We have been looking forward to this day for twelve long years and here we are…at college! Classes will start soon and in addition to feeding ourselves and doing our laundry, we have to manage to keep up with college classes. The biggest obstacle for most college freshmen is time management. Without Mom and school officials to keep us in line, we are left to our devices in the midst of the most freedom we have ever had! Start with a bound calendar. A bound calendar will not get lost and you can see exactly what is in store for each day. Be sure to schedule yourself some study time every day…and stick to it! Color-code each class then purchase pens (ultra fine point Sharpies are ideal), folders, spirals, and any other items in those colors. It may be helpful to utilize plastic file pockets to hold papers that are not currently relevant yet will be needed again before finals.
There are only two certains in this world…our birth and our death. Births bring great joy while the passing of a loved one brings great sadness. The one very important thing that you can do for your loved ones is to make the "at death" process as easy as possible for them. This information should be in a safe place with the executor of your estate made aware of the location. Another good idea is to provide your family with the contact information of a Professional Organizer that works with Estates. He or she could be an invaluable asset in the sorting and distribution process as well as an unemotional party to assist in the completion of forms and negotiations with estate sale companies. The more organized you are now; the easier the difficult time will be on those who love you.
Summer is the time for higher electric bills, of course, but it is also vacation season. Going on vacation is a great way to leave the hustle and bustle of everyday life behind and enjoy time with our family and friends. What about when we get home? What are we to do with those Statue of Liberty snow globes or figurines made from seashells? If there is one thing I have noticed in working with clients is that souvenirs are hard to keep, hard to store, hard to display and even harder to let go of. The trick is to select souvenirs for a functional purpose rather than rushing in to purchase a piece of kitsch on the way out of town. Putting souvenirs to good use provides a real reminder of the great time we had on a regular basis. PRESSED PENNIES - Granted they are absolutely EVERYWHERE but if you already have a pressed penny collection, why not carry on? Find a jar that you love and place them in there as they come home. It would be very meaningful to sort back through them and reminisce without them being scattered all over.
We all have them, some more than others…Books! Books are an integral part of our culture: we studied them as we were educated, we use them as leisure activities, they serve as family heirlooms, and even sterile hotel rooms have at least one. Whether we reread them or simply keep them for informational or reference purposes, what in the world should we do with all of these precious books? How your books are organized should be in line with your personal thinking style. Mind you, if more than one person reads the books, use the thinking style of the person primarily in charge of them. You can sort by genre, alphabetically, color, or chronologically. Utilize bookcases whenever possible. If you have more books than storage space there are a few options. You can convert some to an eReader like Kindle, Nook or iBooks. Select one category to read exclusively on the eReader, I read fiction exclusively on my Kindle. I do this because I seldom re-read fiction. Another example would be to convert all business reference books to iBooks so they can easily be accessed on your iPhone or iPad.
In terms of organizing, the general population can be divided into two groups, Right-brain dominant and Left-brain dominant. There are also individuals who balance between the two. In short, right-brainers, affectionately called Arbies, are typical creative types that like to see their things and materials.
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