A definite hazard of getting things done, be they cleaning out the linen closet or a major project at work is the zig zag. You know what I mean. Instead to pursuing a project in a methodical, straight forward manner you meander. This can be physical or mental (or a little bit of both).

Let’s take the linen closet as an example. You begin the project by pulling things out of the closet. Some of the items should go to the laundry which is in another room. You wander over there and get distracted by the pile on the floor, turn the washer knob, fill the soap, load the machine, and then notice a clean towel folded on top of the dryer which leads you to walk to the bathroom to hang it up…and there the blow dryer is sitting on the counter, so you put it away under the sink where you see the silver cleaner which would be useful to shine up the bracelet you are wearing tonight, which reminds you to confirm the reservation. Now you are at your desk…EMAIL. Need I say more.

Yup, that is the zig zag. Once you are caught up in it it is really hard to get focused back to the original project. The linen closet is torn up and mess and you are frustrated.

How do you avoid the zig zag? Try this.

* Prepare for your organizing task by bringing supplies to the area where you are going to work. (bags, paper for lists and other notes, markers to write on the bags, etc).
* Bring bags or totes to fill for items that will move to other areas of the house.
* DON’T LEAVE THE AREA OF THE PROJECT.

By physically staying at the place you are cleaning (in this case the linen closet) you are staying clear of all the other distractions that will pull you away.

* Fill a bag with items for other rooms. Don’t go the other room while you are working. Instead, do a sweep of room to room later.

Have bags for donations, recycling, and trash all nearby. That will keep you in one place so you can focus on the task at hand.

Recycle some third class mail that is lying on your dining room table.
Pick up 5 items and put them away.
Remove all the empty hangers from a clothes closet.
Unpack the non-perishable groceries and put them away (because all the perishable are already in the refrigerator).
Put a “to donate” bag in your closet.
Recycle all the magazines and catalogs from last fall.
Toss out 3 items from your refrigerator.

You get the idea. Little actions that take a little time will add up in the course of a week and give you results. Give it a try this week.

Here’s the deal. If you are not a neat and tidy person and this is holding you back from making progress in getting organized, stop and read this.

As I have said before being organized means having the right amount of stuff put away in a manner that you can find it later. (Memorize this and make it your mantra). No one said it has to be neat. Here is an example to make my point clear.

Before there were clean socks all over the bedroom: in three different drawers, under the bed, on the floor of the closet, etc. This is highly disorganized.

After all the socks are in one drawer. Maybe they are just thrown in there, but they are in one place and they fit in that one container (the drawer). This is organized.

The personalization of this for the person who is naturally neat is the socks are all set up in pairs and color coded. The messy person has them all in one drawer, but just dumped in. In both cases the socks are in one place and easier to find than when they were all over the room. Both scenarios work.

Another example is tax receipts and other papers. As long as they are stored all together for one tax year, you are way ahead of the game when it comes time to work on your taxes. The neat person might go to the step of pre-sorting receipts. The messy person is glad to have them all together.

Think of it this way…When you are organized you can find things quickly because they are in a designated place. You can clean up quickly because everything has a designated place. Having like with like and not too much of it is a core point of organizing. Yes, even my desk can be a mess while I am working on projects, but I can clean it up quickly because everything has a place.

So my tip this week is to focus your goals not so much on “getting organized”, but on CLEARING THE CLUTTER. That is the root of getting organized.

Ask yourself these questions:

* Do you really need so much stuff to live a happy and fulfilling life?
* Do these things really make you happy or do they hold you back?

Prepare yourself to shift your point of view and get ready to clear some clutter.

If this is really difficult (and it can be) consider getting an organizing buddy who can help you see what is going on.

I start every new client meeting with two very important steps. We review the current state of things for what is working and what is not, which then leads us to DEFINE THE GOALS. The goals are very clear, measurable, straight forward, and have an end date. We write them down and post them where they can be seen: the refrigerator, bulletin board, computer notes….

Here are some examples to help you plan your own personal goals:

* I want to be able to find the insurance paperwork quickly and without stress by February.
* I want to be able to see my clothes clearly so that I can get dressed more quickly in the morning before my big vacation in March.
* I want to set up my pantry and kitchen this weekend so ingredients and tools are easily available to make nutritious meals for my family.
* I want to clear the dining room table and have a system in place so the clutter (mail) does not come back. We will eat our meals at that table starting next month.
Go ahead and set your own goals.

Service Provider of the Week
Scott Halbrook, Agent, Farmers Insurance

* When is the last time you did a thorough review of your home, life and auto insurance?
* Do you know, like and trust your insurance agent such that you actually look forward to seeing him/her?

I want to introduce you to Scott Halbrook of Farmer’s Insurance. Scott is local to Montclair. He’s your neighbor and friend who wants to do the best for you. If it has been a long time since you had a review or you barely even know your agent, take the pain out of the process and give Scott a call. He will come to your home or office and take good care of you. And you will make a new friend. I constantly recommend Scott to my clients and he is my agent too.

scott@halbrookinsuranceagency.com

510-531-1432

Being Organized is having the Right Amount of Stuff, put away in a manner that you can find it later.
(I love this sentence)

1. Right amount: What is the right amount? There is no one answer to this. It is the right amount for you and you only. But start de-cluttering and you will be surprised that it is likely less than you first thought.
2. Put away…once again it is a “Place for Everything and Everything in its place.” Save this step for AFTER you get to the right amount.
3. So you can find it later. At the end of the day the only reason you need some tax related documentation is in case the IRS calls for an audit. Put it AWAY, and I mean away, with that in mind. Make sure it is clearly labeled.
The only reason you need more paper clips is for when you use up the few you keep at your desk. Put it AWAY with that in mind…get the picture? AWAY is the key word.

These three elements, when executed, will give you the space you crave….give it a try.

1. Stop talking about it: All my clients want to talk, talk, talk. And nothing gets done.
2. Grab the first thing in front of you. The top thing, anything.
3. Make a decision if you need it, love it, want it, use it. Does it stay or go.
4. Don’t worry about where it will go if it is a “keep” item. This is called a rough sort and the decision is ONLY keep or go…not where. That comes later.
5. Have a recycling bag, donate bag and shred bag available.

This Rough Sort is the first step to get you going.
Are you having a really tough time making these initial decisions? Consider getting an organizing buddy. This can be a friend or relative who will be patient and will support you. If an outside third party might be less emotional and a less judgmental situation, consider hiring a Professional Organizer. Was that a shameless plug? Not really. An Organizing Buddy is a great idea, but sometimes it is to hard with someone you know.

Keep those books moving and let others enjoy a good read.

You are not obligated to to keep every book you ever owned or read for the rest of your life. This is a change in your mind-set, but once you think it through it becomes more comfortable.

I love a good read just like you do, but when I am done I like to pass my book on to someone else. I want others to get the same enjoyment I had. If that book sits on my shelf it remains unread by so many other people. If it was a good read (not the best, but still quite good), pass it on…

Books you may decide to keep include:

Reference books that are current or relevant to you. These may include art books, cookbooks, professional titles.
Your absolute favorite fiction or non-fiction.

Great Places to Donate Books

At times you may have books you are ready to send off to someone else, but you don’t know who should be the recipient. These are my favorite places to donate books.

Adult Fiction and Non-fiction: Bookmark, Friends of the Oakland Library will happily take your gently used book donations. All sale proceeds support the Oakland Public Library.
Children’s Reading Books: East Bay Childrens Book Project
re-distributes books K-12 right here in Oakland.
School Textbooks books K-12: Books for the Barrios sends used textbooks and encyclopedias (as old as 1985) to the Philippines and kids who have no books.

You can always check with local schools and pre-schools as well.