Let’s be really practical and do this the most efficient way.
Tools needed:
Trash can or bag
donation bag
recycling bag
sharpie pen

* Begin by pulling everything out of the cabinets and drawers.
* Discard anything that is out of date including old makeup. (If you can’t remember when you bought it, it is probably too old and could be a hazard).
* Empty the contents of any outdated pills (over the counter or prescription) into a plastic seal-able bag. Toss or recycle the containers. Bring the pills to your local pharmacy to dispose of them properly (CVS in Montclair will take your pills).
* Toss out any “almost empty” lotions and other mostly used up items.
* Edit cleaning materials to those items that you truly use.

Once you have reviewed everything and have only what you truly love, need and use left you can begin returning items back in the cabinets and drawers.

Be specific and keep “like with like” when you are putting things back. Makeup together, first aid together, cleaning together, paper goods together….

Use small containers to keep little items from loosely floating around (tweezers, nail clippers, hair pins, etc).

You should be left with clean cabinets and find it easier to locate things. Generally, a bathroom clean-out should take about a hour at most.

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.

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.

1. Purge…even before you sort, throw away the old, out-of-date medicines. The Longs in Montclair has a medical recycle program. Check with your local pharmacy or go to www.stopwaste.org for other options in Alameda County. Pour remaining medicines in to a zip-lock bag. Make sure there are no bottles or other containers with your name or any labels on them and return them to the store or hazardous waste drop off.
2. Sort what is left by user . Sort by person and keep one group for general use: Mom, Dad, older kids by name, younger kids by name or by general group, general medicines that multiple family members use like aspirin or cold med.s. Separate First Aid items into their own category.
3. Decide where to store the Medicines and First Aid: The bathroom is not always the best choice as this room can be very moist. Look for a place that is out of reach of the kids, maybe a high shelf in a linen closet is your answer. First Aid bandages, cotton, band aids and ace bandages may be placed lower so kids can help themselves while the antiseptic could go higher.
4. Store the medicines in those groupings you made earlier. Use small containers like shoe boxes or plastic bins (smaller ones) for each group and label them clearly.