief not to have to end our evening with cleaning tasks.

This serves as a reminder that while it's lovely to go all out (which we do tend to do most of the time), once in awhile we all need a shortcut.

Besides, the evening was about being with our friends, which we thoroughly enjoyed!

Give yourself some breaks this holiday season and take some shortcuts when the opportunity arises.

Clean While You Cook

I visited a friend's house for dinner the other night. Her house was beautiful--as organized as can be--except for the kitchen. She was very apologetic for the mess, but she explained that it's just too difficult to keep it organized while she's in the process of making a meal.

After dinner, I offered to help her get the kitchen cleaned up while we talked and she accepted my offer. Even with both of us chipping in, it took nearly 40 minutes to get dishes and pots rinsed and into the dishwasher, food scraps into the garbage disposal, leftover food covered and put away, and everything else back in order.

Good thing, because I would have hated for her to have all that work still left to do at the end of our visit.

The trick to avoiding time-consuming clean-up after dinner is to keep it clean as you're going. Here are some things I do each night as I'm cooking to reduce clean-up time after dinner.

1) Use a scrap bowl. I keep one large bowl on my kitchen counter right in front of the area where I'm working. As I'm peeling potatoes, trimming herbs and chopping vegetables, the scraps immediately go into the big bowl. All scraps are contained in one bowl, and when I'm done, those scraps can all be disposed of at once.

2) Put it away when done. As I'm pulling ingredients out of my refrigerator or pantry, I immediately measure out the desired amount into nesting bowls or mixing bowls. Then, the ingredient, whether it's heavy cream, flour, or bread crumbs, is immediately placed back into its proper storage space.

3) Think ahead of time. Rather than using several cutting boards, bowls or utensils, think about how you can multi- task your tools. For instance, you can use one cutting board to cut all your vegetables. You may be able to add both the butter and the sugar to the same mixing bowl, if you're going to be creaming them together in a few seconds. You may be able to place ingredients right into the pot after measuring them, instead of first putting them into a bowl, and then transferring them into the pot. Take a moment to think things through, and you'll have less to clean and put away.

4) Clean up spills right away. If something spills, immediately clean it up. The last thing you need is for something to start dripping from the counter onto your floor--then you'll have to spend more time mopping later. You might even end up stepping in it first and tracking it into other rooms!

5) Use time productively. Yes, some items will probably need to be hand washed. Do those during cooking 'waiting time,' like while you're waiting for water to boil. Don't just stand there idly. Use that time to clean and/or organize.

6) Prepare for dish washing. The second I'm done using a bowl, dish or utensil, it's immediately rinsed off and placed in the dishwasher. This prevents foods from having a chance to stick and keeps my cooking area free for other necessary preparation.

Simple Changes--Big Results

Do you need a little boost to motivate you to do that work you need to get done? Sometimes, it just takes a simple change to inspire you!

For instance, you may hate to file because you can't stand your drab, torn, ratty, musty-smelling file folders that you've been using for years. Replace them with new colorful folders that make you smile when you look at them.

I know someone who sold her industrial-looking filing cabinet for one with warm wood tones. Filing has become so much easier for her now because she really likes her new filing cabinet.

Improve the lighting in a room that you don't particularly enjoy being in. It's amazing what some pretty lamps, new curtains and a fresh coat of paint can do!

Choose the right colors for you. Yellow is known to enhance concentration in some people. Some people are more productive in blue rooms. Green is known to relax some people. Visit other homes and stores that you love, and see what colors they're using on their walls.

Give yourself breathing room by removing cardboard boxes, loose papers and other clutter from your environment. Maximize your space with shelving and more compact furniture.

Give yourself something bright and fun to look at. Something as simple as an animated screensaver, a framed photo of your child, or a bulletin board with fancy pushpins, can make all the difference in the world!

Busy, busy, busy!

We just returned from an amazing 10-day trip to Cleveland. As the song goes, 'Cleveland Rocks!' There was so much to do, and every moment of our time was super fun. I'll post a blog soon detailing what we did while we were there. Special thanks to all my readers who gave me such fantastic tips on events, attractions, hot spots and restaurants.

Of course, no matter how organized you are, getting back from vacation involves some extra work. But being organized gets you caught up a whole lot quicker!

Today, work-wise, I wrote my newsletter (to be published on Saturday), updated my site and responded to all the email messages in my inbox.

Home-wise, I unpacked our clothing and souvenirs and put them all away, completed the remainder of the laundry I didn't get to from the last 2 days of our trip, plowed through all our mail for the past 10 days, paid some bills and now am on my way to the supermarket to get some groceries for dinner.

My daughter has been on a play date today, so I had ample uninterrupted time to get a bunch of things done.

This upcoming weekend is the Relay for Life--an event I'm involved in with proceeds all going to the American Cancer Society. I'll be heavily focusing on this event starting tomorrow morning, through the evening and into Saturday. Again, very special thanks to all my readers who contributed to this cause.

What's up for Sunday? Church, and rest--before the new week begins. More later....

Utterly Amazing Organizing Statistics

Wondering if getting organized is worth your time? Here are some utterly amazing statistics. You make the call.

* People spend, on average, 6 minutes looking for their keys in the morning.

* Due to clutter, 25% of people with two-car garages can't park any cars in there and 32% can park only one.

* Women with shoe racks were seven more times likely to be on time for work than women without shoe racks.

* 80% of what we keep we never use.

* We wear 20 per cent of the clothes we own, 80 per cent of the time. The rest hangs there, just in case.

* 80 per cent of what we file never gets looked at again!

* Your four-drawer file cabinet, when full, holds 18,000 pages.

* Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40 per cent of housework in an average home.

* Married men were four times more likely to leave their pajamas on the floor in the morning compared to single men.

* 23% of adults say they pay bills late (and thus incur fees) because they lose them.

* Eighty per cent of the clutter in homes is a result of disorganization, not lack of space.

(Resource: Survey results from Ikea and the National Association of Professional Organizers)

Are You 'Waiting' Productively?

In each day, there are always stretches of waiting time, whether you're waiting in a doctor's office, waiting for a pot of water to boil, or waiting for your child's ballet classes to end.

As I'm writing this blog post today, I'm waiting for my daughter's 2-hour dance camp to end.

Sometimes when I'm waiting, I enjoy just sitting back and enjoying a few moments of quiet, rest and relaxation. Other times, like now, I'm using that 'free' time to get things accomplished.

No matter where I am, I always have tasks and projects on hand that I can work on whenever the opportunity arises.

Today, I'm updating my web site, newsletter and blog from Stone Creek Coffee, where they offer free Wi-Fi access. Using the Go To My PC service, I can work just as I would if I were sitting in front of my work computer.

I managed to find this Wi-Fi 'Hotspot' by searching for Wi-Fi Hotspots on Google. There were approximately 6 choices within 5 miles of my daughter's dance studio that were no charge.

In addition to my laptop, I also have my new Martha Stewart Food Magazine. If I finish my work tasks and still have time, I'll be able to browse that magazine for a recipe or two that I can make for dinner this week.

Another possibility is using my laptop, along with the Wi-Fi connection, to check posts on Facebook or Twitter. I can even access my email and respond accordingly.

In some instances, Wi-Fi access is not available. Sometimes, for example, when sitting in a doctor's office, I may use my laptop in offline mode to simply write a letter or draft a report.

If I'm not in the mood for computer work, I may write a thank you note (I keep several blanks in my waiting bag), or run some errands, catch up on some reading, or perhaps even call a friend or business associate if I'm in an area that won't be disturbing to others--like a public park.

Again, sometimes it's nice to just relax and do nothing. You certainly have that option if you wish. However, if you're the type of person that likes to be fairly productive, planning ahead for moments of waiting time will gain you hidden time throughout the day to get things done.