I learned a few things about this at a recent MOPS group - Here are the big things I took away :
1) Everything MUST have a home - a place to put it
2) Start with one thing at a time - 1 drawer, 1 box, 1 folder - take baby steps
3) Purge, purge, purge - you probably have too much anyway
4) Do it when you think of it, put that away then, don't do it later
5) Time yourself - what you think takes a lot of time, probably doesn't, you have more time than you think.
6) Put dates and info on calender right away, throw away paper and set reminders on calender - I love google calenders and theres an app for it on my phone.
and
7) Get your little ones involved, let me know where the home for something is, keep them informed!
I didn't make a resolution this year - I've never been good at keeping them, so I've given up on making them - but this is an area I will be working on/in this year to be better at.
Living with my in-laws at the moment makes this a little more interesting, but I can do something. I don't have to wait till we move and are in our own space. I can make changes now and create habits now, I don't need to wait to get started!
What about you? Are you a good organizer, whats your trick/tip that works best for you? What are your problem areas, and how do you manage them? I'd love to hear!
Rebecca -
1) Everything MUST have a home - a place to put it
2) Start with one thing at a time - 1 drawer, 1 box, 1 folder - take baby steps
3) Purge, purge, purge - you probably have too much anyway
4) Do it when you think of it, put that away then, don't do it later
5) Time yourself - what you think takes a lot of time, probably doesn't, you have more time than you think.
6) Put dates and info on calender right away, throw away paper and set reminders on calender - I love google calenders and theres an app for it on my phone.
and
7) Get your little ones involved, let me know where the home for something is, keep them informed!
| {photo credit} |
Living with my in-laws at the moment makes this a little more interesting, but I can do something. I don't have to wait till we move and are in our own space. I can make changes now and create habits now, I don't need to wait to get started!
What about you? Are you a good organizer, whats your trick/tip that works best for you? What are your problem areas, and how do you manage them? I'd love to hear!
Rebecca -
My #1 tip is always live as though you're going to move, meaning keep everything to a minimum (clothing, paperwork, toys, mementos etc.). Constant purging and editing of my stuff has made maintaining my space much more manageable for me as I've gotten older. As I prepare to move 3rd time since moving to NYC in 2007 this tip has helped me extensively! Oh and be sure to check out I Heart Organizing and Small Notebook for tips if you haven't done so already ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou already know my lack of organization!! Haha however, I am very grateful that I married a very organized person. I'm still waiting for some of that organization to rub off on me tho...I'll keep ya posted on that. ;-p
ReplyDelete